HUM Magazine February 2013 by Hum Magazine

FEBRUARY 2013

ORCHESTRATING

KARTIK TRIVEDI

VEDIC FAIR

Sharing the Sacred Lore

AN OPEN LETTER TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Photo: Bonnie and Gabriel Al-Rifai www.2birdsphotography.com

Love Gives Us A Fairytale

FROM

THE PUBLISHER’S DESK January, the month of auspicious new beginnings, heralded seven months since HUM Magazine’s inception. Houston exemplifies cultural diversity. I reiterate that HUM was birthed on this premise. We have so much to learn about each other, and over the past months I ventured out of my comfort zone to meet with people of divergent heritages. I described my vision for HUM, which is to create a convivial marketplace on these pages where we can “gather” and educate each other about our cultures, highlight our accomplishments, and gleefully brag about our beloved city. Thank you, my dear erudite and gracious writers who are too many to name. You stepped forward and lent knowledge and color to HUM. This past month, we’ve seen President Barack Obama’s triumphant inauguration to a second term in the White House. We’ve commemorated the birth anniversary of that giant among men, the late Martin Luther King Jr. And we’ve observed the death anniversary of that titan of truth, Mahatma Gandhi, whose ideology of non-violence was shared by MLK Jr., and continues to blaze on in the hearts of peace lovers globally. And speaking of hearts… February is almost universally dedicated to matters of the heart. St. Valentine’s Day celebrates love, and for the very first time, my team featured a child on HUM’s cover. Twenty-month-old Paxton Hager made for an absolutely adorable Cupid! We are indebted to Paxton’s parents Daphne and Matthew Hager for their trust and cooperation, and a huge thank you to my gifted friends Bonnie and Gabriel Al-Rifai (www.2birdsphotography.com) for translating my reverie into works of art. Most significantly, February is heart health month. Take a stand against heart disease. Visit www.heart.org/HEARTORG/ for invaluable information. And finally, a note to our wonderful team, the Texans - next year will belong to you! To all, enjoy your February and stay safe. Warmly,

Kalyani Giri

Publisher

team HUM Publisher/Editor Kalyani Giri Art Director Saqib Rana Print Consultant Ken Hoffman Correspondents Dr. Arjune Rama Ian Mellor-Crummey Robert Arnett Lisa Brooks Nalini Sadagopan Priya M. James Tajana Mesic Helen Buntting Langton

CONTENTS What I Love About

06 HOUSTON LOIS PARKINSON ZAMORA 08 ORCHESTRATING Kartik Trivedi SOWMYA NANDAKUMAR

indotcomInc

a concept-to-completion, every stage in between - and beyond - enterprise 7457 Harwin Dr #250, Houston, TX 77036 Tel: 281-888-4552 email:info@hummagazine.com www.hummagazine.com HUM Magazine assumes no responsibility for the content of articles or advertisements, in that the views expressed therein may not necessarily reﬂect the views of the publisher or any magazine employee or contributor. This publication and all of its contents are copyrighted.

Contributors Lois Parkinson Zamora Chitra Divakaruni Dr. David Courtney Kathleen Haney Ken Chitwood Sowmya Nandakumar Diane Lovejoy Reginald Charles Adams Roger Arora Anjali Kanojia

LOVE GIVES GIVES US US LOVE A FAIRYTALE FAIRYTALE A KALYANI GIRI

LOVE

is for Every Day LISA BROOKS

22 I, CAT LADY DIANE LOVEJOY

INDIA UNVEILED: UNVEILED: 24 INDIA Dharma The Panacea for for Today’s Today’s World World Dharma The Panacea FEBRUARY 2013

ORCHESTRATING

KARTIK TRIVEDI

VEDIC FAIR

Sharing the Sacred Lore

AN OPEN LETTER TO DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Photo: Bonnie and Gabriel Al-Rifai www.2birdsphotography.com

Love Gives Us A Fairytale

ROBERT ARNETT

Cover (and inside) photos: Paxton Hager, son of Daphne and Matthew Hager Photo Credit: Bonnie and Gabriel Al-Rifai www.2birdsphotography.com

FEBRUARY 2013 FAIR 26 VEDIC Sharing the Sacred Lore

OF THE 38 VOICES SPIRIT & SOUL

OPEN LETTER TO 28 AN Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

ARE RED, 40 ROSES Tulips are pink

REHAN SIDDIQI 30 Riverstone’s Most Favorite

42 HOUSEPLANTS Air Quality the Good Old-Fashioned Way

KEN CHITWOOD

REGINALD CHARLES ADAMS

Celebrity Resident

“MIND” VERSUS THE “BRAIN” Treating substance dependence

ARJUNE RAMA, MD

DO’S AND DON’TS 34 THE of Surviving High School NALINI SADAGOPAN

WHERE IS THE U.S. ECONOMY HEADED NOW?

ROGER ARORA

PRIYA M. JAMES

TAJANA MESIC

AND GLAMOUR AT 45 GLITZ OFFICIAL TIGER BALL KICKOFF

46 INDIA STUDIES GROWING

AND THRIVING AT THE UOFH ANJALI KANOJIA

48 FABULOUSLY FORTY!

Voice

about

what

ILoveHouston

BY LOIS PARKINSON ZAMORA

My husband and I moved to Houston in 1978 for a simple reason: the University of Houston was the only school in the country that wanted us both. Then, as now, finding two academic jobs in one university is a huge piece of good fortune. We were living in Washington, DC, where Steve was practicing law and I was finishing my doctoral dissertation in comparative literature. We had agreed that when I finished, we’d both put ourselves on the market (as we phrased it) and see what happened. Houston happened—we looked at a map to see where Houston was—and here we are. Talk about good fortune! When we arrived, we were surrounded by other newcomers from around the country and the world. Some of you might have been among those recent arrivals in 1978. You’ll remember that Houston was booming, and you would often hear the following questions, in no particular order: “Where are you from?” “How long have you been here?” “How do you like it?” Houston’s openness to ideas and opportunities was one of the frequently mentioned plusses: “things aren’t set in stone here, as on the East Coast,” we’d say, or “things aren’t culturally conformist, as on the West Coast.” And it was sort of true. New ideas and enterprises seemed to have a traction here that they wouldn’t have had where we came from. Opportunity seemed, if not endless, as least in ample supply. Three years later, the climate changed abruptly with the energy bust, but pre-bust, Houston had seemed indomitable. We were all heady with Houston-Pride. We are still Houston-Proud, of course, but in a more measured and mature way. Our city has grown up in the past thirtyfive years and we’ve grown with it. Our pride is now grounded in experience because we can see what those early ideas and enterprises have become. The medical center, the museums, the performing arts, the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the University of Houston: they were all here thirty-five years ago, but since that time, visionary leaders and a generous community have propelled them beyond anything we

could have imagined back then. Part of the secret is that Houston knows how to keep its leaders, despite attractive offers from elsewhere: John Mendelsohn at M.D. Anderson; Peter Marzio at the MFAH; David Gockley and Patrick Summers at HGO; Ben Stevenson at the Houston Ballet; Norma Lowder and Pat Bonner at HSPVA. And now we have Dr. Renu Khator at the University of Houston, who has been our Chancellor and President for ﬁve years, and has just committed her leadership to us for another term. Loyalty characterizes us, and we are glad that it characterizes Dr. Khator, too. Transformations take time. In 1978, UH was a young institution. We had become a state university only in 1962, and were feeling our way toward institutional adulthood; in 2013, we have certainly reached it. We are now designated a “Tier One” university, which means that our faculty and programs are ranked among the best universities in the country. We are a diverse and international campus but our global perspective is anchored by our local involvement. Take, for example, our new India Studies Program. We offer courses on the cultures of India at the same time that we depend upon the Indian community in Houston to support and guide our program. (Anjali Kanojia, assistant director of India Studies, writes about this new program in this issue of HUM.) There is so much more! I love Houston for our weather (yes! try Boston in January), for our live oaks and oleanders, for our huge Texas sky, for our international cuisine, for our proximity to the Gulf, Galveston, and all of Mexico (27 destinations from IAH!) But most of all, I love our shared sense of possibility. So I return to my sense, thirty-ﬁve years ago, that Houston has a special way of nurturing creativity, whether in civic organizations, business, education, the arts, literature, or in this beautiful new magazine. Houstonians believe that we can do what we dream, if our dreams are right and true. This shared sense of possibility is what I love most about Houston, and about us Houstonians.

Lois Parkinson Zamora is chair of the Department of Comparative Cultural Studies and Director of India Studies at the University of Houston. She is a John and Rebecca Moores Distinguished Professor.

Spring/Summer 2013 collection available now

Constitution

Colors on Piano Notes on Canvas

Photos: Krishna Giri

Orchestrating

Kartik Trivedi BY SOWMYA NANDAKUMAR I visited Kartik Trivedi on a mundane weekday afternoon. I left with anecdotes of a colorful life. As I stepped into the foyer and followed Trivedi into his living room, I noticed the unconventional home interior. The space was lined with paintings finished and unfinished, canvases, and frames – this artsy trend was quite pervasive. I struggled to navigate the space without accidentally stepping on a painting. I smiled to myself and thought, “Oh my God!” As though he heard me, Trivedi smiled back and said, “I have converted my entire home into an art studio!” For many, the name Kartik Trivedi may not ring any bells. The 76 year old is an Indian artist from Gujarat who lives in Houston and his paintings feature in art collections the world over. Not only is he an extremely adept painter, but a musician too. Initially back in India, he learned to play the sarod from Maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and also took tutelage in vocals in the Hindustani Classical genre. When he moved to the US in 1967 he started playing Hindustani music on the piano. A painter and a pianist - I asked Trivedi which art form defined him best and which he loved more. “My soul intensely yearns for both but painting has helped me make a living,” Trivedi confided. Trivedi’s academic track record is impressive. He has four Masters Degrees, two from Gujarat State University in Economics and Political History, an MA in Art History from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (1973), and a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio (1975). That day, I had to fathom the concept of interacting with two different artists at the same time - the painter and the musician. The same person, who lives in two different realms of the art world, with multiple inspirations, and dissimilar works to his credit, from both worlds! As diverse and complex as it might have seemed to me, he definitely seemed to relish the symphonic nature of both art forms, moving from www.hummagazine.com

February 2013

Photos: Krishna Giri

one form to the other in skant seconds, spontaneously, naturally and effortlessly. “I see colors ﬂying on the keys of the piano when I play, and when I paint, I hear the songs of the colors on canvas,” said Trivedi whimsically. While painters are often branded as impressionist, modern, renaissance, etc., it is difficult to put Trivedi in any given genre. He has several impressionist oil paintings, many of which depict bodies of water with bridges or boats. He loves the shimmer and dappling effects of light falling on water and his great inspiration is the French impressionist painter, Claude Monet. Trivedi is unabashedly vocal about being totally in love with his creativity. As we walked around his house, he pointed out cherished pieces. His own Christmas night at Rockefeller Center is his favorite oil painting. When he met President Bill Clinton in 1995 in Chicago, he joyously presented him with an oils-on-canvas dubbed Autumn in Chicago. Impressionism, however, is not his signature work. What truly sets this great artist at an echelon of exclusivity are his peerless and masterful folk art, arising from his deep devotion to the Hindu god Krishna. The celestial romance

between Krishna and Radha, a theme deeply rooted in tradition, is often reiterated in his boldly expressionist and contemporary art. This has sparked a vivid series of 101 paintings, of which 37 have already found fruition. While his impressionist art is born of visual imagery, his Radha-Krishna works are conceptualized from his innate spirituality. He envisions it in his mind’s eye, then, it takes stunning form on canvas in acrylic watercolors. The hues are distinct and bright, characterized by striking contrasts and reflective of his vibrant imagination. The attention to every detail, that run the gamut from a maiden’s ornate jewelry, to Krishna’s flute, to the individual attributes of the leaves, pottery vases, or little birds – are lovingly and painstakingly portrayed. His folk art has a rhythmic pattern, said Trivedi. It has vertical movements (tall trees), horizontal movements (the way figures in his paintings are given form and shape), complemented by circular patterns (of clouds, the moon, tree tops, and subjects’ faces), and a triangular pattern (from subjects’ feet going up to their faces). Trivedi also incorporates Picasso’s principles of cubism in his work creating a three dimensional impact, aerial viewpoints, and geometric symmetry.

