Saathee Charlotte August 2023

Saathee.com

Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent

Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent

August 2023 August 2023

IN THIS ISSUE

Shakti Celebrates 50 Years: pg 28

Raising Bilingual Kids: pg 40

Modi’s Gift to Biden: pg 52

Recipe: Mango Chutney: pg 74

Hello Readers!

The legendary band Shakti are celebrating their 50th anniversary with a new album and tour. Read the interviews with Zakir Hussain and Shankar Mahadevan of Shakti beginning on page 28.

Are you raising bilingual kids? Get some tips from a bilingual speech-language pathologist on page 40.

Read about "Investing in Your Family as a Stay-at-Home Parent" on page 44.

Can using green banks help solve affordable housing crisis and fight climate change at the same time? Go to page 50 to find out.

Find the recipe for easy to make Mango Chutney on page 74.

Looking for a life partner, a job, or a new business? Check our classifieds section beginng on page 108.

Don’t forget to visit website, Saathee.Com for the latest in movies, events, classifieds and more. Also, check out our comprehensive list of events on page 18.

We welcome conversations.

Connect with us via email: saathee@saathee.com.

Subscribe to Saathee magazine at saathee.com/subscription.

“Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent.”

August 2023 Issue # 303

- Saathee.comEditor Samir Shukla

(Samir@Saathee.com)

Publisher & Advertising

Divakar Shukla

704-527-7570 or rakavid@aol.com

Digital Media & Marketing

Jennifer W. Allen

Ad Design / Layout

DSJ Graphics & Manimaran

Contributors for this issue: Kirit Shukla, Shuchi Mehta, Sanjana Mishra Rupa Pereira, Violet Wei, Preethi Sriram Shikha Singh, Mo Vidwans, Ketu Desai, and Jalendu Vaidya.

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

Cover: Lake Palace, Udaipur

The Lake Palace initially called "Jagniwas" was built between 1743-46 as a retreat by Maharana Jagat Singh II (62nd successor of Mewar royal dynasty) located in Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan. It is now a heritage hotel.

- F OUNDED 1998Saathee Magazine

P.O. Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220

704.527.7570

Fax: 704.527.7590

Saathee@saathee.com

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Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily of the publisher or editor. Please contact us prior to submitting articles or photographs. Saathee is published monthly. Deadlines for advertisement, submissions and events information is 15th of the month. For a free Saathee subscription, visit saathee.com/subscription All content © 2023 Shukla Entertainment, Inc

Photo: Adobe Stock

“I measure the progress of a community by the degree of progress which women have achieved.”

- B. R. Ambedkar

Used Car Dealership (Buy, Sell or Trade)

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In This Issue

Content

Page 36 Film Clips: Jimmy Sheirgill’s Movie Choona Streams in August.

Page 40 Raising Bilingual Kids

Page 18 Summer Events

Page 66 Recipe: Mango Chutney

Frequent Frequencies

Frequent Frequencies

Samir Shukla

Beep. Beep. Beeeeep. Paging all scientists. Here is something I have been thinking about for some time. This may not be the most pressing dilemma facing humanity, but I’m talking about a logically probable scenario. This could be a possible invisible scourge realigning our brains over the long term, or maybe I’m just trying to justify my own slowly creeping brain fog.

Let’s open our files here. Here is my case.

Are we unknowingly self-manipulating or are being technologically manipulated into the next phase of human evolution, or devolution, by all the frequencies and transmissions swirling around us, literally travelling through us? Are our brains aggregating the effects of endless wireless transmissions and changing, dare I say evolving into something else?

I know what you are already thinking. Dude you’ve been watching too much science fiction. I am guilty of that. Sci fi is one of my favorite genres. We are living in a world that was science fiction just yesterday. The technologies we have today were science fiction just a few years earlier.

So, what about my hypothesis? Humor me and hear me out. This is an angular stitch of science fiction and fact in real time. My brain is sending its own invisible signals to my fingers while I’m writing this.

Think of all these transmissions and frequencies. All the cellular phone calls, social media feeds transmitting through the airwaves, walkie talkies, radio signals, broadcast signals, streaming movies and music, alien transmissions from outer space, all are constantly going through the walls, through our bodies, through our brains. I don’t mean the deluge of content itself, the information, misinformation, or disinformation. I mean the actual frequencies via which content is transmitted and is floating around, everywhere. These must eventually inflict some psychological and/or physiological effects on us in the long term.

The Editor’s Desk by

Upcoming Events

OBX Watermelon Festival: Nags Head, NC (August 3, 2023)

Enjoy games, food, face painting, tie-dye shirt making, arts and crafts activities, a climbing wall, watermelon fun and more at Kitty Hawk Kites in Nags Head on Thursday, August 3, 2023 from 10am – 4pm. The OBX Watermelon Festival is free for guests to attend. This is a fundraiser event. Details: Kittyhawk.com.

AASOA NC Cstore Trade Expo:

Greensboro, NC (August 3, 2023)

Asian American Store Owners Association of NC presents a Convenience Store Expo on Thursday, August 3, 2023 (10am – 4pm). There are over 250 exhibitors registered and attendee registration is free but required. There will also be raffles, prizes and giveaways. The event takes place at the Greensboro Coliseum. For more details, call 732-829-6568, or visit Aasoaofnc.com.

Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji: Morrisville, NC (August 4, 2023)

iMAGINE Upstate STEAM Festival: Greenville, SC (August

26, 2023)

The iMAGINE Upstate STEAM Festival benefits the community by strengthening education, workforce development, and the economic vitality of Upstate SC. Students from PreK – 12 engage in STEAM activities that directly relate to real-world careers. The festival provides a connection between industry needs and education by offering schools, businesses, and non-profits a venue to showcase opportunities in STEAM to the next generation workforce and their parents. This year’s festival will be held in downtown Greenville, SC on Saturday, August 26, 2023. Info: Imaginesteamsc.org/upstate.

Mount Mitchell Arts & Crafts Fair: (August 4 - 5, 2023)

This arts-filled community will be featured in this fair that includes crafts, art, music, vendors and food. The fest will take place in Yancey County, Burnsville, NC on August 4 - 5, 2023. For more details, visit Yanceychamber.com/crafts-fair.

Indian Idol – The Intense Tour 2023: Charlotte, NC (August 5, 2023)

Propounding the path of Bhagwan Mahavir, the torchbearer of Shrimad Rajchandraji’s Mission, Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji is a spiritual visionary. Shrimad Rajchandra Mission Dharampur (SRMD), in collaboration with Jain Study Center of NC (JSCNC), have arranged for a discourse along with dinner (Swamivatsalya) provided. It will take place on Friday, August 4, 2023 at HSNC, 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC. Dinner: 6:307:30pm; Discourse: 8:00-10:00pm. The discourse will be primarily in Gujarati and English. Admission is Free, but RSVP is required at: srmd.org/raleigh-rsvp. For more details, call 317-361-7779 or 646-319-1365.

The top four of singers from Indian Idol, Season 13 will be performing live at Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC. The show will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2023 beginning at 7:30pm. Rishi Singh is an Indian singer, songwriter, and performer who won Sony TVs singing reality show Indian Idol season 13. Deboshmita Roy is a performer who became the first runnerup. Chirag Kotwal is a playback singer and the second runner-up. Bidipta Chakraborty is an Indian singer and performer best known for participating in Indian Idol 13. Find tickets and info at Ticketmaster.com.

Hasya Kavi Sammelan: Charlotte, NC (August 12, 2023)

International Hindi Association presents “Hasya Kavi Sammelan” on Saturday, August 12, 2023 from 4 – 7pm at Hindu Center of Charlotte. Food and refreshments are included in the ticket price. The artists featured this evening are Gaurav Sharma, Sudeep Bhola, and Dr. Sarita Sharma. For more details, call 919-995-2637 or 980-939-4722.

Pakistan Day Mela: Charlotte, NC (August 12, 2023)

The Pakistani-American community of the Carolinas presents the 2nd annual Pakistan Day Mela on Saturday, August 12, 2023, from 3 – 10pm at Oasis Shriners Event Venue, 604 Doug Mayes Pla, Charlotte, NC. The indoor family event will feature food, entertainment, cultural programs, dhol, henna, and kids’ activities. For details, call 704-919-6666 or visit Pacofcarolinas.org.

Classical Musical Association of Charlotte (CMAC)

Classical Musical Association of Charlotte (CMAC)

Presents

Presents

Inaugural

Vocal

Concert

of

Archana Bhat Patel

Inaugural Vocal Concert of Archana Bhat Patel

Mridangam: Sri T. S. Nandakumar

Mridangam: Sri T. S. Nandakumar

Violin: TBD

Violin: TBD

Ghatam: Santosh Chandru

Ghatam: Santosh Chandru

Sunday, Sept 3rd, 2023, 4:30 PM

Sunday, Sept 3rd, 2023, 4:30 PM

New Theater - CPCC 1201 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte

New Theater - CPCC 1201 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte

Contact: memberservice@onlinecmac.org

http://onlinecmac.org/

Contact: memberservice@onlinecmac.org http://onlinecmac.org/

Upcoming Events

Shravanmas Shopping Mela: Morrisville, NC (August 12, 2023)

Threads of colors presents a shopping mela on Saturday, August 12, 2023, from noon - 7pm at HSNC Main Hall, Morrisville, NC. There will be clothing, home decor, pooja items, jewelry, brass items, ethic wear and more. For more details, visit Facebook.com and search for the event.

North Carolina State Bluegrass Festival: Marion, NC (August 17 - 19, 2023)

The annual North Carolina State Bluegrass Festival returns between August 17 & 19, 2023 with some of your favorite bluegrass performers including Rhonda Vincent and the Rage and The Malpass Brothers. Bring your lawn chairs for reserved and general seating. Tickets can be purchased in advance until July 17. For more information about performers, schedule or to purchase tickets, visit Evansmediasource.com and search for the event.

Brahmvidya Amritvani: Charlotte & Raleigh, NC (August 18 – 19, 2023)

The North American Institute of Vihangam Yoga presents “Brahmvidya Amritvani” – an opportunity to listen to a Brahmvani from a Brahmarshi who is a descendent of “Shringi Rishi” during Treta Yuga of Bhagwan Ram. Friday, August 18, 2023: Hindu Center, 7400 City View, Dr., Charlotte, NC, 6 – 8pm followed by dinner after the program. Saturday, August 19, 2023: HSNC Cultural Hall, 309 Aviation Pkwy, Morrisville, NC, 6 – 9pm followed by dinner. For more details on both events, call 512-992-3794 or write to NorthCarolina@us.vihangamyoga.org.

TAGCA Volleyball & Throwball Tournament: Indian Trail, NC (August 19, 2023)

The Telugu Association of Greater Charlotte Area presents a volleyball and throwball tournament on Saturday, August 19, 2023. The venue is Carolina Courts, 240 Chestnut Pkwy, Indian Trail, NC. Enjoy sports, music, dance, DJ, kids’ games, food and more. Registration ends on July 28, 2023. For more details, call 904-343-9965 or write to sports@tagca.org. Visit Tagca.org for more details.

India Independence Day Celebration: Morrisville, NC (August 19, 2023)

Hindi Vikas Mandal and other RTP organizations are celebrating the 77th Independence Day of India on Saturday, August 19, 2023 beginning at 10:30am at HSNC Temple. There will be a parade and flag hoisting, exhibitions and stalls, and a cultural program. Many regional representatives and dignitaries have been invited. For more details call 919-656-5224, 919-452-3831 or visit Hindivikasmandal.com.

India Independence Day Celebration: Charlotte, NC (August 19, 2023)

The Hindu Center of Charlotte presents its annual India Independence Day Celebration on Saturday, August 19, 2023 from noon to 2pm. There will be flag hoisting, singing of national anthems, and a cultural show. The center is located at 7400 City View Dr., Charlotte, NC. For more details call, 704-535-3440 or visit Hcclt.org.

Kiran Bazaar: Morrisville, NC (August 20, 2023)

Kiran organization presents their bazaar on Sunday, August 20, 2023 at HSNC

Main Hall, 309 Aviation Pkwy, Morrisville, NC. Many vendors will be on hand. This is a fundraiser for Kiran, whose mission is to end the cycle of abuse and to serve and empower South Asian victims of domestic violence in North Carolina by providing culturally specific services and comprehensive economic, social and community resources. Details: Kiraninc.org.

Miss Bharat NC / SC 2023: Matthews, NC (August 20, 2023)

The Bharat NC/SC Teen, Miss and Mrs. Pageant takes place at Matthews Playhouse, 100 McDowell St., Matthews, NC on Sunday, August 20, 2023. Categories include Princess, Pre-Teen, Teen, Miss, Mrs., Mr., Couple, and International. For details, call 704-909-7585 or visit Missbharatnorthcarolina.com.

Kailash Kher Live: Raleigh, NC (August 25, 2023)

Veteran singer and performer Kailash Kher and his band Kailasa will perform live on Friday, August 25, 2023 at 8:15pm at the HSNC Hall, 309 Aviation Pkwy, Morrisville, NC. Tickets begin at $49. Kher is on tour and this event will help raise awareness about water safety (from drowning). For more details; 571-241-6285 or visit Livespectrum.com.

York Summerfest (August 26, 2023)

The 40th annual York Summerfest will include be 5k/10k road races, classic car show, music, arts and crafts, entertainment, and food trucks. The Kid’s area will feature water slides, face painting, balloon artist, and petting zoo. The Fest will on Saturday, August 26, 2023 along various streets in York, SC. Details: Yorkscsummerfest.com.

Upcoming Events

Shakti 50th Anniversary Tour: Cary, NC (August 27, 2023)

Pioneering musical ensemble Shakti will perform at Koka Booth in Cary, NC on Sunday, August 27, 2023, with the show starting at 7:30pm. Shakti consists of legendary musicians Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Selvaganesh Vinayakram, and John McLaughlin. Special guest Béla Fleck will open the performance. For more details, visit Boothamphitheatre.com.

Earl Scruggs Music Festival: Mill Spring, NC (September 1 - 3, 2023)

A newcomer to the North Carolina festival circuit, the Earl Scruggs Music Festival debuted last year at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring. The fest will feature bluegrass, Americana and folk musicians and performers. It takes place September 1- 3, 2023 in Mill Spring, NC. Details: Earlscruggsmusicfest.com.

John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival: High Point, NC (September 2 - 3, 2023)

The festival is named after NC born and raised jazz legend John Coltrane and has been held annually since 2011. There will be many regional and international jazz musicians and performers at the two-day event slated for September 2 – 3, 2023 in High Point, NC. For more details and tickets info, visit Coltranejazzfest.com.

Archana Patel and Party: Charlotte, NC

(September 3, 2023)

Classical Music Association of Charlotte presents a vocal concert by Archana Bhat Patel and party on Sunday, September 3, 2023, beginning at 4:30pm at CPCC New Theater, 1201 Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte. Membership forms are available on the website. For more details, call 704-339-4126 or 704-840-5949. Visit Onlinecmac.org.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami: Hillsborough, NC (September 6, 2023)

ISKCON New Goloka Temple presents a celebration of Sri Krishna Janmashtami on Wednesday, September 6, 2023

from 4pm - midnight. Enjoy live kirtan, cultural programs, boat festival, dahi handi, grand abhishek, aratika and a free feast. The temple is located at 1032 Dimmocks Mill Rd, Hillsborough, NC. For details, visit Newgoloka.com.

North Carolina Folk Festival: Greensboro, NC (September 8 - 10, 2023)

Over 300 artists and performers will be at NC Folk Festival from September 8 – 10, 2023in downtown Greensboro, NC. Admission is free and there will be many food and merch vendors on hand. Celebrate North Carolina’s roots and culture at this family-friendly event. There will also be a Folk Fest 5K run on Sunday. Get all the details at Ncfolkfestival.com

Kinjal Dave: Greensboro, NC (September 15, 2023)

Enjoy Navaratri celebrations with Kinjal Dave performing live with a band, presented by Triad Social Group and ATM Works. The show takes place on Friday, September 15, 2023 beginning at 8pm at Greensboro Coliseum, 912 W Gate City Blvd. for more details about the show call 336-601-1978 or 336-609-3014.

Festival of India: Charlotte, NC (September 23, 2023)

India Association of Charlotte is presenting their annual 27th Festival of India at Belk Theater and on Tryon Street Uptown, on Saturday September 23, 2023. This event celebrates India’s rich heritage of artistic and cultural diversity and is an effort to present a glimpse of that to the mainstream community in and around the Queen City. Prepare to be dazzled, entertained, and learn something about the culture as you and your family sample Indian culinary delights, get an artistic Henna tattoo, watch and dance along to popular and pulsating Bollywood music, learn about yoga, see Indian classical dance, and marvel at captivating fashions! The entire family can enjoy this family-friendly event, catered to all age groups, with something for everyone. See details on Indiafestival.iacofcarolinas.

