The hostess on the PIA flight was quite cherubic, smart and talkative. Not that pasted unexpressive nonchalant smile of an Air India Fatso. In between serving drinks and lunch and removing the trays she kept on a spirited conversation on how well we would be received in Karachi and that we could not but come back changed and chastised for all our misgivings and preconditioned responses.

It took about half an hour to reach the attractive girl manning (?) the immigration counter. With a smile and in chaste Urdu (I now understood what Gulzar meant when SRK sings.. Uski zuban Urdu ki tarah) she told us that we had to go to the special counter for Indians, collect a C form (sic), fill it up and then come back to her. As we reached the C form counter, the man there had run out of them, so he went to get more Xeroxed, and finally after another 45 minutes we cleared immigration, collected our bag and made a beeline for our waiting host who had so graciously come to receive us.

The first stop was at a Police Station, as we had to register our arrival. The friendly policeman had many a story to narrate, and finally gave us another address where foreigners had to register. After all, we were important people from India and deserved special treatmentJ. Next day being Sunday, we were informed to present ourselves on Monday morning. Come Monday, the friendly staff suggested that we wait in the lobby, as our hosts completed the formalities of our registration. This was done 4 photographs, 2 signatures, 45 minutes and 1500 rupees later. This, we were told, was reciprocal.

The brush with authority apart, the visit was marked by cordiality, genuine hospitality and respect, and true sentiments about how the Indians ands Pakistanis were such close friends, the closest any two countries could be in terms of a common history, language and shared dreams and problems, But the politicians on both sides had a vested interest in keeping the people apart and creating irritants so that they can continue to misguide the two populations about the viles of each other.

I completely agree with them 100 %, after what I saw and experienced. There can be no more genuine sentiments than those expressed by all Pakistanis we met- across all social and economic classes, men on the street, everybody.

Pakistanis are a proud race, sensitive to the intentions of people from across, and their feelings are genuine. They are against this special brand of politics that is a characteristic of the subcontinent. And they have of late opened out to a very large extent.. All our TV channels are aired there, movies now get released with great fanfare.

Karachi is a wonderful city. With population rivaling Mumbai, yet clean (mostly) and with wide roads, little traffic congestion, not many high rise, a level city where levelheaded people stay and live in houses, not in flats.

(WILL CONTINUE)

It is just not crude petroleum that has gone up two times, the upswing in fertiliser and its raw materials is much more steep and baffling. Sulphur, the key input for phosphatic fertiliser has gone up 10 times (From 80 to 850 $ per MT) Rock Phosphate from 40 to 260 $ per MT and Urea fertiliser from 160 to 900 $ per MT. It is a minor sigh of relief that food prices globally have gone up just 180 %.

The brunt of this suspectedly planned attack has to be borne by the economies of India and China. So, it is surprising that rather than take a united stand on these issues, both these Asian superpowers (paper tigers ?) have catapulted to the marauding West (Or call it North) and have evaded a frontal attack on the planned assault like the ubiquitous ostrich burying its head in the ground. There is no effort to thwart the doom by evolving relevant technology or economic policy; it is just an abject surrender- lock, stock and barrel (Or is it Hook, line and sinker ?)

Much can be done, technology is available, but the powers that be are happy doling out and surrendering to the superpowers rather than face them square and hit back at them with the contempt and rejection they deserve. We go on justifying the upwards exponentially rising price spiral as inevitable, a result of over growth, and hide under excuses and rationalisations that such spirals are caused by biofuels and diversion of long established land use patterns away from agriculture to cash crops. Not that there is no merit in such arguments, but that these are highly exaggerated and skewed. And those who are affected most are bothered the least.

Our problems are like the Nuke deal- It is not what is apparent, but that which is silly that is eating into our vitals and pushing us from the edge of prosperity to the dungeons of penury. We have ourselves to blame, and we alone can resuurect the scenario by proper planning and imaginative implementation of our techno projects.

