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Managed to fit a trip to one of the local spots alongside the weekend commitments...nothing too exciting but it was nice to get the camera out :)
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on visit to Matipula School in Chongwe District, Zambia
IMF Photo/Kim Haughton
23 January 2023
Lusaka, Zambia
Photo ref: KEH05351.ARW
From the vault. Managed to restore a harddrive we thought was lost.
El Ateneo bookstore in Buenos Aires. Love this bookshop.
Situated at 1860 Santa Fe Avenue in Barrio Norte, the building was designed by the architects Peró and Torres Armengol for the empresario Max Glucksman (1875-1946), and opened as a theatre named Teatro Gran Splendid in May 1919. The ecleticist building features ceiling frescoespainted by the Italian artist Nazareno Orlandi, and caryatids sculpted by Troiano Troiani (whose work also graces the cornice along the Buenos Aires City Legislature.
The theatre had a seating capacity of 1,050, and staged a variety of performances, including appearances by the tango artists Carlos Gardel, Francisco Canaro, Roberto Firpo and Ignacio Corsini. Glücksman started his own radio station in 1924 (Radio Splendid), which broadcast from the building where his recording company, Nacional Odeón, made some of the early recordings of the great tango singers of the day. In the late twenties the theatre was converted into a cinema, and in 1929 showed the first sound films presented in Argentina.
The ornate former theatre was leased by Grupo Ilhsa in February 2000. Ilhsa, through Tematika, owns El Ateneo and Yenny booksellers (totaling over 40 stores), as well as the El Ateneo publishing house. The building was subsequently renovated and converted into a book and music shop under the direction of the architect Fernando Manzone; the cinema seating was removed and in its place book shelves were installed. Following refurbishment works, the 2,000 m² (21,000 ft²) El Ateneo Grand Splendid became the group's flagship store, and in 2007 sold over 700,000 books; over a million people walk through its doors annually.
Chairs are provided throughout the building, including the still-intact theatre boxes, where customers can dip into books before purchase, and there is now a café on the back of what was once the stage. The ceiling, the ornate carvings, the crimson stage curtains, the auditorium lighting and many architectural details remain. Despite the changes, the building still retains the feeling of the grand theatre it once was. The Guardian, a prominent British periodical, named El Ateneo second in its 2008 list of the World's Ten Best Bookshops.
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Head of the BIS Innovation Hub Benoît Cœuré, and Professor at Cornell University and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution Eswar Prasad participate in “The Digital Money Revolution” seminar moderated by Chief Economics Commentator at the Financial Times Martin Wolf during the 2021 Annual Meetings at the International Monetary Fund.
Mirek Dušek, Managing Director, World Economic Forum, Eswar Prasad, Professor, Cornell University, USA, Meirav Oren, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Versatile, USA, Keyu Jin, Professor of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science, United Kingdom and Jason Bordoff, Co-Dean, Columbia Climate School; Founding Director, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University, USA speaking in the Entrepreneurship in a Fast-Changing Economy session at the at the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2023 in Tianjin, People's Republic of China, 29 June 2023. Tianjin Meijiang Convention Center - Studio. Copyright: World Economic Forum/Faruk Pinjo
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (R) meets with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde (L) on June 10, 2015 at the IMF Headquarters in Washington, DC.
© IMF Staff Photo/Stephen Jaffe
Portrait of Nobumitsu Hayashi, COO, Senior Managing Director at Japan Bank for International Cooperation and delegates during Day 4 of AfDB Annual Meetings 2018, in May 2018, in Busan, South Korea.
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and First Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath take part in the G-20 Dinner during the 2022 Annual Meetings at the International Monetary Fund.
IMF Photo/Eman Mohammed
12 October 2022
Washington, DC, United States
Photo ref: _I2A0799.jpg
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva conducts her press conference during the 2021 Annual Meetings at the International Monetary Fund.
IMF Photo/Cory Hancock
13 October 2021
Washington, DC, United States
Photo ref: CH211013013.arw
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva participates in the World of Light Chanukah event with World Bank Group President David Malpass and Inter-American Development Bank President Mauricio Claver-Carone at the Inter-American Development Bank.
IMF Photo/Cory Hancock
23 November 2021
Washington, DC, United States
Photo ref: CH211123042.arw
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva participates in the Empowering Women in the Global Economy event with Co-Chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda French Gates, Honorable Minister of Finance of Nigeria, Hon Zainab Ahmed, UN Women Executive Director Sima Sami Bahous, and moderator and the President of Open Society Foundations, Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, from the International Monetary Fund.
