Saathee Digital Charlotte December 09

In this issue:

Paperless Office Understanding Food Allergies

Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal

December 2009

The Bhindi Family Wishes you & your family A very Merry Christmas!

Hello Readers Happy Holidays!

Does your child need help with homework or math tutoring? Find a teacher in a box, online that is. Read about online tutoring from India on pg. 6.

We’ve all eaten pizza loaded with mozzarella cheese.

Now Indian dairy farmers are getting in on the buffalo milk mozzarella market. Read about it on pg. 8.

The Sanjay Gandhi National Park is situated smack in the middle of Mumbai and is known as the “lungs of Mumbai.” Read how local organizations are working to preserve this unusual park on pg. 48.

The tax season is creeping up on us once again. We’ve started a new series of articles to address many concerns and questions regarding taxes in the Tax Matters column on pg. 64.

Catch up on all the happenings in local organizations in our Community News section beginning on pg. 88.

A features magazine for the South Asian Community of the Carolinas

Quote: “A person's mind stretched to a new idea never goes back to its original dimensions.”

- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

December 2009 – Issue # 140 Editor:Samir Shukla (saatheemag@hotmail.com) Publisher: Divakar Shukla (rakavid@aol.com) Community News Editor: Rajesh Ganatra Ad Design / Layout: Nate “Nigambhai” Andrews Consultant: Himanshu Desai Contributors for this issue: Pradip Bulsara, Kirit Shukla, Rajesh Ganatra, Chandan Sen, Hena Sharma, Rohan Paramesh, Sardar Singh, Dr. Maha Gingrich, Wendy Wells, Narendra Dixit, Krutika Chheda, Gail Z. Martin, Anjana Agarwal, Judith L. Bergman, Ron A. Virmani M.D., Anita Kulkarni, Manzoor Cheema, Jalendu Vaidya, and Dr. Meena Chelury.

Your saathees: Samir, Divakar, Raj, Nate & Himanshu

In this issue:

December 2009

All contents © 2009 Shukla Entertainment, Inc. Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily of the publisher or editor. Contact us prior to sending in articles or photographs for submissions.

Saathee is published monthly. Deadlines for advertisement, submissions and events information is 20th of the previous month.

Mission: Our goal is to be a valuable source of information for the Carolinas’ South Asian community and a vital advertising tool for businesses.

Saathee Magazine P.O. Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220 Phone: (704) 527-7570 Fax: (704) 527-7590 E-mail: saatheemag@hotmail.com

www.saathee.com Cover: Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu December 2009

Pashupatinath temple is one of the biggest Hindu temples of Lord Shiva in the world. It is located on the banks of the Bagmati river in the eastern part of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

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Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu, Nepal

Teacher in a Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 06 Indian Mozzarella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 08 Paperless Office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 10 Bolly Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 14 Saathee Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 16 Music Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 20 Sangeet, Music of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 22 Evergreen Film Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 24 Indian Classical Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 28 Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 30 Organic Tea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 32 Dances of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 34 Children’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 38 Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 40 Clarity of Perception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 42 Mastering Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 44 Astride Three Continents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 46 The Lungs of Mumbai . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 48 Healthwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 50 Stock Tickers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 54 Marketing Turnaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 56 Personal Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 58 Immigration Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 60 For Greater Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 62 Tax Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 64 Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 66 Immigration Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 68 The Chai Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 70 Cricket Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 76 Community Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 84 Community News & Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 88 Pop’s Puzzles and Jokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 110 Who Want’s to be a Scholar . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 112 Festivals and Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 112 AstroScope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 114 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 116 Puzzle Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 118 Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 118

In this issue:

Paperless Office Understanding Food Allergies

Photo: BigStockPhoto Saathee Magazine, USPS 021-116, is a free subscription magazine published monthly by Shukla Entertainment Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Saathee, P.O. Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220-1468. Postage paid at Charlotte, NC. (ISSN: 1543-8147) saathee.com

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Teacher in a Box:

Outsourcing homework to India Need help with that term paper, young American? Meet Saswati Patnaik.

By Saritha Rai - GlobalPost.com BANGALORE, India — Six days a week in the wee hours of the morning, Saswati Patnaik logs into her home computer.

The homemaker — and tutor for a Bangalore company called TutorVista — rises early to help American high school students write English term papers, prepare S.A.T. essays or finish homework assignments.

Outsourcing, of course, started as a way for American companies to lower costs by shifting work to cheaper locations. After nearly two decades, that practice has become so mainstream that hundreds of U.S. businesses — from Wall Street banks to law firms, architects and others — routinely outsource to India.

But now a growing number of individual Americans are following in the footsteps of businesses — and outsourcing homework.

For $99 a month, American customers of TutorVista get unlimited coaching in English, math or science from Patnaik or one of her 1,500 fellow tutors. Similar personalized services in the United States charge about $40 an hour.

“The economic downturn has pushed education to the top of the average American family’s monthly household budget,” said Krishnan Ganesh, CEO and founder of TutorVista. “More Americans feel that education is their only safety anchor, the only thing that can help them stay competitive in this world.”

The company’s customers are overwhelmingly from the U.S., but Canadians, Koreans, British and Australians also sign up for lessons.

To meet this growing demand, TutorVista is adding another 1,500 teachers across India in the next few weeks.

To be sure, homework outsourcing is no longer a novelty. Several Indian companies offer the service, operating like call centers with tutors sitting in a common office. But companies like TutorVista are now extending the trend directly from the homes of Indian tutors to those of American students.

Technology has already made communication seamless from anywhere-India to anywhere-United States, said CEO Ganesh. There is no stopping the trend now.

On this particular morning, Patnaik is working with students from Atlanta and New Jersey. She logs into the December 2009

TutorVista portal, using webchat to greet her student.

“Hello, Brittney,” she says. Her student responds back immediately. They switch to audio, and Patnaik asks, “How have you been?” A polite sentence or two later, she queries, “How may I help you today?”

The ninth grader has a quiz on Stephen Crane’s “The Red Badge of Courage” the next day. The two discuss the novel and its characters. Patnaik probes Brittney on a few chapters and asks her several questions. She writes the themes in the novel on the digital pad and they discuss as the words show up on their respective computer whiteboards.

Among the Indian tutors working for TutorVista are fresh graduates looking for an opening in a slack job market, stay-at-home mothers, and women with young children, retired professionals and even those confined to their homes by illness or other circumstances.

Saswati Patnaik, for instance, says she made her career choice because she is homebound for health reasons.

In small Indian towns such as Kasargod in the south and Faridkot in the north where career choices are limited, these outsourcing jobs have become an important new source of income. Teachers can earn from 10,000 rupees (more than $200) to twice that sum, depending on the hours and the grades they teach.

American teenager Maureen Baker, a high school senior in New York, says she enrolled with TutorVista a year ago because her father felt it would give her better control over time and resources. Baker is in an advanced program in math and science.

At peak times, TutorVista’s teachers coach 2,500 American students in one-to-one sessions that last between 30 minutes to an hour. On an average day, the company serves about 3,500 students.

The slight communication barrier, an occasional technological problem and the quality of tutors present a challenge for the students, said Baker. But there are many advantages, she said. “I have my share of tutors who do an outstanding job and make the sessions enjoyable and productive.”

Tutors like Patnaik say some of the students are outstanding but many do not focus enough. “American kids don’t face the kind of academic pressure that Indian kids have to cope with both at school and at home,” said Patnaik, who has been tutoring for more than two years.

Older teachers face a culture shock when the kids they are tutoring call them by their first names or criticize them openly. In India, teachers are seldom faulted and always respectfully addressed “Ma’am” or “Sir.” There are other wrinkles as well. For instance, TutorVista has to steer its tutors away from India’s rote learning system to the more open, interactive American way.

Still, that hasn’t mollified some critics (mainly teachers in the U.S.), who have raised concerns about the quality of instruction and the lack of uniform standards and testing.

For its part, TutorVista says bridging cultural gaps presents its own share of challenges — like, for example, conversing with American teens.

So in the next few weeks, Indian tutors will learn to use “awesome” as praise, and illustrate a math problem using donuts instead of mangoes.

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How Can 39 Million Buffalo Be Wrong?

Indian farmers discover the beauty of mozzarella.

By Jason Overdorf - GlobalPost.com NEW DELHI, India — A few years ago, when my Midwestern parents visited me in India, my mother provided a running commentary as we navigated our way through a long traffic jam on the famous Grand Trunk Road, which runs through Delhi on its way to Peshawar from Bangladesh.

“Water buffalo,” she’d point out. “Another water buffalo ... another water buffalo.”

Uh. Yep. Are we there yet?

Turns out Mom was right. India — the world’s largest producer of milk — is home to 70 percent of the world’s buffalo. But until recently, the market for milk powder and ghee (clarified butter) was so huge that nobody ever thought of using the country’s millions of liters of buffalo milk to make mozzarella di bufala, the glorious cheese for which some would say it was intended.

Now, though, as more Indians learn about Western cuisines and farmers explore the export market as a way to boost their incomes, your insalata caprese may soon come from the land of yoga.

“The total buffalo population in Italy is 300,000 buffaloes,” said Manmohan Malik, managing director of Himachal Pradesh-based food processing company Himalaya International Ltd. India has 39 million.

Three years ago, Malik sensed an opportunity for Indian producers. After discovering from the National Dairy Research Institute that India’s buffalo are the same variety as those that Italy has made famous for mozzarella di bufala, Malik pumped $2.5 million into a cheese-making project that he soon learned would require a nearly complete transformation of the processes used by local dairy farmers.

“We put up a big project, but we hit roadblocks in terms of the quality of milk available, and a lack of infrastructure,” Malik said.

The company had to invest in chilling systems, collection centers and training for its dairy farmer associates to ensure it got unadulterated, hygienic buffalo milk with the 4 percent-plus protein required to make top quality mozzarella.

“We are crossing the major hurdles in developing the proper milk system,” said Malik. “We realized that is the reason that more companies haven’t ventured into this area — because the milk quality in India needs a big improvement.”

Nevertheless, today, with the help of Italian cheese expert Raffaele Cioffi, Himalaya International produces about $1.5 million worth of buffalo mozzarella annually, or about 5 tons a week. Most of that quantity is exported to the U.S. as frozen curd, then stretched at a Pennsylvaniabased plant operated by Malik’s joint venture partner.

Shipping frozen curd from India is much cheaper than flying fresh mozzarella from Italy, and once the curds are thawed and stretched the resulting cheese is almost identical in quality. So India’s export product can compete December 2009

Saathee

against not only America’s domestic producers, but against the best Italy has to offer, Malik says. Top chefs (and Italians) may disagree with that claim, of course. But Himalaya’s mozzarella has found a ready market.

“It is a specialty cheese used as fresh mozzarella in caprese and other salads, and by special, high-end pizzerias on the East Coast (of the U.S.),” said Malik. “A lot of Italian restaurants use it.”

Since Malik started making mozzarella, India has attracted several other cheesemakers, such as 27-year-old Italian Giuseppe Mozzillo, who runs Haryana-based Exito Gourmet. Mozzillo is still using cow’s milk for his cheeses, but he is keen to switch to buffalo as soon as he can develop his supply chain, since buffalo mozzarella sells for about twice as much as cow milk cheese. Flanders Dairy, which operates a farm on the outskirts of Delhi not far from Mozzillo’s, also produces bonconcini and Italian mozzarella.

Even the Gujarat-based cooperative dairy giant Amul — a milk monolith that generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue — has dipped a toe into the water, making a bargain-basement mozzarella it markets as “pizza cheese.”

Their interest isn’t hard to explain. Although there are big challenges to be overcome, the potential for Indian mozzarella is enormous. India produces about 100 million tons of milk a year, of which about 55 percent comes from the country’s 40 million buffalo, according to the Animal Production and Health Commission for Asia and the Pacific.

Along with the export market, there’s also a fast-growing domestic market for mozzarella and other cheeses. Over the past year or two, domestic cheesemakers like Flanders and Poshtick Foods — which operates a chain of Passion Cheese outlets — have found that their niche is expanding with the proliferation of local food boutiques and foreign specialty shops like Le Marche (a subsidiary of French retail group Geant Hypermarket) as well as the mushrooming of high-end hotels and restaurants.

Meanwhile, the general shortage of buffalo milk has compelled so many of the world’s mozzarella makers to use sheep’s or cow’s milk that the Italian region most famous for its production sought and earned “Protection Designation of Origin” status — making Campania the Champagne of mozzarella — under European Union rules in 1993. India has already begun to put pressure on the EU to remove non-tariff barriers to its agricultural products in exchange for access to its own enormous, fast-growing market. But there soon may be an even more compelling reason for the world to sample India’s buffalo mozzarella.

“If you go around the south of Italy, you’ll see very few buffaloes,” said Sunil Bhu, who runs Flanders Dairy. “But buffalo mozzarella seems to be sold from Italy all over the world. It’s a big question mark.”

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Is Your Office Paperless?

The advantages of going paperless are efficiency and economics. A paperless business can save time, paper and paper-related costs as well as being more efficient and environmentally responsible.

According to the Journal of Accountancy, some startling facts related to handling physical paper records include: of all the pages that get handled each day in the average office, 90 percent are merely shuffled; the average document gets copied 19 times; companies spend $20 in labor to file a document, $120 in labor to find a misfiled document, and $220 in labor to reproduce a lost document; 7.5 percent of all documents get lost; three percent of the remainder get misfiled; professionals spend 5-15 percent of their time reading information, but up to 50 percent looking for it and there are over four trillion paper documents in the U.S. alone, growing at a rate of 22 percent a year.

The cost of going paperless can save a business plenty of money. The cost of paper alone is reduced along with the cost of ink and the running costs of printers and photocopiers. Then there’s the cost of storage and staff for filing all the paperwork. The other cost is the man hours spent looking for misplaced paperwork.

Efficiency is also increased, not just by having to look in files and track down misfiled papers, but also in multiple people being able to access a document at the same time. It is far easier to discuss problems with a document when both parties are able to look at the said document when in different cities, states or even countries. Mistakes are far easier and quicker to correct.

Green is hot. From small businesses to banks, doctors to airlines, we all want to be doing our bit for the environment. From a public relations standpoint going paperless is a great start.

With several different paperless document management systems available, doctors are also making the paperless move. Up to 50 percent can be saved off of a practice’s overheads just by implementing a paperless systems. The system allows a doctor to see a patient’s whole chart online. The doctor spends less time on paperwork and more time with patients. There are also electronic note pads available with some paperless systems that allow doctors to write freehand. This then gets stored electronically on their computer.

For the small business owner going paperless is much more efficient. It cuts down on storage requirements and time taken up with filing and retrieving information. With a laptop, “paperwork” can be retrieved anywhere, not just at the office. This allows businesses to truly be mobile when required.

Industry studies find that many companies that implement a paperless system have been able to comDecember 2009

pletely eliminate filing rooms and filing cabinets, freeing up expensive office space.

Some companies have also been able to reduce payroll costs since the need for a file clerk maybe reduced or completely eliminated. Additionally, the ability to take entire files with them, allows business people to provide more timely responses to their customers or clients.

Although there are many benefits to going paperless, the most noticeable (and most important to business owners) are: Space – A paperless policy definitively adds office space otherwise occupied by paper and paper-related endeavors. For instance, although there may be storage rooms devoted to keeping paper records on hand, these could be completely removed if they were scanned and archived digitally instead. Getting rid of some file cabinets is also a way to save money on office furniture.

Time - When you have to search through vast amounts of paperwork, it takes up precious time that could be spent doing something else. You no longer have to do things in such an archaic way. Going paperless and searching for your information on the computer saves hours of time. The first time your computer searches through years of documents in seconds and finds exactly what you need, you’ll know you’ve made the right choice.

Financial – No more wasting money on monthly storage costs or expensive office space. The old file room can easily be converted into another exam room or office.

Article courtesy of Sanjay and Dipak Patel, co-owners of Paperless Digital Solutions in Charlotte, NC. 704.357.8881 or at info@usascanning.com

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s t i B y l l o B

Tees Maar Khan will be Farah Khan’s Next Film

Madhuri Dixit to Play Indira Gandhi (or Not)

Madhuri Dixit is rumored to return to the screen in the role of the iconic (late Prime Minister of India) Indira Gandhi, in the biopic that will be directed by Krishna Shah. The twopart motion picture, Mother: The Indira Gandhi Story was announced on 92nd birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi. If the market buzz is to be believed, Hollywood stars Tom Hanks and Tommy Lee Jones will appear in the film. On the Bollywood front, Dharmendra, Abhay Deol and Nana Patekar have been approached to play Motilal Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi and Jai Prakash Narayan respectively. Director Krishna Shah, who is known for his extensive research, has left no stone unturned while doing his research on Indira Gandhi, reading books on her, doing interviews with politicians, journalists, bureaucrats, writers, military men and Indira Gandhi’s contemporaries. But before the film hits the floors, sometime in mid 2010, Dixit has to finalize her commitment.

Speaking from her home in Colorado Dixit told Bollywood Hungama, “The thing is, Krishna Shah approached me for the role. He’s very keen that I do it. He came home, met me and showed me all the research that he had done. I was impressed by his preparation. But nothing has been finalized. We’re still in negotiation.” Dixit was last seen in Yash Raj Films lukewarmly received Aaja Nachle.

Tusshar Kapoor has a Plate Full of Projects Tusshar Kapoor, last seen in Life Partner, has a spate of interesting films in his kitty. Speaking exclusively to Bollywood Hungama, Tusshar said, “My next release would be Run Bhola Run directed by Neeraj Vora. My co-stars in the film are Govinda, Ameesha and Celina Jaitley. The film is releasing on 22nd January 2010.”

Later this year, Kapoor starts shooting for a film with Sagar Ballary (of Bheja Fry fame) and in January next year, he also starts a new project for his home production Balaji Motion Pictures called Shor. In March, Golmaal 3 begins shooting.

December 2009

After having said Heyy Babyy, the time has come for Akshay Kumar to say, “My name is Khan... Tees Maar Khan.” Farah Khan will direct Tees Maar Khan, produced by her husband Shirish Kunder.

Talking to Bollywood Hungama, Shirish confirmed the news saying, “Tees Maar Khan’s story was written by me, keeping Akshay Kumar in mind. And the reason why I chose Akshay was because he suits the character to a T. Initially, I was supposed to direct the film, but since it’s our first home production (Three’s Company Production Pvt. Ltd.), Farah and I decided that the film will be produced by me and she shall direct it.

We shall start shooting for this film in March next year.”

Nikhil Advani Hunts for Teen-actor to Play Akshay in Patiala House Nikhil Advani is on a quest for a teen-actor to play a teenaged Akshay Kumar in his next film Patiala House.

The director, who worked with Kumar in Chandni Chowk To China, has decided to launch a national hunt to find a young boy to play the younger Akshay Kumar. The contest starts early December and will go through mid-December. Nikhil Advani and Akshay Kumar will select the finalist. Patiala House will go on floors soon after and will be shot extensively at South Hall, London. It’s a story of Gurkreeat Singh Kalon (Rishi Kapoor) who rules his family with an iron hand. Akshay Kumar plays his son. Besides Rishi and Akshay, the film also stars Anushka Sharma and Dimple Kapadia. Scheduled for a 2010 Diwali release, the film is produced by Bhushan Kumar and Mukesh Talreja.

Abbas-Mustan sign Abhishek, Neil and Katrina for Italian Job remake After pairing successfully with Ranbir Kapoor in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Katrina Kaif has now been signed for yet another big budget film. Abbas-Mustan has finished casting the main leads for the much talked about action thriller, a remake of the film Italian Job. The director duo has cast Abhishek Bachchan, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Katrina Kaif. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Abbas (of Abbas-Mustan jodi) confirmed the news saying, “We have just signed the trio of Abhishek, Neil and Katrina for the remake of The Italian Job, whose rights we have acquired from Paramount Pictures. As you know, The Italian Job was a cult film in Hollywood. In the remake, we will maintain that cult factor, except that we will add the Indian element. However, the rest of the cast is yet to be finalized.” Studio 18 will produce the film.

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Admissions Open House Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 9:30 a.m.

December 2009

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Upcoming Movie Releases

Top Five Movies - December 09

(Bollywood films slated to be released in the next 4-6 weeks) Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year (Director: Shimit Amin) Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Shazahn Padamsee, Sharon Prabhakar, and Gauhar Khan

1. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Upen Patel, Darshan Jariwala, Asrani, and Govind Namde 2. De Dana Dan Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Neha Dhupia, and Sameera

Hello...Hum Lallan Bol Rahe Hain (Director): Dileep Shukla) Cast: Rajpal Yadav, Preeti Mehra, Manoj Joshi, Ketaki Dave, and Ravi Jhankal

3. Kurbaan Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Vivek Oberoi, Dia Mirza, Kirron Kher, and Om Puri

Ada... A Way Of Life (Director: Tanvir Ahmad) Cast: Ayaan Ahmad, Nauheed Cyrusi, Ayesha Jhulka, Rahul Roy, and Milind Gunaji

4. Paa Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vidya Balan

Accident On Hill Road (Director: Mahesh Nair) Cast: Farooq Sheikh, Celina Jaitly, and Abhimanyu S. Singh

5. Blue Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Katrian Kaif, Lara Dutta, Rahul Dev, and Jayed Khan

Top Five Songs - December 09 1. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani "Tu Janne Music: Pritam Singer: Atif Aslam

Raat Gayi Baat Gayi (Director: Saurabh Shukla) Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Neha Dhupia, Iravati tHarshe, Navneet Nishan, Dalip Tahil, and Anuradha Season Greetings (Director: Vicky Chopra) Cast: Sohail Khan, Tabu, Shreyas Talpade, Vatsal Sheth, Javed Jaffrey,and Shilpa Shukla

2. Paa "Mudhi Mudhi Ittefaq Se" Music: Ilaiya Raja Singer: Shilpa Rao

3 Idiots (Dir: Rajkumar Hirani) Cast: Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, and Boman Irani

3. De Dana Dan "'Rishte Naate" Music: Pritam Singer: Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

4. 3 Idiots "Jaane Nahi Music: Shantanu Moitra Singer: Sonu Nigam

Radio (Director: Isshaan Trivedi) Cast: Himesh Reshammiya, Shenaz Treasuryvala, Sonal Sehgal, Zakir Hussain, and Rajesh Khattar

5. London Dreams “Mann Ko Ati Bhaabe” Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy Singer: Shankar Mahadevan

Road To Sangam (Director: Amit Rai) Cast: Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Pawan Malhotra, Javed Sheikh, and Swati Chitnis

(Note: This top five is based on the following non-scientific research: your feedback, video rental, box office from India and United States, internet opinions & our opinion) December 2009

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Upcoming Movie Releases Continued (Bollywood films slated to be released in the next 4-6 weeks) Dulha Mil Gaya (Director: Mudassar Aziz) Cast: Shahrukh, Fardeen, Sushmita Sen, Mohir Chadda, and Tara Sharma Hide N Seek (Director: Shawn Arranha) Cast: Purab Kohli, Arjan Bajwa, Mrinalini Sharma, Samir Kochhar, Ayaz Khan, and Amruta Patki Veer (Director: Anil Sharma) Cast: Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Jackie Shroff, and Lisa Lazarus Click (Director: Sangeeth Sivan) Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Rehan Khan, Sneha Ullal, and Chunky Pandey Pyaar Impossible (Director: Jugal Hansraj) Cast: Uday Chopra, Priyanka Chopra, Dino Morea, and Anupam Kher Right Yaaa Wrong (Director: Neeraj Pathak) Cast: Sunny Deol, Irrfan Khan, Isha Koppikar, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aryan Vaid, and Anjan Srivastava Chance Pe Dance (Director: Ken Ghosh) Cast: Shahid Kapoor and Genelia Dsouza.

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Ishqiya (Director: Abhishek Chaubhey) Cast: Naseruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, and Vidya Balan Red Alert - The War Within (Director: Anant Mahadevan) Cast: Sunil Shetty, Naseruddin Shah, Vinod Khanna, Sameera Reddy, and Bhagyashree Rann (Director: Ram Gopal Varma) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Mohnish Behl, & Rajat Kapoor (Movie dates subject to change) December 2009

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Music Reviews

By Samir Shukla

Susana Baca Seis Poemas (Luaka Bop) CD Peruvian vocalist and songwriter Baca sings poems by Latin poets. Toning her voice for poems rather than songs, Baca expands her prowess on this six-song E.P. The recording is musically flavored, albeit in sparse and unobtrusive manner, with Latin jazz and folk, and occasionally, a soft African percussive beat. The poems are turned into folk songs with Baca’s style that whispers, croons, and scats the words with guitar, flute, Cajon and percussion giving depth, without overpowering the voice.

She sings Federico García Lorca’s “Los Lagartos” (The Lizards), set to music by Paco Ibáñez. She covers three poems by Chbuca Granda, “El Bosque Armado (La Canoa)” (The Armed Forest [The Canoe]), “El Fusil del Poeta” (The Poet’s Gun), and “Un Cuento Silencioso” (Silent Story), "Venadito de los Montes" (Mountain Deer), with words by Mario Florián and music by Juan Luis Pereyra Del Mar and jams on the longest tune, the traditional folk song “Resbalosas” (Slippery ones). The only bad thing here is there are only six songs/poems on the album, clocking in around 25 minutes. Largely unsung north of the Rio Grande, Baca’s voice and songcraft are Peruvian and Latin music treasures.

ing of his songcraft. As one of the interviewees points out, the 1980s were an odd decade for Dylan as alternative, hip-hop and techno dance music ruled the airwaves and a roots singer like Dylan felt like an odd man out. Not that Dylan has ever had to prove himself.

The interviewees include: Shot of Love producer Chuck Plotkin; engineer on Infidels and Empire Burlesque, Josh Abbey; Daniel Lanois’ assistant producer for Oh Mercy, Malcolm Burn; music collaborator and lead guitarist on Empire Burlesque, Ted Perlman; legendary Jamaican rhythm partners who featured on Infidels, Sly and Robbie; Guitarist and bandleader for Empire Burlesque and Knocked Out Loaded, Ira Ingber. The documentary sheds further light on this exporatory decade for Dylan and will be informative for long-time fans, Dylan history buffs as well as casual observers.

