Dear Readers,

Hi,

I am sorry but I haven’t been blogging for a long time.

A multitude of issues came up and I am sure you will understand.

First, my mom was diagnosed with appendicitis and required an operation. As many cousins and well wishers repeatedly told me, appendics is not a major operation now-a-days but then as with everything involving close family members, reason and logic somehow does not come into play. I was worried sick and being so far away did not help matters either. My sis reaced home yesterday and it’s only now that I am a little relieved.

The other matter which was giving me constant headaches was the search for a new house. The landlord of my current building is demolishing a perfectly fine building. The reason for that is that since there is a lot of space in between the two buildings (it’s a twin tower) that is equilavant to millions of dollars going waste every year. So they will be building a huge block instead. The problem is that the accommodation allowance I am entitled to has not kept pace with the rise in real estate prices (the govt hasn’t done much to check inflation either) so finding a decent house in my budget is near impossible. I went via countless real-estate agents (2/3rd of them are fake) who showed me mini rooms further partitioned to make 2 rooms. Just when I was giving up hope I finally found a flat from my company itself. There are many more details in this story but I will not bore you with them. I should be moving in within 2-3 weeks so expect some blogging interruptions again.

Just a couple of thoughts for this blog….

Have anyone of you watched a program on MTV called “My Super Sweet 16”.

It is as decadent a show as you can possible watch.

Its kind of a reality show which follows the trails and tribulations (quite literally) of some guy/girl who is turning 16 and somehow finds it necessary to throw the most hedonistic & self indulgent party ever.

I was 16 once and can understand the need to impress friends and I also understand that 16 isn’t quite the age where reason and practicalities figure very highly but what the fcuk is wrong with the parents? Aren’t they supposed to be the mature sensible ones?

For those of you who haven’t watched this show let me warn you that it isn’t great television but like a very bad accident on the road it is also impossible to turn away from.

16 year olds are taken to showrooms by indulgent parents where they get to choose expensive and very powerful cars.

All this even when it is amply clear that they can barely even keep their ever escaping bosoms inside their skimpy tops much less control a 3.2litre 540bhp 240kmph super-car.

1 hand for the mobile, 1 for the starbucks, 1 for the lip gloss, 1 for ….

Wait a min…

Don’t they have only 2 hands???

Precisely my point.

Now even as I am writing this I am fully aware how old and fuddy-duddy it makes me sound (which let the record show I am NOT but then someone’s got to bell the social cat)

Americans are worried that their children aren’t learning values, that they are perciecved as arrogant self-absorbed ignoramuses and that most youth after 21 can't find a decent job to sustain themselves without federal help.

With the 'values' that shows like these propogate is it really surprising?

And let’s not be coy here because the impact MTV has on the youth is hugely under-estimated.

There was a report in the Washington Post recently that this is becoming more than a trendand it has almost become a teen-obsession, to out-do each other with outlandish theme parties (one show had a Cleopatra theme but guessing how much ‘studying’ actually gets done in school it wasn’t surprising that Cleopatra was somehow more Roman than Egyptian) and dresses (one 16yr old was dressed worse than a slut in a strip joint in a feathered costume which, lord have mercy, was designed by her own mother).

The next time you hear about limousines, red carpets, paparazzi and custom-made gowns it probably won’t be the Oscars they are referring to .

And then they complain that Latinos and Asians are taking up all the good jobs.

Sorry guys for the break but I was down with a quite severe attack of Flu & Tonsillitis.

Anyway to continue with the trip to Manila….

Philippines Dairy Part III

By the way I have been getting a lot of emails and comments from friends and people I don’t know (Juan from Miami??) who have written to say that as interesting as the blog is, it is ALL about food.

I know, I know but then apart from the interviews all we did for the first 5-6 days was eat out… so…. anyway this last part should more than make up for all that….

Enjoy.

After the Japanese Dinner (See Part II) we headed to a place that teaches all kinds of ballroom dancing. There are boys and girls who for a nominal fee will guide you around the dance floor quite expertly. Val danced her heart out and I was quite content just watching the assorted crowd do the jig including an old stern spinster who danced with the most fearful expression on her face. She would miss a step and then snap at her instructor. The poor boy looked like he would burst into tears at any moment. Aaaah... the things people have to do to earn a living....

