Saathee Magazine December 2011 Raleigh by Shukla Entertainment

Domesticated Elephants, Sri Lanka

December 2011

In this issue: Burma Rebooted Year-End Tax Strategies for Small Businesses

Hello Readers! The A capella group Penn Masala has become world-renowned and inspired the birth of other such combos. Read a profile of the group on pg. 8. Follow the journey of a drone and find out if it is as unmanned as believed. The story is on pg. 12. India is fast becoming, well, a fast-food paradise. Catch the story on this inevitable phenomenon on pg. 32. After being subjected to five decades of repression at the hands of the military junta, Burma is opening up. We've got a feature on this increasingly important country that sits in the middle of China and India. Read the informative story on pg. 38. Learn how to do the relaxing Chandra Namaskar in our yoga column on pg. 50. The column Marketing Turnaround looks at "ten reasons not to target mass media" on pg. 62. Find the year-end tax strategies for small businesses and professionals on pg. 66. Festivals and holidays are listed on pg. 118. Catch up on all the local and regional community organizations and events on pg. 92 and get up to the minute updates at our regularly updated website: saathee.com.

A features magazine for the South Asian Community of the Carolinas

Quote: “Nations are getting obsolete; we go and live where we will.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson.”

December 2011 – Issue # 164 Editor: Samir Shukla (saatheemag@hotmail.com) Publisher: Divakar Shukla (rakavid@aol.com) Community News Editor: Rajesh Ganatra Ad Design / Layout: Nate “Nageshwar” Andrews Consultant: Himanshu Desai Executive Assistant: Suzie Tanis Contributors: Pradip Bulsara, Kirit Shukla, Rajesh Ganatra, Judith L. Bergman, Chandan Sen, Gail Z. Martin, Smitha Prasad, Yash Garg, Dr. Maha Gingrich, Amanda Sodhi, Krutika Chheda, Anjana Agarwal, Priti Amin, Anita Kulkarni, Jay Cohen, and Jalendu Vaidya.

In This Issue

All contents © 2011 Shukla Entertainment, Inc. Penn Masala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 08 Journey of a Drone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 12 India’s Chain Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 14 Saathee Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 18 Film Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 22 Sangeet and Evergreen Film Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 24 Indian Classical Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 28 Dances of India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 30 India, the Fast Food Paradise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 32 Tending to a Bruised Knee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 36 Burma Rebooted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 38 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 40 Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 42 Children’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 44 Mastering Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 46 Astride three Continents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 48 Yoga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 50 Healthwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 52 Stock Tickers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 56 Immigration Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 60 Marketing Turnaround . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 62 Business Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 66 Self-Immolations in the Tibetan Diaspora . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 70 Cricket Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 72 Recipes of the Month . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 74 Community Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 84 Community Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 92 Pop’s Puzzles and Jokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 116 Festivals and Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 118 AstroScope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 120 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 122 Puzzle Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 124 Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 124

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Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily of the publisher or editor. Please contact us prior to submitting articles or photographs. Saathee is published monthly. Deadlines for advertisement, submissions and events information is 20th of the previous month. Mission: Our goal is to be a valuable source of information for the South Asian community and to be a vital advertising tool for businesses.

- Founded 1998 Saathee Magazine P.O. Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220 Phone: (704) 527-7570 Fax: (704) 527-7590 E-mail: saatheemag@hotmail.com

www.saathee.com Cover: Sri Lankan Elephants

The Sri Lankan elephant population has declined by 50% over the last three generations and is now largely restricted to a few National Parks and Nature Reserves. Elephants have played an important part in Sri Lankan culture for two thousand years. Photo: Dmitry Demiyanov Dreamstime.com

Saathee Magazine, USPS 021-116, is a free subscription magazine published monthly by Shukla Entertainment Inc. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Saathee, P.O. Box 11468, Charlotte, NC 28220-1468. Postage paid at Charlotte, NC. (ISSN: 1543-8147) December 2011