IMF Photo/Cory Hancock
13 December 2022
Washington, DC, United States
Photo ref: CH221213019.jpg
Finally, managed start processing this pregnancy shoot, and there are some lovelies! Yesterday we returned for a first baby shoot, he's now 3 weeks old, born 2 days after this shot! :-)
PP with Nik Fly Presets
Troels Oerting Jorgensen, Head of the Centre for Cybersecurity, World Economic Forum, Ali bin Masoud bin Ali Al Sunaidy, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Planning and Special Envoy of Oman, Elizabeth de Freitas, Regional Manager Middle East, Darktrace, United Kingdom, Guido Gluschke, Director, Institute for Security and Safety (ISS), Germany and Usama M. Fayyad, Founder and Chairman, Open Insights, USA speaking during the Session "Managing Cyber-Risks" at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre before World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa 2019. Copyright by World Economic Forum / Jakob Polacsek
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva participates in the G20 family photo at the Fontana di Trevi.
IMF Photo/Giuseppe Nucci
30 October 2021
Rome, Italy
Photo ref: G20 - IMF -30th October - HR-45.jpg
We managed to get to the Lake District for the Easter weekend. We were open at work on Good Friday so I had to be in at work for a couple of hours and didn’t set off until 9.00am. We had a quick café stop and then jumped on the M62. It took us until 2.00pm to get to Langdale. We crawled up the M61 and M6, reminding me why we used to avoid Bank Holiday traffic. Although staying in Ambleside we drove to Langdale to get a couple of hours walking in. Langdale was packed but we found a place to park at the foot of the pass up to Blea Tarn. We headed up Pike of Blisco – against a steady stream of walkers descending at this time in the afternoon. I didn’t bother taking photos to any great extent, it wasn’t great light, windy and the appalling weekend forecast had depressed me – this was supposed to be the best day and it was nearly over. After a nice settled spell, possibly the first in the north of England this winter (now officially British Summertime) heavy rain and gales were coming our way apparently.
Each morning I studied the maps trying to second guess the light, wind and crowds. On Saturday it was initially dry, much to our surprise, we parked in Coniston and set off up Walna Scar Road. It’s a long steep drag to the top of the pass, the cloud was down and thick, the wind was getting extreme as we got higher – and we didn’t see a soul! We were heading over Brown Pike onto Dow Crag, we weren’t likely to get lost on a ridge. By now it was raining hard and the wind was making staying upright difficult. We slid off the rocky summit of Dow Crag on our backsides, the safest way. We dropped on to Goats Hause, the wind was screaming through and but I guessed there would be some shelter if we headed for the Old Man of Coniston. We met the first person of the day here, arriving at the summit just before him. There was still winter snow on north facing slopes but the wind wasn’t as bad as Dow Crag. It was grim, 30 metre visibility and there was very little point in staying on the tops as originally planned. Jayne was up for heading straight down the tourist track through the quarries. We have only ever ascended it before but we set off down at a trot, passing some fell runners along the way. There was a steady stream of Easter trippers heading up and judging by the questions we were asked on the way down they had little idea of what they were heading in to or how far they were from the summit, and all in appalling conditions. Lower down it was quite calm and many had little idea of the severity of the conditions on the tops. The countryside was rapidly waterlogging again after the belated dry spell.
Sunday brought more very heavy rain and gales on the tops. What looked like snow had accumulated on high ground overnight. It was actually several inches of hail and was horrible underfoot, like small wet marbles but trapping a lot of water on the lower slopes below the freezing line. We parked at Patterdale and walked across slopes that the recent floods had wreaked havoc on, with a lot of remedial work to be done this summer. The plan was to get to Boardale Hause and decide whether to go high – over Place Fell – or head in to Boardale and stay low by doing a circuit of Place Fell. It was raining hard and there was a howling gale but it was behind us, the cloud had lifted a bit so we went high. The summit plateau was a nightmare, covered in slippy, wet, slushy hail with the wind nearly blowing us over. We went north straight over the top and down the other side, the top was in thick cloud but the lower slopes were clear and we legged it off the fell, descending by Scalehow Force waterfall, which was in fine form with the heavy rain. We followed the path above the shores of Ullswater back to Patterdale. Another wet walk.
