Saturday, August 20, 2005

Invitations for Speeches on Latin America

Latin America as a topic is moving mainstream in the lecture circuit
no longer ...exotic.. one night-stands
romance is becoming serious

here are the invitations i have received

25 August - at the Foreign Service Training Institute of India for the foreign diplomats.
26 August- launching of my new website www.businesswithlatinamerica.com being organised by Confederation of Indian Industry and Eximbank at F Bar, NewDelhi
15 September- at the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry, New Delhi
17 September - at the Conference of the Translators Association of India. I hv been invited to be the chief guest.
7 October - Seminar at the centre for Latin American studies , Goa
23 November- key note address at the International annual conference on Hispanic Culture at the centre for foreign languages, Hyderabad


date to be fixed - at the Jamia Milia University, delhi
date to be fixed - Indo-Latin American Chamber at Chennai

Sunday, August 07, 2005

More Movies- Midaq Alley and Maria Gracia

I saw these two films yesterday

Midaq Alley ( In Spanish El Callejon de los Milagros )- available in DVD in Delhi
This is a typical Mexican movie with the full range of emotions, colour and excitement.It could be a true life story of many a latino women. Adolescent and idealist love giving way to confusion followed by adventure and ending willingly into the puteria but still guarding the pure love within. Salma Hayek portrays the role of the ever transitioning latino woman who defies labelling and frontiers and chooses what she wants to do ...good or bad.The movie includes a homosexual part of the father who, bored with conventional stuff tries it without caring for the scandal. Then there are the two marriages; of a young man to a old lady and old man to the young girl, which are taken as normal in the latino society.The ending is inevitable tragedy.

Maria full of Grace ( Maria llena de Gracia in Spanish )- available in delhi

This Colombian movie is about drug trafficking to USA, using the mules, who carry the drugs in their stomach in little sachets swallowed. This is the horror story of the real life experience of many victims , who willingly take the job for money.The drug gangs use the victims ruthlessly. The movie gives a glipmse of life in Colombian small towns, where frustrated young people risk their lives and get into drug trafficking. Actress Maria Alvarez has given life to the character of Catalina.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Now the Colombian pilots are coming to India

Air Deccan has contracted the services of 8 Colombian pilots, since there is a shortage of pilots in India.They have also employed a dozen engineers and technicians. The Colombian embassy in NewDelhi expects this number to go up to 70 in a year.
The Colombians would feel at home in Barista which serve Colombian Cafe and in the gurgaon malls where they play Shakira's songs.

I saw the other day almost the entire collection of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novels in English at the Barista Creme in south extension.

Colombia has replaced Argentina as the third largest destination of our exports to latin America in 2004, with 181 million dollars.

The Colombian business in their business summit in August second week has included India as a theme for discussion and has invited speakers. Secretary DIPP Mr Ajai Dua is going.