Hello, my Desi Friends,
I’m in a very excited mood while writing this editor’s note, the main reason being our big Holi celebration event is just a few days away. It was this mood of Holi, which led me to instruct my graphics designer to put the happy faces of all our contributors to this issue on the front cover in a colourful manner. I hope the cover is as appealing as every time and it has that wow! pick-me-up feeling for our readers.
Holi is the second biggest and most sought-after festival in India after Diwali. It’s more of a fun element than the religious meaning that makes this festival so special. Colours, Water, Music, Dance, Amazing food and getting drunk are what completely summarize this amazing Indian festival. This year on 16 March, A-Desiflava Events will be hosting Range Barse 2024, its ours second biggest event of the year. Over 1000 Indians and other nationalities are expected to attend every year, i suggest you also attend or if you are going to miss it, check out the photos and videos on our website after the event.
In this issue, I’ve featured Chirag Nainani, a 16-year-old boy who is doing amazing work for the refugees living in Hong Kong. It is for sure a Community in Need and this article is an acknowledgement and gratitude towards Chirag’s incredible work towards this despised caste of our people living in HK. A big thanks to Kriti Dhodhi for doing this article and Anushka Nainani for approaching me to do this feature story.
Can you imagine Indian origins living in Hong Kong and teaching foreign languages to kids? Our Indians are now teaching Spanish, French and Mandarin to children living in HK, it is such a proud Feeling. For sure these incredible profiles need a big pat on their backs. You all are doing a great job, so pat yourself on the back from our side. Let’s find out how language skills can truly take you to places in our BUZZ-IN-TOWN column. Ritu Churiwala has done a great job, interviewing and putting together this article for us.
Up next in our PROFILE section is about a very famous and known personality among HK Indians living in Tung Chung. Around 13 years ago, when I moved to Hong Kong, I remember Manish Maharaj as the first and only Hindu priest whom I knew and who performed a puja at our flat in DB. I bet every Indian living in Tung Chung and over 50% of Indians living in all over HK, know Manish Maharaj, one of the first Hindu priests of HK. In this interview article by Ritu Churiwala, Maharaj talks about this journey to HK and how our community is helped by his religious gatherings and guidance.
A very special thanks to Mrs Poonam Mehta, Anisa Tan, Chirag Daruwalla & Tidimalo Shabalala for contributing with their respective columns in this issue.
I hope you all have a great Holi festival in Hong Kong. If at all, you are still not sure about your Holi celebrations in HK, please feel free to call me on 95433660 and I might be able to add you to my guest list of A-Desiflava Rang Barse 2024.
Happy Reading! Please extend your support towards the magazine by placing ads or taking up paid advertorials, I’m calling out for your support and love to keep the magazine going.
Thanks once again.
Gaurav Pardeshi (Gary) adesiflava@gmail.com
CHIEF
PUBLISHER:
MAGAZINE
Core values, do they mean anything to you?
Why personal & professional core values are so important in life?
Core values, Your values are the beliefs and principles that you believe are important in the way that you live and work. Yes, it’s very well said and understood here. Recently I listened to a few motivating and inspiring books on audibles, let me name these for you.
Traction & Rocket Fuel
by Gino WickmanAfter listening to these books, I got to learn so many new personal and professional self-learning. It’s good that I run my own business, so I can directly relate to everything these 3 books spoke about. Every day after listening to these books, I thought, today I’ll go to the office and start implementing everything.
But, once you reach the office, you
High Performance Habits by
Brendon Burchardare already in the daily grind and everything’s on fire with so many issues and matters to handle at the same time, everything I wanted to implement today after learning from these books, will immediately take a backseat.
The same thing happened almost every day, whenever I thought of
implementing certain important personal and professional things in my personal and professional life. This is when I understood one thing, before you want to implement anything new in your life by getting inspired by books and talks, first try to connect with the topics and understand where these things relate to you in your own personal and professional life.
I am very bad at hiring and judging people. I get carried away very easily. Rather than letting the applicant speak, I ended up speaking during the entire interview about our business, what I expect from the candidate and blah blah. After the entire interview session, it was very easy for a new applicant to just say, “Oh yes, I know your business well now and I can do exactly as you expect me to.” After hearing this, I would simply throw a good offer and hire the person. What a dumb thing to do. I hired too fast and also fired them too fast. Every person whom I hired didn’t last for too long, started playing mind games in the office, or either learnt everything from me and left to start his or her own business. For many years I was facing the same dilemma. Recently after suffering from bad hiring for many years, I understood from the book High Performance Habits by Brendon Burchard, that it is very
important to first know your own personal and core values and then whoever you meet personally or professionally, you need to find the matching core values in the opposite person. This is when I understood, why all super-rich companies and corporations have their founder’s core values, printed, mentioned and shown everywhere inside their offices. This is exactly when I started thinking about My Core Values, what makes me happy, what upsets me, what motivates me and what lets me keep going professionally. If you think hard enough and think about what made you upset with someone, what made you look down on someone and what motivates you to work harder and stronger, think deeply, and you will be able to list down your professional core values. After matching a lot of incidents and episodes in my work life I was able to draw down below core values, of my own.
THINK LOGICALLY
SOLUTION FIRST
Now whenever I’m hiring the next person for work, I look at their CV and understand their experience and expertise related to our business and work, and once I am satisfied with all these things, then I come down straight to comparing the person’s core values with mine. You can get the best guy from the industry to work for you, but if his or her core values don’t match yours, the journey together won’t be long enough.
I appreciate working with logical thinkers. Logical thinkers will always use their logical minds for everything before asking someone else for any kind of help. Sometimes, people will come to you without using their logical minds and will look dumb and stupid in front of you. The understanding is very simple. If something does not sound logically right to you, it will never be right for anyone else. Being a logical thinker helps in personal and professional life. People who don’t think logically always end up working under someone who simply uses his common sense first and does not get down to conclusions and judgements straightaway. As explained
by Google, and as it means in its actual real sense. The logical thinking definition is analyzing a situation or problem using reason and coming up with potential solutions. Logical thinkers gather all the information they can, assess the facts, and then methodically decide the best way to move forward.
It’s pretty self-explanatory. Whenever there is a problem think of a solution first and later throw your reactions to the problem. I know it’s easy to say and hard to do. Imagine a situation, where you are headed to the Mumbai International Airport and are stuck in a very bad traffic, your flight check-in closes in 45 minutes and Google Maps shows you are still around 1 hour away from reaching the airport.
The first thing that gets in your head is anger, panic and stress. These things are bound to happen and no one can stop you from getting panicky and stressed, but if you are Solution First person, your panic and stress will be less because you exactly know and you’ve already thought beforehand what you would do if you miss the flight. This is what I’m talking
about Think Solution First. If there is a problem, or anticipating a problem, keep the solution in your mind before you start panicking and losing hope. Similarly in professional life also, whenever there is a problem, think of a solution first and then go back to your reporting manager.
He/She would feel happier rather than angry because you faced a problem, but you are also suggesting some real-time solutions to your boss. Whether you accept your solution step or not, it’s another story, but the boss will surely appreciate you facing a problem, and having or coming up with some solutions. I always get people who come running to me when there is a problem. They are themselves in panic and they make me feel even more panicky. This is another very important characteristic I look up to someone. You always have to remember that if you are not fast, there is someone right behind you. Opportunities don’t wait for anyone. If you can’t do something or if you are not capable of doing something, even the denial and BIG NO have to come fast.
This is one of the most important core values I follow and I hope everyone else should follow. Your word given should be something unalterable or ineffaceable. If you give your word to someone, no matter what, you should make sure you do it no matter what. If you give a word to call back in 20 minutes, please take 30. minutes more but please do call back. If you say you will finish a given task in 10 days, you may take 12 days, but please finish the task. If you are not able to finish a task on the 10th day, call back your superior on the 10th day and ask for a few more days. All that someone should care about is your word
When you keep someone waiting for your response, you are not only killing your time, but you are also killing the opposite person’s time. If you have to say NO say it
fast, if you have to say YES say it fast. Keep it always black or white. There should be no Grey area. Speed of response shows the strong character of a person.
I’m not saying that you have to make a wrong decision in haste, but even if you need more time to think about a decision, your speed of response in asking for more time should be fast. If you like someone, pull over your fourth gear and propose to the person, if you wait too long, someone else will take the bird away.
given. Never back out from a word given to someone. When you give a word, you set a commitment, when you set a commitment, you set up expectations and when you fail to keep your word, you kill all of these and your respect in the eyes of the opposite person also dies immediately. This core value also implies at home. If you promise
When you give respect, you get respect. This core value defines your character and attitude. Irrespective of someone being older or younger than you, you should offer respect in your personal and professional life. In the English language, everyone is a ‘You’, “Can you do this?”,“can you do that?” But you can make it respectful by adding the word please “Can you please do this?”. In the Hindi language, we use the word ‘Aap’ to give respect to the person while in a conversation. I suggest you all use the word ‘Aap’ for everyone you speak to, for personal and professional words, irrespective of age. You may prefer to speak however you want with your
your children that you will take them out on Sunday to Disneyland, you better make sure you do it. Because if you fail to keep your word, one time, your kids may spare you but if you make it a habit, you will lose that respect in the eyes of your children. A man of the word is a man of his commitment.
very close friends, but when it comes to speaking with your employees, colleagues at work and superiors, please make sure you give that extra ounce of restructuring your sentences in English and using the word ‘Aap’ in Hindi.