Atul Purohit Garba Night: Greensboro, NC (September 23, 2023)

Enjoy a night of garba and raas with a live performance by Atul Purohit and band. Bring the whole family. The show takes place on Saturday, September 23, 2023. For more details call 336-509-5875 or 336-253-5877.

Upcoming Events

Kirtidan Gadhvi Raas Garba Dhamal: Raleigh, NC (September 23, 2023)

Triangle Gujarati Association presents a night of raas, garba and dhamal with a live performance by Kirtidan Gadhvi on Saturday, September 23, 2023, beginning at 6:30pm. The event is supported by HSNC. Food will be available for purchase. It will take place at NC Expo Center, 4825 Trinity Rd., Raleigh, NC. For more details call 919-353-0550 or visit the website Nctga.org.

World of Bluegrass: Raleigh, NC (September 26 - 30, 2023)

The International Bluegrass Music Association moved its annual business convention and festival to Raleigh in 2013. The event features, a trade show, convention, showcases, and a street festival. Many well-known regional and international performers have been lined up

for the events taking place September 26 – 30, 2023 in downtown Raleigh. All the details are available at Worldofbluegrass.org.

Aishwarya Majmudar Rangtaali: Charlotte, NC (September 30, 2023)

Friends of Charlotte present a night of garba and raas with singer Aishwarya Majmudar and band on Saturday, September 30, 2023 beginning at 7pm. The show will take place at the Cabarrus Arena, 4751 State Hwy 49, Concord, NC. For more details, call 704-915-2939 or 803-412-1805.

Global Mela: Atlanta, GA (October 28 – 29, 2023)

The annual Global Mela will take place Sat – Sun, October 28 – 29, 2023, 11:30 am – 7pm both days at Global Mall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross, GA. There will be lots of food, clothing, jewelry, dances, performances, a DJ, raffles, kids’ activities and more. Entry and parking are free. For more details, call 770-416-1111 or visit Amsglobalmall.com.

Find more events at: saathee.com/events

The UN has declared 2023 as the International Year of Millets. Read our informative article about this nutritious ancient grain.

Go Straight to Recipes Page Here: Lots of delicious recipes found in Saathee are gathered here

Karishma Khosla (NC / SC) 631-357-7021

khosla.karishma@gmail.com

Bhavin Patel (SC / NC) 803-517-9935

brec2725@gmail.com

Durga Bhavani Yerra (NC) 408-685-1923

durga.yerra@gmail.com

Krishan Kumar (NC) 980-221-5146

krishan.dce@gmail.com

Aashis Lamsal (NC) 605-690-4156

alamsal.realestate@gmail.com

Vishnu Veera (NC) 704-776-5007

vvishnu@gmail.com

Vidyullatha Uppuluri (NC) 337-292-7872

uvidyullatha@gmail.com

Charlotte’s Pavement Solutions Company

by Samir Shukla

Shakti Celebrates 50 Years

A meeting of musical maestros can create new horizons and genres, essentially new languages. Imagine a day, say some 50 years ago, a jazz guitarist meets a tabla player and later a ghatam player, and a Carnatic violinist. The musicians have informal jam sessions, write compositions, create new musical possibilities and hybrids. They called themselves Shakti and to say this world music combo broke barriers and boundaries is an understatement.

John McLaughlin the trailblazing guitarist, who has played with numerous legends and is a guiarists’ guitarist in his own right, led the Mahavishnu Orchestra in the early 70’s. He began working with Ustad Zakir Hussain in 1973 and later met violinist L. Shankar and ghatam player T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram to form Shakti. After releasing pioneering world fusion recordings, mixing jazz, rock, Hindustani & Carnatic music, they disbanded in 1978.

New Album and Tour

The 2nd iteration of the band happened in the late 90’s, as the band reformed with Shankar Mahadevan on vocals, U. Srinivas on mandolin and Selvaganesh Vinayakram replacing his father Vikku. The band created new dimensions of music with their improvisational repertoire.

Sadly, after the tragic passing of U. Srinivas in 2014, the band was put on pause again. In early 2020 the group reemerged with violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan joining the combo for a couple of sold-out concerts. As the pandemic shut the world down, Shakti began recording together, virtually, online.

Now McLaughlin and Hussain – with the fully fused combo of Mahadevan, Selvaganesh, and Rajagopalan –have released a new recording called This Moment (Abstract Logix) and are touring to mark their 50th anniversary.

Kolkata born and Cary, NC-based music lover Souvik Dutta has been working with Shakti since 2003, when he worked with them on a tour selling merchandise. He was a 25-year-old “bored, young software engineer at IBM,” as he recalled and took time off from the company to go on tour with Shakti and sell merch at shows. Since then and over the years he has

become their “man at the helm” as described by Zakir Hussain and released their new recording via his company Abstract Logix.

He also organized and manages their current 50th anniversary tour.

After a European jaunt in June and July, Shakti is touring the United States in August and September.

I spoke with Hussain and Mahadevan just before they headed to Europe for their tour. Below are edited versions of our conversations.

Shakti will perform live at Koka Booth Amphitheater, Cary, NC on Sunday, August 27, 2023. For additional tour dates and tickets info, visit Shakti50.com.

Interview with Zakir Hussain:

Samir Shukla:

Can you talk about the new album as well as the 50th anniversary tour?

Zakir Hussain: We’ve been talking about if for some years. Last time Shakti went on the road which was I think almost 10 years ago with the great maestro U Srinivas, the genius mandolin player. We were already working on some material to be able to go into the studio and record. And then Srinivas ji decided to leave us and go home and I mean I definitely believe he was a spirit from somewhere else, some divine place, they decided it was time for him to go home and he left us (U Srinivas passed away in 2014) we were all totally broken. It just stopped everything and with Covid we started to communicate with each other more on the internet and stuff and I started doing things with other musicians, and John ji and Shankar bhai all started doing the same thing.

It just us led to interacting on the waves and we thought we can do this on the waves. Why not try to resurrect the album in honor of Srinivas. We (McLaughlin, Mahadevan, Hussain) did an album called Is That So, which was a prayer like album. That came out during that period. So, it encouraged us to move forward in doing this. That’s how it all came about. At that time we didn’t realize it was going to be 50 years by the time we get this package together and then here it is. It is 50 years.

Souvik Dutta is our man at the helm and runs everything for us and makes sure we have everything we need to move forward in our creative process. And this album coming in 2023, it would be 50 years and we said oh boy…my first reaction was that I feel old, but looking at John ji who is 82 and looking at him as a sprightly young older gentleman in the prime of his health. It inspired all of us. And Ganesh ji came along and he was someone I was already working with regularly. John ji and Shankar bhai asked me if we should try out Ganesh in the band. They suggested since I was already working with Ganesh ji should we try him out, and I said absolutely. He is a very important cog in the current sound of Shakti which actually harks back to our

original sound with the great L Shankar the violin maestro who was a founding member of the original Shakti. It was great to make that full circle with that sound in a new understanding and sonic layers that kind of make it relevant and valid for the present time.

Shukla: I thought the same listening to the new record that it has the original vibe, but it sounds new.

Hussain: Yes, and what’s going to be interesting is to get on the stage and expand that vibe of the record. As you know the record pieces are of a certain length and we get on the stage and open it up for discussion. It evolves even further. I know by the time we arrive in your neck of the woods, the shape and the form would have risen into something that I’m sure is wondrous and profound and very exciting to listen and watch. That improvisation is such a major part of Shakti’s DNA, it’s going to allow us to be able to experience this music differently each time we get on the stage. Therefore, come up with so many different shapes and forms. This is something amazing about Shakti, the five of us coming together and the whole group is kind of like one mind, one thought, one heartbeat, one rhythm.

How that happens in a situation where music depends on spontaneity, and largely on improvising and creating on the spot. It’s uncanny. Coming from different backgrounds, Bollywood, South Indian traditions and classical and jazz, the epitome of what improvised music is. We are talking the same music language without even attempting to cross any boundaries or fences because suddenly, they don’t exist. To be able to do that, construct and reconstruct every time we get on stage and know exactly where to put the pillars and drive the nails and put the window in, without any direction from any of us to any of us. I wonder why we don’t record every concert and release them like the Grateful Dead.

Shukla: What can we expect at the concert?

Hussain: I’m expecting it to be joyous and happy, see the ecstasy that is going to be circulating from our union together from the audience. Forget any cares that are existing outside of the concert hall at that time. People can take this moment with them at home ready to face the world again. We played in India earlier this year because the record had not come out yet, so we were asked to play the stuff from way back when. So now with starting in Europe the record is coming out we are going to incorporate that stuff and waiting to see how it will come together. Put it all into one story, one telling. Take people through the journey we have had through the decades. We will regale in that. Bela Fleck will open solo n Cary. He was such a Shakti fan that he sought me out. If we are in concert and there is a moment where he can peep into our room, (and maybe join us). Spontaneity will carry us.

Shakti continued on page 88

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Upcoming Movie Releases

Meg 2: The Trench (Director: Ben Wheatley)

Cast: Jason Statham, Wu Jing, Sophia Cai, and Cliff Curtis

Dreamin’ Wild (Director: Bill Pohlad)

Cast: Casey Affleck, Walton Goggins, Zooey Deschanel, and Beau Bridges

Shortcomings (Director: Randall Park)

Cast: Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, and Timothy Simons

Problemista (Director: Julio Torres)

Cast: Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton, RZA, and Isabella Rossellini

August 11________________________________

Animal (Director: Sandeep Reddy Vanga)

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Anil Kapoor, and Bobby Deol

Gran Turismo (Director: Neil Blomkamp)

Cast: Archie Madekwe, David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, and Djimon Hounsou

Gadar 2: The Katha Continues (Director: Anil Sharma)

Cast: Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel, and Utkarsh Sharma

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (Director: André Øvredal)

Cast: Corey Hawkins and David Dastmalchian

Bhola Shankar

(Director: Meher Ramesh)

Cast: Chiranjeevi, Tamannaah, Keerthy Suresh, and Uttej

Jules (Director: Marc Turtletaub)

Cast: Ben Kingsley, Harriet Sansom Harris, and Jane Curtin

Heart of Stone (Director: Tom Harper)

Cast: Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan, and Alia Bhatt

OMG 2 (Director: Amit Rai)

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Yami Gautam, Pankaj Tripathi, and Arun Govil

Red, White, and Royal Blue (Director: Matthew Lopez)

Cast: Taylor Zakhar Perez, Uma Thurman, Aneesh Sheth, and Stephen Fry

August 15________________________________

Tariq (Director: Arun Gopalan)

Cast: John Abraham, Rukmini Maitra, and Sujith Shanker

August 18__________________________________

Blue Beetle (Director: Angel Manuel Solo)

Cast: Xolo Maridueña, Adriana Barraza, Susan Sarandon, and George Lopez

Strays (Director: Josh Greenbaum)

Cast: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Will Forte, and Sofia Vergara

White Bird (Director: Marc Forster)

Cast: Ariella Glaser, Gillian Anderson, and Helen Mirren

August 25________________________________

Dream Girl 2 (Director: Raaj Shaandilyaa)

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Ananya Panday, and Paresh Rawal

The Hill (Director: Jeff Celentano)

Cast: Colin Ford, Dennis Quaid, Joelle Carter, and Scott Glenn

Gandeevadhari Arjuna (Director: Praveen Sattaru)

Cast: Varun Tej and Sakshi Vaidya

Retribution (Director: Nimród Antal)

Cast: Liam Neeson and Matthew Modine

September 1________________________________

Kushi (Director: Shiva Nirvana)

Cast: Vijay Deverakonda, Samantha, Pujita Ponnada, Ali, Rohini, and Sharanya Pradeep

Heart of Stone

An intelligence operative for a shadowy global peacekeeping agency races to stop a hacker from stealing its most valuable and dangerous weapon. Bollywood star Alia Bhatt is part of the cast in this action film that includes Gal Gadot and Jamie Dornan. The Tom Harper directed film opens on August 11, 2023.

OMG 2

This sequel tells the tale of an unhappy civilian who asks the court to mandate comprehensive education in schools in a dramatic yet amusing courtroom play. Amit Rai directs Akshay Kumar, Yami Gautam, Pankaj Tripathi, and Arun Govil in this anticipated film opening on August 11, 2023.

Dream Girl 2

Karam is trying to live a sober life in Mathura and falls in love with Pari. But life is bent on not taking him seriously. In a turn of events Karam becomes Pooja, which creates further chaos in his already chaotic life.

Ayushmann Khurrana, Ananya Panday, and Paresh Rawal star in this Raaj Shaandilyaa directed film. Look for it on August 25, 2023.

Choona

Choona stars Jimmy Sheirgill, Aashim Gulati, Vikram Kochhar, Chandan Roy, and Namit Das. When six small-time average guys, fueled by their burning desire for revenge, come up with the plan of a radical heist, their target is a powerful politician who has done them wrong. With unconventional tactics and a highly disorganized plan, the only thing that can make this heist successful is fate. Jimmy Sheirgill told Bollywood Hungama, “This is my first outing with Netflix and I am looking forward to it. As an actor, I have always been inclined towards stories that push me to explore my capabilities. Also, as an audience myself, I personally like narratives that are engaging, character-driven and bring out the flavor of our rich cultural backdrop.” The film is written & directed by Pushpendra Nath Misra and begins streaming on August 3, 2023.

Housefull 5

Akshay Kumar on his social media announced that the fifth instalment in the popular Housefull franchise will be released during Diwali in 2024. The fast-paced comedy is the first ever franchise in Indian cinema to have five installments. The film, directed by Tarun Mansukhani and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, will boast a starstudded cast that includes Riteish Deshmukh. The first film was released in 2010. The subsequent sequels were released in 2012, 2016, and 2019, with each adding new elements and characters to the storyline.

Gran Turismo

Based on the unbelievable, inspiring true story of a team of underdogs - a struggling, working-class gamer, a failed former race car driver, and an idealistic motorsport execwho risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world. The film is directed by Neill Blomkamp and stars Orlando Bloom, David Harbour, and Darren Barnet. Look for it in cinemas on August 11, 2023.

Remakes of Bawarchi, Mili and Koshish Announced

The Hindi remakes of three classic films have been announced. The films Mili (1975), Koshish (1972) and Bawarchi (1972), to be produced by Jaadugar Films and SRS Productions, will be adapted for contemporary times. While Koshish, a heartfelt story was directed by Gulzar, Bawarchi and Mili are timeless favorites directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. The filmmakers’ visions, down-to-earth characters and wholesome stories left a mark on generations of audiences. Legendary actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Rajesh Khanna, Sanjeev Kumar gave their career-best performances in these films. No release dates or cast members have been announced for the remakes.

Raising Your Kids Bilingual?

by Shuchi Mehta

In this article, I refer to the language that you are teaching the child as both the target language (TL) and the minority language. The language being spoken in the broader community is referred to as the majority language or the community language.

In our increasingly global society, giving your child the gift of bi/multilingualism is not only pragmatic, it is also a gift of connection to a heritage, a culture, a whole new world of experiences.

Additionally, research shows bilingual brains have huge cognitive advantages including (but not limited to): increased focus on relevant information, better ability to switch between tasks, improved memory & visual-spatial skills, and heightened creative thinking.

It is, however, natural for parents to have concerns when more than one language is in the mix.

Will I confuse my child? Will my child mix the languages? What if we, the parents, are not proficient in the target language (TL)? How do I encourage my child to use the TL when it’s not what she “needs” in school? And a question I get frequently — will bilingualism delay my child’s speech and language?

Keep reading for some quick answers to these questions and other points to consider if you’re a parent on the journey of raising a bi/multilingual child.

Will I confuse my baby if she’s exposed to more than one language?

No. As early as infancy, children detect subtle differences in the way we speak. They pick up on pitch changes, inflection of voice, tonalities, the various stylistics of each

Tips from a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist

person’s speech. So differentiating and gleaning meaning from multiple languages are abilities that a child demonstrates as soon as they are exposed (in fact, this process can begin in the womb!).

Will my child mix the languages?

Yes, especially early on, as they are learning language, a phenomenon called code mixing (or code switching) may occur and is an expected and natural part of the bilingual journey. This is not a sign of confusion. In fact, many times, it is a sign of proficiency or competence in both/all of the child’s languages.

My husband and I speak to each other in English and with our daughters in Gujarati. When my daughter was 2.5 years old, she saw a picture of a rabbit flying a kite and said “saslu patang ne pull-ey chhe!”

Basically, she used the English verb “pull” and added a Gujarati conjugation of the Gujarati word for pull “khech” which she couldn’t think of at the time. That’s a lot of metalinguistic processing, but often happens quickly and naturally in the bilingual brain.

What if we, the parents, are not proficient in the target language (TL), is it possible to raise the child bilingually?