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Although Penn Masala is a university-based group, and members rotate out as they graduate and move on in their careers and lives, the alumni network is so strong that “no one ever leaves Penn Masala.” Such is the case for Prashant Shankar, who was a member of Penn Masala from 2001-2005. Shankar met his wife through Penn Masala and has made some of his best friends through the group as well. The group has an annual [alumni] show in Philadelphia in the spring which allows previous members to stay connected with the group. The alumni network supports current members with academics as well. Shankar, who is a resident in the Triangle area, is a mentor for premed students. “Striking the proper balance between a pre-med course load and an extracurricular like Masala is difficult, and I try to offer whatever advice I can to them,” Shankar said. Speaking of academics - managing an Ivy League education and an extracurricular activity, especially one that can require a great deal of traveling, can definitely present challenges. Not for Penn Masala though – who once again show that through their brotherhood and providing support to one another they can overcome anything. Harshil Shukla, current president of Penn Masala and a senior at University of Pennsylvania commended the group on their support for each other. “The upperclassmen always help the younger members. We’re in it all together and learn to manage our time well,” Shukla said. “Academics come first, but we wouldn’t be doing this if we didn’t love it.” Deciding who sings what is also a cooperative process. The group’s current music director, Vinay Rao, works together with other group members to see which song fits whomever best. “It really depends on the song itself,” Rao said. “Some people have a stronger forte in English songs, while others have a stronger forte in Hindi.” In terms of training, no one person in the group has this role and responsibility. Rather, the upperclassmen have cultivated the A cappella style and continue to transfer the knowledge to younger members. “We all come in with diverse musical backgrounds,” Sam Levenson, vice president of the group, said. “Some of us have been trained in Hindustani, Carnatic and others in classical Italian [musical styles].” This also contributes to the variety in the songs they have written themselves. Having a wide range of previous experiences with music allows their original compositions to stand out even more. Being innovators in [South Asian] A cappella groups, the group is now the inspiration for many college campuses which have started similar groups all over the nation. Since the group was founded by four males, they have traditionally decided to continue it as a brotherhood group. The group has consistently shown their support for each other, whether it is through song selection, academically, or simply being there for one another. Philadelphia is known as the city of brotherly love, and speaking to current and alumnus members of Penn Masala, it’s clear to see that mantra instilled in everything they do. Zero instruments and pure hearts – clearly the key to their success as singers who have transformed the world of music for South Asians all over the world.

Indian A capella Pioneers By Manisha Dass Pioneers who have paved the way. Penn Masala is truly a group who has done that and so much more in the world of A capella music. What started at a dorm room in 1996 at the University of Pennsylvania by four male South Asian students has taken the collegiate world of music on the ride of a lifetime! Fifteen years later, the group has performed all over the world, including Mumbai, London, San Francisco, New York, and who can forget their performance at the White House, during President Obama’s Diwali celebration in 2009.

Last month, Penn Masala gave a houseful show at the Hindu Society of North Carolina for the Triangle Gujarati Association and the Red and White Project’s Diwali Mela 2011. The crowd went absolutely wild for Penn Masala and it was clear to see that they were loved across all age groups. Manav Tandon was introduced to Penn Masala at their concert in Morrisville. “I came because a friend convinced me via their You Tube videos how good they were,” Tandon said. “I’m so glad that I made the decision to go – I’ve never seen a more talented group perform live!” Kinjal Patel, a recent graduate from NC State, watched them live for the first time last month. “I had heard their songs throughout college,” Patel said. “I have a sore throat from all the screaming, but every minute of being at their concert was worth it.” Their appeal to aunties and uncles and the reason they are the heartthrobs for many college females by large is attributed to their diverse song selection. Songs by Penn Masala range from old school Bollywood to current Shah Rukh Khan super hits and Kayne West to U2 and Coldplay. Their songs are primarily in Hindi and English, but there have been compositions which include Arabic, Punjabi, and Tamil. While most of their music is renditions of already existing songs, the group has five original compositions on three of their albums. Their most recent compositions are “Is Pal Mein,” and “Kaash.” Songs are selected by the group via a collaborative process. “Everyone comes from diverse musical backgrounds and has a diverse interest in music, which appeals to a wider audience,” Bharat Moudgil said. Moudgil is a law student at the University of Pennsylvania and has been a member of Penn Masala for seven years. Mixing an English song with the right Hindi song has turned into an art mastered by Penn Masala. Saathee.com

Penn Masala has eight albums; their most recent one is Panoramic. Their music can be purchased on i-Tunes or visit their website at www.pennmasala.com.

December 2011

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of the operation: the cockpit on the ground and the data system that glues the whole mission together. UAV pilots on the ground fly the drone as if it were any conventional aircraft, ready for takeoff with the joystick in their right hand. “It’s the same as the environment of the typical cockpit, but the pilot is displaced,” Gilboa said. So, when the vehicle takes off, instead of seeing the field through a windshield, the pilot is looking at the rolling image streamed from a camera on the drone’s nose. The information being relayed from the drone is fed to not only the pilot in Nevada, but a host of other people as well. UAV missions “are about the movement of data instead of people,” Gilboa said. And this is exactly what makes them so appealing. The pilot can be sitting anywhere, out of danger, and the images received in flight can be streamed anywhere — from legal advisors, to CIA personnel, to ground troops in Pakistan, and beyond. And thanks to this mobility of data, the decision-making process in UAV combat is a lot more complex, and involving a lot more people than in traditional air warfare. “Pilots are looking at the screen, but they do not have ultimate decisions to do everything that they’re capable of. Other people looking may be people parked on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. Or it could be people at the Pentagon who are making the real decisions,” Valerdi said. “Say we are going to send the drone with a bunch of weapons on it, and depending on how that looks, there will be a bunch of people involved in that decision — and all of the social and political risks that it comes with.” Once the drone is in flight, videos of the field are streamed live. The target — a vehicle filled with suspected militants, say — is identified on the ground. The pilot is given the go-ahead to fire. And at the sound of 5-4-3-2-1, a missile launched by a drone piloted from Nevada hits its target in Miranshah, Pakistan.

