Saathee Charlotte June 2022 by Shukla Entertainment

Bridging Bridging America America and and the the Indian Indian Subcontinent Subcontinent

Saathee.com

June 2022

IN THIS ISSUE Upcoming Summer Movies: pg 26 The Two Americas: pg 42 Recipe: Roasted Corn Bhel: pg 72

Hello Readers! Happy Summer! What is Orientalism and is it still a problem? Read the thought provoking essay on page 22. We want to conserve our flora and fauna. But the everpresent fungi must also be conserved, argue several scientists in an article beginning on page 34. In the essay “A Vitamin Called Fiction,” read how books and reading, especially fiction, can be therapeutic. See page 38. Do you know what is required when a family member asks you to become the executor of their estate? Read the column on page 56. Learn how to make the easy and delicious “Roasted Corn Bhel” in our recipe of the month on page 72. Thank you for continuing to read Saathee and please share it with family and friends. Drop us a line with any comments or suggestions. We welcome conversations.

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

“Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent.”

June 2022 Issue # 289 - Saathee.com Editor 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 Nathan C. Andrews

Contributors for this issue: Kirit Shukla, Taige Shukla, Shyama Parui, Ahsen Jillani, Violet Wei, Preethi Sriram, Sangeeta Godbole, Mo Vidwans, & Jalendu Vaidya.

Cover: Goa A colorful scene on Calangute street in Goa. Two men and their elephant out for a stroll and likely making some deliveries.

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.

- FOUNDED 1998 -

Saathee Magazine

Photo: Shutterstock / Aleksandar Todorovic

P.O. Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220

704.527.7570 "Truth is stronger than Fiction, but it is because Fiction is oblidged to possibilities; Truth isn't." - Mark Twain

Fax: 704.527.7590

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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 (USPS 021-116) (ISSN: 1543-8147) is published monthly by:

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In This Issue

Page 34 Why it’s time to include fungi in global conservation goals.

Page 20 Events Coming Up

Page 56 College Admissions 3 Ways to Get Ready This Summer

Page 72 Recipe: Roasted Corn Bhel

Content The Editor’s Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 14

Hamilton Vs Sankrityayan . . . . . . .pg. 46

Pop’s Puzzles and Jokes . . . . . . . . .pg. 86

Upcoming Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 18

Dance Fusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 48

Festivals and Holidays . . . . . . . . . .pg. 88

Mirror Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 22

Spot the Differences . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 50

Puzzle Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 88

Upcoming Movie Releases . . . . . . .pg. 26

Personal Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 54

AstroScope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 90

Film Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 28

College Admissions Insider . . . . . .pg. 56

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 92

Conserving Fungi . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 34

News Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 64

Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 96

Namaskar Y’all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 38

Recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 72

Subcontinental Divide . . . . . . . . . .pg. 42

Youth Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 84

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A morning Nothing more The Editor’s Desk by Samir Shukla On this morning in early May, the daylight slapped me through the blinds. I rose from the bed while a mini orchestra of cracking and snapping bones emanating from my body soundtracked the scene. I parted the blinds and squinted at the fiery day. The sun was already on its way around the block, waiting for my sloth-mimicking self to come join it. Come on dude, get moving. I stumbled into the bathroom for the morning ritual, thinking of the soon to be consumed hot cup of chai that is so essential to fully awaken the senses. While walking out, I smacked my elbow on the bathroom door rim and cursed my clumsiness while caressing the buzzing bone on each step down the stairs into the kitchen. The brain is still in a bit of fog as I pour the hot chai already made by my wife into a mug. I let the pollen-stiﬀened breeze into the kitchen by opening the backdoor to the deck. Man, it’s a bright day, but yes, the chai. This godly blend of black Assam tea, milk, shredded ginger or maybe chai spices, depending on your preference, a sprig of mint, pinch of sugar…boiled and readied just at the right mix. Some folks concocted this blend back in the distant past that has become known as classic Indian chai. Sure, that infernal coﬀee maybe trying to elbow its way into cups and mugs around the world, but chai will always remain its daddy. It’s a simple fact. Fight me for it. continued on page 60

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June 2022

Upcoming Events Kavi Sammelan: Morrisville, NC (June 5, 2022) The International Hindi Association and Hindi Vikas Mandal present Kavi Sammelan on Sunday, June 5, 2022 starting at 5pm. The evening will feature humor, laughter and recitals from Deepak Gupta, Ankita Singh, and Tej Narayan Sharma. The event will take place at Hindu Bhavan Cultural Hall, 309 Aviation Pkwy in Morrisville, NC. Tickets range from $30 $100 for reserved seats and $10 - $15 for general admission. For more details, contact 919-656-5224 or 919-363-2759.

K. Sridhar in Concert: Carrboro, NC (June 11, 2022) Sarod maestro K. Sridhar will give a concert of North Indian Classical Music at The ArtsCenter in Carrboro, NC on Saturday, June 11, 2022 beginning at 7pm. Fans of raga based music will hear a master of both the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions on one of the world’s most complex instruments. Sridhar will be accompanied on Tabla by Sandeep Hattangady. Details about artist at Sridhar.org. Tickets: Artscenterlive.org.

Kavi Sammelan: Charlotte, NC (June 7, 2022) Rekha Bhatia along with the Madhya Pradesh Association of Charlotte present Hasya Kavi Sammelan on Tuesday, June 7, 2022 with a social hour at 6pm and program at 7pm. The evening will feature humor, laughter and heart-warming recitals by Deepak Gupta, Ankita Singh, and Tej Narayan Sharma. It will be held at the Hindu Center of Charlotte’s Vihaar Hall. Tickets are $25 for Reserved Seats Dances of India: Virtual (June 11, 2022) and $12 for General Admission. Details: Dr. Maha Gingrich presents the 19th anniversary of Dances of India contact 704-975-4898 or 980-231-1113. performances on Saturday, June 11, 2022. The Show will be livestreamed on Vimeo at noon. The virtual celebration will feature performances by High Country Jazz Festival: Boone, NC Dr. Gingrich and her students. Details: Mahasdancesofindia.com. (June 8-12, 2022) The event will kick oﬀ with a classic film Nuv Yug India Fest: Raleigh, NC (June 11–12, 2022) at the Appalachian Theatre of the High The Nuv Yug cultural association presents their Country and continues annual India Fest on June 11-12, 2022 at the State all weekend with Jazz Fairgrounds in Raleigh, NC. All programs are lunches, brunches, and indoors. There will be free admission and free dinners at restaurants parking available. The fest will present dances, and breweries, with fashion, music, crafts, cuisine and exhibition workshops, and outdoor showcasing the diversity of Indian cultures. For more performances. Concerts details, visit NuvYug.org. will feature New York Voices, Delfayo Marsalis Kapil Sharma Live: Atlanta, GA (June 12, 2022) and the Uptown Jazz Indian TV talk show host Kapil Sharma and his Orchestra, and the team will perform live on Sunday, June 12, 2022 Stephen Gordon Trio. at 8pm at Gas South Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf For more details, visit Pkwy, Duluth, GA. For more details call 770the website and search 318-3496 or 737-240-1891. The show is presented for jazz, Apptheatre.org. by Billions. Saathee.com

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Events Neha Kakkar in Concert: Raleigh, NC (June 17, 2022) Bollywood singer and TV personality Neha Kakkar will perform a concert with live band on Friday, June 17, 2022 at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, NC. Singers performing with Kakkar include Nihal and Nachiket. For more details, call 310-890-5599 or 336491-3205. Tickets at Ticketmaster.com. North Carolina Blueberry Festival: Burgaw, NC (June 17-18, 2022) The two-day festival will include a 5k run and 1 mile walk, car and truck show, non-competitive bicycling, model train show, blueberry recipe contest, bake sale; whole hog BBQ cook-oﬀ, craft beer area, food vendors and more. Learn more at Ncblueberryfestival.com. Bharata Natyam Performance by Shweta Prachande: Raleigh, NC (June 18, 2022)

Rewind with Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik & Kumar Sanu: Atlanta, GA (June 26, 2022) Legendary Indian singers Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik & Kumar Sanu will perform their numerous hits live accompanied by a symphony orchestra on Sunday, June 26, 2022 at 8pm at the Gas South Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway in Duluth, GA. For more details, call 847-749-9088 or visit Showfest.com. Rewind with Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik & Kumar Sanu: Fairfax, VA (July 3, 2022) Legendary Indian singers Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik & Kumar Sanu will perform their numerous hits live accompanied by a symphony orchestra on Sunday, July 3, 2022 at the Eagle Bank Arena, 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax, VA. For more details, call 202-596-2784 or visit Intensedmv.com.

The Classical dance of Bharata Natyam, with its vast vocabulary of movements and time-tested format gives immense scope for the dancer to delineate expressions into abstract rhythmic sequences as well as evocative narratives. One of the leading practitioners of this beautiful dynamic evolving dance, Shweta Prachande, compares its rich grammar to classical literature. Her performance on Saturday, June 18, 2022 at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh will showcase her firm grasp of this dance form. Tickets available now at Leela-foundation.org/performancetickets. Atif Aslam in Concert: Atlanta, GA (June 19, 2022) Singer and actor Atif Aslam, who has many hit songs in Indian and Pakistani films, will perform live in concert on Sunday, June 19, 2022 beginning at 7pm at the Gas South Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Pkwy in Duluth, GA. He also records non-film pop songs. For details, call 404-313-9191 or visit Gassouth.arenaduluth.org Saathee.com

Sarvottam Stotra Raspaan Mahotsav: Morrisville, NC (June 29 – 30, 2022) Bhaktidham Raleigh and Vaishnav Sangh of USA presents Sarvottam Stotra Raspaan Mahotsav on June 29 – 30, 2022 at Hindu Society of NC, 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC in the divine presence and spiritual guidance of H.H. Shri Dwarkeshlalji Mhoday Shri. For more details, call 919-610-4194 for find Pushtimargiya Vaishnv Sangh Raleigh on Facebook. Visit, Pvsr.org.

For more events, visit our regularly updated events page at Saathee.com/events 20

June 2022

What is Orientalism? Is it Still a Problem?

