The Old and the New

Indian Ambassador Navrekha Sharma and Australian Ambassador Ruth Pearce marked their national days on the same date but to avoid conflict, the former set her reception an hour earlier.

Phil-Indian relations began long before the Spaniards’ arrival; our ties with Australia, though strong, are relatively new. To underscore India’s ancient civilization, Mrs. Sharma had instrumentalists and dancers performing. By contrast, Mrs. Pearce had a Sydney jazz band playing.

Guests shuttled from one reception to the other, both embassy residences being only a stone’s throw away. Ambassador Pearce still looked fresh and relaxed after she had dashed to her own celebration to welcome guests. Having just seen her at Mrs. Sharma’s residence, I exclaimed in levity on passing the reception line, "Fancy meeting Your Excellency here!".