VIP visit at AES - Mr John Kerry

Today, August 31, 2016, the American Embassy School in Delhi was honoured with a visit by a Very Important Person - the US Secretary of State Mr John Kerry.
This from NDTV's homepage today:

"Delhi's rain spares nobody, not even VVIPs from the world's biggest super power.
John Kerry today was delayed by an hour to address students at IIT-Delhi. "You guys all deserve an award for getting here today. I don't know if you guys came in boats or amphibious vehicles of some kind but I salute you," he said.

The US Secretary of State also had to cancel his scheduled trip to three religious sites in the capital after it rain rained ferociously this morning.
Mr Kerry, who landed in Delhi on Monday night, spent nearly an hour with his convoy trapped in traffic jams from the airport to his five-star hotel. Reporters travelling with Mr Kerry tweeted their frustration.

Mr Kerry's two-day trip to Delhi includes a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today.

The focus of his visit has been on pushing for better military cooperation and increasing trade between the two countries five-fold to 500 billion dollars.

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India and the US this week sealed a deal to share each other military bases for repair and resupplies.

Yesterday, Mr Kerry met Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and made strong statements about Pakistan and terrorism.
Mr Kerry said that America fully stands behind India in its demand that Pakistan punish the attackers of 26/11 terror strike in Mumbai and January's assault on the Pathankot airforce base in Punjab. "

The rain this morning was indeed of the more persuasive kind - the school offered a wonderful waterslide in the hallway outside the gymnasium.

Anyway, I'm digressing ... back to business!

Because of said weather situation, and hence said delay, we were all waiting and waiting and waiting in this long line, by which time the sun was shining, so we all got wet anyway!

 Can anyone spot Maia in the crowd?

Finally, we were let into the gymnasium - well, after the compulsory security controll of course! - and were seated in a comfortably dry and airconditioned environment.
And suddenly it happened - accompanied by standing ovations Mr Secretary walks in together with the interrim school director Ellen D Stern and the American ambassador to India Richard Verma.

 

Short  and sweet from this master of negotiations, I think and hope his speech was an inspiration to the children.
To finish it all off, one for the papers - a picture among all the children.

Maia - The Karate Kid

Maia and a few of her friends started karate a while ago. The teacher comes to The World Spa every Saturday and Sunday. On April 24, 2016 it was time for their first test for the next belt.

In a hot and humid basement, well hidden somewhere in the city, it is all happening! Ian and I had first row seats - on the floor along the wall together with all the other families. After an hour I wished I were the one up on the floor ...

Maia: "I was very nervous when we arrived but then it got better." It looked like she had a lot of fun, she was so focused and very precise in her movements.

It is not only movements they learn, but also fighting techniques.

 A proud karate kid