Now keeping my core values in mind and jotted them down somewhere in my book. Every next candidate I interview and every next friend I decide to keep close or distance by comparing my core values with the opposite person. This helps me a lot and once there is a match in the core values, things go very smoothly and longterm with the person.
Similarly in business if you promise your client that you will revert by tomorrow on a proposal, and if you don’t revert to them, for sure they’ll start looking elsewhere but also they’ll never rely on your word given. So better think 100 times before you give someone your word.
A
person matching your core values 100% - For sure the best guy
A person matching your core values 80% - For sure consider, and develop the missing core value in the person, by speaking about it or explaining why
it matters to you.
A person matching your core values 50% and less - Don’t hire for sure, but if he or she is a friend, then keep them not too close and not too far away.
A person not matching any of your values - Is a big RED, stay away and distant.
The way I identified my CORE-VALUES, I request you all to personally identify yours. Look back at your own life and journey and then visualize the people you like and the ones you don’t like. You will get the answers and bullets of ‘What are my core values in life?’
Article by: Gaurav Pardeshi (Gary) Chief Editor
Refugees are supported rather minimalistically in Hong Kong – after fleeing some form of persecution or violence many look forward to coming to a place of refuge, only to be disappointed by the quality of life that they are subject to. The following article not only discusses the issues that refugees face in Hong Kong, but follows the initiatives by an impeccable individual, Chirag Nainani, a 16-year old who has helped the refugee community tremendously.
Could you imagine living in one of the most expensive cities in the world with a monthly allowance of 3000 HK dollars? Perhaps a rather trivial and ignorable amount for many upper class individuals, worth an expensive night or two on the frolic streets of Lan Kwai Fong, but for the asylum seekers residing in Hong Kong, this sum defines their entire livelihood. A minimal provision of $1500 for rent, $1200 for food coupons, $300 for utilities, and $200 for transportation – information sourced from South China Morning Post article (https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/ news/hong-kong/article/3147254/ hong-kongs-government-gives-refugeeshk50-day-food-and ) – governmental policies pertaining to asylum seekers in Hong Kong are unequivocally weak and insufficient. A city where refugees are not permitted to legally work and are often viewed in one way or another as deviants in society, the poor economic and social treatment of refugees has marked the end of the so-called “Hong Kong Dream,” one that is ostensibly based on ideals of independence, selfreliance, and entrepreneurship.
In Hong Kong, it is largely the liminal
status of the asylum seekers that prevents the full actualisation of their self-determination and financial autonomy. This is mainly exacerbated by the unfavourable legal circumstances surrounding the refugee community in Hong Kong, where the non-signatory status of Hong Kong for the Refugee Convention means that only a few asylum seekers over the years have been granted refugee status. Even the successful applications have been facilitated by the intervention of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR); an international Refugee Agency that provides vital protection to the refugees, and ensures that everyone has the right to asylum and safe refuge after fleeing persecution or violence.
Since 2014, the government in Hong Kong has initiated a Unified Screening Mechanism (USM) policy where applications for protection under either Convention (Refugee Convention or the Convention Against Torture) are screened by the Immigration Department. If an application under the Refugee Convention is successful, the applicant then falls under the responsibility of
the UNHCR, who will seek a country for resettlement. If the application is successful under the Convention Against Torture (signed by Hong Kong), then the person will be granted temporary protection in Hong Kong, but there are still no official channels in place to provide resettlement. According to the Anti-trafficking Review, this has led to a substantiation rate of approximately 0.8%. Therefore, the USM is often a lengthy process that is riddled with bureaucratic complexities, while the asylum seekers in Hong Kong continue to face challenges in the form of discrimination, financial troubles, and poor living conditions. Many of these refugees have to live in squatter huts or tin-roof shacks in the New Territories and other remote areas, leading to higher transportation costs that are worsened by the constant commute to and from governmental agencies for refugee applications.
As all legal paths have eventually led to a dead-end for the legitimate recognition and promotion of rights for asylum seekers, many organisations across Hong Kong as well as members of society are partaking in various initiatives to promote refugee empowerment. One such individual is Chirag Nainani, a 16-year old who has based his voluntary goals and portfolio on assisting
Refugees partaking in a football class taught by Chirag Nainani
the refugee children in Hong Kong by offering various classes to support their development and social integration. Inspired by his mother’s work with Christian Action, Centre for Refugees – an NGO that assists the refugees in Hong Kong – and his passion for athletics, Chirag’s refugee outreach program is based on offering aid in the form of football classes, homework help, and even school interview preparation.
Firstly, Chirag provides football classes for refugee children, alongside the assistance of a trained and experienced coach, and aims to create a
“safe space for children to run around, get some exercise in, and simply have fun.”
With limited access to food and water and the continuous navigation of the bureaucratic maze of Hong Kong, such classes allow children to evade their stressful situations at home and engage in physical activities. Respecting the financial barriers that these refugees face, Chirag has also hosted bake sales
in order to cover transport costs for these classes, and the local clubs have provided him with access to use their pitches for training on a regular basis.
Currently, the children are training at ESA, an indoor training facility that provides an innovative range of training arenas and machines to improve sports performance. The inadequacy of Hong Kong governmental policy highlights the importance of such classes and voluntary work towards improving the quality of life of asylum seekers and fuel a sense of self-sufficiency.
As one of the major issues that refugees face in Hong Kong is mental health or similar psychological problems - largely brought on by an over-reliance on insufficient institutional programs and limited social inclusivity - these classes can also provide the asylum seekers with a sense of community by fostering interactions with other like-minded children.
These interactions are extremely important for the social development of asylum seekers, especially as they are often subject to xenophobia and racism, which forces them to stay within the outskirts of society instead of freely integrating and blending in with the community at large.
Chirag has further said that once a refugee told him that, “all I want is for the world to treat us as human beings; the same way they would want to be treated.”
A clear divide thus exists between refugee children and the rest of the society which leads to symptoms of low self-esteem, depression, and helplessness, as each refugee desperately tries to regain a sense of normalcy and acceptance into society.
One of the periods in the last few years where mental health issues have been particularly prominent amongst children is COVID-19, where the intense virusprevention lockdowns and policies not only meant minimal access to the already scarce resources, but there was also a huge upsurge in feelings of anxiety and depression brought on by a severe lack of food and financial insecurity.
With many NGOs in Hong Kong already facing their own set of challenges during the pandemic – typically institutions that
refugees relied on to provide them with amenities that the government could not – this situation was also worsened by the limited access to food supplies and toiletries in supermarkets, with many refugees claiming how they did not have these items at home during the many COVID waves. It is within these times that Chirag was still able to provide football classes over zoom to the children in the form of drills or exercises that they were able to follow online and retain a sense of normalcy and continue some level of interactive activities.
Furthermore, additional efforts by Chirag to support the refugees in their daily life has included educational assistance in the form of a homework helpline and interview preparation to stimulate educational mobility across this sector. In Hong Kong, the refugees are allowed to attend government schools and are subsidised by the Education Bureau for monthly fees, school books, and uniform expenses, however, there is often a huge language barrier that exists at these institutions because many subjects and the curriculum is often taught in Chinese. There are also a few international schools in Hong Kong that offer full financial aid to refugees, one of them being Kellett International School who has in the last few years launched a new scholarship program for the disadvantaged communities in Hong Kong. Chirag helps many of the refugee children to prepare for interviews at the international schools – he also helped one of the refugee children from his football classes to prepare for the creative writing assessment and interview with the Kellet’s principal. It is further important to recognise that even though there are public or international schools where refugees are able to study without costs, many students have to work twice as hard in order to maintain passing grades or to stay competitive with other students in school. As mentioned above, there are often huge language barriers that exist within these schools that prevent the full understanding of the school’s syllabus dispersed across the
various subjects. In order to mitigate this, Chirag has created a homework helpline, composed of a WhatsApp group that has close to twenty families participating and students can reach out whenever they please and they would be paired with a tutor help.
Whether it be difficulty with subjects of science, mathematics, or language, the refugees are able to be tutored under other high school or university level volunteer students specialising in that field, which is extremely beneficial for the refugees than attending school sponsored tutorials that are often expensive and unaffordable. Furthermore, to create a more level playing field between refugee children and other students, Chirag has also hosted coding classes to introduce them to technology and commonly used softwares in order to
“give them skills that are in high demand in our day and age.”
Chirag has also stated the positive impact that these classes have had on the refugee’s daily lives, adding that
“entertaining and giving them an opportunity to learn coding is something that many of them appreciate and get excited to do.
