Out of the woods
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Out of the woods

Seen and heard in the corridors of the Annual Meetings

GlobalMarkets runs on Dunkin

Out of the Woods does like a good nosh. But even he was surprised at the offer of culinary accoutrements while waiting to interview the Asian Development Bank chief. A reedy chap slipped in to offer the usual caffeinated beverages, before adding: “We also have cookies and doughnuts”. Cue the arrival of a large tray of Krispy Kremes. It felt rude to refuse…

Morning service 

Delegates in search of spiritual balm at this year’s meetings can always turn for succour to a diffident chap standing outside the World Bank. He handed OOTW a wristband bearing the legend ‘fallingplates.com’ — a website that contained little more than a gloopy video espousing the glories of the Lord. The video is available in 26 major languages but, oddly, not Chinese.

Silver spoon 

It’s hard to get away from the First Family. A panel on female empowerment included Ivanka Trump, entrepreneur and self-styled “Advisor to the US President”. A trio of impressive women spoke burningly about overcoming adversity to build their own corporate empire — while all eyes remained fixed on a lady raised in a house with golden taps and crystal chandeliers.

The XX 

Talking about girl power, the Rwandan finance minister, realising he was the only XY on stage in a sea of double-Xs, risked a rather lame crack about the need for gender equality. The moderator of the panel took a dim view, acerbically noting that the all-female panel would until very recently have been an all-male affair. Kerpow!

Party Train 

An African-style choir brought into entertain the Commonwealth event over lunch brought the house down, bringing a huge crowd to their feet in ecstatic applause. But they didn’t just entertain the assembled finance ministers and bankers, keeping the party going all the way down to DC’s metro system, where they left morning commuters bemused but properly entertained.

Poker face 

Wolfgang Schäuble, rarely short of a pithy aside, was asked yesterday on the way out of an IMF panel if he had any cogent advice for his successor. “Yes,” he replied, playing with a straight bat. “They need to remember that German finance ministers should never look too friendly.”

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