Bob Dylan Both Ends of the Rainbow 1978-1989 (Chrome Dreams) DVD American poet, songwriter, singer and musician Bob Dylan is still going strong, after a 5decade iconic career. Both Ends of the Rainbow features an independent review and analysis of the period of Dylan’s career beginning in the late 70’s that marked his conversion to Christianity and release of three gospel recordings, his slow return to secular music throughout the 80’s to 1989 with the release of his moody classic, the Daniel Lanois produced Oh Mercy. This 2-hour documentary features interviews and analyses with producers, musicians, reviewers, biographers, and people close to Dylan during this decade of spiritual exploration and realignDecember 2009

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WHITE HORSE available for weddings in the Southeast.

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By Kirit Shukla Tribute to Bollywood’s Past Lyricists Shailendra: (1923– 1966) Lyricist Shankardas Kesarilal Shailendra wrote one of the most famous Hindi songs of all time. The song was “Meraa jootaa hai Japani” from the Raj Kapoor film Shri 420. He was born on August 30, 1923 in Rawalpindi and his family moved to Mathura when he was an infant, after his mother Parvati Devi passed away. His job with Indian Railways brought him to Bombay in 1947, where he became fond of writing poetry. His poems were liked by the legend Raj Kapoor who bought his two poems (paid him about Rs. 500) for his 1949 film Barsaat. After that RK, music duo Shankar Jaikishan and Shailendra made many super hit films together including Anari, Mera Naam Joker, Awaara, Shri 420, Chori Chori, and Sangam. All these films have given us classic songs with wonderfully evergreen lyrics, courtesy of Shailendra. He wrote songs for more than 150 films from 1949 till his death.

His morning walk on Juhu beach in Mumbai gave him inspiration to write lyrics for every walk of life and for any emotion. He considered his life a poem. He died on Dec. 14, 1966, but many of his poems were used in songs for several more years. His vibrant and versatile lyrics are still alive.

The SouthEast's Hardest Working & Most Creative Indian DJ International DJ & Hit Music Producer

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Filmfare awards for best lyricist: 1958 - Yeh meraa diwaanaa pana hai (Yahudi) 1959 -Saba kuchha sikhaa hamane (Anari) 1968 -Main gaaoon tum so jaao (Brahmachari)

FA M I LY D J N U M B E R O N E !

Some of his other all time hit songs: Awaara hoon, (Film-Awaara) Aye mere dila kahin aur chal (Film-Daag) Aajaa aba to aajaa, Duaa kara (Film-Anarkali) Nakhare waali, tuma sang preeta lagaayi, Milte hi Nazar, Are bhaai nikalake (Film-New Delhi) Jaago Mohana pyaare Jaago (Film-Jagte Raho) Munaa badaa pyaaraa (Film-Musafir) Rooka jaa o jaanewaali (Film-Kanaiya) Saanvare saanvare (Film-Anuradha) Eka sawaal, To kitnaa achhaa (Film-Sasural) Yahoo…. Sookoo sookoo, (Film-Junglee) Ghar aajaa, Matawaali (Film-Chhote Nawab) Yeh aansoo, Muzko apne gale (Film-Hamrahi) Khoyaa khoyaa chand (Film-Kala Bazar) Most of the songs of the films: Basant Bahar, Patita, Yahudi, Chori Chori, Chhoti Bahen, Shri 420, Ek Phool Char Kante, Madhumati, Guide, Meri Surat Teri Aanken, Rangoli, Love in Tokyo and so on.

His award winning popular song: “Saba kuchha sikhaa hamane....” is given in this issue of Saathee in Evergreen Classic Film Lyrics on page 24.

December 2009

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Classic EVERGREEN FILM LYRICS

By Kirit Shukla Song: Saba kuchha sikhaa hamane..

Film: Anari Year: 1959 Music: Shankar Jaikishan Singers: Mukesh Lyric: Shailendra Based on Indian Classical Raga: Mixed Taal/Rhythm: Kaharava Starring: Raj Kapoor, Nutan, Lalita Pawar, Motilal

Meaning (Summary): I have learned everything but did not learn cleverness. It is true, O people, that I remained naive (Anari). People kept explaining to me as to who are my own and who are others. But I have entertained your heart, hiding the sorrowful blow to my heart; because I just insisted to kill myself. I have seen the heaven of my heart being deserted and the color of love being faded. I have seen all the human beings dying for money. Those who die for loving heart will remain beggars. I have seen real and fake faces and hundreds of watchful eyes on loving hearts.

Ask my painful heart how many pleasant dreams I had seen. The star that has my anticipations has fallen. It is true, O people, that I remained naive (Anari).

Saba kuchha sikhaa hamane..

Saba kuchha sikhaa hamane naa sikhi hoshiyaari Sacha hai duniyaavaalon ki hama hai anaadi.

Duniyaa ne kitanaa samazaayaa, Kauna hai apanaa kauna paraayaa, Phira bhi dila ki chota chhipaakara, Hamane aapakaa dila bahalaayaa; Khuda hi mara mitane ki ye zida hai hamaari, Sach hai duniyaavaalon ki hama hai anaadi.

Dila kaa chamana ujadate dekhaa, Pyaara kaa ranga utarate dekhaa, Hamane hara jine vaale ko, Dhana-daulata pe marate dekhaa; Dila pe marane vaale marenge bhikhaari, Sacha hai duniyaavaalon ki ham hai anaadi.

Asali-nakali chehare dekhe, Dila pe sau-sau pahare dekhe, Mere dukhate dila se puchho, Kyaa-kyaa khvaaba sunahare dekhe; Tootaa jis taare pe nazara thi hamaari, Sacha hai duniyaavaalon ki hama hain anaadi.

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December 2009

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Sunday by Appointment December 2009

For Emergency & After Hour Service (919) 868-9000 Cell Saathee 25

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Second Location 2518 Nelda Dr. (Off Hwy 74) Monroe, NC 28110 From Charlotte: Hwy 74 East, Right on Williams Rd. & Right on Nelda. See Map for Details

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Open Seven Days a Week (9 am to 8 pm) 509 North Polk St. (South Blvd), Pineville, NC 28134 Phone: 704.889.2210 Fax: 704.889.2211 Contact Pritesh Patel Directions: 2 Miles from Carolina Place Mall and I-485 (exit 65-B- towards Pineville) Same Shopping Center as Subway & Sherwin Williams.

Across the street from Performance Honda / Suzuki

Indian Classical Music

By Anita Kulkarni

Light Classical Forms It is better to say that some of the greatest of khayal singers of modern and contemporary eras, like Ustad Abdul Karim Khan, Ustad Faiyaz Khan, Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Hirabai Barodekar and Pt. Bhimsen Joshi have been astounding singers of most light musical forms. Gifted instrumentalists of different persuasions including Ustad Vilayat Khan, Ustad Rais Khan, Pt. Ravi Shankar, Pt. Nikhil Banerjee and Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia have readily integrated several modes of thumree and tappa into their styles and repertoires. It is customary for most classical singers and instrumentalists to render a thumree or a dadra as a penultimate or concluding item in their concerts.

Thumree, Indian classical music form: One of the most popular light classical musical forms in Hindustani classical music is thumree. It is a lively performance of rhythm and sensuousness, enthralling the audience with its charm. Thumree evokes a sense of sensuality, with its hugely rhythmic accompaniments, rendering a recital exceedingly captivating. This form of classical music bears resemblance to the dance form

December 2009

Kathak, as is referred to by historians. Such a kind of vigorous rendition calls for a whole-hearted participation. In thumree the bol is mainly improvised in the same manner. There is not much taan, boltaan, paltaan, sargam or aalap or heavy classical innovation in this style. In Thumree mostly shringaar, bhakti and karuna ragas dominate. In the lighter temperament ragas are selected to match its own temperament, like Bhairav, Khamaaj, Piloo, Kafi, Tilang, Gara, Jogia, Jhinjhoti. Thumree is basically an attitude of presentation. It is to have a Purab or Punjab ang. Punjab ang is a folk flavor that is sometimes like the Punjab style.

Thumree is believed to have originated in the court of Lukknow. Banaras and Lukhnow were the places where thumree flourished. It was later accepted by the classical singers to add to the beauty of their performance.

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Saathee 28

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Book Reviews Shanghai Girls Author: Lisa See (Random House) Review by Hena Sharma Lisa See is an author that can portray the sights, smells, and sounds of a story with such compelling detail that the reader is pulled instantly into the scenes she paints with her words.

Her latest novel, “Shanghai Girls,” follows the story of two sisters from China whose lives take them on a journey from an upper-class, comfortable life prior to the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937 China, to interrogations at the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco, then to living in Chinatown in the Hollywood area.

See writes the historical novel through the eyes of Pearl, the college-educated, multilingual older sister.

The story describes Chinese cultural values and customs from Pearl’s perspective as the daughter of a seemingly wealthy businessman, and later as an immigrant to America. In Shanghai, the sisters live in a household complete with servants, a cook, a gardener, and a father with a tragic problem. The belief in Chinese astrology, herbal medicines, honoring ancestors, living as an extended family, and respecting the elders in the house were some of the cultural details that See utilized to show Chinese family life throughout the entire story, regardless of the continent on which Pearl lived. Pearl’s world shatters when the Japanese attack Shanghai and she witnesses the atrocities of war first-hand. The brutality of war, its aftermath, and the events leading to their escape portray the depth of Pearl’s pain in unforgettable detail, yet is without melodrama.

Throughout the story the relationship between the sisters and their lives after marriage in an extended family with their in-laws, is interesting to read and will be familiar to those from Eastern cultures, such as Indian, as both cultures share many similarities. The circumstances that lead them to America and the secrets that the sisters share will keep the reader engaged until the end of the story. The sibling rivalry with concurrent intense loyalty and love that the sisters have towards each other is very moving, and adds layers to the depth of the story.

See focuses on the feelings and experiences of both of the sisters, and other Chinese immigrants, legal and illegal, that try to adjust into a very different America that existed prior to World War II, and immeDecember 2009

diately after. The sacrifices that were made by Pearl and others to survive in America by adapting and trying to find their place in society, while still not being able to deny the pull of wanting to return someday to settle in China, even after spending decades in another country are feelings to which many immigrants can relate. See uses historical events unfolding in China and America after World War II to illustrate the conflicts between the views of the first and second generation immigrants. These universal feelings of generational discord, rebellion, and the development of social causes will be familiar to many readers. Pearl and her family lived in an America that feared communism, and everyone was suspicious of anyone with Asian features because it was difficult to distinguish between Chinese allies and Japanese enemies. See details the unrest and fear in the Chinese community during the time that Japanese internment camps were set up and arsonists set fires to Chinese shops.

Within the historical events taking place, the story of Pearl, her sister May, and their extended family is a very absorbing read. Readers and fans of See’s previous novel, “Snow Flower and the Secret Fan,” will not be disappointed. With “Shanghai Girls” See has delivered another beautifully written epic story that begs to be continued in a sequel.

Hena Sharma is a software developer living in Cary, who enjoys blogging about the books she’s reading on her website “www.henasgoodbooks.com”

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Meet India’s Organic Tea King Insane or Insanely smart?

By Jason Overdorf - GlobalPost.com DARJEELING, West Bengal — Swaraj Kumar “Rajah” Banerjee swept into his office wearing the khaki-colored, Raj-era planter’s uniform that he has made his signature style since the 1980s. The outfit gives him an air that is at once aristocratic and vaguely military — and hints at a genius for marketing that has made him the driving force behind the organic movement on Darjeeling’s famous tea plantations.

A London playboy of sorts in his 20s, Banerjee was lured back to India in 1970 by the promise of a colonial lord’s idyll of riding and shooting on the family tea estate an hour’s drive from Darjeeling. But when he was thrown from his horse, he had an experience that he describes as transcendent.

“Before I hit the ground, I had an out-of-body experience,” Banerjee tells me, deadpan. “I went to that zone where the soul goes when we cross over to another frequency — there is no death. And there was this beautiful cadenzas — light, music, no pathos, but melancholic — and the trees connected and transmitted this ululating chant, ‘Save us, save us.’”

That evening, he told his parents he was moving back to the tea garden for good.

“They were delighted for the wrong reasons, and I was not going to tell them what I’d experienced earlier, because I’d have been certified insane,” Banerjee recalls. “But I knew I had to stay and bring the trees back. The voyage began then.”

Long before the organic movement took hold here, his mystical experience began to translate into monetary gains, both for the plantation and for its workers.

To convert the tea estate to compost-based fertilizers, Banerjee created financial incentives for the tea workers to raise cattle and spread manure over the plantation’s 550 acres of tea plants, and encouraged each household to raise five varieties of indigenous trees that he later purchased and used to reforest depleted areas of his land.

The result is that today Makaibari has 1,070 acres of forest — including 300 acres of sub-tropical rain forest that are more than a thousand years old and play host to a greater variety of wildlife than many of India’s national parks.

“His organics was a deeper organics than a lot of estates that would just follow the rules,” said Joseph Smilley, an organic certification expert with San

Diego-based Quality Assurance International. “He created whole permaculture systems that allowed the people of the estate to benefit as well.”

Since earning organic certification in 1988, Banerjee has also built a biogas facility to convert surplus manure to cooking gas, a move that has stopped plantation workers from stripping the forests for their cook fires and also reduced indoor air pollution — which the World Health Organization estimates causes 1.6 million deaths a year worldwide, primarily among children and women.

Meanwhile, though using organic methods costs as much as eight times more than using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, the higher prices that the premium organic tea commands on the market — together with tea tourism and other initiatives — make up most of the difference. Makaibari’s “single estate” tea has sold for world record prices at international auctions, for upwards of $400 a kilogram.

“It was approaches like that which differentiated him from some of the other organic growers who followed the rules but didn’t do the big, transformational work to really make it successful both monetarily and ecologically,” said Smilley.

The success of the model is evident in the number of imitators, Banerjee says.

“The good news is that around 1988 to 1994 after we were certified organic, it was a very lonely time.

People used to sneer at me,” Banerjee says. “[But] I’m happy to say that now 60 percent of the tea estates in the Darjeeling area are either under conversion or are certified organic.”

Featured in a documentary by French filmmaker Xavier de Lauzanne and countless travel and tea industry articles, Banerjee has emerged as the face of Darjeeling organics. And he’s not quitting there. In neighboring Assam, tea gardens have been plagued by strikes by workers who allege that wages are pathetic and working conditions are inhumane. But in 2002, Makaibari became the world’s first tea plantation to qualify under the Cologne, Germany-based Fairtrade Labelling Organization’s standards, which allow producers of coffee, cocoa and (now) tea to charge customers a small premium to support a better standard of living for local workers. Under the scheme, the premium goes into an account managed by elected members — mostly women — from seven villages, who use the funds for development projects, such as setting up a computer center for the village children, creating a microcredit institution to finance medical care and education, and renovating village houses so they can be marketed to foreign tourists as “home stays.”

Though his success has driven his competitors to go organic, his love of the spotlight hasn’t exactly endeared Banerjee to his rivals, who talk about his genius for marketing as though it hints at some inherent weakness in his tea. What they don’t get is that by developing logos and distinctive packaging, Banerjee made Makaibari into the brand that stands for organic Darjeeling tea, as well as equitable treatment for his workers. And within the first five minutes of meeting the self-styled king of organic tea, it’s clear that he could care less about detractors. continued on page 86

December 2009

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Dances of India

By Dr. Maha Gingrich Dances for Every Occasion This year has been a challenging one for our family. We have lost many close family friends; I am still under treatment for my concussion. I have a lot to thank for, however, as I just started to dance again.

Dancing through these hard times has been a healing experience. This is when I realized that many Asian cultures and African cultures have dances for every occasion. These dances talk about Gods, nature, animals, parents, lovers, seasons, festivals, celebrations and believe it or not — funerals.

For example, Chawnglaizuan is a ceremonial dance dedicated to funerals. It is performed by Pawi tribal community when the chief of the village dies.

Chawnglaizuan literally means dance and jump for glory. I have always said, dance is a prayer in motion.

I see this as a way of processing the death and learning to thank God for the role they played in our lives before their death.

The Pawi tribe regards the day of birth and the day of death as two most important days of one’s life.

Several men and women come together to dance, accompanied by five musicians playing different sizes of gongs and drums.

We also have the Solakia dance which is prevalent in Mizoram. This is one of the seven Northeastern states of India, bordered by Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) to the east and south, Bangladesh to the west, and by the states of Manipur, Assam, and Tripura to the north. In the local language Mizo, Mizoram means Land of the Highlanders.

This dance name is self descriptive. “So” means unnatural death, “La” means dance and “Kia” means knowledge. The vocal music that accompanies this dance is closer to chanting than singing. Both men and women participate in these dances. I could not help but think about death after the recent Fort Hood disaster. So many lives lost.

But, Indian culture and traditions have supported all aspects of our lives through dance and music. This thousands-years-old tradition of dancing works as an emotional outlet, physically, spiritually and philosophically.

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soned teeth, and the boy fell dead at once. His people built a funeral pyre not far from the field and cremated him.

Two days later his father returned. When he discovered under what circumstances his son had died, he said that justice had prevailed. The next morning, he once again took milk, went to the anthill, and praised the snake with a loud voice.

A good while later the snake appeared in the entrance to the anthill, and said, “You come here from greed, letting even your grief for your son pass by.

From now on friendship between you and me will no longer be possible. Your son, in his youthful lack of understanding, struck me. I bit him. How can I forget the club’s blow? How can you forget the pain and sorrow for your son?” After saying this she gave him a costly pearl for a pearl chain, said, “Do not come back,” and disappeared into her cave.

The Brahman took the pearl, cursed his son’s lack of understanding, and returned home.

By Kirit Shukla

C T

A E L

N R

Make words using 4 or more letters. The central letter must be used in each word. Use all letters for the subject word.

50+ words = Excellent; 40 to 50 words = Good; 39 or less needs to improve. (Solution at bottom of page)

The Gold-Giving Snake A Panchatantra tale In a village under a small mountain lived a Brahman by the name of Haridatta. He tilled the soil, but his time in the field brought him no harvest. Then one day, as the hottest hours were just over, tormented by the heat, he lay down in the shade of a tree in the middle of his field to nap. He saw a frightful snake, decorated with a large hood, crawl from an anthill a little way off, and thought to himself, “This is surely the goddess of the field, and I have not once paid her homage.

That is why the field remains barren. I must bring her an offering.” After thus thinking it over, he got some milk, poured it into a clay bowl, then went to the anthill, and said, “Oh, protector of this field, for a long time I did not know that you lived here. For this reason I have not yet brought you an offering. Please forgive me!”

Having said this, he set forth the milk, and went home. The next day he returned to see what had happened, and he found a gold coin in the bowl. And thus it continued day by day. He brought the snake milk, and always found a gold coin there the next morning.

One day the Brahman asked his son to take the milk to the anthill, and he himself went into the village. The son brought the milk, set it there, and returned home.

When he came back the next day and found a gold coin, he said to himself, “This anthill must be full of gold coins. I will kill the snake and take them all at once!”

Having decided this, the Brahman’s son returned the next day with the milk and a club. As he gave the milk to the snake, he struck her on the head with the club.

The snake, as fate willed it, escaped with her life.

Filled with rage, she bit the boy with her sharp, poiDecember 2009

Send submissions for possible inclusion in the Children’s Corner to: saatheemag@hotmail.com Word World (Solution): ARTEL, CAEN, CANE, CANTER, CARE, CARET, CARNET, CARTEL, CATER, CELT, CENT, CENTRAL, CERN, CKEAT, CLARET, CLEAN, CLEAR, CRANE, CRATE, EARN, ECLAT, ELAN, ELATE, ELATER, LACE, LANCE, LANCER, LANE, LATE, LATER, LEAN, LEARN, LENT, NEAR, NEAT, NECTAR, RACE, RALE, RATE, REAL, RENAL, RENT, RENTAL, TAEL, TALE, TALER, TARE, TEAL, TEAR, TERN, TRACE

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Asana Variation 5

Yoga Yoga

A Path of Life

By Pradip Bulsara

By Pradip Bulsara Yoga postures for relief from head, neck, and back pains.

Asana Variation 1

Lie on your back, lock your fingers and place your palms behind your neck.

Inhale and bend your left leg Sit in cross legged posture as indicated

Exhale and drop your left knee of the left side or bring it down slowly.

Place your palms on opposite knees As you breathe out, lean forward, try and keep your palms as far out as possible. Stay in this posture for 10 breaths and then inhale and come back up. Repeat the whole sequence 3 times.

Inhale and push the left leg. Repeat at least 10 times on each side.

Asana Variation 6

Asana Variation 2

Lie on your back. Inhale and bend your right leg. Place your left palm on your right knee.

Sit in cross legged posture and place your palms on respective knees.

As you breathe in raise your shoulders up and straighten your arms.

Exhale and bring your right knee to the left side simultaneously turning your head to the right. Stay for 10 breaths and repeat 3 times on each side.

Asana Variation 7

Exhale and drop your shoulders down or bring them down slowly. Repeat the steps 10 times.

Asana Variation 3 Lie on your back. Inhale and bend both legs, grab hold of your knees.

Exhale and lean to the left.

Sit in cross legged posture.

Raise your left arm over your head and reach out toward the right shoulder blade with your left palm; use your right hand to gently pull the left elbow. Hold it for 10 breaths and repeat 3 times on each side.

Asana Variation 4 Sit in Vajrasana and place your palms next to your knees. Rotate your shoulders clockwise 10 times and then counter-clockwise 10 times; repeat 3 times.

December 2009

Inhale and come back to the center, exhale and lean to the right. You want to make nice big circles with your knees as you go from right to left. Repeat 10 times clockwise, then 10 times counter-clockwise.

After finishing the above sequence of Asanas, relax in Savasana for 12 breaths.

Pradip Bulsara a yoga class at the Pradip Bulsarateaches teaches a yoga class at Hindu Center in Charlotte on Sunday the Hindu Center in Charlotte on mornings.

Sundays at 9 a.m.

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Clarity of Perception

By Sardar Singh

Let a relaxed mind travel extensively over human affairs, from his own troubles to international issues he will find that the problems are inextricably interwoven.

It will become immediately clear that the remedies which are being applied from different angles are really of no avail. A clear of view of the panorama of human misery as a living process will evoke genuine concern. The ways of degradation will then be perceived with a fresh sense of responsibility and one will not casually reinforce these through his own participation. Such individuals will set in motion a new trend, paving the way for a different culture.

The crux of the matter is the individual’s own involvement in deep and wide-ranging perception.

One can find the right response only when one is passionately concerned about it. In clarity one is no longer part of the prevailing culture. With clarity of perception a person can see things as they actually are. He can see the total picture. When one realizes the value of clarity one naturally shares with others.

The ultimate source of our problems is in thought.

Our thinking determines our actions and our actions determine the quality of our relationship with each other. Society is the result of relationships. Problems arising out of human relationship appear to be intractable. There is conflict at all levels of human relationship. There is conflict between husband and wife, between parent and child, between one group and another, between nations, religions and within the same political and religious organizations. There is enormous confusion, violence, brutalities, the wars, terrorism and endless division of religion and nationality. Roots of disorder lie in the state of human mind.

Unfortunately we use the same thinking ability to find solutions to the numerous complex and intricate problems that thought has created. Past history clearly demonstrates that despite all the knowledge and experience accumulated throughout centuries, man has not been able to produce a harmonious and healthy society. We do make some improvements here and there but the overall situation remains grim. The momentum at which the problems are being created is quite overwhelming. It is obvious that there must be a serious flaw in the way we think.

It is amazing that two distinct systems of thought operate within the framework of human consciousness, one that creates the problem and the other that tries to find solution to the problem. Both arise out of the same source: self-centeredness. Thinking arising out of self-interest, self-concern creates numerous problems. Problems like greed, jealousy, anxiety, anger, hate and violence arise out of the conditioned state of mind. Any problem that arises in the mind poses a challenge and there is an automatic response to meet the challenge. This response generates thought process that has no clue how the problem got created.

December 2009

It is extremely important that we should understand the nature of the self because most of our actions spring from this center. Our perceptions and responses to the challenges of life and our basic urges, desires and demands are determined by the nature of the self. Human relationship is based on the operation of thought that is self-centered. Only a profound understanding of the nature of the self can bring about inward revolution. Unless such a revolution takes place the self with its network of thought will continue to create havoc in the world. Your comments and questions are most welcome.

Contact: sardarsingh@msn.com www.lifeisrelationship.com

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Mastering Meaning Harnessing the Power of American English

By Judith L. Bergman M.A. CCC December marks the end of another year and this article will be about the melody and meaning of “endings” in spoken American English. First we will describe the pitch or tones that should be used to end words, phrases and sentences. Secondly we will discuss the meaning of some common word endings called “suffixes” AND the important rules for pronouncing words with these endings.

As we have written previously, but it “bears repeating,” every language has rules governing its speaking patterns, these rules are different in different languages and these rules are learned and used unconsciously by native speakers. American English has stress-timed, not syllable timed speech patterns with the stressed syllable spoken 1.5 times longer, higher pitched and louder than the unstressed syllables. Also vowels often “shrink” to “uh” in unstressed syllables.

Are you really sure? Native speakers of many languages of India use an upward inflection or tone to end each word, phrase or sentence. To a native speaker of American English it sounds like the non-native speaker is always questioning what he is saying, as if he is not really sure of himself. “The reports are due Sunday?” sounds like, “Are they due Sunday?” This does not convey authority or credibility both of which are essential in leadership positions. Practice saying, “This is a statement” with your voice rising on “state” and dropping on “ment.” Then say, “Is this a question?” as see if you can hear any difference.

Learn the meaning and the melody of some suffixes. A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word that changes its meaning and determines whether it is used as a noun, verb, adjective or adverb.1 Here are pronunciation “rules” for some suffixes.

Stress ONE syllable before the suffixes -ical and -tion.

The suffix -ical means “having to do with” so musical means “having to do with music.” 2 Therefore, theatrical is pronounced “thee-A-truhcuhl” with a breathy “th” that doesn’t sound like “t,” a stressed “A” as in “at” and the vowels in “ical” reduced to very quiet “uh” sounds.

The word means having to do with THEAtre. Here are some more words that have changes in pronunciation with the stressed syllables capitalized: eCOnomy ecoNOmical HEResy herEtical

December 2009

2. ___ BRILLiance

b. hard working

3. ___ eFFULgent

c. nervousness

4. ___TRUculent

d. unsure

5. ___Adamant

e. definite

6. ___DIligent

f. elastic

7. ___hyPOthesis

g. flowing

8. ___amBIvalent

h. assumption

9. ___reSILient

i. offensive

10. __rePELLent

j. brightness

Suggested strategies to increase your word power this month: 1. Practice saying each of the words above out loud with correct stress patterns and your voice falling in pitch at the end of each word.