Val trying to let her partner lead

Friday 22 June

Interviews. Last day, so we had a lot to complete and became quite tired. Decided to go to the Spa with Val, Yolanda & Adore. (Actually the interviews were not quite tiring but what the hell, do you really need an excuse to visit the Spa?) Slept early as we had a full day ahead of us on…

Saturday 23 June

Woke up at 6am and after a quick bath, meditation and prayers, rushed down for breakfast. Y&A were prompt to pick us up at 7 and we drove to a place/resort called Hidden Valley.

Now coming from Nepal myself I am used to greenery and forests but this was beautiful in another way. The resort has number of natural springs which have been tapped and made to form natural pools.

the tranquil pool

The water in these are crystal clear due to the flowing water and surrounded by jungles etc it is quite an experience to swim in them.

The Hot & Cold Pool. Yolanda in the hot pool while Val gats a hydro massage

They have many pools like these scattered around the huge resort with names like Tranquil Pool, Soda Pool (it has bubbles) and Lover’s Pool (semi-heart shaped and secluded). The best of them is the 3 layer pool which is actually 3 flowing inter-connected pools. The first pool has 2 natural water sources, 1 cold and 1 warm.

the 3 layer pool

It is quite heavenly. The only drawback, if you can call it that, is, as Adore put it, bus loads of Korean tourists who descend on the resort with their usual cackle of touristy sounds. After swimming and lazing in the pool we had a simple Filipino lunch in the resort dining hall and while eating we were serenaded by 2 men playing guitars and a plump girl singing soprano.

it aint over till the fat lady sings

Satiated we drove (actually Adore drove and we napped) to Tagaytay Highlands which is a vantage point from where you can see the Taal Volcano.

It is an extinct volcano surrounded by a Taal (Lake).

Incidentally Taal is Lake in Nepali too.

Strange Naa?

Very beautiful but with lots of commercial constructions coming up around the hillside so I am not sure how much longer it will remain naturally beautiful.Taal Volcano

WE were supposed to head back and spend the night in the hotel but Adore suggested we drive to Subik (an ex US Naval base) in the evening and spend the night there.

After a quick change in the hotel we were off again.

This time we had Yolanda’s children join us. Her daughter’s name is Venice and she too blogs quite regularly and so is a kindred spirit. The son is France but he is better and more affectionately known as BiBoy. He of the Cliffhanger Sandwich fame.

BiBoy, Venice and a Proud Yolanda

Both sweet kids and very very well behaved. For a 13 and 15 yr old that’s saying a lot. They are a great asset and credit to Yolanda.

On the way we stopped in a place called Dinalupihan which is the home of Adore’s mama. And like a true Mama she had put out a spread for us. Shrimps and Pork and heaps and heaps and heaps of fresh Crabs of the juiciest variety. I thought that I loved seafood but Yolanda & Valerie did not speak for the next 45 minutes as they gorged on the succulent dishes.

Mama truly outdid herself with her hospitality. This mix of great restaurant and even greater home-cooked food is what made the trip to Manila truly memorable.

Mama is such a sweet and hospitable person that it is no wonder Adore has turned out the way he has.

Mama. Thank You for opening your house and your heart to us. We miss you.

Mama and Adore

Then ofcourse the adventure began....

Y&A had booked us into the Forest Hills resort in Subik and as the name suggests it is in the middle of a forest. After taking ages to locate it we finally reached there at about 9:30 pm only to find it old and musty and Yolanda being the great hostess that she is, immediately said we would NOT stay there and would instead go to town and check into a hotel.

The 1st hotel in town we passed was Subik Intl, which allegedly has a reputation of being old and stuffy so we all turned our noses at it and drove on.

Good Plan… except there was a carnival on that day plus it was the weekend.

Hotel after hotel we stopped at and checked in, but all were fully booked.

With the prospect of sleeping in the car looming we finally swallowed our egos and drove to Subik Intl and finally fell asleep at 1am.

Sunday 24 June

Y&A woke us at 6am and after a tepid bath when I came down to the restaurant, the whole family was chirpily eating breakfast. They have to be the most energetic and cheerful family I’ve known in a long time.

