Inspirational Indiaspora Part 1
It has been a really fun two weeks. I spent September 11, 12, and 13 in Boston visiting my brother. He’s a wonderful slacker – doing his fellowship in infectious disease at Harvard. I then drove down on the 14th to Indiaspora a forum in upstate New York. (My brother was also invited, but he couldn’t switch calls at the hospital). Boston was a blast. I had forgotten how much I loved a walking city with public transportation – especially in nice weather. I also had a great time catching up with Adam Boyles and David Rahbee. It’s amazing how small the conducting world is. I haven’t seen David since my last trip to Vienna. The last I saw Adam was at a Masur Masterclass. Indiaspora was a truly amazing experience. It was wonderful to be surrounded by so many successful Indians from around the world. I was impressed by so many of the discussions. So, here is a quick ‘recap’ of Indiaspora (Part 1):
I highly recommend that you all run out and see Kumaré. Vikram Gandhi has put together an amazing film, which we had the pleasure of seeing on day 1. It has really stuck with me since I saw it the first night there. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a film that really makes you think about religion, our constant search for something greater – and how far we’ll go to find it, and how we can transform by helping others grow. (All that being said – it’s a freaking hilarious film).
Day two had a variety of interesting discussions from the media’s perception of Indians and ‘common Indian stereotypes.’ (Whatever they are… Ok… Most of you are thinking of doctors, software engineers, and Apu). I have to admit that I enjoyed this panel quite a bit – it was nice seeing 4 amazing Indian women who have not only explored the topic but lived it in a variety of ways. It was fun being able to sit in a discussion like that and then turn around and talk about leadership and healthcare with Ashish Jha. I also had the opportunity to meet Raghava KK – a truly amazing artist. Now, I just need to get one of his paintings!
The food was probably the most amazing forum food I have ever had. (And frankly, some of the most amazing food I have ever had). Chef Maneet Chauhan was in charge of the kitchen, and it was amazing! Part 2 will go up later this week. Honestly, I could probably write 100 blogs and talk about each and every person there. It was a true honor to be invited.