Saathee Charlotte November 2024 by Shukla Entertainment

Hello Readers

Read about ﬁlmmaker Tarsem Singh: Gifting Us All That Dreams are Made Of. See page 26.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Read the informative column on page 44.

Microplastic pollution is everywhere, even in the exhaled breath of dolphins, new research ﬁnds. Go to page 54.

Read about "Some Expenses Retirees Most Underestimate" in our Personal Finances column beginning on page 63.

This month's recipe is the mouth warming "Kathiawadi Dahi (Yogurt) Tikhara." Find it on page 74.

Check out our updated Pops Puzzles and Toons on page 102.

Flip over to our redesigned Classiﬁeds section beginning on page 108.

Share Saathee with friends and family. We would be happy to add anyone in the Carolinas to the Saathee subscription base at no charge, simply visit saathee.com/subscription and also sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter: saathee.com/weekly-e-newsletter

“The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool.”

- Stephen King

Cover: Phewa Lake, Nepal

Phewa Lake or Phewa Tal in Nepal located in the south of the Pokhara Valley that includes Pokhara city and parts of Sarangkot and Kaskikot. It is the second largest lake in Nepal.

Photo: Adobe Stock

“Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent.”

November 2024 Issue # 318

Editor Samir Shukla (Samir@Saathee.com)

Publisher & Advertising Divakar Shukla 704-527-7570 or saatheemag@hotmail.com

Digital Media & Marketing

Jennifer W. Allen

Ad Design / Layout DSJ Graphics & Manimaran

Contributors for this issue:

Nam Douglass, Walter High, Purvee Shukla, Dipika Kohli, Dr. Maha Gingrich, Parul Kharod Balaji Prasad, Mo Vidwans, Dilip Barman, Ketu Desai, and Jalendu Vaidya.

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

Saathee (USPS 021-116) (ISSN: 1543-8147) is published monthly by: Shukla Entertainment Inc.

612 Heather Ln., Charlotte, NC 28209

Periodicals postage paid at Charlotte, NC and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Saathee, P.O. Box 11468, Charlotte, NC 28220-1468

Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily of the publisher or editor. Please contact us prior to submitting articles or photographs. Saathee is published monthly. Deadlines for advertisement, submissions and events information is 15th of the month.

In This Issue

Page 14 Editor’s Desk: Joyful Anticipation

Page 36 Film Clips: Vijay 69 Starring Anupam Kher Opens in November

Content

The Editor’s Desk pg. 14

Upcoming Events pg. 18

Mirror, Mirror pg. 26

US Chess Masters in Charlotte . . .pg. 28

Older Men and Isolation pg. 80

Upcoming Movie Releases . . . . . . .pg. 34

Film Clips pg. 36

Thinking About Thinking pg. 40

Nutrition for Life pg. 44

Page 28: A Thanksgiving Chess Match. US Masters in Charlotte.

Page 74 Recipe: Kathiawadi Dahi Tikhari

Eye on the Markets pg. 46

Kismuth and the Way II pg. 50

Microplastics Everywhere pg. 54

Spot the Differences .

.pg. 56

Dances of India pg. 58

Personal Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 62

News Notes pg. 64

Jaipur Lit Fest NC Review pg. 68

Immigration Matters pg. 70

Recipe: Kathiawadi Dahi Tikhara pg. 74

Corner

Tune Your Brain pg. 100

Pop’s Puzzles & Toons . . . . . . . . .pg. 102 Festivals and Holidays pg. 104 Puzzle Solutions pg. 104

Index of Advertisers pg. 112

Editor’s Desk

by Samir Shukla

Joyful Anticipation

I was sitting on an outdoor bench outside a shopping center on a late summer day.

A kid, maybe around 3 or 4 years old, was looking out over the edge of the parking lot. His head swayed back and forth in quick movements, mimicking the motions of a bird’s head. He seemed to be looking for something or someone. A few minutes later, his grandmother appeared within his eyesight. His eyes lit up and he yelled, “grandmamma!”

“See I told you grandmamma was coming,” the mother let his hand go and the kid ran across the small grassy area and into his grandmother’s arms.

I watched this scene and a smile broke on my face while a large imaginary movie screen appeared, showing me B&W and technicolor ﬂashback reels of my youth. The screen replayed numerous such anticipation moments of years past. Those carefree days when our spirits were young and even the smallest potential reward or an upcoming trip or visit to a relative became an epic ﬁlm of anticipations.

Kids are naturally attuned to the immediate present and even more to some anticipatory thing or event that they have been told about. If they are told on Monday that they will be taken for pizza on Saturday, the whole week is a joyful time of looking forward to that fun, even though a rather common, happening, going out for pizza.

While our youth progresses into adulthood, many people, somewhere along the way, become jaded and toss aside or forget about those warm feelings of anticipation. It’s the busyness of life, the anxieties and travails, sure, but with a little tap into that forgotten youthful energy and the span of time for that upcoming trip to the beach can also become an ointment for daily pains that invariably happen.

Anticipation becomes a natural healer, a friendly hand patting you on the back and saying, hey, it’s going be ok. Soon, you’ll be sitting on the beach, toes in the sand.

That’s the hidden power of anticipation.

Even if that trip to the beach turns out to be a soggy, cloudy aﬀair or that long-awaited concert doesn’t quite live up to expectations, those moments of anticipation make light of the time leading up to the trip, event or moment.

It’s interesting, but sometimes the anticipation may turn out to be more fun than whatever is anticipated. Such are the ﬂeeting joys of life.

Now, of course I’m talking about fun things coming up. There’s also the anticipation of unfun and stress-inducing events, like that ﬁnal exam or an upcoming job interview. I’ll leave these passages of time for you to work out and navigate.

Getting back to that late summer day, the act of anticipation glowed in the kid’s eyes, awakened probably when his mom told him grandmamma was coming to meet them. His wide smile made the sunny day sunnier, for him and me.

I don’t know about you, but I’m glad I’ve never quite lost that childlike love of anticipation. It’s one of life’s completely free gifts that are too often set aside. Remember that kid in the parking lot. Recall him in yourself and relive some joyful anticipation.

Even if the anticipated is a routine trip to the park, or that often consumed pizza.

Samir Shukla

is the Editor of Saathee Magazine

Contact: Samir@Saathee.com Twitter: @ShuklaWrites Newsletter: ShuklaWrites.Substack.com

Upcoming Events

Charleston Literary Festival (November 1 - 10, 2024)

The Charleston Literary Festival is a worldclass literary festival with an international edge based in the heart of Charleston, SC. The festival provides a forum for experiencing the transformative power of books, conversations and big ideas. Various authors will be on hand to discuss their works between November 1 & 10, 2024 at the Dock Street Theatre. Info: Charlestonliteraryfestival.com.

Run for Western Carolina: Morrisville,

NC (November 3, 2024)

As we unite to support disaster relief efforts in Western North Carolina, Triangle Area Hindi Temples (TAHTS) needs help to make a meaningful difference. The Disaster Relief Committee under TAHTS is organizing a 5K Run/Walk to raise funds for the communities devastated by Hurricane Helene. This event will be held on Sunday, November 3, 2024 at the Morrisville State Park. Check-in will begin at 9am with the Run/Walk starting at 10am. Your participation will help bring our community together and provide critical support to those affected. You can also donate and/or register through this link. Details: Tahts.org.

Verse

& Vino: Charlotte, NC (November 7, 2024)

Statesville Pumpkin Festival: (November 2, 2024) Pumpkins dot the streets of downtown Statesville for this festival featuring a classic car show, two stages with live entertainment and performances, along with plenty of activities for children on Saturday, November 2, 2024. For full details, visit Statesvillepumpkinfest.com.

WNC Pottery Festival: Sylva, NC (November 2, 2024)

Master potters will exhibit some of North Carolina’s ﬁnest pottery at this one-day festival on Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 10am – 4pm in Sylva, NC. Technique demonstrations and contests will keep pottery lovers busy between checking out local art galleries & boutiques, and shopping at the street fair. Tickets are $5 at the gate. Info: Wncpotteryfestival.com.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Foundation’s 11th annual Verse & Vino will take place on Thursday, November 7, 2024, at the Charlotte Convention Center. The fundraiser will feature bestselling authors such as Emiko Jean, Edward Lee, Essie Chambers, and Jessica Shattuck. The Library Foundation hopes to raise $600,000 to support the library’s mission, including building a new Main Library and expanding its programs and collections. More info is available at foundation.cmlibrary.org/events/verse-vino.

Fall

for

Greenville

(November 8 - 10, 2024)

Discover a world of tempting tastes, sights and sounds, as mouthwatering aromas carry you along Greenville’s Main Street. With over 40 restaurants featuring over 200 menu items and free entertainment on seven stages, Greenville, SC invites you to enjoy this popular outdoor festival. It will be held between November 8 & 10, 2024, indulge in a weekend full of ﬂavor. Admission is free. Info: Fallforgreenville.net.

The Polar Express Train Ride: Spencer, NC

(November 8 – December 23, 2024)

Inspired by The Polar Express book and movie, this holiday favorite comes to life at the North Carolina Transportation Museum. Music is played from the ﬁlm’s soundtrack as passengers are served hot chocolate and cookies on board the train. To be fully immersed in the magic of this holiday favorite, families are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride. Takes place November 8 – December 23, 2024. The museum is located at 1 Samuel Spencer Dr, Spencer, NC. Details: Nctransportationmuseum.org.

Mythical & Medieval Fest: Myrtle Beach, SC

(November 9 - 17, 2024)

Enter a whimsical realm ﬁlled with a fairy forest, medieval combat, princesses, artisan’s village area, ﬁre show and so much more. The event is geared toward the whole family. All shows and live music are included with paid admission between the two weekends of November 9-10, 2024, and November 16-17, 2024. Info: Mythicalmedievalfest.com

Upcoming Events

Uma Shakti Dham Diwali Celebration: Gastonia, NC (November 10, 2024)

The Vishv Umiya Foundation NC Chapter & Uma Shakti Dham present the 3rd annual Diwali Celebration on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at Gaston Day School in Gastonia, NC. Enjoy cultural performances, festive lights, and community unity. For more details, 252-508-9898.

Southern Christmas Show:

Charlotte, NC (November 14 - 24, 2024)

A countdown of Yuletide cheer, brimming with festive décor and seasonal magic. Find shops, festive music, crafts, yummy food, holiday décor, local wines, Santa, over 420 holiday merchants. The 57th annual show will be held from November 14-24, 2024, at the Park Expo and Conference Center in Charlotte. Info: Southernchristmasshow.com.

Diwali Cultural Program & Mela:

Charlotte, NC (November 16, 2024)

The Hindu Center of Charlotte presents its annual Diwali Cultural Program & Mela on Saturday, November 16, 2024, from 11 am – 7 pm at the Vihar Hall. There will be vendors with clothing, jewelry, crafts, lots of food along with performances by the community. The center is located at 7400 City View Dr. Admission is free. For more details, call 704-535-3440 or visit Hcclt.org.

Morrisville, NC (November 16, 2024)

Triangle Gujarati Association presents a Diwali Gala Dinner on Saturday, November 16, 2024, beginning at 6pm, at HSNC Main Hall, Morrisville, NC. Experience delicious food with live performances by Carolina Indian Arts dance group and Nazaare team. For more details call 919-353-0550 or visit Nctga.org.

Pajama Walk: Charlotte, NC (November 17, 2024)

The Pajama Walk is a community event to raise awareness and funds for Friendship Circle & ZABS Place - two local non-proﬁts oﬀering social opportunities and training & employment for individuals with special needs abilities and talents. It will be held on Sunday, November 17, 2024, beginning at noon. The venue is McAlpine Creek Park, 8711 Monroe Rd., Charlotte. Info: Pajamawalk.com.

NC Chinese Lantern Festival: Cary, NC (November 16, 2024 - January 12, 2025) Cary’s Koka Booth Amphitheatre will once again welcome the North Carolina Chinese Lantern Festival from November 16, 2024 thru January 12, 2025. Chinese artisans will be on hand to craft more than 40 new displays, each one comprised of hundreds of parts, and thousands of LED lights. These larger-than-life lanterns will captivate visitors at every turn with amazing craftmanship and artistic beauty. Cultural arts performances will also take place each night on the main stage. Info: Boothamphitheatre.com.

Cucalorus Film Festival: Wilmington, NC (November 20 - 24, 2024)

The 30th annual Cucalorus Film Festival will take place November 20-24, 2024, in downtown Wilmington, NC. The non-competitive festival showcases more than 90 films from all over the world. Filmmakers, performers, activists, and community members come to celebrate the artform and discover new work. Festival programs focus on social justice, dance on camera, emerging voices, southern stories, horror & the bizarre, and the finest indie films of the year. Get all the details at Cucalorus.org.

Tryon International Film Festival (November 22 - 24, 2024)

The annual Tryon International Film Festival is one of the few film festivals in the world that employs the entire town. Six screening venues operate seamlessly during the three-day event as retail shops, restaurants and bars come alive with activity as filmmakers and fans walk the streets, enjoy street entertainment & art. The festival will run between November 22 - 24, 2024. Info: Tryoninternationalfilmfestival.org.

