Kaleidoscopes

On our last evening in India, a distinguished friend and advisory board member of London Business School invited us (a group of 35!) to a dinner party at her posh home in Mumbai.  Dr. Gita Piramal is a successful entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, and socialite.  And the word "home" is an understatement for the beautiful 10 story mansion her family occupies.  She gave us a heads up that she had taken the liberty of inviting a few special guests, so I thought that was fine.  Until we arrived and realized that she had assembled a "who's who" guest list for our event.  There were CEOs, influential journalists, leading lawyers, members of the Tata clan, the David Letterman of India, a leader of the Blackstone Group, and more.  Part of the game that evening for me was going around meeting people, trying to figure out who they were, and then finding out why we were both at the same dinner party.  It was an incredible and surreal experience...a perfect way to end our trek!  Dr. Piramal's generosity in opening up her gorgeous home, providing a dang delicious meal, and thoughtfully putting together the guest list was something I admired (and hopefully can mimic one day).   She mentioned that she purposefully put together this eclectic guest list because she wanted to create a kaleidoscope effect.  And I think it worked splendidly.  Different people, perspectives, areas of expertise, etc. all came together to create something beautiful.

The following morning, news of our dinner event was mentioned in the Mumbai Mirror (a supplement to The Times of India).  http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2011122220111222022340870edef2331

Wherever I travel, I usually have a mental association.  Some places remind me of feelings (e.g. Italy).  Some places remind me of history (e.g. South Africa).  Some places remind me of people (e.g. Aggieland).  Some places remind me of food (e.g. Greece).   And some places remind me of colors.  For example, Scotland (the greenest place on Earth) and Morocco (browns).  India reminds me of a rainbow or kaleidoscope.  Rarely or never will you walk into a retail shop to find clothes in simple black, gray, or white.  Usually, people where bold colors in combination.  Here are some kaleidoscope photos from my trip.