” Chirag’s assistance and compassion to the refugee community also extends during the summer period – while many kids across Hong Kong leave to travel, refugees are unable to do so, and thus Chirag volunteers at Christian Action, Centre for Refugees over the two months of the summer break. During this time, Chirag helps to set up and attends World Refugee Day, supervises summer hiking trips, and volunteers to help out in trips to EpicLand. Therefore, it is evident the pivotal role that individuals such as Chirag play in order to help the refugees in their daily lives.
Chirag Nainani and the refugees hosting their classes at the ESA facility in Hong Kong
As explicated above, while there are many organisations and individuals such as Chirag who are actively striving for the improvement of refugee conditions in Hong Kong, there are many ways in which you can also contribute and make a difference for these refugees. A great and easy way to do so would be to donate to the many organisations such as Christian Action, Refugee Union, or the Justice Centre of Hong Kong who work with refugees and asylum seekers in Hong Kong.
These Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) provide assistance to the asylum seekers in the form of food, educational help, or even legal assistance, and donating to such organisations would increase their funding and capacity to further help these refugees.
Secondly, most of these NGOs have volunteer programs that are open to the general public, and participating in these programs allows individuals to offer their specialisation and expertise to the organisations and help them in their goal to make the refugee community stronger.
Chirag also has his own website called Refugee Youth, where he details his mission and initiatives as well as allows people from within society to volunteer; this can exist in the form of assisting with the homework helpline by volunteering as a tutor and even working with Chirag to teach the football classes.
It is important that people in Hong Kong strive to help this community in the best way possible and thus reconcile them with the rest of society. It is further crucial to remove a sense of stigma against refugees
and prevent their labelling as outcasts or deviants, and instead facilitate their integration with the community at large.
CONTACT INFO:
Refugee Youths Hong Kong
www.refugeeyouthhk.com
Christian ActionCentre for Refugees: www.christian-action.org.hk
Justice Centre, Hong Kong: www.justicecentre.org.hk
Article
by:
Kriti DhodhiKriti is a second-year undergraduate student at Sciences Po Paris, completing her major in Politics and Governance, due for an exchange year at King’s College London. At her university, she has studied migration, refugee conditions, UNHCR regulations, and has also volunteered at organisations such as Refugeek in the past that focus on teaching coding to asylum seekers in Hong Kong.
First up, we spoke to Nitika Harjani. Born in West Africa, this Indian girl moved to Spain and subsequently lived there for 11 years. She did her schooling there and that helped her learn and master the Spanish language like a native. Little did she know as a little girl, what destiny had in store for her, the places she would go to, and how growing up in Spain and imbibing the Spanish language would play a major role in her future career path.
Nikita can be reached at nitikaharjani@hotmail.com
Ritu: Nitika, let’s drive straight in. How many years since you are teaching Spanish in Hong Kong and who is your target age group?
Nitika: I have been teaching all age groups really, from 3-year-olds to adults and working professionals and I teach all levels until IGSCE. It’s been 12 wonderful years since the journey started but now that
I look back, I am really happy with how things shaped up for me here in Hong Kong.
Ritu: What’s your teaching format like?
Nitika: I do 1 on 1 sessions mostly, as my students and clients prefer that, however I am open to small group sessions as well. I am currently based in Tung Chung.
Ritu: Your love for Spanish language is evident, you grew up in Spain after all, but coming to Hong Kong how easy or difficult was it for you to get accepted as a native Spanish teacher, given that you have Indian roots?
Nitika: Well I guess, if you apply to formal language institutions like a school or learning center, then surely one would need to explain and show academic records to establish native proficiency and maybe face the bias of not being of Spanish decent. However, in my case, what worked was, the parents and clients I got were so accepting.
They didn’t question by roots or dig deep into my background. They evaluated me based on my teaching abilities, how I connected with my students, how their kids performed under my tutelage and how well versed I was with the language. My students generally performed very well and exceled with good grades. That for me was the real take home and established me as a Spanish tutor.
Ritu: How did you come up with the idea of tutoring?
Nitika: Language had always been my forte. I had a little one with me when I first came here in 2010, so I wanted to prioritize my child and manage my schedule around her. Teaching and home tutoring fit the bill for me and since then there has been no looking back. My students have always come through word of mouth, thanks to the good grades they achieved!
Ritu: How would you sum up your teaching journey so far? Would you say it was an easy ride or did you struggle a fair bit?
Nitika: I would say I have been really fortunate and my hard work as a language teacher had really stood in good stead for me. My students are from different nationalities, some native Spanish speakers, Chinese, Koreans, Japanese along with Indians, all have been really supportive and I had a great experience teaching everyone!
My tet-e-te with our next teacher Leher Manesh Bhawnani also known as Sandy, a western name taken by her so her students can relate and recount better, took me to France, atleast figuratively, as she specializes in French. French and Spanish seem to be a popular choice, when it comes to picking a foreign language to study, this is true for most Indian parents atleast! Let us know if you agree or beg to differ.
Leher can be reached at bonjourfrench4hk@gmail.com
Ritu: Which age groups do you teach?
Leher: All age groups really, from playgroup to IB or IGCSE and even adults who want to learn for business purposes. Typically, if anyone is applying for Canadian Visa or has work in African French speaking countries, I can tutor them.
Ritu: Why French? How did you pick it up?
Leher: I was born in West Africa, in a French speaking country, and went to a French IB school. So French was my first language
growing up. Infact, English was my second language as back then I was growing up as a French native speaker.
Ritu: What got you to Hong Kong? How did you start a successful teaching career here?
Leher: Being a Sindhi, I married into a Sindhi family living in Hong Kong. I had moved to India from Africa, and started using English and Sindhi more and lost touch with my spoken French language somewhat by then. It was my husband who really encouraged me to pick-up French again and start teaching.
I was very hesitant at first but got French books and watched TV shows in French, to get back in the groove. I reached out to my sister, who was in Paris by then, and started talking over phone in French with her instead of English or Sindhi!
It was like reliving our childhood days when we spoke French extensively! With no prior teaching experience, I started by teaching in Learning centres, and then a playschool. These experiences filled me with confidence. After this initial struggle, there was no looking back. I got kids through referrals and word of mouth. Never had to use the FB page I created for publicity.
Ritu: What has been your biggest learning as a teacher?
Leher: Once you overcome the barrier of perception, nothing is impossible. Also, as a teacher you have to keep upskilling.
Covid brought in the necessity of teaching online and my daughter, a teenager by then, taught me to use technology. Now it’s an asset for me. I take online classes and new possibilities have opened up for me in ways I never imagined. I have students across nations.
Ritu: Would you say you experienced any biases?
Leher: I would say not having higher education or enough qualifications on paper did go against me initially, as times are much different now from when we were growing up. There is also an expectation when institutions say native, skin color also matters.
However, there is no substitute and stopping for a hard-working and dedicated person. You will struggle initially but you will find your way eventually.
PC: Leher Manesh Bhawnani
Our next teacher Payal Morakhia is not just a successful teacher but also an edu-entrepreneur. She is the coowner of First step, a lovely bilingual preschool located in Tsim Sha Tsui. They trained themselves in Mandarin, seeing a surging demand amongst Indian parents who wanted to crack local school interviews and give their children an immersive bilingual language exposure from the start. Payal can be reached at payalmiten@gmail.com
Ritu: Payal, when did First Step come about?
Payal: In the 2015, my friend and co-partner, Niti Shah and I came up with the idea of a pre-school for kids
as young as 18 months old. We knew managing and taking responsibility of such young minds would not be an easy task, but we were up for the challenge.
Ritu: Why a bilingual school? How did you learn Mandarin?
Payal: We knew there was a demand, parents often came to us and shared their concerns regarding school admissions, and their desire for their child to be multi-lingual. We took it as a personal challenge and did online courses in Mandarin translation. We worked hard and incorporated our learnings in the form of fun-filled activities for kids 2 to 4 years old. We show them flashcards and teach initial words, greet them in Mandarin and
hence provide an immersive language learning atmosphere.
Ritu: How easy or difficult is it for young kids to be bi-lingual? Don’t they get confused?
Payal: Absolutely not! It is amazing, the capabilities and possibilities with the young learners is endless. They are like a sponge at this age. They just need right guidance and support. They understand if someone is talking to them in English, they reply in English. Similarly, if someone is talking in Mandarin, they would respond in Mandarin as a reflex!
I would say it depends a lot on the teaching style as well. It should be a very relaxed environment with caring and supportive teachers around. Any learning at this age should be fun and play based, that way the overall development of the child is very good and that is our focus in our playschool as well.
Ritu: Any tips for oral development of kids from 18months to 4 years of age?
Payal: Play with them and talk to them. Sing rhymes, show fruits, vegetables and colour flashcards, smile and say courtesy words. Kids pick up at their own pace but these verbal and body language clues work wonders for their oral development.
Ritu: What challenges did you face while starting a edu-business in Hong Kong? Or was it easy?
