Barack Obama reveals childhood crush on flight attendant

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calder’s Travel email Get Simon Calder’s Travel email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Sharing his anecdote with the audience of 9,000 people, Mr Obama said: “I was travelling from Indonesia where my mother was living at the time, to my grandparents in Hawaii and I was travelling unaccompanied.” Explaining that he was only eight when he made the journey on his own, Mr Obama added: “We had to stop for a day for the connecting flight and a Qantas stewardess took very good care of me.” Mr Obama told the audience that the crew member who had been tasked with looking after him won his affections by providing Coca-Cola and comic books throughout the journey. “I felt very sophisticated, very worldly, travelling on my own and so that’s my first association with Sydney,” Mr Obama said, adding that he still has a soft spot for Australian travel as a result. The event was delayed by 20 minutes due to the sheer volume of people queuing to access Sydney’s International Convention Centre to attend Mr Obama’s speaking tour. The event was hosted by former Australian foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop, and the pair discussed political issues and stories from Mr Obama’s time spent in the Whitehouse.