2. Define and use these words in sentences, speaking out loud: purification, sedentary, converse, allege, indemnify, repellent, adamant (Answers NOT provided! Use the Longman Dictionary referenced in past articles.)

References and Notes:.

1 Every Day Vocabulary by Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D., 1998: Doubleday Direct, Inc., Chapter 4: “Bring Up the Rear,” pp. 49.

2

Rozakis, pg. 59

3

Rozakis, pg. 58

4

Medically Speaking: Accent Modification for the Medical Profession, by Lynda Katz Wilner, M.S. CCCSLP, 2005: Successfully Speaking, Appendix 1: Eleven Rules for Syllable Stress in Words, pg. 80.

5

Rozakis, pg. 53.

Answers: 4-a, 6-b, 1-c, 8-d, 5-e, 9-f, 3-g, 7-h, 10-i, 2-j.

The suffix -tion indicates action.3 iDENtify identifiCAtion inDEMnify indemnifiCAtion GRAduate graduAtion PURify purifiCAtion EStimate estiMAtion conVERSE converSAtion TERminate termiNAtion aLLEGE alleGAtion

Pronounce each word out loud and match it with its meaning. Hints: The suffixes are in bold and all mean “the state of being.”5 The stressed syllable is capitalized.

1. ___ anXIety a. harsh

Judith L. Bergman M.A CCC is the director of Triangle Speech Services specializing in foreign accent modification.

Contact: jlbergman@mindspring.com or 919-489-5464 www.trianglespeech.com Saathee 44

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ASTRIDE

CONTINENTS

3

By Chandan Sen Bengali and English Proverbs and Sayings Being bilingual, with Hindi as a distant third language, I find it relaxing to read Bengali when I tire of English. In this vein I find the similarities and differences between the proverbs and sayings in the two languages to be interesting, if not downright entertaining.

Let me start with the Bengali proverb which says, in effect: While living happily the evil ghost prods one.

The English equivalents to this are, firstly, to leave well alone and secondly, to let sleeping dogs lie.

There is a third English saying: Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you, which is germane to the issue.

So, if the above homilies urge you to be “reactive” rather than “proactive,” the next ones do the exact opposite. “Fortune favors the brave” has its quixotic Bengali counterpart: If you sleep, your fortune sleeps also. This exhortation to action is further amplified in the English saying: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Next come what I call the Trojan Horse warnings. In Bengali we say: Don’t cut a canal to let in the crocodile! In English the nearest equivalent, or at least the one that springs to mind, is: setting the cat among the pigeons (is not a good idea).

To an engineer like myself, the wooden Trojan Horse is a marvel of workmanship, and this leads me to the English saying: A bad workman blames his tools. The Bengali equivalent is: He who dances badly blames the courtyard.

But that’s enough of negativism. The English saying: Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise, may have its roots in agrarian societies, and the Bengali exhortation to students is: Early at dawn if you put your mind to study, in the evening of your life you will be magically rewarded.

As a final word let me say that Bengalis, despite their volatile nature and love of the humanities, are like the Greeks - well aware of the sharp stings of life, and of its tragic brevity.

The Song of Hiawatha The American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote an epic poem on the legendary Indian chief, Hiawatha. I first read the poem when I was about eight.

Now that I am in the land of Hiawatha, so to speak, one thought leads to another, and I lament the decimation of the American Indian tribes at the hands of European colonizers. Maybe “manifest destiny” played a part in colonial times. How else can you explain the invention of the six-shooter and the repeating rifle that tipped the scale in favor of the Caucasians?

Be that as it may, I see a great role for the present December 2009

generation of Caucasians. They can, if they will, become the salt of the earth. Where there is darkness, bring light. Where ignorance, bring knowledge. Bear The White Man’s burden in an elevated and evolved form.

Dr. Phil’s show recently had a man who said, “What is not white is not right.” I know people in India who think that all the world’s ills are due to white people.

So who is right? Maybe neither. Hiawatha united the Indian tribes into a single nation of five tribes, which later became six. It is now time to unite the five continents of the world into one. The world has always been one, only our ignorance prevents us from seeing it to be so.

Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha departs from the actual historical evidence, but still there is a great deal to be learnt from people who, in those days, were conveniently considered to be savages. This attitude blunted the conscience of the oppressors and made it less uncomfortable to decimate them. The great Indian chief departs in a blaze of glory, undefeated, and a great white American poet, Longfellow, pays a tribute to him that immortalizes them both.

“Solaris” and Its Creator Recently, Apple Computers sent me a marketing email stating that their 1GB iPod Shuffle was now available for $49. This was within my purchasing power, so I got one, and for the last month have been experimenting with my iPod and iTunes—-downloading songs, audio books, topical podcasts and yes, movies.

I rented the movie Solaris because George Clooney is the hero, but also because it promised to be a science-fiction movie with a dash of romance in it. The cover photo shows George Clooney passionately kissing Natascha McElhoen, the heroine.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. The story line, slight though it is, is very intense. Briefly, Chris Kelvin (Clooney), a widowed psychiatrist, is called to troubleshoot the space station Prometheus near planet Solaris, because strange events have occurred there.

Kelvin arrives at the station and, in a dream on his first night, sees his dead wife Rhea. On waking, he is startled to find Rhea with him, seemingly well and alive. But events soon show that Rhea is not quite human! (I’m not telling why). The other scientists abroad Prometheus all have had similar experiences, notably, visitations from their dead relatives, not only in their dreams but also in their waking moments.

The principal scientist, Snow, surmises that a parallel universe exists where the dead go to, and whence, apparently they return to those living near Solaris.

The movie explores a haunting theme for anyone who has lost a loved one. I remember a famous writer,

Saathee 46

continued on page 80 Chandan Sen Contact: chandansen33@hotmail.com

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Can the “Lungs of Mumbai” Be Given Space to Breathe?

Called upon to plant trees, Mumbaikars join the historic fight to preserve Sanjay Gandhi National Park.

By Sara Stefanini — GlobalPost.com MUMBAI — For a long time, the leopards of Mumbai’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park faced not only poachers, but also encroachment by some 165,000 slumdwellers as India’s bustling financial capital spilled over into the endangered forest’s borders.

The battle to conserve the park, which is one of the only national parks in the world located inside a city’s borders, has raged for years. It has landed several times before the Mumbai High Court, but court orders have brought few effective responses.

Taking a new approach, a local non-profit is appealing directly to the city’s residents, in the hopes that they will apply the pressure necessary to yield changes from the government. By inviting people to help plant 50,000 new trees and shrubs on a degraded piece of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Gaia Conservation Foundation, a group started by three 20-something Mumbaikars, hopes that more city dwellers will be inspired to enjoy, and, more importantly, fight for their green space.

“The cumulative benefit of the park is huge, but people just don’t know about it,” said Agastya Chopra, a Gaia co-founder.

Tree planting schemes are neither high-tech nor innovative, but may receive renewed attention when December’s Copenhagen Climate Change Conference discusses schemes to pay developing countries to restore their forests and reduce emissions from deforestation.

In a sign that it is boosting efforts to slow deforestation, India announced in September that it had more than doubled the forestry budget to $1.79 billion to promote tree-planting and strengthen its forestry departments. A fifth of the subcontinent is covered in woodlands, and city parks are deemed crucial to air quality.

In Mumbai, a city of almost 20 million hemmed in by water on three sides, the protection of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, a forest often nicknamed “The Lungs of Bombay,” has historically butted up against the need for space.

The 104-square-kilometer park, which takes up nearly a fourth of the city, houses two lakes that provide a bulk of Mumbai’s water supply, as well as a population of leopards that has dwindled to between 10 and 20, and hundreds of different birds and plants.

“The park is like an oxygen factory for Mumbai,” said Debi Goenka, leader of the non-profit Conservation Action Trust (CAT), which sued the state government in 1995 for failing to protect the park.

At the time, slumlords typically leased governmentDecember 2009

protected parkland to slum-dwellers and paid police to look the other way, CAT claimed. When the group sued, it found some 33,000 slum structures, each housing about five people, behind forest boundaries.

The group won two court orders directing the state to clear the park of squatters and businesses, which included a pig slaughterhouse. Since then, the forest department says, the park has largely rehabilitated itself.

“The reforestation happened automatically when it was left alone,” said P. N. Munde, the park director, noting that nowadays encroachers only trespass on one percent of the parkland.

Conservationists, however, remain skeptical about the extent of improvements and point out that the park is still tightly surrounded by urban life, including slums and a Bollywood film studio.

“The forest department is caught in the middle of implementing court rules and political pressure,” Goenka said.

By publicizing the park’s plight, Gaia now hopes to subject the government to a new type of pressure.

“You have to get the people of Mumbai out there, make Sanjay Gandhi National Park so big that the government can’t ignore it,” Chopra said.

While she hadn’t heard of Gaia, Priya Choudhury, 35, said she would be entirely supportive of any effort to conserve and enhance the park she visits weekly with her two children.

“I bring my boys here all the time, there’s no noise and traffic,” Choudhury said. “It’s so nice to walk 15 minutes from home and you don’t feel like you’re in the city anymore. They love to play in the forest.”

Ultimately, however, tangible changes can’t come without government participation, added Gaia cofounder Vikram Gupta.

The state could, for instance, advertise the park as a tourism destination for treks and safaris. A program that rewards India to plant more trees, known as reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD), could also encourage the government to begin its own tree-planting project, he said.

“You don’t see any kind of conservation initiative in the park, while in Brazil they’ve really promoted the Amazon,” Gupta said. “I’m quite hopeful that REDD will come into play, maybe the government could get paid to protect Sanjay Gandhi National Park.”

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There are two tests most commonly used to determine whether an allergy exists: a prick skin test or a blood test. Testing is used to confirm or reject suspected foods. Both tests can indicate only whether lgE is present. Therefore, your doctor must combine the test results along with your medical history, food record, and possibly a food challenge, to make a food allergy diagnosis.

These reactions, however, may not necessarily be caused by a true allergic reaction. Although estimates vary, food allergies affect only about 2 - 4 percent of adults and 6 - 8 percent of children. In reality, food intolerances are much more common.

A food allergy is an abnormal response to food triggered by the immune system. It can be severe or even life threatening. Food intolerance, on the other hand, doesn’t involve the immune system. It’s very important for people who have a true food allergy to have it clinically diagnosed so serious allergic reactions can be prevented.

Top 8 allergy-causing foods: Eggs, Fish, Milk, Peanuts, Shellfish, Soy, Wheat and Tree Nuts (such as almonds, pecans, Brazil nets, etc.)

See a registered dietitian for individual diet counseling. Many insurance companies now pay for the consults.

Anjana Agarwal, MS, RD, LDN, CNSD, CDE Registered Dietitian Phone: 704-890-3162 Carolina Nutrition (Adult & Pediatric) www.carolinanutrition.com

Food Intolerance Food intolerance is often mislabeled as an allergy because the symptoms are similar but with food intolerance, the reaction usually results from faulty digestion or metabolism. For example, the body may not be able to fully digest a component of food, such as lactose in milk products. Some types of food intolerance will permit small servings of the problem food without unpleasant side effects; the exception is gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, which requires complete avoidance of all foods containing gluten (Wheat Rye, barley, and oats).

Food Allergy A true food allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly reacts to a food as a harmful substance. In most cases, the body reacts by creating immunoglobulin E(lgE) antibodies to the food. When these lgE antibodies react with the food, histamine and other chemicals are released, causing an allergic reaction. The reaction may be mild (rashes, hives, itching, swelling, diarrhea, cramps, or vomiting) or severe (impaired breathing, wheezing, loss of consciousness, and anaphylaxis). Symptoms typically appear within minutes to two hours after the food is eaten.

Diagnosis and Treatment If you suspect a food allergy or intolerance, keeping a food record will be very helpful in identifying suspected foods and getting an accurate diagnosis. Write down the symptoms you experience, how soon they came on, how long they lasted after eating, and the food or foods you ate prior to the onset of symptoms.

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The Stock Tickers

Despite all of the challenges that Pakistan has faced and continues to face as a nation both geopolitically and economically, the country’s equity market has performed extremely well during CY2009, gaining nearly 60 percent. The Karachi KSE-100 experienced dramatic lows in the 4900s during 1Q2009 but regrouped and recovered handsomely and the index nearly re-claimed the 10,000 level during October 2009 before some profit taking and concerns about

By Rajesh Ganatra general unrest dragged the index back down to the 9100-9200 range.

Here are some important quotes as of 11/21/2009 The Pakistani Rupee began 2008 at PKR 62.10 to the US Dollar and ended the year at PKR 79.00 to the US Mumbai (Bombay) Sensex: 17,810.62 Dollar (a decline of 22 percent) and the currency has Karachi, Pakistan KSE-100 Index: 9,125.83 slipped even further to PKR 83.5 to the US Dollar Dow Jones Industrial Average (USA): 10,479.86 (which represents an additional 5.5 percent decline NASDAQ Composite (USA): 2,197.34 during CY2009). The currency and equity markets S & P 500 Index (USA): 1,179.94 have been supported substantially, however, by overseas Pakistanis sending money back home.

Currency Exchange Rates: Indian Rs. 46.26 = $1.00, During November 2009, Wall Street continued its Pakistani Rs. 83.30 = $1.00 strong tone and the Dow moved into the 10,400 range Gold Price: $982/ ounce (Mumbai) - this represents a 4,000 point recovery from the Silver Price: $18.08 / ounce (Mumbai) March 2009 lows. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ (Note —- Mumbai prices quoted in U.S. dollars were calcu- Composite continued their aggressive upward movelated using the above exchange rate and the metric factor ments as well. Many companies are starting to report of 28.6 grams equals 1 ounce. Generally speaking, there are better results, especially in the financial sectors. slight variances in prices of precious metals between India Several leading economic indicators have shown mod& U.S.A. due to market conditions / exchange rates). erate improvements as well. The monthly job losses, Despite many economic challenges and the Satyam although, continue to be in the 190,000-200,000 fiasco, the Indian equity markets have had a very range and during October, the unemployment rate decent 2009 and at the time of writing this column, reached 10.2 percent - this represented the first readthe Sensex was in the 17,000 range which represents ing over 10 percent since 1983. The “current 10 pera nearly 70 percent upward move for the calendar cent” is a very different situation than the “1983 10 year and a nearly 10,000 point recovery from the percent” - when the economy turned around in the panic lows of autumn 2008 when the brunt of the sell- mid 1980s, many of the lost jobs were quickly recovoff hit global equity markets. Real Estate prices in ered and the unemployment rate declined rather Mumbai and Delhi have started to recover as more quickly after the economy recovered. Although the NRIs (non-resident Indians) purchase second homes economy may be recovering technically, it is expected and investment properties in India, and many NRIs to be several years before Main Street feels the comehave become Reverse-NRIs (NRIs who have moved back and therefore - unemployment is expected to back to India). The Indian Rupee was fairly steady remain elevated for a significant period of time.

Every year, the Federal Reserve Board meets eight against the US Dollar during CY2009, trading in a range of INR44-49 to the Dollar. The Rupee did come times to review economic data, monetary policy, and off its lows when the U.S. budget deficit continued to make appropriate adjustments to interest rates as deemed appropriate. Interest rates were lowered to increase during the latter part of the year.

The top 15 energy companies within Asia contain historically low levels during 4Q2008 - the Fed Funds five Indian companies - Reliance Industries Ltd, Oil rate is 0.00 - 0.25 percent. These remarkably low and Natural Gas Corporation, Indian Oil Corporation, rates have certainly benefited consumers who have NTPC Ltd. and Bharat Petroleum Ltd. Although energy mortgages and other types of loan products, however, prices are off their peaks, there was plenty of money savers have certainly felt the pinch of low rates as to be made in the sector during CY2009 and the well. The Fed is continuously monitoring the economy Indian companies invested in their own infrastructure and economic data, and the last meeting for 2009 is to solidify themselves and get set up for years to scheduled for December 15.

“Cheap Money” in the USA and around the world has come. This differed from the strategy by fellow Asian certainly helped the markets come back - with rates Tiger China, which was on an acquisition spree.

Several technology companies have also reported so low, returns on traditionally conservative instruimproving financial pictures and several major invest- ments such as savings accounts, CDs and even ment houses have expressed long-term bullishness on Treasury Bills have been very unattractive and hence India. Although the Indian economy had its share of investors shied away from them and put monies into setbacks along with everyone else around the globe, the market with so many perceived “good buys” out India is poised to recover faster because of its tech- there. Yet with economies around the world coming nology hubs, relatively young workforce and the still- back, money will not remain “cheap” forever. Although expanding middle-class consumer sector. This has the Fed is expected to keep rates low for still some indeed been reflected in the rapid comeback within time to come, monetary policy may change later in the equity markets. continued on page 80 December 2009

Saathee 54

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I am committed to providing close, personal attention to my clients. I take pride in giving you the assurance that the personal assistance you receive comes from 14 years of my public accounting experience including several years of Big 4 accounting firm’s advanced training, technical experience and financial acumen. My continual investment of time and resources in professional continuing education and extensive business relationships is indicative of my commitment to excellence.

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Marketing Turnaround

By Gail Martin Who Are These People and Why Are They Talking To Me? I use Facebook and Twitter to meet new people without the constraints of geography or time zones.

When I invite people to be my “friend” or “follower,” I do so based either on personal knowledge of the person, or recognition of a shared interest. For example, we may both be members of an online marketing group (which would lead you to think we are both interested in marketing.) The vast majority of people are fine with this, and do the same to expand their personal circle of “friends.”

What amazes me is the number of people who seem to have forgotten the part about social media being, well, social. As in meeting people you don’t know. At a recent luncheon, one woman asked me: “Why do these people I don’t know try to friend me?”

Well, for the same reason that people at the luncheon you don’t know try to introduce themselves to you. Because the goal of the event is networking–which means meeting strangers in a business setting.

If you want to use Facebook just to talk with your extended family or old sorority sisters, that’s fine, but you should make your page private so that it’s an invitation-only site. That’s also a good idea for teens, because it’s true that “friends” aren’t always who they claim to be. (They aren’t in real life, either.)

But if you go onto Facebook or Twitter and join business groups, don’t be alarmed or defensive when someone you don’t know offers to be your friend or invites you to be their friend. That’s how the whole idea of social media works.

Imagine that someone opens a store on a busy street. Friends and family drop by to wish the new store owner well. All of a sudden, a person the storeowner doesn’t know walks in. He says hello. He offers a business card and asks for one of the store owner’s.

He tries to strike up a conversation on a shared interest, one he deduced from looking around the store.

What should the store owner do? Call the police?

Scream? Start shouting: “Who are you and why are you talking to me?”

Gee, it might just be that the person wanted to buy what the person was selling. At least, before she went medieval on his butt.

Or imagine that a business person goes to a networking luncheon (presumably to get more clients) and it all is going well until someone she doesn’t know walks up and introduces herself. What now? Throw silverware? Call 911? Yikes, a stranger!

As an adult, we have reasonable methods in place for meeting new people. Common sense says you December 2009

don’t offer your credit card or Social Security numbers, give them a key to your house, or arrange a blind date with your daughter. But despite the advice your mother gave you when you were in kindergarten, it’s OK for adults to talk to people they don’t know. We call it….business.

Social media is new and many people are confused as to how to use it for business. That’s OK. But the next time someone you don’t know friends you on Facebook or follows you on Twitter, treat it the way you would if a newcomer greeted you at a networking meeting.

It’s OK to ask them what made them choose you, but try not to sound defensive or angry. After all, it’s nice to make new friends—and some of these new Facebook friends just might become clients.

Remember that a one-time greeting is not spam and the person is probably not a serial killer. That stranger might just buy what you’re selling, assuming you can get past hello.

If you’re confused or scared by social media, contact me for further suggestions.

Gail Z. Martin owns DreamSpinner Communications.

Contact her at dreamspinnercommunications@earthlink.net

One of a kind Indian Bakery and fast food

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Our bakery products are also retailed at Gandhi Int. Market, Spice Bazaar and Patel Brothers.

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Personal Finance

By Narendra Dixit

Providing Financial Independence for Children and Dependents with Special Needs Those caring for family members who are physically or mentally disabled know how much time and attention are required to maintain quality of life for these loved ones. They worry what will happen to them when the caregiver is no longer there.

Planning for the future can help alleviate the worry.

The most important item to consider is establishing a special needs trust (sometimes called a Supplemental Needs Trust or SNT). Most people with physical and mental disabilities depend on government assistance in the form of Social Security, Medicaid and other government benefits, such as continuing education and training programs available in some states.

Establishing an SNT can help preserve their rights to continue receiving governmental assistance.

Without an SNT, your dependent could be inadvertently cut off from government assistance. The Federal law stipulates that a special needs individual cannot have assets of more than $2,000 in total. That means that this beneficiary should not be named directly in a will, life insurance, or retirement funds. Instead, all benefits should be assigned to the SNT. An SNT should be drawn up by an attorney who specializes in this type of estate planning tool and it should be reviewed by the Social Security Administration for compliance with the special needs trust law. Such a trust will require a trustee who can be either an individual or an institution. The trustee will oversee the funds in the trust and determine how the money is to be used for the person’s benefit. If the special needs individual cannot make medical and lifestyle decisions for him or herself, then the caregiver must also appoint a guardian.

Funding for Special Needs dependents: Working with your financial professional and other professionals, you will need to determine how much money will be required to fund the SNT. While basic living and medical expenses may be provided by government benefits, the trust will provide quality of life items, including personal care attendants, out of pocket expenses, rehabilitation, as well as goods and services that can make life more pleasant. One way to determine how much funding is necessary is to estimate current expenses related to the dependent and projected future costs, along with his/her life expectancy.

After establishing the approximate size of the trust, the next question is how to fund it. One common way to fund an SNT is with life insurance. Your financial professional can help you decide the best type of policy for this purpose. For example, if there are two caregivers (a mother and father, for example), a second to die or survivorship policy, which only pays out when December 2009

both named policyholders die, may be an appropriate choice for you to consider.

An SNT can also be funded with investments, retirement plans, real estate and other assets but you need to be careful not to drain assets that you may need yourself. It’s important to assure your own financial well-being for as long as you are alive, since you will continue to be the caregiver. However you fund the plan, you should review it regularly, particularly after major events, such as births, death, divorce and marriage.

In addition to your plan for your special needs beneficiary, it is also important to meet with your legal advisor and draft a letter of intent with instructions to trustees and guardians outlining such issues as health care, education, living arrangements and other items.

It is important to remember that in order to reach any financial goal, careful planning is required. For those who care for dependents with special needs, planning for the future is even more critical since failure to establish provisions could actually be detrimental to the person you want to help. That’s why planning now is a way to help ensure a brighter future for loved ones who are dependent on your care.

GE-45446 Narendra Dixit offers securities through AXA Advisors, LLC (member NASD, SIPC) and offers annuity and insurance products through an insurance general agency affiliate, AXA Network, LLC and its subsidiaries. 704-540-1509

Saathee 58

Off Mallard Creek Church Rd. Same Shopping Plaza as Rajbhog Foods.

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*AT&T also imposes monthly a Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge of up to $1.25 to help defray costs incurred in complying with State and Federal telecom regulation; State and Federal Universal Service charges; and surcharges for customer-based and revenue-based state and local assessments on AT&T. These are not taxes or government-required charges.

Limited-time offer. Other conditions and restrictions apply. See contract and rate plan brochure for details. Subscriber must live and have a mailing address within AT&T’s owned network coverage area. Up to $36 activation fee applies. Equipment price and availability may vary by market and may not be available from independent retailers. Early Termination Fee: None if cancelled in the first 30 days; thereafter $175. Some agents impose additional fees. Unlimited voice services: Unlimited voice services are provided solely for live dialog between two individuals. Offnet Usage: If your minutes of use (including unlimited services) on other carrier’s networks (“offnet usage”) during any two consecutive month exceeds your offnet usage allowance, AT&T may at its option terminate your service, deny your continued use of other carriers’ coverage, or change your plan to one imposing usage charges for offnet usage. Your offnet usage allowance is equal to the lesser of 750 minutes or 40% of the Anytime minutes included with your plan. 30-Day Guarantee: If phone is returned within 30 days in like-new condition with all components, early termination fee will be waived. All other charges apply. ©2009 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the AT&T logo are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property.

For the Greater Good Climbing Mount Rainier in Support of Charity

By Rohan Paramesh Last summer I worked to raise money for two causes that benefit kids not as fortunate as many of us. Good progress has been made; I am happy to report that I have raised nearly 70 percent of the goal, thereby enabling more than a hundred boys and girls take their own steps in being able to go to school and enjoy good health.

I also recently climbed Mt. Rainier, located about 50 miles southeast of Seattle. The big climb was to reach for new heights on a personal level as well as raise awareness about the organizations I’m working to raise funds for.

What began in the darkness of 1 am in the morning at our High Camp on the Ingraham Glacier ended successfully at sunrise on the summit at Columbia Crest after more than 4 hours of hard climbing. At one in the morning, our paths lit only by our headlamps and the full-moon in the sky, we left High Camp, located at 11,000 feet on the Ingraham Glacier. I awoke at 11:30 pm to inspect the gear and make final preparations, and all but three of us roped up into two teams and pushed off. The three who were left behind had experienced difficulty in the first two days of the climb including the hike up Camp Muir; they found that they did not have the strength to continue the climb.

At around 1:20 am, we reached a large rocky cliff, known as the Disappointment Cleaver. The next section of the climb involved climbing up the Cleaver, up boulders and icy rocks and gravel, taking care not to trip; this would result in a steep dangerous shower, raining down on the people below me. In certain segments, the path was only about 12 inches wide and we had to gingerly step with one foot in front of the other, burying the pick of the ice axe with each step.

Despite the fortunate absence of accidents, Disappointment Cleaver did take its toll on our party. Near the base, about fifteen minutes in, Jim, a doctor from Detroit, and Doug, a salesman from Knoxville, Tennessee, declared with courage and regret that they wouldn’t be in any shape to continue. They felt as though they would be able to ascend the Cleaver but would not have anything left in them to tackle the hard switchbacks that our guides had told us to expect. I watched through the fuzzy darkness of that early morning, now feeling a bit anxious, as one of the guides roped up with them and turned back down the Cleaver, towards high camp. As we watched them leave, our two remaining guides informed us that if

anyone chose to turn back after this point, the cancelation of the summit attempt would be seriously considered. We pressed on.

