Tag: Nanda Soniassy

A Letter From Mauritius, Nanda Soniassy, 6 October 1979

Subsequent to my visit to Mauritius in July & August 1979 to visit the Biltoo family, now documented at length on Ogblog…

…I received several letters from the good people I met there. My transcriptions of these letters received might dabble a little with the grammar and spelling but are largely verbatim transcriptions.

This one is from Nanda Soniassy, one of Anil Biltoo’s cousins. Here is a picture of me and Nanda:

First my dictated transcription and then a scan of the airmail letter itself.

Dear Ian,

I must first thank you very much for your letter which I received two weeks ago. I hope that you are enjoying good health; at home, we are all fine. Anil’s father wrote, a week after his arrival. We also got a postcard from Colette who is in France.

Hope you’ll be sending us the photos as you promised.

Have you been talking to your friends about Mauritius? We had a nice time together didn’t we? Unluckily time went away quickly.

I’m now preparing for my school certificate. My exams begin on the 22nd of October and as you see, there is not much time left. I also have a lot of things to do and I am very busy.

You are also busy with your studies and I wish you the best. What about Anil? I’ve not heard from him since his departure. When you meet him, tell him that I am still waiting for a letter for from him.

Your parents were glad to see you back. Did they like the gifts you brought for them? I did not have time to thank you for the present you gave me before your departure. I must thank you very much for it and every time I look at it, I think of you.

Hope Anil has stopped teasing you. You remember <Ian l’Âne>. You and Anil were always fighting in Mauritius.

When you send me the photos, send some photos of your parents as well. I also do not have much time to spend nevertheless. I will try to write to you as often as I can.

I leave you here as I have nothing else to tell you. Give my kind regards to your grandmother and your parents. Kiss Anil for me (on the two cheeks).

Hope to hear from you soon.

Lots of love and kisses to you. Bye sincerely, Nanda

[many X’s]

Several Farewell Parties, Palmar, Belle Mare & Rose Hill, Mauritius, 17 August 1979

An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:

Here is an extract from my “Remaining Journal”, which is in effect my diary entry for 17 August 1979 – my last diary entry written during the Mauritius trip.

Friday 17th of August 1979 –

Having stayed at Marraz’s, we went on a grand family picnic at Palmar (and Belle Mare). Had a terrific time there and in the evening we ended up with a sort of improvised party with Janee’s nephews, nieces and cousins. We stayed at Garçon’s last night, with a mind to finishing our shopping in Curepipe with the help the chauffeur.

Even now, with dozens of hotels along that coast, both Palmar and Belle Mare still have public beaches, where lovely people such as the Biltoos and their extended families might well still party, as we did.

This looks like Manjula’s belated birthday party. Whether this is the same as the “impromptu evening party” at the end of our trip or not I cannot be 100% sure, but based on other diary entries mentioning its postponement several times, I think it might well be
Manjula looks as though she has been at her daddy’s bottle of rum, but perhaps she was just tired out from all the excitement of the day.

Elements of the beach party – playing ball games, dancing, eating and generally having a good time – are charmingly recorded on cine film – to be seen towards the end of this video – c8:30 to c11:15

These gatherings/parties at the end of our stay were a highlight among many highlights for me – the culmination of unforgettable and life-forming experiences over five weeks in Mauritius.

A Day Trip To Grand Baie With Shahil’s Family, 13 August 1979

An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:

Here is an extract from my “Remaining Journal”, which is in effect my diary entry for 13 August 1979.

Monday 13th of August 1979 –

Went early to Shahil’s, but because of bus strike, his father had to shuttle all the workers to work et cetera and so we couldn’t make an early enough start to go to Île aux Cerfs (as planned). Instead we want we instead we went to Grand Baie and other resorts along the north coast.

We returned early to be collected by Jan Sooknah. We went to his place, had dinner there and chatted until quite late.

I’m pretty sure this picture was taken at Grand Baie that day. Left to right: Dat Biltoo, Anil Biltoo, Shahil Soniassy, Nanda Soniassy, then Mr & Mrs Soniassy with Shahil & Nanda’s two younger siblings.