Diwali Gala Dinner:

Upcoming Events

Speedway Christmas: Charlotte, NC (November 22, 2024 – January 5, 2025)

The 15th season of the Southeast’s largest drive-through holiday light show, Speedway Christmas, features more than ﬁve million lights on a fourmile course that includes the legendary oval, pit road and inﬁeld road course. The show is open 6-10 p.m. rain or shine and features synchronized lights-tomusic on 101.3 FM plus drive-in movies on the gigantic Speedway TV every Thursday through Sunday night from November 22, 2024 - January 5, 2025. Info: Charlottemotorspeedway.com.

Vegetarian Thanksgiving Feast: Durham, NC (November 28, 2024)

The Nutcracker by Charlotte Youth Ballet: (December 6 – 8, 2024)

Be swept away on a magical journey to the land of the sweets in the 44th annual production of The Nutcracker. This family-friendly event is a holiday tradition that showcases the artistry of local student dancers and professionals from around the world. Charlotte Youth Ballet is a nonproﬁt organization. The performances will take place from December 6 – 8, 2024 at Dale F. Halton Theater, 1206 Elizabeth Ave., Charlotte. Info: Charlotteyouthballet.org.

The Triangle Vegetarian Society (TVS) presents their annual vegetarian Thanksgiving Day Feast at Parizade in Durham on Thursday, November 28, 2024. This is one of the largest plantbased feasts in the country. The Triangle Vegetarian Society in Durham provides information and support for those interested in any aspect of plant-based diets. Details: Trianglevegsociety.org.

Christmas Town USA: McAdenville, NC (December 2 - 26, 2024)

Each December, just west of Charlotte, the quaint town of McAdenville becomes a Christmas wonderland. Almost overnight, the vibrant little town transforms into Christmas Town U.S.A., attracting visitors from across the country. Green, red and white lights will shine from 5:30 to 10 pm each night. A Tree Lighing Ceremony will take place on December 2, 2024 at 102 Main St., McAdenville, NCat 5:30pm. For full details, visit Townofmcadenville.org.

Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular: Charlotte, NC (December 5 – 29, 2024)

Keep up with all the events happening in our region with Saathee Magazine. The best way to find them is in these pages or online at our regularly updated events section: Saathee.com/events

Ballantyne’s Backyard presents this holiday extravaganza from December 5 – 29, 2024. The annual event will once again transform the Backyard into a wonderland, featuring an outdoor halfmile walking trail adorned with over a million spectacular lights, holiday scenes, and festive music. Also on tap is the light castle, a 30-foot by 40-foot structure that visitors can walk through and explore, immersing themselves in a magical, illuminated world. For details, visit Ncholidaylights.com or call 800-830-3976.

Tarsem Singh: Gifting Us All That Dreams

Made Of Tarsem Singh: Gifting Us All That Dreams are Made Of

are

Mirror,

Mirror

by Jennifer Allen

At some point in your life, you will be in a position to tell a story.

And along with you as the teller, there needs to be a listener. Perhaps you’ve told other stories before. You’ve told them enough to insert the best jokes, pushed for the most precise story beats, and edited the worst (or best) bits to ﬁnd the perfect ﬂow. The story wants something, just like you want something. It wants to live, to be responded to, to compel certain feelings for both you and your audience.

Or perhaps instead this is your ﬁrst opportunity to tackle a narrative. The characters are ﬂeshed out as the story progresses… one clumsy sentence at a time. Their circumstances are woven together from tattered bits of ideas dancing around in your mind. You tell a story about this

made-up protagonist and the journey you want them to have… and maybe, just maybe it will still entertain your listener despite your novice choices.

But then… sometimes you have a truly singular experience where these two come together and a truly unique tale unfolds between them; and this story will come to deﬁne the both of you.

Tarsem Singh’s The Fall is a story about stories. It’s a ﬁlm made by a visionary director, that tells a story about how no story is the product of just one teller. It’s a story that makes no logical sense, and yet its message is extremely clear. When two or more tellers are given reign to contribute to the same fable, one can never be absolutely sure how the other will respond. You can only control so much, as the overarching themes never belong only to you.

The Fall is a breathtaking cacophony of vivid storytelling thanks in no small part to an amazing crew. It couldn’t have

Mirror, Mirror continued on page 90

A Thanksgiving Chess Match

US Masters Returns to Charlotte

By Walter High

This Thanksgiving weekend, November 2024, Charlotte will become the Chess Epicenter of the country. How did Charlotte become so Chess-savvy? Actually, Queen City’s chess roots run deep.

Chess is one of the oldest continuously played games in the world, with roots that trace back over 1,500 years to the Indian subcontinent. The game also has a rich history in North Carolina and now particularly in Charlotte. Thirty years ago, Charlotte produced Mike Klein who became the best scholastic chess player in North Carolina while in the sixth grade. He has now gone on to become the renowned “Fun Master Mike” on Chess.com where he is beloved by youth chess players across the globe.

More recently, Peter Giannatos came up through the Charlotte scholastic ranks with an unmatched passion for chess. Graduating from UNC-Charlotte with a business degree, this son of Greek immigrants was determined to establish a brick-and-mortar chess club for the city. He began organizing chess tournaments while still in high school and found his calling in teaching chess to others. In 2014, Giannatos founded the Charlotte Chess Center (CCC) with initial ﬁnancial help from the Charlotte community. It now operates chess instruction programs in over 60 elementary schools in the greater Charlotte metropolitan area, reaching nearly 2,000 children. The Center also provides regular on-site instruction and competition at its two locations, making chess available to the community every day of the week.

While Giannatos worked on enhancing chess in Charlotte, I used my organizational skills toward creating better chess opportunities for state residents by establishing a series of local tournaments in the central part of North Carolina.

The goal was to bring strong competition into North Carolina rather than having local players travel outside the state to seek such challenges. He successfully used his Carolinas Chess Initiative organization to bid for and win the right to host the United States Masters Chess Championship, a tournament designed for Master-level competition. From 2012 to 2019 this Greensboro-based

Chess continued on page 80

Older Men’s Connections Often Wither When They’re on Their Own

Older Men’s Connections Often

Wither When They’re on Their Own

By Judith Graham

At age 66, South Carolina physician Paul Rousseau decided to retire after tending for decades to the suﬀering of people who were seriously ill or dying. It was a diﬃcult and emotionally fraught transition.

“I didn’t know what I was going to do, where I was going to go,” he told me, describing a period of crisis that began in 2017.

Seeking a change of venue, Rousseau moved to the mountains of North Carolina, the start of an extended period of wandering. Soon, a sense of emptiness enveloped him. He had no friends or hobbies — his work as a doctor had been all-consuming. Former colleagues didn’t get in touch, nor did he reach out.

His wife had passed away after a painful illness a decade earlier. Rousseau was estranged from one adult daughter and in only occasional contact with another. His isolation mounted as his three dogs, his most reliable companions, died.

Rousseau was completely alone — without friends, family, or a professional identity — and overcome by a sense of loss.

“I was a somewhat distinguished physician with a 60page resume,” Rousseau, now 73, wrote in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society in May. “Now, I’m ‘no one,’ a retired, forgotten old man who dithers away the days.”

In some ways, older men living alone are disadvantaged compared with older women in similar circumstances. Research shows that men tend to have fewer friends than women and be less inclined to make new friends. Often, they’re reluctant to ask for help.

“Men have a harder time being connected and reaching out,” said Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist who directs the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has traced the arc of hundreds of men’s lives over a span of more than eight decades. The men in the study who fared the worst, Waldinger said, “didn’t have friendships and things they were interested in — and couldn’t find them.” He recommends that men invest in their “social fitness” in addition to their physical fitness to ensure they have satisfying social interactions.

Slightly more than 1 in every 5 men ages 65 to 74 live alone, according to 2022 Census Bureau data. That rises to nearly 1 in 4 for those 75 or older. Nearly 40% of these men are divorced, 31% are widowed, and 21% never married.

That’s a significant change from 2000, when only 1 in 6 older men lived by themselves. Longer life spans for men and rising divorce rates are contributing to the trend. It’s difficult to find information about this group — which is dwarfed by the number of women who live alone — because it hasn’t been studied in depth. But psychologists and psychiatrists say these older men can be quite vulnerable.

When men are widowed, their health and well-being tend to decline more than women’s.

“Older men have a tendency to ruminate, to get into our heads with worries and fears and to feel more lonely and isolated,” said Jed Diamond, 80, a therapist and the author of Surviving Male Menopause and The Irritable Male Syndrome.

Add in the decline of civic institutions where men used to congregate — think of the Elks or the Shriners — and Older Men continued on page 82

● Meet virtually or in-person (S.

● Flexible scheduling (Weekdays / weekends)

● Small group and private tutoring

Upcoming Movie Releases

November 1

Bhool Bhulayaa 3 (Director: Anees Bazmee)

Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Madhuri Dixit, and Triptii Dimri

Singham Again (Director: Rohit Shetty)

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar. Ranveer Singh, and Jackie Shroﬀ

Lucky Baskhar (Director: Venky Atluri)

Cast: Dulquer Salmaan and Meenakshi Chaudhary

Mechanic Rocky (Director: Ravi Teja Mullapudi)

Cast: Vishwak Sen, Meenakshi Chaudhary, and Shraddha Srinath

Zebra (Director: Eashvar Karthic)

Cast: Satyadev, Daali, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Satya Akkala, and Sathyaraj

Juror # 2 (Director: Clint Eastwood)

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Toni Collette, J K Simmons, and Kiefer Sutherland

November 8

The Piano Lesson (Director: Malcolm Washington)

Cast: Samuel L Jackson, John David Washington, and Erykah Badu

Vijay 69 (Director: Akshay Roy)

Cast: Anupam Kher, Chunky Panday, and Mihir Ahuja

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever (Director: Dallas Jenkins)

Cast: Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, and Lauren Graham

Elevation (Director: George Nolﬁ)

Cast: Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson, and Tony Goldwyn

November 15

Red One (Director: Jake Kasdam)

Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans, and JK Simmons

The Sabarmati Report (Director: Ranjan Chandel)

Cast: Vikrant Massey, Raashii Khanna and Riddhi Dogra

Heretic

(Directors: Scott Beck & Bryan Woods)

Cast: Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, a nd Chloe East

Matka (Director: Karuna Kumar)

Cast: Varun Tej, Meenakshi Chaudhary, and Ajay Ghosh

November 22

Wicked (Director: Jon M Chu)

Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeﬀ Goldblum

Gladiator II (Director: Ridley Scott)

Cast: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, and Denzel Washington

Dhadak 2 (Director: Shazia Iqbal)

Cast: Siddhant Chaturvedi and Triptii Dimri

Suswagatam Khushamadeed (Director: Dhiraj Kumar)

Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Isabelle Kaif, Sahil Vaid, and Manu Rishi Chadha

Armor (Director: Justin Routt)

Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Josh Wiggins, Dash Mihok, and Jason Patric

November 27-29

Moana 2 (Director: David Derrick Jr)

Cast: Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Gerald Ramsey, and Alan Tudyk

Queer (Director: Luca Guadagnino)

Cast: Daniel Craig, Drew Starkey, Jason Schwartzman, and Henry Zaga

Metro… in Dino (Director: Anurag Basu)

Cast: Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, and Pankaj Tripathi

Maria (Director: Luca Guadagnino)

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Valeria Golino

Badtameez Gill (Director: Navjot Gulati)

Cast: Vaani Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurana, a nd Paresh Rawal

F i l m C l i p s

The Piano Lesson

A brother and sister’s battle over a prized family heirloom piano unleashes the haunting truths about how the past is perceived — and who deﬁnes a family legacy. The ﬁlm is directed by Malcolm Washington and features stars Samuel L Jackson, John David Washington, & Erykah Badu. Look for it on November 8, 2024.

All We Imagine As Light

The lives of working-class Mumbai are explored in the ﬁlm centering on roommates who also work together in a city hospital. It’s a soulful study of the power of friendship and sisterhood. Directed by Payal Kapadia and starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam. Opens on November 15, 2024.

Vijay 69

Veteran actor Anupam

Kher stars in a story that revolves around a man who decides to compete in a triathlon contest at the age of 69. Akshay Roy directs the ensemble cast that also includes Chunky Panday and Mihir Ahuja. The movie opens on November 8, 2024

Matka

The ﬁlm, directed by Karuna Kumar, is set between the years 1958 and 1982, based on the Matka gambling scams that rocked the country during that time. Matka hits the screens on November 14, 2024, and stars Varun Tej, Meenakshi Chaudhary, and Ajay Ghosh.

Chhaava

The epic biopic of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is directed by Laxman Utekar and stars Vicky kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna and Akshaye Khanna. The movie is slated to open on December 6, 2024

Metro… in Dino

Director Anurag Basu returns with the sequel to Metro with stories of bittersweet relationships in a contemporary setting, exploring various aspects, hues, and moods of love. The multi star cast includes Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Anupam Kher, and Pankaj Tripathi. Look for the ﬁlm on November 29, 2024.

Oh Canada

Leonard Fife, one of sixty thousand draft evaders and deserters who ﬂed to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam, shares all his secrets to de-mythologize his mythologized life. Paul Schrader directs Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, and Jacob Elordi. It opens on December 6, 2024.

Truth or Dare! Truth or Dare!

Thinking

About Thinking by Balaji Prasad

“Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

Is it necessary to be truthful? That is a deep philosophical question in a world that teems with lies of various shades and hues.