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Traveling from Nevada to North Waziristan, drones are anything but unmanned. By Emily Gogolak – GlobalPost.com The three people driving out of Miranshah, a small town in the northern tribal region of Pakistan, on Oct. 31, probably heard a distant buzz before the deafening explosion that sent their car tumbling off the side of the road. The passengers, later described as suspected militants by the United States and Pakistan, were incinerated, their remains left inside the charred vehicle. Their fate began more than 7,000 miles away when two pilots sitting in a pretend cockpit at an Air Force base in Nevada, spotted the car on their screens. With the push of a button, they watched as a Hellfire missile took out its target. Drones, otherwise known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are the next big thing in contemporary warfare and are fast becoming the central pillar of the Obama administration’s ongoing war on terror. But while the world debates the legal and ethical implications of unmanned combat, there is little acknowledgment that these weapons are anything but unmanned. “At the end, it’s always about people, no matter what,” said Asaf Gilboa, a former UAV operator for the Israeli Air Force who is now the CEO of Themis, an international UAV consultant firm. The drone itself consists of five or six parts that can be dissembled, packed into a container known as “the coffin,” and deployed anywhere in the world. But inside that container is a lot more than just a vehicle: it’s an entire system, with satellite communication equipment, cameras and sensor systems, lasers, rangefinders, moving target indicators, and more. The journey of the drone, operated by either the military or the CIA, begins in the hands of civilians. “The military is like a rich kid with a trust-fund,” said Ricardo Valerdi, a professor of engineering at the University of Arizona who works with defense contractors on UAV development. “It wants to buy the finished product, and its interest is more in maintenance and operation than in actual development. So it hands over the money to the private companies.” Product development is led by contractors like Lockheed Martin, Boeing or General Dynamics — together capturing about 80 percent of the UAV market in the United States — which construct the drones from start to finish. Building the drones, however, is only the first step. Testing a drone is the hard part, and presents a whole new set of problems from, say, testing a manned fighter jet. “It is a human controlling an autonomous robot,” Valerdi said. “By the nature of this autonomy, they have a lot of divergent behaviors.” In other words, a lot can go wrong. Pilots on the ground, for example, lack the same situational awareness and physical cues they would have in the cockpit of a jet. “A bunch of sensors are trying to find each other in an environment where there may be no GPS or no radio,” Valerdi said. So, if something abnormal happens in the air, hovering over Miranshah, there’s not much the pilots sitting on the ground can do about it. Once the companies are sure that the drone, with sensors and all, is safely and soundly up and running, they can deliver the final product to their customer, usually the U.S. military. From here, the military synchs the drone with the two other key components Saathee.com

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undisclosed stake to Housing Development Finance Corp. for around $10 million — suggesting that the snowball is beginning to roll downhill. According to Narayanan, IWS hopes to operate 75 schools with over 40,000 students in five years time, which could pave the way for a wave of followers. According to the entrepreneur, at least a dozen of India’s large corporations are discussing similar ventures or investments. But the blue ocean market — 250,000 schools! — means he won’t need to worry much about competition for bodies. Nevertheless, Narayanan aims to make sure innovation isn’t limited to the business model. The company is steadily developing its own intellectual property for the curriculum, with a focus on age-appropriate linkages to career aspirations and higher education goals — music to the ears of middle-class Indian parents. And the connection with Career Launcher — a test prep and college admissions advisory company that serves 100,000 from 225 outlets — ensures that IWS understands its target customers and their goals. Can for-profit chain schools really step in where the state has failed — especially for students like Dhiraj Singh, whose parents can’t afford to pay more than a pittance? Studies of tiny, grassroots private schools and school vouchers suggest that the answer may be yes. So far IWS, like most elite Indian schools, offers scholarships for only a few hundred students. But the gathering momentum of the country’s recently passed Right to Education law (RTE) could free up funds for private players. “The RTE needs to be given an operating framework from the current ‘intent’ state,” said Narayanan. “We can contribute immensely to [uplifting the poor] in just a generation if we can implement RTE smartly!”