A Jew Hunt In Port Louis, Mauritius, 9 August 1979

An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:

Here is an extract from my tenth letter, which is in effect my diary entry for 9 August 1979:

Today (Anil’s birthday) we were supposed to walk up one of the Mauritian mountains with Shahil, but we didn’t go of course (Anil being ill).

This afternoon I went on a Jew hunt alone to Port Louis but was unsuccessful. The name and address I’ve been given is of (I found out today) a very important man, so I’m returning there tomorrow (as he was out today). I have my doubts as to whether he’ll want to see me. If he has rejected Judaism (which seems possible) he won’t be at all interested in helping me. He may be a very helpful person, however.

I had better explain at this juncture why on earth I went Jew hunting in Port Louis. A few days before I set off for Mauritius, I had been co-opted onto the BBYO National Executive as the National Magazine Editor, so I was very keen to come up with at least one story with a Jewish angle while I was on my travels. This sole lead (did I pick it up from the Delaître family? – seems likely) actually proved extremely fruitful in the end, but my mother threw out my magazine copies and I have a dreadful feeling I stored my hand-written notes with my copy of the final printed magazine. If so, I am probably, to use the vernacular, in shtuk – that fascinating interview might be lost in the mists of time.

This evening we went to Marraz’s for dinner and although he says otherwise I think Anil’s condition is worsening. It was at Marraz’s I got your letter. What a coincidence meeting Arriss’s friend!!

You haven’t much to tell me about life in Streatham, life in Ilford, Woodford, Pinner and [somewhere else] is also still the same. I’m getting lots of letters. It’s good because from tonight onwards it won’t be worth writing, so it’s no more writing, just reading (which you know I prefer!!!). As for discussions on Judaism, it isn’t (I don’t think) quite as you gathered. On hearing that I’m Jewish most people want to know what it is.

Talking about religion, I forgot to mention that yesterday was Rakhi. I was daubed with flour, sprinkled with flowers, and given wrist bands to wear!! (The bad part oif the ceremony is having to give money to the givers!!).

This is your last letter, so make the most of it, and from now on I will keep my diary on notepaper for you to read (I suppose) tomorrow or the next day (from the time you read this).

See you very soon, love Ian

Me and Nanda, Shahil’s sister. The “me” bit of this picture became Ged Ladd’s avatar.

A Day And Night At Shahil’s, Mauritius, 7 August 1979

An overview of my 1979 trip to Mauritius, courtesy of the wonderfully hospitable Biltoo family, can be found by clicking here or below:

Here is an extract from my tenth letter, which is in effect my diary entry for 7 August 1979:

As you may tell from the date my diary is a little behind again, and it was only the receiving of two letters from you today that reminded me. I think that the last time I wrote was the morning of the seventh or the evening of the six it doesn’t really matter.

You are my greatest fan; three letters and not one complaint about my handwriting. It is atrocious I admit.

Anyway the morning of the seventh Anil and I went shopping in Rose Hill about thrice, in short bursts. Anil (as usual) has almost completely finished ploughing through his money, and his only hope is that he wins at the races on Sunday!! Last Sunday, Garçon, who is in the know, made a few hundred pounds, so Anil’s got the bug! If it’s one of Garçon’s bad weeks, he’s [Anil’s] had it!!!

In the afternoon we went to Shahil’s for tea and dinner, and then a snap decision to stay the night, which was good fun, but a late night.

Shahil Trying To Look Cool
Anil, Shahil & Me. Not a great photograph. I have just spotted the two-finger signal from Shahil above Anil’s head, 40 years later.
Dutt (Bill), Anil, Shahil, Nanda, Shahil & Nanda’s parents and their two younger siblings
(I think I’m calling all of this but corrections welcomed):
Left to Right: Baby, Shahil, Min, Anil, Nanda

Anil decided to have one of his respiratory attacks (not quite asthma but nearly) that (of course, seeing as he was separated from his tablets) meant he spent the whole night wheezing. He is still ill, I’m afraid to say and was very irritable today, as he was confined to barracks on his birthday, but that’s another story..