Payal: I would say we were fairly blessed, we had great support from the community, especially the Indian community around.
We always focused on providing the best facilities and maintain a great teacher-child ratio and focus on holistic personality development with art, yoga, sports and of course bilingual language skills. We are happy to see our kids rise and shine in their learning journey by taking their ‘First Step’ with us.
Our next teacher, Julie Aswani, was born and brought up in Hong Kong. She studied in a local DSS school, where she discovered her love for languages and excelled in French. While still studying for her Bachelor’s she got a wonderful opportunity to develop French curriculum for an international school here in Hong Kong. This experience paved the way for a life-long career in teaching for her. She had found her calling! Julie can be reached at Julie.aswani@gmail.com
Ritu: Where are you teaching now?
Julie: I teach as NET in a local secondary school. Also, for ECA I teach French. So, in a way I found my perfect fit, where I can put to
use my bilingual skills and stay in
after all! I had never developed a curriculum from scratch. It was a
trail-and-error and a process that I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of.
Ritu: What is your biggest learning learnt the merits of a well-planned lesson. It makes all the difference.
learning. And students benefit the most when the teacher has clarity.
multiple languages from an early age, what do you think are the key
Julie: I would say being receptive. At a young age the children have great capability to observe and learn. The kind of atmosphere they grow in really shapes their minds.
Ritu: Your message to anyone, especially the women in Hong Kong, who have bilingual skills but do not know how to best put them to use.
Julie: Get off the perception of being discriminated against. Also, the fear of starting can be very daunting. I would say get a PGDE done from local universities like
HKU or the Education University, plenty of information is available online regarding the admission criteria and process, get yourselves registered as a teacher in Hong Kong. Once this is done, there is no stopping you, you earn a decent salary, have perks in terms of rent and flight allowances, and most importantly get a healthy work-life balance. I have two young kids under 5 years.
I couldn’t think of a better career for myself. I spend my evenings and weekend with my kids without the stress of work. This way when I go back to work, I can give my 100% to the kids who come to school. I feel proud and accomplished to be a teacher.
Some schools may not require a PGDE initially, so find those and start your career, it’s never too late.
Interview & Article by:
Ritu Churiwala
Ritu is currently working as an editor and freelance writer for locally based businesses in Hong Kong. She is also running a Writer’s Club, teaching creative writing skills to kids 7 years and above. Her work can be seen at her instagram handle @ Thewonderfulworldof_stories. With a background in corporate communication and journalism, Ritu finds teaching young learners what she has learnt professionally, extremely fulfilling. She can be reached at churiwalaritu@gmail.com
PC: Julie Aswani
With the presence of the ethereal Sada Shiv Temple in Block 6 of Caribbean Coast, a landmark towering residential colony in Tung Chung, the residents of the surrounding vicinity could not feel more blessed and fortunate. The residing priest Manish ji Maharaj shares glimpse of his tumultuous yet divine journey of moving to Hong Kong as a 18 year old way back in 1978, in a candid and exclusive conversation with A-Desiflava. If you live nearby and haven’t heard or had the chance to soak in the glory of the divine deities at Sada Shiv temple, now is your chance to pay a visit and witness the positive vibes uplift your spirits instantly.
Q: Maharaji, tell us about your roots, where do you come from?
A: My forefathers lived in Kashmir and Sindh for generations and that’s how we came to be known as Saraswat Brahmins. During the partition in 1947, we moved to Rajasthan.
That’s where I began my journey, in the city of Ajmer, Rajasthan.
Q: Why Hong Kong? What got you here?
A: My uncle, Pursotam Das Sharmaji was the residing priest at Happy Valley during those days. In 1978, learning about my spiritual inclination, my desire to serve and devote myself to the greater cause of worshipping, he invited me to come and work in the Happy Valley Temple. I was there for two years. Least did I know then, that it would translate to me settling here in this big city of possibilities with my future family.
Q: What was life like in India, before you came to Hong Kong?
A: I was in Jabalpur, working and learning various skill sets under one of my other
Uncles. I did my B.Com and also learnt all things a priest must know from him, by shadowing him for 4 years. I singlehandedly managed a dairy farm and did farming in a 23 bigha land, tackling and championing the problem of water shortage in the arid land of Rajasthan. In retrospect, I feel nothing in life goes to waste, whatever I learnt then, as an 18-year-old, has stood in my stead as life unfolded.
Q: You mentioned working in Happy Valley for only a couple of years, what did you after that?
A: I worked in a local Chinese company for a good 22 years as an Export Manager. Alongside I practiced as a priest too. The company mostly had expat clients who knew English and that’s how I managed to work there as the only Indian among 40 odd
employees, who were all mostly locals. My work got me in contact with the locals here, who I must say are very generous, kind and large-hearted. They raised funds for me, a handsome amount that too, when they learnt that I lived in a shared apartment with muti-cultural people whose food habits were significantly different from ours. I shudder to recall, how my children and I would get nauseated in the small dingy shared space we called home back then! For a person earning around 5k HKD as salary, a 20K fund as gift was a mammoth help. More than what I asked or hoped for. With this fund, the support of few well-wishers and rich businessmen of the times and a very lucky last minute lucky draw bumper prize I could book my first apartment in Hong Kong, in Queen Terrace at the Hong Kong Island. I believe in the power of prayers, my unwavering devotion to my faith despite the harsh and unfavorable circumstances I was in, it guided me through. There was a day when I had just 100hkd in my pocket, just enough to buy the day’s meal and provide for my family, to the day when I made the downpayment and booked my first home here. It was surreal, a day I had never imagined! If today you feel your life is hard and pushing you to a corner, hold on to your faith, light and help will come around in unexpected ways. I have lived and experienced this in my life.
Q: So, did Sada Shiv temple come into being in Hong Kong Island at first?
A: Sada Shiv Temple and its roots date back to almost 325 years ago. My grandfather’s grandfather, living in Sindh at that time, got a 4.5 feet trident from an unknown mysterious person. He worshipped it diligently with all his heart and supreme devotion. He guarded it with his life and did not let anyone come near it. The trident is still with my family in India, revered and worshipped, just like older times. As a child, I was mesmerized and fascinated by the divine trident. I requested my grandfather for a similar one. He obliged and made one. It has been 55 years now, since I have it. All devotees are welcome to come to Sada Shiv Temple, now at my residence in Caribbean Coast Tung Chung, to take blessings.
Q: You have spent more than seven decades in Hong Kong now. Did you ever want to go back? How has living here been like?
A: I love my roots; I love my country India and am very proud to be an Indian. There were many times I wanted to go and do things for my motherland. However, for my children Hong Kong is where there they were raised, they are settled here, and I am here for them. When I was finding my footing, my family stood like a pillar of great strength and support for me, now its my turn to stand by my kids and watch as they carve their own path. Whenever I can I send funds to India, to help the marginalized sections. About 25% of the funds I raise via priestly services
goes towards widowers and their welfare in India. We help the needy here in Hong Kong as well, recently someone needed funds for marriage, and we were happy to help in whatever way we could. A temple is not just a place for worship but it transcends and translates into community building as well.
PC: Manish Maharaj
Q: How do you think having a temple and the presence of a priest helps the community in and around Tung Chung.
A: Sada Shiv Temple for me is a place which gives all Indians and Hindu devotees living in Tung Chung and nearby areas, a great chance to stay connected with their roots, traditions and culture. It reminds them of a home away from home. It is also the most convenient and efficient way of inculcating the values in the next generation, the generation that is largely raised here in their formative years. We organize various festivals from Janmasthami to Navratri and Shivratri. What gives me most joy and keeps in going in my priestly endeavors is seeing the little children come dressed as little Kanhas and Radhas and soak in the rich cultural heritage of India through the
festivities we organize. That is what gives fruit to our labor of organising and managing these events from our home or the nearby clubhouse facilities.
Q: How did the temple setup in your home materialize? How were the idols sourced? And how did you come about setting it up?
A: All the idols at Sada Shiv temple were made to order in Jaipur. A very kind and deeply devoted businessman, Mr. Gary Punjabi helped ship them over to Hong Kong some 15-16 years ago. Since then, these idols have been here in Tung Chung. I was fortunate to move to Tung Ching in its initial days. I got a chance to make a Shivling at the banks of the river, which is now replaced by the promenade. We had some big and small idols there, largely
rescued from immersion, as immersed idols which are not self-dissolvent would be fished by the authorities and chucked in bins. To save them from a disgraceful end, we would stop devotees from immersing them. While constructing the neighborhood, local authorities designated a storage place under the bridge to collect such idols. However, much more could be done to better the existing state of these idols.
Q: Would you rather have a flat solely for the purpose of the temple and its various communal activities than have the current set-up of having an open to public temple in your own home. Doesn’t it affect your privacy as a family?
A: I have been working so hard towards this, but unfortunately, despite several meetings, this has not yet materialized.