Mirror, Mirror by Jennifer Allen I should probably first preface this essay as a person who is not in any way of South Asian or East Asian descent. I can only oﬀer a point of view about this topic as seen through the eyes of someone who has studied various cultures to better understand them. Yet, I cannot say that I have experienced these particular faux pas to their fullest capacity, so this will be my perspective of the topic as a (mostly) Anglo-ancestral woman. Moving on… While the general idea of Orientalism has been around for centuries, the actual term was coined by Edward Said in his 1978 book of the same name. It’s often misinterpreted as a work that is about Asian culture (more specifically Arab-Islamic culture), but instead aims to further explain the harm that such a concept can have on the very peoples being described. Since the book’s publication, the very thought of being labeled an Orientalist could be seen as damaging as any racist, sexist, homophobic, or transphobic. To further explain… Said’s book is work of intellectual history based on research into an enormous range of literary and scholarly texts. In the author’s own words, Orientalism is “a style of thought based upon an ontological and epistemological distinction between ‘the Orient‘ and (most of the time) ‘the Occident.’” In laymen’s terms, it is the perception of Asian cultures as seen through the rose-colored glasses of outsiders… particularly Europeans of the time. These interpretations were not always negative. In fact, classical Orientalism drew upon much of the beauty observed in South and East Asian art. The problem stems from the fact that became part of a longwinded system of “power-knowledge;” labeling a diﬀerent culture in such a way as to better secure the stability and supremacy of Western culture. A discourse of the powerful about the powerless that is at the same time an expression of narcissism, according to Said. continued on page 94

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Upcoming Movie Releases Saathee.com/Movies has the latest information on where the movies are showing or streaming.

June 10 Janhit Mein Jaari (Director: Jai Basantu Singh) Cast: Nushrratt Bharuccha, Anud Singh, Vijay Raaz, and Paritosh Tripathi Jurassic World Dominion (Director: Colin Trevorrow) Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeﬀ Goldblum Mission Majnu (Director: Shantani Bagchi) Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Rashmika Mandanna, and Parmeet Sethi

Khuda Haafiz: Chapter II – Agni Pariksha (Director: Faruk Kabir) Cast: Vidyut Jammwal and Shivaleeka Oberoi

Hustle (Director: Jeremiah Zagar) Cast: Adam Sandler, Queen Latifah, and Robert Duvall

Nikamma (Director: Sabbir Khan) Cast: Abhimanyu Dassani, Shirley Setia, and Shilpa Shetty

June 24

Govinda Naam Mera (Director: Shashank Khaitan) Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani, and Bhumi Pednekar

Elvis (Director: Baz Luhrmann) Cast: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, and David Wenham

Ante Sundaraniki (Director: Vivek Athreya) Cast: Nani, Nazriya Nazim, Harsha Vardhan, and Prudhvi Raj

The Black Phone (Director: Scott Derrickson) Cast: Ethan Hawke, Mason Thames, Jeremy Davies, and James Ransone

June 17

Jug Jugg Jeeyo (Director: Raj Mehta) Cast: Anil Kapoor, Neetu Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, and Manish Paul

Rama Rao on Duty (Director: Sarath Mandava) Cast: Ravi Teja, Divyansha Kaushik, Madhusudhan Rao, and Chaitanya Krishna

July 1 Rocketry: The Nambi Eﬀect (Director: R Madhavan) Cast: R Madhavan and Simran

Lightyear (Director: Angus MacLane) Cast: Chris Evans, Keke Palmer, and James Brolin

Pakka Commercial (Director: Maruthi) Cast: Gopichand, Raashi Khanna, Anasuya Bharadwaj, Rao Ramesh, and Saptagiri

No Means No (Director: Vikash Verma) Cast: Dhruv Verma, Gulshan Grover, and Natalia Bak

Om the Battle Within (Director: Kapil Verma) Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur and Sanjana Sanghi

Doctor G (Director: Anubhuti Kashyap) Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana and Rakul Preet Singh Spiderhead (Director: Joseph Kosinski) Cast: Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller

All dates subject to change. Visit saathee.com/movies for the latest infomation. Saathee.com

June 2022

Film Clips Govinda Naam Mera

The new comedy film is a love triangle tale in the realm of the old classic Pati, Patni, Aur Woh comedies. The film is directed by Shashank Khaitan and stars Vicky Kaushal, Kiara Advani, Jug Jugg Jeeyo and Bhumi Pednekar. Look for the movie to hit The film tells the tale of two couples from diﬀerent generations, the cinemas on June 10. revolving around the issues of post marriage. The drama merges the generation gap, and puts out a unique story of about love, with, of course, ample humor. Bollywood veterans Anil Kapoor Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga and Neetu Kapoor star along with Varun Dhawan, Kiara Advani, and Manish Paul. Raj Mehta directed film releases on June 24.

Sherdil: The Pilibhit Saga is inspired by true events. Writer and director Srijit Mukherji presents an insightful story about the adverse eﬀects of urbanization, man-animal conflict, and poverty leading to a bizarre practice in a village that resides on the edge of a forest. Mukherji told an interviewer, “I got inspired by the real incident of tragic practices in villages bordering the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve and I knew I had to capture it.” The film stars Pankaj Tripathi, Neeraj Kabi, and Sayani Gupta and releases on June 24.

Mission Majnu Director Shantani Baghchi’s new film Mission Majnu will tell the untold story of India’s most audacious and daring covert operation in the heart of Pakistan. The movie stars Sidharth Malhotra, Rashmika Mandanna, and Parmeet Sethi and is slated to open on June 10. The spy thriller marks Mandanna’s Hindi film debut. Saathee.com

Rocketry: The Nambi Effect

Sharmila Tagore Back on the Silver Screen

Based by the life of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) scientist Nambi Narayanan who was falsely accused of being a spy and arrested in 1994. Though free, he is still fighting for justice, with those police oﬃcials alleged to have falsely implicated him, still free. R Madhavan directs and acts in the film that also stars Simran. It will hit theaters on July 1.

Sharmila Tagore returns in the film Gulmohar after an absence of 11 years. She portrays the matriarch of the Batra family in this family drama with Manoj Bajpayee, Simran Bagga, Amol Palekar and Suraj Sharma. Directed by Rahul Chittella, the film will be released in August. Gulmohar revolves around the Batra family, who are all set to move out of their 34-year-old family home. This process of moving out triggers a rediscovery of the bonds that have held them together as a family, while grappling with personal secrets.

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Beyond Flora and Fauna Why it’s time to include fungi in global conservation goals By Matt Kasson, Brian Lovett, and Patricia Kaishian It’s no secret that Earth’s biodiversity is at risk. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, 26 percent of all mammals, 14 percent of birds and 41 percent of amphibians are currently threatened worldwide, mainly due to human impacts such as climate change and development. Other forms of life are also under pressure, but they are harder to count and assess. Some scientists have warned of mass insect die-oﬀs, although others say the case hasn’t been proved. And then there are fungi – microbes that often go unnoticed, with an estimated 2 million to 4 million species. Fewer than 150,000 fungi have received formal scientific descriptions and classifications. If you enjoy bread, wine or soy sauce, or have taken penicillin or immunosuppressant drugs, thank fungi, which make all of these products possible. Except for baker’s yeast and button mushrooms, most fungi remain overlooked and thrive hidden in the dark and damp. But scientists agree that they are valuable organisms worth protecting. As mycologists whose biodiversity work includes studying fungi that interact with millipedes, plants, mosquitoes and true bugs, we have devoted our careers to understanding the critical roles fungi play. These relationships can be beneficial, harmful or neutral for the fungus’s partner organism. But it’s not an overstatement to say that without fungi breaking down dead matter and recycling its nutrients, life on Earth would be unrecognizable.

typically form spores, a stage for spreading and dormancy. Rather than taking food into their bodies to eat, fungi release enzymes onto their food to break it down and then absorb sugars that are released. The fungal kingdom is very diverse, so many fungi break the mold. Fungi play essential ecological roles worldwide. Some have been forming critical partnerships with plant roots for hundreds of millions of years. Others break down dead plants and animals and return key nutrients to the soil so other life forms can use them. Fungi are among the few organisms that can degrade lignin, a main component of wood that gives plants their rigidity. Without fungi, our forests would be littered with huge piles of woody debris. Still other fungi form unique mutualistic partnerships with insects. Flavodon ambrosius, a white rot decay fungus, not only serves as the primary source of nutrition for certain fungusfarming ambrosia beetles, but it also quickly outcompetes other wood-colonizing fungi, which allows these beetles to build large, multigenerational communities. Similarly, leafcutter ants raise Leucoagaricus gongylophorus as food by gathering dead plant matter in their nests to feed their fungus partner.

Healthy ecosystems need fungi The amazing biological fungal kingdom includes everything from bracket fungi, molds and yeasts to mushrooms and more. Fungi are not plants, although they’re usually stocked near fresh produce in grocery stores. In fact, they’re more closely related to animals. But fungi have some unique features that set them apart. They grow by budding or as long, often branching, threadlike tubes. To reproduce, fungi

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A Vitamin Called Fiction Consuming Literary Fiction Can be Healing

Namaskar, Y’all by Shyama Parui “Without a thought in her head except Luca, she jumps”. This single line from American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins describes the protagonist’s courage and monumental determination to protect her son Luca’s life. Turning the page frantically, I wanted to know what happens when she jumps on to a moving train in hopes of crossing the Mexican border to reach the United States. Enthralled, I kept reading, oblivious to the clock’s monotonous tick tocks while sinking into the Lydia’s character. I felt my pulse rise each time she came close to being discovered and I heaved a sigh of relief when she narrowly escaped death. Although the character was a product of the writer’s imagination, the novel paints a realistic picture of mothers who surmount the toughest of challenges to save their children. It can also be an eye opener for readers who are either ignorant or indiﬀerent to the perils of migrants. At the very least, such well-crafted tales build empathy in a way lectures and self-help videos don’t. I recently learned about Bibliotherapy, and it confirmed what I believed for a long time, that is, consuming literary fiction can be healing. Like a dose of daily vitamins, immersing yourself in the fictitious lives of characters contributes to your health. While one can intuitively gather that spending time for leisure and enjoying a book is relaxing, there are greater benefits than meet the eye. At a more formal level, psychologists are applying Bibliotherapy in their work. According to Psychology Today, “Bibliotherapy can be applied to patients suﬀering from anxiety, depression, or other mood disorders; those struggling with trauma or addiction; or those going through grief, a divorce, or other relationshiprelated challenges.” In a nutshell, this involves the therapist assigning books to the patients who read it continued on page 78

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The two Americas This is either your America or it is a foreign land Subcontinental Divide by Ahsen Jillani I don’t know many “desi” folks here. Actually, Saathee’s editor and his family may be the only desi folks I’ve been in touch with since my graduate school days 35 years ago. I am just alive in middle America. Mine is a quiet neighborhood where the doors are never locked. Neighbors just walk in and share food, bring vegetables from their summer gardens until way into deep autumn, and then the exchange of holiday treats starts. A tree falls in the yard and everyone shows up to help. It’s a friendly world in a place that overseas folks think is a racist South. I have encountered prejudice here occasionally over the past 43 years, but I don’t live my life with hatred in my heart. People have treated me with love and compassion for the most part. So, when my nephew (some folks here say second cousin because he is my cousin’s son) Mustafa (Musti for short), arrived from the West coast after landing here from Pakistan to look at graduate school programs, I was at a loss for how to show him America. He had gotten his undergrad in Southeast Asia and was now exploring options for a literature program that could accommodate his unique angle on the post-colonial world that is Asia. But something I have discussed with cousins on the West coast over the years came alive again when Musti

was sitting here with my cat napping on his lap in suburbia. These cousins have PhDs in engineering or work for Fortune 50 companies as senior managers. But they have mentioned over the years that they chose neighborhoods and locales according to the ethnic mix there. Someone like me who hardly hung out with desi people, or never dated desi women was puzzled by that. A third party like Musti coming through unexpectedly got me to thinking in more of an existential manner on the phenomenon. Immigrants have poured into this melting pot for centuries now, and perhaps the first generation cowered under the intimidating aspects of being newbies in a culture dominated by English-centric norms and religion. But despite the Irish, the Italian, the Chinese enclaves in larger cities, the second generations somehow walked away to fit into America – or at least fight to fit into a resistant America. Today, we have India Festivals; the Greeks bring us into their culture with events but continue to maintain a sense of ethnic pride. Lots of us are bilingual. We now have Bollywood dancing at white weddings here and in Europe. Everyone loves Indian and Greek food. We can’t breathe without pizza, and the whole country parties at St. Patrick’s Day. Welcome to America. It was the peak of election season and I was working continued on page 80

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Hamilton

paragraph, or even a book. Yet I found compelling similarities and diﬀerences between them.

My Voice

Humble beginnings Both Hamilton and Sankrityayan (then Kedarnath Pande) came from poor families. Both left their native places at a young age. While Hamilton went to New York, Kedarnath went to Calcutta first, then to many places seeking knowledge. Fight against the British Empire Born over a hundred years and a world apart, both Hamilton and Sankrityayan were drawn to the freedom struggle of their respective countries. While Hamilton fought battles in the United States revolutionary war, Sankrityayan threw himself in Gandhi’s non-violent freedom movement, Swaraj Andolan. He also organized farmers who were oppressed by their landlords. He was jailed multiple times for his agitation, where he spent his time reading and writing. Early writings Both young enthusiasts started their writing while still studying. While a student, Hamilton’s opinion pieces supporting the Continental Congress were published under a nom de plume, and he also addressed crowds on the subject. Sankrityayan wrote and gave speeches on various topics including atrocities of British Raj, land reforms and so forth. Work on Constitution Both were lucky to witness the liberation of their country. Hamilton helped ratify the United States Constitution by writing 51 of the 85 installments of The Federalist Papers. Sankrityayan spearheaded eﬀorts to translate all articles of Indian constitution in Hindi and other Indian languages.

by Sangeeta Godbole

Last summer I was reading an article on Himalayan expeditions which mentioned Rahul Sankrityayan as the father of Indian travelogs. I was surprised and somewhat ashamed that I knew nothing about him. A brief online search on him further jogged my curiosity as it revealed the transformative journey of his life. When I ordered all four parts of his autobiography in Hindi, Meri Jeevan-Yatra, I didn’t know I was giving myself a rare treat. Over the next few months, I thoroughly enjoyed his narrations written in simple, yet elegant Hindi. Sankrityayan was an explorer, a scholar, a writer, an activist, and a polyglot. His writings earned him the Mahapundit title. While Sankrityayan was always a writer, much of his writing came about in the last decade or so of his life. Towards the end, his health kept him from traveling so he could focus on writing. “Why do you write like you are running out of time?” I remembered this line from Hamilton, the famous Broadway musical, while reading the last volume of Meri Jeevan-Yatra. While I am aware of many prolific writers, Sankrityayan surpassed all of them. As I finished the voluminous four parts of Rahulji’s autobiography, I realized that being a prolific writer wasn’t the only similarity between him and Hamilton. You would not hear Alexander Hamilton and Sankrityayan mentioned in the same sentence, or a Saathee.com

Sankrityayan

continued on page 60 46

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Dance Fusions

Photo Courtesy of Leela Dance Collective Travelling to the other side of the world for dance is American Tap Dance. I am not as familiar with this dance style. I have watched Shirley Temple in some movies, and she as a child star in the 1930s, charmed the audience with her tap dancing. When looking up the history of Tap dance, the search revealed that Tap dance takes inspiration from African forms of arts as well as an Irish dance form known as clogging. From a first glance and introductions, Indian Classical Dance and Tap are literally world’s away from each other: Kathak, a classical Indian dance form, and Tap, an American Dance Style, would seem as if there was no connection to each other. Yet, when these worlds of dance collide and fuse, what may be the outcome? One of the shows that I had seen that was performed in the NC Triangle was the show Speak, presented by the Leela Dance Collective. I was intrigued by the description for the show as it was noted to be a fusion between the classical Indian dance form of Kathak and of American Tap dance style. I was excited to see the experimentation of the combination of both styles. The show was in the Stewart Theatre Center at the Talley Student Union Center at NC State. The set-up of the stage was an exciting feeling to be able to witness. On the left-hand side of the stage, the classical Indian singers were positioned and sitting down on a raised platform. On the right side of the stage, there was a “Western” set up, with a jazz band.

My Voice by Preethi Sriram Indian Classical Dance styles and American Tap Dance are literally world’s away from each other. Indian Classical Dance is known as a very structured form of dance. There are currently eight recognized classical dance styles from the diﬀerent parts of India which include Bharthanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Mohiniattam, Kathak, Odissi, Sattriya, and Manipuri. As an adult student of Bharthanatyam, I have grown up with the very rigid and traditional dance style. The technique and how it is taught can be considered strict in that there are certain concepts that must be followed. The teacher, or the guru, plays a very important role in the student’s experience of learning of the art form. The costumes are unique to the specific dance style and each of the dances that are performed in a traditional format consisting of learning the compositions in a methodical fashion. When trying to expose myself to other Indian classical dance styles of Kathak and Odissi, there was a similar concept of structure that makes the dance styles very distinct. Many of these forms also have concepts noted within the Natyashastras or the performing arts treatise. The styles include intricate hand and feet work, as well as storytelling. The dancers may wear bells on their ankles, which gives the sound of the beat. As music is integral to the dance form, the music consists of vocalists and instrumentalists who are also trained in the classical art form of music. Saathee.com

continued on page 74 48

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How to Be a Good Executor

Being an executor is not an easy job as the paperwork alone can exceed your worst expectations. The human side can be difficult too. The Executor may have to pacify impatient heirs and/or mediate domestic squabbles. Taking on the job is a true sign of devotion; and although one may get paid for it, it is primarily a labor of love. Here are some steps you can take to help yourself do your job as efficiently as possible and reduce your own heartaches. Read the Will before the grantor deceases, for as many times as you have to, and understand completely what the writer’s wishes are. You are not to question the intention but you need to understand the execution part of it and imagine the difficulties in doing that. One thing is for sure: once that person is gone you have no guidance or no one to clarify with, just the lines written on the paper that is in front of you. As difficult as it might be emotionally (and it is difficult) a sit-down meeting with the Will’s owner is necessary. Understand from the point of view of the writer: they are opening up their heart and soul to you, like they have never done it before, and not only you need to know completely what they mean but you also need to keep that a secret. It can get uncomfortable, undoubtedly, but it must be done. There might be surprises for you in understanding the writer’s wishes. Sometimes it is a good idea to suggest a meeting with all those affected so they know ahead of time or at least get the Will owner to explain in person. If not possible then it can also be done in a last letter of informal explanation, to be read after the demise. Do the necessities: after the death, nothing can happen unless the Will is located and filed with the probate court along with the death certificate and a letter of testamentary is obtained from the probate court which assigns you officially as the executor. This is when your work starts of closing everything down and later when the time comes distributing the estate as per the wishes expressed in the Will. At this stage of the game bringing the estate under your control is important so that you have a good perspective as to what is involved and what to do next. If a house needs to be closed and safe guarded, accounts closed, personal belongings checked and then disposed and other matters like SSA, Medicare or other health carriers, brokerage statements, Pensions, Credit cards, well, you get the picture. Much detailed work is to be done. On many occasions, relatives can come out of the woodwork claiming verbal promises and other expectations but you can only follow what is in the

Personal Finances by Mo Vidwans

Many of us, especially the young, have been asked to be an executor to their friends’ or parents’ or some family members’ estate and of course we say yes out of respect, duty or sense of responsibility. It is always a good idea to have someone much younger than us for such function because, if nothing else, they are more likely to be around just by being younger. But have we thought about what exactly entails when we accept that responsibility? It is one thing to say yes to such an assignment out of obligation or respect but it is another to be able to carry it out diligently when the time comes. There is much involved and it is time and energy consuming to say the least, if we can forget for now the frustrations involved. One thing everyone should know, especially the person who is writing you in their Will or Trust is that you do have a choice of rejecting the request when the time comes. First, let us understand what the responsibilities of an executor are. If you have agreed to take on that function, then you likely have some idea/outline of the tasks you face. In its simplest form it is closing accounts, inventorying assets and distributing bequests and in general following whatever is mentioned in the Will or Trust. This is easier said than done. Let us take an example of closing accounts. The Executor has to go find them, get death certificate and copies for it, go to the institutions and explain the situation and close the accounts and dispose the money. If the beneficiaries are already established on these accounts, then it gets easier. If the account has to be probated then it gets 10 times more diﬃcult and so on. When one spouse dies and leaves everything to the other it is much easier but the paperwork is still daunting. When the other spouse dies and the estate has to be distributed to the children and others then it gets complicated. Saathee.com

continued on page 78 54

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College Admissions 3 Ways to Get Ready This Summer College Admissions Insider by Violet Wei Summer is the perfect time for high school students to explore, learn, grow and discover who they are away from the confines and pressure of their academics. In addition, as college admissions become more competitive, making a summer plan and starting early can help students build a solid college application and admissions. Here are three ways students should use the summer to get a jump start on their applications. 1. Build A College List When building a college list, you’ll want to consider several factors, including the location, tuition, major, size, and type of school are essential. Most importantly, you will want to create a balanced college list, which should include schools in three diﬀerent categories: reach, target, and likely school. Having a balanced college list is critical to your success in your college admissions. ● A reach school is one where your academic credentials fall below the school’s range. Any school with an acceptance rate of less than 20 percent is considered a reach due to its unpredictability. ● A target school is one where your academic credentials fall well within (or even exceed) the school’s range. The acceptance rate should be at least 20-40 percent. ● A likely school is one where your academic credentials fall comfortably above the school’s range. The acceptance rate should also be at least 40-45 percent. 2. Ask for Letters of Recommendation The best time to ask for a recommendation letter from your teachers is before the summer starts. This gives them plenty of time to work on your letter over the summer. After they agree to write the letter, create a “brag sheet” for them, including bullet points detailing your college or career goals, examples of stories where you showed leadership or made an impact in your community, and anything else that you think they might want to use in the letter is helpful. Sending your brag sheet with your resume will help them write a more personalized letter of recommendation. Remember, only ask people who know you well to ensure that they will write you a strong recommendation or add something unique to your application. 3. Start Writing Your College Essays The personal statement essay is essential to help students stand out from others and showcase their

