When I first got to India, the new High Commission had just been built (but not entirely finished). The Manager from Fletcher Construction, was pulled back to NZ and we were left with an embassy compound 95% finished.
I was given a three month contract by the High Commissioner to coordinate the staff and contractors to try and finish – which we did. Then on the 8 June 1992, we had the official opening the Deputy Prime Minister, Don McKinnon came up with a NZ delegation to officially open the High Commission, and I was given the task to help make this happen.
Unfortunately, the delegation did not heed our advice regarding eating seafood in June (there is an Indian saying that one should never eat fish in a month with an ‘r’ in it), and nearly everyone ate prawns that were served at the official banquet at the President’s reception. About 80% of the delegation suffered food poisoning, making for some long trips in the plane back to NZ.
Attached is an article from a supplement in the Economic Times newspaper that was prepared for the event:
