15 minute read
Pregnancy & Childbirth Sharpening Your Knives17 Kids Corner....18,19,22,23
16 Austin South Asian | December 2021 Making Pregnancy And Childbirth Safer In America
It surprises a lot of people to learn that the United States is the most dangerous place to give birth in the developed world.
Women in the United States are more likely to die from pregnancyrelated complications than women in Libya and Kazakhstan, and the United States is the only industrialized nation to experience an increase in maternal mortality over the last two decades.
Pregnancy is especially dangerous for women of color. Black women in the United States lose their lives in childbirth at three to four times the rate of white women.
But there is good news. Experts say we can reduce deaths among
moms and babies by improving health policies and changing the way care is delivered.
MomsRising, an online and onic security of moms and families, is urging federal and state lawmakers to invest in research into the reasons pregnancy and childbirth are so dangerous in the United States.
the-ground organization working to improve the health and economThe group is pressing to improve prenatal care, better train doctors and nurses, diversify the perinatal health care workforce, make it easier for working moms to breastfeed, improve mental health care for pregnant women and new moms, ensure that pregnant women on Medicaid can keep their health insurance for a year after giving birth, and guarantee paid leave. Right now, one in four women go back to work just two weeks after giving birth because they can’t afford to take any additional unpaid time off to recover from childbirth and care for their infant.
“The early weeks of a baby’s life are critical for families. Insufficient paid leave for moms and dads is harmful for the health and wellbeing of both babies and parents,” says Tina Sherman, MomsRising’s senior campaign director for maternal justice.
“Families need that time to bond, moms need it to heal from birth and establish breastfeeding routines, and it’s crucial for infant development.”
Learn more at www.momsrising. org.
“Making pregnancy and childbirth safer is especially important as we recover from the pandemic, which has caused tremendous strain for many of us,” Sherman adds. “The United States is the richest country in the world, and it’s past time we make pregnancy and childbearing as safe as possible for everyone. When we do, moms and kids will be healthier, communities stronger, and businesses and our economy more successful.” (StatePoint)
Is It Time To Switch Wireless Companies?
In the past couple of years, we’ve had to switch up so much in our routines, and from working from home to virtually visiting doctors, our devices have been there with us through it all.
Yet, there’s one switch that most people shy away from: switching wireless companies.
While the process can seem daunting, there are many potential benefits to switching plans.
Perks can include helping paying off your current device, and depending on your current plan, you could receive a lower monthly plan cost or increased benefits and services.
Unfortunately, misconceptions about switching plans persist. Some common ones include:
1. It takes too long:
Switching plans doesn’t need to be time consuming. For example, in most cases, you can switch to TMobile in 30 to 60 minutes.
2. You can’t keep your phone number: Plus, you can even Test Drive its nationwide LTE network before switching.
5. Switching is too expensive:
Switching carriers could actually
save you money. Right now, when you switch to T-Mobile, you can keep your phone number and eligible device and they will help you pay off your current device.
Here are some steps to help make the switching process as easy as possible:
current phone number to any wireless carrier when making the switch.
3. Your current device won’t work:
Most smartphones in the last five T-Mobile offers plans for military and first responders, customers age 55 and over, family specific plans and more. Learn more at t-mobile. They include the name of your plan with your current provider, your account number and PIN or pass code, your phone brand and model, and any financial information or credit locks in place that need to be removed.
years work across all networks, meaning you can bring your current device with you when you switch.
4. The network won’t be as good:
Recent third-party studies found T-Mobile, America’s 5G leader with the largest 5G network, has the fastest average 5G download speeds. Learn about what plan work best for you and your family.
com.
• Compile your current plan information:
There are a few pieces of information you need on hand before you visit a store. • What to bring with you:
A copy of your latest bill in printed form or even a simple screenshot, a valid driver’s license or state-issued ID, your social security number or Tax ID and your phone.
If you’re switching multiple lines, the primary account holder will be able to do that for all lines.
• Pick a phone or keep your own:
To get the most out of the network, you may want to bring your eligible 5G phone or you can upgrade to a new device. Look for deals on new devices ahead of time to see if there are any you are interested in.
These steps will take the hassle and headache out of making the switch to another wireless company. (StatePoint)
17 Austin South Asian | December 2021 Why Sharpening Your Knives Can Make You A More Proficient Cook
If you’ve ever desired to become a better home chef, you’ve probably spent time reading cookbooks, watching cooking shows or even taking a culinary skills course. The truth is that when it comes to improving your cooking and becoming more efficient in the kitchen, you may be overlooking a much simpler step: sharpening your knives.
Before your holiday guests arrive and you find yourself in the kitchen churning out big seasonal feasts, consider the following:
Why it Matters
Dull knives can damage and bruise ingredients, slow your slicing and dicing down considerably, and ironically, be more likely to cause you injury. (Whereas a sharp knife will easily slice into foods, a dull knife works less efficiently, making you more likely to apply pressure and lose control of the handle.) What’s more, uneven chopping can lend itself to uneven cooking. So what’s the best method for maintaining knives? Many home chefs use a whetstone to sharpen knives periodically, as well as a honing steel on a more regular basis.
