Kathmandu Nepal - Day 2 - Meetings

Start at 9 am with a meeting with the Bangladesh Team -- Formanul Islam (Director and Co. Secy. – Infrastructural Development Company Limited IDCOL) and Nazmul Haque Faisal (Sr. Programme Manager, National Domestic Biogas and Manure Programme NDBMP). Interesting attitudes. Forman was friendly, the younger Faisal seemed to have strong anti-pak feelings. Met Saroj Rai (Executive Director – BSPN) who gave an excellent presentation on the Nepal Programme. Good stats and things to learn from there.

Visited Nepal Biogas Promotion Association (NBPA) and Exec Dir. Mohan Raj Sharma and his team met with us including Dilip Kumar Acharya (Secy) and Bikash Adhikari (Engineer) who did his Bachelors in Engineering from Quaid-e-Azam University of Engineering in NawabShah in Sindh. The organization was in a dilapidated building and it didn’t seem like a very professional setup. Their mandate and responsibilities seemed somewhat unclear and obscure. Went to the Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) and met executive director Dr. Narayan Prasad Chaulagain and Neils Juhl Thomson (Chief Advisor). AEPC is responsible for a number of activities of the Biogas programme in Nepal. Also visited Renewable Energy Test Station (RETS) and met Prem Bdr. Basnet (General Manager) who gave a tidy presentation and tour of the facilities. Very interesting to see them. The Bangladeshi team wanted to replicate the same lab there. In 2-3 years the PDBP should do the same.

Came to the Hyatt and after some chillout with Bibhushan Bhattacharya and a colleague went to the Rox Bar for some networking, chillout and socializing. Very good session of meeting and getting to know people from a lot of places including SNVs Senior Biogas advisor in Indonesia, the extremely enterprising, Felix SNVs Senior Advisor in Tanzania, the boisterous William Boers, Senior Advisor in Ethiopia, the man of the hour SNVs Wim Van Nes, the enterprising and knowledgeable Bastiaan, SNV advisor to Vietnam, Biogas Practice Leader, Lam Saoleng, Programme Coordinator, National Biodigester Programme, A Cambodian Senate Official, a representative of Lettinga Associates Foundation (LeAF), Netherlands, D. Vidya Sagar, President, SKG Sangha, and the Indonesian programmes (HiVos) counterpart Robert de Groot among many others.

Went with Bibhushan Bhattacharya for dinner on a cab whose rates Bibu had to haggle down a lot. We were stopped at a security check post, probably set up cause there was a scheduled strike the next day and the driver quickly said there is a ‘Vadaishee’ (foreigner), the cop shook my hand and we exchanged greeting in Hindi/Urdu and he let us go through with a smile. J However, was surprised to learn that Kathmandu pretty much closes down by 9-10 pm. None of the restaurants were open, ate some sandwich at a bakery, had some lively chit chat with Bibu, who was very hospitable and came back all the way to the Hyatt, which was completely out of his way just to ensure that I get home safely even though it wasn’t a serious issue. Came home, say the heroics of Mohammad Aamer of the Pakistan cricket team against New Zealand fail at the very end and then dropped asleep.

Mumbai - Day 5

After an exhausting Day 4, there was not much respite for the attendees at the wedding since it was going to be another day jam-packed with exciting tradiotions, food and lots more. By this time Vivek from ISU had joined us and we had some good chit-chat. Today's two events included the reception and the wedding.

It was all done at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai but before we headed off there the Baraat got togethor at the Reliance Apartments and we all danced to the drum beat for a little while before assembling into buses and cars and heading off. We got off about a kilometer before the hotel and then we had a band playing as we danced bhangra infront of the groom, who was on a big carriage pulled by horses. Imagine that, me, wearing a turban in the middle of the afternoon and dancing on the street in Central Mumbai. =)

We finally made it in into the aiconditioned and quite superbly decorated marriage Hall. There was an open bar nearby, and lots of tasty tidbits to taste. The first half of the wedding included several customs, most importantly the pheras. After which there was a break for an hour and a half during which everyone changed into formal clothes (we had so far been wearing shalwar kameez (afghani as it is called there), kurta pajama, sherwani etc) and then we had a big ass dinner and more customs and more fun.

All nervous and shy for the ceremony


Lectured by the pundit


Going through the knot untying custom

Then the couple are finally allowed to go to thier suite but, Gaurav, Vivek, Swapnil, myself and a bunch of Richa's friends, as we were such good friends, followed them to thier room and teased and kept them company for a good half an hour or so before finally letting them be. We though of doing some clubbing but as Richa's friends were leaving for Brazil we decided to chill and came back where we chilled. =) Brought to end a very exciting and entertaining wedding. Really enjoyed the experience and the hospitality shown by them all.

Spoiling the fun in thier bedroom

Day 6, and i was travelling back home to Karachi in the afternoon!