Obama visit, having a rant.

No thanks, and when we get him again in June and it costs us another 10 million euros for his security, no the visiting 'high heid yins' do not pay for any of it including the Brits, you can have him back as quick as we can get him out of here. I have already moaned enough so will not go into my trip home from visiting a friend in Hospital yesterday. Belgian taxpayers pick up the tab, approximately 10€ per head per person. Probably includes a certain UKIP MEP who has never attended a Pleniary Session but sits in the bars outside, oh he does pay for a round, especially if he thinks you have a British vote !!!!!!!!!!

Lost

Believe me, lost grandma, he'd be an improvement on some of the politicians we have here in Britain.

I am from the United States. Next time Obama comes to visit, could you guys just keep him please?

Actually most of the 'high heid yins' are really very nice it tends to be the underlings who think they are basking in some sort of glory who are the real pains.
A few years ago the Indian Ambasadors wife came to my book group and invited me and a friend to a birthday celebration for the Queens' birthday in the Parliament, we became attached to the then new South African Ambassador, attached in like having a puppy, he had just arrived had gone to school in Scotland and was obviously quite lost, he even came for a drink with us after the event, he has moved on now but we are still in touch.

Not very excited at the moment, just heard on the Radio 4 news that the Chinese premier is on a low key visit, would hate to see a high key one !!!!! A friend had a hip replacement yesterday in the hospital opposite the Sheraton in the city the Chinese are staying in, called me at 9.00am couldn't hear him for the sound of helicopters and sirens,anyone fancy a house swop next time they all come to town, just don't expect to see much of the city.

You do have an exciting life. The most exciting thing that's happened to me is sitting next to the Vice Chancellor on Sunday. He must meet a lot of top "high heid yin"people. He hasn't a clue who I am but I felt the famous radiating from him. Like heck.

Just went to put my rubbish bag out, big security man says no, all bags have to go at the top of the hill, told him I was disabled walked with 2 canes so if he wanted said bag at top of hill he would have to put it there, well you can imagine the reaction, 5 security guards arrive, DGS watching all this from his bedroom window, just about eye level with outside.
Then another car rolls up, right outside my door and an African Ambassador who goes to our Church gets out, good friends with the family, comes over gives me a kiss, and asks whats going on, Sec guy gets in first my friend then picked up my bag and took it to the top of the hill, I thought the sec guys were going to have a heart attack, then he sees DGs and decides he wants to say hello to him and DD so comes into the house, closing the door in the sec guys face, he says they are all tottally fed up with it, they are virtually trapped in the Hotel and the sec guys are really racist.
Hope it is all over soon, SIL had to park nearly half a kilometre from home last night.

here we go again, another Summit on the Ukraine, so all the EU area closed, they also close the Metro and train stations in the area so anyone not wanting to take their car to work is also stuck. The Chinese one has closed most of the city centre, DD and I went for a walk yesterday afternoon, home after 2 hours to find our street full of security men in suits and earphones. Both sides of the street lined with very large blacked out window cars and mini buses. We live opposite a large business Sheraton Hotel and there was an African leaders summit taking place, it is a two way busy bus route, and was gridlocked. No police around to direct things so just chaos, we took 15 minutes to get through the security men just to get to our front door, DD even threatened to call the police and have them charged with obstruction.
starting to wish we had gone on holiday. The police usually put signs on the street warning if there is likely to be closure but it appears they were not informed yesterday that it was going to take place. Ok another rant over.

just to top it off,it has just been announced that the Chinese Premier is also coming for a visit, the Chinese Embassy is on one of the main entry/exit roads to the city so that should be great fun. Ok possible rant over, thanks for listening folks x

Just chatting to DD and she was telling me that friends who were visiting her last night and live in the city centre were told if they took their car out they would not be allowed to return it to their garage until 'further notice'
They live opposite a very posh Hotel which has some 'high heid yin' staying in it for the current summit. Their whole street is closed even to taxis, and the Hotel Restaurant is also closed, it is one of the best in the city and you need to book at least a week in advance for a table.
A time to stay at home I think.

We live about 15 mile from an ex American Airbase. When it was operational in the 80s a friend and I walked across the fields to a local farm for a picnic. The farm was and still is open to the public as a demonstration farm. We did not know it was closed this particular day as we had walked in from the back.

We settled down to picnic when a massive military helicopter hovered low down over us. We could clearly see that the guys had large guns across their knees as they leaned out to have a look at us. We were flattered until we found out that a high ranking USAF officer was visiting the farm that day and we were under surveillance.

Get your point, Felice

Nonu, it's the Americans , not so bad since Bush went, then even people who lived and worked anywhere near the area he was likely to be were moved out. Strange but then again we live in a city where in 2008 the most popular boys name was Mohammed.

Granjura, if you got anywhere close to seeing him, you would be in the grip of a very large man with a gun, ummmm

We've had party conferences in the town where I work and you wouldn't even have known - indeed I haven't until after the event. I suppose if my office had been nearer to the conference venue it might have been different.

Well we had Kate visit , did not seem to cause too much bother !

It's only one day and a few either side- I'd be very happy to have my routine upset a bit if Obama came here (fat chance ;) )- I'd love it.

All extremely OTT in my view. One of the G20 conferences will be held in DD1's nearest city this year and the pavements have been or are being all replaced. I suppose the public will be able to enjoy the benefit of lovely marble pavements when all the schmozzle about how to save the planet has died down again.

Unfortunately one of the downsides of living in a lovely city is that we get all the meetings of everyone and everything, there is one here today, and a friend just had to drive for an extra 55 minutes to go 1 KM. Ok today is for the Ukraine and as I said in a previous post we assist an Orphanage and half-way house there through our Church so perhaps he will forgive them. Slight concern there, as money was sent a month ago and still not arrived in the account of the orphanage.

When we used to get Party Conferences in our seaside town, the centre went into more or less lock down for a few days. Especially if it was a party in power and the PM was due to visit. A friend and I were walking along our beach with our dogs one morning, we must have got too close to the centre where the conference was taking place. Suddenly two large men , 'packing heat' , approached in a determined manner and told us to about turn. After a few words of outrage we did turn back. They were large guys and we were just two old ladies with dogs.

When Prince Edward visited our town they wouldn't let me leave my bike in the usual place. I was a little bit affronted.

It sounds very exciting!

When Hillary Clinton was in St Andrews to receive an honorary degree, my sister and I were highly amused at the number of US Secret Service men around the robing venue - they were a very open secret! They looked just as they would in a movie - dark suits, dark ties, overcoats and ear-pieces - most likely guns in holsters too. There may well have been more of them mingling with the onlookers but they were more difficult to spot. The Fife cops were out in force too.

Sociology should have been schools ....