After a short break at the top of the Cleaver (which took about an hour to climb), we crossed the Emmons Glacier, the largest glacier in the Lower 48 States, and travelled east on a long traverse. At some sections, we had to clutch a frozen rope and mince our way around narrow ice ledges, carefully placing one foot in front of the other and taking care not to tumble down the steep slopes. At other points, bottomless crevasses up to three or four feet wide crossed the beaten path, and we were forced, on no less than three occasions, to calmly and carefully jump over the gaping cracks. After this traverse, there was nothing but about two hours of continuous, steep switchbacks up the face of the Emmons Glacier to the top.

It was here that I felt true exhaustion envelope me, as the endless walking, the altitude, and cold wind became my close companions. I could feel my muscles move more slowly, my actions be more sluggish, and the altitude taking a toll on my body. It took almost all my willpower and mental strength to block out the fatigue, the soreness, and the cold, and to concentrate solely on taking one step at a time, in a sort of rhythm. During a second short break about 900 feet from the summit, I began flirting with some second thoughts about continuing, particularly when Devin, one of the guides, instructed us to really think about how much strength we had left. If we were at about 60-70 percent, we were in great shape, he said.

Quite frankly, I had no idea as to where I was physically.

Devin must have seen some doubt on our faces, for the next thing he told us was that it didn’t matter if someone was just tired; this close to the summit, everyone would be forced to the top. My choice essentially made, I shook myself warm, tightened my helmet, and brushed aside any existing pain or tiredness or flecks of anxiety. With 900 vertical feet of these switchbacks left, the three of us continued straight up the Emmons Glacier.

These last 900 vertical feet simply flew by. I was very surprised to see, seemingly so quick, two black boulders standing as sentinels at the entrance of the crater rim. As you know, Mount Rainier is a volcanic peak, and its top is characterized by a wide crater. Climbing down to the crater, which was about one football field across and covered in ice (save for the rock walls), we all dropped our bags and happily congratulated each other. It had taken us a bit more than four hours to climb to the summit, though it had seemed much longer in certain places. We ascended the top after 5:00 that same morning, just as the red sun was peeking over the horizon. In the picture here, I am standing on the summit with Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa, a guide. He holds the record for fastest ascent of Mount Everest.

We walked slowly across the crater to the actual summit, a small hill called Columbia Crest that stood above everything else in sight. After taking a few pictures, we proudly signed our names in the Visitors’ Log, a notebook continued on page 108

December 2009

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Top 5 Tax Deductions for Small Businesses and Professionals 1. Start-up Expenses As you get your business started, there are several costs such as furniture, equipment, computers, and fax that may be deducted 100 percent. Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code allows you to deduct up to $250,000 of the cost of new equipment or other assets in 2009. Off the shelf Software costs can also be now

By Krutika Chheda deducted in the same year as per Section 179.

Taxes are Your Biggest Expense this Year… (But Although if you know that your business is going to who cares?) take a couple of years to break even and generate profit, you may want to depreciate these expenses over the As a Business owner and professional your normal years to offset the profits in later years. week may look like this. This may include meeting clients, preparing weekly payroll, checking inventory, 2. Business Travel, Meals and Entertainment paying suppliers, meeting with the banker for Line of If you make a trip for business purposes, travel costs Credit, working on the marketing plan and advertising, including airline ticket, hotel, taxi, meals, shipping hiring and supervising employees and thousands of business materials, laundry, and telephone calls are other tasks. fully deductible expenses. How about combining busiAs difficult as it is to keep pace with all the business ness travel with pleasure? It is allowed, as long as the and professional challenges, you may be facing the primary purpose of the trip is for business, although economic slowdown and revenue challenges in the there are strict guidelines on this. business. One way to handle this is to reduce your expenses and position your business or profession to 3. Charitable Contributions gain market share through smart marketing. Most This is a great deduction as you can feel good about small businesses and professionals, however, overlook donating to your favorite cause and save on taxes at the same time. Charitable contributions are treated their biggest expense in the year – taxes.

We will cover some interesting tax tidbits here in a slightly different depending on the type of your busiseries of articles as we embark upon the next tax sea- ness entity. If your business is a partnership, a limited son. Part one covers tax planning and deductions for liability company, or an S corporation, your business small businesses and individual professionals. In Part can make a charitable contribution and pass the deductwo we will discuss how to select the right tax software. tion through to you, to claim on your individual tax In Part three we will review some tax reducing tips for return. In case of regular (C) corporations charitable individual taxpayers, H1B consultants and independent contributions are deducted on the corporation’s tax contractors. Part four will focus on how to audit proof return. There are some important rules for charitable your tax return. In Part five we will share some of the contribution deductions: Only contributions to charities listed as “qualified best kept secrets to save on taxes. In case you have organizations” by the IRS are deductible and contribuany specific questions feel free to write to me and if it is in the benefit of the larger audience, I will address it tions more than $250 require a written acknowledgement from the qualified charitable organization. in this column.

- You can deduct donations of assets such as Property Small Businesses and Individual Professionals or Equipment at their fair market value. Although a fully depreciated (written off) asset cannot be deductcan Reduce their Taxes Taxes are the biggest expense for most small business- ed as a contribution even if it is works well. es and individual professionals. And yet most of us pro- - You cannot deduct the value of time or services that vide minimal time for planning and reducing this you volunteer. expense, except perhaps an annual visit to the accoun- - You cannot deduct the part of a contribution that bentant’s office during taxes! Is it any surprise then that efits you. If you receive a gift in exchange for a charismall businesses and professionals contribute the most table donation or if the contribution made is in lieu of to Tax Revenues? Large corporations with help from certain benefits, you can deduct only the amount of the expert tax professionals pay at a much lower effective contribution that exceeds the value of the gift. If you tax rate. An extreme example is that of Goldman are making a large donation, make sure you check with Sachs, which paid an effective tax rate of one percent your tax accountant first.

TAX Matters

on a $2.3 Billion profit last year. Independent studies 4. Bad Debts over the years suggest that small businesses pay up to Bad debts hurt the most. Especially when you have $160 Billion in excess taxes each year. This is money worked so hard to satisfy all of the customer’s requireyou can save through proper tax planning. As with continued on page 80 everything else in your business, it takes careful planning and professional execution. There are over 350 Krutika Chheda tax deductions and credits for small businesses and K&M Accounting and Tax Services individual professionals. Although it is almost impossiwww.kmaccountant.com ble to say how many of these may be applicable to your You can Contact her at specific business without considering your particular kmchheda@kmaccountant.com scenario, here are some deductions that may apply to (704) 502 3960 most small businesses and professionals.

December 2009

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in which my dishes and glasses were coming out of the dishwasher. Since I wasn’t paid to mention the soap, my comment actually received feedback from one of my followers saying they were going to try it, too. Another simply said, “really? That’s cool…”

Social Media

by Wendy D. Wells

FTC Guidelines for Bloggers The Federal Trade Commission has revised Endorsement Guidelines to include bloggers who receive compensation for endorsing a product, so that they will have to disclose in their writing, that they have either received cash or inkind payment. The FTC states that, “bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.”

Personally, I’ve got no problem with this. If anything, I think the added protection to consumers is beneficial. I only wonder why anyone needs it. Do people honestly believe everything they read on the web? We don’t believe everything we see on TV. I am skeptical that with the generous income Christie Brinkley earns, that she actually uses a folding home gym. Does Paris Hilton truly eat Hardy’s burgers? Or perhaps, did she only pretend to in the commercial?

Sure, I understand that sometimes what we read online is not clearly defined as an endorsement or an unpaid product review. Like Mary Engle from the FTC says, they’re applying the same guidelines that have been around since the 1980’s to the realm of Social Media because you can’t always recognize an advertisement online just by looking at it.

Only bloggers who are trying to pass themselves off as genuinely unattached to a company are going to have a problem with this. I used to blog for a satellite TV company. My posts were almost always about what had been on TV the night before, soccer, and movies.

At the end of my posts, I placed a disclosure with links to XYZ’s satellite dish company which made it clear that they were either paying me in cash or in-kind. I know of “Mommy bloggers” that receive free products in order to write about them. Some of these bloggers are very popular, so they’re using their online celebrity status to spread the word. A good review from one of them can go a long way in promoting a product or service.

What does this mean to you? As a consumer, it means you will be better able to tell when someone has been paid to review a product, or if it is a genuine opinion about a product they have purchased and wrote about. I recently made this comment on Twitter, “I’m not getting paid to say this but (dish washing soap) just made my dishes and glasses the cleanest EVER!” I was thrilled with the results of this soap because I’d been having problems with the condition December 2009

What this means to you as a business owner, is that you’ll need to make sure whomever you hire to blog for you or if you are doing your own blogging, you must divulge your relationship with the product, company, or service. This is not a big deal, but the $11,000 fine is!

Blogging is one of the best ways to engage with your core audience. You can find out who your core audience is and target them in your advertising, marketing, and inventory. Staying in touch with consumers through conversations is the only way to build a community and include them in it. Being honest and transparent creates a meaningful relationship.

The FTC has actually done us all a favor. They’re making us introduce ourselves.

Follow me on Twitter! @WendyWells

Wendy D. Wells is President of WD Wells Writing and Editing, LLC. She is a Charlotte, NC based, Telecommuting Copywriter, Professional Blogger and Editor. wwells@wendywellswrites.com

Mandap Rental 14 Mandaps to choose from!

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IndiaTown

India Town is more than a Traditional Grocery store.

Wishing You Happy Holidays!

Come check out our large selections of:

Movies & Music: Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati and Punjabi.

Indian Beers Kingfisher, Haywards 5000, Taj Mahal, Royal Challenge (R.C.) & more

Experience the difference and enjoy the ambience.

Phone: 704.494.0422 29 49

Store Hours: Tues-Sun Noon-8pm Mon :4 pm - 8 pm

2809 West Sugar Creek Rd Charlotte, NC 28262 SPACE AVAILABLE FOR LEASE WITH A SEPARATE ENTRANCE AND FRONTAGE.

Fu Lin Asian Cuisine

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Vegetarian Dishes • Paneer Available • Halal Meat on Request • No Pork Party Tray Catering (Half Tray Prices) Vegetable Rolls (35 pcs): $30 • Lolly Pop Chicken (35 pcs): $30 • Vegetables: $40 Chicken: $45 • Chow Mein Noodles Veg: $35 • Fried Rice - Veg: $30 **Your Choice of Sauces Available** Many more items available.

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to

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Just Minutes from Hindu Center & Baps Mandir

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in the Independence Promenade Shopping Center.

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Saathee 67

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Immigration Matters Temporary Acceptance of H-1B Petitions Without Department of Labor Certified Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) Washington—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a 120-day period in which it will temporarily accept H-1B petitions filed without Labor Condition Applications (LCAs) that have been certified by the Department of Labor (DOL).

USCIS has received requests from the public to accept H-1B petition filings that include LCAs that have been filed with DOL but that DOL has not yet certified.

Processing delays arising from DOL’s recently implemented “iCERT” system have resulted in increased processing times (beyond seven days) for certain LCA certifications. Affected employers and beneficiaries have reported being negatively impacted by DOL’s increased processing times which currently delays their ability to file H-1B petitions with USCIS. DOL expects that the current increase in LCA processing times is temporary. As a public accommodation, USCIS is accepting H-1B petitions filed with uncertified LCAs for a 120-day period, now through March 4, 2010. However, USCIS will only accept such H-1B petitions if they are filed at least seven calendar days after the LCAs were filed with DOL and include evidence of these filings. The only acceptable evidence of filing is a copy of DOL’s email giving notice of receipt of the LCA. Petitioners who seek to take advantage of this temporary flexibility in the normal filing procedures for H-1B petitions must wait until they receive a request for evidence (RFE) before they submit the DOL-certified LCA to USCIS in support of the H-1B petition. USCIS will give petitioners a period of 30 calendar days within which they must send in a DOL certified LCA in response to the RFE. USCIS will only approve H-1B petitions that include certified LCAs. 133 Soldiers, Sailors and Marines Become U.S. Citizens in Afghanistan Bagram AirBase, Afghanistan – U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officers traveled here to naturalize 133 Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines during a special Veterans week commemoration ceremony on Nov. 12. Leading the team was USCIS Bangkok District Director Robert Looney, who recognized his own name on a document in a Soldier’s immigration records (A-file). It was a pleasant surprise to reunite with Army Spec. Veha Vaene, who came to the United States when she was two years old after Looney interviewed her family in a refugee camp in Thailand in 1987. Among the applicants were six soldiers, who choose to make the United States their home, arriving on special immigrant visas after working for the U.S. government as civilian Afghan translators and interDecember 2009

preters. All six joined the U.S. Army and returned to Afghanistan as translators. During the naturalization ceremony, Looney commented that the service members reflect the same values of our nation’s founding fathers, choosing to volunteer as patriots before becoming citizens of their adopted country. Guest speakers were Ambassador Karl Eikenberry and Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of Combined Joint Task Force-82 in Afghanistan. In October 2004, USCIS hosted the first naturalization ceremony overseas since the Korean War. During this time and since, USCIS has naturalized more than 7,740 Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines during ceremonies in Afghanistan, Djibouti, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Philippines, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, and aboard Navy flagships in the Pacific Ocean.

USCIS Welcomes 157 New U.S. Citizens during Ceremony in Iraq CAMP VICTORY, Iraq - USCIS joined U.S. service men and women to celebrate Veterans Day by naturalizing 157 Soldiers and Marines from 60 different countries during a ceremony on Nov. 11, 2009, here in al Faw Palace. Presiding during the ceremony was USCIS Rome Deputy District Director Lori Pietropaoli, who thanked the servicemen and women for their service in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Pietropaoli highlighted the dedicated service of all the military, especially that of the new citizens, “On this Veterans Day, we honor our own heritage as a nation as we honor these 157 new citizens.” Among the new citizens was a Soldier serving his third tour of duty in Iraq. During his first deployment to Iraq in 2003, he assisted with the liberation of the area that is now Camp Victory. Six years later, he celebrated as a citizen of the United States in that same area. Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, commander of Multi-National CorpsIraq, delivered the keynote address. Also attending the ceremony were Gen. Raymond Odierno, commander of Multi-National Forces-Iraq and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq, Christopher Hill. One of the strengths of the partnership with the U.S. armed forces is the commitment of USCIS officers who bring immigration services to members of the military wherever they serve.

Courtesy of USCIS.Gov

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The Chai Table Saathee Readers’ Forum

Majestic Mount Fuji

By Ron A. Virmani, M.D. In July 2009, I signed up for a two-week Japan trip with GAP adventures. I wanted to see the land of the rising sun and the country of Shinkansen (bullet trains). I had trained for high-altitude climbing and climbed Mt. Elbert (14,400 feet) in Colorado in early July and wanted to use this training to climb Mt. Fuji as well.

I landed in the Shinagawa suburb of Tokyo on July 20. There were a total of 14 of us, a couple from Germany , a couple from Canada , a few from U.K. , a lady from Belgium and another lady from Australia.

By and large most, including our guide, spoke English.

For about 11 days, we toured Takayama, Hiroshima , Nagasaki , Himeji and Kyoto. On July 30, we headed 62 miles west of Tokyo by train to Kawaguchiko, at the foot of Mt. Fuji .

Fujisan (san=mountain) is Japan’s highest mountain, rising to 12,388 feet. It is a stunningly impressive cone of almost perfect symmetrical proportions.

Poets and pilgrims have revered it since ancient times.

Painters and photographers, including me, have been mesmerized by it. It is the icon and pride of Japan.

Mt. Fuji is actually a volcano. Geologists estimate that it was created 600,000 years ago in Pleistocene era. It last erupted in 1707. The mountain was sacred to Ainu, the original inhabitants of Japan. It is also sacred in Shinto (religion in Japan before Buddhism) and Buddhist religions. The mountain is named after Buddhist fire goddess Fuchi. The shrine of Shinto goddess Sengen-Sama is found on top of the mountain.

Surrounded by five lakes, the spectacular mountain is impressive in its dimensions. Not only does it rise more than two miles into the sky, but also it is 25-30 miles in diameter, topped with a crater spanning 1600 feet in diameter. As a rare occurrence, the mountain may be visible on a clear winter day from 100 miles away. In general, Fujisan is shrouded in clouds.

When I was able to get some clear pictures of the awesome mountain from our hotel in Kawaguchiko, I knew that I was one of the lucky ones.

Climbing Mt. Fuji Even though it is the holiest of the three holy mountains in Japan, it is not considered sacrilegious to climb it. Japanese have climbed it forever, but women were considered impure and not allowed to climb it until 1871. How they became pure after that, beats me.

The official climbing season lasts only two months, July and August. In other months, snow cover and weather conditions make for a hazardous and even perilous climb and people have died on the mountain.

Mount Fuji is divided into 10 stations. The first staDecember 2009

tion being at the foot of the mountain and the tenth being the summit. Paved roads go as far as the fifth station, after that, you are on your own.

On July 31, we took a bus from Kawaguchiko station to the fifth station in the morning and got there at about 11 am. We were at 2300 meters altitude now. It was a foggy morning with drizzle, temperature around 70 degrees. We were facing a climb of 1470 meters or about 4800 feet, approximately a vertical mile.

A mother daughter pair said they were not going to climb, so the twelve of us joined the throngs of people starting off on Yoshidaguchi trail. The trails are like I have never seen before. Because 3000 people, including children and grandmothers, climb every day, the trails are very wide. They narrow to some degree as ascent continues.

It started raining. The possibility was that this could be a miserable hike. One of the girls turned back after an hour and decided to visit Tokyo. The rest of us pressed on. Fortunately, the rain was not terribly heavy or sustained. There were periods of clearing between rains.

The terrain was firm to start and then became full of gravel. There were stretches of volcanic rocky climbs and a seemingly infinite number of switchbacks. As we climbed up, the air got thinner. Some faces became pale, some people started having headaches and nausea. Some vomited. Some lay by the wayside clutching their oxygen tanks. Surely, it was altitude sickness.

Many mountain huts have been constructed along the way to the top. As we passed each one by, we hoped that one would be ours. Finally, we made it our hut Tomoe Kan at 3400 meters. I got to this hut around 4 pm, having hiked for four and a half hours. Boy, that was a hard hike!

Some made it to this hut before me, some after. In the two-story hut, there were several rooms or small halls. In each hall, there were futons on the floor and blankets. The hut accommodates, which is not the right word, about 250 people. We were packed like sardines in a can.

Some of us were quite finished by this point. The holy mountain had taken its toll and drained them. I do not think that they had realized the seriousness of the climb before they undertook it. Anyway, the supper came at about 5 pm. Rice is always a part of every meal in Japan. In addition, there was Miso (soy) soup and a hamburger patty. Buying a coke could set you back 500 yens (five and a half dollars) The view from the hut was spectacular. The sun was setting. Darkness grew and the mercury fell rapidly.

Going to the outside primitive toilets was an act of bravery because of narrow passage and cold weather.

The use of toilet cost 100 yens. We could see a constant stream of hikers making their way both below and above the hut on the switchbacks of the mountain.

Their headlamps and flashlights made for a captivating sight.

We lay down, hoping to get rest, maybe sleep. But sleep was hard to come by. I am sure that CO2 level was high from having so many people in such a small enclosed space.

We got up around 2 am. The plan was to be at the top of Mt Fuji to witness the sunrise. The temperature was freezing by now. Six of us started up, the rest

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were going to go back down. I had five layers of clothes on.

It was a thrilling and unique experience to join hundreds of hikers climbing up the volcanic rock in the middle of night. We were packed on the trail 5 or 6 hikers abreast. It was like being in a crowded state fair with some amount of pushing and shoving to make room to the next step up. The going was slow. Many times, we came to a complete stop from congestion.

Trail was steep and challenging. I managed to make headway by maneuvering through and around the crowded pack.

Reaching near the summit, I saw the Torii gate. It is a traditional religious gate in front of Shinto and Buddhist shrines. By 4 am, about an hour before the sunrise, I was on top of Mt. Fuji, the first one from our group. It was not only freezing on top but also very windy. I would say the wind chill was about zero degrees Fahrenheit. Thousands of

people were at the top, dozens more pouring every minute, all awaiting the big spectacle of sunrise. The clouds were below us, the east was aglow and the sky was getting lighter with time.

A few minutes before 5 am, the first rays of sun reached us. The miracle was happening. Just then, clouds rolled in to partially block the sun. Fortunately for us, they cleared up in a couple of minutes. We were now witnessing the breathtaking sunrise we came to see. I had long dreamt about this moment. It came true on the first day of August. We savored the sunrise to our heart’s content. Not many people are lucky enough to see a clear sunrise because of the ever encroaching clouds.

We saw the crater on top of Mt. Fuji. One could hike the perimeter in about 90 minutes. There are eight peaks surrounding the crater, the highest being Kengamine. This truly is the highest point (3776 meters) in Japan. But the collective will of the tired group was bereft of any desire to hike the perimeter in bitter cold and howling winds.

We started back down around 5:30 am. Again, treacherous trails of volcanic ash greeted our feet and made short work of our shoes. Some of us fell but did not get hurt. Sun, clouds and rain kept us guessing about the kind of weather we were going to have for the next five minutes.

Libby, the British girl and I were the first ones to get down by 8 am. It was beginning to rain. But that did nothing to hide the glow on our faces of conquering the highest mountain in Japan.

Would I do it again? As they say in Japan, one is a fool not to climb Mt. Fuji once, but a fool climbs it twice! However, only one percent of Japanese people actually climb Mt. Fuji.

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Pakistan visits New Zealand 1st Test: New Zealand vs. Pakistan - Nov 24-28, 2009 @ University Oval, Dunedin

The Cricket Forum

2nd Test: New Zealand vs. Pakistan - Dec 3-7, 2009 @ Basin Reserve, Wellington 3rd Test: New Zealand v Pakistan - Dec 11-15, 2009 @ McLean Park, Napier

By Rajesh Ganatra Hello Cricket fans! Here’s a list of some of the cricket action coming up over the next several weeks and also read the Interesting Stats section below for a unique historical perspective.

Sri Lanka visits India 3rd Test: India v Sri Lanka at Mumbai - Dec 2-6, 2009 1st T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Nagpur - Dec 9, 2009 2nd T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Mohali - Dec 12, 2009 1st ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Rajkot - Dec 15, 2009 2nd ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam - Dec 18, 2009 3rd ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Cuttack - Dec 21, 2009 4th ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Kolkata - Dec 24, 2009 5th ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Delhi - Dec 27, 2009

Interesting Stats: There has been many legends of Cricket whose careers in One-Day International matches (ODIs) have spanned over many years ... here is a table that shows “the cream of the crop” in terms of country represented, span of career and matches played: Player (Country)

From

To

Span

Javed Miandad (Pak)

11 Jun 1975

9 Mar 1996

20y 272d

SR Tendulkar (India)

18 Dec 1989

ST Jayasuriya (Asia/SL) 26 Dec 1989

Matches 233

8 Nov 2009

19y 325d

436

27 Sep 2009

19y 275d

441

PA de Silva (SL)

31 Mar 1984

18 Mar 2003

18y 352d

308

GA Gooch (Eng)

26 Aug 1976

10 Jan 1995

18y 137d

125

Wasim Akram (Pak)

23 Nov 1984

4 Mar 2003

18y 101d

356

Imran Khan (Pak)

31 Aug 1974

25 Mar 1992

17y 207d

175 England visits South Africa Saleem Malik (Pak) 12 Jan 1982 8 Jun 1999 17y 147d 283 1st T20I: South Africa v England at Johannesburg A Ranatunga (SL) 14 Feb 1982 30 May 1999 17y 105d 269 Nov 13, 2009 Result: England won by 1 run (D/L method) RJ Hadlee (NZ) 11 Feb 1973 25 May 1990 17y 103d 115 England 202/6 (20/20 ov); South Africa 127/3 (13/13 ov) For updates on cricket matches visit saathee.com 2nd T20I: South Africa v England at Centurion Nov 15, 2009 Result: South Africa won by 84 runs South Africa 241/6 (20/20 ov); England 157/8 (20/20 ov)

1st ODI: South Africa v England at Johannesburg - Nov 20, 2009 2nd ODI: South Africa v England at Centurion - Nov 22, 2009 3rd ODI: South Africa v England at Cape Town - Nov 27, 2009 4th ODI: South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth - Nov 29, 2009 5th ODI: South Africa v England at Durban - Dec 4, 2009 1st Test: South Africa v England at Centurion - Dec 16-20, 2009 2nd Test: South Africa v England at Durban - Dec 26-30, 2009 3rd Test: South Africa v England at Cape Town - Jan 3-7, 2010 4th Test: South Africa v England at Johannesburg - Jan 14-18, 2010 West Indies visit Australia

1st Test: Australia v West Indies at Brisbane - Nov 26-30, 2009 2nd Test: Australia v West Indies at Adelaide - Dec 4-8, 2009 3rd Test: Australia v West Indies at Perth - Dec 16-20, 2009 1st ODI: Australia v West Indies at Melbourne - Feb 7, 2010 2nd ODI: Australia v West Indies at Adelaide - Feb 9, 2010 3rd ODI: Australia v West Indies at Sydney - Feb 12, 2010 4th ODI: Australia v West Indies at Brisbane - Feb 14, 2010 5th ODI: Australia v West Indies at Melbourne - Feb 19, 2010 1st T20I: Australia v West Indies at Hobart - Feb 21, 2010 2nd T20I: Australia v West Indies at Sydney - Feb 23, 2010

December 2009

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Recipes and more

Quick Sips • Make an ultra-easy sorbet with a food processor by pureeing frozen Chilean navel orange or grapefruit segments with a little confectioners’ sugar.

• For a nutritious smoothie, give frozen grapefruit, navel or Clementine segments, banana and cranberry juice a whirl in your blender.

Navel oranges join an elite collection of Chilean citrus that also includes lemons, mandarin oranges, Clementines and grapefruit. They ripen to sweet per(ARA) - Has your snacking and cooking become bor- fection in Chilean valleys that provide just the right ing? It’s easy to fall into a flavorless rut. If this sounds conditions: warm sunny days and cool nights. like you, take note from top chefs and health enthusiasts alike and look to citrus for the flavors and nutri- The cool vibe of citrus can’t be beat - and the concept ents we love. just got better with the arrival of Chilean navel Nothing tastes more refreshing than the sweet tang oranges. of fresh citrus. And now you can enjoy the seedless pleasures of navel oranges - fresh from Chile, where Chilean Navel Orange and Radish Salad their winter harvest is in full swing.