Monday saw us parked a mile or so south of yesterday’s parking place in Patterdale at Bridgend. With the weather being bad people weren’t out early, even on a bank holiday, so we didn’t have a problem parking. There wasn’t a plan, we were just making it up. Today looked promising, Storm Katie was battering the rest of the country but missed the north for a change. The tops were wintry, again it was hail accumulations not snow, on the high ground it was on very old lying snow and very difficult on steep descents. We decided to take the steady slopes of Hartsop above How to Hart Crag, on to Fairfield and then hopefully over Cofa Pike on to St Sunday Crag, Birks and finally Arnison Crag. This was just less than ten miles and it turned out to be a very tough five hours, exhausting, particularly after the three previous days. A large coastguard helicopter circled us repeatedly and finally landed on the path we were following to Hart Crag, we assumed it was on an exercise. The ground was frozen above 2500 feet and walking was easier as the snow/hail was load bearing and we could yomp on a bit. It was like midwinter with frequent squally whiteouts blasting in. The wind would pick up first lifting the frozen hail in a frozen spindrift that bounced along several feet high blasting our faces, this was followed by, what was more like frozen drizzle than snow, fine, but hard, we could feel it through our clothes it came at us that hard. I decided that we would head straight over Cofa Pike to St Sunday. A mistake with hindsight. The lake of footprints was the first bad sign but we were committed. We lived to tell the tale but Jayne had a bit of a near miss. The crag down to Cofa is steep and it was covered in hail on old snow, the layer of hail was shearing away from the underlying snow and we had to go down on out backsides, keeping a tight grip as we went. At one point Jayne failed to arrest a slide that was above a steep and deep drop. I had hold of her from a position in front of her and to her left and I was fairly well anchored so I felt in control and was sure of the outcome. From her point of view it was frightening and it subdued her for the rest of the walk. She had also ripped the outer lining of her Paramo waterproof trousers as well. Considering that we were going downhill it was hard going, every step a slip or a slide, with the underlying grass saturated and a thin layer of hail it was an unpleasant walk off the fell. At the end of Arnison Crag we took a pathless shortcut – that we swore we would never use again years ago – to save around twenty minutes of walking. This was the only day I had the camera out all day and had to cover it with a dryliner bag whenever a heavy shower came in. I also broke the lens hood. We drove to Keswick for afternoon coffee and toast at Brysons. The new Paramo store across the square was the next stop for new trousers. These Paramos had cost £85 14 years ago and they have just brought a new model out. We had two choices, The old model was reduced to…..£85 – after 14 years we could pay the same price or we could return the old trousers - cleaned – and get a £50 voucher towards the new model, which are £135, or £85 with the voucher. The old ones were ¾ of a mile away in the car – unwashed – so we bought the old model. Needless to say we had a couple of drinks in the Golden Rule in Ambleside every night before our tea.
Managed to remove the plaster and clean up the plimsolls surprisingly although they are a bit battered, worse are the heel stitching which has split.
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva participates in a Presidential Panel at the Three Seas Initiative Summit in Sofia, Bulgaria.
IMF Photo/Hristo Rusev
08 July 2021
Sofia, Bulgaria
Photo ref: HHR03260.jpg
Left to Right Governor Martowardojo, Bank of Indonesia, Allen Harai, Chairman AICC, Dr.Basri, Minister of Finance, Indonesia, Deputy Chairman Kurniadi, BKPM, Ian Lifshitz, NA Director of Sustainability, Asia Pulp Paper.
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva leaves the Arsenale to take part in a G20 cultural program and dinner at Teatro La Fenice
IMF Photo/Silvia Longhi
10 July 2021
Venice, Italy
Photo ref: G20_sat10-4618.jpg
Managed to spend a few days on this wonderful eco-friendly island 80 km off the Queensland coast. Famous for it's Manta Rays, it is also a great birding, whale spotting and snorkelling/diving destination.
RIGHTS MANAGED CONTENT. INQUIRE FOR USE RATES. © Richards, 1999. Scanned from 35mm slide. During the genocidal war against the 98% Kosovar Albanian population by Slobodan Milošević when NATO took action. I, along with small contingent of native and foreign aid workers, delivered supplies to the border via the northern Albanian town of Kukës. We had to deal with mafia, rebel fighters, NGOs, countless international news reporters, and of course, and shadowy figures pushing American interests. The refugees were wonderful. We were almost killed both on the way north in the morning and that night on the way back to Tirana. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. WEBSITE
Managed to capture this railway track just before it was dismantled 2 months ago.
PP: Mild HDR.
Camera used: Sony DSLR Alpha 850.
Lens: SAL 50mm F1.4.
International Monetary Fund's Managing Director Christine Lagarde (R) meets with Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak (L) in KL, Malaysia on Nov. 14, 2012.
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva transfers between meetings during the 2022 Annual Meetings at the International Monetary Fund.
IMF Photo/Cory Hancock
12 October 2022
Washington, DC, United States
Photo ref: CH221012085.arw
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva meets with the delegation from Ghana at the Global Center on Adaptation.
