viva! east africa

2012-01-28T21:37:00.003+03:00

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Vali Jamal

The PATEL Surname ...by numbers

* 2nd in India
* 5th in Asia
* 11th in world
* 15% of India & 70% of Gujarat's business handled by Patels
* 6th most richest community in the world
* Patel surname has 423 different type of sub-names
* 65% NRI are Patels
* in 2018 Patel surname will be world's number 1 surname
* we are proud to be a Patel
* we are proud to be a Guajarati
* we are proud to be Indian

પટેલ છે અમારા કુટુંબનું ન્યારું નામ
જસાની,ધાનાની,માવાની પેટાનામ
ખેતી છે અમારી પેઢીનું પ્યારું કામ
ગામ - શહેર- ખડકી છે અમારું ધામ

ખાત- ખેતર ખેડું, સાત સાગર ખેડું
કુવા-કોશ ખેચું, કાળા પથ્થર તોડું
ગરમી-શરદી-વરસાદનો રસ જોડું
પસીનો પાડું, કુટુંબ કદાય ના છોડું

ભલે લોકો કહે અમને, 'જગત નો તાત'
હોટેલ, મોટેલ,પટેલ ની જાણીતી વાત
રાજકારણ, રજવાડા માં પણ પ્રખ્યાત
સરદાર પટેલના અમે સૌ અક્કલ જાત
Patel (Gujarati: પટેલ, paṭel, pronounced [pəʈel]) is a surname of Indian origin, originally meaning "headman" or "village chief". Patels are found in en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patel - Cached

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Exult VIVJ/diss Nony

2012-01-28T16:42:00.000+03:00

In those two headlines lies a morality tale. Of course I exult at Pakistan's incredible win over England, the way the spinners were so unplayable and the fact that Pakistan came back from the dumpster of cricket history to bounce back as a team. There's a lot of cricket there in them and it's all to the good of cricket that another competitive side (re)enters the fray. The class of play restored our passion for test cricket.
India's humiliating series against Australia left me demoralised. Is there some cricket still left in those stars - Tendulkar, Sehwag, Dravid, VVS? I think so. Of course Tendulkar will score his 100th 100 even in the ODIs.
The morality tale: Why do I feel passionately about the teams from India and Pakistan? I mean would a victory by Sri Lanka in a similar fashion mean as much to me? At about 70% compared to this one. It's just that as an East African Asian my heritage is in India period. The nony-of-the-blog is tearing his hair off that Pakistan won and despondent that India lost so badly. I share his emotions on the latter but leave him to froth about the former. No doubt he'll frothcome with his rant on this blog - my blog, the best. Ahlan wa sahlan - just wipe off the froth from the surfaces.
Vali Jamal, PhD, Aga Khan Cricket XI, 1955-57

when I went to Kakira to interview Nitin Madhvani - and met interesting people!

2012-01-26T16:18:00.003+03:00

Manubhai Madhvani 2/5 pp in the book

2012-01-26T15:53:00.000+03:00

I did this interview with Manubhai at Kakira in 08. I met him twice at functions after that. He gave me his autobiography Tide of Fortune from which I extracted several items. Manubhai passed away in 2010.

Mahendra Mehta 1/5 pages "in the book"

2012-01-26T15:39:00.000+03:00

NK Mehta in the book - 2/4 pages

2012-01-26T15:30:00.000+03:00

The next 2 three pages 2 are excerpts from his autobigraphy

Mehta family in the book

2012-01-26T14:56:00.000+03:00

From: Annet Nanono
To: Dr. Vali Jamal ; Dr. Vali Jamal
Sent: Wednesday, 25 January 2012, 18:38
Subject: Uganda Asians

Dear Dr. Vali Jamal
I have gone through the articles you have written on The Mehta Group, my Father and myself. I am sending you herewith the e-mail from Mr. Suresh Kothari who is our Joint President, Corporate and Public Relations, he takes very keen interest in cultural, educational and charitable activities of the Group.
Another outstanding personality in our family has been my sister Dr. Savitaben Mehta popularly known as Savita Didij, born in Jinja, educated in India and UK and got an Honorary Doctorate Degree. She was a great orator, authority, on Vedas and Puranas, leading educationist and outstanding artist. Her short introduction is enclosed herewith which you may like to incorporate in your esteemed book.
From the speeches from Mr. Suresh Kothari, If you find many interesting points, you may incorporate them. Some additional photographs, which you required will be sent to you shortly.
I am returning herewith the book you left with me, which is a great work which you have done, which will be of great value not only to the present generation of Ugandans and Asians who have lived here and abroad but also for the posterity.
Regards,
M.N Mehta

Dear Mahendrabhai,
First of all it behooves me to express my thanks to you for receiving me 10 days ago at the estate and filling in on your life story that I had done based on my interview (along with late Yashwant Sidpra) in October 2007. I was much affected by your hospitality, particularly the golf-cart ride through Mrs Mehta’s exotic garden and statues. I have incorporated most of the new material from our interview last Saturday and I shall use the 4 documents sent herewith to supplement the story. There are many new details about the founder father Nanjibhai in these accounts which I shall use in his profile. I am grateful to have the biography of sister Didiji. I could see from her picture on your wall that she played an important role in your life and now I see from the account sent that she played a significant role in girl education at Gurukul. The speech by Mr Kothari also contains useful data on father on the commemoration of his 125th anniversary. Finally there is an article about East Africa - Today and Yesterday that recounts our history in these parts. Luckily for me a lot of that material is already in the book. I note with some satisfaction that an Institute for Gujarati Diaspora Studies exists in Gujarat. I trust I shall be invited to their next symposium based on my book! To be quite frank my book should be of very great interest to the Institute and I hope it comes to their notice soon. Having worked this hard on this book it is everybody’s responsibility that it gets the notice it deserves.
Let me take the next few days to complete all the drafts and send them to you and Mr Kothari, electric power permitting! I see from the family tree that an important landmark birthday is coming on 20.03. 2012. I should like to present to you my articles as a part of that celebration. Please send me 10-12 photos soon, including of parents, Didiji, Mrs Mehta and all members of the family.
One more article possible is of your nephew who’s playing a new role at Scoul. It would go in the New Generation section in the book.
Once again with my thanks and best regards.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $71.11), forthcoming June 2012. Guaranteed to put you to sleep, except just don't read it in bed at the risk of abdominal hernia. visit ww.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

"The State of the Union is good" - and bound to improve!

2012-01-25T18:05:00.000+03:00

What an inspirational SOTU! With that Obama again claimed the high moral ground, like back in 2008. The campaign should be exciting, and could one say already sewn up? The president rightly made the economy the major issue. It always is in every US election but this time he zeroed in on the growing income inequality as the one burning economic issue he’ll tackle. That is the one issue that brought demonstrators out onto the street these last few weeks and that’s the issue where the opponents have nothing to offer, except more of the same. The fact is almost all the growth in the last 30 years has been confined to the top 5% class, with wages almost flat-lined. During the same time, the tax burden on the top 5% class has almost halved. Go, Rais wa Taifa Amerika, Obama! Four more years in which also to further world peace.

Jinja cricket and nonymoose

2012-01-25T00:47:00.002+03:00

Here’s an incoming from Mohan Patel, Jinja, avid cricket fan, one of 12s I get per week in a similar artery. Mohan went to England early and worked in the government service. He came into my book because of the section on cricket, helping to populate it with his own memories of cricket Uganda Asians. I include his piece. He brought me a complimentary message from the Home Secretary in the Labour government.
I let the remark about the nonentity stand. I mean I don’t need it, I mean he’s a zealot and I just know I am good and my book’s better than bajra no rotlo. But, hey, Winchester wallah, you who rubbished Sadru Nelsadry as a small-time Kisementi grocer and claimed to have been a member of the Muzungu kalab – Winchester bada-saheb, what more tales have you been sharing with the Polish airheads?

>>>Hello Uganda Asian cricket lovers and all lovers of Uganda pre-1972:
I am writing to say thank you to you all for joining me in preserving the
history of Uganda cricket pre-1972. My own knowledge is mainly confined to
Jinja cricket but it is being continually augmented by stories and photos
from friends all over the world. I have now opened a Facebook page devoted
to cricket Uganda called “cricketugandamohanbhaijee”. Please visit and be
my friend.
>>> I am most grateful to Dr Vali Jamal for giving space in his book as well
as his blog to stories about Uganda cricket. I have not met Vali, except on
the internet and I think I have made a lifelong friend. He is doing an
excellent job and we are looking forward to his book on Uganda Asians which is due out on the 40th anniversary of our expulsion from that wonderful country. I had the privilege of contributing some articles to it and to bring him a foreword from the former British Home Secretary, Mr Alan Johnson, who too is looking forward to this book.
>>> Among my family members I have to thank my young niece Dipa who encouraged me to learn IT in January 2006 when my wife Geeta was down for intensive treatment at Mayday Hospital. She typed my story of how I became a cricket-scorer. Of course names and places were alien to her and they got left in in the Jinja Reunion brochure. Nishma, daughter of Dipa's elder sister Mina, and her father created my first e-mail address. Nimmi, my wife Geeta's younger sister and her husband Vinod and their nephew Jayesh installed their second-hand computer in my box room so that I could start my
computer classes. They used to run a flourishing photographic business in London few years ago but due to the advent of digital cameras their business died down.
>>>I enrolled at Croydon College in May 2006 and in the last four
years have managed to pass exams in Word Processing, Excel, Spreadsheets,
and Power Point at Level 1 and am attending Word and Power Point classes
in Part 2. I am learning to create an Adobe website since I have managed to
pass courses in Photo Shop. It was tough but I persevered through the
support of family and friends.
>>>Vali Jamal’s book and blog will endure despite some very nasty posts by an anonymous blogger. It’s regrettable from someone who claims to come from a reputable family and having been to an expensive school. From his knowledge of tailors where Jinja players got their blazers made, I can see he’s a Jinja boy. Jinja was a very democratic town and such behaviour is not
welcome by any of my friends. It smacks of a mentality nurtured during our
colonial days.
>>>>mohan patel

PFbTD - post-Facebook Trauma Disorder.

2012-01-20T00:54:00.002+03:00

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Vali Jamal

PFbTD - post-Facebook Trauma Disorder.
Comes from
*thinking everyone else is eating the most fabulous foods and visitng exotic places
*thinking everyone's posts are "liked" except your own
*asking to be FbF with someone and being left in the Inbox Rot
*asking to be FbF with someone who's already your FbF
*finding everyone's looks divided by age ratio is much higher than yours
Me? I don't have any of the above. What I suffer everyday is
IbTD - Inbox Trauma Disorder.
Of the 26 incoming everyday
*11 DEL for sending a repeat article
*5 for an adapted Mr&Mrs joke (like wife said..when the joke comes from Joke per Day site)
*4 to think up an excuse why I neglected to answer them. (A: Because they didn't fill the subject line and I thought it was something horrible.)

Phuleez: Do NOT go and like this just because.
You don't have to say you love me/just be close at hand.
Remember the song by Dusty?

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Tahir Ahmad likes this..

Vali Jamal Of course the worst trigger of PFbTD is someone asking you to be their FbF when you already are.
about an hour ago · Like · 1.

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Who the best cricket team, where?

2012-01-20T00:51:00.000+03:00

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Vali Jamal

Being out of power today in Kampala (2 out of 3 days these days) I went and spent the afternoon at Kabira Club and watched cricket while doing the internet and the book. The Pakistan bowlers were unplayable and England just managed to avoid an inning's. They were supreme over India in England during the summer. India won the World Cup on their grounds, now they are being humiliated by Australia. If the first test between Pakistan and England is a guide the MCC are going to have a thought coming. UAE is practically Pakistan's "home ground" now.

Which brings a thought to my mind: How do you judge the best cricket team? Grounds make a big difference and playing in England, with your fingertips frozen, is something else again.

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Fatima Alimohamed likes this..