Ingredients: One juicy segment after another - that’s one of the 3 Chilean navel oranges, peeled best ways to enjoy easily peeled navel oranges. Keep 4 cups mixed baby greens (about 5 ounces) a bowlful of wedges front and center in the fridge for 1 small green apple, cut into matchsticks (about 1-1/2 healthy refreshing snacks, or cut into segments for cups) fruit plates or garnishes.

3/4 cup thinly sliced radishes (about 4 radishes) Think oranges are too much trouble? Think again. 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion (green onion) For painless peeling trim slices from the top and bot- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar tom. Place one end down on a cutting board. Cut or 1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard peel strips from top to bottom, removing the white 1 1/2 teaspoon honey pith. Separate segments by pulling or cutting between 1/8 teaspoon salt surrounding membranes and enjoy.

Pinch of ground black pepper Fresh navel oranges are terrific in healthful salads, but also think Method: Into large bowl, cut oranges into segments, of them in cold soups and fruity reserving membranes. Add greens, apple, radishes drinks. Who wouldn’t love a and scallion; toss gently. In small bowl, squeeze two sprightly Chilean Navel Orange tablespoons orange juice from membranes; stir in and Radish Salad with Citrus-Dijon vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and black pepper. Divide dressing? Another day, dip into orange salad mixture equally among four salad plates; Chilean Navel Orange and Tomato top with dressing. Serves four.

Gazpacho, a delightfully different twist on a beloved cold soup. Or, Chilean Navel Orange and Tomato Gazpacho how about a smoothie made by Ingredients: whirling in a blender a combo of navel segments, 3 Chilean navel oranges vanilla yogurt and mango sorbet?

3 plum tomatoes Other navel orange inspirations include: 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar On the grill 1 tablespoon olive oil • Skewer orange pieces with pork or chicken cubes. 1/2 teaspoon salt Brush with teriyaki sauce or another marinade.

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper • Sprinkle thick, peeled orange slices with ground gin- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion (green onion) ger. Grill until lightly caramelized.

• Use as a bed for fish or cut up and add to salads.

Method: Grate one teaspoon zest from one orange; set aside. Peel all oranges. Into a small bowl cut one of the Salads and such oranges into segments; cut into small pieces; set • Add navel orange segments, zest and toasted aside. Cut remaining two oranges into two-inch almonds to a couscous or mixed grain salad. chunks; place in a food processor. Quarter two of the • Cut orange segments into halves for chicken salad tomatoes; add to the food processor along with red dressed with a tangy yogurt-dill dressing. Serve in a pepper, vinegar, oil, salt, black pepper and reserved Boston lettuce cup or on a sandwich. orange zest. Pulse until orange mixture is very finely • For a refreshing salsa, coarsely chop orange or chopped but not pureed, about 10 to 12 times. Chop Clementine segments, cucumber and red onion. remaining tomato; add to orange in the small bowl Season with chipotle pepper, cilantro and lime juice. along with scallion. Divide gazpacho among four soup • Send your salad in a Mediterranean direction with plates; top with chopped orange, tomato and scallion sliced oranges, sweet onions, oil-cured olives and a mixture. Serves four. pesto dressing.

Fresh citrus makes cooking come alive

Courtesy of ARAContent

December 2009

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Rent: $3,150/mo. Cash Flow: $11,400/month net Lott. + Check-Cashing + ATM + MO: $7,300 /month net.

(IR) Gas Station / C-Store, near Marion, NC Asking: $89,000 + Inv., In: $48,000/mo. Out: 10,000 gal./mo.

Game Machines: $3,000 / month net. Cash flow: $9,790/mo.

Plus: Lottery, ATM, BillPay: $1,500 net/month. Rent: $3,200 (IW) Conv. Store / Branded Gas / Sub Shop, near Wilson, NC. Cash Flow: $7,000/month.

Asking: $75,000 + Inv, In: $30,000/mo. Lottery, ATM: $2,300/ mo. net, Games: $4,000 / mo. net. Rent: $1,700.

(KK) Conv. Store / Gas, near Apex, NC. Asking: $59,000 + Inv, In: $15,000/mo. Gross Margin: 40%.

Out: 15,000 gal/mo. Cash Flow: $6,200/month Lottery, ATM: $800/ mo. net, Check-Cashing: $800 / mo. net.

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Tax Matters continued from page 64 ments and they do not pay you. The good news is that certain bad debts are tax deductible. If your business sells goods, you can deduct the costs of any goods sold, but not paid for, as an ordinary business expense.

However, you cannot deduct any lost profits you would have collected from the sale. If your business provides services, no deduction is allowed for the time you devoted to the customer who doesn’t pay. For example if you provide medical services and the patient does not pay, you cannot deduct the cost of the time you spent in treating the patient. The rationale is that if businesses were able to deduct unpaid services, it would be easy to inflate the unpaid bills and claim large bad debt deductions making it hard for IRS to catch the fraud.

5. Home Office Deduction For several years taking a Home Office Deduction was considered a red flag, inviting the IRS to Audit your tax return. But that may no longer be the case, with more and more businesses and individuals taking advantage of working from home and maintaining a healthy worklife balance. IRS is well aware of the rising trend in working from home office. As long as you use the Home Office as IRS defines it. This one deduction alone can save you several thousand dollars in tax. For example if you are an independent Information Technology contractor and mostly work out of your client’s office, but you use part of your home to manage the administrative aspects of your profession or business, you may qualify to take the Home Office deduction. IRS has specific rules to qualify to deduct expenses for home office.

I want to share the two most basic qualifiers.

Trade or Business Use: First of all you must be engaged in a trade or business to take advantage of this deduction. Employees can also take Home Office Deduction in certain situations. We will cover more on individual deductions next month. You cannot take a deduction if you are only using it for a profit seeking activity that is not your trade or business. For example, you use part of your home to review investment journals and carry out your personal investments. You are not a broker or a dealer, so your activities may not be considered part of a trade or business and hence you cannot take home office deduction.

Regular and Exclusive Use: Specific area of your home must be used exclusively and regularly for your business or trade. You don’t need a permanent partition to mark the space. For example you use part of your basement exclusively to perform administrative and management tasks of your business, review business paperwork, teleconference or meet with clients etc on a regular basis and not just once in a while. Your family does not use the same space for recreation or other non-business purposes. You may be able to claim costs associated with part of the basement as a deduction for use as home office, provided you qualify on other rules.

There are other rules and definitions that IRS uses to qualify the Home office deductions. If you are planning to take advantage of this deduction, I strongly recommend you take help from an expert tax accountant. The money you will save on the taxes will be well worth the professional fees. Keep in mind this column and the December 2009

articles published here are only meant to provide you with information about taxes and in no way should you consider this as tax advice. I’m hoping I have got you started thinking about saving more of your hard earned money and paying less to the IRS as you brave through the economic head winds in a recession. Consult your Tax Advisor regarding your individual situation.

This Article provides only an overview to the complex Tax Laws. It is not exhaustive nor a substitute for Independent Tax Advice provided by a Tax Accountant or a Tax Attorney familiar with your case.

Stock Tickers continued from page 54 CY2010 if the recovery takes a foothold. The Bank of England and European Central Bank have also kept rates low - however, they are on the watch for inflation as commodity prices (namely oil and precious metals) have risen significantly recently.

The Reserve Bank of India has already raised the deposit reserve ratios for individual banks and is also on inflation watch. The major question is that when interest rates inevitably do rise, how will the markets react? Perhaps the markets already understand that rising rates will be a part of the recovery? If the interest rate changes are small and gradual, the markets may not be spooked too much. If there is an aggressive series of interest rate increases (such as the one seen in 1Q1994/2Q1994, the markets may take it pretty hard. Only time will tell.

Special Note: This article contains the ideas and thoughts of its author and it does not necessarily imply the viewpoints of Saathee magazine, this website or its principals.

Rajesh Ganatra is also the Community News Editor for Saathee and writes the “The Cricket Forum” column.

Contact: rajeshtganatra@rocketmail.com

Astride Three Continents continued from page 46 whose name I forget, who practiced séances in an effort to communicate with his dead wife.

After some dramatic moments, the story ends with Kelvin apparently “dying,” finding himself back in his apartment on earth, and living blissfully with Rhea in a parallel universe - one where wounds heal magically and where everyone lives happily ever after.

The movie intrigued me so much that I ordered the book on Amazon, and even researched the Polish writer, Stanislaw Lem. Lem, a secular Jew, wrote in his native Polish language and experimented with science fiction stories like “Fiasco,” “His Masters Voice,” and of course, “Solaris.” Later he renounced SF and concentrated on philosophical writings that dwelt on future technological advancements.

But for anyone interested in a brilliant, though enigmatic, science fiction romance, I recommend the film Solaris, with its talented cast including the heroine Rhea, hauntingly played by Natascha McElhoen.

Without her the film would undoubtedly have been a fiasco!

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December 2009

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Community Focus Events of Note Nuv Yug’s India Fest 2010 Nuv Yug is a cultural organization with a mission to promote awareness of Indian cultural arts and heritage, striving to create synergy among various cultural groups from the South Asian region. Nuv Yug’s online system for India Fest 2010 is open now. Visit the website and review various guidelines. Once you have registered a userid, you will be provided your very own dashboard to keep track of your activities on the website. The deadline for most submissions ranges from December 15, 2009 to January 15, 2010.

Review the appropriate guideline from the sign in page. India Fest 2010 Auditions are on Sat. Feb. 13, 2010 at the Holshouser Building, State Fairgrounds, Raleigh. India Fest 2010 Main Event will be held on Sat and Sun, March 20-21, 2010, Dorton Arena, State Fairgrounds, Raleigh.

Info: info@nuvyug.org. www.nuvyug.org.

Boogie Woogie North Carolina Applications are now being accepted for the internationally acclaimed Indian dance competition to be held in Raleigh area on the 28th of February! We will be selecting one Junior (ages 6 - 13) one Senior (ages 14 - 21) and one NC Champ (ages 22-50). Junior and Senior finalists will represent North Carolina at the nationals to be held in Chicago. Click on Applications button to print your application. There is no entry fee if you apply by December 31st. Mail your applications to: Boogie Woogie NC, 311 Capistrane Dr., Cary, NC 27519. Deadline: December 31, 2009.

Contact: Latha Pamarthi at 919.624.1012 or lathapamarthi@gmail.com. / www.boogiewoogienc.com.

Boogie Woogie India Website: www.boogiewoogieindia.com

Community Reports An evening with “Indian Expressions” If there was one evening in Charlotte where some of the diehard music fans of Hindi music had a treat it was on November 8, 2009, a musical evening held at the Providence High School in South Charlotte. The event was organized by “Indian Expressions” and lasted over three hours. The performers for the evening included music director and playback singer Nihal Konduri, accompanied by the playback singer Sudha Krishna, her sister Jagathi, and Charlotte’s local talent Rajiv Saddy, Seshu Akula, Shashi Hariharan and December 2009

Maina. Konduri left the audience spell-bound and clamoring for more with his fantastic voice and repertoire. He sang a variety of songs ranging from the classic Mohammed Rafi songs (“Yeh Mera Prem Patra”) to latest hits like “Mitwa” from KANK, to heavy dance numbers like “Soni De Nakhre” and “Dus Bahane.”

The show started off in style with a fashion show, leading to the introduction of the singers along with their ramp-walk. Sudha Krishna started off with a scintillating rendition of “Yeh Mera Dil” from the classic film Don, while Konduri began with the hit Sufi song “Yeh Honsla” from Dor. Jagathi received tremendous applause for the ever popular Lata number “Ishwar Satya Hai,” the title track from Satyam Shivam Sundaram and her duet with Nihal “Hai Raama Yeh Kya Hua.” Rajiv stole the hearts of all Mukesh fans with the classic “O Mehbooba” and “Dil Ki Nazar Se” duet with Sudha. Seshu rocked with his version of “Chand Sifarish” from Fanaa and then sang “Chura Liya” to perfection with Jagathi.

Maina, the 12-year-old, sang “Yeh Ishq Haaye.” The young desi girls received an enthusiastic “once more” from the audience. Sudha and her brother Kumar sand “Khuda Jaane” from Bachna Ae Haseeno. Then came Shashi along with Nihal, singing the evergreen melody from CID, “Ankhon Hi Ankhon Mein.” That got the audience up on their feet dancing.

Nihal praised the sound management that was engineered by Seshu.

Sudha stole the hearts of many with not only her lovely voice, but also with her lively MC skills, trying to get the audience involved every minute. The program concluded with the 10-minute song by Nihal, “Vande Maataram,” as composed by AR Rehman and followed it up by the national anthem “Jana Gana Mana.”

“Indian Expressions” group (managed by Rajiv, Seshu, Murali and Satish) launched in August 2009. Their first show, a fundraiser for the Hindu Center of Charlotte, was also a success. “Indian Expressions” is a group launched with a focus on music.

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Bela Modi Rocks Triangle

by Manzoor Cheema

Organic Tea continued from page 32

The drumbeat for Bela Modi’s debut concert in Durham grew slowly and then reached a crescendo on the night of November 6, 2009. The modest estimate of 150 people quickly Nikhil Tikkekar, Bela Modi, Prajesh Patel and Jittenderjit burst as 250 Singh are performing at the Seasons at Tandoor on attendees filled Friday November 6th the “Seasons at Tandoor” hall eager to see Bela perform live. But readers may be eager to know, “Who is Bela Modi?” Born in Canada and raised in the Eastern USA, Bela Modi is a budding Indian American artist with stunning musical talents. She has received Indian classical music training and has sung with famous South Asian artists like Ustaad Ghulam Ali, Runa Laila, Falguni Pathak, Shehzad Roy, Munni Begum and Ustaad Hamid Ali Khan. Her musical repertoire includes Hindi, Urdu, Gujarati and Punjabi songs, including popular Bollywood songs. Bela Modi started the concert with the famous ghazal “Aaj Janay Kee Zidd Na Karo,” immortalized in the voice of Habib Wali Mohammad and Farida Khanum. As the concert progressed, Bela displayed the rich diversity by singing Participants are dancing during the Bela Modi concert Punjabi songs like Mussarat Nazeer’s “Mera Long Gawacha” and Hindi film Omkara’s song “Beedi Jalai Lay,” at which time participants simply hit the dance floor. Her songs were accompanied by tabla played by Nikhil Tikkekar, live Dhol by Jittender Jit Singh and bongo drums played by Prajesh Patel (popularly known as PJ). The concert also served as a successful inaugural event for the brand new banquet hall “Seasons at Tandoor” owned by the Tandoor Indian Restaurant in Durham, NC. The concert was a microcosm of Some of the members of the Bela Modi concert audience South Asian American participants with Sindhi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bengali and other South Asian American ethnicities gathered under one roof, captivated by Bela Modi’s performance. You can learn more about this event at www.CheemaCommunications.com. Disclaimer: This article was written by the organizer of the Bela Modi concert.

December 2009

“It’s difficult to give Raj too much credit, because he loves to take it anyhow,” said Smilley, chuckling.

“You’d never use the word humble for Rajah, but basically the guy walks his talk.”

Banerjee’s next step may be taking the organic movement off the plantation. Through Organic Ekta (or “Organic Union”), a joint project with U.S.-based Mercy Corps, Makaibari supports around 200 small organic farmers from local communities. Banerjee believes this could be the seed for something much bigger, and plans to branch out from tea and small farms to organic cotton fields and then on to pulses, rice and other Indian staple crops. He doesn’t think it will take much.

Some 80 percent of India’s 800 million marginal farmers practice rain-fed agriculture — which means they have too little water to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. In a sense, they’re already organic, but they’re too poor to capitalize.

“If we get networked strongly to enable the certification of these 640 million people and market their produce at a fair price,” says Banerjee, “then I think we’re done: India will be the organic fruit bowl of the world.”

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Community News & Events Charlotte Art of Living (Healing with the Breath) Art of Living is dedicated to serving society by strengthening the individual. This is done through self development programs that recharge the body, mind and spirit and allow people to function at their optimum potential. People from all backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions come together in service and celebration.

Info: 704.248.2647 charlotte@us.artofliving.org www.artofliving.org BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Regularly scheduled activities include a daily Aarti at 6:30 am and 7 pm. Darshan: Mon-Fri 6:30 am12:30 pm and 4 - 8:30 pm, Sat/Sun 6:30 am-8:30 pm.

Gujarati classes are held every Sunday from 3 - 4 pm and “Satsang Sabha” is held every Sunday at 4:30 p.m. The Swaminarayan Temple is located at 4100 Margaret Wallace Road in Charlotte, N.C. Info: 704.573.0805 704.573.0820 (fax) Bhartiya Association of Lake Norman (BALKN) BALKN organizes several community programs every year. For details about the organization and upcoming events visit www.balkn.org Carolina Sanskritk Maharashta Mandal CSMM Carolina Sanskritk Maharashtra Mandal promotes Maharashtrian culture and language. Maharashtra mandal is committed to serve Carolina Marathi community with various cultural, social and traditional marathi programs and events. Info: Medha Tannu, mantannu@yahoo.com, 704.548.1570. Abhay Khanore, terasahara2000@yahoo.com, 803.554.1234. Pandurang Naik, psnaik@yahoo.com, 704.904.3636 Carolinas Christian Assembly Charlotte The group conducts Sunday worship - 9:30 to 10:30 English, 10:45 am-12:00 Malayalam. Address: December 2009

3046 Senna Dr., Matthews, NC 28105. Info, see below.

Prayer and Spiritual guidance: 704.323.5834 803.322.9549 704.756.4969 CCAprayerline@gmail.com Carolinas Prayer Fellowship Rev. Dr. Samuel Prabodh Talluri invites everyone living in the North and South Carolina to participate in “Fellowship” Every Sunday Morning in Gastonia, N.C. Info: 704.865.1428 (Jay) 704.824-8698 (Joe) 704.545.1465 (Dayakar) Charlotte Gita Study Group Info: Rajesh Venky and Savitha Mathur, 704.845.0464, rvenky@aol.com Shridhar and Kruti Dave, 704.844.9567, skdave@hotmail.com Charlotte Kannada Koota The Charlotte Kannada Koota is an organization that promotes understanding of Karnataka culture and provides a medium for people of Karnataka (Kannadigas) to get together. The activities include social get-togethers, music, family fun and drama.

Info: 704.526.9990 (Appan Patil), agm_patil@hotmail.com 704.281.8732 (Raj Kulgod), kraj7@yahoo.com Charlotte Table-Tennis Club Charlotte Table-tennis Club is located at 345 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte, NC 28204 (Corner of East 7th St. & Hawthorne Lane).

Hours: -Tuesday & Thursday 6-10 PM, Saturday 2-6 PM and Sundays between 1-5 PM. Info: www.charlottetabletennis.org Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills. The Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group holds weekly group sits and monthly all day sits for established students (those who have taken at least one ten day course from S. N. Saathee 88

Goenka or one of his assistant teachers).

Ten-day courses are also available for all students. There is never a charge for a course.

Info: 704.544.0790, rbddesai@yahoo.com 704.563.5440, dspranger@earthlink.net www.dhamma.org Classical Music Association of Charlotte (CMAC) CMAC sponsors many classical concerts during the year in Charlotte.

Membership forms are available at concerts.

Info: 704.541.3361 (Rama Rachakonda), 704.814.9355 (Lakshmi Muthukrishnan), lakshmi7778@yahoo.com cmacmusic@yahoo.com www.onlinecmac.com Dada Bhagwan Group Satsang is conducted every Sunday at 7 pm at the Hindu Center in Charlotte and there is also a Satsang every Thursday. In addition, watch Satsang from Friday to Tuesday at 7 am on TV Asia. The present topics are “Pati-Patni ka Divya Vyahvar” and “Chovis Tirthankar.” The group has recently opened a library for spiritual books, audios and videos.

Info: 704.287.3133 www.dadabhagwan.org Datta Yoga Center - Charlotte The group is dedicated to the service of SadGuru Sri Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji through SadGuru Seva, yoga and satsang (singing the glory of god). Regular Activities: Satsang every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month, from 4 - 7pm. Bhajans composed by Sri Sri Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji are chanted and occasionally video programs produced by Avadhoota Datta Peetham are viewed. including Sri Swamiji’s visit to Manasa Sarovaram, Music for Meditation and healing concerts and various lectures.

Info: 704.839.3256 (Ravi Anupindi) www.dattapeetham.com www.dycusa.org Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India (EVFI) was established to help in the overall development of the saathee.com

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Community News & Events remote tribal and rural villages in India. Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA along with EVFI is committed to the cause of eradicating illiteracy from tribal areas. Education is the key to self-esteem, self-sustenance, economic well being and happiness.

Ekal Vidyalya (One School One Teacher in one village) plans to establish 100,000 schools in tribal areas by 2012. This will cover all the villages in tribal areas where there are no schools today. The Carolinas Region of the EVFUSA conducts fund raising and awareness programs in North and South Carolina. Seeking volunteers.

Info: shuklas@carolina.rr.com www.ekalvidya.org Hindu Center of Charlotte The center is located at 7400 City View Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212.

Info: 704.535.3440. www.hcclt.org The library is stocked with books, CDs, DVDs and other materials on varied genre such as religion, culture, history, philosophy, yoga and health. Library info: 704.554.0765.

Children’s Religious Oriented Program (C.R.O.P.) is for children Kindergarten through 12th grade to educate them in culture and understand religious practices. A glimpse on understanding The Bhagvad Gita provides children with an opportunity to learn about the GITA with simplicity, ease and in an inclusive discussion format.

Info on CROP 704.547.1676 (Chetna Patel) patel4260@bellsouth.net.

The Senior Citizens Group meets on the 1st Sunday of every month at 4 pm and followed by Satyanarayan Katha at 5 pm. Future trips and activities are in the planning stages.

Info on the group: 704.334.2462 (Gobind Bhojwani). The sloka class teaches children between the ages of 4 and 13 different Hindu hymns, their meaning and significance. The class meets Sundays at 9:30 am.

Info on the class: 704.814.9355 (Lakshmi Muthukrishnan). Info on the Social Welfare Committee: 704.372.1265 (Narain Amar) or 704.948.5609 (Dhinakaran Pillai).

The Vedic Havan is held at the vedant hall on second Sunday of every month at 10:30 am to 12:00 pm noon followed by Prasadam.

Info: 704.825.9223 (Swadesh December 2009

Sawhney). The Pranayam classes are held Saturdays from 9:30 - 11 am in the Vivek Hall. Info: 704.649.5374 (Kajal Jain), 704.554.0765 (Manisha Naik), or 281.304.5597 (Sanjay Vyas) pranayamclt@aol.com. Yoga classes are held Sundays at 9 am.

Info: 704.864.8212 pradip_bulsara@hotmail.com.

Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte (IPAAC) IPAAC (Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte) promotes classical Hindustani music by inviting well-known artists from India.

Info: Sarla Kumar 704.846.4423 Chaula Jain 704.364.0984 contact@ipaac.org www.ipaac.org Indian Visual Artists Association of Charlotte (IVAAC) IVAAC was founded by artists of Indian origin living in the Charlotte, NC area in their pursuit of a creative outlet, stemming from an urge to express the flow of their innate artistic moods and ideas. The vision is to promote the enigmatic and intriguing Indian culture into meaningful forms of expression that exposes the rich traditions and diversity of one of the most ancient civilizations on earth, in today’s fast blending global culture and to create an organization that provides planning and funding required to ensure and support a vibrant and culturally diverse Indian art community.

Info: 704.540.8799 (Amit Shah), 704.688.5387 (Kinshuk Agarwal) www.ivaac.org Kiran KIRAN is a multi-cultural, non-religious, community based, South Asian organization. Promoting the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner. The group spreads awareness of South Asian women’s issues in the community and we cooperate and collaborate with organizations in the USA and elsewhere with similar objectives. Countries in South Asia include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Saathee 90

Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Though there are differences in language, customs, and religions across these countries, these regions share many basic cultural and historical similarities. KIRAN operates a crisis phone line Monday- Friday from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm. For help or information regarding domestic violence call an advocate.

Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and context-sensitive manner • Non-judgmental help and support to women who are experiencing oppressive/crisis situations • Emotional support • Referrals to professional and community services regarding legal issues, health care, short-term child care, psychological counseling, and temporary shelter and housing • KIRAN’s services are completely confidential. Translators and crisis counselors do not disclose any information provided by our clients.

Information: Crisis Hotline: 1877- NC-KIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 Kiran@Kiraninc.org www.kiraninc.org MaGaReSa Club The MaGaReSa Club is a music outlet for SouthEast Asians who want to develop their musical abilities through regular Bollywood music sessions.

Info: www.yahoogroups.com/group/mag aresa-indianmusic, or http://magaresa.ning.com or http://www.meetup.com/Bollywood-Music-MeetupGroup/ Net IP Charlotte NetIP Charlotte is the only official Carolinas chapter of North America’s Largest Network of Indian Professionals. NetIP Charlotte provides a forum for on-going Career Developmental and Professional Networking activities. It arranges various events and maintains deeper ties with Businesses & the community. It provides various effective ways for Carolinas’ Indian Professionals to connect with other successful professionals.

Info: hd@netipcharlotte.org (Hardik Shah) www.NetIPCharlotte.org saathee.com

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Community News & Events Pratham - Charlotte Area Pratham is India’s largest non-profit organization with grass roots programs in the area of primary education. Pratham has made an impact on the learning levels of several million children through its Read India campaign which reached 31 million children across India.

Pratham has developed an accelerated learning technique which helps children to read & write in two months. With nearly half the children in India who attend schools are not learning to read and write at the required level, Pratham is trying to fill an important gap in the area of primary education. Info: Anju Desai (ajdesai66@gmail.com or 980-622-0125) and Shubhra Chakraborty shubhra.chakraborty1@gmail.com or 704-942-4798). www.prathamusa.org.

Probasi of Charlotte Probasi is the Bengali community based in Charlotte and surrounding areas. The community’s goal is to organize cultural and educational program related to Bengal in the Greater Charlotte area, to increase Bengali cultural awareness, and to provide community service in the area.

Info: www.probasi.org Sahaj Marg MeditationCharlotte Area Sahaj Marg, which means Simple or Natural path, is a Raj Yoga system of spiritual training based on the heart centered meditation. The unique features of this meditation include transmission of divine energy into the heart of the practitioner and cleaning of deep impressions, thereby regulating the mind.