The precision and structure to his work perhaps ﬂow from his classical music training! It is no wonder that he refers to patterns in his painting as rhythmic and harmonious. From the proportions and scales on canvas, Trivedi quickly shifted gears to musical scales and sang one of his compositions in the Hindustani Rag Mishra Kaﬁ. I requested a little something in the Rag Bihaag which much to my rapture, he immediately sang. In his Hindustani piano compositions, Trivedi tries to incorporate elements of Western classical music. He is partial to Frederick Chopin and Franz Liszt. Trivedi has released four music albums, the latest of which is the Raga Impressions – North Indian Classical Raga Music on Piano, that is available for purchase on Amazon. Trivedi is currently working on his autobiography. As I was getting in my car, Trivedi made sure I remembered the ascending and descending scale notes of Bihaag, giving me a little something to hum on my way back home.

Photos: Krishna Giri

Sowmya Nandakumar holds a Masters in Mass Communications, University of Houston, and is an alumnus of Stella Maris College, and the Asian College of Journalism, Chennai. She has worked as assistant director for three feature ﬁlms including “Vaaranam Aayiram” with Gautham Menon. She is a certiﬁed Yoga instructor teaching in the Houston area, learns ballet at Hope Stone Dance Studio, and is studying Carnatic music on the violin. She enjoys writing and free lances for The Hindu occasionally. sowmya1310@gmail.com www.hummagazine.com

February 2013

Write to Win!

Write to us, in hundred words or less, what the season of Spring evokes. A dozen of the most refreshingly colorful entries will receive a box of signature truffles courtesy of Theresa Roemer & HUM Magazine. One overall winner will receive a gift certificate for a romantic dinner for two at 024 Grille and an overnight stay with champagne & strawberries delivered to the room courtesy The Westin Houston Memorial City. Submit entries to info@hummagazine.com before February 17, 2013.

Chocolate makes you feel good. If you are going to treat yourself then you should only indulge in the best! When I discovered these hand-crafted cookies and cream truffles made with real cream and covered in decadent white chocolate, I knew I had to make them my signature truffle and share them with others. Enjoy!! Made in Houston, Texas by Sessy Sweets for Theresa Roemer LLC

www.TheresaRoemer.com

Available 12with andyour 51own Fifteen If you are interested in ordering the truffles for partiesat or Bar catering logo please contact info@theresaroemer.com. located in Saks Fifth Avenue, The Galleria, Houston, Texas

a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Child Legacy International

Love Gives Us A Fairytale

It’s been said that love is much nicer to be in than an automobile accident, a tight girdle, a higher tax bracket, or a holding pattern over Philadelphia. No month speaks more eloquently or ardently in the language of the heart than February. In commemoration of Valentine’s Day, we asked our readers to share their love stories. To our delight, the response was overwhelming, and predictably mostly from women! We so enjoyed the candid anecdotes of the accuracy of Cupid’s arrows ﬁnding their mark, of spontaneous soul recognition, of magical and unexpected romances, of courage, humor, trust, and above all, of resilience. Thank you for adding enchantment to HUM.

Photo: Bonnie and Gabriel Al-Rifai www.2birdsphotography.com

Heart

BY RITA SMITH I met Wade during the summer before our senior year at the University of Memphis. We were both athletes; I played basketball and Wade was on the football team, but had never crossed paths before. Our mutual friend Ant introduced us. When Wade and I started talking we realized we were in the same business building on campus. I told him I needed help in a business class and asked if he could help me study, but when we met up we started conversing about anything but books. It was that day that he asked me out for the first time. It is worth noting that I had just gotten out of a relationship just a few weeks prior to this and had asked God to send me someone for me, who will love me for me. I just wasn’t expecting it to happen so fast! Our first date we saw the movie ‘Blue Crush’, an undeniable chick flick, so I was surprised he agreed to go. At the end of the date he walked me to my apartment door, waiting for a goodnight kiss. I, however, don’t like to kiss on the first date. Let’s just say he wasn’t used to that but was a gentleman and respected it. A few more incredible dates later, and he asked me to be his girlfriend. I told him that I would have to think about it because I had just gotten out of a relationship and the next one was going to be for forever... as in marriage. He accepted that. Being a daddy’s girl, I’d historically never brought guys to meet my dad, unless I thought they’re “the one”. There had only been two boyfriends that I’d let meet my dad, and one of them was Wade. Wade and I dated for the next year or so. During this time, he was drafted by the Miami Dolphins. I could never have anticipated what was going to happen next. I’d mentioned to him that my parents are really old school and that the man who wants to marry me would have to ask my dad for my hand in marriage. Clearly he was listening because he drove ALL the way from Memphis to Alabama to ask my

dad for his blessing to marry his daughter. I left work late one Thursday, looking forward to a long weekend off. Wade comes to see me the next day and he says that I need to pack a bag. I’m asking him where he was taking me. On route to the airport he finally relents and tells me that we are going to Dallas. I was excited thinking I finally get to meet his family - something that would’ve happened during the NFL Draft, but my protective dad wasn’t having it as he didn’t think Wade and I knew each other well enough. We arrive in Dallas and immediately head to Six Flags Amusement Park. I told him while we were dating that I never get to have fun on trips with people because I’m always playing basketball so it was a great surprise and he definitely earned some cool points with that. Then Wade told me he wanted to take me to a specific place, so I said okay. He took me to the water fountains that are in downtown Dallas, a place where his father had proposed to Wade’s mother. As we’re going up the stairs I stop and turn around to find Wade down on one knee. I was completely speechless. He asked if I would marry him and I said yes. First thing I asked was “Did you ask my dad?”. He said he had. I was in awe. I thought “He is definitely sent from God!” The next morning, we had an engagement party at his Aunt Bev’s house and it was there that I finally got to meet all of his family. We had a very small wedding on a Tuesday (the NFL-mandated “off day” for the players) at a small church in Lauderhill, FL. We had both sets of parents there. It was very simple... an off-the-rack dress, just some decor for pictures but it was one of the most special days of my life. This summer we will have a formal wedding to commemorate our 10-year anniversary. I am looking forward to all that it entails and know that it will be just as special as the day we exchanged vows for the very first time.

The Story of Us

Rita and Wade Smith Photo: Cesar Perez

Peta-gay Chen Ledbetter and Chris Ledbetter Photo: Kathi Valenti

A Lingering Romance… BY Peta-gay Chen Ledbetter

I actually met and spoke to my husband for the very first time approximately five years after we first saw each other. As the song goes, “Some enchanted evening… you will see a stranger…” We could have met earlier; as my husband says, we “should have” met earlier, but as it worked out, we “caught up.” Let me start at the beginning. Around 2005, after a hard fought stab at marriage and subsequently, a crappy divorce, I threw myself into volunteering. I enjoyed going to galas, dressing up and meeting celebrities without paying for the $200 plate. I was still in college, finishing my Master’s as a single mom with a tight budget and absolutely no intentions of dating anyone again, ever. Volunteering at the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC) Gala seemed like a perfect opportunity to go out and have fun with no one gawking at me. Well, truth be told, I was the one who actually gawked at this one guy with salt and pepper hair, with the profile of a movie star. Fellow volunteer? I wasn’t curious enough to find out, besides, I had promised myself no more dating, no more heartbreak, and definitely no more marriage. I saw him again and again at every gala. I would secretly look for him and find him. He always seemed to be looking another direction. I supposed a guy like that had to be taken, married, or gay. I never caught him looking my direction, that’s for sure! As time went on, my heart began to heal. I got lonely and decided to start dating, but nothing serious, casually only. I had my son, work, school, and an internship at HAWC to keep me occupied. And I kept seeing this gorgeous guy at galas. Well, casual dating continued, no one special. Then I began to wonder, what’s wrong with me, take a chance on someone! So, in Fall 2010, there’s that guy again! Only this time, he caught me staring at him! Well, not only did he catch me staring, he turned his chair around to stare right back at me. I told myself, “don’t look back, don’t look back, play it cool and pretend it was a random look. You weren’t actually staring for a really long time.” Spring 2011 came, and so did gala time! I promised myself that I would say “hi” to the guy. I will find out his name. He walked

in the room, and I made a beeline straight to him. “Hi. I see you at all the galas. What’s your name?” “Chris. I’m staff,” he says. “What do mean you’re STAFF? I’ve been volunteering here since 2003! How are you staff and I don’t know you?” I blurt out. (Great pick up line, huh?) We chatted a little, went to work our stations. I asked my friend Renee, “Who is this Chris guy?” “Chris? I don’t know,” she said, “But I’ll find out!” Renee came back. “He says he’s single and dating.” “Really? Here, give him my number,” I said. Later that evening we chatted some more, standing by a noisy table of staff and friends who were staring at the both of us. It took from May 6, 2011 to May 21 for him to call me. I figured him as a “player”, not really single, not really interested in me. I didn’t expect anything to come of it anyway. At least I knew his name. On May 21st, he called and invited me out for dinner. I said yes. I honestly was way too curious to just let it go. I had stared at this guy for at least 5 years. Maybe we could just be friends. Eight hours into our date, we didn’t want to part and we hadn’t even shared a kiss. We talked, laughed, cried, swapped stories of past hurts, of staring at each other (he looked for me at every gala too), talked of God, children, ex’s and school. That feeling of instant trust, safety, even commitment, slowly fell over me. Here’s a guy I could really fall in love with, I thought. And so it was with him. He tells me now, “I didn’t know when or how. But I knew you were my wife, my soul mate. After only eight hours.” Did I mention we caught up? We got the show on the road. We were married 17 days later on June 6, 2011, again in Costa Rica 7/17/12, at the court house 9/19/12 and the last on 11/3/12. Just to make sure it took. We had wasted enough time, five years. I was looking at my best friend and soul mate the whole time.

