Alec Le Sueur

'Brussels and all those Eurocrats on the gravy train? It's just so boring. Why, you can't even name ten famous Belgians!'Until 1993, Alec had never been to Belgium, so it came as some surprise when in August that year he found himself at the altar of a small church in Flanders, reciting wedding vows in Flemish. It was the start, for better or for worse, of a long relationship with this unassuming and much maligned little country. As he ordered yet another pint of Stella, it dawned on him that perhaps it was time to immerse himself in Belgian culture, especially when there were over a hundred locally produced beers on the menu. He vowed to put worldwide opinion to the test: just how boring can Belgium be?

Seeking the High Points of the Low Land

Bottoms Up in Belgium

W. D. Holleman

Verslag van een vijfjarig verblijf als hotelmanager in het Tibetaanse Holiday Inn in Lhasa.

vijf jaar in Tibet

Een hotel op het dak van de wereld

From Miss Tibet to Shangri LA

The Hotel on the Roof of the World

The very aptly named Mr Pong had the kind of breath that could stun at over ten feet... This wasn't just bad - there was something rotten down there. Something had crawled in and died. Gunter howled with laughter as he saw the look of horror on my face. It was the best entertainment he had seen since he had watched Chef chasing yaks through the kitchens.Few foreigners are lucky enough to set foot on Tibetan soil, but Alec Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, working in the unlikeliest Holiday Inn in the world. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas unfolds a highly amusing and enlightening account of his experiences.Fly infestations at state banquets, unexpected deliveries of live snakes, a predominance of yaks and everything yak-related, the unbelievable Miss Tibet competition, insurmountable communication problems and a dead guest are just some of the entertainments to be found at the 'Fawlty Towers' of Lhasa.Le Sueur, the only Westerner since the days of Heinrich Harrer to spend so long in Tibet, examines the country's intriguing cultural background, providing a fascinating insight into a country that was only just opening up to the outside world.P

Five Years in Tibet

cinci ani în Tibet

Hotelul de pe acoperişul lumii

Few foreigners have been lucky enough to set foot on Tibetan soil - Alec Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, working for an international hotel chain. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas he unfolds a highly amusing and politically enlightening account of his experiences.

"The very aptly named Mr Pong had the kind of breath that could stun at over ten feet... This wasn’t just bad – there was something rotten down there. Something had crawled in and died. Gunter howled with laughter as he saw the look of horror on my face. It was the best entertainment he had seen since he had watched Chef chasing yaks through the kitchens." Few foreigners are lucky enough to set foot on Tibetan soil, but Alec Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, working in the unlikeliest Holiday Inn in the world. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas unfolds a highly amusing and enlightening account of his experiences. Fly infestations at state banquets, unexpected deliveries of live snakes, a predominance of yaks and everything yak-related, the unbelievable Miss Tibet competition, insurmountable communication problems and a dead guest are just some of the entertainments to be found at the ‘Fawlty Towers’ of Lhasa. Le Sueur, the only Westerner since the days of Heinrich Harrer to spend so long in Tibet, examines the country’s intriguing cultural background, providing a fascinating insight into a country that was only just opening up to the outside world.

Few foreigners have been lucky enough to live in Tibet - Alex Le Sueur spent five extraordinary years there, as Marketing Manager for the Lhasa Holiday Inn. Against the breathtaking beauty of the Himalayas, he unfolds a hilarious account of his experiences. Fly infestations at state banquets, hopeful mountaineers, unexpected deliveries of live snakes, a predominance of yaks and everything yak-related, the unbelievable Miss Tibet competition, insurmountable communication problems and a dead guest are just some of the events to be found at the Fawlty Towers of Lhasa (not to mention the Himalayan hamsters).

Alec Le Sueur

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