The Chain School Can a business model made famous by McDonalds revolutionize Indian education? By Jason Overdorf – GlobalPost.com In a typical Delhi slum, sewage overflows from the drain alongside the street and scraps of colored paper and empty bottles tumble in the foul wind. Here and there, a spindly boy in threadbare briefs fetches water from the hand-pump and a baby, her eyes blacked with kohl, plays happily in the grime. It’s not an easy place to live. But even here, Ramesh Singh, a bicycle rickshaw driver, opted to send his son, Dhiraj, to a barebones private school when a pilot program for school vouchers gave him the chance several years ago. “You saw when the teacher tested him,” Ramesh said. “He finished class three in government school, and he can’t read anything!” Rich or poor, Indians are abandoning the country’s disastrously managed government-run schools in droves. Only about two-thirds of India’s school-age children attend classes at all, and the fierce competition for places at private institutes means that waiting lists are enormous and it’s difficult to win admission to any without pulling strings. More discouraging still, because of its demographics India will need to build another 250,000 schools to meet its goal of universal enrollment by 2015. But that means there’s a big opportunity, as well, some investors believe: India could well be the first country in the modern world where the business of educating kids from kindergarten through high school is, well, a business. Meet the would-be chain store of education: the Indus World School (IWS). The school that Ramesh chose for Dhiraj, called R.S. Public School in homage to the legacy of Eton and Harrow, was not part of IWS or any other big corporation. When I visited the place, the paint was crumbling off the concrete walls. Its barred windows give it an aspect more penal than pedantic, and the children in the courtyard were forced to squint and shield their eyes against a fine grit whipped across the compound by the wind. Still, at $6 a month, it cost less than the voucher that Ramesh received as part of a pilot program run by the Center for Civil Society, and the teachers actually showed up for work. Corporation-run chain schools would institute higher standards — perhaps even pioneering the franchise model in education. “India needs entrepreneurs and organizations who are willing to build a scalable execution model of schools,” said Satya Narayanan, chairman of Career Launcher. “In terms of numbers, these could translate into a chain of hundreds of schools over a five to seven year period.” With 14 schools in operation, mostly in second-tier cities but also including five rural schools, Indus World School has made a good start. Earlier this year, the company secured second round financing from Gaja Capital Partners and sold an additional, Saathee.com

December 2011

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Top Five Movies - Dec 2011

(Bollywood films slated to be released in the next 4-6 weeks) 1. Desi Boyz Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone, Chitragda Singh, and Omi Vaidya

The Dirty Picture (Director: Milan Luthria) Cast: Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor, and Imran Hasnee

2. Rockstar Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri & Shammi Kapoor

Ye Stupid Pyar (Director: Rakesh Jain) Cast: Jatin Khurana, Noopur Patwardhan, and Akansha Shivhare

3. Ra.One Shahrukh Khan, Arjun Rampal, Kareena Kapoor, Armaan Verma, Sanjay Dutt, and Priyanka Chopra

I Am Singh (Dir: Puneet Issar) Cast: Tulip Joshi, Mika Singh, Puneet Issar, Gulzar Inder Chahal, Brooke Johnston, Rizwan Haider, Amy Rasimas, and Sunita Dheer

4. Dam 999 Aashish Vidyarthi, Linda Arsenio, Rajit Kapoor, Harry Key, Vinay Rai, Vimala Raman, and Megha Burman

Pappu Can’t Dance Saala (Director: Saurabh Shukla) Cast: Vinay Pathak, Neha Dhupia, Rajat Kapoor, and Naseeruddin Shah

5. Mausam Shahid Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Aditia Sharma and Supriya Pathak

Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl (Director: Maneesh Sharma) Cast: Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Parineeti Chopra, Dipannita Sharma & Aditi Sharma

Top Five Songs - Dec 2011 1. Don 2 “Hai Ye Maya” Music: Shankar Ehsaan Loy Singer: Usha Uthup

Kya Yahi Sach Hai (Dir: Y.P. Singh) Cast: Ashok Beniwal, Bobby Vats, Nilesh Malhotra, Saurabh Dubey & Raju Mavani

2. The Dirty Picture “Ishq Sufiyana” Music: Vishal Shekhar Singer:Kamal Khan

Don 2 (Director: Farhan Akhtar) Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Om Puri, Kunal Kapoor, and Nawab Shah

3. Jo Hum Chahein “Ishq Hothon Se” Music: Sachin Gupta Singers: KK & Shreya Ghoshal

Chaalis Chauraasi (Director: Hriday Shetty) Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni, Kay Kay Menon, Ravi Kissen, Shweta Bhardwaj, and Rajesh Sharma

4. Desi Boyz “Make Some Noise for Desi Boyz” Music: Pritam Signers: KK & Bob

Lanka (Director: Maqbool Khan) Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Arjan Bajwa, Tia Bajpai, Yashpal Sharma, Manish Choudhary, and Yatin Karyekar

5. RockStar “Phir Se Ud Chala” Music:AR Rahman Singer: Mahit Chauhan

Ghost (Director: Puja Jatinder Bedi) Cast: Shiney Ahuja, Sayali Bhagat, Tej Sapru, Deepraj Rana, Julia Bliss, and Gulshan Rana