www.hummagazine.com

February 2013

Heart

Nina Ann Neish and Dr. Steve Neish Photo: Mark Sobhani

The Matchmaker Meets Her Match BY NINA ANN NEISH

According to my friends, I had just made a choice...a choice between being a mother, and ﬁnding my soul mate. After all, who would want to date a 42-year-old woman with an infant? I had recently adopted a baby girl, and some thought that made me undesirable. I disagreed. I knew it made me a better package. As a professional Matchmaker, I’m on the prowl 24/7. I wrote an article for a singles magazine, and received an email from a man thanking me for the article, and inspiring him to still believe in love. I was ﬂattered that this 49-year-old man took the time to let me know he appreciated my words. I asked him if I could meet with him in the hope that I could introduce him to one of my amazing women clients. He said he was not at all interested in working with a matchmaker, but he loved my smile, and said he would be happy to buy me dinner. He also said that he was not looking for anything serious, but

for someone to enjoy theater, dinners, and conversation. He did not reveal then that he was a Pediatric Cardiologist at Texas Children’s at the time. He had been on Match.com and had been wildly popular but liked to keep his profession under wraps. After telling me I had to be willing to ride in his car with the top down, I agreed to dinner and bad hair. We had a wonderful first date. Our second date was the next night and he met my 1 year old on day 3. Steve proposed to me five weeks after our first date and we were married 110 days later on New Years Eve. My grandparents were also married on New Years Eve some 50+ years earlier. Evidently Dr. Neish was up for something serious with the right woman, and I had finally met the man I waited 43 years to find. We just celebrated our 6th anniversary and every day we celebrate our family.

Letter of Proposal BY GAYATHRI RAO You know when someone you adore comes close to you and looks into your eyes. Your heartbeat goes through the roof! Then he takes out a handwritten letter and hands it to you in a hurry so no one can see, and asks you to read it and respond! You are excited and confused at the same time, especially when you are an 18 yr. old girl growing up in a small village in Kerala. But you are flooded with emotion and you can’t wait to read the letter! This all happened to me 21 years ago when Narendra Rao proposed to me in the early morning hours of Nov 18, 1991 at the Aluva railway platform in Kerala, the day I was leaving to study engineering in another city. My brother was there to see me off, and I somehow said goodbye and got on the train, only to find that the compartment was crowded with students and most were my friends. I longed for privacy to read that letter! Somehow I slid the letter into my engineering mechanics textbooks and pretending to study, read it. The tears rolled down my face as I read that the person I’m secretly in love with, loves me back and wants to spend the rest of his life with me. I couldn’t concentrate in class; nor did I feel hungry. My best friend noticed and diagnosed me with Loveria! I’m so glad I said Yes, Yes, Yes! to his proposal! Naren, you haven’t changed after all these years, you spread joy, cheer, and positive energy to the people around you and that’s what attracted me to you! I’m so glad you chose me as your partner; I can’t imagine anyone else who would understand me better as we are always on the same wavelength. I remember your motto was Gayathri’s happiness is Narendra’s satisfaction and I’m so glad that ‘til this day you stay with it. Happy Love Anniversary Naren! I love you so much! Thank you for 22 wonderful years!

Gayathri and Narendra Rao Photo: Pranav Rao

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February 2013

Heart

Finding Love in the Museum BY DR. DORINA PAPAGEORGIOU I had tickets to the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences with the American-Mediterranean Council, but I also had to prepare for my Ph.D. Committee meeting the next day. The $20 ticket was not refundable. But, those who are familiar with the Ph.D. process know that an unprepared student could see their goal moved back months based on an unsatisfactory committee meeting. I contemplated much on whether I should go but very oddly I felt strongly about my ticket “investment” over an evening of rehearsing my presentation. So off I went to the museum. When I arrived, prepaid ticket in purse, the group was gathering in the lobby waiting for our appointed time to enter the special exhibit. There were several people who I did not recognize. I was introduced to one, a nice guy named “James.” We talked for a few minutes, and then I asked if he wanted to tour the exhibit together. Maybe he sensed that this was uncharacteristic of me, or maybe my question caught him off guard, but he shrugged his shoulders and nonchalantly agreed. I backtracked and apologized for imposing, but he smiled and said it sounded like an excellent plan. By the end of the exhibit, he had asked for my phone number, and I scrawled it on the back of his business card. A few weeks later, we went on our ﬁrst date. I told my girlfriends that I rated it as my best ﬁrst date ever. I was impressed by his thoughtfulness: he even paid for my parking. They were equally impressed. A year later, when we were visiting the same museum, James found the spot we met, got down on his knee and proposed. Six months later, we were married. A month after being married, I successfully defended my Ph.D. I clearly made the right decision to go to the museum. Oh and, James still carries that card with my number in his wallet – I think it is sweet! Dr. Dorina Papageorgiou is married to James Cargas, J. D., Senior Assistant City Attorney for Energy and the Democratic Nominee for Congressional District 7.

Dr. Dorina Papageorgiou and James Cargas Photo: Olga Papageorgiou

Photo: Bonnie and Gabriel Al-Rifai www.2birdsphotography.com

And his quiver almost empty of love’s arrows not foiled, Cupid, with plumy wings aﬂutter, takes his leave after a day of Valentine’s toil...

u s u www.hummagazine.com

January 2013

Nurture

Love

is for Every Day BY LISA BROOKS Two little words spoken often in the month of February are capable of evoking a variety of emotions. Most people know this month as significant for sweethearts and lovers to express their appreciation of each other, and to romantically try to sweep each other off their feet. However, those simple words can also evoke a very different feeling… dread. Valentine’s Day! How could anyone dread a holiday about celebrating love? Well, for one, it’s a lot of pressure. Will I find the right gift, make the right dinner reservations, purchase the right champagne, engagement ring, sexy lingerie, perfume, chocolate, flowers? Will he/she be impressed? Why do I need to impress him/her anyway? Doesn’t he/she know my love is forever? Personally, I have always dreaded this celebration. I was the awkward kid in school who never got flowers, gifts, or special remembrances. I did class card exchanges because it was required. I was not a popular kid; I saw myself as nerdy and studious. Today as an adult I realize in retrospect that I must have projected that image very clearly. I was painfully shy. Since I have been an adult, I was either single and wishing I had a sweetheart, or I was married, but we didn’t celebrate; we only made a halfhearted effort to do something special. Valentine’s Day got easier when I had children. Valentine’s Day could be fun. I decided that as a family tradition, we would eat red food all day. Apples, strawberries, spaghetti with tomato

sauce, and I would put food color in the kids’ milk. It was a tradition we all started to enjoy. Now, I’m not married and I have no sweetheart. Valentine’s Day has taken a different shape in my mind. I don’t necessarily do anything special to celebrate. However, I know that I am loved and appreciated by my friends and my family, and most of the time, by my children. I can make a special meal for my family, and enjoy watching all the hoopla that surrounds the day with no pressure. Some people might think me terribly unromantic. That is not at all the case. I’m a very romantic person. But it isn’t something that I can turn on or off because of a date on the calendar. I enjoy letting people know that I love them. I might even be excessive with that, but it is something I do because I think it is important. I never want to regret not having the opportunity to tell people I love how I feel. Love is fragile and needs to be treated with care. Perhaps someday someone else special will be part of my life. I still want to keep my newfound freedom from the pressure of Valentine’s Day, and share that with my sweetheart. Little gifts, appreciation, special dinners, and taking the time to say “I love you,” can happen any day, any time, just because. We don’t need February 14 to remind us to be romantic. Celebrate love every day.

Lisa Brooks is the proud mother of four wonderful children, a Comparative Religion teacher at Congregation Emanu El, and she also owns and operates a small home organizing business. She enjoys writing, reading, and exploring both in Houston, and around the world.

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Pet Speak

I, Cat Lady BY DIANE LOVEJOY

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Jackson Square, in my hometown of New Orleans. Daddy was teaching me how to pet a stray cat, ever so gently. I retraced my steps on the pavement there recently, amid all of the tourists photographing the historic landmark, and I wondered about my magnificent feline obsession. I imagine a clinical psychologist would counsel me that this obsession took root in “The Big Easy,” and that I required four decades to feel at ease with my feline fixation and to surrender, big-time. Truly, nothing from my childhood or early teenage years pointed obviously to my current codependency with three orange tabbies, three grey tabbies, three calicos, one white-andblack cat, and the aforementioned Cat Man. My catless life continued when I enrolled at Wellesley College in the mid-1970s. Like many women who attended Wellesley then, I had my consciousness raised. But I was certainly not a Cat Lady on the perfectly manicured campus. I was busy writing term papers on the Pre-Raphaelites and on other art-historical niche subjects that, as my father nervously reminded me, would not be marketable in the “real world” that awaited me. I pursued my studies at the École du Louvre during my junior year in Paris, where I frequented the city’s famous art museums at every opportunity. What about studying those equally famous French cats, who are now my fiercest competitors in the “cat care” section of Amazon’s best-selling book titles? How could I have missed seeing the originals perched delicately in Parisians’ windowsills? In short, my pathway as an art-history student did not allow for a detour, which is why, a week after graduating from Wellesley, I was elated to be hired for my first professional

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OMG, gasped a new friend upon learning the feline census at my home. “You’re really a Cat Lady”! Yes, I responded forthrightly. I really cannot live without cats - ten, to be exact - and they know that. Yet I never set out with a road map in hand, determined to rescue, tame, domesticate, and ultimately to adopt so many orphaned felines. I was a totally Type-A personality, and I could not have foreseen leaving my comfort zone, all for the love of cats. I do not mean to give an impression that I have no life outside of “Catland,” as my husband, Michael (whom I fondly call Cat Man), and I refer to our Houston residence, where Lucius, Lydia, Leo, Linus, L.B., and Alvar permit us to cohabitate with them; and also where, in our garage apartment, our human tenant ﬂew the coop for graduate school, leaving us with the excellent, no-brainer choice to move in a mama kitty, Lillie, and her own three kitties, T.J., Perkins, and Miss Tommie. Initially, my full-time unpaid avocation as Cat Lady did not correspond with my full-time paid vocation as the publications director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. I was on a steep learning curve; hissy ﬁts, head bunts, and litter boxes were foreign to me, and despite what I considered to be my expertise in multitasking within an acquisitive environment, I felt overwhelmed by the brand-newness of it all. I was thoroughly accustomed to the hamster-wheel-like deadlines and multiple responsibilities of the publishing profession, not to the insistent, persistent, and pleading demands of ten felines. The heart of the matter is this fundamental question: How did I go from a “catless” life to caring for ten? While writing my memoir Cat Lady Chronicles, I found a lovely snapshot of my late father that was taken with me, then a one-year-old, in

job in the art world. I began my career as a receptionist at Sotheby’s auction house in New York City. One of my primary responsibilities involved lining up the bidders’ plastic paddles in neat rows in bins, before and after each auction. Perhaps this line work was advance training for aligning the bowls of food and water for the stray cats who would find me. After two years of “paddle therapy,” I was promoted to the post of chief cataloguer in Sotheby’s jewelry department. The seeds of my publishing career were sown in this position, in which I discovered how much I liked arranging words and images on a page to tell a story. I also learned that a collector’s passion for acquiring is often never sated. My work at Sotheby’s was followed by employment as the associate director of marketing services for the Art Institute of Chicago. I greatly enjoyed writing diverse materials targeted for the public, and I felt fulfilled by believing that I was making a difference in the art world - in my under-the-radar, actually invisible, way. I should have been looking for a cat all along, though, because I was lonely and a supremely finicky creature of habit, just like a cat. There is no doubt a cat would have appreciated my undivided attention and admired how I resisted change stubbornly. One day I knew I was going to abandon my solitary life. I met Michael and, after only three dates, we married. As newlyweds, we concentrated on our careers (his is in international business development); I never requested time off to take a “caternity leave.” Interestingly, my museum job has always paralleled a stray cat’s “work”: I chase non-apologetically after loose ends and dodge in and out of tight corners. I, too, am on the prowl for food, only the food is for thought. I did not meet a stray until one evening thirteen years ago, when I found an emaciated and wounded feline in our backyard. I fell madly for the cat we named Lucius and discovered that one was indeed the loneliest number. Many more cats arrived. The majority stayed permanently.

