When the president of our local industries association suggested a trip to the North Atlantic island of Ganou-Ganou, most of us were very surprised. No one had heard of the place and, in any case, it hardly sounded like one for a business delegation. The chief was however persistent. He told us about their special coconuts and 56 varieties of fruit, their exotic wines and the most beautiful shells in the world. Their imports, we were informed, spanned a wide range of consumer goods and durables, and were bartered with the fruits and shells. We were given lectures on the wisdom of developing a virgin market, of being the first ones there to grab this golden opportunity. We finally relented – after all, you can’t let down your President! Of course it helped that there were a few who had not been abroad, and some whose wives were also waiting for a foreign trip – apart from that rich businessman who makes more profits than he knows what to do with it. So it was, that a seven-member delegation boarded the Air-France flight for Paris, the only place in the world from where you can get a visa − and a flight − for Ganou-Ganou. Two days later, an eight-seater Second World War vintage Piper − sporting the beautiful coconut and mango emblem of the island nation − took off from Paris on it’s three hour flight to the sovereign republic of Ganou-Ganou. The small plane made a bumpy landing on the sandy strip. Besides displaying a big welcome banner, the King, his six wives and all 450 residents, dressed in their Sunday best leaf skirts, had gathered to greet us. We learnt later that 3 pregnant women and one midwife were unable to make it. The King stepped forward and garlanded our leader; the rest of us were garlanded by his wives. The next three days passed like a breeze. We were always surrounded by a crowd of beautiful women resplendent in their leaf skirts (and nothing else) − much to the annoyance of our wives. Every meal was a feast - an unbelievable variety of fruits, the choicest coconuts, exotic seafood and even more exotic wines. There were no meetings, conferences or official visits. During the day we’d be on the beach, at nights we slept on soft leaf beds. At the end of all this wining, dining and ogling, the King, his wives and 450 subjects again got together near our plane. The King made a short speech, again garlanded our President, and handed him a flag and a seal - both bearing the beautiful coconut and mango insignia. The speech was translated by the pilot. Our leader had been appointed the honorary counsel of Ganou-Ganou - only the second one in the world − and given powers to issue visas. Mr. President made a befitting reply, thanking His Majesty profusely and promising to honour the dignity of their flag to the best of his ability. One of the flashiest cars in our small town now flies an exotic flag on the bonnet and carries a blue number plate, with Ganou-Ganou written in golden letters. Our leader has become a diplomat.
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