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personality. During the summer, students should start to work on their personal statements because developing a compelling essay can take several drafts. By starting it in the summer, students can start to prepare for the individual school’s supplemental essays later. In addition, students might discover that finding a professional guide to aid them through the process can be helpful. Attending an application boot camp like Application iQ can keep a student on track and motivated throughout the summer. By attending an application boot camp, students can make real strides towards their college applications and will finish the camp with professionally edited personal statements, essays, and activity lists. Regardless of whether you are applying to competitive schools or not, the summer is the best time for students to get ready for college applications. Violet Wei is a College Counselor and Outreach Coordinator. Website: MoonPrep.com Contact: Violet@moonprep.com

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Editor’s Desk

Hamilton vs Sankrityayan

continued from page 14

continued from page 46

Power and proximity to power Hamilton is known as one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. During Swaraj Andolan, Sankrityayan had worked shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first president of independent India. Out of mutual respect, the president and Sankrityayan corresponded regularly. Sankrityayan used his proximity to power to help rural communities get access to education and healthcare. Women While Hamilton was caught in a scandal because of his aﬀair with a woman named Maria Reynolds, Sankrityayan was a polygamist. Young Kedarnath was married as a child as per the Hindu tradition. He never accepted that marriage but fathered a child with a woman in Russia while he was there on a teaching assignment. Later he married a much younger assistant of his, Kamala, and had two children.

I do drink coffee on occasion, but here’s the thing. Coffee is like quickie sex, a jolt, and maybe it gets you going, but leaves the senses desiring more. Chai, on the other hand, is like making love - slow, meditative, deliberate. It calms the many morning voices in your mind sparring for your attention, helping filter out the noise, leaving clarity. I stand on the wooden deck overlooking the yard while cars on the road on the other side of the short wall marking the end of our backyard zip by. They all carry various denizens going about their business. The busy bees and the school kids, the worker ants and the social callers, the supply and demand runners, all of them activated on this sun-tingly Tuesday. I’m thinking of the day’s must do things while holding the mug of chai in my hand, and, um hold on, gulp, ah, well, they’ll fall in line. A pollen-poked pair of quick sneezes escape me. I wiggle my nose looking at a grove of greening trees in the corner of the yard, where a tall, barren tree pokes out above the canopy. It is clearly dead, but still standing tall. The birds still use it as a perch. There’s an amorous pair up there right now. The way they are lingering, they must already have had their cups of chai. Yup. The sickly dog of an unseen neighbor behind the grove of trees lets out a few requisite barks as a runner passes by. A pair of squirrels chase each other on top of the compound wall and pounce into one of the thick pines and disappear. The rabbits living in the underbrush of the grove of trees hop out into the yard for their breakfast. Something spooks them and they hop back into the thicket. I don’t call my backyard a lawn. It’s a quilt. A quilt of various green grasses, dry spots and jovial weeds nestled against each other to form this diverse landscape. The brief silence of the empty road is suddenly blasted by the siren of a fire truck screaming past. My calm disturbed, I take a big gulp. A school bus filled with children zips by. I’m immediately transported to my youth, just for few seconds, but I recall and fast forward years of memories during those seconds. I look at and swirl the last couple of drops in the bottom, lift the mug and let those drops slide down its length onto the tip of my tongue. The lovebirds in the dead tree flitter away. The breeze shifts direction. A measly cloud gives up its valiant effort to give shade. The world passes by in varieties of cars. I am just standing here. This morning. Nothing more.

As were the similarities, there were stark contrasts. Capitalism vs Communism Hamilton was a father of American capitalism. President Washington appointed Hamilton as the first treasury secretary. Later he served as inspector general of the United States army. Sankrityayan was a communist in the later part of his life. In his early life he was a Hindu Vaishnav monk and was named Ramudar. Later he became an Arya Samaji, then was attracted to Buddhist philosophy prior to becoming a communist. He took the name of Rahul Sankrityayan when he accepted Buddhism. Due to his ties to communist Russia, he was constantly watched by secret services and was kept out of power. His contribution to literature was recognized with the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award and Padma Bhushan Award. Specialist vs Generalist Hamilton stayed in the United States and worked as a lawyer and a financial expert. Sankrityayan traveled and lived in many countries. He wrote Hindi translations of important works from ancient and modern languages. The most important work of his life was to discover lost Buddhist scriptures during his multiple, sometimes clandestine trips to Tibet. He wrote various books on his travels, which earned him the title of Father of Indian travelogue. He started writing during his twenties and his works, totaling well over 100, covered a variety of subjects, including sociology, history, philosophy, Buddhism, Tibetology, Lexicography, grammar, textual editing, folklore, science, and politics. Obviously, there was more to the lives of Hamilton and Sankrityayan than what can be covered in one article. However, when one shines light on them together, what stands out is their love for their countries and their people. For as long as they lived, they strived to make their young countries better.

Samir Shukla Editor of Saathee Magazine Contact: Samir@Saathee.com Twitter: @ShuklaWrites // Newsletter: ShuklaWrites.Substack.com

Sangeeta Godbole is a writer and a media creator from Durham, NC. YouTube: Tilted Planet - YouTube Saathee.com

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News Notes Festival of India Charlotte Announced The 26th annual Festival of India, presented by the India Association of Charlotte, is scheduled for Saturday, August 27, 2022 in Uptown at the Belk Theater on Tryon Street. The festival is one of the most popular events in the Queen City and features varied dance performances, arts, crafts, cultural expositions, vendors and plenty of food. For more details as well as vendors and performers information, visit Indiafestival.net.

AAPI 40th Annual Convention to be Held in San Antonio Founded in 1982, the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin represents a conglomeration of more than 80,000 practicing physicians in the United States. In addition, it also serves as a platform for more than 40,000 medical students, residents and fellows of Indian origin in this country. The AAPI YPS/MSRF (Young Physicians Section/Medical Students, Residents and Fellows Section) runs under the main AAPI umbrella to give representation to them. 1 in every 7 people in the USA is touched by the care of a physician of Indian origin at any given time. AAPI also has a Charitable Foundation (AAPI-CF) that spearheads free clinics and health fairs in India. Every year, this cohort of physicians and physicians-to-be get together in their annual convention. It features professional programs with cutting-edge CME along with a dash of color in the form of social events and exhibits featuring esteemed invitees from the United States and India. It oﬀers a venue to interact with leading physicians, health professionals, academicians, and scientists of Indian origin. The physicians and healthcare professionals will articipate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities. This year’s convention will take place June 23 – 26, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas. Details: Aapiconvention.org.

Global Textile Trade Fair 2022 to be Held in Atlanta The Global Textile Trade Fair, a textile and garment show will take place from June 9 11, 2022 at Gas South Convention Center, Atlanta, GA. Global Textile Trade Fair is launched for Textile stakeholders of India and the USA to cater the business possibilities, networking, joint ventures, knowledge sharing, and technology transfers, to take the textile trade and commerce between India & USA to the next level. GTTF 2022 will be the platform to strengthen the textile trade relations between both countries. The United States accounted for 35 percent of India’s textile exports in the year 2020. Gujarat is considered as the textile hub of India. The state is producing nearly 30 percent of cotton and Saathee.com

56 percent Denim of the country’s total production. Besides, the state is having a lion’s share of 38 percent in the manufacturing of manmade filament fabric and 30 percent in woven fabric. After an increase in purchases by domestic buyers, the textile industry in Gujarat is now witnessing encouraging export demand from Europe, USA, Australia and New Zealand. Exhibitors will feature fabrics, apparel and ready to wear, khadi, silk, wool, handicrafts and handloom along with home textile products. The Fair will also feature textile importers from the countries, US government dignitaries, Indian embassy (trade department, commerce department), hoteliers, apparel brands and labels retail store owners and well-known fashion designers as well as Indian community leaders. For more details, visit Gttfair.com.

American Dance Festival 2022

Artists in Graphic: Aparna Ramaswamy of Ragamala Dance Company, Johnnie Cruise Mercer, Luke Hickey. Photos by Nadia Halim, Sarah Silver, and Deb Fong.

The American Dance Festival (ADF) has announced the full schedule for its 89th season. The season includes performances by both emerging and established companies, highlighting the breadth and excellence of modern dance. ADF performances will be in multiple venues across Durham, NC from June 3– July 20, 2022 and will return to Raleigh and the Joseph M. Bryan Jr. Theater in the Museum Park September 8–11 as ADF presents a series of outdoor performances in association with the North Carolina Museum of Art. “ADF is coming back strong with our first full season in three years. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome audiences back with over 25 dance companies performing both indoors and outdoors in 2022,” said Executive Director Jodee Nimerichter. June 2022

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ADF will present the 2022 Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for lifetime achievement to acclaimed choreographer and visual artist Shen Wei. Shen Wei, whose company is celebrating its 22nd year since its founding at ADF, will be in residence this summer as a part of the Footprints program, where he will set a new ADF-commissioned work on students. The award will be presented at the Footprints program on July 16. Some of the performances include ADF fan-favorite Pilobolus (June 24–25) returns with an ADFcommissioned world premiere, and Monica Bill Barnes & Company (July 9-10) is back with The Running Show, documenting the life of a dancer through movement, interviews, and stories. The show features a large cast of local performers and ADF students. The program Made in North Carolina (June 21) will present four ADF-commissioned world premieres by five North Carolina choreographers inside Reynolds Industries Theater and outdoors in front of Duke Chapel. Works will be presented by Chris Yon & Taryn Griggs, Ramya Sundaresan Kapadia, Justin Tornow, and Jose Velasquez. A.I.M by Kyle Abraham (June 28–29) is back for their fourth year with the ADF-commissioned An Untitled Love, an evening-length work that celebrates culture, family, and community. Rennie Harris Puremovement (June 17–18) returns with RENNIE HARRIS LIFTED: A Gospel House Musical, an evening-length gospel House work including local singers and dancers. Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy’s South Indian Bharatanatyam ensemble Ragamala (July 6–7) last performed at ADF in 2012 and will return 10 years later with their latest evening-length piece and ADF commission, Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim. Israel’s highly regarded Vertigo Dance Company (July 19–20) will also perform One, One & One. More details at, Americandancefestival.org.

