Saathee Digital January 2010 Raleigh

In this issue:

Indian Ambassador in Charlotte Riding India’s Plastic Highways

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Hello Readers Happy New Year. All of us at Saathee wish you a productive, rewarding, and healthy 2010.

Women run almost all art galleries in Karachi. Read about this development in a story on pg. 6.

Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar will visit Charlotte for a lecture and luncheon. Get the details on pg. 8.

India’s minister of higher education talks about the need for foreign universities to build campuses in India in an article on pg. 10.

Read a travelogue on one of Jainism’s spiritual centers, Palitana, on pg. 14.

A couple of entrepreneurs are taking plastic waste and using it as part of highway building materials. Read how this helps Indian roads last longer on pg. 32.

Catch up on all the happenings in local organizations in our Community News section beginning on pg. 90.

A features magazine for the South Asian Community of the Carolinas

Quote: “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”

- Mother Teresa

January 2010 – Issue # 141 Editor:Samir Shukla (saatheemag@hotmail.com) Publisher: Divakar Shukla (rakavid@aol.com) Community News Editor: Rajesh Ganatra Ad Design / Layout: Nate “Nigambhai” Andrews Consultant: Himanshu Desai

Your saathees: Samir, Divakar, Raj & Himanshu

Contributors for this issue: Pradip Bulsara, Kirit Shukla, Rajesh Ganatra, Judith L. Bergman, Chandan Sen, Hena Sharma, Mark Moxon, Sardar Singh, Dr. Maha Gingrich, Wendy Wells, Narendra Dixit, Krutika Chheda, Gail Z. Martin, Anjana Agarwal, Kubacka, Aadithya Nair, Anita Kulkarni, Jalendu Vaidya, and Dr. Meena Chelury.

In this issue: Art in Pakistan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 06 Indian Ambassador in Charlotte . . . . . . . . . .pg. 08 Foreign Universities in India? . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 10 Palitana . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 14 Saathee Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 16 Bolly Bits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 20 Sangeet, Music of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 22 Evergreen Film Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 24 Indian Classical Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 28 Book Reviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 30 Riding Plastic Highways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 32 Dances of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 34 Music Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 36 Children’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 38 Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 40 Foundation of Relationship . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 42 Mastering Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 44 Astride Three Continents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 46 License to Rock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 48 Healthwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 50 Stock Tickers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 54 Marketing Turnaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 56 Personal Finance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 58 Immigration Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 60 For Greater Good . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 62 Tax Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 64 Social Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 66 Tending to a Bruised Knee . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 68 Mood-boosting Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 70 Cricket Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 76 Community Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 84 Community News & Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 90 Pop’s Puzzles and Jokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 110 Who Want’s to be a Scholar . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 112 Festivals and Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 112 AstroScope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 114 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 116 Puzzle Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 118 Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 118 January 2010

All contents © 2010 Shukla Entertainment, Inc. Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily of the publisher or editor. Contact us prior to sending in articles or photographs for submissions.

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

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

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

www.saathee.com Cover: A slow ride in Kerala

In parts of India the elephant is still used in felling trees, moving logs or just strolling down the road on a pleasant day. This photo was taken in rural Kerala.

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Photo: BigStockPhoto

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

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Art, Power and Single Women in Pakistan In Karachi, the men might buy the art, but it’s women - many single and young - who control the market.

By H.M. Naqvi — GlobalPost.com KARACHI, PAKISTAN — Defying the global downturn in art and perhaps common sense, another gallery opened in Karachi last month, the second in three weeks. Both are run by women.

More intriguing than dynamics of the market is the fact that the entire Pakistani art scene is run by women, single women.

Sumbul Khan is a spritely thirtysomething of vaguely Pathan extract. She returned to Karachi several years ago after completing a masters in art history in the United States. After teaching art history and theory, she pitched a program on art in Urdu to Indus TV, the first independent channel in Pakistan. After the program was aired, the head of Indus TV, the legendary Ghazanfar Ali, asked her if she was interested in setting up a gallery in a cove of vacant rooms within the premises of MTV Pakistan (owned, in part, by Indus TV). Khan readily agreed. She named it Poppy Seed.

After knocking down walls, plastering and painting the space, and installing a hardwood floor, Khan contacted seven mostly up-and-coming artists for a show entitled “Moving Image.” The pieces in the show were supposed to “critique the pervasive influence of the moving image in the lives of uncritical audiences.”

Although a few pieces seemed maladroit — there was an installation featuring drips labeled with polysyllabic social ills — the theme mostly managed to fuse disparate styles of the seven artists into theoretical coherence. In any event, the show was well attended and generally well received. Khan seemed quite pleased afterwards.

Art Chowk, the second gallery that opened last November, is run by a mother-daughter team who are, in ways, refugees from Dubai’s economic crisis. When the market there had been white hot, the two began a virtual gallery online, sourcing Pakistani art to the buyers with deep pockets from the Middle East to Hong Kong. “They had expensive cars,” averred Shakira Masood, “and they wanted expensive art.”

After the market went south, Masood moved east.

Masood, the mother in the mother-daughter team, is a divorcee and a recognized painter. She says the infrastructure of the art world was dramatically different when she was starting out.

“There were no galleries, no magazines. All of us had second jobs.” In the old days, she continued, “We did it by pure will.”

When asked how the Pakistani art world is run by women, she replied, “I do find it strange but then 51 percent of Pakistanis are women. My landlady is a woman.” Buyers and collectors, she noted, are mostly men.

Art Chowk caters to young urban professionals January 2010

whose sensibilities have been shaped by a different milieu than those of an earlier generation. Art exhibits are now covered by TV channels, reviewed in magazines, critiqued in journals like Nukta (which, of course, is edited by a woman). There are dedicated art schools and even an art collective: run by prominent contemporary artists including Adeela Suleman and Naiza Khan, VASL funds workshops, seminars, and residencies. As a result, a cultural shift has taken place. There are, for instance, two if not three openings a week in the city.

Karachi’s two major commercial galleries, Canvas and Chowkandi, hold exhibitions like clockwork. The former is owned and operated by Sameera Raja, a chic, no-nonsense single mother, while the latter is owned and operated by Zohra Hussain, a widower and veritable sari-clad institution. Both are pioneers; both have endured.

But perhaps the most innovative gallery in Karachi is a not a commercial venture. Tucked away in a quiet canton of the city, V.M. is financed by the Rangoonwalla Trust and run by Riffat Alivi, an oldschool artist who often employs new-fangled techniques. Her recent work at Canvas strangely featured smoke on paper.

She certainly thinks about curatorial practice in a novel way. In a recent show entitled “Size Does Matter,” she encouraged four emerging artists who don’t work with scale to work with scale. The results were spectacular. Another show inspired by Lollywood movie billboards traveled to Green Cardamom, a gallery in London. And in the first week of December, doors opened to the annual, VASL-sponsored Taza Tareen exhibition, featuring the work of five recent art school grads, including three women.

Women, V.M.’s Alvi whimsically maintains, are more organized than men. Although that might be correct, does organizational acumen or “pure will” explain why women run the art scene? A critic suggests otherwise: the single women who now run things probably found refuge in art at a time when art was not considered a serious venture or vocation. Those who had persevered, propelled by pure will, serious-mindedness and by brisk business, have become influential figures, arbiters of taste, doyennes.

Musing on the phenomenon, however, Raja of Canvas declaimed, “Women are prettier, smarter, have better social skills and know how to get things done.”

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Indian Ambassador Meera Shankar to Visit Charlotte The Ambassador of India to the United States, Ambassador Meera Shankar will be in Charlotte on January 21 for a luncheon and lecture sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Charlotte. She is slated to discuss U.S.-Indian cooperation in a historical context, the current global order, and the multi-dimensional aspects of the relationship between the two countries.

The World Affairs Council of Charlotte invited Her Excellency Ambassador Meera Shankar to Charlotte, as there is great and growing interest in the community about India. India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest country in the world by size and has one of the most ancient civilizations, with over 347 spoken languages and amazing cultural and historical heritage.

The Indian economy has been on the rise for the past few years with effects of globalization, privatization and liberalization contributing to the extraordinary growth. With an ever-growing GDP of almost seven percent, India is the second fastest growing economy in the world, notwithstanding the global recession. Given India’s economy growth potential, Goldman Sachs has predicted that India will overtake the GDP of France and Germany by 2020.

India and the United States share important interests on some of today’s most pressing strategic issues, including the struggle against terrorism, the stabilization and de-Talibanization of Afghanistan, the cautious engagement of a rising China, and are engaged in joint pursuit of international trade and global warming pacts and in steering the world economy out of turmoil, while further strengthening bilateral ties between the two friendly nations.

During the recent State Visit of the Prime Minister of India, President Barack Obama praised the United States’ relationship with India as “one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century.”

“Having the Ambassador of India be the guest of WACC and talking about India, its’ history, culture, economy and strong ties with the U.S. will contribute to the Charlotte communities’ understanding of India as our global strategic partner, on many levels, and help put Charlotte on the map for Indian businesses and investors,” said Ljubomir (L.J.) Stambuk, Executive Director, World Affairs Council of Charlotte.

“A new phenomenon is that investment flows now move in both directions with Indian companies investing in the United States. In fact, on the basis of annual flows, Indian FDI into the US exceeds US foreign direct investment into India in recent years. But, beyond the statistics, India-US economic ties, driven by information technology and services, have been very people-centric and this has brought an expanding constituency of people in both countries in closer interaction and has also played a strong role in modJanuary 2010

ernizing the Indian economy,” Ambassador Shankar said during a speech at the Brookings Institution this past December.

Ms Meera Shankar was born on October 9, 1950.

She joined the Indian Foreign Service in July 1973.

She has held several important assignments during her career: she served as Director in the Prime Minister’s Office from 1985 to 1991; was posted to Washington DC and served as Minister (Commerce) from 1991 to 1995. Thereafter, she headed the Indian Council of Cultural Relations in New Delhi overseeing India’s cultural diplomacy. Subsequently, in the Ministry of External Affairs, she headed two important divisions dealing with the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and relations with Nepal and Bhutan.

After promotion to the rank of Additional Secretary in 2002, she held the responsibility for the United Nations and International Security.

Her last assignment was as Ambassador of India to Germany from December 1, 2005 to April 6, 2009.

She arrived in Washington DC on April 26, 2009.

Ambassador Shankar will speak at a luncheon on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at the Westin Charlotte from 12 1:30 pm. The cost to attend is $50 (WACC members) and $65 (non-members).

Lunch is included. For further details call 704.687.7762 or visit www.worldaffairscharlotte.org.

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Opening the Doors to Foreign Universities?

India’s education minister says the country can’t afford not to.

By Shailaja Neelakantan - GlobalPost.com NEW DELHI, India — Since taking office in May 2009, Kapil Sibal, India’s minister in charge of higher education, has become the government’s most aggressive champion of opening the country’s doors to foreign universities.

In an interview last month, Sibal talked about why he thinks India can no longer afford to turn its back on foreign providers. And he outlined the kinds of regulations that will most likely govern such institutions should a much-debated bill on the subject finally pass India’s parliament in the coming months.

India’s current laws allow foreign colleges to offer programs in India, but only in conjunction with domestic academic institutions.

Sibal stressed that there are no “preconditions” for foreign colleges that wish to enter the Indian market. “I think any proposal that benefits us and those who want to come in are welcome,” he said. “We will of course examine those proposals, and we have to make sure … that quality institutions come in. They should not be looking for quick profits and moving out.”

Responding to concerns that some foreign institutions have had about the prospect of dealing with India’s notoriously difficult government bureaucracy, Sibal said that they “should not be worried about the normal trappings” involved in setting up a university here because their entrance will be governed by a separate statute that does not involve existing regulatory agencies.

Any foreign higher-educational institution allowed into India — if unaided by the Indian government — will be able to determine its own tuition and curricula, he said.

But it will have to seek accreditation in India, and will not be able to repatriate profits.

“We are not going to sort of minutely look at these things to interfere and intervene, but we must make sure their quality is consistent with what we want,” said Sibal, who is a graduate of Harvard University’s law school and also India’s former science and technology minister.

“When you set up a course in India it may be Harvard in the U.S., but it has to be accredited here.”

When asked whether foreign institutions will have to comply with India’s quota laws, which set aside a percentage January 2010

of seats for students from various castes, Sibal implied that they would not, provided that they do not accept federal or state government support, like private universities in India.

A new commission being set up by the Indian government at Sibal’s recommendation will replace a myriad of regulatory agencies, in hopes of increasing clarity and reducing red tape in the accreditation process.

Sibal explained that this commission will review applications from foreign institutions wishing to enter India, but said it will not have the authority to approve them, implying that his ministry will have the final say.

Objections to opening India to foreign educators remain strong in India. Opponents frequently point to the high tuition rates institutions abroad charge and say they do not want to see the same happen here.

But Sibal dismissed such concerns, noting that that is already happening in India’s private higher-education sector. He added that if a foreign institution plans on charging what would be considered a high rate in India, he would advise it to think twice. “I think any good education provider will be sensitive to such concerns,” Sibal said.

The minister did stress, though, that foreign highereducation providers allowed into India cannot repatriate any profits to their home campus.

“Look, nobody is against profit,” he said, “but it should not be distributed to shareholders. The profit should be plowed back.” He suggested that 75 percent of such profits should be reinvested into the Indian campus and the remaining 25 percent should go into a reserve fund in India owned by the university.

Sibal said he was optimistic that opposition within India to foreign universities will diminish.

“The people of India are ready for it,” he said, adding that he expects that a long-delayed bill to allow and regulate the entry of foreign higher education institutions will be passed before next July, when the next academic year begins.

Sibal framed the issue within the broader process of globalization that has affected all nations. “If you ask me, this process of a global economy moving forward started first with the services sector. Then the manufacturing sector ventured out, and I’ve been saying the time is right, the moment is right for the educational sector,” he said. “If nations want to get closer to each other and develop a strategic partnership the best way to do it is through investment in education because that’s what brings people together.”

The government’s renewed interest in foreign university partnerships has garnered the attention of the Obama administration. Representatives of the two governments have begun meeting to discuss educational collaboration. Sibal noted that he had met William J. Burns, U.S. under secretary for political affairs, just that morning to discuss the creation of an India-U.S. Education Council.

“We would like to collaborate with (American universities) on a whole range of issues,” he said. “I personally think that whatever proposals come our way, we are willing to consider them, whether it is vocational training, research collaborations, public-private partnerships, certification processes, diplomas, degrees, 100-percent owned universities or joint ventures.”

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Jain temples may look quite similar to those of the Hindus, but the Jain religion is far closer to Buddhism. The statues of the tirthankars dotted round India are like huge standing Buddhas (but with more obvious bodily parts), while the temples are lively and as crammed with carvings as Hindu shrines. It’s an interesting variation on the theme.)

From the second I stepped into the rickshaw to my arrival at the temple complex, I’m convinced they did everything in their power to dissuade me from getting there, though perhaps they were simply demonstrating their belief that you have to put in the effort to get close to enlightenment. Whatever, as I headed out towards the hill of temples, it felt as if they were in control rather than me...

Palitana: A Jain Spiritual Center Story and photos by Mark Moxon So you want to build a temple? That makes sense. So you want people to come to your temple? That makes sense, too. So you find a hill towering 600m above the dry scrubland of the Gujarat peninsula and stick your temple right on the top in the most inaccessible point of all, and then you build a 3000-step staircase for your flock to climb? On the surface, that appears to make no sense at all, but if you look at the world through the eyes of the Jains, it all starts to fall into place.

Jains in India number about five million, which is relatively small when you consider that the religion originated here at about the same time as Buddhism (500 BCE). But take a trip to Palitana and you’d never know that Jainism is one of India’s minor religions, because the sheer scale of achievement on top of this hill is staggering.

If you think that intentionally building your temples in the middle of nowhere is a strange thing to do, then it would appear to be bordering on the insane to build a The 863 Jain temples of Palitana are perched on the top of a 600m-high hill

whole hilltop of 863 intricate temples in such a faraway place, but that’s precisely what the Jains did at Palitana, where the Place of Victory stands atop a huge hill in the plains. They did a similar job again at Junagadh, also in Gujarat, where there are 10,000 steps and even more temples, but Palitana was on my way south from Bhavnagar to Diu, so I decided to see for myself what drove these people to create so many temples in such an inaccessible location.

These were my thoughts as I dumped my bags and took a rickshaw out to the base of the steps, and whatever I was thinking about the Jains and their amazing architectural extremes, it seems their gods may have been listening. (Actually, Jainism doesn’t have deities, rather 24 prophets (known as tirthankars) who formulated a religious philosophy as opposed to a theistic system of belief.

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No Pain, No Gain It started with the rain, a severe tropical downpour that flooded the streets, shot sideways into the rickshaw cab and soaked me to the skin. It stopped as I arrived, but the stone steps leading up to the temples (which are too far away to be seen from the bottom) were like a skating rink.

In an attempt not to offend the Jain religion I had left all my leather items behind, so I had no sun hat and no leather boots, just my umbrella and a pair of flimsy flip-flops. My flipflops had absolutely no grip, especially on wet marble, which only helped to add to the fun.

Then the wind got up and decided to have a go. I barely managed to Palitana is very peaceful put down my umbrella in time as the few hardy trees lining the staircase bent double, clouds flew across the sky like impatient commuters on the motorway, and flicks of rain stung my eyes. Five minutes up the track and I had a throbbing headache from the wind battering my undefended ears.

As if these elemental displays weren’t enough, just before the halfway mark I felt a familiar stirring in my lower gut: diarrhea. It would turn out to be a mild bout, lasting for only the rest of that day, but I couldn’t quite believe the timing: things were beginning to get worryingly difficult. I idly wondered what else the tirthankars would demand.

Blood, perhaps?

They got blood soon after my guts had started jumping about. Turning to wave at a friendly family who were sitting on the side of the stairs taking a break, I managed to stub my big toe on a marble step. The hard stone ripped a sizable hole in the end of my toe, stinging enough to elicit the mad hopping effect more normally associated with painful bangs to the head, and when the throbbing had subsided to a bearable level I saw that it was pretty nasty: a flap of skin hung loosely over a round hole, and it really hurt... and this in flip-flops, too, where all manner of grot and grime could infect the wound. I vowed to go on: smiling through adversity is a good trait in every religion, and I decided to

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Upcoming Movie Releases

Top Five Movies - January 10

(Bollywood films slated to be released in the next 4-6 weeks) Accident On Hill Road (Director: Mahesh Nair) Cast: Farooq Sheikh, Celina Jaitly, and Abhimanyu Shekhar Singh

1. 3 Idiots Aamir Khan, Kareena Kapoor, R Madhavan, Sharman Joshi, and Boman Irani 2. Rocket Singh -

Raat Gayi Baat Gayi (Director: Saurabh Shukla) Cast: Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Neha Dhupia, Iravati Harshe, Navneet Nishan, and Dalip Tahil

Salesman Of The Year Ranbir Kapoor, Shazahn Padamsee, Sharon Prabhakar & Gauhar Khan 3. De Dana Dan Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Neha Dhupia, and Sameera

Bolo Raam (Dir: Rakesh Chaturvedi) Cast: Rishi Bhutani, Disha Pandey, Om Puri, Padmini Kolhapure, Govind Namdeo, and Rajpal Yadav

4. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Upen Patel, Darshan Jariwala, Asrani, and Govind Namde.

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

5. Paa

Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, and Vidya Balan

Dulha Mil Gaya (Director: Mudassar Aziz) Cast: Fardeen Khan, Sushmita Sen, Mohir Chadda, Tara Sharma, Johny Lever, and Bina Kak

Top Five Songs - January 10 1. Veer “Surili Akhiyon” Music: Sajid Wajid Singers: Rahat Fahteh Ali Khan, Sunidhi Chauhan Y Suzanne D’Mello

Pyaar Impossible (Director: Jugal Hansraj) Cast: Uday Chopra, Priyanka Chopra, Dino Morea, and Anupam Kher

2. Rocket Singh “Pankhon Ko” Music: Salim & Sulaiman Merchant Singer: Salim Merchant

Rann (Dir: Ram Gopal Varma) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Paresh Rawal, Mohnish Behl, and Suchitra Krishnamurthy

3. Dulha Mil Gaya “Dulha Mil Gaya” Music: Lalit Pandit Signer:Daler Mehndi

Red Alert - The War Within (Director: Anant Mahadevan) Cast: Sunil Shetty, Naseruddin Shah, Vinod Khanna, Sameera Reddy, Ayesha Dharker, and Gulshan Grover

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

5. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani "Tu Janne Music: Pritam Singer: Atif Aslam

Chance Pe Dance (Director: Ken Ghosh) Cast: Shahid Kapoor and Genelia Dsouza

(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) January 2010

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(Bollywood films slated to be released in the next 4-6 weeks) Veer (Director: Anil Sharma) Cast: Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Mithun Chakraborty, Jackie Shroff, and Zarine Khan Ishqiya (Director: Abhishek Chaubhey) Cast: Naseruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi, and Vidya Balan Toh Baat Pakki (Director: Kedar Shinde) Cast: Sharman Joshi, Tabu, Uvika Chaudhary, Vatsal Sheth, and Ayub Khan

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Tum Milo Toh Sahi (Director: Kabir Sadanand) Cast: Nana Patekar, Dimple Kapadia, Rehan Khan, Shefali Chhaya, Sunil Shetty, Vidya Malvade, and Anjana Sukhani Ada... A Way Of Life (Dir: Tanvir Ahmad) Cast: Ayaan Ahmad, Nauheed Cyrusi, Ayesha Jhulka, Rahul Roy, Milind Gunaji, and Saurabh Dubey

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Idiot Box (Director: Sunanda Mitra) Cast: Sushant Singh, Hrishita Bhatt, Jyoti Gauba, Milind Gunaji & Upasna Singh

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Prince - Its Showtime (Director: Kookie V Gulati) Cast: Vivek Oberoi, Aruna Murty, Nandana Sen, and Sanjay Kapoor

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

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Hide N Seek (Director: Shawn Arranha) Cast: Purab Kohli, Arjan Bajwa, Mrinalini Sharma, Samir Kochhar, Ayaz Khan, and Amruta Patki

For details, visit www.hindipathshala.com or www.sargammusicschool.com

(Movie dates subject to change.)

January 2010

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the world” released by Georgetown University, USA. The actor has been included in the “Arts and Culture” segment of the list and has been lauded for “campaigning for better relations between India’s Muslim and Hindu communities.” — Bollywood Hungama

Padmini Kolhapure returns to Hindi films

Zakir Hussain and A.R. Rahman Nominated For Grammies

Tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain has been nominated for the 52nd Grammy award in the Best Classical Crossover album category for the album The Melody of Rhythm. The album also features Leonard Slatkin, Béla Fleck, and Edgar Meyer. Previously, Hussain has won the Grammy for the Contemporary World Music Album category for his collaborative album Global Drum Project along with Mickey Hart, Sikiru Adepoju and Giovanni Hidalgo last February. In 1992, Planet Drum, an album co-created and produced by Hussain and Mickey Hart, was awarded the first-ever Grammy for Best World Music Album. A.R. Rahman has done it again. After bagging two Oscars for his musical score in Slumdog Millionaire earlier this year, Rahman is now all set to bring home the Grammy. Rahman’s chartbuster “Jai Ho” from Slumdog Millionaire has been nominated for “Best Song written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media” while the second nomination is under the category “Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media.” The 52nd Grammy awards will be presented on January 31, 2010 at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.

Little Krishna Going Global BIG Animation’s maiden 3D animated series Little Krishna is going places with a licensing and merchandising deal with NICK. The series has won the prestigious Best Animation Award at Asian Television Award at (ATF), Singapore on the December 3, 2009. It has also, over the past two years, won five FICCI Frames Awards, three Golden Cursor Awards, one ASIFA and one TASI Award.

BIG Animation CEO Ashish S.K. said, “It’s for the first time that an Indian original IP is all set to make its presence felt in the global arena. We are looking at a 360 degree approach for the property with Broadcasting, Licensing & Merchandising, Mobile Ring Tones, Wallpapers, Home Video and every other means of presence related to Little Krishna for which we have signed deals with Hungama.com, NICK and BIG Home Video.” The 13 episodes of Little Krishna are a result of seven years of research work, handpicked from the chronicles of Krishna.

SRK Among 500 Most Influential Muslims in the World He is one of the most successful stars in Bollywood’s history and now Shah Rukh Khan finds himself in the company of former Indian President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam and Oscar winning composer AR Rahman. The trio has been included in the list of “The 500 most influential Muslims in January 2010

Padmini Kolhapure returns to the silver screen. The actress, who reigned supreme in the 80s, returns to Hindi films with Bolo Raam, which co-stars Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri. In fact, Kolhapure and Shah were last seen together in Woh 7 Din more than two decades ago. “But we don’t have scenes together in Bolo Raam,” she clarifies, “We feature in separate portions of the film.” Over the past few years, however, Kolhapure starred in several Marathi films. “The roles appealed to me, that’s why I took them up. I didn’t feel like accepting anything and everything that came my way in Hindi films. I wanted to accept roles that I could relate to.