Drove again to a place called Anvaya Cove.

This is a cove surrounded by hills on which private residences are being built. Yolanda has bought a property there and the community has its own private beach.

And what a beach.

Pristine, clean and no sign of the Koreans anywhere.

I could describe it in many words but, like they say a picture is worth a thousand words…..

the view of the private beach....

which is so beautiful that...

it makes my amateur photographs look like postcards

On the way back the kids wanted to stop and go horseback riding. The place is called El Kabayo which apparently means The Horse which is strange because Kabayan means fellow-Filipinos.

Strange that Horse and FellowMen sound so similar.

BiBoy on a horse....

Did I say the kids wanted to go horseback riding???

Well, what’ a person who has let the kid in him die….so I decided to ride too….

No vacation is complete without horses…. Ha haand BigBoy too...

Our flight was at 12 midnight and our late checkout was only till 4pm. So after packing and checking out at 4 what do we do????

Why, we go back to the Spa ofcourse.

Departure

At 9pm finally after 10 tiring but glorious days Y&A dropped us at the airport and while we were hugging and saying our goodbyes a curious sensation overcame me.

WE almost felt homesick… like we were leaving home and going back.

And in a way we were….

We had swum in natural ponds.

We had bamboo rice with Crispy Pata.

We had visited the heavenly Spa… again and again and again…

We had fresh crabs at Mama’s.

We went up a volcano

And Came down to a private beach…

and above all

We had found great friends in Adore and Yolanda.

Once again a BIG Thank You to Adore & Yolanda for making this trip so memorable.

As we looked at the city one last time, two quotes came to mind:-

By Shakespeare & Schwarzenegger.

Shakespeare who said:-

"If we shall meet again, well then we shall smile. If not, this parting was well made"

and Schwarzenegger who simply said:-

"I'll be Back"

manila skyline

Ciao Manila

Dear All,

I am sorry if my Philippines dairy is still incomplete.

I have recently been down with severe flu and tonsilitis.

Recovering, but will take a few days before i get back to nomal.

Till then......

Vishal

Philippines Dairy Part II

A visit to Old Manila was a revelation. Old Portuguese inspired architecture and a sense of a city where things moves at a much slower pace compared to the business district (Makati). Very similar to Goa. We visited Intra Muros or the Walled City, the Manila Cathedral which was the 1st Cathedral in Asia and the San Augustine Church which is the oldest church in Asia.

the Jose Rizal memorial

The Fort Santiago was closed as it was already 5 pm so we headed to the Sofitel hotel to watch the sunset. Adore raced us there and it was 5:16 pm when we arrived at the gate of the Sofitel and we were quite sure we would miss the sunset as we were again subjected to checks and frisking. However Adore simply and calmly said “It will set at 5:22”. And guess what? It did!

At 5:22.
Exactly! Wow.

sunset from the Sofitel poolside

The Sofitel has a lovely poolside where we decided to stay for a couple of drinks and were pleasantly surprised when at around 7 there was a cultural show of Filipino Dances.

It was the regular regional-costume-drama which seemed like it was specially prepared for expat tourists. Not sure if it was really authentic Filipino though.

Especially when the girls began to dance with whiskey highball glasses balanced on their heads (see pic below).

the Filipino?? whiskey-glass dance

I have many Filipino friends and like us Nepalese, they too are very fond of their drinks but I am not sure their cultural history had them dancing with glasses on their heads.

The 1 fun ‘dance' was when a group of boys came out wearing coconut shells on their busts, back, knees, hands etc and then proceeded to dance with a rhythmic clanking of the shells. Again not sure if ancient Filipinos danced like this but quite fun nevertheless.

the coconut-shell dance

Monday 18th June

First day of work and when the alarm rang at 6:30 I dragged myself out of bed and picked up the newspaper from the door and proceeded to the bathroom. Was instantly wide awake with….
The “You-Are-In-Philippines-Not-UAE-Anymore” Moment NO# 2
The newspaper headline was about a group of mothers protesting about some controversy regarding baby feed and they decided to do that in front of the Supreme Court by….here it comes……
Baring their Breasts! The newspaper even had a photo of the same. In colour!

