5SR - October 18, 2023

Hitha on Poland, the 15 minute city, and Birkenstock's long game

Author

Hitha Palepu
October 18, 2023

Today’s curator is the founder of #5SmartReads, Hitha Palepu. She’s a consummate multihyphenate - CEO of Rhoshan Pharmaceuticals, author of WE’RE SPEAKING: The Life Lessons of Kamala Harris and How to Pack: Travel Smart for Any Trip, and professional speaker. Hitha is an unabashed fan of Taco Bell, Philadelphia sports teams & F1, romance novels, and is a mediocre crafter. She lives in NYC with her husband and two sons.

In a period of darkness, Poland is offering a spark of hope.

Poland had the highest voter turnout in their recent election since they returned to a democratic government. Not only that, they defeated the conservative coalition (the Law & Justice party and the Confederation party), and the new government will be lead by Donald Tusk.

Now the current government - led by the conservative Low and Justice party, who has faced corruption charges, violated the constitution in its judicial control, and aired propaganda on state-funded media.

Current President Andrzej Duda has yet to call the first session to appoint Tusk as the new prime minister for him to form a government, and expect it to come down to the wire or be potentially contested (something we should get used to, I suppose).

But may Poland and its voters offer a speck of light to help us out of this darkness.

I came into the RHONY reboot with high hopes and pride in Jessel Taank representing us as the first Indian-American Housewife.

She did not disappoint.

I have a lot to say about Housewives’ editing of their Asian wives, but something I was heartened to see is how Jessel refused to be reduced into any kind of stereotype and showed up vulnerable, hilarious, and just a joy to watch.

I’ll confess that the other wives’ inability and unwillingness to understand Taank’s immigration story (which began with her grandparents) is disappointing, unsurprising, and sadly all too American. I personally felt seen by it, and I’ll leave you with her own words on the subject (and a plea to read this entire interview - it’s honest and so real):

“It was very bizarre to me. I’ve never really had to defend my background. I’m an Indian girl. I’m British. I live in America. It’s not straightforward when it comes to how I got here. I think one of the things that makes me interesting as a person is where my parents and grandparents came from. It was shocking to me. I say the word shocking because, like everyone else on the cast, my story is what informs my identity. They kept saying, “That’s not your story!” I was like, “Who are you to say that?”

Mobile medical clinics have always been the future of medical equity, in my opinion.

And I’m incredibly heartened to see them gain traction in reproductive healthcare (in the states where said procedures are authorized, though those laws are anything but equitable).

Health care is far from equitably accessible in the United States, with reproductive healthcare being among the most inequitable. But like in Poland, creative, compassionate leaders are finding a way to deliver the care patients need within the confines of the law.

…and to a cool $7.5B market cap, no less.

The centuries-old company went public last week, falling short of its valuation but performing better than many new IPOs have been in recent years.

All in the name of comfortable, feet-healthy shoes.

If you love numbers or trend analysis and forecasting, you will really enjoy this piece. The Boston capturing shoppers’ attention and money last year was a surprise to all (and had me validated in owning two shearling-lined pairs, which I can finally wear with the temperatures dropping).

I live in a 15 minute city within New York. And it has improved my quality of life immeasurably.

Everything I need is within a 15 minute walk - the stores we shop at, our medical providers, schools and activities, the park, our favorite restaurants and cafés. There are weeks where I don’t leave my neighborhood, and I barely notice that I haven’t (and if I do, our transit options make it a quick trip).

It’s also better for the environment, reducing our vehicle usage and thus reducing air pollution and making this safer for pedestrians and bikers.

So what’s stopping us from creating a 15 minute city everywhere?

Conspiracy theorists. Yes, seriously.

“Some prominent right-wing podcasters, including Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan, have brought up the conspiracy theory on their shows. Last month, Rogan talked about 15-minute cities on his show. "You'll essentially be contained unless you get permission to leave," Rogan said. "That's the idea they're starting to roll out in Europe."“

If these conspiracy spooks took a second to think if a government can enforce some draconian law to prevent people from moving outside their 15 minute city…

Well, we’d have far fewer conspiracy theorists. And I still affirm that it’s a great idea.

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