How to Sharpen Knives However, this can be a time-consuming prospect and doing it properly is an acquired skill in and of itself.
This is where new innovations can save you time and effort, and deliver better results.
For example, Resharp, a knifesharpening kiosk found in ACE Hardware stores, offers a new, patented, automated system that scans each knife’s profile and then restores a factory, burr-free edge to the knife in 90 seconds or less.
Sharpening most American and European style knives, as well as Japanese knives with a V-shaped bevel, you can bring almost any chef, pairing, slicing, chopping, santoku, pocket, hunting or specialty knife to an ACE Hardware store to have it sharpened while you watch. To learn more and find locations, visit resharp.com.
Proper Storage
Once your knives are sharpened, be sure to store them properly to maintain their edges and protect their longevity. Wash and dry your knives, then store them carefully in a wooden block, on a magnetic strip or in a drawer dock.
From julienned carrots to minced garlic, seek out those complicated recipes involving chopping-intensive steps.
By giving yourself the gift of wellmaintained knives this holiday season, you’ll have a safer kitchen and be a more proficient cook. (StatePoint)
What You Didn’t Know About The Beatles’ Final Days Together
Whether you’re a Beatlemaniac or a more casual fan, you likely have an opinion about the band’s final days together and their eventual breakup.
However, a brand-new book may challenge everything you thought you knew about the band’s twilight hour.
Already a New York Times bestseller, “The Beatles: Get Back” from Callaway Arts & Entertainment and Apple Corps Ltd., is the first official standalone book to be released by The Beatles in over 20 years.
Presenting transcribed conversations drawn from over 120 recorded hours of the band’s studio sessions, along with hundreds of previously unpublished images, including photos by Ethan A. Russell and Linda McCartney, this exclusive, in-their-own-words account of the “Let it Be” recording sessions paints a new portrait of their final days together.
“Legend has it that these sessions were a grim time for a band falling apart, but it becomes clear from the fuller transcripts that John, Paul, George and Ringo were not
only productively collaborating on works we still know and love today, they were having fun doing it,” says Nicholas Callaway, publisher, Callaway Arts & Entertainment.
This intimate, riveting book invites readers to travel back to January 1969 as the foursome regrouped in London for a project, initially titled “Get Back.”
Over 21 days, first at Twickenham Film Studios and then at their own Apple Studios, with cameras and tape recorders documenting every day’s work, the band rehearsed a huge number of songs in preparation for what proved to be their final concert, which famously took place on the rooftop of their own Apple Corps office building and brought central London to a halt.
These sessions, which generated the “Let It Be” album and 1970 film, represent the only time in The Beatles’ career that they were filmed at such length while in the studio creating music.
While some hold the 1970 film responsible for the collective idea that there was bad blood between the bandmates before they parted ways, the newly-released transcripts and images, as seen in the book, paint an altogether different and fuller picture of this time in the band’s history that might be closer to the truth.
For this reason, “The Beatles: Get Back” is an essential complement to both director Peter Jackson’s documentary film series of the same name (airing on Disney+ in three parts between Nov. 25 and Nov. 27) and the 50th anniversary special edition worldwide release of “Let it Be,” which has been newly-remixed, and features expanded and never released session recordings.
Available globally and in 10 languages, more information about the book can be found by visiting thebeatles.com and callaway.com.
“The Beatles gave my generation their genius and their joy and they changed the world through their art.
The creativity and inspiration expressed in these candid, behindthe-scenes moments are as important and relevant today as ever,” says Callaway. (StatePoint)
To Advertise Call 512-828-6709
18 Austin South Asian | December 2021 Kids Corner
Southwestern National Bank (Member FDIC) received several great submissions for our “Save Mother Earth” art contest. We’ve received more than 30 pieces of artwork, each complete with talent and personality. Our judges include Senior Chairman CK Lee, CEO Mark Simmons, and 3 professional artists Mr. Zhang, Mr. Huang, and Mr. Owen Zhang. The winners are as follows:
Group A
2nd Place – $300 Award to Charlotte Lin, 4 years
Group B
1st Place – $500 Award to Maxine Xu, 8 years 2nd Place – $300 Award to April Chao, 9 years 3rd Place – $200 Award to Ella Chan, 7 years
Honorable Mention
$100 Award to Emma Chan, 7 years $100 Award to Samantha Loo, 8 years
Group C
1st Place – $500 Award to Caroline Fu, 11 years 2nd Place – $300 Award to Eatima Hussain, 12 years 3rd Place – $200 Award to Yuna Yi, 12 years
Honorable Mention
$100 Award to Aadya Manoj, 12 years old $100 Award to Annie Chen, 13 years old
CHRISTMAS SONG
By Vikas Bargi
“Hey, December here you are. I find the skies...All with star... The endless wait for the Red angel ends... And here starts the season of joy n trends...
Dear Smiling Santa. Bless us all. Fill me with energy and make me tall. May this new year get happiness to us. We sing along carols in love and chorus...
The gift I want is a happy home. May this spread in the big world dome. Hey Santa, bless us with joy and fun. Happy Christmas here you come...”