After another sublimely meat dominated breakfast (sorry mum) we headed to the agency for the first day of interviews.

Interviews began at 9am and ended at almost 6pm.

Very tired but quite entertained with my colleague and fellow interviewer who began to believe that he had supernaturally instinctive powers of observation. Candidates who entered the room nervous and scared were further confused when they were accosted by the interviewer ‘telling’ them about his ‘observations’.

One of them was told he had 2 wives and another was told his daughter was 2 years old.

Its another matter that the first one wasn’t even married and the second had 2 children and both of them boys.

Went back to the hotel had a bath and decided to checkout the Glorietta Mall next door.

Glorietta is actually a collection of inter-connected malls with security checks and frisking at every entry and exit. I can understand the entry point checks but am still not sure why they were frisking at the exit. I mean, what do they think people were doing…

“I have managed to smuggle a bomb into the mall in my bag and the Mall is busy with lots of crowds and easy targets but NO, I will go and detonate it outside in the deserted road. I was just passing though the mall for fun with a bomb in my bag”

Strange!

Tuesday 19 June

After another round of heart breaking interviews (rejecting poor candidates who really need the job to support their families is emotionally draining) we reached the hotel. Y&A said they’d pick us up at 7 pm for dinner.

Decided to watch a bit of TV while waiting for Y&A and that is when came…

The “You-Are-In-Philippines-Not-UAE-Anymore” Moment NO# 3
There was an ad on TV which went somewhat like this.
A single guy walks into a nightclub and goes to the bar. There is a girl sitting there alone too. He smiles. She smiles. He nods to the door. She nods back. They both get up to leave. At the car park he uses his key-remote to unlock his car which happens to be a Porsche. Next thing you know the ‘girl’ says “Hey Nice Car” in what is unmistakably a man’s voice.
For the ones who are interested to know, it was an ad for a program called Wheels on the (hold your breath) Discovery Channel.

Dinner was at a place called Abe’s in Serendra Complex in Bonifacio Avenue.
Abe (ah-beh), of course, was the nickname of Emilio Aguilar Cruz, who was born in Magalang, Pampanga, in 1915. Abe was well known in Philippines as a journalist, painter, diplomat and bon vivant. He died in 1991. (i researched my history see??)

Abe's restaurant

The food in this restaurant is authentic Filipino and esp from the province where Abe came from, Pampanga.

Not knowing anything about Filipino food (except that it involves a lot of pork) Val & myself just gave up and asked Y&A to order what they saw fit and boy, did they choose well.

Apart from the prawn curry (delish with jumbo sized prawns) and two delectable looking veg dishes (which I did not touch, mum sorry again) there was 3 dishes that stood out.

(i) A fish whose presentation (see below) was only bested by its taste.

the fancy fish at Abe's.

(ii) Crispy Pata which is the whole leg of pork (don’t look shocked, how tall are pigs anyway) which is marinated and par-boiled till tender and then deep fried so the skin outside is crispy and crunchy. I have tried this dish many times in UAE in Filipino restaurants and have always loved it but never quite tasted something as good as this. Adore was looking to head-hunt the chef from there and with good reason too.

(iii) Bamboo Rice. Having grown up on long grained Basmati, the only thing I hate about Filipino food is the sticky glutinous rice. However this was a dish of rice with shredded chicken, shitake mushrooms mixed with local herbs and cooked inside a bamboo. The flavours were neither too strong nor too light. Still Sticky but quite Heavenly.

To round up the meal Yolanda suggested we try Halo Halo (see below) which is a local Filipino sweet dish and Halo in local dialect means ‘mix’.

I Have to say that I’ve never had a dessert like this.

Say Halo Halo to what must be the craziest dessert in the world

Checked its recipe and found that it is basically a mixture of sweet preserved beans(red beans, chick peas), coconut meat, jackfruit, pounded dried rice, sweet yam, cream flan, shreds of sweetened plantain, filled with crushed ice, milk (or coconut milk) and topped with ice cream.

Try getting your tongue or mind around that. Wow!