In picture: Manish Maharaj with his family, supporters and well wishers
I would urge the community to come together and stand united for the cause of building a temple, an exclusive area of worship and its related communal activities. When I organize these at my home, often I am running all errands single handedly and many a times paying from my own pocket for the arrangements. The limited space is also an issue in the smaller 3-room apartment that I live in with my entire family. During the initial days we did organize events in the clubhouse of our apartment. Though spacious, these places are used for various social events and are not ideal for exclusive religious events. For example, if a purification ritual like a ‘Havan’ needs to be organized and open area is required rather than an air-conditioned clubhouse with a kid’s playarea right outside.
Q: How has the support been from the various other priests across Hong Kong? Do you plan to do something together for the larger community across Hong Kong?
A: Pandit Lal Hardasani, President of the Hindu Association, is like PM Narendra Modi for our priestly community. Under his stewardship there has been a harmonious uniting spirit all over Hong Kong. His leadership skills, efforts in community building and guiding the younger priests who have been coming to Hong Kong is commendable. We share a close bond and meet to discuss large scale activities and the path ahead.
Q: How has the support been from the Tung Chung Community so far? What upcoming activities do you have in the pipeline? Any hurdles that you face in execution?
A: If I may say honestly and bluntly, the support has been quite disheartening. From lack of volunteers who are eager to lend a supporting hand in puja and event organization to the lack of funds, the support has been quite precarious and mediocre. Few local businesses, like the owner of the Bhavika stores generously sends sweet boxes for prasad, most others would shy away. A pilot friend and great devotee would get nick-nacks like bansuri and mukuts for kids from his travels, but very few others would be generous and think of extending any help to the temple and its welfare. Most would come for prasad, that is the sad reality! I feel the community has more tourists than bhakts. Bhakts are those who worship in their home, and in their vicinity, tourists travel far and wide to find God and its places of worship.
Q: If you could sum up your journey as an Indian pandit in HK what would you say? Any regrets so far? And your biggest achievement in your journey so far.
A: My journey would be fruitful the day I can build a dedicated an exclusive space for Sada Shiv and its devotees in Tung Chung. I am an old man now, but I will endeavor till I see this dream come to fruition. However, I need support. I need someone to come
forward and take leadership of this project and together if we stand united then this space is possible. The future community and generations being raised in Tung Chung will thank you for this!
Q: Your final closing comments for shiv bhakts all over Hong Kong would be?
A: Shiv Bhakti is to have faith in the divine superpower and this is extremely important for any progress and growth. Pass this faith to your children. We are away from the rich and culturally vibrant land of India, but let the divine power grow in all our hearts, especially the younger kids. Participate in religious activities as a family, only when you participate will your children see and inculcate the same habits and imbibe the culture. This is the only investment with manifold returns!
If this article inspired you to participate in religious or communal activities, provoked you to think about temple welfare, or if you want to help in any way towards the cause of establishing a temple in Tung Chung, please visit Sada Shiv Temple in Caribbean Coast, Tower 6, 11G or contact Manish Maharaj at 96657941
Interview & Article by: Ritu
Churiwala
Ritu is currently working as an editor and freelance writer and for locally based businesses in Hong Kong. She is also running a Writer’s Club, teaching creative writing skills to kids 7 years and above. Her work can be seen at her instagram handle @Thewonderfulworldof_ stories. With a background in corporate communication and journalism, Ritu finds teaching young learners what she has learnt professionally, extremely fulfilling. She can be reached at churiwalaritu@gmail.com
Answering your burning questions about spirituality in everyday life.
My name is Aastha from South Horizons, I have been watching a lot of videos on manifesting and I have tried to practice simple things like having a vision board and journaling. Why can’t I manifest what I want though?
Dear Aastha, manifesting has been a popular topic lately and it integrates spirituality, universal laws of attraction and mindset.
The most common reason for struggling to manifest desired outcomes is unresolved past issues blocking your energy.
Manifestation is about embodying and experiencing what you want in the present.
To manifest greater health, for instance, acknowledge your dissatisfaction with your current situation and envision the ideal health you desire.
Consider the thoughts, actions, values, and self-care
practices of that version of yourself. Apply this approach to any manifestation goal. By embodying the new identity and focusing on it, you naturally take actions aligned with your desired outcomes.
Release the old self that created past manifestations and welcome in the new self. Be aware of old beliefs that resurface to sabotage your efforts, as they serve as protection in the face of change.
By releasing old beliefs and allowing the universe to guide you, anything is possible in attracting what you desire.
My name is Manjit from Tung Chung, I am a very spiritual person and I have had toxic relationships for the past 5 years, I just feel like I keep attracting the same types of people no matter what. Why is this happening to me and when will it stop? I just want to attract a good partner.
Dear Manjit, it’s important to acknowledge the stress you may be feeling in this situation and appreciate your awareness to avoid committing to something that could harm you in the long run.
Intimate relationships serve as powerful spiritual teachers, reflecting the karmic patterns you are here to learn. While they can be painful, it is wise to explore the lessons these relationships are trying to teach you.
Repeating patterns means there are significant lessons to be learned and these relationships are here to assist us on your journey. Instead of focussing on negative feelings towards these individuals, it is beneficial to focus on the lessons at hand.
Before entering a new relationship, take time for inner reflection through meditation and journaling to identify common themes
from your past relationships. It’s possible that you may discover core wounds from past lives and since childhood which impact self-worth, self-love, confidence, or values.
By shifting the focus to your own soul lessons, you can break free from these patterns.
Integrating the lessons you learned and changing your inner beliefs and behaviours will alter the energy you send out to the universe. This will help you attract relationships which are aligned with your healed self rather than the wounded past.
May you resolve these karmic relationship patterns and attract the love you deserve in this lifetime.
My name is Helen from Kowloon. I feel that even when things are going well, I just keep remembering all the things that hurt me in the past and I keep thinking it could happen again, so I find it hard to enjoy life.
Dear Helen, I can understand that it is hard to let go of the past, especially when we have experienced painful memories.
It’s important to remember that you are not your past and that there is always something valuable for us for the future. The past serves as a template for what we can do better. It is natural for your nervous system to register something painful and each time you reimagine it, your body tends to experience that same rush of emotions which can push you into a spiral of fear.
You are a Divine being who has the power to control your thoughts and to stop it in its track by recognising that it is just a pattern which you can stop, and consciously choose a different path.
Each time you do this, you powerfully remind yourself to stay in the present moment and to simply be an observer.
You can choose to say an affirmation which brings you back to the present moment: “I am here now” or “I release all non-serving thoughts and come back into my body, here and now”. Feel free to create your own powerful affirmations to stop this pattern when you recognise it. Living in the present moment takes practice. Having awareness of these fear spirals is a great first step.
Keep using these powerful affirmations to take away the power of the past and simply enjoy the present moment.
My name is Manjit from Tung Chung, I am a very spiritual person and I have had toxic relationships for the past 5 years, I just feel like I keep attracting the same types of people no matter what. Why is this happening to me and when will it stop? I just want to attract a good partner.
Dear Vishen, it’s great that you acknowledge your desire to connect more with the spiritual aspects of life. We are after all a soul with a body and it is natural to feel like something is missing if we are only focussed on the busyness of life.
There are so many simple techniques to help you feel more connected within and help you detach from the everyday buzz.
The first step is to take stock with how you are currently spending your time. Sometimes we
do things that we feel are relaxing, but they are simply habits which can numb us from actually connecting within and having time with our higher self.
Aim to start off your day feeling connected to your higher self by replacing non-serving habits, like checking your phone as soon as you wake up.
Replace this with a short, guided meditation instead. You could also go for a walk around nature and keep your phone off limits.
Another helpful habit is journalling at the end of each day to acknowledge the things you are grateful for, or to express the deeper feelings you were too busy to explore during the day.
The last thing you can do is find a spiritual group to connect with where you can share your thoughts and ideas in a safe space with likeminded people.
Choosing one of these practices and doing them consistently will help you to feel more connected.
Article by: Anisa Tan,
Anisa is a South AfricanAustralian Healing Practitioner living in Hong Kong. She is passionate about exploring energy healing in the modern world and teaching people how to find simple, practical solutions to embrace their journeys. She runs an online holistic healing platform called Higher Heart Holistic.
If you would like to connect, then please send an email to: higherheartglobal@gmail.com
Whatsapp: +85253377640 www.higherheartholistic.com
Being a mum is one of the most precious moments in life; the process of it all is a divine intervention. One that propels you to not think of your immediate needs. You start dreaming of a perfect baby and all the lovely experiences you could have as a mum.
Some of my daydreaming moments included all the cute pink and sparkly outfits that I could buy, the happy moments that would change my life at the first Mickey Mouse-themed birthday party, the love, and joy that I would share with my loved ones, how I could share this experience with my mum, and all the fun time I was about to have.
Juggling it all.
I remember having sleepless nights, waking up at 4 am for a diaper change, the body pains, and how my entire body
am for work after snoozing off at 4 am, organize playdates, and make it to doctors’ appointments. Some sad moments of sometimes feeling defeated when I could not go back to sleep, completely unable to manage my day and get everything done, or some of the self-neglect that most mums experience when they no longer feel like themselves anymore.
