Annette & Karsten take time out to visit Pakistan

Annette is the grand daughter of the Ritz family I stayed with from January 1962 to March 1963 in Friedrichshafen, Germany my first home away from home.

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TCF BahaarPolo weekend ~ our first Blessing of 2005.

During the TCF BahaarPolo weekend more than 3,000 persons participated and supported. The corporate sector as always supported generously. New Benefactors joined to Help change Lives - build new & support existing schools. Merrill & KASB sponsorship of $100,000 will support six primary schools for one academic year.

The Teams: Merrill Lynch - India and KASB Bank - Pakistan. Both sides played for the cause. There were no Losers.

March 13, TCF BahaarPolo Champions Trophy takes place at Garrison Polo Ground, Lahore. TCF raises Rs 15mn nett of expenses and a lot of goodwill. Beneficiaries - The Children of Pakistan. They staged a remarkable display.

COUNTING OUR BLESSINGS

The year started with some very good news.

• Tehmina, our only niece from my side weds July 3rd in LA.
• Annette & Karsten plan visit us in May after their Africa Expedition - Uganda to S. Africa.
• Tazeen & Aftab visit us in Karachi at New Years. Remembering our last Laguna Ecstacy Tazeen suggests an exploratory visit to Prague & Budapest. My dream of sailing the Danube is coming true.

First half of 2005 (Jan - July) fills up fast and planning starts:

Feisal & Tasnim are scheming to surprise me on my 59th birthday. Doesn't work with my passport. Visas, possible interviews and what have you.

We decide to sharpen our sixth senses. Plan is to spend a week at Evason Six Senses resort at Hua Hin, Thailand. Feisal was to visit us at the weekend from Singapore where he is vacationing at INSEAD. But Far East has more to offer than Singapore & Bangkok. Our first to Bali & Burma get added.

Weddings in the old days in India could entail travel by carriages and trains over long distances. Enroute to final destination and back one stopped and met up with relatives and friends, not knowing when the next opportunity will arise.

So we decide to plan our trip with three weeks in Europe before the Grand Wedding, images of which are being posted at a separate site http://tjweds.blogspot.com/

• Minor change of plans ~ Arvind sends a message from London while we are in Bali, reminding me of my promise to attend Satyan's wedding if it was to be after TCF BahaarPolo Fundraiser (March 15).

YES! we're coming - May 28 to 31.

Above are images of our tours.
We start with my regular tourist ones in Pakistan but also some first time visits (Rothas Fort). Enjoy and post your comments to help me improve this site.