Is it interesting? Some days.

I guess I do have an interesting job. I've taken it for granted over the years. Travelled a lot to some interesting places, see some interesting people up close (briefly). So every once in a while I surprise myself and look back as my brain says "that was weird you should remember that." Take this week for example.

Sunday flew to Taiwan to chases the Dalai Lama around Southern Taiwan. Never been to Taiwan before. Beautiful place, hot and humid but beautiful. Drove out to a village that was wiped off the map and watched as a man for peaceful change prayed for the the survivors and the dead of typhoons and landslides. Met and talked to a survivor who seemed to just take it as it comes. He was just hoping to find the bodies of his family so he could bury them properly. Tuesday went on a 3 hour drive over the mountains to a place where a hotel collapsed into a river. Nothing left but an empty space between two other buildings (barely standing themselves). The owner was very willing to talk about what happened. How he and his wife have no insurance but hope to rebuild. The hotel had been in his wife's family for over 20 years. It was there life's work and employed about 20 people.

Flew home Wednesday.

Friday evening had a chance to shoot a sit down 10 minute interview with everyone's favourite former Prime Minister the man who gave us the GST, Brian Mulroney. By the way he is still the same smooth talker and plays to the crowd. RBC banking has him on a speaking/meeting tour through out Asia. I hadn't seen him since the Karl Shreiber stuff, and hadn't had shot an interview with him since march of 2003, when we profiled him for a current affairs show and had a sit down interview with him in Izzy Asper's summer home in West Palm Beach FLA. That was also a weird week Mulroney one day and Conrad Black the next (got in Conrad's house, giggled a little when he jail. Not much but a little.)


So that was my week in TV.

Here is the hotel story if you missed it.

OK so here is my take on Tibet. It has nothing to do with the Dalai Lama and religion. Sure the Chinese want him out of the picture or at least to zip it. My opinion, (personal opinion,) it's about water and natural resources. India and Tibet have four glaciers that feed four major river system. The Chinese, who are currently take all they can out of Africa at an alarming rate, won't let anything happen to the few natural resources they possess.

Personally I like the Dalai Lama. Covered him in Ottawa and thought he was hilarious. Always cracking jokes and smiling. I bit like Nelson Mandela. How can you not like the guy? Besides he's a bit like a panda, cute but you might not want to hug him.

So on to the circus. The DL is a bit like covering Bono. Lots of security, tons of adoring fans all in all a traveling road show worth of any Hollywood star or musician. The Taiwanese fresh from hold the World Games, mustered up 8 tour buses and media handlers. With a very fluid Dalai schedule, we headed out from Kaoshing to a town, actual WAS a town as the place was wiped off the map but the typhoon and accompanying mudslide, Shiaolin village. Since the roads where heavily damaged we walk the last kilometre or so.

Dalai shows up and holds a prayer service for the dead and survivors. Given the heat and humidity my hats off to the 70 sum year old guy.

Next it was back up hill and back to the other side of Kaoshing. Two hours later we the media where just late enough to have him drive by and wave.

If you want to see the story here you go. Other wise enjoy the pictures!