A little over 23 years ago,
Erlend Kjellstad
walked into my life.
He literally walked in.
I had just started our first store
in the
Dayabumi Complex
in
Kuala Lumpur
&
on one quiet afternoon,
this tall chap with a friendly
smile came in
&
with an equally
friendly hello...
instantly we bonded.
That was then
&
this is now.
Over the years
we kept in touch.
If I were to say
we were writing every month,
I would be lying.
Somehow, we kept
the lines open.
Last
year,
on a flying visit to
London,
we caught up for dinner.
It was one of those clear
London
evenings where
the West End lights
appeared enticingly
bright & inviting.
And in this city
with a gazillion things to do,
one always seem to be running late!
The most convenient place to meet
was at
Piccadilly Circus.
It was 5 pm.
The after office crowd was full on.
Some rushing home while
others onto the pub for a relaxing
drink or two.
Eager tourists jostled here & there,
heading towards a busy
evening from all that
was on offer
in the
British
capital.
For us, we were aiming for
the
South Bank.
Along the way & during dinner,
here's our conversation...
 |
| What makes you laugh? Humanity & the extraordinary situations people sometimes put themselves in. |
 |
| Meet Erlend Kjellstad, Arly in short. Norwegian by birth. Man about town & international traveller. Favourite cuisine? French for breakfast, Japanese for lunch & Italian for supper. |
Describe your job?
I help companies & entrepreneurs
navigate & thrive
in the new digital landscape.
What are you reading right now?
I like to read many books simultaneously ...on my kindle.
Right now:
Nemesis by Peter Evans
Old Filth by Jane Gardam
number9dream by David Mitchell
 |
| How many countries have you lived in? Seven! |
Do you have a theme song?
"We Have All The Time In The World"
by
Louis Armstrong
How do you relax?
TV Box Sets!
Currently watching "Dexter"
&
last seasons
"Breaking Bad".
Followed by a fantastic BBC
costume drama...
"The White Queen".
What can you make with your hands?
Yummy food.
Colourful Art
&
Decent Prose.
What were your first thoughts this morning?
Grateful I am on holiday
&
for the first time
I don't have an 8.30 am skype business call.
 |
| Red or white wine? Red. Though a great Chassagne-Montrachet can hold their own against any fabulous reds... they are rare! |
 |
| Your life philosophy? To learn, To Know & To Do. |
 |
| One thing that motivates you? Every day is a new adventure. |
Whom do you most respect?
My friends.
People who are
strong, determined & devoted
to improving themselves.
Define style?
Using one's will to create a certain look.
Style is deliberate
&
is a reflection of personality.
Any hobbies?
Reading.
Dabbling with painting.
Food - both fine dining & home cooking.
Travel - both to explore new things & deepen the
understanding of favourite places.
Skiing, running, scuba diving
&
TV Box Sets!
What is your most prized possession?
I love my crystals.
A wonderful topaz pendant
&
also a fabulous pair of
black & pink tourmaline,
a cherry citrine as well as a soothing honey calcite sphere.
How many languages do you speak?
6 or 8.
Norwegian, Swedish, Danish,
English,
French, Japanese, Spanish
&
German.
Favourite movie of all time?
Fifth Element
by
Luc Besson.
Beach or mountain vacation?
Being a little cancer crab,
it'll have to be the beach.
I love the ocean!
Most memorable journey?
My first backpacking trip -
Southern China
to
Hong Kong.
Then a flight to Katmandu
&
onto India...
Darjeeling, Sikkim, Calcutta,Jaipur,Agra
&
Delhi
up to Leh, Ladakh to Kashmir
then to Amritsar
before crossing into Pakistan.
Did the beautiful Hunza Valley
&
crossed the Khunjerab pass
into western China.
After that,a flight to Beijing
&
the one week long
TransSiberian train ride to Moscow.
Ending in Leningrad
before heading home to
Oslo
via
Helsinki !!!
Erlend Kjellstad
has been there,
seen that
&
tasted the good life.
This
is a man who has accomplished much.
Widely travel
&
terribly articulate
while possessing
a curious
countenance,
has brought him thus far.
And his journey,
I gather,
is only half begun.
You can't reinvent the wheel
but
seeing it from a different
angle is what sets us
apart from the herd.
Arly
has this capacity.
His viewpoints,
in our many conversations,
are loaded heavy
with extraordinary
ideas,
observations
&
opinions.
As we parted
&
I strolled back to the hotel in the
West End
on this rather balmy night,
I felt energized.
Elated.
And refreshed.
Being around positive people
helps!!!
"The Four Characteristics Of Humanism
Are
Curiosity, A Free Mind, Belief In Good Taste
&
Belief In The Human Race".
E. M. Forster
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Nice of you to write!