I took up Bolo Raam because the story really excited me,” she states. The film throws light on the mother-son relationship, portrayed by Kolhapure and newcomer Rishi Bhutani. — Bollywood Hungama

Anil Kapoor Joins the Cast of 24 Slumdog Millionare star and Bollywood legend Anil Kapoor has joined the cast of the hit TV series 24 as a series regular for season eight! The 49-year-old Indian actor will play a Middle Eastern leader who comes to the U.S. on a peacemaking mission. This will be Kapoor’s debut on international TV. Kapoor joins the elite list of actors like Kabir Bedi, Dalip Tahil, and Shilpa Shetty to make it to the international TV circuit. Guess the number twenty-four is lucky for the actor since it is also his day of birth. Season 8 follows the immortal Jack Bauer getting pulled into a fight against an assassination scheme made public during a peace conference between President Allison Taylor of the United States and President Omar Hassan (played by Anil Kapoor) of the fictional Islamic Republic of Kamistan.

Aamir Khan says Atithi Devo Bhava Not only does he make films with perfection but Aamir Khan also takes his initiatives very seriously. For the past year, he has been working hand in hand with the Ministry for Tourism to spread the message of “Atithi Devo Bhava.” This has been an honorary commitment that Khan has made and he isn’t charging any remuneration for it. For him, it’s all about promoting India’s rich heritage and sensitizing Indians about the fact that they are hospitable people. The campaign made quite an impact the last time with Khan appealing to the public to stop defacing national monuments and to be cordial to the tourists. The new ad films that Khan is now working on with Rang De Basanti director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra will be a bit different. Khan will be seen as a sutradhar (narrator) in the films. Khan puts his best foot forward in all his endeavors, now he is asking the citizens of India to put their best foot forward while playing the host. — Bollywood Hungama

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By Kirit Shukla Tribute to Bollywood’s Past Lyricists

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Qamar Jalalabadi : (1917 – 2003) Lovers of Hindi film songs still fondly remember the old “Meraa naama Chin Chin Choo...” Lyricist Qamar Jalalabadi wrote this popular song. As his name suggests, he was born in the small town Jalalabad, which is near Amritsar, in a Punjabi family in the year 1917. His name was Om Prakash. Qamar, meaning moon, was a nickname given to him. He had talent and potential to write poems. He began writing poetry in Urdu during his boyhood, but he was not encouraged by his family. He used to write for the local newspapers in Lahore before he came to Pune in the early 1940’s. Later he moved to Mumbai with his family and joined the film industry. His first lyric “Duniyaa men garibonko aaraam nahi miltaa,” sung by Shamshad Begum in the 1942 film Zameendar, was well appreciated. Most of his songs reflect the reality of life of humiliation although no fault of the protagonist. His meaningful songs were sung by many legendary singers including, Noor Jehan, Suraiya, Amirbai Karnataki, Lata, Suraiya, Asha Bhosle, Mukesh, Talat Mehmood, and Rafi. He wrote songs for films for almost 40 years and more than 25 music directors gave tunes to his lyrics. He was a man of principles. His day started with chanting loudly, the morning prayers from Gita, Koran and Bible. Most of his day was spent in meditation and writing poems. He took care of his sick parents, brothers, sisters and his seven children. He had attended several symposiums of Urdu poetry recitals called “Mushairas” in India. He was known for answering fan mail.

His favorite song “Ek dila ke tukde hazaar huay, koi yahaan giraa, koi vahaan giraa…” (1948 film -Pyar ki Jeet), became the sad reality in his life. He kept on losing his loved ones in his old age. There was no way to join those “Dila ke Tukde” (the broken pieces of his heart), as they had disintegrated and fallen far apart.

He bid his farewell to this Earth on January 9, 2003.

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Some of his other all time hit songs: Main to eka khwaaba hoon; Raaftaa raftaa; Phir tumhaari yaada aayi; Pyaase panchhi; Tu hai meraa prem Devtaa; Teri raahon men pade hai; Inta ki dukki; Aayiye meherbaan; Eka pardesi mera dila le gayaa; Chhotaasaa baalmaa; Mohobbat zindaa rahati hai; Yeh dunuyaa roopa ki chor; Badnaama na ho jaaye; O doora jaane waale vaadaa na bhool jaanaa and so on.

Since 1993

le

b ila

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Av r e ay l lP o Dh

His very popular classic song: “Dam dam digaa digaa....” is given in this issue of Saathee in Evergreen Classic Film Lyrics on page 24.

January 2010

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Film: Chhalia Music: Kalyanji Anandaji Singers: Mukesh Lyric: Qamar Jalalabadi Based on Indian Classical Raga: Mishra Ragas Taal/Rhythm: Dadara: (Khemto) Year: 1960 Starring: Raj Kapoor, Nutan

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Dam Dam Digaa Digaa, mausam bhigaa bhigaa,Bin piye main to giraa, main to giraa, main to giraahaay allaah! soorata aapa ki subhaanallaah;Teri adaa vaah vaah kyaa baata hai, haaye teri adaa,Akhiyaan zuki zuki, baaten ruki ruki, dekho luteraa aaja loot gayaaa; Haay Allaah ...Sanama ham maanaa gariba hain, aji sanama ham;Nasibaa khotaa sahi, bandaa chhotaa sahi, dila ye khazaanaa hai pyaar kaa, haay Allaah ...Teri kasam tu meri jaana hai, mukhadaa bholaa bhaalaa, chupake Daakaa Daalaa, jaane tu kaisaa mahemaan hai, Haay Allaah …

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Meaning (Summary): (Dam dam digaa digaa… are meaningless words.) O God. Your face is so beautiful and wonderful that I fell down without getting drunk. Your actions are so graceful, your bent down eyes and broken (half spoken) words; feel like some robbers came today and robbed away. O God …Sweetheart, I believe, may be I am poor, I have ill-luck and I am little; my heart is a treasure of love. O God …

I swear you are my life. Your innocent face has robbed me; what kind of guest are you! O God ...

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Visit saathee.com for Nazar Television local listings.

January 2010

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January 2010

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Thumree and Dhamaar geet style are old but still very famous. The divine lyrics of different styles are beautifully composed in Raag (as per mood) and Taal very well.

Indian Classical Music

By Anita Kulkarni

Light Classical Forms Dhamaar Although the origins of Dhamaar are not well established, it is one of the most popular light classical musical forms in Hindustani Classical Music. The rhythm to which dhamaar is set is also called the dhamaar taal or dhamaar rhythm, which has 14 beats or matras. Contemporary Khyaal singers like to sing dhamaar or hori geet songs in taal Deepchandee, 14 beats or in Teentaal, 16 beats.

The words of dhamaar generally describe the divine love between Lord Krishna and his consort Radha.

Dhamaar songs are based on a spring festival known as “Hori.” The theme of these songs is the color festival of Braj Bhoomi, Ras-Leela, the playful dances of the Gopis, Lord Krishna and his friends are the favorite subjects.

Layakari and Gamak are the attractions of this style and it is a difficult and vigorous form of classical music, just like Dhrupad. Following some Dhrupad,

January 2010

Raag - Maalkuns Dhrupad in Taal Choutaal Sthaai – Aadi Shabda Aadi Jyooti Aadi Roop Aadi Shakti, Poorana Paramaanand Mahaasukha Kaarini.

Antara – Nirvikaar Nirgoon Jyo Sagoon Tyohi, Goonateet JayatiJaya Niroopmaa Anek Roop Dhaarini.

Raag - Alhaiyaa Bilaawal Dhamaar Geet in Taal Dhamaar Sthaai – Gopiyan Aaj Khele Mose Hori, Nandmei Hara Ghar Phaagar Chori.

Antara – Daffa Baajat Brijamei, Gaawat Naachat Krishna Muraari.

Raag - Bhairavi Thumree in Taal Teentaal Sthaai – Naahi Parat Meinka Chain Saawariyaa.

Antara – Daras Piyako Begee Milaawo Manat Naahi DeenRaina.

Saathee 28

Anita Kulkarni Email:info@anitakulkarni.com

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Book Reviews NurtureShock Authors: Po Bronson & Ashley Merryman (Twelve Publishing) Review by Hena Sharma Could praising your child, and telling him he’s smart, actually hurt his self-esteem in a challenging situation instead of giving him confidence? According to the new book “NurtureShock,” the answer is yes, if you offer the wrong kind of praise. In their new book, Bronson and Merryman have composed a collection of mind-opening and thought-provoking ideas regarding child rearing, and presented psychological studies behind the new discoveries that are sure to grab your attention.

The authors present evidence to support the idea that over-praised kids could actually turn out to struggle with self-image when faced with difficult problems, and are more likely to consider cheating their way to maintain their “smart” label. Another interesting study regarding praise showed how mothers in Illinois interacted with their kids after a failure and how they starkly contrasted with the way mothers in Hong Kong dealt with the same situation. The remarkable difference in the two sets of kids’ performance after the interaction with their mothers was striking. The book offers advice on how and what to praise if you want a positive impact on your child.

The book provides research evidence on many other topics such as: how a difference of only one hour less sleep in a teenager can increase cases of depression, car accidents, obesity, and negatively impact their SAT scores. Other eye-opening ideas explored by the authors included: sibling rivalry, teaching kids about color and race, self-control, and how to play with others. All topics and research studies were very intriguing and make the reader think twice about inadvertently affecting children in a negative way without knowing it.

The authors show research suggesting that testing for “gifted” programs in kindergarten selects the wrong kids in 73 percent of the cases. Intelligence tests have always sparked controversy, especially when it comes to testing children. According to research, testing kids at such an early age in order to grant them admission to elite schools, or into limited enrollment “gifted and talented” programs, seems to be based on unreliable testing. The authors show that IQ testing in third grade or middle school produces a more accurate prediction regarding success in high school or beyond. It was a January 2010

very interesting chapter and reflection on our current school programs and processes.

Another chapter dealt with research regarding babies and very young children who were exposed to “educational” videos and TV shows in hopes of increasing their intelligence. The parental motivation to do so seemed harmless enough. The videos, backed by educational experts, claimed to enhance the child’s experience, and therefore intellectual development, by including music, international languages, and colorful images. However, as indicated by the research conducted, reality seemed to contradict the claims of increase in language development, and in fact showed evidence of delaying development instead! The ideas behind this finding are fascinating, and full of surprising factual data.

One of the most compelling headlines in the book claimed that a teenager who argues with his parents is actually showing a sign of respect. Any parent of a teenager will surely want to read the studies behind this assertion. The topics challenge the obvious and traditional way of thinking. Parents generally try to do their best to navigate child rearing with what they know at the time. This book presents startling evidence to challenge many standard beliefs in our society. The topics presented and the supporting research studies are difficult to ignore, making this bestseller a worthwhile read.

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

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Saathee 30

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Riding India’s Plastic Highway Too much garbage. Not enough roads. The solution seems obvious.

By Saritha Rai - GlobalPost.com BANGALORE, India — The roads in booming Bangalore, India’s globalization and outsourcing hub, are infamous for potholes and traffic jams.

Now they may become known for a more respectable characteristic. A local entrepreneur duo is helping traffic, and cleaning up the environment, by adding plastic waste to road-laying materials.

The benefits? Plastic roads can better handle the pressure of incessant traffic and, most importantly, the harsh sun, pounding rain and other quirks of Indian weather.

But the plastics approach offers another environmentally friendly benefit.

“It is handy in disposing the tons of waste plastic that Bangalore’s residents produce daily,” said Ahmed Khan, 61, who with his brother Rasool, 59, is behind the recycling idea.

The plastic project launched by their K.K. Plastic Waste Management company has so far led to 800 miles of sturdy city roads in Bangalore, while ridding the city of 4,000 tons of plastic waste.

That’s a very good thing. In India — a country that prides itself on recycling every bit of waste from cloth to paper to metal — plastic trash is fast becoming an environmental nightmare.

Many cities are banning the overuse of plastic bags.

Still, plastic waste overflows the country’s vast garbage landfills, clogs drainage systems, and pollutes rivers and litters world heritage monuments such as the Taj Mahal.

To address that growing problem, the Khans’ roads use waste that Bangalore residents discard daily: plastic shopping bags, milk cartons, plastic bottles and the remains of industrial and retail packaging.

Bangalore alone generates roughly 40 tons of plastic waste each day, or enough for about 25 miles of road.

So far, the plan seems to be working.

“It adds durability to conventional road asphalting and rids city landfills of plastic waste,” said V. Ravichandar, a management consultant and an urban governance expert who feels Bangalore is on to a good thing.

January 2010

To accumulate the plastic, the company works with rag pickers (the Indian term for trash collectors), city authorities and private garbage collection agencies. It pays 12 rupees (about $0.25) for a kilogram of plastic collected.

Prominent Bangalore streets like Millers Road, JC Road, Cunningham Road and Double Road are already using the patented process that mixes shredded plastic waste with asphalt to form a durable material called polymerized bitumen.

Ahmed Khan says the shredded plastic binds the road material, cutting down on the need for constant repair. Since plastic is water-resistant, there is less damage during heavy rains which account for the bulk of the damage to roads.

Khan says adding shredded plastic at least doubles the lifespan of non-plastic roads, which typically last three years.

Following its early success, the company is now bidding for plastic road-laying projects in New Delhi and Mumbai. They also say city governments in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nigeria are looking to ride the plastic highway.

Ironically, the Khans first ran a company that produced thousands of bags and other cheap plastic products. They say they saw the folly in their ways by reading and listening to environmentalists.

Call it plastic karma.

Saathee 32

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Dances of India

By Dr. Maha Gingrich First, I wish you a very Happy New Year. I hope we will take a moment to reflect on the positive changes we want to make in our lives to better ourselves and to help others in need.

I usually have a very busy schedule between family, job, dance classes, community work, regular cooking and cleaning and so on. Holidays make us even busier than usual. Many of you probably can relate to this schedule issue. As most of you know, when we have negative stress, or when we sit in one place for extended periods of time, whether it is at work, at home or in a meeting, we all experience the same side effects such as tight shoulders, stiff neck, and tight back.

Without yoga I would not be able to maintain my sanity and good health. I taught yoga for several years and enjoyed every bit of it. Due to my busy lifestyle, I had to let go of teaching yoga. However, I still practice yoga, when my body and mind call for it. This inspired me to write about the influence of dance on different aspects of life, including yoga.

I read that Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra was inspired by an encounter with Lord Nataraja (The founder of Dances).

If that is true, I can easily see the connection. Yoga means union. Yoga and dance both begin with union of the body and mind. Both are approached in sequence through logical steps. Both are universal sciences, suited to all students who seek self realization.

We begin dance with Namaste (Salutation) just like (Surya Namaskar) sun salutations in Yoga. Using the Anjali or prayer hand gesture, we touch our forehead which represents the Ajna Chakra in Yoga, and then we bring our hands down to our chest which represents Anahata Chakra. Even the hand gesture (mudra) for meditation is Arala in both yoga and dance. When I was teaching yoga, I taught these dance hand gestures (Hasthas) to people suffering with arthritis. I also taught the Vrikshasana, the tree pose (Standing on one foot), among others, with dance movements to find both inner and outer balance. Many of the advanced poses in dance require flexibility of body and a systematic way to control the body movements. Out of 108 poses (Karanas), very few can be performed without training in yoga for flexibility.

Even the word Hatha Yoga would mean the balance of Ha (Sun) and Tha (Moon) that are part of our dance ornaments that we place as part of our head dress.

Dancers need to balance these two forms representing masculine and feminine energies. We need to have the January 2010

strength in our foot steps while depicting the graceful movements with our hands.

This leads me into something I read in the newspaper while I was in India. Dance is now being used as a therapeutic tool for children with disabilities. Through dance they are providing the structure for developing body sense and to learn to express the nine emotions (Nava Rasas) such as disgust, anger, wonder, fear, valor, love, compassion, laughter, and peace. Every child responds to music and dance naturally. This method and approach is beneficial in raising their interest level for participation.

I know personally that dancing has influenced all aspects of my life. B.K.S. Iyengar, the famous Yoga teacher has once said that “the body is my temple and asanas are my prayers.” Very true! I can easily say the same about dance, “the body is my temple and dance is my prayer.” This meditation in motion is a gift given to our culture and many other cultures around the world. Neither the yogi nor the dancer is distracted by the world around them. Both have the power of quieting the turmoil of chitta and bringing us closer to moksha (salvation).

Saathee 34

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Five Ways to Get the Most Out of Music Lessons These guidelines will help you have a successful and rewarding experience learning to play any musical instrument: 1. How Young is Too Young? Starting at the Right Age. Adults can start any instrument at any time. Their success is based on how willing they are to commit to practicing. A child starting at the right age is a key element to the success of their lessons. Some people will tell you “the sooner the better” but this attitude can actually backfire and be a negative. A child put into lessons too soon may feel overwhelmed and frustrated and want to stop the lessons, and likely will never want to go back into it again at a later age.

If a preschooler (2 - 4 years old) has a keen desire and wants to start music, a group preschool music class will give them a good foundation in music basics which will be helpful in later private lessons. At this age, private lessons generally do not work as the child has not yet experienced the formal learning environment of school. At this age, children learn more effectively through the game-oriented preschool environment.

Five years is the youngest age recommended to start children in private piano lessons. At this age they have begun to develop longer attention spans, motor coordination maturity, and can retain material.

Guitar - Acoustic, Electric, and Bass For guitars (acoustic, electric, or bass), the recommended starting age is between seven and eight.

Guitar playing requires a fair amount of pressure on the fingertips from pressing on the strings. Children under eight generally have small hands and may find playing uncomfortable. Bass guitar students generally are 9-10 years old and older.

The ages of 9-10 years are recommended as the youngest age for private vocal lessons. Due to the physical nature of voice lessons (proper breathing techniques, development of the vocal chords, and lung capacity), the younger body is generally not yet ready for the rigors of vocal technique. Some schools may have a children’s choir (ages 6-9) that teaches them how to use their voices properly, in a fun and educational yet relaxed environment.

The average age of the youngest drum student is generally eight. This varies greatly depending on the size of the child. They have to be able to reach both the pedals and the cymbals.

Due to lung capacity (and in the case of the saxophone the size of the instrument), it is recommend that most woodwind and brass beginners are 7-8 years and older.

The most productive learning age for private violin lessons occurs when the child is six or older for private lessons.

January 2010

2. Insist on Private Lessons When Learning a Specific Instrument Group classes work well for preschool music programs and theory lessons, however, when actually learning how to play an instrument, private lessons are far superior. During private lessons it is hard to miss anything and each student can learn at their own pace. Weekly lessons are also very important for consistency and actually learning how to play an instrument. If students are learning an instrument at six or older, insist on private lessons as well as weekly lessons. If a student is learning the piano starting at five, insist on private lessons as well.

3. Take Lessons in a Professional Teaching Environment Learning music is not just a matter of having a qualified teacher, but also having an environment that is focused on music education. In a professional school environment a student cannot be distracted by the TV, pets, ringing phones, siblings, or anything else, like they would in the teacher’s or student’s home. With only 45 minutes to one hour of lesson time per week, a professional school environment can produce better results since the only focus at that time is learning music.

Students in a school environment are also motivated by hearing peers who are at different levels and by being exposed to a variety of musical instruments and programs. In a music school, the lessons are not just a hobby or sideline for the teacher but a responsibility which is taken very seriously. Additionally, some schools have more than one teacher per instrument, which enables the selection of the best teacher to fit each student’s needs for a higher success rate. Some school, such as Charlotte Music School, can also schedule a family of three siblings at the same time with different teachers, saving the parents a long wait at the school, or having to drive around town to make each different music lesson.

4. Use Recognized Teaching Materials There are some excellent materials (methods) developed by professional music educators that are made for students in a variety of situations and for their different musicianship level. An excellent teacher can help a student decide on the best method for him or her. Using these time-honored methods will help a student succeed.

5. Have Fun! Music should be something that you enjoy for a lifetime no matter what age or level you are. So, try not to put unrealistic expectations on yourself or your children to learn too quickly. Everyone learns at a different pace and the key is to be able to enjoy the journey. The best teachers believe that music is innate to every person, whether you are five years old or 95.

Article courtesy of Charlotte Music School 10210 Berkeley Place Dr. Charlotte NC 28262 704-295-7676 WWW.CharlotteMusicSchool.com

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The Lion and the Hare (A Panchatantra tale)

Word World

By Kirit Shukla

C T

U E L

S R

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

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

Kerala, is the state where I come – Malayalam is the language I speak…

It’s like Dravidian culture; Flourished civilization 5000 years ago, Similarities it strikes with— Mediterranean and Mesopotamian.

“God’s own country”, is what they say— From they land I came away!

Send submissions for possible inclusion in the Children’s Corner to: saatheemag@hotmail.com Word World (Solution): CELT, CERT, CETUS, CLUE, CLUSTER, CREST, CRUEL, CRUET, CRUSE, CURE, CURSE, CUTE, ECRU, LEST, LUSTER, REST, RESULT, RULE, SECT, SLUE, SUCRE, SURE, TRES, TRUE, ULCER, USER

Heritage Poem (By Aadithya Nair - 5th grade)

This story is about a lion and a hare that has an important moral, nothing is impossible for the wise. A lion goes around killing hapless creatures in a forest.

The creatures get tired of living in fear all the time and gather courage to go to the lion with a solution. They tell him that daily one creature would be sent to him as food. The lion is pleased and agrees with this arrangement. The animals now decide that the creature whose numbers are the maximum shall be sent one by one. The hare turns out to be the biggest in number and is sent to the lion. Reluctant to go to the lion, he wanders in the forest and finds an ancient well. When the lion becomes impatient after waiting for a long time, he goes out in search of food. The hare tells him that he was going to come to him, but was met by another lion who claimed to be the king of jungle. The lion becomes infuriated when he hears this and demands to meet the other lion. The hare takes him to the well and tells the lion to look inside. The lion sees his own reflection and in anger jumps inside the well to kill the other lion and dies.

The Cheras, the Cholas, and the Pandyas, Adisankara, Ayurveda, Advaita— Are parts of my heritage…

Onam and Vishu are celebrations, Welcoming harvest and New Year— With lanterns, flowers, prayers; Matrilineal system, geographical features— Isolated Kerala – from rest of India...

“God’s own country”, is what they say— From the land I came away!

Its heritage packed with— Art, rock cut temples, monuments.

Bekal fort, Kochi fort, palakkad fort— Dutch palace, Francis church— Stands pride heritage of Kerala.

“God’s own country”, is what they say – From the land I came away!

Kerala, a melting pot— Several religious, ethnic groups.

Inhabitants of my state – Kerala, Arrived by sea and land.

Rulers practiced never— Three hundred A.D or present!

Any religious discrimination.

“God’s own country”, is what they say— The land I came away from.

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Variation I Sit on the floor with legs stretched straight in the front, catch the right big toe with the right thumb and the index finger, and similarly catch the left big toe with left thumb and left index finger. Exhale, bend the right elbow and lift the right foot up by bending the knee. Bring the right foot all the way to the ear, hold the position for few breaths.

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Variation II Sit on the floor with legs stretched straight in the front, bend your right foot and keep it over the left thigh. Reach out with your right hand and catch the left big toe with the right thumb and index finger. Catch the right big toe with left hand thumb and index finger. Exhale and bring the right foot to the left ear, hold the position for few breaths.

Repeat the pose on the left side, and then relax.

The practice of this posture makes the leg muscles and thigh joints very flexible. The abdominal muscles also get strengthened.

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

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Foundation of Relationship

By Sardar Singh Everything in the universe is interconnected and interdependent. Human beings are part and parcel of nature. We can live joyfully, peacefully and creatively if we have a healthy and harmonious relationship with nature and with each other. Unfortunately our thinking creates divisions and differences in so many different ways. These divisions deny love and are the main cause of so much conflict, misery and sorrow in the world.

The other day I was talking to a friend. He described his relationship with the world in a very simple way. He put a big dot on piece of paper and drew concentric circles around the dot. He said, “The dot in the center is the “me.” The concentric circles represent how much importance I attach to each person in my life. The value of the person decreases with the increase in the length of the radius.” I asked him on what basis he had made his assessments? He said, “In my mind I asked some questions. The answers to these questions determined the place a particular person occupies in my mind. For example I asked: • How much the person had been useful to me in the past?

• How much the person is useful to me now?

• How much the person will be useful to me in the future?

• How much the person likes me, loves me and cares for me?

• Is the person obedient to me?

• Does the person give me company when I am lonely?

• Will the person care for me when I am sick?

• Does the person understand my likes and dislikes and is he/she supportive of my values and beliefs?

