During the visit to Chennai on meeting the CSK team and Dhoni and Raina and all the heroes was such a delight. Rajnikanth coming over to the room for a chat another delight. Then to be taking the cricket oath for the Captains and so humbled in meeting all of them back stage – Rahul Dravid and Sehwag and Saurav Ganguly. I really must have done some good to receive such opportunity to be in the presence of these greats. And always something to learn from each meeting – the way they conduct their lives, their views on important issues, what troubles them, what excites them.

I say all this because I feel sometimes in our busy profession we never spend enough time in pursuing these aspects of life too – meeting and just listening to others. Its a grave fallacy that celebrities have all the answers to all the issues. They do not. And the sooner they realize this the better. And may I say this that there is something to learn from everyone, irrespective of where they stand or who they are. Sometimes the most complex of matters can get the simplest of solutions from some of the most unexpected quarters. Open your mind then to those that perhaps seem inadequate … you will be surprised how much we do not know, and how much we ought to.

Its up at 6 am tomorrow morning – dub for the Gujarat Tourism Campaign second round. And while on the topic, the Department informs me of some rather flattering achievements that have been recognized by an International community. Here it from them then :

‘Sir,

You will be glad to know that Gujarat has been awarded “Best Emerging Tourism Destination” by Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) recently at Berlin. Also Lonely Planet has categorised Kutch as the 3rd best ‘unsung destination’ in the world. All because of our campaign and your efforts.’

And the organization that acknowledges social work for a cause, will honor yours truly for the work done as UNICEF ambassador for the fight against Polio, which as you know has had some rather encouraging achievements. For an entire year there has been no case of Polio reported in the country for the first time since the campaign began for the fight. That is fantastic for a country plagued with the disease for years. A gentle pat on the back if I may. There is more to come, and when it does I shall inform. Its for another cause that I have worked on individually. A most rewarding experience.

Meeting people does have its effect and it would be wrong for me to express that all that one does in life for issues other than for oneself can all come from sheer individual thought. It does not. Somewhere, a word a feeling expressed moves you, and you go ahead and do what you feel must be done. Do it and do it quietly, its the most rewarding experience. Trust me …

Love and more

Amitabh Bachchan