Wednesday 20 June

Interviews as usual and after the culinary feast of yesterday we decided to take the evening off. Went for a swim in the hotel pool ........ and had a simple club sandwich (unfortunately the worst I’ve ever had) from room service.

Thursday 21 June

Interviews as usual but along came a candidate who was well spoken and quite smart but very, very thin and whose hobbies, as mentioned in his CV, included acting and body-building. With no evidence of the latter on his thin frame we asked him to show us proof of the acting.

The guy was GOOD!!!

He could cry, laugh hysterically, get angry etc at the drop of a hat.

Got another candidate who was a designer (and who proved it) and another who was a dance instructor (who too proved it). Interviews not quite boring after all.

In the evening we went for a very early dinner as we had planned to go dancing afterwards.

Japanese was decided as it would not be quite as heavy. Wrong! See spread below. All that was just for me alone.

the spread at Tanabe.

The restaurant was Tanabe at Remedios Circle where the waiters/waitresses would scream Hajime mashite as you entered and Arigatou-gozaimasu as you left. Regardless of what they were doing or who they were serving if any one entered or left the door they would all in unison, quite literally scream out the greetings at the top of their voice. A different form of customer service but a little unnerving too, esp when you are trying to balance a slippery piece of raw fish on a pair of chopsticks.

acting like i'm eating with chopsticks. did not. used a fork afterall

Great food though. The only other place where people are so fond of eating is probably Thailand and maybe my family home.

Dancing was to follow but again all that and more in Part III

Ciao

Vishal

Philippines Dairy Part I

Just got back from 10 days in Philippines and I have to say it was a glorious break even though we were there on a business mission.

Adore & Yolanda (just before a spa treat)

Before I begin I have to mention our hosts:

Mrs.Yolanda De Castro & Mr. Adore Reyes.

They are not only the sweetest and most hospitable people on the face of this earth but also genuinely fun loving. Hats off to you both and a big, big THANK YOU for 10 wonderful days.
Due to economy of space and the frequency of mention they will be henceforth known as Y&A in the blog. Cheers!

We left UAE on 16th June and were frankly quite disappointed with the quality of the Business Class on Emirates. Seats barely bigger than Economy, Service that was just about Perfunctory and Champagne that tasted like cat’s piss. As their slogan says, “Fly Emirates, Keep Discovering”. We did! And we’ll probably never fly Emirates again.

Anyway after 9 long hours we landed in Manila at 4:30 pm local time and while we were walking to immigration we were quiet pleasantly surprised to see a trio of local musicians standing bang in the middle of the walkway singing local music to welcome visitors. A simple gesture but it was just the beginning of, what would in the next 10 days become, a master class in customer service.

At Immigration I was mistaken for a Filipino till they checked my passport. This also was the beginning of a routine for the next 10 days where I would be greeted in the native tongue at almost every turn.

Drove though an area which was quite similar to Delhi before reaching the hotel. At the entrance our car was checked for bombs and at the door we were all frisked. Coming from UAE where security is good but not obvious we were quite surprised and scared but later found out that this was quite common all around Manila and even in malls.

Entrance of The Peninsula Manila

The Peninsula Manila is part of the Peninsula group and though not quite in the same league as their flagship property in Hong Kong (with a fleet of almost 50 Rolls Royce cars) it was still very beautiful with wonderful, wonderful service.

front facade of The Peninsula Manila

The Shangri-La next door, I was told, is more in vogue with the jet set but the Peninsula with its old world charm still is the favourite of the old-money aristocracy. And they have one thing that I am most finicky about, great bathrooms. Large, spacious and airy.

lobby of The Peninsula

The Marcos’s I believe are frequent patrons of the hotel but alas I cannot report having run into any one of them. Would have loved to have met Imelda though.

I am a big fan of hers for the sheer crazy self-belief she has, that she is a ‘common’ person. Her interviews are always great to watch as she professes her role as the representative of the poor even as she is herself draped in furs and dripping in diamonds. Farce does not come better than that. If any of you get a chance to watch a documentary of hers called “Imelda” don’t miss it. She initially gave her consent and even gave interviews etc for it but later went to court to prevent its release. A Great watch.

Anyway moving on…

After checking in and a quick bath later we were again picked up by Y&A for an evening out. Dinner was at Le Soufflé @ The Fort.

