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THE JOURNEY | 97
the Head of the International Division Mr. Eder - a good friend of Batliboi having retired and a new man had taken over. Unni was appointed their representative in India, he having resigned from the Company.
1996 - We visited Europe and United States just for social visits. In USA we used to stay with Gyanda and Abhay Parekh. While in England, Taraben and Shantibhai invited us to stay with them in their Chateau near Toulouse. It was an enjoyable stay but it was very hot weather, around 44°C.
In 2000 from London I went to San Francisco to attend the Jaina Convention. Dr. and Mrs. Singhvi were on board the plane to San Francisco and he was presiding over the Convention. Mr. C.N. Sanghvi was also at the Convention and there we met old MJV students and they were persuaded to join MJV Alumni Association.
In 2001 while I was in New York staying with Gyanda in Queens, I happened to meet Arvind Vora to talk about the World Jain Confederation and inviting Jaina to join it. He was happy at this since he was actively involved in Multi faith work in Long Island. He made us visit Long Island and arranged a meeting there. I visited Chicago, San Fransisco, Los Angeles to meet Jain friends there who were active in Jaina. Jaina became a member but very few Jains from Jaina became individual members.
I also happened to attend Inter Faith meeting in New Jersey where I heard Shilapiji speaking and she was quite passionate in her speech and very eloquent. I was deeply impressed.
While in Europe at the invitation of Indru we spent a few days at his beautiful Barn converted into house at Lans in France. Both Giselle and Indru were very hospitable and we greatly enjoyed our stay.
In 2002 Bhagwati and I visited England and USA. However, while in New York she became ill and we had to return to Mumbai. She was diagnosed to have diventriculum -proved to be incurable. She bravely suffered this illness for almost a year but she got weaker and weaker and ultimately succumbed to the disease in late September 2003.
Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac - Henry Kissinger
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