Not unlike Henry Ford, Rockfeller, Rothschild or Bill Gates, his is also a rags to riches story that came out of his innovative vision backed by a breakthrough products that was conceieved much ahead of their times. They all could crystal gaze into the impact their products would have on the world around them.

Dr. Shi is an Australian citizen and Chinese-trained scientist who says he got into solar power by chance. Shi estimates that the solar energy industry could be worth $50 billion by 2010.

Shi, 44, is the chief executive of Suntech Power Holdings, one of the new breed of successful domestic China-based companies with global ambitions. After spending a year at Sydney-based University of New South Wales' renewable energy center in 1988, Shi found himself at a company formed to commercialize the ideas of fellow researchers. The government of Wuxi, a city on Shanghai's outskirts promoted Shi's suntech with an initial investment of US$ 6 million equivalent. There was no looking back. Shi bought out his backers and listed his $225 million company on the NYSE in 2005 where the company's market cap soared to $5.5 billion. His worth today hovers around US$2 billion. Suntech, which started with 20 workers, remains headquartered in Wuxi, but now occupies four sites with a total workforce of 3,500. The company's photovoltaic systems are used in a wide range of applications, including communications and broadcasting, transportation, housing and military.

Currently under construction in Wuxi is a giant energy wall, a curtain of solar cells integrated into the city's airport. It's a magnum opus advertisement for the technology of Suntech.

Chocolate yields are declining all across West Africa, where two thirds of the world's supply is grown, as soils are degraded and the area able to support the crop retreats. Cocoa is naturally a rainforest plant that grows in shady conditions surrounded by a high biodiversity, but recently hybrid varieties have been grown on cleared land as mono-cultures and in full sun. While this will give higher short term yields, the soil quickly becomes degraded and the lifespan of plants can be cut from 75 or 100 years, to 30 or less. When the trees die and the land is exhausted the farmers must move on and clear more rainforest to plant cocoa. The looming decline of West African cocoa is not only a problem for farmers and chocolate producers - Cadbury sources 100 percent of the beans they use for UK chocolate production from Ghana - environmentalists are increasingly concerned about the destruction of the rainforest for short-term gain.

Although there are several religions, each different from the other, they all serve the same purpose. Each answers questions which all humans seem to be programmed to ask: Why are we here? What happens when I die? How shall I live my life? Religion helps us to transmit our values from one generation to another, and influences the way we interact with the natural environment. It teaches us how to see ourselves in light of the universe and gives purpose and meaning to life.

Organised religion has existed for more than 5000 years. The cradle of modern religions is Egypt, much of their concepts have percolated down to most other geo- political areas to influence the local ethos and faith. Starting from the Egyptians, there have been new religions every 500- 1000 years. Prominent amongst these that have survived the pressure of time have been Hinduism (both in its Vedic and parable versions) Buddhism, Jews, Zoroastrian, Christian, Islam, Sikh and Bahai religions. Those that have not survived include Egyptian, Greek, Roman Aramaic and many such religions.

That religions have risen and taken hold in regular periodic intervals is a sign of the changing times and hence new demands and requirements of Man and Society. Perhaps it is high time for a new religion suited to this modern era to be evolved and take control of the demands and pressures of this modern world. This new religion will take into account the sensibilities and intelligence of the modern man, will do away with the toys and props and the system of rewards and punishment that have been the main attractions in conventional religion.