Vali Jamal Fatim: Reminded you right? Powerless times and Kabira as the Out of Africa refuge!
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Railway lunacy

2012-01-16T21:08:00.001+03:00

Vali Jamal

See 'em coolies working on the railway, the bwanas relaxing, the Africans wondering at the lunacy of it? Around 40 thousand Indians came to build the railway, 3,000 died, 4000 were invalidaded home, 7000 elected to stay on in East Africa, mostly to run the Lunatic Express. Once done Indian traders began to trickle in to take trade into the interior. Idi Amin Dada said, the railway is now built, the Indians should go home. And he sent us packing.
Do you see Mr Realx Singh there? Haha.

Top of Form
Vali Jamal Sometimes a tyop can be useful: both Mr Relax Singh and Realx Singh are in the pitcha. Spot 'em! They and other Punjabis built the Uganda Railway and I take my, ahem, turban off to them.
Vali Jamal How 'bout Mr Uganda Railway Cross Singh? Our signs used to say "Level Crossing."

Bottom of Form

Lowis Cup winners - IRC; is that style or what?

2012-01-14T22:48:00.000+03:00

Tahir Ahmad pages in the book

2012-01-09T00:17:00.000+03:00

Mr Gomes and his gomesi

2012-01-08T23:31:00.001+03:00

When Mr Gomes, Goan tailor, created Uganda ladies' attire as a school uniform. It's now never seen in the city, as hazardous to body parts on a boda or even a taxi. Still very much seen at social functions, with 20% in sari.

Almighty ferrous headache

2012-01-08T21:48:00.000+03:00

Vali Jamal

In the absence of househelp tried to iron (Fe) a shirt. The iron wouldn't glisse (Fr), like it had a flat. Chaps said look under: The iron had tell-tale marks of having burnt a synthetic fabric. Chaps said use Panadol. Sent one over to bring some. Fellow applied it to the iron's surface and, tada, within five minutes cleared off the smudge. The iron began to glide again. Swallowed one Panadol to cure the post-traumatic headache (PTH).
P>S> The reason the househelp absented himself was, it emerges, because he burnt a pair of trousers and feared reprisals. Trousers = US$20; iron = US$ 70.

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Entebbe Indian School, 1920s, now a government primary school

2012-01-06T21:08:00.000+03:00

Entebbe Botanical Gardens, c Aug 2010 by VIVJ

2012-01-06T21:03:00.000+03:00

2 pages fused in my book. If we were to ask Uganda Asians <1972 their best memory of Uganda a high percetage would say picnic. For Kampala people picnic meant the Botanical Gardens at Entebbe. Family picnics were done at least once per month. School picnics were done here too - and that's another story, part of any screenplay about growing up in Uganda.

Conversations on the email

2012-01-06T09:58:00.001+03:00

From: Chandrakant Patel <ckrpatel@gmail.com>
To: jamalv@yahoo.com
Sent: Thursday, 5 January 2012, 13:59
Subject: This and That

Hello Vali

Praful Patel (Jinja/Mumbai ) sent me your blog a few days back, with the news about a book on and about Uganda Asians that you have been working on.

I am truly gobsmacked! Such breathtaking ambition backed by so much diligence and discipline! Your wonderful blog is treasure trove of all things that glued us together (as in goondar), not least cricket and love of all things Gujju.Allow me to express my thanks and admiration for your efforts and , needless to say, I look forward to the publication and share it with my grandchildren!

In the meantime, I shall follow your blog to revive and bring back childhood memories of my schools-Old Kampala, Kololo and in 1958, Mbale. Truly miraculous to read about Premji, Salaudin, Noordin and Narottam and know that they are all well and united with each other and us, even if it is in the blogosphere.

Thanks to my mother, I met Narottam in Orlando in 1987: she took me ( but where else?) to a jewelry shop managed by Narottam! The Pattani's had very high reputation in Uganda (they surely would have earned the highest ISO rating even then) and Narottam carried it all the way to Orlando. Sadly, I lost contact with him, but was happy to learn that he is still active.

And who can forget the joy of watching Premji and Salauddin, respectively a gatherer and a hunter, pummel the Europeans! Premji dependable left-handed opener, complemented Salau, as elegant and stylish a batsman as one would ever wish to watch. But there were so many others (Kishore, Karamchand, Ramanbhai, Pinto, Gama, Maqsood and his gifted younger brother) who helped lighten our colonial burden by defeating them at their own game and on their own terms. Our cricketers in those blighted times were more than sportsmen: they surely were symbols of defiance and hope.

On a personal note, I must share with you my surprise that we managed not to meet! Our paths crossed but did not connect : schools in Kampala/Mbale, Cambridge (economics at King's '62-65), Uganda Civil Service (65-67 ), a US PhD in economics, international organisations (UNCTAD ), and Geneva!

So be it: but in case you are in Geneva, would be delighted to meet and catch up!

All the best, Chandrakant

Dear Chandrakant,

We did meet at Geneva! via my sister-in-law Perviz Mitha (UNHCR). Dharam Ghai was my mentor at ILO. Of course according to one anonymous poster on my blog I am a phantom person who claims to have degrees from good universities. Did you see his comments? He trampled on me for being a mere Bakuli boy as against his European-time residence on Kololo. He said he went to Winchester and sort of that he belonged to the Europeans' European-only club. A gate-crasher on my site mocking the owner. Nobody that he has mentioned could trace him. He's about 68. Hasn't posted for a while.

Thank you for reading my blog. I thought there'd be lots of interest, but from the number of visitors I may be wrong. That also augurs ill for my book. As you may see from my post today, I estimate there are only 40k of the pre-1972 Uganda Asian people left in the world - 8000 households. That's about the maximum readership possible. 4.8 years of work, 12/7, for just that? It was in me to do the book and if I didn't do it our history would be down the drain. The book should publish this year to coincide with the 50th/40th anniversaries coming up. May I invite you to contribute a piece on your life - say up to 1500 words, with pictures? Ancestors could be written up separately. More once I hear from you.

I'm ccing some of the people you have mentioned and some others in my book.

All the best. Quelle canton? Coppet, Communy? We lived right centre ville, rue Thalberg.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $71.11), forthcoming June 2012. Guaranteed to put you to sleep, except just don't read it in bed at the risk of abdominal hernia. visit
ww.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

Thinking up the numbers: How many left to buy a book

2012-01-05T15:17:00.001+03:00

Economists do that all the time and their numbers get quoted – about everything. I do that too. Lately I been thinking what's the market for my book. In 1972 there were 80k Uganda Asians world wide. Of these 15% were <10 to whom the expulsion don't mean much. 33% were >40; by now they'd be >80 and gone. So the book's of interest to Uganda Asians 10-40 then and 50-80 now. How many are there? Deduct the 48% as from above: 40,000 = in 8,000 household. Now start adding: some 4Gs are interested, some no-Ugandan Asians are interested, some interested people could be interested. So keep dreaming.

When Aga Khan XI won the Lowis/Lewis Cup, 1952

2012-01-04T01:28:00.001+03:00

It was the Ismailia community's WWYW (where were you when) moment. Prayers were said at dawn jamatkhana. Women came to the grounds, defying the purdah. At tea-time they offered samosas to all and sundry. The newspaper cutting was sent by Hassni Rasool, passed away just last year. In his own story he recalls that the great Guste sprained his ankle at practice the previous evening and was reset by Fazal Abdulla, the homeo-osteopath. Guste's story is in the book and was posted on this blog. He passed away in Kampala in 08. Indian Recreation Club won a string of the Cup. Jai and Azad recorded wins too. Premji was the captain. His story is being filled in.

Nazir Awan pays tribute to Salaudin Khan

2012-01-04T01:06:00.003+03:00

FB Foolery -

2012-01-03T00:28:00.001+03:00

Wall Photos

Open image in Full View
1. Stare at the red star on the girl’s nose for 30 seconds
2. Turn your eyes towards the wall/roof or somewhere else on a plane surface
3. Keep blinking your eyes!
4. Tell us what you see!
it's AMZNG

Like · · Share · 28 minutes ago.

Vali Jamal
Big deal. Now do the same to Mr Harold Camping down there - see he becomes his own negative and somehow very frightening. I stared at one of my FBFs and negatived them. I blanked out the 2 V for Vendettas on the left of my picture and the fellow turned negative and I kind of didn't like that. I stared at the desk light and it turned into a UFO and as I keep blinking to regain my sight it keeps hovering from my fingers to wherever I want it to go and I kind of like that because I just love the idea of UFOs. Now bring on the dots that turn into JC. Don't defriend me!

7 minutes ago · Like.

Book blurb and reviews. Just add: The bogus book by the bogus PhD - Anonymous, Nowhere Land, No-time Date

2012-01-02T18:11:00.001+03:00

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

2012-01-02T00:23:00.002+03:00

Vali Jamal

January 20, 2011

Jesus was crucified on A.D. April 1, 33. That was 1,978 years ago. Multiply 1,978 by 365.2422 — the number of days in each solar year. Then add 51. What do you get?
722,500! I just fell off my chair. Right. What’s 51 days after April 1, 2011? Get me the calendar. Can someone help me back onto my chair? Nurse? That’s better. You are a good nurse. Mm. I see that the 51st day falls on May 21. THE WORLD WILL END ON MAY 21, 2011.

Added VJ: Rupture came before rapture.

Vali Jamal

The world didn't come to an end in 2011. Harold Camping gave two dates. Then someone said The End will come at 11:11:11 on 11/11/11, so I wrote my last email and instructed Yahoo! to send it out at that split second. It said: If you are reading this you are probably in a different time zone from I. Our side of the world has ended - split in a split second.
So how 'bout this year? People are priming up for a whole bunch of wonderful things to happen on 20/12 in 20-12, but then the American side of my family said whoever heard of a 20th month. The Britishers said it's too far away. So when's somepun significant gone happen this year.

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Nutrition knows no shape

2012-01-01T23:18:00.000+03:00

From an FBF off the FB:
Getting ready to go to work. Made a beautiful omelet loaded with malady of different varieties of mushrooms with Kericho chai. Nutritionally correct for a cancer survivor.
In the course of washing dishes the idea of writing for your book came to mind.
Me replying to Milady:
People put this sort of thing on Facebook - what they ate, except you have a serious message embedded in it. Unfortunately you got the mushroom mix mixed up with your malady. Medley.
If you truly want a nutritious tea try this: Hibiscus infusion + ordinary tea + tamarind.
If you want a truly nutritious maani/chapatti: 50% brown flour/20% bajro/15% bran/15% amarnath. Won't rise but delicious in the bargain.
For a truly nutritious daal: 50% cracked wheat (suji/lapsi), 25% masoor, 25% anyother daal. As a soup or thick.
Pictures show the “map of Africa” chapatti being rolled, rolled and baked. Nutrition don’t come pretty. We used to say “map of Africa” to a girl who couldn’t get her chapattis a perfect pi-R-square. Who cares?
Tamarind (tamar + hind: the Arabs thought it was tamar (date) from Hind) and hibiscus will conquer the world. I have a tree growing nearby and a bush in the compound. Just let the flowers leach under hot water. BTW: Tamarind is actually a native of Africa: Tamar-ifrik.
Oh about writing for my book: Sure you (in general) be welcome. Spell-check won't help but I do keep the OED handy.
"Keep tissues handy" - my book comes with a warning. Will make you cry.

GISS, Old Kampala Prefects, 1957. Picture Perfect sent by Pradyuman Joshi

2011-12-27T22:35:00.004+03:00

GISS, Old Kampala Prefects, 1957, Picture Perfect.
Photo sent by Pradyuman Joshi.
Please help complete the IDs.

Standing: Raj Qureshi, Charanjit Kaur Bassan, Karim Mohamed, Rohini Vasani, Harnish Patel, Saroj Gadhia, Kassam Bhatty, Kunjlata Patel, Surendra Oza, Laila Tejani, [-], [-], [-], [-], Navin Thakrar.
Seated: Safdar [-], Vinoda Patel, Ved Prakash Sharma, Rozina Pirbhai, Chandrakant Patel (Head Prefect), Rashida Virani (Head Prefectess), John Agard, [-], [-], Abdul Damani.

Tendulkar 100th 100 not yet

2011-12-27T15:06:00.000+03:00

Vali Jamal

TENDULKAR WATCH FOR THE 100TH 100.
Bowled Siddle 73.
Whatever, you are the greatest batsman that ever lived. Thank you for the misty memories.