Yes, absolutely. It requires hard work and your commitment, but it’s absolutely possible and the benefits, as we know, are lifelong.

Use all the resources: grandparents, family friends who speak the language, participate in cultural/ spiritual/ language activities offered in the TL, sing songs in the TL, read bilingual books and watch short videos in the TL with your child, and if possible, travel to a country where the TL is in the majority. As a parent, show interest in learning the language with your child and don’t forget the culture that goes with it.

Bilingual Children continued on page 86

College Advice for Incoming Students

by Sanjana Mishra

With a new school year on the horizon, many students will soon head to college for the first time. Some may be staying close to home or in-state while others may be venturing out. A few students have some advice to share when it comes to navigating one’s college career and life post-graduation. The following interviews have been edited for clarity.

I wouldn’t stress too much about friend groups. The people that you meet in your first year aren’t always going to be the people that you stay with. Sometimes it takes time, but you’ll find your people. In high school, everyone’s together – you guys start at the same time, you guys leave at the same time. In college, it’s not like that. You have to be okay doing stuff on your own now. You learn to be so much more independent because you have different schedules and you’re busy with jobs, internships, or research. Make sure you also take time to reach out because it’s easy to isolate yourself.

Akshitha Ganta, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Class of 2026)

Don’t be afraid to pivot. There are huge pre-professional student groups like pre-med, pre-consulting, pre-finance, etc. It’s easy to get roped into that career track just because it’s so well-defined and there’s little uncertainty about how to get into those industries. I feel like a lot of people find that they really don’t enjoy pre-med classes or don’t see themselves in medicine, but they’ll just keep pushing ahead. A lot of people run into the situation where they ultimately decide after four years that they really should’ve pivoted earlier. It’s important to be attuned to how you’re feeling throughout college. The best time to explore is now. I don’t think you’ll ever have the freedom that you have in college again.

Navami J., Stanford University (Class of 2023)

College Advice on page 92

Investing in Your Family as a Stay-at-Home Parent

Financially Speaking

by Rupa Pereira

If I were to ask you – what’s the hardest job in America and if you would sign up for free, what would be your response? No-brainer, right?

Well, if you’re a parent – you just have.

Yes, you may have had to forsake gainful income to actively invest in your children’s future or you’ve engaged a team to help you with active management while you stay involved more as a passive investor. Either way, parenting feels like a thankless, endless, endurance-building job, but with some meaningful returns over a long-term horizon.

What’s involved in active parenting and why would it generate better returns? Has parenting evolved since the time we were kiddos? Absolutely, 100%!

Back in the 70s and 80s, I was raised in a household in India with traditional roles - Dad worked out of the home and was Chief Executive and Chief Financial Officer, while Mom was Chief Operating Officer and head of Human Resources. At the time, this was a typical model and children benefited from a functioning family unit backed up with extended family support.

Today is a different story. In an age marked by rapid digitization, globalization, social media barrage and career pursuits – nuclear families are under pressure to keep up with the Joneses and continually shift their goalposts. All that is good, except that two income household scenarios have spurred the family to outsource roles that previously were managed in-house, caregiving being one of them.

Count me among the delegators - post MBA, after the birth of my 2nd daughter, I decided that it’s important to pursue my career ambitions while my husband pursues his. What made it justifiable was my girls thrived in daycare and preschool, so it seemed. The cracks, however, started to show. CFO, COO and HR duties began to slip since both parents were busy being CEOs.

Families are vulnerable to a variety of challenges, including financial stress, health issues, and interpersonal conflicts. In addition, modernity is a mixed blessing - we’re inundated with comforts and conveniences and quick fixes of what society can offer but is there a hidden cost - and it cuts right to the heart and soul of the family. If these vital organs are not nourished regularly, the investments (i.e., children and family relationships) may underperform in the long run even while generating some quick gains.

Financially Speaking continued on page 96

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Higher for Longer

Eye on the Markets

by Ketu Desai

While the Fed skipped a rate hike in June, that is the message they are sending. Higher for longer. The Fed said that it expects to raise rates two more times this cycle, bringing Fed Funds north of 5.5 percent. The Fed expects to keep rates at that level well into 2024. Despite the aggressive tightening cycle, there are indications that one of the most rate sensitive sectors, housing, is bottoming and might accelerate.

Housing starts rose an astonishing 21.7 percent in May, with units rising the most in three decades. Building permits were up 5.2 percent, a good leading indicator for future growth.

The NAHB crossed 50, indicating a favorable outlook. Housing has an important multiplier impact on the economy. Historically, each housing start creates four fulltime jobs. Adding ~1.5 million in US starts per year is ~6 million additional jobs.

Earnings as well as guidance from Toll Brothers and KB Home provide more evidence that housing is recovering. The KBH CEO said on the earnings call that, “as we discussed on our first quarter call, we have begun to see a sequential improvement in demand in February, which continued throughout our second quarter. As a result, we generated net orders of 3,936, above our guidance.”

The combination of housing with the approximate $2 trillion in spending coming from the IRA and Infrastructure bill provides the economy with a nice cushion. This also means that it will be harder for inflation to hit the Fed’s 2 percent target. Meaning higher rates for longer.

Market internals are often the best economist. There are three groups that are early cycle tells, semiconductors, homebuilders, and transports. Homebuilders are at all-time highs. Semis are within striking distance of all-time highs. Transports started catching a bid during the month, up

almost 10 percent, and near 52-week highs. Compare that with defensive sectors that could be a leading indicator of recession, healthcare, utilities, and staples. All three are down on the year.

The rally has been narrowed, carried by a few large cap technology stocks. Market-cap weighted S&P has outperformed equal-weight by almost 10 percent YTD, a historic outperformance. However, in June we started seeing some breadth expansion with both equal-weight and small caps outperforming market-cap weighted S&P. If the breadth expansion continues, that is a great sign that the rally has legs.

We are in a momentum market. Quant funds, CTAs, and macro funds are in control of the market. They tend to emphasize technicals in their process. Many are trendfollowers. The current trend is long large cap tech, long AI related names, long homebuilders, and in cyclicals long industrials.

These are the sectors that have the highest expected earnings growth in 2024. Homebuilders have rallied because higher rates have reduced existing home supply creating a supply/demand imbalance.

Secular trends in AI, infrastructure, national security, supply chain onshoring have kept a bid under semis, software, and industrials. While the large cap tech rally has been nearly all multiple expansion and they are expensive, trading at an average of 31x, they will likely continue to be bid up.

Money flowing back into the market and short covering will support these names. There is $5.5 trillion of cash on the sidelines and a trillion in shorts. As both groups change their positioning, this will support large cap tech. They will also sustain their bid behind AI excitement and flight to quality. In many ways, with rates higher, these companies will continue to serve as defensive, as they do not have balance sheet risk.

Large cap tech borrows lower than the current Fed Funds rate. If we do get breadth expansion, the meaningful upside is in broader cyclicals and small caps than the current trend. Cyclicals and small caps are the cheapest areas of the market, with many subsectors trading at single digit earnings.

We are in a momentum market.

Using Green Banks to solve America’s affordable housing crisis –and climate change at the same time

By Tarun Gopalakrishnan, Bethany Tietjen, and Seth Owusu-Mante

Green banks are starting to draw attention in the U.S., particularly since the federal government announced its first grant competitions under a national green bank program to bring clean technology and more affordable energy to lowincome communities.

But installing more solar and wind electricity generation isn’t the only way green banks can help.

Massachusetts is launching an innovative new green bank that could become a model as states try to manage two crises at once: lack of affordable housing and climate change.

While most green banks focus on clean energy, the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank is specifically designed to boost the state’s stock of sustainable, affordable housing. It comes at an opportune time: States can now tap into billions of dollars in new federal funding for green banks under the Inflation Reduction Act.

So, what exactly is a green bank, and how might it work for sustainable housing?

What is a green bank?

Despite the name, green banks aren’t traditional banks. They function more like investment funds with a mission to promote sustainability.

Green banks are public, quasi-public or nonprofit entities that use public funds to encourage private investment in low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure.

By using innovative financing strategies, green banks can lower the risks for private investors to support projects, which reduces the amount of public money needed to reach government goals like expanding renewable energy or, in this case, affordable housing.

Green Banks continued on page 110

Modi’s Gift of 10 Danas to Biden

The 10 danas – 10 donations – reflects ancient wisdom and carries a deep symbolism

By Jeffery D. Long

During his state visit to the United States in late June 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented several gifts to U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Among those were the “10 danas,” items with symbolic importance in Indian traditions. I study these traditions in my work as a scholar of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. Each of the danas is believed to have an auspicious meaning.

What are the 10 danas?

The 10 danas are (1) til, or sesame seeds; (2) a gold coin; (3) a cow, though Biden received a silver image of a coconut as a substitute; (4) a piece of land, in place of which Biden received a piece of fragrant sandalwood; (5) ghee (clarified

butter); (6) cloth - for which Biden received a piece of silk; (7) long-grained rice; (8) a piece of jaggery, a very sweet brown sugar made in India from palm tree sap; (9) a silver coin; and (10) some salt.

What does each substance represent?

Sesame seeds are a symbol of immortality. According to a story in the Puranas, or books of ancient lore about the Hindu deities, during the churning of the ocean, the sweat of Hindu Lord Vishnu dropped to the Earth in the form of sesame seeds.

The churning of the ocean was an event, famous in Hindu literature, in which the devas, or deities, and the asuras, or demonic beings, joined forces to acquire a lifegiving substance called amrita that had sunk to the ocean floor. This required great exertion, especially on the part of Lord Vishnu, who transformed himself into a giant tortoise to play his role in the process.

Gold is considered purifying and is also symbolic of wealth and prosperity.

Modi continued on page 90

Spot the Differences

See if you can spot the 15 differences between the original photo and modified photo on the right.

Answers are on page 104.

by Violet Wei

7 Tips to Score Higher on Casper

CASPER is touted as an exam you can’t study for by its administrator, Acuity Suite. However, like your preparations for the SAT or ACT, that doesn’t mean that you can’t prepare. Having a strategy to approach this situational judgment test can improve your performance and score in the top percentile against your peers. Required by many medical, dental, and BS/MD programs, the CASPER (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) is designed to assess what type of student you are beyond your resume and transcript. According to the Acuity Insights website, “it asks what you would do in a tough situation, and more importantly, why.” CASPER evaluates you on the following skills:

● Collaboration

● Communication

● Empathy

● Equity

● Ethics

● Motivation

● Problem Solving

● Professionalism

● Resilience

● Self-Awareness

Here are 7 tips to help you score higher on CASPER.

1. Consider multiple facets. As you prepare your response to the ethical questions, remember there is often no one true “right” answer. Instead, the raters want to see your ability to consider multiple perspectives, show empathy, and ultimately commit to a course of action while discussing its pros and cons. You should display that you come from a place of understanding and compassion while maintaining your ethical values. When

ChatGPT: How Students Should (and Shouldn’t) Use It When Applying to Colleges

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot that was released in November 2022. At a basic level, it means people can ask it any question, and it will respond for free. Because it has been trained on text data from the internet, it can understand and create human-like language. While some students might be tempted to use ChatGPT to write their college application essay for them, it isn’t recommended. In fact, some schools, including the New York City public school district, have banned it from being used.

Even if it hasn’t been banned at the school you are applying to, it still isn’t a good idea to use ChatGPT to write your college admissions essays. ChatGPT lacks the ability to convey empathy, growth, and introspection. While it can write about a lot of things, it won’t be personal to you and might be missing out on the key details that make your story your own. Additionally, ChatGPT creates writing that tends to be more cliché and don’t fully answer the prompt, which could be red flags to college admissions counselors. Ultimately, it won’t be able to produce high-quality essays that will help students get into top universities.

With the exploding popularity of ChatGPT, colleges might turn to different ways to evaluate students, including having them submit video responses so they can ensure the student is the one producing the work. Schools like Brown University, Washington University in St. Louis and Bowdoin College already have an optional video introduction that students can submit. There might be an increase in this requirement in response to ChatGPT.

ChatGPT continued on page 98

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Deducting in Reverse Managing Reverse Home Mortgages

Personal Finances

by Mo Vidwans

Reverse home mortgages have a lot of bad memories and connotations associated with it but in last 10 years or so, I must say, it has turned around and become much simpler. Let us define what it is first: a reverse home mortgage allows you to tap into the increased value of your home without selling it. Many of us like where we live, our home has not become dangerous enough yet so that you can continue to live there for a few more years; but we are still short on cash to support our expenses in retirement. That is when tapping into the appreciated equity of your home may be a good solution.

With a reverse mortgage, we can convert our home equity into a 1) lump-sum amount 2) a monthly payment or 3) a line of credit and still be living in that home. Also, unlike a traditional mortgage or a home equity line of credit (HELOC), we do not have to make any payments on the loan as long as we remain in the home. The most common reverse mortgage is known as Home Equity Conversion Mortgage (HECM), and you must be 62 or older to become eligible to borrow against your home equity.

HECMs are costly (as are the common home mortgages, generally); if you and/or your spouse might want to relocate someday or if your home is not made suitable for aging in place you may be better off selling and downsizing.

Your loan limits generally follow a formula which depends on value of equity in the home, your age and current interest rates. Banks must make sure that when the time comes for them to recover their invested value in the home (the total loan) that they will be able to get it.

Your cost for getting into such an arrangement is also moderate to high. The home must be appraised, then there is mortgage insurance of generally 2 percent. Then there is closing costs and lenders’ origination fees. Some of these fees are variable and I would think can be negotiated depending on how credit worthy the banks think you are. Another noteworthy point is that the property taxes and the home insurance are always your responsibility.

From the borrowers’ point of view, you need to know or well understand ahead of time as to how this extra cash will be used. One should not borrow without such plan in place first. One thing about reverse mortgage is that there is no do-over (no second chance).

There have been cases in the past that the borrower was only one party, say the husband, and if that party dies then

the wife had to sell the home and get out of it even if that was not the right thing to do. In recent times, if you are married and only one of you borrows things can still get dicey. A good example of this would be if there is only one borrower and he/she has to be away or be elsewhere like in a nursing home or assisted living, the loan could come due, and the other spouse may have to move. The point is that all such considerations must have been thought of before the final decision is made. Most of the banks these days would insist on both spouses borrowing together.

After both parties are gone, the lender will get back its money and the accumulated interest on the HECM which you did not have to pay when you were living there. If the

heirs wish to keep the house for whatever reason, then they will have to pay off the entire amount to the lender.

I wish to turn our attention to another important subject, which is always part of the equation, and that is the tax implications of reverse mortgages. If not planned for at the time of borrowing, subsequent mortgage interest tax deductions may be lost for the borrower or their heirs. HECM is the only reverse mortgage insured by the Federal Government and it is available only through FHA approved lenders. One salient feature of HECM is that money received is tax-free. And that is the case because reverse mortgage is nothing but a loan against an existing asset. All this comes under standard rules of IRC section 163(h).

Basically, it comes down to how should a reverse mortgage and the accumulated interest on it be treated when the time comes to claim all this on your income taxes returns (1040). A reverse mortgage is still indebtedness against a primary residence. The cumulative mortgage interest is repaid when the reverse mortgage finally terminates; under IRC section 163(h) mortgage interest is tax-deductible only when it is actually paid. That is a big deal for a reverse mortgage because the borrower is typically not making any payments on an ongoing basis. Thus, if a mortgage merely accrues and compounds, there can be no deduction on a yearly basis.

News Notes

Ekal Fundraiser

Ekal Vidyalaya’s Charlotte Chapter hosted its annual fundraiser on Sunday, June 25, 2023 titled Sur Sangam with singer Vishwanath Batunge and his band. There were over 150 people in attendance and they enjoyed a nearly four-hour program of live music.

Jagannath temple to the Gundicha temple. For families in the Charlotte metropolitan area, however, celebrations looked a bit different.

The Hindu Center of Charlotte held a chariot procession on June 24, 2023 marking its seventh year of celebrating Rath Yatra. Hundreds of people took part in pulling the chariots around the temple, ringing bells, blowing conch shells, and chanting “Jai Jagannath.” The procession symbolizes the journey of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Mata Subhadra.

“Rath Yatra is a very popular, very religious, very auspicious festival,” said Mahesh Panda, puja committee lead of the Shri Jagannath Society of North Carolina, or SJSNC. When devotees chant mantras, pull the chariots, and take part in the festival, they experience a strong and positive spiritual connection, said Panda.

In Puri, Rath Yatra takes place over nine days, after which the deities return on Bahuda Yatra. But an “abridged” version was celebrated here, with priests conducting all ceremonies the same day.

“You can worship Jagannath in any way,” said Prakash Mohanty, president of SJSNC. “We have been doing [this] for five, six years, but when we started, we didn’t know all the rituals, so we made mistakes.”

