Dinner Guest List

Joanne's post made me wonder - who would be my dinner guests be if I could invite anyone? Who would yours be? For the sake of the exercise - no family; personal friends or historical figures. And only the living. . . Maybe it would be interesting to invite people that we disagree with or off-the-wall people as well. Not just like minded, liked people. A mix makes for stimulating times Jo starts with Madiba (Nelson Mandela); I guess there are few globally that would omit him from their list. Eric Clapton would be a definite - ole slow hand himself. The Maestro (guitarist for those who are wondering - are there any like that!). While we're with the muzo's - Bono. What stories he could tell us - waaaay past music stuff - the man has a heart the size of Africa. Christina Ammanpour - the TV reporter who seems to be at all the hotspots of the world at their most dangerous times. She has the ability to get to the heart of the most complex situations - and does not seem to have lost her humanity although she is faced with what people are at their worst a LOT. Then Parkinson! Woo-hoo - he can draw interesting stories out of a mime artist. Guaranteed to oil the wheels of the party hugely. Meryl Streep - my fav actress. I have a feeling she is a wonderfully funny and entertaining person - as well as being a phenom in her profession. Judy Dench - for the same reasons. I have seen them both interviewed - they are a must. Jamie - naked chef man. All that verve! And zest for living and friends and talk. . . And - he can do the cooking! Johnny Depp - no, not because he is good looking, sexy etc. He is too pretty for my taste - but because he looks as though he would have an eccentric take on things. Simon Cowell - the "Idols" man. Famous for spotting talent where everyone else misses it. And master of the mean observation. He could add some spice! Helen Zille - Cape Town's mayoress and the leader of the opposition party. The woman is a dynamo. Word is that she manages fine on about 3 hours sleep a night! Incisive, fearless, eloquent, compassionate, wildly clever, tireless. Respected, however grudgingly, even by her political adversaries, the woman will speak up for whatever she sees as just, no matter which side of the political spectrum that happens to fall. The Dalai Lama - I want to ask him why he is backing the Beijing Olympics when his homeland is being brutalised by the Chinese. I get the pacifist thing But I don't get this. Let's hear your choices. . . (I reserve the right to poach from your list though) But now . . . I've got a great dvd - well, I hope its great. Called "Cranford" - a series. Judy Dench in lead role. . . .