You don’t have it all together.
Yes, sometimes you do go through these experiences with a supportive partner, but there are just some elements of becoming maternal that are so sacred. It is a spiritual journey that you know must happen, and
unconditional love. A new human being has now taken charge. You are overwhelmed with that immediate challenge to live your life to the fullest, appreciate all the good moments, and cherish the challenges.
You have created your expectations to have it all figured out; you hide between the silent cries in the bathroom or while making lunch, and you realize that your ‘precious baby’ is not yet eating all the foods needed for their age group. You are dealing with awkward moments after a playdate, wondering if you are doing enough to teach your child to ‘share’ their toys. You feel the overwhelming pressure in your throat as you do everything you can not to burst into tears.
Your inner child also wants to play.
With all of that happening, a time comes when you start experiencing your motherhood at a much deeper level. It’s inevitable for you not to connect and start thinking about your childhood and trying to recreate moments that helped you become a better person. For me, celebrating small and big moments added to so many happy memories, such as the big Christmas festivities, I have always tried to make it a point to teach my kids to celebrate life and be involved with what is happening worldwide. I also remember some not-sogreat childhood moments that could have been better for me, such as not trying to be friends with everyone on the playground.
Connecting all those childhood behaviors to figure out how to be a better mum is one of the most liberating moments you will ever have. It’s a part of you that starts making peace with your ‘inner child.’ It is also a moment to liberate yourself, stop comparing yourself with others, and, most importantly, to stop comparing yourself to yourself.
The super mum doesn’t exist. The era of ‘Super Mummy’ has been marginalized and challenged by amazing stories from women around the world who have shown the importance of raising good children, instead of perfect children. The 20th century has created life-changing experiences that have supported us all in truly understanding how we are building and shaping the world in our homes.
We are responsible and in charge of the adults that our children are becoming. We are accountable for creating liberal human beings who will eventually solve and change some social challenges. They will continue creating a better future. The moment we begin dissolving a
comparison within ourselves and how other mums are raising their children is the moment we realize that we all come from different backgrounds. Those backgrounds have shaped unique human beings who can connect and evolve with the times while appreciating each other’s perspectives and contributions.
The downfall of the Super Mummy mindset is needed in our society. Learning to experience our motherhood with no pressure and the need to create multiple boundaries to protect our experiences will create new opportunities.
So instead of striving to be Super Mummies, let’s continue having moments of ‘not having it all together’ and marking those days as perfect days that confirm that we are human. Let’s strive for human experiences that allow us to live instead of trying to have it all together.
Article by: Tidimalo Shabalala
idi is a Communication Specialist with over 12 years of working experience and the Founder of Tidi Consulting Limited based in Hong Kong. Her passion lies in supporting start-ups and influencers by enhancing their brands using creative ways to expand their share of voice. She has worked for global agencies as a communications manager and lead at TBWA network affiliates Magna Carta, Ogilvy South Africa, and Fleishman Hillard South Africa.
Founder of Tidi Consulting Limited –Strategic Communication and Brand Enhancement)
Email : tidimalo.manamela@gmail.com
Q.1 Hello Aunty I am Pratibha from Lohas. My son Rajat is 15years old, he is less into studies and more into Fun and playing all the time, sometimes he makes me cry by the losses he did at home. He does not understand the value of money. We counsel them so many times but unable to see any changes. Please give some suggestion as a Guardian Dear Pratibha, I understand your concern. Raising teenagers requires a lot of patience, understanding, most of all tender love. They are more susceptible to the impacts of stress. Typically, teenagers are self-conscious and very sensitive to criticism. At this age, they are focused on and influenced by social media with peers. Teenagers, like to test the limits, don’t be surprised if your teenager argues even though you may be right.
Q.2 Hi Miss Mehta, I am Jolly staying Hong Kong for 10 years, I am 46-year-old and fell useless. Lost my business five year ago and Can’t see my life on track. How do I reset my Life?
Dear Jolly,
Remember, you are not the only person facing financial difficulties, there are many out there in the same boat. Don’t blame yourself for financial losses. Debts take a huge toll on mental health. Don’t allow yourself to go there. First, check your financial privilege.
Q.3 Hello Poonam ji I am Pratap Father of two kids, and a husband of Entrepreneur Wife. What Life advice do you have for 55 year- old man
Dear Pratap, Be proud of your wife’s achievements, and constantly support her.
Enhance your skills and occupy yourself with a worthy cause Stay happy and live a life with an attitude of gratitude.
Praise the Lord for your health which is a treasure in itself.
When talking to them:
• Maintain an eye contact;
• Set the right tone;
• Avoid repeating;
• Teenagers ignore nagging parents;
• Provide a safe place to talk;
• Discuss problem only when calm;
• Build a relationship on trust;
• Non-judgmental and open conversation should be your approach.
You have mentioned that at times you have counselled him, parental counselling will sound like a lecture to your boy whereas, professional counselling will make a difference.
Please find a school counsellor or you are welcome to contact us at BE THE CHANGE
Best Wishes
Talk to your creditors, be they banks or credit card companies. Make an appointment place your problem and ask them to give you some time. Work on a plan with them. If your intentions are honest, miracles happen!
Trust in God’s will!
Q.4 Hi Poonam Ma’am Is it possible to still become successful after 45 years old when you are completely broke, have no assets, and your credit stinks? (Anonymous reader)
‘Amid every crisis lies a great opportunity that will make your life extraordinary’
Many people are going through a financial crisis. Be open to sharing your situation with your creditors ask them for time.
Start a new chapter in your life. It’s never too late. Look for a job even it offers you a small salary. Please reflect on your life, as to where did you go wrong, Keep yourself in a positive state of mind.
You are created to do great things so believe in God and yourself.
Best wishes.
Q.5 Hi I am Satish from Island side of HK, My Ques is, Is it possible to turn your life round at 50? I’ve made a lot of mistakes, have no partner, no money, and no house. I’m 49 soon and am dreading turning 50.
‘There is a bright spot in every dark cloud, no dark cloud forever prevents the sun from shining’
50 is just a number, you are still very young. Count your blessings that you are healthy and each day is bliss. The positive side of your life is that you are aware of the mistakes you have made, which, have resulted in your financial downfall.
Don’t focus on the past. Pick up the pieces and complete the puzzle of your life.
Find a new job. Google online jobs in Hong Kong. There is a long list to select.
Look into hk.jobsdb.com jobs available for salesmen in all classifications.
Adjusting to a new path and a new direction will require confidence and belief.
Changing the inner attitudes of minds can change the out aspects of your life.
Apply for housing, takes time but is worth applying.
7
Q.7 Hi Poonam ji, my question is, if you have a dream about someone other than your partner is it the same as cheating? Would you tell your partner about the dream? What is your advice in this regard?
Dear Anonymous,
Your dreams appear to be romantic, be assured this not cheating, moreover, it is not in your control. It could be that you are having doubts about your current relationship. Your subconscious might be curious to discover what it would be like to be with someone else other than your partner.
If you have a healthy relationship with your partner share it with her and laugh it out. Thereafter, you may not dream or feel guilty.
Q.6 Hi Mehta Aunty, do men often dream of other women when they are in a serious relationship? Why? Will you put some light on this?
Dear Anonymous,
Most of us dream, sometimes fascinating, exciting or terrifying. Some theories suggest dreams help us deal with emotions, solve problems or manage hidden desires. Others claim that they clean up brain waste, make memories stronger or deduce the meaning of random brain activity.
It is important to note that dreams do not always have a literal meaning and should not be taken as a sign to act on these desires.
Listen to music or read a book before going to bed. The best is meditation.
If you ever need any advice come to Aunty for help. Please send us your questions by email to adesiflava@gmail.com with subject line : Aunty MVP
In Love, Light & Healing
Article by: Poonam V Mehta President (M. Ed. Guidance & Counselling) Educator & Counsellor
Be the Change HK Ltd
Reg: under section 88
MOB: 9235-6628
www.bethechangehk.org
By Astrologer Chirag Daruwalla
son of Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla
Horoscope March 2024
Ganesha says this month will be better for you. There is also a possibility of you getting married this month. Love life will also be romantic. However, there will be ups and downs in love life for some time. However, domestic life will be good. You will also get happiness from children. Your father may have health problems. take care of them. You will be successful in your work. There will be chances of a long journey. There may also be a job change. In the second phase of the month, your position in the job will be strong. You may also get a promotion. You will get benefits from the stock market. You will benefit by making good decisions. You will also invest in the business, in which you will achieve success. Completion
of pending work will also bring financial benefits. At this time, your self-confidence will be high and on the other hand, your expenses will also increase, but due to a good income, you will not have to face any problems. Time is good for people preparing to go abroad. Now you can get success. There will be some problems in competition and elections. There may be differences with friends at the beginning of the month, but in the second phase of the month, support from friends will be beneficial in your career. From a health point of view, your health will improve now. However, try to avoid any kind of infection.
to take some caution in matters of health. You may have high fever and blood pressure problems.
