Transcription
Rhoon, 16 jan. 1989 Sunday-evening.
"Je connais une planète où il y a un Monsieur cramoisi. Il n'a jamais respiré une fleur. Il n'a jamais regardé une étoile. Il n'a jamais aimé personne. Il n'a jamais rien fait d'autre que des additions.
Et toute la journée il répète comme toi: "je suis un homme serieux !"
"je suis un homme serieux !" "je suis un homme serieux !" et ça le fait gonfler d'orgueil. Mais ce n'est pas in homme, c'est un champignon. Un quoi ? Un Champignon." end of quote
I am not writing to the wrong friend in the other country.
In response to your letter, Stuart, about the shake up in the Lloyds Bank organisation, I have quoted for you a couple of phrases from the booklet: "le Petit Prince" by
Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900-1944).
The more I work for LB, it becomes clearer and clearer to how face-less the bureaucrats in Head Office are; Non Persons, or in other words: Champignons nothing but Champignons.
Being a foreigner, working for a British Institution, I have from day one understood my limitations. I had no drive for career making.
But even when you do not want to make a career, the mediocrity in decision-making hurts and the lack of a dialogue is also hurting.
How fruitful is a discussion with a champignon? The Netherlands (not Rotterdam) are not achieving their objectives. After you left (to become the principal for Spain in Madrid ADD), all initiatives came to a grinding halt. At long last, two months ago, a senior Dutchman has been hired to become the Principal Manager Netherlands in Amsterdam. I cross my fingers and pray for him that he will be successful.
What an absolutely marvellous news to hear about your new job !! We are delighted for you.
The last time we met in London, I had a tour through Lloyds Insurance Building in the afternoon. Fascinating! we were invited by Jardines. Since that day we developed an interesting relationship to mutual benefit (NLG 100.00 annually).
After eight years visiting Italy for holidays, we plan to travel to the USA in October 1989 to visit the farm of the family in Oregon
I could not avoid the pressure of my father any longer. I pretended that I could make a pretty good judgment about how the company works from accounting.
Whilst I am addicted to the Italian culture, I had to please my father lest I am forced to make a career in the bank.
If you visit Britain these days, you must have a goldmine in your backyard. A visit to Great Britain is shockingly expensive for a Dutch person without a career, but it will work. Vera + Adriaan