Putting that weighty question of necessity aside, is it even possible to be truthful. And what does it even mean to say that you are being “truthful”?

What is “truthfulness”?

There is a reality that we live in. And then there is the mind, and all its various incarnations: of spirit, soul, emotion, cognition, consciousness, intelligence, and so forth.

A working deﬁnition of truthfulness may be the alignment of these two things: reality and your mind.

However, achieving truthfulness is way easier said than done. There are many obstacles along the way.

What exactly do you know?

The ﬁrst obstacle is what you know about the reality around you that is of relevance. Reality is multi-dimensional. Reality is large.

Diabetes Awareness Month

Nutrition for Life

by Parul Kharod

November is dedicated to diabetes awareness in honor of Dr. Frederick Banting, who discovered insulin in 1921.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, approximately 537 million adults (20-79 years) worldwide are living with diabetes. The total number of people living with diabetes is projected to rise to 643 million by 2030 and 783 million by 2045.

The South Asian population is particularly at a higher risk of diabetes due to factors such as genetic predisposition, sedentary lifestyle, higher fat around the abdomen (visceral adiposity), and unbalanced diets with higher intake of simple starches and lower protein intake.

In the past century since the discovery of insulin, and speciﬁcally in the past decade, there have been many advances in the management of diabetes. There are new medications, insulin pumps, and continuous glucose monitors which help doctors and patients make more informed decisions about treatment.

Let us learn about some of the new drugs on the market and how they may aﬀect how and what you eat.

There are lots of diﬀerent pills and injections for people with Type 2 diabetes. There are 2 main types of diabetes medicines: non-insulin medicines and insulin. Insulin can only be taken as an injection. Non-insulin medicines can be oral pills or injections. Some people may need just one type of medication, and some may need a combination.

New Treatments for diabetes and weight loss

The latest class of medications are GLP-1 receptor agonists. You may have heard of these by their brand names.

Trulicity: Taken as injection once a week

Victoza: Taken as injection once a week

Ozempic: Taken as injection once a week

Rybelsus: Taken by mouth once daily

TooDefensive TooDefensive

Eye on the Markets

by Ketu Desai

The Fed started to normalize interest rates by cutting 50bps in September. The Fed expects to cut twice more this year by 25bps each. They forecast another 100bps of cuts in 2025 and 50bps in 2026. With inﬂation heading toward 2%, the risk is skewed toward the labor market. The easing cycle will reduce that risk. For the past 2+ years, the Fed wanted to cool things down. Investors were ﬁghting the Fed and now, Fed put has returned.

The Fed is here to support the labor market, consumers, corporate confidence, credit markets and a strong banking system. We are settling into a normalized environment with 2-2.5% growth and inflation. The yield curve has inflected positive and is steepening. A positive yield curve will normalize banking and likely open up capital markets. The irony is that as growth risks are reduced, long-rates are likely to rise. It seems likely that they will continue to normalize to a level that is roughly near nominal GDP growth.

With the economy normalizing, the Fed easing, and a positive yield curve, investors are positioned too defensively. Money market assets total $6.8 trillion, up more than 50% from the level prior to the pandemic. Investors added $126bn after the Fed cut. The yield on these assets is on its way to being cut in half. The real yield on these assets

will move close to zero. Even within equities, positioning is too defensive.

Positioning in sectors such as utilities and consumer staples is elevated. For instance, positioning in utilities is the highest since December 2008, 2.8 standard deviations above its long-term average. Utilities trade at 19.4x earnings for 8% growth. Compare that to communication services trading at 17.4x for 19% growth. Communication services give you exposure to some of the best companies in the world including Alphabet, Meta (Facebook), and Netﬂix. You can buy Nvidia at 28x earnings for 40% growth. Compare that to buying Colgate for 27x for 9% growth, Costco at 50x for 11% growth, Procter & Gamble at 23x for 7% growth, or Walmart at 29x for 11% growth. Rate cuts are likely to give investors more conﬁdence to step out on the risk curve, driving mean reversion for many defensive sectors and asset classes.

Many infrastructure-related names (certain semiconductors, industrials and materials) have lagged recently. They have underperformed for a number of reasons, including that they were crowded trades (especially in the Yen carry trade), investors were worried about the economy, and investors questioned whether the AIspending would continue.

There is now more certainty around all of these concerns. Four important events occurred in September that will likely

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New Checklists

and the Way II

by Dipika Kohli

You don’t know what you could become tomorrow, a year from now, or ten. You don’t know what might happen if x or y event occurred. Or didn’t. At every moment there are a zillion things that could change, that could happen, that could switch it up in unbelievable, undreamable ways. To acknowledge this mystery is part of changing. My to-do lists have a lot of blank lines, for ﬁlling in later, when pertinent information comes in. I know it’s not completely comfortable to plan for uncertainty, but that’s been an outsize part of how I design the next chapters, personally. I wouldn’t have ever planned to go abroad three times in wildly diﬀerent cultures (Ireland, Japan, Cambodia), but there you have it. You don’t know what you don’t know. Mm. Let’s talk about the knowns and unknowns in life.

Known: Things you can pretty much count on because of the laws of physics, for example. Sun will rise tomorrow: of this, we can be pretty sure.

Unknown: When we have an intuition, a gut feeling about something, and for sure enough, it turns out to be true.

Known unknowns: Things you are quite sure that you have zero idea about. Is there life after death? Are there other life forms in the universe?

Unknown unknowns: No idea.

Examining, we see there are things we know, and, of course, things we don’t know, co-existing right now, in this moment. Things we may forget, or items we’ll change our mind about.

Kismuth

Anjana Patel RPH

Speaks fluently in Gujarati and Hindi

Have a trusted licensed pharmacist review your medications to help pick the right Medicare plan.

● Apply for extra help to lower prescription copays for brand and generic medications (based on certain financial eligibility)

● Supplements, prescription drug plans, and Medicare Advantage plans (Part C which includes dental, vision, and hearing benefit)

● Assistance for individuals that are new to Medicare, individuals looking to switch to Medicare Advantage, or will be turning 65.

Microplastic Pollution is Everywhere, Even in the Exhaled Breath of Dolphins

By Leslie Hart and Miranda Dziobak

Bottlenose dolphins in Sarasota Bay in Florida and Barataria Bay in Louisiana are exhaling microplastic ﬁbers, according to our new research published in the journal PLOS One.

Tiny plastic pieces have spread all over the planet – on land, in the air and even in clouds. An estimated 170 trillion bits of microplastic are estimated to be in the oceans alone. Across the globe, research has found people and wildlife are exposed to microplastics mainly through eating and drinking, but also through breathing.

A plastic microﬁber found in the exhaled breath of a bottlenose dolphin is nearly 14 times smaller than a strand of hair and can be seen only with a microscope. Miranda Dziobak/College of Charleston, CC BY-SA

Our study found the microplastic particles exhaled by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are similar in chemical composition to those identiﬁed in human lungs. Whether dolphins are exposed to more of these pollutants than people are is not yet known.

Why it matters

In humans, inhaled microplastics can cause lung inﬂammation, which can lead to problems including tissue damage, excess mucus, pneumonia, bronchitis, scarring and possibly cancer. Since dolphins and humans inhale similar plastic particles, dolphins may be at risk for the same lung problems.

Research also shows plastics contain chemicals that, in humans, can aﬀect reproduction, cardiovascular health and neurological function. Since dolphins are mammals, microplastics may well pose these health risks for them, too.

As top predators with decades-long life spans, bottlenose dolphins help scientists understand the impacts of pollutants on marine ecosystems – and the related health risks for people living near coasts. This research is important because more than 41% of the world’s human population lives within 62 miles (100 km) of a coast.

Microplastics continued on page 94

Spot the Differences

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

Positive Energy of Festival Dances

Dances of India

by Dr. Maha Gingrich

Watching the Hurricanes Helene and Milton that caused serious devastation and destruction was a painful experience. Especially, as I see my favorite Chimney Rock (Lake Lure) totally wiped out by the floods along with my favorite stores was heart wrenching. This is our favorite place to enjoy nature, relax and find peace when needed. Simultaneously, we started celebrating major Indian festivals such as Dasara and Diwali or Vijaya Dashami and Deepavali or however you want to spell it or name it, depending on the regions. Now due to floods, many people might not be able to celebrate these festivals in those regions. As I always say, dance heals hurting hearts. Those of you who can, it is time to get your best traditional clothing out of those closets and dress up to dance for hours until you get blisters on your feet. My students always came to classes irrespective of those blisters. Now that is called dedication! The bottom line is there is so much inner joy in dancing with family and friends. It is the same joy even professional

dancers get when they perform dance dramas working closely with their dance groups.

The festival of Dasara has many stories according to the regions in India. For the same reason, you will also have many dances in diﬀerent classical and folk dances depicting the stories of the regions.

The name Dasara is derived from Sanskrit Dasha-hara referring to Lord Rama’s victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravana. In most of northern India and some parts of Maharashtra, Dasha-Hara is celebrated in honor of Lord Rama known as Ram Lilas. Most of these dances are outdoor dance dramas attracting thousands of people.

In the region of Uttarakhand, the Dasara festival starts with the performance of Ram Lila which is unique as it is based on the musical rendering of the Katha or story of Lord Rama. It is based on the theatrical traditions set by Uday Shankar, a dancer and a choreographer, during his stay in Almora; Ram Lila has been recognized by UNESCO in its 2008 report as one of the representative styles of Ram Lila dances in India.

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Some Expenses Retirees Most Underestimate

Some Expenses

Retirees Most Underestimate

Personal Finances

by Mo Vidwans

With each passing year, Americans seem to be less prepared for their retirement; that was the upsetting and somewhat unsettling conclusion Fidelity had made from the data collected in one of their recent surveys.

When we are working most of our active lives, say about 40 to 50 years, it is hard to imagine what new things retirement life is going to bring. Generally, there is only excitement about the free time we would have to spend with our family and friends, perhaps travel and many other things we can imagine. And in all fairness, I would assume, we have accumulated enough wealth to take care of all that. This would leave time to may be occasionally gaze at the blue skies and watch the grass grow.

One thing is not often thought about or planned. It is hard to comprehend and get our arms around the fact that our annually increasing income that we were used to is going to stop, sometimes suddenly, and we have to learn to live on our savings and income from savings. Granted there are 401k and SSA, whenever you have decided to start it, and for about 10% to 15% there are pensions, but that has become a disappearing phenomenon and if it is there it is a ﬁxed amount which will not change for the rest of your life.

The surprise is that the income stream is now ﬁxed, and we are required to balance that with the expenses that we already have.

One surprising fact that is very hard to digest for many is that the expenses do not go down in retirement. They do change their composition, which means if we were spending more on clothes and shoes and perhaps personal grooming then it may diminish but the travel/pleasure/health expenses may go up.

Generally, 90% of people that I have talked to will say that their total expenses, for sure, will not go down. Hence, we face this music, when we retire, of matching the expenses to the income stream. The one pill that is hard to swallow is that expenses constantly go up, at least by the rate of inﬂation, but the income stream is fairly steady.

Here are some numbers as to how inflation affects us. At 3% annual inflation general prices will double between 23 and 24 years and at 4% inflation they will double between 17 to 18 years (A gallon of milk will go from $3 today to $6 in that period). That kind of time frame is within a retiree’s lifespan. Now we can appreciate why the Federal Reserve is so adamant to bring the inflation down and keep it there. Their goal being 2% annual inflation while clearly understanding that there will always be some inflation. Another point driven and derived by the same Fidelity survey was that people in general are saving less and investing more conservatively. This is something that many financial experts and economists would consider as a natural reaction during a financially challenging environment; and that we certainly went through during the Covid epidemic and afterwards. As we have seen in the past and at the present time in many countries like Argentina and Turkey where inflation was rampant, and people tend to spend money now and take possession of goods now because these goods become even more expensive later because of high rate of inflation. Consequently, people tend to save less and whatever investment they wish to make is done conservatively. This attitude, and tendency, is understandable given the COVID years and the tumult we faced afterwards.

What I am getting at is the fact that most of these fixed incomes, with the exception of SSA, which is adjusted for inflation every year now (this is also a fairly recent event) and that is the first surprise we have to get used to. Some interesting statistics put out by the Department of Labor as far as the unexpected expenses are concerned: the average 65-year-old couple will need $315,000 to cover medical costs over their lifetimes.

Another one from Fidelity is: the average American aged 65 and older spends $1,993 per year on eating out. There is more about adult diapers and such, but I will not get into that; just know that they are very expensive.

Healthcare costs are an event that has no mercy, or any timeframe and we just must brace ourselves to get ready for the worst. It may or may not happen to some, but we should be ready for it. A common misunderstanding is that Medicare will take care of it. And it does take care of many but certainly not all of your healthcare concerns or issues. There is also a monthly premium per person which goes up every year and could go up substantially if our AGI suddenly rises for whatever reason (IRMAA eﬀect).

India hosts Australia, Japan and U.S. forces in Exercise Malabar 2024

VISAKHAPATNAM, INDIA – Australia, Japan, and U.S. forces joined the host Indian Navy for an opening ceremony to celebrate the launch of ﬁeld-training exercise Malabar 2024 in Vishakhapatnam, India, on October 9, 2024.