IMF Photo/Eric Kampherbeek
5 September 2022
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Photo ref: 220905_0649_IMF_2000px.jpg
Deputy Managing Director Kenji Okamura Participates in the Social Contract in Time of Crisis Seminar during the 2022 Annual Meetings at the International Monetary Fund.
IMF Photo/Ariana Lindquist
11 October 2022
Washington, DC, United States
Photo ref: AL100522.JPG
Rehearsals for the Ann Arbor Dance Classics 2018 Recital on Wednesday June 13th, 2018. The recitals will be held on Friday June 15th and Saturday June 16th, 2018 at Saline High School (Saline, Michigan). These are photos from my perch on Stage Right - stage managing again (with a few from the house).
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva participates in bilateral meeting with President of Zambia Hakainde Hichilema at the State House in Lusaka, Zambia.
IMF Photo/Kim Haughton
23 January 2023
Lusaka, Zambia
Photo ref: KH230123070.jpg
IMF First Deputy Managing Director David Lipton, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde and IMF Communications Department Director Gerry Rice during the Managing Director’s press conference at the 2018 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings on Thursday, October 11 in Bali, Indonesia. Ryan Rayburn/IMF Photo
Deputy Managing Director Antoinette Sayeh talks with Sania Nishtar, Special Assistant of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, and Tanja Goodwin, Senior Country Economist for Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru, at the World Bank Group, during the Capacity Development Talk: The IMF’s Engagement on Social Protection during the 2021 Spring Meetings at the International Monetary Fund.
IMF Photo/Joshua Roberts
5 April 2021
Washington, DC, United States
Photo ref: JR210405.003.jpg
Just managed to catch the feed this morning, it gets earlier and earlier but a happy group of Fallow Deer tucking into breakfast whilst the wardens attempted to do a head count.
Kyle on the bow of Pinball tidying things up as we finish up a beautiful day of sailing on Mobile Bay, while my dog Peanut looks on.
Shot by my friend Mairi.
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If you happen to be using Google Chrome as a browser, or are thinking about it, then please drop by and try out my extension, Patr specifically made to make Flickr Funr!
I managed to get a few shots of Thomas learning to walk. This is the X100s shooting into a very backlit scene. Exp Comp was on +2. The AF worked much better than I was expecting and the hit rate was pretty impressive.
British Award for African Development (BRAAD) Award Nominations Event and Launch of Africa Entrepreneurship Week at the prestigious London Waldorf Hilton Hotel London with Lexy Owusu-Boahene Managing Director LXHR Solutions HR Consultancy Recruitment Accra Ghana
Managed to get better colours this time, then had a quick play with Photoshop. I know it needs a bit more care, but it will do for today!
Joshua Jackson has managed to pull off what a lot of actors don't. He went from being a teen idol, to a serious actor working with some of Hollywood's biggest stars. Joshua got his start at age 9, when he landed the role of 'Charlie' in that Emilio Estevez classic "Mighty Ducks." That film was a hit and he went on to star in the sequels. By 1998, they knew who he was down in Hollywood so he landed the 'Dawson's Creek' gig and for six seasons, he was pretty much every teenage girls' "imaginary" boyfriend. Along the way he starred in movies like "Scream 2" and "Skulls." He played a gay teenager in "Cruel Intentions" along with the lovely Sarah Michelle Gellar. When Dawson's Creek ended in 2002 Josh went on to look for "more mature" films. There was "I Love Your Work" alongside Giovanni Ribisi and Christina Ricci. 'Aurora Borealis' with Donald Sutherland and Juliette Lewis and 'Bobby' with Anthony Hopkins and Helen Hunt. Last year, Joshua returned to TV as Peter Bishop, in the series "Fringe." He also came back to Canada to star in the road movie "One Week" - a film about a young man's motorcycle trip from Toronto to Vancouver.
Check out his interview with George here - www.cbc.ca/thehour/videos.html?id=1006295904
In 1907 the Commercial Managing Director, Mr Claude Johnson (often described as the hyphen in "Rolls-Royce"), ordered a car to be used as a demonstrator by the company. With chassis no. 60551 and registered AX 201, it was the 12th 40/50 hp to be made, and was painted in aluminium paint with silver-plated fittings. The car was named the "Silver Ghost" to emphasise its ghost-like quietness, and a plaque bearing this name adorned the bulkhead. An open-top body by coachbuilder Barker was fitted, and the car readied for the Scottish reliability trials of 1907 and, immediately afterwards, another 15,000-mile (24,000 km) test which included driving between London and Glasgow 27 times.
