Harvard Business School - Day 40

Friday, 16 Oct 2009

There seemed to be a realisation amongst the participants on the course that time is running out and the daunting 8 week horizon we faced at the commencement of the program has been whittled down to the point where we be finished in two weeks today. A result of this is to put more substantial efforts into talking and understanding the culture, careers, lives and motivations of those on the course that one hasn't yet spend any meaningful time with. As if to underscore this intent today was filled with about as much cultural diversity as is plausible.
We started off with an Oktoberfest reception and dinner, which was replete with German beer, sauerkraut, bratwurst and other Bavarian fair. Following that Wayne (or living group's resident Chinese) had organised some of his colleagues to come over to our living group for an informal discussion of issues, observations and opportunities in China. After that we were invited by our Indian contingent (of which there must be about a dozen) to a Diwali Celebration. Diwali is a significant festival in Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and an official holiday in India. Adherents of these religions celebrate Diwali as the Festival of Lights. They light diyas, cotton string wicks inserted in small clay pots filled with oil (although this has largely been replaced by the use of candles) to signify victory of good over the evil within an individual. The had organised the local Hare Krishna Temple to come along and they provided some entertainment. All the Indian's were dressed up and resplendent in their traditional garb. We had our foreheads adorned with a red tilaka. There was a lot of lights, chanting and dancing. I have a card from the temple that says:
If you want to be happy, try chanting:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna, Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
This is a YouTube video that oone of teh participants shot  Diwali Night
I managed to get persuaded into purchasing a book called "The Science of Self-Realisation" which was a gift worthy of a donation if one felt so inclined. It was rather hard to take the book and be disinclined so I exchanged $20 for it. Its amazing how open to new ways of thinking you can be after several steins of German beer!!

As that died down, after culminating in some Indian Bingo [picture right]as a way of financing the night (and perhaps the Temple), the Japanese invited us out into the courtyard for some sushi and sake. A few of us escaped (smiling) from there and went into Harvard Square for a class of wine and a chat.

Outside our window both sides of the Charles River have become a collection of marques and people all there for the annual "Head Of the Charles Regatta" ( www.hocr.org ) which is by their own definition the worlds largest two day rowing regatta. The routinely expect 300,000 spectators along the banks and it is quite a spectacle.There are certainly a lot of people around and we have the perfect viewing spot from our living group window (as per the photo above).