The ceremony and associated shore-phase activities were followed by scheduled at-sea exercises in the Bay of Bengal, India.

“I’m fired up to be here today with my counterparts as our navies train together in the Indian Ocean to strengthen our combat readiness, maritime integration, and interoperability,” said Adm. Steve Koehler, commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet. “Malabar is a great example of a combined team operating together in order to deter conflict and reinforce our shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

This year marks the 28th iteration of the Malabar exercise, which began in 1992 as a bilateral exercise between the United States and India. The exercise has since evolved in scope and complexity and now includes Japan and Australia. This marks the ﬁfth time that all four nations have participated in Malabar to advance the collective planning, integration and employment of advanced warfare tactics across participating nations.

“Malabar 2024 reaffirms Indian Navy’s commitment to maritime security and cooperation among like-minded nations in the Indo-Pacific,” said Vice Adm. Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command (ENC). “Our joint efforts aim to enhance operational synergy and foster stronger bonds of friendship. Together, we look towards safeguarding our shared values and achieve peace and stability in the region.”

At-sea exercises included combined training in the surface, subsurface, air and information domains. Eight ships and nearly a dozen aircraft took part in the exercise.

“It has been 17 years since the JMSDF participated in Malabar for the ﬁrst time in 2007,” said JMSDF Vice Adm. Katsushi Omachi, commander in chief, Self Defense Fleet. “I believe Malabar will contribute to the peace and stability, as well as the rules-based maritime order, which lead to a free and open Indo-Paciﬁc. JapanU.S.-India-Australia collaboration is now getting closer than before and I am expecting the multilateral bonds among the navies will deepen.”

Representing the U.S. in the exercise are a P-8 Poseidon aircraft assigned to Commander, Task Force 72 and the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Dewey (DDG 105), which operates under Commander, Task Force 70 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.

The host contingent from India includes the ﬁrst-in-class guided-missile destroyer INS Delhi (D 61), as well as at least four other surface combatants and aircraft.

The lead of this year’s exercise is India. The Malabar planning and exercise lead rotates each year among participating nations, along with the exercise location to demonstrate the combined ability to exercise across the entire Western Paciﬁc and Indian Ocean.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forwarddeployed numbered ﬂeet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Paciﬁc region.

India Commits to Ethical AI with New EoI initiative

The IndiaAI Mission has selected eight Responsible AI Projects against the Expression of Interest (EoI) ﬂoated under the Safe and Trusted AI Pillar of the IndiaAI Mission. Recognizing the need for adequate guardrails to advance the responsible development, deployment, and adoption of AI, the selected Responsible AI projects include the development of indigenous tools and frameworks, and establishing guidelines for ethical, transparent, and trustworthy AI technologies.

Promoting responsible AI through 8 strategic projects: As AI continues to permeate various sectors of society, India is committed to invest in agile mechanisms for developing indigenous governance tools, frameworks, and guidelines that are based on Indian datasets and reﬂect its unique challenges, opportunities, and datasets. To support this vision, IndiaAI has issued an Expression of Interest (EoI) to promote responsible AI projects across a range of themes. These include Machine Unlearning, Synthetic Data Generation, AI Bias Mitigation, Ethical AI Frameworks, PrivacyEnhancing Tools, and Algorithm Auditing Tools.

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More than 2000 proposals were received from reputable Academic Institutions, Start-ups, Research Organisations & Civil Society. A multi-stakeholder committee was created to provide technical expertise for the evaluation of the proposals, resulting in the selection of 8 projects across various themes.

Advancing India’s leadership in AI through the IndiaAI Mission: This initiative aligns with the Government of India’s vision of leveraging AI for inclusive growth. IndiaAI, an IBD (Independent Business Division) under the Digital India Corporation (DIC) of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), is the implementation agency of the IndiaAI Mission, which aims to democratize AI’s beneﬁts across all strata of society, bolster India’s global leadership in AI, foster technological self-reliance, and ensure ethical and responsible use of AI.

U.S. Department of State Hosts Quad Fellows in Washington

The U.S. Department of State hosted 50 promising young scholars from Australia, India, Japan, the United States, and Southeast Asia at the second Quad Fellowship Summit in Washington, D.C. on October 7, 2024. Launched in 2021, the Quad Fellowship welcomed its second cohort of fellows, and this is the ﬁrst year it includes scholars from Southeast Asia. Quad Fellows receive a stipend to pursue graduate degrees in STEM ﬁelds at U.S. universities.

The Fellowship, which is administered by the Institute for International Education, is part of a broader Quad commitment to harness emerging technologies for the beneﬁt of people across the Indo-Paciﬁc, and utilize these technologies to facilitate economic prosperity, openness, and connectivity.

Quad Fellows met with private sector and U.S. government representatives to discuss scientific and technological developments in the Indo-Pacific. Quad Fellows also engaged with science and technology specialists working in the U.S. government to explore leveraging STEM research to deliver tangible benefits to the Indo Pacific region.

2024 Quad Leaders’ Summit

On September 21, 2024, President Joe Biden hosted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in Wilmington, Delaware, for the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit.

The Quad was established to be a global force for good. This year, the Quad executed tangible projects that benefit partner countries across the Indo-Pacific— including in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region. The Quad is working together to deliver on Indo-Pacific partners’ priorities. Together, the Quad is leading ambitious projects to help partners address pandemics and disease; respond to natural disasters; strengthen their maritime domain awareness and maritime security; mobilize and build high-standard physical and digital infrastructure; invest in and benefit from critical and emerging technologies; confront the threat of climate change; bolster cyber security; and cultivate the next generation of technology leaders.

Over the past four years, Quad Leaders have met six times, including twice virtually. Quad Foreign Ministers have met eight times, most recently in Tokyo in July. Quad country representatives convene on a regular basis, at all levels, to consult one another, exchange ideas to advance shared priorities, and deliver beneﬁts for partners across the Indo-Paciﬁc region. All Quad governments have institutionalized the Quad at all levels and across a diverse array of departments and agencies.

NIH Launches Large Study to Tackle Type 2 Diabetes in Young People

The National Institutes of Health has launched a nationwide consortium to address the dramatic rise in youth diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over the past two decades, a trend that is expected to continue. The eﬀort aims to advance understanding of the biologic, social, and environmental drivers of youthonset type 2 diabetes, with the goals of determining which children are at highest risk for developing the disease and how to better prevent, screen for, and manage type 2 diabetes in young people.

RUBY REALT Y RUBY REALT Y

Jaipur Literature Festival NC Review

by Dilip Barman

My mother is from Ajmer in Rajasthan, but I was unaware of the Jaipur (near Ajmer) Literature Festival. I have since learned that it began almost twenty years ago with the mission of giving voice to “a diverse mix of the world’s greatest writers, thinkers, humanitarians, politicians, business leaders, sports people and entertainers on one stage to champion the freedom to express and engage in thoughtful debate and dialogue”, according to its website (jaipurliteraturefestival.org/about).

This September was the inaugural JLF North Carolina. I missed the opening day at the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh where Jhumpa Lahiri spoke. I’ve loved reading her for decades and in fact have reviewed in 2006 Mira Nair’s The Namesake based on her novel of the same name – both novel and ﬁlm are fabulous.

My highlights for the main day of the event, Saturday, September 28, 2024 at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, were an eloquent conversation with Shashi Tharoor, Suketu Mehta and Sayantani Dasgupta describing their lives as North Carolina authors of Indian birth, and a unique and moving dance and music performance by the Aseemkala Initiative, a group of physicians and artists that use dance and music to depict sometimes stark medical realities.

Shashi Tharoor will be familiar to many readers as a prolific writer of history and fiction, and member of the Indian Parliament for over ten years. Among his books are Inglorious India: What the British Did in India (2017), which was the basis of his talk. Hosted by Duke University historian Avrati Bhatnagar, he engagingly shared his polished thoughts about how he came to write the book, itself an interesting story of his isolating himself in a Bhutanese mountain palace, and critique the British Raj. His wide-ranging discourse included topics like reparations (no, he really wants a heartfelt apology); British museums as a “chore bazaar” showing off to the grandkids of conquerors what they “purloined” from the visitors’ grandparents; the importance of understanding and not denying the past, but taking responsibility for modern times and “decolonizing the mind”; and of most interest to me, his deconstructing the British “gifts” of the English language, judicial system, and railways.

Writers Suketu Mehta (This Land is Our Land, Maximus City: Bombay Lost and Found) and Sayantani Dasgupta (Brown Women Have Everything) shared heartfelt and sometimes funny stories reflecting their immigrant experiences. One, Dasgupta, is a recent resident of coastal North Carolina and the other, Mehta, lives in Orange County. Both shared immigration stories reflecting both the promise and difficulty of adopting America as home.

Starting with a musical introduction, Aseemkala Initiative (aseemkala.org) went on to emotive dances. They used traditionally-rooted dance, sometimes quite modern, to convey powerful and creative shakti healing, cancer diagnoses, and endof-life scenarios, among others. I have never seen anything like this and applaud Aseemkala for their vision to use the arts to ground and help heal.

It was all topped oﬀ with food from Vimala’s Curryblossom Café and dancing to the beats of a DJ. The intellectual, literary, and artistic conﬂuence made for a most enjoyable and insightful time. I’m delighted that JLF North Carolina is with us now and, hopefully, will return annually to the Triangle area.

Dilip Barman

is a lover of culture and teacher of math and vegan food/nutrition teacher. Check out his monthly show somanycooks.com.

Contact: dilip@trianglemathinstitute.com

What is the National Interest Waiver?

Qualifying for a self-petition green card in STEM fields

Immigration Matters

by Nam Douglass

Are you a foreign national with an advanced STEM degree? Are you working, or have you worked, in a STEMrelated ﬁeld? If so, then applying for a self-petition green card via the employment-based second preference (EB-2) “National Interest Waiver” category may be an option for you.

The wait for an employment-based green card is a hurdle for all foreign workers. Indian nationals in particular face significant challenges due to the lengthy PERM process, per-country limits on green cards, and priority date backlogs. The PERM process, the most common path to securing an employment-based green card which requires obtaining a labor certification to demonstrate that no qualified U.S. workers are available for the position, can now take almost two years due to extended processing times by the U.S. Department of Labor. After the PERM is certified, then the employer files the I-140 petition with immigration to complete step two in the process.

Once the PERM and the I-140 petition are approved, foreign nationals must then wait for their priority date –their place in line – to become current before they can apply for their green card. Consequently, Indian nationals wait several years, or even decades, for their priority date to become current, causing prolonged uncertainty and impacting their careers and personal lives.

Additionally, as this PERM process is employer dependent, changes in your work location or in the labor market, such as industry layoﬀs, can result in having to start the process again from the beginning.

The National Interest Wavier is one of only two options to self-petition for a green card.

For decades, National Interest Waivers (NIWs) have been available to foreign nationals with an “exceptional ability” or who hold an advanced degree (or its equivalent). However, in 2022, the Biden administration introduced new guidance that emphasized NIW eligibility for those individuals with STEM degrees and working in STEM ﬁelds, recognizing this an “especially positive factor.”

This updated guidance provides the opportunity to speed up the pathway to permanent residency, and ultimately citizenship, for many. Immigration attorneys have had success with filing National Interest Waivers for foreign nationals in Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer science, pharmaceutical and foreign language instruction fields, as well as many others.

Beneﬁts of the National Interest Waiver

The most important benefit to applying for a green card via a National Interest Waiver is that you can selfpetition. This means that you do not need an employer or an offer of full-time employment to start your green card process, if you plan to work in your STEM field in the U.S.

Second, the National Interest Waiver also allows you to skip the PERM Labor Certification, the two-year long step where an employer must “test” the labor market to certify that there are no able, willing, available and qualified U.S. workers for an offered job. As a result, you can secure your priority date – your place in line for a green card much faster.

Eligibility criteria for National Interest Waiver

Having an advanced degree in a STEM field is not the only requirement for the National Interest Wavier. You must also show that your employment will “benefit the national economy, cultural or educational interests, or welfare of the (country) in the future” more than other qualified US workers.

To do this you must establish that you meet the following three-prongs:

● Your proposed endeavor has both substantial merit and national importance;

● You are well positioned to advance the proposed endeavor; and

● On balance, it would be beneficial to the United States to waive the job offer and the permanent labor certification requirements.

The guidance from the Biden administration in 2022 clariﬁed that the NIW is no longer just for individuals with publications or patents or extensive research.

Those with an advanced degree and a track record of success in their ﬁeld of experience may have enough expertise to apply.

You should consult with an experienced immigration attorney to learn more about the process and discuss eligibility if you are interested in applying for a National Interest Waiver.

Nam Douglass is a Senior Associate Attorney, N.C. Board Certified Immigration Law Specialist with Garfinkel Immigration Law Firm. Contact: nam.douglass@garfinkelimmigration.com

by Purvee Shukla

Kathiawadi Dahi Tikhari

If you are looking for a quick and flavorful dish, then you have to try this Kathiyawadi Dahi Tikhari which requires minimal ingredients but has maximum taste and is so good that you will keep coming back for more! Dahi is a yogurt from the Indian subcontinent, known for its characteristic taste and consistency. The word dahi is derived from the Sanskrit word dadhi (“sour milk”), is one of the five elixirs (or panchamrita), and often used in Hindu rituals. This high protein, calcium, vitamins, and live culture, or probiotics Yogurt/Dahi enhances the gut microbiota, offers protection for bones and help prevent digestive problems. By adding flavors and spices you can turn dahi into a delectable dish to enjoy with your family and friends.

