Letter from India

Dayanand Naidoo, New Delhi

Meintjeskop Courier Vol I/1994

Opening a new mission is no easy task. There never seems to be the right number of hours in the day to finish or start anything!

Experiencing a country like India is a tremendous challenge and test of our inner resources.

Anyhow, in all the rush and excitement, I thought that I would take a few minutes to relate a little incident that occurred a short while ago.

I always hold the motto that one should support one's colleagues, irrespective of the circumstances. However, the story I relate takes a dig at my friend Henk Kruger, who is helping me to open the mission.

About two Sundays ago, the SA contingent decided to brave New Delhi. Off we went on foot deciding to discover the real India, first hand, sight, sound, smell and all!

After walking for almost two hours and running short of things to complain about, excitement in the most unusual form came our way.

My wife Devi, my daughter Serushia, Henk and I were stopped on a very busy traffic circle by a man who looked like a guru. He approached us holding out a basket, and we said no, thinking that he was yet another beggar.

Then he opened his basket, and out popped a very large cobra. I was terrified, the girls screamed (I think) and Henk was gone!

On looking for him, we found that he had gone past two of the busiest traffic  circles in what must be a world record.

When we did reach him, he could not stop shaking from the fear of seeing the cobra. We now not only check application forms for visas, but those persons carrying baskets don't even  get a form.