Cultural minister

Tomorrow I am going to a conference where the 'opening address' will be given by the cultural minister. This is the third such conference I have been at (though the other 2 times it the former Cultural Minister, not the new one). I find this a particularly quaint Icelandic tradition, that any conference that has foreign guests speaking at it and is sponsored by a body of the cultural division of the government can expect the Cultural Minister to open the proceedings. 

But I note that last time, the Cultural Minister literally whizzed in just before she was supposed to speak, and then whizzed right back out again. And it actually is not that much of an honor, not that much of a boost to the tone of the conference, if the key note speaker is only half-interested in the subject. I would rather they come when they can sit down and enjoy the event, somewhere were the people and the topic capture the full of their attention.  

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