(Note: This top five is based on the following non-scientific research: your feedback, video rental, box office from India and United States, internet opinions & our opinion) Saathee.com

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Tukkaa Fitt (Director: Shawn Arranha) Cast: Mahaakshay Chakraborty, Rajpal Yadav, Mahesh Manjrekar, Vaishali Desai, Mukul Dev, Hiten Paintal, and Satish Shah Agneepath (Dir: Karan Malhotra) Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra, Sanjay Dutt, Rishi Kapoor, and Katrina Kaif Kahaani (Director: Sujoy Ghosh) Cast: Vidya Balan and Amitabh Bachchan Tezz (Director: Priyadarshan) Cast: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Kangna Ranaut, Boman Irani, Zayed Khan, Mohanlal, and Sameera Reddy Shanghai (Dir: Dibakar Banerjee) Cast: Abhay Deol, Emraan Hashmi, Prosenjit Chatterjee, Pitobash Tripathy, Kalki Koechlin, and Farooq Sheikh Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (Director: Shakun Batra) Cast: Imran Khan, Sonia Mehra, Kareena Kapoor, Ram Kapoor, Boman Irani, Randhir Kapoor & Ratna Pathak Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya (Director: Mandeep Kumar) Cast: Riteish Deshmukh, Genelia Dsouza, Om Puri, Tinu Anand, Smita Jaykar, and Veena Malik It’s My Life (Director: Anees Bazmee) Cast: Harman Baweja, Nana Patekar, Genelia Dsouza, Asrani, and Sham Mashalkar (Movie release dates subject to change) Saathee.com

December 2011

Ameesha Patel to Act in Double Role Ameesha Patel is set to act in a double role. In the upcoming film Same 2 Same, the actress will don both Indian and Western modes of two different characters. The film, along with her films Short Romeo and Race 2, is set for release in 2012.

Film Clips

Saif and Kareena Set to Ring Wedding Bells Early 2012

Don 2

Shah Rukh Khan returns to the world of international espionage by reteaming with director Farhan Akhtar for the upcoming action thriller DON 2 opening in theaters worldwide on December 23 in both 2D and 3D versions. Shot in Germany, Malaysia, Switzerland, and India, the sequel also features Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani, Lara Dutta, and Om Puri with new music from Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Don (ShahRukh Khan) has conquered the Asian underworld and now has his sights set on European domination. In his way are the bosses of the existing European underworld and all law enforcement agencies. The action shifts from Kuala Lumpur to Berlin as Don must avoid assassination or arrest, whichever comes first, in order for his plan to succeed. Official Site: don2thefilm.com

Bollywood sweethearts Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor are set to take their relationship into the permanent bonds of matrimony sometime in February or March 2012. Khan confirmed the event in an interview with Bollywood Hungama. Khan’s next big film, Agent Vinod, is also set to be released around that time. After the promotion of the film is completed and it hits the screens, the couple will be headed down the aisle.

Ekta Kapoor and Farah Khan on Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women list Film and TV producer Ekta Kapoor and director Farah Khan were recently voted onto Fortunes India’s 50 most powerful business women list. Kapoor, Joint Managing Director of Balaji Telefilms, ranks 31st while choreographer turned director Khan attained the 42nd rank.

Aamir Khan’s Next Film Titled Talaash

Asha Bhosle Sets New Guinness World Record

Aamir Khan’s next film, the suspense thriller Talaash, will be directed by Reema Kagti and will also feature Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. The film is being co-produced by Aamir Khan along with Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani.

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle has entered the Guinness World Records for having the most single studio recordings in the world. Bhosle, who has been singing since 1947, has recorded over 11,000 solo, duet and chorusbacked songs in more than 20 Indian languages. Her hits include “Dum Maaro Dum,” “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja,” “Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko,” “Yeh Mera Dil,” and “Rangeela Re” and many more. She broke her sister Lata Mangeshkar’s record.

Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom Join the Cast of Anil Kapoor Starrer Cities After Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Anil Kapoor will appear in the Hollywood flick Cities, a cautionary tale about greed and ambition that takes place in the months leading up to the Dow Jones all-time stock market high. Fortunes, both big and small are put at risk as people around the globe gamble that the financial market’s meteoric rise will continue. The film, also featuring Clive Owen along with Dunst and Bloom, is being produced by Matthew Metcalfe and Chris Curling and is directed by Roger Donaldson. In other news Anil Kapoor Films Company recently signed a Rs. 100 Crore deal with 20th Century Fox to remake the hit TV series “24.” Kapoor’s film company will adapt the series for the Indian market. Anil Kapoor had acted in the recent season of the US television series. Kapoor told Bollywood Hungama, “It will be a great honor for me to play Jack Bauer. Kiefer (Sutherland) has created an iconic character which has inspired me to bring the franchise to India. This will be my first foray to Indian television and I look forward to duplicating the standard of excellence Fox has so successfully created.”