• Does the person appreciate me and give me respect?

• Does the person help me in the fulfillment of my desires and ambitions?”

He explained to me why he has placed his wife in the foremost position. He said, “We are both sexually dependent on each other. Economically she is dependent on me but psychologically we are both dependent on each other.”

I asked him, is it not true that his relatives and friends have same expectations from him? He said, “As for as my family circle is concerned we have certain duties, responsibilities and obligations toward each other and we try to meet each others expectations, but outside this circle my relationship is purely utilitarian.

I have some friends, some are just acquaintances and with some people I have business relationship. On the whole the relationship is based on give and take. If a person does not satisfy my needs or if I don’t like a person for a particular reason I move away from him and choose someone else.”

I asked him about his relationship with people who January 2010

are outside these circles, i.e. with the world at large.

He said, “I don’t care much about other people. Daily I am facing so many personal problems. Where is the time to be concerned about other people? There is nothing that I can do about the wars that are going on or about the poverty in the world.”

About the nature of his personal problems he said, “Everyday some business-related problems and family issues crop up.” In the business world, I have to be constantly vigilant so that I am not deceived or cheated by some selfish crook. I have to make sure that I remain ahead of my competitors. In the family, whenever someone’s expectation is not met there is a lot of hue and cry. Being the head of the family, I have to face lot of turmoil. By the end of the day, I am dead tired.” Even the children exhibit so much rivalry and feel jealous of each other. They sometime become aggressive and assertive and make me feel guilty.

Everyone demands attention.”

About the impact of the problems on his body and mind he said, “I realize that any tension in the mind affects my health. But I cannot help. Sometime I get very much bored and frustrated and I want to run away from this prison but I can’t. I am so much attached to the family. They all depend upon me. One time I had an argument with my wife. She threatened to leave me. I was totally devastated. There was so much anxiety and fear in my mind. Luckily she did not carry out the threat. Where would she go? She is dependent on me economically and psychologically and moreover we have to take care of the children together. So we are tied to each other forever. They say pleasure and pain are the two sides of the same coin. So life goes on.”

He added, “I am telling you all this because you are my close friend. No one else knows about what is going on in my family. From the image that I project to the outside world everyone knows that I am a very happy go lucky fellow.” I asked him if he really loves the family members. He replied, “Yes, I do, otherwise I would not be working so hard to cater to their ever-increasing demands and desires.”

From the above conversation it is clear that thinking is the foundation on which we have built the whole structure of our relationships. There is always a motive behind our thinking. The motive decides the action.

From childhood the mind is being conditioned to think in terms of the “me” and “you.” We are trained to make self-interest and self-concern as the main focus in life.

This self-enclosing and self-isolating thinking process governs life. From childhood the mind is educated to treat itself as the center of the universe. The child is made to strive, up to the limits of his capacity, to make the rest of the universe minister to his selfish purposes.

When a child is born there is natural relationship between the mother and the child and then between the father and the child. He receives love, affection and care. This natural relationship gets corrupted when the parents start interfering with the natural growth and development of the child. They want the child to conform to the society. Parents, themselves being part and parcel of the society, want the child to fit into the society. Through comparison, through the system of

Saathee 42

continued on page 80 saathee.com

Your Neighborhood Indian Market

Wishing you a Happy New Year!

Happy Pongal and Makara Sankranthi

Mastering Meaning Harnessing the Power of American English

By Judith L. Bergman M.A. CCC To start off the New Year, our monthly article will be about articles. This “article” or non-fictional essay in this magazine which has many different such articles will discuss the grammatical rules for the correct use and pronunciation of the definite article “the” and the indefinite articles “a” and “an.”

As we wrote last month, every language has rules governing its speaking patterns, these rules are different in different languages and these rules are learned and used unconsciously by native speakers. I’m certain that I observe all of these rules in my spoken and written English since that is my native language. However, I had to go to two resources for ESL speakers to become explicitly aware of what I say and write in order to teach the rules for using articles.

Let’s “say it right.” Whether you are referring to an essay, a grammatical part of speech, a clause in a legal contract or a particular part of a belief system (an article of faith),1 the correct pronunciation of “article” is “ARduhkl” with the first syllable stressed that is, high pitched, louder and held 1.5 times longer than the other two unstressed syllables. The “t” is not breathy or aspirated but is a very light “flap “d” and the last syllable hardly has any vowel and has a very light, “dark l” with the tongue tip curled back and not touching the front teeth.

Many languages do not use articles before nouns including the languages of India (Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Malayalam etc.) as well as Thai and Russia among many others. All of my clients who speak these native languages habitually omit articles in English, giving their speech a primitive and telegraphic quality that detracts from their “vocal resume.”

The best strategy for learning and using articles correctly is to use a good self-study program with quizzes and audio CDs or a CD ROM for listening and speaking practice. We recommend RULES : Rules for Using Linguistic Elements of Speech by Marjorie FeinsteinWhittaker & Lynda Katz Wilner which you can order from www.ESLRules.com. My examples are from the 2007 2nd Teacher Edition, pp. 309-333. The student edition may not have all of the quizzes but DOES include five audio CDs for listening and speaking practice. Another very good program is English Grammar in Use: A self-study reference and practice book with a CD-ROM for intermediate students of English, by Raymond Murphy, 3rd Edition, 2007: Cambridge University Press. My accent modification clients get a detailed analysis of their errors in grammar and syntax and a guide to help them use this resource to correct these errors.

Definite articles2 identify or point out a noun with which the listener is already familiar. “The” is used before: (1) Singular nouns (The hat is on the table.)

(2) Plural nouns (The children liked the snacks.)

(3) Uncountable nouns which do not have plural forms.

Examples are furniture (objects), liberty (abstract conJanuary 2010

cepts) and wind, rain or snow (words describing the weather). “The rain was heavy last night.”

(4) Proper nouns such as oceans, rivers, buildings, bridges, tunnels, hotels, theatres, museums, titles, families, multiple name countries (I’m visiting the United States.)

However, do NOT use “the” before the following nouns: Continents: “He went to Asia.”

Lakes: “We live near Jordan Lake.”

Streets: “Turn right on Main Street.”

Cities: “I live in Raleigh.”

Singular names of mountains (Mt. Rushmore), parks (Central Park), states and most countries.

Individual’s names DO use the article to refer to general terms but not specific names: We went to the mountains and saw Grandfather Mountain.

RULES lists seven more categories of nouns where articles are required and three more where we do NOT use them: names of meals, general references to places (“He’s going to college next year.”) and names of schools.

The Indefinite Articles, “a,” “an” and “some,” classify a noun. 3 “A” is used with singular nouns except those beginning with a vowel, where we use “an,” “Some” is used before plural nouns (“Do you want some cookies?”)

Indefinite articles are NOT used before Plural nouns such as vacations.

Noncountable nouns: “I bought bread.” “I wish you luck.”

Proper nouns: “Hurricane Camille was a monster storm.”

Singular or plural nouns as general vs. specific terms: (Water is a precious resource.)

Nouns referring to time, seasons and names of meals.

“Let’s meet for lunch.”

Types of transportation and communication when preceded by the word “by.” “They went by plane.” “Let’s confer by phone.”

More pronunciation rules: 4 1. When using “an” link the final /n/ to the vowel sound in the word that follows i.e. “anApple.”

2. If the word begins with a “u” which is pronounced “you, ” use “a” not “an,” Ex: “a university,” “a uniform.”

3. When using “a” pronounce it as a very light, unstressed “uh” and “skip quickly” into the noun that follows, as in “a book.”

4. Pronounce “the” as “thee” if the next word starts with a vowel and link it with “yuh.” “The oven” is pronounced “TheeYUHvn.” 5 When “the” precedes a word that begins with a consonant, pronounce it as an unstressed “thuh.” (“the people”) If you don’t believe this, ask a native speaker of English to read these examples and listen very carefully!

References 1 Longman Dictionary of American English, Pearson Education Limited, 2004, p. 44.

2 Feinstein-Whittaker, Marjorie & Lynda Katz Wilner, RULES: Rules for Using Linguistic Elements of Speech, 2007 2nd edition, www.ESLRULES.com, pp. 309-312.

3 Ibid., pp. 313-314 4 Ibid., pp. 316-317,______________________________

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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14 years in the Triangle Area Many Satisfied Clients

January 2010

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ASTRIDE

CONTINENTS

3

By Chandan Sen The Wisdom of Crowds As I write, the climate change conference in Copenhagen is deadlocked on certain issues between the rich nations and the poor. While negotiators struggle to reach common ground, the crowd outside the conference hall jeer and say, ”If the climate had been a major failing bank the rich nations would scramble to save it.”

Meanwhile on American public TV I heard a debate between the followers of the two famous economists of the past, Keynes and Hayek, who held diametrically opposite viewpoints as to the role of governments in intervening in financial crises. Briefly, Keynes said that governments should intervene to avoid huge and painful unemployment problems in a failing economy.

Hayek, on the other hand favored a hands-off policy on the part of government, saying that market forces would eventually right a failing economy. Personally, I think that two opposing cultures cannot be compared, just as apples and oranges can’t. The Queen of France, two centuries ago, when told of poor people’s plight, asked in mock innocence,” If they can’t eat bread why don’t they eat cake?”

Likewise, the Emperor of Ethiopia, facing large scale famine in his own country, refused to intervene. It’s all a case of “whether to be good or whether to be strong.” Granted, in the long run we’re all dead, and it is easy for some people to turn a deaf ear to the plight of those with whom they can’t relate, and who are far away. The ultimate policy followed will of course depend on who’s in charge of the government at the given moment.

Thus Republicans favor Hayek and Democrats opt for Keynes, and so we have big government now that Democrats control Capitol Hill. My mother used to repeat a saying that she’d learnt in her childhood which said in effect, that “whoever goes to Lanka becomes Ravana.” So whoever is in power follows his or her way, whether it be Keynes or Hayek. Meanwhile the crowds on the streets of Copenhagen grow ever more raucous, and following the wisdom of crowds, shout, in effect, “The Emperor is wearing no clothes!”

Half-confident, Half-despairing India’s strides since gaining Independence have been massive. We have increased our electricity generation enormously and rapidly enlarged our yearly tonnage of manufacturing capacity in all the core sectors - steel, cement, paper, fertilizer and the like.

This increase in GDP would have had a significant impact on the per capita real income had it not been for our unbounded population growth, which has negated the growth in all other sectors. Granted, the Indian economy has grown at a rapid clip of 8-9 percent in the last few years. From all indicators the midJanuary 2010

dle class has been growing also, and now stands at 300 million people, practically equal to the entire population of the United States. This segment of society has good educational achievements and good production and consumption patterns. They might be called the backbone of Indian society.

It is the remaining 700 million people who constitute the poorer classes that are a cause for concern, if not for despair. With low incomes, inadequate skills in the new economy, and very poor educational standards, these people struggle from meal-time to meal-time and are lucky if they have the basic necessities of life— -food, shelter and clothing. Even these last three, when available, are substandard and unfit for human use.

For centuries, the people caught in this poverty trap have found themselves in a vicious circle. While the rest of society “nickels and dimes” them—-giving them subsistence wages in the name of getting a good bargain—-they continue to have what is known as “generational poverty”—-that is, their poverty perpetrates from one generation to the next generation, with no hope of redemption.

I think it is with these people in mind that the late Adlai Stevenson wrote: “We travel together, passengers on a little spaceship, dependent on its vulnerable reserves of air and soil, all committed for our safety on its security and peace, preserved from annihilation only by the care, the work and the love we give our fragile craft.”

“We cannot maintain it half-confident half-despairing, half-fortunate half-miserable, half-slave half-free.”

“No craft, no crew can travel safely with such vast contradictions. On the resolution of these problems depends the survival of us all.”

May we heed his warning before it is too late.

The Tactics of Success Since ancient times, the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker have all survived and prospered by following three principles: division of labor, economies of scale and differentiation. The first principle implies that one person, family, community, company or country cannot make everything well, or indeed do everything well. Thus one has to specialize.

The second principle implies that by producing in large quantities, much more than is required for their own need, a manufacturing unit can produce things more cheaply than others, because, until a ceiling is reached, economies of scale kick in.

Finally, by making somewhat unique products, the candlestick maker, for example, can differentiate his or her products from other such candlestick makers.

Consumers love variety and what is sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander, or put another way, one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

But these three principles are not, by themselves,

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

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Forget Bollywood. India’s independent music scene is headed in entirely new directions.

By Jason Overdorf - GlobalPost.com NEW DELHI, India — Vijay Nair, would-be Richard Branson of Indian rock, was still a kid when he floated the country’s first artist management company, Only Much Louder, back in 1999. All he really wanted to do was tour with some of the garage bands he loved. Now he’s almost famous.

Here’s what happened. Nair was a normal 16-yearold South Indian geek living (and rocking) in Mumbai and trying to fly under the radar of parents intent on turning him into an engineer, when he got a gig working for a web design company that was making sites for Indian bands. Then one day the members of Pentagram, an up-and-coming rock act, asked him if he’d like to be their manager. Bye, engineering school.

“Basically, what 17-year-old kid wouldn’t jump at the chance to travel and hang out with a rock band,” said Nair in a phone interview with GlobalPost.

His parents bought the story that it would only be a year “break” from studying before he went to college.

But Nair soon had much bigger plans. Within a year he was managing two more acts, and he’d booked gigs for Pentagram in Glastonbury and Estonia — breaking the group into the “mainstream” world of European rock.

And that was just the beginning.

Fast forward five years, and Only Much Louder has 14 employees, reps three bands exclusively as their official manager and arranges gigs for a bunch more.

The company books about 200 gigs a year these days, and recently set up Counter Culture Records, its own record label and distribution arm — releasing more than 10 albums in the first year.

“The biggest thing that has changed is that artists now are only performing their own music, as opposed to covers,” said Nair. “That changes many things, because once you have your own material, then you can do albums, concerts with only your stuff playing — it changed the whole value chain in that sense.”

With $500,000 in annual revenue, OML isn’t exactly poised to break into the Fortune 500. But as AC/DC’s Angus Young will tell you, it’s a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll. And with the British Council’s selection of Nair for its International Young Music Entrepreneur award in 2010 and the naming of OML as one of India’s coolest companies by a top business magazine, OML’s already making waves. More importantly, along with a handful of other startups, Nair’s brainchild is giving the country’s indie music scene license to, well, rock.

“Artist management as a concept never existed in India,” said Arjun S. Ravi, the founder and editor of the

online music magazine indiecision. “The bands would either manage themselves or they’d have a friend who’d book them gigs. (OML) is creating a business model of the way things can be done in India. It’s not the way things should be done, or how things can be done abroad, but it’s how things can be done here.

India is a very specific market.”

India’s music industry has always been dominated by the soundtracks churned out by Bollywood. Penned and recorded by side musicians and so-called “playback singers,” this bouncy, upbeat pop music is then lip-synced by the film industry’s mega stars and receives nearly limitless promotion through TV trailers and the country’s dozen-odd music video channels.

But even though famous playback singers and singercomposers like Slumdog Millionaire’s A.R. Rahman occasionally perform at socialite weddings and awards ceremonies, the combination of Bollywood’s heavily produced studio sound and the dominant role of side musicians rather than bands has until recently prevented the evolution of any real live music scene.

“Even in Bombay four or five years ago we did not have many venues that would have live music performances regularly,” said Ravi. “For awhile we only had one venue, and bands could not play anywhere.”

Now, however, with the emergence of Only Much Louder and similar companies, peer-to-peer file sharing and new internet-savvy bands, India’s independent music scene is in the midst of an unprecedented boom.

“Over the last four years a huge number of venues have opened,” said Ravi. “Now when I sit down to list gigs in Bombay every week I list 20 to 25 gigs in just one week.”

Sales are climbing, too. According to a website devoted to the Indian music industry, non-Bollywood pop music now accounts for as much as 8 percent of the market — a dramatic change from yesterday’s complete dominance of film and devotional music. And more radical changes are in the offing. According to consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers, India’s radio industry grew nearly 40 percent from 2004 to 2008.

But, just as in the rest of the world, music industry revenues dipped Indian Ocean almost 15 percent last year. PwC says that means digital music will be the key driver of growth for India’s music industry in the future — with digital’s share of the pie growing to 60 percent in 2013 from 16 percent last year. That could be the web-savvy indie bands’ chance to shine.

“The Internet has been the biggest boon,” said Nair.

“Before that it was more or less impossible to reach out to people across the country, and now it’s become fairly easy.”

Already, indie bands like Pentagram, the Raghu Dixit Project and Indian Ocean are breaking through into the mainstream music market. And as Bollywood seeks to reinvent its evergreen genre flicks, the fringes continued on page 112

January 2010

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sweet potatoes are low in sodium and rich in potassium, a combination that helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. Sweet potatoes are especially rich in vitamin A and has lower glycemic index. Keep potatoes healthy with toppings and cooking methods that don’t add loads of fat and calories.

Healthwise

By Anjana Agarwal Food Truths: Setting the record straight Some foods area rated unjustly based on rumor, outdated recommendations, or simple misinformation.

The truth about certain foods, however, can sometimes be better than you’ve been led to believe. Let’s take some examples: Eggs: Considered high in cholesterol and fat, many people have held onto the outdated advice to limit eggs to one or two per week.

Food Truth: Eggs are better than they’re cracked up to be. Although high in cholesterol, eggs are a source of high-quality protein and are low in saturated fat one of the key culprits in raising blood cholesterol. The American Heart Association recognizes that one egg yolk, with 213 milligrams of cholesterol, can fit into the daily recommendation of no more than 300 mg of cholesterol. Keep in mind that eggs may be part of many different foods and you should still watch cholesterol intake from other foods.

Pasta and Rice: People who suffer from “carbo-phobia” often shun pasta and rice for no good reason.

Food Truth: Both pasta and rice are naturally low in fat; the problem lies in toppings, sauces, and large portions. Red sauces on your pasta will hold down the calories and fat while supplying lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that may help to reduce risk for cancer.

Whole wheat pasta and brown rice carry the added bonus of fiber, takes longer to digest and helps you feel satisfied longer, while a growing number of healthy pasta products boast added protein, fiber and omega3 fats. Quick-cooking brown rice makes this healthy option even easier to prepare.

Nuts: The high fat content in nuts causes many people to reserve them for special occasions, or to say “no” to nuts altogether.

Food Truth: Although nuts are high in fat, they contain mostly mono - and polyunsaturated fats, - fats with a heart-friendly reputation. In fact, nuts have been shown to have a protective effect on the heart, which may be attributed to their healthy fat profile on the vitamin E and fiber content. Rich in protein, nuts also offer such nutrients and folate, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, zinc, and selenium. Another bonus – nuts as a snack can help to delay hunger pangs on fewer calories compared to other snack foods. (Just stick to 10-12 nuts /day.)

Pomegranate (Anar): Get your antioxidants.

Pomegranates are indigenous to Africa, India and the Middle East, and were brought to California by the Spanish. The seeds, juice, and flower – the leathery skin discarded – have long been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine to treat diabetes. Pomegranate also has been shown to increase blood flow in the arteries, help protect against prostate cancer, and slow cartilage loss in people with arthritis. Pomegranates are about the size of an orange. The skin and fibrous membranes that surround the ruby-red juice filled sacs – called arils – are discarded. The arils (there are literally hundreds in every pomegranate) can be pressed for juice, eaten out of hand or used as a garnish. Drink ½ cup of pomegranate juice every day or include pomegranate juice in cooking.

For a tasty vinaigrette salad dressing, combine 1/3 cup pomegranate juice, 3 tablespoons white vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tsp canola oil, 1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger, pinch of red pepper flakes and salt.

For a sauce for fish or chicken, reduce pomegranate juice by boiling in a saucepan until slightly thickened.

Season with your favorite mustard (such as Dijon or whole-grain) and ground black pepper.

Make a simple sauce by bringing pomegranate juice to a boil and thickening with cornstarch dissolved in water.

Add pomegranate juice to marinates, iced tea, juice “cocktails,” and smoothies. Add the juice to your holiday cranberry sauce.

Add pomegranate juice to your favorite grilled chicken marinade or basting sauce.

For individual nutrition counseling consult a registered dietitian. Many insurance companies now reimburse the consultation fee.

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

Potatoes: Potatoes have been pushed off the plate based on the conviction that they pack on the pounds and provide few nutrients.

Food Truth: Potatoes contain a type of fiber known as “resistant starch.” Emerging research shows that resistant starch in potatoes, legumes, and grains helps to fill you up, reduce overall hunger. Both white and January 2010

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The Stock Tickers

helicopters and C-17 strategic lift aircraft. “These are all products that dovetail with India’s current defense requirements and which Boeing believes it can contribute in a positive way to the India’s defense modernization drive,” added Lall. On January 1, 2009, a Boeing deal for eight P-8I maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft for the Indian navy was inked, worth US $2.1 billion.

Despite all of the challenges that Pakistan has

By Rajesh Ganatra faced and continues to face as a nation both geopolitically and economically, the country’s equity market Here are some important quotes as of 12/21/2009 has performed extremely well during CY2009, gaining in excess of 50 percent. The Karachi KSE-100 started CY2009 at 5,753 and plunged to the 4,900s during Mumbai Sensex: 17,119.62 Karachi, Pakistan KSE-100 Index: 9,025.83 1Q2009 (this represented a shave-off of nearly 10,000 Dow Jones Industrial Average (USA): 10,471.86 points off its records in the 15,000s that were reached NASDAQ Composite (USA): 2,190.34 during April 2008), however, the index consolidated S & P 500 Index (USA): 1,106.93 and managed to recover quite handsomely. The KSE100 managed to re-claim the 10,000 level during Currency Exchange Rates: Indian Rs. 46.70 = $1.00, October 2009 before some profit taking and concerns Pakistani Rs. 84.30 = $1.00 about general unrest dragged the index back down to the 9,000 range.

Gold Price: $983/ ounce (Mumbai) Silver Price: $17.08 / ounce (Mumbai) The Pakistani Rupee began 2008 at PKR 62.10 to the US Dollar and ended the year at PKR 79.00 to the (Note —- Mumbai prices quoted in U.S. dollars were calculated using the above exchange rate and the metric factor US Dollar (a decline of 22 percent) and the currency of 28.6 grams equals 1 ounce. Generally speaking, there are has slipped even further to PKR 84.15 to the US Dollar slight variances in prices of precious metals between India (which represents an additional 5.5 percent decline & U.S.A. due to market conditions / exchange rates). during CY2009). The fact that overseas Pakistanis Despite many economic challenges and the Satyam have been sending money back home has helped the implosion during the beginning of the year, the Indian equity markets show gains and has helped the equity markets have had a very decent 2009 and at Pakistani Rupee from declining even further.

During 4Q2009, Wall Street continued its strong the time of writing this column, the Sensex was in the tone and the Dow moved into the 10,400 range - this 17,000 range which represents a nearly 70 percent gain for CY2009. Real Estate in Mumbai, Delhi and the represents a 4,000 point recovery from the March larger metros collapsed during the peak of the finan- 2009 lows. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite concial crisis, however, they have started to recover as tinued their aggressive upward movements as well. more NRIs (non-resident Indians) purchase second Many companies are starting to report better results, homes and investment properties in India, and many especially in the financial sectors. Several leading ecoNRIs have become Reverse-NRIs (NRIs who have nomic indicators have shown moderate improvements as well and monthly job losses continue, albeit at a moved back to India).

The Indian Rupee was fairly steady against the US declining pace - the latest reading on unemployment Dollar during CY2009, trading in a range of INR44-49 stood at 10 percent. The last time we saw double-digit to the Dollar. Many technology companies have also unemployment was in 1983 and even though the reported improving financial pictures and several economy may be recovering technically, it is expected major investment houses have expressed long-term to be several years before Main Street feels the comebullishness on India. Although the Indian economy back and therefore, unemployment is expected to had its share of setbacks during late 2008-early 2009 remain elevated for a significant period of time: this along with everyone else around the globe, India has time, it will be a much more difficult, different and started to recover faster because of its technology longer comeback than was witnessed in the early to hubs, relatively young workforce and the still-expand- mid 1980s.

Every year, the Federal Reserve Board meets eight ing middle-class consumer sector - this has indeed times to review economic data, monetary policy, and been reflected in the rapid comeback within the equimake appropriate adjustments to interest rates as ty markets.

Global aviation major Boeing today indicated that deemed appropriate.

