Saathee Digital Charlotte July 09 by Shukla Entertainment

July 2009

Hauling water in Orchha

In this issue: Chilling in Kovalam Ekal Vidyalaya

Hello Readers July marks the 233rd Independence Day celebrations for the United States of America. 233 years ago, 56 brave & dedicated individuals signed the Declaration off Independence. Since then many more men & women have given their lives so that we may enjoy the blessings of freedom. A significantly historic Independence Day is being marked as well with the first AfricanAmerican President in the White House. Have we come full circle in the freedoms that the founding fathers intended? Or is this just the beginning of the battle. Let's not settle easily upon our laurels. Yet let us all strive to mark this 233rd Independence Day as a beginning of a new era. One where we all promise to volunteer in our communities more, become more politically active, strive for better understanding of culture/religion amongst people around us or just to help a neighbor in need. As you enjoy a day off work or enjoy a much needed summer vacation, take a moment to reflect upon how great are the freedoms we have been afforded and the responsibilities that come along with them. Happy Independence Day!

A features magazine for the South Asian Community of the Carolinas

Quote: “Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must undergo the fatigues of supporting it..” - Thomas Paine

July 2009 – Issue # 135 Editor:Samir Shukla (saatheemag@hotmail.com) Publisher: Divakar Shukla (rakavid@aol.com) Community News Editor: Rajesh Ganatra Ad Design / Layout: Nate “Natwarlal” Andrews Consultant: Himanshu Desai Contributors for this issue: Pradip Bulsara, Kirit Shukla, Rajesh Ganatra, Chandan Sen, Dilip Barman, Sardar Singh, Dr. Maha Gingrich, Wendy Wells, Narendra Dixit, Aishwarya Ramaswamy, Gail Z. Martin, Anjana Agarwal, Judith L. Bergman, Nancy Berkoff, Anita Kulkarni, Jalendu Vaidya, and Dr. Meena Chelury.

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

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.

In this issue:

July 2009

Saathee is published monthly. Deadlines for advertisement, submissions and events information is 15th of the previous month. Mission: Our goal is to be a valuable source of information for the Carolinas’ South Asian community and to be 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: Hauling water in Orchha

Orchha (or Urchha) is a town in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh state, India. Orchha lies on the Betwa River, 15 km. from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh.

July 2009

Hauling water in Orchha

Ekal Vidyalay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 08 Chilling In Kovalam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 10 Bolly Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 16 Saathee Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 18 Film Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 22 Sangeet, Music of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 24 Evergreen Film Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 26 Tina Sugandh - Blossoming Pop Queen . . . . .pg. 32 Dances of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 36 A Dentist’s Blog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 38 Children’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 40 Isha Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 42 Prayer For Peace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 44 Mastering Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 46 Astride Three Continents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 48 Healthwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 50 Stock Tickers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 54 Marketing Turnaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 56 The Wedding Planner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 58 Immigration Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 60 The Aftermath of An Identity vs Dynasty Era .pg. 64 Social Media - Corporate Bloggers . . . . . . . .pg. 66 Recipes & More . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 70 Community Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 74 Community News & Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 82 Pop’s Puzzles and Jokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 104 Who Want’s to be a Scholar . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 106 Festivals and Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 106 StarScope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 108 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 110 Puzzle Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 112 Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 112

In this issue: Chilling in Kovalam Ekal Vidyalaya

Photo: Big Stock Photo

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Ekal Vidyalaya The Power of One Teacher Schools By Manisha Dass The power of unity has truly been expressed through the actions of this organization. Ekal Vidyalaya, commonly referred to as Ekal, began as a non-profit in 1999, with the aim to educate children in tribal villages of India. Nearly a decade later, their aim remains the same, and they have grown in number, showing the old Chinese proverb: “in unity there is strength,” to be true. Two volunteers, who work closely with Ekal in the Carolinas, Harish Mathur and Manav Tandon, are both involved with spreading this mission throughout North Carolina and South Carolina. Of course, this would not be possible without the assistance and hard work of all volunteers of Ekal. Mathur has truly watched Ekal grow in the Carolinas. When he began fundraising for Ekal, because there was no local chapter to donate to, he would raise funds, and contribute to the Atlanta chapter of Ekal. In 2005, an independent chapter of Ekal was developed in Raleigh. Shortly afterwards, Charlotte and Columbia (South Carolina) developed independent chapters, and figuratively speaking, joined hands with the chapter in Raleigh to develop the Carolinas region of Ekal. “We are not as big as other chapters,” Mathur said, “but we are growing, and are one of the up and coming regions of the organization.” Mathur categorized all involved with the organization as “people with a passion for education of the (tribal) children in India.” Tandon became involved with the organization five years ago because he wanted to be involved with a social cause organization. As the founder of the Hindu Student Council in college, Tandon always had a leadership streak in him. He liked the concept of Ekal and strongly believes that education is the key to solve the problems India is faced with. Tandon is now the Youth Coordinator of Ekal Carolinas chapter. Both strongly agree that as an organization Ekal stands out. Among the non-profits who aim to improve the rural situation of India, and help eradicate poverty, Ekal has a few differentiating qualities as an organization. The first difference is Ekal focuses primarily on the children of tribal areas. They educate children using unique techniques and keep children involved through creative methods, such as singing or dancing. One such innovative method of teaching includes the famous picture depicted on an Ekal postcard of a buffalo with the alphabet painted on him, and the children learning from there. Ekal also teaches the children in local languages, making it easier for children to comprehend and take away what they have learned. The values of Ekal and what it teaches are based on Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi teachings. Gandhi emphasized that when the British colonized India, a strong educational system was already in place, but not what the British had in mind so the education system was July 2009

reformed. Similarly, if Ekal gives education existent in the tribal areas of India to the children, it will make the children stronger. Ekal works through the (famous) Gurukul system, and gives the children of these tribal areas basic skills so they are not as easily exploited. Ekal will not open any schools in the tribal area without a teacher and the commitment of local villagers. The latter is rather important because it’s this commitment that sustains the schools. Ekal typically funds each school for five years, and then hopes to pass the torch of responsibility on to the villagers. The schools are in remote areas of India and typically hire a teacher who has passed the 8th or at most the 10th grade. The class size is usually 30 or 40 children and lasts for about 4-5 hours. While education is the primary focus of Ekal in these tribal areas, it is not the only focus. Ekal also concentrates on other important aspects of village improvement including health education, self-development, and empowerment. For those interested in joining this benevolent organization, being a volunteer can be two fold. Active volunteers are those who build awareness for Ekal and organize all the fundraisers for the organization. The passive volunteers, equally important, donate funds. Ekal is looking for active and passive volunteers so the organization can grow even further. Volunteers who are active should have new and dynamic ideas. Such ideas would allow Ekal to be on the radar for new donors. Ekal also wants all their volunteers to visit an Ekal school when they visit India. “It’s a great experience for the teacher and it encourages and motivates the students,” Mathur said. For those interested in donating, $365-$400 per year can get a school started in a tribal village of India. That school can be named after the donors or their parents while making a difference in an entire tribal village. Mathur likes to look at it this way. “$365 equals about $1 per day,” he said. “People easily spend about $3-$4 at Starbucks on their coffee every day.” To put things in perspective, he wants Indians to understand that it was in fact India that gave them the opportunity to come here. “It’s our pay back to Mother India. If you cannot commit the time, write a check,” he said. “It’s a moral imperative if you have Indian roots.” Tandon also had a similar request of all families of Indian origin. A little statistical but nonetheless… “There are about 2 million Indian-American families and roughly about four people per family,” he said. “Even if 100,000 families donated enough Sushil Baweja for one school (that’s $365), that’s 100,000 villages,” which clearly could really impact the growth of India in a very positive way. Ekal sponsors annual fundraisers via musical or performance art artists. This year, the Carolinas chapter of Ekal is holding a concert fundraiser on August 7 in Raleigh, August 8 in Charlotte, and August 9 in Columbia, SC. Renowned performers Sushil Baweja and Ashok Pandey, who performed in 2006 for an Ekal event, will now be accompanied by Preet Prerna and Kumar Jai for an evening filled with ghazals and of course old and new Ashok Pandey Bollywood songs. For information on tickets or how you can contribute to Ekal’s mission, visit their website at www.ekal-carolinas.org or contact info@carolinas-ekal.org.

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Chilling in Kovalam Story and Photos by Mark Moxon Kovalam, a beach town on the Arabian Sea in Kerala, has something of an image problem, at least among backpackers, who think it’s far too touristy and is probably best left to people who like egg and chips for dinner and their culture packaged up and delivered along with a rep. This is rather unfair, because although Kovalam does have a slight air of package holiday about it, it’s still a charming little place with much to recommend, particularly if you’re looking for a restful and stress-free spot for a few days before moving on elsewhere. It was good timing for us, too, because my companion Peta announced as we left Munnar that the Coffee Inn would be the last budget place we were going to stay in, and that was that. Apparently she took exception to the carpet being sticky enough for her to lift it up off the floor along with her foot, and the large spider we discovered in the bed on arrival didn’t earn me too many brownie points either, so I hung up my traveling boots and decided we should take a look round a number of places in Kovalam before picking the one that Peta was happiest with. After wandering along the sea front and checking out four hotels with swimming pools, we plumped for the Hotel Sea Face at the southern end of Hawah Beach. It was easily the most expensive hotel we looked at, but the extra money was worth it, as the decidedly non-sticky air-conditioned room had a balcony that looked directly over the hotel pool, which itself looked directly over the beach and into the sunset. Boxes ticked, we settled in for some relaxation before our flight a couple of days later. Kovalam is located about 13 km from Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum) and consists of two beaches, the aforementioned Hawah Beach at the northern end, and Lighthouse Beach to the south. The two beaches join up seamlessly – although there’s a rocky promontory between the two, the seafront promenade doesn’t even stop to check its footing as you walk from one beach to the other – but there’s a distinct difference between the southern end of Lighthouse Beach and the developments where the two beaches join. If I had to guess, I’d say that development in Kovalam started at the southern end of Lighthouse Beach, because this is where things look most faded. As you move north, things get bigger, cleaner and rather classier. July 2009

Don’t get the impression that Kovalam is a huge beach development, though, because it isn’t. There aren’t any high-rise hotels and the two beaches are pretty small, and although things are obviously developing, it isn’t the rampant builders’ yard you might be expecting if you read the guidebooks. Instead, it’s a bit like Varkala, but with more comfortable accommodation and without a cliff separating you from the beach. The biggest difference, though, is in the clientele, because where Varkala is full of twenty-somethings and hippies, Kovalam appeals to the kind of traveler for whom Speedos weren’t a good idea when they first wore them in the 1970s, and most definitely still aren’t. It’s a resort for empty-nesters, and perhaps the most noticeable thing is that a large proportion of the tourists are fat. Varkala, in contrast, was full of bright young things, sporting the latest size zero hippy fashions, but Kovalam doesn’t win any prizes for good looks; beer bellies are de rigueur, debatable sartorial taste is par for the course, and proof that gravity always wins is all around... but on the upside, you also don’t get to overhear conversations between gapyear travelers who think they know everything there is to know about the world without having actually experienced it. This more mature atmosphere also means the toilets are cleaner, the food is slightly more expensive, and the touts are just that little bit more insistent. Oh, and when we’d checked into our hotel, we discovered that it was home to Thomas Cook’s very own Kovalam rep, a cheery girl called Lorraine who popped round every morning to check that her guests were having a good time, and to ask whether they wanted to go on the elephant ride this Tuesday, or to pop down to the southern tip of India this Friday. Perhaps that’s why the toilets are so clean; if so, then thank you Thomas Cook, because you’ve helped make Kovalam a great place to get away from the reality of India, and after a couple of weeks in the heat of Kerala, that’s something I really appreciate. And no, I’m not being sarcastic. One of the unexpected benefits of staying at the Hotel Sea Face was that the pool overlooked the beach, which meant we were treated each morning to the sight of the fishermen dragging in their catch. As entertainment goes, it was even The Hotel Sea Face on Howah Beach good enough to clear the grumpy cobwebs from my morning mind, which is really saying something. The fishermen practice beach fishing, a method that is used the world over, though in the West it’s long since been replaced by more efficient mechanized fishing. The concept is the same wherever you are, though. The first stage is to load up a boat with a large, mouth-shaped fishing net, with two long ropes attached to the sides of the mouth. Once the net is coiled up neatly, it’s time to launch the boat from the beach by pushing it into the sea as the waves break

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on the shore. The boats at Kovalam are paddle-powered, the oars ending in circles rather than the long, tapered faces of a canoeing oar, and presumably this gives them quite a bit of leverage, as once the boats catch the tide, they’re off with a cry and a yelp and an impresFishermen readying their boats on Hawah Beach sive kick of speed. Once afloat, the fishermen throw the ends of the two ropes to those waiting on shore, and the boat heads straight out to sea, laying one rope to port and one to starboard, and dropping the net in once the rope has run out. As the ropes have white polystyrene floats attached every 10m or so, this creates a large arc of rope into the sea, with the two ends held in the safe hands of the fishermen on the beach, and a mouth-shaped net at the furthest tip of the arc, all reaching a good couple of hundred meters out into the bay. This is where the long haul starts, with 15 men on each rope, standing some 20m apart. They slowly haul the rope up the beach by walking backwards, one step with every beat of the chant they sing. The man at the end of the rope lays down his part of the rope in a neat coil and walks down the beach to the head of the line, picking up the rope and starting all over again. It’s like a very slow millipede, gently clawing the two ropes towards the beach to the sound of a fishing song whose words may be in Malayalam, but whose meaning Fishermen laying out their nets to dry is universal. It’s the sound of men working together, and it doesn’t take long before the arc shrinks and the net starts to take hold. When the arc is close to the beach, four men leap into the water in a line across the mouth of the net, jumping around and slapping the waves with their forearms, driving the fish deep into the net. Slowly the tempo of the fishing song rises, until you can see the light brown of the net itself rising from the waves like a cloud from the deep. The last few hauls are careful – the whole process takes a good hour, so it’s important not to let the fish get away – and eventually the net reaches the sand, where the men wash the sand away with the lapping waves and crowd around to examine the catch. Actually, it’s a disappointment. The net is so fine that it catches everything in its path, from miniscule minnows the length of a little finger to larger fish the length of a forearm, but given the amount of time and effort, it seems a paltry catch, and one that surely July 2009

can’t do the marine environment that much good – I may not be a marine biologist, but even I know it’s not a good idea to kill off shoals of baby fish in order to catch ten or 20 larger ones. But this doesn’t seem to bother the fishermen, who untie the ropes, shake out the nets and lay them out to dry on the beach, while another boat, net coiled, sets off into the surf to drag the sea a little further along the bay. Later, the fishermen will coil up their nets and ropes and stow them in their fishing boats, pulled up on the beach, and in time-honored tradition they’ll lie down in the shade under the bow to see out the hottest part of the day, dreaming of the ones that got away. As spectacles in India go, this has to be one of the more relaxing ones on offer, particularly when sampled over tropical breakfast. Long may it continue. Kovalam, however, isn’t notorious for its fishermen, but for the gangs of young men who stroll along the beach, desperate to catch a glimpse of pale, western flesh. My first exposure to this was in Kochi, when I popped out early one morning to take a picture of the beach, or, to be more accurate, a picture of the amazing amount of rubbish strewn along the sand. “Hello, morning,” said a voice from behind me as I snapped away. “Where you from?” “England,” I said, turning around to find a couple of young men doing star jumps, fully clothed. “Where are you from?” “Kochi,” said the shorter of the two. “What do you do?” “I’m a journalist,” I said, realizing too late that haps I shouldn’t have said that, seeing as I was ing pictures of how crappy their local beach was. not working now, though, this is a holiday. I’m taking pictures of your lovely beach.”

pertak“I’m just

“It is fantastic,” he said, with absolutely no hint of irony. “Where have you been in India?” “Let’s see, we started in Varkala,” I started, “and...” “Varkala,” he interrupted. “It is good, Varkala?” “Yes,” I said. “It’s very nice.” “Lots of western women there?” he said, a glint in his eye. “Um, yes, it’s pretty crowded,” I said. “Many women to see?” he said, making the universal sign of the bosom with a sly grin. His companion stood there silently, grinning like a schoolboy. “Well, yes, I suppose there are lots of women there,” I said, sighing at the direction the conversation was going. “You’re not one of these people who goes round staring at western women on the beach, are you?” “Oh yes,” he said. “Well, you do know that staring at western women is no way to pull, don’t you?” I said. “You have to be nice to women, kind and polite, or you’ve got no chance.” “Oh, I am kind and polite,” he said, “but my friend

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Katrina Kaif Barbie at Bloomingdale in New York

Bollywood beauty Katrina kaif was recently chosen as the “Indian face” of the world famous Barbie Doll to be sold at Bloomingdale’s in New York City. Bloomies is the official domain for the iconic Barbie Doll and the store even has a museum dedicated to the same. And the desi touch to this videsi story is that Kaif’s likeness will be molded and produced into a collectible doll. An excited Kaif said that the customized Barbie that’s being made for the American museum would just be like her. She joins the likes of international celebrities like Beyonce Knowles and Diana Ross into fabled Barbiedom.

Rajesh Khanna to receive Lifetime Achievement Award at IIFA In the 60’s, there came the film phenomenon known as Rajesh Khanna. He was arguably the first Bollywood superstar who seemed to make a hit after hit. Khanna made numerous films that are forever etched into movie lovers’ hearts. With his classic shake of the head and enigmatic smile, Khanna acted and sang into the hearts of countless women. The IDEA IIFA (International Indian film Academy) Awards recently saluted Khanna. The legend was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Videocon IIFA on June 11-13 held at The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel in Macau. Stalwarts of Indian cinema like Mumtaz and Dharmendra have previously been recipients of this prestigious Award. Each year, IIFA 2009 honors a member of the Indian film fraternity, who has made innumerable contributions to Indian cinema with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Keeping this in mind, the IIFA Advisory Board and the IIFA Management recognized Rajesh Khanna in its tenth year.

Music maestro Madan Mohan’s unreleased songs to be released It’s not often that a musician’s unsung work gets a chance to be noticed years after his demise. The genius of music director Madan Mohan was never, of course, unsung. His muse and primary vocalist Lata Mangeshkar ensured the legendary status for the musical masterpieces created by Madan Mohan. Most films, especially in the golden days of Bolllywood, had extra July 2009

songs and music produced. Some of it never made it into the intended films due to budget problems, egos or the whims of the film’s director. Madan Mohan left behind quite a few gems that never made it into films. Now, 34 years after his death, Mohan’s son Sanjeev Kohli has assembled unreleased songs for release as an album entitled Tere Bagair. Kohli said, “My father’s music sittings with Lataji were endless. To my delight I discovered hundreds of unreleased tunes in our cupboard.” The 15 tracks that comprise the album are sung by Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Talat Mahmood and Kishore Kumar and were recorded between 1964 and 1972. The album should be available in early July. Madan Mohan died at the age of 51 in 1975.

Sanjay gets parents’ names tattooed Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt is showing his undying love for his parents by getting their names tattooed on his chest. A source close to Dutt revealed that the actor got his mother, Nargis’ name tattooed in Urdu and his father Sunil Dutt’s name in the Devnagari script on his chest. “He wants to depict secularism and with these tattoos he wants to show that they (his parents) will always remain close to his heart,” said the source.

Flattered Madhur wants to work with Freida The Slumdog Millionaire sensation Freida Pinto and director Madhur Bhandarkar who made the “original” Slumdog film Traffic Signal maybe working together in the near future. Pinto reportedly said in an interview that she would do a Bollywood film only if it was a Bhandarkar film. When the news reached Madhur he was flattered and said, “I’m quite flattered to hear she wants to work with me. I think she is aware of my femaleoriented cinema. She must have seen the performances that Tabu and Konkona Sen gave in Chandni Bar and Page 3.”