When I embarked on my cat-rescuing mission, I was uncomfortable admitting to what I suspected was a mounting addiction. I was a notoriously obedient “good girl.” With the adoption of each cat, I worried that my “fertile” situation at home might hinder my productivity at the office. I took my deadlines and my role as publications director very seriously. I do still. I smiled whenever I was called a “control freak” - as if that’s a bad thing. Yet I dreaded my boss inquiring, “Diane, do you lead a double life?” To that end, I suppose I resembled the classic addict who struggles to keep two lives separate. I asked myself: Could I reconcile the personal and the professional? The solution was remarkably simple: Embrace my inner Cat Lady, and put her to work! And here I am, still, with ten idiosyncratic cats who have taught me about unconditional love and how to navigate this world on tender, never tentative, paws. I know I am not alone in my pursuits of cats and a higher calling. In fact, I have a theory: Isn’t there a little bit of the Cat Lady in all of us who cannot say no to a creature in need? I am proud to call myself a Cat Lady. Don’t even think about rescuing me.

Diane Lovejoy graduated from Wellesley College with honors in art history and pursued studies at the École du Louvre, Northwestern University, and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She serves as the publications director at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where she has overseen the development and production of more than 100 illustrated art books. During her tenure, the Museum has received numerous scholarly and editorial awards of distinction. Her hobbies include antiquing and gourmet cooking. She volunteers for the Blue Bird Circle and the Junior League of Houston. Lovejoy is the author of Cat Lady Chronicles.

www.hummagazine.com

February 2013

A little girl at the crossroads of life, wondering which way she should go: This Way, That Way, Any Way, or Dharma Way. © Smita Turakhia, Finders Keepers? by Robert Arnett

India Unveiled:

Dharma The Panacea for Today’s World BY ROBERT ARNETT

Who would not agree that the modern world is in a huge mess when national and corporate agendas often appear to be morally bankrupt? As science and modern technology keep on advancing, time for solitude and tranquility seem to keep shrinking in this fast-paced, hectic world. Both in the East and the West, people are grappling with the enormous task required to balance modern living with the inner peace of the soul as they cope with the “new normal” societal lifestyle. Individuals have become totally alienated from their families and communities, wandering in search of treasures without value. What if there really was an elixir that could breathe new life into the planet? For thousands of years, travelers from the most powerful countries on earth have gone to India in search of her legendary spiritual knowledge. The ancient culture of India was based on philosophies and practical methods that do address our contemporary crisis. If we search the treasure trove of the thousands-of-years-old Indian culture, the solution to all of our modern ills will be revealed in one ancient Sanskrit word—

dharma. I did not happen to discover the value that Indians place on dharma by accident. It was on one of my trips to India, while traveling in Western India that I had a memorable encounter with a young boy who innocently put the whole concept of dharma into perspective for me. The boy found my lost wallet and returned it to me. I offered him a few rupees as a reward, but he would not accept the money. I asked someone nearby to explain to the boy why I wanted to give him something for his honesty. After talking to him, the man explained to me that the concept of accepting a gift for doing a good deed made no sense to the boy. Dharma is a noble act and needed no outside reward. This was in stark contrast to the attitude of American children who expect an incentive for doing anything from helping with family chores, to doing their homework, or even for performing community service. Though arising out of an ordinary occurrence, that incident throws light on just how comprehensive the concept of dharma is and that we should always practice the highest values of mor-

al behavior in everything that we do. And in attempting to put it into perspective for parents, teachers, and young impressionable minds to form their own value system based on doing the right thing, I was inspired to author the children’s book, Finders Keepers? in the hope of bridging the defining line between two cultures. It also has just been published in Spanish under the title ¿Es mío?. The success of Finders Keepers? and its acceptance by over 9,500 school and public libraries and school classrooms, and almost twice that many homes, illustrates one of the things I love so much about America: because we are a melting pot of the nations of the world, the vast majority of Americans accept truth wherever it is found. No English word or phrase can accurately translate the word dharma. In its lofty state, dharma is “that which holds together” or “sustains the natural order of things.” Without it, all things would cease to exist. Yet dharma has a very practical and universal application for each of us in our lives. A definition I find immensely pertinent is “God’s eternal laws of righteousness that govern the well-being of humankind.” Those Divine immutable laws reflect in one’s individual life as righteous action—a person’s inherent duty to choose actions that are in harmony with the natural and harmonious functioning of the universe. Those actions lead to the happiness and betterment of all. The Indian concept of dharma emphasizes that we should do what is right because it is the right thing to do and not because we will be rewarded. If everyone did their part in the world, the needs of every individual would inevitably be taken care of and no one would need to assert his rights. Dharma is the guiding light to the world that teaches humankind to discriminate between right and wrong, to uphold truth against untruth, and justice against injustice. As stated very simply by Paramahansa Yogananda, “Do what you ought to do, not what you want to do.” Unfortunately, life is not so simple that we can live our lives guided by fixed, rigid moral precepts, as though we were automatons. Following a path of dharma urges us towards right action. It requires that we get in touch with our conscience and go beyond the realm of dogma. It forces us to think! Some people believe that our conscience, or inner voice, is the silent voice of God trying to guide us, and that if we listen to it, we will always do what is right. In an episode from the holy Bhagavad Gita, prior to the outbreak of a huge and bloody war, when Arjuna was given an option of having either Lord Krishna as his charioteer or having Krishna’s large army to fight for him, Arjuna unhesitatingly chose Krishna. Arjuna knew that Lord Krishna was the embodiment of dharma and by choosing him, victory was assured “For wherever there is dharma, there will be victory.” Arjuna’s evil adversary Duryodhana thought Arjuna must have lost his mind and was overjoyed that he would receive the army. Though it was a tough fought victory, Arjuna’s side won the war. Dharma

Pilgrims standing before shrine commemorating sacred location where Lord Krishna delivered the Bhagavad Gita discourse to Arjuna, prior to the Battle of Kurukshetra in which good triumphed over evil. Kurukshetra, Haryana, North India. © Smita Turakhia

prevailed! The great historic battle where Arjuna defeated his enemies took place in Kurukshetra in Northern India. The author of the Bhagavad Gita, Vyasa, skillfully wove into the dialogue between Lord Krishna and Arjuna, allegories of the psychological battles of good versus evil that each of us must daily ﬁght and win inwardly on our plane of consciousness. And if like Arjuna we always cling to dharma, we, too, will emerge triumphantly. It is my belief that by adopting the best of East and West, the United States and India can give the world a new direction: a materially efficient democracy that is spiritually guided. Dharma is the elixir, daily meditation is the alchemy, and altruistic service is the balm that will herald a new world ethos. Dharma endures forever, and if we adhere to it, there is hope that peace and harmony will prevail on earth.

Robert Arnett is the author and photographer of internationally acclaimed India Unveiled and multi-award-winning children’s book Finders Keepers?. For more information about Robert Arnett and his work visit www.AtmanPress.com

www.hummagazine.com

February 2013

Heritage

Sharing the

Sacred Lore BY KEN CHITWOOD While the term, “vedic” can refer to Hinduism, or Indian culture, in general, it also harkens back to the most revered and ancient sacred texts of India. The “Vedas,” written at least 4000 years ago, are a collection of myths, hymns, injunctions and ritual prescriptions. The name means, “knowledge” or “sacred lore,” and related words in English are wisdom or vision. The 2nd Annual Ashirwad Vedic Fair will be held on Saturday, February 23 from 4.00pm – 10.00pm at the Cinco Ranch High School in Katy. A free event for all age groups, the fair features participants who will present their Indian heritage - focusing on history, gods, leaders, philosophy, sport, holidays, locales, and customs. Organizers are hoping that in a North American context, where the Asian-Indian population is rapidly growing and coalescing with Western culture, that such a fair will pass on some of India’s ancient wisdom to the second and third generation Indian youth living in the Houston area. The Houston area’s India population is signiﬁcant, and growing exponentially. It has the sixth-largest metro area Asian-Indian population in the U.S. There are 92,000 Asian-Indians in Houston, about 23% of the Asian population. Asians comprise about 10-22% of the population in the Cinco Ranch area of Katy, a western suburb of Houston and some zip codes in Cinco Ranch saw a 17,000% increase in the number of Asians, including Indians, in the last decade. All these statistics add up to an extraordinary Asian-Indian inﬂux, which presents two key challenges: helping a community integrate a new culture and assisting Indian migrants as they adjust to their new surroundings. Both needs are aimed to be met at this year’s Vedic Fair. “The objective of the Vedic Fair is to inspire young generations to understand the value in all heritages and build tolerance in society,” said Geetha Ravula, organizer for the event. “People are not that interested in Vedic heritage as in academic activities but we want

to inspire youth to understand these values for the beneﬁts it contributes in making them better citizens” she said. Furthermore, Ravula added that the fair also helps introduce Indian culture to others living in Houston. To do so, the event will feature not only the aforementioned presentation booths, but vegetarian food, yoga and meditation workshops, dramatic presentations, rangoli (rice art) galleries, and an epic performance of the Dandiya Rasa - a dance from Gujarat using wooden sticks to emphasize rhythm and depict scenes from the life of Krishna and Radha, gods of Hinduism. The obligation to pass on cultural values and re-create authentic ethnic identity, the desire to associate with people of similar educational and economic prowess, and the need to protect a community from negative outside forces give shape to such events as the Vedic Fair. Prema Kurien, in her book A Place at the Multicultural Table, said these affairs, “become the means to create community; provide support; understand and articulate identity; and provide a shelter from cultural misunderstanding,” that Indians can encounter in wider society. This need has also given rise to a striking number of new Indian establishments in Katy. Multiple restaurants and grocery stores catering to individuals from the Indian subcontinent have joined the mélange on Mason Road, the area’s busiest thoroughfare. Not only do these businesses introduce the Katy area to the smells and tastes of India, but they also provide a cultural safety net for Indian immigrants and proceeding generations. Aakar Patel, leaving Mason Road’s new Kurry Wallah restaurant located next to an established Indo-Pak grocery with his family, said, “the food is good, but even better it is a way to say to our kids that we have a place here in Katy.” He elaborated, “even though it’s just a corner in a shopping complex, it’s like a little slice of India in our new home.” The increasing amount of such shops, and events like the Vedic Fair, present a pic-