There is no fixed ritual, said Mohanty, and Lord Jagannath is happy with any form of devotion.

The event was a collaborative effort between the Hindu Center of Charlotte and the Jagannath Society, who had been preparing for the celebration for several months. Dozens of volunteers helped assemble and decorate the chariot, set up booths for aarti and lassi, organize cultural showcases, raise funds, and cook food for over 1200 people.

“[There] is very intensive work going on to do the Rath Yatra,” said Mohanty. Volunteers are largely from the Jagannath Society, but if anyone they know is interested in helping, they are welcome too, he said.

The annual Rath Yatra celebrations at the Hindu Center began in 2017. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, there was no chariot procession in 2020 or 2021— instead, the temple held a small puja indoors.

After the chariot-pulling, devotees offered aarti to the deities. In honor of them, a cultural program also took place, consisting of performances of devotional songs and classical Odissi dances.

The East Indian festival of Rath Yatra took place in late June. Hundreds of thousands of people amass in Puri, Odisha annually to take part in the procession of three chariots that travel from the

SJSNC feels it is important to celebrate events like these because of the growing Indian diaspora around the world and to pass on the culture and beliefs to future generations.

Rath Yatra 2023 Celebrated in Charlotte

“It brings everyone together,” said Hemant Amin, president of the Hindu Center. “Our goal is to have kids educated… to give them that knowledge. When they are here, they learn from each other, we learn from each other, we learn from them too while teaching them.”

The Hindu Center strives to keep the culture and religion alive for generations to come, said Amin.

“A lot of people are coming in together, chanting the holy name, and enjoying the darshana,” said Panda. “It’s really a great moment for everyone to… enjoy.”

9th Annual International Day of Yoga led by Modi During His USA Visit

India Day Parade NYC

One of the world’s largest India Day Parades, celebrating India’s Independence, will take place on Madison Ave, New York City on Sunday, August 20, 2023 beginning at noon. Sponsored by the Federation of Indian Associations, the 41st annual parade will feature free events, programs, participation by attendees and performances. There will be food, vendors, Bollywood celebrities, marching groups, and cultural floats. For more details, visit fianynjct.org.

Launch of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X)

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the 9th annual International Day of Yoga celebrations on June 21, 2023, at the iconic North Lawn of the UN Headquarters in New York City. The theme for this year was “Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.” – which means “One Earth One Family One Future.” The event witnessed an overwhelming response from thousands of yoga enthusiasts from over 135 nationalities, setting a Guinness World Record for participation by maximum number of nationalities in a Yoga session.

A video message by UN Secretary-General Mr. Antonio Guterres was played as well. The event was graced by several notable dignitaries and prominent personalities from all walks of life - Diplomats, Officials, Academicians, Health professionals, Technocrats, Industry leaders, Media personalities, Artists, Spiritual leaders and Yoga practitioners; including H.E. Csaba Korosi, President of the 77th United Nations General Assembly; Eric Adams, Mayor of New York City; H.E. Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.

Prior to the yoga session, Modi paid floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi, which was inaugurated in December 2022, during India’s UNSC Presidency. The Prime Minister thereafter paid his respects at a Peacekeeping Memorial, also on the North Lawn. Modi was in the US for State visit President Biden. Modi’s whirlwind two days were filled with meeting CEOs, an address to the Congress, and more dignitaries.

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defense launched the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) on June 21, 2023 at a catalyst event hosted by the U.S.-India Business Council. Launched against the backdrop of Prime Minister Modi’s State Visit to the White House and at a time of historic momentum for the relationship between the United States and India, INDUS-X will vitalize the countries’ defense industrial cooperation and unlock new innovations in technology and manufacturing. INDUS-X will create jobs in both countries and promote global peace, security, and prosperity.

The event convened representatives from more than 30 U.S. and Indian start-ups, as well as government, business, academic, and thought leaders, for discussions to advance technology cooperation between the nations’ defense industrial ecosystems.

Following the launch event, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Indian Ministry of Defence welcomed an ambitious collaboration agenda that outlines the initiatives INDUS-X stakeholders intend to spearhead. These initiatives complement existing government-togovernment collaboration and include joint prize challenges for start-ups, roundtable events, mentorprotégé initiatives between major primes and start-ups, and the formation of a Senior Advisory Group.

In engagements through the day, officials affirmed that INDUS-X will catalyze innovation and help equip both countries’ armed forces with the capabilities they need to defend a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar engage in a bilateral exchange at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., Sept. 26, 2022.

Photo By: Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexander Kubitza, DOD

World Bank Approves $1.5 Billion in Financing to Support India’s Low-Carbon Transition

The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors on June 29, 2023 approved $1.5 billion in financing to accelerate India’s development of low-carbon energy. The financing will help India promote low-carbon energy by scaling up renewable energy, developing green hydrogen, and stimulating climate finance for low-carbon energy investments.

India is one of the fastest-growing large economies in the world. While the country’s energy consumption per capita is only one-third of the global average, India’s energy demand is expected to grow rapidly as the economy expands. This calls for a phasing down of fossil-based energy sources in line with India’s goal of achieving net-zero by 2070. The industrial sector is the main driver for future growth of energy demand and emissions, and green hydrogen can play a critical role in initially decarbonizing the hard-to-abate industrial sectors, such as fertilizer and refinery industries, and later heavy industries, including iron and steel. India has achieved impressive progress in renewable energy installed capacity and a decline in costs. Scaling up the production of renewable energy will accelerate the transition.

The First Low-Carbon Energy Programmatic Development Policy Operation – the first in a series of two envisaged operations – will support India in developing green hydrogen. The low-carbon energy is produced by electrolysis of water powered by renewable energy. The financing required to implement India’s energy transition is such that public sector funding alone will not be sufficient. Building on recent successes, this operation will help stimulate private financing and other support by addressing viability funding gaps, reducing off-taker risks, boosting grid integration of renewables, and stimulating demand for renewable energy.

The program aims to scale up renewable energy supply thereby reducing costs and improving grid integration. This will help India reach its committed 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. The government plans to issue bids for 50 GW of renewable energy each year from FY23-24 to FY27-28, which will avoid carbon emissions of 40 million tons per annum by 2026.

A national carbon market is essential to provide a level playing field between low-carbon energy and fossil fuels. This program will support policies for a national carbon credit trading scheme to launch a national carbon market. In January 2023, India issued its first sovereign green bond. The program will support policy actions for the issuance of $6 billion in sovereign green bonds by 2026.

NC State Board of Elections Certifies New Voting System

The State Board of Elections in June voted unanimously to approve a new voting system from Elections Systems & Software (ES&S) for use in North Carolina elections.

The EVS 6.3.0.0 system now is one of several statecertified voting systems, which counties can choose from in determining the best system of casting and counting ballots for their voters.

The new system includes an upgrade to the Microsoft Windows 10 operating system, increased memory capacity, the new DS300 polling place scanner/tabulator, the new DS950 high-speed scanner/tabulator, and new reporting and ballot design modules, among other features.

“The State Board’s unanimous decision to certify this voting system gives county boards of elections and boards of commissioners another option when deciding which system best serves their voters,” said Karen Brinson Bell, executive director of the State Board of Elections. “This system has been through rigorous testing as part of federal and state certifications, and it is certified, used, and audited in other states. Combined with many other safeguards in our elections process, election officials are confident that this system will ensure accurate, secure elections for our voters.”

Voters using this system will cast paper ballots in one of two ways:

• Use a pen to mark selections on a paper ballot, check their selections, and insert their ballot into a tabulator (i.e., ballot scanner) at their voting site.

• Make selections using a touch-screen ballot-marking device, called the ExpressVote, which prints out a completed paper ballot that the voter double-checks and inserts into a tabulator.

Voters’ selections are recorded on a memory card in the tabulator for later counting.

Almost all N.C. voters use paper ballots, providing a paper trail of all votes cast that can be audited or recounted by elections officials. (Note: Military and overseas voters, as well as visually impaired voters, may request, access, and return an absentee ballot using an online portal maintained by the State Board.)

The State Board determined that EVS 6.3.0.0 meets all criteria defined in North Carolina’s Elections Systems Certification Program. The system also meets federal standards established by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). As part of the certification process, Pro Verification & Validation (Pro V&V), an independent test lab accredited by the EAC to examine voting systems, conducted a procedural and technical evaluation of EVS 6.3.0.0 and found that it meets the requirements for voting systems in North Carolina.

For more information on voting systems used in North Carolina, visit Ncsbe.gov/voting/voting-equipment.

For more information on election security, visit Nncsbe.gov/election-security.

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BAPS Launches Festival of Inspirations

A celebration of art, culture, and spirituality

BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (B.A.P.S) commenced the Festival of Inspirations in Robbinsville, NJ, in the auspicious presence of His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, the spiritual leader of BAPS, and David Fried, the Mayor of Robbinsville, NJ on July 16, 2023. The festival is a vibrant celebration that exalts the rich tapestry of diversity, art, architecture, values, and culture of Hinduism. From intricately crafted sculptures to mesmerizing dance performances and soul-stirring programs, the festival serves as a gateway to ancient wisdom and timeless teachings. Guests from North America will be encouraged to engage, participate, and soak in the profound teachings that inspire and ignite the human spirit. It is an invitation to embrace the values and principles that have withstood the test of time, fostering a deeper understanding of oneself and the world. Through this immersive journey, the Festival of Inspirations invites all to carry the spark of inspiration back to their own lives, spreading its transformative energy far and wide.

“The Festival of Inspirations serves as a platform for people from all walks of life to discover and embrace the universal values that bind us together,” said Alak Parmar, Women’s Activities National Coordinator at BAPS. “Through cultural showcases and inspirational stories, we aim to engage a wide range of audiences and create a meaningful impact. This festival will inspire and empower individuals to lead lives filled with compassion, understanding, and harmony.”

The festival will have uniquely designed programs for youth, professionals, and community members that aim to inspire and uplift. Various events are planned, including a blood drive that will foster the spirit of giving back and a shared sense of purpose among all generations. A traditional three-month-long Vedic yagna will be performed to offer heartfelt prayers for peace and harmony with oneself and with the world.

The Festival of Inspirations celebrates the values that are also embodied by the upcoming BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham. This landmark of Hindu architecture and culture bridges the rich heritage of ancient India with the vibrant modernity of America. Beyond being a place of worship, the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham will serve as a community center, welcoming diverse individuals for engagement and learning. It stands as a testament to the peaceful coexistence of the Indian American community in the United States and pays tribute to the dedicated spirit of service and devotion displayed by all volunteers.

The event began with a devotional bhajan, traditional dances, and speeches on the importance of values and festivals. Pujya Anandswarupdas Swami explained the significant influence of leading a life rooted in values, while Sadguru Pujya Ishwarcharandas Swami underscored the personal development that attendees gain from participating in such festivals. The festival, which will continue for three months, was inaugurated by Mahant Swami Maharaj, who reinforced the significance of BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham as a beacon of lifelong values, poised to inspire present attendees and future generations.

His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the late spiritual leader of BAPS, had a simple but enduring vision: “May the essence of peace and inspiration embrace all who enter BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham.” The soon to be completed BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham campus hopes to fulfill this vision.

“We extend our sincere gratitude to the Robbinsville community for their unwavering support and warm acceptance of the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham,” said Chandresh Patel, Lead Volunteer at BAPS Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Due to limited space, participation in these programs requires pre-registration. Interested individuals can watch the events through a live webcast at Na.baps.org.

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Mango Chutney

Saathee RECIPES

Ingredients Directions

4 large mangos chopped or 4 cups of frozen chopped mangos

1 tbsp. oil

4 garlic cloves minced

1/2 red onion finely chopped

2 tbsp. chopped ginger chopped finely

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

1.5 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

1.5 cups sugar

1 cup white vinegar

If you’re looking to add a burst of tropical sweetness and tang to your sandwiches, crostini, or any dish, homemade mango chutney is an absolute delight. Of course chutneys are perfect for myriad Indian dishes. This versatile condiment, with its vibrant color and tantalizing flavors, brings a touch of exoticism to your culinary creations. Best of all, making your own mango chutney is a breeze, requiring just a handful of readily available ingredients and minimal effort. So, let’s dive into this simple recipe that will elevate your meals to new heights of deliciousness!

Servings: About 2 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes

1. Add oil, onion, garlic, and ginger and sauté until it starts to turn brown.

2. Add mango, crushed red pepper, curry powder, and salt and continue cooking until the mango softens with the rest of the spices.

3. Let the mixture cool and blend.

4. Add the mixture back into the pan with vinegar and sugar and set on low heat. Let the mixture simmer until the sugar dissolves and the consistency thickens.

5. After the mixture cools store it in an airtight jar and enjoy!

BHAVEN SAYANIA DMD, MS NEAL PATEL DMD, MS

Work Completed: Grading, Parking Lot , foundation, stone work inside and outside.

Work Continues: Main Shikhar and electrical.

Upcoming Hindu Center Events & Activities:

Independence Day: August 19th, Saturday

Janmastami: September 7th, Thursday

Mahavir Das Lakshan Parv: September 12th, Tuesday Thru September 19th, Tuesday

Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrations: September 18th, Monday Thru September 22nd, Friday

Ganesh Visarjan: September 22nd, Friday

Anant Chaturdashi: September 28th, Thursday

Navratri –Sthapana: Garba - October 15th, Sunday thru October 23rd, Monday; (Kids Garba: Nov 4th)

Garba in temple and at Park Expo on October 20th, Friday & October 21st, Saturday

Durga Ashtami Havan: October 22nd, Sunday

Navratri Visarjan: October 23rd, Monday

Vijaya Dashmi: October 24th, Tuesday; Sharad Purnima: October 28th, Saturday (Garba in Vihar Hall)

Karva Chauth: November 1st, Wednesday

Dhan Teras: November 10th, Friday

Kali Chaudas: November 11th, Saturday

Diwali / Mahavir Nirvana Day: November 12th, Sunday

Annakut/Govardhan Pooja/New Year: November 13th, Monday; Diwali Cultural Show: November 18th, Sat.

Tulsi Vivah: November 24th, Friday; Karthik Poornima Deepotsavam: November 28th, Tuesday

Independence Day Celebration!!

Saturday, August 19 (Noon to 2 pm)

Flag Hoisting, National Anthem & Cultural show. To participate in the cultural program call:

Anitha Gowtam: 704-206-9348, Poonam Rojra: 704-682-1388, Anju Jain: 704-620-4503 or Niketa Mittal: 704-971-0572

Sept 7th (Fri)

7 pm to Midnight

To participate in the cultural program call:

Anitha Gowtam: 704-206-9348

Poonam Rojra: 704-682-1388

Anju Jain: 704-620-4503 or Niketa Mittal: 704-971-0572

Ganesh Festival: Sept 18th - Sept 22th

at Temple and Vihar Hall

Sthapana: Mon., Sept 18th (3:30 pm)

Ganesh Visarjan: Fri., Sept 22nd (5 pm)

Daily:

Morya Bhajan at 6 pm; Aarti (7 pm)

Mahaprasad (7:30 pm)

For Details or to sponsor call:

Pandurang Naik 704-904-3636 or Hindu Center 704-535-3440

Hindu Center and Charlotte Marathi Mandal Celebrates

H INDU C ENTER

To Sponsor, call Hindu Center: 704-535-3440

F C

41st Anniversary Navratri Celebrations – 2023

Navratri: Oct 15th to Oct. 23rd in Temple; (Oct 20th & Oct 21st Park Expo)

Dashera: Oct 24th Lord Sri Ram Abhisekham 6:30 PM, Ravan Dahan 7:30 PM

Sharad Purnima: Oct. 28th (Vihar Hall)

Children’s Garba: Nov 4th (Vihar Hall)

Lord

- 8:45 pm

Oct

Nov

Navratri Sponsorships:

Mukhya Yajman: Navratri – 9 Days - $1501, Daily Yajman $251

Asthami & Navchandi Havan: Mukhya Yajman $501 (1 couple), Yajman $101 / couple (11 couples only)

Daily Aarti Sponsors at the Temple $101, Prasad Sponsors $101

Dashera: Lord Sri Ram AbhiseKham $31, Lord Sri Ram Archna $11

Venue: Park Expo – Freedom Hall, 800 Briar Creek Rd (Next to Bojangles Arena)

Park Expo on Independence Entrance:

Members are $10. Membership is $101/year (Seniors - $31) for Calendar Year 2022.

Non-members 18 yrs and above: $20/person. Student with ID & Seniors $10.