TENDULKAR IN NUMBERS

• 185 Test caps, a world record
• 15,256 Test runs, more than any other batsmen
• 51 Test centuries
• 453 one-day internationals
• 18,111 ODI runs
• 48 ODI hundreds
• 154 ODI wickets
• 15 - score on Test debut v Pakistan in 1989
• 1 Twenty20 international cap
• 1 World Cup winners' medal

‎2011 - definitely the year of Arab Spring - Satellite picture on the day Mubarak fell, 13/02/2012

2011-12-26T15:01:00.002+03:00

The breath and hum of democracy seemed almost a libidinous thing in parts of the Middle East, but, in truth, the body heat had been simmering for years. The protests took hold in Tunisia in late 2010 after the street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire. The kindle caught and the spirit of his self-immolation lit a fuse across the region. A wave of protests struck Algeria, Egypt, Yemen, Jordan. Almost as soon as protesters in Cairo were being herded away from Tahrir Square, they were dancing at the news of Mubarak’s resignation. Ruling families began to fall. Power-transfer treaties were brokered. Parliaments were dissolved. Monarchs locked their gates and boarded their windows.
In Libya, Muammar el-Qaddafi was ousted and killed. NATO planes streaked a sky so blue it seemed to speak of other Septembers. Faces, too, were lit by a new blue light. It was the era of the revolution down through the wires: time was collapsed and geography shrunk by the use of social networking. The whole world was indeed watching, listening, e-mailing. Some in the media lost their lives for the art of the images that emerged — the photographs didn’t just capture singular moments, but they looked backward and forward at the same time, at what has happened, and what is yet to come. The light from the Arab Spring rose from the ground up; the hope is now that the darkness doesn't fall. — COLUM McCANN, an author whose book “Let the Great World Spin” won the National Book Award.
Continue to the photos »

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GujEnglish -

2011-12-25T13:49:00.000+03:00

I was recalling some English words as used by us in East Africa on the Namaskar facebook site. Farak, as in toonka farak, beloved of the Anonymous Toff, is there. Kersi Rustomjee came up with his illustrated list.

Vali Jamal

DefinAtely CongraDulation farak istimber (steamer) munwer (man-of-war) ...

Kersi Minoo Rustomji commented on your post in Namaskar-Africana

Kersi Minoo Rustomji

25 December 03:16

*Vali bha, * *it's 'manwaar' for Man-o-War, and there is also 'paltan' from platoon, referring to the arrival of a hoards of relatives, especially the in-laws, as 'Aare kale moti paltan avavani che!' Aare a big platoon is coming tomorrow. Then there is also 'paatlun,' for trousers from, 'pantloons,'. As when a kid grows up, 'Aare have toh patlun pere che!' Oh now he wears trousers! And don't forget the 'tuwal,' for towel and strangely, 'boot,' generally for shoes as well, and 'bootne palis ane baras maar.' Polish and brush the shoes.* *'Phulkobi ne tamata pakvya che.' Have cooked cauliflower and * *tomatoes.* *Aaje kismus che toh ek beh biyer ane kek lagave.' It's Christmas today so have a couple of beers and cake.* *Cheers for now [?] **prema, shanti,ahinsa. upendo,raha, latifu... love,peace,kindness... Only One Human Race... Kersi Rustomji.Planet Earth. ex-Kenya. Australia.* On 25 December 2011 09:49, Vali Jamal

Trust Kersi! With just those phrases he invokes a childhood experienced and overheard. I never made the association paltan = platoon. What a transformation, and it catches the sarcasm, calling some village relatives that descended on you a platoon! Ladies, of course. To them everything was lup/chup, while to us kids, relatives however remote coming in was the height of hapiness. They'd send us kids to the overcrowded room to find out pointblank when are you leaving!

Let's have more, I'll put it in my learned book. The book Kersi could write!

My father used to say: Amerika ji manwar awi aye Kilindini per. No double-a?

To those cc'd, this string is from my life on Facebook, the Africana-Orientalia site and my blog. Kersi is an East African Asian asset on all of them. Taught Aga Khan School in Tanga. You should just read his description of the gari (you now the roll-along with makeshift wheels, "horn", and steering?) in my book or of gili-danda, nagolio, goma, ladies getting together to make achaar. A wonderful time is guaranteed for all when my book comes out. Here are the contents pages last week.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $71.11), forthcoming June 2012. Guaranteed to put you to sleep, except just don't read it in bed at the risk of abdominal hernia. visit ww.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

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Vali Jamal

25 December 01:49

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Premji vs John Nagenda, Kampala, Dec 2011

2011-12-25T00:41:00.000+03:00

When Premji (as we knew him then - and forever), Captain of Jai XI, visited Uganda, Dec 2011. You remember? I took him to visit (you remember) with John Nagenda, Wanderers XI, and East and Central Africa XI at the first-ever World Cup in England, 1975, now President's Senior Media Adviser, at his home on Tank Hill, now called Muyenga Hill. The two just couldn't stop talking. Cricket of course, eyes misting over.
Personal-aggrandising commercial follows: In the picture John and Premji are sitting with my book of then-1030 pages open at John's story. Just look at the bowling sequence, created by local designer Chris Ssegawa. The previous page is the E&CAf XI at Buckingham Palace - full page accorded. John is right behind HM E2R.
A treat awaits us all next year. Readers wanted. Warning: Don't take it to bed at the risk of abdominal hernia. DefinAtely not portable.
What happen(sic) to Kololo/WinToff?

Certificaterism - sequel and end

2011-12-24T23:53:00.000+03:00

On a powerless night first they caught fire from the candle. The owner poured a good bit from a bottle of mineral water (not shown since this is a not-for-profit site). Of course they got H20-damaged. His laissez-passer (UN passport, dumb) seems intact. One cert is a PhD from Stanford University and the other from Cambridge. Owner's name is given as Valimohamed Jamal on both.
What other clues are there? Some coins, his mobile phone, his book open.
That story that "dog ate my certificates" was just lies - and so is this one. Fake degree papers (look at the poor quality paper used) set on fire and then drenched with tap water (forget mineral).

@GISS, Dec 2011, 54 yrs later

2011-12-24T23:31:00.000+03:00

Enclosed two pictures I took at GISS (Govt Indian Sec School, Kampala, now Old Kampala Sec School) 3 weeks ago when Premji Patel, captain of Jai XI came to visit. The first picture shows a desk from *then*. How do we know? GISS is stencilled on it. I matriculated from SS VI in 1957. So this desk is at least 54 years old. It didn't creak at all. There were 3 such desks - 3 ink-wells and all - in a class with 30 desks, teacher:pupil ratio of 1:60, definAtely (sic) overcrowding. Mind you, school was out for end year, so I couldn't comment on the CO2: O2 ratio. The second picture is of Premji at the signboard (terrible word-spacing) looking towards Makerere valley.

Whatever HHAKSS alumni say, GISS had class - Shafiq, Gurdial, Dalal girls, Yashwant Sidpra, Pitu, Sultan Karim, Piroj Dastur, Abdul Pirbhai, Abdulkarim I V Jamal - and in 1957...Many GISS (and later Kololo SS) contributed brilliant chapters for the book I am writing on Uganda Asians, because they cared. HHAKSS alum spared their words.

Tis the season to make resolutions

2011-12-22T02:53:00.000+03:00

Public

Vali Jamal

New Year Resolution: I shall never overeat after New Year's day feast. If I do I shall ask for self-forgiveness and grant it in keeping with the season of forgiveness. After a week I shall go with the adage - to forgive is divine, to forget next to impossible - and rilly rilly prove I forgot my one and only NYR.

Dilip Kumar - Guinness Book

2011-12-18T17:51:00.000+03:00

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Vali Jamal

Dilip Kumar enters Guinness Records

Veteran star Dilip Kumar recently bagged a prestigious entry into the Guinness World Records. He earned the honour for being the only living Indian actor to have won the maximum number of awards.

Dr Yash Tandon "contributes" >10k words on his childhood and life in a book that has as its subtitle, "We Contributed, We Contribute." A paragraph is quoted to Praful Patel, member Uganda Resettlement Board, 1972.

2011-12-18T16:30:00.000+03:00

Hello Praful and all:

Down below is Yash's paragraph where you figure. Look at the quality and the depth and then multiply the 333 words by 30 and you see how much Heart & Mind Yash poured into our book. At >10,000 words it'll be by far the longest piece in the book and in terms of the H&M factor among the best. In the early part he talks affectionately of his humble beginnings in Moroto and schooling in Soroti and Mbale. After coming down from the LSE Obote asks him to meet him late one evening in his office. Tandon trembles. Obote asks him to get down to drafting the Move to the Left, with a copy of his instructions (submitted for the piece) not to be thought to be plagiarising from Nyerere's Ujaama. In the early months of Amin's coup, Vice Chancellor Kalimuzo gives him the good news that he and a colleague have been chosen to attend the funeral of the returned Kabaka but that according to Baganda custom two people may have to be sacrificed. The colleague could go to the village and disappear among his tribe...but Tandon? Kalimuzo arranges him to fly out to Lusaka and take up a post there. How sad to think Kalimuzo may have paid the price of that! I met his widow for condolences at Dr Ahmad's house a month ago and she told me a part of her horror story. I shall go and interview her. Preparing for the imminent takeover in Uganda Museveni makes a comment in a student's meeting at Dar es Salaam that socialism isn't about Traffic Lights - a reference to Left Turn! Falling out with Obote's people Tandon gets jostled by Shafiq Arain seeking to gate-crash one of the preparatory conferences. After the fall of Amin Tandon is one of the G4 - Gang of Four - advising the new-comers. Some of the scenes of devastation and accounts of ambushes on a trip up North to carry Binaisa's message are just harrowing.

Good news: We have a from-the-heart account from a humanist and intellectual very much at the centre of Uganda's history, even to the extent of returning a couple of months ago from Oxford to be at the burial of Dan Nabudere, one of the G4 - "a true intellectual giant of Uganda" - in the company of President Museveni.

Bad news: Shoo karu about the length? I may issue the book in 3 parts in a box. Division simply at 400 pages each. The matter of how to get this multi-lakh dollars project to see the light of day is being taken up by some people in leadership role in the community. Failing everything, the book exists on the computer screen and can always be made available on CD or as an eBook.

Praful Patel is preparing his piece for the book. He's bound to give us lots on his work on the UEA and the Uganda Resettlement Board. I am sure Yash Tandon, Ms Perviz Mitha, Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan and Sheralli Bandalli Jaffer, MP, will figure in that.

All the best.

P>S> No introductions necessary, but just in case: Praful Patel served on the Uganda Resettlement Board in 1972. Yash was all of the above. In 1972 I was based at MISER (Makerere Institute of Social and Economic Research) where he was the director, for my doctoral research. That's my claim for writing this book - that I was there in 1972 during the expulsion and kept notes. My dissertation at Stanford was about the Uganda economy and the expulsion figured in that. I went back to Makerere Africana section six months ago for a whole month collecting headlines from Uganda Argus of all those 90 expulsion days, sitting by the same window where I read the Uganda Journal 40 years ago to write my story of Cotton and Coffee in Uganda. The section Deadline Headlines fills - and feels - 9 pages in the book.

Of our other intellectual giants, Professor Dharam Ghai has contributed a wonderful chapter on his times at Makerere with the intellectual giants of the times; Professor Ali Mazrui has given us a message, and Professor Mahmood Mamdani is in the book. Professor Somers - "physician to the President" - has not only given us his star-studded memories of the regime changes but has filled in on the stories of several people in the book, in that way making this publication the "first post-internet book" with the feel of a magazine, as befits its beginnings as a magazine for Chogm. A scrapbook (but difinitely not scrap); the magazine would be scrap by now. A Facebook in its original end-of-the-school-year sense. Just stop me from adding more, I have to return to my family in mind and body.