Ganesha says time is good for people with the Taurus zodiac sign. There will be interest in religious activities. There will be an atmosphere of happiness in the house. However, there will be tension in love life. Time will be good for married life. You will romance openly with your spouse. You will work hard in the job, which will strengthen your position in the job. If you do business, your business will run at full speed and you will not need to look back. Your income will also increase. An increase in income is certain. You may get sudden financial gain. Talking about students, this month they may have to face some problems in their studies. However, you may be successful in going abroad. You may also get financial benefits from abroad. From a health point of view, you are advised not to get involved in any fight with anyone, because in that fight you may suffer loss and may even have to suffer physical harm. Therefore, it would be better that you stay away from the disputes of others. It will be necessary
Ganesha says it will be time for you to take strong steps. This month will be good for people living a love life. You can introduce your beloved to your family. The domestic life of married people will pass harmoniously this month. This year will bring good news for employed people. You may get some big benefits from the government. This will be a time of progress for you in your job also. This month, businessmen will get a golden opportunity to advance their work with new ideas, which will increase their income. This month you can buy a big property and you can also benefit from buying and selling property. Right now you will experience some mental stress, but due to your strong willpower, you will get success in your work. Talking about students, now they will get good results related to their studies. There is no major problem from a health point of view at present, but you will have to take care of your health. The first and third weeks of this month will be good for travel.
Ganesha says the month will be good for you. There will be romance in the relationship and you will like to live your life openly, leaving aside small matters. Some people will get a chance to enter into a marital relationship. The domestic life of married people will also be happy. With the blessings of the planets, the feeling of love, understanding, and responsibility towards each other will increase in your domestic life. This month will bring happiness to people living a love life. You will mature in your relationship. Right now you will feel that you are not suitable for this work, you should do something else. Try to avoid such a situation. This month will be as expected for businessmen and you will get profits. At this time, you will have expenses, but your income will also be very good, due to which you will somehow be successful in managing your financial situation. Employed people will enjoy their work and you will do your work with
willpower, but sometimes your mind will deviate from your work. This month is good for students. There will be interest in studies. The second and fourth weeks of this month will be good for travel.
Leo
Ganesha says this month is going to be moderately fruitful for you. The domestic life of married people may remain somewhat stressful at this time. You may have to face problems due to your spouse’s angry attitude. It would be better if you talk to them lovingly. This month will be very good for people living a love life and you can go out somewhere with your beloved. At present, your luck will be strong, due to which you will get success in your work. You will try to change your job with the idea of doing something new. Some people may also get the desired transfer. Your knowledge will be useful to you. Your intelligence will remain sharp. At present your income will be normal, but your expenses will also be normal. The first month of the year will also bring some new hopes for you. Efforts made in connection with business
efficient intelligence. This month will be good for employed people. Avoid unwanted trips now. Talking about students, now they will get good results in their studies. From a health point of view, you will need to take care of your health now. Maintain regularity in eating habits also. If traveling is very important then the second week of this month will be good.
Ganesha says the month is going to be auspicious for you. Love and affection will remain intact in your relationship due to which you will be able to fulfill all the happiness in your life. This month will be good for people living a love life, but do not share your thoughts with any outsider, otherwise, you may have to suffer loss. Problems may arise in your relationship also. This month will be good for businessmen. You will travel to distant countries or states to further your work, which will bring you good profits. By knowing the real situation you will complete your work on time and get good results. This month will be one of hard work for employed people. You will travel a lot in connection with work. Talking about students, they will get mixed results in studies. You will have to work harder. From the health point of view, your health will remain strong at this time, which will also maintain your self-confidence. The second and fourth weeks of this month will be good for travel.
Ganesha says the month will be normal for you. You will love your spouse with all your heart, but still, you will become arrogant and say many such things, which
can create an atmosphere of disappointment in your relationship. This month will be normal for people living a love life. You may be away from your beloved and the bond of love between you may weaken. So keep talking as much as possible, so that they do not realize the distance between you. You will be romantic at heart, but you will also have an ego, which will affect your domestic life. This month will be good for employed people. You will earn good money through your hard work and will also be successful in keeping your superiors happy. This month is also going to be good for businessmen. You will get good benefits. Talking about students, now they will have to pay serious attention to their studies, only then they will be able to get good marks. From a health point of view, you need to take care of your health now, otherwise, you may fall ill. The first and fourth weeks of this month will be good for travel.
Ganesha says this month will be very fruitful for you. This month will be good for the domestic life of married people. Keep your company good. The first and second weeks of the month will be good for travel. Your spouse can become a source of profit for you. This month will be good for people living a love life. You will be very serious about your relationship and will tell everything in your heart to your beloved, which will reduce the distance between you. This will increase love in the relationship. This week will be very fruitful for the business class. You will get good profits in business, which will strengthen your reputation.
Employed people will remain steadfast in their work. Minding your own business and working well will be beneficial for you. Do not take anyone’s advice and do not say anything against your boss or any senior officer, otherwise, you may have to face trouble. Now you can get success in going abroad and you will get good respect by going abroad. There will be an increase in expenses and an increase in income will also be seen. Talking about students, this month will bring good results for them. From the health point of view, you will have to take care of your health right now, because you may fall ill.
Ganesha says this month will be very good for you. You will have to make efforts to bring sweetness to your relationship. This month will be normal for people living a love life. Communication will form the basis of your relationship. There may be some good news in your family which will keep the family members happy. At this time, the health of the younger people in your family may decline, keep this in mind. It will be better for you to start some new work. This month is not very good for businessmen, so be a little careful, as expenses are likely to increase and income may decrease. You will be successful in increasing your income by using your intelligence. Employed people will face some problems in work matters and they will think about changing jobs.
Talking about students, right now they will have
Scorpio Sagittariusto concentrate seriously on their studies. Right now your intelligence will remain sharp and you will remember anything quickly, but still, there may be some obstacles in your studies. From a health point of view, your health will be good at this time, which will benefit you. The third week of the month will be good for travel.
Ganesha says the month will be moderately fruitful for you. There will be a possibility of some tension in family life. However, the domestic life of married people will go on normally. This month will bring mixed results for those who are in love relationships. Love and romance will remain intact in your relationship but there may also be ego conflicts. It would be better if we stayed away from it. This month is going to be a bit cautious for employed people because there are chances of changing jobs. This month can prove to be very beneficial for the business class. They can get great benefits from working from remote areas or states or other countries. Now your creativity will increase. This month your income will increase rapidly, which will strengthen your financial position. There will be a slight increase in expenses, but you will still progress financially. You will make good decisions, which will take you forward on the path of success in life. Talking about students, now they will get a chance to learn a lot of new things in their studies. From a health point of view, your health will be fine for now. There doesn’t seem to be any major problem. However, pay attention to your diet. The second and third weeks of this month will be good for travel.
Ganesha says the month will be generally fruitful for you. Romance will increase in the relationship and there is a possibility of minor disputes, still, your relationship will go well. This week could be good for people living a love life. You can propose marriage to your beloved. This month will be full of ups and downs for working people. You will work hard, which will give you good results, but for some reason, you will not be satisfied. It would be better to keep working peacefully and patiently. This month will be good for businessmen. Your work will increase and you will establish contacts with some new people, who will be very useful to you in the future. Talking about students, this time is good for them. There will be good chances of getting success in the competition. From the health point of view, at the beginning of the month, you will have to take special care of your health, because you may fall prey to some disease. To avoid this, you will have to pay attention to your eating habits and include pranayam in your daily routine. The second and fourth weeks of this month will be good for travel.
Employed people will have to work very hard in their work because this time will not be very good. Therefore, do not leave any scope for cutting down on work. People from the business class will contribute very well to their work and will also get benefits from it. This month will be good for you from a financial point of view. Money will come to you. The bank balance will also become stronger. You will be successful in your work. Talking about students, at this time their entire focus will be on their studies. You will get good results in your studies. They will be able to get good benefits in proportion to their hard work and will be able to perform well in the examination. From the health point of view, your health will be good at the moment, but some minor challenges will also keep coming. You may have pain in the throat or stomach. The first and third weeks of this month will be good for travel.
You can get a government job and also get benefits from the government. This month will be much better for those doing business. You will progress well. You will benefit from your new contacts. However, you will have a lot of expenses right now, which you will have to control, otherwise you may have to face problems. Talking about students, time will be good for them. He is going to get some big achievements. There is a need to further improve your preparation. From a health point of view, your health may deteriorate now. Take care of your stomach. Eye problems can also bother you. There are also possibilities of traveling abroad.
Ganesha says the month will be generally fruitful for you. Family life will be peaceful, but your mother’s health may deteriorate, so take care of her. During this period, your spouse’s health may deteriorate, so take care of them. This month will be very good for people living a love life. However, the domestic life of married people will go through ups and downs.
