I think one should express opinions and these books are relatively opinionated. They would be a bit dry without it. John Gimlette More Quotes by John Gimlette More Quotes From John Gimlette Paraguayans have no Italian blood and are half Guarani [Indian] blood. And the Chileans call themselves "the English of South America," which actually couldn't be further from the truth. John Gimlette italianbloodamerica Buenos Aires is my favorite city. I think it's fantastic - but is a troubled, sort of psychologically troubled city. John Gimlette buenos-airescitiesthinking I am sure you have met diplomats; they probably travel far less than you do. Okay, they get to know a place very intensely - sometimes only the capitol city. John Gimlette diplomatscitiessometimes Diplomacy was what I wanted to do. From really quite an early age and I think I had a false impression that diplomacy equals travel. John Gimlette impressionagethinking I am certainly very pro-Europe. John Gimlette europe People my age and younger do think much more towards Europe. We have to fill the gap sometime - we can't think we are an empire any longer after all. John Gimlette europepeoplethinking My parents don't think about Europe at all. The Continent is somewhere else. And they call it the Continent - to reflect, they are no real part of it. John Gimlette realeuropethinking My parents probably feel closer to the U.S. They feel America came to our rescue in the war and all that sort of thing. And for their generation the war still goes on. We still save food and little bits get scraped off and boiled out the next day. John Gimlette next-daywaramerica Originally I wanted to be a diplomat, and by attrition I started giving up that idea. John Gimlette diplomatsgiving-upideas The United Nations was the thing I wanted to work for. Like the United Nations Commission for Refugees is what I was interested in. And then people said if you do that you'll hit glass ceilings all the time, because you are not Ghanian or Nigerian and that's the way to progress though a multinational organization like that. In any event, they said do five years' legal experience and come back. And after five years I decided to stay where I was. So I am really an accidental lawyer. John Gimlette glassesorganizationyears I don't want to sell other people trips! I want to be there! John Gimlette sellswantpeople Lawrence Millman is a favorite writer of mine. He did a travels on the trail of the Vikings. John Gimlette vikingstrailsmines That's more about lifestyle [Peter Mayles], living abroad. It's about buying a donkey and house in south France, and that's a slightly different thing. A very popular genre but that's not quite my thing. John Gimlette differentbuyinghouse I'll always love Paraguay. It's this most exotic place configured out of the imagination, the whole country.Paraguay will always be a special place in my heart. I go back a long way. I first arrived as a refugee in 1982 from the Falklands War. So it was a safe haven then, and it has become something exotic since then. I feel like I'd like the dust to settle a little bit before going back. John Gimlette heartwarcountry Paraguay has had a U.S. supermarket boss as its ambassador for a while. He did the job well. He was there because he wanted to be there. Rather than the British diplomat who didn't want to be there. John Gimlette ambassadorsbossjobs It is a gift, and you realize as soon as you cross the border into Paraguay, as I did, the first time in '82, that you are in a sort of wonderland. Nothing is quite right: the buildings, they've got their own architecture, their own language; and everything is just a little bit off key. John Gimlette wonderlandborderskeys In both places [Paraguay and Newfoundland] people rise despite everything - both are pretty tough environments. John Gimlette toughenvironmentpeople I want people to laugh with me and Paraguay and Newfoundland, but I don't want to laugh at them. I hope in my books at the end of the day you come across with the impression that I really admire both of these places. John Gimlette laughingbookpeople I slightly feel, having written Paraguay and Newfoundland - and both of them have developed eccentricities through isolation - I am quite relieved to be back in France and Germany, and I want people to enjoy these books for the writing and not because they feel they can laugh - some will laugh - at these eccentric places, that's not what I intend. John Gimlette writingbookpeople Benedict Allen gives you the impression that he hasn't done any research at all, and I am sure he has. And when he is off doing his ice dogs and that sort of thing - and therefore its not only an exploration of the place but also his imagination in a sense. It's very successful as technique. John Gimlette icesuccessfuldog