Cc to some people in the book simply that they know the book progresses everyday and time is near to give it to the printer - quite likely in Uganda to sustain a claim that the book was Made in Uganda - researched, written, designed and printed in Uganda, quite likely at New Vision, the government printer. The very first demo copy will go to Bwana John Nagenda, Senior Media Advisor to President Museveni, for his moral support for the project. He has a piece in the book for his exploits on the cricket field with some of the giants of those times and the years he spent in exile. In Yash Tandon's account he mentions now-Minister Rugunda. Yash will be pleased to learn that I have a 2.5-page interview with him for opposing the expulsion as the chair of NUS. I didn't miss a beat.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $71.11), forthcoming June 2012. Guaranteed to put you to sleep, except just don't read it in bed at the risk of abdominal hernia. visit ww.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: vali jamal
To: "jamalv@yahoo.com"
Sent: Saturday, 17 December 2011, 20:23
Subject:

Soon I was “invaded” by my friend Praful Patel. He is originally from Uganda, now a British citizen and resident in India. He had some political ambitions in the UK, and had built a strong network of some Labour Party MPs and Peers and journalists in the media. Along with some Indian leaders who had come from Uganda, he formed an organisation called the Uganda Evacuees Association (UEA) to assist Ugandan Asians who were stuck in Uganda. Praful got me to be his adviser, counselor, letter draftsman, legal advisor, and press attaché, all rolled in one. I worked as a “volunteer” but he and his sisters provided me with excellent Gujarati meals at his fabulous apartment near the British Museum. The British were initially not very helpful. For example, they refused to take in people who had Ugandan citizenship, and they were technically correct. Therefore, a political and humanitarian case had to be made. Praful used to come and badger me in my office at the LSE and in my home in Harrow to help him draft memorandum after memorandum to the Home Office and press-statements in order to impress our case on the media and the government. We also addressed meetings organised by the UEA.We worked closely with the young Prince Sadrudin Aga Khan, then only 33 and head of the UNHCR. Fortunately, at his office worked Perviz Mitha. Perviz was a couple of classes behind me in Mbale Secondary School in the 1950s, and then she did Bar-at-Law at the same time that Mary did at the Lincoln`s Inn in the 1960s. So we knew each other well. But it was Praful who dealt directly with Perviz and the UNHCR.
**** Pic 15. with Praful Patel
(To check with Praful if he has a photo with me)

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $71.11), forthcoming June 2012. Guaranteed to put you to sleep, except just don't read it in bed at the risk of abdominal hernia. visit ww.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

Certificaterism saga, nameless/sameness/add h at discretion - yaar shoo kaoo?

2011-12-15T02:24:00.000+03:00

At last found my certs and UN Laissez Passer. Power went, lighted up candles and then the inevitable that happens when paper gets near flame happened. So I have no papers to prove. The dog ate one set and now this one burnt. How thankful we are going to be to Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development when Bujagali opens up with one turbine in January. Very.

Premji Jai XI Captain visit

2011-12-15T01:43:00.001+03:00

Premji Patel: Captain Jai XI, played Uganda XI and East Africa XI

John Nagenda: Wanderers XI, African XI, East and Central africa XI at World Cup, England, 1975. Senior Media Advisor to President Museveni, 1994 to date.

It was wonderful having Premji here a couple of weeks ago and doing things together. The highlight was undoubtedly going to visit with Bwana John Nagenda at his Tank Hill home. Premji came equipped with newspaper cuttings about John and a 10-over ball used in an E A XI match. Hassan Alibhai Ramji came along too. Mani Khan couldn't come. Of course the three and then the two couldn't stop talking of those times playing together and against each other.

The next day Premji and I sat at a Kisementi restaurant where Nelsadry used to be for his story of the expulsion and cricket. Heart-rending. I shall circulate once Premji has cleared it.

On the third day I took Premji around Kampala. The highlight there was visiting GISS. We were received by the HM. We discovered a couple of benches from those days!

On the fourth day he was gone, leaving behind good feelings with all.

Someone told me today-today when I walked him through the draft book: "It's written by an intellect" and I added, "and comes from the heart." In one of the attach's here Premji is sitting in front of my book with John's page in it. That picture rendition of his bowling action by my designer man - Chris Ssegawa - by itself is going to win the book the Presidential Award for, well, Design. A treat awaits us in 6-7 months, max, God willing. The draft added to goes to, tada, John Nagenda, at a soft-launch at Kabira Club in the New Year. He paid for it!

Book 1033 not out, .3 kg; retired by captain at 1111.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $71.11), forthcoming June 2012. Guaranteed to put you to sleep, except just don't read it in bed at the risk of abdominal hernia. visit ww.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

From: mohan patel
To: Minal Lad ; premjilpatel@gmail.com
Cc: vali jamal jamalv@yahoo.com;.caSent: Wednesday, 14 December 2011, 12:40
Subject: Re: Fw: Premji Patel visit to Uganda 20 Nov-10 Dec

Dear Premjibhai,
It was very nice to hear from you on your wonderful Kampala trip.I am
very pleased to know Kampala has expanded so much in last few years.I
am so very pleased to learn that Vali and Hon.,John Nagenda looked
after you so well during your stay over there.It is nice to have
friends like that in such high circles.
Vali's website which you requested is as follows-"Viva!East
Africa".My other friend Kalwant Ajimal also has a blog which you may
be interested.It is "East African Asians"
We must pass our thanks to Minal for looking after her dad so well.

Life in the slow lane in the world and Facebook. Read from bottom up - and look at all those public degree claims. Whatever happen (sic) to Winchester lad?! Disteping sleeping dogs.

2011-12-12T23:16:00.000+03:00

Vali Jamal

Before that I was @ Nambole, our national football stadium. 40k were there when the capacity is 30k. I almost got trampled over lining up to get to the turnstile, till an angel bulldozed a way for me. June 2011. Picture of motorbikes, or how to get from A2B in Kam-para.

Public

Vali Jamal

I had gone there - Bombo - to take pictures of some dukas, as they were, for my book on Uganda Asians: Then and Now. I found lots, some operational, some derelict, waiting for their owners to come and claim them.

Vali Jamal

Inside road Kampala-Bombo, June 2011, photo by self.

Everything but the text - the Uganda Resettlement Board, 1972

2011-12-09T14:11:00.000+03:00

Picture sent in Dec 8, 2011 by Mr Praful Patel, member, 4th from R. Just look at all the illustrious names and honours - and don't you just luv

the type-written HMG blue font! All the initials have full stops, no longer the convention in UK, but still is in North America. 39 years ago. Who's still alive, apart Praful Patel?!! Long live.

Water and Coke

2011-12-08T03:07:00.002+03:00

Public
Vali Jamal

Hoax, NE1? H2O vs Coke

# 2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke
and it will be gone in two days.

...
There are many reasons for drinking lots of water (except before going to bed!) and for not drinking Coke - but that it will melt your stomach (if it can melt a T-bone steak) is not one of them.

Try hibiscus tea - Made in Uganda by xxxx - delice.

This one is coming around illustrated after its plain-vanilla round a couple of years ago.See more

Titanic true or false

2011-12-08T02:09:00.000+03:00

Public

Vali Jamal

Titanic at the bottom of the sea. Even the ice-berg is there, all shattered. Haha, but all the shame how we cried reading that book!

Everything but the photo - mail to Mr Praful Patel re Uganda Resettlement Board of 1972 of which he was a member

2011-12-08T01:43:00.000+03:00

December 8, 2011
Dear Prafulbhai,
Thank you so much for your mail and for sending me a foretaste of your article to come. The picture is just awesome, the names mind-blowing - Mark Bonham-Carter, Peter Thorneycroft, Governor (why "Governor-General"?) Sir Walter Coutts, and on - and the manual-typewriter HMG blue font a bonus by itself in a nostalgia-fest book like this! About two years ago I met in Kampala a lady from my school days who recounted me a lovely story of how she simply barged into Sir Charles Cunningham's office pleading with him to let her handicapped mother in Kampala be reunited with her. Sir Charles did the necessary. That story is in there.
Prof Yash Tandon I am sure is receiving these mails. He has contributed a 6-page article of his childhood and family. I am including Professor Dharam Ghai in the cc list. He has two pieces in the book. Mrs Neela Ghai (born Korde) too has contributed a piece. What I don't have in my book (cue: East African Asian accent!)? Names of all 222 Parsees that ever lived in Uganda, by Piroj Amrolia (born Dastur) from her father's files. That was *then*: The 4Gs are moving this economy *now* and I have the stories of 12s of them, including Vipul Thakrar and Vinay Dawda, past and present Entrepreneur of the Year. One of our 4Gs, Ashish Thakar, is going into space on Virgin Galactic. I told him to take my 4.5 kg book and let it float around under 0 gravity!
About your last paragraph: What we all have to do is to ensure this 1,111 page book gets printed and is properly publicized, and even under normal laws of gravity soars! Once it's out it'll be an automatic in the serious media, particularly with the 50th (independence)/40th (expulsion) anniversary reunion coming in October 2012.
I look forward eagerly to your 1,000-word (take or give a few) piece on your work with the Resettlement Board and related - going to England in the first place, childhood, ancestors - make it 1,500 words, but include 6 photos at least. Pictures add to the book.

Best regards.

President Page in book

2011-12-07T19:01:00.000+03:00

Duka page from book

2011-12-07T18:52:00.000+03:00

Allidina Visram. What you sow what you reap. I wrote I reap. The nony froths and rips 'bout the "Aga Khani agenda" of the so-called book.

2011-11-14T14:33:00.000+03:00

Vali Jamal
The Mausoleum of Allidina Visram at the Muslim Cemetery, Kampala, photo taken on 13.11.11 on a rainy day visit to the departed ones. It is said a major storm hit Kampala soon after his burial. The Governor and the Kabaka attended and shops all over East Africa shut in his honour. Alliidina started it all for us, putting his dukas along the route of the Mombasa2Kisumu railway (the Uganda Railway, a...lso known as the Lunatic Express after what at that time seemed a clueless scheme). By the time of his death he owned 500 dukas, stretching all the way into Belgium Congo. The bazaar street named after him was changed to Bokassa Street by Idi Amin Dada in honour of His Emperial Majesty and to Luwum Street by Obote 2 to honour the martyred bishop. My grandfather Valli Jamal Pradhan was an agent for Allidina and reached Wadelai (northern Uganda) already by 1903. I have his diary.See more

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Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, RIP, Kampala, 11.11.11

2011-11-12T00:55:00.001+03:00

Dear friends,

As we mark the passing away of one of Uganda's noble sons, I am pleased to circulate pages pertaining to the departed one in our book. I interviewed him at his clinic over a couple of sessions in 2007 when this was going to be a mere magazine for Chogm. Dr Ahmad went over the draft meticulously and added and deleted several details. Over the last four years I went to see him periodically to show him my drafts and ensure him I was "2 months" from finishing. He encouraged me on everytime, saying this was an important story to tell for all our sake's. Last time I met him, just a week ago, he gave me the picture of his investiture with the Star of Pakistan by President Zardari.

He died at his clinic itself this morning. The burial was at 5 pm, attended by people from all walks of life in Uganda. His story in the book becomes a celebration of his life, in the footsteps of his illustrious father. Ismaili readers will be pleased to learn that both his father and he were physicians to the late Imam Sir Sultan Mohamed Shah, Prince Aly Shah, and the present Imam himself. Dr Mukhtar during the dark days of Ugand's history was the appointed physician for the UN. I met him on every of my missions for the UN-ILO from 1982 on. His life exeplified courage as he never left Uganda through the expulsion and four regime changes. It is a regret in my life that he didn't live to see the publication of this book.

I pray for the eternal rest of his soul and for fortitude to his family to overcome this sad and sudden loss.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $49.99), forthcoming Oct 2012 at the 40th Expulsion Anniversary Reunion, Munyonyo-by-Lake-Victoria. visit www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

More 11:11:11 on 11.11.11.

2011-11-11T11:27:00.001+03:00

No temperature drops or climbs here at Kampala, Uganda. Power didn't go off and cocks didn't crow. One turkey in the yard danced around for a while but that's because a little girl threw pebbles at her. The girl returned to normal behaviour within a second, so did the turk.

11:11:11 pm - does that count?!