The current remarkably low rates have certainly over the next decade, it is pursuing a 30 percent share benefited consumers who have mortgages and other in the US $100 billion Indian defense market. “Looking types of loan products, however, savers have certainat the growing Indian defense market, Boeing currently sees a 10-year business potential of USD 31 bil- ly felt the pinch of low rates as well. The Fed is conlion for our company, which includes potential sales of tinuously monitoring the economy and economic data. fighter aircraft, maritime patrol aircraft, helicopters “Cheap Money” in the USA and around the world has and strategic lift aircraft,” Boeing Integrated Defense certainly helped the markets recover from the “panic System India head Vivek Lall indicated at a conference lows” that were seen during March and April 2009. in New Delhi. Boeing’s offerings to Indian defense With the interest rates being remarkably low, returns forces include its F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighters, on traditionally conservative instruments such as savChinook heavy-lift choppers, Apache AH-64D attack continued on page 112 January 2010

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(PA) Motel, Franchised, 65-units, Ext., near Dillon, SC, Exit Asking: $2.6 million, Current Gross: $720,000

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(DW) Motel, Franchised, 100-units, Ext. High Point area, NC Asking: $1.5 million, Ave. Gross: $601,000. Need $200k down (KS) Motel, Ind., 16-units, Ext. near South Hill, VA Asking: $395,000. Gross: $135,000. Owner Financing (JT) C-Store & Grill / Branded Gas Station, Apex, NC Asking: $1.3 million + Inv., w/RE. In: $45,000/mo.

Out: 58,000 gal./mo. 2,600 SF. 1.32 acres Asking: $125,000 + Inv., without Real Estate, Rent: $6,000/mo.

(AD) C-Store / Gas / Grill, near Dillon, SC - Cash Flow: $14,800/month. Asking: $898,000 + Inv., with Real Estate. In: $51,000/mo. 45% margin, Out: 9,000 gal./mo. 10c/gall margin, Lottery, Rental: $2,500/mo. net. Area: 3,086 Sq. Ft. (TK) C-Store / Gas Station, near Durham, NC Asking $850,000 + Inv., w/RE. In: $42,000/mo., Margin: 35%.

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(SO) C-Store / Pizza / Gas, near Smithfield, NC Asking: $495,000 + Inv., w/RE. In: $47,000/mo. Out: 30,000 gal./mo. Lottery / ATM/ Games: $3,100/mo. net.

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(SA) C-Store / Grill / Laundromat, near Asheville, NC Asking: $495,000+ Inv, w/RE. In:$35,000/mo. Misc: $1,000/mo.

(LG) C-Store / Grill / Gas, near Greensboro, NC - Cash Flow: $9,500/month. Country Store, Asking: $495,000 + Inv., w/RE. In: $45,000/mo. Out: 25,000 gal./mo. Games, Lottery, ATM: $4,100/mo. net.

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(AE) C-Store / Branded Gas / Grill, Coastal NC – Cash Flow: $13,000/month - Asking: $279,000 + Inv., In: $70,000/mo. Out: 40,000 gal./mo. Rent: $6,000/month.

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(AM) C-Store / Branded Gas, near Asheville, NC –Cash Flow: $11,900/month - Asking: $199,000 + Inv., No Alcohol In: $70,000/mo. Out: 70,000 gal./mo. Rent: $4,000/mo.

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(AC) C-Store / Branded Gas, near Asheville, NC –Cash Flow: $9,400/month - Asking: $175,000 + Inv., In: $70,000/mo. Out: 26,000 gal./mo. Rent: $2,400/mo.

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(AH) C-Store / Branded Gas, near Asheville, NC –Cash Flow: 8,000/month. No Alcohol. Asking: $150,000 + Inv., In: $50,000/mo. Out: 50,000 gal./mo. Car Wash: $1,500/mo. net (KG) Gas Station / C-Store, near Gaffney, SC Asking: $95,000 + Inv., In: $38,000/mo. Out: 11,000 gal./mo.

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

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(IW) Conv. Store / Branded Gas / Sub Shop, near Wilson, NC. Cash Flow: $7,000/month. Asking: $75,000 + Inv, In: $30,000/mo. Lottery, ATM, Games: $4,300/ mo. net

Insurance Professionals Specializing in

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(KK) Conv. Store / Gas, near Apex, NC. Cash Flow: $6,200/month. Asking: $59,000 + Inv, In: $15,000/mo. Out: 15,000 gal/mo. Lottery, ATM, Check-Cashing: $1,600/ mo. net (NQ) Subway, Leased, Raleigh, NC – Asking: $90,000, Gross: $233,000, Net: $60,000. Rent: $2,300.

(PD) Dry Cleaning Store / Plant near Cary, NC Asking: $349,000. Leased. Gross Avg: $350,000

Restaurants Construction

(BD) UPS Store, busy Shopping Center, near Charlotte, NC Asking: $99,000. Leased. Gross 2008 (app.): $222,000.

25 Liquor Stores in South Carolina January 2010

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Marketing Turnaround

By Gail Martin Where’s Your Map? We’re coming into the season when everyone makes New Year’s resolutions. Most of the time, these resolutions are personal: lose weight, eliminate debt, make more time for relaxation, and go on that vacation you’ve been postponing. As valuable as those kinds of resolutions are, it’s also essential to use this time to make resolutions for your business goals for next year.

Grab a piece of paper and work with me. If you have a written business plan, pull it out, too. Take a moment to read through your business plan. First, congratulate yourself on all the goals you accomplished. We often shortchange ourselves in the congratulations department because we’re so busy flogging ourselves to do more. So bask in your accomplishments. Make a list of what went right. Let yourself feel the glow. That’s important, because in a moment, you’ll be making another list, of things to do next year, and you need to feel the glow of success to be empowered to take the next steps.

Now look at the goals that were not prioritized for this year, or that just didn’t get done. Are they still important? Has the marketplace or the economy made them irrelevant, outdated or less essential? You may have some good goals that just need to wait a year for the market to rebound. The changing business environment may have given you a different perspective on what you really need, or changes in cash flow may make it necessary for you to do high priority items more slowly. Make two new lists. In one list, write down your new top three priorities for your business. In the other list, write down the things that have to wait. Scratch through and eliminate anything that just doesn’t make sense in the new economy.

The first list is your road map for the new year. Now that you have your priorities straight and your goals are in sync with today’s market realities, it’s time to make sure that your budget and target audiences are also aligned. Take a realistic look at how much money you can spend in the new year to accomplish each of your top goals. Your most important goal should get the most money, and so on down the line. Maybe you can only afford one goal this year. That’s ok. Next, jot down who the target audience is for each goal that will need to be reached to help you accomplish that goal. Sometimes market conditions will make it necessary to change or reprioritize your audiences, so please don’t skip this step.

Now that you’ve gotten your basic road map, let’s talk about the tools to get you where you want to go.

Here are some of my favorite tools that I use to make my business vision into a reality.

Vision Board: A vision board is a poster you create with photos or cutouts from magazines to remind you of your goals. It’s a way to constantly program your subJanuary 2010

conscious with directions and to keep yourself moving toward your goals. Place your vision board somewhere you’ll see it daily.

Affirmations: Come up with a list of five to ten spoken goals and repeat this list every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to sleep. Make the goals specific and put a time limit on them. For example, perhaps one of your goals is “I want to increase my opt-in list by 30 percent by June.”

Laser Coaching: One of the best ways to put your road map into action is by getting help with the details.

Laser Coaching is a one-hour consultation with a professional on one particular problem. You and the pro brainstorm solutions and you leave with a detailed action list.

Mastermind Group: This is a small, supportive group of professionals who meet on a regular basis (live or by phone) to encourage each other, act as a sounding board, brainstorm possibilities and suggest resources.

Education: The business environment and market are constantly changing. That means successful business people must be constantly learning. Sign up for teleclasses and workshops to help you keep your edge.

Assessment Tools: Getting an assessment of your strengths and areas for improvement can be useful to find blind spots and identify areas you might be better served to outsource. An assessment can be a great leadin to laser coaching because it will help you identify areas for attention.

Marketing Tools: Many entrepreneurs are doing their own marketing in today’s economy, but maybe marketing isn’t their strength. Even if you’re not a natural marketer, you can learn to create effective marketing that gets results. Look for a home study course or a bundled package of educational materials and one-on-one coaching— you can get some great deals on very useful programs right now since many coaches are offering specials due to the economy.

What are you waiting for? You can make 2010 your best year yet. Prepare now to reach your goals in the New Year and get the tools you need to make your vision happen.

Happy New Year!

Gail Z. Martin owns DreamSpinner Communications.

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These are good investments to emphasize when you have many years ahead of you. As you get closer to retirement, you have less time to recover from dips in the market. You may want to shift some assets into investments that tend to be more stable. But don’t forget that you may need to live off your retirement funds for many years. Investing for some growth potential in your portfolio is usually a good idea.

Personal Finance

By Narendra Dixit

Eight Pillars of Investment Wisdom You’ve heard the get-rich-quick stories. How someone won the lottery, started a wildly successful business, or made a “killing” in the stock market. Is this how real people get money for retirement? The truth is, many people who retire in comfort build their nest egg with slow and steady care. Deciding to save regularly is a crucial first step. Sticking to a savings plan is certainly another. Starting early can help your money grow faster. Now, as we begin another new year, let these eight pillars be your guide.

1. Pay Yourself First - You’re probably already following this advice by participating in your company’s retirement savings plan. But are you contributing to the fullest extent allowable? Remember that you could live in retirement for 25 years or more without any salary income. It could take a substantial amount of savings to carry you through for that long. If you have contributed the maximum to your qualified retirement plan, talk to your financial professional about other types of automatic savings/investment plans.

2. Start Early - Compounded growth can work wonders for your savings—provided you give it time. Let’s say, for example, that you begin saving $100 a month at age 35. Compounded monthly at a hypothetical eight percent† per year, your savings can grow to $149,036 by age 65. Pretty good, right? You can do better. Begin saving ten years earlier and the same $100 a month can grow to $349,101 – twice as much!

3. Invest to Outpace Inflation - A common mistake is to play it too safe. Yes, it is relatively safe to invest in a guaranteed investment contract.* But inflation could steadily erode your earnings. Remember that saving for retirement is a long-term endeavor.

4. Diversify** - Professional investors allocate their money among different kinds of asset classes: money market funds, bonds and stocks. Within these asset classes, you may want to diversify further—for example, by investing in some stocks that have high growth potential and others that pay dividends, or some stocks of smaller companies and some blue chips. Your financial professional can help you determine the suitable amount to put into various asset classes, depending on your age, your risk tolerance, your time horizon and your goals. By sticking to an asset allocation plan***, you limit your risk of exposure to just one asset class and are positioned to take advantage of market shifts.

5. Invest According to Your Time Horizon Growth oriented investments (such as small cap stock funds) tend to be more volatile over short periods.

January 2010

6. Avoid Dipping Into Your Tax-Deferred Savings You’ll net less than you think because the withdrawn funds become taxable income. And in many instances you could face an additional 10 percent federal tax penalty if you are not yet age 59 1/2. Plus, money you spend now is money you won’t have later. And you could miss out on years of compounded earnings. If you need the money temporarily, it may be a good to take a plan loan (if permitted) and repay it promptly.

7. Avoid Trying to Time the Market - When the market is hot, people are tempted to play the stock market with their retirement savings. If you’re one of them, consider setting aside a small amount that you can afford to lose and use this “allowance” to play the market. For the bulk of your retirement investments, stick to your asset allocation plan***. Don’t shift funds from one account to another simply because one showed higher returns. Performance in the immediate past is no indicator of the long-term future. The market frequently undergoes sudden, dramatic shifts. Last quarter’s hot investment fund often can cool off in the next quarter. Even if you are clever enough, or lucky enough, to switch out of stocks ahead of a downturn, you could very well be late in identifying the recovery.

By the time your new choice is put into effect, you may have missed the benefits you’d hoped to reap.

8. Think Long Term - Don’t be alarmed by day-today swings in the stock market. For most of us, steady investing, compounded earnings and maintaining a planned asset allocation*** are the keys to successful retirement planning. Decide on an appropriate longterm mix of investments and try to stay the course.

You may not build your nest egg in a day but Rome wasn’t built that way, either.

For more information about establishing a financial plan, contact your financial professional. †This hypothetical rate does not reflect the performance of any specific investment. Individual investor results will vary. *A Guaranteed Investment Contract is an insurance contract that guarantees the owner principal repayment and a fixed or floating interest rate for predetermined period of time. **Diversification does not eliminate the risk of experiencing investment losses. ***Asset allocation is a method of diversification, which positions assets among major investment categories. This tool may be used in an effect to manage risk and enhance returns.

However, it does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss.

GE-28509 Narendra Dixit offers securities through AXA Advisors, LLC (member NASD, SIPC) and offers annuity and insurance products through an insurance general agency affiliate, AXA Network, LLC and its subsidiaries. 704-540-1509

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For the Greater Good New Year’s resolution: Change the world a forkful at a time (ARA) - Do you have high ambitions for 2010 to get healthier, eat better and, oh yes, change the world, all at the same time? It’s actually possible - if you resolve to eat Fair Trade certified foods at every opportunity.

By choosing Fair Trade foods, you can help improve the lot of workers in developing countries ... one forkful at a time.

When you see the Fair Trade certified mark on food and other goods, you can be assured that the producers in developing countries have received a fair price for their products, allowing them to make investments into improving their local community and infrastructure.

With Fair Trade certified ingredients ranging from pasta and spices to cocoa and tea, you have many options for making a positive contribution to the lives of producers, sustaining the earth and the global economy. And now you can even use Fair Trade certified spices to enhance your dishes.

You can prepare entire Fair Trade meals for any time of day. As you plan a meal, simply check through your list of ingredients to see which ones may be offered in a Fair Trade version. Here are some suggestions for easy ways to integrate Fair Trade ingredients into your cooking.

For main dishes, you might go with Fair Trade pastas, vegetables and spices. Here’s a particularly delicious example: Creamy pasta with sauerkraut and veggie sausage Ingredients 1 large onion, chopped 2 teaspoons olive oil 3 1/2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 2 cups plain, unsweetened soy yogurt 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard 1/2 cup nutritional yeast 2 tablespoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 package veggie sausage or veggie dogs, thinly sliced at an angle 3/4 cup water 1 pound whole wheat pasta cooked al dente and drained 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced

Enhance your meal with home-baked breads, cookies and desserts using Fair Trade fruits. Did you know you can get Fair Trade bananas at almost any food store these days? They were one of the original fruits to become widely certified; now the products available are much broader. This treat allows for your own creative fruit combinations.

Fall fruit crumble Forgo the pie crust and offer up a generous portion of fruit crumble. Serve warm with ice cream, frozen yogurt, or freshly whipped cream with a hint of vanilla extract.

Ingredients: Filling 5 cups fruit (sliced pears, sliced apples, and whole cranberries or raspberries make a good combination) 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/3 cup chopped almonds or walnuts 1/3 cup raisins 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ginger 2 tablespoons rum or water 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Topping 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup rolled oats 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup walnuts chopped 2 1/2 tablespoons butter Method: Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine all of the filling ingredients. Pour into a baking dish (do not drain). Combine the topping ingredients (cut in butter until mixture is coarse and crumbly) and sprinkle over the fruit. Bake about 30 to 40 minutes, or until fruit is soft and topping is lightly browned. Your support of Fair Trade doesn’t have to end with food items. More and more Fair Trade kitchen and table items are becoming available: place mats, tableware, napkins, serving dishes, etc. Now is the time to explore the possibilities, so check with your local natural and organic retailer.

Visit www.frontiercoop.com/fairtrade for more information on Fair Trade and a selection of Fair Trade Certified food products you can buy online.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

January 2010

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• Audit Support: Check if the software company provides a tax professional to assist you in case of an IRS audit.

TAX Matters

Picking the Right Tax Program for your Tax Situation Having short listed tax programs based on the above criteria, now you need to select a Tax Software that best suits your particular tax situation.

By Krutika Chheda

Choosing the Right Program for Tax Return Preparation and Filing In recent years every aspect of our lives has been transformed by technology. Just as Google and Online Shopping have become part of our lives, preparing and filing tax returns is no exception to the internet revolution. Almost 75 percent of individual tax returns are paperless and received by the IRS through the electronic filing (E-file) service and $180 Billion in tax refunds is paid electronically through direct deposit.

Paper returns are quickly becoming a thing of the past, but there is still the difficulty of choosing the right tax program and getting maximum tax refund from the IRS with peace of mind.

Can I self-file my Tax Return using Online Tax Program?

Most individual tax payers can self-file their tax return using an online tax program. However as per the data released by the IRS, close to two-thirds of the tax payers still find comfort in having their tax returns prepared by a tax professional. Individual preferences and complexity of tax situations continue to drive individual and small business tax payers to work with tax professionals. There are advantages in filing the tax return using online programs: 1) Working at your own pace. 2) Convenience of filing taxes while watching a football game at home. 3) Saving money with lower tax filing costs. 4) Simulating different financial scenarios and tax situations. 5) Quick and easy access to tax refund money.

How to Choose the Right Tax Program Key factors to consider while selecting a good do-ityourself tax software program: • Phone Support: Select a company that offers phone support in case of an issue while preparing the return.

• Tax Law updates: Make sure the software is updated with the most recent changes in tax laws.

• Data Protection: Make sure the online E-file provider uses secure technology to transmit data. Identity theft is a real issue and tax returns contain your confidential data.

• Tax Deductions: Good tax software will have a stepby-step guide asking questions and dig up tax deductions.

• Accuracy and Guarantee: Check if the company offers guarantee for accuracy of the program. In most cases the guarantee may be limited only to the extent of the fees paid for the program. You may be out of luck, if an error results in IRS penalty of $1000.

January 2010

Simple Tax Situations In a simple tax situation you may have salary (W-2), interest and dividend income and take standard deductions on the tax return. You may be able to prepare your federal and state tax return online very quickly and at a cost of under $30-$50 using several tax programs such as TaxAct (www.taxact.com/), TaxCut (Part of H&R block at home online: www.hrblock.com/) and TurboTax (turbotax.intuit.com/).

These are good products for savvy individuals with simple tax situations. Give yourself 2-3 hours to answer the guided tax questionnaire and review the data once you have collected all the relevant information.

Free Tax Software If your Adjusted Gross Income is less than $56,000 you may qualify for “Free File” online tax program offered by IRS in partnership with private companies.

You need to start on IRS website in order to get the “Free File” version (www.irs.gov/efile). The program provides step-by-step guide to e-file the return and also sets up direct deposit of your tax refund into your bank account. Now, here’s a free lunch in America!

Be careful with “free” tax filing offers on the internet. Halfway through the filing process, the program may inform that your tax situation makes you ineligible for the “free” version. This could be quiet frustrating as you leave your confidential data behind. If the tax program is not approved by the IRS, you are better off staying away from it. The potential damage and cost of losing your personal data could be very high.

Complex Tax Situations These situations involve more than one source of income (W-2s, self-employed, 1099s etc), investments in stocks, real estate and business partnerships, etc.

They need serious number-crunching and you should be comfortable navigating through tax documents and familiar with tax concepts such as figuring the cost basis of your assets before depreciation etc. The web version of TurboTax Premier (turbotax.intuit.com/) is a good place to start.

Working through the complex tax situation can get quiet tiresome, often going back and forth reviewing

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Social Media

by Wendy D. Wells

Taking the Media out of Social Media I’ve heard older business owners look at Twitter and Facebook as something their kids and grandkids are “playing at” with their friends. Apparently, they’re not alone. More than 80 percent of internet users in the United States are still not on Twitter, however, one in four page views in the U.S. goes to Facebook. Those are huge numbers when you consider how many other sites are vying for our attention: news sites, blogs, eBay, Youtube, Amazon, Myspace...the list goes on.

So, how do we propose a Social Media campaign for the client who throws up the Great Wall of China when we bring up “Social Media” in its basic form? “An internet and new media based program that begins a Word of Mouth conversation.” Simple…we take the media out of the Social Media.

Some clients need older methods before we can bring them forward to the new way of doing business marketing today. If we try to force it on them too soon, they’re going to resist, continue doing business as is, until it fails, or they retire and they either sell the business, or a younger family member takes over. (One who will most likely adopt a Social Media campaign.)

But for the current curmudgeon or stubborn but sweet business owner, shoving Social Media down their throats is not going to work. Like Seth Godin teaches us in “The Dip” sometimes you have to know when to quit.

A Social Media campaign from which the Media has been removed starts at the floor of their business. It’s back to the basics of customer service. Is their staff properly trained and empowered to handle a customer complaint, crisis, and to rectify a problem if the owner isn’t around? If not, what they have is an employee standing around saying, “Um, I dunno what to do…the owner’s not here….” All this does is anger the customer, make the business look unprofessional, and spread a bad image of the business throughout the community.

An employee who has been properly trained to handle a crisis or has been empowered to rectify a situation on the spot looks confident, and makes the establishment appear well organized. When an irate customer comes in with an issue and the employee is calm and listens to the complaint, the situation is diffused. If the employee has the power and authority to immediately right the wrong with a refund or replacement, the problem has been solved successfully and in the best interest of the customer. A patron who will return leaves the establishment prepared to tell at least three friends about the satisfactory experience.

Naturally, their staff needs to handle more than just customer complaints properly, they need to be happy about their work. Either their attitude and desire to do a good job are genuine while they’re on the clock, or they need to be replaced. Keeping an employee on board who is not measuring up to standards makes no sense when there are so many applicants in the market today who will eagerly fill a post and perform tasks with January 2010

vigor. The entire tone of an establishment filters throughout town. When consumers enjoy shopping or doing business with particular companies, they talk about it. Word gets around.

Getting the message out in your marketing plan will have to be slightly old school here, too. In addition to discussing your client’s workforce, you’ll need to gather consumer information in the form of either street or email addresses. They will have to be collected at registers or transactions via a drawing for a prize of some sort. Then, you’ll blast an e-newsletter or direct mail flyer…you know the drill. This method is time consuming but through diligence, it pays off in the end.

Once you’re able to show this client results with the old style and possibly an email campaign, maybe then you can gently ease them into Social Media. Let them know how much more effective all of what you’re currently doing would be with the added benefit of a wider reach via blogs, a fan page, videos, etc. Most likely, you will have earned their trust by not forcing something foreign and unfamiliar onto them at the get-go, and they’ll be open to giving your ideas a shot.

For certain clients, taking the media out of Social Media, in the beginning of a marketing campaign, can truly make the difference.

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

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Wishing you a Happy New Year!

January 2010

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Tending to a Bruised Knee

By Samir Shukla Synthesis There was a brief moment during my teen years when I had a struggle with heritage identity, a likely common quandary among first-generation immigrants as they adjust to their new surroundings. This jarring feeling of displacement may happen during their early days after migrating to another country, or after many years residing there.

For me it was during a summer of youth, in a decade filled with transitions. It was after arriving in Charlotte, a few short years after relocating from a dusty Indian town to the blinding lights of New York City and then eventually to the heartland of the South in North Carolina. One particular week during that hot summer, I would gaze at the setting sun every day, as low hanging clouds mingled with the purplish, orange light, and ask myself. Was I an Indian or was I an American?

I was born in India and lived there through the first 11 formative years and have been living in the United States since then. Along the way I became an American citizen and consider myself as completely American, the stars and stripes unfurled, firmly grasping the American constitution, wanting to explore the land of opportunity from sea to shining sea.

Yet I’m also an Indian. I’m a part of an ancient culture and civilization and I’m also a part of one of the youngest cultures on the planet. I belong to two confounding and amazing democracies. I breathe rock ‘n’ roll, jazz, bluegrass, country, and the blues. And I breathe Hindustani, Carnatic, Bollywood, folk, and myriad other expressions of Indian music. I daydream in red, white, and blue. I dream at night in saffron, white, and green.

America is a colorful, pluralistic society. India is a colorful, pluralistic society. Both have their problems and quirks, America with a dark past, India with a haunted, dateless past. Both are engaged in an active present that is a continual work in progress while looking toward a future that is uncertain, yet inviting, beckoning with promise.

Both countries are remarkably tolerant of diversity, albeit in a walk with me and I’ll walk with you manner.

Some immigrants find and define a convenient identity while others cling to their old ways, still others work to erase the old and try to live in the new, the American. However personally that American is defined.

I consider American culture and way of life really to have begun blooming and becoming identifiable in mid 19th Century, at the onset of the Civil War. That’s when the North and South, two brothers who drew a line in the dirt, set America on its path, its journey of becoming America.

January 2010

Indian culture is unfathomably ancient. The scriptural texts, the Vedas and the Upanishads, hark back several millennia while numerous conquerors, raiders, visitors, philosophers, and an ever revolving, evolving cast of characters have shaped the entire region. Both India and America are heterogeneous societies, with many religions, languages, and cuisines that somehow blend into a whole. Remove any thread, any element, and the story takes a turn.

Foods are cultural markers. I love grits and biscuits, cornbread and California wine. I adore samosas, rotis and daal. The all-American apple pie and the allIndian roti and daal are bookends to endless food variations and local specialties contained within.

One way the conundrum of cultural and heritage synthesis can be answered is through hyphenation.