Someone has to Draft out the Preamble and Constitution of such a new religion. Who else is better qualified than LL to do this awesome task? We look forward to her initiative and Blog about this J

Lesotho cannot wait for the world to come up with ideas to feed its hungry population, so it has developed some of its own. The mountain kingdom in southern Africa with a population of barely two million sits on a plateau mostly above 1,800 metres altitude, so the growing season is short and its vulnerability to climate change is acute. With the country struggling with one of the world's highest HIV prevalence rates, many of its able-bodied workers have either died or been crippled by disease. And in what is one of the poorest states in Africa, even the slightest increase in the cost of food or commodities hits painfully hard. They are now thriving on what have become known as "keyhole gardens". They are round gardens of about two metres in diameter and raised to waist-height to make them easy for the sick and elderly to work. Inside, the garden-beds are layered with tin cans, dirt and ash which together provide the nutrients to make the gardens extraordinarily productive. Ntsie Tlali from CARE, the NGO behind the gardens, believes they are revolutionary. A typical family has three keyhole gardens and that's more than enough to supply a family of 10 of with all the vegetables they need, and with some left over to sell. Because they are protected by the stonework, the rich soils are safe from erosion. They retain moisture far more effectively than land farmed by traditional farming methods, and they are compact enough to turn the tiniest plot of land into productive agriculture. Lesotho's vast highland plains are spectacular places for tourists. Broad and treeless, they offer stunning views of the mountains looming over shimmering gold grasslands. But they are terrible for farmers. Decades of intensive agriculture have stripped the land of trees, and exposed soils to wind and rain. Erosion has created countless miniature canyons that split the plains everywhere you look. The already thin mountain soils have lost virtually all their productive nutrients. In many respects, Lesotho is a microcosm of the problems facing so many parts of the developing world.

A camera that can "see" explosives, drugs and weapons hidden under clothing from 25 meters has been invented. The ThruVision system could be deployed at airports, railway stations or other public spaces. It is based on so-called "terahertz", or T-ray, technology, normally used by astronomers to study dying stars. The promoters of the system took pains to emphasise that although it is able to see through clothes it does not reveal "body detail The T Ray electromagnetic radiation is a form of low level energy emitted by all people and objects. These are able to pass through clothing, paper, ceramics and wood but are blocked by metal and water. The system works by collecting these waves and processing them to form an image which can reveal concealed objects. In addition, the system does not involve any of the "harmful radiation associated with traditional X-ray security screening", according to the promoters.

Seamus Garvey believes the future of energy is storing it as compressed air in giant bags under the sea. His idea would utilise familiar renewable sources - wind, waves and tidal power. But he does not believe we should be forced to "use it or lose it" when conditions are best. Energy would instead be used to compress and pump air into underwater bags, anchored to the seabed. When energy demand is highest, the air would be released through a turbine, converting it to electricity. Power company E.ON has granted 300,000 euros (£236,000) towards building two prototypes - the first on land, then an underwater version powered by waves. Using compressed air to store energy is not new - for example, it has previously been done in disused mines. But Professor Garvey will do it under the sea; in flexible containers he has dubbed "energy bags". He said: "We have to overcome the instinct that (this idea) is too simple to be good." And then to show that the economics stack up." Professor Garvey anticipates his prototypes will be operating within 18 months.

In a new Ford Focus commercial, now the rage in Europe, a haunting light classical tune is played by an orchestra supposedly made entirely out of car parts. The instruments have been constructed by amiable American sound designer Bill Milbrodt and his team. Last September a brand new Ford Focus with less than a mile on the clock arrived in his studio, it was promptly dismantled by a team of crack mechanics and the pieces laid out to see what could be made out of them. The tune — Ode to a New Ford had already been composed by Craig Richey, but it was a challenge for the team to put together the instruments and make them create the magic of music. The results are surprising. Thirty-one beautifully crafted instruments made out of every car part you can imagine. A stand-up "Spike Fiddle" stands on a shock absorber. There's a complete percussion set made out of gears and springs.

Perhaps the best housed museums are those in Italy.Nowhere else have the museums become a intrinsic work of art with the display. The Sistine Chapel other Vatican Museums, the underbelly of St. Peters bascillica, the Uffizi Gallery and Akademia and Medici Palace in Florence are cases in point. The Museum of Athens is also blended well, but then, most of the artefacts that should have been there are rather in the British Museum and Louvre. The latter is of course the high point of what a museum should be, closely paralleled by Horsey O Dorsey in Paris- an erstwhile railway station.