Pokhara Shanti Stupa is a Buddhist pagoda-style monument on Anadu Hill of the former Pumdi Bhumdi Village Development Committee, in the district of Kaski, Nepal.
Shanti Stupa in Pokhara was built by Nipponzan-Myohoji monk Morioka Sonin with local supporters under the guidance of Nichidatsu Fujii, a Buddhist monk and the founder of Nipponzan-Myohoji.
Shanti is a Sanskrit word meaning peace, also widely used in the Nepali and Hindi languages, and Shanti Stupa means Peace Pagoda.
Shanti Stupa shrine was built as a symbol of peace.
Situated at the height of 1100 meters on the Anadu Hill, Nichidatsu Fujii laid the foundation stone along with relics of the Buddha on 12 September 1973. Nepal has two of the eighty peace pagodas in the world:
Shanti Stupa in Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha and Shanti Stupa in Pokhara. Shanti Stupa in Pokhara has also become a tourist attraction.
It provides a panoramic view of the struct Peace Pagodas in 1947, in many locations around the world as a symbol of world peace.
NipponzanMyohoji and locals of Pokhara built Shanti Stupa. Morioka Sonin, Dharmashilla Guruma (nun) and Min Bahadur Gurung were the key people in constructing the pagoda.
During the construction of Shanti Stupa, workers were arrested several times by the Nepalese government for what was ultimately determined to be
Annapurna range, Pokhara city and Fewa Lake. false accusations.
Nichidatsu Fujii planned to conMorioka Sonin took the initiative of building the Shanti Stupa in Pokhara.
Dharmashilla Guruma of Dhamashilla Buddha Bihar, Pokhara was very positive about the proposal from NipponzanMyohoji and was involved in creating active participation from the locals in Pokhara.
The statue of the first elected deputy defense minister, Min Bahadur Gurung, was placed in front of the Shanti Stupa to honor his land donation.
On 28 November 1973, the prayer hall, with the statue of the Buddha, and the Guest House were set up.
When construction of the pagoda had reached a height of thirty-five feet, Panchayati and the Royal Nepal government requested the destruction of the pagoda and adjacent buildings for security reasons.
The building was not officially “passed” by the local government.
Even though building the pagoda was off-limits, continuous support from Nipponzan-Myohoji, monks
Akbar And Birbal Stories
BIRBAL SOLVES THE PROBLEM
One day King Akbar announced that the post of royal advisory is vacant. Several courtiers started eyeing for that post.
Seeing so many people interested in that post Emperor announced that he would put them to a test and the one who passed the test would be appointed as the royal advisory.
Courtiers were worried and started talking among themselves about the test.
Akbar ordered everyone to assemble in his court. Akbar unfastened his waist cloth (Cloak) and laid on the floor. Everyone wondered what the emperor was upto. with that cloak. Courtiers thought it was piece of cake for them. ward and tried, but their attempts proved futile. If head was covered, then the feet remained exposed. Some even tried pulling and tugging the cloak but all in vain.
Akbar was getting tired of all this tugging and pulling.
Just then Birbal entered. He was surprised to see emperor in this condition. He sat in a corner and observed everything. it. Birbal smiled and answered, “I would surely give it a try”.
Birbal grabbed the cloak and examined emperor’s position- who was lying on the floor.
“Jahanpannah, would you kindly draw up your knees?” he said.
The emperor followed Birbal’s orders and drew up his knees. Birbal then threw the cloak over him and it covered him from head to toe.
Everyone in the court including courtiers, realizing that they had failed the test, quietly fled out of the room.
Witty Birbal had once again outsmarted Akbar’s courtiers. and local supporters allowed constant construction to continue.
Nichidatsu Fujii had prophesied that one day the Shanti Stupa would be rebuilt.
On 21 May 1992, after an eighteenyear uphill battle, the Honorable Girija Prasad Koirala came to the Anadu Hill and re-laid the foundation stone.
Construction was completed without obstruction and the inaugural ceremony was conducted in the presence of the Chairman of the Nepali Congress Party and former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on 30 October 1999.
Shanti Stupa in Pokhara is the first World Peace Pagoda in Nepal and seventy-first pagoda built by Nipponzan-Myohoji in the world.
The pagoda is 115 feet tall and 344 feet in diameter. The white pagoda has two tiers for tourists and religious visitors to circumambulate.
The second tier displays four statues of the Buddha presented as a souvenirs from different countries:
‘Dharmacakra Mudra’ from Japan, ‘Bodh Gaya’ from Sri Lanka, ‘Kushinagar’ from Thailand and ‘Lumbini’ from Nepal.
Each statue represents important events related to the Buddha and were named according to where they took place.
Dharmachakra is placed below the gajur (pinnacle) which signifies the wheel of life, dharma and the teachings of the Buddha.
The top of the golden gajur holds the crystal stone from Sri Lanka which symbolizes intellect and grace.
Dhamma hall, with the Buddha statue, is located near the peace pagoda where Buddhist rituals take place daily and large pujas are performed on important dates according to the Lunar calendar, such as on full moon day.