Friends of mine know that I am an absolute foodie and as Y&A had mentioned that the food was great in this restaurant I decided to test the theory.

For appetizers I selected a salad of scallops & foie gras.

Foie Gras (which is French for ‘fat liver’) is the liver of a goose that has been specially fattened by gavage (force feeding). Since goose foie gras is very expensive people began been making them with duck liver. Even then it was out of the range of most common people and therefore it remained a delicacy. Then of course the Chinese got into the picture and like everything chinese, foie gras began to spring up on menus all over the place.

I love the taste of liver and can rustle up a pretty good pate myself but foie gras is more silky, rich and buttery without the acidic taste that usually accompanies liver.

Unfortunately all the foie gras that I’ve ever tasted has been either duck (average) or Chinese duck (just like normal liver) so while ordering I discreetly asked the waiter if he knew what type of foie gras this was. So imagine my surprise when he snapped back and puffed his chest and proudly said that all their foie gras was imported from France and was most definitely goose.

When it arrived, the scallops were slightly tough and bland (sad for a restaurant in a coastal city) but the foie gras was to die for. The chef had only quickly pan fried it to crisp the edges and but had otherwise left it alone. Why mess with perfection must have been his judgement and quite rightly so. Exquisite!

Filipinos are known to be quite regular and fastidious eaters so I was not surprised with the quality of food and the coming days would only reinforce that theory.

The You-Are-In-Philippines-Not-UAE-Anymore Moment NO# 1
Woke up late and went down to the lobby for breakfast and stood gob smacked at the buffet. Apart from bacon and ham, there must have been atleast 6-8 different preparations of pork. For Breakfast! I could happily move to Manila tomorrow.

If that wasn’t enough there was also a sushi counter. I personally was never quite fond of fish and its only been a year or two since I become a sushi convert. It is an acquired taste which gets addictive and very healthy too but as much as I love my sushi, raw fish for breakfast was too much for me.

Here it would not be fair if I did not mention two things.

a) The croissant at the Peninsula was the best I’ve eaten in 6 years. Flaky, fluffy and light as air. The only other time I had such good croissants was at the Radisson hotel in Kathmandu where the pastry chef was a quiet local nepali chap who was regularly underestimated. That is till a Swiss guest tasted the pastries at the hotel and offered him 12 times his salary and took him to Geneva.

b) The Peninsula is still thankfully old school enough to serve the tea in a pot with actual tea-leaves and a strainer on the side. No sign of the dreaded tea-bag anywhere and their Earl Gray is aromatic bliss.

After a quick ‘meeting’ (don’t ask) with the other members of our delegation in the lobby, Y&A then offered to take us out for the day, an offer which all the others declined (thankfully) leaving just myself and Valerie with Y&A.

Valerie by the way is a delightfully plainspoken Canadian from our Recruitment dept who speaks in a delicious french accent and says things like ‘if they don’t like it they can take it up the bum’.

First we went to Balikbayan Handicrafts to do a little bit of Retail Theraphy while still contributing to the local artisans.

We were next scheduled to go to a spa but we decided to stop over for a quick bite. At UCC coffee house in Rockwell's in Bel Air, Makati I opted for just a juice as did Yolanda. Val wanted to eat something so Yolanda suggested she try the Cliffhanger sandwich which was her 13 year old son's favourite.

Yolanda & Valerie at the UCC Cafe before the invasion of the Cliffhanger

We should have wondered why it was named Cliffhanger, but maybe it was the mention of a 13yr old or just the word sandwich that made us complacent and we were not prepared for what arrived. A HUGE sandwich stuffed with bacon, eggs, cheese etc dunked in bread crumbs and deep fried. Forget just Valerie, all three of us had to dig in to finish it.

With our appetites more than satiated we headed to the Spa.