Regular practice of this system of meditation integrates the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of human being, while still encouraging people to maintain a normal family and working life. In the Charlotte area, group meditation is held at the Unity of Charlotte on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Info: Arun and Promila Sehra 704.844.0147 Srikanth Katakam 704.496.4411 naturalpath.nc@gmail.com www.srcm.org December 2009

Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal On the 1st Saturday of every month, Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal has kirtans and bhajans at the Hindu Center of Charlotte at 5 pm. After the bhajans, there is Aarti and Mahaprasad. In addition, on the 3rd Sunday of every month, an additional Satsang Sabha is held at sponsor’s house at 3 - 5 pm.

Info: 704.392.4488 Ramesh Dhanani Shri Rang Avadhut Parivar (Parspar Devo Bhav) Soul devotees of Guru Dattatraya Rang Avadhut and Shri Prem Avadhut meet every Thursday evening in Charlotte, NC from 7 - 8 pm for recital of “Datta-Bavani,” singing devotional Dattatraya Bhajans and reading “GuruLilamrut”.

Detailed information about Charlotte meetings, literature, videos, Nareshwar Ashram and Shri Avadhut’s life is available.

Info: Bharat Shah - 704.724.6247 Nagesh Patel - 704.399.7805 Sikh Heritage Society The Sikh Heritage Society strives to unite and enrich the lives of the Sikh & Punjabi communities of Charlotte and surrounding areas.

“Gurdwara” address: 1760 Stoney Creek Lane, Charlotte, NC 28262.

Info: 704.948.7664 (Roshan Attrey), rattrey@aol.com, 704.541.0350 (Sajjan Dhaliwal), sajjan@carolina.rr.com, 704.948.8091 (Inderjeet Rajpal), irajpal@aol.com www.gurdwaracharlotte.com SouthPark Cricket Club South Park Cricket Club is based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it has been an active member of the Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference since 2002. The club’s home ground is located at the Reedy Creek Park, 2900 Rocky River Road, in Charlotte, NC. Info: 847.722.9865 (Baseet Ahmed), baseer_11@yahoo.com www.southparkcc.org Srishti of Charlotte Srishti has emerged to fulfill the community’s need for togetherness and the desire to showcase Bengali Saathee 92

literature, theatre, music, cinema and popular arts. The word Srishti means an act of creation. Though established and coordinated by a group of Bengali families, Srishti welcomes and brings together people of varied cultures, languages, background and nationalities who are interested in Indian traditions.

Info: 704.321.1964 (Samiksha Bose) 704.541.3451 (Santanu Sarkar) 704.882.6115 (Manmatha Chakrovorty) Steele Creek Cricket Club Cricket is played every Sunday morning at the Steele Creek Athletic Association complex at 13530 Choate Circle, (weather permitting) from 8 - 11 am. This group is dedicated to playing cricket with a hard tennis ball and/or soft baseball (also known as T-Ball) for fun in the Steele Creek Area of Charlotte.

If you would like to stay informed about this club or would like to play or watch cricket, feel free to join and share your ideas. For information on current hours of play, location, and contacts.

Info: www.geocities.com/steelecreekcricketclub Tamil Catholics of Charlotte Tamil Catholics living in the Charlotte-Greensboro area interested in attending monthly mass in Tamil contact pravben@gmail.com.

Telugu Association of Greater Charlotte Area (TAGCA) The organization’s mission is to bring together Telugu speaking people and to promote Telugu Culture. TAGCA and Hindu Center of Charlotte are conducting Telugu Classes. They are on every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month from 10:30 - 11:30 am and are free for member and non-members alike.

Telugu Classes: TAGCA in association with Hindu Center is organizing Telugu Classes at Hindu Center, which will be conducted on alternate Sundays.

Info: Sreedhar Manjigani 704.965.6704 education@tagca.org www.tagca.org saathee.com

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Community News & Events United Cricket Club Forming a team this March of experienced as well as beginners that love cricket. Team will play in the Atlantic League. Practice is every Sunday at Reedy Creek Park (11 to 4pm).

Sunday and Monday evenings for ages 15 and up. Come and join the fun.

Info: 704.905.9127 (Captain-Syed) 704.493.7629 (Vice Captain-Mohsan)

Greensboro Greensboro Cricket Club (GCC) Good news for cricket lovers. There are several teams that play cricket in Greensboro. The goals of GCC are fun, fitness, and friendship. For info on play and location contact below players.

Info: 336.501.3566 (9:00 am 9:00 pm, Satruday and Sunday) Dev, Greensboro Warriors, happy4mehta@yahoo.com; Venky, Triad Tigers, venkyhot@hotmail.com.

Gujarati Cultural Association of Piedmont (GCAP) The Gujarati Cultural Association of Piedmont serves the Asian Indian community through sponsored events, cultural, educational and social programs.

GCAP, 127 Landmark Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410 Info: 336.420.7290 336.327.1235 www.gujaratisamajoftriad.org Hare Krishna Temple Sandy Ridge This rural Hare Krishna community is situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The community is based upon the teachings of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita, becoming God conscious. Come and join in the kirtan, mantra meditation, and discourses on the top most yoga system. There are lots of regular festivities and events. Treat yourself to a free, hot and delicious vegetarian meal on Sundays at 1 pm. Venue: 1283 Prabhupada Rd, Sandy Ridge, NC 27046.

Info: 336.593.9888 www.prabhupadavillage.com December 2009

Hindu Society of North Carolina at Greensboro The HSNC at Greensboro is located at 2424 Huffine Mill Road. Its mission is to serve the Hindu Community and promote Hindu Culture through religious, social and educational activities.

Regularly scheduled events include Puja, bhajans, children’s programs, celebration of holidays & community service.

Info: 336.621.5848 www.hsnc-triad.org India Association of the Triad The objective of the Association is to promote social, cultural and educational interests of its members, develop understanding between members of the Indian community and other residents of the Triad, and make the latter aware of issues of concern to the Indian community.

Hindi Language classes are being taught by Mrs. Punjabi.

Info: 336.656.0203 (Dhananjay Kumar) www.iatnc.org Indo-US Cultural Association of Winston-Salem The Indo-US Cultural Association’s primary mission is to increase awareness of the cultural heritage of India which is tremendously rich in its diversity and history. The Association seeks to reach out to the thriving Indian-American community within the Piedmont and Triad areas to share the vibrant Indian culture and promote crosscultural understanding.

Info: Madan Rangabasyam 336-760-5885 Life Bliss Foundation The NC Chapter offers workshops, books, CD’s, and DVD’s on spirituality and enlightenment from living enlightened master Paramahamsa Nithyananda. 500 videos are available on YouTube.

Satsangs in the Greensboro/ Winston-Salem area include Life Bliss Meditation, video discourse, Q&A, and Nithya Spiritual Healing Prayer, a method of energy healing.

Satsang Locations: Weekly Wednesdays, 7 - 8:30 pm, Integrative Therapies, 7-E Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro NC 27407. Weekly (starting June 5, Saathee 94

2009) - Fridays, 7 - 8:30 pm, 1143 Sequoia Drive, Lewisville, NC 27023. Meditation workshops are taught on a regular basis.

Info: 336.644.1111 www.lifebliss.org Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Greensboro, NC The Center organizing regular Sai Bhajans, Study Circle , Balvikas class for students and Service Activities. All devotees are welcome to the Center. 1st Sunday of the Month 4 - 6 pm, all other Sundays 10:00AM – 12:15 PM. Info: 612.239.7529 (Deepak Deshpande at Winston Salem) 908.875.6964 (Swami Rajendran at Greensboro) Triad Hindu Temple Many who attended the Pratistha Mahotsav filled a survey indicating interest in various programs such as recitals (Soundarya Lahari, Vishnu/Lalitha Sahasranamam, Gita Path,) Bhajans, Balvihar/Teen programs, Yoga, etc. Whoever is interested to lead such events, email communityevent@triadhindutemple.org with details such as event info, contact name/email/phone, day and time you would like to schedule the event. One of the committee members will contact you to confirm or provide alternate options in case of conflicts. Balvihar has been ongoing for over a year now, and if your child is interested.

Upcoming Events: Fri. Dec. 4, 2009 Bhajans from 6pm to 7 pm.

Sun. Dec. 6th 2009 - Venkateswara Suprabhatam and Vishnu Sahasranamam at 7 am; Sri Satya Narayana Puja at 10.30 am.

Sun. Dec. 13th 2009 Venkateswara Suprabhatam and Vishnu Sahasranamam at 7 am; Sundarkand recital at 10 am and Hanuman Abhishekam Sun. Dec. 20th 2009 Venkateswara Suprabhatam and Vishnu Sahasranamam at 7 am; Devi Abhishekam at 10.30 am.

Sun Dec. 27 2009 - Venkateswara Suprabhatam along with Vishnu Sahasranamam at 9.30am, Venkateswara Abhishekam teenprogram@triadhindutemple.or g. www.triadhindutemple.org saathee.com

Charlotte Chiropractic Clinic, PA Formerly carlisle chiro clinic

TREATING CONDITIONS SUCH AS: LOW BACK/LEG PAIN NECK/ARM PAIN HEADACHES SPORTS INJURIES AUTO ACCIDENT INJURIES ARTHRITIS/FIBROMYALGIA NECK/LOW BACK DISC INJURIES WORK RELATED INJURIES The Chiropractic Doctors at Carlisle Chiropractic Clinic North have been helping people in Charlotte for over 25 years. During that time we've helped thousands of patients find relief from debilitating pain. The secret to our success?

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Community News & Events Raleigh Academic Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (AFICE) Interested in exploring the diverse cultures of the world? Become a host family for a high school exchange student! All the students will come from various countries around the world, and all students speak fluent English. They are of high school age (15-18) and will attend local high school in their respective communities. Each student will live as member of their American host family, sharing household duties and responsibilities. AFICE is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to bringing cultural gaps by allowing foreign students the opportunity to live as part of an American community learn the culture.

Info: lathapamarthi@earthlink.net www.afice.org Association for India’s Development (AID)- Duke University Chapter AID’s mission is effect social change in India, by supporting projects with grassroots non-governmental organization in India in the areas of literacy, health care, rural credit, women’s empowerment etc.

Info: www.duke.edu/web/aid/ Atlantic Coast Sikh Association This is one of the oldest Sikh associations in the Southeastern USA. It meets every Sunday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at its gurdwara, located at 3108 Sparger Road, Durham, NC 27705. Kirtan is done

by Bhai Dyal Singh Jatha. Classes for Punjabi and religious studies are held for children at the same time.

Info: 919.309.1045 - Bhai Dyal Singh www.acsagurdwara.org Balagokulam Gokulam is where Lord Krishna’s magical childhood days were spent.

It was here that his divine powers came to light. Every child has that spark of divinity within.

Balagokulam is a forum for children (4-15 years age) to discover and manifest that divinity. It will enable Hindu children in the US to appreciate their cultural roots and learn values. This is done through December 2009

games, yoga, stories, songs, shlokas, arts/crafts, and Seva (selfless service) in the community.

Balagokulam sessions are free for all and are held on Saturdays.

Info: balagokulam.rtp@gmail.com hss.charlotte@hssus.org (Charlotte region) www.balagokulam.org BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir invites everyone to the regularly scheduled events: Ravi sabha - every Sunday at 4 - 6 pm followed by Aarti and Maha Prasad.

Mahapuja – every Purnima at 7 pm.

Many classes are conducted. Fresh Indian snacks and sweets available at Shayona. 1020 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC 27560.

Info: 919.469.6605 www.swaminarayan.org Bengali Association of North Carolina (BANC) BANC seeks to promote Bengali culture, language, music, arts and social activities by offering varieties of programs for members of INDOAmerican community within North Carolina and adjacent states. The association is organized exclusively for charitable, cultural, social and educational purposes.

Info: 919.461.2386 (Ratan Ray), ratanray@hotmail.com 919.510.7943 (Swaty Sen), swaty_sen@yahoo.com banc_members@googlegroups.com www.banc-online.org Bharatiya Senior Citizens of North Carolina (BSCNC) BSCNC is a nonprofit organization for Senior Citizens of Indian origin that are of the age of 60 years and over. The members of the organization meet on the second Saturday of each month.

Info: President: Chandubhai Patel 919.467.7282 Secretary: Bhupendra Patel 919.647.9029 Child Relief and You (CRY) An organization in the Raleigh area working with the India-based charitable non-profit organization committed to encouraging and facilitating individuals and organizations to make a positive impact in the lives Saathee 96

of underprivileged children since 1979. CRY America’s RDU Action Center has been active since 2001.

CRY-RDU invites people to join the enthusiastic volunteer base to contribute ideas or any relevant skills.

Info: 919.362.9591 (Sarav Arunachalam) rdu@cryamerica.org www.cryrdu.org Chinmaya Mission Chinmaya Mission Raleigh-Durham conducts Balavihar classes for children and youth (preschool to 12th grade) regularly every Sunday from 10 am to 11:30 am at Reedy Creek Middle School, Cary. In addition to classes that are tailored to each age group, lessons include chanting of Bhagavad Gita verses, and singing bhajans. With the theme of Krishna – My Friend, all students this year are learning about Bhakti or devotion to God. All festivals are celebrated along with Prasad for families. Parents wishing to enroll their children in Balavihar can download registration form from www.chinmaya-rdu.org. A regular adult study group/satsang is conducted for adults on Sunday mornings at Reedy Creek Middle School, as well as, other locations in the Triangle.

All are welcome to attend. Info: www.chinmaya-rdu.org cmrdu.balavihar@gmail.com Datta Yoga Center - Raleigh Mission: Spread the teachings of Sadguru Sri Sri Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji of Mysore.

Activities: Namasankeertana Bhajans written, composed and sung by Pujya Sri Swamiji. Future projects: Kriya yoga classes by Pujya Sri Swamiji-trained teachers from India. The group meets on the first Saturday of every month and every major festival day for Satsang and Namasankeertana (divine singing). Everyone is invited to attend the satsang with family and friends and receive divine blessings.

Info: 919.484.1993 (Srinivas Chittineni) 919.461.0843 (Suresh Kota) YahooGroups: Dattasatsang_NC. Duke Diya Duke Diya is a Duke University student organization that is committed saathee.com

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Community News & Events to providing a forum for interaction through political, cultural, community service, and social events relating to South Asian Americans.

Info: 732.865.3173 www.dukediya.com

GEM - Raleigh Church of God Attend worship services, prayer meetings or Sunday School. Info: 919.395.6208 (Pastor Thankachan M.) globalem@gmail.com

Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India (EVFI) was established to help in the overall development of the remote tribal and rural villages in India. Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA along with EVFI is committed to the cause of eradicating illiteracy from tribal areas. Education is the key to self-esteem, self-sustenance, economic well being and happiness. Ekal Vidyalya (One School One Teacher in one village) plans to establish 100,000 schools in tribal areas by 2012.This will cover all the villages in tribal areas where there are no schools today.

The Carolinas Region of the EVFUSA conducts fund raising and awareness programs in North and South Carolina. Seeking volunteers.

Info: 919.803.0478 (Hari H. Nath) hnath45@yahoo.com www.ekalvidya.org

Heritage India Association of North Carolina (HIANC) Heritage India Association of North Carolina aims at providing Indian cultural experience through performing arts, fine arts, cultural arts & crafts of India. Its mission is “to preserve and promote Indian heritage and culture.” Info: Yash Garg at 919-870-5222 Harsha Shah at 919-362-0520 chander@bellsouth.net

EKTAA South Asian Student Organization EKTAA (meaning unity) is the South Asian Student Organization at North Carolina State University (NCSU). The organization was founded in 1970. The motto is “unity within diversity.” EKTAA strives to spread culture and heritage of South Asia all over the campus as well as the local community and the organization works hand-in-hand with many organizations on and off the NCSU campus, as well as South Asian organizations from area universities.

Info: www.ektaa.org Geet Bazaar Radio Program Every Sunday morning from 10 am - 12 noon on WKNC 88.1 FM, join hosts Afroz Taj and John Caldwell, for a wide variety of music from India, Pakistan, and other countries and languages of South Asia. Geet Bazaar will also publicize community events free of charge.

Info: 919.851.1119 (Dr. Afroj Taj) taj@unity.ncsu.edu

December 2009

Hindi Vikas Mandal of NC Hindi Vikas Mandal (HVM), based in the RTP area, promotes study and appreciation of Hindi language and strives to foster Indian culture and traditions through Hindi. HVM has a special focus on the youths for the preservation of Indian Culture and heritage.

Info: 919.851.0225 (Saroj Sharma) 919.461.0001 (Vinod Goel) vgoel2@nc.rr.com Hindu Society of North Carolina - Morrisville, NC The Hindu Society of North Carolina, located at 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, N.C. serves the Indian community in the Triangle area and its vicinity.

Temple timings are: Mon. - Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sat. - Sun. 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Daily Aarti and Puja is also conducted by the Priest.

Other regular religious and cultural programs: Monthly Vedic Havan, Tuesday Hauman Chalisa recitation, Sri Ramakrishna Study Group, Sri Sai Baba Group, Gita Study Group, Devi Puja, Vaishnav Bhajan Group, Akhand Ramayana Recitation, Weeklend Language and Spiritual Knowledge Classes, and Sloka classes for Children. Yoga classes are also offered twice a week (Sunday at 8:00 a.m.and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.) at the Cultural Hall. Priest services are available at your home and/or at the Temple at a nominal charge.

Upcoming Events: December 5, 2009, annual gala Saathee 98

spectacular. Visit website for more information.

Info: hsnc@hsncweb.org www.hsncweb.org Hindu Students Council (HSC) NC State University HSC-NCSU is a chapter of the national organization Hindu Students Council (HSC). HSC-NCSU is a cultural and religious student organization. It aims to provide opportunities to learn about Hindu philosophy, spirituality and cultural heritage through various activities, events and projects and is dedicated to provide “seva” (service) to the community.

Info: 919.676.0298 (Mrinmoyee Sanyal) msanyal@ncsu.edu www.hsc-ncsu.org Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) conducts weekly activities to develop character and leadership skills in participants, emphasizing values such as self-discipline, self-confidence and a spirit of selfless service (seva) for humanity while maintaining Hindu cultural identity in harmony with the larger society.

HSS is inspired by the idea that the whole world is one family. HSS started in 1989 in the United States and currently has over 100 chapters (shakhas) across the country.

The Research Triangle Park chapter meets every Saturday. Activities are tailored to include yoga, games, songs, lectures and discussions on Hindu dharma and culture.

Info: hss.rtp@hssus.org - For the Triangle area hss.charlotte@hssus.org Charlotte region.

Hum Sub Hum Sub is dedicated to sharing the social and cultural traditions of India with the residents of the Research Triangle Park and North Carolina. Info: 919.468.3332 (Mamta Bisarya) 919.363.7339 (Latha Pamarthi) info@humsub.net www.humsub.net Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE) IAFPE, known as the FORUM, is the saathee.com

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Community News & Events oldest and largest Indian American organization for political education in the country. This is a non-profit organization with numerous chapters throughout the United States.

The North Carolina Chapter is in Raleigh and has just established a new committee for a 2-year term.

We are excited and motivated to educate the community on political issues and help the community with various services. Support is needed from the community and members to help us grow and provide relevant services and informative events. Info: Nilesh - 919.656.4361 www.forum-nc.org Indian Classical Music & Dance Society (ICMDS) ICMDS is dedicated to the task of promoting Indian classical music and dance in the Triangle area.

ICMDS invites the top artists from all over the world to perform in the Triangle area.

Info: www.icmds.org Indo-American Friendship Foundation Did you know that about 90 percent of rural orphans are female and most of them are abandoned at birth due to their gender. Not one of them gets the opportunity to become a doctor, engineer, or even receive basic education. Because they cannot live in the orphanage when they turn 18, many of them fall vicitim to different types of exploitation, including sex trade.

IAFF has created an orphanage education fund to help qualified orphans to rise as high as they can climb in the educational/professional ladder. Info: 919.362.7653 (Dr. Subhas C. Mohapatra) www.iaff1.org Indus Foundation Indus Foundation was founded in NC by a group of professionals with the sole purpose of giving back to the community and the country that has helped members achieve success. Every dollar is wisely spent back into the community without any overheads. Current major projects: Indian Cancer Society rehabilitation Center in Mumbai, Mental Healthcare Center for socially rejected Women in Indore, and three Educational Centers in December 2009

Gurgaon. Adopt an on-going project or launch an new project under specific guidelines. Make a commitment today to build a better tommorrow for everyone.

Info: 919.461.0001 (Dr. Vinnie Goel, Chairman) 919.467.0598 (Dr. Shri Kulkarni, President) 919.319.7294 (Dr. Vijaya Bapat, Vice-President) www.indusfoundation.info International Community Church CC is a worship center for people from India and neighboring countries. The pastor is Joseph B. Jesudason and the church office is located at 1215 Franklin Jones Road, Suite #204, Raleigh, NC 27606. Info: 919.233.2900 w w w. i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y church.org International Hindi Association International Hindi Association (IHA) promotes Hindi language and literature and has chapters all over the United States. The Raleigh Chapter periodically organizes Kavi Sammelans with local and indigenous talents. Open to those interested in listening to poetry or in reciting poetry.

Info: 919.851.0225 (Sarojben Sharma) 919.362.5244 (Sudha Dhingra) www.hindi.org International Swaminarayan Satsang Organization (ISSO) Primary objective of ISSO is “To advance the Sanatan Dharma in accordance with the principles and teachings of Shree Swaminarayan Sampradaya, founded and ordained

by Lord Shree Swaminarayan (Shree Sahajanand Swami),” enabling His devotees from both the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi (Ahmedabad) and Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal) to practice their religious duties in harmony. The Raleigh-Durham chapter organizes a “Satsang Sabha” every two weeks, typically on Friday or Saturday evenings, which includes Kirtan bhakti, Katha, Aarti and Mahaprasad.

Info: 919.363.2356 (Niraj Joshi) niraj_joshi@yahoo.com www.swaminarayan.info Saathee 100

ISKCON of North Carolina The Sri-Sri Radha Golokananda Temple - Iskcon of NC is situated on 16 acres of field and forest with the historic Eno River flowing behind the temple property. The temple is just a few miles off of Routes I-40 & I-85 and located at 1032 Dimmocks Mill Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Daily aarti- 4:30 am, 7:15 am, 12:30 pm, 4:15 pm, 7 pm. Darsana: Monday through Friday 7:30-11:30 am and 4:155:45 pm, Saturday all day until 5:45 pm, Sunday all day until 7:30 pm. Sunday Festival begins at 4:00 p.m. and it includes kirtan, aarti, Bhagavad Gita discourse, vegetarian feast, and Sunday school for children.

Info: 919.593.6827, golokanandapriya@hotmail.com Yoga classes - Krishna Priya at krsnapriyahg@yahoo.com Kiran KIRAN is a multi-cultural, non-religious, community based, South Asian organization. Promoting the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner. The group spreads awareness of South Asian women’s issues in the community and we cooperate and collaborate with organizations in the USA and elsewhere with similar objectives. Countries in South Asia include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Though there are differences in language, customs, and religions across these countries, these regions share many basic cultural and historical similarities. KIRAN operates a crisis phone line Monday- Friday from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm. For help or information regarding domestic violence call an advocate.

Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and context-sensitive manner • Non-judgmental help and support to women who are experiencing oppressive/crisis situations • Emotional support • Referrals to professional and community services regarding legal issues, health care, short-term child care, psychological counselsaathee.com

katen@elegantdesignz.com December 2009

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Community News & Events ing, and temporary shelter and housing as needed.

• KIRAN’s services are completely confidential. Translators and crisis counselors do not disclose any information provided by our clients.

Info: Crisis Hotline: 1877- NCKIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 Kiran@Kiraninc.org www.kiraninc.org

continually changing needs of the children it educates. Pratham’s North Carolina chapter actively aims to collaborate with individuals, local organizations and community associations and seeks ideas, volunteers and resources to deliver the vision of “Every Child in School and Learning Well.”

Info: www.prathamnc.org

Nuv Yug Nuv Yug is a cultural organization with a mission to promote awareness of Indian cultural arts and heritage. Striving to create synergy among various cultural groups from the South Asian region. Nuv Yug’s online system for India Fest 2010 is open now! Please visit the website and review various guidelines. Once you have registered a userid, you will be provided your very own dashboard to keep track of your activities on the website. The deadline for most submissions ranges from December 15, 2009 to January 15, 2010. Review the appropriate guideline from the sign in page. India Fest 2010 Auditions Sat. Feb. 13, 2010 at the Holshouser Building, State Fairgrounds, Raleigh. India Fest 2010 Main Event - Sat.-Sun., March 20-21, 2010, Dorton Arena, State Fairgrounds, Raleigh.

Info: info@nuvyug.org www.nuvyug.org

Professional Indians’ Association (PIA) PIA is a meetup that serves young South Asian professionals in the Triangle Community. The group is made of Indian professionals and grad students interested in cultural events, socializing and meeting/making friends with likeminded people around the Triangle.

Monthly events include meeting at bars/restaurants, Bollywood movie nights, potlucks, Indian concerts/performances, outdoor activities, community service and volunteering. This will also be an opportunity for professionals to share their thoughts on respective industries, social causes, the economy and politics. Info: www.meetup.com/PIATriangle/

Pakistani American Association The Pakistani-American Association (NCPAA) is a non-political, non-sectarian, cultural and social organization that promotes Pakistani culture to all the communities living in the Triangle Area of North Carolina.

Several events are presented during the year. A family dinner is held on the second Friday of every month.

Info: payamber@ncpaa.org www.ncpaa.org Pratham - Triangle Area Founded as a UNICEF initiative, Pratham is a grass-roots organization that works towards universalizing primary education in India. With a goal of reaching 20 million children, Pratham is one of the largest NGOs in field of literacy movement in India.

Pratham continues to evolve, grow and works to meet the December 2009

Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of North Carolina The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of NC draws inspiration from the timeless, philosophical wisdom of the Vedanta as practiced and preached in the modern day by Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. Perhaps you know a great deal about Practical Vedanta and the message of the harmony of religions and the spiritual oneness of Existence - or perhaps you are just curious and want to learn more. Regardless of background and/or knowledge the organization welcomes participants.

