Who would you love to host?

[Robin4]

I have recently had a reservation request (unfortunately not through Airbnb) for a fairly high profile Australian who needs to be in this area for a specific event.

This request got me thinking.......

Given the opportunity, who, on this planet would you most like to host....and why?

I will get the ball rolling by saying, mine would be Scott Neeson!

Scott with his parents emigrated from Scotland to Australia when he was 5. They moved here to South Australia and settled into an Adelaide suburb about 30 minutes away from where I live.

After his poor attempt at schooling he joined the Clifford Theatres movies circuit delivering  movie reals to the various Clifford theatres around town. He rose up the ranks of the movie industry here in Australia to the point where he became the head of Twentieth Century Fox distribution in Australia in 1986. He was lured to Twentieth Century Fox in the US and moved there in 1993 as Vice President of marketing and eventually rose to become the President of Twentieth Century Fox.

In 2003 he was head-hunted to become the president of Sony Entertainment and between switching roles he took a vacation to Phnom Penh in Cambodia.

As part of his travels he happened to end up in the city's tip and was struck by the hundreds of children as young as 4 scavenging for anything they could find to keep their famlilies alive.

He left Cambodia and took up his role with Sony but was continually haunted by thoughts of those kids on that tip in Phnom Penh, so after 3 months he sold up everything he had in LA, moved to Cambodia and set up the Cambodia Childrens Fund which now educates over 2,000 children and cares for 20,000 families.

Who does that........ turns down the most powerful position in global entertainment and donates themselves and their lives to the underpriviledged.

If I had that one opportunity, I would love to sit down with Scott and find out what makes such a great human being!

Cheers......Rob

[Kath9]

Oooohhhhh @Robin4, who???? The mind boggles!

Who would I love to host...how about David Attenborough? Jane Goodall? Oh wait, my current favourite person in the world, Jacinda Ardern. Or someone hilarious like Judith Lucy or Kitty Flanagan. Russell Brand would be fun! I know, the Dalai Lama! Bob Dylan. Oh dear, this is way too hard...

Nice choice in Scott Neeson - I didn't know all this about him! Anyway, let us know how your high-profile guest stay is. I hope he/she behaves themselves!

[Robin4]

@Kath9 

David Attenbourgh....I like that one Kath! I need all the help I can get with the 'critters' around here!

I feel, comedians are difficult....they are all the time trying to take the 'mickey' out of you!

Bob Dylan....does he actually say anything coherent these days?

I don't think the Dalai Lama would share my passion for a vino!

Jacinta Ardern.......I worry a bit about hosting guests with babys 

I doubt that I will have the opportunity to do an Andrew Denton, but we will see Kath!

Cheers.......Rob

[Cathie19]

I think @Kath9, we should share the party. Saves cooking for them twice!  Lol..

[J-Renato0]

Hi @Robin4 

The late Amy Winehouse

Francisco, the Pope

Beppe Grillo 

Mauricio Crozza 

Keith Richards

I think Beppe, Crozza and Keith are used to 5 star hotels! Certainly they do not consider staying in  humble Airbnb like mine. Anyway, they would be very welcome! 🙂

This time it is not a joke. I am talking serious now. 

[Robin4]

@J-Renato0 

Beppe Grillo....gee his views are really polarising Jóse, but I agree a bloody good choice. I would love to hear his version of how he felt when his car slipped off that road on the French border and fell 1 kilometre into a ravine....oh my god, would that make rivetting listening!  That agonising decision to save himself and let his 3 friends slip into oblivion! You just have to hear stuff like that from....'the horses mouth'!

Mate if ever you get that opportunity, can I be there?

Mauricio Crozza......God you love your middle aged Italians, don't you. Love to know why you picked him, he was not very well received either in Italy or abroad. He seems to have dropped out of public life since 2006. Interesting choice, love to know why you picked him!

Keith Richards....Yeah, I had the good fortune to meet George Harrison, Paul McCartney and John Lennon, and apart from Jagger I never had a lot of time for the Stones after that.

You know the only thing that really bonded me to Amy Winehouse was her 'Duets' album with Tony Bennett! I really never thought she could sing before that album. A great loss and a worthy contender just to find out what went on in that mind of hers!

The Pope, now come on Jóse, the reason you picked him is because he comes from Buenos Aires!!!

But seriously, a good choice! Australian cardinal George Pell...the third highest ranking figure in the Roman Catholic church has just been sentenced to 6 years in prison here in Australia for pedophilia....molesting under age boys. How on earth does Pope Francis cope with that and try to move on from a revelation like that. It must almost be as though someone had cut out a chunk of his heart. Oh how I would like to hear how he handles that! 

Interesting choices Jóse!