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,111 pp; $49.99), forthcoming Oct 2012 at the 40th Expulsion Anniversary Reunion, Munyonyo-by-Lake-Victoria. A wrist-breaker before it will be a blockbuster. Just leave it on the coffee table and look at it now again. visit
www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

From: ashiq ali nancey <ashiqalinancey@hotmail.com>
To: alivaliyani@hotmail.com; norrudin panjwani <alnima@gol.com>; arif sawani <arif_sawani@yahoo.co.in>; ashiq2000jp@hotmail.com; feroz ali <feroz.ali@hbl.com>; "z_tarani@hotmail.com" <z_tarani@hotmail.com>; karim wali <karimwali01@hotmail.com>; vali jamal <jamalv@yahoo.com>; vaibhav <vaibhav.pansare@gmail.com>; saeedvazirali@yahoo.com; scherezade.saleh@gmail.com; ssachwani@gmail.com; maqa@hotmail.com; merchant.malik@yahoo.com; mhhemani17@gmail.com; naseer mamon <rocking_1971@yahoo.com>; nawalbinnizar@hotmail.com; newsletters@iicanada.org
Sent: Friday, 11 November 2011, 5:00
Subject: FW: [WorldIsmailis] 11.11.11 11.11.11, auspicious or doomsday?

Get ready to experience once-in-a-lifetime moment this Friday. At 11.11.11 on 11.11.11, the time and date will be a perfect same-numbered palindrome, reading the same backwards as forwards, an event which can only happen on one day every 100 years, the Daily Mail reported. While some consider it as the perfect day for a wedding, some "prophecy" web forums claimed it could also be the end of the world. The reason the date is so unusual is that 11.11.11 is the only double-figure palindromic date, since there is no 22nd month. And the last time it happened, on November 11 1911, an almost supernatural event saw temperatures drop by more than 60F in a single day. This was the Great Blue Norther, a cold snap which hit the U.S. causing blizzards and tornadoes as well as record falls in temperature. In Kansas City, it was as warm as 76F (24C) in the morning - but this had dropped to 11F (-12C) by the end of the day. A new film being released on Friday, entitled simply 11-11-11, predicts that the day will see the opening of a portal in to Hell, and says: "On this day, innocent blood will spill." The film by Darren Bousman, director of several entries in the Saw franchise, features a man whose family dies in a car crash at 11.11am, and who then begins to be haunted by the number 11. It plays on beliefs long held by some spiritualists, who say that the number has a special significance and claim that many people have a mystical attraction to the time 11.11. One group believes that 11.11 is the special symbol of the "Spirit Guardians", a group of 1,111 celestial beings who supposedly look after mortals and manifest themselves in mid-morning. However, most of those who have chosen this Friday as a day to get married are more attracted by the pleasing coincidence than by any deeper significance. The small town of Gretna Green, a traditional wedding venue near the border between Scotland and England, will host at least 50 weddings on 11.11.11, compared to fewer than a dozen on a typical November Friday. Wedding mania will be even more pronounced overseas, such as in India where thousands of couples have judged the date to be auspicious for a successful marriage. The day will also be one of celebration for a number of children who will be turning 11 on 11.11.11. Most famously, the 11th of November is Armistice Day in the UK - Veterans Day in the U.S. - when we celebrate the end of World War I and commemorate the victims of that war and subsequent ones.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spirituality/science-of-spirituality/111111-111111-auspicious-or-doomsday/articleshow/10679212.cms

1111111

2011-11-11T11:14:00.000+03:00

Greetings at 11.11 (am EA time) on 11.11.11.
Almost.

Minding my other posts - +++culturism in Canada

2011-11-10T12:54:00.001+03:00

Peter Pachecos commented on your post in Namaskar-Africana

Peter Pachecos

10 November 02:00

Vali, off the top of my head, the failure of (official) multiculturalism in Canada is not necessarily a bad thing.
More and more, people have been noticing the divisive and disastrous effects of this well-intended but unrealistic ideal.

Original post

Vali Jamal

14 October 13:52

Vali Jamal

Canada Multiculturalism
Doesn't look too good from the polls and the comments are 95% against. We - Uganda Asians - keep saying and showing that we assimilated but that was in the 1970s and since then Canada became even more multicultural and people don't like it. Will the Global Centre for Pluralism help?! I have my 1001 pages book coming out on the Uganda Asians based on the 1972 expulsion and settling down in Canada. I expect it'll be reviewed. Ironically Uganda embraced multicuturism under Museveni and next year being the 50th anniversary of our independence and 40th anniversary of the expulsion a huge Uganda Asian reunion is planned at Kampala which will be the time to roll out the image of the new Uganda open for business. My book will publish then.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,001 pp; $49.99), forthcoming Oct 2012 at the 40th Expulsion Anniversary Reunion, Munyonyo-by-Lake-Victoria. Sure the book took long - because it's long and it's long because it'd to be all-inclusive. For people with SAS, you just leave it on the coffee table and look at it now again. visit www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "jamalv@yahoo.com" <jamalv@yahoo.com>
To: jamalv@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, 14 October 2011, 11:16
Subject: Canadians show ambiguity towards multiculturalism

Check out this Globe and Mail article "Canadians show ambiguity towards multiculturalism" at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/canadians-show-ambiguity-towards-multiculturalism/article2195000/?service=email&utm_source=Shared+Article+Sent+to+User&utm_medium=E-mail%3A+Newsletters+%2F+E-Blasts+%2F+etc.&utm_content=2195000&utm_campaign=Shared+Web+Article+Links.

..

Hey you – why me?

2011-11-05T23:04:00.001+03:00

Hey you, out there in the cold
Getting lonely, getting old
Can you feel me?
Hey you, standing in the aisles
With itchy feet and fading smiles
Can you feel me?
Hey you, don't help them to bury the light
Don't give in without a fight.

Pink Floyd forever

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,001 pp; $49.99), forthcoming Oct 2012 at the 40th Expulsion Anniversary Reunion, Munyonyo-by-Lake-Victoria. Sure the book took long - because it's long and it's long because it'd to be all-inclusive. For people with SAS, you just leave it on the coffee table and look at it now again. visit
www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Rachael Shigley <drie88@yahoo.com>
To: jamalv@yahoo.com; notinterested@yahoo.com
Sent: Saturday, 5 November 2011, 20:42
Subject: Hey

Hello, my name is Jayne Morris

I am 19 old

I am feeling lonely today, I am searching for someone to keep me company.

Let's get to know each other, I'm online now.

View my profile, sexy pictures and message for you in Attached File

Iraq asphalt octave nickel

Committee liver ronald pond

Hugs and kisses, Jayne Morris.

everywhere you go you take the weather with you

2011-11-04T15:37:00.001+03:00

Kampala, local, Uganda weather and forecast

21 mi from Kampala: Temperature: 68 °F: Comfort Level: 68 °F: Dew point: 64 °F: Barometer: N/A: Humidity: 88%: Wind: 12 mph from 40° Northeast: Last update: Tue 8:00 AM EAT

www.timeanddate.com/weather/uganda/kampala - Cached

The temperature just dropped (11/4/2011 @2.35 pm) from @24.4 to 21.4 degrees C. I said to my designer man where can I buy a heater? He LOLd, meaning no one feels cold in Uganda and no one sells space-heaters. I think I'll try the Muzungu supermarket, but they never feel cold in Africa.

Award to the Aga Khan - watch out the news from Norway anytime now. Imagine him coming to the reunion! ElectriKcity!

2011-11-03T00:25:00.000+03:00

Kampala Area

Vali Jamal
On the award bestowed upon the Aga Khan. I posted a comment.

Citiwire.net » Surprise ‘Global’ Award from Urban Land Institute

citiwire.net

It’s the question that 6,000 developers from around the United States (plus many from around the world) must have been asking last week as they assembled in Los Angeles for the Urban Land Institute’s 75th anniversary celebration. The organization’s highest honor, they heard, was not, as in previous...

Tourismo Uganda

2011-11-02T23:17:00.000+03:00

Vali Jamal
And 19 people say it ain't! Gorillas, Nile source, Lake Vic, Murchison don't a country make.

Lonely Planet Says Uganda is World's Top Tourist Destination

www.care2.com

Despite its LGBT human rights record, Lonely Planet names Uganda as 'world's top tourist destination' for 2012

India suffurias

2011-11-02T23:15:00.000+03:00

Vali Jamal
He said: "Before, when I was coming before the camera I was looking so bulky. Now some people barely recognise me."
He should have said "Before, when I was coming before the camera I was so bulky not even a wide-angle lens could capture whole of me."
Eat less mithai - and walk, don't confine your exercise to filling up your pockets. I think it's all to do with the one-size-fits all shalwar-khameez.
I just love Indian-English.

BBC News - India loses stomach for the pot belly

www.bbc.co.uk

India has long battled with the problem of malnutrition, but with rising incomes, and changing diets, obesity and diabetes is a growing problem too, particularly among the wealthy.

Anonymous exposed as a Fraud in a new Filum

2011-10-30T14:55:00.002+03:00

Already at a theatre near you. With a cast of lakhs. Watch as Our Hero does word2word combat with a Low-birther from Bakuli, Kampala, Uganda, who goes around signing himself as BA Cantab PhD Stanford Snr Economist ILO, and espouses at every opportunity the cause of the Simple Colonial Dress aka Toonka Farak. Watch as he overcomes hordes of Ismailis throwing uncooked (and illiterate)trifles at him taunting jeering

"Only family in Kololo in 1961?"

"Only member of the Wazungu Kalub?"

"Winchester Cathedral?"

"Small grocer in Kisementi, eh?"

Our Hero shouts "No, no, no, I never said that, you twist my words, forsooth" but the froth has come on his mouth and he can't carry on for a while. After drinking some soda, he tries to raise a claque among nonIsmaili Muslims – Bohras, Ithnasheris, Sunnis: "He has an Ismaili agenda, join me."

At the climax Our Hero marches into the greens of the Speke Resort at Munyonyo by Lake Victoria. The Claque have deserted him from every Asian community. He utters a blood-curdling cry: "I am Anonymous, the Master of your own Blog. Confess to all you have no Book written and your Degrees are fake. (on the megaphone into the mass-packed marquee) My Asian brothers and sisters, he's a fake, his degrees are bogus, he never wrote a book. Most of all he's a Bakuli Boy, how can you listen to him?" The security staff at Speke Resort do the necessary. The author in the marquee raises one satisfied eye towards the green and continues with the proceedings. He's holding up an enormous book. His wrists give way.
(Music) Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stones

Shahkaram big-game hunter, c. 1950.

2011-10-29T00:41:00.000+03:00

Top story

Kampala Area

Vali Jamal
This is the famous big-game hunter Shahkaram, a Baluch. The picture was sent to me by Mohamed Ismail, Baluch, Mombasa. I hope to get a short write-up about him to go with the picture that goes in the Baluch section in my book.

Wall Photos

Hey weight-challenged Facebook frends...

2011-10-28T23:47:00.001+03:00

RECENT STORIES

Kampala Area

Vali Jamal
What's on my mind? Stats about obesity in USA. %age overweight: 1961 43%; 1991 54%; 2007 74%, of whom 1/3 obese. Obese (BMI >30); 1975 14%; 2000 29%; 2008 40%.
It's the people - habits, genes and all - right? No, it's the obesity-industrial complex where they keep addicting you to fat foods.
Hey, pass the Dorritos, will ya? Wot, you finish 'em - like in ate 'em all? You, you, fat slob. OK, pop me an enchillada in the micro while I go and pee.

Suppose we did stats of overweight (weight:height) of our women over the generations:

1G: 0% - too poor still

2G: 33% - servants and slow-food
3G (that's us): 20% - fashion-able and all that
3G in the diaspora: 25% - too many samosas and other fast-foods. Goes to gym regularly, but kooro kara, gatnoj nai.

4G: 10% - we like slim. 2% are even anorexic.