Danny Boyle to produce a thriller on Mumbai nightlife After making it big at the Oscars with the life of a Mumbai slum dweller who becomes a millionaire, director Danny Boyle is planning to make yet another film on this celebrated Indian city. Boyle’s next venture is a thriller based on Mumbai’s nightlife. While Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire was inspired by Vikas Swarup’s book Q&A, the forthcoming film will be based on Suketu Mehta’s Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found. According to a report in The Times, Boyle has bought the rights of the critically acclaimed novel, first published in 2004. Partly a travelogue and partly an autobiography, the book delves into the interconnected worlds of Mumbai’s slum-dwellers, dancing girls, underworld dons and Hindu radicals. Saathee

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Upcoming Movie Releases

Top Five Movies - July 09

(Bollywood films slated to be released in the next 4-6 weeks) 1. Kambakkht Ishq Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Aftab Shivdasani, Vindu Dara Singh, and Amrita Arora

Runway Director: Sunil Tiwari Cast: Amarjeet Shukla, Tulip Joshi, Lucky Ali, Deepal Shaw, Shahwar Ali, and Sharat Saxena

2. New York

John Abraham, Katrina Kaif, Neil Nitin Mukesh, and Irrfan Khan

Morning Walk (Director: Arup Dutta) Cast: Anupam Kher, Sharmila Tagore, Rajit Kapoor, Divya Dutta, Nargis

3. Kal Kissne Dekha

Jackky Bhagnani, Vaishali Desai, Rishi Kapoor, Archana Puran Singh, Irrfan Khan, and Javed Jaffrey 4. Paying Guests Shreyas Talpade, Javed Jaffrey, Ashish Chowdhry, Celina Jaitly, and Chunky Pandey

Dekh Bhai Dekh (Director: Rahat Kazmi) Cast: Gracy Singh, Asrani, Siddharth Koirala, Raghuveer Yadav, Vijay Raaz, Virendra Saxena & Aroon Bakshi

5. 99 Boman Irani, Cyrus BroaKunal Khemu, Soha Ali Khan, cha, Simone Singh, Mahesh Manjrekar

Kaminey (Director: Vishal Bhardwaj) Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, and Amol Gupte Short Kut - The Con Is On (Director: Neeraj Vora) Cast; Akshaye Khanna, Arshad Warsi, Amrita Rao, Simi Garewal & Sanjay Dutt

Top Five Songs - July 09 1. Kambakkht Ishq “Om Mangalam” Music: RDB Singers: RDB

Life Partner (Director: Rumi Jaffery) Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Fardeen Khan, Tusshar Kapoor, and Govinda

2. Runway “Khuda Ke Liye” Music: Shamir Tandon Singers: Mustafa Zahid

3. New York “Hai Junoon” Music: Pritam Artist: Kay Kay

Jashnn (Dir: Raksha Mistry) Cast: Adhyayan Suman, Anjana Sukhani, Shahana Goswami, and Humayun Saeed

4. Jashnn “Dard-E-Tanhai” Music: Sharib Toshi Singers: Nouman Javaid

Sikandar (Dir: Piyush Jha) Cast: Parzun Dastur, Ayesha Kapur, Sanjay Suri, and R Madhavan

5. Kal Kissne Dekha “Tera Bina Lagta....” Music:Sajid-Wajid Singer: Wajid

Kissan (Dir: Puneet Sira) Cast: Jackie Shroff, Sohail Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Dia Mirza, & Nauheed Cyrusi

(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) July 2009

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Luck (Director: Soham Shah) Cast: Sanjay Dutt, Mithun Chakraborty, Danny Denzongpa, Imran Khan, Ravi Kishan, and Neha Oberoi Tere Sang (Director: Satish Kaushik) Cast: Ruslaan Mumtaz, Sheena Shahabadi, Satish Kaushik, Sushmita Mukherjee and Rajat Kapoor Fast Forward Director: Zaigham Ali Syed Cast: Sabina Sheema, Siddhant Karnick, Vinod Khanna, Rehan Khan & Akshay Kapoor Wanted Director: Prabhu Deva Cast: Salman Khan, Ayesha Takia Azmi, Mahesh Manjrekar, and Vinod Khanna Love Aaj Kal (Director: Imtiaz Ali) Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, Neetu Singh, Rishi Kapoor, and Rahul Khanna Dil Bole Hadippa! Director: Anurag Singh Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Rani Mukherjee & Poonam Dhillon Phhir Director: Girish Dhamija Cast: Rajneesh Duggal, Adah Sharma and Roshni Chopra (Movie Release Dates Subject To Change.) July 2009

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Film Reviews The Yes men Fix the World By Dilip Barman In a recent issue of Saathee, I had mentioned the film The Yes Men Fix the World. As I had written: “Two men misrepresent themselves as being with large corporations or the US government as their form of activism. In the first of several stories, one appears on BBC television and radio to say that the company responsible for the December 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, perhaps the world’s worst industrial disaster with thousands dead, would finally properly compensate the victims and their families. Though the hoax is soon uncovered, the two visit Bhopal and find that popular sentiment is very thankful for their returning focus to this unresolved major issue.”

We had plans to feature an interview with one of the filmmakers and “Yes Men” Andy Bichlbaum, but logistical problems at the last minute precluded it. Instead, here is a short review, including some of the questions we had ready, and an invitation for you to submit additional questions that you may have in case we can talk with the filmmakers and run the interview in a future issue. The Yes Men Fix The World (Andy Bichlbaum, Mike Bonanno, and Kurt Engfehr, 2009) is a film about Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno who masquerade as executives on a mission. They identify injustices in governments and corporations and create fake websites purporting to be from these institutions that they wish to essentially shame into corrective action. Then they wait to see who takes the bait, hoping to use drama to encourage public debate, rooted in Brazilian Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed. This rather remarkable film, all the more interesting as it is a documentary, begins with a story about the December 3, 1984 gas tragedy at the Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Over 40 tons of poisonous methly isocynate gas escaped, killing thousands and leaving thousands still suffering almost a quarter century later, with estimates of up to 10,000 dying in the first seventy-two hours and more than twice that number subsequently perishing due to the exposure. July 2009

Many felt that Union Carbide, now owned by Dow Chemical, never fully took responsibility. The film opens with Andy and Mike having created a website, DowEthics.com (which is still up). They patiently wait to see if any media inquiries arrive. On November 29, 2004, BBC World Television contacts them and asks if they would reflect on the Bhopal tragedy on the eve of its twentieth anniversary. Live on TV, “Dow spokesperson Jude” (Andy), announces a $12 billion dollar plan to clean up the stillleaking site, compensate victims, and support the return to India of the executive responsible for the plant to face charges. This quickly becomes a top news story carried around the world, and is not identified as a hoax by Dow for two hours after its stock has taken a significant loss. When the company clearly states it is not making any further amends, that story becomes a top one as well. Andy journeys to India to meet activists and victims in Bhopal. Though there was disappointment that further amends seem not to be forthcoming, Andy is shown being treated as a hero for returning this tragedy to the news. It is this kind of goal of, as per their website (theyesmen.org), “exposing, perhaps deviously, the nastiness of powerful evildoers” that Yes Men everywhere can do. “Yes Men act as gonzo journalists, delving … into the question of why we have given the market more power than any other institution to determine our direction as a society.” The film covers several other cases of their blatant high jinx. “Erastus Hamm” speaks at a London banking conference claiming to be a Dow Chemical executive. He shows off his model of “acceptable risk,” a new standard for the number of deaths acceptable in the name of profit. “Representing” the US government’s Department of Housing and Urban Development, they appear on stage in New Orleans with Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco to announce a new direction of releasing funds for poor neighborhoods that have sustained minimal Huricane Katrina damage but are locked out of their homes in the name of destruction and commercial rezoning.

As Haliburton executives, they demonstrate, or rather have the host unwittingly demonstrate, a ludicrous lifesupport system, the SurvivaBall, “designed to protect the corporate manager no matter what Mother Nature throws

Saathee

continued on page 80

Dilip Barman barman@jhu.edu

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Bharat Vyas: (1918-1982) The writer of the popular song “Aadhaa hai chandramaa raata aadhi..” (Film- Navrang), was Bharat Vyas, who was born on Dec. 18, 1918, in a Brahmin family in Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. After he got his B. Com. Degree from Kolkata, he went to Mumbai with the intension to be a director, but ended up in song-writing. He wrote all the songs for in his first film “Duhaai”, in 1943. He was also a singer, actor and dirctor for some movies in 1940’s. He was the most productive film lyricist of 1950s and 1960s. He wrote the lyrics mostly for the historical films like Rani Roopmati, Prithviraj Samyukta, Rangeela Rajasthan, Kavi Kalidas etc. and religious films like, Ganesh Janma, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Bhola Shankar, Janmaasthami, Jagaduru Shankaracharya and so on. His other notable films for which he wrote the lyrics are listed below. He had worked with famous directors like Bimal Roy, Vijay Bhatt, V. Shantaram etc.

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He continued his carrier in 1970’s, but slowed down. He passed away in Mumbai, on July 5, 1982. He will be remembered for his religious & historical songs lyrics.

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Some of his other notable films: Aankhen, Parineeta, Oonchi Haweli, Toofan Aur Diya, Janam Janam Ke Phere, Mausi, Do Aankhen Barah Hath, Suvanra Sundari, Rani Roopmati, Navrang, Chandramukhi, Goonj Uthi Shehnai, Sant Gyaneshwar, Saranga etc. In contrary to the religious or love lyrics, he wrote lyrics on the alcohol theme “Maine pinaa sikha liyaa ..” for the old Hindi film “Goonh Oothi Shehnai”. Read the lyrics and the meaning of the song on page 24 in Evergreen Classic Film Lyrics. July 2009

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By Kirit Shukla Song: Maine pinaa sikha liyaa Film: Goonj Oothi Shehnai Music: Vasant Desai Singer: Mohammad Rafi Lyric: Bharat Vyas Year: 1959 Taal/Rhythm: Kaharava Starring: Rajendra Kumar, Ameeta, Anita Guha Maine pinaa sikha liyaa Maine pinaa sikha liyaa … Paapa kaho yaa punya kaho, maine pinaa sikha liyaa..Eka chhavi thi laakhon mein, aan basi ina aankhon mein,Eka kali muskaai thi, man bhanvare ko bhayi thi, Eka dina pyaara kaa phula khilaa, mere sura ko gita milaa, kismat laai ranga naye, sur chhute aur git gaye,Bicha bhanvara tune chhodaa, mere prema se muha modaa, pyaara pe aisaa vaar kiyaa, uff jinaa, uff jinaa dushvaara kiyaa, aba sharaaba ne saatha diyaa to, tujha bin jinaa sikha liyaa; maine pinaa sikha liyaa … Loga kahe kyon pite ho, mana kahataa kyon jite ho, Jine ki koi chaaha nahin, marane ki koi raaha nahin,Jivana hai jaba roga yahaan, bolo isaki davaa kahaan,Pyaara ke jaamaa na pite hama, khokara hosha na paate gam, hamane manzila Dhundhi thi, lekin qismata ruthi thi, raaha mein saathi chhuta gayaa, thesa lagi dila toota gayaa, ab to inhi nashe ke dhaagon, se dila sinaa sikha liyaa; maine pinaa sikha liyaa …

Meaning (Summary): I have learnt to get drunk. Good deed or sin, whatever you say; I have learnt to get drunk. There was one picture in a million, lived in my eyes. A bud smiled that the bee of my mind had liked. One day the love bud opened as a flower and my tunes got the poem for. Luck brought new colors; I lost my poem and the tunes. You left in the middle of the vortex and turned your face away off my love. You gave a hard blow to my love and made my life miserable to live. Now that the alcohol has given me company, I learned to live without you. I have learnt to get drunk. People ask me why I drink and I ask me why I live. I have no interest to live and there is no way to die. When the life itself is decease, tell me where the medicine is. If I would not have loved, I would not be lost and be unhappy. I had already found my destination but, I had hard luck. I lost my companion on the way, I got hurt and my heart was broken. Now I have learnt to sew my broken heart with the threads of this intoxication. I have learnt to get drunk. July 2009

See this song on Nazar Television in July. Visit saathee.com for Nazar Television local listings.

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The Real Story of the Reel World By: Aishwarya Ramaswamy

After two full months of sluggish releases, Bollywood producers and distributors have finally settled their dispute with multiplex owners. It all started with the producers and distributers wanting a 50% share of the revenues from ticket sales in theater chains. It is true that half the movies run in empty halls while the other half barely manage to attract enough viewers to break even, there have been very few movies which have managed to create enough anxiety in viewers to actually go to a theater and watch it which lead to the ticket sales plummeting and thereby our richi- rich producers and distributor not being able to milk enough money! While this could be blamed on them for not having produced quality entertainment, they chose to make up for the loss in income by demanding a higher share of the ticket sales revenue from the multiplex chains. It is true that, the effort of making a movie is mainly put in by the film fraternity while the multiplex chains handle the ticket revenue. The multiplex theatres own 65% of the ticket revenues. So, there started the dispute for money, which eventually lead to the last two months of our movie review section being taken off. Yes, we all have had tough time hunting for better entertainment modes, but the good news is here! The

reel world has finally come up with a practical solution and thereby would be bestowing us with a couple of movies in the near future to criticize. Of course, you can be sure that this hiatus is not coming again in Bollywood for quite some time to come as they have come to a fair settlement. Unlike earlier when the producers share in the ticket sales revenue was negotiated on a film to film basis, from now on producers are entitled to 50% of the first week’s ticket sales revenue, 42.5% in the second week, 37.5% in the third week and so on. So, while we await the next blockbuster to hit the screen, let us all hope that this deal has made both sides happy and would make up for the sixty million dollar revenue loss caused to the industry by this boycott.

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Indian Classical Music By Anita Kulkarni In the beginning, it is believed that music was known only to Lord Shiva, Bramha Dev, and Goddess Sarasvati. This art was later taught to the gandharvas and apsaras. It was Bharat, Narad, and Lord Hanuman who bought it to the Earth. Indian music already existed at the time of Vedas. Hindustani music that developed during the Mughal Empire, while Akbar ruled during the 15 and 16th centuries, reached its zenith manily due to Mian Tansen, Baiju Bawara, and Swami Haridas. Music involves the creation of emotionally pleasing affects by means of sound. It is a method of expressing thoughts and feelings through sur and taal. The sound which creates music or musical vibrations is called sur, or musical notes. There are seven notes which are based on shrutees or microtones, meaning which can be audible to others. There are 22 identifiable shrutees (musical sound viabrations) in a scale, or saptak. Sa re ga ma pa dha ni are fixed on 4, 7, 9, 13, 17, 19, and 21 shrutees. Since all instruments contain the same musical notes, their sound point is based by shrutees. Shrutee is a soul in music. All of us believe that OM was the first sound, or shrutee, on earth. A good vocal and instrumental artist can identify when the note or sur gets off from any shrutee. Hindusthani classical music is based on Raag. Raag, translated roughly, means love. In Sanskrit, Ranjayati itee Raagaha means raag is that which pleases. The Raag forms the basis of Indian Classical Music. It is a musical note scheme of 5, 6, 7 notes composed logically, and the layout of the notes evolve into a significant form for composition and improvisation. Each note has its own accent and each raag has its own rules that are to be followed strictly. Raag expresses melodic structure that corresponds with mood, seasons, colors and hours of day and night. There are 200 main Raagas. Raag is July 2009

defined by its unique combination of scale pattern, dominant note, and specific rules which are to be followed in ascending and descending notes; certain melodic phrases associate with it. Each Raag has its own bandish, or song, and every Raag has its own specialty. Now I want to give one popular Raagâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s description Raag Yaman. Yaman is a very melodious Raag. Yaman originates from Thaat Yaman or Kalyaan. The specialty of this Raag is that all notes are shuddha, or natural, except Ma. Ma is tivra, or sharp. Raag has 7 notes in ascending and descending. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni are the surs of the raag. This Raagâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s king, or main note, is Ga and Queen, or semi main note, is Ni. Raag Yaman creates a romantic atmosphere in nature. Yaman is more effective in the evening from 6 pm to 9 pm. A performer with sufficient training and knowledge alone can create desired emotions through Raag. Following Raags are based on certain moods and melodic patterns. Raag Bhoopali and Bhairav are sung in the early morning. Both Raagas have gambhir, or serious, prakruti, or nature. Darbari Kanada also has a serious nature. On the other hand, Raag Shankara and Durga are very melodious. We pray to God Shiva in Raag Shankara and Goddess Durgadevi in Raag Durga. Raag Malhar is associated with monsoons and magical powers to bring rain. Deepak Raag has also a magical power: to light a fire. Raag Basant and Raag Bahar are pleasant when we perform in spring. The performer creates the mood and keeps the sweetness of the Raag beautifully. www.anitakulkarni.com

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Tina Sugandh: Blossoming Pop Queen By Manisha Dass

Move over Shakira! This girl can sing, dance and play the tabla! As if that’s not enough, she also anchors Asian Variety Show (AVS), the weekly news source for Bollywood fanatics, like me, who can’t make it to Film City on an autorikshaw. Tina Sugandh, 27-year-old Mumbaikar truly is a child prodigy. Her career kick started at age 5, and has continued to grow since then. Her music is what many of us would refer to as fusion, east meets west, English lyrics and a desi touch. Sugandh was kind enough to answer some questions for us, so that we can get to know her a little better, and put her on our musical radar. Give the readers of Saathee background about yourself and how you got involved into music. I started performing with my family, The Sugandh Family, when I was five years old. It was me, my mom and dad, and my sister Seema. We all sang in over seven different languages, played instruments, and my dad would MC and make the audience totally crack up as well with his comedy and mimicry. I spent my whole life having these magical, musical, family-bonding weekends, and then I decided to pursue music in college while simultaneously studying biology. I graduated with a bio degree (on Dean’s List of course like a good Indian girl – hehe) and I got a record deal as well. The next few years were spent recording my debut album and I was also able to get my songs on Hollywood soundtracks like Around the World in 80 Days, Christmas with the Kranks, Ice Princess, Raise Your Voice, The Clique and more. This, as well as having my song “Break Me” go to #4 on the Billboard Charts, was a huge honor for me. Now, my debut album has just been released through my website and I am thrilled to share it with anyone that wants to listen to it. To promote the album, I recently performed my single “Bollywood Girl” on the CW-11, had a feature in the New York Post. I recently got to sing in Hindi and play tabla on Ringo Starr’s album. I am so grateful and excited right now. By the way, you seriously must check out the Ringo footage on my You Tube channel. He is the most amazingly wonderful person and he had me cracking up the entire time. Would you describe your music as fusion, classical, or a bit of both? I’m not sure. It depends on where you are from. I describe my music as mainstream pop with an Indian flair. I write all my lyrics about positivity and selfempowerment since that’s what my family raised me to focus on. There is actually even a song called “HisStory” that reiterates the lessons of Gandhi-Ji which I think comes as a surprise to many people. I really am tired of the same old “I wanna hold you, I wanna feel you baby” lyrics and so I really wanted this album to have a strong lyrical message even though it’s pop. For example, “Bollywood Girl” is probably the most pop-sounding song on the album but it has an July 2009

underlying message about not conforming to societal pressure and embracing your individuality. The musical sound on “TablaGirl” slightly veers off in every direction since I was raised with so many different musical influences. For example, the sound of “Bollywood Girl” is a reflection of my love of pop. “Indestructible” has a slight hard rock influence, “HisStory” has a qawali feel, and “Stay” has a slight classical-Indian feel. “Break Me” uses tons of dhol for that Bhangra feel - but all the songs are mainstream pop with an exotic flair. How supportive are your family and friends with your choice of career? My family has always been supportive of my happiness in general. As long as I was sensible and responsible, my parents were happy if I was happy. They saw that I was willing to put my all into my music career while getting good grades as well and I feel like that made them understand that this was something that I was going to put my heart and soul into. Also, knowing that I have been on stage every weekend since I was five makes a difference as I feel that experience in any field makes your “resume” much more credible. Overall, I am extremely blessed and very grateful to have the family and friends that I do. I could never do this without the love that I have in my life. What has been the key to your success? Ok, my family always tells me that this is sad, but I don’t feel like I have had any success yet. Isn’t that awful? I guess in a sense it’s good since that kind of attitude is sure to keep me humble and I have always felt that there is never an excuse for arrogance in any field - but I truly do feel like I have not really started my career yet. I have so many goals and dreams that are left to fulfill. Hearing me say this used to frustrate my mom so much. Every now and then, she would sit me down and make me list all the Hollywood soundtracks I’ve been on and all the awards I have, and all the household names I’ve worked with and, and so much more until I would see that I have accomplished at least something substantial so far. I guess whatever success I’ve had so far can be attributed to experience. Just like in any other field, years of experience

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are vital. I’ve gained experience in singing, writing, playing, dancing, doing press, and many other aspects of this career. I’m actually grateful that I have already had so many adverse learning experiences during performances since now I can handle things like the sound system completely failing during a show, or losing an audience’s attention for a moment, or performing with 102 fever. My family and I have been through it all. I am not an overnight success, which ironically is one of the reasons that I have whatever success I have today. How often do you go back to India? And has your music reached the Indian audience yet? I have been lucky enough to be able to go back to India to perform once in a while. The last time I performed was on the Zee Awards with Bipasha Basu and other amazing Bollywood names. It’s really tough when I go to India though because the food is so incredibly amazing, that I always come back 10 pounds heavier. There is nothing like Indian food from India. If I lived there, I would have to pick a different career since I would probably be like 300 pounds. The food is just whole different level of quality over there. I’m sorry; I got so lost thinking about chole batura that I got off on a tangent. Anyway, I do get fan mail from India, so I know it has reached overseas somewhat, but I actually am signing with a talent agency over there as we speak so that I am able to travel to India more often. My focus though has always been to bring the gorgeous South Asian culture to mainstream America because I truly think the US deserves an “Indian Explosion” just like they got that beautiful “Latin explosion” years ago! According to you, what makes your music different from the mainstream artists? If we are talking about mainstream US artists, I would say the Indian influence in my vocals, as well as all the live Indian instrumentation in my music. I actually went to India and bought two giant crates of gorgeous instruments to record on my album since I wanted it to be a pop album with a more live, organic feel, rather than a computerized sounding pop album which is what most pop albums are like today. We have everything on there from the more well-known sitar, harmonium, dhol, santoor and tabla of course. But we also have instruments like the mridangam, dholak, ghatam, aiktara, been, duffli, ghungaroo, goob-goob-, no, I’m not making these upand more. What’s the best place to find your music? Is your music going to become available in local Indian stores too? My website is the best place to do this for now, as we wanted to start with a digital release. I am still a fan of the physical CD though, so we are talking about rereleasing the album in Best Buy and other stores as well. For now my website is the best place to download the album. I have to say a huge thank you to all your readers for their patience with this album, and especially for all of their support.