Shammi Kapoor’s Daughter to Write a Book on Him Shammi Kapoor’s daughter Kanchan Desai is all set to write a book on her father’s life and career. This book will cover the professional and personal aspects of Shammi Kapoor’s life as a husband, a father and a national icon. Kanchan is Kapoor’s daughter from his first wife Geeta Bali. Shamsher Raj “Shammi” Kapoor passed away last month. His final film “Rockstar” is currenlty number one at the box office. -- Courtesy of IndiaFM

Government Tightens Grip on Screen Smoking Norms According to new regulations that took effect middle of last month, no TV show or film will be allowed to feature any onscreen tobacco product freely, unless it has strong requirement within the content and each of the concerned actors issues a 20second spot condoning the act. The spots are required to run before and midway through the program about the hazards of smoking. There will also have to be a strong anti-tobacco health warning as a prominent scroll at the bottom of the screen during the smoking scenes. To ensure proper enforcement of the new norm the government has decided to place a representative of the health ministry in the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) to monitor such scenes, while films with heavy use of tobacco products are likely to get “A” certificate. – Courtesy of Bollywood Hungama Saathee.com

Kim Sharma Quits Bollywood “Loot is the last of my terrible film career, actress Kim Sharma recently told India FM. Even though she debuted in the Yash Raj Film Mohabbatein, Sharma’s career never took off. And now she has put an official end to her Bollywood career. Sharma, who recently married Kenya-based businessman Ali Punjani, is being seen for the last time in the film Loot which was released last month. She said, “I am very happily married. Luckily and happily, Loot is the last of my terrible film career.” 22

December 2011

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December 2011

By Kirit Shukla

Song: Bābuji dhire chalnā... Film: Aar Paar Year: 1954 Tribute to Hindustani Classical Singers Music: O. P. Nayyar Singers: Geeta Dutt Lyric: Majrooh Sultanpuri Geeta Dutt (1930-1972), the sensual playback singer of the Tāl/Rhythm: Kaharvā famous song “Merā sundar sapanā beeta gayā” (1947 Film: Do Starring: Guru Dutt, Shyama, Shakeela Bhai, Music by S.D. Burman), was born in Bengal in a Roy family Bābuji dhire chalnā... on Nov. 23, 1930. She was famous as a singer of sad songs and Bhajans (Religious songs), although, she also sang Western-style Bābuji dhire chalanā, pyār men zarā sambhalanāHān bade songs. Her family moved to Mumbai when she was 12-yearsdhokhe hain, bade dhokhe hain isa rāhamen, Bābuji ...Kyun old. During the recording process for the film Baazi, she fell in ho khoye huye sar jhukāye, jaise jāte ho sab kuchh lutāyeYe to love with actor/director Guru Dutt and married him in 1953. She bābuji pahalā kadam hai, nazar āte hain apane parāyeHān continued to sing songs for his films. The couple had three bade dhokhe hain...Ye muhabbat hai o bholebhāle, kar na dil children. She has sung more than 1000 songs in many languages ko gamon ke havāleKāma ulafat kā nāzuk bahut hai, āke including Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Nepali, Bhojpuri, honthon pe tutenge pyāleHān bade dhokhe hain...Ho gayi hai and Punjabi. She mostly sang for music directors S. D. Burman, kisi se jo anaban, thāma le dusarā koi dāmanZindagāni ki Hemant kumar, O.P. Nayyar, and Avinash Vyas. Her marriage rāhen ajab hai, ho akelā hai to lākhon hai dushmanHān bade broke up when her husband Guru Dutt became involved with dhokhe hain... the actress Waheeda Rehman. She got divorced, neglected he music and turned to alcohol. She suffered a nervous breakdown. Meaning (Summary): Sir, (Bābuji) walk slowly, be a little She passed away on July 20, 1972 in Mumbai, India. We will cautious when in love. Yes, there are many dangers; many remember her golden voice. dangers on this road. Bābuji... Why are you lost, with your head down, like you're leaving, Some of her all time hit oldies: sacriﬁcing everything? Sir this is just the ﬁrst step where you Gujarati movie songs. see those who are your own as strangers. Yes, there are many Bhābhi tame thodā thodā thāo (Guna Sundari - 1948) dangers… Talio nā tāle, Rākha nā ramakadā (Mangalfera - 1949) O innocent, this is love so don’t make your heart miserable. It Mane kera kānto vāgyo - Lok geet) and many more. is very delicate in matters of love, like breaking the glasses near your lips. Yes, there are many dangers… Since you have Hindi movie Songs been let down by someone, you'll need to grab someone else. Mata jā mat jā jogi, Ghungat ke pat khola (Jogan -1950) The roads of life are unknown; if you’re alone, there are many Khayālo mein kisike (Bawre Nain -1950) enemies. Yes, there are many dangers... Jai Jagadish Hare (Anand Math-1951) (Lyric by Jaydev) Tadbir se bigdi hui taqdeer (Baazi -1951) Na yeh chānd hogā (Shart-1954) Yeh lo main hāri piyā (Aar Paar-1954) Thandi hawā kali ghatā, jāne kahān merā jigar, Jā jā jā jā bewafā, Preetam ān milo (Mr. & Mrs. 55 - 1955) ān milo ān milo (Devdas-1955) Aye dil hain mushkil, Jātā kahān hai (C.I.D - 1956) Mere zindagi ke humsafar (Shrimati 420 - 1956) Aye dil mujhe batā de (Bhai Bhai - 1956) āja sajan mohe anga lagā do, Jāne kyā tune kahi, Hum āpaki ānkhon mein (Pyaasa-1957) Chora, lutere, dāku(Usitad-1957 ) Merā nāma chin chin choo (Howrah Bridge-1958 ) Kaisā jādoo balam tune dārā (12 o’clock - 1958) Hawā dhire ānā (Sujata-1959) Waqt ne kiyā kyā hasin sitam (Kagaz ke Phool-1959) Na jāo saiyān chhudā ke baiyān, Piyā aiso jiyā mein, Chale āo See this song on Nazar Television in December. chale āo (Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam -1962) Visit saathee.com for Nazar Television local listings. Mujhe jān nā kaho (Anubhav-1971) [Her final one] Kirit Shukla Contact him at kiritsshukla@hotmail.com