Population clock, courtesy UNFPA. 7 billion coming up soooon

2011-10-27T21:50:00.002+03:00

2,772,772,874
7,040,319,996
2,813,850,749
people were alive when you were born
people were born since you
people have died since you were born

As a result, the population today is 6,999,242,120

2011-10-26T22:59:00.000+03:00

Seeing the Diwali message from Vipul Thakrar and family reminded me that all of the last two days housewives in the diaspora countries have been rushing to the supermarket to replenish their stock of rice for the Diwali/New Year rituals and the rice of choice is Tilda, not because it's marketed by an Asian company, but because it's simply the #1 rice across the whole world. Popat Bros were the largest importers of rice (and salt and sugar) to Uganda *then*. On coming to London, the founder Narshidas R Thakrar realized that what the Uganda Asians really wanted was basmati rice free of kankri (stonelets) because who had the time to nit-pick them? I mean our ladies had entered the job market. So Narshidas guaranteed them particles- and brokens-free rice - and the rest was history. They collect their rice in India from 10,000 farmers all of whom they know by name. In 1997 they bought up a 10,000 acre moribund state rice farm near Tororo established with the help of the Chinese government by Idi Amin in that fateful year, 1972. Today Tilda rice in its iconic blue bag is there on all supermarket shelves in Uganda and Uganda is self-sufficient in rice.

How do I know all this? They are in my book, along with >300 similar success stories. The excitement is mounting to see the book see the light of day, by Oct 2012 when the Asian communities are holding a big jamboree-reunion at Dr Sudhir Ruparelia’s 5-star Speke Resort by Lake Victoria to celebrate Uganda’s 50^th year of independence and 40^th year of their (our) expulsion. Be there. My book’ll be there one way or the other.

*****

Wishing you and your Family a Very Happy Diwali and May the New Year bring you Success, Prosperity, Peace & Joy.

Kashmira,Vipul,Kavi,Maria,Nahla,Kush,Keshvi,Thakrar family & all at Tilda**********************************************************************

Jagjit Singh personal tribute by Sarv Daman Gautama from Nairobi

2011-10-22T14:49:00.002+03:00

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: vali jamal
To: sarv g
Cc:
Sent: Friday, 21 October 2011, 20:53
Subject: Re: KING OF GHAZAL JAGJIT SINGH DIES

What a lovely personal tribute Sarav Daman Gautama pays to the Ghazal King. I met Sarav for the first time at a concert by Dr Radhika Chopra organized by Rani Productions, at Nairobi in November 2009. He is from the illustrious Gautama family. For reasons that are made in the 4^th dimension he became a huge supporter of my book which existed as just a dummy of 333 pages then. During my prolonged stay in Nairobi with family, Sarav introduced me to all high-ups in Nairobi in connection with my book, including at the Asia-Africa Heritage Society Phiroze Nowrojee, Sudhir Vidhyarthi, Prof Yash Ghai, and Manu Chandaria. He also introduced me to Capt Channi mentioned below and Allaudin Qureshi. He told me all the stories below in the same detail, showing his prodigious memory. A truly remarkable person.

Isn't it amazing to learn that Jagjit Singh was practically discovered in Kenya! We were an important diaspora community then, something I was reminded of in writing to the High Commissioner of India in Uganda today in conjunction with my book below. Of the three East African countries Uganda remitted the most money to India and before the Gulf boom our remittances counted for a lot in India.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,001 pp; $49.99), forthcoming Oct 2012 at the 40th Expulsion Anniversary Reunion, Munyonyo-by-Lake-Victoria. Sure the book took long - because it's long and it's long because it'd to be all-inclusive. For people with SAS, you just leave it on the coffee table and look at it now again. visit www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

From: sarv g
To: vali.jamal@yahoo.com
Cc:
Sent: Friday, 21 October 2011, 17:41
Subject: KING OF GHAZAL JAGJIT SINGH DIES

Jagjit Singh was the first Indian composer and together with his wife Chitra, the first recording artist in the history of Indian music to use digital multi-track recording for the album "Beyond Time" (1987). He was the man behind making the ghazal genre available and understandable to all. Prior to Singh, ghazal singing was considered as an elite art, which was difficult for the common mass to understand due to high class Urdu and Persian. Jagjit broke this myth by coming up with songs such as 'Kaagaz Ki Kashkati','Chaak Jigar Ke','Kal Chandhanvi Ki Raat Thi', and 'Shaam Se Aankh Ne Name Si Hai'. He mixed the words of legends like Ghalib, Qateel Shifai, Firaq Gorakhpuri,nida Fazli and Sudarshan Faakir with melodious indigenous tunes and achieved a state where nothing came in between him and his listeners. Later when television started showcasing music videos, he was among one of the prominent members of the music fraternity to avail the facility. He again came up with brilliant albums such as 'Face to Face','Dil Kahin Hosh Kahin'. Jagjit Singh had also given his voice for ex Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Bajpayee poems in the albums 'Nayi Disha'and 'Samvedna'.

Back in 1969,a group of stage musicians and singers called "Rainbow" performed in Kenyan towns.Jagjit Singh, a young earnest singer impressed another budding tabla enthusiast Gurcharan Singh Channa (Channi). Channi fondly remembers the first time he met with the ghazal maestro."I was moved to tears and I asked him why aren't you performing alone? He came to Nairobi six months later and he asked me to accompany him with the tabla.We performed 21 shows together". Channi who is an ex Kenya Air Force pilot considers the late singer a brother."He was like a brother to me. We were constantly in touch. Together we produced an album of Shabads in 1975.I have performed with various artists. I don't think anyone can sing like him. His death is a huge loss to music".

I came to know about Jagjit Singh in 1971. I heard his cassette in A.B.Sharma and Bella Sharma's house and met him for the first time at the Ottoman Bank (now KCB Bank) where he came to exchange his money into Kenya Shillings. I asked him a question, "Jagjit, you have such a wonderful voice why don't you go to the Indian Film line?"And his reply was, "People like Pirithviraj Kapoor and his son Raj Kapoor the film star make me sing in their party the whole night on Sundays. On Monday I would go and see Raj Kapoor and his reply was that, ‘Your voice does not resemble that of Mukesh’.Then I decided to do Riaz everyday for eight hours after listening to Mehdi Hassan's ghazals, but my voice will never resemble that of Mukesh.’”

I remember the Mehfil which took place in my brother- in-law Sat Punja's house in Thika in 1971.I also remember coming to the Mehfil a bit late and Akhram Khan the mighty listener when having his drinks passed a comment, "Daman is this the right time to come to the Mehfil?"

Jagjit changed his tune abruptly and commented, "Gautam Sahib Suneya and sung the song,"Tum Na Aye Tu Kya Sehar Na Hoie". Jagjit also accompanied my wife Desha in a ghazal. They sang of Begum Akhter and corrected her on the wording of the ghazal. Sonu was accompanying them on tabla. Desha and I have a photograph with him when he sang in Grand Regency Hotel, Nairobi, now Laico Regency Hotel.

Jagjit Singh is survived by his wife Chitra, with whom he had produced several record breaking albums. Their only son died in a road accident in 1990. May God rest his soul in eternal peace.

Sarav Daman Gautama

Nairobi, Kenya

Oil thirst: Consumption per day, 2009, barrels

2011-10-20T20:11:00.001+03:00

	Total:	82,769,370.4 bbl/day
	Weighted average:	388,588.6 bbl/day
Countries	Amount	Date
# 1	United States:	18,690,000 bbl/day	2009
Energy in United States Top of Form Bottom of Form
# 2	China:	8,200,000 bbl/day	2009
Energy in China Top of Form Bottom of Form
= 142	Uganda:	13,000 bbl/day	2009

Uganda expects to produce 200,000 bbl/day.

Cricket Uganda - Salaudin Khan and Nazir Awan for Uganda XI

2011-10-20T17:57:00.000+03:00

Salaam Vali

Here is a unique photo of Salau Din Khan and myself holding the Sir Robert Menzies Cricket Trophy which we (Uganda) won in 1967/68 and thus became East African Champions for the first time under the leadership of Kampala Muslim Sports Club's captain Maqsood Malik.

The picture was taken at Wanderer's ground, Dar es Salaam, I believe, who hosted the tournament.

Best regards.

Nazir

Rotary, Round Tablers, Lions, et al, Uganda <1972

2011-10-19T20:11:00.001+03:00

Ameer Janmohamed sent me pictures of him handing over the Rotary District Governorship to Vanoo Radia. I circulated them amongst my FF&Fs. Atul Radia picked up on it for his family relationship and suggested new directions for my book. I replied as below.

LSS (long story short): There's lots going on out there in my life. But gosh it takes up time!

BTW: Ameer Janmohamed wrote a book – Regal Romance - the Regal coming from the cinema the family owned in Mombasa. How I remember!

From: atul radiaTo: vali jamal
Cc: Mohanlal Radia
Sent: Wednesday, 19 October 2011, 12:15
Subject:

Hello Vali

It was great to see the photos sent of the Rotary installations/meeting with Idi of my uncle late Vanoobhai Radia who was the district governor Rotary in those years you may also be not aware, but LIONS CLUB was very active known as District 411 including Uganda that time-my dad was former President and included founder members in those years were amongst others..Sat Khosla,Sultan Jaffer Haider Visram,and many enterpruners of the day-the Asian contribution through not only thier own community instititutions but by club activities which raised tremandous fundings for local required facilities-maybe you shud gather history of all three LIONS,ROTARY,ROUNDTABLE in those

years-they by the way,were not only in Kampala but in other towns of Uganda as well

best

atul

From: vali jamal

To: atul radia

Thanks, Atul. Waheed could expound on the Round Tablers. I shall include your comment with Ameer Janmohamed's picture story. He published an influential book Regal Romance where he gets deep into the Rotary story - but mostly Kenya.

How about the Brotherhood?!

Thank you for caring: This is our only chance for a book like that; after that we are all gone, so, yes, let's make it the best book possible. Mr Manzoor Moghal, MBE, Deputy Mayor, Masaka, played important roles in Lions. In 1972 he was the District Governor for U, K, T and Ethiopia. I have his book, Idi Amin - The Lion of Africa - from which I have extracted a number of paragraphs. He sent me some amazing pictures with Amin. He was in the Dec 1971 conference where Amin blasted the Asian community for the usual things. In 1984 Manzoor met Dada in Jeddah late in the evening. It's a most evocative meeting. Amin says to him "repeatedly to advise former Ugandan Asians to return to Uganda and restart their businesses." Adds Moghal: "This was his way of acknowledging the grave economic blow he had dealt the country in expelling the Asian community, the backbone of the country's prosperity, so hastily and unceremoniously." Manzoor takes his leave after midnight.

That's my book: World-class researched, yet reader-friendly (taken in bits). Seriously seeking sponsors.

Keeping up on Facebook

2011-10-19T19:57:00.000+03:00

Kampala Area

Vali Jamal
Writing to Nilesh Nathwani in the Classic Email route. He sent me greetings - 50 words - I wrote 500, but of course I cc'd E&TM (everybody and their...).

Thank you to Nilesh. He is/was from Jinja. At the expulsion he first ended up in Geneva. He went and saw Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan at the UNHCR and with an assist from our own Perviz Mitha (Mbale) ended up at the famous (for the 1956 Hungarian ...refugee intake and before that for being built by the Nazis; it still exists and houses Afghan refugees, among others) Traiskerchen camp in Austria. It was L@1stSight (you know about instant love?!) for him with Austria. Austria had offered to take in >100 of our people. Some 70 or so availed of the offer. He's proudly Austrian now and has contributed a lovely piece for the book below, being a writer. I have another story of the Traiskerchen camp from Vinod Kataria who went to Sweden. Another camp was at Naples. I have stories there from Razia Ratansi (Canada), Janak Thanki (Norway)- and indirectly of the African Ismaili Pyaralli Mumin (Canada). Prince: What are you doing here? Pyaralli: I am Ismaili. Four months later Prince came to Vancouver and Pyaralli was one of the people who came forward to greet him. I have a picture collected by Sultan Baloo from relatives. Full page. At this time (1972) the HCR was co-ordinating the UN's humanitarian effort for 10 (ten) million East Pakistan refugees, 0.5 million South Suan displaced people and suddenly 48,000 Rwanda displaced - and yet how much attention the HCR gave to the remaining 4000 Uganda Asians of "undetermined nationality"! All this is in the book I have been writing 12/7/3.11 years now. Luckily for all the "delay" (but see below in my signature) the book will be available by the time the 50th (independence)/40th (expulsion) anniversary reunion happens, in October 2012. Dat's a promise, God willing. The reunion will of course be an occasion to give thanks to Trudeau, HH Aga Khan, Edward Heath, UNHCR, India/Pakistan and 22 other countries that accepted us. And HE Museveni and Uganda for having us back. My book records all that. I enclose the contents at end Sep.