India’s ‘demographic dividend’ and how to harness the power of a burgeoning incoming working age population has been the focus of many for the past several years. The challenges around childhood education, skilling, and vocational training have been some major points of discussion and debate for civil society leaders and policy makers. Missing in this debate, however, is the plight of India’s elders. There are approximately 138 million elderly people in India today. Of these, 90 percent of elders are outside the formal and organized sector, which means they have little to no access to pensions, provident funds, or medical coverage – no social safety net during advancing years. In other words, at a time of their lives when they need the most support and help, most elders in India find themselves alone. There is also a perception that given the strong family bonds in India, elders are taken care of by their families. While that is true for some, it is certainly not true for many elders, who have been adversely impacted by the fragmentation of the family unit because of changing economic patterns, migration trends and now, especially compounded by the pandemic. This has been seen in the surveys done by the organization HelpAge India and others that have found that some 25 percent of elders report that they face abuse – physical, mental and emotional – and often at the hands of their own family members. About 53 million elders are living in poverty and must work just to survive. The pandemic has brought these issues out into the open. The organization HelpAge India has, for over 43 years been operating across 26 states of India, in over 2500 villages, impacting almost 2 million elders through direct interventions in healthcare access, sustainable livelihoods, vision restoration, agecare, disaster relief, and elder distress helplines. For more details about American Friends of HelpAge India, visit Af-hi.org or Helpageindia.org.

Photos by Samir Shukla

Regional Festival of India Held in Matthews, NC The India Association of Charlotte presented a regional Festival in Matthews, NC on April 30, 2022. The annual festival usually takes place at Uptown during fall, but this year the Town of Matthews reached out to the India Association of Charlotte to conduct a smaller, regional festival in the spring. This festival was held at Stumptown Park and featured live performances of Indian Dance forms, Yoga demonstrations, state/special/art exhibits, clothing and jewelry vendors and Indian food. Saathee.com

June 2022

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HINDU CENTER OF CHARLOTTE 7400 City View Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212 704-535-3440 email: administrator@hcclt.org Fax. 704-535-6923

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Hindu Center 40th Anniversary! Saturday, July 30, 2022

Lunch/ Anand Bazaar 2 PM- 6 PM Vihar Hall Foyer

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Participate in the cultural program or come enjoy the show!!

Sunder Mirchandani: 704-691-2974 or 704-718-8522 Nilesh Chuadhry: 704-307-6979 Narain and Deepa: 704-307-0942 Surendra Patel: 704-564-9436 Dinesh Shah: 704-502-9094

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General Body Meeting 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM

Health Fair

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Anitha Gowtam: 704-206-9348

Learn about your health and how to improve it.

HC Contacts: Hemant Amin 704-258-3588 Ameeta Patel 203-434-4004 Reena Roy 704-607-8412 or email: reena.roy@hcclt.org

For more information contact: Rajeev Puri: 704-649-2165 Vipul Mistry: 704-392-8789 Dr. Anoop Kalia: 704-674-3632

For donations / sponsors contact: Pujari, Bal Gupta, Ravi Patel or Hemant Amin. To sponsor food for stall or volunteer, contact Ashok Shah Hemant Amin, or anyone above.

40th Anniversary Celebration and Anand Bazaar

Cultural Program Contacts Email: hc_cultural@yahoo.com Anitha Gowtam 704-206-9348 Sponsorships Nirav Pandya 570-205-2636 Anju Jain 704-620-4503 or email: hc_cultural@yahoo.com HC Contact Hemant Amin 704-258-3588 Ameeta Patel 203-434-4004 Reena Roy 704-607-8412 or email: reena.roy@hcclt.org;

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Saathee RECIPES

by Taige Shukla

Roasted Corn Bhel June is here! Meaning summertime is in full swing and so are our much longed for travels, road trips, family reunions, picnics on the beach, you name it. And the one thing that ﬁts perfectly into any summertime plan? Roasted Corn Bhel! Seriously, it’s perfect for an on-the-go snack or light meal that can cater to anyone’s taste buds. Growing up it was one of my most requested meals of Amma, likely due to the fact that I could make it my own and avoid all the veggies if I wanted to. My go to combo at age 12: sev, mamra (spicy puffed rice), potatoes, and sweet chutney, that’s it and it was my absolute favorite! Now, I like to add as many veggies, toppings, and chutneys as possible, for a delicious combo of sweet and savory with a slight crunch. No matter who you’re catering to, bhel is bound to be a hit. It’s super easy to meal prep and have on hand for your next grab & go bite. Mix in as many additional veggies as you’d like and enjoy! As a note, to avoid soggy bhel, add the mamra, sev, and chutneys once you’re ready to serve. Cheers to sweet summertime and refreshing light bites!

Ingredients 2 cups loose corn (or cut off the cob) ½ cup sev (crunchy chickpea flour noodles) 1 medium tomato (diced) ½ red onion (diced) Cilantro (1/4 cup finely chopped) Lemon Optional: 1 cup mamra (spicy puffed rice) For Sweet Apple Butter Chutney: 1 cup apple butter Juice of half a lemon ½ tsp coriander powder ½ tsp cumin ¼ tsp chili powder Pinch of salt & pepper Water For Green Cilantro Chutney: 1 bunch cilantro 1 serrano green chili pepper ½ tsp cumin Pinch of salt & pepper Juice of half a lemon Water Optional: handful of mint

Saathee.com

Servings: 3 - 4 Prep Time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 5 - 10 minutes

Directions

1 Start by prepping the chutneys. For Sweet chutney, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until

well combined and water until you have a saucy consistency. For green chutney, place all ingredients together in a blender and blend until well combined, add a few splashes of water if needed. Feel free to add or subtract amount of spice to ideal taste for each chutney. Set aside.

2 Now prep the tomato, red onion, cilantro and set aside. Roast the corn with a pinch of salt and pepper. I also chose to add a few dashes of additional spices to the corn, including coriander, cumin, chili powder, and sugar. Let cool.

3 Finally, you or your guests can assemble the Roasted Corn Bhel bowl! Toss the corn, tomato,

onion, and optional mumra (spicy puffed rice) together. Top with a squeeze of lemon, cilantro, sev, and chutneys to taste.

4 There you have it! The perfect summer light bite!

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Fungi

Dance Fusions

continued from page 34

continued from page 48

A mostly unknown kingdom We can only partially appreciate the benefits fungi provide, since scientists have a narrow and very incomplete view of the fungal kingdom. Imagine trying to assemble a 4-million-piece jigsaw puzzle with only 3 percent to 5 percent of the pieces. Mycologists struggle to formally describe Earth’s fungal biodiversity while simultaneously assessing various species’ conservation status and tracking losses. The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species currently includes 551 fungi, compared to 58,343 plants and 12,100 insects. About 60 percent of these listed fungal species are gilled mushrooms or lichenized fungi, which represent a very narrow sampling of the fungal kingdom. Asked what a fungus looks like, the average person will probably imagine a mushroom, which is partly correct. Mushrooms are “fruiting bodies,” or reproductive structures, that only certain fungi produce. But a majority of fungi don’t produce fruiting bodies that are visible to the eye, or any at all, so these “microfungi” go largely overlooked. Many people see fungi as frightening or disgusting. Today, although positive interest in fungi is growing, species that cause diseases – such as chytrid fungus in amphibians and white-nose syndrome in bats – still receive more attention than fungi playing essential, beneficial roles in the environment.

The first piece of the program started out with the dancers performing an invocatory piece to Mother Kali, where both the Kathak dancers and the Tap dancers were introduced on the stage. The following pieces were showcases of Kathak and Tap Items. It was fascinating to watch the juxtaposition of the Kathak and Tap as both are noted forms for the feet work and are unique in their styles. A piece that I really enjoyed was when the dancers were “talking” to each other in “dance talk”. Imagine meeting another person who does not speak your language. How do you introduce yourself? The dancers “talked” to each other through using the dance talk vocabulary which was through the “language” of “bols” and “scat talk.” The Kathak dancers said the “bols” and the tap performer “talked” in the language of “scat” talk. While both would seem pole opposites to each other on its own, when combined on stage, it seemed one. Even though Kathak and Tap may seem worlds apart, on stage, while the uniqueness and individuality of each style do stand out, the similarities that run through each can be seen as well. Watching the fusion of the two dance forms and hearing the fusion of the dance styles of music was the unity in diversity message that was being conveyed. While the styles of Kathak and Tap may be different, the combination of the two formats demonstrates that there is something similar underlying all of us as well. The language used to express this concept depends on the person and their individual language style. A person with a spiritual background may use the language that this similarity in us is “atma” or soul, a person with a science background may find the similarity in all of us by using the science language and saying that we all have DNA running through us and are made of electrons. A person of a musical background may say the similarity is that we all have a “beat” within us. This is where I feel that the arts of music and dance can help people transcend their vantage point of division to give a different vantage point of unity in diversity. Where words, books, talks and lectures could fall short, music and dance are a different “language” that can help to unite people. In this way, the arts provided a channel to accomplish that message. Watching a fusion dance helps me to remember one of the reasons I wish to continue the art form of dance; It is to remember that there can be both unity and diversity and unity in diversity and it compliments each other well.

