After yesterday’s adventures, sitting in a comfortable meeting room made a much welcomed change. The day has been spent first preparing a speech for the pulp and paper company Chief Executive Officer, a man of Sri Lankan origin with whom I have worked for a decade, and then coaching him in advance of his participation in a meeting of a much larger group of NGOs in Pekenbaru tomorrow.
Later in the day we left from the township, which is close to Kerinci, for a 90-minute drive to Pekanbaru where we stayed at the Aryaduta Hotel. We needed to get there for a private meeting with the leadership of one particularly influential NGO called the Forest Peoples Programme.
While I was on the road, you, my darling Yael, were in the air. Your parents were taking you on your first flight, your inaugural overseas journey to London, their birthplace. I can’t wait to hear how you faired on the flight. I will talk to your father tomorrow to find out. I have no doubt that your mother’s parents will appreciate your visit far more than you will. Doubtless you are a tad too young to enjoy the Tower of London.
Grandpa Jonathan
Pekanbaru, Indonesia