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January 25, 2013

ture of what it means to be Asian, Indian and American all at the same time. And this is no easy picture to present. “There is so much to learn, you cannot do it in one day,” Ravula commented. “Hinduism is so large, Indians are so diverse, you really have to get a multifaceted picture of it.” To accurately present the multiplicity of India, Ravula said, “we will have interfaith presentations - Buddhists, Jewish, Jains, Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians - we want people to see all of India, not just the Hindu-ness.” 75 different families spent over 4,000 hours researching their ancestral heritages and will be showcasing India’s multicultural milieu to an expected large number of attendees. Ravula and her committee also spent time publicizing the event in the Katy school districts and promoting the fair to non-Indians in Houston’s western suburbs with the hope of attracting an assorted crowd. “We want to see many different people beneﬁt from attending this, and learning something new about India,” said Ravula. Ten year old Srujana Dunnara, who presented “Famous Indian Scientists and their Discoveries,” at last year’s fair said, “My love for science and India made me think about the discoveries in the ﬁeld of science by Indian Scientists.” She said that many may not know that, “several inventions and discoveries believed to have been originated from the western world, have been studied many centuries earlier by our ancestors.” Ravula said that this is not just about an obligation to pass on culture, but it is about shaping the individuals who come in contact with Indian culture and valuing what Indians have to bring to the diverse tapestry of Houston and the U.S. To that end, she concluded, “It’s not just about India, or to learn something about Hinduism, but we want you to come and learn something about yourself too.”

GET READY 4 a Fun and Flamboyant Evening

Saturday, Feb 23rd 4 To 10 pm

Cinco Ranch High School 23440 Cinco Ranch Blvd, Katy, TX 77494

ARBA G S A A R N NEO Texas

ARJUN

1st ever in le cks Availab Dandiya Sti ompetition C g in k o o Satvik C

The chosen

SUPPORTERS Choreographed by Kusum Sharma (Shri Natraj School of Dance) Play concept by Geetha Ravula

HINDUS OF GREATER HOUSTON KATY INDIAN CULTURAL ASSOCIATION INDIA CULTURE CENTER

WORKSHOPS ON: Ken Chitwood covers religion from Houston as a freelance writer. Passionate about religious education he writes to share fascinating religious stories from various spiritual perspectives. His work regularly appears in the Houston Chronicle and his work has appeared in Religion & Politics, RealClearReligion, Publisher’s Weekly, and Sightings from the University of Chicago. Ken serves two local churches and is a graduate student in theology and culture. Ken has learned about, and taught, religion in several countries and actively encourages religious literacy through teaching, blogs, professional writing and speaking. Follow Ken on Twitter @kchitwood.

HERITAGE FAIR 2013

A PAR- EXCELLENCE FAIR 4 ALL

Raas Garba Rangoli Yoga & Meditation Wearing Sari/Dhoti/Pagdi

PRESENTATIONS

Interfaith Performances Gollu Display Vedic Walk Ayurvedic Tips for Dialy walk Ayurvedic Tips for Daily Living

Facebook Event Vedic Fair 2013 EVENT DIRECTOR GEETHA RAVULA 281-808-2159 BOOTHS SRIDHAR DADI 281-217-9736 Email:AshirwadAblessing@gmail.com

VISA 2 VAIKUNT

(Guided Tour to the Abode of Lord Vishu)

www.AshirwadABlessing.org INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2013 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

Constitution

An Open Letter to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dear Dr. King:

January 21, 2013

Over forty years have passed now, but circumstances dictate it an imperative for me to keep you informed on matters of which you paid the ultimate price for. You knew the power of prayer and you carried a powerful message. You need to know that your life had and still has a pronounced impact on individuals and communities around the globe. Many of us still carry both the message and the dream, but yet for too few of us, the dream has not become a reality. You would be proud and possibly amazed to know that the United States of America has elected, not once but twice, our first African American President Barack H. Obama. President Obama is not just a Black President, but one of the most intelligent, articulate, service-minded and thought provoking individuals who has taken up residence at the White House. A man who despite being educated at Harvard University and Columbia University has watched cartoons in national newspapers portray him as a jungle animal and called a liar by individuals who would otherwise be banished from Congress. You would without a doubt be appalled to see young black and brown boys, who refuse to attend school, walking the streets of cities across the country with their pants hanging around their ankles and talking on their mobile phones using a language that my own Grandma Neva would ask, “Son, what is he saying?” Even though children of all races, colors and creeds can attend school together now their young minds are filled with the horrors and concerns of mass murders inside the classroom. Much like your predecessor Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, you both spoke out vehemently against war, poverty and injustice. The question now debated so many years after your untimely deaths is whether the struggle for civil rights has actually benefitted the descendants of the many who sacrificed jobs, properties, reputations and even their lives. Has the Civil Rights Movement become irrelevant? You may ask, are we as descendants of the Movement asleep on our jobs? That is a disturbing question today. In my humble opinion, the answer is both Yes and No. If you look at the alarmingly high drop-out rate of black and brown students in our public schools you might think that we have given up on educating our youth. The disproportionate number of black and brown men in prison versus in college might lead you to believe that our justice system is destroying our urban communities. On the other

hand, pioneers like the billionaire media mogul Oprah Winfrey have opened doors for women and people of color to discover and secure positive roles on television and film. No longer are people of color restricted to playing the roles of servants, slaves, miscreants, and buffoons, but today we are casted in leading roles as superheroes and heroines, the good guys and the ones who save the day. Historically Black universities across the country are graduating more African-American doctors, lawyers, engineers, educators, accountants and other professionals in greater numbers than ever before. Across the board, much has been done to fulfill your dream but there is so much more work to be accomplished. It would be four years before I was born at the time of your assassination in 1968, however, I was raised by amazing parents who instilled in me an understanding that the ultimate measure of a man was not where he stood at times of comfort and convenience, but where he stood at time of challenge and controversy, that a true neighbor would risk his position, his prestige and even his life for the welfare of others. In my own unique way I have used my art and creative abilities to carry out your dream and my purpose on Earth by serving others. You once said, “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.” I choose the former. My concerns for the children and elderly in our communities are akin to you and Gandhi’s legacy of service, love and justice. I have the honors, titles and accolades. As you have left a legacy, I only want the work that I do to speak for me. I think Dr. King, that it is time for me to get along as I have much work to do in the community and in fact you would be proud of my most recent work of art as it pays homage to you, President Obama and his beautiful family. It happens to be located along Martin Luther King Boulevard in Southpark, one of Houston’s oldest and most underserved communities. We completed the mural just in time for a national holiday in your honor, which coincidentally occurs this year on January 21, 2013, the same date as the second inauguration of President Barack H. Obama. As I close I wish to reassure you that I am convinced that the victory is still possible; we only need to keep our eyes on the prize. Sincerely, Reginald Charles Adams

Reginald Charles Adams is a public artist and community developer. He is best known for his award winning tile mosaic murals and sculptures, which are strategically located in some of Houston’s most historic and underserved neighborhoods. His creativity and approach to his artwork is inspired by his travels to more than 28 countries around the globe. Over the past 13 years he has served as President and CEO of the Museum of Cultural Arts Houston (MOCAH), which is a non-proﬁt art corporation that he co-founded in 1999 with his wife and art partner, Rhonda Radford-Adams. Through MOCAH, Reginald has facilitated the design, coordination and production over 150 public art projects across the Houston area. More than $3M has been reinvested back into Houston communities through these public art projects and programs. These projects have been co-created with the involvement of over 21,000 area youth, 95 international, national and local artists and hundreds of community volunteers. He was recently honored by the Houston Business Journal as one of Houston’s 2012 top 40 Under 40 business executives. In his personal time Reginald enjoys Salsa dancing, photography, traveling and spending quality time with his wife and 11 year old son, Jahlani.

Triumph

Rehan Siddiqi Riverstone’s Most Favorite Celebrity Resident

From left, Christen Johnson, Marketing Director of Riverstone; Pat Houck, President, Board of Directors, Fort Bend Education Foundation; Riverstone’s Favorite Resident Siddiqi, President and CEO of Hum Tum South Asian Radio; and Brenna Smelley, Executive Director of the Fort Bend Education Foundation.

Riverstone is the fast-expanding upscale master-planned community in Fort Bend County where luxurious homes, water features, and resort-style amenities delineate the landscape. Residents in Riverstone enjoy an enviable lifestyle with a superb selection of new homes with the upscale zip codes of Sugar Land and Missouri City that are serviced by varied highways access and an array of conveniences within minutes of the community. However another attribute distinguishes the Riverstone community; the area is home to many celebrities. To encourage camaraderie amongst them, the Riverstone management team invited the general public to select one out of ﬁve local celebrities and vote for them online for the title of Riverstone’s Most Favorite Resident. Each participant named a favorite charity that would be the worthy recipient of the $5000 award. After thousands of votes were tallied, Rehan Siddiqi, President and CEO of Hum Tum Radio, was crowned Riverstone’s Favorite Resident. His charity of choice was the Fort Bend Education Foundation. “The Fort Bend Education Foundation is honored to be the recipient of the $5,000 award from Riverstone’s Favorite Resident Contest,” said Brenna Smelley, Executive Director of the foundation. “We appreciate Mr. Siddiqi for choosing us and applaud Riverstone on its ground-breaking social media effort.” The foundation plans to use the $5,000 for its Grants to Teachers and School Site Grants programs, added Smelley. Joining Siddiqi in playfully duking it out for the title and, more signiﬁcantly, a chance to win thousands of dollars for their charities were KPRC Channel 2 reporter Jennifer Bauer, who designated Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels as her charity; NBA Hall of Famer and Houston Cougars analyst Elvin Hayes whose choice was the Juvenile Diabetes Gulf Coast Chapter; The Women’s Hospital of Texas anesthesiologist Dr. Elaine Peltier, who decided on the Sugar Land Animal Shelter; and Fort Bend Junior

Service League president Laura Thompson, who selected the Fort Bend Junior Service League’s Community Assistance Fund. “I could never have imagined being nominated, let alone winning against celebrities such as Jennifer and Elvin. I am very honored,” remarked a jubilant Siddiqi. “I thank my many supporters, I know I can always count on you,” he added. Rehan Siddiqi is no stranger to Houston’s South Asian communities. For more than half his life he has been riding the rollercoaster of radio waves, both here in Houston and in Dallas, always emerging a winner. Today, he is the only South Asian with total access and control of a twenty-four hour, seven days a week programming at Hum Tum Radio’s 1480 AM station. His art deco penthouse broadcasting offices in the Wells Fargo Tower are beautifully appointed and enjoy an unhindered view of the city and immediate surroundings. Not satisfied with just running a successful radio station, Siddiqi has made a name for himself as an entrepreneurial promoter of many renowned Bollywood superstars such as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Sonu Nigam, Jagjit Singh, Pankaj Udhas, Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukherjee, Priti Zinta, Akshay Kumar, Adnan Sami, Sunidhi Chauhan, Shreya Ghosal, Kailash Kher, Anu Malik, Umer Shareef, Shazad Roy, Hadiqa Kiyani, Jawed Ahmed, Sukwinder Singh, Shazia Manzoor, Fariha Perwaiz, Amanat Ali, Ali Zafar, Atif Aslam, and Himesh Reshamiya, to name a few. An avid believer in “firsts” and always desiring to be the “one” to offer them, Siddiqi brought the first South Asian event to the Sugar Land Skeeters Stadium late last year. His vision and his imaginative advertising attracted over 10,000 attendees that exceeded the stadium’s capacity, and created a logistical ordeal. Siddiqi’s calendar includes two much-anticipated performances in March and April, by Adnan Sami and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan respectively.

