Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Preparations underway for GJ Games....

In just about every city where Ismailis live there is great excitement about the GJ games. Whether it's Vancouver, Toronto, Houston, Atlanta, London, Karachi, Mumbai, Dar-es-Salaam etc individuals and teams are making preparations for a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete in various sports - not only will there be rivalries created but moreso lifetime friendships will be cemented.

In March 1989 the first ever World Ismaili Cricket Festival was organized in Pakistan. Teams from Canada, England, India, Pakistan, the UK, Tanzania and Kenya played in various venues throughout Karachi - this event coincided with the first graduation of the AKU nursing school - and yes Hazar Imam was there for many days including a darbar held at the Aga Khan cricket ground in the Garden area of Karachi. Twenty years later the memories and events are so vividly etched in my mind - walking in the largely Ismaili Garden enclave and immediately the memories of Africa flooding through - kids playing cricket in the gulleys, understanding the language while walking down the streets, music from the latest movies blaring from the apartments, street vendors (photos of HI visible in their booths) outside the Jamatkhana serving blazing hot servings of bhel and sugar cane juice and off course pan....for you youngsters reading this you'll never be able to truly understand the emotions of this picture.

So if are lucky enough to be part of this event in June - make the most of it as it will be a life altering experience in many ways - whether you play or just be there to watch...

Kenya - a nation burns...

I'm following the events unfold in Kenya with much interest. Back in the early 70's I lived in the beautiful city of Nairobi and some of my most memorable moments, as a teenager, were spent wandering around the Parklands neighborhood. Our family lived in the Hirani Estates complex and I attended Aga Khan Academy. So yes, I ache when I hear of the trouble in a nation that has been called the most stable in Africa politically over the past 40 years. Hopefully the efforts of the worldwide leadership to calm the waters succeed. I am surely looking forward to the GJ games to be on as planned at the end of this June - this will be the first time back for me after leaving in 1972.

Kenya talks suspended...

More Stories on what lies ahead for Kenya...