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Lädt ... The Ambassador's Camel: Undiplomatic Tales of Embassy Lifevon David Holdsworth
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When politics and policy clash, politics always win. And in this case, senior diplomat Percy Williamson loses. At odds with Canada's new Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Crowley, Percy draws an overseas assignment as ambassador to Bharalya, a small country in Asia that recently discovered a big cache of oil. When Percy and his wife Marilyn arrive in Bharalya they are quite unprepared for the bizarre experiences they will share and the eccentric people they will meet. There's the king who's addicted to collecting medals from foreign governments, a junior diplomat who impersonates his own foreign minister, a visiting minister caught by the press in a brothel, and a travel-averse diplomat reduced to jelly by his one and only trip outside the capital. Diplomatic conflicts almost turn into wars over golf tournaments, and Percy's and Marilyn's duties include attending flower competitions, Christmas parties, national day celebrations, and events with rented camels. And regularly erupting at the most awkward moments is the dreaded Bharali amoeba, scourge of the diplomatic intestinal tract. But all frivolity is set aside when the government threatens to close down the embassy; the Foreign Service springs into action, with surprising results. Keine Bibliotheksbeschreibungen gefunden. |
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Holdsworth covers all the bases: the sanctimony and superiority of political ministers who turn out to have the same foibles as the rest of us; the silly importance that some events can acquire; the variety of persons serving abroad, not all of whom are enamoured with their posting but more enamoured with themselves; the send-up of management fads that continue to swirl through the public service; the hustle of National Day celebrations abroad; the sometimes numbing life of the foreign service spouse; dealing with ministerial visits and the media-obsessed ministerial staffers; the craziness of relations with tinpot despots.
Holdsworth wrties with a crisp, clear style well-tuned to his tone and of irreverence and parody.
I don't know if current ministerial staffers, ministers, or parliamentary secretaries have time to read given their onerous tasks of running the country, but if they do, I suspect they would not be amused with the often accurate portrayals here.