Rotarians receive visitors from other side of the world
By Michael Tidemann - Staff Writer
POSTED: May 9, 2008
Estherville Rotarians had a visit from the other side of the world Thursday.
Five Rotarians, members of a study group from India, were guests. They included Biswajit Pati (Bulu), team leader; Sunita Pani; Manish Shrivastava; Dr. Poonam Pandey; and Murali Krishna Ramachandravarapu.
Pati, a charter member of the Rotary Club of Rourkela Central when it began in 1996, served as president and is current chair of the International Youth Exchange of the RI Dist. 3260.
He set up a small-scale industry for electrical repairs in 1990 and two years ago diversified into the restaurant and food business.
“My family has a passion for hosting friends from across the world,” Pati said. “I have fond memories of some guests, the first GSE member Dr. Dean Rader from Texas and the Youth Exchange boy Daniel Briet of South Dakota. I and my whole family love to host GSE team members and Youth Exchange members every year and it was my dream to be a part of this unique program of Rotary, which provides an opportunity to interact one-to-one with host families and Rotarians of distant countries having diverse culture and lifestyles.
Pati said he also loves music, travel, reading, cooking, and dancing. He has traveled extensively throughout India.
Pani is a teacher in the Delhi school system while Shrivastava is lecturer and head of the department of computer science and engineering in the Institute of Technology at Guru Ghasidas University in Bilaspur, India.
Dr. Pandey is junior medical officer at Panday Nursing Home and Ramachandravarapu is a business consultant.