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Dances of India By Dr. Maha Gingrich BIHU – A Harvest Dance As many of you may be going to India for the summer, take a few days to travel and see some fascinating places. Now let us travel from the US to Assam. Bihu is a harvest dance performed in Assam. In this rice growing area, three different Bihu festivals are held. Bihu festival is held just before the sowing of the seeds, at the time of transplanting the paddy seedlings and while harvesting. The word Bihu is derived from a Sanskrit word Visuva that means equinox. In Assam, Bengal and Orissa, the “V” sound is pronounced as “B” sound. So the shorter form of (Visuva) Bihuba is Bihu. Out of the three Bihu festivals, Bahag Bihu is the most colorful and lively festival, which is held from the first day of the lunar month of Vaisakh. This is the day of the vernal equinox (occurring in the spring) and the Indian New Year’s Day. In fact the festival continues for four days to a month. The Bahag Bihu is celebrated in four stages of development. The first is known as Goru (cattle) Bihu. It may last few days. In Goru Bihu, the cattle are treated with oil bath and special food. They celebrate the evening with dance and music. The next is Manuh (human beings) Bihu in which after the ceremonial bath people wear new clothes. Boys and girls dance to the Bihu love songs. The songs are quite tuneful and are accompanied by Dhol (drum), Pepa (buffalo horn pipe), and Toka, which is a hand clapper made of bamboo. The next is Gosain Bihu in which people gather in the shrine called Namghar. There all pray to God first and then the musicians and dancers perform. The Bihu festival is concluded with Bihu Urva, which means sending away the Bihu. This is done at a lonely paddy field or forest where the villagers go with all the ritual materials used during the three phases. A ritual is performed to bid farewell to Bihu. The Kankali Bihu is held in the lunar month of Kartik corresponding to September/October. This month in colloquial Assamese is called Kati. Therefore, the festival is also called Kati Bihu. At this time of the year paddy seedlings are trans-planted. The festival is held

July 2009

for proper growth of the transplanted seedlings. It is observed with solemnity. Rituals are performed and prayers are sung. Usually dance is not performed during this Bihu. The Bhogali Bihu, also called Magh Bihu since it is held in the lunar month of Magha, corresponding to December/January, is again a festival of gaiety and jubilation. By the time the festival is held, the harvesting is almost over or at the last phase. Houses are full of harvested grains. This is the time for the villagers to celebrate. Therefore, the dances performed during the Bhogali Bihu are more vigorous and faster in tempo than the dances performed during the Bahag Bihu. India has such a variety of dances and celebrations that it would take a lifetime to explore the diversity of this culture.

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For questions or comments contact Dr. Maha Gingrich via e-mail at: msgingrich@juno.com

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should get treatment of their oral conditions in order to have effective control of their blood sugar. Good maintenance of blood sugar levels, a well-balanced diet, good home care and regular dental checks including periodontal exams are very important.

A Dentist’s Blog By Dr. Meena Chelury Diabetes and your oral health Hope you are having a great summer. Before I jump into my dental topic of the month, I want to share my wonderful experience with the newest cultural and religious landmark of the Carolinas. As you know, the new SV Temple was consecrated with great fanfare during over a week of festivities in May. It is indeed a great architectural landmark that reflects the cultural and spiritual aspirations of the Indian community. I had a great time participating in the festivities with my family. When you get a chance, take time to visit this wonderful landmark located in Cary. Let us jump into the topic of the month, diabetes and oral health. Diabetes is a common condition that affects over 15.7 million Americans and nearly 800,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. It is quite common among the Asian population, too. There are two kinds of diabetes, Type I and Type II. When uncontrolled, diabetes can cause problems with the eyes, nerves, kidneys and other parts of the body. Diabetes can lower your resistance to infection and slow the healing process. Common oral health conditions associated with diabetes are • Tooth decay • Periodontal disease • Salivary gland dysfunction • Fungal infections • Infection and delayed wound healing

Dry mouth (xerostomia) and Diabetes: Dry mouth is a common complaint among diabetic dental patients. Copious saliva has a natural cleansing action and washes away food particles. Dry mouth irritates and inflames the soft tissues and makes them prone to decay and periodontal disease. Fluoridated rinses used at home and fluoride applications in dental office help prevent tooth decay in xerostomic patients. Taking frequent sips of water or melting ice chips also help alleviate dry mouth. Other oral conditions associated with diabetes: Oral candidiasis is a fungal infection in the mouth that occurs in the diabetic patients. Dentists treat this condition with antifungal medication. Diabetes and extractions: If you are undergoing a single or multiple extractions or any kind of oral surgery, it is very important to have well-controlled blood sugar levels, before, during and after surgery to help the healing process. Since infection is a big risk, diabetic patients may need to take antibiotics after surgery to minimize risk of infection. Maintaining good oral hygiene is important. Brushing twice/day, flossing, using a fluoridated mouth rinses and of course, regular visits to the dentist are very important. If you are diabetic, ensure that you maintain and monitor your blood glucose levels to prevent any oral complications, in addition to other health complications from diabetes. As always, should you have any question, feel free to drop me a note, or consult your friendly dentist. See you in the next issue. Till then, keep smiling!

Diabetes and Tooth Decay: Teeth are usually covered with a sticky film of bacteria called plaque. It interacts with sugar in the food or beverages that we take, and releases acids that attack tooth enamel. Repeated attacks of the tooth enamel by acids cause cavities. With uncontrolled diabetes, bacteria thrive in the high glucose levels in saliva and accelerate the tooth decay. Hence it is very critical to have good oral hygiene. If you are a regular reader of my blog, you may be well aware of my emphasis on preventive care. Brush twice a day, floss every day and have a check up with your dentist every six months. Diabetes and periodontal disease: Uncontrolled diabetes can affect the gum tissue and bone that are the foundation for healthy teeth. Diabetes reduces the body’s resistance to infection resulting in chronic infection and inflammation of the gum tissue. This leads to bone loss and tooth loss. Research indicates that the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes goes both ways – people with diabetes are more likely to have periodontal disease and periodontal disease may make it more difficult to control the blood sugar. Hence diabetic patients with periodontal diseases July 2009

Dr. Meena Chelury can be reached at meenac@yahoo.com or www.AmberlyFamilyDentistry.com

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By Kirit Shukla

E G

N E

R A

Make words using 4 or more letters. The central letter must be used in each word. Use all letters for the subject word. 28+ words = Excellent; 21 to 27 words = Good; 20 or less needs to improve. (Solution at bottom of page)

Into a Writers mind By Ananya Mallavarapu (age 17) The pen, it has been called a writers sword, a poets weapon of choice, an essayist’s drug, a journalist’s tool, and suffice to say it is all this and more. David Sedaris, a renowned satirist from North Carolina once stated, “Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it’s just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it.” Truthfully, that describes an author’s sentiment exactly. When a writer picks up a pen and begins the scribble that transforms into a story the intention is to create a new place, a new setting, something unheard of so that readers can lose themselves in the entirety. Often, what the writer intends may be interpreted differently, that is, in a more general sense. Take for example Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale” or “Ode to a Grecian Urn.” In both poems he envies immortality-whether it finds itself in the Nightingales song or in the Urn’s reverent and unchanging place in society. However, as readers interpret this line they see only Keats’ jealousy, they may not see his hidden emotions. Perhaps Keats may have wanted to draw a metaphor between himself and the people he describes as frozen in time, or perhaps he wanted to create a comparison between the mortality of the nightingale and himself and the immortality of their art- song and poem respectively. What a writer intends may sometimes be overlooked and in most cases disregarded in its specificity. Often times I have given poems or stories to my friends and asked them to give me their opinion. Seldom do our opinions match. As a writer, I feel in control, I can find it easy to manipulate words, twist and bend them to my will per say. However, what I July 2009

continued on page 100 Word World (Solution): AGREE, ALEE, ANELE, ANGEL, ANGLE, EAGER, EAGLE, EARN, GEAR, GEAR, GENE, GENERAL, GLARE, GLEE, GREEN, LAGER, LARGE, LEAN, LEAR, LEARN, NEAL, NEAR, RAGE, RANG, RANGE, REAL, REEL, REGAL, RENAL

Word World

intend with the twist goes misinterpreted. This current essay applies not to a satire, classifies itself not as humor, argues nothing, it merely shows a writer wishing to communicate her inside mind. Frequently as I sit in my English class analyzing works from romantic poets such as Lord Byron, Keats, or even Shelley, I think of their intention and cannot help but wonder what they were trying to establish. Of course I understand the overall meaning of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s “Ode to a West Wind”- the death of romanticism, but the last line of the poem “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” allows itself to be interpreted in many ways. What was Shelley intending to say? Did he indicate a revitalization of the romantic era in literature or was he merely agreeing with Keats in the issue of literature being an immortal art form? The answer: no one knows. Just like no one knows whether Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Goodman Brown” partook in a dream, or what Keats meant by his ending lines in “Ode to a Grecian Urn.” Writing is an intricate puzzle needing to be deconstructed and when reconstructed finds itself losing a piece of the puzzle: the author’s opinion of the work. An author’s work is a symbol of his or her style and essence. Sitting here I cannot copy the works of any of the Bronte sisters - Anne, Charlotte, or Emily, and be content with the result. An author forever learns and never abandons ideas. Yes, authors do abandon stories, mostly stories in which plots seem too complicated or too cliché and stories where the characters become mundane. I have quite a few in my own arsenal that I may sling out and peruse only to end with the same result: an overwhelming sense of dissatisfaction. Often a lack of inspiration makes this problem inevitable. Jack London, the author of White Fang once stated, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” For authors that club retains specific importance. To speak in a purely metaphorical sense, the club - an author’s words chase the inspiration quotes, other works of literature, nature, all the muses that seem to elude all authors at certain points.

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Raising Children Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev The first thing to do when raising a child is not to touch your children, not to influence their minds with your distorted minds! That is the first step you need to take. Yes, the child can get exposed to many other rotten minds, the possibility is very much there, because they are everywhere in the world. You cannot isolate him totally from that. Now you are asking: “What should I do? What should my child’s education be? How should I bring him up? How should I guide him?” You just encourage him to be intelligent, to be aware. Every being has been given the necessary intelligence to fulfill his life. An ant is born, you study it and see. It has all the intelligence to live an ant’s life fully. It may not be able to do what you are doing, but as an ant, the necessary intelligence for being an ant is there for it. The same goes for every creature. You too have the necessary intelligence to live your life to the fullest. Now, the problem is that you want your child to be intelligent your way, not his. Your idea of intelligence is that your child should become a doctor. Maybe he would have made a wonderful carpenter, but you want him to become a doctor. Not because doctors are needed in the world, not because you care so much to relieve the suffering that you want your child to dedicate himself as a doctor, but simply because you have a stupid idea in your head that in the social structure, a doctor or an engineer means some kind of prestige or some nonsense for you: “My child is a doctor!” You want to live your life through your children. This is a sure way to destroy children. Your child need not do what you did in life. Your child should do something that you did not even dare to think of in your life. You did not have the courage to even nurture a thought like that ? your child should do that ? only then this world will progress and something will happen, isn’t it? Every child does have the necessary intelligence to live his life fully. You just create an atmosphere for him to grow into his intelligence, rather than imposing your nonsense upon him. When it comes to influencing him, the teachers will have a role, his friends, other sections of the society will have some influence on him. You can’t help it; you cannot build a sanatorium for your child, but still, as a parent, you can play a very important role in allowing the child’s intelligence to bloom. First of all, if you have come to the idea that when a child is born it is time to teach, then you will ruin the child. When a child comes into your life, it is a time to learn, because you have missed much in your life and so much of “you” has become distorted. Now, a child is just looking at life. You sit with him and look at life afresh. The only thing that you can do to your child is to give him love and support; his intelligence will grow. That is all. Create a loving atmosphere for him where intelligence will naturally flower. People think that to bring up a child lovingly means July 2009

to get him everything that he asks for. If you look at your child with intelligence, do you see that to get him everything that he asks for is sheer stupidity? To this, you have given the name ‘love’. So how should you bring up a child? In whichever situation he is put, he should be able to live joyously, isn’t it? That is the way he should be brought up. If you want to bring up your child well, the first thing is that you should be happy. Right now, you, by yourself, do not know how to be happy. Everyday in your house, there is a demonstration of tension, anger, fear, anxiety and jealousy. Only these things are being demonstrated to your child. What will happen to him? He will learn only this. If you really have the intention of bringing up your child well, you must first change your way of being. If you are incapable of transforming yourself, where is the question of you bringing up your child?

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev is a Yogi and mystic with profound mastery of the ancient science of yoga. He is one of the few yogis capable of transmitting the subtlest aspects of yoga, enabling a person to explore the deepest dimensions of life. A thought-provoking speaker, Sadhguru's wit, wisdom, and piercing logic examines and reveals the essential nature of life. He frequently addresses the world's foremost leaders on pressing issues impacting human wellbeing. Sadhguru was a speaker at the 2007 and 2006 World Economic Forum. He has also served as a delegate to the United Nations Millennium Peace Summit and the World Peace Congress. A wellknown public figure, he regularly draws crowds of more than 300,000 people for his public talks and "sathsangs" (group meditation). For details on Isha Yoga Programs, please call 1-866-ISHAYOGA or 704-502-1904 or charlotte@ishafoundation.org Check out the website www.ishafoundation.org for more details on Isha foundation’s yoga programs and non-profit humanitarian activities.

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Prayer For Peace By Sardar Singh “May there be peace among the gods in heaven and among the stars; may there be peace on earth, among men and four footed animals; may we not hurt each other; may we be generous to each other, may we have that intelligence which will guide our life and actions; may there be peace in our prayers, on our lips and in our hearts.” -- Rigveda

This prayer for peace was written many centuries ago. When a person reads the prayer with total attention i.e. with his heart and mind, it may have value beyond words but merely repeating it mechanically as part of a ritual has no meaning whatsoever. There can be peace when human beings live in a healthy and harmonious relationship with nature and with each other. There can be healthy relationship only when there is love, care and affection. This prayer is born out of intelligence. To see the interconnectedness and interdependence of life is an act of intelligence. To realize the value of peace is an act of intelligence. The prayer is for intelligence because there can be peace only when our actions are guided by intelligence. Only intelligence and love have the power to bring about clarity and order in the mind. What is stated in the prayer is not an ideal or a goal to be achieved in the future. Prayer has to be on the lips and in our hearts. Our actions cannot go wrong when our hearts are filled with love. Only a mind that is peaceful can bring about peace in the world. In the prayer life is perceived holistically, not in terms of “my life” and “your life.” The individual is part and parcel of the whole and not a separate entity concerned only with his own self-fulfillment. There is peace when there is sharing and cooperation. Individuals need peaceful environment to grow and flower in goodness and to realize their full potential. They also need order and peace in their own mind to find out for themselves if there is something sacred in life. The prayer is not addressed to some outside agency but it is directed inwardly. The necessary conditions for peace have been laid down very clearly. The question is why do we not live this way? Why do we hurt each other and why do we lack the intelligence that should guide our actions? There must have been individuals in the past and there may be some people living in the world now who moved away from the stream of selfishness, but the majority of people are caught in the network of thought that has taken a firm hold in our consciousness. As a result of unintelligent thinking and unintelligent living the individual remains bereft of the joy of life and at the same time is directly and indirectly responsible for all the mess and misery in the world. The individual and society are inextricably linked with each July 2009

other and are constantly feeding each other. If the individuals as separate entities are confused and full of contradictions inwardly they must necessarily produce a society as the existing one where there is so much conflict and sorrow. This very chaotic world becomes the environment in which the lives of individuals are shaped and nurtured. There is no doubt about the fact that self-centeredness is the root cause of human suffering. Pursuit of personal pleasure, struggle for power, position and prestige, endless desires and greed inevitably generate sorrow. We desperately need peace. Generation after generation prayer is still being recited but peace is nowhere in sight. Evidently prayer only remained on our lips but did not enter our hearts. Prayer remained in the mind as an idea. Ideas can create hope and give some solace to the mind but by their very nature ideas cannot solve the human problem. Understanding leads to action. Ideas are, however, imagined concepts handed down by tradition. Ideas create contradiction between what we actually are and what we think we should be. Contradiction breeds conflict and this conflict does not bring about peace. Ideas cannot bring about love, care and affection because they do not take care of the complexity of the problem. People continue to operate on the basis of violence because of strong psychological reasons. What is actually taking place has lot of energy and momentum behind it. The momentum has a cause. No change is possible unless we understand the cause. The way we think, the way we create and worship authority, the way we get influenced by propaganda, the way we cling to beliefs, ideas and opinions, the way prejudices are build up in the mind – these become the ground for hatred, fear and violence. Identification with an idea, belief or nation may provide a false sense of security, but collectively such identification threatens physical security. There is no denying the fact that our own thinking is responsible for all the confusion, conflict and chaos in the world. Psychologically our thinking is rooted in the idea of the “me” as an independent entity. The “self” treats itself separate from “you.” It divides itself from “you.” This “me” is the imagined structure of thought. In itself it has no reality. This idea of the “me” has created in the mind a movement of selfishness. The selfcentered activity of our thinking creates divisions in so many different ways. These divisions breed conflict at all levels of human relationship. The rapidly deteriorating situation demands that we must take a fresh look at the whole design and predicament in which we are caught. A fresh look implies that the mind is free from prejudice, conclusion or ideation. The mind must be free from selfinterest and self-concern. Our primary concern should be to look at the facts. Seeing things as they are brings clarity of perception. Clarity of perception facilitates intelligence which only can take us out of the mess that we have created Your comments are most welcome.

Saathee

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

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Harnessing the Power of American English By Judith L. Bergman M.A. CCC Incorrect assumptions about the meaning of even a single word, as well as an entire message, are the cause of many misunderstandings between individuals. Those who specialize in teaching “listening skills” always recommend that the listener paraphrase what he or she thought the speaker meant and listen carefully to any clarification. Match each sentence with the phrase that correctly defines the usage of mean,1 __1. The light means** the oil is low. __2. I didn’t mean to hurt his feelings. __3. I said Monday but I meant Tuesday. __4. The airline strike meant that he was stranded in Athens. __5. She’s always late. I mean, yesterday she showed up at 11:00. __6. She plays the violin, I mean, the viola.*** __7. You mean you will call me or do you want me to call you? __8. I’m so tired of his complaining. I know what you mean. __9. I see what you mean about those specifications. __10. What do you mean in this paragraph? __11. What do you mean, you sold the car? __12. It would mean a lot to your father if you offered to help. __13. You have to be strict so they know you mean business. __14. That marriage was never meant to be. __15. Don’t be mean to your sister. __16. It was no mean feat to start a business at age 66! __17. Ray plays a mean game of tennis.*** __18. The mean price of homes has dropped. __19. We’ll use any means to raise the money. __20. They don’t have the means to buy a new car. __21. By all means, please invite them. __22.The results are by no means certain. __23. This job is just a means to an end. Definitions: a. intend b. (Do) you mean? What is your wish? c. I don’t understand the content d. for example e. Oops! I really wanted to say f. be cruel or unkind g. I agree with you. h. signifies that i. I’m very surprised, annoyed and upset j. intended to happen (by the fates) k. understand what your explanation l. very good, excellent m. I thought of at that moment n. had the result that o. be very important p. something difficult and admirable to accomplish July 2009

Get to the root of words.2 A root is the stem or base form of many words. If you know just a few roots you can decode the meaning of many words. The Latin root nomin, nomen, (“name”) has given English many words including these six: ignominious disgracing one’s name misnomer wrong name nomenclature system of naming nominal in name only nominate name someone for office nominee candidate Use context clues, dictionaries and special resources to learn idioms with “colors.” 3 1. A person who is not happy __a. is tickled pink __b. is feeling blue __c. has a heart of gold 2. When you are sick, you __a. are green around the gills __b. are in the black __c. are green with envy Suggested strategies to increase your word power this month: 1. Look and listen for various ways mean, meant and meaning are used in newspapers, magazine articles and conversation. 2. Listen to conversations and check the newspapers for examples of all six idioms in the quiz above. References: 1 Longman Dictionary of American English, Pearson Education Limited, 2004, p. 560-561. 2 Every Day Vocabulary by Laurie Rozakis, Ph.D., 1998: Doubleday Direct, Inc., Chapter 3: Get To the Root of the Matter, p.45. 3 The Idioms Workbook, 2nd Edition by Myra Shulman Auslin, Pro-Ed www.proedinc.com 2003, pg, 325. Last, but not least: We welcome your questions and comments. (Contact information is below.) Answers (mean) 1-h, 2-a, 3-e, 4-n, 5-d, 6-e, 7-b, 8g, 9-k, 10-c, 11-i, 12-o, 13-s, 14-j, 15-f, 16-p, 17-l, 18-v, 19-q, 20-u, 21-r, 22-t, 23-w (idioms) 1-b, 2-a.

