WOW - Wonder of Wonders. Dadho Suttho !!!……… these words come to mind while thinking of the YSA Retreat.
With its genesis just a few months ago - look how much has been achieved and how far we can go - To put it plainly - the retreat couldn’t have been any better. It was perfect !!!
The weekend was extremely well planned - The right city with the right people and the right weather !!! Had a good mix of events - discussions, presentations, debates, Q & A sessions expressing vividly the sindhi thought and stance on - religion, civilization, history, culture and outlining the rich Sindhi heritage. Several thought-provoking ideas were bought to the fore and add to this good food, good music/dance, drinks galore and of course great people for a smashing good time!!! I was pretty amazed at everybody's attitude and enthusiasm - its pretty cool to be a part of a group that takes Partying as seriously as Satyanarayana pooja - So we balanced the ying & the yang!!!
I've made quite a few acquaintances and some good friends in this trip & I'm glad I showed up. Thanks to my cousins & friends for pushing me……...... This retreat definitely gives credence to the timeless adage - SINDHI's RULE!
Wanted to thank each and every one of you for making this happen - A special thank you & hats off to the host committee for the vision, dedication and the countless sacrifices and hours spent to make this happen.
I'm pretty certain this trip will be etched in my memory for a long time to come. Sindhi Simon with the afro says - " lets all make it to the retreat next year too !!! Did somebody say - ON A CRUISE !!!
Still on a YSA High !!! (& need to recover with some much needed sleep !!!)
Neeraj Alimchandani
I just wanted to say "Thank You" to everyone who made this event happen. I don't think I have EVER attended an event that was so enjoyable and memorable, it will be a LONG LONG time before the memories of this event start to fade.
I was actually not planning to come to this event at first, however am really glad that I finally decided to come. If Varsha had not called me every 3 days to ask me if I was coming I don't think I would have. Thanks Varsha!
The host committee did an EXCELLENT job of putting this event together and I think all the attendees did an even better job of actively participating in each of the events. It is very rare to see such genuine and active participation amongst people, especially from Sindhi's!!! In a way this event was almost surreal. There is nothing I would have wanted different in the programme and there was never a second that I was ever bored. AMAZING job everyone.
I have attended a large number of social and professional functions before, however never before have I met such a large group of quality people. Everyone I met at the event amazed me in one way or the other, also everyone I met was unbelievably nice and easy to get along with. The energy, participation and efforts made by EVERYBODY who attended this function was really amazing. There will be a lot of people I'll be keeping in touch with from this event.
I will have a lot of memories from this event, like singing Amitabh Bachan songs in the middle of a hotel lobby at the top of my lungs. :-)
Thank you again to all those people mentioned in Natasha's email and to everyone who came to this event.
For all those who did not come. You really missed out on a great event, I wish you all could have made it as I would have loved to meet the rest of you. Please try and make it to the next event because I know it will only be better!
Sunil Dadlani
Dear YSA Friends,
WOW. WOW. WOW. That about sums up my thoughts on this past weekend at the YSA Retreat.
What was amazing is that most of us were truly interested in attending all the forums to learn from each other and contribute what we know and think. There seemed to be a general concern about the dissipation of our culture through our generation and, with that, a proactive attitude towards making sure that this does not happen. Truly inspiring.
The time that the YSA Host committee and presenters put into this event was not so apparent because everything seemed so seamless... which is a sign of how much thought really went into it all... as an attendee, I could not have asked for more or even expected such a fantastic weekend! It was a great blend of learning and fun. And, everyone came with such a friendly and open attitude which created a flavor to the weekend - unique and memorable.
I am still on a "high" from the YSA Retreat... Sincerely look forward to staying in touch with you and continuing the dialogue here... Take care & bye for now...
--THANK YOUs--
***Thank you to the entire YSA Host Committee (Amar, Amit, Anil, Bobby, Dinesh, Jenny, Neelu, Neetu, Paras, Sameer, Varsha, Vishal) who made sure our stay in Atlanta was perfect.
***Thank you to everyone who presented and taught us valuable information during the retreat (Gul Agha, Anand, Anjali, Dimple, Jacky, Jenny, Kanchan, Kavita, Minar, Munawar Laghari, Vijay).
***Thank you to Anupa and Anil, our amazing moderators, who initiated this forum and brought us all together to continue our journeys through life and learning about our roots.
***Thank you to all the new friends I/we made this past weekend - I feel very connected to each of you. To those who were not able to attend - thank you for continuing to be involved in the forum and we will meet the next time around if not sooner!
Natasha Alimchandani
I know its been said over and over again, but I wanted to say it once more!!! WOW!!! This weekend was amazing!!! I was very reluctant to go to Atlanta at first, but I'm glad I did. The whole weekend was enlightening... the different forums and programs were very interesting and I was surprised that everyone was so involved. I want to thank all of the individuals that made this first YSA retreat happen and that it will go on for years to come.
I just want to tell you, got up this morning, went to work and haven't stopped talking about my weekend experience with my co-workers, friends and family. Vijay your workout has really killed me, my whole body is in pain (I guess I'm really out of shape!!!!!... I better get going to the gym!!!) Bobby, I give you credit for being at that desk for sooo many hrs andtaking all that abuse from all of us who didn't want to take the ID pic. Simon Sindhi..I hope u have changed ur opinion about the whole "high maintenance"comment!!!! But thanx for the menu request!!!! Well I better end here because I could just go on and on...
Got a few good pictures will post them soon. U all take care, and if u ever come down to Miami, please do get in touch.
Meenakshi Nathurmall
Just a few words on this past weekend's retreat! AWESOME! I can't thank the folks in Atlanta, and all of us that attended enough. You really turned it into a true family experience. What a great group of people and an awesome event. Cheers to everyone! I was completely blown away. I enjoyed making so many new friends and getting back in touch with old ones! We should continue to grow and improve our community and heritage and culture. If this is an example of the next generation of leaders, I can't wait to see what else lies ahead.
Sumit Advani
Hey all!
Its 3:15 in the morning, in London, and I can't sleep...! So I thought I would add to the list of Thank-yous for such a great Retreat!
THANK YOU for an amazing weekend. I came with no expectations and left with great memories, tons of thought provoking ideas, new friendships and lots of photographs! Oh, and of course the most important - recipes for loli and sindhi curry!
Thanks to all the organizers for making the event all that it was, and of course to everyone who attended. I have to agree, I really enjoyed meeting and interacting with such an interesting group of YSA. The ideas and topics that came about in the discussion groups were very valuable and I hope to continue the debates on-line with all those who attended and share them with those who were unable to make it.
I look forward to keeping in touch with you and keeping those memories alive...
Kiran Panjabi
