Dear Goethalites and Cybermates!Greetings and apologies for my brief silence and non-contribution to the "gms blogspot". I have been travelling since I left Iowa in the last week of April and this latest adventure would certainly classify as a power business trip!
I traveled to Kathmandu, Nepal at the invitation of some private investors, academicians and others interested in setting up a school of international relations and conflict management in Kathmandu. Prior to my departure, I had been in touch with Mr. Sharma and we had planned to meet up in Kolkata. As luck would have it, this new venture called for a very busy schedule and an endless series of meetings and consultations, and my time in Cal was reduced to a mere 2 nights.....not enough to stir the old nostalgia!
Thanks to Mr. Sharma's kind consideration and thoughtfulness, we did manage to meet for a memorable 5 minutes on my way to the airport! We are determined to ensure a proper "meeting up" the next time around.
The good news is that the plans are on for the proposed international institute in Kathmandu and this would guarantee me some welcome trips to India-Nepal in the very near future! This venture might be of some interest to Goethalites and it would be my pleasure to inform those interested in knowing more about the project.
Kathmandu was as pleasant as ever and my arrival coincided with a period of quiet reflection after the recent elections in Nepal. There seemed to be a positive attitude overall with encouraging signs for a peaceful and prosperous future. It is my sincere hope that Nepali politics will ultimately find a happy compromise and get on with the necessary tasks of economic growth and good governance that have become the tenets of a globalizing world order.
On the long trip back to Chicago, I just knew that my spirit lingered on in the Himalayas and that I would be back soon.
Cheers and good wishes!
Viraj P. Thacker.
No comments:
Post a Comment