The aim was to raise public awareness of the new company and to show the reliability and quietness of their new car. This was a risky idea: cars of this time were notoriously unreliable, and roads of the day could be horrendous. Nevertheless, the car set off on trials, and with press aboard, broke record upon record. Even after 7,000 miles (11,000 km), the cost to service the car was a negligible £2 2s 7d (£2.13). The reputation of the 40/50, and Rolls-Royce, was established.
AX201 was sold in 1908 to a private customer who used it for his annual vacation to Italy and recovered by the company in 1948.
In 1906 the London Motor Show saw Charles Stewart Rolls displaying the Silver Ghost. This model was the beginning of a fleet of prestigious cars, including the White Knave and the Silver Rogue, that won many honours and brought status to the British motor industry.
In 1906, Rolls-Royce produced four chassis to be shown at the Olympia car show, two existing models, a four cylinder 20hp and a six cylinder 30hp, and two examples of a new car designated the 40/50 hp. The 40/50 hp was so new that the show cars were not fully finished and examples were not provided to the press for testing until March 1907.
Charles Rolls was born with a fascination for electricity, an insatiable wanderlust that was nurtured by his father and an undying love for speed and transportation – two interests most agreeably combined in the sport of hot air ballooning, to which the great man was devoted. Like all balloonists, after descending from each flight, Rolls faced the challenge of finding a way to transport himself and his balloon home again. His solution was to have his own Roadster fitted to serve as a balloon tender to carry him to and from each chosen launch site.
In 1910 Charles Rolls was killed in a flying accident. Henry Royce nearly died the following year after a breakdown. But he recovered and his engines were utilised in the front lines of the First World War, as well as powering war planes.
The Roadster at first had a new side-valve, six-cylinder, 7036 cc engine (7428 cc from 1910) with the cylinders cast in two units of three cylinders each as opposed to the triple two cylinder units on the earlier six. A three speed transmission was fitted at first with four speed units used from 1913. The seven-bearing crankshaft had full pressure lubrication and the centre main bearing was made specially large to remove vibration, essentially splitting the engine into two three cylinder units. Two spark plugs were fitted to each cylinder with, from 1921, a choice of magneto or coil ignition. The earliest cars had used a trembler coil to produce the spark with a magneto as an optional extra which soon became standard - the instruction was to start the engine on the trembler/battery and then switch to magneto. Continuous development allowed power output to be increased from 48 bhp (36 kW) at 1,250 rpm to 80 bhp (60 kW) at 2,250 rpm. Electric lighting became an option in 1914 and was standardised in 1919.
Managing Director Christine Lagarde (C) visits the Pisac Artisan Market with the Minister of Economy and Finance Alonso Arturo Segura Vasi (R) and the Deputy Minister of Trade and Tourism Maria del Carmen de Reparas (L) October 4, 2015 in Pisac, Peru. Lagarde is in Peru to attend 2015 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings held in Lima, Peru. IMF Photo/Stephen Jaffe
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde (L) is greeted by Bank of Indonesia Deputy Governor Perry Warjiyo (R) at the Jakarta International Airport August 31, 2015 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Lagarde is on a several day visit to Indonesia where she will speak at the University of Indonesia and meet with officials. IMF Staff Photo/Stephen Jaffe
Managed to get one last shot on a roll of film - you can see the edge :). Seems the last shot to finish a roll somehow becomes unexpected favorites of mine. This was shot with my 1957 Kodak Retina IIIc using Fuji Press 400 film
Umaid Bhawan Palace, located at Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India, is one of the world's largest private residences. A part of the palace is managed by Taj Hotels. Named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, grandfather of the present owner Gaj Singh of the palace, this edifice has 347 rooms and serves as the principal residence of the erstwhile Jodhpur royal family. A part of the palace also houses a museum.
Umaid Bhawan Palace was called Chittar Palace during its construction due to use of stones drawn from the Chittar hill where it is located. Ground for the foundations of the building was broken on 18 November 1929 by Maharaja Umaid Singh and the construction work was completed in 1943. The Palace was built to provide employment to thousands of people during the time of famine.
HISTORY
History of building the Umaid Bhawan Palace is linked to a curse by a saint who had said that a period of drought will follow the good rule of the Rathor Dynasty. Thus, after the end of about 50-year reign of Pratap Singh, Jodhpur faced a severe drought and famine conditions in the 1920s for a period of three consecutive years. The farmers of the area faced with famine conditions sought the help of the then king Umaid Singh, who was the 37th Rathore ruler of Marwar at Jhodpur, to provide them with some employment so that they could survive the famine conditions. The king, in order to help the farmers, decided to build a lavish palace. He commissioned Henry Vaughan Lanchester as the architect to prepare the plans for the palace; Lanchester was a contemporary of Sir Edwin Lutyens who planned the buildings of the New Delhi government complex. Lanchester patterned the Umaid Palace on the lines of the New Delhi building complex by adopting the theme of domes and columns. The palace was designed as an extraordinary blend of western technology, and many Indian architectural features.