Cheers......Rob

[J-Renato0]

Hey @Robin4 

I would not be inquisitive if I had the oportunity to meet Beppe Grillo. I would first hear what he says.. may be he wanted to know about the city I live in and he was staying. I would never mentioned something unpleasant that happened to him in the past. Actually, I knew that he was involved in a serious car accident, but I did not know about details. I like him because he is a good comedian, he is also a good thinker, a visionary. 

In the same way, if I talked to Van Gogh, I would never ask why he cutt his ear off! I would just like to have a normal conversation with him. I would make him feel good and would talk about art.

Amy Whinehouse it was aa good singer, creative person and outsider. Unfortunatelly she was a self destructed woman. Some people that had the oportunity to meet her in person says she was a lovely person.

Mauricio Crozza (the one I am talking about) has a great sense of humour, he is also an actor and impersonates famous people very well. He is one of the most famous Italian comedians of nowadays. I look up to him, very talent. 

Keith Richard has been also a crazy outsider and good guitar man. I would not be inquisitive about anything regarding his life. It would just be a pleasure to host him.  I have read some interviews where he talks about his life and other things.  In the end, I think he is a good guy.

It is not because the Pope Fracesco is from Benos Aires that I picked him. It is because I think he have a good heart. As for what you have said, I have to say that, because of some rotten apples, one should not judge all the apples. There is bad people everywhere.  I am not a religious man, but I was baptized catholic and all my relatives have been catholic, the ones that are died and the ones that are alive. All of them have only good words to thanks the priests of the catholic church that helps millions of souls on a daily basis. None of my relatives and other persons that I know in person have any bad thing to report.

Yes, I consider my choices (in answering this topic)  interesting. I do not care if the person is perfect or not perfect! I just like to think that, most of the human beings are good and creative, despite of their flaws and personal difficulties. It is amazing how people that deal with personal problems can leave a great artistic, scientific, political or philosophical contribution. Or just being good and lovely person if you meet them in person.

Thanks for this topic @Robin4 and for the initial question. It made me think and reflect!

[Graham-And-Michelle0]

Oh Robin that’s a stunning choice. Can I have an invite too. ?

I could bring my famous Pavlova with Feijoa ice cream for dessert.

[Robin4]

@Graham-And-Michelle0 

Hi Guys,

Although I have tried to wrestle pavlova away from Ade, she remains the undisputed champion in this part of the world so that may not be an ideal choice for you to bring Michelle. You would be putting yourself under a lot of pressure!

My God we sure could 'murder' a Hangi though. I was fortunate enough to be involved in one just once when I was first there almost 50 years ago...and I have always longed for the day when I would get an invite to another!

Anything that takes a full day to prepare has got to be spectacularly good!

Who would be your most favoured person to host from everyone on earth!

Cheers.....Rob

[Graham-And-Michelle0]

ok So I’ll just bring the Feijoa ice cream . 

A hangi is a debatable item.  A well organised one can be spectacularly tasty.

I once assisted a famous chef , well, famous in Christchurch, prepare one for a 

delegation of guests from Singapore at our winery.  We also took them for a 

ride on a horse drawn wagon while the hangi was cooking.

They were guests of the NZ Meat board and suitably impressed by all the country

hospitality.

Now I have pondered all afternoon about my special guest. There are so many candidates.

Too many. 

Elizabeth Mountbatten Windsor I think, for a very informal afternoon tea. I have really enjoyed 

watching The Crown and I think that as Grandmothers we would have much to chat about.

We’ve met a couple of times but only briefly and I would love the chance to discuss her long and successful reign. Cheers. Michelle

[Cathie19]

@Robin4, I’m going to keep my party really relaxed, so was thinking...... Ahn Do, Julia Zemiro, Deborah Mailman and Tim Minchin. If I can have another... then Chris O’Dowd.

I think it would be a very relaxed evening full of witty insight, entertainment and so many funnily cut comments. We could entertain ourselves for hours! 

[Robin4]

@Cathie19 ,

Oh yes...Ahn Do....as long as he could do my portrait while we talked!

Cheers......Rob

[Ann72]

@Robin4 I would love to host Lady Gaga and Stephen Fry.  At the same time.  I think they'd hit it off.

There are a lot of dead authors I'd like to host, but that's a list for another forum.  🙂

[J-Renato0]

@Ann72 

Great choices! 🙂

Stephen Fry is a good and creative movie maker and talent artist!  I would also host him.

As for lady Gaga I do not understand her very well because I am somewhat old (60 yo) for her music! 🙂  Actually I am too old for Lady Gaga, but still young to listen to Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone and the late Jannis Joplin 🙂

[Ann72]

@J-Renato0 I'm older than you are!  I love Gaga and took my three daughters to one of her early concerts at Madison Square Garden.

But I'm too old for Amy Winehouse lol.  Adore Janis Joplin, though!  She was my jam when we were young.  🙂