.
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A few yards from the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, rhythms of freedom were beautifully performed at a concert at the Indian Embassy on Massachusetts Avenue. Talented artists charmed the packed audience with themes of rebellion, victory and harmony. While welcoming the guests, Minister Madhusudhanan Sridharan provided the historical perspective.
Iconic pictures of the late US President John F. Kennedy with late Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru hung above the artists - Vijay Ganesh on Mridangam, Devapriya Nayak on Tabla, Soumya Chakraverty on Sarod and Kamalakiran Vinjamuri on Violin. Each artist seemed to excel in the enthusiasm to entertain the audience which included diplomats, educators, government workers as well as journalists.
This late summer celebration was the brainchild Aparna Rao, an imaginative leader and co-founder of HAMSAA – an acronym that could translate in Hindi and Urdu as “like us.”
Many smart ideas – one smart nation is the theme emanating from Singapore. From the conversations heard during the celebration of the 50th Anniversary, one found that there were many smart people gathered at one place in the Singapore Embassy in Washington.
Despite its small size geographically as well as population, Singapore has made a major impact in international trade and economy. An indicator of Singapore’s place in world affairs was the presence of ambassadors and military leaders from many countries representing their nations at this important milestone in Singapore’s history. In his remarks, Ambassador Ashok Mirpuri extended a warm welcome to the large number guests which included Ms. Avril Haines, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor and Congressman Denny Heck, US Representative from Washington's 10th District and co-chair of the Singapore Caucus. Both Ms. Haines and Congressman Heck talked about the strong friendship between Singapore and US.
The annual Swiss Soirée is an event not to be missed in Washington because of the opportunities provided for both education and fun. In his welcoming remarks at the 14th Annual Swiss Soirée, Ambassador Martin Dahinden said: “It may come as a surprise to many, but Switzerland is a space-traveling nation.” Discussing Switzerland’s contribution to scientific and space research, Ambassador Dahinden further mentioned: “the ground-breaking research done by our world-renowned Swiss universities and companies. From space exploration to satellite communication, disaster relief and weather forecasting, representatives from some of our most innovative institutions are here with several fascinating exhibits.”
There are not many embassies where one can meet astronauts but on the 14th Annual Swiss Soirée there were several present. While presenting the Tell Award – named after the Swiss folk hero William Tell - to Swiss Astronaut Claude Nicollier, Ambassador Dahinden said: “He flew on four Space Shuttle missions and took part in two servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope. During his final spaceflight in 1999, Claude Nicollier participated in a spacewalk, becoming the first European Space Agency astronaut to do so during a Space Shuttle mission.”
Recognizing the Zurich Insurance Group one of the sponsors of the Swiss Soirée, Ambassador Dahinden said: “Zurich is the first company in the financial sector to introduce Swiss-style apprenticeships in the United States, giving one hundred young people the chance to start their careers in the insurance business as apprentices until 2020.”
The Swiss Soirée was also an opportunity to experience “a bird’s-eye view of the world” through virtual reality. This was made possible by Switzerland’s Zurich University of Art and Design which had brought along their new flight simulator “Birdly”.
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
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Fall Review: Rhythms of Freedom and Joyous Diplomatic Celebrations
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October 9, 2015
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A few yards from the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, rhythms of freedom were beautifully performed at a concert at the Indian Embassy on Massachusetts Avenue. Talented artists charmed the packed audience with themes of rebellion, victory and harmony. While welcoming the guests, Minister Madhusudhanan Sridharan provided the historical perspective.
Iconic pictures of the late US President John F. Kennedy with late Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru hung above the artists - Vijay Ganesh on Mridangam, Devapriya Nayak on Tabla, Soumya Chakraverty on Sarod and Kamalakiran Vinjamuri on Violin. Each artist seemed to excel in the enthusiasm to entertain the audience which included diplomats, educators, government workers as well as journalists.
This late summer celebration was the brainchild Aparna Rao, an imaginative leader and co-founder of HAMSAA – an acronym that could translate in Hindi and Urdu as “like us.”
Many smart ideas – one smart nation is the theme emanating from Singapore. From the conversations heard during the celebration of the 50th Anniversary, one found that there were many smart people gathered at one place in the Singapore Embassy in Washington.
Despite its small size geographically as well as population, Singapore has made a major impact in international trade and economy. An indicator of Singapore’s place in world affairs was the presence of ambassadors and military leaders from many countries representing their nations at this important milestone in Singapore’s history. In his remarks, Ambassador Ashok Mirpuri extended a warm welcome to the large number guests which included Ms. Avril Haines, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor and Congressman Denny Heck, US Representative from Washington's 10th District and co-chair of the Singapore Caucus. Both Ms. Haines and Congressman Heck talked about the strong friendship between Singapore and US.
The annual Swiss Soirée is an event not to be missed in Washington because of the opportunities provided for both education and fun. In his welcoming remarks at the 14th Annual Swiss Soirée, Ambassador Martin Dahinden said: “It may come as a surprise to many, but Switzerland is a space-traveling nation.” Discussing Switzerland’s contribution to scientific and space research, Ambassador Dahinden further mentioned: “the ground-breaking research done by our world-renowned Swiss universities and companies. From space exploration to satellite communication, disaster relief and weather forecasting, representatives from some of our most innovative institutions are here with several fascinating exhibits.”
There are not many embassies where one can meet astronauts but on the 14th Annual Swiss Soirée there were several present. While presenting the Tell Award – named after the Swiss folk hero William Tell - to Swiss Astronaut Claude Nicollier, Ambassador Dahinden said: “He flew on four Space Shuttle missions and took part in two servicing missions to the Hubble Space Telescope. During his final spaceflight in 1999, Claude Nicollier participated in a spacewalk, becoming the first European Space Agency astronaut to do so during a Space Shuttle mission.”
Recognizing the Zurich Insurance Group one of the sponsors of the Swiss Soirée, Ambassador Dahinden said: “Zurich is the first company in the financial sector to introduce Swiss-style apprenticeships in the United States, giving one hundred young people the chance to start their careers in the insurance business as apprentices until 2020.”
The Swiss Soirée was also an opportunity to experience “a bird’s-eye view of the world” through virtual reality. This was made possible by Switzerland’s Zurich University of Art and Design which had brought along their new flight simulator “Birdly”.
The views presented in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the views of any other organization.
