In the Diamond Business, but No Longer Wearing Them EVEN as a child, I loved the thought of flying. I remember having a book detailing the logos of almost every airline in the world. Today, nothing breaks up the monotony of a long stay on a tarmac more than finding a new airline logo and trying to figure out its origin. Daniel Rose, a consultant for Eurostar Diamond Traders, in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Q. How often do you fly for business? A. I fly overseas about twice a month, and domestic about twice a month. Q. What's your least favorite airport? A. La Guardia. It's a mess. There's always food on the floor, left by the people who were sitting on the floor. Q. Of all the places you've been, what's the best? A. Big Sur, Calif. It's a great place to recharge, and it's unbelievably beautiful. Q. What's your secret airport vice? A. Finding good earplugs. I have a whole stash, but I always want more. I've been in the diamond business for 18 years, and with Eurostar for the last 11. The days are long gone when I traveled with diamonds. It was always harrowing, because you're walking around with three-quarters of a million dollars" worth strapped inside your pants. There were always issues with security or even using the bathroom on the plane. It was unnerving, and I'm glad I don't do that anymore. Talking with seatmates is something I enjoy, and I'll talk to anyone who wants to talk. When I tell people about my work, most of my seatmates think it's glamorous. It's funny, because we have a run-of-the-mill business, sending raw materials to our factories and then we ship polished stones to our sales offices. At the end, we hope to sell for more than what we paid. It's a job like any other, and I don't know anyone famous or hang out with anybody famous. When the movie "Blood Diamond" came out several years ago, I did have a few seatmates ask questions about "conflict" diamonds. But most people seem more interested in the blood and guts, rather than showing any concern about the fact that innocent people are being abused so someone can buy a ring for their significant other. I try to explain the issues, like the Kimberley Process, an effort among governments and companies to stop conflict diamonds from reaching the market. But I usually get a glazed look. I think most people don't know the difference between Angola and Albania, so explaining our goals to maintain our objective of job creation and community-building is as easy as explaining the tax code. But I have met a lot of interesting people over my years of flying. I love getting a flying nerd like myself as a seatmate, who can talk about the best airlines, the best seats, the best aircraft and the best airports. On a flight from Los Angeles, I noticed my seatmate was carrying a bag with the St. Jude's insignia. I asked him if he was a doctor, and he said yes, and then told me he practiced in New York City. He also worked at the hospital right up the block from my home. When I told him that we were practically neighbors, he asked me for my building address. I found out that he lives in my building, one floor below me. I guess it takes going 2,500 miles away to meet someone who lives just a few feet away. A few months ago, I was headed to Los Angeles and was seated next to a woman who happened to be a best-selling author. She told me everything about her career and how she recently wrote a movie script that was picked up by a studio. She gave me the name of the movie. She said it was a horrible experience since the script was revised, the actors were horrible, the movie was horrible and hardly anyone saw it when it was released. I looked up the movie and started streaming it. I then showed her my iPad. She looked scared and probably thought I was a stalker. Nope. Just one of the handful of people who saw the movie. I can't say I watched the whole thing. I heard it wasn't that good. By Daniel Rose, as told to Joan Raymond. E-mail: joan.raymond@nytimes.com