Jess Bauldry, journalist at Delano, takes stock of 2017 and looks ahead to 2018 Maison Moderne

Jess Bauldry, journalist at Delano, takes stock of 2017 and looks ahead to 2018 Maison Moderne

Years of experience as a journalist in Luxembourg:

7 1/2 years in Luxembourg

I will remember 2017 as the year that Luxembourg…

Hosted Asteroid Day. On 30 June, a series of talks and events to further the debate on avoiding collisions with near-Earth objects was broadcast over 24 hours from RTL in Luxembourg across 191 countries. It was a massive coup for Luxembourg to show its commitment to the exploration of space resources and introduce astronauts and asteroid experts to the country. Oh yeah, and attendees all received a certificate of participation signed by astrophysicist and Queen guitarist Brian May.

The Delano story I worked on that gave me most satisfaction…

I don’t know if satisfaction is the right word but the one that got me most fired up was “Where to after #metoo”, published in the Winter 2018 edition. From what I gather, the movement appears to have been empowering to some, but for others and particularly men, it has led to confusion on subtleties of what behaviour is and isn’t acceptable, for example should a man still open the door for a woman?

As a piece of viral activism, the hashtag was the most powerful awareness-raising tool we’ve seen for a while--the silence breakers behind it were voted "Time" magazine's person of the year. I just I hope that the debate doesn’t peter out and that we can grow it into a mature conversation that will bring change.

In 2018, I am most looking forward to...

I’m really looking forward to the opening of the tram line at place de l’Etoile in spring 2018. This is when we should start to see a real impact on traffic in the capital. According to the transport ministry, some 866 bus journeys will no longer pass through the capital. Assuming the buses are not replaced by private cars, this should have a positive impact on the environment and traffic and, who knows, it may even encourage more people to cycle.

Finally, we get to turn the tables. My advice to Auntie Eleanor…

Why not start a Facebook account?