Ingredients Directions

1 - 2 Cups Dahi (yogurt)

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1tsp cumin seeds

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp hing (asafetida)

2 chilies, chopped

1 ﬁnely chopped onion

1 ﬁnely chopped tomato

8-10 cloves of garlic

2 tbsp red chili powder

1 tbsp garam masala

¼ tsp salt (or to taste)

2 tbsp chopped coriander

Servings: 2 - 3

Prep Time: 10 minutes / Cooking Time: 10 minutes

In a pan heat oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing and turmeric. Then add chopped chilies, onion and cook well on medium ﬂame. Meanwhile in mortar and pestle make a Garlic Paste by adding the garlic, red chili powder, garam masala and salt. Pound together to make paste. Add a little water if needed.

Add finely chopped tomato and garlic paste to the pan and cook for one minute on low flame and add little warm water. Add spices like coriander powder, jeera powder, and salt to taste. Mix it well. Add chopped coriander and turn flame off.

Now add the dahi (yogurt), mix it well and keep stirring continuously for a minute to avoid it from getting curdled.

You can enjoy this delicious tikhari with soft roti, paratha, lightly toasted bread or with rice.

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Karthik Poornima Deepotsavam: November 14th, Thursday

Tulsi Vivah: November 15th, Friday

Diwali Mela & Cultural Program : November 16th & 17th, Saturday & Sunday

Diwali Dinner: November 23rd, Saturday

Balaji Anniversary: December 7th, Saturday

Election Day / General Body Meeting: December 8th, Sunday

New Year Day - Tiruppavda Seva: January 1st, Wednesday

Lohri: January 13th, Monday

Pongal / Bhogi Pallu: January 13th, Monday

Gita Jayanti: December 15th, Sunday

Makar Sankranti: January 18th, Saturday

HINDU

7400 City View Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212

704-535-3440

704-535-6923

O F C HARLOTTE

Kartika Poornima Satyanarayana Katha & Karthika Deepotsavam

Thursday, Nov 14, 2024 (6 pm)

All Puja item are provided by Hindu Center. Devotees please bring: 1 Coconut, Fruits, Flowers, 4 Beetle Leaves, Supari

Devotees can light the lamp in the temple on this auspicious day @ 8 pm

Minimum suggested lighting lamp donation $21 Minimum suggested donation for Satyanarayan Katha $51

For more details call the Hindu Center: 704-535-3440

Lakshmikanth Bhattar 980-254-1022 Kaushik Srinivasa 980-263-1238

Balaji Bhattar 704-906-2109 Raghava Bhattar 803-470-8377

BadriNaryan: 704-998-1861

Lord Venkateshwara Anniversary

Saturday, Dec 7, 2024 (8 am with Suprabhatam)

We need devotees for sponsor Navakalasha Aradhana, Sudharshan & Annadhanam

Gita Jayanti

Sunday, Dec 15, 2024 (10 am to 12:30 pm)

Diwali Celebration

October29th (Tuesday) to November 17th (Sunday) 42nd Anniversary

November 9th (Sat)Lord Ram Sita Kalyanam11 am to 1 pm

(Fri)Tulsi

November 14th (Thurs)Karthik PoornimaAfter AartiAarti 8

Deepotsavam Lord Satyanarayan Katha6 to 8 pm

November 16th & 17th Diwali Mela & Cultural Program11 am - 7 pm

November 23rd (Sat)Diwali Dinner 6 pm to 11 pm

Nov 23rd, Starting at 6 pm

• Decoration & Annakut – Rashmika Patel 980.322.3505, Prerna Amin 704.548.8454, Bharti Patel 704.678.9991, Varsha and Subodh Patel – 704.264.5949. Please bring Prasad for the Annakut by Thursday, October 31st

• Sparklers only Celebration – Note: NO FIREWORKS ALLOWED. STRICTLY ENFORCED BY POLICE. Hemant Amin, Jagdish Patel, Mittal Patel & Harshal Jambusaria

O F C HARLOTTE

Diwali Cultural Program & Mela 2024 You are cordially invited!

Free Admission - Both Days Nov 16th & 17th, (Sat & Sun) (11 am - 7 pm) at Vihar Hall

Clothing, Jewelry, Crafts Community Entertainment Food Stalls Vendor Booths

CONTACTS:

Cultural Show : Anitha Gowtam 704-206-9348, Sarika Milhoutra 201-696-1877, Poonam Rojra 704-682-1388, Rashmikaben 980-322-3505, Riya Annesha 980-349-9476, or email: hc_cultural@yahoo.com

Sponsorships: Anju Jain 704-620-4503, Nirav Pandya 570-205-2636, Nikita Mittal 732-586-6075 or email: hc_cultural@yahoo.com

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

Hindu Center & VSHC Celebrating Tulsi Vivah

THE WEDDING CEREMONY OF LORD VISHNU (KRISHNA) WEDS TULSI on Friday, Nov 15th (4 pm to 7 pm) at HC Vihar Hall

Baraat with live band for Lord Krishna: Vivek Hall 5 to 5:30 pm Vivah Khel, lagna geet, garba and dance for Tulsimataji at Vihar Hall: 5 to 5:30 pm Mosalu, wedding ceremony, Varmala and Kanyadan and Vidai: 6 pm to 7 pm Aarti followed by mahaprasad: 7:15 pm

This is a very auspicious opportunity to witness a glorious wedding. For more information and donation for any event or sponsorship call: Bhartiben Patel 704-678-9991, Ashokbhai Trivedi 980-263-8075, Shruti Shah 704-763-0320 or Deepak Jadeja 704-819-9814

SPONSORS MUKHYA YAJMAN UP TO 4 $1001, MAHA PRASAD YAJMAN $251, YAJMAN $101

tournament attracted worldwide attention, becoming the strongest open tournament in the United States with players from dozens of countries.

COVID-19 hastened an inevitable merger of the Carolinas Chess Initiative into the Charlotte Chess Center, bringing the U.S. Masters Championship into an already strong stable of regional tournaments operated by the CCC. Bringing the Masters to Charlotte caused an immediate doubling of the tournament’s attendance and strength in 2021. The presence of this championship event has helped enhance the status of chess in both Charlotte and the rest of North Carolina.

Charlotte has become a chess hub for the southeastern U.S., drawing attendance at its tournaments from Virginia to Florida along with smaller contingents from more distant states. Several top Grandmaster players such as Daniel Naroditsky, a popular chess streamer, have moved to Charlotte because of the community’s support for chess. This success brought the CCC national recognition, recently winning awards for both the U.S. Chess Club of the Year and for Charlotte as the Chess City of the Year.

The November 2024 edition of the U.S. Masters Chess Championship will feature USA Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana, the world’s #3 player by ranking. Caruana has chosen to play in Charlotte because the Masters tournament is now a component part of the FIDE Circuit, a small group of international tournaments that allow players to qualify toward playing for the world chess championship. A win in Charlotte for Caruana could propel him into the ﬁnal qualifying tournament to choose the next challenger for the world title. To win the U.S. Masters, however, Caruana will have to defeat a ﬁeld of approximately 50 Grandmasters and many more International Masters from dozens of countries.

The presence of Caruana will swell the attendance at the Masters as titled players from several continents ﬂock to Charlotte to compete. With a guaranteed prize pool of $28,000, combined with the chance to play Caruana, this will be one of the strongest tournaments in all of U.S. chess history.

Running alongside the US Masters will be the North Carolina Open, which allows players of all rating levels to compete over three days. Both tournaments will be held side-by side at Westin Hotel in uptown Charlotte, conveniently located in the city center. Tournament dates are November 27 – December 1, 2024. It is expected that over 600+ competitors will compete across the two events.

The event will be live streamed on Chess.com and hosted by GM Daniel Naroditsky and GM Kayden Troﬀ

How to Experience the 2024 US Masters

The tournament venue will be open to the public and will have several activities such as live commentary, blitz challenges, and lectures during the ﬁve days of tournament play. However, during the competition, only players and oﬃcials are allowed into the tournament halls. So, the best way to watch the top matches is to live-stream the CCC broadcast of the US Masters. Visit Charlottechesscenter.org for the live-stream link as well as more details on the Masters and North Carolina Open.

“Our children who are overweight or have obesity are at risk, but we don’t know how best to identify the children who will progress to type 2 diabetes,” said Rose GubitosiKlug, M.D., Ph.D., study lead, and chief of pediatric endocrinology at Case Western Reserve University/Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, Cleveland. “This study will bring us closer to our goal of prevention of type 2 diabetes in future generations of youth.”

The observational study is funded by the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and builds on previous NIDDK-funded research indicating that youth-onset type 2 diabetes is more challenging to treat and progresses more aggressively compared to adult-onset type 2 diabetes. In youth with type 2 diabetes, good blood glucose control is harder to achieve, and the ability of the pancreas to secrete insulin declines much more rapidly.

Many young people with type 2 diabetes also don’t respond well to metformin, the drug most commonly used as the ﬁrst-line treatment for diabetes in adults. In addition, youth-onset type 2 diabetes is associated with earlier development of diabetes-related complications, such as damage to the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

“These factors all create a picture of a disease that is much more aggressive in youth than in adults, but we don’t understand what drives these diﬀerences,” said Barbara Linder, M.D., Ph.D., NIDDK program director who is overseeing the study.

The study will aim to identify unique drivers of youthonset type 2 diabetes distinguishing it from the disease in adults, which will help clinicians better understand which children will develop the disease and guide more eﬀective, targeted prevention and intervention strategies. Study sites across the country will recruit 3,600 participants, ages 9 to 14, who are considered at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. They must have started puberty, have obesity, and have high-normal to above-normal hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.

The participants will reﬂect the U.S. population of youth with type 2 diabetes, including people from diverse racial and ethnic, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and underserved rural populations.

The research team is also seeking extensive input from youth, young adults, and parents with lived experience of type 2 diabetes on both study design and conduct, including how to best recruit and retain participants. Also, how frequently participants should be seen during the study, what questionnaires should be used to collect data, and more.

NIH, the nation’s medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.

For more information about NIH and its programs, visit Nih.gov.

older men’s reduced ability to participate in athletic activities, and the result is a lack of stimulation and the loss of a sense of belonging.

Depression can ensue, fueling excessive alcohol use, accidents, or, in the most extreme cases, suicide. Of all age groups in the United States, men over age 75 have the highest suicide rate, by far.

For this column, I spoke at length to several older men who live alone. All but two (who’d been divorced) were widowed. Their experiences don’t represent all men who live alone. But still, they’re revealing.

The first person I called was Art Koff, 88, of Chicago, a longtime marketing executive I’d known for several years. When I reached out in January, I learned that Koff’s wife, Norma, had died the year before, leaving him hobbled by grief. Uninterested in eating and beset by unremitting loneliness, Koff lost 45 pounds.

“I’ve had a long and wonderful life, and I have lots of family and lots of friends who are terriﬁc,” Koﬀ told me. But now, he said, “nothing is of interest to me any longer.”

“I’m not happy living this life,” he said.

Nine days later, I learned that Koff had died. His nephew, Alexander Koff, said he had passed out and was gone within a day. The death certificate cited “end stage protein calorie malnutrition” as the cause.

The transition from being coupled to being single can be profoundly disorienting for older men. Lodovico Balducci, 80, was married to his wife, Claudia, for 52 years before she died in October 2023. Balducci, a renowned physician known as the “patriarch of geriatric oncology,” wrote about his emotional reaction in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, likening Claudia’s death to an “amputation.”

“I ﬁnd myself talking to her all the time, most of the time in my head,” Balducci told me in a phone conversation. When I asked him whom he conﬁdes in, he admitted, “Maybe I don’t have any close friends.”

Disoriented and disorganized since Claudia died, he said his “anxiety has exploded.”

We spoke in late February. Two weeks later, Balducci moved from Tampa to New Orleans, to be near his son and daughter-in-law and their two teenagers.

“I am planning to help as much as possible with my grandchildren,” he said. “Life has to go on.”

Verne Ostrander, a carpenter in the small town of Willits, California, about 140 miles north of San Francisco, was reﬂective when I spoke with him, also in late February. His second wife, Cindy Morninglight, died four years ago after a long battle with cancer.

“Here I am, almost 80 years old — alone,” Ostrander said. “Who would have guessed?”

When Ostrander isn’t painting watercolors, composing music, or playing guitar, “I fall into this lonely state, and I cry quite a bit,” he told me. “I don’t ignore those feelings. I let myself feel them. It’s like therapy.”

Ostrander has lived in Willits for nearly 50 years and belongs to a men’s group and a couples’ group that’s been meeting for 20 years. He’s in remarkably good health and

in close touch with his three adult children, who live within easy driving distance.

“The hard part of living alone is missing Cindy,” he told me. “The good part is the freedom to do whatever I want. My goal is to live another 20 to 30 years and become a better artist and get to know my kids when they get older.”

The Rev. Johnny Walker, 76, lives in a low-income apartment building in a ﬁnancially challenged neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side. Twice divorced, he’s been on his own for ﬁve years. He, too, has close family connections.