$10 Parking charge/charged by Bojangles. carpooling encouraged

Non-Food stalls: $301 per day / $501 per weekend (2 days), $151 Children's Garba, $101 Sharad Purnima

Donate Food for Booth: Deepak Desai 704-201-5672, Surendra Patel 704-564-9436 Jatin Patel 678-602-0935

Decorations: Rashmika Patel – 980-322-3505, Prerna Amin – 704-258-1696, Ameeta Patel 203-434-4004

Advertising / Marketing / Banners / Sponsors: Vijay Patel – 704-277-2468, Rajni Patel – 704-488-8145, Bharat Patel – 704-459-1954 Nirav Pandya 570-205-2636

Fundraising: Ravi Patel, Ball Gupta, Hemant Amin, Rajni Patel, Bharat Patel, Jatin Patel, Vivek Vemunoori

Religious, Decoration, Aarti, Prasad, & Garba at HC: Deepak Jadeja -704-819-9814 Bharti Patel – 704-678-9991, Dinesh Shah, Bharat Patel – 704-549-1954, Hemant Amin – 704- 258- 3588, Mahesh Patel, Surendra Patel – 704-564-9436, Pravin Shah – 704-307-8336 and Loku Hemnani

Dashera: Jagdish Patel, Hemant Amin, Mittal Patel and Harshal Jambusaria

Sound: Subodh Patel, Nayan Patel

Vendors: Reena Roy, Nirav Pandya, Ameeta Patel

Advertising banners outside temple: $251 for all 15 days – Park Expo included $501 For all other info call Temple – 704-535-3440

USCIS Launches Online Rescheduling of Biometrics Appointments

New tool provides option to reschedule a biometric services appointment online without calling the USCIS Contact Center

On June 28, 2023 the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services launched a new self-service tool allowing benefit requestors, and their attorneys and accredited representatives, to reschedule most biometric services appointments before the date of the appointment.

Introducing this tool is another way USCIS is trying to improve customer service. By removing barriers and reducing burdens to applicants, USCIS is demonstrating the agency’s commitment to advancing the goals of Executive Order on Transforming Federal Customer Experience and Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government Mandates (EO 14058).

“We are working steadily to improve the customer experience by designing and delivering services in a manner that people of all abilities can access,” said USCIS Director Ur M. Jaddou.

Previously, benefit requestors and accredited representatives could only request to reschedule a biometric services appointment by calling the USCIS Contact Center. With this new tool, those individuals who have or create a USCIS online account can reschedule most requests for biometric services appointments without having to call the Contact Center. The new tool, however, cannot be used to reschedule an appointment that already has been rescheduled two or more times, is within 12 hours, or that has already passed.

The biometric services appointment rescheduling tool can be accessed via a USCIS online account regardless of whether the pending case was submitted online or by mail. Benefit requestors and accredited representatives will still

Biometrics continued on page 96

Perspective of Nandi

Adult Dance Student

by Preethi Sriram

Sometimes, the things that happen in our daily lives can feel almost insurmountable in their challenges. This is something I face as an adult Indian dance student as well as in daily life. For instance, in dance, while there is a level of optimism and maybe some would even proclaim foolhardiness to trying to learn dance as an adult, as this is not the “traditional” path to learning dance. The strangeness and uniqueness of choosing this path that is very personal and individual has its ups and downs. For me, at least I live in a society that really does not mind what I do with my personal time and money. Maybe in this day and in this country, people may applaud it. But I also realize that maybe in a different context, or country, societal pressures may play a bigger role in what path I tread.

This leads to the topic of discrimination. In an American context, this society grapples with its violent history and struggles within its current form. As a society, we are very aware of the history of American slavery, for those who have taken a US History Class in school. We are taught about Civil Rights and the struggle for those seen with different skin color to be seen as equals. Rosa Parks, in a different

context may have come off as strange within that societal context in that she would not move her seat to the back of the bus. There was sanctioned racial segregation and she was arrested. That moment in history was one of the events that began the Civil Rights movement. If we fast forward to today’s society, we find it disconcerting to have racial segregation.

Yet, how far do we have to go? 2020 was a historical year for the United States. We encountered a pandemic and lock downs. And in the same year, we saw the murder of George Floyd, which caused protests nationwide. But George Floyd was not the only case that demonstrated targeted brutal discrimination but was only visible to the public because of social media. From the protests from George Floyd, it seems that American society has started to look at itself in the mirror for how various groups and minorities are treated.

Yet, how far as a society do we have to go? How does it feel to view discrimination and witness discrimination? What are some of the practices we are used to daily, for which our hearts feel hurt and tired?

A dance piece that was presented by the Samasthana Dance, hosted by Indian Classical Dance and Music Society

Adult Dance Student continued on page 90

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WeSpeak Hindi& Gujarati

Bilingual Children continued from page 40

Will talking to my child in more than one language cause a speech or language delay?

No! Bilingual and monolingual children follow nearly the same speech and language milestone developmental trajectory. When counting their total number of words, don’t forget to count them over both/all languages. Some bilingual children may say their first words later than monolingual children, but typically not outside of the normal range (between 8-15 months).

If any child (monolingual, bilingual or multilingual) is 2 years old and doesn’t have between 50-100 words and/or isn’t using at least a few 2-word combinations (e.g. didi sit, mumma shoe, roti aapo, papa car) it is recommended that your child see a Speech-Language Pathologist for an evaluation.

For bilingual language acquisition milestones and red flags, check out @coobabblebol on Instagram.

So what can I do to successfully raise a bilingual child?

Consider these points:

Have a plan:

There are many ways to raise a bi/multilingual child, but for successful bilingual language acquisition, it’s important to have a language plan and stick to it. Your plan can include when, where, how long, and/or with whom to speak the TL.

Be consistent with your plan and check yourself: Is the language plan being followed on most days? If not, maybe take the challenge down a notch to a more manageable level for your family (e.g. instead of speaking Hindi at every meal, make it dinner time only). Also, make sure you are following your own plan too. If the kids switch to the community language, try to still respond in your TL as it aligns with your language plan. This way you are:

- Using the opportunity to subtly remind them that “it’s [target language] time!” and

- Providing them with the vocabulary they need to communicate their thought.

Start early for native-like proficiency: Children’s brains are plastic — neuroplasticity is the idea that their brains can structurally adjust, generate new neurons, repair damaged areas, and rezone brain functions to perform new tasks. This makes it much easier for a child to not only learn more languages, but to achieve native like articulation of the sounds of the language and proficiency in grammar. This is not to undermine the older child/adult learning a second language because research supports that though neuroplasticity decreases with age, adult brains continue to show remarkable and positive changes when learning a new language.

Exposure is key:

Increase linguistic input. Surround your child in the TL consistently and provide them with adequate resources in it. The richer the language input, the bigger the child’s

vocabulary and grammar will be in both languages. Some suggestions for increased exposure:

- Speak in the TL language at home if this is possible for your family

- Interact frequently with people who speak the TL (e.g. grandparents, family friends who speak the target language)

- BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS! Bilingual books are amazing tools and increasingly available these days (unlike when a lot of us were growing up!). Bilingual books are great for introducing new vocabulary. But remember, you don’t need a bilingual book to tell the story in the TL — pick up a familiar book that you’ve read to your child multiple times and try reading or retelling it in the TL.

- Sing songs and listen to music in the TL. Pause to talk about the words or use gestures while singing to support understanding of the new vocabulary.

- Take trips to a country where the TL is in the majority.

Culture + Language:

Don’t forget the culture that goes with the language when teaching the TL. Expressions and figures of speech are cultural, sense of time is cultural, vocabulary is cultural, the style of conversation with various conversational partners is cultural. Language and culture must go hand in hand otherwise language is nothing more than a string of words.

Create a Need:

It’s important to instill a sense of ownership, pride, and/or need for speaking in the TL — it’s natural for children to “discard” languages that they may not have any “use” for. When a need is created by way of certain people, activities, experiences with which children must use their TL, it’s more self-motivating in the future and less of something they’re doing because their moms told them to.

Play, play, play!

If there’s one thing you can do to incorporate all of the above while introducing age-appropriate vocabulary in the TL, it is to play with your child. Play is age-appropriate at every level, highly motivating, and can be an opportunity to introduce various types of vocabulary and grammar depending on the type of play. My favorite is pretend play with the little ones using a lot of situational dialogue in the TL!

There is no right way to raise a bilingual child, but the above points can be helpful. Whichever approach you choose to take in helping your child gain the advantages of bilingualism or multilingualism, focus foremost on providing a good language model (in any language) and nurturing your child’s communication.

Shuchi Mehta

is a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist, a mom of 2, and founder of the blog & instagram account CooBabbleBol. She graduated with a Masters in SpeechLanguage Pathology from Northwestern University in Chicago where her unique experiences in outpatient pediatric clinics, schools, and hospitals paved the way for her decision to work with kids. Snkharod@gmail.com

CaroMont Family Medicine

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Shankar Mahadevan Interview:

Samir Shukla: Talk about recording the new record.

Shankar Mahadevan: I’ve been touring and associated with Shakti for 22 years. We have always been talking about doing a studio recording, especially in the pandemic the plans especially crystallized, to meet and go into studio, but the plan fell through because of Covid, and during that time we decided let us do a studio album to commemorate Shakti’s 50th anniversary. We were all in remote places with digital technology and video conferencing, which I’ve been doing with my academy for the last 11-12 years, it is pretty easy and convenient too because everyone is in their home studio or studio close by to their homes. So, we started talking via lots of messages, texts, WhatsApp, emails… going back and forth and we had this cloud drive where we would upload our stuff, everyone comments and puts it back on.

It’s a humongous process but everyone was so kicked about it and so keen to do it so the process was very interesting. Instead of traditionally where we would have gone into the studio and boom boom play and record and got out, so it was very interesting. It was almost like a painting that was unfolding, one day a person’s files are uploaded and the next day another person’s then you hear it and you can see the song blossoming. With John ji and Zakir bhai’s enthusiasm everybody follows them and it is infectious, with the kind of blessing they give and the encouragement they bring to the whole project.

Shukla: Yeah, and it gels and sounds like everyone is in the same room.

Mahadevan: One person sends the file and the other person records it, and after he records, the person who sent the file rerecords it and becomes like a two way thing that makes you feel like you are in a room playing. For example in my improvisation if I have taken a particular rhythmic little phrase, and it feels like it can be accompanied by percussionist who enhances that rhythmic improvisation and he rerecords it and now it feels like you are playing face to face with eye contact.

Shukla: It’s been at least 10 years since the last tour and there’s this whole new energy to this with the anniversary and post pandemic, what is the new element you wish to bring to this when the tour gets started.

Mahadevan: Everything is new, with Shakti every concert is new, because what happens is its only about 20 percent fixed and preplanned, that is the melody and rhythmic things we play together, but other than that everything just happens on stage because it is an improvising band, whether it is an alaap, or any of the solos, John ji, Zakir bhai, Ganesh or mine, everything is a new experience for us every concert, so when you hear Shakti today or day after

tomorrow, the energy will be completely different. Even if it is a slow song, and where you are playing, or what stage and the audience whether its intimate or its huge everything changes, and every show psychologically is a very different experience. It’s about the interpretation of everything we do. This band is so fresh and ticking all the time the energy and lots of eye contact, lots of happiness and lots of laughter on stage, lots of internal jokes. It’s full of positive energy and love. That playful happiness on stage gets transmitted to the audience.

Shukla: Have you ever worked with Zakir Hussain outside of Shakti?

Mahadevan: My first song ever, my first film song ever was with Zakir Hussain. It was for a film called In Custody and I sang my first film recording with him, it was a ghazal which he had composed. He gave me the opportunity to sing, maybe I was 16 or 17, so since then we have been working with each other. It’s family. Zakir bhai and with Taufiq and Fazal (Zakir Hussain’s brothers), the entire family.

John McLaughlin is a very senior artist. We kind of play around and joke with him and he is a wonderful person. He has played with greatest jazz legends you can think of and he is of that caliber. You know in one lifetime how can you create a Mahavishnu Orchestra and a Shakti and play with Miles Davis, and so many others. How can you achieve this? He has done this. I really feel blessed to sit with him on stage and do music, it’s a big big honor for me.

Shukla: Talk a little bit about your academy. How you connect and teach the younger generation.

Mahadevan: The Shankar Mahadevan Academy we started off with a friend of mine. Both of us were engineers actually, I decided to become a musician and he went to the US, and we connected after 14 years, he came back to India and wanted to do something new and then we started the online academy. No online academy teaches structured Indian music, with courses curriculums, exams and teachers…so we created a proper academy. And everybody just loves it and we are in 90 countries teaching and the academy runs 24/7 with teachers and support and we are opening centers. It is very important to spread the joy of our music to the next generations.

Indian music is so powerful people should learn and know about Indian music, maybe not to perform Indian music, you may want to perform Arabic music or African music, but the elements of Indian music really help you and become a very strong musician. We have a gathering every year called Sangam where students from all over come, there are teachers, interactions, workshops, students perform, teachers perform, I perform. There are questions and answers. It goes on for three days. The main day this year was June 17. We had a 10-day festival for our 10th anniversary a few yeas back with many celebrities…and then went online during the pandemic and again this year we are doing an in-person festival. We can physically meet and talk. We do these in different cities. We may start doing more than one Sangam because there are so many students. We are planning to do one in the USA one day.

(ICMDS) on May 21, 2023, explored this topic of discrimination through the viewpoint of Nandi, the Bull of Shiva. When Nandi guards the temple, and sees discrimination occur, how does Nandi feel?

In an interesting story about a Shiva Devotee, Nandanar was from a different social group and could not go inside to see the Shiva Murti. Yet, as a great devotee, he still prayed outside and tried to get a glimpse of Shiva and prayed that he would be able to see the murti form of Shiva. Nandi sitting in front of Shiva, was so touched by the sincerity of the Nandanar, that he moved himself so that Nandanar could get a glimpse.

In this story, we can learn from the devotee Nandi and his actions, so that Nandanar could see Shiva. It may have seemed small for Nandi to move but imagine a stone form of a statue moving, that is the symbolism of the small, but great gesture.

Like Nandi who witnessed discrimination, how can we act and not feel so helpless. Nandi the bull is a devotee to Shiva and as a devotee, he saw the pure desire of the other devotee to see the Lord. How can we enact this beautiful lesson in our daily lives?

Maybe we can start with something small. Something big may feel overwhelming. So maybe first, have a sense of understanding of someone who may seem different to you. Try to understand their story. This is not limited to adults. Kids can do this too! If a kid in your class is looking alone or seems to have trouble making friends, have some courage and ask the child to play with you. You may get a best friend! But for adults, if you see someone who seems to be having trouble, maybe try to see what they may need to help without being condescending.

Sitting quietly with someone, or letting them participate, may make the world of difference in their lives. Maybe things may not have gone as planned, but now you have another member on your team. Maybe a kid (or adult) sees that a place is not accessible on their playground. Maybe a ramp is needed to accommodate a wheelchair or a swing that could also do the same. Is that possible? We can imagine how nice it would be to have a person in a wheelchair swinging alongside their friend on a swing. We are in this together!

Maybe write to the leaders and see if they are willing to listen to your thoughts on why that ramp is needed and why should it be designed in such a way. But be patient. It may feel like things may never change. Sometimes honestly, we will feel overwhelmed by the amount of callousness we perceive.

For me, when I feel down, when it seems that everything is cruel, everything hurts, no one understands, and thoughts of ‘what difference does it make anyway,’, I think of Nandi. The immovable bull rock that moved. And with that, the dance of atman continues.

Preethi Sriram

is a classical dance enthusiast and lifelong learner of dance. Contact: SriramPreethi@hotmail.com

Modi continued from page 52

The cow is a symbol of life and of nurturing. The substitution of the silver image of a coconut for an actual cow reflects a common Hindu ritual in which an actual coconut is used in a ceremony to substitute for some other object that is unavailable or that would be impractical to include.

The gift of a piece of land also represents wealth. Traditionally, the gift of an actual piece of land is something one could draw upon in times of financial difficulty. It could be cultivated, rented out, and so on.

Ghee, or clarified butter, is an element in Hindu rituals going back to at least the second millennium B.C. It represents both nourishment and healing.

Cloth represents financial security: one’s ability to obtain the necessities of life, such as decent clothing.

Rice, in India, has long been a symbol of fertility. The ability to grow rice has been vital to life in most of India since before recorded history.

The sweetness of the jaggery represents good news. Giving it represents a hope that one will receive good news and hear auspicious things in the years ahead.

Silver is connected with the Moon in Hindu symbolism – as gold is connected with the Sun. The gift of silver is a wish that one will have good dreams and undisturbed sleep.

Finally, salt is a symbol of Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. Like salt, she is said to have emerged from the ocean. Salt thus represents lifelong prosperity.

A thousand full moons

The 10 danas are given to someone who has seen 1,000 full moons, or “sahasra chandra.” This is an ancient practice first described in a set of texts called the “Grihya Sutras,” which date from roughly 500 B.C. These sutras, or authoritative texts, describe household rituals and regulations. The practices they enjoin are rooted in the the Vedas, the oldest sacred literature of Hinduism.

