15. Checking-in an elephant for flight. While visiting Colombo on one of my business visits, I saw a large ceramic elephant in a show window of a shop. I wanted to buy it, but the shopkeeper said it was only a display item and not for sale. I persuaded him to sell it to me. It was a very large piece and at the airport, I asked the airlines girl, 'Can I check in my elephant'? She point-blank refused till I put it up for her to see. And wow, she made sure I had an empty seat next to me for the elephant. Of course, Customs in Madras did not know how to value it to charge me the appropriate import duty. Finally, they cleared my elephant.

A SAUCY ENCOUNTER
S. KOREA
Be prepared - some hot stuff.

We had a Korean customer, Sambhu Construction Co building a dam in Nepal. ICI was the sole supplier of explosives. On their Project Manager's visit to Calcutta, I had invited him for drinks at home followed by dinner at 'The Grand Hotel'. Subsequently, whenever he came to Calcutta, he would bring a gift and leave the same at our residence, Aftab Gardens, with the 'durwan' who would deliver it to us saying that a 'Chini' sahib had left it for our son. I visited this customer in Nepal when they insisted that I should accept their hospitality. They arranged for me a one-day holiday to Pokhra, all paid for by them and escorted by one of their staff.
A few years later, I was visiting Seoul, Korea when I was with Imkemex. I just dropped them a line saying I was visiting Korea for 3 days. On arrival, I had two cars waiting for me - one from ICI and another from Sambhu Construction Company along with a manager. The later had outlined a 3- day program for me. I explained to the manager that I was on ICI official visit. A compromise was reached in that I would join them for dinner next evening. I was staying at newly built luxury Lotte Hotel. Next day a car came with three people, two men and a charming lady. We went for dinner to a night club with a floor show something on lines of Moulin Rouge of Paris. The lady sat next to me in the car and theatre. I assumed that she was either wife of one of the men or an employee of the company. On their bringing me back to hotel, while three of us were standing in the lobby, one guy went to the hotel reception, and I could see him signing some papers. He came back after a few minutes. They said 'bye' to me and left the lady with me saying "enjoy the night". The penny dropped! She was to spend the night with me and had been duly checked in at the reception. I got cold feet - idiot Swarn!!!
I took the lady to the bar and gave her a drink after which I asked her to rush home. Those days in 1970s there was 11 pm curfew in Seoul because of problems with North Korea. The lady was expressionless, but she left to beat the curfew. Next morning, I was visiting Sambhu, H.O. As soon as I arrived, I was told that the Chairman wanted to see me. After shaking hands, he said he was sorry that I did not like the girl last night and that they will send another one tonight. It took a long explanation from me to assure them that the girl was great, but it was my inhibition which was the cause of any embarrassment that I might have caused. As a further gesture they sent a tailor to my hotel to take my measurements and had a custom stitched suit delivered next day. This I used for two decades.
I am sure some of you must have experienced hospitality/customer entertainment in East Asian countries. In Taipei I was taken to a bar where there were several bottles marked with ICI logo, which were meant for serving to ICI guests.