At least one of his several children and grandchildren checks in on him every day.

Walker says he had a life-changing religious conversion in 1993. Since then, he has depended on his faith and his church for a sense of meaning and community.

“It’s not hard being alone,” Walker said when I asked whether he was lonely. “I accept Christ in my life, and he said that he would never leave us or forsake us. When I wake up in the morning, that’s a new blessing. I just thank God that he has brought me this far.”

Waldinger recommended that men “make an eﬀort every day to be in touch with people. Find what you love — golf, gardening, birdwatching, pickleball, working on a political campaign — and pursue it,” he said. “Put yourself in a situation where you’re going to see the same people over and over again. Because that’s the most natural way conversations get struck up and friendships start to develop.”

Rousseau, the retired South Carolina doctor, said he doesn’t think about the future much. After feeling lost for several years, he moved across the country to Jackson, Wyoming, in the summer of 2023. He embraced solitude, choosing a remarkably isolated spot to live — a 150-squarefoot cabin with no running water and no bathroom, surrounded by 25,000 undeveloped acres of public and privately owned land.

“Yes, I’m still lonely, but the nature and the beauty here totally changed me and focused me on what’s really important,” he told me, describing a feeling of redemption in his solitude.

Rousseau realizes that the death of his parents and a very close friend in his childhood left him with a sense of loss that he kept at bay for most of his life. Now, he said, rather than denying his vulnerability, he’s trying to live with it. “There’s only so long you can put oﬀ dealing with all the things you’re trying to escape from.”

It’s not the life he envisioned, but it’s one that ﬁts him, Rousseau said. He stays busy with volunteer activities — cleaning tanks and running tours at Jackson’s ﬁsh hatchery, serving as a part-time park ranger, and maintaining trails in nearby national forests. Those activities put him in touch with other people, mostly strangers, only intermittently.

What will happen to him when this way of living is no longer possible?

“I wish I had an answer, but I don’t,” Rousseau said. “I don’t see my daughters taking care of me. As far as someone else, I don’t think there’s anyone else who’s going to help me.”

Nutrition

continued from page 44

There is also a similar class of medications called dual GLP1/GIP receptor agonists.

Mounjaro: Taken as injection once a week

Zepbound: Taken as injection once a week

How do these work?

GLP-1 is short for glucagon-like peptide-1. It is a natural hormone released from cells in the intestine that helps your body release insulin at mealtime to keep blood glucose in balance. In the case of Type 2 diabetes, the GLP-1 does not respond to higher blood glucose levels. The GLP-1 receptor agonists medications act like the GLP-1 in your body. They help manage blood glucose by:

● triggering release of insulin from your pancreas

● stopping the liver from making extra glucose

● slowing down the rate at which food travels from the stomach to the intestine

● aﬀecting areas of your brain that processes hunger and satiety

ﬁts

Other than lowering blood sugar levels and reducing weight, studies show that GLP-1 agonists may have other potential beneﬁts, such as:

● Lowering blood pressure

● Improving cholesterol

● Tackling fatty liver disease

● Reducing risk of heart disease and kidney disease

● Reducing cravings which is being studied for addictions

Side Eﬀects

The most common symptoms when starting these medications are nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and diarrhea. The symptoms are supposed to improve as your body gets used to the medication. However, some people have not been able to tolerate the medications and have had more severe side eﬀects.

Eﬀect of your diet

Because these medications cause slower digestion and delay emptying of the stomach, it can make you feel full. Sometimes it may make you feel too full to the point of nausea, and you may not feel like eating. The medications also work on increasing the satiety hormone and suppressing the hunger hormone, again resulting in you not feeling hungry.

This causes people to skip meals or overly restrict food intake. It may lead to a serious condition called gastroparesis. A delayed stomach emptying can cause severe constipation, nausea, and stomach pain, and prevent food intake.

If you are taking any of these medications for weight loss and/or diabetes, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Because you will most likely be eating less when taking a GLP-1, you want to focus on foods that provide the most nutrients.

● Eat small portions at each meal

● Eat at regular intervals – every 3 hours

● Avoid high sugar foods and beverages

● Avoid high fat foods

● Eat balanced meals with protein and complex carbohydrates

● Drink adequate amount of water

● Liquid foods such as soups may be easier to digest if you are having constipation or stomach pain

● Monitor your intake, and contact your doctor if you are feeling overly restricted or having severe side eﬀects

Parul Kharod is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist and works as a Clinical Dietitian. She can be reached at parulkharod@gmail.com

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Stuﬀ you may discover later that you were ﬂat-out wrong about, of course, too. Many self-help books or articles can outline this for us. Self-awareness is a thing. (Anyone who has a close friend of any length of time knows that there will be moments you have to own up to your part in creating rifts because you were oh-so-sure about something that, it turned out, you were completely inaccurate on.) Perceptions, interpretations, so much one could say. I’m not an expert. Ego is another topic, but we’ll leave that to the side.

I saw this movie, Journey to a Billion Suns, at a planetarium in Kuala Lumpur, a few years ago. That was a pretty fun, happened-upon, gem of a ﬁnd on an outing that was deliberately left unplanned. Yet, there we were, entertained, curiosity piqued and immersed in expansiveness. I recall how they said we are moving around in space, that galaxies are zipping around at speeds we can’t fathom. Which might be why, when it comes to making checklists, for me, there’s the last category I mentioned above that I give a very large degree of attention to. Unknown unknowns.

When on occasion, I get the opportunity to work with someone new on a design gig, it takes a little while to build rapport, but we can, and do, and then we go towards this same box. A potentiality section. Who do you want to be, next? How do you want to feel?

I’ll talk a lot. To just a few, though. I will share notes from memory, recorded in various notebooks. I’ll say, ‘Anything is possible’ or ‘Expand your window’ or ‘See what you might discover, one step at a time, as you go.’ Stuﬀ like that. It

doesn’t always land, of course, because it’s hard to go against what is so deeply entrenched as a way of thinking, namely, follow the group, or stay in your lane. Ideas, but more importantly, space for new things, is hard to talk about, sometimes. Societies condition us not to do this.

But, with space, high quality and informed by reﬂective moments that with practice become a habit to make room for, we could learn more deeply about each other, and ourselves. With pause, some insight may fall into our laps. That can illuminate the unknown unknowns for a ﬂash moment. Fill the blank spaces of our notebooks, where we can hold them comfortably, and revisit, if we choose to, from time to time. Questioning our choices can and does happen, of course. Having a deep reservoir of insights can help us avoid this.

‘Know thyself,’ as they say.

In my case, ‘they’ were one of my most elderly relatives along with his card-playing peers. In my twenties I hung out with them over a winter, when I was coming up with checklists. But, and this is how I’d become the way I am today about everything, they advised me not to go too fast towards—or invest too heavily in— things that I might regret. Things that weren’t my idea. Take your time, they said, to ﬁgure out what matters to you. To ask, ‘Who am I?’ My new checklists, optimized to help discern these, have been with me, ever since.

Dipika Kohli is an author who is based in Phnom Penh. Discover her books at kismuth.com & other projects at dipikakohli.com.

Sairam Prasad Kavuri (NC) 703-953-6169 spkavuri@gmail.com Swetha Rao Surapaneni (NC) 408-221-2041 swetha05@gmail.com.

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Mirror,

happened without those who perform the story and those who made it look and sound the way it does (especially cinematographer & longtime collaborator Colin Watkinson). The end result is something truly unique and satisfyingly complex.

This is a movie full of contrasts, with amazing wide shots of people against stunning, overwhelming landscapes to close shots showing oﬀ every single immaculate fabric and stitch in a character’s wardrobe or set piece. Each splash of color is calculated to blend or diversify itself from all others in a speciﬁc frame.

The director has a keen sense of showing his listener what speciﬁcally they need to see. He wants you to notice something you normally wouldn’t and ponder why you did it. One of Singh’s particular trademarks is his use of long, cascading fabric (usually silk) either pulled or blowing freely as either a costume accessory or set piece (sometimes both) which takes precedence within the shot.

But at the film’s core is its narrative. In once-upon-a-time Los Angeles (circa the 1920’s silent film era) an injured novice stuntman, Roy Walker (Lee Pace), meets and gradually bonds with a little girl in braids, Alexandria (Catinca Untaru), at a local hospital. He fell jumping off a bridge. She fell picking oranges.

Neither should have been in their respective situations: he was still very green in the stunt industry and she too young to be working in the ﬁelds.

To pass the time as they both heal, Roy begins to tell Alexandria a story. As time goes by, she starts adding elements to his tale… and soon teller and listener become one in the same for each. His imagination melds with her own and creates something new as the story goes along.

Walker’s story starts oﬀ as a mess, but with a little girl’s imagination it truly takes on a form by which Tarsem Singh’s visual prominence takes hold. It’s no coincidence that Alexandria’s hair at the beginning of the ﬁlm resembles Judy Garland’s memorable pigtails from The Wizard of Oz as their shared story incorporates a cast pulled from both Roy’s and Alexandria’s lives (most appear in both the hospital and fantasy scenes). The players and the settings change, but parts of the story stay the same.

We also come to learn that Walker is a damaged man who by this point is not sure he wants to live. His heart has been broken in the past and feels that he’ll never ﬁnd love again. Yet… there are diﬀerent ways to love; maybe his past lover was untrue, but this special child is not.

Maybe a daughter isn’t just something you have by blood. And The Fall ultimately shows us the teller must allow the story to be changed, just as the listener has to be changed by that story.

Behind the scenes, the filmmaking process is an intriguing tale of its own. Singh had the idea for the film decades before its release. (It’s loosely—very loosely—based on a Bulgarian film, Yo Ho Ho, which he purchased the rights to.) Sadly, no one would finance the film due to it initially not having a finished script and calling for location shooting all over the world.

He eventually chose to use most of the funds from his commercial and music video work to ﬁlms bits and pieces of scenes over a four-year period.

But what we see and hear are only part of the movie’s signature charm. Much praise must also be given to its two leads. Lee Pace’s vulnerability is palpable as he confesses his grief to a tiny, crying Catinca Untaru, who believed during ﬁlming that her co-star could not walk.

Singh asked for Untaru’s own insight to help shape the stories, and the result is obvious as some of the fantastical sequences appear to be driven by a young child’s endearing disregard for logic.

But in the end, this is a story focused on one man’s struggle with mental health; a concept still very taboo to explore for a 2006 audience. This was also a project directed by a South Asian with a plethora of South Asian imagery yet was not speciﬁcally made for the South Asian market. Westerners weren’t quite sure what to make of it at the time, and this led to very divisive reviews and a failed box oﬃce release.

I had already seen Singh’s debut ﬁlm, The Cell on DVD 2001. At that time he was mostly known for directing R.E.M’s “Losing my Religion” music video and a small amount of TV commercials. When I heard about The Fall’s theater release, I was lucky enough to catch it before it was quietly shelved.

After that, it also suﬀered a very limited DVD release schedule and seemingly disappeared from public consciousness.

Singh would continue to work on other ﬁlms such as 2011’s The Immortals with Henry Cavill, 2012’s Mirror Mirror with Julia Roberts, 2015’s Self/Less with Ryan Reynolds, 2016’s TV miniseries Emerald City, and most recently in 2023 his ﬁrst ever Punjabi language release, Dear Jassi.

And yet now… in 2024 it seems the world has ﬁnally caught up to the director’s vision… as a newly restored 4K release of The Fall is now available on the Arthouse streaming platform, Mubi in the US, Canada, Latin America, the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Benelux, Turkey and India. It is also scheduled to be re-released on Blue Ray in early 2025.

For some of us, stories about stories are what we need to fully express who we are. It’s in these stories that we understand the world as both the teller and the listener. Honestly no one but Tarsem Singh could’ve made this ﬁlm, and I personally think as more now have access to see this absolutely gorgeous masterpiece.

Perhaps… it will even inspire you to seek out someone who will help you rewrite your own story?

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, help is available. Call / text 988 or chat on 988lifeline.org.

Jennifer Allen works at Saathee and is also a Podcaster, Blogger, Photographer, Graphic Artist, Gamer, Martial Arts Practitioner, and an all around Pop Culture Geek. You can reach her at Saathee@Saathee.com

725 East Trade St., Suite 105 (Court Arcade Building) Charlotte, NC 28202

Tel: 704-525-8824

Fax: 704-525-8820

-Residency (green cards) -Citizenship

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My parents are IMMIGRANTS therefore I can understand your situation. You will be treated with the utmost integrity and respect. Saturday and telephone consultations

Very large. It is impossible to fit it all into a human mind even if you could get access to it all, in the first place. Which, of course, you cannot. For, reality keeps its secrets well. Much of it is mysterious and completely unknowable to the human mind, which kneads its notions and symbol-based abstractions of words and numbers, as it attempts to carve out dim and shady semblances that it deems sufficient to the purpose of aligning its contents with the reality that it looks to get in touch with.

Also, these symbolic proxies for reality are themselves incomplete and deeply ﬂawed, leaving the impatient mind not up to the task of even articulating aspects of the surrounding reality, let alone of grasping the truth inherent in that reality.

How do you know what you know?