Protecting our fungal future Even with limited knowledge about the status of fungi, there is increasing evidence that climate change threatens them as much as it threatens plants, animals and other microbes. Pollution, drought, fire and other disturbances all are contributing to losses of precious fungi. This isn’t just true on land. Recent studies of aquatic fungi, which play all kinds of important roles in rivers, lakes and oceans, have raised concerns that little is being done to conserve them. It is hard to motivate people to care about something they do not know about or understand. And it’s diﬃcult to establish eﬀective conservation programs for organisms that are mysterious even to scientists. But people who care about fungi are trying. In addition to the IUCN Fungal Conservation Committee, which coordinates global fungal conservation initiatives, various nongovernment organizations and nonprofits advocate for fungi. Over the past two years, we have seen a surge of public interest in all things fungal, from home grow kits and cultivation courses to increased enrollment in local mycological societies. We hope this newfound acceptance

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

continued on page 94 74

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You may wonder if movies elicit the same reactions from viewers as books do. And although I suspect that there might be some similarities, even the best cinema will have diﬃculty capturing the subtle contemplations or sentiments of the characters as expressed in words. Lois Lowry, the author of The Giver, explains that a book allows us to absorb the story in a unique and personal way. As a reader we bring our own history, beliefs, and concerns and when we read privately, we create each scene using our own imagination. In today’s world, where professions in STEM fields are among the highest paid, prowess in language and creative writing should not be undervalued. Expert storytellers may have taught us more than we have given them credit for. Fortunately, book sales in 2021 increased from 2020 by 8.9 percent and according to publishersweekly.com, 825.7 million books were sold in the United States last year. Although I was unable to find parallel statistics for the Indian market, I hope the desire to read books in India rises too. My home country’s diversity, wealth of languages, and wide range of readers makes for a fertile environment to grow present and future writers. Accomplished authors of the past have enriched India’s literary treasury but, in my opinion, we need to nurture the new generations too so that the world does not miss out on what could have been for example, a fascinating fantasy series. On that note, I am headed to the library to bring home an essential vitamin for the entire family.

Namaskar

continued from page 38

between sessions. At their sessions, they discuss characters and scenarios relevant to their pertinent issues and explore coping methods. For me personally, diving into the lives of protagonists, sensing their fears or anguish and cheering at their wins takes me to a world where I can indirectly process my innermost thoughts and feelings too. Right from childhood, the stories we hear give words to tacit emotions and often we find comfort in knowing that we are not alone in our fears or insecurities. My cautious nature perhaps stems from a steady diet of scary fairy tales that my family members fed me. Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Brothers conjured up rather frightening villains that made me wary of strangers and I would never touch candy offered by an unfamiliar face, even with a 10-foot pole. I guess I missed out on some treats, but on the bright side, my wariness saved me from toothaches and emergency visits to the dentist. Upon reading this, my mother and older siblings are probably congratulating themselves on implementing a successful fear tactic. Also, unbeknownst to me, the habit of being a voracious reader since elementary school helped me develop the skills needed for a Counselor. To some degree my reading fine-tuned my ability to be a patient listener, made it easier for me to step into my client’s shoes, and to comprehend their issues without judgment. The advantages of perusing literary fiction can apply to more people than psychologists and their clients. Life puts us all at crossroads and sometimes a good book can be the tool that activates our inner GPS to guide us in the right direction. And just in case our chosen destination is not as picturesque as the brochure promised, we may need a little paperback novella to make peace with our decisions. For example, the BBC’s series called “Textual Healing”, recommends The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri if you are homesick. As we process the characters and their feelings, it can offer a new point of view or idea to cope with everyday struggles. In general, getting a variety of perspectives is valuable in understanding those who are different from us, to become more tolerant and to be able to assess others’ emotions. These qualities can be a powerful antidote to the hatred and closed mindedness that one finds in the world of social media. One of the best ways of getting into the habit of reading is participating in a book club. Not only does it provide the opportunity for social interaction and lively discussion, but it also motivates me to pick up a title that I would not have otherwise. This may come as a surprise to some, but Christine Seifert makes “The Case for Reading Fiction” at the workplace in her Harvard Business Review (March 2020) article. She points out benefits such as increased social acuity, sharper ability to assess motivations, open mindedness, and critical thinking. While these are hard to quantify, they are valuable skills for developing leadership. Saathee.com

Shyama Parui is a long time North Carolina resident and an ardent writer. You can reach her at: shyamashree_parui@hotmail.com

Personal Finances

continued from page 54

Will and hence it is necessary that all details go in it or in a statement associated with it. Expect conflicts: Brace yourself for it; generally, it is not a bad idea to hire an attorney to do some of the work especially where emotions are involved. I always suggest that most of this work could be and should be done while the Will owner is still alive. This is quite hard to do emotionally but it has many benefits. All the people who expect something, get to hear it from the “horse’s mouth” as to what is coming their way. They can raise objections and hear the reasons why so and can discuss further. But the main advantage here is that there are no disputes that need to be resolved after the death of the grantor. Everything is reasoned out before and can help the make the executor’s tasks much easier. Mo Vidwans is an independent, board certified financial planner. For details visit, VidwansFinancial.com, call 984-888-0355 or write to: mpvidwans@yahoo.com 78

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America,” I said. “I did the best to show you mine. Maybe you’ll decide on North Carolina for grad school, so I won’t hit the cold dirt alone here.” 18 hour days but felt pressured to take my tired 62-year“Thank you,” he said. “I am weighing all options.” old bones out of bed and share some pearls of wisdom When you weigh options, I mostly lose. But I’ll be here with Musti. The problem is I didn’t have any pearls. I was in America if someone wants to visit. just breathing here, and no one was bothering me. Maybe that was the message. Toward the end of the visit, we Ahsen Jillani spent some late nights talking while I poured myself a former editor and publisher, is originally from Islamabad, Pakistan, some wine. The issue is that I have never seen myself any and now lives in Mint Hill. He owns Must Media, a PR firm focused on political and corporate clients. Contact: aj@must-media.com diﬀerently than anyone else in this country. “You land here on the defensive and you’ll live your entire life on the defensive. Remember, this is a post-colonial world,” I said. “Grab the bull by Near Hindu Center - Charlotte the horns, son. You are • Bleaching • Hot Oil treatment for Hair probably smarter than • Threading • Mehndi for Hair most people around • Waxing • Hair coloring you.” I don’t know if it • Facials • Hair Cuts registered, but he is a polite kid and shook his head • Manicure • Body Scrubs aﬃrmatively. But truthfully, growing up with my • Pedicure • Massage father’s UN diplomatic job, I completely lost track of Open: Tues - Sun (9am - 7 pm) what skin color, or height, or accents were. If someone Call For Appointment said, “Is he the black guy?” I would say, “I don’t remember” – and I really did not. I had met a heart surgeon at a party. He was really smart and that was beautiful to me as a student of humanity. I think Musti kind of understood. I have spent my life traveling through countries attending Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Christian, and of course, Islamic events. I’m not religious, but I show up to celebrate joy, or sorrow, with Welcoming Bankim Patel MD fellow humans, because my religion is just humanity. If For more than fifteen years, CaroMont Family someone prays for me, I bow to them and accept prayers. Medicine of Gastonia has offered patients I respect all gods. excellent care through friendly staff and This is about being soft. This is about being, let’s say, experienced providers. Dr. Patel is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. human, but especially, American. Our providers have over thirty combined So, with a busy work schedule, I embarked on a years of experience in family medicine. mission to just show Musti some real America. We went to a 90-year-old couple’s house to celebrate their dog’s Our experienced medical professionals and staff offer convenient, complete primary care for every member of your family. We focus birthday. We went to a contemporary Easter church on the growing needs of our community by offering the service. We went for a chili dog lunch, we went to a convenience of same-day appointments, ample parking, as well typical American pub to have a burger, we went way out as a Spanish-speaking provider. of town to a Carolina BBQ joint full of country folks to experience a deeper America. And of course, we went to Same Day Appointments Available a 7-course meal at the house of my daughter’s gay friend. Accepting New Patients! Yes, I did try to sell him on North Carolina colleges by taking him to UNC-Charlotte, where I walked around Sick visits • Yearly physicals • Whole family care shirtless for an hour. “Well, I was shirtless here for 7 Infant immunizations and care • School physicals years. This is home,” I said. The kid is 24 and felt Hypertension and diabetes care, and much more! awkward. Our in-office lab testing is provided by CaroMont Laboratory Yes, you have to live with confidence, or you become a slave to your complexes. This is either your America or CaroMont Family Medicine - Gastonia it is a foreign land. Musti texted me a few days later. It 2711 X-Ray Drive Gastonia, NC 28054 was the Eid festival at his uncle’s house with people in Phone: 704.834.2420 Fax: 704.834.2426 desi clothing and with desi food. “That’s also an

Subcontinental Divide

continued from page 42

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I 1725 Candlewood Ridge Ln, Matthews, NC 28105 81

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Who wants to be a Scholar?! Answer the ones you know and research the rest. There is only one correct answer! 1. Arrange these US mountains from highest to lowest in height. (a) Whitney (CA) (b) Elbert (CO) (c) Denali (AK) (d) Mitchel (NC)

Word World

2. The film industry based in Gujarat, India using Gujarati language is called. (a) Bollywood (b) Pollywood (c) Sandalwood (d) Dhollywood

By Kirit Shukla

T R O

3. The molecular formula for Resorcinol is: (a) C₆H₂O₆ (b) C₂H₆O₂ (c) C₆H₆O₂ (d) C₂H₆O₆

4. Bane means (a) Wickedness (c) Defense

5. According to space and astronomical news, 1.1 billion years from now the Sun will be __% hotter than it is today and Earth will be hot as Venus. (a) 20% (b) 15% (c) 10% (d) 5% 6. The volume of a cuboid with each side is equal to 6’, 7 ‘and 8’ respectively is (a) 336 cu. ft. (b) 363 cu. ft. (c) 633 cu. ft. (d) 636 cu. ft.

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)

7. The first prime minister of Pakistan was (a) Nurul Amin (b) Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (c) Imran Khan (d) Liaquat Ali Khan

9+ words = Excellent; 5 to 8 words = Good; 4 or less = keep looking. Words we found are in solutions below.

8. The winner of the 2022 NCAA men’s basketball championship. (a) Kansas (b) North Carolina (c) Duke (d) Villanova

Brain-Train

9. Galileo Galilei, Italian mathematician & astronomer was born in Pisa on. (a) Feb. 15, 1584 (b) Feb. 15, 1642 (c) Feb. 15, 1654 (d) Feb. 15, 1564

Here is a simple quiz. See if you can solve it. No peeking! Match the number in column 1 with letter in column 2 US Nuclear Power Plants..

