On a merry-go-round trip

The whole of yesterday and for much of today I was busy with desk work in office. For a while I went out to attend a couple meetings at the Taj Chambers and The Conclave.

I shall leave for Jaipur tomorrow morning. From there I was supposed to go to Delhi and return to Jaipur and return to Kolkata before Xmas. However, the plans changed due to the scheduled visit of Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot, to Kolkata along with a delegation of ministers and senior officials on the 4th and 5th of December.

As per the change of plans, I shall leave for Jaipur tomorrow and return on the 25th of November and be in office the next day. Again, the very next day I shall leave for Delhi and return on 28th of November only to leave for Jaipur on 30th of November. I shall return to Kolkata on 3rd December and go back to Jaipur on 5th December 2012.

All this means a lot of flights and a numbing routine for a fortnight. I cannot re-schedule these trips as I have already committed my dates to many events in Jaipur and Delhi. In fact, tomorrow there will be a lunch of Rajasthan Forum members followed by a meeting of the Forum. After that, the Shree Music Festival would be announced which I have planned to organise in Jaipur from December 7 to 9.

In the evening, I will attend a school function as the Guest of Honour along with Raza Murad who has very kindly accepted my request to be in Jaipur.

Then there is another major series of the Author's Afternoon scheduled for December. Leading novelist Sir Jeffrey Archer would be the guest author for the fifth edition of the event. His office has confirmed his consent and suggested two dates, Saturday December 15 late morning or early afternoon or Monday December 17 around noon. We shall soon take a call on this.

Thank God I won't be attending any weddings and receptions during this peak season. Else, there's no way I can manage these events.

ess bee