News from the 10th Anniversary of the ALADIN project

Before the ceremony, the representatives of the ALATNET centers met to organize the ALATNET life during the next 12 months : ALATNET seminars in Gourdon and in Slovenia next year, steering committees, mid-term review with the EC, first evaluation of the last (?) set of candidacies to the ALATNET pre- and post-doc positions (in Budapest, Ljubljana and Toulouse), ... Let's note that many of these ALATNET representatives left (or should have left ...like Joël for the previous 1st signature of the MoU) Toulouse quite early (plane departure at 6 o'clock). Then, they joined around a coffee break the directors of the ALADIN NMSs, the attending ALADINers and the Météo-France direction team.

The Anniversary began by a scientific round-table, with presentations from Doina Banciu, Jean-François Geleyn and Andras Horanyi and a discussion conducted by Dr Malcorps. The exchanges were open, frank and constructive (official Minutes will be prepared).

After lunch, and an informed, appreciative and future oriented speach of Mr. Gayssot (the French Ministery of Transport) with , Prof. Dr. Steinhauser chaired the signature of the new Memorandum of Understanding by the 15 ALADIN partners, in the presence of Mr. Gayssot, Mr Delsol (WMO representative) and some ambassadors of ALADIN countries. The usual wording within the ALADIN community ("ALADINistes" in French and "ALADINers " in English) was officialized by its use Mr. Gayssot !).

Then, mementos were distributed by Mr Beysson and Dr Obrusnik to the ALADINers nominated for their important contribution to the ALADIN project in term of research, operational, technical, practical or administrative effort (great specialists of the desesperate situations all projects have to face, even a "magic" project like ALADIN) : Claude, Doina, Dominique, Andras, Radmila, Luc, Jean-Daniel, Martin, Gabor, Manu, Jean-Francois, Mihaela and Patricia.

The celebration ended with the addresses by Mr Delsol for WMO, Mr Beysson for Météo-France, Mrs. Brozkova and Mr. Jerman for LACE, Mr Mokssit for Maroc-Météo.

All participants will confirm, this day was a complete success until the nice cocktail that concluded this Anniversary.

After that, the spirit of our ALADIN magic lamp ("Génie de la lampe ALADIN") proved to be a little tired (side-effect of the cocktail champagne ?).

Mr Hajji, Director of the Tunisian NMS who had just joined the ALADIN community and should visit Toulouse on June 1st, and many of the nominated ALADINers went to the airport to go back to Toulouse by plane, whereas the ALADIN (grand)father, who had probably received confidential informations from the spirit, had decided to reach Toulouse by train.

For hours, the planes to Toulouse had been either canceled or delayed with undeterminable delay (Bordeaux radar was out of order). Decision was taken to go back by car (by solidarity, we won't tell who had this stroke of genius). Of course, it was not an isolated decision, thus it has been difficult to find cars. Two working groups were created and put into two meeting-cars. Deep discussions took place. Traffic jams in Paris (some people were going for a prolongated Pentecote weekend), traffic jams again and closure of the motorway (a stupid truck decided to burn in the traffic) gave the opportunity to the working group to visit Orléans and the French countryside. One group reached the conclusion much more quickly (3 o'clock in the morning) than the second one (3 hours later), taking advantages of much better tools/car (and members in better form). After such a brain-storming the only unsolved problem remains how to deal with administrative things now with bills for car, ... and unused plane tickets !...

Like a famous French BD who always ends with a "megabuffet", this new magic ALADIN adventure ends with : "it could have been worse !". Of course, we are now very tired at the moment to enter the next episodes (ALADIN workshop, ALATNET Seminar, ...). Thus, please do not kill us if everything is not perfect and do keep in mind : it could always be worse !...and with magic ALADIN, whatever the problem, ALADINers specialists of desesperate causes will try to solve it.

Patricia