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Void

Treating the “mind” versus the “brain” in substance dependence BY ARJUNE RAMA, MD Note: The patient below has been completely de-identiﬁed in order to protect his/her health information. “You don’t have any idea what you’re dealing with, do you?” asked Mr. Johnson a mere two minutes into my interview. The scene is the Crisis Intervention Unit. The time is 3:00am. I have a feeling my breath is terrible. The hospital pizza I engulfed earlier in the evening has decided to stage a churning acidic protest in my guts. However, far worse than my half-closed eyes, my halitosis or my gastrointestinal distress is the fact that he’s absolutely right. Mr. Johnson is here because he has come to the realization that living sober is about as awful as living as an alcoholic. As a result, he has decided life is simply not worth living. As a practitioner, patients caught in this double-bind are among the most frustrating to treat. They are living proof that substance dependence treatment can be quite shortsighted. The logic is charmingly simple and irritatingly simplistic: if you’re drinking too much, then you should probably stop. Once you stop, all will be better. To properly understand the failure of this logic, we need to distinguish the brain from the mind. Although our medications and therapies are effective in removing alcohol from the brain, we are less successful ﬁlling the empty space left in the mind. Mr. Johnson’s alcohol use started as a coping strategy

and slowly evolved into a way of navigating the world: a drink to take the edge off at a dinner party; a libation or ﬁve to take the edge off of a bad day at the ofﬁce; a quick stop at the corner bar after work to steel himself against a troubled marriage and a wayward teen. Alcohol played prominently in the way his mind

functioned for years. After “treatment,” suddenly there was no sedative to bring out the best “Mr. Johnson” when he attended a dinner party. Frustration from days at the office lingered long into the evening. Problems at home, at one time nicely obscured by liquor, were now seen in sharp relief. When Mr. Johnson accurately noted that I couldn’t appreciate his situation, I was reminded of my personal development thus far. Like most physicians, I am a person suited to delayed gratiﬁcation, long-term goal-setting, and possessed

of a persistence to achieve these goals. This isn’t to say that I’m superior to him. Rather, for reasons as arbitrary as genetics and birthright, the decision centers of my brain do not have to compete with the inﬂuence of a substance such that my mind can look at the ups and downs of life with balance. As a result, I have little to no tangible life experience with which to help his mind function without the aid of a substance. So after staring blankly for a few seconds (which seemed like minutes) at Mr. Johnson, I dispensed momentarily with my medical training regarding suicide risk assessment or attempting to present treatment options to achieve sobriety. Instead I sat on the edge of his bed and said, “You’re right. I don’t know what I’m dealing with. This sounds absolutely awful, though... tell me what its like.” Given the constrictions of a busy crisis unit, I still had to complete my evaluation, disposition decision, and documentation within an hour. Eventually he was voluntarily admitted to the hospital out of concern for serious potential harm to self. I have no delusions that my brief talk ﬁlled the void in his mind left by the removal of alcohol. However, during our discussion it occurred to me how patients like Mr. Johnson are constantly marginalized in the hospital setting. Through medical school and into residency I have heard the phrase, “he’s just

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going to go out and drink after discharge anyways...” more times than I can count in reference to the disposition of patients like Mr. Johnson. Its true, the relapse rate for patients who are newly sober is staggeringly high. So what are we as practitioners to do? We need to listen. And I mean, really listen. We need to be taught by our substance-dependent patients because, more than likely, we have zero background with which to help them. Listening in this way may be very uncomfortable as it requires us to step away from the familiar books and diagrams that put us in the revered position of “Doctor” and step towards the unfamiliar thought processes of those who have put their lives in our hands. We cannot hear our patients if we try to remain on this imaginary pedestal: our ears are simply too far away to catch anything helpful. As a result I strongly encourage my medical students to read actual descriptions of real patients’ experiences with addiction and better yet, listen to one or more of their patients who is willing to describe their personal addiction stories. I believe that the more and varied stories we read and hear, the better equipped we are to understand the cold vacuum left behind when alcohol is removed from the equation. As we accumulate a greater war chest of patient experiences, we can better apply our skills as physicians to ﬁll a space once occupied with alcohol-lubricated decision-making with smooth yet sober coping strategies. In this way, we can help change their minds.

Arjune Rama is a resident physician in psychiatry at Yale University School of Medicine. You can follow him on twitter at @arjunerama

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Counsel

The Do’s and Don’ts of Surviving High School BY NALINI SADAGOPAN As I clicked on my Facebook notification on a 10th grade high school photograph I was tagged on, I was awestruck by the innocence on our faces. The only thing that was a big burden then was the exams. Fast forwarding 25 years, and an average 10th grader here in the US has much more to worry about than their STAAR exams. It all starts in the 9th grade, when most activities go to the back burner as preparation begins for the next four years. What makes the process of getting into college so nerve-racking? There is the cumulative GPA at the end of four years, SAT/ACT scores, electives, AP classes, extra-curricular activities to show well-roundedness, volunteering, and the list is endless. The day doesn’t get any longer but the number of hours you stay awake suddenly increases by 40%. It’s somewhat like standing at the ice cream counter trying to select from myriad choices, so does taking your pick from the colleges in your senior year. In an attempt to understand this seemingly complicated conundrum I talked with recent high school graduates who have demonstrated great success. Connie Ho was one from that inspirational group. Pleasantly calm and confident, Connie is the daughter of a scientist from my professional network. She had just joined Washington University in St. Louis Missouri as a Fullbright Scholar when I first met her. She graduated from Bellaire High School in 2011 and is currently a sophomore pursuing a BSBA in Accounting and Healthcare Management and a Masters in Accounting at the Olin Business School. She serves as the Vice President of Finance for the Olin Business Council and an Olin Peer Ambassador for freshmen. Connie was very helpful in sharing some do’s and don’t to surviving the angst-laden high school years. Connie’s List of Do’s: • Summer Time: Pack your summers with productive activities. This can include study abroad, volunteering, interning, working, leadership camps, or a combination of several. Plenty of her college and scholarship essays and interviews asked about what she did during summer. • College Applications: Look at college applications and research your dream schools BEFORE senior year. Familiarize yourself with the different sections you will have to fill out and the various essay topics you will have to write about so you can capture inspirational incidents even from your early years in high school to support your applications.

Connie Ho

• Scholarships: Search for scholarships. Just because you’re not a senior doesn’t mean there aren’t scholarship opportunities for you. Schools like Washington University, Duke, Notre Dame, and Rice offer merit scholarships that are not actively advertised. For example, if you are a PSAT National Merit Semi-Finalist and are accepted to University of South Carolina, you are automatically given a half-tuition scholarship, which means costs of tuition just went down by 50%. Finding out during your senior year might be too late. • Economics and Additional Skill Sets: Get a job. To understand the value of a dollar, calculate how many hours it took to earn that next purchase you decide to make. Develop skill sets through classes such as public speaking (debate), writing, programming (computer science), Photoshop, html, Excel, foreign languages, etc. In retrospect, I did not recognize the value of this until college. • Networking: Establish mentor relationships with upperclassmen and your teachers to help plan your own path. Come in with questions (not just about classwork but also non-classwork related topics) during non-class hours. Meet as many people as you can. Some of your most valuable friendships will be formed during high school! Remember that you learn not just from a textbook but also from the people around you and their experiences. • FUN: Attend high school functions! Your fondest memories will be from events like the night of your Homecoming Dance, not the night you stayed up till 4.00am studying. Connie’s List of Don’ts • GPA: Don’t fret too much over your GPA. No one cares what my GPA was from high school after high school. That isn’t to say grades aren’t important. There is a difference between being ranked #3 in your class and

being ranked #50, but there isn’t much difference between being #13 and #23. If you’re going to set a rank goal for yourself, set a percentile goal instead. • Test Scores: Don’t send your “free” AP scores and SAT scores to your dream school(s). Send them to your “safety” schools. When you take your APs or SAT, you’ll have the option of sending your score report to X number of schools for free. However since you just took the exam, you don’t know your score and don’t want to risk sending a bad score to your dream school. Many schools accept an option called Score Choice, which allows you to select which scores you want the schools to see and which scores you want to hide. There are elite universities such as Yale and Rice that force you to send all your scores, so double check on the policy of each school here: http://professionals. collegeboard.com/profdownload/sat-scoreuse-practices-list.pdf. • Driving: Don’t procrastinate on getting your Driver’s License. It’s not just the feeling of independence but also the convenience of not having to tailor your schedule around when you can get a ride from someone. • Participate: Don’t be the quiet person in class. Actively participate. Raise your hand. Engage in the learning experience. Voicing your opinion is skill you will need outside the classroom. • Health: Don’t put your health second. Bad lifestyle habits during high school such as not exercising or sleeping at late hours can become permanent lifestyle habits. The key is learning time management and limiting distractions. Prioritize and organize your schedule with a planner. There are applications/ sites that will block your most distracting websites for a set number of minutes. Instead of staying up late, study early in the morning when there are very few distractions. • Family and Fun: Don’t forget to spend

time with your family. These might be the final few years you will be living at home. Don’t skip prom or graduation. These two events are the culmination of your high school years and the celebration of a successful four years that you, believe it or not, deserve to experience. Of the many accomplishments and awards Connie received when in High School and of all the activities she was involved in, her proudest accomplishment was establishing Bellaire High School as a “No Place for Hate campus” as designated by the Anti-Defamation League. Connie made a significant difference through this mission during her junior year in high school. She received a lot of ridicule as a child because of her last name. Connie wrote an essay about her experiences and the damaging effects of words and made over three thousand copies, one for every student in her High school. She influenced her schoolmates to sign a resolution of respect to make a conscious effort to be aware of the words streaming out of their mouths. She collected stories and poems from students about their own experiences with hate and printed them out on bright sheets of paper to form a collage for everyone to view. The Anti-Defamation League recognized her efforts and awarded her the Youth Excellence Award the following year. In Connie, I see excellent leadership and maturity beyond her age; she is also quite selfless. Connie was extremely open and quick to share her experiences for our readers in an effort to help and enable current and future high schoolers. Her communication skills, her eagerness to make a difference, and excitement to get out to the real world to personally grow and help other grow were very heart warming. We wish Connie Ho much success in all her endeavors.