Ganesha says the beginning of the month will be a little difficult for Aries people. Married life will be happy. Your spouse will be happy and will support you. However, tension may increase in love life. In such a situation, you will have to explain to your beloved how much you love them. There will also be chances of a long journey. You may plan a holiday and go on a trip with the family. Religious thoughts will come to your mind. A small number of guests may arrive in the house. There may be tension in your mind regarding expenses, the effect of which can also be seen on your health. If you take care of your health only then everything will be fine. You may get a promotion in your job.
Ganesha says the month is likely to be moderate for you. There will be problems in loverelated matters and you will not get along with your beloved. Therefore your love life may get spoiled. Married couples will enjoy romantic time. Will be immersed in each other’s love. Those going abroad may have to face some problems, so do not make any big plans right now. You will work hard in your job and in return for that hard work, you will also get good recognition. People doing business will have to proceed with some caution. There may be problems in business and you may fight with your business partner. This month you will be successful in repaying your bank loan. Investing in the stock market can yield some benefits. Talking about students, right now they will be less serious about their studies, hence they will have to face problems. If you want to get better results then you should take guidance from a good teacher. From a health point of view, there is a strong possibility of your health deteriorating. That’s why you have to take care of your health.
Ganesha says the month will be much better for people with the Gemini zodiac sign. Married people will have a good domestic life. You can also go on a long journey with your spouse. Time will be weak for love life. In such a situation you have to be careful. Time will be good from a financial point of view, due to which you will not have to face much trouble. Now your confidence will increase and you can start some new work. This month will be very successful for those doing business. You will also get good profits in your business and will also get a chance to expand your business by making some new investments. Those doing business in partnership can get even more benefits. People working will get strength in their work. This time will bring economic progress. You will also get many opportunities, which will bring you a good income. Talking about students, this month will be good for them. The second half of the month will be better for you. From a health point of view, mental stress will dominate you at this time, due to which you may have to face healthrelated problems. You may also complain of high blood pressure. The first and second weeks of this month are better for travel.
relationships will become stronger. You will give each other plenty of time, which will be good for your relationship. Your position will be good in your career. Employed people will get help from colleagues. With their help, you will be able to complete your work on time, in which you will be successful and your condition will be good. People doing business can get benefits from the government sector. Some new deals in business can take you forward. You may also be successful in starting some new work. You will have to pay attention to financial matters. Think several times before investing. Talking about students, this month will be good for them. Your hard work will bring you success. Except for the beginning of the month, the first and third weeks will be good for travel.
come for them to get the fruits of their hard work. You may be successful. However, you will need to pay attention to your eating habits. The second and fourth weeks of the month will be better for travel. Virgo
Leo
Ganesha says the month is going to bring great success for you. Married people will have to take care of their domestic life as relationships with life partners may deteriorate and fights may occur. The month is good for love life. Your mutual
Ganesha says the month is going to be very good for people with the Leo zodiac sign. You may get some good news this month. Talking about love life, you will see improvement in it now. Your tuning with your beloved will improve. You will give each other more and more time, which will strengthen your relationship. Married people will work hard to remove stress from their family life and you will also get success in this. Your relationship will progress honestly. Love and romance will increase in your relationship, due to which you will enjoy your relationship. Employed people can get the benefit of position and prestige and there will be chances of career progress. You should try to take full benefit of it. People doing business will have to be careful this month. One of your own may betray you. Talking about students, the time has
Ganesha says the month will prove to be successful for people with the Virgo zodiac sign. Married people will do some new experiments in their domestic life. You can take your life partner somewhere every week. You will also do some shopping etc. for them, which will make them feel good and your mutual relations will also improve. You will spend more and more time with them, which will prove to be important for your relationship and life-changing for you. This time is going to be a bit weak for love life. You may experience some problems with your beloved. They will also give you less time, which will cause you trouble, but you should understand that sometimes this can happen out of compulsion. Employed people will be successful in work. Your performance will be better, due to which your boss will also appear happy and support you. This may increase your position and prestige. People doing business will benefit a lot by adding an expert to their business. With this, you can get good profits in business. There are chances that you may get some sudden benefit. If you invest in the stock market, you are likely to get good returns this month. You can buy a new car this month. Talking about students, time will be good for them. There will be interest in studies. Your concentration will remain strong and you will also work hard. The first and fourth weeks of the month will be better for travel.
Ganesha says the month is going to be full of ups and downs for you. Married people will seem very happy in their domestic life. He will stand with you in whatever work you do. This month will be full of ups and downs for my love life. You should behave well with your beloved otherwise the distance between you may increase. The financial situation will be good and your income will increase. You will be able to spend as per your wish. You may be successful in buying some new things as well as investing. However, to further improve your financial condition, you need to adopt some new paths. Employed people will be successful in doing their work well. You may also get some reward for your work. Some new contacts of business people will be made, which will give you good profits. Talking about students, this month will be full of challenges for them. Your concentration will also be weak, so you will have to study very carefully. From the health point of view, you will have to take care of your health now, because there is a possibility of falling ill. If you are already suffering from any disease then take special care of your health. The first and second weeks of the month will be good for travel.
Ganesha says the month is likely to be good for Scorpio people. Married people will feel less stress in domestic life. Your coordination with your spouse will improve. This time will also be good for a love life. You will try to take your relationship forward, in
which you will get success. Now your marriage talks with your beloved can move forward. You may suddenly get some good news. There may also be a possibility of sudden income. You may also get some old inheritance. Employed people will get support from colleagues. Your performance will also improve, which will improve your position in the job. People doing business will also get good profits. Your happiness will increase. You will move forward in your business with full enthusiasm. If we talk about students, this time will be very hard work for them. The harder you work, the more you will benefit. From a health point of view, you will need to take care of your health right now. The first and third weeks of the month will be good for travel.
employed people. You will enjoy your work and also improve your performance, which will improve your job status. People doing business will also get good profits from their work. This will make you happy and you can also do some charity. Talking about students, time is good for them. You will work hard, which will bring you success. Your performance will be better in higher education also. From a health point of view, you will need to take care of your health right now. Avoid eating outside food. The second and third week of this month is going to be good for travel.
achieve success with your intelligence and skills. Your boss will be satisfied with the progress of your work and may favor you. This month is also good for business people. Talking about students, they may have to face some problems in their studies. This may arise due to the family environment. From the health point of view, you will now have to take care of your health, because your health may deteriorate. There is also a possibility of some injury. In such a situation, it would be better for you to act with restraint and caution. Take care of your eyes. Do not stay connected to a laptop or mobile for long. The first and second weeks of this month are going to be favorable for travel.
Ganesha says this month will give mixed results for Sagittarius people. Married people will enjoy their family life openly. Along with getting support from your spouse in every work, you will also get their love. Your chemistry will improve, which will give you a chance to spend romantic moments. Time is good for a love life. You will also get to know some things about your personality from your beloved. This will give you a chance to improve yourself further. At the beginning of the month, you may have to face some stress due to your opponents. You will be worried about your expenses but there is no need to worry. Your financial condition will be good. Income will also increase, but this will happen only in the second half of the month. Avoid interfering too much in family matters and pay more attention to your work. Time is good for
Ganesha says this month may be filled with ups and downs for you. Time may be a bit challenging for a love life. Your loved one’s behavior will not be good right now, his health may also deteriorate, so be patient. Married people will give some new tips to their children. Your tuning with your spouse will be good. Your financial condition will be good. Your income will be good and your bank balance will also increase, due to which your financial condition will be good. Your family will also support you. You are likely to get a good position through your hard work, so continue your hard work. Time is going to be a bit weak for business people. Proceed with caution and avoid doing anything illegal. Talking about students, they will need to pay more attention to their studies because the position of the planets is not very favorable right now. From a health point of view, your health will improve now. Right now you have to try to get out of mental anxiety. The first and fourth weeks of the month are going to be good for travel.
Ganesha says this month will be favorable for people with the Aquarius zodiac sign. Married people will enjoy their family life to the fullest and will be happy with their spouse. You will think a lot about your children and keep checking up on them. Now you will see a good improvement in your personality. There are chances of profit for employed people this month. You will get a big incentive or there may be a possibility of getting your spending money. Your financial condition will be favorable and expenses will also remain under control. People doing business are likely to make good profits this month. You have to be ready to move forward with your plans. You will benefit in property matters. If we talk about students then this time will be good for them. Now you will work hard in your studies, due to which you will get better results. From a health point of view, your health will also improve. If you are already suffering from any disease, you will see improvement in it. You will feel full of energy. The second week of this month is going to be favorable for travel.
Ganesha says this month is going to be good for you. The family life of married people will also be better. With the support of your spouse, you will be able to make good decisions in your life and their advice will be useful to you in business also. This month is also good for love life. This month is good for employed people. You will
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A-Desiflava Rang Barse 2023
on 11 March 2023 at Pui O, Lantau
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Contest Winners of Jan-Feb 2024 Issue
Rahul Jain, Tsing Yi Shruti Rangarajan, Laguna City
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