Last week we hosted a 15-membered delegation of Harvard students at IITD, and I was one of the overall coordinators and organizers of the 8-day conference under the Harvard College in Asia Program (HCAP)-2008. The first leg of this conference was last month, when a delegation from IIT (along with 5 other Asian universities) traveled to Harvard. I was supposed to be a part of it, but pulled out last minute due to some personal issues. Anyhow, getting the chance to host this conference here was a matter of great prestige and pride, and hence pulling it off successfully (in a last-week-March poltu-ridden insti) brings some satisfaction. This along with the relief of finally discharging all "responsibilities" for this year (and for my stay at IIT) implies some joy some peace, but more than anything else, more than the chaos and the madness behind the scene organizing the conference, was also a plethora of fun and memories created, something that's hard to be easily forgotten. :)
And why not, for it was a truly lovable bunch of 15 we got to host know and befriend (and I suddenly realise the number would have been ten-folds had I gone to Harvard). I wish I'd spent some more time with them than I did...I mean 8 days is small...and I spent so much time organizing things behind the scenes (someone had to, you know) that the interaction time was reduced. Anyhow, we had a mix of academic and cultural/fun events...ranging from talks by eminent speakers to wild Holi celebrations, movie screening, shopping and clubbing as also trips around Delhi, to Agra and Chitrakoot, Dilli Haat and the like. I'm pretty sure everyone had fun, and it was a great opportunity to interact despite minor hassles and workarounds in the schedule.
More than anything else, I realized yet another time that all people, despite all cultural geographical and upbringing differences, are just the same deep down. At the same time, we are all individuals worth a case study, characteristic unique individuals on whom superimposing stereotypes is so not fair an exercise. Inter alia, I spent a week getting impressed.
Life is good. :)
And why not, for it was a truly lovable bunch of 15 we got to host know and befriend (and I suddenly realise the number would have been ten-folds had I gone to Harvard). I wish I'd spent some more time with them than I did...I mean 8 days is small...and I spent so much time organizing things behind the scenes (someone had to, you know) that the interaction time was reduced. Anyhow, we had a mix of academic and cultural/fun events...ranging from talks by eminent speakers to wild Holi celebrations, movie screening, shopping and clubbing as also trips around Delhi, to Agra and Chitrakoot, Dilli Haat and the like. I'm pretty sure everyone had fun, and it was a great opportunity to interact despite minor hassles and workarounds in the schedule.
More than anything else, I realized yet another time that all people, despite all cultural geographical and upbringing differences, are just the same deep down. At the same time, we are all individuals worth a case study, characteristic unique individuals on whom superimposing stereotypes is so not fair an exercise. Inter alia, I spent a week getting impressed.
Life is good. :)
11 comments:
:) kudos!
inscrutable ?? :)
i hope not.
are gud hai ladki !!!!!
** I realized yet another time that all people, despite all cultural geographical and upbringing differences, are just the same deep down
Spot on! We r all HUMAN..the only true race.
Keshi.
A very good and thoughtful post..:-))
agreed..we are all unique...and subjected to case studies....:-))
[vibhav]
:)
[anonymous]
The title kinda, struck :)
Mystifying, at lst :)
[aditya]
haan jiii
[keshi]
On second thoughts, dunno if THAT is such a good thing.
[chakoli]
Kuch bhi ho, timepass to achha hai
The Goras must have been delighted to see Delhi, did you make them eat spicy food ? the regular yummy chaats at Dilli Haat etc ?
Shantanu
well yes....we all are same...just our cosmetic surgeons are different :P
..so what do you thought about the bunch from Harvard....what were most of them planning to pursue in future.....entrepreneurship,consulting..etc.etc....common yaar give us the whole deal
[shantanu]
Oh yes they were, but more so seeing the Taj and the village! We made them eat a lot of Indian food, and they loved most of it. Kept the too-spicy out though, it wouldn't go down their stomachs :)
[rahul]
And what wonderful surgeons are they!!
Well, the bunch was a mixed ecletic lot...doing all kinds of diverse things from economics to neurobiology to social science and folklore...and they had their own goals and plans for the future..some wanted to do the consulting i bank bit, and some just want to teach, or work in govt...:)
Hi are you Tapasya's friends and in IITD CSE?Just wondered coz I am also there....
Hi
That's 2 on 3 right...I'm in IITD and I'm Tapasya's old friend. But I'm in Chem dual 4th yr.:)
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