The Charm of Rod Stewart

Rod Stewart is so British to me. Paul McCartney, by contrast, is so well known that he is a global figure rather than just English. Mr. Stewart wears a tartan jacket almost always at some point of his concert indicating his Scottish decent.

When I lived in London, I went to his open-air concert in Hyde Park in June -- my most favorite month in Englandt. To be honest I didn’t think he sang too well. Nonetheless, he has this irresistible charm together with his husky voice. A classmate in primary school in the late 70s adored him; at his current age of 71, Rod Stewart looks even more attractive to me.

Where is his charm coming from? The overall sense of “B” class, if I can put it that way. He is not that tall, but exudes the unique approachableness. One of his most popular songs is actually about a total loser Some Guys Have All the Luck; “Seems so unfair when there's love everywhere but there's none for me.” I can relate to that, maybe quite a few people as well.

Well-travelled captain’s final destination

My flight home from Hong Kong was delayed for over two hours. When the captain finally made an announcement for landing in beautiful British English, he added surprising words:

“I have operated Boeing 747 for 28 years, and this is my last day as captain, at least for passenger planes. It has been a great pleasure, and I hope you have a pleasant night.”

Passengers, including myself, applauded spontaneously.

As a Tokyo native, I felt honored that such a seasoned international travel expert chose my home town as his final destination. I'm sure he should be healed by the world’s highest standard of service and cuisine. 

It was a very soft landing. Well done, and thank you!!