It was 20 years ago today…
I'm with Toni (our man from Spain) travelling in India and right now we are at the Delhi Fair, India biggest B2B trade show for the gift trade.
What can I say my first impressions are its cold (for India) and very quiet. The usual first day registration hall hustle and bustle just never happened with just a trickle of visitors and barely a queue.
It's a little earlier this year and clashes with other trade events around the world (including the Birmingham faire) and CNY so maybe just a case of bad timing. However the creativity and competition to innovate is off the scale, so much of interest.. Toni is loving it and getting a little over excited.
Last week I was telling you about our arrival in India and Toni's first impression of India, and how I was here 20 years ago.. if you missed it you can catch up here.
Toni, Chatterjee (our India agent) and I flew from Kolkata on Monday via Vistara - the smartest most comfortable budget airline you can imagine. Comfy seats, legroom, complimentary drinks and snacks. Very polite and helpful staff. Even our fellow customers all seemed to be gentle and polite. Nobody wanted to sell us anything extra, not even a scratch card. Ticket fee included 15kg luggage and hold bags. Our luggage was over weight by 3kg, the check in girl just smiled and said no problem. My new favourite airline.
It's slightly comical to see how Delhi folk react to the cold.. cold being around 20c jackets and big fluffy scarves wrapped around the head and under the chin. While in the UK, Sheffield is actually very cold with snow falling.. So I hope the weather is not causing you too much disruption.
Year of the Dragon.
Coco has finished work now - dispatching 3 containers in 3 days, before breaking for the CNY holiday. She drove back to her hometown normally a four hour drive, but the traffic was horrendous, access to the motorway blocked when it became too congested so came mostly on the back roads. 14 hours drive. Now she is in the home town exchanging red envelopes with her family and celebrating the Year of the Dragon. She tells me this year the ban on fireworks has been lifted because so many people complained, and the government realise folks need cheering up.
Children's Home Update
Last week I was telling you it was 20 years since I first met Chatterjee and came to Kolkata. Chatterjee is one of my oldest friends, and together we have made a lot of good business happen.
Before we left for Delhi we took Toni to see the children's home that AW supports in Chatterjee's home town. Now Mr Kundu has 28 children, twelve years ago when we started the youngest is now the oldest, many have been taught English and moved on to work and others have come and joined the home.
We brought chocolates for the kids from Bali - they were so polite and grateful Toni said they broke his heart. We pledged more donations to help refurbish part of the home and promised to find other ways to support them. Then we did the traditional high-five routine which the kids love.. The kid who was little came top in his class for years, he has become like a son and righthand man to Mr Kundu helping to run the home. Recently he got a good job in a bank and gives most of his salary to the home. It's always an emotional experience to visit.
I wish you a lovely weekend especially if you are celebrating Valentines early over the weekend.
Next week we are on a Road Trip north to some interesting rarely visited places..
Full report next Friday.
Take care and Namaste
