It is with great sadness that I write this. For some strange reason the lyrics of Neil Young’s My My, Hey Hey, is elevated. I can’t get it out of my head. In November 2015, I took a risk to submit a travel essay to Roads and Kingdoms. It is an award-winning publication supported by Anthony Bourdain. A month later a dear friend nvited me to attend a private gathering at his pub to be part of a taping for Manila’s Parts Unknown. I had the privilege of meeting Anthony Bourdain personally. He was generous to spare some of his time to talk. I mentioned I was working on a piece for his publication. The conversation changed my life. We spoke about food culture in Punjab and my hometown of Amritsar, India. He asked for my name and promised to read my work once he got back to New York. I kept writing after that. His one act of kindness, opened doors that would have remained shut to people like me in this country. A year after our encounter, I was asked to write for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, which is the highlight of my career. He gave people a chance to have their stories heard, and for that, I will forever be grateful. Salud to a man who has taught us how the rest of the world eats and how food can bring us together. Thank you for everything. Rest in peace, you will be deeply missed.
Xox Shirin
Shirin Bhandari 