As if this inability to know were not enough, there is another issue that runs even deeper: your way of knowing. If the former is the data that is corrupt and incomplete, the latter is the algorithms of your mind. These algorithms spin the logical and semantic webs that attempt the task of aligning the real world with the symbolic representations in the mind. And they have been fashioned and tuned, right from the cradle to where you are now.

They have spun and re-spun fundamental notions, e.g., of time, of cause and eﬀect, of the divisions between what is you versus what is the rest of it, whatever that “it” is, and so forth.

Much of these fundamental notions, the web of them, and the spider inside that spins these could all be seriously ﬂawed, making them little better than fantasies that have been indoctrinated by others and by circumstances that you were subject to. A couple of examples may illustrate this.

How do you know that there is a God, for instance? If you had not been taught this idea, do you think you would have come up with this notion, independently? Are you sure of this? How can you be sure? Do you believe in viruses? How do you know? Have you personally seen one? Have you met people who have seen one? Have you ever asked these kinds of questions? Or do you believe what you hear from various sources because your internal algorithm has been tuned to say that if something is heard a hundred times from diﬀerent sources, it must be true? How do you know that you can trust these sources? How do you know that they don’t echo one another, and transﬁx you with an illusion that is a more powerful one than having these emanate from just one source?

These examples point out that everything you currently believe may not be standing on the ﬁrm ground that is built on unquestionable truths.

Doubt. And humility.

So, a little doubt could be a wonderful thing. It could minimize the use of nonsense in your substratum – the underpinning – of everything else you think about atop these more rudimentary ideas, many of which may, unbeknownst to you, be little more than Ill-advised assumptions. What if some of these foundational constructs

are ﬂawed, perhaps even grossly wrong? What happens then, to everything built atop these houses of cards? Will it all fall down if you dare to breathe on these?

It is not comforting to act without knowing, which is what an attitude of humility requires. But that is what an independent, learning human being is. Life is a ﬂuid, diﬃcult-to-bottle thing that doesn’t come with neat labels with a listing of ingredients and cautionary advisements. It is not always easy to retune yourself, to question your fundamentals, and to realize that there could be a lot of fool’s gold buried inside.

It’s your life. You are the architect and the owner. You owe it to yourself. To build humility, doubt, and an attitude of questioning into your foundation. And dare to act, knowing that the truth is not the truth that you once thought it was.

Balaji Prasad

is an IIT/IIM graduate, a published author, SAT/ACT Online and in-person Coach, and K-12 Math Tutor at NewCranium. balaji.prasad@newcranium.com.

Personal Finances continued from page 62

It is usually for a justiﬁable reason like buying a car, down payment for something, wedding or any such event for which we would either sell stock or withdraw more from our IRA. It is best, if perhaps not the events themselves, that the expenses for the events are planned ahead of time to avoid extra taxes.

Healthcare costs themselves, the ones we pay out of pocket, do start going up as we mature into oblivion and that needs to be planned but generally is not.

Stock volatility and unrealistic expectations are another area where Fidelity found a gap that was ill conceived by retirees. If not carefully managed, retirement portfolios can get pummeled, albeit temporarily, and we just need to learn how to handle that temporary setback.

Yes, indeed it is temporary but excruciating when it happens and mentally we are not ready or we are not prepared for it. At the end of 2022, S&P was down 19.4%; it happened to be the worst performance since 2008, and many people were not ready to accept that because 14 years in between the two events is a long time and we forget how it needs to be handled.

Over 75% of retirees do invest in the stock market either directly or indirectly and they just have to learn to handle such situations properly and plan for it.

So, there it is folks. Retirement could be a bed of roses but sometimes there are a few rocks and thorns strewn in there somewhere. We just need to know where they are and carefully pluck them out by our judicious actions ahead of negative events.

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

What still isn’t known

Scientists estimate the oceans contain many trillions of plastic particles, which get there through runoﬀ, wastewater or settling from the air. Ocean waves can release these particles into the air.

A diagram showing how plastics are broken down into tiny bits by the action of waves.

The ocean releases microplastics into the air through surface froth and wave action. Once the particles are released, wind can transport them to other locations. Steve Allen, CC BY-SA

In fact, bubble bursts caused by wave energy can release 100,000 metric tons of microplastics into the atmosphere each year. Since dolphins and other marine mammals breathe at the water’s surface, they may be especially vulnerable to exposure.

Where there are more people, there is usually more plastic. But for the tiny plastic particles ﬂoating in the air, this connection isn’t always true. Airborne microplastics are not limited to heavily populated areas; they pollute undeveloped regions, too.

Our research found microplastics in the breath of dolphins living in both urban and rural estuaries, but we don’t yet know whether there are major diﬀerences in amounts or types of plastic particles between the two habitats.

How we do our work

Breath samples for our study were collected from wild bottlenose dolphins during catch-and-release health assessments conducted in partnership with the Brookﬁeld Zoo Chicago, Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, National Marine Mammal Foundation and Fundación Oceanogràﬁc. Microplastics

During these brief permitted health assessments, we held a petri dish or a customized spirometer – a device that measures lung function – above the dolphin’s blowhole to collect samples of the animals’ exhaled breath. Using a microscope in our colleague’s lab, we checked for tiny particles that looked like plastic, such as pieces with smooth surfaces, bright colors or a ﬁbrous shape.

Since plastic melts when heated, we used a soldering needle to test whether these suspected pieces were plastic. To confirm they were indeed plastic, our colleague used a specialized method called Raman spectroscopy, which uses a laser to create a structural fingerprint that can be matched to a specific chemical.

Our study highlights how extensive plastic pollution is – and how other living things, including dolphins, are exposed. While the impacts of plastic inhalation on dolphins’ lungs are not yet known, people can help address the microplastic pollution problem by reducing plastic use and working to prevent more plastic from polluting the oceans.

Article courtesy of theconversation.com

Leslie Hart is Associate Professor of Public Health, College of Charleston

Miranda Dziobak is Instructor in Public Health, College of Charleston

Eye

Markets

continued from page 46

revive trade. The ﬁrst is the Fed put while left tail risk related to growth has been reduced. This should promote risk-taking in secular growth names. The second is that Microsoft agreed on a deal with Constellation Energy to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. They expect the nuclear reactor to come back online in 2028.

This long-term commitment gave investors comfort in the staying power of AI spending by the hyper-scalers. The third event is signiﬁcant stimulus measures from the Chinese government. It includes lowering reserve requirements for banks, making loans to market participants to buy stocks, providing capital for share buybacks, providing relief for homebuyers, and direct payments to their citizens. It is diﬃcult to be bearish when the central bank of the two largest economies in the world is easing. Finally, Micron said that high bandwidth memory chips are sold out for both 2024 and 2025. Micron increased the TAM by 25% for 2025. Bain predicts that the market for AIrelated hardware and software is expected to grow between 40% and 55% annually, reaching between $780 billion and $990 billion by 2027. Investors realize they are positioned too defensively and with the magnitude of the events in September, the infrastructure trade will be rebuilt.

Looking forward, the market will focus on the election, third quarter earnings, and the latest economic data.

Ketu Desai

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

Find the latest Job Openings, Matrimonials, Business Opportunities and more Classiﬁeds here.

Go to our regularly updated Events page here

Editor’s Desk: Read the essay “Generative Fakeness” here. It’s about keeping it real.

Watch a selection of our carefully curated videos here:

Go to our Movies Page Here: Find all the latest releases coming up as well as ﬁlms opening this week.

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

CarToon Corner

Tune Your Brain

Solve these brain teasers - Solutions on Page 110

PUZZLES & TOONS

Answers on page 104

Puzzles 4 Kids Answers on page 110

Key Word Search

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

French Fries Main Ingredient ___ Also Known as Bharat ___ (country)

Helena is Capital of ___ We The ___

Malayalam is Language of ___ Day and ___

Opposite of Down ___

Answers on page 104

Hello Readers

We welcome comments and suggestions about our puzzles and cartoons pages. Send your thoughts to Samir@Saathee.com

Magic Maze Answers on page 110

Go Figure! Answers on page 104

Festivals & Holidays Puzzle Solutions

November 2024

Nov. 1 - All Saints’ Day

Nov. 1 - Darsh Amas (No Moon)

Nov. 2 - Dia de los Muertos (All Souls’ Day)

Nov. 2 - Govardhan Puja

Nov. 3 - Daylight Saving Time Ends

Nov. 3 - Bhai Duj

Nov. 5 - Election Day

Nov. 5 - Labh Panchami

Nov. 7 - Chhat Puja

Nov. 8 - National STEM Day

Nov. 11 - Veterans’ Day

Nov. 13 - World Kindness Day

Nov. 14 - Nehru Jayanti / Children’s Day (India)

Nov. 15 - Guru Nanak Jayanti

Nov. 15 - Kartika Purnima (Full Moon)

Nov. 19 - International Men’s Day

Nov. 24 - Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahdur

Nov. 28 - Thanksgiving Day (US)

Nov. 29 - Black Friday

Nov. 29 - Native American Heritage Day

Nov. 30 - Darsh Amas (No Moon)

Nov. 30 - Small Business Saturday

Potato India

Removed tiffin box

Inserted bird

Removed window

Color changed

Added bird 8 Added flower sticker 9Added ducks 10 Added turtle

Removed shadow 12 Removed cow 13 Removed board 14 Added flower 15 Removed slipper

Montana People Kerala Night Up Key Word of the Month: PUMPKIN 1 Added bird 2 Cap color changed

Astroscope

Aries

(March 21 – April 20)

NOVEMBER 2024

A lack of self-conﬁdence and frustration may cause mistakes, and this will not improve until the last week of the month. Try to control your temper and avoid disputes with associates. You may also lose a source of extra income, but your regular ﬁnances should remain stable. Try not to behave arrogantly with your partner, as this will only add to your strife. Be patient and accept that change will not occur until next month.

Taurus

(April 21 – May 20)

You will enjoy an accelerated and happy month. If unemployed, you may receive a job opportunity but not gain the satisfaction you desire along with it. You could beneﬁt through your partner. Avoid any risk-taking tendencies in business. Minor issues with your kids could bother you. If involved in a legal dispute, the case will conclude in your favor. Business-related travel may help you feel comfortable. Don’t rely on your subordinates.

Gemini

(May 21 – June 20)

Your confident attitude will prove beneficial in the first week of the month. By accepting advice from a benefactor, you could see an upswing in a business deal during the second half with income on the rise as a result. You will notice changes in the relationship with your partner. Your children could prove to be good guides. Think twice before making any aggressive decisions.

Cancer

(June 21 – July 22)

Even though your ﬁnances will be excellent, contentment will be hard to come by this month. Try to slow down and take a trip or two to feel more relaxed. Also drive very carefully. Things should improve by the end of the month, especially in regard to an old problem. However, aggression can easily shift to frustration as a new problem will emerge in its place.

Leo

(July 23 – August 22)

Financial loss can rob you of needed happiness. After a disappointing start, things should improve dramatically by the second half. Wait before making any big decisions and don’t take on any new debt to cover losses. The relationship with your partner will take a positive turn which could prove to be an asset for future. Improvement to health-related problems is also on the way.

Virgo

(August 23 – September 21)

Try to act with a relaxed temperament and accept unexpected twists and turns this month. If you’re not careful, you could miss a very important opportunity so avoid over analyzing this offer and simply accept it. Also be prepared to work hard and sincerely for the foreseeable future. Luck by means of your partner will favor you during the last week of the month. A mild attitude in regard to your enemy may hurt you.

Libra

(September 22 – October 20)

Income and expenses should balance each other out this month. A wise decision may protect you from losing an important opportunity. Any investment in real estate and/or partnership should prove beneficial. This is a good time to seek a new career or field of study. You should feel happier and more confident this month. Some minor health relief is also clearly indicated.

Scorpio

(October 21 – November 20)

Any and all business prospects this month could produce optimistic results. Conjugal happiness will also be there. Friends and associates should support you during the second half of the month. Remain careful while driving or avoid it altogether, if possible. In general, it’s time to slow down and take a breath before embarking on any new projects.

Sagittarius

(November 21 – December 21)

You will notice a gradual negative turn this month. A lack of selfconﬁdence along with an aggressive attitude may accelerate excess stress. During the second half of the month new problems will emerge. Minor family issues could also be there, but you can still count on your friends or associates during this tense period. Be mindful of your driving.

Capricorn

(December 22 – January 21)

Destiny will be on your side in regard to making good decisions this month. Proﬁt in business/trade will prove to be higher than expected, ensuring your bank balance will increase. Students may see disappointing results this month. Any unnecessary aggression must be restrained, especially with your partner. This is a good time to develop new friendships. Relief is on the way.

Aquarius

(January 22 – February 18)

Now is when plans regarding property investment will materialize. Success is possible as long as you rely on your creative ingenuity. This is a favorable time for love and romance. Friends and siblings will offer whatever assistance you need. Opponents dare not face you. The only thing you have to seriously watch is your health, though traveling this month could also be troublesome.

Pisces

(February 19 – March 20)

Any dishonest decisions could come back to haunt you, so be mindful of this to avoid hurting your reputation. Other than spending money for celebratory religious events, you shouldn’t make any major ﬁnancial decisions this month. You could beneﬁt through your business partner but accept any potential propositions with caution.