One of her popular classic song’s lyrics: “Bābuji dhire chalnā” is given in the column to the right. (Note: The contents for this article are compiled from the books, internet and my knowledge & love for Indian music.) Saathee.com

December 2011

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Prices listed are base prices, do not include lot premiums or options, and are subject to change without notice. Square footage listed is approximate. This material shall not constitute a valid offer in any state where prior registration is required or if void by law. Photographs are for illustrative purposes only, are not intended to be an actual representation of a specific home being offered and depict models containing features or designs that may not be available on all homes or in all areas or that may be available for an additional cost. Please see a sales associate for details. ©2011 Pulte Homes Corporation. All rights reserved. (10/20/11)

Happy Holidays!

Saathee.com

December 2011

Color page

Indo-Chinese & Traditional Indian Cuisine

Musical Instruments in Hindustani Classical Music By Anita Kulkarni

Evolution of Carnatic music - a series By Smitha K. Prasad Dear readers, for this month’s column, I would like to take up the subject of patriotism and the role that Carnatic music and musicians played in India’s quest for independence. Carnatic music and its compositions are for the most part Bhakti (devotional) oriented and even though there are compositions that deal with other themes, devotion has always been the main theme of most Carnatic music compositions. Patriotism, however, emerged as a theme with composers such as Subramanaya Bharathiyar, Periyasamy Thooran among others as India fought for independence from the continuing British rule. Perhaps, the most famous of patriotic composers was the poet-composer Subramanya Bharatiyar (1882-1921). His compositions emphasized nationalism, unity of India and equality of mankind and appealed to the liberty and strength of people- he sang these compositions at Congress meetings. His writings earned him the title of Mahakavi or great poet while his patriotic songs earned him the title of Desiya Kavi or National Poet. The government wanted to arrest Bharatiyar for his writings and so he was forced to escape from Madras to Pondicherry (under French rule); there he continued to publish a weekly magazine “India.” Carnatic musicians also did their part to promote national integration and emphasized the need for freedom. Foremost among these musicians was Smt. D.K. Pattammal (1919-2009), who popularized several patriotic songs of Subramaya Bharatiyar. She was one of the earliest Carnatic musicians to sing in films and even though she received many offers to sing in films, she accepted to only sing songs that were either devotional or patriotic. Several of the films in which she sang highlighted the freedom movement and became extremely popular. As a result, both the films as well as the songs sung by Smt. Pattammal were banned by the British government. Her signature song “Shanthi Nilava Vendum” called for peace in the world, reiterating Mahatma Gandhi’s ideologies. Many people still remember the Bharatiyar songs that she sang over AIR (All India Radio) at the stroke of midnight on August 14, 1947 when India attained freedom. Till we meet next time, do listen to the song “Shanthi Nilavavendum”, in Raga Tilang, by Smt. D.K. Pattammal. You will be able to find a recording on the popular music website www.raaga.com.