...Located in the State

1. McGuire 2. Diablo Canyon 3. Comanche Peak 4. Seabrook 5. Vogtle 6. Perry 7. Monticello 8. Susquehanna 9. Surry 10. St. Lucie

A. California B. Georgia C. Minnesota D. Florida E. Pennsylvania F. Texas G. Ohio H. Virginia I. North Carolina J. New Hampshire

10. The highest mountain in Pakistan is (a) K2 (b) Nanga Parbat (c) Broad Peak (d) Masarbrum 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 the blanks of these easy clues. Now take the first letter of each word and unscramble them to find the Key Word of the Month. Roses are ____, Violets are blue Not long but, _________ You might need an _____ for rain Once you enter you must ______ Someone you might call on Mother’s Day ______ The month preceding June ________

Brain Train: 1-I, 2-A, 3-F, 4-J, 5-B, 6-G, 7-C, 8-E, 9-H, 10-D Scholar 1. c, a, b, d 2.d 3.c 4.d 7.d 8.a 9.d 10.a

5.c

6.a

Word World (Solution): AMORT, ARMOR, ARTFORM, FANTOM, FARMOST, FORAM, FORMANT, FORMAT, MANOR, MARON, MASON, TRANSFORM, TRANSOM. Saathee.com

(b) Prohibition (d) Fatal injury or ruin

Answers on page 88 84

June 2022

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u ing Yo h s i W py a Hap ay r ’s D F athe

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PUZZLES AND JOKES

Clues Down: 1. The great king. (Popular Hindi word) 2. “Muhammad ___”, a renowned boxer. 3. Not Applicable. (*) 4. The capitol of Manipur state, India. 5. Of or relating to a geographic pole or the region around it. 6. A round soft flat unleavened wheat bread. (Chapati) 7. International Monetary Fund. (*) 8. A set of 78 playing cards; 22 cards used for fortune-telling. 9. The ancient Indian epic written for story of Rama & Sita. 10. Indian Railways. (*) 13. An east Asian country, west of Japan: Cap. Seoul. 16. An Indian people of the Pacific coast of Oregon. 17. Content-Based Image Retrieval. (*) 19. Downloading. (*) 21. To rub or scrape out (something, as written). 22. Causing or conducive to injury, grief or pain. 25. Fermentation. 28. Virginia. (*) 29. A lively 16th century court dance. 31. A highly prized or well-beloved person. 33. Louisiana Early Childhood Association (*) 35. An agreed sum paid at fixed intervals by a tenant to the landlord. 37. Digital Video Interface. (*) 38. Away from a place or position. 40. Bachelor in Business Economics. (*) 42. Europe. (*) 44. Ultra-audible. (*) 46. Compact Disc. (*)

By Kirit Shukla

Note: * denotes abbreviation of the word or phrase Clues Across: 1. The folk dance of Imphal, Manipur state, India. 8. A combining form meaning “Three.” 11. A poplar tree. 12. The primordial sound from which the universe was manifest. (Hinduism) 14. Hawaii. (*) 15. An elevated area next to trains’ tracks for the boarding. 17. The classical dance of Manipur. 18. An open way for vehicles, persons, and animals. 20. Reinforcing rods for concrete. 22. The radical C16H33 occurring in compounds in waxes. 23. An exterior covering of some seeds. (as of the yew) 24. Narrative book of canonical Jewish / Christian Scripture. 26. A tree-dwelling three-toed sloth. 27. To make a harsh or discordant sound. 28. Wind. (Hindi/Sanskrit word) 29. Cable News Network. (*) 30. For instance. 31. Georgia. (*) 32. An Indian fair : a gathering of people. (Hindi word) 34. Before. 36. Country in east central Europe: Capital Warsaw. 39. To get aboard a bus. 41. The lower border of a roof that overhangs the wall. 43. A mood for finding or making amusement. 45. In Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology: A warrior & poet. 47. The day honoring dads is celebrated in the United States on the third Sunday of June. (June 19, 2022) Saathee.com

(solution on page 88)

Hee Hee

Jokes & Riddles From Around The World

An old lady on a bus offers the bus driver some peanuts every few minutes; the driver happily eats them. Driver: “Why don’t you eat them yourself?”She: “I don’t have any teeth.”Driver: “So why do you buy them then?”She: “I enjoy the chocolate coating on them.” ***** Teacher: “Make a sentence using U.” Booddhoo: “U is…” Teacher: “You are....” Booddhoo “U is the 21st letter in the alphabet.” ***** “Don’t you & your wife ever have a difference of opinion?” “Of course, but I don’t let her know about it.” Dad: “What is the exact time?” Son: “9-10.” Dad: “Tell me exactly, is it 9 or 10?” Son: “Dad, it’s exactly 10 minutes after 9 o’clock.” 86

June 2022

WordFind

Math Magic Fill in the empty squares to get = the final given answers. Use any number from 2 to 9 only once (Number 11 is given): Note: Follow the order of operation per basic math rule: ×,÷, +, The multiplication or division is done before addition and subtraction. (solution on page 88)

Find & circle the words in the puzzle.

Subject: Manipur, India ATTIRE BAMBOO BARAK BOATRACE CANAL CHAMPHUT CHEIRAOBA CHINDWIN COCONUT CORN DAMPA DOYANG ELEPHANT IMPHAL

IRANG IROMBA KHUGA KIRTAN KUT LOKTAK MEITEI NATTE NGRI OAK PINE PUMTEN RICE TRIL

EZ-BZ TEST YOUR IQ The common letters are “JUN” - Fill in the blanks)

1. Coniferous tree/shrub of the cypress family.

JUN _ _ _ _

2. Something of poor quality; trash.

JUN _

3. A city at the foot of the Girnar hills, Gujarat.

JUN _ _ _ _ _

4. An Acadian descendant living within the bayou areas of southern Louisiana.

_ _ JUN

5. Discontinuous.

_ _ _ JUN _ _

6. The sixth month of the Gregorian calendar.

JUN _

7. The capital city of Alaska.

JUN _ _ _

8. The second part of a human’s small intestine. The unused 16 letters spell: “The Keibul Lamjao National Park is this last natural habitat of Manipur.” (answer on page 88)

9. The act or an instance of enjoining.

_ _ JUN _ _

_ _ JUN _ _ _ _ _

10. Lower in standing or rank.; younger. 11. A point of time.

JUN _ _ _ JUN _ _ _ _ _

12. Relating to or a characteristic of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung.

JUN_ _ _ _

13. An associate or assistant of another.

_ _ JUN _ _

14. A council for political or governmental purposes. JUN _ _ 15. The middle portion of the small intestine.

_ _ JUN _

16. One of the Pandavas, the archer. 17. A place or point of meeting.

_ _ JUN JUN _ _ _ _ _

18. East Indian tree yielding the oleoresin balsam.

_ _ _ JUN

19. The wife of Jupiter, queen of heaven and goddess of light, birth, women, and marriage. 20. Something joined with another.

JUN_ _ _ _ JUN _ _

21. A group of people joined for a common purpose. 22. Tangled mass of tropical vegetation.

JUN _ _ JUN _ _ _

(Puzzle solutions are on page 88. NO peeking!) Saathee Puzzle Master Kirit Shukla kiritsshukla@gmail.com Saathee.com

June 2022

Festivals & Holidays Spot the Diﬀerences Solutions from page 50

June 2022 June 2 - Maharaja Pratap Jayanti June 5 - Shavuot / World Environment Day June 10 - Gayathri Jayanti June 10 - Nirjala / Bhima Ekadashi June 14 - Vrat Savitri Vrat June 14 - Jyeshta Purnima (Full Moon) June 14 - Flag Day June 19 - Father’s Day June 19 - Emancipation Day June 20 - World Refugee Day June 21 - Summer Solstice / Litha June 24 - Yogini Ekadashi June 29 - Darsh Amas (No Moon) June 30 - Jagannath Rathayatra July 2022 Jul. 1 - Canada Day Jul. 4 - Independence Day (USA) Jul. 6 - Gauri Vrat Begins Jul. 9 - Dev Shayani Ekadashi / Chāturmās Begins Jul 10 - Eid al-Adha (Tentative) Jul. 13 - Guru Purnima (Full Moon) Jul. 13 - Gauri Vrat Ends Jul. 13 - Asalha Puja Day

Key Word Search Answers from page 84

Puzzle Solutions from page 86-87

Solutions: Red Short Umbrella Exit Mom May Key Word of the Month: Summer

Math Magic from page 87

Saathee.com

June 2022

Astroscope

JUNE 2022

Aries (March 21 – April 20)

Libra (September 22 – October 20)

Your life will gain new momentum as you feel more energetic and physically active. Expenses related to your business or home should prove beneﬁcial in the long run, so try not to analyze it too much or rush to conclusions. Don’t argue with your siblings and friends. There’s a chance of developing new family relations or learn of a new family member. You may spend on social or religious gatherings.

After a very good start, you may see activities reduce to a crawl. Money will come, but won’t stay. You could savor in a particular hobby but be forced to push it aside for a while to focus on normal work. A health issue concerning your neck and throat may bother you. Let your business partner make major businessrelated decisions this month. If possible, avoid travel.

Scorpio (October 21 – November 20)

Taurus (April 21 – May 20) You could be very busy with new plans and ideas, though physical activities should slow down signiﬁcantly. Your partner cheating on you may actually work on your favor. Your approach towards a dream project may become the center of activity during the middle of the month. An improvement to your health during the second half may go unnoticed.

Now is the time to start new projects aggressively. Life will pick up speed with your busy schedule acting as the main motivator. Take advantage of this and enjoy any and all blessings destiny can provide. You may beneﬁt from your partner’s achievement. You will defeat your rivals and accomplish victory. Remember to handle any family misunderstandings with maturity and smart decision making.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20)

Sagittarius (November 21 – December 21)

Life should ﬂy by this month as involvement in multiple projects will cause you to scramble after the ﬁrst week. A positive attitude to accomplishing this work could develop a bit of an ego. If you can convert this into pride for your team, life will shift towards high achievement. Your enemies may try to hurt your reputation. Remember to consider advice from your partner. Be careful of your thoughts and aggression.

If you can sustain your morals and customs, you should achieve great success. An argument with your partner could destroy this, however. Your dream project can wait; take advantage of your current circumstances in order to enjoy life. You may gain a higher status at your place of work, but without the expected rise in income. Students may also experience good results this month. Watch your health during the last week.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)

Capricorn (December 22 – January 21)

Your life should finally advance towards a specific goal. You could start spending on luxury items. Success and achievement will place you in happy mode during the first week of the month. A new source of income may also delight you. You could participate in religious and spiritual activities. Control your diet and weight. Watch your health as a minor issue may become much more serious in the near future.

