(It used to be four months but a long time ago moved up to six months).
In the same letter, he said, "I cried a lot in the first few months but a little less now".
The companies have held intermittent discussions for the last few months, but a deal is not imminent, these people said.
More will be expected of both in the coming months, but a solid start never goes amiss.
The mentors were supposed to withdraw after a few months, but a year into the programme they have yet not felt able to leave their Afghan charges.
The restrictions on the entry of goods overland have eased in recent months, but a strict naval blockade remains in force.
At 17, an eye injury kept him flat on his back and brooding for months, but a year later he was immersed in his studies, and in politics.
Tensions have eased significantly in recent months, but a rise in American drone strikes against militant targets in the tribal belt, which continued on Tuesday, could threaten that.
In manufacturing, orders fell 4 percent in March, the largest amount in seven months, but a crucial category that signals business investment plans increased.
Refugees used to attempt crossings only in warmer months, but a growing desperation to gain asylum in Europe has created a year-round smuggling business, the IOM said.
It occupies not a gallery for a couple of months but a skyline for tens or hundreds or thousands of years.