Info: www.vedantanc.org RTP Maharashtra Mandal RTP Maharashtra Mandal promotes Maharashtrian culture and language. Maharashtra mandal is committed to serve RTP community with various cultural, social and traditional marathi programs and events. Info: 919.468.8824 (Jayant Yete) 919.757.7300 (Neeraj Shikarkhane) www.rtpmm.org Saathee 102

S. V. Temple of North Carolina S.V. Temple of North Carolina is built on over nine acres of centrally connected triangle area. This grand tribute to Lord Venkateswara and his consorts is designed to exacting standards of shilpa shasthra and features the only shrine in North America to incorporate abodes to Lord Viswaksena and Lord Sudarshana/Lord Narasimha as part of Srinivasa Parivaram. The temple rituals are performed in accordance with Pancharathra Agama Shastra.

Info: 919.468.0040 comm@svtemplenc.org www.svtemplenc.org Sahaj Marg Meditation Triangle Area Sahaj Marg translates to “The Natural Path.” It is a natural, simple system of Raja Yoga meditation and spiritual practice that helps one realize the ultimate potential within oneself. Regular spiritual practice under capable guidance enables aspirants to progressively experience the sublime presence of the divine in their daily lives. Sahaj Marg system of meditation is freely offered to seekers worldwide through Shri Ram Chandra Mission.

In Triangle area, group meditations are held on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Info: (919) 303-7447 (Raj Solanki) (919) 493-6180 (Devi Sekar) raleigh.center@gmail.com www.srcm.org, www.sahajmarg.org SAMPIGE - Triangle Kannada Association The Triangle Kannada Association is a cultural association for people residing in the Triangle area from Karnataka, India. Sampige organizes Kannada (the language spoken in the Karnataka area) activities in music, dance and drama as well as social activities.

Info: sampigeeditor@yahoo.com www.sampige.org Share and Care Foundation (SCF) Share and Care Foundation (SCF), a charitable organization focused on several projects in India and the USA, is launching a new chapter for the Carolinas - this represents the saathee.com

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Community News & Events first chapter outside the New Jersey headquarters of SCF. SCF has been working with the Triangle’s Indian community for more than 15 years.

Info: 919.425.5299 (Manu Patel) 919.469.1258 (Rajeev Kamath) www.shareandcare.org

youths with exposure to Tamil culture. Everyone is invited to join TCA and become part of a wonderful organization promoting Tamil culture in the Triangle area.

Info: tca_nc@yahoo.com www.tcanc.org

Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina The Sikh Gurudwara of North Carolina welcomes visitors of all backgrounds regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender. All peoples, regardless of their origin or orientation, are welcome to attend our services and share in the blessings of God. Religious services are held every Saturday evening and Sunday morning, followed by a community meal (langar). In addition to religious services, we offer educational programs for children and young adults. Adults participate in religious discourse during monthly study circles. Members of the Sangat (congregation) regularly participate in community service projects in the Triangle area. The Sikh Gurdwara at North Carolina is located at 3214 Banner Street in Durham, NC 27704.

Info: 919.220.9917 www.sgncweb.org

Tamil Sangam of Carolina The Tamil Sangam is an organization that promotes understanding of Tamil culture and provides a medium for people of Tamil culture to get together.

The activities include music, drama, lectures, Tamil movies, etc.

Info: (919)-465-1606 Ravi Shanmugam (President) http://members.fortunecity.com/ta milsangamofcarolina

South Indian Fine Arts Academy (SIFAA) SIFAA is a non-profit organization that works to arrange and promote concerts and performances in the Triangle and Triad areas, concentrating on Carnatic music for the present.

Info: 919.773.1580 www.sifaa.org St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Monthly Mass and regular services are held in Malayalam/English by Rev. Dr. M. K. Thomas at the Baptist Student Center, 2702 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC. Info: 919.461.1773 sec@stgregoriosnc.org www.stgregoriosnc.org Tamil Cultural Association of North Carolina (TCA NC): TCA NC is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of providing December 2009

Triangle Area Telugu Association (TATA) The Triangle Area Telugu Association (TATA) is a non-profit organization (started in 1983) committed to building a vibrant Telugu Community and promoting Telugu culture and language in the Triangle area of North Carolina.

Info: committee@tataonline.org www.tataonline.org Triangle Bangladesh Society (TBSNC) TBSNC strives to arrange musical programs by artists who have captured the hearts and minds of millions of Bengali-, Urdu- and Hindispeaking music fans all around the globe. Info: 919.741.9343 (Ishtiaque Mohiuddin) Ishtiaquem@gmail.com www.tbsnc.org Triangle Chapter-India Development & Relief Fund (IDRF) IDRF is a registered, tax-exempt non-profit organization that supports volunteer-based, honest and highly experienced non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India in serving their populations’ critical needs around education, childcare, healthcare, women empowerment and tribal welfare, as well as relief and rehabilitation in times of natural disasters.

Info: www.idrf.org.

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Triangle Gujarati Association TGA serves the Gujarati community in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill and the surrounding areas, TGA sponsors musical programs, dramas and other cultural activities to help maintain the Gujarati culture and heritage.

Info: Arvind Shah 919.233.7677 Harsha Shah 919.362.0520 Ravi Parikh 919.387.8808 Kanak Purohit 919.465.9856 www.nctga.org Triangle Indian Youth Organization (TIYO) This organization has been created with the purpose of encouraging youths of Indian origin aged between 12-18 years to develop skills for leadership, to organize team-oriented efforts, understand and participate in community services, understand and develop individual potential. There will be activities that will fall into the broad categories of education, arts, cultural, charity, religious and community services.

Info: 919.363.7339 (Latha Pamarthi [Director of TIYO]) triangleindianyouth@yahoo.com Triangle Rang Mandal Devotees of Pujya Sri Rang Avdhoot Maharaj meet every Saturday in Cary or Raleigh from 8:30 PM 10:30 PM to sing devotional Dattatreya Bhajans and DattaBavani in a spiritual atmosphere.

Special programs organised on Guru Purnima and Rang Jayanti and on the occasion of Pujya Sri Prem Avdhoot Bapji’s annual visit to the US. Info: rangmandal@gmail.com Triangle Vegetarian Society (TVS) The mission of TVS is to build a sense of community between current vegetarians and people who are interested in vegetarianism and have a forum for a discussion of issues.

Sat Dec 12 @ 6:00 pm - Annual TVS Holiday Party potluck and white elephant gift exchange Ron Verbruggen’s home, 227 Shalimar Drive, Durham, NC - 919616-8256 Info: barman@cs.unc.edu www.trianglevegsociety.org saathee.com

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1918 Randolph Rd. Suite 440 Charlotte, NC 28207 www.charlotteprimarycare.com December 2009

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Community News & Events Two Cents of Hope (TCH) Two Cents of Hope was started by a group of Indian students at NC State University with the belief in empowering youth via education.

The goal is to uplift the weaker sections of the society through education. The foundation lies in the power of cents giving TCH its name.

As J. Carney put it, “Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean, and the pleasant land.” By using coin boxes to collect loose change, the total donations result in a collection that yields considerable amount of money, enough to give education to a poor student - indeed a firm footing for the rest of his or her life. Apart from the coin collection other sources of funding includes fundraising events (Trishna, Crescendo, and Booth in Cary Diwali) and sponsors. In the last three years TCH has funded $21,689, which includes 77 projects benefitting 270 students and two schools in India. To keep a coin box at your place or more about Two Cents of Hope, email - coordinator@nc.twocentsofhope.com. www.twocentsofhope.com Urdu Majlis Urdu Majlis is a literary organization for the promotion of Urdu language and literature and has no political, national or religious affiliations. The group has regularly scheduled monthly meetings in which enthusiasts and scholars of Urdu literature meet to discuss the life and works of a selected literary figure.

Info: 919.851.1119 (Dr. Afroz Taj) 919.962.1060 (Dr. Afroz Taj) 919.596.4792 (Ashraf and Seema Faruqi) taj@unity.ncsu.edu

Regional Cape Fear Cultural Association of India - Wilmington Cape Fear Cultural Association of India is an organization that promotes understanding of Indian culture and promotes a medium for people of Indian culture to get together.

Info: Shashin Patel, President. (910.790.9448) Sanjay Batish, Vice-President.

(910.371.9860) Anjali Dashputre, Treasurer.

(910.395.6633) December 2009

Sukhbir Dhillon, Cultural Secretary (910.796.1965) Santosh Sheth, Music Director (910.392.1929).

Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce The Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (GIACC) develops and promotes trade, business, commercial and professional relationships between India and the United States, especially within the state of Georgia. GIACC was formed recognizing the need for promoting bi-lateral activities among South Asian and mainstream communities in the United States and South Asia.

Info: 678.762.7589 AniThirdM@aol.com, ani@giacc.org.

770.840.1925 - susan@giacc.org. www.giacc.org Hindu Society Of Eastern NC (Greenville, NC) Upcoming programs: Sun Dec 13 - 11:00 AM Satya Narayan Katha by Sri Baldev Patel (Lunch will be served) Sun Dec 20 - 10:00 AM Balgokulam

by Rajesh Verma, 11:00 AM Children’s Program by Sudha Srivatsa, 11:00 AM Adult Study by Mr. Srivatsa Sun Dec 27 - 10:00 AM Balgokulam

by Rajesh Verma Info: 252.830.5177 (Dharam Vasnani) VasnaniD@aol.com Hindutempleenc@gmail.com

South Carolina American South Asian Cultural Association of Columbia, SC The organization’s fundamental goal is to increase cultural awareness and develop cultural understanding among American South Asian Community in Columbia area.

A monthly dinner will be held on the Second Sunday of every month between 6 to 9 PM. There will be $10.00 Per Person charge for dinner at India Palace, 110-A Columbia Northeast Drive, Columbia.

Info: evenings 803.233.7042 or 803.233.3996

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Carolina Buddhist Vihara (Greenville, SC) Regular beginner meditation program conducted by a Buddhist Monk. Activities are held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings: 6:30 pm (puja), 7 pm (meditation), and 8 pm (“Dhamma” talk or discussion). A “youth program” is also held once a month.

Info: dhammasc@hotmail.com Hindu Society of Greater Spartanburg Temple is located on Fairview Church Road in Boiling Springs, S.C. Our daily Aarati is at 7:00 p.m.. Balvihar classes are conducted from 10:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on scheduled Sundays. Satsang is on second Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Upcoming Programs: Talk by SC dept. of Health and Human services on Sun Dec 6 at 5 p.m. Info: 864.599.7048 Hindu Temple of South Carolina The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of South Carolina was established with an objective to fill the need for thousands of Hindus in the State of South Carolina to worship and pray together, perform sacraments and rituals, to observe and celebrate festivals, and to perform and engage in humanitarian and educational activities. Info: www.hindutemplesc.org/index.php India Assoc. of Greater Charleston (IAGC) The IAGC was founded in Charleston to bring together people who were interested in India and to provide a forum to increase the understanding of the heritage of India in US. Info: 803.884.0859 iagcfolks@yahoo.com International Fellowship Church of Greenville, SC International Fellowship Church offers Sunday worship services and other weekly activities for people of Indian origin.

Info: 864.234.1256 (Pastor Suhas Raiborde) internationalfellowshipchurch.org Kannada Association of Greater Greenville (KAGG) An organization devoted to the awareness and promotion of saathee.com

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Community News & Events Kannada culture in the Greater Greenville area of South Carolina.

KAGG is a primarily run by volunteers and invites Kannadigas living in and around Greater Greenville area to participate in the organization. Kannada classes for children are being organized to meet at the Vedic Center in Mauldin every other Sunday morning and the annual picnic will take place on the morning of Sat Aug 29.

Info: 864.430.4973 www.kagg-sc.org Masjid Noor-UL-Huda The Mosque is located at 517 Winmet Drive, Columbia, S.C. On the first Saturday and third Saturday of every month from 6 PM to 8 PM, Islamic session is held by Hafiz Mohammed Basheer. Quranic Reading classes are conducted daily, and everyone is encouraged to send their children to these sessions. Info: 803.749.0827 (Dr. Shami) 803.740.5127 (Qari Abdul Khader Multani) 803.754.2632 (Mosque main number)

For the Greater Good continued from page 62

Sirigannada Sirigannada is the Kannada Association of South Carolina (based in Columbia) is a non-profit organization created in 2004 by the interested Kannada speaking people of South Carolina. A voluntary organization primarily run by memberships and donations from Kannadigas of the State of South Carolina.

President: Dr. H.N. Narayanaswamy Nadig.

Vice President: Mrs. Radha Rajagopal.

Secretary: Mrs. Usha Bilgi.

Treasurer: Mrs. Malathi Nagaraj.

Info: www.sirigannada.org Telugu Association of Greater Greenville, SC Telugu Association of Greater Greenville, SC, serves the Telugu community of the Greenville/ Spartanburg area of South Carolina. The group sponsors several events throughout the year.

Info: www.taggsc.org

Vedic Center of Greenville The Center is located on the Corner of Bethel Road and Bethel Drive in Mauldin, S.C. Daily Aarti is conducted Monday to Friday at 8 pm. Bal Vihar classes are conducted Sundays from 11:15 am - 12:30 pm.

Sri Venkateshwara Suprabhatam is held on 2nd Sat of month at 9 am.

Info: 864.967.2852.

Send your organization’s news and events to us by the 15th of the month for inclusion in following month’s issue. Write to us at www.saathee.com. We welcome comments and suggestions.

a short hike down to Paradise, the parking lot. All told, leaving high camp, summiting, and traveling down the mountain to Paradise required about 13 hours of climbing on that single day.

The climb was tough, but ultimately one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had. I was forced to push myself even farther than I thought in the face of steep slopes, driving wind, and icy, thin mountain air. I held my own with older members of my group both physically and mentally, and never let them down. Despite my age (there was one other boy, one year older than me, who was unable to summit) and my curtailed training schedule (six weeks instead of 3-4 months), I managed to power through the difficult parts and summit the mountain on my first try.

To return from the work on the mountain to the work on the ground: about $7,800 for Seattle Children’s and about $9,100 for AID India for needy children and families in the US and in India have been raised. This is about 70 percent of the required funds, so I am continuing to work hard at this. Even though the climb is over, I know that my drive to reach the fundraising goals has not waned.

The donation sites are still up and running for those interested in helping. Visit my Facebook page at w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / p a g e s / M o u n t- Ra i n i e r - f o r Childrens-Hospital/113211573536 for more pictures and details. The donation links are: AID: www.firstgiving.com/rainierforaid and Seattle Children’s: www.firstgiving.com/rainierforchildrens

locked in a steel box reserved solely for the select few that reach the top. Below us, the vast expanse of the lower sides of the mountain, the forests, and anything beyond was draped in clouds; however, the weather around us was perfectly clear. It was amazing to watch the rising sun brighten the orange, cloudless sky, changing color from red to pink to orange and finally to its characteristic golden-yellow. The ice and snow all around us reflected this golden light, bringing a pretty shine to the surrounding land. In the pictures here, you can see my name written in the Visitor’s Log, fourth from the bottom; Lhakpa Gelu’s is just above mine. Also, to the right, is the steel box that contains the notebook. The box itself is chained to a rock at the summit.

I happily admired the shining ice and the remote silence of Mount Rainier, until the cold wind gusted again, reminding me of where I was. After a quick food and drink break, we climbed the crater wall, right in between the two black boulders, and took up our long trek back down the mountain, walking not through darkness this time, but through the early morning sunshine.

In about 2.5 hours, at 8:30 am, we reached high camp. From there, after packing up our things, we rejoined our companions down at Camp Muir. From Muir, it took us a four-hour slide down the Muir Snowfield and Contact: rparamesh@gmail.com.

December 2009

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N O RT H C A R O L I N A • S O U T H C A R O L I N A • G E O R G I A • M I C H I G A N

Clues Down:

By Kirit Shukla 1

2

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5 12

7

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9

10

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16

17

20

18

21 26

29

30 33

23 27 32

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35 39 43

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Clues Across: 1. The currency of Germany.

5. This magazine.

11. The Eastern region of the world.

13. To go up; climb.

14. “Carmine __”, Bobby Fischer’s first chess coach.

15. Erode.

16. “__-BZ,” Saathee’s Feature to test your IQ. 17. A fresh water lake between Zambia & Congo.

19. Correction. (*) 20. “__- A Path of Life,” a Saathee feature.

22. For fear that.

24. Registered Nurse. (*) 25. Not any; No one.

27. Non-violence. (Hindi word; Gandhi’s principle.)

29. Father. (Informal) 30. Republic Of China. (*) 32. To strip the bark, skin etc.

33. The largest river of the World. (S. America) 36. Road. (*) 37. To keep safe, intact or unhurt.

39. The quantity of medicine to be taken once.

42. Bra. (For short) 45. Hawaii. (*) 46. Transverse to the length.

47. The official language of Tamil Nadu, India.

49. One of the longest European rivers (820 Miles).

50. “Jesus ___.”

December 2009

1. Wealth; a particular form of currency.

2. The SW state of US; Capital: Phoenix.

3. “__ Veda”; One of the four Vedas of Hinduism.

4. A city in central south Iran, known for rugs.

5. Street. (*) 6. The act of attacking from a concealed position.

7. The Onion Router. (*) (Anonymity Network).

8. House Un-American Activities Committee. (*) 9. Approved, sustained or supported.

10. Lasting forever.

12. At this time or moment.

15. Prefix 3-digit number of telephone area system.

18. Electroluminescence. (*) 21. A river (Dakshin Ganga - 910 miles), flowing from Western Ghats to the Bay of Bengal.

23. A gratuity paid to the server.

26. A major division of geological time.

28. Fully as much as what is specified.

29. To expel from the legal profession.

31. Ounce. (*) 34. A subatomic particle composed of the division of a quark.

35. The direction left to the East.

38. Any bowlike part; something curved.

40. To burn the surface of.

41. A fine soil deposited as a sediment by water.

43. South South-East. (*) 44. The singular form of the verb “Are”.

45.The possessive form of “He”.

48. Michigan. (*) (Note: * denotes abbreviation of the word or phrase) (Puzzle solutions are on page 118. NO peeking!)

Hee Hee (Booddhoo is foolish. Mafatlal is a freeloader.)

Mafatlal gave his wife a pair of diamond earrings and a necklace on their wedding anniversary.

Wife: “But you promised me a new car!”

Mafatlal: “Yes, but I can’t find an imitation car!” ********* Girl: “When we get married, I want to share all your troubles and worries and lighten your burden.”

Boy: “It is very nice of you to say that dear, but I don’t have any troubles and worries.”

Girl: “Well, that is because we are not married yet!” ********* Tiger: “Junior, what are you doing?”

Cub: “I am chasing this hunter around a tree.”

Tiger: “How many times have I told you not to play with your food?” ********* Teacher: “You little boy, spell elephant.”

Little Boy: “E-L-E-P-H-A-N.” Teacher: “That is almost right. Now, tell me what is at the end?”

Little Boy: “A tail.” *********

Saathee 110

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EZ-BZ

YOUTH CORNER

TEST YOUR OWN IQ

(Created By Kirit Shukla)

(The common letters are “OI” - Fill in the blanks)

(Find & circle the words in the puzzle).

(Subject: “Friends”).

ADMIRE AGREEABLE ALLY AMIGO BROTHER BUDDY CAREFUL CORDIAL DEAR DEPENDABLE DOSTI FAITHFUL FELLOW FRATERNITY GENTLE

1. A tank for heating water and store. _ OI _ _ _ 2. Ornamental needlework. _ _ _ _ OI _ _ _ _ 3. To keep away from. _ _ OI _ 4. Salve; unguent.

OI _ _ _ _ _ _ 5. Capital of Vietnam. _ _ _ OI 6. To linger aimlessly. _ OI _ _ _ 7. Greasy, combustible mineral substance.

OI _ 8. A dot. _ OI _ _ 9. Planetoids. _ _ _ _ _ OI _ _ 10. Capital of Idaho. _ OI _ _ 11. Capital of Iowa. _ _ _ _ OI _ _ _ 12. Destroy. _ _ OI _ 13. A rose family tree yielding hard, heavy wood and large seeds.

OI _ _ _ _ _ _ 14. The main actress of a film. _ _ _ OI _ _ 15. Money made of metal. _ OI _ 16. A city in Michigan, for making cars. _ _ _ _ OI _ 17. Center of Mass. _ _ _ _ _ OI _ 18. A river in S. Belgium & France. (300Km) OI _ _ 19. An open flame grill. _ _ OI _ _ _ 20. Uproar; confusion. _ _ _ _ OI _ 21. The surface layer of Earth. _ OI _ 22. Conceit; selfishness. _ _ OI _ _ 23. On India Government Service. (*) OI _ _ 24. Selection. _ _ OI _ _ 25. A drug with sterols. (Prednisone!) _ _ _ _ OI _

GENUINE HONEST PALS PEER PET PLEASANT REAL REGARD ROOMIE SAATHEE SISTER TRUE TRUST VALUED

(Puzzle solutions are on page 118. NO peeking!)

The unused 8 letters spell that means “Involving warm friendship.”

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December 2009

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Who wants to be a scholar?

Festivals & Holidays Compiled by Kirit Shukla

By Kirit Shukla There is only one correct answer.

December 09

1. Arrange the zodiac signs chronologically.(1-Aries) (a) Pisces (b) Libra (c) Leo (d) Gemini

Dec 01 - Dattatreya Jayanti/Purnima (Full Moon)

2. The music directors of 1960 Bollywood Hindi film Ek Phool Char Kante were (a) Laxmikant Pyarelel (b) Kalyanji Anandaji (c) Sonik Omi (d) Shankar Jaikishan

Dec 16 - Darsha Amas (No Moon)

3. “Pune–Vijayawada” distance by N.H.#9 is about (a) 590 Kms. (b) 690 Kms. (c) 790 Kms. (d) 890 Kms.

Dec 25 - Christmas

4. The “Portland Cement” was invented in 1724 in (a) England (b) United States (c) Japan (d) Germany

Dec 28 - Putrada Ekadasi

5. “Herbert Hoover” was US President for the period (a) 1921-1923 (b) 1923-1929 (c) 1929-1933 (d) 1933-1945

Dec 11 - Parshvanath Jayanti Dec 12 - Safala Ekadasi Dec 18 - First of Muharram (Muslim New Year) Dec 21 - First Day of Winter Dec 24 - Guru Govindsingh Jayanti Dec 26 - Zarathost Diso (Parsi) Dec 27 - Ashura Dec 31 - Poshi Purnima (Full Moon) Dec 31 - New Year Eve (Year 2009 ends) January 2010 Jan 01 - New Year, 2010 begins

6. The meaning of word “abdicate” is to (a) kidnap (b) Relinquish (c) Murder (d) Take by force

Jan 10 - Shattila Ekadasi

7. Gujarat State produces about __ of India’s total cotton production. (a) 30 % (b) 45 % (c) 60 % (d) 75 %

Jan 14 - Darsha Amas (No Moon)

8. The nickname “The Aloha State” is for (a) Arizona (b) Idaho (c) Alaska (d) Hawaii

Jan 26 - Jaya Ekadasi

Jan 12 - Swami Vivekanand Jayanti Jan 14 - Makarsankranti/Uttarayana Jan 18 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Jan 20 - Vasant Panchami Jan 26 - Republic Day (India) Jan 29 - Maghi Purnima (Full Moon) Jan 30 - Gandhi Nirvana Day

9. The melting point of the element Boron is about (a) 2000˚C (b) 2300˚C (c) 2600˚C (d) 2900˚C

Holidays & Festivals of Feb. 10/Mar. 10 Feb 02 - Groundhog Day

10. The volume of a cube (one side is 4 ft. long) is (a) 12 Cu. Ft. (b) 16 Cu. Ft. (c) 48 Cu. Ft. (d) 64 Cu. Ft.

Feb 09 - Vijaya Ekadasi

11. Jupiter takes about __ to rotate around its axis. (a) 10 Hours (b) 20 Hours (c) 30 Hours (d) 40 Hours

Feb 15 - Buddha Nirvana Day

12. If you weigh 95 kg. the calorie consumption per hour, doing Yoga, is about (a) 100 (b) 200 (c) 300 (d) 400

Mar 01 - Dhuleti

Feb 12 - Maha Shivaratri Feb 14 - Valentine Day Feb 15 - Presidents Day Feb 28 - Holi Mar 01 - Hola Mohalla Mar 14 - Daylight Saving Time begins Mar 16 - Gudi Padvo Mar 17 - Cheti Chand

Scholar: All correct First Class: 11 correct Second Class: 10 correct Third Class: 9 correct Needs Improvement: 8 or less correct.

You be the judge for yourself.

Mar 24 - Rama Navami Mar 24 - Swaminarayan Jayanti Mar 28 - Mahavir Jayanti Mar 30 - Chaitri Purnima, (Full Moon)

Puzzle Solutions are on page 118 (No peeking!)

December 2009

Mar 30 - Shri Hanuman Jayanti

Saathee 112

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info@dreamworldtravels.com www.dreamworldtravels.com

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December 2009

Saathee 113

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may temporarily block or delay your good luck.

Avoid action under the effect of over confidence.

Move slowly but steadily.

General Predictions for December 2009 ARIES (Mar 20- Apr 20) You will see good things happening around you, but all are not for you. Your stress may still continue. Try to focus on working and, if possible, earning through your hobbies. Your luck will favor you and you will do well in financially, but peace of mind may still be missing. Don’t make any decision under influence of frustration. Don’t ignore health issues during last week of the month. Wait and watch.

TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 21) After a good start, you will experience a slowdown in life. Your competition will enjoy the upper hand.

Try not to dispute with them. It may end well. You will, however, perform very well at your place of work. This will turn into rise in income. Your luck has started favoring you, hence surrender to it.

This will prove to be slow but a very powerful and positive change in life.

GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 21) Even though your status will not change, your responsibilities and income both may rise during this month. Some kind of spiritual power will help you in getting success now. Your spouse may bring good luck for you. You must take any blood or eye-related health problem seriously. You may start working on your new venture but the tide is not favorable to take quick actions.

CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22) Don’t waste your energy on useless pursuits.

Avoid aggression and act smart. This is the time to get involved in a partnership deal. A compromise with your spouse may bring good luck for you. Start moving positively to enjoy success in life. Study and use your knowledge to make big move now. Don’t rush into anything, a real positive approach could be the right thing to adopt.

LEO (Jul 22 - Aug 23) This is the time to begin with new projects. Your stars will help you in achieving new horizon.