It is just called “The Spa”, but behind the frugality of its name lies a cornucopia of pleasures.

reception at The Spa

After a quick shower and visit to the sauna and steam room I was ready for my massage. I love a good massage but have been constantly complaining about the lack of good ones here in Abu Dhabi. They are either too expensive (AED 500 and above at most 5 star hotels) or too experimental (masseurs learn by trial and error rather than through an actual masseuse course) so imagine my surprise when I got one of the finest massages in a long long time.

massage room at The Spa

The masseuse expertly kneaded and pummeled my sore muscles till every one of them gave up and relaxed. Almost comatose we came out with the fervent wish that we would visit it again before we left Philippines (a wish that would be granted many times over).

Yolanda, Valerie & myself at Cafe Havana @ Greenbelt Mall

Next stop was Café Havana at the Greenbelt Mall where for some weird reason and to our utter amusement, there was a security fellow trying to hide among the foliage. (see below)

After that was a sightseeing trip to old Manila but all that and much more in part II .

Till then... Ciao and our grateful thanks to Y&A

Cause I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane.....

Dear All,




I will be going on a business mission to Philippines from 14 June - 26 June.

As a result the next blog update will be after that.

Thank You all for your kind words and support.

Please do keep continuing to contribute in any way you can towards the school in Mungpoo.

Think of it as a way to offset your misdeeds (to put it politely)

Ciao

Vish

On a Song and a Prayer

For A Song : The Telegraph. Calcutta
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070611/asp/opinion/story_7904125.asp

Nepalis find a new icon in singer cop: CNN-IBN
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/showbiz/06_2007/nepalis-find-a-new-icon-in-singer-cop-42542.html

SMS fiasco sparks mob fury in Hills : Times Of India
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata/SMS_fiasco_sparks_mob_fury_in_Hills/articleshow/2112207.cms

TV contestant is new Nepali icon : Gulf Times Qatar/UAE
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=154184&version=1&template_id=44&parent_id=24

Policeman in Indian Idol becomes new Nepali icon: The Penninsula Qatar
http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Philippines+%26+South+Asia&month=June2007&file=World_News2007060984732.xml

Riots Over "lost" SMS Votes for Indian TV Show: Cellular News: UK
http://www.cellular-news.com/story/24270.php

Dear All,

The above headlines and links are not for some political candidate but for a contestant on an Indian reality show called Indian Idol.

It's about Prashant Tamang.

A simple boy from the hills who has reached the top ten final of the contest. In the process he has raised the hopes of a population who till now have not seen one of their own succed on such an international platform, albeit stage-managed & cheesy.

Like I mentioned in my previous blog, if the least he can do is inspire others to dream, he will have contributed enough. The north-east states have always felt marginalized in India and Prashant’s success will hopefully give others an opportunity to dream.

Vote for him. Who knows, his success might open a few more doors and a widen a few more minds.

Lift Up Your Hearts. Sursum Corda!

Vishal

Dear All,

Mr Sircar from the bank has kindly provided us with the details for the transfer of funds if you want to do it bank-to-bank.

I hope you will find it useful.

Have been a little busy so will post updates on Sunday.

Sursum Corda

Vishal


DETAILS FOR TRANSFER OF FUNDS BY SWIFT MT103


For Remittance in US Dollars



To : /021000021
(FLD 54A) CHASUS33
JP Morgan Chase Bank
270 PARK AVENUE, NEW YORK CITY
N.Y 10017, USA
PH: +1 212 2706000

For Credit to (FLD 57A) :/001-1-407376 CHIPS UID 340191
UTIBINBB002
UTI Bank Ltd
Mumbai

Ultimate Beneficiary : 346010100006293 (15DIGITA/C NO.)
(FLD59)
Darjeeling North Point School Alumuni Association (A/C NAME)




For Remittance in US Dollars :


Field No.54A ( Receiver’s Correspondent) : PNBPUS33CHA
WACHOVIA BANK,
CHARLOTTE BRANCH, NORTH CAROLINA

Field No.57A ( Intermediary Institution) : /2000191075612
UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD.
MUMBAI


Field No.59 ( Beneficiary Customer) :/ 346010100006293 (A/C NO)

Bene: Darjeeling North Point School
Alumuni Association (A/C NAME)



Remittance for Pound Sterling :


Field No.54A ( Receiver’s Correspondent) : CHASGB2L
J P MORGAN CHASE MANHATTAN
LONDON

Field No.57A ( Intermediary Institution) :/0011131588
UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD.
MUMBAI