Mastering Meaning

q. method to achieve the desired result r. Of course s. are determined to enforce the rules t. not at all u. the money or income v. technical average w. a way to achieve a result, but not something I really want to do **USAGE notes: For sentence #1: Never say “is meaning” *** Used usually when speaking, not writing

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

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diligent student and would pore over his books in his spare time. If he managed to keep up with his studies after he left us, I’d like to think that I helped to reduce the number of illiterate persons in India by one.

ASTRIDE

CONTINENTS

By Chandan Sen Going Dutch? My sister called me yesterday, as she does every Saturday, from England and we talked about events in the past week. Apparently they’d gone out with friends, Bob and Anita. When the time came to eat in a restaurant, Jaya, my sister, suggested that each person pay for himself or herself. Bob said jokingly, “So we’re not going Indian?” Apparently the overall feeling in England is that Indians invariably pick up the bill. To this day I have yet to find a person who does not like the idea of “going Dutch.” My Dad, in his day and age, used to call it “his-his whose-whose.” I told Jaya that the popularity of going Dutch probably is because people are scared to foot the entire bill. She had a better reason. “It’s a very fair arrangement,” she said. Besides, restaurants have become so expensive that no ordinary person can afford to pay the entire bill for the entire party of, say, two or more families. My son and I went out to eat the other day. Since it had been his idea, he fully expected to pay for both of us. But I said, “Let’s go Dutch.” He seemed curiously relieved and relaxed. Going Dutch leaves no one feeling obliged in any way, and is far better that “going Indian.” Or was Bob just flattering us? Kisan Kisan came to our house to work as a domestic help when he was about eleven, and I was doing my B.Sc. at St. Xavier’s College, Calcutta. He was a refugee from the devastating famine which gripped Bihar around this time. His dad, unable to provide for him, left him in our household till such time he grew up and could fend for himself. He soon learned to speak Bengali, and helped mummy in the kitchen and did the daily marketing for us. In return he got boarding and lodging and a reasonable monthly allowance. Now, there was a slogan from the Indian Government which went “Each one teach one.” I, being an impressionable young man, heeded that slogan and started teaching Kisan in the evenings after he has finished all his work. Since my Hindi was not that good, I taught him Bengali reading and writing. After about three months of this, I added math. Then Kisan suggested politely that he’d like to learn English also. I was a bit hesitant at first, but then started teaching him the rudiments of English. This unofficial tutoring was in addition to my Saturday evening tutoring for which I had to take the bus to a nearby school. The latter was under the auspices of the National Service Scheme, parallel wing of the NCC (National Cadet Corps). I think I taught K for about three years till he left our employment to return to Bihar. He was a reasonably July 2009

Evocative Songs I love certain songs not only for their intrinsic worth but also because they define some specific moments of my life. “Summer Wine” by Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood, is an all-time favorite. But for me, it was another girl, another place, and another band of men that this song evokes memories of. During our summer school in Chandigarh, there was this rather plump girl from IIT Kharagpur who sang this song superbly. The young men who accompanied her were from a different city altogether—Bangalore. At the drop of a hat they would pick up their guitars and she would enchant us with her rendering of this song. When our holiday bus took us to Simla, they performed as soon as we got off the bus. Curious passersby stopped to look, listen, and stay to hear more. Such is the personal history of “Summer Wine” for me. Another lyric, which I can reminisce about, is “Walking Back To Happiness” by Helen Shapiro. In England, in 1961, this song was a hit number, and the local TV station would play it every few hours. So my memories of England are colored by memories of Helen Shapiro’s seductive voice. By the way, Cliff Richard’s “Young Ones” was also being played a lot in those good old days. Finally, “I Don’t Want To Be a Memory” by the Exiles was a 1983 hit in the US, and I remember waiting in my car, an ancient Monte Carlo, in Dorothea Dix hospital at 11:30 at night—waiting to pick up my wife after her work as a nurse in this hospital. Once again, the words and music on my car radio put me in the mood for romance. Free music, full of love and nostalgia, filled the car. A Sociological Conundrum Democracy, it is said, is not a perfect form of government, best it is the best we have. Similarly, marriage is not the perfect form of man-woman relationship, yet it is the best we have. That said, it is instructive to remember that monogamy has evolved over the years from polygamy and polyandry. Any form of marriage other than monogamy was disadvantageous to the woman, chiefly because she was economically dependent on the man. Go figure! Also, the man was very possessive of his mate because he wanted to be certain that the child she bore him was actually sired by him! This again was because firstly he did not want to bring up someone else’s progeny, and also because he did not want the family legacy wealth, in a patriarchal system, to pass

Saathee

continued on page 102 Chandan Sen Contact: chandansen33@hotmail.com

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Healthwise By Anjana Agarwal Skipping Stones: How to prevent kidney stones A kidney stone is a solid mass that forms in the kidneys from the substances normally found in the urine, typically calcium combined with oxalate or phosphate. If the crystals remain small enough, they can pass out in the urine without causing discomfort. But some stones become as large as pearls, or even golf balls and some have jagged surfaces. If they get stuck somewhere along the urinary tract, they can cause serious pain. Gender: Men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with kidney stones as women. Family history also matters. Where you live may also count. In one study, resident of the southeastern United States had roughly a 20 percent greater likelihood of being diagnosed with kidney stones than people in other part of the countries. One hypothesis is that warm weather makes you sweat, which makes urine more concentrated, if you don’t drink more fluid to compensate losses. Overweight: The effect of weight on kidney stones is compelling. The more people weighed, the greater their risk of kidney stones. In fact, the women who gained more than 35 pounds since young adulthood were 75 percent more likely to get kidney stones than women who did not gain weight while men who gained more than 35 pounds were 40 percent more likely. Researchers know that overweight people excrete more calcium and oxalate in their urine, which increase the risk of stones. Diabetes: In the two nurse’s health studies, women diagnosed with diabetes were 30 to 60 percent more likely to develop kidney stones. When people become diabetic and insulin resistant, the ability of the kidneys to excrete acid changes, which affects the acidity of the urine, and that, could affect the formation of the stones.

Don’t cut calcium: Kidney stones are mostly calcium, so it’s no surprise that for years you were told consume less calcium. In a 5-year trial in Italian men (average age 45) who had at least one kidney stone, those assigned to a diet containing 1,200 mg calcium a day were half as likely to be diagnosed with new stone as those who consumed 400 mg calcium daily. The National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine recommends that men and women over 50 consume 1,200 mg calcium a day. Calcium supplements don’t appear to reduce kidney stone risk, but the calcium in food may lower the risk of stones by binding oxalate in the GI tract. The bound oxalate is excreted in stool, which leaves less oxalate to be absorbed in the blood and later excreted in the urine. Getting more calcium may not help as much if you consume more salt. The more salt you eat, more calcium you lose in the urine. Coffee: The epidemiological studies consistently shows that coffee drinkers have fewer stones. Citrus juices also help (with the exception of grapefruit juice), because they increase the citrate content and reduce the acidity of the urine, both of which lessen the chances of stones forming. Soft drinks don’t seem to have an impact, but cranberry juice is not recommended, because it has oxalate in it, the most common type of kidney stones are calcium bound to oxalic acid. Other high oxalate foods include spinach, rhubarb, and baked potato with skin, bulgur, beets and navy beans. Vitamin C: Don’t overdo vitamin C - some of the vitamin is metabolized to oxalic acid in the body. Studies have shown people who take 1000-2000 mg vitamin C daily had higher oxalate levels in their urine, whether or not they had a history of kidney stones. For individual diet counseling, see a registered dietitian. Many insurance companies now pay for the consults.

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Although having kidney stones may be intensely painful and inconvenient, it’s not life-threatening in most instances, but stones may be a warning of more serious problems. People who develop kidney stones may have a greater risk of developing hypertension later, and are also more likely to suffer from bone thinning (osteoporosis) due to excessive losses of calcium in the urine, and that calcium tends to come from the bones. Prevention Drink lots of fluids: Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. You reduce your chances by about 50 percent in avoiding kidney stones. Always keep water bottle with you. July 2009

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ous challenges over the past 18-24 months. The Pakistani equity markets lost a lot of liquidity and ground during the second half of CY2008 and during the early part of CY2009. After touching records in the 15,500s during April 2008, the Karachi KSE-100 crashed all the way down to the 4900s during early January 2009. The Index managed to stabilize and make good strides back to the 8,000 level within a couple of months, hoever, high inflation, a weak Rupee and soft foreign exchange reserves continued to hover By Rajesh Ganatra as dark clouds. After the sharp rally, the markets receded and the KSE-100 hovered right around the 7,000 level for most of June 2009. The Pakistani Rupee traded in a range of 79.75-80.75 to the U.S. Here are some important quotes as of 06/25/2009 Dollar. Additionally, in February 2009 the Government of Mumbai (Bombay) Sensex: 14,345.62 Pakistan reached a 'truce' with the Taliban, essentially Karachi, Pakistan KSE-100 Index: 7,128.83 handing over the scenic Swat Valley to them. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (USA): 8,299.86 Swat had been a major tourist attraction in the past NASDAQ Composite (USA): 1,792.34 and the Government forces and Taliban had been fightS & P 500 Index (USA): 900.94 ing over it for nearly two years. The handover of the Swat to the Taliban was a major setback for the Currency Exchange Rates: Indian Rs. 48.59 = $1.00, Government and soon after the 'truce', the Taliban Pakistani Rs. 81.15 = $1.00 groped for more land and they contyinued to take over more and more territory, and they reached within 100 Gold Price: $855 / ounce (Mumbai) km of the capital Islamabad. It was then that the Silver Price: $13.38 / ounce (Mumbai) Government launched a major offensive to flush the Taliban out of the Swat and other conquered areas, (Note â&#x20AC;&#x201D;- Mumbai prices quoted in U.S. dollars were calculated using the above exchange rate and the metric factor and for the most part, the campaignwas successful of 28.6 grams equals 1 ounce. Generally speaking, there are from a military standpoint. However, with the launch slight variances in prices of precious metals between India of the offensive by the Government, many civilians had & U.S.A. due to market conditions / exchange rates). to flee their homes in the affected areas and they had to go live in refugee camps near Islamabad; patience with the offensive may wear thin if it prolongs too The Sensex had a very difficult CY2008 and a terri- much due to the severe humanitarian crisis caused by ble start to CY2009 due to the Saytam Computers the battles. Pakistan's fiscal year runs from July 1scandal and the markets could not regain their footing June 30 and the budget for FY 2009-2010 has been for several months. A complicating factor was the pro- prepared. The total revenue collection by the longed election process - however, on May 17, 2009 it Government is expected to be PKR 1.4 Trillion and was evident that the Congrss Party had secured sub- Government Expenditures are expected to be PKR 2.2 stantial victories and the markets cheered that news: Trillion, which leaves a deficit of PKR 800 billion. The May 18, 2009 was a record breaking day on Dalal PKR 1.4 Trillion of revenues is a questionable amount Street - the Sensex picked up 2,111 points and that since is it doubtful that the Government can actually set the groundwork for the run back to 15,000. assess and collect all of the taxes that are due. Looking back from March 2009-June 2009, the market The U.S. equity markets had a very difficult 1Q2009 had one of the finest rallies in four years as the outlook and during March, the major indicies (Dow, NASDAQ, on emerging markets brightened (especially on India). S&P 500) plunged to levels not seen since 1996-1997. After streaking to 15,600, the Senex stepped back to Soon after hitting the lows, a substantial rally ensured the 14,500 level - a virtual 'double' from the 7,697 in which the markets rebounded nerly 30%-35% - the panic low that was set during the brint of the global rally made the NASDAQ Composite and S&P 500 posimarket sell-off during late October 2008. tive for CY2009 and the Dow hovered right around A Swiss private bank, Bank Sarasin & Company, break-even for the year. The prime question was that announced that it would enter the Indian market and what exactly made the rally happen? True bargain open offices in Mumbai and Delhi on July 1, 2009. The hunting or short-sellers locking in their profits from the India-based unit will be incorporated as "Sarasin-Alpen bear market and 'covering' their short positions? After (India) Private Limited" and the unit shall provide analysis of the volume figures, etc. the majority of the financial advisory and consultancy services to wealthy rally was driven by short-covering and therefore, the private clients in India and distribute selected products sustainability of the rally was brought into question. At such as mutual funds. Numerous agreements have 8,750-8,800, the Dow was just 'one good day' from been entered into with India-based financial institu- reclaiming the 9,000 level but somehow, it just couldtions for the new bank to distribute its funds and port- n't happen. The NASDAQ and S&P 500 also had diffifolio management services. Bank Sarasin & culty in continuing the strong advances from April and Company's CEO, Joachim H Straeble commented that, early May. "As the sustainable Swiss private bank, we look forThe economic data continues to be mixed - the job ward to providing innovative financial advisory solu- losses are still there, however, the economy is losing tions matching the requirements of our discerning and jobs at a 'slower rate' than November 2008-December growing Indian client base". Sarasin's Head of Private 2008-January 2009 (the months in which over 600,000 Banking, Fidelis M Goetz also commented that "The non-farm payrolls were shed) and data on housing, Indian markets have shown early signs of recovery and consumer confidence and spending remains murky. India will become one of the world's economic engines. There is a lot of speculation that the 'worst may be Hence, it is a very important market for us and we over' but economists will need to see 6-9 months of have strengthened our presence in India through this consistent, solid data to confirm a meaningful trend launch". Pakistan as a country and its economy have had sericontinued on page 102 July 2009

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They say that “location, location, location” is the key— but sometimes, it’s the problem. I was just at a business function where the owner of a local printing company bemoaned the fact that Internet printers are putting pressure on long-time printers. His company hadn’t invested in digital printing, relying instead on being one of the largest offset printers in the area. For years, that was good enough. But it’s not working anymore. Here’s why. In the “old days” (pre-Internet), companies could carve out a market by being the only local whatever. There are fewer and fewer products and services where “local” alone is good enough to guarantee you a market. Sure, you can’t order a fresh-brewed latte from outof-state, but you can buy a latte maker and order the coffee from anywhere in the world. You can even order pizza and a gourmet dinner via one of the many upscale frozen food companies that deliver anywhere in the US. (You may not save on the cost of the entrée, but there’s no charge for your drink, tax or tip.) Location alone won’t save you. If you can’t compete on price with the people who provide the same service via the Internet, then you’re going to have to compete on turnaround, exceptional customer service or really tangible value-addeds to keep your business. Most companies are stuck thinking of themselves as limited by a certain local geographic region—usually the distance they or their customers are willing to drive for a face-to-face meeting. Who said that had to be the limit? Most of my business is done via phone with customers I have never met in person. Much of the work I contract out is done by talented people who had the right skills at the right price all over the world. Welcome to the global economy. Wake up! How can you repackage, repurpose or rebundle your services to provide something that could be provided to anyone, anywhere? Real estate is supposed to be the ultimate “local” business. But a growing number of real estate agents in high-growth areas are connecting with agents in areas where people are leaving due to relocation. They work out a referral fee that benefits both parties, and suddenly, the whole of North America is their territory. Restaurants may find a way to mail a favorite menu item (the Penn State Diner has been July 2009

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mailing its oh-so-wonderful Grilled Stickies to hungry alums for decades), or even a sauce or dressing. Think you’re limited by licensure? Oh really? Does “WebMD” ring a bell? How about the places that sell pet medications or contact lenses via the web? The problem isn’t with the market; it’s with the mind. Envision yourself as a national or international business person. Now—how do you supply your service or product to your market? Yes, it means making changes to your mindset, your pricing, your business model and your goals. Suck it up, pull up your big boy tighty-whiteys or your big girl panties and get over it. Shift happens. And when the market shifts, those who don’t figure out how to shift with it get left behind. If you’re having a real estate problem with your marketing, it’s time to foreclose on old ideas and flip your intellectual property to a whole new way of looking at the world.

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The Wedding Planner How to Plan a Wedding on a Budget! Wedding budgets are not necessarily the most enjoyable thing a newly engaged couple can talk about. However, it is important that a budget is discussed early in the wedding planning process, no matter how less-than-fun the conversation may be. After all, the amount of money you have available to spend will set the stage for what your day will be like and where your resources will go and what you can realistically afford. Many components go into planning the wedding day. Many details need to be completed and intertwined to create not only a wedding but also a dream wedding as the bride and groom pictured it. Today, about 70% of couples pay for their own wedding. So setting a realistic wedding budget and sticking to it are a must if you are to keep the cost of your wedding within your budget. For starters, who’s paying for the wedding? In some cases, the bride’s family pays for both the wedding and the reception. In other cases, the families share the cost. And in still others, the bride and groom are on their own. Planning ahead and saving is the best way to have your dream wedding without winding up in debt. If your budget permits, engage a wedding planner. They can help you with tasks as small as locating trusted vendors and service providers to tasks as large as organizing your entire wedding event from AZ. Wedding planners work with local vendors and service providers and often have special arrangements for reduced rates. When added up, these discounts can save you a lot of money. Although, the more you can do yourself without outside services, the more money you save. The date and time of your wedding has a huge impact on how much things will cost. The most popular and most expensive months to get married are June through August. You can usually save a lot of money if you choose a less popular month. In addition, the most expensive rates for reception halls are on Saturday nights. By choosing a different day, you can get the same reception hall and services for considerably less money. If you can’t switch days, try moving the wedding up to an earlier time so you can cut your reception costs by serving a lighter meal. Use your money wisely for important details and do not spend on unnecessary items. Focus on details that matter to you and find creative ways to cut costs on other expenses. It’s all about prioritizing your budget and making it go further. Many brides choose to make their own wedding favors, both to save money and to give a personal touch to the occasion. You should also check on things like whether or not the reception hall will allow you to make your own centerpieces. When it comes to catering there is an enormous difference in price between a light brunch and a fiveJuly 2009

course sit-down catered dinner. Following are some suggestions you may check out to fit your budget. Have a brunch or an early lunch serving fruit and vegetables, salads, eggs, cheeses, pastries, coffee, tea and cold drinks buffet style. Have a late lunch and you'll need to add some meats and poultry. You may still serve it buffet style or as a sit-down meal. A sitdown dinner is by far your most expensive choice. The reception is the most expensive part of your wedding. But you can plan it within your budget and have a memorable event. Make sure to count and choose your guests wisely. The larger the reception, the higher the costs. Therefore, you should focus on inviting guests who you really want to be a part of your special day. While you may have pressure from your family to include distant relatives, it’s up to you whether or not you include them. We included a few such relatives to negotiate with our parents, in part because they helped out with the wedding costs. However, the reception should include your dearest and closest friends and family only. Your wedding day is just the first day of a long and happy marriage. It’ll be a special day regardless of how much you spend. By all means, enjoy yourself, but do so without breaking the bank. Starting off your marriage on solid financial foundation is the greatest gift you can ask for. Article courtesy of Elements of the Wedding by The Main Event. 704.332.5819

