Always a good idea … ?
‘ … always a good idea”
Why is it that all of the good slogans have already been taken?
In the 1954 Billy Wilder film, Audrey Hepburn plays the part of the chauffeur’s daughter … her father’s millionaire employer was played by Humphrey Bogart and his younger wayward brother by William Holden.
The plot is a little convoluted but it’s supposed to be about a love triangle with the brothers vying for Hepburn’s affections … but there is also fourth player in the story … Paris, (the city, that is, not the mythical character who has choose which of the goddesses he has to give the apple to). In the film Hepburn delivers the memorable line: “Paris is always a good idea.”
And there I was thinking that this might make a suitable catchphrase for Kyrgyzstan: ‘Kyrgyzstan: Always a good idea!”
Why do I think this might make a suitable slogan for Kyrgyzstan? … because …
- There’s a little bit of everything in the country …
.
It doesn’t matter what you are looking for, you’ll probably find it represented here: scenery; history; wildlife; sun, sand and sea (well, lake …as in Issyk Kul – a rather large lake and it is salty so it’s almost a sea … and the northern’s shore resembles the Riviera); adventure and a variety of activities; culture – classical, traditional and modern; … and so on;
.
Indeed, I often describe Kyrgyzstan as having “something for everyone” … well, just about
I.
… and then there’s the fact that …
. - As the current slogan for Kyrgyzstan says … there’s “so much to discover“:
.
Although I have lived here for over 18 years (and longer than I have lived anywhere else), I still come across things that surprise me … new places – that is, places I haven’t visited before; new experiences and new opportunities – after all, we live in a constantly changing world and as we adapt new potential .
.
On many occasions I have had conversations with tourists who have told me that they have enjoyed their to Kyrgyzstan, but they appreciate that they have seen only a small part of the country and what it has to offer – just a sample – and they want to return in order to explore further. Usually, they not only want to visit a different part of the country, and that is not only satisfying but also exciting in that we can cast around and try suggesting places to visit that “off the beaten track”.
.
One of the features that often attracts people on their first visit to the country is that it is “somewhere new, somewhere different“, (another Kyrgyz slogan), and, to be honest, although some people do indeed come back, … the temptations of ”somewhere new, somewhere different”, proves to be more alluring … and so a return trip to Kyrgyzstan is put off for another year.
.
Mind you, I have to it that I did have one reservation: “Always” is a very strong word – it’s an absolute term and, technically, it only needs one counter example to discredit it … which is a point that I often make whenever I feel that someone is making an unjustified claim that needs to be challenged – especially when I feel that they are overstating their case simply to add emphasis. So, I asked myself, was that the case here – was I being guilty of the same thing?
My mind immediately jumped to thoughts of … well, I’ll pass over that particular point for now – but I thought of all sorts of things that could go wrong so that someone could say, it wasn’t “a good idea” after all.
Then I remembered a number of lessons that I learned many years ago … that:
- “Every cloud has a silver lining“, Even when things don’t go according to plan that doesn’t have to mean that the experience is “a total loss”.
- “You can’t please everyone” – Abraham Lincoln said that “”You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool ALL of the people ALL of the time”, but I don’t think it is possible to please everyone – even some of the time … yet alone please some people all of the time … so don’t try. Indeed, I wondered, wouldn’t it only be pedants, (like me), that would levy such a challenge – still, I had to admit, it’s a risk;
I don’t think Audrey Hepburn, (or the scriptwriters who gave her the line), thought literally that Paris was “always” a good idea … that things would go perfectly on every visit …
As an aside: a recent article on one of the many travel orientated websites listed a number of “scams you need to avoid in Paris” … although I thought that this was a little unfair because, (as the author admits), although she cites examples of their occurrence in places like the Eiffel Tower, he Louve, Notre Dame or Montmarte, they could happen anywhere in the world and are not specific to Paris.
… but what they seemed to be saying was that whatever you were looking for – you could find it in Paris … that whatever mood you were in – there something in Paris that would suit it …
Both of which would apply to Kyrgyzstan.
So, I wonder …what do you think?: Kyrgyzstan – Always a good idea!
.
.
.
.
Spoiler Alert!
Just in case you haven’t seen it … the film Sabrina was nominated for six Oscars … including one for the Director, Billy Wilder and another for Hepburn as Best Actress. In the end, however, it walked away with only one: for the best costume design … which was quite a controversial decision as many consider Hepburn’s dresses to have been Givicheny creations.
It was controversial in other ways as well … Bogart, for example, wasn’t very happy with the film … he wasn’t Wilder’s first choice for the role – that had been Cary Grant who eventually declined the role just days before shooting was due to start – and he thought he wasn’t really right for the part … although it makes a pretty interesting contrast to his tough guy typecast. Also he didn’t get on with Wilder or Powell and, apparently and there were some pretty unpleasant scenes on set.
In the film – Humphrey Bogart eventually wins the girl … but perhaps the quotation I like best came in a documentary about his life story when it was revealed that he once said … “If I was in Audrey’s place and given the choice between me and William Holden … I’d choose William Holden:”
.
Bishkek