The palace was built at a slow pace as its initial objective was to provide employment to the famine-stricken farmers of the locale. The foundation stone was laid in 1929. About 2,000 to 3,000 people were employed to build it. However, the actual occupation of the palace by the Maharaja came only after its completion in 1943, very close to the period of Indian Independence. There was criticism in some quarters for embarking on an expensive project but it had served the main purpose of helping the citizens of Jodhpur to face the famine situation. The estimated cost of building the palace was Rs 11 million. When it opened its gilded doors in 1943 it was considered as one of the largest royal residences in the world.
The site chosen for the palace was on a hill known as Chittar hill in the outer limits of Jodhpur, after which the palace is also known, where no water supply was available near by and hardly any vegetation grew as hill slopes were rocky. The building material required was not close by as sandstone quarries were at quite a distance. Since the Maharaja had the foresight to bring his project to fruition, he built a railway line to the quarry site to transport the building material. Donkeys were inducted to haul soil to the site. The sandstone transported by rail was dressed at site into large blocks with interlocking joints so that they could be laid without the use of mortar and thus create a wonderful edifice.
The palace was built with "dun-colourd" (golden – yellow) sandstone with two wings. Makrana marble has also been used, and Burmese teak wood has been used for the interior wood work. When completed the palace had 347 rooms, several courtyards, and a large banquet hall which could accommodate 300 people. The architectural style is considered as representing the then in vogue Beaux Arts style, also known as Indo-Deco style. However, for many years the palace did not function fully on account of many tragic events in the royal family. Umaid Singh who stayed in the place for only four years died in 1947. Hanumant Singh who succeeded him also died at an young age; he had just won in the 1952 General Elections and was returning home after this win when his plane crashed and he died. Gaj Singh II who succeeded his father then decided in 1971 to convert a part of the palace in to a hotel.
FEATURES
The Palace is divided into three functional parts – the residence of the royal family, a luxury Taj Palace Hotel, and a Museum focusing on the 20th century history of the Jodhpur Royal Family.
PALACE
The entire palace complex built with sandstone and marble is set in an area of 11 ha of land including 6.1 ha of well tended gardens. The palace, magnificent in its lavish proportions, consists of a throne chamber, an exclusive private meeting hall, a Durbar Hall to meet the public, a vaulted banquet hall, private dining halls, a ball room, a library, an indoor swimming pool and spa, a billiards room, four tennis courts, two unique marble squash courts, and long passages.
The interior central dome sits above the sky blue inner dome. The inner vaulted dome is a major attraction in the palace which rises to a height of 31 m in the interior part which is capped by an outer dome of 13 m height. The entry to the palace has decorations of the Coat of arms of the Rathore Royal family. The entry leads to the lobby which has polished black granite flooring. The lounge area has pink sandstone and marble floors. Maharaja Gaj Singh, known as "bapji", stays in a part of the palace. The architecture of the palace is described as an amalgam of lndo-Saracenic, Classical Revival and Western Art Deco styles. It is also said the Maharaja and his architect Lanchester had considered the features of Buddhist and Hindu edifices such as the Temple Mountain-Palaces of Burma and Cambodia, and in particular the Angkor Wat in preparing the layout and design of the palace. The interior of the palace is in art deco design. The interior decoration is credited to J.S. Norblin, a refuge from Poland, who created the frescoes in the throne room on the east wing. An architectural historian commented that "it is the finest example of Indo-deco. The forms are crisp and precise".
HOTEL
The hotel wing of the palace is run by the Taj Group of Hotels. It has 70 guest rooms including the luxurious "Regal and Vice Regal Suites" and the fabulous "Maharaja" and "Maharani suites" with art deco style decorations, the latter is fitted with a bath tub carved from a single block of pink marble said to be the only one of its type in India. The Maharani suite also has parquet flooring and has a terrace which provides scenic views of the garden. The bed room has an attached kitchen and the furnishing here is in pink and peach colour. The bed is also fitted with an art feature of a woman sitting on a lion. The Maharaja Suite has manly furnishings in leopard skin, and with black marble flooring and a curved mirrored dome. Both the rooms are decorated with murals. The banquet hall of the palace now forms the large restaurant.
