Clinton will go home after her 3-day visit here clutching a priceless family heirloom, gifts for chelsea and memories of a luxurious stay
Clinton will go home after her 3-day visit here clutching a priceless family heirloom, gifts for chelsea and memories of a luxurious stay
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A priceless family heirloom, a bottle of Chateau Latour (another six litre bottle from the same batch had been auctioned for Rs 32 lakh at Sothebys), Molton Brown toiletries and the luxury of having an entire floor to herself at the new wing of the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers.
US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton can luxuriate in Indian hospitality when she arrives in the city tonight on her three-day visit.
The stay
Yet, as the Taj readies to receive her in room 108 on the 11th floor, Hillary will be one of the first VVIPs not staying at the Presidential suite or the Rajput suite.
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Easily the best the hotel has to offer, they are both in the heritage wing, shut for repairs following the 26/11 attack.
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But she won't miss it. The hotel has gone out of its way to ensure the former first lady feels pampered and primped.
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The 11th floor she will be on will be taken over by US security personnel, the state police and hotel security.
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No other guest will be allowed to stay in any of the rooms on this floor, for security reasons, quite naturally.
In fact, the hotel room has been sealed by the police and will be opened today, just four hours before she checks in.
Grub
Chef Hemant Oberoi, executive chef at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, will handle the menu. In the mini bar, are a range of the most expensive wines in the world, some of which cost more than Rs 3,000 a glass.
There's Moet Champagne and Bourgogne Pinot Noir and Scotch among others. A hotel source said, "We have already left them there a few days ago."
In the bathroom will be Molton Brown bath and body products from London, specially imported for her.
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The gifts
On Saturday, Hillary will go to Hansiba Creations at Napean Sea Road. The store stocks Sewa (Self Employed Women's Association) products such as accessories and home furnishings.
This will be the third time Hillary and Sewa volunteers have met up after meets at New York and Ahmedabad.u00a0
It was in Ahmedabad, in 1995, that Hillary had remarked that the torans were very attractive.
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It's a moment that has not been forgotten. Waiting for her at the store is Gauri Ben (44) , a member of the trust. "I have met Hillary 10 years ago in Ahmedabad.
I will gift her a toran, which is easily the most precious thing that I own. My mother gifted it to me during my wedding and it has been a lucky charm for me.
I have tried to embroider in that kind of detail, but what my mother did cannot be replicated," she said. The toran, richly embroidered, is a classic even to untrained eyes.u00a0
Gauri ben and her colleagues will be at Mumbai today and will visit the store before Clinton's visit on Saturday.
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"I want to spread a message all over the world that India have the best artisans in the world and this will be the best she has ever got.
My mother will be remembered all over the world," she said. Gauri ben refuses to price the toran saying, "It's priceless. How can I quote a price?"
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And that's not all. Sewa has also designed two exclusive kurtas for Hillary's daughter Chelsea. "We will gift these handwoven embroidered kurtas as a memento.
Hillary had appreciated our work earlier and we decided to gift her the masterpieces made by our artisans," said Reema Nanavaty, director of Sewa and an Ahmedabad resident too will be in the city on Saturday to meet Clinton.
Security At The Taj
The hotel has cordoned off the entire area. There are security guards at every floor and atu00a0 each entry and exit and people movement will be monitored by CCTV cameras.
According to the American consulate sources, "Background checks of the hotel service staff are being carried out.
Hillary's convoy will also be fitted with electronic mobile phone jammers. Hotel staff will not be allowed on the 11th floor.
Background checks have been conducted on the staff and ID cards and uniforms have been made compulsory wear.
What you didn't know about Hillary
> In 1969, after Hillary Diane Rodham graduated with departmental honors in political science, she worked her way across Alaska, washing dishes in Mount McKinley National Park and sliming salmon in a fish processing cannery in Valdez, which fired her and shut down overnight when she complained about unhealthy conditions.
> Hillary was involved in a scandal about having a lesbian affair with her personal aide Huma Abedin. Edward Klein's book The Truth About Hillary claims Hillary had lesbian relationships
> How Hillary met Bill Clinton at Yale: She got up from her desk, walked over to him, extended her hand, and said, "If you keep looking at me, and I'm going to keep looking back, we might as well be introduced. I'm Hillary Rodham." It took Bill Clinton four years to make Hillary his wife.
> As a child, she wrote to NASA, asking for advice on how to become an astronaut. Nasa replied that girls could not be astronauts.
Her Stay in Delhi
In February 2005, Hillary visited New Delhi while on a three-day private visit to India.
Though her agenda was kept confidential by her host New York-based Indian American hotelier Sant Chatwal, she did meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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She also attended a dinner hosted by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar.
Other 54 guests included the then External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Anil and Mukesh Ambani, Nusli Wadia, Rahul Bajaj, Azim Premji and Laxmi Mittal.
Things you didn't know about Bill Clinton
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Clinton is the only president to play the saxophone.
As governor of Arkansas at the age of 33, Clinton became one of the youngest US governors ever elected.
Clinton appointed more women to cabinet positions than any other president.
Bill Clinton, who served as the 42nd President of the US from 1993 to 2001, was the third-youngest president after Theodore Roosevelt and John F Kennedy when entering office.
His nickname as a child growing up in Arkansas was Bubba
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Hillary's Itinerary
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July 17: Mr's Clinton arrives in Mumbai on Friday night.
July 18: On Saturday morning she will attend a remembrance meeting on 26/11, which includes a meeting with the Taj staff who saved so many lives.
8.15am: Photographers will be allowed to take pictures at Golden Room.
8.45am: press interaction with Hillary Clinton
10.30: Visit to Hansiba store at Napeansea road. Later that day, the Secretary will interact with Bollywood star Aamir Khan at an event at Xavier's College.
July 19: On Sunday she arrives in Delhi where a climate change event is on the cards.
July 20: And her talks with the Prime Minister and the Foreign minister take place on Monday.
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