The full moon is an auspicious symbol in many Indian traditions. The full moon day, or Purnima, of each month is a time when many people engage in religious observances. The full moon day is the culmination of the “bright half,” or the Shukla paksha, of each month in the Indian lunar calendar. The bright half is the roughly two-week period during which the Moon is waxing, and is seen as a better time to undertake any important activity. Seeing the full moon is an auspicious act, so having seen a thousand full moons is a particularly auspicious and noteworthy event in one’s life.

The ceremony is typically performed for someone who is between the ages of 81 and 84, though Modi gave the 10 gifts to Biden on the occasion of his reaching the age of 80. Giving these gifts amounts to congratulating the recipient for having lived a long life – itself a sign of virtue and wisdom – and wishing continued good luck, health, and prosperity.

Article courtesy of The Conversation (theconversation.com)

Jeffery D. Long is a Professor of Religion and Asian Studies, Elizabethtown College

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When the time comes to typically make a lump-sum repayment of a reverse mortgage, the cumulated loan interest is paid then too, all at once; hence the taxpayer, whoever it is, must make sure that there is enough taxable income that year to allow the additional itemized deduction to offset your income. Otherwise, this big benefit is lost. The simplest way is, during that tax year, to create enough taxable income to absorb additional mortgage interest deduction. This might be accomplished by an IRA distribution or ROTH conversion for that year or even by showing additional capital gains which may not be as helpful as the first two ideas. What is clear is that much advance planning is desired, almost necessary.

Mo Vidwans

is an independent, board certified financial planner. For details visit, VidwansFinancial.com, call 734-476-0579 or write to: mvfinancial@yahoo.com

College Advice

continued from page 42

Learn how to make sacrifices because ultimately, you have to choose what’s most important to do. In college, there’s so many options. At any given point in time, you can do five different things, whether that’s studying, going to a club meeting, going out with friends, or doing some extracurricular. But you obviously don’t have time to do everything, so you have to choose what’s important to you.

Prateek Mishra, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Class of 2026)

Try not to overthink things and take them as they’re given. I find it easier to just go with the flow than worry about what’s next. Make sure you have a goal in mind that you’re trying to walk forward to. With everything that you do in college, be surrounded by that goal, but don’t forget to have fun either. For me, the only issue with my school was being far. I picked my school because of the program that I was accepted into, which would guide me to my end goal, so if you do end up getting into a school farther away and you believe that it is your best option or opportunity, then go for it. Don’t let distance be a problem.

Sahithi Mothukuri, University of the Pacific (Class of 2026)

Get comfortable being alone. It may feel awkward to sit and eat by yourself in the dining hall, but speaking from personal experience, no one is watching or judging you. Of course, making and cultivating healthy, positive relationships with others is vital, but take the time to be on your own and really get to know yourself. Go on a solo trip to a museum or get some studying done at a cafe. Be safe, but treat and love yourself.

Sanjana Mishra, Northeastern University (Class of 2026)

Sanjana Mishra

is a second-year criminal justice and journalism student at Northeastern University with a passion for storytelling. sjmish04@gmail.com.

Editor’s Desk continued from page 14

Right now, while you are reading this, someone’s text message, email, streaming movie, a song, or a combo of all, are going through your brain. Not around, but through. Never in human history have we been bombarded via invisible signals on such a massive scale. 3G, 4G, 5G, and the as yet not imagined or invented some other type of G.

All the wireless information, in the forms of frequencies, sound waves, or what have you, are invading the human mind in manners that didn’t exist just a few decades ago.

Yes, radio has been around for a long time. Same is true for TV signals and other wireless means of communications. Satellites bouncing back beamed information have also been around for several decades. But in this era of everything going wireless, there has never been the torrential, unending amounts of transmissions from countless sources at such a massive scale before in human history. We maybe subjecting ourselves to some types of those silent dog whistles that dogs can hear but we can’t. Trainers use them to get their attention or even inflict pain to modify behavior.

Right now, the debates have begun about artificial intelligence and its potential to unhinge humanity, for better or worse. But no one talks about the invisible dog whistles floating about everywhere in every corner of the globe, right now, today, this minute. This deluge, this bombardment will continue to grow.

Some anarchist scientists will figure out just the right frequency or the combination of frequencies that may be able to manipulate people. Dog whistles for humans, sent out at subspace frequencies.

Maybe research is needed, and of course it will have to be long term, on if the current torrential monsoons of frequencies we are enduring, may have negative effects. We sometimes wonder, when we hear about it, how a once sane person suddenly goes berserk and does violent things. An explanation could be his brain was rewired over time. It may have been a human dog whistle.

This curiosity of mine has been building, and on this dark summer night as I write this, I’m trying to get a handle on my brain fog frequencies. No, it’s not the bourbon I’m sipping.

I defer this to scientific minds, while I grab the remote and search for my science fiction fix for the night, squinting my eyes, looking around, imagining the crisscrossing, zipzapping, sidewinding, tsunamis of signals twirling about the room. Brain fog, yes, indeed.

Samir Shukla

is the Editor of Saathee Magazine

Contact: Samir@Saathee.com

Twitter: @ShuklaWrites

Newsletter: ShuklaWrites.Substack.com

When our family was confronted with this realization, my husband took time off for a year to be a SAHD so I could focus on my corporate career. When he was ready to head back to work, I chose to put family ahead of my career pursuits. Stepping down from the career ladder and switching to a 1-income household meant making lifestyle adjustments, but I had my eyes on the long-term investment of assets. Assets that masquerade as bundles of joy, stress, happiness, and exhaustion – ones that would need nurturing, guidance, parental oversight so that in adulthood they can springboard into well-rounded individuals.

What’s the dividend?

Being a stay-at-home parent can provide benefits such as being able to spend more time with children, having greater control over the children’s upbringing, and being able to manage the household and daily routine more effectively. Additionally, stay-at-home parents can save on childcare expenses and have more flexibility to attend to their children’s needs.

What are the investment fees?

It is important to note that being a stay-at-home parent can also have drawbacks such as financial strain and potentially feeling isolated from the outside world.

Investing in your family as a SAHM or SAHD can involve a variety of actions:

• Create a daily routine: Develop a daily routine that works for you and your family. This may involve setting regular mealtimes, nap times, and bedtimes. Having a consistent routine can help your family members feel more secure and can make it easier to manage household tasks.

• Spend quality time with your children: As a SAHM or SAHD, you can spend more time with your children. Make the most of this time by engaging in activities that your children enjoy. Spending quality time with your children can help strengthen your bond and create lasting memories.

• Prioritize self-care: It’s important to take care of yourself so that you can be at your best for your family. This may involve taking time for exercise, hobbies, or relaxation. It’s also important to prioritize your mental health by seeking support when needed.

• Foster open communication: Communication is key in any family. As a SAHM or SAHD, you have the opportunity to create an environment of open and honest communication.

• Find ways to stay connected: Being a SAHM or SAHD can be isolating at times. It’s important to find ways to stay connected with the outside world. This may involve attending social events, joining a parenting group, or volunteering in your community.

Lastly, should the SAH parent opt to ramp back into the workforce, there’s good news! LinkedIn now supports “Stay at home parent” as a job title - to explain the break in work experience. Think of all your transferable skills –organization skills, time management, conflict resolution and patience!

It does take a village…however, in its absence, the onus is on parents to equally shoulder the financial and household responsibility. After all, raising a family is a serious commitment eventually bearing fruits of a strong foundation, healthy relationships, emotional wellbeing, and well-rounded young adults. Well-balanced kids are more likely to foster healthy habits helping them navigate school, college and life in general.

The return on this investment is priceless. After all, isn’t that what we as parents strive for and willingly take on the hardest unpaid job in America?

Rupa Pereira

is the owner and lead financial advisor at FWJ Planning, an investment advisory and planning firm registered in NC. As an enrolled agent, she’s also authorized by IRS to represent her clients on tax-matters. Contact: info@fwjplanning.com.

Biometrics continued from page 80

have the option to call the USCIS Contact Center to reschedule an appointment, but USCIS strongly encourages users to use the new tool to save time, increase efficiency, and reduce call volume to the USCIS Contact Center.

USCIS is also issuing guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to explain that the agency may consider an untimely request to reschedule a biometric services appointment and the effect of failing to appear for an appointment, and to explain how the agency considers a timely request to reschedule a biometric services appointment for “good cause.” Good cause exists when the reschedule request provides sufficient reason for the benefit requestor’s inability to appear on the scheduled date. Sufficient reasons may include, but are not limited to:

• Illness, medical appointment, or hospitalization; Previously planned travel;

• Significant life events such as a wedding, funeral, or graduation ceremony;

• Inability to obtain transportation to the appointment location;

• Inability to obtain leave from employment or caregiver responsibilities; and

• Late delivered or undelivered biometric services appointment notice.

USCIS only accepts untimely rescheduling requests made to the USCIS Contact Center and does not accept untimely requests to reschedule by mail or in-person at a USCIS office or through the myUSCIS online tool.

For more information on USCIS and its programs, visit uscis.gov.

answering each question, you must show your thought process rather than solely choosing the “right” answer.

2. Learn the basics of common ethics and medical ethics. Because you are being tested on how you would respond to ethical dilemmas, you should understand what your ethics are before you tackle CASPER. While you won’t be explicitly tested on your knowledge of medical knowledge or ethics, having a basic understanding can guide you in your responses.

3. Use personal examples to help convey empathy and respect. While you likely won’t be asked specific questions about your own experiences, you might have to discuss when you faced a similar situation as the scenario. You won’t be able to prepare for every question you might encounter, but it can be helpful to start to create a story bank of ideas to use during the exam. Remember, a different rater will evaluate each scenario, so reusing stories or examples as you see fit is okay. As you reflect on stories you can use, think about how you approached the situation and how you want to improve.

4. Use “if/then” statements. Because the CASPER raters want to see you considering multiple perspectives, using “if/then” statements can be more effective in helping you in these hypothetical dilemmas. For example, if this is true, then I would react this way. However, if this alternative is true, then this is how I would respond.

5. Avoid making assumptions. What can make these ambiguous scenarios difficult is that there is often a lot of missing information. You might want to automatically fill in some of the gaps by making assumptions. It’s essential to remember that in the CASPER, what is unsaid is often more important than what is said. The different scenarios try to trick you into making assumptions and going down the wrong path to answering the questions. By remaining nonjudgmental in your response, you can give people the benefit of the doubt and allow them to express their thoughts.

6. Make a firm judgment. You are also being tested on your ability to pick a path and stick to it. In some scenarios, you may be faced with making tough decisions where you want to make exceptions to the rules for the person. However, this won’t make you look empathetic; it will just make you look like you are unable to make difficult choices. As a future doctor, veterinarian, dentist, etc., there might be similar situations where you must make a choice that won’t be well-received by everyone. CASPER is testing you on those skills.

7. Practice! Preparing for a situational judgment exam can be challenging, but it is not impossible. By understanding the questions that you will face, you can formulate a more proactive strategy to improve your chances of scoring high. You’ll also want to emulate testing conditions and try to

answer the responses within the time limits. That way, you can figure out what realistically you could say or write in each scenario, helping you budget your time wisely.

Violet Wei

is a College Counselor and Outreach Coordinator. Website: MoonPrep.com Contact: Violet@moonprep.com.

ChatGPT continued from page 58

Colleges might also be able to use AI detectors to see whether the students have actually written the essays themselves. Already, a Princeton University graduate has created an app that can detect if the essay was written by ChatGPT.

The App, called GPTZero, uses “perplexity and burstiness” to see if a bot or the student wrote the essay. If the colleges do discover the student used ChatGPT, or another service, the student might be eliminated from consideration for enrollment.

However, students can use ChatGPT during the college search. Students could type in a query like “Best schools for biology with an acceptance rate of over 30 percent in the state of New York,” and it will generate a list for you. While students should research the schools’ websites to verify the information is accurate, it might be a good starting point.

As ChatGPT continues to gain in popularity, students should tread carefully to make sure they are following the rules of admission and creating work that reflects themselves and their abilities.

Violet Wei

is a College Counselor and Outreach Coordinator. Website: MoonPrep.com Contact: Violet@moonprep.com.

Eye on Markets continued from page 46

Small and mid-caps trade at less than half the price of large cap tech, with sectors such as energy in the single digits. Positioning is way offsides in cyclicals.

By some measures the positioning in cyclicals is near pandemic lows. It will start with short covering on continued economic and earnings resiliency, as market internals suggest.

As price moves above certain moving averages and resistance levels and moving averages start to inflect up, momentum players will start to pile in. As momentum players start to bid up the price, the people that missed the rally so far will come into cyclicals, as their cheap valuation and a higher for longer environment will justify positioning, driving a meaningful rally.

Looking forward, the market will focus on economic data, second quarter earnings, and Fed meeting

Ketu Desai

is the principal of i-squared Wealth Management Inc. (www.isquaredwealth.com), an investment management firm based in New Jersey. ketu@isquaredwealth.com

Quiz Corner

Word World By Kirit Shukla

R I B F N

K S

Make words using 5 or more letters. The central letter must be used in each word. Plural words are not allowed. Use all letters for the subject word (underlined in solutions below)

10+ words = Excellent; 6 to 9 words = Good; 5 or less = keep looking. Words we found are in solutions below.

Brain-Train

Here is a fun quiz. See if you can solve it. No peeking! Match the number in column 1 with letter in column 2

World’s Rivers

Who wants to be a Scholar?!

Answer the ones you know and research the rest. There is only one correct answer!

1. Arrange these rivers in Canada from longest to shortes in length. (a) Columbia (b) Nelson

(c) McKenzie (d) Yukon

2. The first Indian feature talkie film (1921) was (a) Lava-Kusha(b) Shakuntala

(c) Balika Badhu(d) Alam Ara

3. “Marmoreal” is pertaining to (a) Resembling marble (b) Lower order of monkeys

(c) A tomb (d) Fruit jam

4. 12 oz. of this soda has the most caffeine.

(a) Pepsi Cola(b) Mountain Dew

(c) Coca Cola(d) Jolt

A A5. The Panama Canal was completed in the year

(a) 1878(b) 1904

(c) 1914(d) 1924

6. The curve drawn by the equation y=x³ is a (a) Parabola (b) Cubic Parabola

(c) Hyperbola (d) Ellipse

7. The Nobel Prize for discovering the Law of Photoelectric Effect was given to Einstein in (a) 1917 (b) 1919

(c) 1920 (d) 1922

8. The tallest mountain in our Solar System is on (a) Mars(b) Jupiter

(c) Earth(d) Saturn

9. Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Indian warrior king, formed the Maratha empire in the year

(a) 1627(b) 1657

(c) 1674(d) 1680

10. 2023 men’s Wimbledon winner:

(a) Ruud (b) Alcaraz

(c) Djokovic(d) Medvedev

Country or Continent

A. South America

B. China/Siberia

C. Africa

D. Africa

E. Russia/China

F. England

G. China

H. Siberia

I. United States

J. India / Bangladesh

Word World (Solution) AKKAD,: BANKS, BARAK, BLACK, BLAIR, BLANK, BRAIN, FAIRS, ,FAIRBANKS FRANK, RAKINS, SARAN, SAFARI.

Answers are on bottom left. No Peeking. Scholar: All correct; 1st Class: 9 Correct; 2nd Class: 8 Correct; 3rd Class: 7 Correct; Need to improve: 6 or less

Key Word Search

Fill in blanks of these clues, then take the first letter of each word and unscramble them to find this month’s Key Word.

Capital of Italy. ___

The Grand Canyon State. ___

August 15th is the ___ Day of India.

Capital of Hawaii. ___

Open a lock with a ___.

Answers on page 104

1. Amur

2. Congo

3. Thames 4. Ob

5. Ganges

6. Yenisie

7. Mississippi

8. Yangtze 9. Nile 10. Amazon

PUZZLES AND JOKES

By Kirit Shukla

Note: * denotes abbreviation of the word or phrase

Clues Across:

1. An aromatic spice made of the dried outer cover of nutmeg; or a spiked medieval war club for breaking armor.

4. _____ Stewart. Shakespearian trained actor.

9. Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Department. (*)

11. American Association of Retired Persons. (*)

12. From this point onward.

16. A Bengali first name meaning ‘foaming ocean’.

17. To incline, deviate or bend from a vertical position.

18. An Indian warrior king, founder of the Maratha empire.

20. A situation involving exposure to danger.

22. The daughter of Hera and Zeus & cupbearer of the gods.

23. An acronym from "Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive". (*)

25. Warrant Officer. (*)

26. Individual Retirement Account. (*)

27. Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. (*)

28. A set of equipment needed for a specific purpose.

29. Author/poet of the epic Ramayana in Sanskrit.

31. Barack _____. 44th president of the United States.

34. Australian Security and Intelligence Services. (*)

36. Amplitude Modulation. (*)

37. Hearing organs for animals.

38. 503-mile-long river running through Indiana & Ohio.