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Immigration Matters By Udai Singh H-1B Employers - Beware of Obligation to Pay Salary In May 2009, Office of Administrative Law Judge issued a decision: In the Matter of Administrator, Wage and Hour Division, v. Itek Consulting, deciding keys issues about the employer’s obligation to pay salary to its H-1B employee. Itek, Inc., a computer consulting firm sponsored a computer professional Mr. Ebenezer on H-1B visa. After Ebenezar arrived in USA and made himself available for work, Itek did not start his employment, did not give him work, and did not pay the salary on the ground that he did not have social security card to start the work for Itek. Ebenezar started to work for Itek after five months. During that time, Ebenezer never told Itek that he was unavailable for work, never took leave of absence, and never refused to work for Itek. H-1B visa program permits American employers to temporarily employ non-immigrant aliens to perform specialized occupations in the US. A specialty occupation is an occupation that requires the application of highly specialized knowledge and the attainment of a degree. Under the INA, an H-1B nonimmigrant shall receive the required pay beginning on the date when the nonimmigrant enters into employment with the employer nonimmigrant is considered to have entered into employment when he first makes himself available for work or otherwise comes under the control of the employer, such as by waiting for an assignment, reporting for orientation or training, going to an interview or meeting with a customer, or studying for a licensing examination, and includes all activities thereafter. Benching an H-1B nonimmigrant, that is, placing him in nonproductive status without pay due to a decision by the employer (e.g., because of lack of assigned work), lack of a permit or license is a violation of the INA and its implementing regulations. If this occurs, the employer is required to pay the salaried employee the full pro-rata amount due, or to pay the hourly- wage employee for a full-time week (40 hours or such other number of hours as the employer can demonstrate to be full-time employment for hourly employees, or the full amount of the weekly salary for salaried employees) at the required wage for the occupation listed on the LCA. There are circumstances where the Employer is not required to pay an H-1B nonimmigrant during nonproductive status. This includes a nonproductive status due to conditions unrelated to employment, the nonimmigrant is rendered unable to work (e.g. medical or maternity leave), or there has been a bona fide termination of the employment relationship. The Administrator decided that Ebenezar did not need social security number to start working for Itek. SSA Publication No. 05-10107, titled “Foreign Workers and Social Security Numbers” states: We do not require you to have a Social Security number before you start work. However, the IRS requires employJuly 2009

ers to report wages using a Social Security number. While you wait for your SS number, your employer can use a letter from us stating that you applied for a number. Your employer may use your immigration documents as proof of your authorization to work in the US. The IRS gives directions as to what an employer should do when it employs an employee who applied for a Social Security number but has yet to receive their Social Security number. The W-2 Form instructions state: Box a: Employees social security number. Enter the number shown on the employee’s social security card. If the employee does not have a card, he or she should apply for one by completing Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card. If the employee has applied for a card but the number is not received in time for filing, enter Applied For in box a on paper Forms W-2 filed with the SSA. (Enter zeros (000-00- 0000) if Form W-2 is filed electronically with the SSA.). Ask the employee to inform you of the number and name as they are shown on the social security card when it is received. Then correct your previous report by filing Form W-2c showing the employee s SSN. The Administrator decided that Ebenezer made himself available to work but he was not given any work because he did not have a Social Security number and that Ebenezer’s lack of a Social Security number was an employment-related reason why he did not work, analogous to the lack of a license or permit. Therefore, Ebenezer was in an employment-related nonproductive status that required Itek to pay him. Further, the SSA and IRS make it clear that an H-1B employee does not need a Social Security number before he begins work, only evidence that the employee applied for a number. Therefore, whether or not Ebenezer reported to the office is irrelevant because he was in an employment-related nonproductive status. Itek was required to pay Ebenezer his wages due under the LCA. Payment need not be made if there has been a bona fide termination of the employment relationship. DHS regulations require the employer to notify the DHS that the employment relationship has been terminated so that the petition is and require the employer to provide the employee with payment for transportation home under certain circumstances. The Administrative Review Board also decided that a bona fide termination under the INA does not occur simply when an employee receives notice of his or her termination. While notice to the employee is a necessary concomitant to termination of the employment relationship, that alone is not sufficient to end the employer’s obligation to pay the required wages to an H-1B employee. The employer does not effect a bona fide termination and, therefore, end its obligation to pay the required wages to the H-1B employee unless the employer has also notified the INS, so that the INS can cancel the H-1B employee’s approval. Courtesy: American Immigration Lawyer’s Association

Udai V. Singh, LL.B (Delhi Univ.), LL.M (Univ of GA); Attorney-at-Law

Saathee

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(ES) Extended Stay Motel, Ind., 200-units, Ext./Int., Charlotte, NC, on Interstate-exit Asking: $6 million, Gross: $1.557 million – NOI: $780,000 Lease-to-purchase with $650,000 down. (BS) Motel, Franchised, 150-units, Ext., near Charlotte, NC, on Interstate-exit Asking: $3.5 million, Current Gross: $1.2 million – City & Interstate business. Lease-to-purchase with $500,000 down. Minimal punch list (DW) Motel, Franchised, 100-units, Ext. corridor. High Point / Charlotte area, NC Ask: $1.8 million, Ave Gross: $601,000. Or lease to purchase for $200,000 down. (KS) Motel, Independent, 16-units, Ext. corridor, near South Hill, VA Asking: $440,000. Gr: $135,000. Owner Financing Available. Cash Flow: $85,000 (IM) Motel, Independent, 14-units, Ext. corridor. near South Hill, VA Asking: $300,000. Firm. Projected Gross.: $90,000. Includes separate house. ----------------------------------------------------------(JT) C-Store & Grill / Branded Gas Station, Apex, NC – NEW LISTING Asking: $1.4 million + Inv., w/RE. In: $45,000/mo. Out: 58,000 gal./mo. 2,600 SF (NB) C-Store / Branded Gas Station, near Galax, VA - Lotto: $1,700/mo. net. Asking: $1.35 million + Inv., with RE. In: $95,000/mo. Out: 70,000 gal./mo. Asking: $250,000 + Inv., without Real Estate, Rent: $6,500/mo. firm (SQ) C-Store / Branded Gas Station, near Suffolk, VA – PRICE REDUCED Asking: $625,000+ Inv., w/RE. In: $36,000/mo. Out: 31,000 gal./mo. Area: 2,500 SF Lotto, Check-Cashing: $2,700 net/month. Gas: 15c/gall. Cash Flow: $9,000/month Asking: $140,000 + Inv., Rent: $4,500/month + Taxes, Ins. Lease-to-purchase. (MG) Gas Station / C-Store, near Morganton, NC – Cash Flow: $12,400/month Asking: $575,000 + Inv., w/RE. In: $50,000/mo. Out: 30,000 gal./mo. Deli possible. Lottery: $3,000 net/month. Gas: 10c/gall. Area: 4,000 SF. (FA) Brand Gas / C-Store, Check Cashing, near Asheville, NC – PRICE REDUCED Ask: $180,000 + Inv, In: $84,000/mo. Out: 40,000 gal./mo. Check-Cashing: $3,600. Rent: $3,000. Cash Flow: $12,100/month (R2) Gas Station / C-Store, near Greenville, NC – NEW LISTING Asking: $125,000 + Inv., In: $65,000/mo. Out: 20,000 gal./mo. Rent: $4,400/mo. Lottery: $3,500/month net. Cash Flow: $14,300/month net. 2,500 SF. (AL) Branded Gas Station / C-Store, Check Cashing, near Marion, NC – Asking: $100,000+Inv., In: $50,000/mo. Out: 30,000 gal./mo. Rent: $4,000. 2,500 SF. 35% margin - inside sales. 10c/gal. outside sales. Check Cashing: $1,000/mo. net. (HC) C-Store / Gas Station, near Whiteville, NC - Cash flow: $9,180/mo. Asking: $100,000 + Inv., In: $55,000/mo. Rent: $3,000. Inventory financed. Add Lottery, Phone Cards, VIC. Margin: 30%. Area: 2,300 SF. (IR) Gas Station / C-Store, near Marion, NC - Cash flow: $9,790/mo. Asking: $99,000 + Inv., In: $48,000/mo. Out: 10,000 gal./mo. Rent: $3,200. Plus: Lottery, ATM, BillPay: $1,950 net/month. Gas: 6c/gall. Area: 3,000 SF. (JF) Convenience Store, near Asheville, NC. Cash Flow: $9,100/month Asking: $90,000 + Inv, In: $48,000/mo. Gross Margin: 35%. Rent: $1,500. (RH) Gas / C-Store, near Asheville, NC. No Alcohol – Net: $7,000/month. Asking: $35,000 +Inv., In: $20,000/mo. Gr: 40%. Out: 17,000 gal./mo. Rent: $1,700 Electronic Games, net: $4,000/month ----------------------------------------------------------(TC) Subway, Leased, near Raleigh, NC – NEW LISTING Ask: $375,000, Gross: $9,000/week, Net: $2,000/week. Owner Finance with 1/3 dn. (NQ) Subway, Leased, Raleigh, NC – PRICE REDUCED Asking: $119,000, Gross: $233,000, Net: $65,000. Area: 1,200 SF. Rent: $2,300. (ET) Quizno’s, Leased, near Cary, NC – Cash Flow: $68,000 / year Asking: $91,000 + Inventory, Gross: $313,000, Area: 1,400 SF. Rent: $3,625. ----------------------------------------------------------(PD) Dry Cleaning Store / Plant with two drop stores, near Cary, NC Ask: $549,000. Leased. Gr: $462,000. Close to homes, shopping, offices, hospital. ----------------------------------------------------------(BD) UPS Store, busy Shopping Center, near Charlotte, NC – PRICE REDUCED Asking: $110,000. Leased. Gross 2008 (app.): $215,000. Cash Flow: $32,000 ----------------------------------------------------------(JC) Self-Storage Business, near Chapel Hill, NC Asking: $825,000. Cash Flow: $100,000. (LP) Self-Storage Business, near Sanford, NC Asking: $550,000. Cash Flow: $42,000. Includes 1.5 acre developable land.

July 2009

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The aftermath of an Identity Vs. Dynasty Era

By Rushir Shah “One may not reach the dawn save by the path of night” - Khalil Gibran Summer of 1990, the then Prime Minister of India, V.P. Singh, implemented the long dormant mandate of Mandal Commission pushing India towards the path of affirmative action. Autumn of 1990, BJP, a significant part of India’s ruling coalition of political parties, conducted a nationwide procession for securing Ram Janmabhoomi, the mythic birthplace of Lord Ram, which they alleged was woefully sacked by the Muslim invaders of India. For the next 15 years, Indian politics found no respite. Stumbling drunk it tried to pass the straight-line test. After being governed for 40 years by the members of Nehru-Gandhi family, Indians took a treacherous journey on the bumpy roads of identity-politics. More often than not the transition from dynasty to identity politics was called a grave mistake, a grievous devolution. The unity in India’s diversity splintered, fragmented to a point that any form of negotiated or consensus-based politics seemed forced, made up, ideologically diffused. A nation founded on the ideas of pacifism and secularism was riven by the ghosts of unaddressed poverty and oppressed minorities. The circumstances were god-willing and logic-defying, indeed, impossible for the idea of India to survive unscathed. But, on May 16, 2009—two decades after the mandalization of Indian politics—Congress (I), the secular-centrist political party, counted their unanticipated gains in the Indian elections, winning the trophy without doubt, if not convincingly. It would seem that the wounds of identity politics have healed, that fundamentalism has thawed, that the idea of India has rejuvenated. The verdict, according to many political pundits: Indian politics has matured, survived petty allegiances, religious hysteria, and caste based manipulations. The Indian voter has been crowned the hero. But before we take out the horns, sing the anthem, welcome the victors, and put our faith—lock, stock and barrel— in the beginning of the post-Mandal era in Indian politics, we need to take a breather and recall the complexity of Indian politics during the last two decades. We saw a nascent belief in liberal capitalism take deeper roots in the last two decades. India became the technological success story par excellence—envy of both the developing and the developed world. The middle class grew to hitherto unknown proportions. Successive governments, of different ideological stripes, reposed their faith in entrepreneurship and markets. Hope and expectation for a better life surged in the masses. Consumer confidence and optimism invigorated India Inc., a much touted and feared force on the global scene. In the last two decades these advances were made despite the escalation of religious fundamentalism. Identity trumped ideological concerns, and corruption was neither uprooted July 2009

nor the problems of poverty and inequality debilitated. India’s sky, water, and land were polluted more than ever and epidemics spread aided by lack of governance and literacy. Farmers committed suicides and terrorism instead of abating gained momentum. An irreconcilable contradiction lay at the heart of Indian society but it became smarter, stronger, and above all, affluent, inspiring the Indian author Gurcharan Das to write in a New York Times Op-ed, “our economy grows at night when the government sleeps.” When so much went wrong, how did the struggles of India bear such fruit? Why did India dissolve into an endless cycle of poverty and corruption when the government was stable and electorate united? Why did it prosper when identity politics flourished? As Ashis Nandy, the noted sociologist of India, put it, last two decades were a manifestation of India’s “radical diversity and epic culture.” After a prolonged 40 year frustration with dynastic-politics the electorate pursued a period of experimentation, of trial and error, of tearing and re-stitching the political fabric of India. V.S. Naipaul, Nobel Prize winning author of many a classic, wrote A Million Mutinies to describe the socio-political environment of India during the 90s. He saw the rising power of minorities, manifested by the proliferation of small political parties gaining larger electoral vote, as something positive, like a cosmic struggle or churning, which would bring about a new contract, a new understanding between the diverse people of India with their radically disparate allegiances, interests and desires. He saw it as an endless negotiation, which would produce a shift in power from the Brahminical elites towards the other neglected plebeians of the population, so to say. He saw the million mutinies as something complex, a necessary and corrective process of wine fermenting to richness. It would behoove us to remember that the last two decades were hardly the worst trial of Indian democracy. The emergency (suspension of democracy) imposed by the same Congress (I), which has won the recent elections, in 1977 was the worst nightmare, a near-death experience, subjected on Indian democracy. In the last two decades, if not voices of plurality, plural voices competed to gain power and forge policy. The decisions made by Indian politicians prior to V.P. Singh’s historic government were almost always elitist, and sometimes dictatorial. The legacy of the Raja of Mandu should be recognized for compelling Indian politics to include smaller and lesser voices in the polity, for playing the catalyst that spurred and invigorated Indian democracy. With the virtual defeat of communist, leftist and Dalit parties in the recent elections, one may be tempted to call this moment the beginning of post-Mandal era, where social and ideological concerns will dominate the political landscape. But I also wonder if political commentators are not indulging in wishful thinking. The victorious Congress party got 60 seats less than the required majority, which is not exactly a unified electorate. With only 55 percent of eligible electorate voting, Congress secured roughly 40 percent of the seats, which means it won around 22-25 percent of the eligible electoral votes, better than all others, but not better than its own early past. A more sobering outlook is called for. The voters of India rejected the politics of excess and extremism, and they also voted for a party that seemed to understand that markets do not have capacity to deliver all social solutions. They voted for a party that still believes in secularism, egalitarianism and pacifism. Above all, they voted with sobriety and reservation, obeying their own collective concerns and needs. Come to think of it that is a welcome event in Indian politics. Rushir Shah is a member of NetIP NC, the Carolinas Chapter of the North America’s largest Network of Indian Professionals. To feed your professional development needs, to craft your leadership skills, to enlarge your professional network and to succeed in your career, read through NetIP’s articles / attend events and become a NetIP member. Learn more about all these at www.netipnc.org/

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scatter throughout North America. He might blog about teaching his son to drive and the melancholy ache of watching him drive away to college. The blogger could share how it felt to lose his sharp vision as he aged, and what it was like to get his first traffic ticket because he was driving too slowly. If a corporate blogger is a genuine by Wendy D. Wells person and not a fake product pusher, their audience will grow. They have to be real. Corporate blogging is about relating to people on their Corporate Bloggers level and giving them a slice of another person's life. It's Many companies today are hiring corporate bloggers. voyeuristic in a way that is allowed, legal and acceptable. Some are simply hiring them to talk about what it is they Now, how does it benefit your company? Here and there do with their product, others are hiring them to actually throughout the blog, you would place hyperlinks that promote their products and services. This morning, I direct traffic to your webpage. Or at the bottom of the attended a breakfast for "Social Media Charlotte," and blog, there can be a statement or short paragraph about your shop or services, and how someour guest speaker, touched on the topic, thing like what they've written is made but not enough in my opinion. See, I possible due to services like yours. This write blogs for a few companies. I am a What is corporate increases the traffic to your website, thus corporate blogger. Some people might blogging and what increasing your brand name's exposure. think it's disingenuous to have profesdoes corporate blogOne of my blogs is for a huge satellite TV sional writer blog for a company, and company. I usually end up blogging others think it's a great way to stay in ging do? What can it about European Football, Manchester touch with your core audience. In fact, do for your company? United is my team, I'm obsessed. I have in California, they passed a law saying a following of people who want to know that items containing a certain cancer what is happening with the players, causing ingredient had to have a sticker on it. Recently, someone wrote on a local community's transfer speculations, who is injured, and what my genblog that they couldn't believe a particular scissor com- eral opinion is. Instead of trying to force a plug for the pany would make a cancer-causing scissors for children. satellite TV company in my writing where it won't fit, I'll One of the corporate bloggers on the East Coast caught simply say at the end of the blog that maybe I had to the comment at 5AM West Coast time, explained the rea- DVR the game and watch it on my (name brand) HD digson behind the sticker, and that the scissors did not cause ital, crystal clear picture satellite TV…I'll say how I get so cancer. Before the open of business on the West Coast, many channels of sports and movies, and I'll put hyperthe person who wrote the original comment retracted her links on certain words that pertain to the satellite TV. As a corporate blogger, the benefits I offer are that the statement and the whole issue never blew up beyond that one exchange. What could have turned into an ugly, traffic to the company's website escalates at a rapid rate, sales plunging catastrophe was averted, thanks to cor- there is constant exposure of their product, and an increase in their brand's recognition. The fact that I have porate blogging. Some of you may be wondering what is corporate a loyal readership, means that their name brand is blogging and what does corporate blogging do? What can always exposed to a growing number of people who read it do for your company? Corporate blogging is when a my blogs. Some of my articles are passed around via company hires someone to blog either daily or a few emails, Twitter and links that get posted throughout the times a week. That's the most simple explanation. If you sports world; which includes the UK, after all, Manchester hire a blogger, they don't necessarily blog strictly about United is from England. The team also has a huge fan your product or services, but whatever their passion is base in the U.S., so their exposure is circulated in North America where they want to generate sales, thus that is performed with the product or from the service. For instance, you're a restaurant owner, who hires a increasing their revenue. That's what matters most, the blogger. You wouldn't necessarily need the blogger to talk bottom line – money. Whether or not these people are only about your type of food and your place of dining, buying satellite TVs within the next 60 days or 12 instead, they would blog about their whole passion of months, the brand awareness is consistently increasing eating and what food means to them. They would write as the audience of my blog continue to become engaged about the sensations the aromas bring to them, the in what I write. When the time comes that my readers experiences they have with their family, what happens want to buy a satellite TV, because I've been genuine, when they wash the dishes after dinner with their daugh- I'm their friend…they feel like they know me, so they ter, the bonding time they spend teaching her how to trust me, and the satellite TV company I recommend is cook, memories of learning to cook when they were lit- brand X. Bottom line: corporate blogging increases revtle….it's the genuine, human qualities of blogging that enue. bring people back to reading over and over again. Wendy D. Wells Let's look at another example: an auto repair shop is President of WD Wells Writing and owner hires an older gentleman copywriter to blog. The Editing, LLC. She is a Charlotte, NC based, man blogs about the road trips he took as a young man Telecommuting Copywriter, on the turnpikes and freeways when he was a kid, the Professional Blogger and Editor. roadside picnicking he and his family did, as the only wwells@wendywellswrites.com restaurants back then were a few Howard Johnson's

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Caribbean Okra Stew

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Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons oil 1 pound thawed frozen okra 1 large onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 large sweet pepper, thinly sliced 1 small hot pepper, finely chopped 2 large tomatoes, finely chopped 1 cup water 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon allspice

Stuffed Avocados Ingredients: 4 medium-sized ripe avocados 1/2 cup ground almonds 4 Tablespoons finely chopped scallions 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves 2 cloves garlic, crushed 4 Tablespoons lemon juice 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne Method: Cut unpeeled avocados in half lengthwise and remove pits. Scoop out the pulp and place it in a mixing bowl, reserving skin. Add the remaining ingredients to the pulp and thoroughly combine. Spoon mixture into avocado skins and serve immediately. Serves 8.

Method: Heat oil in a non-stick saucepan and sauté the okra over medium heat until it turns light brown, turning it over a few times to cook evenly. Remove okra with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towels to drain excess oil. In the same oil, sauté the onions, garlic, and peppers over mediumlow heat for 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and water and sauté for another 10 minutes. Stir in the okra and the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until okra is tender, adding more water, if necessary, to prevent sticking. Serve hot with cooked rice. Serves 5.

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Community Focus FROM BHATINDA TO BELK Being born and brought up in one place, the same latitude and longitude for all your life, does not serve as an alibi for limited exposure any more. You could be living in Timbaktu but you better be aware of the King Fahd International Airport in Damman, which happens to be the biggest airport in the world. Don't fret if you were not aware of that tidbit of information. The point being that globalization is the word of the day! Who better to exemplify that than a handful of Indian business graduates! I recently met up with a group of masterminds from our very own motherland over a plate of hot lip smacking samosas! Youngsters who have travelled all the way from 'Lovely Professional University' in Punjab to be here at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Belk College of Business) to attend a four week "business boot camp"! Yes, a summer vacation of assignments, grades & projects. All in front of a projector screen with a highly intellectual person giving away his pearls of wisdom. That definitely is a world away from how the rest of us may picture spending a relaxing summer. While I was getting sympathetic with the poor souls who had left their families far behind just to socialize and globalize their way ahead in life. I realized that they seemed to be more than just jubilant to be doing what they are. Yes, unbelievable as it may seem, these bunch of twenty-something's were all excited to actually be attending classes and finishing up assignments during their summer vacation! Digging into her, all-time favorite, aaloo tikki chat, Neeti Chowdhary calls these four weeks the most enlightening weeks of her life. In a very short period, they are being taught stuff that professionals have gathered from years of hard work and experience through guest lectures and workshops. While Parteek Gupta professed that he is delighted that an enrollment in a professional university in Punjab could be combined with an out-of country experience where he is able to learn about new cultures. While Tanuj Chopra realized how independent and efficient he can be, even when he is all by himself in a new country, thousands of miles away from his comfort zone. As we finished munching on our early evening snack, we headed back into the dorms where Sanil Talwar and Simrat Cheema actively started coaching another Chinese classmate on the significance of “Namaste”. That definitely comes as a pleasant surprise, for these students. Being in America has not only proven beneficial for them but the other classmates living with them as well.