MUSEUM
The museum has exhibits of stuffed leopards, a very large symbolic flag gifted to Maharaja Jaswant Singh by Queen Victoria in 1877, an impressive "quirky" collection of clocks in windmill and light house shapes, and photographs of the elegant art-deco interior of the palace. The classic cars of the Maharajas are also on display in the garden in front of the museum. Glass, porcelain wares, memorabilia, and information on the building of the palace are also part of the exhibits. The Darbar Hall, which is part of the museum, has elegant murals and also substantial number of miniature paintings, armour and an unusual collection of household paraphernalia that was in vogue in the 1930s, which were costly and then not found in India. October to March, during winter season, are the best months to visit the palace and the museum.
WIKIPEDIA
The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, will today begin her three day visit to Rwanda, her first since she came to the helm of the institution in 2011. In an e-mail correspondence with The New Times’ Kenneth Agutamba, Lagarde sheds light on her institution’s current relationship with Rwanda and commends the country’s transformative and inclusive policies that have seen a significant decline in poverty levels.
You come here 20 years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. In your view, what has been the trigger for Rwanda’s rapid economic renaissance?
My main message to Rwanda is that “Good policies pay off.” Let me set this in a broader context by saying that I am very happy to have the opportunity to visit Rwanda at such a pivotal moment in its history. The horrific events that occurred 20 years ago tore the social and economic fabric of the country, and it is uplifting to see the progress in rebuilding, in peace efforts, and in improving the welfare of all Rwandans.
This truly is an example in terms of social and economic transformation. It proves that effective policies and inclusive growth can be transformational.
The economic performance has been remarkable, with strong annual growth for the past 15 years. This has helped Rwanda make progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The poorest have benefited from a focus on inclusive growth, with the poverty rate falling to 45 per cent of the population in 2011 from 60 per cent in 2000.
Of course, this rate is still high, but it is definite progress and we see the trend continuing. So, while there has not been a magic bullet or a single trigger, a holistic approach, that also included a focus on the agricultural sector, employment, and gender equality, has been instrumental in sharing the fruits of high growth more widely.
What is the status of IMF relations in Rwanda at present?
We have a very close economic policy dialogue and the IMF is currently supporting the government with a Policy Support Instrument (PSI) – designed for low-income countries that have graduated from financial support but still seek to maintain a close policy dialogue.
The PSI signals the strength of a country’s policies to donors, multilateral development banks, and markets. We also provide technical assistance as part of the Fund’s efforts to increase local capacity and know-how. We have an office in Kigali, where a resident representative, currently Mitra Farahbaksh, ensures our presence in the field.
Rwanda’s PSI, which is in its second year, supports Rwanda’s own policy priorities for strong and inclusive growth, with an emphasis on domestic resource mobilization, private sector development, export diversification, regional integration, and financial sector development.
We recently reviewed this programme and welcomed the country’s continued strong performance. We also agreed with the government that more work needs to be done to further reduce Rwanda’s reliance on aid and increase its resilience to external shocks.
What is your economic outlook for the country between now and 2020?
Our outlook for Rwanda is positive. The economy is recovering from a weak performance in agriculture and delays in related project implementation in recent years. Growth rebounded last year and inflation remains well contained. We expect GDP growth rates to rise gradually towards 7-7.5 per cent in the medium term, while inflation remains within the medium-term target of 5 per cent.
I am particularly impressed with the government’s continued commitment to poverty reduction.
As part of my stay here, I will be visiting the Agaseke Handicraft Cooperative and the ICT hub (knowledge Lab) in Kigali to see firsthand how the government has managed to improve the welfare of vulnerable and disadvantaged groups such as women and youth.
As your readers are aware, the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy for 2013–18 focuses on economic transformation, rural development, and youth employment. The strategy is rightly aimed at further reducing poverty.
I think that the continued rollout of planned measures and the successful inclusion of the private sector in leading economic development will help make sizeable inroads in making growth even more inclusive and in reducing inequality.
In a recent advisory by the IMF Board, they encouraged Rwanda to widen its tax base and put emphasis on domestic revenue sourcing. What is your advice on this?
We are devoting a significant portion of our technical assistance to support Rwanda’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign aid. The focus is appropriately on widening the tax base – not higher taxes, but all paying a fair share.
The government has already made significant progress in the areas of revenue administration.
The push to increase the number of registered VAT payers through the introduction of electronic billing machines, and the switch in the collection of local taxes and fees from the local governments to the revenue authority, should be useful in bringing more businesses under the tax system.
The introduction of tax regimes for agriculture and mining, and improvements in property taxation, should also help achieve the goal of providing budgetary resources for key expenditures, particularly those aimed at scaling up social spending and infrastructure in a context where donor resources are likely to be limited.