London presents an array of museums. Some of them are in similar looking buildings, one can get confused precisely where he is- the Natural History, Science, and Geology look remarkably the same. Not very unlike the museum street in DC, where everything is packed inside similar looking modern structures. Jakarta has an exceptional collection, but all cramped into a colonial building which just doesnt gel with what lies inside.

Two museum buildings that reflect their personality are the Tate Modern (see photo) and Victoria and Albert. The Tate is located in an abandoned power house, a very imaginitative adaption that faithfully reflects the personality of all that is modern and surreal. The V&A is an old building, with its art and personality itself a visual treat and an objet de art. They have even preserved the pock marked exterior of the blitz, and the contents blend with the overall personality.

In India priceless artefacts are stored away in an easy to plunder and easy to ransack structure. Examples galore, like the museums at Mathura, Sarnath, Udaipur, etc etc etc

I hope comments on this mini blog will paraphrase the situstion in museums wherever you happen to be. Lets try to zero in on an ideal museum building in India- if indeed there is one :)

The day flight was comfortable, and the service unobtrusive but efficient. No pampering, no rudeness, but efficient and sufficient passenger care and handling. One could catch up with all the missed action on Hollywood and Bollywood. This was the best flight I have had of late in Economy Class. A very satisfying experience, the only dark element being that on my cheapy ticket I got only 20% of the mileage for a full fare economy ticket. (I wonder if anyone gets the full economy milage, for why will anyone travel that, when discounted Business is much cheaper!) Strange are the ways of air travel and its pricing :)

Heathow Terminal 3 had deteriorated further, and as I alighted felt proud that our ramshackle Airport in Mumbai was not any inferior. The crowds at Heathrow immigration were much longer than I ever encountered earlier (Reminding one of Mumbai till some 3 years ago- Mumbai today being a landing passenger's dream with the standard half hour from landing to reaching the still dismal pavement:) and the Crowd Control staff, now mostly of Indian origin, was ever busy talking to their boyfriends on cellphones (They shud ban these for the Airport staff also, as they do for us, incoming hapless passengers eager to link up with our friends/ family on the other side of the Green channel)

We got our baggae in time, no horror tales of the newly opened T- 5 here :) I had packed such that I wud have welcomed if one of my bags were misplaced, for that wud give me previlages like instant compensation, insurance claim-- but then, i have never been lucky at collecting freebies and bonuses:)

As I waited at the Visitor's Point to be received, I asked an Indian look alike next to me about how the coin/ card phones were to be used. He listened to me patiently, to my admiration at his patience and forbearence, and when I looked up at him for a reply, very nonchalently he tells me, 'jee mujhe angrezi nahin aati, kisi aur se pooch lo'

We decide to take the Heathrow Connect to Ealing Broadway, from where we could get a direct Central Line tube to our destination. The journey was uneventful, except for the Southall Station, where the station signs (All One Hundred of them) had the name of the station both in English and Punjabi scripts ! No wonder our Sikh brethren think of England as more of their Home than the far flung villages in Punjab.

The Train, even from this starting station, was not amodel of cleanthiness. Newspapers were strewn all over, on the floor, seats, window sills. As the train starting filling up, it got converted to a reading room,and each scrap of the waste was picked up and avidly read by the lucky winners of the right pages. It was a sight- with quite a few packing these papers which God knows how many had gone through, and taking them off with them for a detailed and patient review back home.

We finally reached our destination Station. We took the underpass to cross the street, and it felt like back home. It was dirty, filthy, and chaotic :)

The walk home was 2 minutes. A neat, well laid row of single storey houses, no traffic, but cars piled on every inch of the roads. Almost like a resort area, one that I thought would be so suitable to blogging.

I knewt I had arived in London, finally !