Am I pushing my book too much? It's my solo effort and having writtten 0.60 million words, of course I owe it to the >400 people who entrusted me their stories that the book be noticed. I owe it to our brave and noble ancestors who sailed off on wind-swept dhows from Porbander. I owe it personally to my son and daughter for having been away sooo looong.

Goose-bumps are guaranteed for all. ALL the ones in the TO are in it. Thank you.

0.6 million words, eh? 1000 pp x 600 per page, including 2.5 photos per page. This message here (tooo looong) contains (so far!) 452 words. To DEL it word-by-word would take 452 seconds. To DEL 600k words would take....xxx days, check it out. To give away one billion (whatever) at one per second would take 31.7 years. That kind of thing is in the book when I discuss GDPs - and of course I do, am I not an economist!

Stay by me - that's the only reward I ask for.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,001 pp; $49.99), forthcoming Oct 2012 at the 40th Expulsion Anniversary Reunion, Munyonyo-by-Lake-Victoria. Sure the book took long - because it's long and it's long because it'd to be all-inclusive. For people with SAS, you just leave it on the coffee table and look at it now again.
visit www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

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viva! east africa

vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com

I attended for the first time. It was at the house of Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, Governor of the Bank of Uganda, on Summit View. I was invited by William Kalema, president of the Oxbridge Club on the introduction of Vipul Thakar, Tilda Rice, Uganda. Two officials from Tullow Oil – both Cantab, Lau...

Mark as Top Story

Life in the fast lane - Facebook. A test of math(s), a taste of bile in nonymitty

2011-10-19T19:44:00.000+03:00

Kampala Area

Vali Jamal
How long'd it take to DEL my book. A: Instantly. But suppose you put your finger on the DEL button and kept it there - how long would it take? Oh sure, here are the stats: I hit 1000 pages today, each page is about 600 words. How long would it take (you) to DEL 0.6 million words? Prize for the best correct answer (with assumption stated) a signed copy of my book and a mention therein.

Oxford-Cambridge Club, Uganda, Oct 16, 2011

2011-10-17T00:23:00.001+03:00

Facts leant:

43/45 wells have sprung oil, from 20 discoveries, all around Lake Albert

1 billion barrels are proven and an additional 1.5 billion barrels are projected

Production will be at 200,000 barrels per day

Investment so far US$ 1 billion, projected to grow to US$ 10 billion during 10 years.

In my intervention I first introduced myself as this was the first Oxbridge Club meeting I was attending: 1961-64 Trinity College (no need to say which of the two universities, as the other place doesn't have one - laughter), 1964-67 Uganda Government, Min of C&I, with WW Kalema, father of president of the Club as minister, 1976-2001 Senior Economist with the ILO, now writing a major book on Uganda Asians, currently at 966 pages and set to put to stop at 1,001. No-one guffawed.

I said at last we had some figures to enlighten us. At 200,000 barrels per day, the revenue per year (at US$ 100 per bbl) would be US$ 7.5 billion, when Uganda's GDP (per capita $500 x 30 m population) was US$ 15 billion. So there was a major income-effect here, except no-one knew the PSA (product-sharing agreement). The Governor would have to sanitize the revenue to avoid the Dutch Disease whereby an appreciating Uganda Shilling wipes out agriculture, as happened in Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea (highest p.c,. consumption of champagne in the world). The linkages of oil were limited. Uganda had to avoid the oil-curse where incomes accrue to a minority.

The context was a major debate in Parliament earlier in the week, where questions have been raised about corruption in the oil sector. I said that was a very positive occurrence in that for the first time the exploration, exploitation and exportation of oil was going to take place from a democratic country. Perhaps we may be able to avoid the oil-curse.

One further comment I could have made was on the PSA. Revenue from oil = US$ 7.5 billion; investment say US$ 5 billion. Investors expect 30% return on their capital = US$ 1.5 b. The PSA should be 1:5, Tullow:Uganda. What is it?

I was complimented by several people for my comments at the dinner: Governor Tumusiime, William Kalema, Richard Kaijuka (several ministerial portfolios in the past), Olaraa Otuun (UPC head). All of them agreed to come into my book in the Africans PoIs (persons of influence) section. Tumusiime who's a personal friend said do you want to meet the President? I slid down the hill almost. Other people met: Mr and Mrs Nitin Madhvani (come back to Kakira to finish our story), Princess Elizabeth Bagaya of Toro – one time fashion icon. I told her about my book and her photo in it with Sulti Karim. She said sure we could meet. High Commissioner of UK, Patrick Shearman: Sure we could meet and organize some endorsement messages from UK government. I told him my book was going to be launched big-time at the 40^th anniversary union by HE himself in the presence of the Aga Khan to receive accolades from the participants for the role he and Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan played in our resettlement.

We bantered on my table – the Madhvanis, Kaijuka, Otuun – about how do we know someone was really Oxbridge. I told them about the toff who doesn't believe I am. They said is he? I said Lincoln's Inn. They rolled their eyes.

The Governor's house was something else: On three floors. The upper floor is flush with the road. The meeting was on a verandah there, with tables neatly arranged. The lower floor is the garden where the dinner was served. Catering was by Serena (owner the Aga Khan), I mean it was sumptuous. Even with three floors, the house didn't obstruct the view of houses on the other side of the road.

Win-win: I made a mark, I met potential PoIs for my book, I even spoke of the possibility of having the book adopted by UIA and Uganda government. Tumusiime said that should be possible.

Over to the anonymous toff. Was there really a Queen's Terrace in Kololo. Oh, eff (forget) it.

Meantime life outside goes on all around you - Facebook

2011-10-13T23:56:00.001+03:00

Rasool Verjee s/o Jimmy Verjee, Aga Khan education administrator, Uganda, 1950s, has launched the Pakra Pakri site. Already he has >1600 frends (sic). Go visit! My message:

Rasool, amazing mission (impossible) statement. In Pakda Pakdi (I'd've favoured the D for that funny Nd sound in Gujarati that 4Gs can't get their tongue(s) - bifurcated? - around!) people do get caught and have to sit apar...t for the duration. They're also not anonymous(e) - or mice. Hope your plot thickens and unravles by the end. I have a screenplay to sell you of how I hoodwinked a book on Uganda Asians that bombed. Well, it'll bomb at the 40th expulsion anniversary reunion at Munyonyo in Oc 2012. Big Names who played roles in settling us in Canada and taking us to UNHCR camps all over and settling us in 22 countries coming. Hint! Hey, Pakda Pakdi was Uganda-Asian first! We are even going to organize a tournament at the ReU. BTW: Your dad's in my book in the schools section, also great-uncle BKS. Pakrai gaya!See more

Tahir Ahmad and Amin Janjua like this.
- Tahir Ahmad
  Rasool - Your Dad Was a Great Gentleman a Great Administrator and when I joined AgaKhan School, we were only 3 Punjabi boys there and he would personally take interest in our studies and was a real humble gentleman I Always had the greatest... respect for him, The BKS Verjee family including Mithu Kaka. Your cousins both Amin and Farouk(My Sisters used to call him King Farouk) used to live near our house in Shimoni and we would be playing hockey or cricket on the tennis court at my parent's place or make a race track and ride bicycles on the tennis court. Amin I believe lives on the South Coast in Mombasa. Another relative of yours Mohamed Verjee who lives in Nairobi is my very dearest friend and we were into Rallying TogetherSee more
  2 hours ago ·

Sand&stone, forgetting&remembering – beautiful

2011-10-13T20:01:00.001+03:00

Two friends were walking
through the desert.
During an
argument one friend
slapped the other. Hurt, the slapped
one wrote in the sand
'today my best friend
slapped me.'
They came to an oasis and decided
to bathe.
The slapped one got stuck in the
mire and started drowning,
but the friend saved him.
He wrote
on a stone:
'today my best friend
saved my life.'
The friend asked him, 'after I hurt you,
you wrote in the sand and now,
you write on a stone, why?'
The friend replied
'when someone hurts us
we should write it down
in sand, where winds of
forgiveness can erase it away.
But, when someone does us good,
we must engrave it in stone
where no wind
can ever erase it.'
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Power, powerless/clued in, clueless. Hint to haters, there's an agenda there

2011-10-13T19:26:00.000+03:00

Kampala Area

Vali Jamal
Happiness is...You at last brace yourself under the shower. When you open the tap, the H2O comes out hot. You thank the Gods of Bujjagali.
Lemme explain: I live in Uganda. I have one those marvellous shower gizmos where the water passes through a heater and comes out nice hot. The Owen Falls dam can only generate 180 MW for being worn out and for lack of water in the lake to discharge. We have fr...equent power outs. Nitin Madhvani, son of the illustrious Giant had proposed to build another dam 5 km downstream from Owen, 2 km down from Bujjagali where the Nile breaks up into 7 falls. The Wold Bank obstructed on environmental grounds - and the Spirti of Bujjagalii said he'd divert the river elseplace. The scheme died. Our demand crept up to 300 MW. Museveni ordered in generators, but still we were short.
Fast forward, or rather rewind to 3 years ago: The Aga Khan stepped in and said he'd build the dam. M7 said to the World Bank stay at home more often. The Bujjagali God said give me US$ 50k and I'll find another wet place. Done. In November the first turbine will open up generating 50 MW and then every couple of months till we get 250 MW. Sure the 7-falls will be history. I made a detour there last month on my way to Kakira to meet with Nitin. He told me his side of the story.
Thank you Bujjagali God; thank you HH the Aga Khan.
Picture is of the cassurina flower - 5 petals, one of which is white speckled with red - pictured near Bujjagali. Sure, if you want to believe that!See more

Wall Photos

Cricketeers (sic) Uganda – Howzat! From my book, of course

2011-10-13T02:13:00.001+03:00

Timeline of Uganda Cricket

1900	Cricket is first played in Uganda.
1914	British residents of Uganda beat the British Residents of Nairobi by 5 wickets.
1920	Return match against British Residents of Nairobi is played in Nairobi, the Ugandans losing by 48 runs.
1936	Triangular tournament between the European, Indian and Goan communities is established.
1949	A team representing the African community joins the Triangular tournament, making it a Quadrangular. The tournament lasts into the 1960s.
1952	The Ugandan Cricket Association is formed. First fully representative Uganda side plays its first international in a new annual triangular tournament also involving Tanganyika against Kenya, losing by 254 runs.
1953	Uganda gains its first win, beating Tanganyika by 5 wickets.
1958	Combined East Africa team featuring one Ugandan plays a 3-day match against a South African Non-European team, losing by seven wickets.
1963	East Africa Invitation XI featuring five Ugandans plays a first-class match against the MCC in Kampala, losing by an innings.
1966	Zambia join the annual triangular tournament, Uganda playing them for the first time this year. East Africa becomes an associate member of the ICC.
1967	India tour East Africa. They beat Uganda by six wickets, and beat an East Africa team featuring six Ugandans by 8 wickets.
1968	Warwickshire visit Uganda, drawing against the national side. Uganda make their highest ever team total of 436 against Kenya in Nairobi.
1970	V Noordin scores 201 against Zambia in Kampala, the highest individual score for Uganda.
1974	East Africa team featuring one Ugandan loses to the MCC in a first-class match in Nairobi.
1975	East Africa tour England with one Ugandan in their squad. They lose all their matches except one (against Berkshire), including all three ODIs in the World Cup and a first-class match against Sri Lanka.
1989	East Africa is replaced in the ICC by East and Central Africa.
1998	Uganda becomes an associate member of the ICC in their own right.
2001	Uganda finish 10th in the ICC Trophy after losing a play-off to the UAE.
2002	Uganda finish third in their first round group in the Africa Cup.
2004	Uganda's first first-class match finishes with a surprise defeat of Namibia in the Intercontinental Cup. They lose to Kenya by an innings in their second match of the tournament. Uganda finish as runners-up to Namibia in the African Associates Championship.
2005	Uganda finish twelfth and last in the ICC Trophy.
2007	Uganda win Division 3 of the World Cricket League and are promoted to Division 2 after beating Argentina in the final. They finish fifth in Division 2. In a quadrangular Twenty20 tournament in Nairobi, Uganda beat Kenya. Uganda draw a two match series against Bermuda in Nairobi.
2008	The MCC tour Uganda. They beat Uganda A in a one-day match and Uganda Under-19s in a two-day match. The full national side beats the MCC in a one-day match and draws the three-day match. Uganda win the East African Women's Championship, beating Kenya in the final.
2009	Uganda finish second in Division 3 of the World Cricket League, qualifying for the World Cup Qualifier.

