Bangla Rocks!

Cyrus Dadachanji

Tomorrow's the Big Day! Tomorrow, over a hundred very privileged people will step into their gleaming steeds, dressed up in their finest, courtesy a bunch of very colourful sponsor stickers. They will be the focus of attention as they set off to build bridges between seven countries, as an eight joins the fold. But that's tomorrow.

Today, as the people poured in from across the SAARC nations, so did the stories. Some had it rather easy, while others had a longer journey than expected. While many of the group had arrived the previous night, there were quite a few stragglers who arrived this morning. It was the sight of twenty five Tata Safaris being 'stickered' that got everyone's pulse going. Our hotel's parking lot resembled a mixture of a high security zone and an open air assembly line. Reams of stickers of various hues, assorted sprays, squeegees and mops dotted the landscape, while team members crouched, bent over cars, clambered onto roofs and seemed to be all over the cars. While one team worked on the outside, another was busy in the cars, fixing interiors, and dressing the upholstery with soft covers to make the journey more comfortable. And you thought all one had to do was get into a car and drive.

If there is one thing that this day shall be remembered for by the participants, it will be the briefings. In the morning, there was an introduction session and a general team briefing. After a sumptuous lunch, some participants joined up for a short sight seeing trip. The highlight of the hour long excursion was a view of the world's longest natural beach - 122 kilometres of shimmering golden sand. And we happen to be staying opposite it! The sight of the beach from the hilltop was made even more magical by the news that our guide had just become a father, and a round of fresh coconut water seemed to be in order.

Back from the beach, there was another briefing; this time it was for Bangladesh's electronic and print media. Then it was our turn again. This time around, we had a detailed briefing on driving protocol, car care, usage of communication systems, emergency contact people and a round of introductions of all the team members. We've got an interesting bunch of people with quite a few stars ranging from actors to musicians, DJs and singers.

Every single team praised Bangladesh for their hospitality, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. As if to live up to the expectations, we were ushered to a beach side concert in the evening. Only to find that over a thousand people were enjoying a concert in our honour! As a banner saying 'SAARC Rally 2007' fluttered on stage, girls in colourful costumes danced, local stars sang and a good time was had by all. It's quite an experience sitting in the front row of a concert organised for you! If this is a sample of what lies ahead, I can't wait for tomorrow.

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