Field No.59 ( Beneficiary Customer) : 346010100006293 A/cNo. (15 Digit)

Beneficiary’s A/c Name :
Darjeeling North Point School
Alumuni Association (A/C NAME)



Remittance Instruction For EURO :

1. First preference

Field No.54A ( Receiver’s Correspondent) : AEIBDEFX
AMERICAN EXPRESS BANK
FRANKFURT, GERMANY

Field No.57A ( Intermediary Institution) :/18118508
UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD.
MUMBAI



Field No.59 ( Beneficiary Customer) :
Beneficiary’s A/c Name

2.Second Preference

Field No.54A ( Receiver’s Correspondent) : CHASDEFX
JPMORGANCHASE
FRANKFURT, GERMANY

Field No.57A ( Intermediary Institution)
:/DE81501108006231605392
UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD.
MUMBAI


Field No.59 ( Beneficiary Customer) :………………A/c No. (15 Digit)

Beneficiary’s A/c Name



For Remittance in JAP YEN:

Field No.54A : CHASJPJT
JP MORGAN CHASE CHASE MANHATTAN TOKYO

Field No.57A : /0142453463 UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD
MUMBAI
Field No.59 : ………………………A/c No. (15 Digit)

………………………Beneficiary’s A/c Name

Instruction For Remittance in Canadian Dollars :


Field No.54A : HKBC CA 8V
HSBC BANK, CANADA
Field No.57A : /930-135342-060 UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD
MUMBAI



Field No.59 : ………………………A/c No. (16 Digit)

………………………Beneficiary’s A/c Name


Instruction For Remittance in Canadian Dollars :


Field No.54A : CHASCATTCTS
JP MORGAN CAHSE, CANADA
Field No.57A : /4667155101 UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD
MUMBAI



Field No.59 : ………………………A/c No. (16 Digit)

………………………Beneficiary’s A/c Name

Instruction For Remittance in Swedish Kroner:


Field No.54A : NBBKSESS NORD BANK

For Credit to FLD 57A : /39527909384SEK
UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD
MUMBAI


Field No.59 : ………………………A/c No. (15 Digit)

………………………Beneficiary’s A/c Name




Instruction For Remittance in CHF :

Field No.54A : ZKBKCHZZ
ZURICH BANK

For Credit to FLD 57A : /0700-00037.370
UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD
MUMBAI

Field No.59 : ………………………A/c No. (15 Digit)

………………………Beneficiary’s A/c Name


Instruction For Remittance in Australian Dollar :


FIELD NO.54A : HKBA AU 2S SYD
HSBC
HSBC Centre, 580 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia

FIELD NO.57A : /011-795598-041
UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD
MUMBAI

Field No.59 : ………………………A/c No. (15 Digit)

………………………Beneficiary’s A/c Name




For Remittance in Australian Dollars :



Field 54A (Receiver’s Correspondent) : CHASAU2XXXX
JP Morgan Chase Bank
Sydney, Australia

Field 57A (Acct. With Institution ) : /010039558
UTIBINBB002
UTI Bank Ltd.
Mumbai

Field 59 (Beneficiary Customer) : /Customer’s Acct. No.
Name


Instruction For Remittance in Singapore Dollar


FIELD NO.54A : OCBCSGSG
OCBC BANK
SINGAPORE
FIELD NO.57A : /501409379001 UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD
MUMBAI


Field No.59 : ………………………A/c No. (15 Digit)

………………………Beneficiary’s A/c Name
























Remittance in AED (UAE DIRHAMS) :


FIELD NO.54A : BOMLAEADEBC
MASHREQ BANK

FIELD NO.57A : /0195510382
UTIBINBB002


Field No.59 : ………………………A/c No. (15 Digit)

………………………Beneficiary’s A/c Name

Instruction For Remittance in New Zealnd Dollar :


FIELD NO.54A : HSBCNZ2A
HSBC
LEVEL 9, ONE QUEEN STREET
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALND

FIELD NO.57A : /040006181261
UTIBINBB002
UTI BANK LTD
Mumbai


Field No.59 : ………………………A/c No. (15 Digit)

………………………Beneficiary’s A/c Name