The hyphen works fairly well for many first-generation immigrants. For me the dash connects the two, the Indian, the American, Indian-American. I can deal with that, but in a very generalized sense, a state of mind, if you will. As my descendents arrive over the next few generations, I’m sure they’ll just think of themselves as Americans. Or maybe political and cultural landscapes will change, with borders and nationalities melting away, and they will think of themselves simply as Earthlings.

My family left India on a fine September day and arrived in New York City, a little more than a month after President Nixon resigned. A little Indian family walked into an America that was politically shaken and culturally reshaped by a war that was in its final stages of an uncharacteristic, uncelebrated American withdrawal.

A kid who had spent the last few months in a dusty village on the outskirts of Gandhinagar, preparing for migration, landed in the cacophonous carnival city of immigrants’ dreams.

It took a while to get my bearings. I remember going around our apartment complex during that first Halloween. My cousin, who had arrived in the States a year earlier, pointed out that they were saying “trick or treat,” not trip a tree.

Adjustment and eventual self-identification is simple for some, difficult for others, and never quite brought to terms for still many. Cataclysmic events or migratory decisions can change or address the future as much as the simple decision of changing one’s diet.

Of course I’m a proud American. I’m a proud IndianAmerican. Now that I’ve lived in the South for three decades, I consider myself, in the context of Americana, a Southerner. A Southern IndianAmerican, to be a bit more precise. That doesn’t mean I want to fly the rebel flag outside my house, rather it’s a state of mind, of being Southerner. Identifying with the dirt, the air, and the sky of the South. Much like someone’s California or Texas state of mind.

I am a fully formed American. I am a fully formed Indian. This is not a case of chest thumping and flag waving to some nonsensical quasi-nationalist drumbeat. It’s simply coming to terms with a sense of being and belonging. A continuing synthesis that defines being a human. The red and the saffron, the blue and the green, and the purity of white continually synthesizing, accepting any shade, any added color. It is, truly, the best of both, the best of all worlds.

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Mood-boosting foods: Tips to jump-start your body and your brain (ARA) - If you're determined to eat right to lose weight or improve your health, the foods you choose could also make you happier. We've all heard the old adage "You are what you eat," and the importance of eating for physical health. But did you know that at the same time you could also be eating to improve your mental sharpness, energy and inner peace?

"The connection between food and mood has long been known, but we've come a long way in understanding how new foods can speed the process of helping you feel better by eating right. There are simple ways to tweak your diet that can have profound effects on how good you feel and how consistent your mood is, even while you lose weight and improve health," says registered dietician, Elizabeth Somer, author of the book, "Eat Your Way to Happiness." (Harlequin 2009) Somer offers the following ways to eat your way to a newer, happier you: Make breakfast a natural high: Even a four-hour lag between meals leaves some people feeling shaky and grumpy because they're essentially running on fumes.

This only gives rise to cravings for foods that are bad for you. Restock your fuel stores in the morning with healthy foods, and your body, mind and energy will repay you throughout the day. Use the 1-2-3 rule to create an energy-building combination: No. 1, eat at least one serving of high-fiber carbs such as 100 percent whole grain cereal or bread; No. 2, eat two servings of fruits and veggies, such as a banana and vegetable juice; and No. 3, add a third, protein-rich food such as a whole egg, lean meat, or fat-free or low fat milk.

Embrace the "good" fats: You may have heard about the importance of incorporating good fats such as omega-3s into your diet. However, all omega-3s are not created equal and offer different health benefits.

For example, the form of omega-3 found in flaxseeds and walnuts (ALA omega-3) helps lower your heart disease risk, but does not offer the brain-boosting benefits of DHA omega-3, which helps you feel great, think fast and stay mentally sharp. The more DHA omega-3 you eat, the more it is incorporated into brain cells, the more flexible your brain cell membranes become, the better you think, the more you remember and the happier you are.

Almost 97 percent of the omega-3s in the brain are DHA, which is why this fat is so important in lowering the risk of depression and dementia. Yet, most Americans don't get enough of this nutrient. Salmon, herring, lake trout, anchovies and sardines are good dietary sources of DHA. But if you're vegetarian, don't like fish or are concerned about mercury levels in seafood, you can also find many foods, beverages and supplements in grocery and drug stores that are made with sustainable, algae-based DHA. Look for products bearing life'sDHA on the label, such as Mission Life Balance Flour Tortillas, Silk Soymilk Plus DHA, or Walmart Spring Valley Fish-Free Algal-900 DHA supplements.

January 2010

Choose quality carbs: Seratonin, the nerve chemical, is a major force in mood and appetite. It turns cravings on and off for sweets and starches, helps regulate mood, controls pain tolerance affecting thinking and memory, and even determines whether we sleep well.

However, serotonin levels rise with the right food choices. While all carbs will boost your mood, quality carbs in whole grains and colorful starchy veggies like sweet potatoes will give you sustained energy and a mood high without the extra calories. Keep hunger at bay by eating small snacks at even intervals throughout the day. Examples of quality carb snacks: five graham crackers, 75 whole-grain thin pretzel sticks or four cups of air-popped popcorn (salted lightly).

Eat right at night: If you start the day with the right foods, be sure to end it with the right foods. How well you sleep has a huge impact on your mood, energy level and weight. The worse you feel, the more likely you'll eat - and you'll eat all the wrong things, since fatigue and blues dissolve your resolve to take care of yourself. It takes your system hours to digest a large meal, making it difficult to completely relax into a deep sleep. Keep the evening meal light and low-fat and eat no less than three hours before bedtime, and you're more likely to sleep like a baby all night. And, if you're determined to lose weight, add some exercise every day and you will fall asleep faster, sleep deeper and sleep longer than if you were a couch potato.

By following these simple tips, you'll not only feel better and more energized, but your mood will lift and you'll be a newer, happier you.

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Palitana continued from page 14 show the tirthankars that I was worthy.

On the way I passed plenty of other struggling pilgrims, but they all seemed to be going downhill. (And plenty of pilgrims being carried down in pure comfort, sitting in dooli swing chairs lugged around by wiry men. Interestingly most of the people in doolis were fat, and I idly wondered whether the merit gained by a visit to the temples would be cancelled out if you paid someone else to carry you there and back. I rather hoped so, as I sweated my way up the marble slide.)

Most sensible people make the ascent in the morning before the heat of the midday sun, but my schedule had seen me on a bus all morning, and I’d set off just after lunch. Those coming down, apart from saying, “You too late, very hot,” all the time, were delightful, and most of them were only too happy to say hello and pass the time of day. One guy pressed Rs1.25 into my hand as he passed and said, “For the temple, give to temple,” (which, of course, I did) and another waved me down for a rest and a pidgin chat. His English was as limited as his enthusiasm was unbounded.

‘Nem?’ he inquired.

‘My name’s Mark. What’s yours?’

‘Uh,’ he grunted.

‘Oh. Have you been visiting the temple?’

‘Uh.’ ‘So, is it worth the climb?’

‘Uh.’ ‘Ah.’ ‘Uh.’ ‘Um, I think I think I’ll be going up, then.’

‘Uh.’ ‘Bye-bye.’

‘Bye-bye.’

His fluency was comparatively good. Most of the kids greeted me with an enthusiastic “Bye-bye,” much as they’d done in Mandu, while one came out with the wonderful “Hello-bye” and others struggled through to ask, “Country name?” But the friendliness of the Gujarati Jains shone through, and eventually I reached the top, intrigued to see what it was these kind people were worshipping.

Palitana’s tirthankars are carved from the smoothest marble

every Indian temple. My lonely trek through the temples on the Place of Victory was really quite spooky at times.

However, the worst part about any temple is the everpresent charge-for-camera-and-shoes scam, and unfortunately Palitana is no exception. I have no objection to paying for entry into a temple, and I have no objection to paying someone to guard my shoes while I’m inside and barefoot, but at Palitana the people in charge of payment were such shifty characters that it felt wrong to hand over the money to them rather than into a locked donations box. I strolled up to pay for a ticket and you could tell they were going to try for more than just the Rs25 entrance fee: four fat men sat behind protective desks, exuding an attitude of ‘I’m in charge and if I can’t be bothered to let you in there’s nothing you can do about it’, and they instantly tried to squeeze things out of me.

“You smoke?” said the man with the shiniest moustache.

“No,” I said, knowing full well he was after a cigarette and knowing full well that even if I had some, which I didn’t, he wasn’t going to get one. “Smoking is injurious to health,” I continued, quoting the Indian government health warning stamped on every packet. “Do you smoke?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Then you will die young,” I said, smiling facetiously.

“Can I have a camera permit, please?”

“You have coins?” he tried.

“It’s 25 rupees for the permit,” I said, “and I’ll give you one hundred. You give me 75 rupees change. No coins necessary. Here you go, 100 rupees.”

Seeing this, he uttered the war cry of every shop owner in India, irrespective of the status of their top pockets: “No change.”

“Then I guess there is no money for you,” I said and turned for the door, which immediately produced the expected result and the expected change. “Thanks,” I said.

“Where is the donations box?” I asked, and they produced it for me to put the kind pilgrim’s coins in, grumbling at me as if it was a major effort to reach behind the desk for the box.

“Honestly,” I muttered to myself as I stomped out of the office, “so much for a friendly welcome.” Though perhaps this criticism of the impious placated the Jain prophets because the sun broke through the clouds long enough for me to explore the main enclosure and get my money’s worth. It was amazing.

A Whole Hill of Temples It was worth the struggle. Jain temples are smothered with carvings in much the same way as Hindu temples, but they’re quite different on closer investigation. Hindu stone carvings of women are interesting, but the Jains make them so sensuous. Stone people play ancient guitars while old kings grimace in beards, the prophets look passively happy (much like the Buddha) and the sheer impact of having so many temples crammed together in one place makes it a fascinating place to wander round, even for someone who has arguably overdosed on Indian temples.

The best part about Jain temples are the idols. Sitting in the lotus position and variously smiling enigmatically or meditating heavily, Jain idols look fairly Buddhist but have one very striking feature: their eyes are made of clear and black glass that catches any stray light, making the dark interiors of the temples glow with eerie pairs of lights sus- Back Down Again pended in the black. It’s like something out of Scooby Doo, The scams weren’t over for the day, though. Before long especially with all the bats that inhabit the dark recesses of the clouds rolled back in and I rolled back down, reflecting January 2010

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that on a clear day you can see the sea from Palitana, but all I could see were puddles reflecting. It wasn’t unpleasant though, and I took a slow horse cart back to the hotel for Rs20, handing over a pretty tatty Rs20 note at the end and wandering off.

“No good,” tapped a voice on my shoulder, and turning round I saw a young man holding out my battered Rs20 note; the old man who owned the tonga had obviously sent his young sidekick after me to get a better note. It’s a common problem in India: notes become disgusting fairly quickly and hardly ever see the inside of a bank to get replaced, and if a note’s particularly lacerated you’ll have grave problems getting rid of it.

Funnily enough you can have the most leprous note that nobody will accept, but put it inside a clear plastic sheath and staple it shut, and it’s fine.

My Rs20 note was having more problems holding itself together than Michael Jackson, but I wasn’t in the mood for an argument, so I just said, “OK then,” grabbed my note back with a smile, ducked under a horse’s head and sauntered off into the bus station to check some bus times.

G R E A T

That worked. Seeing your hard-earned cash disappearing into the crowd is enough to motivate even the most relaxed rickshaw driver, and sure enough the man came running after me shouting, “OK, OK, OK,” and accepted the money.

It felt great to win for once, especially in a place like Palitana, which, the Place of Victory aside, is a depressing place that deserves no more mention in this travelogue.

I’ll also gloss over the journey from Palitana to Diu because this is supposed to be a family show and unnecessary swearing simply isn’t required. Unlike on the journey itself...

Read more Mark Moxon’s wonderful travel writing at his website - www.moxon.net

A D V E R T I S I N G

R E S U L T S !

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2nd Test: South Africa v England at Durban Dec 26-30, 2009 3rd Test: South Africa v England at Cape Town Jan 3-7, 2010 4th Test: South Africa v England at Johannesburg Jan 14-18, 2010

The Cricket Forum

West Indies visit Australia

By Rajesh Ganatra The Indian Premier League will include two more teams from the 2011 season and will auction the franchise rights at a base price of $225 million, the league's commissioner Lalit Modi announced late last month. That figure - double of what the most expensive franchise was sold for in 2008 and more than four times the base price in that first auction - is, in an uncertain market, a sign of the league's confidence in itself and the Twenty20 format. That valuation is all the more surprising given that the franchises will almost certainly be based in relatively small markets the metros and bigger cities already have teams. The favourites to be host cities for the two teams are Ahmedabad and Lucknow. However, signs of the IPL's growing net worth were evident in February when Rajasthan Royals, the then IPL champions, sold a 11.7 percent stake in their franchise for approximately US$15.4 million. That put the valuation of the franchise at around $140m, more than double the $67m paid for it a year previously.

1st Test: Australia v West Indies at Brisbane Nov 26-30, 2009 Result: AUS won by an Innings and 65 runs 1st Inn - AUS 480/8 [d], 135.0 overs 1st Inn - WI 228/all out, 63.0 overs 2nd Inn - WI 187/all out, 52.1 overs 2nd Test: Australia v West Indies at Adelaide Dec 4-8, 2009 Result: Match Drawn 1st Inn - WI 451/all out, 124.1 overs 1st Inn - AUS 439/all out, 131.1 overs 2nd Inn - WI 317/all out, 99.5 overs 2nd Inn - AUS 212/5, 76.0 overs

3rd Test: Australia v West Indies at Perth Dec 16-20, 2009 1st ODI: Australia v West Indies at Melbourne Feb 7, 2010 2nd ODI: Australia v West Indies at Adelaide Feb 9, 2010 3rd ODI: Australia v West Indies at Sydney Feb 12, 2010 4th ODI: Australia v West Indies at Brisbane Here is a recap of ongoing cricket action.

Feb 14, 2010 5th ODI: Australia v West Indies at Melbourne Sri Lanka visits India Feb 19, 2010 3rd Test: India v Sri Lanka at Mumbai - Dec 2-6, 2009 1st T20I: Australia v West Indies at Hobart Result: IND won by an Innings and 24 runs Feb 21, 2010 1st Inn - SL 393/all out, 94.4 overs 2nd T20I: Australia v West Indies at Sydney 1st Inn - IND 726/9 [d], 163.3 overs Feb 23, 2010 2nd Inn - SL 309/all out, 100.4 overs Pakistan visits New Zealand 1st T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Nagpur - Dec 9, 2009 1st Test: New Zealand vs. Pakistan - Nov 24-28, Result: SL won by 29 runs 2009 @ University Oval, Dunedin SL 215/5, 20.0 overs Result: NZ won by 32 runs IND 186/9, 20.0 overs 1st Inn - NZ 429/all out, 131.5 overs 1st Inn - PAK 332/all out, 96.5 overs 2nd T20I: India v Sri Lanka at Mohali - Dec 12, 2009 2nd Inn - NZ 153/all out, 67.0 overs Result: IND won by six [6] wickets 2nd Inn - PAK 218/all out, 76.0 overs SL 206/7, 20.0 overs IND 211/4, 19.1 overs 2nd Test: New Zealand vs. Pakistan - Dec 3-7, 2009 @ Basin Reserve, Wellington 1st ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Rajkot - Dec 15, 2009 Result: PAK won by 141 runs 2nd ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Visakhapatnam - Dec 1st Inn - PAK 264/all out, 88.2 overs 18, 2009 1st Inn - NZ 99/all out, 36.5 overs 3rd ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Cuttack - Dec 21, 2009 2nd Inn - PAK 239/all out, 86.3 overs 4th ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Kolkata - Dec 24, 2009 2nd Inn - NZ 263/all out, 82.5 overs 5th ODI: India v Sri Lanka at Delhi - Dec 27, 2009 3rd Test: New Zealand v Pakistan - Dec 11-15, 2009 @ McLean Park, Napier 5th ODI: South Africa v England at Durban - Dec Match in progress - Stumps Day 3 1st Inn - PAK 223/all out, 64.3 overs 4, 2009 1st Inn - NZ 471/all out, 139.0 overs Result: Match abandoned without a ball bowled 2nd Inn - PAK 128/no loss, 56.0 overs 1st Test: South Africa v England at Centurion For updates on cricket matches visit saathee.com Dec 16-20, 2009 England visits South Africa

January 2010

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1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons ground caraway 2 teaspoons ground coriander 2 cups diced potatoes 6 eggs 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Recipes and more Thai Fried Rice with Basil Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 large hot pepper, finely chopped 2 cups sliced mushrooms 1 large onion, finely chopped 3 cups cooked rice 2 cups green beans, broken into inch-long pieces 1 large sweet red pepper, finely chopped 2 Tablespoons soy sauce 4 Tablespoons chopped basil leaves Method: In a heavy frying pan, heat the oil until sizzling and stir-fry garlic and hot peppers over medium-high heat until the garlic turns golden brown. Add the mushrooms and onions and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add cooked rice and stir-fry a bit more. Add green beans, sweet peppers, and soy sauce and stir-fry for 2 min.

Stir in basil leaves and serve immediately. Serves 6.

Spicy Cabbage Rolls Ingredients: 2 cups diced tomatoes 1/2 cup diced onions 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms 1 cup shredded carrots 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 head of cabbage 1 1/2 tablespoons your favorite spicy seasoning blend 1/4 cup water Method: Preheat oven to 350째. In a large bowl, mix together all the vegetables except cabbage. Add the seasoning blend, oil and lemon juice. Carefully remove leaves from cabbage head. Spoon approximately one tablespoon mix onto each leaf. Roll each leaf and fold in sides. Lay folded side down in 2-quart casserole dish. Repeat until pan is full, reserving 1/3 of the vegetable mix. Spread leftover vegetable mix over tops of rolls, and add water to the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes, until cabbage is tender.

Tunisian Potato Omelet Ingredients: Spicy Tomato Sauce 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground caraway 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes Potato Omelet 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 cups diced onions January 2010

Method: First the spicy tomato sauce: Warm the oil in a small saucepan. Sizzle the garlic in the oil for a few seconds. Add the pepper flakes, salt, caraway, and coriander and cook briefly, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the omelet. For the omelet: Warm the oil in a large well-seasoned or nonstick skillet, add the onions, and cook on mediumhigh heat for about 3 minutes, until they soften and begin to turn translucent. Stir in the salt, caraway, coriander, and potatoes and cook for about a minute.

Add 1/4 cup of water, cover, and cook on medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir often and check for sticking; add more water if necessary. While the potatoes cook, in a bowl, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water. When the potatoes are tender, pour the eggs over them and cook on medium-low heat. When the eggs begin to set, lift the cooked edges while you tilt the pan so the uncooked egg slips under, onto the hot skillet. Sprinkle on cheese, cover, and cook on low heat until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. Divide the omelet into quarters. Serve topped with the spicy tomato sauce.

- Recipe courtesy of the Moosewood Collective Fontina Polenta & Wild Mushrooms Ingredients: 4 cups water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup yellow cornmeal 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1/2 pound fresh wild mushrooms such as shiitake, crimini, or portabella, thinly sliced 2 cups vegetable stock 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 3 ounces Fontina cheese, diced 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Method: Combine the water and salt in a saucepan that and bring to a boil. Add the cornmeal in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Continue to stir until the mixture starts to thicken, about two minutes. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Heat the oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly toasted, 3 min. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 min. Add the stock, salt, pepper, thyme, and rosemary and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 min. Stir in the parsley and set aside. Remove the cooked polenta from the heat and stir in the Fontina cheese and milk.

Continue stirring until the cheese is melted. Spoon one cup of the polenta into each of four bowls and top each serving with 1/2 cup of the sauce. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese over each one.

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Foundation of Relationship

Astride Three Continents

continued from page 42

continued from page 46

reward and punishment, the parents and the society encourage the child to compete and become successful in order to serve mainly his interests and the interests of the family members.

Education is concerned with the cultivation of intellect and not of intelligence. No learning takes place about the totality and wholeness of life. Attachment and possessiveness form the basis of family relationships.

Attachment is mistaken as an indication of love. The pursuit of personal pleasure and personal gain become the norm of life. Even the physical health is neglected.

From early childhood habits are formed to eat food that caters to the taste buds with little care given to its nutritional value.

No opportunity is given to the child to explore if there is something beyond thought based materialistic existence. Appreciation of beauty, sensitivity to nature, and responsibility toward environment and fellow human beings is given very little significance.

Living in the vast world we create these small circles of relationship that are very limited. This very limitation becomes the cause of strife and suffering in the world.

Conflicting desires, demands and expectations inevitably create tension and stress. We want to solve the problems arising out of conflicting interests without touching the root cause of human predicament.

Need for psychological security forms the basis of self-interest and self-interest forms the basis of relationship. Psychologically, thinking is rooted in the idea of the “me” being separate from “you.” This naturally creates division between “me” and “you.” We take these divisions for granted because these divisions exist all over the world. Our own thinking creates these divisions and we treat these divisions as part of our “human nature.” The fact is that the “self” by its very nature is not secure. It is based on an idea. The idea about who “I” am. Idea is not the reality. But thinking treats the “self” as real. Because of this illusion, thinking is all the time trying to provide a sense of security, certainty, stability and permanency to the “self.”

This motive is ingrained in our thinking process. For example, thinking creates the feeling of certainty through the process of attachment with people, property, and with ideas and beliefs. Because of our own need for psychological security, we get attached to certain people and we call that attachment – love. But in the process we get isolated from other people to whom we are not attached. Unfortunately, attachment does not provide the certainty we seek because it is dependent on the whims, requirements, desires and demands of people on whom we depend.

An individual can never feel secure as long as he is isolating himself from the rest of the world. There is no way that an individual can be free from fear, loneliness and anxiety so long as the cause of the problem is not deeply understood. The understanding of the cause is the ending of the cause. Truth can come into being only when the false is seen as the false.

Your comments and questions are most welcome.

sufficient in the modern world. As a Japanese entrepreneur has said succinctly, one makes, one sells and one counts. Thus a businessman must wear at least three hats, the producer, the marketer and the accountant.

The East, it is said, is a huge market. If you step inside a typical market you’ll see all the above principles at work. In the services sector also, we see that India has become a specialized call-center hub. Why indeed India has become an IT paradise while China is a manufacturing power is mysterious, and involves historical and linguistic reasons, at the very least.

While mass markets are here to stay, most small businesses and individuals wishing to sell their products and services keenly feel the need of niche markets. Until recently, these businesses had to identify their customers, target their offerings and find a way to reach their audiences. The Internet has changed all that. Especially, Google words has made it easy to link potential buyers with eager sellers.

By providing a huge “switchboard” which magically connects buyers and sellers, Google words has made it eerily possible for matchmaking to occur. The next best thing to telepathy has arrived, and the entire globe has become one vast marketplace.

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

January 2010

Tax Matters continued from page 64 the data, fixing errors and may take 4 to 6 hours to finish. Many tax payers with a complex tax situation simply prefer to enjoy their hard earned weekends and let a tax professional handle the complex number crunching. Give yourself enough time ahead of the tax deadline as you may run into road blocks and getting an appointment with a tax professional at the last minute may prove difficult.

Special Tax Situations There are several special tax situations that the tax software may not be able to handle effectively.

Investments in small business corporations, net operating losses, home office and other special deductions, active trading with mark-to-market accounting, H1 and other temporary work visa taxes, individuals with income in multiple states, ITIN applications and US tax resident tests for immigrant workers require special tax knowledge and are not suitable for online tax programs.

Most of the tax programs will let you try for free before filing the actual return. This tax season try out some of the online tax programs and see if it works for your tax situation. And finally for those of us that prefer the comfort of human presence and discuss tax saving ideas, there will always be tax professionals that can be counted upon.

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

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

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

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

Boogie Woogie North Carolina The acclaimed Indian dance competition to be held in Raleigh area on the February 28, 2010. Junior and Senior finalists will represent North Carolina at the nationals to be held in Chicago. For more detial contact Latha Pamarthi at 919.624.1012 or lathapamarthi@gmail.com. / www.boogiewoogienc.com.

Boogie Woogie India Website: www.boogiewoogieindia.com Suryanamaskar Yagna 2010 The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) announces its fourth year Surya Namaskar Yajna to create awareness among the people about Yoga and its advantages in achieving a healthy body, mind and spirit. Each year Hindus worldwide celebrate January 14 as Makar Sankranti – a day that marks a change of season as the sun enters the sign of Capricorn or Makar.