Nalini Sadagopan, a Houston area resident for ﬁve years, loves writing and public speaking in her spare time. Her passion for arts, culture and heritage motivates her to volunteer time in the local community to promote these, especially among the youth. She is a chemist by training and works as a Technical Specialist for Agilent Technologies. She is married to Rishi and are parents to Shilpa and Vishnu.

www.hummagazine.com

February 2013

Prudence

here is the U.S. Economy Headed Now?

BY ROGER ARORA This is the question that I am sure all of us have been pondering over for the last few months and even years, ever since the crash of 2008. The sad but truthful answer is…no one really knows. With all the intellectual minds working on Wall Street and in Washington (and I wasn’t referring to the politicians, who I believe got us into this mess to begin with), none of the economists really have a good handle on how to pull this mighty country out of the mess that started in 2008. If they did, I wouldn’t be writing this article, would I? So what does the average person on Main Street do to plan for his or her future? Let us look at some facts and let you make that decision.

Does anyone still remember the QE1, 2, and the recent QE infinity where the Federal Government decided that they will pump in up to $50B a month until the economy recovers? Yes, that was the massive infusion of money that the US Government poured into the economy in an effort to save us (and indirectly, the rest of the world) from a financial collapse. Federal deficit went from under $500 billion to above $1.0 trillion and the projections show it is going to remain higher than historic levels as far as the eye can see.

Where does this money for deficit spending come from? The government insists that we are in deficit because we don’t have enough revenue. Is there truth to that? A picture can speak a thousand words. If we, the common man, spent like the government does, we would all have been bankrupt a long time ago. If we are expected to live within our means, why can’t the government? How does the government spend money it does not have? It prints currency, borrows from anybody and everybody, and pumps it into the economy in a vain attempt at stimulating the economy. So what happens when there is an overabundance of anything? It loses its value. Imagine if there is an oversupply of oil. The prices would drop rapidly. That is what was supposed to happen to the US dollar. In nominal terms, it was supposed to lose value as compared to the rest of the currencies worldwide. But, as luck would have it, the other major economies around the world had similar problems as the US and investors flocked to the dollar for safety. In economics, this is referred to as a “flight to safety”. Further, there was no growth in the USA to fuel the inflation, with demand stagnant resulting in prices remaining low, especially in real estate. That saved us for the time being. But sooner or later, we all have to pay for our sins. All signs lead to there being massive inflation sometime in the future. Some of us remember the numbers during the Carter years, which had 16% inflation, 22% interest rates, and 70% marginal tax rates. When this is going to hit the fan is open to debate. Why does the average citizen need to worry about the US dollar losing its value? Because, as the dollar weakens, everything we buy will cost more. That is called inflation, caused as a result of the devaluation of a currency. Inflation hits the poor and middle income disproportionately, it is a tax that

shows no compassion. So, any goods imported from China or another country will cost more due to a weaker dollar. With unemployment already at 7.8%, can Americans really afford price increases? While a number like 7.8% seems like a small number relatively, keep in mind that it equals to more than 23 million Americans unemployed; this number does not include the millions more that work part-time because they cannot ﬁnd full-time work. So what steps must one take to protect themselves and safeguard their hard earned money? Keeping it in the bank certainly is not helping with interest rates near zero. The money is losing value every day sitting in the bank due to inﬂation. Are stocks and bonds a better bet? I personally don’t believe in the market and haven’t invested a cent in the market for the past several years. It may be a good bet if you are careful enough and have the knowledge of the companies and the industry and the time to keep close watch. How many of us have that luxury? I don’t see what could be the drivers of growth for stocks with unemployment being so high and companies reluctant to invest due to the stalemate in Washington. What about real estate? There are pockets of opportunity out there in areas of the oil and gas shale in Texas and other areas, but one needs to understand the market well and realize these could be very short-term opportunities.

Gold has always been the “go-to” safe haven in times of uncertainty. The value of gold has increased during every

period of uncertainty, and there is some correlation between the hike in price of gold, expectation of inflation, and deficit spending. Gold prices have increased over 300% over the past decade. The Federal Government has been consistently wrong in their forecasts and policies. Now they insist on pursuing the same failed policies. As Albert Einstein is believed to have said “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”. Why would the same policies work now? We now have one of the longest depressions in history that has been caused by the Federal Government and the fiscal and social policies of the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations. They are devaluing the dollar, destroying capital, hindering growth, and cheating the citizenry out of their hard earned money. The high number of unemployed and underemployed, the low labor participation rate, the inability to boost the economy despite the massive pumping of money at record low interest rates, uncontrolled spending on safety-net programs like Food Stamps and subsidized housing combined with the “guaranteed” entitlement programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, all portend much harder times for the economy until the country is willing to face the truth and begin to get direction from Washington. The country is on a similar path of the Titanic heading towards the ice-berg. Being forewarned is being forearmed. We can see what is down the road, and based on the information available we each need to take the best course available to us to protect our hard earned wealth. Hedging our investments with gold, real estate, and foreign currency might be the most prudent course to take in these uncertain times, but again, with caution. Do not invest just because an “expert” said to do so. As prior experiences have shown us, these “experts” have been proven to be wrong almost every

Roger Arora is a serial entrepreneur and owns an apparel imports company distributing to major retailers in the USA, as well as a real estate investment and development company. He holds an MBA in Finance from Rice University, and currently lives in Sugar Land, Texas, with his wife and three sons. Ranga Vasudevan contributed to this article.

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February 2013

Zubair Al Awady

Voices of the

Spirit & Soul

The Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) in partnership with Asia Society Texas Center (ASTC) presented Voices of the Spirit, a soaring, soul-stirring ode to Houston’s richly diverse faiths on January 19-20, 2013 at the iconic Asia Society Center on Southmore. The event began with a welcome address by ASTC’s Director of Programs and Education, Sabrina Motley. Compèred by Pat Jasper, HAA’s Director of Folk Life and Traditional Arts, the program showcased the devotional music from five of this city’s immigrant communities such as Sikh kirtans, Sufi songs, Nigerian praise, Vietnamese choral music, and kritis rendered in South Indian Carnatic ragas, or melodies. Mellifluous and deeply spiritual, the music held the capacity audience riveted. Participating artists were Bhai Bhupinder Singh Paras and Bhai Charanjit, spiritual leaders and performers at the Gurudwara Sahib of Southwest Houston; internationally-renowned oud maestro Zubair Al Awady; the Saint Martin Vietnamese Choir of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart; Nigerian guitarist and praise singer Melloh Rhythm; and noted young Carnatic vocalists from the Indo American community, Kruthi and Keerthana Bhat. The Voices of the Spirit program was part of the remembered, REGAINED: Immigrant Arts of Houston series that fetes the music, visual culture, and oral traditions of the immigrant communities. Coming up on HAA’s calendar are Sharing the Immigrant Advantage: Lectures and Workshops, Uno! Dos! Tres!: The Many Musics of Houston’s Latino Community, and the fascinating Anointed and Adorned: Indian Weddings in Houston, a photography and audio installation by Sohil Maknojia and Rati Ramadas Girish respectively.

32 C

Photos: Krishna Giri

www.houstonartsalliance.com

Saint Martin Vietnamese Choir of the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart

Melloh Rhythm

Photos: Krishna Giri

Bhai Bhupinder Singh Paras and Bhai Charanjit

Kruthi and Keerthana Bhat.

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January 2013

Style

Roses are

red, Tulips are pink Priya James is a fashion stylist and owner of Priya James Fashion Consulting. She has a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing from The Art Institute of Houston. Priya has styled and assisted in the production of fashion shows and photo shoots and has provided fashion consulting services to small businesses and start-ups in the fashion and retail industry. www.fashionmepretty.com www.facebook.com/PriyaMJamesFashionConsulting

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Images courtesy of H&M and Nordstrom Incâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

BY PRIYA M. JAMES Valentine’s Day is a day when people around the world show their love and affection to those they cherish. Hues of red and pink can be found in almost everything related to the holiday. The question is, with such a huge color spectrum to work with, why are red and pink the preferred colors? Every color symbolizes something different and each color stimulates a different emotion. The color red is considered an emotionally intense color. It is often used to evoke feelings of passion and love. Pink a softer, lighter shade of red is associated with friendship, affection, and caring. It evokes feelings of comfort and nurture. If you are not sure about what color to wear on the special day, think about who you are sharing the day with. Will you be celebrating with someone with whom you have very strong feelings towards; someone who would bring you red roses? Or will you be spending the day with a special friend or relative who may bring you pink tulips?

‘Images courtesy of H&M and Nordstrom Inc’

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February 2013

Green

The main goal of Sustainability 2.0 column is to share valuable resources, discuss relevant trends and bring you the latest and greatest on how become part of a creative solution. We will discuss energy, out of the box water conservation, socially responsible investing, eco-tourism, healthy eating, and collaborative consumption.