42. Radio Frequency. (*)

43. Largest part of the human brain. (Plural)

45. The rudimentary antler of a young male red deer.

46. The letter ع in Arabic script.

Clues Down:

1. Mahadev Shankar. (Sanskrit word)

2. A person who eats human flesh.

3. To hide within a recess.

4. Portable Document Format. (*)

5. The weight of a container deducted from the total weight to determine the weigh of the contents or load.

6. A fish, the blue cod.

7. A resident of Iran.

8. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. (*)

10. A small armadillo with nine movable bands of scutes.

13. “Hereafter” jumbled.

14. Popular Mediterranean cooking oil.

15. An indigenous tribe from the northwestern United States.

19. Sita; the daughter of Janak Raja. (Ramayana)

21. To maneuver through water.

24. Packed By Owner. (*)

27. Endearing term for multiple sisters.

28. _____ Harris, Vice President of the United States.

30. ____ Polo. World explorer & trader from Venice.

32. A young child.

35. A species of finch, found in sub-Saharan Africa.

39. About. (*) (Internet chat)

40. Having or showing a cunning and deceitful nature.

41. The dominant ethnic group in China.

42. Rhode Island. (*)

44. Rupees. (*)

Hee Hee

(solution on page 104)

Jokes & Riddles From Around The World

Wife: “It’s raining outside.”

Husband: “Have you ever seen it raining inside?”

Q: What did the earthquake say when it was done?

A: Sorry, my fault!.

Q: If you drop a yellow hat in the Red Sea, what does it become?

A: Wet.

Q: What goes in a birdbath but never gets wet?

A: The bird's shadow.

Q: What do you call a can opener that doesn't work?

A: A can't opener.

WordFind

Math Magic

Fill in the empty squares to get = the final given answers. Use any number from 1 to 9, except 7, only once: Note: Follow the order of operation per basic math rule: ×,÷, +,The multiplication or division is done before addition and subtraction. (solution on page 104)

Find & circle the words in the puzzle.

Subject: Canada

ALBERTA BC DUCK ELK ELLIOT FUNDY JASPER KOOTENAY MANITOBA MEADOW MUSKOLE

NEWFOUNDLAND NIAGARAFALLS NOVASCOTIA ONTARIO PASS PRINCEEDWARD  PUKASKWA QUEBEC ROCKY SASKATCHEWAN YUKON

The unused 10 letters spell: ”The capital of Yukon, CN”. (answer on page 104)

EZ-BZ

TEST YOUR IQ

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

1. A veterinary medication used to treat certain parasitic roundworm infections. IV _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

2. Belonging to a particular place by birth. _ _ _ IV _

3. Human Immunodeficiency Virus. (*) _ IV

4. Offering the ____ branch. A gesture of peace. _ _ IV _

5. Advisor to former President, Donald Trump. IV _ _ _ _

6. A word formed from another word. _ _ _ IV _ _ _ _ _

7. A natural stream of water of high volume. _ IV _ _

8. A slacker; a person who shirks work. _ _ IV

9. Hard, white material from the tusks of elephants. IV _ _ _

10. To create a belief that is not true; mislead. _ _ _ _ IV _

11. Perceived as bright and distinct; brilliant. _ IV _ _

12. To relinquish something voluntarily. _ _ IV _

13. Eurasian vine of the ginseng family with evergreen leaves, small yellowish flowers, and black berries. IV _

14. Rainbow colors in order from first to last. (*) _ _ _ _ _ IV

15. To hand over to freely. _ IV _

16. A vehicle designed to transport multiple passengers with high roof & sliding doors. _ _ _ IV _ _

17. Interactive Voice Response System. (*) IV _ _

18. Compelling into action. _ _ _ IV _ _ IV _

19. The study of the rights & duties of citizenship. _ IV _ _ _

20. The second-largest city of Bulgaria. _ _ _ _ _ IV

21. A person showing a lack of wisdom or judgment. _ _ IV _

22. Creating disunity or dissension. _ IV _ _ IV _

23. A Romance novel by Sir Walter Scott. (1819) IV_ _ _ _ _

24. Of or perceived directly from a deity. _ IV _ _ _

25. Filipino in the Batanes islands, Philippines. IV _ _ _ _ (Puzzle solutions are on page 104. NO peeking!)

Festivals & Holidays

August 2023

Aug 1 - Lughnasadh

Aug 1 - Shravana Purnima (Full Moon)

Aug 6 - Friendship Day

Aug 14 - Independence Day (Pakistan)

Aug 15 - Independence Day (India)

Aug 16 - Darsh Amas (No Moon)

Aug 19 - World Humanitarian Day

Aug 20 - Senior Citizens Day

Aug 21 - Nag Panchami

Aug 23 - Tulsidas Jayanti

Aug 25 - Varalakshmi Vrat

Aug 26 - Women's Equality Day

Aug 29 - Onam

Aug 30 - Raksha Bandhan

Aug 31 - Narali Purnima (Full Moon)

Key Word Search Answers from page 100

Rome.

Arizona.

Independence.

Honolulu.

Key.

Key Word of the Month: RAKHI

Math Magic from page 103

Spot the Differences Solutions from page 56

1. Removed a window

2. Added an airplane

3. Added a red parcel

4. Added a boat

5. Added a crocodile

6. Cloud added

7. Removed a cloud

8. Remove a person from the boat

9. Added a sign on the boat

10. Added a building

11. Removed the tree

12. Window color changed

13. Removed lamp

14. Added birds

15. Diving bird added

Puzzle Solutions from page 102-103

Astroscope

Aries (March 21 – April 20)

This is the period of self-control and calm. Your friends and elders will enjoy your success with you. You will enjoy love and respect from higher authorities. Be sure to invest some money in business or home affairs. This will also be a more positive change for students. Enemies won’t dare harm you, so don’t lose your self-confidence. You may be forced to compromise your morals under the influence of greed.

Taurus (April 21 – May 20)

Try to be practical this month. Avoid investing money for any sort of short-term benefit, though there is still a chance for a rise in income. It is more beneficial to concentrate on enjoying both your family and social life. If working, you may lose a chance for promotion due to dishonesty. Be aware of surreptitious enemies as they could destroy your plans and ruin happiness. Try to be more analytical and avoid an aggressive attitude.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

After a positive start, you will encounter a minor setback this month. You may lose confidence and in turn rush unnecessarily due to bad decisions which can only lead to failure. Try to maintain an easy temperament and stay vigilant. A strong para-psychic experience could result in major changes within your friend circle or with co-workers. This is a prime time to invest in real estate.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Income and expenses will balance each other out. You may experience delays and ups and downs in education or business. Wise decisions could shelter you from overspending. Investments in long-term savings will prove beneficial. This is not a good time for a career change. Try to control your aggression. Your sibling could provide good support.

Leo

(July 23 – August 22)

It’s finally time for any property investments to come to fruition. You should gain success through aggressive mentality and attention to detail. Friends and family will offer whatever assistance you need. Your opponents will not dare to face you. Don’t get involved in a love affair. Students will see unexpected positive results. Try to control your speech and egoistical thoughts. Unexpected expenses are also possible.

Virgo (August 23 – September 21)

You will be inclined towards unproductive pursuits with consequences which may leave you in an unnecessarily bothered state. You could experience a major alteration within your immediate family. Avoid business-related travel as there is a danger of losing money. Major ups and downs are possible at your place of work. Continue working hard and keep a grasp on your integrity. Don’t get involved in any new ventures.

Libra (September 22 – October 20)

Don’t get involved in any new projects this month. This period is good for family happiness, otherwise, your workload and outside activities could develop frustration. Your subordinates will also extend their full support. You should see a steady rise in income, and hard work will reward you with an extra bonus. Your partner should achieve success during the second half of the month.

Scorpio (October 21 – November 20)

You should feel quite comfortable right now. You will meet some influential people which could produce both a rise in status and income. In fact, there is a probable chance of gaining a promotion. You might even join profitable deals. Travel should prove very relaxing. Others will appreciate your social and religious work. Overall, this month will be very pleasant yet hectic.

Sagittarius (November 21 – December 21)

You will feel helpless and miserable this month. Major outcomes will fluctuate, with hardly a fruitful result to show for your efforts. If you maintain your health, you may be able to snatch a good opportunity later on. If expecting, take extra care of yourself. Your wits will not be able to boost your luck, though you are far from helpless. The stars simply do not favor you right now, so it’s best to maintain a sense of patience.

Capricorn (December 22 – January 21)

Life will be complicated after the second week of the month. Both your credit and reputation are in danger, and differences of opinion with your partner could make the situation even worse. However, friends and co-workers will be the best advisers to alleviate any further turmoil. A lack of confidence may force you to compromise your morals, but you should still be able to defeat your enemies. This is a good time to invest in real estate.

Aquarius (January 22 – February 18)

All your hard work will pay dividends this month as the power of artistic expression and interpretation is in your favor. Empathic actions will offer good rewards. A pleasant journey or change in the workplace could also occur due to good news from afar. A relaxed state of mind is also indicated. You will maintain an edge over your competitors. A change in relations with your partner is possible.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

You should experience a mixed bag this month. There could be many opportunities coming your way, but you may not be able to utilize them. Health problems may disturb you, with this period especially not favorable for heart patients. There may be a rise in status, but without much financial benefit. Stay positive, however, as good things are possible during the last few days of the month. Happy days are just around the corner, don’t worry!

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

16-Room Motel for Sale with 2 bed/2 bath mobile home on 1.6Ac lot in McCormick, SC. Great location. Recently updated. Increasing revenues $140k. Owner financing. Potential for expansion. Check out www.bar-melinn.com. Call 240-357-7023.

Convenience Store for Sale in Kingstree, SC (Hwy 52). Currently closed so can re-open as another business. Includes 3-bedroom apartment w/ separate entrance & electric meter. Asking $140k OBO. Contact Jerry Morris at oakterracevillage@yahoo.com.

For Lease: Independent hotel in Richburg, SC. Call or text 864-649-6299. C-Stores for Sale: Forest City, NC $179,000 + Inv, Annual $641,906, no gas; Jonesville, NC $850,000, Leased, Reduced!; Winston Salem, NC $229,000 + Inv, Annual $1,500,000 Fuel Gals 374k; Contact: County South: 704-4404433 or Countysouth.biz.

25-Room Motel for Sale with living quarters in Dublin, VA. Perfect for owner/operator. Serious inquiries only. Contact 540-674-7523.

For Sale: High Volume Liquor Store/Party Shop in South Carolina. $1.5 million + inventory. Email york8445@yahoo.com.

Start Your Own Tutoring Business: 10 years of experience. We can help you from A to Z to set up your tutoring business or help improve your existing business. Call Nirmala 919-672-4724.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Hotel Help Wanted: Front Desk / Manager, Night Auditor & Housekeeper (Single/Couple) for franchise hotels in Charlotte (Airport Area) & Winston-Salem (Near Hanes Mall). Accommodations provided. Call 704-626-4849 between 4-8pm.

Looking for live-out Nanny to take care of 1 year-old & help with basic housework in Concord, NC. Text/call 804-501-9629.

Manager / Front Desk needed for Franchise Hotel in Rock Hill, SC. Accommodations Provided. Call 803-517-4662.

Live-out Nanny needed for 13 month-old and 4 year-old in Hillsborough, NC. Vegetarian Hindi speaking family. Duties include light chores. Competitive pay. Call 631746-5259.

Cashier Wanted for Convenience Store near Kannapolis, NC. Very attractive salary! Accommodations provided. Text or Call 704-701-9482

Hotel Help Wanted: Looking for Manager & Front Desk for properties in Charlotte. Contact Nita Shah at 704502-2630 or gm.nita.shah@gmail.com Hiring Threading Specialists at Jill's iBrow Threading Salon Fayetteville, NC. Call 336-686-7007.

Gas Station / C-store Help Needed at stores near Huntersville & Northlake areas. Must speak English. Family friendly oriented people. Call 704-402-4661.

Looking for live-in nanny / au pair in North Raleigh to assist in taking care of 2 toddler boys and newborn boy. Will have own private room and bathroom. High compensation. Please call Aman 919-671-7580.

Looking for GMs to operate franchise motels in Richburg, SC. Legal status & fluent English required. Accommodations provided. Call 864-694-6299 and leave message.

Experienced Threading Practitioners or Licensed Estheticians Needed in Charlotte & Raleigh. Full or parttime. Great pay & flexibility. $250 signing bonus and/or referral bonus. Call 980-225-4575 or email mariag@idolizespa.com.

Help Needed at Perfume Stores in Charlotte & Pineville. For details, please call Veer Singh at 415-265-8686.

Front Desk Manager & Housekeeping wanted for Hotel in Florence, SC. Must have legal status, fluent English and basic computer skills. Accommodation Provided. Call 843-409-3119.

Looking for Entry level Sales & Marketing person with college degree in related field. Must be fluent in communication and familiar with MS office & computers. Should possess great personality & be able to work in team environment. Willing to sponsor if candidate is suitable to company requirements. Contact Raj at 336-558-3410 or rajm@amerifabintl.com.

Front Desk / Manager Wanted for Franchise Hotel in Fort Mill, SC. Must have legal status, computer skills, fluent English, and previous hotel experience. Text or leave message at 704-302-3318.

Hotel Help Wanted: Front Desk / Manager, Night Auditor & Housekeeper (Single / Couple) for franchise hotels in Charlotte, Gastonia, High Point, NC & Columbia, SC. Accommodations provided. Call 704-460-0379 between 6-9pm.

Front Desk Manager Wanted for franchise hotel in Columbia, SC. Accommodations provided. Fluent English required. Text or Call 704701-9975.

Need live-in vegetarian cook/housekeeper in North Florida starting in September with managing kitchen, laundry, & household clean up. Please contact 704-907-6399.

Front Desk Help & Housekeeping / Laundry needed for Franchise Hotel in Concord, NC. Accommodations provided. Call Rick 704-772-5554.

Looking for Couple to manage 27room independent hotel in Richmond, VA. Includes Front Desk and Housekeeping. Must be legal and speak fluent English. Accommodations provided. Call 804517-7484.

Gas Station / C-Store Help needed in Greensboro, NC & surrounding areas. Multiple positions available from cashiers to managers. Must have prior experience & speak English. Great pay! Call 336-509-4054.

s Eyebrow Threader

s Licensed Esthethcians for Triangle Town Center Mall (Raleigh,NC)

Call : 773-503-8848 or 773-507-8848

Email: feah7189@gmail.com

For Immediate Hire: Accounting manager (must have experience). Hotel GMs - Wyndham, Choice, and Hilton brands (must have experience). Front Desk (multiple locations). Pay rates higher than the competition. Contact 704-649-6833 or abcone@abcinns.com .

Help Needed for Front Desk & Laundry at Economy Franchise Hotel in NC. Accommodations provided. Contact 704-465-8129.

Now Hiring Housekeeping Couple, Laundry & Front Desk for Motel in Greenville / Simpsonville, SC. Accommodations provided. Call or text 828-386-5184.

Now Hiring Part Time & FullTime Sales Associates for Men's Retail Clothing Store in Pineville, NC, Attractive salary! Must be willing to work a flexible schedule including weekends & speak fluent English. Contact Nick: 276618-1166 or suitcityusa@gmail.com.

MATRIMONIALS

Looking for Bride, age 28 – 34 from Southeast USA for US born Rajput Physician son. 43, 6’1”, settled and practicing in NC. Never married. Father, sister, and brother-in-law are also physicians. Contact 304-575-1251 or sinra193@gmail.com.

Seeking US citizen bride for 40-yearold divorcee. MBA in Business, very intelligent, currently living in India. Two brothers in India and one settled in the United States. An older divorcee woman is fine. Contact sister-in-law at 979-402-4420.

Call Bob!

Atkinson Properties Group 919-362-6999

SERVICES

Affordable Wedding Photography: 20 years of experience in Indian wedding photography. Specializing in film & digital photos. Engagement, Wedding, and Receptions. Contact Vivek at 347-321-4746 or email: vivekweddingmemories@gmail.com Pari Beauty in Matthews: Threading, Waxing, Facials, Massage for newborn and mom & other services. 33 years of experience. Special Deals & Great Service. email: gescpl@gmail.com or call: 704-846-7912.

Gujarati Priest: Devendra Dave Independent priest. Ganesh, Randal, Navratri, Diwali's Laxmi & Sharda Pujas, Satyanarayan Katha, Weddings, Vastu, Baby Shower, Funeral Seva. Call Daveji 704-7803563. God Blessings to All.

Indian Astrologer and Spiritual Healer in Glen Allen, VA. We do horoscopes, birth charts, negative energy removal, black magic removal, etc. Contact 804-738-0034 or astroprataprajusa@gmail.com.

