I crawl out of bed and start getting ready for my 08.45 flight from Zurich to London. It's a short, 2 day trip and for once, not business.
My first destination after arrival is the Village Underground at Shoreditch at 11.30 which I rush to after leaving my bags at the Hyatt at Portman Square. Slightly breathless, slightly late, the first talk at the Telefonica TedX event has already been underway for a few minutes.
But I am not here for the first talk, interesting as it was, or for any of the other talks that morning. What I am here for is to listen to our daughter Kiran, who is due in at 15.50 with a talk titled "Dancing with digital". I am one of the 3 honored guests together with Moulsari and Dasha.
Waiting for her to begin was not interminable. Other speakers (as is often the case with TED talks) were at times fun, at times fascinating and always interesting. The person who left the biggest impression was Nando Parrado, one of the survivors of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nando_Parrado) who left the stage to an emotional audience and a standing?
JS ovation.
Finally it was time for Kiran to come on. She was scheduled post the afternoon coffee break, the audience was fresh and she captivated them with her words, music and dance. She was funny, she was interactive (the audience got on their feet and danced with her) and she finished with her older sister Srishti's favorite song! It was wonderful to watch and listen to her - our baby has grown up so well!
Later that evening we met friends and went for dinner to Trishna, ostensibly a Michelin star restaurant near the hotel where the food was excellent but the service was lacking.
Friday morning. Dropped off Kiran's winter clothes at her flat. Went for a run in Hyde Park. Met Moulsari for a coffee and then Sunder (an old college friend) for lunch at the Mint Leaf. A simpler Indian restaurant at Bank, with good food and better service.
Then the highlight of the week was up - at least for Kiran, having put the TedX talk behind her. The iTunes festival. Camden Town. What a happening neighbourhood! We got there just after six and found our way to the front of the hall, right by the stage and waited for the pre-act to begin at eight. Oh, did I mention that the main act due at 9 PM (and the reason we were here) was Lenny Kravitz? To get in the mood, I had spent a few hours recently and today to listen to his songs. I knew the most famous ones now - American Woman and Fly Away.
To cut a long story short, it was a great act. Not just the singing, it was the band which was absolutely amazing. The guy with the saxophone and the gal at the drums were awesome. Legendary. The music blew our minds.
The crowning glory? Yes, right. It was when Lenny Kravitz slid off the stage and came right up to us singing - close enough for Kiran to hug him. If I had not seen it myself, I could not have imagined someone so absolutely delirious with joy! It was a wonderful moment.
Saturday morning - heading back home after possibly the best and most unique 2 days away. I am so glad that I made the trip. It was an honour to be at the TedX event and a joy the rest of the time.