Makar Sankranti ushers in longer days; thus the festivity symbolizes sunshine in life. Therefore, to mark this occasion, HSS will conduct a collective Surya Namaskar Yajna from January 16 31, 2010. This year the HSS also invites community groups, Yoga centers and students of all ages to participate and learn, this unique Yoga and continue practicing beyond the Health for Humanity Marathon. This will be the third Surya Namaskar Yajna (SNY) since it was first launched in 2007. The sun is the source of energy for all life on earth. Surya Namaskar is a combination of yoga postures, called “asana(s)”, performed in a pre-determined sequence, in appreciation January 2010

of this extremely valuable solar energy. They are a set of well-balanced movements that will stretch and exercise all the muscles in the body, thus keeping the body and mind healthy. HSS conducts a collective Surya Namaskar Yajna every year. The collective goal is to do one million Surya Namaskars in the sixteenday span. Last year, over 6,500 people from 32 states participated in this marathon and offered 700,000 Surya Namaskar. This program is open to people of all ages, gender, and races. It is free and includes weekly workshops in Shaka/Balagokulam conducted every Sunday from 4:15 - 5:45pm at the Cary-Morrisville Hindu Bhavan, Sai Baba mandir hall, Morrisville, NC. For more information about this event contact in the Triangle area contact Venu Rao at 919.324.2958 or hss.rtp@hssus.org / www.hssus.org/sny.

TAGCA Maha Sankranthi Celebrations TAGCA is celebrating Maha Sankranthi Celebrations at Providence High School in Charlotte on January 23, 2010 beginning at 4 pm. The event includes, music, dances, cooking competition, Muggulu (Rangoli), Bhogi Pallu for kids. The program is open and free to public. Providence High School, 1800 PinevilleMatthews Road. Visit www.tagca.org for more information or send an email to activities@tagca.org or call 704.786.9644.

Community Reports AAHOA 2009 NC Regional The AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association) held its NC Regional meeting on Dec 2, 2009 in Charlotte at the Oasis Temple. Over 200 par-

ticipants attended the gathering featuring a trade show, business meeting and entertainment. The meeting was attended by former Chairman Ravi Patel, former Directors Rajni Patel, Jay (Trini) Patel, and JD Deva. They were accompanied by the current NC Regional Director for NC, Jay (Jimmy) Patel along with Tarun Patel, Fred Schwartz, CK Patel, Hemant Patel, Sly Patel, Raj Bhagia, Kalpana Patel, RK Patel and Jay

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(GA) Patel from the current AAHOA board of directors.

The event featured over 70 vendors. An educational seminar focused on the current bank and financing issues that are affecting the membership.

Representatives from the SBA, CDC, HFS Financing, and BBT were part of a panel discussion that was focused on the financing options that are still available in the current economic climate. This session had almost 100 attendees. Karen Hoskins of the SBA presented the current SBA financing options that hoteliers have along with other supporting programs offered by the SBA. This was supplemented with discussion from Richard Vitolo of Centralina Development (CDC), Scott Corrigan of Hospitality Finance and Ranjit Rawley of BB&T. During the regional there was also an AAHOA Women’s meeting. In many cases the women are significantly involved with the day to day operations of the hotels and the association. In North Carolina there are two women ambassadors who have been quite involved in the association. The focus of the regional has always been the business meeting, which this year included guest speakers the Charlotte Mayor-Elect Anthony Foxx, representing Governor Bev. Purdue’s office Peter Reichard, and former Chairman of AAHOA Ravi Patel. Members were updated on the current issues that the board has been discussing over the last six months and were given the opportunity to ask the officers any questions that they may have regarding AAHOA. During the business meeting, there was also a session involving legal discussion with attorneys. The panel discussion was moderated by Samir Patel (Kumar-Pathak) who asked the questions to Kirtan Patel (Kumar-Pathak), Anshu Pathak (Kumar-Pathak) and Mahesh Patel (Patel and Associates). Attendees were given pointers and direction on what steps and procedures to follow to protect themselves during this e c o n o m i c downturn.

This portion of the meeting was extremely significant and will likely be part of one of the educational breakout sessions at the AAHOA national meeting to be held June 16-19, 2010 in Chicago. The evening was capped with food and then entertainment provided by the group Black. This group is comprised of all blind entertainers who are exceptional singers.

CROP SEVA Day On November 8, 2009 over 200 members from the Children’s Religious Oriented Program (CROP) family spent their Saturday afternoon for someone else.

January 2010

Spread throughout the Charlotte area, these Hindu Center youth made a powerful impact through community outreach for the first CROP Seva Day. The concept of “seva” goes beyond the simple translation of “service,” rather seva is service with deep heartfelt care - a sincere act performed for the upliftment and benefit of a fellow human being. Reflections on SEVA Day revealed the students and adult volunteers had a wonderful experience through their respective service activities. Many youth shared how they became more aware of the society around them and how they developed an appreciation for all they have been blessed with. Additionally, a common theme was acknowledging the ability to give something unconditionally and having the opportunity to make a direct positive impact in another person’s life. Some of the activities and focus of the groups are highlighted below.

Nourishment: Children from the kindergarten to third grade classes assembled at the Hindu Center to put together food packages for children at Thomasboro Elementary School. These youngsters put together about 50 packages of peanut butter, jelly, cereal, granola bars, juice boxes, apple sauce, rice, beans and canned goods. To add a festive element, the youngest children created leaf rubbings and put them on the boxes while older students wrote a kind note. Clothes and toiletries were also collected for donation.

Compassion: The residents of Brighton Garden Nursing Home were treated as honorary grandparents for a day by a group of second and third grade CROP students.

Indian culture was the focus of the afternoon. Children performed dances, shared artifacts, and displayed photos and projects. The next round was dedicated purely to fun. Everyone participated in games and the highlight was an intense session of Bingo.

Devotion: The fourth and fifth graders had the earlier morning as they gathered at 9:15am at Loaves and Fishes Food Center. Before they began their tasks, a member of the staff explained to the children the purpose of the center and how it assists families in need by proving them with food during emergency situations. The morning was spent sorting through five huge cartons of food.

Consideration: Middle school students of CROP spent their afternoon at Charlotte Emergency Housing, a homeless shelter for working families. They were present on a special day as the organization was hosting an Alumni party for residents who were able to move forward with their lives. The students brought desserts and volunteered with the children of the families.

Humanity: A group of sixth to twelfth graders did a range of activities at St. Peter’s Catholic Samaritan House. The residents of this non-profit home dedicated to providing recuperative care for the homeless had an entirely Indian vegetarian lunch provided by CROP. The afternoon continued with yardwork and cleaning assistance.

Affection: The oldest CROP members, high school students, spent their afternoon at the Salvation Army Center of Hope with several activities planned for the mothers and children who lived there. A table was set up with various Indian snacks and sweets and residents had the opportunity to taste and learn about Indian food. Indian board games were hosted inside while cricket and bowling were played outdoors.

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Seva Day also marked the beginning of the Hindu Center Go Green Initiative. As a culture and religion that values nature highly, a group of students and adults gathered to start off the initial planning stages to ensure that beliefs are reflected within organizational activities. Ideas of recycling, cutting wasteful products and conserving energy were all discussed.

Children’s Day 2009 India’s first Prime Minister, Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru, was born on November 14 and his birthday is celebrated as Children’s Day in India. He loved children and enjoyed interacting with them. Children

called him Chacha Nehru.

The Heritage India Association celebrated Children’s Day from 11 am 3 pm on November 14, 2009 at the Hindu Society Cultural Hall in Morrisville. Three children – Jaisal Amin (“Youth Role Model Heritage Award”), Priyanka Reddi (“Youth Excellence in Indian Classical Dance –Bharatnatyam Heritage Award”) and Roshni Verma (“Youth Excellence In Community Services Heritage Award”) were recognized for their merits, accomplishments and unique talents. Prakash Devalapalli presented them with a profusely illustrated hardbound volume on India as an appreciation while Harsha Shah and Mrs. Sharma adorned them in Indian tradition by putting an Indian shawl around their shoulders. Mrs. Sharma also addressed the audience with her remarks on the importance of children and Children’s Day. The event is organized by Heritage India Association of N.C. in collaboration with Hindu Society of N. C. to teach children the value of art, traditions, heritage and culture of India.

The first Children’s Day was celebrated at the Marbles Kids Museum in 2007. This celebration aims to bring children from all parts of India together to perform in a fun-filled setting and experience a mosaic of Indian cultural arts and traditions. The children were completely involved in planning, organizing, and presenting the program items. While Vidya Bhat and Sonali Sethi presented the program segments creatively as Emcees — Nafisa Shaikh kept the show going smoothly as stage manager. There were three musical performances and as many as 18 dances – folk as well as classical - performed by more than 130 children ranging from 4 years to 15 years of age.

Ramesh Patel, a Triangle area Mehandi artist, did face-painting and mehandi for the children at no charge and five UNC students offered Art workshop for the children. the musical and dance performances, presented by the students of prominent musicians and choreographers showcased the balance and quality of the performers. — Yash Garg

January 2010

Hearing Nepal in North Carolina

by Kubacka Sometimes fantastic things can come together at the last minute. Such was the case with Shringara Nepal’s classical music concert at the Tandoor Indian Restaurant in Durham, NC on November 25, 2009.

Composed of Parashuram Bhandari on the sarangi, his cousin Achyut Ram Bhandari on tabla, and Parashuram’s student Babette Ackin providing the background drone of the tamboura, Shringara Nepal is in the midst of a U.S. tour that began in October 2009.

Shringara Nepal opened their performance with Raga Jog, typically performed in the night. Parashuram began by unfolding the melodic structure of the raag with an abbreviated alap, introducing the audience to the rich resonances of the sarangi’s strings, accompanied only by Babette’s gentle playing of the tamboura.

The artists concluded the raag with a sawal jawab, where Achyut Ram repeated Parashuram’s phrases back to him through the tabla.

After a short intermission, the artists performed a light classical thumri in Raag Mishra Kafi. To me, pieces of this sort are really the essence of the sarangi. With the instrument’s his- (From left) Babette Ackin, Parashuram Bhandari and Achyut Ram Bhandari. Photo By Daniel J Pesta torical association as the melodic instrument of choice to accompany courtesan singers in performance, one cannot help but to let the mind drift off, recollecting scenes from classic Hindi films such as Pakeezah or Umrao Jaan, where classy courtesan dancers sang poetic songs of love, pain, separation, and profound wonder… all while the sarangi played along in the background.

However, the real highlight of the performance was what followed - an extremely rare sight outside of Nepal. Parashuram set down the Indian sarangi to take up the Nepali folk sarangi, a smaller, less developed version of the former. But don’t let “smaller” or “less developed” mislead you; his folk sarangi is a true pleasure to behold – both for the ear as well as the eye. Achyut Ram also gave his tabla a rest and brought out a small double-sided Nepali folk drum known as the madal, on which he gave a basic beat to a series of immensely enjoyable folk songs, including the most popular “Resham Firiri.” After discussions with a few audience members, I learned that these songs celebrated trekking through the beautiful landscape of Nepal, and of course, the ever perennial themes of love and friendship. While Parashurmam’s main intent might be as a classical musician, I must say that it was here in these folk pieces that he really seemed to shine and win the hearts of the audience. The crowd sang and clapped along, and yelled out requests for the next folk tune.

This wonderful musical evening was organized by the Nepal Center of North Carolina.

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

Info: 704.248.2647 charlotte@us.artofliving.org www.artofliving.org BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Regularly scheduled activities include a daily Aarti at 6:30 am and 7 pm. Darshan: Mon-Fri 6:30 am12:30 pm and 4 - 8:30 pm, Sat/Sun 6:30 am-8:30 pm. Gujarati classes are held every Sunday from 3 - 4 pm and “Satsang Sabha” is held every Sunday at 4:30 p.m. The Swaminarayan Temple is located at 4100 Margaret Wallace Road in Charlotte, N.C. Info: 704.573.0805 704.573.0820 (fax) Bhartiya Association of Lake Norman (BALKN) BALKN organizes several community programs every year. For details about the organization and upcoming events visit www.balkn.org Carolina Sanskritk Maharashta Mandal CSMM - The Carolina Sanskritk Maharashtra Mandal promotes Maharashtrian culture and language. Maharashtra mandal is committed to serve Carolina Marathi community with various cultural, social and traditional marathi programs and events.

Info: Medha Tannu, mantannu@yahoo.com, 704.548.1570 Abhay Khanore, terasahara2000@yahoo.com, 803.554.1234 Pandurang Naik, psnaik@yahoo.com, 704.904.3636 Carolinas Christian Assembly Charlotte Everyone is coordially invited to join January 2010

for Sunday worship - 9:30 to 10:30 English, 10:45 am-12:00 Malayalam. Address: 3046 Senna Drive, Matthews, N.C 28105 Prayer and Spiritual guidance: 704.323.5834 803.322.9549 704.756.4969 CCAprayerline@gmail.com Carolinas Prayer Fellowship Rev. Dr. Samuel Prabodh Talluri invites everyone living in the North and South Carolina to participate in “Fellowship” Every Sunday Morning in Gastonia, N.C. Info: 704.865.1428 (Jay) 704.824-8698 (Joe) 704.545.1465 (Dayakar) Charlotte Gita Study Group Info: Rajesh Venky and Savitha Mathur, 704.845.0464, rvenky@aol.com Shridhar and Kruti Dave, 704.844.9567, skdave@hotmail.com Charlotte Kannada Koota The Charlotte Kannada Koota is an organization that promotes understanding of Karnataka culture and provides a medium for people of Karnataka (Kannadigas) to get together. The activities include social get-togethers, music, and drama.

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

Hours:-Tuesday & Thursday 6-10 PM, Sat. 2-6 PM Sunday 1-5 PM. Info: www.charlottetabletennis.org Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills. The Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group holds weekly group sits and monthly all day sits for established students (those who have taken at Saathee 90

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. New center now open in Jesup, GA. Info: 704.277.5013, rbddesai@gmail.com 704.563.5440, dspranger@gmail.com www.patapa.dhamma.org Classical Music Association of Charlotte (CMAC) CMAC sponsors many classical concerts during the year in Charlotte.

Membership forms are available at concerts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Senior Citizens Group meets on the 1st Sunday of every month at 4 pm and followed by Satyanarayan Katha at 5 pm. Future trips and activities are in the planning stages. Info on the group: 704.334.2462 (Gobind Bhojwani). The sloka class teaches children between the ages of 4 and 13 different Hindu hymns, their meaning and significance. The class meets Sundays at 9:30 am. Info on the class: 704.814.9355 (Lakshmi Muthukrishnan). Info on the Social Welfare Committee: 704.372.1265 (Narain Amar) or 704.948.5609 (Dhinakaran Pillai). The Vedic Havan is held at the vedant hall on second Sunday of every month at 10:30 am to 12:00 pm noon followed by Prasadam.

Info: 704.825.9223 (Swadesh Sawhney). The Pranayam classes are held Saturdays from January 2010

9:30 - 11 am in the Vivek Hall. Info: 704.649.5374 (Kajal Jain), 704.554.0765 (Manisha Naik), or 281.304.5597 (Sanjay Vyas) pranayamclt@aol.com. Yoga classes are held Sundays at 9 am. Info: 704.864.8212 pradip_bulsara@hotmail.com.

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

Upcoming Events: Fri Apr 23, 2010 (8 pm) - Sitar player Pt. Kushal Das accompanied by Kumar Bose on Tabla. Venue: Tate Recital Hall, CPCC Central Campus.

Sat May 22, 2010 (6 pm) - Vocal Recital by Dr. Ashwini Bhide Deshpande.

Venue: Tate Recital Hall, CPCC Central Campus.

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

Info: 704.540.8799 (Amit Shah), 704.688.5387 (Kinshuk Agarwal) www.ivaac.org Kiran KIRAN is a multi-cultural, non-religious, community based, South Asian organization. Promoting the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner. The group spreads awareness of South Asian women’s issues in Saathee 92

the community and we cooperate and collaborate with organizations in the USA and elsewhere with similar objectives. Countries in South Asia include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Though there are differences in language, customs, and religions across these countries, these regions share many basic cultural and historical similarities. KIRAN operates a crisis phone line Monday- Friday from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm. For help or information regarding domestic violence call an advocate. Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and context-sensitive manner • Non-judgmental help and support to women who are experiencing oppressive/crisis situations • Emotional support • Referrals to professional and community services regarding legal issues, health care, short-term child care, psychological 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. Info: Crisis Hotline: 1877- NC-KIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 Kiran@Kiraninc.org www.kiraninc.org MaGaReSa Club The MaGaReSa Club is a music outlet for SouthEast Asians who want to develop their musical abilities through regular Bollywood music sessions. Info: www.yahoogroups.com/group/magaresa-indianmusic , or http://magaresa.ning.com or http://www.meetup.com/Bollywood-Music-MeetupGroup/ Net IP Charlotte NetIP Charlotte is the only official Carolinas chapter of North America’s Largest Network of Indian Professionals. NetIP Charlotte provides a forum for on-going Career Developmental and Professional Networking activities. It arranges various events and maintains deeper ties with Businesses & the community. It provides various effective ways for Carolinas’ Indian Professionals to connect with other successful professionals.

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Community News & Events Pratham - Charlotte Area Pratham is India’s largest non-profit organization with grass roots programs in the area of primary education. Pratham has made an impact on the learning levels of several million children through its Read India campaign which reached 31 million children across India. Pratham has developed an accelerated learning technique which helps children to read & write in two months. With nearly half the children in India who attend schools are not learning to read and write at the required level, Pratham is trying to fill an important gap in the area of primary education. Info: Anju Desai (ajdesai66@gmail.com or 980-6220125) and Shubhra Chakraborty (shubhra.chakraborty1@gmail.com) or 704-942-4798). www.prathamusa.org.

Probasi of Charlotte Probasi is the Bengali community based in Charlotte and surrounding areas. The community’s goal is to organize cultural and educational program related to Bengal in the Greater Charlotte area, to increase Bengali cultural awareness, and to provide community service in the area. Info: www.probasi.org Sahaj Marg MeditationCharlotte Area Sahaj Marg , which means Simple or Natural path, is a Raj Yoga system of spiritual training based on the heart centered meditation. The unique features of this meditation include transmission of divine energy into the heart of the practitioner and cleaning of deep impressions, thereby regulating the mind.

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

Info: Arun and Promila Sehra 704.844.0147 Srikanth Katakam 704.496.4411 naturalpath.nc@gmail.com www.srcm.org Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal On the 1st Saturday of every January 2010

month, Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal has kirtans and bhajans at the Hindu Center of Charlotte at 5 pm. After the bhajans, there is Aarti and Mahaprasad.

In addition, on the 3rd Sunday of every month, an additional Satsang Sabha is held at sponsor’s house at 3 - 5 pm. Info: 704.392.4488 Ramesh Dhanani Shri Rang Avadhut Parivar (Parspar Devo Bhav) Soul devotees of Guru Dattatraya Rang Avadhut and Shri Prem Avadhut meet every Thursday evening in Charlotte, NC from 7 - 8 pm for recital of “Datta-Bavani”, singing devotional Dattatraya Bhajans and reading “GuruLilamrut”.

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

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

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

Info: 704.948.7664 (Roshan Attrey), rattrey@aol.com, 704.541.0350 (Sajjan Dhaliwal), sajjan@carolina.rr.com, 704.948.8091 (Inderjeet Rajpal), irajpal@aol.com www.gurdwaracharlotte.com SouthPark Cricket Club South Park Cricket Club is based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it has been an active member of the Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference since 2002. The club’s home ground is located at the Reedy Creek Park, 2900 Rocky River Rd, Charlotte, NC. Info: 847.722.9865 (Baseet Ahmed), baseer_11@yahoo.com www.southparkcc.org Srishti of Charlotte Srishti has emerged to fulfill the community’s need for togetherness and the desire to showcase Bengali literature, theatre, music, cinema and popular arts. The word Srishti means an act of creation. Though established and coordinated by a group of Bengali families, Srishti welcomes and brings together peoSaathee 94

ple of varied cultures, languages, background and nationalities who are interested in East Indian traditions. Info: 704.321.1964 (Samiksha Bose) 704.541.3451 (Santanu Sarkar) 704.882.6115 (Manmatha Chakrovorty) Steele Creek Cricket Club Cricket is played every Sunday morning at the Steele Creek Athletic Association complex at 13530 Choate Circle, (weather permitting) from 8:00 am to 11:00 am. This group is dedicated to playing cricket with a hard tennis ball and/or soft baseball (also known as T-Ball) for fun in the Steele Creek Area of Charlotte. If you would like to stay informed about this club or would like to play or watch cricket, feel free to join and share your ideas.

For information on current hours of play, location, and contacts.

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

Telugu Association of Greater Charlotte Area (TAGCA) The organization’s mission is to bring together Telugu speaking people and to promote Telugu Culture.

TAGCA and Hindu Center of Charlotte are conducting Telugu Classes. They are on every 2nd and 4th Sunday of the month from 10:30 - 11:30 am and are free for member and non-members alike.

Telugu Classes: TAGCA in association with Hindu Center is organizing Telugu Classes at Hindu Center, which will be conducted alternate Sundays. Info: Sreedhar Manjigani 704.965.6704 / www.tagca.org education@tagca.org United Cricket Club Forming a team this March of experienced as well as beginners that love cricket. Team will play in the Atlantic League. Practice is every Sunday at Reedy Creek Park (11 to 4pm).

Sunday and Monday evenings for ages 15 and up.

Info: 704.905.9127(Captain-Syed) 704.493.7629 (Vice Captain-Mohsan) saathee.com

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

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

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

GCAP, 127 Landmark Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410 Info: 336.420.7290 336.327.1235 www.gujaratisamajoftriad.org 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 & service.

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

Hindi Language classes are being taught by Mrs. Punjabi.

Info: 336.656.0203 (Dhananjay Kumar) www.iatnc.org Indo-US Cultural Association of Winston-Salem The Indo-US Cultural Association’s primary mission is to increase awareness of the cultural heritage of India which is tremendously rich in January 2010

its diversity and history. The Association seeks to reach out to the thriving Indian-American community within the Piedmont and Triad areas to share the vibrant Indian culture and promote crosscultural understanding.

Info: Madan Rangabasyam Phone : 336-760-5885 Life Bliss Foundation The NC Chapter, offers workshops, books, CD’s, and DVD’s on spirituality and enlightenment from living enlightened master Paramahamsa Nithyananda. 500 videos are available on You Tube. Satsangs in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem area include Life Bliss Meditation, video discourse, Q&A, and Nithya Spiritual Healing Prayer, a method of energy healing.

Satsang Locations: Weekly Wednesdays, 7 - 8:30 pm, Integrative Therapies, 7-E Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro NC 27407. Weekly - 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 organizing regular Sai Bhajans, Study Circle , Balvikas class for students and Service Activities. All devotees are welcome to the Center. 1st Sunday of the Month 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM, all other Sundays 10:00AM – 12:15 PM. Information: 612.239.7529 (Deepak Deshpande at Winston Salem) 908.875.6964 (Swami Rajendran at Greensboro) Triad Hindu Temple Many who attended the Pratistha Mahotsav filled a survey indicating interest in various programs such as recitals (Soundarya Lahari, Vishnu/Lalitha Sahasranamam, Gita Path,) Bhajans, Balvihar/Teen programs, Yoga, etc.

Whoever is interested to lead such events, email communityevent@triadhindutemple.org with details such as event info, contact name/ email/ phone, day and time you would like to schedule the event. One of the committee members will contact Saathee 96

you to confirm or provide alternate options in case of conflicts. Balvihar has been ongoing for over a year now, and if your child is interested visit www.triadhindutemple.org and click on Balvihar to get all the details. If interested in a Veda Class, email Mini Ranganathan at minisantu@yahoo.com if interested.

Upcoming Events:

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

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

Info: www.duke.edu/web/aid/ Atlantic Coast Sikh Association This is one of the oldest Sikh associations in the Southeastern USA. It meets every Sunday from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM at its gurdwara, located at 3108 Sparger Road, Durham, NC 27705. Kirtan is done by Bhai Dyal Singh Jatha. Classes for Punjabi and religious studies are held for children at the same time.

Info: 919.309.1045 - Bhai Dyal Singh www.acsagurdwara.org saathee.com

S. Isaac Broker 919.645.7243

Community News & Events 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.

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

Mahapuja – every Purnima at 7 pm.

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

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

Info: 919.461.2386 (Ratan Ray), ratanray@hotmail.com 919.510.7943 (Swaty Sen), swaty_sen@yahoo.com banc_members@googlegroups.com www.banc-online.org Bharatiya Senior Citizens of North Carolina (BSCNC) BSCNC is a nonprofit organization for Senior Citizens of Indian origin that are age 60 years and over. The members of the organization meet on the second Saturday of each January 2010

month. On December 12, 2009 Seniors enjoyed the music and songs sung by Amrishbhai Vyas.

New Board Members have been elected for the year 2010. In January, a program of Satyanarayan Katha has been announced.

Info: Pramila Domadia at 919.387.9171 Bhartiben Patel at 252.236.4391 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.

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

All are welcome to attend.