AIR QUALITY THE GOOD OLD-FASHIONED WAY:

Houseplants

BY TAJANA MESIC

Swiss Cheese Plant - by Valarie Cowden

I think of my houseplants as beautiful and functional pieces of art. With their lush and opulent green leaves, nestled in ceramic or porcelain planters on plant stands, my plants give me joy and provide for better air quality in my home. Was I born with a green thumb? No. But not wanting to see my houseplants dying and spindly, brown and in distress, I did a lot of research and then refined my green thumb through trial and error. When I first moved to Houston, I didn’t know what type of houseplants would thrive in my north-facing Houston home. In this new home, my main concerns were fumes of the fresh new paint and toxic chemicals. I knew that houseplants could help neutralize some of those and would give my décor a colorful pop. During visits to clients’ offices, I noticed that offices with live plants seemed more inviting and less sterile, as if they brought a little piece of nature into their surroundings. Nothing brightens and softens up a room better than a colorful, lush, vibrant, live, green houseplant. Easier said than done, when you don’t know where to start. Which plants would do well next to big windows with lots of sunshine, and which ones would need very little light and could be kept in the dim light of the bathroom? I set out on a quest to find the most beautiful and most resilient plants that would help improve the indoor air quality by filtering out impurities. One of the biggest problems with indoor houseplants is finding the right plant for the light level you have in your home. How do you keep your plant beautiful and fresh? To thrive, houseplants need light, water, soil, and the right container. Provide all of those, and you will have gorgeous happy plants. Light Plants use photosynthesis to extract food from light and water, so it is important to follow the instructions on the

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planting manual. Your orchids will do well in moderate light, but your jade plants will thrive only in full and bright light. Experiment with the position of the plant. It will communicate to you by the way it looks. If its leaves start shriveling up and turning yellow, it is getting too much sun. Move it to a moderately shaded area. Water First things ﬁrst, establish a weekly watering regimen. After you water the plant, the soil shouldn’t be drenched with water, just moist. Plants are also ﬁnicky about the quality of water they get. Most of us assume that tap water is good enough for houseplants. Not in Houston or Katy. Our water is too alkaline Hillcroft: for most plants. If the water is too alkaline, the plant won’t be 5959 Hillcroft, Houston, able to absorb the nutrients from the water. Simple remedy? 77036 - 713-334-5555 Add tablespoon of vinegar to half aTX gallon of water when watering. It will make the water more acidic and plants will better absorb the needed nutrients. If you want really brilliant and well-fed plants, add a tablespoon of nitrogen-rich liquid organic material to a half-gallon of your water, such as Hasta Gro Plant Food. Soil If you want to revive a dying plant or give a little pep to your plants in the spring, spent coffee grounds will do the job. Coffee shops keep them just for gardeners who know the secret – coffee grounds amend the soil. Take a spoonful or two of coffee grounds and sprinkle them onto the soil of your houseplant. If you are repotting, add a few spoonsful to the root system and water the plant with lukewarm water to help release the nutrients into the soil. Voila – watch your plant get a coffee buzz. Containers A beautiful container enhances the look of your plant as it grows and provides a home for its roots. With spring in the air, there are many colorful plant containers already stocked in

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January 2013

Orchids - by Tajana Mesic

Sabljarka - by Tajana Mesic

stores. My favorites are ﬁred and glazed clay pots or porcelain pots. Remember that plants grow and need space to expand their roots. They also need good drainage, so be sure that you don’t overwater them or they can rot. When planting or repotting a plant, put a little charcoal in the bottom of your container that doesn’t have holes. This improves drainage and prevents the rot. Here are my favorite indoor, easy-to-maintain houseplant picks in order of sensitivity from least sensitive (for brown thumbs) to most sensitive, but still easy to maintain (for light brown thumbs): Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata “Laurentii”) If you are looking to make a statement, but have a brown thumb, this is a no brainer. Snake plant is “all leaves” which stand straight up from the base of the plant, like sabers. Sometimes the leaves are trimmed in yellow or silver. The plant grows up to 4 feet tall and tolerates a variety of light exposures. Since it is a desert plant, don’t overwater and let the soil dry out between waterings. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum ‘Vittatum’) To add a vibrant plant that is virtually impossible to kill to your plant collection, consider this all-time beauty. It makes an attractive hanging plant in your window or a shelf close to the window and develops plantlets at the ends of its arching stems. They readily root in water or potting soil to start new plants. It needs medium to bright light. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp.) In addition to beautiful green leaves, this plant offers you a gorgeous and huge white or dark purple ﬂower. The single-pet-

aled flower will rise up above the leaves for an attractive view. Not only will it grow in low light, it’s considered an excellent plant for cleaning toxins out of your air. Keep the soil moist. Jade Plant (Crassula ovate) Do you want to have a Japanese garden tree? It looks like a mini tree with interesting gnarly branches and thick fleshy leaves. It grows very slowly, surviving for decades if it has bright light and stays dry. Bright light is a must for this plant. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) To create a classic look in your house and add volume to an area, get a fern, especially Boston fern. Its arching, lacy fronds make it well suited to display on a pedestal. This tough plant that will live for decades if you keep it moist and give it moderate light and enough humidity. The variety ‘Dallas’ is more compact and more tolerant of dry air. It will do well in medium to bright light. Begonia One of the most prolific and beautiful houseplants with great smelling blooms; they come in a wide range of leaf colors and shapes. If you get a Rex Begonia, it can live happily without any direct light. The key is to not overwater it, and it can do great even at your office desk. Did I say it smells great? In anticipation of spring and to satisfy your planting itch, pick a beautiful fired and glazed ceramic container and one of the plants we talked about and get ready for years of enjoyment. Your houseplant will create a nice ambiance in your home and help keep your air clean. From its place near the window or bathroom ledge, it will be your own perfect living piece of art.

Tajana Mesic is the president and founder of GGG Sustainability Solutions. GGG is a full-service sustainability and resource efficiency consulting firm, providing clients with professional services and guidance on integrating sustainability strategy into operations in a financially viable way. GGG is a certified B Corporation and deeply involved in the Dallas and Houston international community. You can get more relevant sustainability tips at www.facebook.com/greengrovegroup or connect with Tajana at www.greengrovegroup.com.

Dr. Devinder Bhatia, Gina Bhatia, and John Bradshaw, Jr.

orts mad

Photo credit : Jenny Antill

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Leela and Nat Krishnamurthy

Ashok Rao and Martha Blackwelder

Glitz and Glamour at Official Tiger Ball Kickoff

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Anu and Nat Bala

Signature cocktails

A glittering and diverse array of guests joined with gala chairs, honorary chairs, and steering committee members for the official Tiger Ball Kickoff Party at Hotel ZaZa’s Phantom Ballroom Wednesday evening, January 23. Gala Chairs Gina and Dr. Devinder Bhatia and gatherees were serenaded by a Divisi Strings quartet. Double Cross Vodka provided signature cocktails and Saks Fifth Avenue was on hand to prompt ticket sales with special offers for Tiger Ball guests. Executive Director Martha Blackwelder and Director of Development John Bradshaw, Jr. joined the Bhatias at the podium to temp guests with talk of the upcoming celebration. This year’s April 26th Tiger Ball will offer something completely different from the gala that formed the centerpiece of Asia Society’s four-day grand opening in April 2012. A colorful reception

and after-party on the Festival Lawn will bookend the elegant seated dinner, with tables lavishly set throughout the stunning building designed by the famed Yoshio Taniguchi. With a $1 million financial goal, gala fundraising is in full swing with the Bhatias at the helm, joined by a powerhouse group of Honorary Chairs Muffet Blake, Sheida and Dr. Mohammad Etminan, Sheela and Ashok Rao, and a committed Steering Committee made up of eight couples, a group that mixes long-standing Texas Center supporters with new friends, including Divya and Chris Brown, Anne and Albert Chao, Monjula and Ravi Chidambaram, Martin and Kelli Cohen Fein, Jo and Jim Furr, Leela and Nat Krishnamurthy, Judy and Scott Nyquist, and Y. Ping Sun and David W. Leebron. www.AsiaSociety.org/ Texas/TigerBall2013.

Jo and Jim Furr

Monjula Chidambaram and Marie Goradia

Focus

India Studies Growing and Thriving at the UofH BY ANJALI KANOJIA

Photo: Krishna Giri

From Left: Krishna Mudan, Board Member; Kim Howard, Development Director College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences; Dr. Lois Parkinson Zamora, Professor & Chair of the Department of Comparative Literature; and Anjali Kanojia, Director of the India Studies Program

For many years, prominent Indian leaders in the Greater Houston area pondered on how to provide the younger generations the opportunity to study India? They wanted to make sure that students could discover an ancient land rich in cultures, and a modern nation trying to make its mark in a globalized world. The Indo-American community, being aware that the University of Houston is committed to the study of world cultures, began to see the University as the institution that could make this happen. Seeds for the India Studies Program at the University of Houston were sown six years ago. Members of the Indian community in Houston, as well as the Foundation for India Studies, a non-profit led by Krishna Vavilala and Parul Fernandes, approached the University of Houston and proposed the creation of a program that would promote teaching and scholarship focused on the history, politics, economics, languages, and the arts and culture of India. The Hindi language became the very first India-related course to be offered at the University. Dr. Renu Khator, who was appointed President and Chancellor in 2008, is the first foreign-born president of the University of Houston, and second female to hold this position at the University of Houston. In 2011, President Khator entrusted the Program to Dean John Roberts, head of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Dean Roberts made the decision to house the India Studies program in the department of Comparative Cultural Studies, led by Dr. Lois Parkinson Zamora, an expert in the field of comparative literature. Abraham Verghese, a physician, professor, and the worldrenowned author of books such as Cutting Stone and My Own Country, helped inaugurate the India Studies minor in October 2011. Verghese, who is of Indian and Ethiopian heritage, deliv-

ered the John P. McGovern Endowed Lecture in Family, Health and Human Values. The India Studies Program, in conjunction with the World Affairs Council of Houston, also hosted Akash Kapur, a Rhodes Scholar, journalist, and the author of India Becoming, to deliver a talk about the economic development and social transformation in modern India. India Studies and the Department of English sponsored a symposium on Circuits of Empire: India as a Metropole, which began with Ania Loomba’s lecture on Caste, Sexuality, and the Limits of Liberalism, and ended with a showing of a Bollywood film The Dirty Picture, followed by a panel discussion about gender issues in contemporary Indian society. The India Studies Program offers a minor, with fifteen hours of undergraduate course work. The minor is inter-disciplinary, and allows undergraduate students the opportunity to study India from a variety of perspectives. It also promotes the study of Indian culture, religions, history, languages, literature, politics, and business. The India Studies Program is currently working on creating new courses in the fields of art history, classical dance, and economics. One of the goals of the India Studies at the University is to partner with academic institutions in India in order to develop study abroad programs. Another important goal of the program is to raise funds that will be directed towards student scholarships, travel scholarships, new courses, and public lectures. The program has an active board that includes Pradeep Anand, Murthy Divakaruni, Pankaj Dhume, Krishna Mudan, Rajneesh Chaudhary, William Fitzgibbon, Dinesh Singhal, Sen Pathak, Subhash Gupta, Sam Abraham, Omana Abraham, and Arun Verma.

Anjali Kanojia is a PhD candidate in the department of Political Science, and directs the India Studies Program at the University of Houston.

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Fabulously Forty!

Cheers

Photos: Krishna Giri Ash & Leena Shah

When local businessman Ash Shah celebrated his lovely wife Leena on her 40th birthday, he did so nautically aboard the Princess Sapphire along with a coterie of family and friends on Saturday, January 12, 2013. The naughty theme for the festive jamboree, 40 Shades of Red, sparked oodles of creativity and stylishness as both genders togged up in their cocktail best. Champagne ﬁzzed and cocktails ﬂowed as the yacht left League City. Chic in a striking one-shoulder red gown, Leena smiled as friends roasted, toasted, and serenaded her. Guests lingered over dinner catered by Daawat Catering by Madras Pavilion, nibbled on birthday cake, and danced ‘til the late hours to tunes spun by DJ Samia.

Happy 40th Birthday, Leena! (Photo selection by Ash Shah)

Photos: Krishna Giri

www.hummagazine.com

February 2013

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