Lately, Rwanda has taken to raising money through bonds, do you think this is viable?
Rwanda’s successful Euro-bond issuance in 2013 demonstrated that market financing can play a complementary role in financing investment plans. Several other African countries have followed suit over the past year.
The key is to ensure that Rwanda’s debt remains sustainable. I welcome the government’s commitment to fully explore concessional financing options and private sector participation before considering the use of non-concessional resources.
At the same time, the government’s decision to begin issuing domestic currency bonds in 2014 was an important step in the process of developing and deepening local capital markets.
www.newtimes.co.rw/section/article/2015-01-26/185319/
Creating jobs remains a high priority for this country, but as you know the private sector is also still young. What should Rwanda do to address these two issues?
On private sector development, Rwanda’s potential depends critically on full implementation of ongoing reforms to attract foreign investment and boost exports. These include reducing the cost of doing business; improving infrastructure; supporting skills development; and tapping into regional markets.
The increased provision of lower-cost electricity and improved transportation should help facilitate diversification and business development.
On creating jobs, the government has identified three key priorities: skills development, the fostering of entrepreneurship for small- and medium-sized enterprises, and supporting household enterprises. We at the Fund share this emphasis on building the capacity of Africa’s greatest resource–its people. Increased investment in infrastructure can help put people to work.
The IMF’s latest Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa projects regional GDP growth to pick up from about 5 per cent in 2013/14 to 5.75 per cent in 2015. That isn’t a big leap, is it? Can you elaborate on this?
Sub-Saharan Africa has made impressive progress over the past two decades, with growth averaging around 5 per cent. We expect that to continue in 2015, despite the impact of lower oil prices on some of Africa’s major oil exporting economies.
So there has been real progress, as growth has allowed for reducing poverty and improving living conditions.
For example, the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day in Africa has fallen significantly since 1990. But extreme poverty remains unacceptably high and not all countries are making progress. Some countries are still facing internal conflict and/or fragility.
Looking ahead, there are a number of longer-term demographic, technological and environmental challenges that need to be addressed in order to realise the ‘big leap’ that you refer to.
For instance, how can we tap into the productive capacity of Africa’s youth? How can Africa take advantage of technological innovation?
And how can we address the implications of climate change? Three broad policy priorities are crucial: building infrastructure, building institutions, and building people. Africa must also strengthen its institutional and governance frameworks to better manage its vast resources.
But the focus must be on people—with programmes aimed at boosting health and education and other essential social services. In fact, Rwanda is one of the countries that are effectively implementing policies in many of these areas.
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa has dealt a major blow to several African economies in the region. Can the effects of this blow spread to other parts of the continent?
The Ebola outbreak is a severe human, social and economic crisis that requires a resolute response. And the focus must be on isolating the virus, not the countries.
Strong efforts are underway in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, but it is unlikely to be brought under control before the second half of 2015.
The economic outlook for these countries has already worsened since September, when the IMF disbursed $130 million to the (three) countries to boost their response to the outbreak.
If the outbreak remains limited to the three countries, the economic outlook for the rest of sub-Saharan Africa remains favourable. Some neighbouring countries like The Gambia have seen an impact on tourism.
We are working with the governments of the three affected countries to provide additional interest-free financing of about $160 million, and expect our Board to make a decision in the next few days.
Following the endorsement by the G-20 leaders in Australia, we are also looking at further options to provide additional support to the Ebola-hit countries, including through the provision of donor-supported debt relief.
International oil prices have been tumbling, is this good for Rwanda and the other members of the EAC?
Indeed, oil prices have fallen recently, affecting both oil producers and consumers. Overall, we see the price decline as positive for the global economy. As an oil importer, Rwanda and indeed the East Africa region should benefit given that lower prices will most likely have a positive impact on growth whilst also easing inflation.
Countries can make use of this window of opportunity to reduce universal energy subsidies and use the savings toward more targeted transfers that benefit the poor.
Recently, the East African Community, a regional bloc to which Rwanda subscribes, reached a landmark Economic Partnership agreement (Epa) with Europe. Do you think that these countries need such agreements?
The EPA is designed to enhance commercial and economic relations, supporting a new trading dynamic in the region and deepening cooperation in trade and investment. It can serve as an important instrument of development in many respects.
It can promote sustained growth, increase the productive capacity of EAC economies, foster diversification and competitiveness, and, of course, boost trade, investment and employment. Rwanda is a key member of the EAC that has worked hard to create a conducive and transparent business environment. So it should benefit from this agreement.