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

Activities: Namasankeertana Bhajans written, composed and sung by Pujya Sri Swamiji. Future projects: Kriya yoga classes by Saathee 98

Pujya Sri Swamiji-trained teachers from India. The group meets on the first Saturday of every month and every major festival day for Satsang and Namasankeertana (divine singing). Everyone is invited to attend the satsang with family and friends and receive divine blessings.

Info: 919.484.1993 (Srinivas Chittineni) 919.461.0843 (Suresh Kota) YahooGroups: Dattasatsang_NC. Duke Diya Duke Diya is a Duke University student organization that is committed to providing a forum for interaction through political, cultural, community service, and social events relating to South Asian Americans.

Info: 732.865.3173 www.dukediya.com 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 selfesteem, self-sustenance, economic well being and happiness. Ekal Vidyalya (One School One Teacher in one village) plans to establish 100,000 schools in tribal areas by 2012.This will cover all the villages in tribal areas where there are no schools today. The Carolinas Region of the EVFUSA conducts fund raising and awareness programs in North and South Carolina. Seeking volunteers.

Info: 919.803.0478 (Hari H. Nath) hnath45@yahoo.com www.ekalvidya.org EKTAA South Asian Student Organization EKTAA (meaning unity) is the South Asian Student Organization at North Carolina State University (NCSU).

The organization was founded in 1970. The motto is “unity within diversity.” EKTAA strives to spread culture and heritage of South Asia all over the campus as well as the local community and the organization works hand-in-hand with many organizations on and off the NCSU campus, as well as South Asian organizations from area universities. Info: www.ektaa.org saathee.com

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

Info: 919.851.1119 (Dr. Afroj Taj) taj@unity.ncsu.edu GEM - Raleigh Church of God Attend worship services, prayer meetings or Sunday School.

Info: 919.395.6208 (Pastor Thankachan M.) globalem@gmail.com Heritage India Association of North Carolina (HIANC) Heritage India Association of North Carolina aims at providing Indian cultural experience through performing arts, fine arts, cultural arts & crafts of India. Its mission is “to preserve and promote Indian heritage and culture.”

Info: Yash Garg at 919-870-5222 Harsha Shah at 919-362-0520 chander@bellsouth.net Hindi Vikas Mandal of NC Hindi Vikas Mandal (HVM), based in the RTP area, promotes study and appreciation of Hindi language and strives to foster Indian culture and traditions through Hindi. HVM has a special focus on the youths for the preservation of Indian Culture and heritage.

Info: 919.851.0225 (Saroj Sharma) 919.423.0365 (V.P. Tiwari) Hindu Society of North Carolina - Morrisville, NC The Hindu Society of North Carolina, located at 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, N.C. serves the Indian community in the Triangle area and its vicinity. Temple timings are: Mon. - Fri. 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Sat. Sun. 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Daily Aarti and Puja is also conducted by the Priest. Other regular religious and cultural programs: Monthly Vedic Havan, Tuesday Hauman Chalisa recitation, Sri Ramakrishna Study Group, Sri Sai Baba Group, Gita Study Group, Devi Puja, Vaishnav Bhajan Group, Akhand Ramayana Recitation, Weeklend Language and Spiritual Knowledge January 2010

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: February 12, 2010 - Mahashivratri Celebrations.

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

Info: 919.676.0298 (Mrinmoyee Sanyal) msanyal@ncsu.edu www.hsc-ncsu.org Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) conducts weekly activities to develop character and leadership skills in participants, emphasizing values such as self-discipline, self-confidence and a spirit of selfless service (seva) for humanity while maintaining Hindu cultural identity in harmony with the larger society. HSS is inspired by the idea that the whole world is one family. HSS started in 1989 in the United States and currently has over 100 chapters (shakhas) across the country. The Research Triangle Park chapter meets every Saturday. Activities are tailored to include yoga, games, songs, lectures and discussions on Hindu dharma and culture.

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

Hum Sub Hum Sub is dedicated to sharing the social and cultural traditions of India with the residents of the Research Triangle Park and North Carolina.

Info:919.468.3332 (Mamta Bisarya) Saathee 100

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.

Info: Nilesh - 919.656.4361 www.forum-nc.org Indian Classical Music & Dance Society (ICMDS) ICMDS is dedicated to the task of promoting Indian classical music and dance in the Triangle area.

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

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

IAFF has created an orphanage education fund to help qualified orphans to rise as high as they can climb in the educational/professional ladder.

Info: 919.362.7653 (Dr. Subhas C. Mohapatra) www.iaff1.org Indus Foundation Indus Foundation was founded in NC by a group of professionals with the sole purpose of giving back to the community and the country that has helped members achieve success.

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Community News & Events 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 tomorrow.

Info: 919.461.0001 (Dr. Vinnie Goel, Chairman) 919.467.0598 (Dr. Shri Kulkarni, President) 919.319.7294 (Dr. Vijaya Bapat, Vice-President) www.indusfoundation.info International Community Church 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.

Info: 919.233.2900 w w w. i n t e r n a t i o n a l c o m m u n i t y church.org International Hindi Association International Hindi Association (IHA) promotes Hindi language and literature and has chapters all over the United States. The Raleigh Chapter periodically organizes Kavi Sammelans with local and indigenous talents. Open to those interested in listening to poetry or in reciting poetry.

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

by Lord Shree Swaminarayan (Shree Sahajanand Swami),” enabling His devotees from both the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi (Ahmedabad) and Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal) to practice their religious duties in harmony. The RaleighDurham chapter organizes a “Satsang Sabha” every two weeks, typically on Friday or Saturday evenings, which includes Kirtan January 2010

bhakti, Katha, Aarti and Mahaprasad.

Info: 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 is just a few miles off of Routes I-40 & I-85 and located at 1032 Dimmocks Mill Road, Hillsborough, NC 27278. Daily aarti- 4:30 am, 7:15 am, 12:30 pm, 4:15 pm, 7 pm. Darsana: Monday through Friday 7:30-11:30 am and 4:15-5:45 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.

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

Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and context-sensitive manner • Non-judgmental help and support to women who are experiencing oppressive/crisis situations • Emotional support Saathee 102

• 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. Info: Crisis Hotline: 1877- NC-KIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 Kiran@Kiraninc.org www.kiraninc.org Nuv Yug Nuv Yug is a cultural organization with a mission to promote awareness of Indian cultural arts and heritage. Striving to create synergy among various cultural groups from the South Asian region. Nuv Yug’s online system for India Fest 2010 is open now. Visit the website and review various guidelines. Once you have registered a userid, you will be provided your very own dashboard to keep track of your activities on the website. * The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2010. Review the appropriate guideline from the signin page. * India Fest 2010 Auditions - Sat. Feb. 13, 2010 at the Holshouser Building, State Fairgrounds, Raleigh. * India Fest 2010 Main Event - Sat.Sun., March 20-21, 2010, Dorton Arena, State Fairgrounds, Raleigh.

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

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

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

Pratham continues to evolve, grow and works to meet the saathee.com

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Saathee 103

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

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

Monthly events include meeting at bars/restaurants, Bollywood movie nights, potlucks, Indian concerts/performances, outdoor activities, community service and volunteering. This will also be an opportunity for professionals to share their thoughts on respective industries, social causes, the economy and politics. 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 just curious and want to learn more.

Regardless of background and/or knowledge the organization welcomes participants.

Info: www.vedantanc.org RTP Maharashtra Mandal RTP Maharashtra Mandal promotes Maharashtrian culture and language. Maharashtra mandal is committed to serve RTP community with various cultural, social and traditional marathi programs and events.

Info: 919.468.8824 (Jayant Yete) 919.757.7300 (Neeraj Shikarkhane) www.rtpmm.org

January 2010

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

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

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

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

Info: sampigeeditor@yahoo.com www.sampige.org Share and Care Foundation (SCF) Share and Care Foundation (SCF), a charitable organization focused on several projects in India and the USA, is launching a new chapter for the Carolinas - this represents the first chapter outside the New Jersey headquarters of SCF. SCF has been Saathee 104

working with the Triangle’s Indian community for more than 15 years.

Info: 919.425.5299 (Manu Patel) 919.469.1258 (Rajeev Kamath) www.shareandcare.org Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina The Sikh Gurudwara of North Carolina welcomes visitors of all backgrounds regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender. All peoples, regardless of their origin or orientation, are welcome to attend our services and share in the blessings of God. Religious services are held every Saturday evening and Sunday morning, followed by a community meal (langar). In addition to religious services, we offer educational programs for children and young adults. Adults participate in religious discourse during monthly study circles. Members of the Sangat (congregation) regularly participate in community service projects in the Triangle area. The Sikh Gurdwara at North Carolina is located at 3214 Banner Street in Durham, NC 27704.

Info: 919.220.9917 www.sgncweb.org South Indian Fine Arts Academy (SIFAA) SIFAA is a non-profit organization that works to arrange and promote concerts and performances in the Triangle and Triad areas, concentrating on Carnatic music for the present. Info: 919.773.1580 www.sifaa.org St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Monthly Mass and regular services are held in Malayalam/English by Rev. Dr. M. K. Thomas at the Baptist Student Center, 2702 Hillsborough Street, Raleigh, NC. Info: 919.461.1773 sec@stgregoriosnc.org www.stgregoriosnc.org Tamil Cultural Association of North Carolina (TCA NC) TCA NC is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of providing youths with exposure to Tamil culture. Everyone is invited to join TCA and become part of a wonderful organization promoting Tamil culture in the Triangle area.

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

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

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

Info: (919)-465-1606 Ravi Shanmugam (President) http://members.fortunecity.com/ta milsangamofcarolina Triangle Area Telugu Association (TATA) The Triangle Area Telugu Association (TATA) is a non-profit organization (started in 1983) committed to building a vibrant Telugu Community and promoting Telugu culture and language in the Triangle area of North Carolina.

Info: committee@tataonline.org www.tataonline.org Triangle Bangladesh Society (TBSNC) TBSNC strives to arrange musical programs by artists who have captured the hearts and minds of millions of Bengali-, Urdu- and Hindispeaking music fans all around the globe.

Info: 919.741.9343 (Ishtiaque Mohiuddin) Ishtiaquem@gmail.com www.tbsnc.org Triangle Chapter-India Development & Relief Fund (IDRF) IDRF is a registered, tax-exempt non-profit organization that supports volunteer-based, honest and highly experienced non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India in serving their populations’ critical needs around education, childcare, healthcare, women empowerment and tribal welfare, as well as relief and rehabilitation in times of natural disasters.

Info: www.idrf.org.

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.

January 2010

Info: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.

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

Special programs organised on Guru Purnima and Rang Jayanti and on the occasion of Pujya Sri Prem Avdhoot Bapji’s annual visit to the US. Info: rangmandal@gmail.com Triangle Vegetarian Society (TVS) The mission of TVS is to build a sense of community between current vegetarians and people who are interested in vegetarianism and have a forum for a discussion of issues. barman@cs.unc.edu www.trianglevegsociety.org Two Cents of Hope (TCH) Two Cents of Hope was started by a group of Indian students at NC State University with the belief in empowering youth via education. The goal is to uplift the weaker sections of the society through education. The foundation lies in the power of cents giving TCH its name. As J. Carney put it, “Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean, and the pleasant land.” By using coin boxes to collect loose Saathee 106

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

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

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

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

(910.371.9860) Anjali Dashputre, Treasurer.

(910.395.6633) Sukhbir Dhillon, Cultural Secretary (910.796.1965) 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 saathee.com

Community News & Events recognizing the need for promoting bi-lateral activities among South Asian and mainstream communities in the US and South Asia. Info: 678.762.7589 AniThirdM@aol.com, ani@giacc.org.

770.840.1925 - susan@giacc.org. www.giacc.org Hindu Society Of Eastern NC (Greenville, NC) Upcoming programs: Sun Jan 17 - 10:00 AM Balgokulam

by Rajesh Verma, 11:00 AM Children’s Program by Roopa Gandhi, 11:00 AM Adult Study by Mr. Srivatsa Info: 252.830.5177 (Dharam Vasnani) VasnaniD@aol.com Hindutempleenc@gmail.com

South Carolina American South Asian Cultural Association of Columbia, SC The organization’s fundamental goal is to increase cultural awareness and develop cultural understanding among American South Asian Community in Columbia area. A monthly dinner will be held on the Second Sunday of every month between 6 to 9 PM. There will be $10.00 Per Person charge for dinner at India Palace, 110-A Columbia Northeast Drive, Columbia.

Info: evenings 803.233.7042 or 803.233.3996 Carolina Buddhist Vihara (Greenville, SC) Regular beginner meditation program conducted by a Buddhist Monk. Activities are held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings: 6:30 pm (puja), 7 pm (meditation), and 8 pm (“Dhamma” talk or discussion). A “youth program” is also held once a month.

Info: dhammasc@hotmail.com Hindu Society of Greater Spartanburg The temple is located on 1130 Fairview Church Road in Boiling Springs, S.C. 29303. The daily Aarati is at 7 pm. Balvihar classes are conducted from 10 - 11:45 am on scheduled Sundays.

Winter/Spring session will begin from January 10 onwards.

Satsang on second Sun 5 - 7 pm.

Upcoming Programs: January 2010

Makar Sankranti celebration January 14, 2010.

Info: 864.599.7048

on

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/index.php India Assoc. of Greater Charleston (IAGC) The IAGC was founded in Charleston to bring together people who were interested in India and to provide a forum to increase the understanding of the heritage of India in US. Info: 803.884.0859 iagcfolks@yahoo.com International Fellowship Church of Greenville, SC International Fellowship Church offers Sunday worship services and other weekly activities for people of Indian origin.

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

Kannada classes for children are being organized to meet at the Vedic Center in Mauldin every other Sunday morning and the annual picnic will take place on the morning of Sat Aug 29.

Info: 864.430.4973 www.kagg-sc.org Masjid Noor-UL-Huda The Mosque is located at 517 Winmet Drive, Columbia, S.C. On the first Saturday and third Saturday of every month from 6 - 8 pm, Islamic session is held by Hafiz Mohammed Basheer.

Quranic Reading classes are conducted daily, and everyone is encouraged to send Saathee 108

their children to these sessions.

Info: 803.749.0827 (Dr. Shami) 803.740.5127 (Qari Abdul Khader Multani) 803.754.2632 (Mosque main number) Mrudani School of Performing Arts Mrudani School of Performing Arts is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the classical arts of India. Mrudani School offers classes in Bharathanatyam (Kalakshetra style) and Kuchipudi in Columbia, Orangeburg, and Charleston, SC. Info: Monica @ 843.849.7841 Anuradha @ 803.347.3851 classicaldance.india@gmail.com Sirigannada Sirigannada is the Kannada Association of South Carolina (based in Columbia) is a non-profit organization created in 2004 by the interested Kannada speaking people of South Carolina. A voluntary organization primarily run by memberships and donations from Kannadigas of the State of South Carolina.

President: Dr. H.N. Narayanaswamy Nadig.

Vice President: Mrs. Radha Rajagopal.

Secretary: Mrs. Usha Bilgi.

Treasurer: Mrs. Malathi Nagaraj.

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

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

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

Info: 864.967.2852 Send your organization’s news and events to us by the 15th of the month for inclusion in following month’s issue. Write to us at www.saathee.com. saathee.com

Rajeev Devgon, CPA Certified Public Accountant FOR YOUR ACCOUNTING NEEDS

Federal and State Income Tax Sales and Use Tax

Learn Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet Get certified by Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidyalaya Mandal

Bookkeeping

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Payroll

Learn To Sing And Play Bhajans, Prayers, Religious and Indian Patriotic Songs Learn Bollywood Music

Financial Statements

Group & Private Lessons For Kids And Adults Available Train to Participate in local functions and events

For a Free Consultation Contact Rajeev:

(919) 376-5011 Conveniently located in Cary on Hwy 55.

Email:Pdevgon@bellsouth.net

Call Darshana To Join Today!

(919) 387-7184 (919) 696-4014 zaveridarshana@yahoo.com

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Restaurant Hours

Early Bird Special

Restaurant Hours 15% off Dinner PM to 7:00 PM Lunch Mon - Fri 11:30 AM to 2:305:30 PM Mon. thru Thurs.

Lunch Mon - Fri 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM MayPM not be combined Sat - Sun 11:30 AM to 3:30 Sat - Sun 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM

with any other offer.

With Coupon only.

Exp 11/30/05

Tower Restaurant

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Dinner Sun5:30 - Thu PMPM to 9:30 PM Dinner Sun - Thu PM5:30 to 9:30 Sat PM5:30 PMPM to 10:00 PM Fri - SatFri -5:30 to 10:00

$3 144 Morrisville Square Square Way Way 144 Morrisville Morrisville,Morrisville, NC 27560NC 27560

OFF

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Phone: (919) 465-2326 Phone: (919) 465-2326 May not be combined with any other offers.

With Coupon

7 Days Week.

Take out, catering & Lunch buffet Open 7 Days Open a Week.

Dineain, TakeDine out, in, catering & Lunch buffet Exp 11/30/05 January 2010

Saathee 109

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Clues Down:

By Kirit Shukla 1

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

Clues Across: 1. The capital of India.

8. Request For Information. (*) 11. A malt beverage containing about 6% alcohol.

12. The pope’s crown, with a cross and orb on top.

14. Rupees. (*) 15. Cipher; nothing.

17. Pertaining a new era, as in human history.

19. To ward off; prevent.

21. The vital spirit, The God. 22. Right ascension. (*) (Astronomy).

23. Open to free current of air.

25. A trunk of a tree.

26. A line touching an arc at a single point. (Geom.)

29. To burn superficially or slightly; scorch.

30. One or the other of two.

34. A facial cleanser, usually containing alcohol.

35. The armed battle between the countries.

36. General Electric. (*) 37. In a new form; once more.

38. Any of the metal sulfides, as a copper, tin etc.

40. America On Line. (*) 42. The overhanging lower edge of a roof.

43. An athlete, a boxer, lacking ability. (Slang) 46. To the inside of.

48. South Carolina. (*) 49. A Hindu pilgrimage coastal town, in Gujarat.

50. Arizona. (*) January 2010

1. Carolinas’ most watched Bollywood TV show.

2. The altitude of a place above sea level.

3. The plural of the verb “Was.” 4. Extra Terrestrial. (*).

5. To be buried in a in a particular spot.

6. We wish a “ _ _ _”, on the first day of the year.

7. A metal used to make tools and machinery.

9. An open case to enclose a picture, mirror etc.

10. The Muslim religion.

13. American Copy Editors Society. (*) 16. The yellowish hard wood of orange tree.

18. A chest, bin etc. For storage.

20. Asian large carnivorous feline with stripes.

24. Rupee. (*) 27. To free (glass, earthenware, metals) from internal stress by heating and gradual cooling.

28. See clue no. 12 across.

29. Walks with forcible or heavy resounding steps.

31. Matters that are very unimportant.

32. Matter discharged from the body as excrement.

33. Resident. (*) 39. The lowest two digit whole number.

41. Not high or tall.

44. Alternating Current.(*) 45. A spiritual entity believed to live in the body during life & remain after death. (Egypt) 47. Ounce. (*)

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

A man was smoking a cigarette in the movie during the interval. Someone complained to the manager.

Manager: “Sir, you are not allowed to smoke in the cinema. Did you not see the slide on the screen that clearly instructs smoking is strictly prohibited?”

The young man looked at him and replied: “I am not blind. Did you not see the next slide with big letters ‘Marlboro is the best. Smoke Marlboro cigarette’?” ********* “My wife and I are getting along much better now.”

“That is almost improbable. What is the trick?”

“We outsource our arguments to a couple overseas.” ********* Booddhoo was writing something very slowly.

A friend asked: “Why are you writing slowly?”

Booddhoo: “I am writing to my 5-year-old son. He can’t read very fast.” ********* Doctor: “The check you gave me has come back for insufficient funds.”

Patient: “That’s funny, doctor. So has my complaint.” *********

Saathee 110

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EZ-BZ

YOUTH CORNER

TEST YOUR OWN IQ

(Created By Kirit Shukla)

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

(Find & circle the words in the puzzle).

(Subject: “Come together”).

BATCH BUNCH CLAN CLUTCH COLLECTION CREW CROWD DOZEN DUET FAMILY FLOCK GAGGLE GANG GROSS HAY HERD HORDE

1. “__-Music of India,” Saathee’s feature for the articles pertaining to music. _ _ _ GE _ _ 2. Moderate; Mild.

GE _ _ _ _ 3. Asian large carnivore with black stripes. _ _ GE _ 4. Norm; Mean. _ _ _ _ _ GE 5. A plan of things to be done. _ GE _ _ _ 6. A platform for public performance. _ _ _ GE 7. A cut precious stone used in jewelry.

GE _ 8. Having good understanding. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ GE _ _ 9. Alteration; Modification. _ _ _ _ GE 10. A spy; Law enforcement officer. _ GE _ _ 11. “__ Bush,” Former US President.

GE _ _ GE 12. Acrid; Biting. _ _ _ GE _ _ 13. Teethed wheel to transfer force.

GE _ _ 14. To place in proper order. _ _ _ _ _ GE 15. Edible product of a plant. _ _ GE _ _ _ _ _ 16. A powerful machine that removes the earth as from the bottom of a river. _ _ _ _ GE _ 17. Requiring immediate attention. _ _ GE _ _ 18. A textbook of mathematics that deals with the properties of shapes and figures. GE _ _ _ _ _ _ 19. A branch of mathematics dealing with equations, using the letters for the numbers. _ _ GE _ _ _ 20. Anything to be struck with missiles. _ _ _ GE _ 21. The time passed from the birth. _ GE 22. @ 80% of atmosphere gas. (N) _ _ _ _ _ GE _ 23. The thin, sharp side of a blade. _ _ GE 24. “Empire State of the South”.

GE _ _ _ _ _ 25. A small, loose-skinned variety of the mandarin orange. _ _ _ GE _ _ _ _

MOB PLATTON PODS POSSE PUN QUARTET QUINTET SCHOOL SECT SEPTET SQUADRON SWARM TEAM THRONG TRIBE TROOP

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

The unused 7 letters spell THIS magazine.

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January 2010

Saathee 111

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License to Rock

Festivals & Holidays Compiled by Kirit Shukla

Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan Jan

01 10 12 14 14 18 20 26 26 29 30

Feb Feb Feb Feb

2 5 9 12 13 14 15 16 19 25 28 -

Feb Feb Feb Feb Feb Feb Feb

-

January 2010 New Year, 2010 begins Shattila Ekadasi Swami Vivekanand Jayanti Makarsankranti/Uttarayana Darsha Amas (No Moon) Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Vasant Panchami Republic Day (India) Jaya Ekadasi Maghi Purnima (Full Moon) Gandhi Nirvana Day February 2010 Groundhog Day Shrinathaji Patotsav Vijaya Ekadasi Maha Shivaratri Lincoln’s Birthday Darsha Amas (No Moon) Valentine’s Day Presidents’ Day Buddha Nirvana Day Ramakrishna Paramhansa Jayanti Chhatrapati Shivaji Jayanti Aamalaki Ekadasi Holi Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Jayanti

Holidays & Festivals of Mar. 10/Apr. 10 Mar 1 - Dhuleti - Hola Mohalla Mar 11 - Paapamochini Ekadasi Mar 14 - Daylight Saving Time begins Mar 16 - Gudi Padvo Mar 17 - Cheti Chand - St. Patrick’s Day Mar 24 - Rama Navami - Swaminarayan Jayanti Mar 28 - Mahavir Jayanti Mar 30 - Chaitri Purnila, (Full Moon) - Shri Hanuman Jayanti Apr 1 - April Fool Day Apr 2 - Good Friday Apr 4 - Easter Sunday Apr 10 - Vallabhacharya Jayanti Apr 14 - Baishakhi Apr 15 - Adhik/Purushottam Maas begins - Last day to File Tax Returns Apr 22 - Earth Day

January 2010

continued from page 48 of the film business are beginning to look to the indies for source music instead of purpose-built studio tracks.

Director Anurag Kashyap, for instance, tapped Indian Ocean for the soundtrack to his 2004 film Black Friday, about the investigations following the 1993 serial Bombay bomb blasts. Though Anurag Basu selected Bollywood veterans Pritam Chakraborty and Sayeed Quadri for the soundtrack to his 2007 Life in a Metro, for the first time instead of lip-syncers Pritam himself appeared in music video-style interludes within the film as the front man to a real-life rock band. And then last year Bollywood insider Farhan Akhtar created a real, though fictional, band for the surprise hit Rock On! “People are getting bored of Bollywood, to be frank,” said Ravi. “Over the next four or five years, or maybe the next 10 years, we’re going to get into a mindset where we’re open to far more entertainment options.”

And indie music will be a driving force through that transition, Ravi believes.

