Mixed
Vegetable Masala
Aloo
Rassa
Dal
Masala
Peas
Pulao
Naan /
paratha
5
assorted salads / Raita
Gulab
Jamun
Rice
Kheer
Fresh
fruit salad
Tea &
Coffee
If you haven’t already done so, please complete and return the Booking
Form, together with your cheque for £25 per person, made out to P.F. Khan-Panni.
The charge includes VAT, Service and a contribution towards admin., but is
less than we charged last year. You may, of course, add an amount for the
school rebuilding fund. Guests are welcome, but please PRINT their full
names on the Booking Form, and the same with your own name.
In order not to be a slave to repetition (and because of some requests
from others) I considered a couple of alternative venues, but still feel
that the Bombay Brasserie offers us the best combination of food,
location, space and service. Do you agree?
At the same time, I recognise that others may have their own ideas on how
these reunions should be run, so I’d be glad to hand over to anyone else
who cares to take it on. Let me know if you are interested.
I
believe that Fr Van
hopes to be with us again this year, and I hope he will bring news of the
latest developments at the School on the Hill. His latest note to me
included this;
The building and renewal of North Point is about half over. The whole town
is very pleased with what has happened so far. Many come over to see the
kitchen and the dining room, the new open parlour (created out of the
space where there were two little rooms just inside the front entrance).
So many things are completed but the classroom space and several
accessory things for the LD especially are still being worked at. When we
built the swimming pool and the gymnasium in 1978-81, it took away the LD
pavilion so now those things are being replaced along the Lebong end of
the field.
You probably already know that Fr Van now keeps the school open during the
winter, offering free lessons and use of facilities to the underprivileged
young of Darjeeling. I’d say he is genuinely doing God’s work, wouldn’t
you? And I think we should support his efforts as much as possible.
Please add something to your cheque for the Reunion meal. If, for example
you add just the cost of another meal (as though you were paying for a
guest) your £25 would be converted into Rs.2,000. And it would buy much
more than £25 in London.
Fr Van says he has always been encouraged by the support of the boys at
North Point and that students make teachers just as much as teachers make
students. Let me tell you about one North Pointer, in particular.
R.I.P.
I
have an Autograph Book (remember those?) from my schooldays in the
‘50s. The cover has disappeared, but of the remaining book, the front
page has this:
“There are two ways of rising in the world:
Either by one’s own industry or profiting
By the foolishness of others.”
It was signed: “I remain your true friend, George.” It was George Hla
Bu, who went to the School in the Sky earlier this year. His
cousin, Mike Jala wrote this:
George Hla Bu passed away on
February 24 at Holy Spirit Hospital in Harrisburg, Pa after a short
illness which was diagnosed as leukemia. It appeared that there was an
overdose of radiation either from his
workplace or during the last week of his treatment, both of which
were highly suspect.
George was a classmate of mine in the ‘50s, and as fine an example of high
principle as you could hope to find. He encouraged everyone he met,
including Fr Van, who often tells the story of how a word of support from
George made all the difference, in his early days as the class teacher of
Sixth Standard, when he (Fr Van) was unsure whether his teaching was
acceptable.
Rest in peace, George. Those who knew you will never forget you.