July 2009

As I cluelessly asked how they managed to get adapted to their new surroundings in a matter of days, Yamini Goyal backs me up by saying, "I boarded the flight to Charlotte with lots of dreams & apprehensions of carrying my family’s trust on my back. I see these four weeks as an opportunity for me to realize my hidden abilities, to be able to go back to my family as a rejuvenated 'yamini' who's learned well beyond her birth boundaries." That definitely proves that every one amongst these 60 students is a go-getter! I moved out of this group of haloed brains to find myself with another group of students discussing stuff that sounded like pricing promotion, firm capital structure and so on and so forth. That is when I was told that these students have been given assignments to be submitted within twenty-four hours. They were having a brain storming session. While these students come from different majors like marketing, finance, project management, etc. they have a preprogrammed curriculum with courses designed to expose these students to the global aspects of business in every arena of study. Right from international business policies to global marketing strategies, every niche area of management studies is covered through an intense four-week program filled with assignments and project submissions. Well, if you have started to think that this exchange program is all about books and brains, stop right there. These guys are all set to explore every bit of Charlotte when given the time. Starting with the recreational activities within the university campus to the adrenalin gushing Carowinds Amusement Park. These “on-their-way-MBA's” are sure guaranteed a global experience in the truest sense. It would be a sin to put a happy ending to this short article without the mention of the professors who have accompanied the students in this trip. Dr. Sanjay Modi is here along with the 60 students to ensure their safety and wellbeing. While all of us would like to break free and prefer to be unmonitored, the students seem to be just as happy with Dr. Modi around and say that he is more a friend and less of a professor! While our Indian guests seem to be making the best of the opportunity available to them, our very own University of North Carolina - Charlotte is being the perfect host and making sure that all of them have their home away from home. In terms of education, exposure, social activities, food and comfort the coordinators are more like Godmothers. Thanks to programs like this we will have the world managed by enthusiastic highly adept and globally trained managers! (By: Aishwarya Ramaswamy)

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Events Of Note: Immigrant Resettlement Function Saturday, July 18th at The Hindu Center of Charlotte. 11:00 am to 4 pm. You are invited to share their Asian culture and experience. Come see how diverse groups, HIAS (Hebrew Immigration Aid Society), Catholic Charities Immigration Services and many other organizations are able to work together in the resettlement of refugees. More than 1500 families from all over the world to be resettled. Please bring "gently used" clothing (on hangers), shoes, etc. that can be donated to resettled family members. Please help make a difference in another human beings life. Cultural dances, Indian food vendors & free medical seminar will be available. Please call Nimish Bhatt for more information at 704-491-1186.

Community Reports 9th Annual Function of Nrityangan Cultural Academy - Saswati Collam (Photos: Pratibha Kakad) The afternoon of June 6th 2009 saw the talent of 102 danseuse from a tender age of 5 to the ripe feisty ones of 52, coming together and performing on one platform, one stage. The event was the 9th annual function of the prestigious Nrityangan Cultural Academy of Charlotte under the able guidance of its Guru – Ms. Rituparna Mukherjee

chief guests and gave away trophies to the talented members of this academy. The persevering and ever encouraging parents and family members were thoroughly impressed with the timeliness and organization of the show and beamed with pride to see their silent efforts rewarded with such magnificent results An outstanding cultural extravaganza that has managed to up the bar on our expectations and thirst to see more and more of such classic events being held in Charlotte in the years to come. SV Temple Pran Pratistha - May 28th, 2009 An auspicious and momentioius 5 day religious event took place at the new SV Temple in late May. Thousands of people attended the event marking the opening of the SV Temple in Cary. The concept began with an idea ten years ago came to fruition after many dedicated volunteer put countless hours in to creating a temple that is the “jewel of the Carolinas.”

The audience comprised of an overwhelming crowd of 350 dance and music lovers who swayed to the beat of the evening and allowed themselves to be carried away in the wave of emotions that was the theme of the evening – “Krishna Leela & Different Aspects of Love”. No theme could have been better suited given the current war torn condition of our world and the diminishing faith of people in as simple a concept but unequivocal one at that, an emotion called love The talent on stage was equally matched by the script and the oratory skills of the emcee delivering it for the evening. It helped weave the dance performances into one storyline and kept the audience connected and enthralled for the entire duration. There wasn’t a single dry eye in the Providence High School Auditorium, when the performance wound up with a portrayal of the ultimate form of love - patriotism and sacrifice for the love of one’s country.

(Photos: Nirav Shukla)

County Commissioner, Harold Codgell and City Council Member district 5, Nancy Carter, graced the evening as July 2009

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July 2009

2 Minutes from Bombay Bazaar & Payal Groceries

Saathee

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Film Reviews

Chilling in Kovalam

continued from page 22

continued on page 12

his or her way … the only rational response to abrupt climate change.” They “represent” Exxon and give an outrageous keynote speech to hundreds in the petroleum industry, demonstrating a new biofuel made from climatechange victims – the audience is dumbfounded when they hear, in seemingly straight talk, that they are holding lit candles made out of dead humans. Whether one agrees with their particular political perspectives or not, one can readily appreciate the Yes Men’s dedication to their cause. They use press releases, email, and the web, as well as impassive, logical-sounding arguments, as weapons in their skirmishes to build a more just world. Sometimes David can terribly embarrass Goliath – and, they hope, shine publicity on issues that deserve wide discussion. One wonders if their tactics could be used by people who have widely divergent views, perhaps even having opposite views on how to achieve “justice” for a given domain. The Yes Men Fix the World, consistent with the nature of the pranks, is quite funny while often having the feel of a spy movie. Footage they have of executives networking with them and commenting on staying in touch about their outlandish ideas is shockingly laughable. The film won an award at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival. It is expected to be released this summer, and a book is also forthcoming; I encourage readers to visit theyesmen.org for full details and much more information about their pranks. Though the interview didn’t come to pass, we may be able to feature it in an upcoming issue. Some of the questions that I had hoped to pose include:

here is an angry man. Last time, in Kovalam, he went up to one woman and said, ‘Do you want sex?’ just like that. He is crazy.”

• You are probably familiar with the “McLibel” case where two UK activists welcomed it for the publicity when they were sued for libel by McDonald’s Restaurants for a pamphlet critical of the restaurant. I don’t believe that you have ever been sued or jailed, but would you ever undertake Gandhian civil disobedience, for example, and expect/hope to be prosecuted? • Clearly you have strong views on economic approaches to social justice. How have your tactics resonated with those who have different views? Do they appreciate your humor and dedication to your cause? • I was quite surprised that perhaps the most respected news agency worldwide, BBC, bought your website without doing more background research. • Can you share more details of how the people of Bhopal reacted once the hoax was revealed? You seemed to enjoy your reception in India. Did you travel elsewhere in the subcontinent? Have you shown your film there? • Your film describes other causes you have championed, such as Hurricane Katrina rebuilding and stopping global warming. Are you a full-time activist? How do you support yourself and your films? • Can you briefly describe your first film, simply entitled “The Yes Men” from 2003? • When will the film be available for Saathee readers in the U.S. or other countries?

Feel free to contact me by email (barman@jhu.edu) if you would like to suggest additional questions. The film is dedicated to the Bhopal victims. The Yes Men have created a website, www.bhopal.net, to help you to learn more about the issue and contribute toward it.

Judging by his friend’s grin, he had a point. “That’s not very nice,” I said. “So we are going to Varkala this weekend,” he said, repeating his impression of a busty siren. “To find lovely women.” “Well, be nice to them,” I said, “or they’ll just think you’re idiots.” “I will be,” he said. “I am not sure about my friend, though. He is an angry man!” And with that I bid them goodbye and went back to photographing their “fantastic” beach, while they did star jumps on the promenade and grinned at each other at the thought of their impending trip to stare at the girls of Varkala. Visiting Kovalam, it’s easy to see how men like this get their kicks from the beach, because like all good beach destinations, the bikini is queen. Or it is for western women, who soak up the rays in the skimpiest attire, sometimes without first consulting the Bumper Book of Taste. Kovalam is also a popular spot for proper Indian tourists, especially on a Sunday when both beaches are heaving with locals, but when Indian women go swimming, they do so in full attire, making sure they don’t show off any more parts of their body than they do in the high street. It’s bizarre: on one hand you have bikinis that seem to disappear at certain angles, and on the other you have sarees in the surf. But it can get annoying, as can the touts, who waltz along the beach front, trying to persuade you that, yes, your life really isn’t complete without a map of India and a packet of counterfeit cigarettes. In most places a quick shake of the head is enough to put the touts off – Varkala was particularly laid-back, I thought – but in Kovalam they are much more insistent, though they still have a long, long way to go before they can appear on the same bill as the touts of Morocco. More irritating are the stares you get when you wander round in a bikini, a problem that I can’t confirm first hand, but which was fairly apparent by the way gangs of ten or 15 young Indians would walk in front of a bikini bather on a sun lounger, their heads turning left in a precision movement that would have a Sergeant Major wiping a proud tear from his eye. Let’s be honest, every single person on the beach enjoys looking at the beautiful people – both male and female – who grace the sand, but there’s a difference between peeking from behind one’s sunglasses, and standing there as a group, gawping like 14-year-olds. That said, if you develop a reasonably thick skin and practice the art of saying “No” to the touts, Kovalam is a pleasant spot to soak up the sun, and it’s a good place to relax. After all, even the touts in India have a smiley side, something you really can’t say about every country.

Note: All pictures are from theyesmen.org and are free to be used under a Creative Commons license. July 2009

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Community News & Events Compiled by Rajesh Ganatra

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. July 24-28, - Art of Living Course Charlotte. 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 am-12:30 pm and 4 - 8:30 pm, Sat/Sun 6:30 am8:30 pm. Gujarati classes are held every Sunday from 3 - 4 pm and "Satsang Sabha" is held every Sunday at 4:30PM. 4100 Margaret Wallace Rd. Charlotte, N.C. 704.573.0805 Bhartiya Association of Lake Norman (BALKN) BALKN summer picnic is scheduled for July 11, 2009 at Lake Norman State Park(Kingfisher Shade), Troutman, NC. 11 AM until evening. All the BALKN members and the community members residing in the Lake Norman Area are requested to participate in the picnic. Park map and other details will be sent to members by e-mail. Mitesh Parikh: 704.807.4485 or Ajay Patel: 704.450.6130 www.balkn.org Carolinas Prayer Fellowship Rev. Dr. Samuel Prabodh Talluri invites everyone living in North and South Carolina to participate in "Fellowship" Every Sunday Morning in Gastonia. 704.865.1428 (Jay) 704.824-8698 (Joe) 704.545.1465 (Dayakar) Charlotte Gita Study Group Contact the following individuals for more info. Rajesh Venky & Savitha Mathur: 704.845.0464 or rvenky@aol.com Shridhar & Kruti Dave: 704.844.9567 or 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 July 2009

activities include social get-togethers, music, and drama. 704.526.9990 Appan Patil agm_patil@hotmail.com 704.281.8732 Raj Kulgod kraj7@yahoo.com Charlotte Table-Tennis Club 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 Sunday 1-5 PM. 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. Goenka or one of his assistant teachers). Ten-day courses are also available for all students. There is never a charge for a course. 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 the concerts. 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, NC. 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. June 11 & 12 - Dada Bhagwan Satsang in the presence of AtmaGnani Pujya Shree Deepakbhai Desai. Venue: Hindu Temple (Main Hall), 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC 27560. Timing: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. each day. 704.287.3133 www.dadabhagwan.org Saathee

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 4pm 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, healing concerts and lectures. 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 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. Currently seeking volunteers. shuklas@carolina.rr.com www.ekalvidya.org Hindu Center of Charlotte 7400 City View Drive, Charlotte, NC 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. C.R.O.P - Children's Religious Oriented Program 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 or 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). saathee.com

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**Snacks will be provided after the event. Directions 1. Take Exit 42 on I 85. 2. Keep Left at the fork to continue towards NC 49/N Tryon 3. Slight right at NC -49/University City Blvd 4. Turn left at Broadrick Blvd 5. Turn right

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Community News & Events 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 Vedanta Hall on second Sunday of every month at 10:30 am to 12:00 pm noon followed by Prasadam. Info: 704.825.9223 (Swadesh 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 held Sundays at 9 am. 704.864.8212 pradip_bulsara@hotmail.com. Wed Jul 8-Fri Jun 10 - Summer Camp for kids K-12. Anuradha 704-675-5317 India Association of Charlotte The India Association of Charlotte is proud to showcase the cultural heritage of the Asian-Indian community at the forthcoming 15th Annual Festival of India. It presents a unique opportunity for Charlotte area residents to experience the diversity of cultures, foods, and entertainment of India. The Festival of India offers the perfect setting for friends and family to enjoy time together, to learn, and to have fun. You are cordially invited to this scintillating, vicarious tour of India. Discover the sophisticated taste of Indian cuisine ¨ See displays of the arts and crafts of India ¨ Extraordinary, colorful performances of old and new dance forms ¨ Authentic Indian music, displays of Indian musical instruments, and live demonstrations ¨ Learn to to wear the Sari ¨ Paint your hands with henna ¨ See an exhibit on traditional Ayurvedic medicine. The Festival of India will be held over two days at the prestigious Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and Belk Theater in Uptown Charlotte on September 5th & 6th. www.indiafestival.net Festival of India Kid’s Art Competition. August 30th from 3pm - 5pm at the Hindu Center. Last day of registration is August 15th. Age groups: 8-10 yrs., 11-13 yrs., 14-16 yrs. Find registeration forms at www.indiafestival.net Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte (IPAAC) IPAAC promotes classical Hindustani music by inviting well-known artists from India. Upcoming program 2009: -Shri Anand Bhate Gandharva, Vocal Concert, Saturday, June 13, 2009 at July 2009

CPCC, Tate Hall. -Dr. Rajeeb and Reena Chakraborty, Sarod & Sitar Jugalbandi, Saturday, Sept 19, 2009 at CPCC, Tate Hall. -Smt. Yogini Gandhi and her troupe, dance Odissi and Kathak Style, Saturday, October 31, 2009 at CPCC, Pease Auditorium. 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. 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. We promote the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner. We spread 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. If you need help or are in search of information regarding domestic violence call an advocate. Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and contextsensitive 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 Saathee

• KIRAN's services are completely confidential. Translators and crisis counselors do not disclose any information provided by our clients. CRISIS HOTLINE: 1877- NC-KIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 KIRAN@KIRANINC.ORG http://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. www.yahoogroups.com/group/magaresa-indianmusic http://magaresa.ning.com http://www.meetup.com/BollywoodMusic-Meetup-Group/ McColl Center for Visual Art The McColl Center for Visual Art has selected Veda Saravanan and Varsha Pradhan to display their paintings in the 6th and 7th Street windows in uptown Charlotte. Veda will be displaying in the 2 windows of the Hearst Tower on 6th street and Varsha in the 6 windows of the TransAmerica building on 7th Street from January 10, 2009 through July 11, 2009. McColl Center for Visual Art is an artists’ residency program and gallery dedicated to promoting contemporary art and supporting artists regionally, nationally, and internationally. The Center’s goal is to present art and artists in a way that engages and enriches the public while revealing the creative process through open studios, outreaches, community projects, and educational programs. www.mccollcenter.org 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. Hardik Shah hd@netipcharlotte.org www.NetIPCharlotte.org Pratham - Charlotte Area Pratham Charlotte now seeking volunteers. Pratham is India’s largest nonprofit 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 saathee.com

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Community News & Events which helps children to read & write in 2 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. Pratham USA is a 501 (c) (3) charity which supports Pratham’s programs in India. Pratham USA has won Charity Navigator's four-star rating (its highest possible) for the third year in a row, joining a select group of nonprofits who have achieved this rare distinction. Pratham USA’s overall score also places it among the top 1 percent of all non-profits rated by Charity Navigator. Pratham USA is supported by Foundations like Google, Gates, GE & Hewlett and individual donors. www.prathamusa.org Anju Desai 980-622-0125 ajdesai66@gmail.com and Shubhra Chakraborty 704-942-4798 shubhra.chakraborty1@gmail.com Probasi of Charlotte Probasi represents the Bengali community based in Charlotte and surrounding areas. The groups goal is to organize cultural and educational programs related to Bengal in the Greater Charlotte area, to increase Bengali cultural awareness and to provide community service in the area. www.probasi.org Sahaj Marg Meditation Charlotte 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. Arun & Promila Sehra 704.844.0147 Srikanth Katakam 704.496.4411 naturalpath.nc@gmail.com www.srcm.org 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 a sponsor's house from 3 - 5 pm. 704.392.4488 - Ramesh Dhanani July 2009

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 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for recital of "Datta-Bavani", singing devotional Dattatraya Bhajans and reading "Guru-Lilamrut". Detailed information about Charlotte meetings, literature, videos, Nareshwar Ashram and Shri Avadhut's life is available. 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. 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. 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,Charlotte NC. 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 literature, theatre, music, cinema and popular arts. 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 East Indian traditions. 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 - 13530 Choate Circle from 8:00 am to 11:00 am (weather permitting). This group is dedicated to playing cricket with a hard tennis ball and/or soft baseball for fun in the Steele Creek Area of Charlotte. If you would like to stay informed about this club or would like to play/watch cricket, feel free to join and share your ideas. http://www.geocities.com/steelecreekcricketclub Saathee

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. Sreedhar Manjigani 704.965.6704 education@tagca.org www.tagca.org United Cricket Club Team plays in the Atlantic League. Practice is every Sunday at Reedy Creek Park (11am to 4pm). Games on Sunday and Monday evenings for ages 15 and up. Join the fun. 704.905.9127 - Captain-Syed 704.493.7629 - Vice Captain-Mohsan

GREENSBORO TRIAD AREA 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. We would love to take matches. 336.501.3566 (9:00 am - 9:00 pm, S&S) Dev- Greensboro Warriors: happy4mehta@yahoo.com Venky - Triad Tigers: venkyhot@hotmail.com. Indo-US Cultural Association of Winston-Salem The Indo-US Cultural Association's mission is to increase awareness of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India and its history. The Association seeks to reach out to the thriving IndianAmerican community within the Piedmont and Triad areas to share the vibrant Indian culture and promote cross-cultural understanding. Ananda Mitra 336.682.5727 ananda@wfu.edu www.indouswinston.org 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 336.420.7290 or 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 saathee.com

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Community News & Events based upon the teachings of Srila AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and the philosophy of the Bhagavad-Gita, becoming God conscious. Kirtan, mantra meditation, and discourses on the top most yoga system. Treat yourself to a free, hot and delicious vegetarian meal on Sundays at 1 pm. Venue: 1283 Prabhupada Rd, Sandy Ridge NC 27046. Info: 336.871.9738 www.prabhupadavillage.com 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. 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 by Mrs. Punjabi. 336.656.0203 Dhananjay Kumar www.iatnc.org 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 at www.youtube.com/LifeBlissFoundation. Satsangs in the Greensboro /WinstonSalem area include Life Bliss Meditation, video discourse, Q&A, and Nithya Spiritual Healing Prayer, a method of energy healing. Satsang Locations: Weekly - Wednesdays- 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm, Integrative Therapies, 7-E Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro NC 27407 Weekly - Fridays, 7:00 pm to 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 organizes regular Sai Bhajans, Study Circle , Balvikas class for students and Service Activities. All devotees are welcome to the Center. 1st Sun of the Month 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, all other Sundays 10:00AM – 12:15 PM. 612.239.7529 Deepak Deshpande at Winston Salem. 908.875.6964 Swami Rajendran at Greensboro July 2009

Raleigh Triangle Area 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 a member of their American host family, sharing household duties and responsibilities. AFICE is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to bringing cultural gaps by allowing foreign students the opportunity to live as part of an American community. Info: lathapamarthi@earthlink.net www.afice.org Association for India's Development (AID) Duke University Chapter AID's mission is to effect social change by supporting projects with grassroots non-governmental organization in India. Focusing on areas of literacy, health care, rural credit, women's empowerment etc. http://www.duke.edu/web/aid/ Atlantic Coast Sikh Association One of the oldest Sikh associations in the Southeastern USA. Meets every Sunday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at the gurdwara - 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 919.467.4856 - Mrs. Raj Dhillon 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 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. balagokulam.rtp@gmail.com Charlotte region hss.charlotte@hssus.org www.balagokulam.org Saathee

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir invites everyone to the regularly scheduled events: Ravi Sabha every Sunday from 4 - 6 pm followed by Aarti and Maha Prasad. Mahapuja – every Purnima at 7 pm. Many classes are conducted regularly. 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 a variety of programs for members of the IndoAmerican community within North Carolina and adjacent states. The association is organized exclusively for charitable, cultural, social and educational purposes. 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 who are of the age of 60 years and over. The members of the organization meets on the second Saturday of each month. Upcoming meeting on Saturday June, 13th between 10:00am to 3:00pm at Cary Senior Center (located on High House Road in Cary, NC). The picnic on May 9th at North Cary Park was a good time for all attendees. A committee has been formed for Tours and other large scale events. Chairperson: Mulchand Patel - 252.314.5527 At present the revised constitution and by-laws is under way on final stage. 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 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. 919.362.9591(Sarav Arunachalam) rdu@cryamerica.org www.cryrdu.org saathee.com