Gujarati Priest in NC & SC for Ganesh, Randal, Laxmi, Sharda Pujan, Satyanarayan Katha, Wedding, Vastu, Baby Shower, Hawan, Grah Shanti. Kishor Trivedi: 336-774-0597 Cell: 336-486-7925 EMail: kishor7@juno.com.

Travel Passion: International & Domestic Air tickets. We process India Visa, OCI, Indian Passport Renewal, Hotel bookings & Tour packages. Call 509-550-9076 or 509-550-9034 or please Email: travelpassion24@gmail.com

Priest Available for Shree Satya narayan katha, Shanti hawan, Vastu shanty, Weddings, Baby shower, Bhumi pujan, Mata ki chowki pujan, Funeral, all types of karmakand. Please call Viral Bhatt 704-438-6334.

CPA/Accounting Services: Licensed CPA serving East Coast businesses. Services include bookkeeping, payroll, tax, accounting, and IRS services. Contact 202-743-2499.

Saree Draping: specializing in draping sarees, dupattas and jewelry for Weddings, Engagements, Baby showers, Birthdays, etc. Contact Rital Patel: info@bridaldraping.com or www.bridaldraping.com.

Priest: Ganesh, Shiv, Lakshmi, Randal, Paduka Pujans; Wedding, Baby shower, Housewarming, Satyanaryan Katha, Mundan & Yagnopavit; Navchandi, Tarpan, Garud Puran, Havans, etc. Online puja also available. Call Rajendra Bhatt 732-841-7832.

Neeta's Beauty Parlor: Open 7 days a week. Full service. Located near the Hindu Center of Charlotte. Call 704-968-0270 for an appointment.

Saathee Classified ads: Sell your business, or property. Find the perfect job, hire the perfect employee. Looking for a life partner? Saathee can help you reach hundreds of potential matches. Get great adversting results with Saathee Magazine, weekly email newsletter and Saathee.com. Call 704-527-7570 or email saathee@saathee.com. We are here to serve you for more than 25 years!

To Submit a Classified visit: saathee.com/submit-a-classified or email: saathee@saathee.com

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Upgrade to RED for an additional $10 or a BOX for $15

Saathee.com ads posted daily We accept all major credit cards. Ads up to 25 words Deadline for print is the 20th. Web ads daily.

Green Banks

continued from page 50

Green banks across the US

The U.S. had about two dozen green banks operating in early 2023 in at least 18 states and the District of Columbia – most of them focused on accelerating the transition from fossil fuel use to clean energy. And more were being developed.

In 2022, those banks used US$1.51 billion of public money to mobilize $3.12 billion in private investment. Since 2011, they have brought in a total of $14.8 billion.

Each bank is slightly different. Connecticut’s was the first state-run green bank in the U.S. It started with a renewable energy focus but expanded to include sustainable infrastructure, climate resilience, water, waste and recycling projects. Michigan created a nonprofit green bank called Michigan Saves that provides financing for energy efficiency. Hawaii’s state-run green bank boosts solar energy use.

At the local level, Maryland’s Montgomery County has been financing rooftop and community solar, energy efficiency and electric vehicle charging infrastructure through a green bank since 2016.

Finance New Orleans is a particularly instructive comparison – the 40-year-old housing finance agency recently transitioned to a climate-oriented business model to finance energy efficiency, stormwater management and green infrastructure projects for homeowners, businesses and local governments.

A green bank for sustainable housing

The new Massachusetts Community Climate Bank is solely dedicated to climate-friendly and resilient affordable housing to meet the goals of the state’s Climate Plan for 2050.

That might include upgrading insulation and windows in older housing complexes to make them less leaky on hot and cold days, transitioning to electric household appliances such as heat pumps or adding solar panels and electric vehicle chargers.

Residential buildings are one of Massachusetts’ largest sources of greenhouse emissions, accounting for 19% of the total. Making housing more sustainable would cut those emissions and also help cut emissions in other sectors. For example, rooftop solar panels can reduce the demand for electricity from natural gas-fired power plants, allowing the state to close the plants or run them less often.

The challenge is that the finance industry tends to view new technology and low-income households as risks.

Green banks are able to use public money to “de-risk” such investments. For example, they can lend at low rates to private or local lenders on the condition that they lend money at affordable rates for customers to electrify their heating. Other financial instruments include loan guarantees, securitization and co-investment.

Massachusetts’ green bank started with an initial $50 million in state funds, but it expects to grow by attracting both private investors and federal funding.

The timing is strategic. The Inflation Reduction Act, passed by Congress in 2022, includes funding for green banks. Among other commitments, it creates a $27 billion Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, $20 billion of which is earmarked to be awarded to nonprofits to invest indirectly in green projects through other local financing entities –including green banks.

Lessons from green banks around the world

The Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University, where we work as researchers, studies green banks around the world.

We have found that by following a few foundational principles, green banks can increase financing for climate priorities while remaining financially viable and without creating housing debt that owners can’t pay back. These organizations should:

• Have a clear, well-defined mission.

• Be profit-making, but not profit-maximizing.

• Address market gaps rather than competing with private investment.

• Be flexible enough to use a variety of financial instruments.

• Have an independent, stable and nonpartisan governance structure to ensure stability.

The Massachusetts green bank has a sector-focused mission that targets a market gap. Its focus on affordable housing could be clarified even more by tying it to the state definition of disadvantaged communities. The New York Green Bank does this by aiming to have $100 million – about 35% of its total – invested in green housing to benefit disadvantaged communities by 2025.

Focusing the Massachusetts bank’s climate mission will involve some tough decisions. For example, Connecticut’s Green Bank supports gas appliances above defined energy efficiency thresholds, but there is an argument for leapfrogging gas entirely to support the electrification of heating and cooking instead.

What else should green banks prioritize?

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is important for curbing future climate change, but communities will also have to adapt to the climate impacts ahead.

The fact that the Massachusetts green bank is dedicated to affordable housing is already one adaptation. People who have homes are far more protected from climate impacts than those who do not. And if those homes are powered by clean energy with lower utility bills, low-income residents can more easily afford to cool their homes in extreme heat waves.

Green banks could also fund climate resilience, such as adding green spaces around buildings for natural cooling. Research shows that affordable housing in the United States is often in highly vulnerable locations, such as those at risk of flooding.

The Connecticut Green Bank, for example, is piloting “Property Assessed Resilience,” which allows homeowners to borrow for flood protection upgrades and benefit immediately from increased property valuations and reduced insurance premiums. They can repay over decades through modest increases in their property tax bills.

Focusing on the scarcity of affordable housing can reduce both emissions and socioeconomic inequity simultaneously. In our view, that is the holy grail of climate policy.

Article courtesy of The Conversation (theconversation.com)

Tarun Gopalakrishnan is a Research Fellow, Climate Policy Lab, Tufts University

Bethany Tietjen is a Research Fellow in Climate Policy, The Fletcher School, Tufts University Seth Owusu-Mante is a Research Fellow in International Development, Tufts University

Advertisers

Index for Charlotte, South Carolina and Atlanta Region

AASOA C-Store Trade Expo...............................38

Aishwarya Majumdar (Live in Charlotte Sept 30)...6

Anand, Versha (Real Estate) ...............................95

Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group (Bob Ziker)...........69

Atul Purohit - Navratri Greensboro....................13

Bala Sure (Broker / Realtor, NC & SC)................29

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Charlotte)16-17

Bashyam Global LLP - Immigration Law Group..94

Beyond Open (Small Business Grants)...................4

Bhindi Jewelers .................................................2

Blooming Buds...............................................107

Blooming Smiles Pediatric Dentistry...................85

Blumenthal Performing Arts (Events)..................10

Bombay Grille (Charlotte)..................................84

Brijal Shah (Keller Williams - Real Estate)...........65

British International School of Charlotte..............9

British Swim School..........................................87

Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner)......99

Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center.......................89

Carolina Law Group .........................................32

Carolina Medical Partners..................................81

Carolina Softech................................................51

Carolinas Pediatrics (Uma Periyanayagam, MD, FAAP).............................................................71

CaroMont Medical Group (Bankim Patel MD)....87

Charlotte Chess Center ......................................85

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat .......................72

Chiro-Carolina .............................................83

Classical Music Assoc. Of Clt (Archana Bhat Patel)19

Color Master Collision Center.............................73

Concha, David (Immigration Attorney)...............69

Concord Children's Clinic .................................69

Copper Restaurant (Charlotte)...........................67

County South Realty & Business Brokers.............91

Countywide Commercial (Pavement Solutions)....27

Desai & Desai LLP (CPA & Financial Services).....41

Desai, Rajarshi (CPA, PLLC).............................45

DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani)...................................39

Dosa n' More (Fort Mill, SC)..............................59

Eesha Realty, LLC........................................54-55

Elite Motors .....................................................11

Ensure Home Loans (Ramesh Nallavolu).............47

Fairview Home Mortgage................................105

Four Points by Sheraton (Myrtle Beach)..............53

Geological Resources, Inc...................................43

Global Mall / Legacy Jewels .............................115

H2 Laser & Skin................................................89

Health Markets (Medicare, Health, Life, Supplemental)101

Hindu Center of Charlotte (Events)................76-79

Hitch Hiker's Guide to College............................75

Hitesh Rathod (Real Estate)...............................75

Home Decorators Of America (Atlanta)...............93

Idolize Brows & Beauty ...................................107

Indian Astrologer (Pandit Pratap Raj).................49

Indian Idol - The Intense Tour (Charlotte).............63

Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme Insurance Serv.105

Insurance Shopping (Sonal Patel, IndependentAgent)107

JVC Realty (Balaji Tatineni Realtor / Broker).......26

KB Zaveree (Atlanta).........................................25

Khanna & Sons Jewelers.......................................7

Kinjal Dave - Navratri Greensboro......................23

Maadhurya Photography...................................91

Maharani Indian Cuisine (Charlotte)...................27

Malak Jewelers..................................................35

Malani Jewelers...............................................116

Malaya Kitchen.................................................65

Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors)................31

Maxim Tours.....................................................39

Meenakshi Creations LLC..................................31

Mehta & McConnell, PLLC (Injury Lawyers).....113

Mint MedSpa & Laser Studio..............................81

Neeta's Beauty Parlor........................................71

New Goloka Temple ISKCON (Janmastami).........21

North American Bancard ..................................15

NSD Tax & Accounting Services..........................49

One 2 Entertainment.........................................47

Patel & Samatova, Law......................................41

Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)..............................49

Patel, Tony (Real Estate).....................................71

Pathak, Atul (Real Estate)..................................51

Persis Indian Grill (Fort Mill, SC).......................59

Pramukh Mandapam.........................................37

Queen City Smiles (Dr. Kanupriya Tewari)...........19

Ram Mortgage & Realty (Mayank Patel).............45

Rug & Home.......................................................3

Saffron Restaurant and Catering.........................83

Shah & Associates, CPA, PLLC...........................43

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC...............................111

Shah, Anish (Real Estate)..............................60-61

Shakti with Zakir Hussain & Shankar Mahadevan .5

Sheraton Chapel Hill (ATMA Hotel Group).........97

Shukla, Kirit (Music Lession & Band)..................47

Sona Realty (Venkat Suryadevara).......................48

Sonu Nigam Live in Atlanta..............................114

SP Orthodontics (Matthews)..............................75

Technone LLC (Securtiy Systems)........................41

The Blue Taj......................................................67

Travel Passion...................................................41

Union Family Eye Associates (Dr. Keshav Bhat)....73

Uniworld Travel.................................................43

VAS Realty LLC (Ashwani Dalal).................39/111

Vasthra Vedika Boutique....................................29

Vema Mortgage LLC (Chirag Rachhadia).......65/73

Vimal Realty (Vimal Patel - Realtor)..................33

VIP Travels........................................................37

VP Insurance Consultant....................................45

Worldwide Travels..............................................51

Index for Raleigh (Triangle), Greensboro (Triad) & Virginia

AASOA C-Store Trade Expo...............................38

Aishwarya Majumdar (Live in Charlotte Sept 30)...6

Allstate (Krish Parlikad)....................................17

Apna Bazar (Morrisville)....................................72

Atul Purohit - Navratri Greensboro....................13

Aura Skin & Laser (Dipan Patel).........................27

Bashyam Global LLP - Immigration Law Group..94

Bharath Bazar and Café (Cary)...........................26

Bhindi Jewelers .................................................2

Blooming Buds...............................................107

Bombay Central (Grocery & Take Out Food)........32

Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner)......99

CareNow Pediatrics (Dr. Shilpa Dave).................29

Carolina Softech................................................51

Cary Internal Medicine & Diabetes Center, PA......81

Cary Medical Clinic...........................................83

Chandni's Beauty Salon .....................................81

Club-Z! (In-Home Tutoring)...............................79

Corner Stone Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.....73

County South Realty & Business Brokers.............91

Crescent Dental (Dr. Kavita Ghai).......................61

Cypress Spinal Intervention, Headache & Pelvic Pain.85

Darji, Iyer, Joshi & Patel (Accounting & Tax Services)61

Desai & Desai LLP (CPA & Financial Services).....41

DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani)...................................39

Eesha Realty, LLC........................................54-55

Elite Motors .....................................................11

Ensure Home Loans (Ramesh Nallavolu).............47

Fairview Home Mortgage................................105

Four Points by Sheraton (Myrtle Beach)..............53

GCAP (Grand Navratri Mahotsav - Greensboro)..19

Geological Resources, Inc...................................43

Global Mall / Legacy Jewels .............................115

Grand India Mart (Groceries).............................84

Greater Triangle Realty (Thomas John)................83

Health Markets (Medicare, Health, Life, Supplemental)101

Hindi Vikas Mandal (Independence Day Celebration).4

Home Decorators Of America (Atlanta).............114

Idolize Brows & Beauty ...................................107

Inchin's Bamboo Garden....................................67

Indian Astrologer (Pandit Pratap Raj).................49

Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme Insurance Serv..105

Insurance Shopping (Sonal Patel - Independent).107

International Community Church.......................85

KB Zaveree (Atlanta).........................................25

KDP CPA.........................................................89

Khanna & Sons Jewelers.......................................7

Kinjal Dave - Navratri Greensboro......................23

Kiran Bazar......................................................17

Liberty Real Estate & Mortgage (Sunny Sebastian)31

Maadhurya Photography...................................91

Malak Jewelers..................................................35

Malani Jewelers...............................................116

Marriott Raleigh Crabtree Valley........................16

Maxim Tours.....................................................39

Mehta & McConnell, PLLC (Injury Lawyers).....113

NC Dermatology Associates................................78

New Goloka Temple ISKCON (Janmastami).........21

North American Bancard ..................................15

NSD Tax & Accounting Services..........................49

Nunna Realty (Shiva Nunna)..............................71

One 2 Entertainment.........................................47

PandyaNad Indian Restaurant (Raleigh).............65

Patel & Samatova, Law......................................41

Patel Brothers (Cary).........................................60

Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)..............................49

Pathak, Atul (Real Estate)..................................51

Pramukh Mandapam.........................................37

PreJuve Medspa & Wellness (Neelu Agarwal MD)..59

Prism Lending (Madan Khatri)..........................59

Proficient Accounting & Tax Services, Inc. ...........73

Rajeev Devgon, CPA .........................................71

Ram Mortgage & Realty (Mayank Patel).............45

RB Realty Group (Ravi Bheemarao)....................77

Real Triangle Properties (Joe Mathews)................63

Rug & Home.......................................................3

Rupa's Spa & Threading.....................................67

Sapna Hemnani (Real Estate)..............................29

Satyam Primary Care (Amit Sharma, MD)..........89

Shah & Associates, CPA, PLLC...........................43

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC...............................111

Shakti with Zakir Hussain & Shankar Mahadevan..5

Sheraton Chapel Hill (ATMA Hotel Group).........97

Singh, Manjeet (Real Estate)...............................27

Sizzlin Stirfry Asian Bistro (Raleigh)...................65

Spectrum Family Medicine (Sujatha Sajeevan, MD)75

Spices Hut ........................................................76

SRMD Rakeshji Event)........................................9

Stylish Me.........................................................19

Taaza Fresh Indian Bistro...................................75

Technone LLC (Securtiy Systems)........................41

The Montessori School of Raleigh......................63

Travel Passion...................................................41

Triangle Gujarati Association (Raas Garba Dhamal)10

Tutoring (Nirmala Koripella - A+ Tutoring)........69

Uniworld Travel.................................................43

VAS Realty LLC (Ashwani Dalal).................39/111

Vema Mortgage LLC (Vipul Hapani).............75/85

Vimal Realty (Vimal Patel - Realtor)..................33

VIP Travels........................................................37

VP Insurance Consultant....................................45

Wake Spine & Pain............................................87

West Cary Medicine (Dr. Kareem M.D.)...............59

Worldwide Travels..............................................51