Gilbert Lawrence [Goanet] Potholes and BRICS It is very clear that Goan (local) newspapers and Goannetters gave little attention and priority to BRICS meeting occurring in their midst. Even the intelligentsia among the goanetters seem to have gone asleep during this period. There was more chatter on goanet on Donald Trump or the new UN General Secretary and his very distant link to Goa than on the once in a decade (or lifetime) international meeting occurring right in the heart of Goa. Perhaps I am more excited about this meeting because I visited all these countries as as tourist and seen the richness they have to offer. For example these five major players and the minor players of South Asia (invited observers) are very rich in natural resources. So I would have liked the colleges to have taken a lead to have seminars that highlight topics that each country has to offer. As a suggestion, I would have liked to see a professors of Geology and Physics organize a seminar and exhibition on Crystallography and Gemstones. Prior to the seventeenth century, India (Golconda mines) was the world's biggest supplier of diamonds and other semi precious stones. Today that lead is taken over by South Africa (diamonds) and Brazil (largest deposits of semiprecious stones). Other major producers of gemstones are Russia, China and even tiny Burma (Myanmar). >From Wikipedia: Burma is a major supplier of precious stones such as >sapphires, pearls and jade. Rubies are the biggest earner; 90% of the world's >rubies come from the country, whose red stones are prized for their purity and >hue. Burma's "Valley of Rubies", the mountainous Mogok area, 200 km (120 mi) >north of Mandalay, is noted for its rare pigeon's blood rubies and blue >sapphires. Needless to say, India is today the world's largest processor of the world's diamond and gemstones. So what would it take to have such a seminar and exhibit on Crystallography and Gemstones?Answer: A little extra Initiative, Perseverance, Correspondence with colleagues in the other countries starting with a post on Goanet. :=)) The whole effort could be sponsored / paid for by the vast diamond and gemology industry of India; which would be only glad to display their wares at the international meeting.Of course one cannot think out-of-the-box if one is concentrated on the potholes on main street and if one relies on the government for everything. Regards, GL
.