July 2009

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Community News & Events Chinmaya Mission The group hosts study groups/satsangs in Raleigh, Cary, Morrisville, and Chapel Hill. All are welcome to attend. Chinmaya Mission offers an avenue for adults to acquire spiritual knowledge that can be applied to lead a successful and happy life. Study groups follows three disciplines - self-study, enlightened discussion, and finally, reflection on the knowledge gained in class. Chinmaya Mission Raleigh-Durham is accepting students for admission to Balavihar for 2010-2011. Weekly classes (Pre-K to grade 12) begin on September 13, 2009 and will be held Sunday mornings from 10 to 11:30 am at Reedy Creek Middle School, 930 Reedy Creek Road, Cary. In Chapel Hill, weekly classes are held Sunday mornings at McDougle Elementary School. register at www.chinmaya-rdu.org. Classes are taught by dedicated volunteer teachers trained by Chinmaya Mission Acharyas. The Balavihar teaching method is built upon Bloom’s Taxonomy theory of education. Bloom is renowned as one of the greatest educational experts in U.S., and his teaching techniques and learning concepts are practiced and emulated by leading educational institutions. The new Balavihar curriculum, which was created for Chinmaya Mission, is based on Vedantic principles, stories of Ramayana, Mahabharat, and Bhagavatam. The teaching method distinguishes itself from knowledge-based teaching, and leads children to the highest form of learning with synthesis and evaluation of the spiritual concepts with practical application to their daily lives. Children and youth develop mental strength and gain confidence in overcoming obstacles and challenges in their lives. They also participate in various family-oriented events such as Hindu festivals, pujas, picnic, lock-in pizza party, and year-end celebration. 919.544.2815 CMRDU1@gmail.com www.chinmaya-rdu.org 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 Swamijitrained 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. 919.484.1993 (Srinivas Chittineni) 919.461.0843 (Suresh Kota) YahooGroups: Dattasatsang_NC July 2009

Duke Diya Duke Diya is a Duke University student organization that is committed to providing a forum for interaction through political, cultural, community service, and social events relating to South Asian Americans. 732.865.3173 www.dukediya.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. 919.803.0478 - Hari H. Nath hnath45@yahoo.com www.ekalvidya.org 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. The organization works hand-in-hand with many other organizations on and off the NCSU campus, as well as South Asian organizations from area universities. 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. 919.851.1119 - Dr. Afroj Taj taj@unity.ncsu.edu GEM - Raleigh Church of God Attend worship services, prayer meetings or Sunday School. 919.395.6208 - Pastor Thankachan M. globalem@gmail.com Heritage India Association of North Carolina (HIANC) Heritage India Association of North Carolina aims to provide an Indian cultural experience through performing Saathee

arts, fine arts, cultural arts & crafts of India. Its mission is “to preserve and promote Indian heritage and culture.” It organizes three colorful events annually. The 2009 celebrations are as follows: Gandhi Jayanti on October 4 at the Marbles Kids Museum. Children’s Day on November 14 at the HSNC Cultural Hall. Group performances by youth, children and adult artists from the Triangle community are welcomed for all events. Yash Garg at 919-870-5222 Harsha Shah at 919-362-0520 chander@bellsouth.net 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. 919.851.0225 (Saroj Sharma) 919.461.0001 (Vinod Goel) vgoel2@nc.rr.com Hindu Society of North Carolina Morrisville 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, Weekend 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: Sat Jun 6 - Mataji Jaagran 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. Mrinmoyee Sanyal 919.676.0298 - msanyal@ncsu.edu www.hsc-ncsu.org saathee.com

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Community News & Events Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) conducts weekly activities to develop character and leadership skills in participants, emphasizing values such as selfdiscipline, 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. hss.rtp@hssus.org - 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. 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 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. 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. 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 can not live in the July 2009

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. 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 Gurgaon. Adopt an on-going project or launch an new project under specific guidelines. Make a commitment today to build a better tommorrow. 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 ICC 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. 919.233.2900 www.internationalcommunitychurch.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. www.hindi.org 919.851.0225 (Sarojben Sharma) 919.362.5244 (Sudha Dhingra) 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 RaleighDurham chapter organizes a "Satsang Sabha" every two weeks, typically on Friday or Saturday evenings, which Saathee

includes Kirtan bhakti, Katha, Aarti and Mahaprasad. 919.363.2356 Niraj Joshi niraj_joshi@yahoo.com www.swaminarayan.info 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 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 4:15-5:45 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. 919.593.6827 golokanandapriya@hotmail.com Yoga classes - Krishna Priya krsnapriyahg@yahoo.com Kiran KIRAN is a multi-cultural, non-religious, community based, South Asian organization. We promote the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner. We spread 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. If you need help or are in search of information regarding domestic violence call an advocate. Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and contextsensitive 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. CRISIS HOTLINE: 1877- NC-KIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 KIRAN@KIRANINC.ORG http://www.kiraninc.org saathee.com

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Community News & Events 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. info@nuvyug.org www.nuvyug.org 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. http://ncpaa.org payamber@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 continually changing needs of the children it educates. Prathamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 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 like-minded 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. http://www.meetup.com/PIATriangle/ 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 July 2009

just curious and want to learn more. Regardless of background and/or knowledge the organization welcomes participants. www.vedantanc.org RTP Maharashtra Mandal RTP Maharashtra Mandal promotes Maharashtrian culture and language. Maharashtra mandal is committed to serve the RTP community with various cultural, social and traditional marathi programs and events. www.rtpmm.org 919.468.8824 (Jayant Yete) 919.757.7300 (Neeraj Shikarkhane) 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. 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. 919.841.0035 Alexey Lef 919.757.2732 Jenna Boyd meditation@nc.rr.com www.srcm.org or www.sahajmarg.org Triangle Kannada Association (SAMPIGE) 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. 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 first chapter outside the New Jersey headSaathee

quarters of SCF. SCF has been working with the Triangle's Indian community for more than 15 years. 919.425.5299 (Manu Patel) 919.469.1258 (Rajeev Kamath) www.shareandcare.org 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. 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. www.stgregoriosnc.org 919.461.1773 sec@stgregoriosnc.org Tamil Cultural Association of North Carolina (TCA NC): TCANC is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of providing the youth with exposure to Tamil culture. Everyone is invited to join TCANC and become part of a wonderful organization promoting Tamil culture in the Triangle area. tca_nc@yahoo.com www.tcanc.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. Ravi Shanmugam (President) (919)-465-1606 http://members.fortunecity.com/tamilsangamofcarolina 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. 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 Hindi speaking music fans all around the globe. www.tbsnc.org 919.741.9343 (Ishtiaque Mohiuddin) Ishtiaquem@gmail.com saathee.com

Community News & Events India Development & Relief Fund (IDRF) - Triangle Chapter IDRF is a registered tax-exempt nonprofit organization that supports volunteer-based, honest and highly experienced non-governmental organizations (NGOs) within India in serving their populations' critical needs around education, childcare, healthcare, womensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; empowerment and tribal welfare. As well as relief and rehabilitation in times of natural disasters. www.idrf.org Triangle Gujarati Association (TGA) 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. Arvind Shah 919.233.7677 Harsha Shah 919.362.0520 Ravi Parikh 919.387.8808 Kanak Purohit 919.465.9856 Hemini Patel 919.387.2900 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. 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 Datta-Bavani 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. Upcoming Events: Saturday, July 11 - 6:30 pm Restaurant Review - General Store Cafe 39 West St., Pittsboro,NC Friday - July 17 - 7:00 pm Potluck Picnic & Film NC Museum of Art - Raleigh Dilip Barman at barman@cs.unc.edu www.trianglevegsociety.org July 2009

Two Cents of Hope (TCH) Two Cents of Hope (TCH) is a registered 501(c)(3) nonâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;profit organization started by a group of Indian students at NC State University . We believe in empowering youth with education. We help to uplift the weaker sections of the society through the panacea - 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." We use coin boxes to collect loose change. These individual cents together 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 our other sources of funding includes-Fund raising events (Trishna, Crescendo, Booth in Cary Diwali), Sponsors. Donations are not limited to loose change. Please visit the website to make donations. In the last 3 years TCH funded $21,689, which includes 77 projects benefitting 270 students and 2 schools in India. To keep a coin box at your place or to know more about Two Cents of Hope 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. 919.851.1119 (Dr. Afroz Taj) 919.962.1060 (Dr. Afroz Taj) 919.596.4792 (Ashraf & 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. Shashin Patel, President. 910.790.9448 Sanjay Batish, Vice-President. 910.371.9860 Anjali Dashputre, Treasurer. 910.395.6633 Sukhbir Dhillon, Cultural Secretary 910.796.1965 Santosh Sheth, Music Director 910.392.1929 Saathee

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. www.giacc.org 678.762.7589 AniThirdM@aol.com, ani@giacc.org. 770.840.1925 - susan@giacc.org. Hindu Society Of Eastern NC (Greenville, NC) Upcoming programs: July 9 Children's Prgm (Roopa Gandhi) July 16, Sunday Study Group; July 23, Sunday Bhajans July 30, Sunday Study Group 252.830.5177 (Dharam Vasnani) VasnaniD@aol.com Hindutempleenc@gmail.com 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 cross-cultural understanding. Madan Rangabasyan 336.354.6199 indouswinston@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 the Columbia area. A monthly dinner will be held on the Second Sunday of every month between 6 to 9 PM. There will be a $10.00 Per Person charge for dinner at India Palace, 110-A Columbia Northeast Drive, Columbia. 803.233.7042 or 803.233.3996 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

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Community News & Events 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. www.hindutemplesc.org India Assoc. of Greater Charleston (IAGC) The IAGC was founded in Charleston to bring together people who are interested in India and to provide a forum to increase the understanding of the heritage of India in US. 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. Pastor Suhas Raiborde 864.234.1256 www.internationalfellowshipchurch.org Kannada Association of Greater Greenville (KAGG) An organization devoted to the awareness and promotion of Kannada culture in the Greater Greenville area of South Carolina. KAGG is primarily run by volunteers and invites Kannadigas living in and around Greater Greenville area to join the organization. KAGG will celebrated "Ugadi" on Saturday March 28th - the event included cultural and social activities followed by a catered dinner. 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. 803.749.0827 Dr. Shami 803.740.5127 Qari Abdul Khader Multani 803.754.2632 (Mosque main number) Sirigannada Sirigannada is the Kannada Association of South Carolina (based in Columbia). 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. www.sirigannada.org Telugu Association of Greater Greenville,SC Serveing the Telugu community of the Greenville/Spartanburg area of South Carolina. The group sponsors several events throughout the year. www.taggsc.org

place 3 times and considered it His home in the West. A small brick house built especially for Him is open for “Darshan” on Fridays & Sunday - 11am Meher Center: (843) 272-5777. 336.299.9683 www.avatarmeherbaba.org runderwood@webtv.net 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. 864.967.2852

COMMUNITY NEWS & COMMUNITY FOCUS Send your organization’s news and events by the 15th of the month for following month’s issue. Events submitted will be posted at saathee.com asap. Send high resolution digital images of your events afterwards & we will publish them in our Community Focus section as space permits.

Triad Avatar Meher Baba Group The Meher Center is a spiritual retreat/ashram located on SC Highway 17 immediately North of the Highway 22 connection, 8 miles from Myrtle Beach, SC. Meher Baba visited this

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Children Corner continued from page 40 The author after beating down and capturing that inspiration sets it into his (or her) pouch to use as arsenal when he (or she) fights the ever-present danger of a blank sheet of paper. An author must constantly face his or her own battles, and has a job too, defeating that nagging empty space at the bottom of the paper where a few words manage to squeeze themselves in. The important diction choices can never leave an author’s arsenal. Without it an author becomes the prey to the predator - critics who make up the army of the ever-present blank sheet of paper. Reading this extended metaphor, one may laugh, but truly an author must battle this every day. The frustration at sitting down and seeing nothing come up on the sheet of paper forces any author to desperately wave their flag in surrender. However, the inspiration decides to aid in some cases and thus creates a plan for revenge that authors are more than willing to carry through to defeat the manifestation of that white sheet of paper. Now, authors may not go as far as Hamlet or Heathcliff in exacting their revenge but they do have the same driving force Macbeth possesses in his actions, keeping in mind an author’s metaphorical usurping of thrones. Now once the author has defeated the paper it is safe to say that they create the work they have come to know and love and cherish. They have nurtured it and watched it bloom into a beauty. Thus, harsh criti-

cisms often come from the author himself. Do parents not wish that they had handled certain events with their children differently? In much the same way, authors often wish they employed elements of style (diction, syntax, tone, etc.) differently. Parents can never accurately predict the outcome of their children and an author can never predict what the pen will create in his brainchild. Sir Francis Bacon said, “Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact man.” If writing makes a man exact that means that authors can articulate their ideas onto paper in the same way an artist’s brush shows an artist’s sentiment, a dancers movements indicate the beauty of a piece, and a musicians notes signify the emotion behind the words. The action qualifies as precise and comprehensible, and not to mention, as a marvelous thing to see, read or hear. Thus I may conclude that an author forever feels in control and only leaves it up to the generations to come as to what his (or her) true intentions were in writing the story, song, novel, essay, or article. I only hope that my works may be analyzed in the future and not disregarded on the corners of the old dusty bookshelves. That was not the intention I had in mind when writing my works and in Mr. Sedaris’ words I have lost my “illusion of control,” something that writers wish to retain for eons to come.

Send submissions for possible inclusion in the Children’s Corner to: saatheemag@hotmail.com

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that the economy is actually out of recession. Every year, the Federal Reserve Board meets eight times to review economic data, monetary policy, and make appropriate adjustments to interest rates as deemed appropriate. All of the meetings for CY2008 have concluded and due to the extreme and uncharted conditions and circumstances within the global financial system, the Fed has taken actions to lower interest rates in between the regularly scheduled meetings as well. At the 12/16/2008 meeting (which was the last meeting for CY2008), the Federal Reserve slashed the Fed Funds rate (the rate at which banks borrow money from each other) to a target range of 0.00-0.25 percent and the Discount Rate (the rate at which individual banks borrow money from the Fed) to 0.50 percent - this represents a historical low and due to the slack economic conditions, these rates are expected to be in place for the foreseeable future - this dramatic rate cut did indeed have a sharp, strong negative impact on the U.S. Dollar's value against other world currencies. The first four [4] meetings of CY2009 were on January 2728, March 17-18, April 28-29 & June 23-24: as expected, the interest rates were held unchanged. The remaining four meetings for CY2009 are slated as follows: 1) Aug 11, 2) Sept 22, 3) Nov 3-4 & 4) Dec 15.

into someone else’s hands - someone who was not his own child. Both these considerations have largely become anachronistic, because firstly, most women are financially independent and secondly because of DNA testing. Nowadays, the biological father can be identified and forced to pay child support. Also, you can be very sure — if that is so important to you — that you are rearing your own child. Did you know that India is the most married nation on earth? Almost everyone gets married in India. Even with all its disadvantages, marriage provides a stable environment in which to bring up children. It also provides for a long-term commitment and security to both partners. So look before you leap, but tie the knot just as your parents did!

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

July 2009

Writers & Photographers We are always looking for contributors. If you have an interesting tale to tell, an opinionated opinion or just want to get something off your ches, write to us. We may publish your piece in a future issue of Saathee. Children are encouraged to submit poems, short stories or other original writings. Photographers contact us if you have taken interesting photos in South Asia saatheemag@hotmail.com

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July 2009

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110.

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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.

July 2909

1. Arrange these provinces of Canada from larger to smaller areas. (a) Nova Scotia (b) Alberta (c) Ontario (d) Quebec 2. Music director of 1957 Hindi film Suvarna Sundari. (a) Naushad (b) C. Ramachandra (c) Chitragupta (d) Adinarayana Rao 3. “Pathankot–Mandi” distance by N.H.#20 is about (a) 120 Kms. (b) 220 Kms. (c) 320 Kms. (d) 420 Kms.

3 . 4 . 5-9 7 . 18 19 21 28 30

. . . . . . . . .

.Deva Shayani Ekadasi .Independence Day (US) .Jaya Parvati Vrata .Guru Poornima (Full Moon) .Kamika Ekadasi .Lailat al Miraj .Divaso/Darsha Amas (No Moon) .Sant Tulsidas Jayanti .Noli Nom August 09

4. The reinforced concrete was invented in 1877, in (a) United States (b) Japan (c) France (d) Germany 5. This US President was born on July 4, 1872 (a) Abraham Lincoln (b) Calvin Coolidge (c) Herbert Hoover (d) George Washington 6. The word “Auroral” is pertaining to (a) Dawn (b) Cataracts (c) Gold (d) Ear 7. A missing number in the series: 1, .5, .33, _ , 0.2 (a) .31 (b) .28 (c) .25 (d) .22 8. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803? (a) Maine (b) New Hampshire (c) Mississippi (d) Louisiana 9. The melting point of the element Zinc is about (a) 220˚C (b) 320˚C (c) 420˚C (d) 520˚C 10. The first product to have a bar code included was a packet of (a) Playing Cards (b) Winston Cigarette (c) Hersey Bars (d) Wrigley’s Gum 11. The only king without mustache is the king of (a) Heart (b) Spade (c) Diamond (d) Club 12. If you weigh 75 kg. the calorie consumption per hour for aerobics (Medium) dancing, is about (a) 400 (b) 500 (c) 600 (d) 700 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.

Puzzle Solutions are on page 110 (No peeking!) July 2009

Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul Jul

Aug 1 . Aug 2 . Aug 5 . ..... Aug 11 Aug 12 Aug 13 Aug 14 ..... Aug 15 Aug 16 Aug 19 Aug 20

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

Aug 22 ..... Aug 23 ..... Aug 24 ..... Aug 31

. . . . . . .

.Putrada Ekadasi .Pavitra Baras .Raksha Bandhan Day (Full Moon) .Lailat al Bara’ah .Naag Panchami .Randhan Chhatha .Shitala Saptami .Janmasthami .Independence Day (Pakistan) .Independence Day (India) .Ajaa Ekadasi/ Paryushan .Pateti, Parsi New Year, 1379 begins .Darsh-Kush Grahini Amas (No Moon) .Ramadan begins .Varaha Jayanti .Ganesh Chaturthi .Haritalika / Kewada Trij .Jain Samvatsari .Rishi Panchami / Sama Pancham .Parivartini Ekadasi

Major Holidays & Festivals of Sep. 09/Oct. 09 Sep 3 . Sep 7 . Sep 19 Sep 20 Sep 22 Sep 27 Sep 28 Oct 2 . Oct 3 . Oct 12 Oct 17 Oct 18 Oct 19 Oct 31

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. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

.Anant Chaturdashi .Labor Day (US) .Navaratri Begins .Ramzan Eid .Autumn begins (US) .Navaratri Ends .Dassera .M. K. Gandhi/L. B. Shastri Birthday .Sharad Poornima (Full Moon) .Columbus Day .Diwali .Vikram Samvat 2066 begins .Bhai Beej .Halloween saathee.com

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with $20 Minimum Purchase. Limit 1 coupon per customer per table & per ticket. Other restrictions may apply. Not valid with any other offers. With coupon only. Exp: 8.05.09

le. b g n i L r e a t r a g a C e l P n i i a d r e a t z ies! Banquet Hall Av Speciali , N C S C : , g G n i A v r & surroun Se ding areas. 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?

Accepting major insurance

Compassion.Attention.Professionalism

Medicare and others.

companies: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, United Health Care, Cigna, Med Cost,

Our doctors are fluent in English, Hindi, Urdu and Spanish

Dr. Henry E. Rice • Dr. Ferzaan A. Ali 537 W. Sugar Creek Rd. • Charlotte, North Carolina 28213 Phone: 704-598-8040 • Fax: 704-509-0915 www.charlottechiropracticclinic.com July 2009

Saathee

saathee.com

again in the last week. You may feel relaxed in the middle of the month, but health related problems might take a serious turn, don’t ignore these issues. This will take your peace of mind. You may get good news regarding your child.