CLASSIFIEDS

Business Opportunities

Adeia Services

Home / Business Cleaning / Sanitizing Franchise $699. + Royalties. Financing $99 down, $30 / month for 24 months. For details contact J. Edward Wolfe at jedwardwolfe46@gmail.com.

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Looking for Work around the NC area. Have experience working Front Desk in a motel & Restaurant industry. Willing to work for any job as urgently as possible. Contact at 646-418-9313.

Discover a Low Investment Business Opportunity in the financial industry that allows you to work from home, part-time or fulltime, and achieve excellent income potential. Call 908-590-4414 to set up an appointment for more details.

Partnership / Purchase Opportunity

Free standing Convenience Store with gaming and lotto in Georgia, 31061. Monthly revenue $20-$25 K. Call 301-852-1916.

Find your Dream Business

Call for Commercial Lots and Businesses for Sale in the Carolinas. 704-649-9095.

Looking for Work

22 years of Independent Motel experience. Willing to travel to any location. Call or text 505-401-5842.

Employment Opportunities

Realtors Wanted:

In Myrtle Beach and other parts of SC & NC. Join the team of Bipin Parekh Realty, LLC for the best commissions and low fees. Call Bipin for details: 704-608-8469.

Live-In Nanny needed asap in Baltimore, MD area. Great pay and benefits. Please call 443851-3699.

Hotel Help Wanted

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

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Autobody Shop Hiring Now!

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Looking for Babysitter

for 18 month-old toddler with reliable transportation near Concord, NC area. Please contact 214-404-2763.

Hotel Help Wanted

Looking for Manager & Front Desk for properties in Charlotte. Contact Nita Shah 704-502-2630 or gm.nita.shah@gmail.com

Front Desk & Laundry Help needed for Franchise Hotel in Concord, NC. Accommodations provided. Call 704772-5554.

Matrimonial / Seeking Companion

Seeking Bride

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Seeking Groom

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Property for Sale in India

Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat.Bunglow on property is still functional. Located right before Raguvir tenaments. Call Rajesh: 706-633-4577.

Room for Rent

In Rock Hill, SC with separate bathroom and common kitchen. Includes utilities & internet. Good offer for 2 people! Call 803-659-3330.

For Sale

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

Priest:

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Affordable Wedding Photography

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Ad Signs: billboards, banners, stickers and more for you or your business. Full service. Call Srinivas for quote: 910-434-3334.

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Gujarati Priest

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Dances of India

continued from page 58

In South India, same outdoor dance dramas are called Pagati Veshalu. In Kuchipudi dance style from South India, a very popular item called Ramayana Shabdam is also performed. Kathakali dance style from Kerala also features Valmiki Ramayana with amazing costumes, props and make up. Folk Dance of Karnataka State Yakshaganam is performed widely depicting the story of Lord Rama’s victory over evil Ravana. In these unique dance dramas, the dancers must have a lot of stamina as they are also reciting dialogues and singing and dancing at the same time.

The Vijaya Dashami festival also marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura. Bengalis observe Bijoya Dashami that marks the tenth day of Durga puja. On this day of Dasara, idols of the goddess are carried in processions and immersed in the river. Married women also smear vermilion on each other’s faces while others exchange greetings and celebrate with feasts.

In Telangana, a joyful dance called Bathukamma is performed by all women. In Telugu, Bathukamma means “Mother Goddess come Alive.” Bathukamma is a beautiful flower stack arranged with different unique seasonal flowers, most of them with medicinal values, in seven concentric layers in the shape of a peak of a temple called Gopuram. As a young child in India, I remember creating my own artwork with flowers and dancing around the flowers joining elders in their singing and clapping while going around the Bathukammas in a huge circle.

I guess that sounds familiar to many of you as it is similar to the famous Garba dances performed in the state of Gujarat. This dance also celebrates the victory of Durga Devi or Amba Mata as the women move in a circular direction, singing at the same time measure by clapping their palms or snapping their ﬁngers to the accompaniment of folk instruments. One can only say that Durga puja is the largest outdoor art festival on earth. The music, dancing, and art displayed and performed during the Durga puja played an integral part in connecting the community in Bengal, Gujarat, and eventually across India and the world.

In Kuchipudi repertoire, one of the most famous dance dramas is the Mahishasura Mardhini, the killing of the buﬀalo demon Mahishasura. Goddess fought with evil demon for nine nights and ten days. The name Vijayadashami is also derived from the Sanskrit words “Vijaya-Dashami” literally meaning the victory on the tenth day.

As we all reﬂect on those who lost their lives and those who lost all their belongings, let us take a moment to light the lamp of hope for Diwali and pray for those in need of positive energy. This is the unstoppable beauty of our Indian classical and folk dances. Every festival is celebrated with music and dance, bringing positive energy and helping us to forget our problems for a few days and allowing us to thank God for what we have.

Dr. Maha Gingrich

For questions or comments, contact via email at GingrichMaha@gmail.com

Magic Maze & Puzzles4Kids answers pgs 102 -103

Advertisers

Index for Charlotte,

South Carolina & Atlanta Region

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A2Z Cash & Carry Wholesale................................51

Anand, Versha (Real Estate) .................................61

Apex Distribution (10,000 Items for C-Stores).......39

Bala Sure (Broker / Realtor, NC & SC)..................33

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Charlotte)..16-17

Bashyam Global LLP - Immigration Law..............48

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

Bipin Parekh Realty............................................31

Blooming Buds.................................................101

Blooming Smiles Pediatric Dentistry.....................63

Blumenthal Performing Arts (Events)....................72

Brijal Shah (Keller Williams - Real Estate).............99

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

Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner)......114

Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center.........................81

Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular .......................4

Carolina Law Group ...........................................93

Carolina Medical Associates..................................73

Carolina Medical Partners...................................83

Carolinas Pediatrics ............................................63

CaroMont Medical Group (Bankim Patel MD)......84

Charlotte Chess Center ........................................11

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat .........................60

Chiro-Carolina ...............................................86

Concha, David (Immigration Attorney).................91

Concord Children's Clinic ..................................75

Copper Restaurant (Charlotte).............................25

Countywide Commercial (Pavement Solutions)....111

Davey Jones Fireworks (Ft. Mill, SC)....................19

Desai & Mehta CPAs PLLC .................................61

DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani).....................................22

DJ Pink Lips.......................................................37

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

DRC Photography (Video, Drone, Live Streaming)37

Eesha Realty, LLC...............................................53

Experior Financial Services .................................45

FOMO Boutique - Charlotte................................75

Founders Insurance Agency - Anjana Patel.............52

Geological Resources, Inc...................................101

Glo Dentistry (Ankit M. Amin, DMD)..................27

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

Growing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry......................41

H2 Laser & Skin..................................................81

Harish Bhasin (Independent Insurance Agent)........65

Harris For President.............................................3

Health Markets (Medicare, Health, Life, Supplemental).55

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

Hitch Hiker's Guide to College.............................31

Hitesh Patel & Tithi Patel (Health & Financial Services).41

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

House Of Fireworks (Ft. Mill, SC).......................10

HRA - C-Store Connect ......................................49

Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme Insurance Serv...99

Insurance Shopping (Sonal Patel - Independent Agent)38

JVC Realty (Balaji Tatineni Realtor / Broker).........87

KB Zaveree (Atlanta)...........................................23

Khanna & Sons Jewelers.......................................13

Kumar, Kokila (Real Estate - Allen Tate)................63

Maadhurya Photography...................................105

Maharani Indian Cuisine (Charlotte).....................85

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

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

Malaya Kitchen...................................................21

Malleswar Varikuti Realtor (Realty One Group).....85

Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors)..................73

Maxim Tours.......................................................45

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

Meghana (The Vedic Power Astrologer)...............107

Mehta & McConnell, PLLC (Injury Lawyers).........42

Merrill Lynch (Monica Vadhera)...........................27

Mint MedSpa & Laser Studio...............................83

Neeta's Beauty Parlor..........................................85

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

NSD Tax & Accounting Services..........................105

Om Tours & Travel...............................................43

One 2 Entertainment...........................................99

Patel & Samatova, Law........................................91

Patel Realty LLC (Vaibhav (Monty) Patel)............21

Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)..............................111

Patel, Tony (Real Estate)....................................109

Pathak, Atul (Real Estate)....................................37

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

Pramukh Mandapam...........................................95

Prema Senior Living.............................................6

Property for Sale India (Vallabh Vidyanagar).........43

Publix..................................................................7

Queen City Smiles (Dr. Kanupriya Tewari).............71

Ram Mortgage (Mayank Patel)............................47

Ruby Realty LLC (Neil Pathak)............................67

Rug & Home.........................................................5

Saffron Restaurant and Catering...........................65

Sam’s Handy Services...........................................47

Satya Realty........................................................69

SFC CPA PLLC (Saad Chaudhary, CPA)...............51

Shah & Associates, CPA, PLLC...........................101

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC..................................47

Shah, Anish (Real Estate)................................88-89

Sheraton Chapel Hill (ATMA Hotel Group)........113

Shisha Café - Hookah Lounge - Charlotte..............32

Singas Famous Pizza...........................................29

Sona Realty (Venkat Suryadevara)........................97

Suraja K. Mrithujayan Real Estate........................71

Technone LLC (Securtiy Systems).........................51

The Blue Taj........................................................25

Travel Passion.....................................................51

Union Family Eye Associates (Dr. Keshav Bhat)......85

Uniworld Travel................................................105

VAS Realty LLC (Ashwani Dalal).........................47

Vema Mortgage LLC (Chirag Rachhadia)........21/65

Venu Parepalli (Insurance & Real Estate) .............24

Worldwide Travels...............................................91

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

360insureall.com (Maqsood Khan) ......................95

A2Z Cash & Carry Wholesale................................51

Allstate (Krish Parlikad)........................................9

Apex Distribution (10,000 Items for C-Stores).......39

Apna Bazar (Morrisville).....................................67

Apna RTP Realty (Ananth Chivukula)..................27

Aura Skin & Laser (Dipan Patel)..........................33

Bashyam Global LLP - Immigration Law..............48

Bharath Bazar and Café (Cary).............................81

Bhat & Associates (General Dentistry)...................17

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

Blooming Buds.................................................101

Bombay Central (Grocery & Take Out Food)..........75

Brijal Shah (Keller Williams - Real Estate).............99

Brown Immigration Law (Rishi Oza, Partner)......114

Carolina Holiday Light Spectacular .......................4

Carolina Law Group ...........................................93

Cary Internal Medicine & Diabetes Center, PA........61

Cary Medical Clinic.............................................77

Chandni's Beauty Salon .......................................31

Charlotte Chess Center ........................................10

Concha, David (Immigration Attorney).................91

Corner Stone Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.......79

Countywide Commercial (Pavement Solutions)....111

Crescent Dental (Dr. Kavita Ghai)........................25

Darji, Iyer, Joshi & Patel (Accounting & Tax Services).21

DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani).....................................22

DJ Pink Lips.......................................................37

DRC Photography (Video, Drone, Live Streaming)37

Eesha Realty, LLC...............................................53

Experior Financial Services .................................45

Founders Insurance Agency - Anjana Patel.............52

GCAP (Events)...................................................31

Geological Resources, Inc...................................101

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

Growing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry......................41

Harish Bhasin (Independent Insurance Agent)........65

Harris For President.............................................3

Health Markets (Medicare, Health, Life, Supplemental)55

Hitesh Patel & Tithi Patel (Health & Financial Services)41

Honest (Indian Vegetarian Restaurant_.................24

HRA - C-Store Connect ......................................49

Inchin's Bamboo Garden......................................19

Insurance - Tushar Barot, Supreme

Atul (Real Estate)....................................37

Pramukh Mandapam...........................................95

PreJuve Medspa & Wellness (Neelu Agarwal MD)...77

Prema Senior Living.............................................6

Prism Lending (Madan Khatri)............................21

Property for Sale India (Vallabh Vidyanagar).........43

Publix..................................................................7

Rajeev Devgon, CPA ...........................................27

RB Realty Group (Ravi Bheemarao).....................63

Real Triangle Properties (Joe Mathews).................59

Royal India Mart (International Groceries)............71

Rug & Home.........................................................5

Sam's Handy Services...........................................47

SFC CPA PLLC (Saad Chaudhary, CPA)...............51

Shah & Associates, CPA, PLLC...........................101

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC..................................47

Shah, Anish (Real Estate)................................88-89

Shamim Beauty...................................................59

Sheraton Chapel Hill (ATMA Hotel Group)........113

Singh, Manny (Real Estate)....................................9

Smile Forever Family Dentistry (Dr. Narender Dudee).65

Sona Realty (Venkat Suryadevara)........................97

Spectrum Family Medicine (Sujatha Sajeevan, MD)27

Spice Bazaar.......................................................11

Spices Hut .........................................................73

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

Taaza Fresh Indian Bistro.....................................17

Technone LLC (Securtiy Systems).........................51

The Ivy Edge, LLC (College Admissions)...............61

Travel Passion.....................................................51

Tutoring (Nirmala Koripella - A+ Tutoring)..........72

Uniworld Travel................................................105

VAS Realty LLC (Ashwani Dalal).........................47

Vema Mortgage LLC (Vipul Hapani)...............29/61

Wake Spine & Pain..............................................79

West Cary Medicine (Dr. Kareem M.D.).................21

Worldwide Travels...............................................91

12/31/24