Mike Molloy – Uganda Asian Expulsion Hero with lots of other credentials – he contacted me for his paper

2011-10-09T15:00:00.001+03:00

Public Lecture in French and in English

Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

presents

Senior Fellows' Day 2011 (Activity reserved for GSPIA students)

Michael Molloy

GSPIA

Barry Stemshorn

GSPIA

Huguette Labelle

University of Ottawa

Robin Higham

GSPIA

Robert Fowler

GSPIA

Gaëtan Lavertu

GSPIA

Patrick Fafard

GSPIA

Jeffrey Simpson

GSPIA

Senior Fellows' Day 2011
Friday, 16 September
10:00 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.
Desmarais Building, room 12102

Campus maps

10:00-11:15 Michael Molloy, "Idi Amin's Big Favour to Canada: The Ugandan Asians Forty Years Later"
11:15-12:30 Barry Stemshorn, "Animal Health for Human Development in the World's Poorest Countries"
12:30- 1:30 Lunch
1:30-2:45 Huguette Labelle, "Corruption: Where is Canada in the World Standings ?"
3 :00 -4 :00 Panel : Robin Higham, Bob Fowler, Gaetan Lavertu, "My Best and Worst Moments as a Canadian Diplomat"
4:00- 5:15 Panel: Patrick Fafard and Jeff Simpson, "Canada's Health Care System: Is There a Cow More Sacred?"

Mike Molloy served as Coordinator of the Middle East Peace Process at the Department of Foreign Affairs from 2000 to 2003 and was Ambassador of Canada to Jordan from 1996 to 2000. A founding member of the Multilateral Refugee Working Group (Middle East Peace Process) he has worked on the Palestinian refugee issue since the early 1990s and from 2003 to the present has been Co-Director of the Jerusalem Old City Initiative at the University of Windsor. He was involved first hand in the Czech and Ugandan refugee movements, oversaw the implementation of the refugee provisions of the 1976 Immigration Act, and coordinated the resettlement of 60,000 Indochinese refugees in Canada in 1979-80. He served in Japan, Lebanon, Minneapolis, Geneva, Jordan (twice), Syria and Kenya and was Director General of Citizenship and Immigration in Ontario.

2011-10-09T12:55:00.000+03:00

The above picture was posted by Kersi Rustomji on the Africana-Orientalia Facebook page where I participate 5% of my time; 5% each more on 2 Uganda Asian Facebook sites. Yaar, have to keep my profile uptodate/tight-might. Kersi is one of the custodians of our East African Asian history - games, names, faces, places, food, dresses. You don't get many like that anymore. A Parsi, all over East Africa. Father started at National Bank of India at Kampala and "is in my book." So are the names of 222 Parsis that ever lived in Uganda, with thumb sketches, confided to me by Piroja Amrolia (born Dastur) from her father Jal F Dastur's files. Why would I want to do that, when the names of other communties aren't there? To show someone's care over his community.

Kersi reminds us the kehwat (Gujarati proverb): Sudi [the sopari slicer] wache sopari - between the devil and the deep blue sea - where both are vying to gobble you up; "Rock and a Hard Place" doesn't come anywhere near it. It's like mere me writing this monumental story of our expulsion and life in Uganda - DifUDo/DifUDon't: Doomed if you do/doomed if you don't, the latter self-inflicted because WHO told you to write *that* book. I am between the barbed wire and the slings and arrows of outrageous (and outraged) anonymice bloggers. [did spell check: they suggested floggers for bolggers!]

jamalvSun Oct 09 09:14:51 UTC 2011

Kersi, the best paans in Nairobi are made by Africans, right next-door to the Diamond Plaza, where itself 2 paan shops are located. I got a very tiny sliver of sopari wedged in my upper gum and it had to be surgically removed.

2011-10-09T12:04:00.000+03:00

Vali Jamal

It's our 49th anniversary of independence. As I write this, it's pouring down in Kampala. Not many people are at the Kololo airstrip for the ceremonies. Let's pray for Uganda's peace and prosperity - and that next October 9 and dates around it are sunshine-filled for the 50th/40th anniversaries - 40th of our expulsion. It's going to be a week-long bash of partying, with ours (Uganda Asians) from 11-14th October at the 5-star Commonwealth Resort of Sudhir Ruparelia. Acco for one offered at my place! Uganda Asians from the diaspora (and the 1,500 here) will celebrate Uganda's success and take pride in theirs. You just have to wonder how many of *that* fabulous generation will return/be present? I know of 105 who are in Uganda itself. I know of 200 others who are in the diaspora. They are "all in my book" and who are just dying (sic!) for the reunion to happen. Suggest ideas: I am not on the committee but ideas can be expressed by all, no? Quadrangular cricket - British Asians, Goans, Africans, Europeans? Gili-danda tourney - Patidars, Lohanas, Ithnasheris, etc? Academics, politicians, sportspeople, industrialists - and industrious people generally will be acknowledged. On the entertainment side it could be a world-class star-studded programme.

The picture is of a reception given by Dada at the Command Post for some of those who never left. It's from the collection of Mr Azim Somani, Mbarara, author, published here by special permission and included in my book. Mr Nandlal Karia is 4thL. "Uncle Singh from Mbarara" has been IDd. The Kaunda-suited one with the briefcase taught at HHAKSSS. We get there eventually.

My 1111-page book records all that and will be available to view! Y'all come you hear?

1111? Looks like it, yaar! 1001 will be exceeded - I am at 968 today - so I might go for 1111. Remember the mantra: Sure the book took long - 13/7/3.11 years (but deduct 33% for no power) - because it's long, and it's long because it had to be comprehensive of all Asian communities.

Vali Jamal, BA Cambridge, PhD Stanford, ILO economist 1976-2001. Kampala, Uganda. Uganda Asians: Then and Now, Here and There, We Contributed, We Contribute (1,001 pp; $49.99), forthcoming Aug 2012. visit www.vivaeastafrica.blogspot.com. No poverty equals ignorance, no support is greater than advice – Amir al Mu'minin (Commander of the Faithful) Ali ibn Abu Talib, 1st Shia Imam.

viva! east africa

Exult VIVJ/diss Nony

when I went to Kakira to interview Nitin Madhvani - and met interesting people!

Manubhai Madhvani 2/5 pp in the book

Mahendra Mehta 1/5 pages "in the book"

NK Mehta in the book - 2/4 pages

Mehta family in the book

"The State of the Union is good" - and bound to improve!

Jinja cricket and nonymoose

PFbTD - post-Facebook Trauma Disorder.

Who the best cricket team, where?

Railway lunacy

Lowis Cup winners - IRC; is that style or what?

Tahir Ahmad pages in the book

Mr Gomes and his gomesi

Almighty ferrous headache

Entebbe Indian School, 1920s, now a government primary school

Entebbe Botanical Gardens, c Aug 2010 by VIVJ

Conversations on the email

Thinking up the numbers: How many left to buy a book

When Aga Khan XI won the Lowis/Lewis Cup, 1952

Nazir Awan pays tribute to Salaudin Khan

FB Foolery -

Book blurb and reviews. Just add: The bogus book by the bogus PhD - Anonymous, Nowhere Land, No-time Date

Don't they know it's the end of the world?

Nutrition knows no shape

GISS, Old Kampala Prefects, 1957. Picture Perfect sent by Pradyuman Joshi

Tendulkar 100th 100 not yet

‎2011 - definitely the year of Arab Spring - Satellite picture on the day Mubarak fell, 13/02/2012

GujEnglish -

Premji vs John Nagenda, Kampala, Dec 2011

Certificaterism - sequel and end

@GISS, Dec 2011, 54 yrs later

Tis the season to make resolutions

Vali Jamal

Dilip Kumar - Guinness Book

Dr Yash Tandon "contributes" >10k words on his childhood and life in a book that has as its subtitle, "We Contributed, We Contribute." A paragraph is quoted to Praful Patel, member Uganda Resettlement Board, 1972.

Certificaterism saga, nameless/sameness/add h at discretion - yaar shoo kaoo?

Premji Jai XI Captain visit

Life in the slow lane in the world and Facebook. Read from bottom up - and look at all those public degree claims. Whatever happen (sic) to Winchester lad?! Disteping sleeping dogs.

Vali Jamal

Before that I was @ Nambole, our national football stadium. 40k were there when the capacity is 30k. I almost got trampled over lining up to get to the turnstile, till an angel bulldozed a way for me. June 2011. Picture of motorbikes, or how to get from A2B in Kam-para.

Vali Jamal

I had gone there - Bombo - to take pictures of some dukas, as they were, for my book on Uganda Asians: Then and Now. I found lots, some operational, some derelict, waiting for their owners to come and claim them.

Inside road Kampala-Bombo, June 2011, photo by self.

Everything but the text - the Uganda Resettlement Board, 1972

Water and Coke

Vali Jamal

Titanic true or false

Vali Jamal

Titanic at the bottom of the sea. Even the ice-berg is there, all shattered. Haha, but all the shame how we cried reading that book!

Everything but the photo - mail to Mr Praful Patel re Uganda Resettlement Board of 1972 of which he was a member

President Page in book

Duka page from book

Allidina Visram. What you sow what you reap. I wrote I reap. The nony froths and rips 'bout the "Aga Khani agenda" of the so-called book.

Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, RIP, Kampala, 11.11.11

More 11:11:11 on 11.11.11.

1111111

Minding my other posts - +++culturism in Canada

Hey you – why me?

everywhere you go you take the weather with you

Kampala, local, Uganda weather and forecast

Award to the Aga Khan - watch out the news from Norway anytime now. Imagine him coming to the reunion! ElectriKcity!

Vali JamalOn the award bestowed upon the Aga Khan. I posted a comment.

Tourismo Uganda

Vali JamalAnd 19 people say it ain't! Gorillas, Nile source, Lake Vic, Murchison don't a country make.

India suffurias

Anonymous exposed as a Fraud in a new Filum

Shahkaram big-game hunter, c. 1950.

Vali JamalThis is the famous big-game hunter Shahkaram, a Baluch. The picture was sent to me by Mohamed Ismail, Baluch, Mombasa. I hope to get a short write-up about him to go with the picture that goes in the Baluch section in my book.

Hey weight-challenged Facebook frends...

Population clock, courtesy UNFPA. 7 billion coming up soooon

Jagjit Singh personal tribute by Sarv Daman Gautama from Nairobi

Oil thirst: Consumption per day, 2009, barrels

Cricket Uganda - Salaudin Khan and Nazir Awan for Uganda XI

Rotary, Round Tablers, Lions, et al, Uganda <1972

Keeping up on Facebook

Life in the fast lane - Facebook. A test of math(s), a taste of bile in nonymitty

Oxford-Cambridge Club, Uganda, Oct 16, 2011

Meantime life outside goes on all around you - Facebook

Vali Jamal
On the award bestowed upon the Aga Khan. I posted a comment.

Vali Jamal
And 19 people say it ain't! Gorillas, Nile source, Lake Vic, Murchison don't a country make.

Vali Jamal
This is the famous big-game hunter Shahkaram, a Baluch. The picture was sent to me by Mohamed Ismail, Baluch, Mombasa. I hope to get a short write-up about him to go with the picture that goes in the Baluch section in my book.