General Predictions for July 2009 ARIES MAR 20 - APR 20 Even with problems at workplace and changes in responsibilities, you will be able to maintain a good steady flow of income. If involved in partnership, your luck will surprisingly favor you. Time is also good to participate in social and cultural activities to develop more contacts. A very happy family life is clearly indicated. Avoid listening to advice from friends or associates. Enjoy trips to the amusement park or attending a picnic. TAURUS APR 20 - MAY 21 After some minor losses in the beginning of the month, you will enjoy sudden rise in income during middle of the month. Act smart and your success will delight you. You may get a promotion offer during second week of the month. However, unexpected family problems may spoil the pleasure of your achievement. Avoid disputes with mother-in-law or sister-in-law. You will enjoy good health this month. GEMINI MAY 21 - JUN 21 After a bad start, time will improve unexpectedly during last week of the month. You must be very careful in making a comment in public. Financially you will enjoy good luck. Your relations with your partner may start taking a turn this month. A sense of relief will give you peace of mind in the later part of the month. It is advisable to wait before making any major decisions. Don’t drink and drive and, most of all, avoid speculation. CANCER JUN 21 - JUL 22 Even during a dispute with spouse and family you will enjoy good results in the financial field. Money will come to you from more than one direction. Don’t wait till the end of the month to make any moves. Intelligent planning by your partner will delight you. Avoid family issues for now and focus on career and income. A great idea may also click in your mind. Be brave and start implementing it. Follow your instinct. LEO JUL 22 - AUG 23 After a very lucky start, the situation will deteriorate during the second half of the month. Your egotistic comment will cost you a lot. It is advisable to follow your spouse. Unexpected family problems will also hit badly. You must not come up to any conclusion on your own nor should you take action on it. Better times are on the way so just relax and wait. Major health problem may also bother you this month. VIRGO AUG 23 - SEP 23 Unexpected rise in income will delight you. Enjoy speculation during middle of the month. It will cover your expenses. These expenses will grow July 2009

Saathee

LIBRA SEP 23 - OCT 23 Relax and enjoy your life. You may neglect morals and traditions. The last week of the month will bring extra income for you. However you may see setback in the field of education. Just ignore it and focus on enjoying the materialistic world. You may suffer due to false allegation at place of work. Be watchful. You may also lose financial support from your spouse. However, your kids may prove a very good help. SCORPIO OCT 23 - NOV 22 You will experience power of artistic expression and interpretation. Journey with friends and sibling will bring happiness. You will achieve commendable status and will enjoy respect in society. You may develop enmity with somebody of the opposite sex. Avoid getting involved in partnership deal. Don’t take risks in business. You may also experience bad luck in the financial market. SAGITTARIUS NOV 22 - DEC 21 Lack of confidence may create some problems for you. Try to develop self-confidence and flexibility. Do not indulge in immoral deeds. Do not act haphazardly or aggressively. Under the table dealing must be avoided. It is better to go for a trip with friends. Meeting with old friends/love is quite possible. Try to curb expenses on luxuries. Don’t get involved in minor disputes with your family. CAPRICORN DEC 21 - JAN 20 A steady progress is clearly indicated during this month. Act very cautiously during this transit period. You must not make any long-term commitments. Work as a team during this month. You should go on a journey in connection to your career; it may prove rewarding and fruitful. However, time is not good for religious and social ceremonies. Try to be a bit stubborn and continue working hard. AQUARIUS JAN 20 - FEB 19 After a positive start, things will disperse from your control. A sudden change may put you in an embarrassing situation. Spend some money in fixing and decorating your house. Don’t argue with your spouse. Try to avoid conflicts. Time is good for making new friends or starting a love affair. Some kind of family problem will make you spend substantial amount of money. Avoid taking stress, or be prepared for depression. PISCES FEB 19 - MAR 20 You are entering into a period of confusion and self-distraction. You may have to slog, as your work burden will be too much. Keep on working hard, don’t think or speak too much. You will feel that the change is good but it could be nothing more than an illusion. Avoid any major changes. Your family will help you in adverse situations. Don’t take any debt in last week of the month. By Jalendu Vaidya Contact: 973-365-1766 / hindusvision.com saathee.com

Indo-Pak MiddleEastern

The Reasons to See Our Eye Specialists are Perfectly Clear. Tired of bifocals? Have cataracts? We specialize in the Restor/Rezoom Lens Implant procedure whereby 90-95% of patients enjoy spectacle-free vision for distance, intermediate, and up close tasks.

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Caribbean

(University Area)

Groceries

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Store Hours: Monday: 5-9 Tuesday - Sunday: 11-9

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Surgical care provided in Huntersville, Charlotte, and Gastonia

Welcoming New Patients! Kashyap Kansupada, MD, FACS Board Certified, Ophthalmology

Belmont Office: 704.825.3388 Huntersville Office: 704.295.3600

Fu Lin Asian Cuisine

day Week pecials S t Lunch g Startin

4.95

end Week cials Spe Lunch ng at Starti

5.935 pm

Noon

The First Indo-Chinese Restaurant in Charlotte 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. Open: Tues - Thurs: 11:30 am - 10:00 pm Friday: 11:30 am - 10:30 pm • Saturday: Noon - 10:30 pm Sunday: Noon - 10:00 pm • Closed Mondays.

5301 F. East Independence Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28212

Just Minutes from Hindu Center & Baps Mandir

Early al eci ird Sp

B $

f f O 3

trees All Edn., Thurs., & Sun

Tues.,

July 2009

5-7 pm

in the Independence Promenade Shopping Center. Located on Independence Blvd between Sharon Amity and Idlewild Roads.

Phone : 704-568-8877 Fax: 704-568-8895 Delivery Available call for details.

Saathee

Fu-Lin Asian Cuisine

TAKE OUT SPECIALS $10 OFF with purchase of $50 or more $5 OFF with purchase of $35 or more $3 OFF with purchase of $25 or more $2 OFF with purchase of $15 or more saathee.com

Saathee

Classifieds BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES: Wanted Hotel/Motel On Lease: Contact Joe 252-412-7681 or email hamiltonfax@yahoo.com Indo-Pak Grocery Store For Sale: Charlotte, NC area. Well established business & clientele. Great location. Must see property! Call 704-340-1336 Liquor Store & C-Store for Sale on Lease: Reduced Price! In Clover, SC (Near Gastonia): Asking $115 k + Inventory (Negotiable) on lease .Gross for both $385k. Call Rocky 803.810.5105 Franchises for Sale: in your neighborhood! Buck’s Pizza, HealthyWay Café and Pretzels Plus. Contact – www.hnhfranchisebrokers.com or call 919-815-3026. Texaco For Sale: in York SC high profitable Business. Monthly inside $50k, Gas 35k, Lotto $25k. For lease asking price $125k + inv., rent $4,500. Call for details: 704.219.1992 or 704.578.4470. C-Store / Gas & Auto-Workshop For Sale: Charlotte, NC - Great Interstate Location, 4-5 minutes to Downtown. Lease $4500/month. 3 month deposit, no royalty fees. Purchase $550K. All EPA requirements current. Owner financing available. Call 704.641.5902 Citgo Truck Stop For Sale: Off Exit-61 on Hwy-95. Includes restaurant, repair garage & gas station. $60k gas/month. $35k inside sales. Call 910-922-6794 C-store For Sale on Lease: In concord, NC, $175,000 + Inventory (negotiable) gross $450,000 to $500,000 inside, 450,000 to 500,000 gal. outside. Call 704-936-5983 BP Gas Station For Sale: Highly profitable gas station & C-Store in Winston Salem area of NC. Inside: $40k-$45k . Outside: $40kGals.-$45kGals. Profit margin is 35% inside & 10-12 cent per PG for gas. Add income ATM $500 per month & car was $2500-$3000 per month. Call 336-491-2219 CITGO For Sale: Highly profitable CITGO gas station / C-Store in Greensboro, NC area for sale. Inside $40K- $45K. Outside $80KGals-$100KGals. Profit margin is 45% inside & 10-12% PG for gas. 336-327-2579 EVOS. Successful Franchisor of America’s First Healthier Fast Food. Burgers, fries, and shakes that are 50-70% less fat, 100% full of flavor! Franchise opportunities now available in NC. 919-815-3026 www.evos.com North Carolina Motel: near Greensboro for lease / sale. Call 919-481-2565 or inquiries to KC85RN79@hotmail.com Liquor Store For Sale: in Inman, SC. Low rent, nice location & good future potential! Call 864-472-6960 Businesses For Sale: Four Duplexes (8 units, positive cash flow). High Volume Cstore/Gas station. 30 Unit Motel. Two laundramats. For details & appoint call 704-4883434. Broker. Businesses For Sale: C-Stores: Conover, NC, $155K + Inv., GR $1.2M; Moyock, NC, $13M + Inv., GR $22M; Asheville, NC, $1.2M + Inv., GR $3M; Charlotte, NC, $169K + Inv., GR $1.2M; Many Locations & Owner Financing Available!704814-9435/www.countysouth.biz

July 2009

Businesses For Sale: Café, restaurants, deli, coin laundry, dry clearers, and more plus residential listings. Call for best discounts when you buy or sell. 704.649.9095. Coin Laundry For Sale: Busy, state of art coin laundry on sale. Safe location beside Police station. Call 704-333-2462.

Help Wanted: Energetic sales person needed for retail clothing store in COLUMBIA,SC and CAMDEN,SC. Part-Time & FullTime positions available. Handsome salary plus commissions /bonuses. Must have own transportation. Call Manoj at (803)427-1681

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

PROPERTY FOR SALE OR RENT:

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 MUST for all positions. E-mail resumes to abcone@abcinns.com or 704649-6833.

House for Rent: 2 Bed,1 Study, 1.5 Bath (2000 sqft) for rent in 3500 sqft new home in Mallard Lake for a single family or 2 females. An young, decent couple (Both are working) are already staying. Rooms have a private entrance. One car garage, Washer and Dryer included. Community has a Park, Walking Trails, Swimming Pool. Rent is $750/mo Call:704-625-1008

Gas Station Help Wanted: Full time help for convenince store near Charlotte, NC. Short or Long-Term positions available. Accommodations Provided! Call 704.701.9975 Quiznos Now Hiring: Durham, NC. Good Salary & opportunity for growth. Must speak English. Training provided. Call Ketan Patel 919-423-4380 Motel Now Hiring: Atrium Inn - High Point, NC. Part-Time front desk clerk. Evenings. Driving distance to UNC-Greensboro. Lodging & meals provided. You can have another job elsewhere too. Perfect job for a student! Pays $400 / month. Call 336-558-3844. www.atrium-inn.com Night Auditor Needed: Franchise Motel in Raleigh, NC. Couple needed for night audit. May consider single. Experience preferred but not required, will train. Accommodations provided. 919.395.0710. Hotel Help Wanted: Desk, Housekeeping & franchise motel in NC. ferred. Couples welcome. provided. 252-623-9115

Manager, Front Maintenance for Experience preAccommodations

Babysitter Needed: In the University area of Charlotte, N.C. (Arbor Hills) to take care of a 9 month old baby girl. Must have your own transportation arrangements. Call 704-756-0780. Nanny Needed: Live-In nanny needed for 3 year-old & 1 year-old boys. Please call 910-868-7780 or e-mail: hktandon@gmail.com Nanny Needed: Experienced nanny needed for 2 children. Please call 704-910-5979 Domestic / Houshold Help: NEEDED for vegetarian Indian Family of 5 in Chapel Hill. Live-In or Live-Out. Call 919-9332595 Hiring Immediately: Eyebrow & Facial Threading Practioners Needed For Charlotte. The Brow Bar hiring full & parttime for Northlake Mall Store. Experience preferred. Call Manoj 980-322-1110 or email: mopandoria@gmail.com Gas Station Help Wanted: Shelby, N. C. (45 miles form Charlotte). Immediate opening Full/Part time. Single or Couple. ExperiencePreferred. Good Pay. Call Haresh Patel @ 704 472 1572. Help Wanted: Now hiring women who know Eyebrow Threding. Training provided. Full-time/Part-time or weekends. (Must speak English) Our locations are: Fayetteville,NC - Cary, NC - Raleigh, NC Roanoke, VA - Danville, VA. If you live close to these areas please call 773-5078848. Email: apq147@yahoo.com

Saathee

Retail Space For Lease: Excellent location in Chatham Square Shopping Center! Cary, NC. 1300 sq. ft. Call 919.649.1484 before its gone! House for Sale: 5 bedroom, 2.5 bath, close to UNCC, Concord Mills, I-85, I-485. Low taxes. Lots of extras, $149,900, 843-2176642. Condo for Rent: Near waterfront and swimming pool. Walking distance to bus. Perfect for small family, H-1 workers or students. 704.619.1603 MATRIMONIAL: Punjabi Parents Seeking: alliance from professional pretty Hindu girls for their US born son; 28 yrs., 6’-4”. MBA, Banker, settled in Charlotte, NC. Caste no bar. Call 706-2679911 or email photos & biodata to rajbh84@gmail.com Seeking Partner: Hindu Brahmin Male, 35 years old. Divorced on H1B settled in Georgia. Looking for a divorcee with or without child. Contact: 571-484-8805 Looking for Brahmin Gujarati Girl: 27 yr Gujarati Brahmin boy. Ht. 5'10''. Masters in Computer Science. Software Professional working for a Leading Health care company in New York. Family in Carolinas. Contact for more details: bio@coolbhatt.com PRODUCTS: Vending Machines For Sale: 4 2008Antares Vending Machines (9 snack & 7 Drink combo) with dollar bill changer. Perfect for Hotels/Motels, Coin-laundry, etc. $1200 per machine. Contact 919-793-4696 For Sale: Couch and Love Seat set in excellent condition. Reversible pillows and cushions. Sale price is $375. 704-576 1241 or 704-549-8428. Portable Tandoor Ovens For Sale: Ideal for residential or restaurant use. Use for parties & more! For details 919-949-1156 SERVICES: Tennis Anyone: Mike Masemore – Head Teaching Pro & Coach, USPTA Certified. Offering lessons and training for all ages and abilities. Specializing in developing the complete game for Tournament Players. Visit www.MaseTennis.com. Contact Mike at 919696-6677 email: mike@MaseTennis.com Math Tutoring : Real-time tutoring using virtual whiteboard technology with professional tutors based in India. Free 30 min trial. As low as $5 for a 45 minute session. State-aligned curriculum & assessments. WWW.TCYONLINE.COM. Call Ritu Thakur 704-443-7054 or toll-free 888-757-8377

saathee.com

SERVICES (continued): Nanny / Babysitter Available: in Charlotte & University areas. Experience varies from 3-month olds to 6-year olds. Fluent in Hindi & Gujarati. Beginner in English. Call 704-208-6253 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

Babysitter Available: Several years of experience in the Charlotte area. Fluent in Gujarati, Hindi & English. Call 704.619.1603 Harmonium/Keyboard Player: For any occasion/party, Garba-raas, traditional Indian wedding songs, programs & lessons. Kirit 704.568.8206. Ladies Beauty Parlor in Durham: Threading, Facials, Waxing, Haircut, Henna, Hair Color, Manicure, Pedicure, etc. Opposite Around the World Mrkt. Hwy 54. Call for appointment 919-249-1198

Looking For A Female Singer: with a good voice & sense of Sur & Taal. Able to sing Garba, Ghazals, Bhajans & Filmi songs. Call (704) 975-3067

Henna Designs: Experienced henna artist for weddings, parties, arangetrams & more. Resonable rates. Charlotte area. Call 704.619.0251

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.

Bollywood, Bhangra, Fusion, & Hip Hop Dance Lessons In Charlotte: Dance instructor/choreographer with 10+ years of experience in various dance styles (Bollywood, Bhangra, Hip Hop, Fusion, Reggae). Private & group lessons for males and females of all ages! Dance Group & Choreography for special performances for weddings & other events. Call 919.395.2679 Email: dancevolutions@gmail.com.

Noor Salon & Spa: Special 50% off haircut! 3801 Hillsborough St. Suite 147 Raleigh,NC 27607. (919) 829-7206. Come by for all your beauty needs! Daley Circle Learning Lois CavanaghDaley Basic Essay Writing for All Ages (Job skills, college entrance, end of grade testing, summer enrichment, and creative non fiction) . E-mail to returned54@yahoo.com 919.832.4599 References Available Gujarati Priest: Devendra Dave Independent priest. Ganesh, Randal, Navratri, Diwaliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Laxmi & Sharda Pujas, Satyanarayan Katha, Weddings, Vastu, Baby Showers, Funeral Seva. Call Daveji 704.780.3563. God Blessings to All.

July 2009

Tutoring: for 5th grade to 10th grade mathematics. Get ahead during the summer for next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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! Contact Nivethika: 704.756.2817 for appointment.

Saathee

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 Beautician in Matthews, NC: Pari Beauty - Threading, waxing, bleach, facial, manicure, pedicure & much more. 18 years of experience. For appointment call 704.846.7912 Mehandi (Henna): Award winning artist from Jaipur, India is specializing in wedding parties (Bride & attendants). Satisfaction is guaranteed regarding design, color & price. Krishna Priya Dasi 919.824.7734 E-Mail: krsnapriyad@hotmail.com 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 704-8437202. email: sbhandari@carolina.rr.com SAATHEE CLASSIFIEDS: Business ads are $25 & personal ads are $15 up to 25 words. Type or clearly write the ad & include a check along with your home/work phone numbers. Classified posted on saathee.com at no extra charge. We accept Credit Cards.

Ad Submission Deadline is the 20th. Saathee Classified PO Box 11468, Charlotte, NC 28220 E-mail: saatheemag@hotmail.com 704.527.7570 Fax: 704.527.7590

saathee.com

Index of Advertisers A.S. Art Studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Access Realty & Funding (Chandravadan Shah) . . .61 Agie Photography (Agie Sundaram) . . . . . . . . . . .39 Al Falah Pediatrics - Dr. Kamal Khan . . . . . . . . . . .37 All Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Asad Enterprises (International Calling) . . . . . . . .59 Ashirvad Tours & Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Asian Grocery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Bali Luxury Cars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 BallantyneTech Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Bashyam, Spiro & Edgerton LLP (Immigration Law) 78 Bharat Bazaar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Bhindi Jewellers . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover Bhojwani, Pinky Patel (New York Life) . . . . . . . . . .81 Blooming Buds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Bombay Cuisine Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Bombay Grille Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Bright Mart Music & Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Cakes and Flakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 CaroMont Medical Group (Dr. Manu Patel) . . . . . . .72 Cary Photo & Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Centex Homes (Brijal Shah) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Charlotte Chiropractic Clinic (Formerly Carlisle Chiropractic) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Charlotte Primary Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Concha, David - Immigration Attorney . . . . . . . . .97 County South Realty & Business Brokers . . . . . . .100 Dale's & Tandoor Catering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Delhi Palace (Columbia, SC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Dentist (Dr. Prashant Rao - Cedar Walk Dentistry) .72 Desai, Raj (Accountant) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Dick James Law Firm (Monty Desai) . . . . . . . . . . .62 Dish Network (Reality on Dish) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Dish Network (Viren Mehta) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 DJ Kenz (Kenz Desai) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 DJ Desi (Amit Vasi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 DJ Don (David Pandoria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36 DJ Lalit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (Sushil Baweja Concert) 83 Elegant Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Elements of the Wedding (The Main Event) . . . . . .43 EQ3 Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Eshaan Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 & 36 & 113 Fairview Home Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Fast Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Festival Of India (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Friends Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Fu Lin Asian Cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Gandhi International Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Grover Medical Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102 Henna's Dulhan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Hindu Center (Health Fair) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70 ICICI Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 India Grocers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 India Palace (Columbia SC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 India Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 International Groceries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Isha Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Jaipur Indian Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 JM Emporium (Columbia, SC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 K & M Accountant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 K.B. Zaveree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 KD Photographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Khandekar, Shobana (Allen Tate Realtors) . . . . . . .35 La Bella Studio (Photography & Cinematography) .20 Legacy Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover Lightning Minds (Training In Oracle Tech) . . . . . . .39 Limon Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Little D Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Live Spectrum (Sunidhi Chauhan Concert) . . . . . .13 Mahabazar.com Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Maharani Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Malani Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors) . . . . . . . . . .87 Mrithujayan, Sue (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Nagpal, Sunil (MetLife Financial Services) . . . . . .113 Namaste India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Nationwide Ins. (Maqsood Khan) . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Parekh , Bipin & Smita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Passage To India - Fine Indian Cuisine . . . . . . . . .45 July 2009

Patel Brothers (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Patel, Champa (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Pathak, Atul (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Payal Groceries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Poplai, Deepak (White Insurance) . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Prashant Video Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Pro-Learners IT Training (Provish Consulting) . . . .35 R.P. Videography (Rashmi Patel) . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Rajbhog Foods (Shree Kailash) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Rajdeep Mandap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Rajdeep Video (Ramesh Panjabi) . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Rajeshree Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Rapid Car Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Religious Ceremonies (Swaminath Sastrigal) . . . .79 Royal Kabab Hut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Royal Pakistan Grocery Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Rudhraksh Abhishek Maha Puju . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 s2s Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Saathee.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114 Saffron Restaurant & Sangeeta's Catering . . . . . .73 SAT Tutoring (The Hitchhiker's Guide to College) . .91 Shah, Anish (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52-53 Shah, Kirti (CPA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Shyama Beauty Parlour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Situl Indian Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Sleep Inn (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 SP Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Spice Bazaar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Sunuvkriti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Taj Fine Jewlery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Taste Of India (Catering) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Transportation (Diamond Cab) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Travel Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Travelinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Ttravel Guru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Tulika's Interiors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Tyagi, Rita (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Usha Decor (Wedding Planning & Decor) . . . . . . . .61 Vocal Music Lessons (Amrita Biswas) . . . . . . . . . .38 Vyas Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 White Horse Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Woodlands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Worldwide travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72 Zamana Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

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