An overall sense of relief will make things easier for you. You may even begin contemplating about love and romance again! Relations with siblings could improve and offer some welldeserved luck. and A steady ﬂow of income along with the control of expenses should boost your conﬁdence. Remain aware of any potential accidents or mishaps.

Aquarius (January 22 – February 18)

Leo (July 23 – August 22)

Your life will become more complicated after the second week of the month. Your credit and reputation are both in danger. Family could provide the best support while making any decisions. A lack of conﬁdence may force you to compromise your morals. You will be able to defeat your enemies. A difference of opinion with your partner may make the relationship even worse. This is a good time to invest in real estate.

You may experience a perfect combination of energy, effort, and luck during the second half of the month. The lexicon of a legal document could be interpreted in your favor, bringing in more than expected. Don’t forget to accept advice from your partner, but bad judgement may hurt your reputation. Watch your speech in public. You could also see some temporary relief from an old family dispute.

Pisces (February 19 – March 20)

Virgo (August 23 – September 21)

You will do extremely well with your business or profession as expansion is very possible. Friends and enemies alike will constantly surround you this month; use your wits to stay on top of things. Your family atmosphere will be quite satisfactory. Good news from a far-off place is also possible. The stock market or an investment may offer unexpectedly good rewards. Act sensibly to achieve success.

If you work diligently and remain active, you could avert a newly developing health problem. You will earn name and fame within your workplace. This is an excellent time to invest in real estate, but don’t forget to consult with your partner before making any ﬁnal decisions. Also stay vigilant during the process to avoid any unexpected loss. Evade any legal disputes or family issues.

Jalendu Vaidya 973-223-5047

Saathee.com

June 2022

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resisting it could be seen as a way of losing cultural identity. It looks like liberation for women, queer and trans people, Black people, Indigenous people, fat people, and Dalit people. As Said himself wrote, “Stories are at the heart of what explorers and novelists say about strange regions of the world; they also become the method colonized people use to assert their own identity and the existence of their own history.” Maybe we all need to better understand that every culture is diﬀerent and accept that one person’s beliefs, culture, and lifestyle will not be the same as another’s. While I won’t say that every cultural practice is ultimately beneficial to its practitioners, we would do better to educate ourselves to why these ideologies are in place and find a way to compromise. It’s finally time for those depicted through the lens of Orientalism to break away and have their own voice. I, for one, am more than willing to listen.

Mirror Mirror

continued from page 22

Unfortunately, Orientalism is still with us as a part of the West’s social and political unconsciousness. American culture, in particular, has adopted a somewhat skewed version of it thanks to the aftermath of the Korean War, the Vietnam War, Desert Storm and September 11th. We are shown various instances of stereotypical Asian roles in film and TV (the convenient store owner, IT worker, doctor, or young math wiz to name just a few). And yet with our ever-growing access to various movies, serials, and other media from all over the world some of us have perhaps over-corrected these categorizations to appear more ‘woke’. Orientalism in the modern age is imagined through an attempt to acknowledge Asian culture and then “adapt” it to a more Western mindset. Orientalism is the popularity of yoga studios and bindis at Coachella. It’s Starbucks taking a popular South Asian drink and rebranding it as a “golden turmeric latte.” It’s Carrie Bradshaw trying to buy a sari to celebrate Diwali with her Indian American friend (and later wearing a lehenga instead). It’s every “empowering” Netflix show that depicts an Asian woman standing up to a mediocre white man. It’s the plethora of egregious ‘white savior’ films in Western cinema…. I think you get the general picture. At the same time, the Orientalism of today feeds oﬀ the fear from Muslim and East Asian Communist societies as a heavily publicized conspiracy theory. This is no longer spread by way of bookshops and libraries but Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and the Dark Web. It’s not just in America either. While the anti-Muslim agenda has been quite prevalent in the US for decades now, you also hear about it in France, Spain, Britain, Scandinavia, Hungary, Italy, Germany; basically, any country where the origins of “power-knowledge” eventually took hold. This more recent mindset has further shaped our domestic politics as the Trump administration consistently reminded us that we are besieged white men threatened by these barbarians who have burst through the gates to take their jobs, security, and overall livelihood. He wants to ‘Make America Great Again’ while simultaneously ignoring the fact that ALL Americans are either immigrants themselves or descended from them and were treated the exact same way once upon a time. The overall takeaway is that Orientalism is not just a trendy buzzword to exploit or avoid, but a concept born out of bloody histories of colonialism, capitalism, and domination. The contemporary landscape is bleak, and we cannot simply ignore its impact. Edward Said’s book and its theories are just as important today as they were when they were published. It saturates our very mindset as one of many parts of Western culture. Because Orientalism is a product of an Anglo-centric society, Saathee.com

Jennifer Allen works at Saathee and is also a Podcaster, Blogger, Photographer, Graphic Artist, Gamer, and an all around Pop Culture Geek. Reach her at saathee@Saathee.com

Fungi

continued from page 74

can benefit fungi, their habitats and people who study and steward them. One measure of success would be for people to ask not just whether a mushroom is poisonous or edible, but also whether it needs protection. Delegations from most of the world’s countries will meet in China this fall for a major conference on protecting biodiversity. Their goal is to set international benchmarks for conserving life on Earth for years to come. Mycologists want the plan to include mushrooms, yeasts and molds. Anyone who takes their curiosity outdoors can use community science platforms, such as iNaturalist, to report their observations of fungi and learn more. Joining a mycology club is a great way to learn how to find and harvest fungi responsibly, without overpicking or damaging their habitats. Fungi are forming important networks and partnerships all around us in the environment, moving resources and information in all directions between soil, water and other living things. To us, they exemplify the power of connection and cooperation – valuable traits in this precarious phase of life on Earth. Matt Kasson is Associate Professor of Mycology and Plant Pathology, West Virginia University Brian Lovett is Postdoctoral Researcher in Mycology, West Virginia University Patricia Kaishian is Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology, Bard College Article courtesy of Theconversation.com 94

June 2022

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H2 Laser & Skin .......................................................95

Raj Jewels (Morrisville, NC) .....................................6-7

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

Hindu Center of Charlotte (Events) ......................68-71

Rajdeep Video & Photography (Ramesh Panjabi)......11

Blumenthal Performing Arts (Events).........................31

Home Decorators Of America (Atlanta) .....................73

Ruby Kravitz Realtor (NC / SC) ..................................61

Bombay Grille (Charlotte)..........................................40

Indore Oil .................................................................75

Rug and Home.........................................................23

Brijal Shah (Keller Williams - Real Estate)..................53

InStride Carolina Podiatry Group...............................43

Saffron Restaurant and Catering...............................37

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

Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme Insurance Serv..67

Shah & Associates, CPA, PLLC.................................83

British Swim School..................................................13

Insurance Shopping (Sonal Patel - Independent Agent) 75

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC.........................................49

Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner).............98

Jet Direct Mortgage (Pooja Oberoi - Loan Officer).....57

Shah, Anish (Real Estate) ...................................44-45

C4D Mortgage (Jubi Chackunkal, P.E.) .....................75

JVC Realty (Balaji Tatineni Realtor / Broker)...............51

Sheraton Chapel Hill (ATMA Hotel Group) .................24

Carolina Law Group (Monty Desai)............................52

Kasarla, Gopal (Mortgage & Real Estate).............47/97

Shukla, Kirit (Music Lession & Band).........................57

Carolina Medical Partners.........................................41

KD Financial & KMD Realty.......................................36

Sona Realty (Venkat Suryadevara) ............................91

Carolina Pharmacy .................................................58

Khanna & Sons Jewelers .........................................19

SP Orthodontics (Matthews) .....................................65

CaroMont Medical Group (Bankim Patel MD) ...........80

Life Mission USA (Summer Youth Camp)..................30

The Blue Taj..............................................................79

Charlotte Chess Center ............................................59

Maadhurya Photography..........................................47

Travel Passion ..........................................................57

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat ..............................62

Maharani Indian Cuisine (Charlotte) ..........................53

Tropical Smoothie Café (Help Waned).......................85

Chiro-Carolina

....................................................82

Malak Jewelers........................................................27

Two Aces Pontoon / Tritoon Private Charter ..............13

Choice Indian Restaurant (Charlotte)...........................5

Malani Jewelers.....................................................100

Tyagi, Rita (Real Estate).............................................77

Classfieds...........................................................92-93

Malaya Kitchen.........................................................81

Union Family Eye Associates (Dr. Keshav Bhat).........61

Color Master Collision Center ...................................37

Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors) ........................43

Uniworld Travel .........................................................39

Concha, David (Immigration Attorney).......................81

Meenakshi Creations LLC.........................................65

VAS Mortgage (Ashwani Dalal) .................................39

Concord Children's Clinic ......................................85

Nareeka Collection ...................................................17

VAS Realty LLC (Ashwani Dalal)................................11

Copper Restaurant (Charlotte)...................................79

Neeta's Beauty Parlor...............................................80

Vema Mortgage LLC (Sebastian George) .49/55/67/95

County South Realty & Business Brokers..................82

Neha Kakkar Concert (Raleigh - June 17, 2022)........3

Venu Parepalli (Insurance) .....................................63

Dances Of India (Dr. Maha Gingrich).........................76

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

Windsor Run (Erickson Senior Living)........................21

Days Inn (Waynesville) ..............................................16

NSD Tax & Accounting Services................................17

Worldwide Travels.....................................................77

Saathee.com

June 2022

VEMA MORTGAGE

VEMA MORTGAGE NMLS#1019911

FOR ALL YOUR MORTGAGE NEEDS

PURCHASE & REFINANCE

Home Buyer Rebate Up To 2.0%* Home Listings From 1.0%*

• ZERO CLOSING COSTS OPTION AVAILABLE • TOP 1% BROKER IN USA

Gopal Kasarla

• MOST LOANS CLOSE IN 15 DAYS

980 297 9827

• #1 WHOLESALE BROKER IN TOWN

Email: grkasarla@gmail.com

For Property/Rental Management

980-297-9827

980 800 9999

866-666-LOAN (5626)

Email: contact@galaxypropertymgmt.com

Gopal Kasarla

Prime Real Estate Advisors LLC

NMLS# 1969570

Address: 10700 Sikes Place, Ste 345, Charlotte, NC 28277

GOPAL@VEMAMORTGAGE.COM

Saathee.com

June 2022

Saathee Charlotte June 2022

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