For OML, one day that could mean big bucks. The company has already begun to get nibbles from international players in the music business. But for now Nair is looking to take it slow and build a domestic music scene organically.

That’s why in November OML organized a conference for independent musicians in Mumbai called Unconvention — not for the artists they promote, but for the whole industry.

“They know that for them to grow as a company, the scene needs to grow, so it’s not just about the bands that are there on their roster,” said Nair. “And I think people recognize that. Vijay [Nair] got a standing ovation at the end of Unconvention, and it wasn’t one of those standing ovations that you’re almost forced to give. It was a very genuine feeling.”

Stock Tickers continued from page 54 ings accounts, CDs and even Treasury Bills have been negligible and therefore, investors shied away from fixed income instruments and deployed money into the market with so many perceived ‘good buys’ to be had.

However, with economies around the world showing a gradual rebound, monetary policy may change later in CY2010 if inflationary pressures surface. The mystery is that when interest rates inevitably do rise, how will the markets react to that situation? Perhaps the markets already understand that rising rates will be a part of the recovery? If the interest rate changes are small and gradual, the markets may not be spooked too much.

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 Saathee 112

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future projects. Continue sincere efforts to pull your life together. A minor health problem may bother you. Your mother’s health may be another issue, and you will need to stay attentive.

Family reputation or credit may help you in making easy money. Delay any forceful decision.

General Predictions for January 2010 ARIES (Mar 20- Apr 20) Frustration may lead you towards unproductive ventures. You may feel depressed and disappointed. Time may slow down for you. Try to focus on religious activities. If so, your luck will favor you and it may bring unexpected monetary benefits.

Your action may not work, but your luck will help you in maintaining a good life. Your stubborn attitude may create health-related problems.

TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 21) You will work to build for the future. Your karma will not bring fruits for you immediately. Listen to your superiors to gain benefits. You are stuck in a long-term assignment, therefore have patience.

Traveling may prove to be a waste of time and money, so avoid it. Also avoid family linked legal issues. Students may get very good results in their study. Change in career is also possible this month. Focus on karma and reward will follow.

GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 21) After a negative start, time will start improving at a slow pace during the second half of the month.

Start spending to earn popularity. Your income may rise unexpectedly. You may make investment in land property and, as a result, your bank balance may go down. Happy marriage life may indirectly help you in achieving success. You should also work on changing your way of action to achieve better results.

CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22) Even though your luck will bring substantial financial benefits, your health won’t let you enjoy it.

You may continue wasting time and energy on non-productive activities. You should start to work with dignity. Don’t pity your competitors.

Slow improvement is clearly indicated. Your destiny may again play a game with your life; try to delay any major career-related decision. Think long term effect before taking any action.

LEO (Jul 22 - Aug 23) You will get mixed results this month. The time will slowly turn negative during the last week of the month. Watch your health and move carefully. Unexpected expenses can also put you in hot water, although help from your spouse may rescue you. Comfort your relation with your friends.

Try not to travel abroad. You may meet your old childhood friends and enjoy fond memories with them. Stay pleasant and cool to avoid problems.

VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 23) Nothing significant may happen this month.

Relax, take it easy and enjoy. This is the time when you can sit and collect details for your January 2010

Saathee 114

LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 23) You may lose your hold at your work place. You may have to pay for your mistakes. It may not affect your income, but your status may suffer damage. Business-related travel can bring extra income this month. You will enjoy good health, but business stress may take away peace of mind. Additional expenses related to your house may trouble you this month. Listen to your parents to avoid losses.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 22) The time is good to invest some of your savings into real estate. Don’t plan any journey this month as your health may deteriorate and force you to cancel the plan. You may also experience cash flow problems this month. A slowing pace of life may push you towards destructive activities.

If you act wisely, you may enjoy a promotion at your place of work, however, don’t insist for it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 21) You will be quite happy during this month. Your efforts will start giving good results. Long distance travel shall be rewarding. Time is also good for family happiness. Increase in family is possible. Some business-related travel may prove rewarding. Your elder brother can be a very good support this month. Drive very carefully to avoid possible accident.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 20) Your peace of mind and steady flow of income will be there, but unexpected expenses or legal problems may disturb everything. Try to curb your expenses. Risk taking tendencies must be controlled. You must watch your health as well. A minor improvement will be there after the middle of the month. An important turning point is on the way, so wait for it.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 19) Your religious and spiritual inclination will intensify during this month. A sense of relaxation will prevail in the second half of the month. Rise in income is clearly indicated. Journey to abroad may bring good luck and will be very rewarding and pleasant. You might get involved in new business deals, however, you may experience some health problem.

PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 20) Try to digest your achievements and enjoy a happy family life. It is time to experience rewards of your hard work and add some money to your savings account. The problems regarding your child, however, could come up in the second half of the month. Otherwise, good health, rising income and relaxed state of mind are the major stories of the month. You may also plan for a successful long distance journey.

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

IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY

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LAW OFFICES OF DAVID A. CONCHA 725 East Trade St., Suite 215(Court Arcade Building) Charlotte, NC 28202 Tel: 704-525-8824 Fax: 704.525.8820 IMMIGRATION SERVICES: -Residency (green cards) -Citizenship -Fiancé visas(K) -Labor Certification -H1-B L-1 O-1

- Removal & Deportation Defense

-General Immigration Matters SERVING THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY My parents are IMMIGRANTS therefore I can understand your situation. You will be treated with the utmost integrity and respect.

Saturday and telephone consultations available

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Free Subscription (NC & SC) Name: ______________________ ______________________________ Address: _____________________ ______________________________ ______________________________ Phone: ______________________ Date: _________________________ E-mail: _______________________

Mail to: Saathee Magazine Subscriptions PO Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220

We can also serve your needs in the following areas:

David A. Concha Attorney

Auto Accidents Workman’s Compensation DWI, Speeding Revoked Licence and Similiar Traffic Infractions and Simple Divorce

Member American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA)

January 2010

OR Subscribe on line at www.saathee.com E-mail to: Saatheemag@hotmail.com Fax: (704) 527-7590 Call: (704) 527-7570 NOTE: The mailing list information is kept strictly confidential. We DO NOT sell our mailing list to outside agencies and the phone number is used to verify your address. Shukla Entertainment does use the mailing list to mail Saathee Magazine advertising supplemental fliers, mailers, etc.

Moving? Please drop us a line so we can update your mailing address.

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

Please call 704.906.9899 1 ACRE LAND FOR SALE: Zoned for Multi-Family use. build up to 18 unit Apartment complex under one roof. All utilities on site. Near center city of Charlotte! 10 minutes to downtown.

Reduced: $29,000. Call 704-779-6206 Baja Bistro Fresh Mex Grille: Investment as low as $60,000! Financing Available. Contact http://hnhfranchisebrokers.com or call us at 919-815-3026.

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

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

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

Financing Available.

919-815-3026 www.evos.com.

Texaco For Sale: In York, SC. Highly profitable business. Inside monthly $50k, Gas 35k, Lotto $25k. For lease asking price $110k + inv & monthly rent $4000.

Call 704-578-4470 For Information.

Convenience Store / Indian Grocery Store For Sale: Greensboro, NC. Excellent location with high traffic! Very good opportunity! Call 336-508-2540 Convenience Stores and Gas Stations for Sale: Large Oil Company selling 8 locations on lease – individual or package; high volume & prime location; Additional income from Car Wash, Lotto, MO etc.

Greensboro area. C store only $550k 704814-9435 www.countysouth.biz Convenience Store For Sale: in Chester, SC. Good location! Call 803-385-6116 Businesses For Sale: 24 Unit Motel.

High Volume C-store/Gas station. 30 Unit Motel. 120 Unit Motel near Charlotte, NC. Two Laundromats. For details & appointment call 704.488.3434. Broker.

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

Drycleaners For Sale: A well established Drycleaners has a main plant & pick-up store for Sale. Excellent Charlotte locations. Don’t miss excellent opportunity! Call 704-277-5013 EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Threading Practitioners Needed: in North Charlotte. The Brow Bar (Northlake MallCharlotte). Full and part time. Must speak English. Work weekends and evenings.

Experience required. Call 980-322-1110 or email: mo@the-brow-brow.com

January 2010

Now Hiring Eyebrow Threading Practitioners: Full & Part-time for Mall Locations in North Carolina (Charlotte, Hickory, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Durham) and Virginia ( Virginia Beach, Newport News). Willing to train the right person. E-mail to bk56@sbcglobal.net or call 248-721-3255 Live-In Nanny Wanted: Looking for a Live-In Nanny for household duties & care of two children (after-school). In the Charlotte, NC area. For enquiries call 704.299.2007 Looking for Nanny: Looking for live-in or live-out nanny in the Huntersville, NC area (outside Charlotte). Call 704-215-4161 Nanny Wanted: Live In/ Live Out Nanny to take care of 2 year-old boy. Duties include cooking & house cleaning.

Knowing English & having experience babysitting a plus. Gastonia, NC Area. Call 704-974-3839 or 704-974.3501 Household Help Wanted: Accomodation provided. Charlotte, NC. Please call Cell: 704-941-0694.

Cakes n Flakes: Indian Bakery and Cafe is looking for help in kitchen and prep.

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

Hotel Help Wanted: Positions available for Night auditor & housekeeping for franchise hotel in Raleigh, NC. Must speak English,couple preferred, experience preferred (will train). Accomodations provided. Please call after 6pm. 919.395.0710.

Hotel Management Firm Now Hiring: housekeepers, General Manager/s, Front Desk (must speak English) of franchise hotels. Experience is must for all possitions.

E-Mail resumes to rsrkcorp@yahoo.com or call 803.606.9994 Franchise Motel Help Wanted: Need a couple for housekeeping & light janitorial work. Accomadations provided. Experience of franchise hotel is necessary. Call 919208-3513 Full Time Managers Needed Immediately: for clothing stores in Malls located in Aiken & Charleston, SC. Durham, NC. & Atlanta, GA. Experience is preferred but not necessary. Call Rajesh at 704-277-3233 or send resume to pushpainc@gmail.com Full-Time Help Wanted: For convenience store/gas station near Charlotte, NC. Looking for couples. Accommodations Provided! Call 704.701.9975 Hotel Management Firm Now Hiring: Various positions available for house keepers, front desk (must speak fluent English), and General Manager/s of franchise hotels. Experience is REQUIRED for all positions. Serious inquiries only. E-mail resumes to info@abcinns.com or abcone@abcinns.com PRODUCTS: Portable Tandoor Ovens For Sale: Ideal for residential or restaurant use. Use for parties & more! Call 919-949-1156

Saathee 116

Eyebrow Threader

H E L P WA N T E D

Saathee

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

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

MATRIMONIAL: Gujarati Patel Family Invite Correspondence: Boy Feb’83 / 5’4”.

Network engineer (Durham, NC) having H1 Visa seeking Gujarati educated US Citizen or GC Girl. Email: ronak4pci@gmail.com Seeking Guajarati Brahmin Male: age 28 - 31 for sister currently residing in India. She has an MBA from Australia and is currently working and residing in Amdavad. Call 704.274.9204 or (+91) 9726647544 for details.

Correspondence Invited: For our daughter, Panjabi Khatri, 25 years old, college graduate, slim, pretty, fair complexion, US citizen, living in Charlotte, NC, yhnew9@gmail.com Father Seeking Alliance For Son: US Citizen, 29, Gujarati, IT professional, Raleigh area. niravs0927@gmail.com Looking for Brahmin Gujarati Girl: 27 yr Gujarati Brahmin boy. Ht. 5’10’’.

Masters in Computer Science. E-mail: bio@coolbhatt.com Correspondence Invited For : Female 34, never married, 5’ 5” (Optometrist practicing in Charlotte) Looking for Gursikh male with a good heart. gkcoptcom@gmail.com PROPERTY FOR SALE OR RENT: Lakeview Condo: Lakeview condo at University Place (Charlotte, NC). 2 bedroom, 2bath with Washer & Dryer. $895/month. Walk to shops, restaurants, bank & bus-stop. Near Downtown & Highways! Call 704-753-5081 Room To Let: For H-1 Students or Couple. In Charlotte, NC area. Call 704302-6218 Home For Sale: A One-Of-A-Kind plan in subdivision! Minutes from Indian Grocers & restaurants, shopping & RTP! 4 bedroom, 3.5 Bath, Office, Bonus, Rec Room / 3,525 sq.ft. $399,900. Call Gina Miller (919) 363-4200

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For Sale or Rent: Ready To Move In - 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath townhouse in convenient loaction to 485 & South-East Charlotte. Spacious master on main level with his & her closets. 2 bedrooms on 2nd floor. A loft big enough for a office! 1 car garage & plenty of parking. This is a must see! Call 704-438-6943

Math Tutoring : Real-time tutoring using virtual whiteboard technology with professional tutors based in India. Free 30 min trial. As low as $7 for a 45 minute session. State-aligned curriculum & assessments. WWW.TCYONLINE.COM. Call Ritu Thakur 704-443-7054 or tollfree 888-757-8377

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

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

For Rent or Sale: Condo/ranch 3BR, 2B, glass in porch, 2 car garage, gas fireplace, large kitchen w/ built in desk, laundry room, near I-77 & I-85, close to IBM, fountain in the front of condo, pool, rent $1090 (inc. water & lawn maintenance) selling for $154,900k (appraised 169K). 1800 Sq. Ft. Call 704-890-3162

ART / DRAWING CLASS: For Kids & Above - Learn sketches, charcoal painting, modern art, oil on canvas, etc. From an experienced Teacher & Artist. Ages from 4 to 15. For Details Call Karli: 704541-9439 / 704-965-3550 or email: karli@rediffmail.com

Condo for Rent: Near waterfront and swimming pool. Walking distance to bus.

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

Beautician in Matthews, NC: Pari Beauty Threading, waxing, bleach, facial, manicure, pedicure & much more. 18 years of experience. For appointment call 704.846.7912

SERVICES: Nanny Available: In Charlotte.

Experience with 3 month to 6 year old kids. Flexible with kids and parents.

Fluent in Hindi and Gujarati. Beginner English. Call her at 704.208.6253.

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

Affordable rate.

Instructional classes also available. Call Ritu Bhandari at 704-843-7202. email: sbhandari@carolina.rr.com Tuition Available: An Experienced Math, Physics, Chemistry Tutor for middle school, high school, IB & AP Courses.

Ballantyne Area of Charlotte, NC. (704) 497-2639 Salon/Spa Services: Beauty Parlour near Arboretum area (Charlotte, NC).

Pineville-Matthews Rd. Call (980) 4220035 Home / (858) 342-1591 Cell Tax Returns: Federal & State Tax Preparation with e-filing, Accounting and Bookkeeping Services to Individuals, Self-employed, Small Partnerships and Scorps. Call Mahesh Patel, EA (704) 7996377, Email: masupatel4@yahoo.com

Mehandi (Henna): Award winning artist from Jaipur, India specializing in wedding parties (Bride & attendants). Satisfaction guaranteed regarding design, color & price. Please call: Krishna Priya Dasi 919.824.7734 E-Mail: krsnapriyad@hotmail.com Balaji Priest: All kinds of puja, havan, katha, weddings, graha shanti, funeral services & Shraadh. In Hindi, English & Tamil.

704.877.6320 or 704.545.7220.

Computer Consulting: Assistance with software installation, set-up, formatting, back-up, troubleshooting & more. Very reasonable rates. 704.619.2358 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 Neeta’s Beauty Parlor: Charlotte area open 7 days a week. Full service. Please call for appointment. 704.968.0270.

Get Paid To Shop Online: 2% cash back on your purchases. 1/2 % cash back on referral purchases. Get a Mastercard that rewards you no matter where you shop. Get paid to click! www.InnRoomMall.com

HENNA’S DULHAN

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

Call 704.619.0251 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 Gujarati Priest: Devendra Dave Independent priest. Ganesh, Randal, Navratri, Diwali’s Laxmi & Sharda Pujas, Satyanarayan Katha, Weddings, Vastu, Baby Showers, Funeral Seva. Call Daveji 704.780.3563. God Blessings to All. Babysitter Available: Several years of experience in the Charlotte area. Fluent in Gujarati, Hindi & English. Call 704.619.1603 Tutoring: for 5th to 10th grades mathematics. Also tutoring & lessons in Hindi. Charlotte Area. Call 704.619.0251 SAATHEE CLASSIFIEDS:

Business ads are $25 & personal ads are $15 up to 25 words.

Submit classifieds on-line at www.saathee.com or via e-mail, fax or US Mail. Ad Submission Deadline is the 20th of the month.

We accept credit cards and checks.

Ads are posted on saathee.com at no extra charge. Feel free to call us with any questions. 704.527.7570.

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

A features magazine for the South Asian Community of the Carolinas

for your Engagement, Wedding & Reception.

Your ad here for as low as ? per month.

Helping Carolina Dulhans for over 7 years.

Call for details: 704.527.7570

Create a Lasting Impression Makeup, hair, mehndi & more.

704.469.1967 (h) 704.488.0689 (c) January 2010

Saathee Magazine serving the Carolinas since 1998!

Saathee 117

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Index of Advertisers Abbi, Chitra (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Access Realty & Funding (Chandravadan Shah) . . .55 AKM Realty (Arvind Mahajan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Amberly Family Dentistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Anil Bedi & Associates PC (CPA & Consultants) . . .65 Apna Bazaar (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Apna Travels (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Around The World Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Asad Enterprises (International Calling) . . . . . . . .85 Atlanta Liquidation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir (Triangle Area) . . . . .87 Bashyam, Spiro & Edgerton LLP (Immigration Law) 41 Bhindi Jewellers . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover Blake Hotel (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Blooming Buds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Bombay Grille Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Boogie Woogie Dance competition . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Cafe Curry Leaves (Mooresville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Carolina Retina Institute (Amit Kumar MD) . . . . . .82 Cary Cardiology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Cary Children's Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Cary Internal Medicine & The Diabetes Center, PA .82 Cary Medical Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Cary Photo & Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Chandni's Beauty Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Chef Of India (formerly Suchi Indian Cuisine) . . . .39 CJ Tax & Accounting Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Concha, David - Immigration Attorney . . . . . . . .115 County South Realty & Business Brokers . . . . . . . .25 Dale's & Tandoor Catering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Desai Desai Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 DJ Hangama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 DJ Kenz (Kenz Desai) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 DJ Desi (Amit Vasi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 DJ Don (David Pandoria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 DJ Lalit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 DJ Ravi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Elements of the Wedding (The Main Event) . . . . .101 Eshaan Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Evershine Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Eye Care Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Eye Institue of NC, P.C. (Anupama Horne, MD) . . .81 Eyebrow Threaders Wanted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .116 Fairview Home Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Friends Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Global Electronics (Wholesale of Hotel LCD TV) . . .73 Goels Plaza - Banquet & Conference Center . . . . .59 Grand India Mart (Groceries) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Greater Triangle Realty (Thomas John) . . . . . . . . .67 Greensboro Discounts (Wholesale Distributor) . . .120 Hilton - Durham at Duke University . . . . . . . . . .107 Hindi & Music Classes (Poonam Sirohi) . . . . . . . . .34 iFuturistics Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66 Inchin's Bamboo Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Indian Food & Spices (Fayetteville) . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Indu Conv. Store Greensboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Indus Fashions (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 International Comm Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Isaac, S (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 IWP Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Jivan, Mahendra (Puri - Papdi Press & Wood Crafts) 35 K.B. Zaveree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Kadhambam Spices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 KD Photographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Khan, Ken (Credit Card Processing) . . . . . . . . . .113 Kimono Pao Lim (Durham) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Legacy Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover Lehar Indian Basamati Rice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Lightning Minds (Training In Oracle Tech) . . . . . . .28 Mahabazar.com Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Malani Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover Marriott at RTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Maruthi Pediatrics (Dr. Badriprasad R. Donthi) . . . .59 McCuiston Law Offices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Montessori Children's House of Durham . . . . . . . .71 Nagpal, Sunil (MetLife Financial Services) . . . . . . .50 Nationwide Ins. (Maqsood Khan) . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Nazar Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 NC Dermatology Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Nuv Yug (India Fest 2010) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Oxford Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 January 2010

Oza, Rishi (Immigration Legal Services) . . . . . . .103 Palika Bazaar & Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Palloo's Flowers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Parekh , Bipin & Smita (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . .69 Patel Brothers (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Patel, Amrita (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Patel, Champa (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32 Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Patel, Shailesh DDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 Patel, Shital (Clearline Mortgage) . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Poplai, Deepak (White Insurance) . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Property Net Realty (Suku Pandiyattu) . . . . . . . . .45 R.P. Videography (Rashmi Patel) . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Rajbhog Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Rajdeep Mandap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Rajdeep Video (Ramesh Panjabi) . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Rajeev Devgon (Certified Public Accountant) . . . .109 Real Triangle Properties (Joe Mathews) . . . . . . . . .23 Roopkala Sarees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Royal Dhaba (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Royal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Saathee Subscription Coupon . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Sangam Mart (Indian Groceries) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Shah, Kirti (CPA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Sheraton (Chapel Hill) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Shiv Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Sitar Indian Cuisine (Durham) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Sleep Inn (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Smart Properties (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Srivastava, Ujjwal (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Sur-Sumiran School Of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Taj Mahal Restaurant (Raleigh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 The Montessori School of Raleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Tots N Teens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Tower Restauant (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Travel Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Travelinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Triangle Indian Market (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Triangle Physicians Group (Dr. Varadarajan) . . . . .52 Ttravel Guru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Udupi Cafe (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Usha Decor (Wedding Planning & Decor) . . . . . . .103 Vase & Vine (Florist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 VGS India Mart (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Vyas Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Wake OB/Gyn (Dr. Nanda Shah) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 White Horse Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Worldwide travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Write More Education Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Zaina Beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Zayka Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Saathee 118

saathee.com

Mandap Rental

The SouthEast's Hardest Working & Most Creative Indian DJ

14 Mandaps to choose from!

International DJ & Hit Music Producer

& Floral Arrangements for All Occasions.

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

Featured in the world's leading media

Blooming Buds WE PROVIDE • Stage & All Other Party Decorations.

• Mandaps, Domes, Backdrops, Torans & Entrance Gates • Murtis, Ganesh & Candle Obras For Isle Decoration • Bridal Chairs & Chair Covers • DJ Garam Masala and Lighting Services Available

Mehndi, Raas-Garba, Baraat,Weddings, Receptions, Graduations, Parties.

Very Reasonable rates.

Best Service with Competitive Prices!

Call Manju Nigam

Phone: (919) 559-4294

919.465.7265

thekenz@hotmail.com

Website: www.bloomingbudsnc.com

Lowest Price Guaranteed

Book your ticket with Friends Travel and get paid commission!

FRIENDS gÜtäxÄ

CUSTOMER SATISFACTON IS OUR PROFIT

THE BEST TRAVEL SERVICE IN THE CAROLINAS For Friendly & Reliable Service Call Your Travel Agent Friend

Manish Hingoo Phone: 919.467.5084 Fax: 919.467.5823 E-Mail: FriendsTravelNC@yahoo.com Emergency Service: 919.455.5213

We speak Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi & English.

1200 S.E. Maynard Rd. Suite 204 Cary, NC 27511 January 2010

Saathee 119

Consolidated Fares to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Asia, Africa, Europe & the Middle East on All Major Airlines We provide Visa, Passport, Cruise & Tour Package Services.

We can do tour packages & Railway Bookings in India saathee.com

Wholesale Distributor Cigarettes - Candy - Tobacco - Sodas & General Merchandise

THE GREENSBORO DISCOUNTS

The Price Master Wholesale Outlet For C-Stores Proudly serving our customers in NC, SC and VA since 2006.

We offer a variety of C-store products.

Come in and shop at our 70,000 sq ft facility in Greensboro, NC. We can deliver or ship through FedEx Ground (please call for details).

Stamina rx: $11.49 Rize 25: $26.99 box 5 Hour Energy (Any Flavor): $16.99 5 Hour Extra Strength: $18.99 Black & Mild 10/5 pk: 26.65 Case Price White Owl Foil Fresh White Grape: $29.99 Remington Cigar Carton: $7.49 Red Man 30¢ off: $33.99 Stride Gum (any flavor): $8.89 Swisher Cigarillos 20/5pk: $49.99 Swisher Box/60: $24.99

Grizzly Case: $8.19 Guzzler Juice: $8.49 Big Hug Juice: $6.49 EZ Rolls: $7.49 White Owl New Yorker: $27.99 White Owl Extra Tubes (pvgs): $19.99 Vim 25: $38.99 Monster Blue: $26.99 Twister Juices: $8.99 Bic Lighters: $31.99

Prices good until 1.31.10. or while supplies last. Offers subject to change without notice.

THE GREENSBORO DISCOUNTS 110 East Meadowview Rd. Suite# 102 Greensboro, NC 27406

336.275.2613 336.275.2614 fax e-mail: greensborodiscounts@gmail.com

WE DELIVER