Make quick decisions bravely. Ignore the fear of problem with your reputation. Your associates are ready to support you in your new venture. Avoid involving your family members in your project.

You will enjoy good state of health. Your enemy may try to create problems, but just go ahead with confidence.

VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 23) Your life is entering into a more stable phase. You may see minor ups and downs before reaching any long term track. Try to act smart and work sincerely to achieve your goals. Improvement in health and at place of work will be there.

Problems from your siblings or friends, however, December 2009

Saathee 114

LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 23) You may benefit due to progress of your competitors. Happy family life and rise in savings is clearly indicated. Try to be happy and sporty to enjoy the positive time. Avoid dispute or argument with your spouse during the first week of the month. It may reach to destruction. The sick people will see improvement in health. Your dream may come true during the middle part of this month.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 22) Many good things may be happening around you, but you may not have time to enjoy them. You may spend time and energy on worthless issues.

Now is the time to look for a new home or career.

Major changes are on the way. Get prepared with enough data and information for the upcoming changes. Just don’t rush to make move. You should also consider your health in deciding your next action.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 21) You may feel relaxed and confident now. The time is taking a positive turn. Try to make positive decisions. Don’t get influenced by your enemies.

Listen to your friends or siblings. A little hard work with a smart attitude will help you a lot.

Business-related traveling can prove helpful.

Dispute with spouse due to ego may create minor problems in personal life.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 20) Now is the time to move ahead with confidence and sincerity. Happy family life and work-related activities will keep you busy. You will see steady and slow but confident progress. You should, however, focus on your health and habits. Get health insurance if you don’t have any. Try to curb your expenses. Unexpected expenses may wash away your income. Use your knowledge and calculations to protect yourself.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 19) Ventures that you may undertake during this month may be fruitful, if it is linked with government agencies. There may be a rise in status and position. Time is very positive for long distance journey or traveling during this month. Your enemy will try to tarnish your image but will fail.

You might get very good piece of news through communication. Be careful in the last week of the month for your health.

PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 20) You will be able to convince others by your keen perception about situation and plans. This will make you popular and quite famous. Old dues or debt may also be released. Travel in the first half of the month will be very useful and fruitful. You may enjoy positive and upward trend during the second half of the month. You may get an important opportunity in the last week of the month.

This is the time to make quick, positive decisions.

By Jalendu Vaidya Contact: 973-365-1766 / hindusvision.com saathee.com

G R E A T

A D V E R T I S I N G

R E S U L T S !

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December 2009

Saathee 115

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Saathee

Classifieds BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES: Motel For Lease: Franchise Motel for “Lease” close to Charlotte, NC with only $100K down. Other locations available for Lease or Purchase.

Please call 704.906.9899 1 ACRE LAND FOR SALE: Zoned for Multi-Family use. build up to 18 unit Apartment complex under one roof. All utilities on site. Near center city of Charlotte! 10 minutes to downtown. $29,000. Call 704-779-6206 Willie Jewell's Bar-B-Q: 60 years of Pit BBQ experience. Franchises available.

Contact http://hnhfranchisebrokers.com or call (919)815-3026.

Liquor Store For Sale: in Inman, SC. Low rent, nice location & good future potential! Owner Financing Available!

PRICE REDUCED! Call 864-472-6960.

Available in the Triangle Area: C-store w/3 acres ($400K), 2 self storage facilities, autobody shop ($1.9M). Contact: info@entrustassociates.com or Olga at 919.881.9997.

EVOS: Successful Franchisor of America’s First Healthier Fast Food.

Burgers, fries, and shakes that are 5070% less fat, 100% full of flavor!

Franchise opportunities now available in NC. 919-815-3026 www.evos.com.

Indian Restaurant For Sale: in Cary.

Prime Location. Biggest in the Triangle.

Seat 150.

Big potential. $79k.

919.691.1177. varghese98@gmail.com Texaco For Sale: In York, SC. Highly profitable business. Inside monthly $50k, Gas 35k, Lotto $25k. For lease asking price $125k + inv & monthly rent $4500.

Call 704-219-1992 or 704-578-4470 For Information.

Convenience Store / Indian Grocery Store For Sale: Greensboro, NC. Excellent location with high traffic! Very good opportunity! Call 336-508-2540 Franchise Motel For Sale: Franchise Motel in Spartanburg, SC. 2008 Appraisal: $1.5M. For sale at $1.4M. 82 Units. Excellent location across Wofford College. Call 864431-1127 or daysinn4777@gmail.com Gas Station For Sale: Lenoir, N.C. Area.

Inside $20K with Deli. Gas $12K. Rent $1300.00/Month. $20K Plus Inventory.

Call Between 2pm & 9pm only at 828728-5678.

CONVENIENCE STORE FOR SALE: Busy area in Scenic New Bern,N.C. A heavily visited tourist spot only: $550k; C-Store + 4 Bay Car Wash in Craven Co. NC with Prop. $550K! close to full acre located on Main hwy through town. Out building can be converted to take out food 704-814-9435 www.countysouth.biz Businesses For Sale: 24 Unit Motel.

High Volume C-store/Gas station. 30 Unit Motel. Two Laundromats. For details & appoint call 704.488.3434. Broker.

December 2009

Businesses For Sale: Café, restaurants, deli, coin laundry, dry cleaners, and more plus residential listings. Call for the best discounts when you buy or sell. Guaranteed Excellent Service! 704.649.9095. Broker.

Drycleaners For Sale: A well established Drycleaners has a main plant & pick-up store for Sale. Excellent Charlotte locations. Don’t miss excellent opportunity! Call 704-277-5013 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Now Hiring Eyebrow Threading Practitioners: Full & Part-time for Mall Locations in North Carolina (Charlotte, Hickory, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham) and Virginia (Danville, Virginia Beach, Newport News). Willing to train the right person. E-mail to bk56@sbcglobal.net or call 248-721-3255 Hiring Nanny: Looking for a Nanny to take care of household work & two children (after-school). Driving is a plus. For enquiries call 704.299.2007 Nanny Wanted: Live In/ Live Out Nanny to take care of 2 year-old boy. Duties include cooking & house cleaning.

Knowing English & having experience babysitting a plus. Gastonia, NC Area. Call 704-974-3839 or 704-974.3501 Cakes n Flakes: Indian Bakery and Cafe is looking for help in kitchen and prep.

Also looking for Owner/Operators for Ballantyne, Downtown, Colombia, Raleigh areas. Please contact 704-688-7100.

Hotel Help Wanted: Front Desk/ Assistant Manager required for franchise hotel in Raleigh, NC area. Single/Couple, must have hotel experience & computer knowledge. H1 visa candidates welcome.

Contact Bob / Bharat at 704-224-6500 or 704-902-4885.

Restaurant Help Wanted: Full-time / Parttime cooks, kitchen help, dishwashers, cleaners & food assembly. For Indian Vegetarian Fast-food restaurant. Competitive salary.

Morrisville, NC. Call Kalpana 919-802-5343 Hotel Help Wanted: Night auditor needed for franchise hotel in Raleigh, NC. Must speak English, couple preferred, experience preferred(will train). Accomodations provided.

Please call after 6pm.

919.395.0710.

Hotel Help Wanted: Front Desk - Energetic couple only with fluent english, computer skills & guest friendly. Will provide 1 bedroom furnished apartment in Charlotte, NC. Email: BWHospitality78@gmail.com Hotel Management Firm Now Hiring: housekeepers, General Manager/s, Front Desk (must speak English) of franchise hotels. Experience is must for all possitions.

E-Mail resumes to rsrkcorp@yahoo.com or call 803.606.9994 Nanny Wanted: For Two Year-Old / Household duties. References required.

Call for details. Serious Inquiries Only.

Contact E. Patel at 910-228-1138 or email: RUSHNANNY@GMAIL.COM Franchise Motel Help Wanted: Need a couple for housekeeping & light janitorial work. Accomadations provided. Experience of franchise hotel is necessary. Call 919208-3513

Saathee 116

Now Hiring: Franchise Motel Hiring a couple for Front Desk & Housekeeping.

Must speak English. Also: Gas Station For Lease-full kitchen for restaurant. In Lumberton, NC. Contact between 9am & 5pm only. 910-536-4508 Hotel Help: Manager, Front Desk & Maintenance for franchise motel in Fayetteville, NC. 2 years experience required.

Couples welcome. Accommodations provided. Call 252-623-9115 Hiring for Quiznos: in Charlotte area (in and outside the city). Full time manager/employee position available. Contact sen07@yahoo.com or 704.728.3135 Now Hiring: Fast growing private music school in University Area looking for teachers for Piano, Voice, Music from India, Harmonium, Keyboard and Sitar.

Great pay and great environment to work.

Professional staff. E-mail resume to info@charlottemusicschool.com or call 704.295.7677 Motel Help Wanted: Needed Immediately. Front Desk Clerk & Housekeeping Couple For Motel In N.C. Please Call Nick At (704) 867-0231 Eyebrow Threding Artist Wanted: Need experienced eyebrows threading artist in Cary NC. Call 919-244-4425 Full Time Managers Needed Immediately: for clothing stores in Malls located in Charlotte, Charleston & Atlanta.

Experience is preferred but not necessary.

Call Rajesh at 704-277-3233 or send resume to pushpainc@gmail.com Threading Practitioners Needed: in North Charlotte. The Brow Bar (Northlake MallCharlotte). Full and part time. Must speak English. Work weekends and evenings.

Experience required. Call 980-322-1110 or email: mo@the-brow-brow.com Full-Time Help Wanted: For convenience store/gas station near Charlotte, NC. Looking for couples. Accommodations Provided! Call 704.701.9975 Hotel Management Firm Now Hiring: Various positions available for house keepers, front desk (must speak fluent English), and General Manager/s of franchise hotels. Experience is REQUIRED for all positions. Serious inquiries only. E-mail resumes to info@abcinns.com or abcone@abcinns.com MATRIMONIAL: Gujarati Patel Family Invite Correspondence: Boy Feb’83 / 5’4”.

Network engineer (Durham, NC) having H1 Visa seeking Gujarati educated US Citizen or GC Girl. Email: ronak4pci@gmail.com Correspondence Invited: For our daughter, Panjabi Khatri, 25 years old, college graduate, slim, pretty, fair complexion, US citizen, living in Charlotte, NC, yhnew9@gmail.com Seeking Brahmin Boy: 25 years old well educated girl. Fair complexion.

Looking for hindi speaking boy. Age between 26-30. call 704-987-1307 or email anunishtha@aol.com Father Seeking Alliance For Son: US Citizen, 29, Gujarati, IT professional, Raleigh area. niravs0927@gmail.com

saathee.com

Looking for Brahmin Gujarati Girl: 27 yr Gujarati Brahmin boy. Ht. 5’10’’.

Masters in Computer Science. E-mail: bio@coolbhatt.com Correspondence Invited For : Female 34, never married, 5’ 5” (Optometrist practicing in Charlotte) Looking for Gursikh male with a good heart. gkcoptcom@gmail.com

Art/Drawing Class For Kids & Above: Learn sketches, charcoal painting, modern art, oil on canvas, etc. From an experienced Teacher & Artist. Ages from 4 to 15. For Details Call Karli: 704541-9439 / 704-965-3550 or email: karli@rediffmail.com Beautician in Matthews, NC: Pari Beauty Threading, waxing, bleach, facial, manicure, pedicure & much more. 18 years of experience. For appointment call 704.846.7912

PRODUCTS:

Hindi Tutor: Hindi tutor for beginners.

Currently serving the University Area of Charlotte, NC. $25/month, 1 hour class per week. (Includes notebook & materials). Call 704-992-5908 or email: mbaral03@yahoo.com

Portable Tandoor Ovens For Sale: Ideal for residential or restaurant use.

Use for parties & more! For details 919949-1156

DreamGirl Beauty: Eyebrow, Threading, Facials, Waxing, Henna Designs & More!

Located in Gastonia, NC. Please call for appointment. Dhara Shah 704-678-7578.

PROPERTY FOR SALE OR RENT:

Mehandi (Henna): Award winning artist from Jaipur, India specializing in wedding parties (Bride & attendants). Satisfaction guaranteed regarding design, color & price. Please call: Krishna Priya Dasi 919.824.7734 E-Mail: krsnapriyad@hotmail.com

For Rent: Spacious and affordable 1, 2, & 3 bedroom condo's available immediately in Charlotte & Gastonia area. For Details call 704.334.8404 or e-mail Mckinleyreg@gmail.com.

Duplex For Rent: 2 bedrooms 1 bath.

Porch. Laundry room with washer / dryer connections. Two car parking spaces. Close to UNCC. Downtown only 10 minutes away.

Rent only $585 / mo. 704.779.6206.

Room To Let: For H-1 Students or Couple. Call 704-302-6218 Home For Sale: Providence Plantation (Charlotte, NC) - 2849 Redfield Dr. $251.052. Best Price! +/- 2,400 sq.ft.

4/5 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, security system, fenced yard & playground. Original owner. Homeowner warranty. Great schools! Near I-485. Broker fee or match elegible tax credit for qualified buyers by 12/31/2009 closing. Call 704-845-8018 For Rent or Sale: Condo/ranch 3BR, 2B, glass in porch, 2 car garage, gas fireplace, large kitchen w/ built in desk, laundry room, near I-77 & I-85, close to IBM, fountain in the front of condo, pool, rent $1190 (inc. water & lawn maintenance) selling for $159k (appraised 169K). Call 704-890-3162 For Rent: In Mt. Holly, NC. 3 Bed / 2 Bath, 2 car garage, huge back yard, 2 years old. Safe & quiet area. For details contact: mthly32@yahoo.com Condo for Rent: Near waterfront and swimming pool. Walking distance to bus.

Perfect for small family, H-1 workers or students. 704.619.1603

Balaji Priest: All kinds of puja, havan, katha, weddings, graha shanti, funeral services & Shraadh. In Hindi, English & Tamil.

704.877.6320 or 704.545.7220.

Computer Consulting: Assistance with software installation, set-up, formatting, back-up, troubleshooting & more. Very reasonable rates. 704.619.2358

Babysitter Available: Several years of experience in the Charlotte area. Fluent in Gujarati, Hindi & English. Call 704.619.1603 Tutoring: for 5th to 10th grades mathematics. Get ahead during the summer for next year’s classes! Also tutoring & lessons in Hindi. Charlotte Area. Call 704.619.0251 Nivee Beauty Care: In Charlotte, NC University Area. For threading, waxing, facials, make-up, henna, mehndi & more!

NC Certified. For appointment call Nivethika at 704.756.2817.

Dholi For Hire: Plays the Dhol (drum), for any occasion, barat, doli, graduation, birthdays, baby showers and any other festivity.

Affordable rate.

Instructional classes also available. Call Ritu Bhandari at 704-843-7202. email: sbhandari@carolina.rr.com SAATHEE CLASSIFIEDS:

Business ads are $25 & personal ads are $15 up to 25 words. Submit classifieds on-line at www.saathee.com or via e-mail, fax or US Mail. Ad Submission Deadline is the 20th of the month. We accept credit cards and checks. Ads are posted on saathee.com at no extra charge. Feel free to call us with any questions. 704.527.7570.

Accent Reduction Training: Three-month tutorial with certified speech-language pathologist. Transform accents from career obstacles to charming cultural flavors. Invest in your future!www.trianglespeech.com Eyebrow Threading with a light touch.

Charlotte area. 704.968.0270.

Get Paid To Shop Online: 2% cash back on your purchases. 1/2 % cash back on referral purchases. Get a Mastercard that rewards you no matter where you shop. Get paid to click! www.InnRoomMall.com Math Tutoring : Real-time tutoring using virtual whiteboard technology with professional tutors based in India. Free 30 min trial. As low as $7 for a 45 minute session. State-aligned curriculum & assessments. WWW.TCYONLINE.COM. Call Ritu Thakur 704-443-7054 or tollfree 888-757-8377

SERVICES:

Henna Designs: Experienced henna artist for weddings, parties, arangetrams & more. Reasonable rates. Charlotte area.

Call 704.619.0251

Tuition Available: Preparing students for SAT exam, mathematics & science.

5th to 12th grade students. $10.00 an hour. Highpoint / Greensboro / WinstonSalem area. Pls call Ms. Deena ph: 336 782 0588 for further details.

South Indian Priest: Sastriji is an independent priest Call for Pujas, Gruhapravesh, Weddings, Multi-lingual, Vedic traditional priestly services, etc.

Call 704.625.7578 704.231.0751. Email: sastrigal2003@yahoo.com

Astrologer With Gold Medals - Jayanti Lad- Contact for Health, Wealth, Relationship, Child, Enemies, Court Cases, Marriage, Job, Business, Vastu Problems, Preparing & Matching Horoscope. Call 919-463-5180 Jayantinlad@yahoo.com

Gujarati Priest: Devendra Dave Independent priest. Ganesh, Randal, Navratri, Diwali’s Laxmi & Sharda Pujas, Satyanarayan Katha, Weddings, Vastu, Baby Showers, Funeral Seva. Call Daveji 704.780.3563. God Blessings to All.

December 2009

Harmonium/Keyboard Player: For any occasion/party, Garba-raas, traditional Indian wedding songs, programs & lessons.

Kirit 704.568.8206.

Saathee 117

Saathee Classified PO Box 11468, Charlotte, NC 28220 E-mail: Saatheemag@hotmail.com Fax: 704.527.7590

www.saathee.com

Eyebrow Threader

H E L P WA N T E D

MATRIMONIAL: (continued) Parents Seeking Alliance For Son: in Charlotte, NC. MBA in marketing from UNC-Greensboro. Parents settled in New Delhi & originally from Punjab. Please email: sumi0783@gmail.com for details.

We are hiring females who know Eyebrow Threading. If you know some of the work about eyebrow threading, we will give you training. Fulltime/part-time/weekends (MUST SPEAK ENGLISH).

Our locations: 1 Cary (North Carolina) 2 Fayetteville (North Carolina) If you live around these areas please call: (773) 507-8848 Email: apq147@yahoo.com If you wish to move Louisina State or Maine State we offer a great salary + accommodation allowance + tips + commission (after break point).

saathee.com

Index of Advertisers A.S. Art Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Access Realty & Funding (Chandravadan Shah) . . .79 All Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Apna Travels (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Art Of Living (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Asad Enterprises (International Calling) . . . . . . .119 Asian Grocery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 AT & T (Retail stores) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Atlanta Liquidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Bashyam, Spiro & Edgerton LLP (Immigration Law) 28 Bharat Bazaar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Bhindi Jewellers . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover Bhojwani, Pinky Patel (New York Life) . . . . . . . . . .51 Blooming Buds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Bombay Grille Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Boogie Woogie Dance competition . . . . . . . . . . . .36 Cakes and Flakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 CaroMont Medical Group (Dr. Manu Patel) . . . . . . .67 Cary Photo & Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Centex Homes (Brijal Shah) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Charlotte Chiropractic Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Charlotte Music School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Charlotte Prep School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Charlotte Primary Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Clean Clothes Cleaners / Sunny Cleaners . . . . . . . .7 Concha, David - Immigration Attorney . . . . . . . . .79 Copper (The Blue Taj) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 County South Realty & Business Brokers . . . . . . . .99 Dale's & Tandoor Catering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Delhi Palace (Columbia, SC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Dentist (Dr. Prashant Rao - Cedar Walk Dentistry) .97 Desai Desai Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Desai, Raj (CPA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Dick James Law Firm (Monty Desai) . . . . . . . . . . .73 Dish Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Dish Network (Viren Mehta) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 DJ Kenz (Kenz Desai) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 DJ Desi (Amit Vasi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 DJ Don (David Pandoria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 DJ Lalit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 DJ Ravi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86 DNJ Mortgage (Chanravadan Shah, MBA) . . . . . . .65 Dream World Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Elegant Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Elements of the Wedding (The Main Event) . . . . .101 E-nopi (Tutoring - Math & English) . . . . . . . . . . .105 Eshaan Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Eyebrow Threaders Wanted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .117 Fairview Home Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Fast Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Five Star Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Franklin's Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Friends Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Fu Lin Asian Cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Gandhi International Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Global Electronics (Wholesale of Hotel LCD TV) . . .75 Gold Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Greensboro Discounts (Wholesale Distributor) . . .120 Grover Medical Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Henna's Dulhan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 iFuturistics Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 India Grocers (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 India Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 International Groceries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Jaipur Indian Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 K & M Accountant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 K.B. Zaveree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 KD Photographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Khandekar, Shobana (Allen Tate Realtors) . . . . . . . .7 Legacy Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover Lehar Indian Basamati Rice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Lightning Minds (Training In Oracle Tech) . . . . . . .65 Little D Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Mahabazar.com Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Maharani Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Malani Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors) . . . . . . . . . .15 Mrithujayan, Sue (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Nagpal, Sunil (MetLife Financial Services) . . . . . . .24 Namaste India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 December 2009

Nationwide Ins. (Maqsood Khan) . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Nazar Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 New Year's Party Hindu Center Charlotte . . . . . . . .4 Nilgiris Indian Bazaar (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Nuv Yug (India Fest 2010) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Palloo's Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Parekh , Bipin & Smita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Passage To India - Fine Indian Cuisine . . . . . . . . .57 Patel Brothers (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Patel, Champa (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Patel, Mrunal (Beautician) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Pathak, Atul (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Payal Groceries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Payless Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Poplai, Deepak (White Insurance) . . . . . . . . . . . .30 R.P. Videography (Rashmi Patel) . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Rajdeep Mandap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76 Rajdeep Video (Ramesh Panjabi) . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Rajeshree Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Rama Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Rapid Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Religious Ceremonies (Swaminath Sastrigal) . . . .34 Royal India Bazaar (Columbia, SC) . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Royal Kabab Hut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Royal Pakistan Grocery Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Saathee Subscription Coupon . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Saathee.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Saffron Restaurant & Sangeeta's Catering . . . . . .89 Sangeet World (Magic Sing Karaoke) . . . . . . . . .103 Shah, Anish (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 & 53 Shah, Kirti (CPA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Shyama Beauty Parlour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Situl Indian Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Sleep Inn (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 SP Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Spice 9 Indian Cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Spice Bazaar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Sunuvkriti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Tandoori Grill (Columbia SC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Taste Of India (Catering) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Transportation (Diamond Cab) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Travel Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Travelinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Ttravel Guru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Tyagi, Rita (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Usha Decor (Wedding Planning & Decor) . . . . . . . .18 Vyas Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 White Horse Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Woodlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Worldwide travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99

Saathee 118

saathee.com

A great new solution to International calling WWW.ASADENTERPRISES.COM CALL ANYBODY, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME EXCELLENT CALL QUALITY UNBEATABLE RATES SPEED-DIAL NO PINS OR DESTINATION TO ENTER CALL FROM HOME, CELL OR WORK VIEW CALL DETAILS ONLINE NO NEED TO SWITCH PHONE PROVIDERS LOCAL ACCESS NUMBER REALLY CONVENIENT AND EASY TO USE Easy ways to pay: use your credit card or Paypal account

Europe

Asia

Americas & AFRICA

Austria 2.4¢ Belgium 2.2¢ Denmark 2.0 Finland 4.6 France 2.2¢ Germany 2.2¢ Greece Athens 2.8¢ Ireland 2.3¢ Italy 2.2¢ Netherlands 2.4¢ Norway 2.5¢ Poland 2.5¢ Portugal 3.7¢ Spain 2.5¢ Sweden 2.5¢ Switzerland 2.5¢

Afghanistan 25.0¢ Bangladesh 6.7¢ Bangladesh Cell 5.6¢

Bahamas 10.8¢ Barbados 27.5¢ Canada 1.3¢ Dominican Rep. 5.0¢ Egypt 12.5¢ Ghana 8.3¢ Guyana 29.4¢ Jamaica 9.3¢ Kenya 14.3¢ Mozambique 19.3¢ Nigeria 13.2¢ South Africa 6.9¢ Tanzania 14.3¢ Trinidad 7.7¢

United Kingdom 1.7¢

Bangladesh Dhaka 5.6¢ Bangladesh Shylet 3.3¢

India 3.1¢ India mobile 2.1¢ Iran 9.1¢ Iran Cell 9.1¢ Iran Tehran 5.6¢ Japan 3.7¢ Malaysia 3.6¢ Nepal 27.8¢

Pakistan 10.0¢ Philippines 15.6¢ Singapore 1.7¢ Sri Lanka 9.3¢

U.S.A 1.7¢ Zambia 5.3¢ Zimbabwe 9.1¢

Disclaimer: Please do not press the "Send" or "Call" or "Ok" button on your cell phone after you dial your destination number. Pressing this button might take your International call directly through to your cell phone provider and Asad Enterprises, INC. will not be responsible for these calls. Rates may vary by Country or City please visit www.asadenterprises.com for more rates and information. If you have questions, concerns or complaints about your Service, you may contact Customer Service Department 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by e-mail at asad.enterprises@gmail.com. Or call 704-868-5815 Mon-Fri. 10-5.

Wholesale Distributor Cigarettes - Candy - Tobacco - Sodas & General Merchandise

THE GREENSBORO DISCOUNTS

The Price Master Wholesale Outlet For C-Stores Proudly serving our customers in NC, SC and VA since 2006.

We offer a variety of C-store products.

Come in and shop at our 70,000 sq ft facility in Greensboro, NC. We can deliver or ship through FedEx Ground (please call for details).

Stamina rx: $11.49 Rize 25: $26.99 box 5 Hour Energy (Any Flavor): $16.99 5 Hour Extra Strength: $18.99 Black & Mild 10/5 pk: 26.65 Case Price White Owl Foil Fresh White Grape: $29.99 Remington Cigar Carton: $6.99 Red Man 30¢ off: $33.99 Stride Gum (any flavor): $8.89 Swisher Cigarillos 20/5pk: $49.99 Swisher Box/60: $24.99

Grizzly Case: $8.19 Guzzler Juice: $8.49 Big Hug Juice: $6.49 EZ Rolls: $7.49 White Owl New Yorker: $27.99 White Owl Extra Tubes (pvgs): $19.99 Vim 25: $38.99 Monster Blue: $26.99 Twister Juices: $8.99 Bic Lighters: $31.99

Prices good until 12.31.09. While supplies last.

THE GREENSBORO DISCOUNTS 110 East Meadowview Rd. Suite# 102 Greensboro, NC 27406

336.275.2613 336.275.2614 fax e-mail: greensborodiscounts@gmail.com

WE DELIVER