Quotessence
Home / Authors / Oliver Dowson

Oliver Dowson Quotes

Author

Filter quotes by topic

AllCandourTravelCulturalFictionFiction BooksHumourWitBusiness GoalsChallengesComicalDifferentEducationalEngagingEnjoymentEntertainingFunInternational TravelLifeTravelogueUnique

Famous Oliver Dowson Quotes

“We rose from our chairs and bowed at each other, Japanese-style. The eight of them sat on the opposite side of the table to us, leaving the middle chair empty. All looking at us, no-one speaking a word. A long minute later, a very short, rather elderly lady – also dressed in funereal black – waddled in and seated herself in the empty chair in the middle of the row, directly facing us. She smiled; well, she attempted to twist her mouth. Too much effort. Her expression reverted to seriousness. Lin, sitting next to her, now spoke and introduced her as the Managing Director. She didn’t speak any English. Nor, it transpired, did any of the others – or if they did, we would never know, as either they weren’t brave enough to try or were inhibited by the business hierarchy. A scene that could have come out of Kafka.”

DifferentFictionHumourTravelUniqueWitLive LifeComicalCandourFiction Books
Book:There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It
Create image

“In Brazil, every road, bridge and viaduct has been given a name, usually that of some long-forgotten personage who was once famous for doing something worthy. Honestly, every one of them; deeper into the country, I’ve even found unsurfaced dirt tracks given names. I’m never likely to have even five minutes of fame, but if I did, I don’t think I’d want to be remembered by a dirt track going from Nowhere Town to Obscure Village.”

DifferentChallengesFictionHumourTravelUniqueWitComicalCandourFiction Books
Book:There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It
Create image

“The questions appeared to be pre-rehearsed. The senior people spoke to the young one in Japanese, and he translated. I answered, and he translated back. Another one. Another one. And one more, that I felt needed a longer answer. Only then did I also notice that there was a clock on the wall opposite me, ticking past 11:59. I opened my mouth and began my answer. To my astonishment, mid-sentence, everyone just stood up, bowed, turned to their right and, in line, walked out of the room. Even while I was talking. They weren’t being rude. It’s just how meetings in Japan work.”

DifferentChallengesFictionHumourTravelUniqueWitComicalCandourFiction Books
Book:There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It
Create image

“Beyond them stood a far greater number of men, all dressed like human versions of classic tin soldiers; dark blue jackets, white shirts, red sashes and black top hats. Definitely not 21st century military uniform; I’d have thought that they were actors had they not, on a drum roll, unshouldered their rifles and fired into the air.”

FunEducationalWitEngagingCulturalTravelogueCandourBusiness GoalsInternational TravelHow To Guide
Book:There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It
Create image

“I love airports. I’m fascinated by how an airport runs seamlessly as one huge well-oiled machine, and to watch how, when things go wrong, as they do all the time, all those little crises are fixed by people running around like the T-cells of a mammalian immune system dealing with infections before they have chance to get out of control.”

DifferentFictionTravelEducationalWitCulturalTravelogueCandourFiction BooksHow To Guide
Book:There's No Business Like International Business: Business Travel – But Not As You Know It
Create image