Shehnai - The shehnai is a North Indian oboe, a very devotional instrument. It is actually a quadruple-reed instrument. This is because it has two upper reeds and two lower reeds. The instrument has a wooden body with a brass bell. The reed is attached to a brass tube which is wrapped in string. The shehnai has eight holes but it is common to find some of the holes partially or completely occluded with wax. The sound of the shehnai is considered particularly auspicious and creates a holy musical atmosphere. For this reason it is found in temples and is an indispensable component of any North Indian wedding. In the past, shehnai was part of the naubat or traditional ensembles of nine instruments found at royal courts. Ustad Bismillahkhan popularized this instrument in India. Jaltarang - The Jaltarang, one of the most rarely heard instruments today, is also among the oldest instruments in the world. It consists of china bowls filled with water and struck by two wooden sticks. Earlier, since china clay bowls were not available, artists used to play this instrument with metal bowls. Each bowl can be tuned to the desired frequency by varying the quantity of water in it. These bowls are placed in a semi-circle arrangement around the artist and played. The Jaltarang has a pleasant characteristic tone similar to the Feng Shui wind chimes. The player can produce classical Indian ragas on it, as well as light melodies. Jaltarang is a unique instrument in the sense that it is both a percussion, as well as non-percussion instrument.

Anita Kulkarni Email:info@anitakulkarni.com

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December 2011

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When I was 6 years old, I saw the great dancer, Padmashri Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarmaji perform the most popular dance-drama in Kuchipudi repertoire, Bhama Kalapam. I did not know that he was a “Man” dressed as the lady “Satya Bhama,” the beloved wife of Lord Krishna. He sang on the stage like a woman, he danced with vitality and grace, projecting the pride of Satya Bhama, the queen. I was totally mesmerized. I aspired to be half as good as Sri Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarmaji. I used to perform this dance quite often when I was a kid and received a lot of recognition. It was my parents’ favorite dance. I decided to choreograph this dance and perform during the 11th anniversary of Dances of India show on April 28, 2012 at CPCC’s Halton Theater in Charlotte. Bhama Kalapam is a dynamic dance-drama, filled with Bhava (expressions), quick rhythmic movements, grand costumes, and most melodic music. The original dance-drama was performed for nine nights, depicting the complete story of sweet quarrel between Lord Krishna and his arrogant wife Satya Bhama. In recent years, only small parts of this dance-drama are being performed by solo dancers. In short, the story is about Satyabhama the heroine. She brags about being the daughter of a very rich king, Satrajit. She was a very beautiful, proud, commanding and above all a warrior queen. While Krishna commanded the whole universe, Satyabhama commanded him. All these qualities of Satyabhama are portrayed during this dance. Even though this dance has been performed by many well known dancers, in my opinion, no one even comes close to being as good as the living legend, Sri Vedantam Satyanarayana Sarmaji.

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Burgeoning Fast-food Paradise Across Indian cities, mushrooming malls are driving a revolution in the fast-food business. By Jason Overdorf – GlobalPost.com At the DLF Place mall in the upscale South Delhi neighborhood of Saket, shoppers and employees sit more or less side-by-side in a new “desi” food court, digging into traditional Indian dishes ranging from biryani to dosas to seekh kebabs. There’s something for everybody — at many tables three generations are sitting down together. But that’s not the reason these traditional upstarts have succeeded in storming what was once the bastion of western brands like McDonald’s and Pizza Hut. Some of the city’s most famous restaurants are represented here — some of them a century old — transformed by smart uniforms, cheery signage and shining show kitchens to look every bit as clean, efficient and modern as their multinational competitors. Welcome to the future of Indian fast food. “[Quick Service Restaurants or] QSRs are quite successful in India,” said Arun Chanda, founder of New Delhi-based Mint Hospitality Consultancy. “Over the last five years, a lot of Indian companies have started getting into the franchising model and expanding into different cities.” Credit marketers at DLF for inducing popular brands like Karim’s, Nizam’s, Moti Mahal, Nathu’s Sweets, Rajdhani and Sagar Ratna — which had already launched multiple sit-down restaurants around New Delhi — to experiment with nascent fastfood franchises. But the revolution is already underway across the country, as global chains seek to woo a broader cross-section of customers by incorporating traditional spices and ingredients into their menus. And local upstarts have begun to attract deep-pocketed financiers in the bid to build nationwide fast-food chains of their own. “Even people who are into the five-star hotel business are thinking of getting into the QSR concept,” said Chanda. According to Euromonitor and market-research firm RNCOS, India’s $13 billion fast-food market is already growing 25-30 percent a year, and global players like Domino’s, McDonald’s and Yum Brands (KFC and Pizza Hut) are pushing into second- and third-tier cities. Hardcastle Restaurants, development licensee for McDonald’s in India, is planning a massive expansion, doubling its India stores over the next three years with an investment of $100 million. Meanwhile, Yum Brands plans to open 1,000 outlets — half of them KFC restaurants — on its way to $1 billion in revenue from India over the next four years. Other multinationals like Burger King, Cinnabon, Dunkin Donuts, and Starbucks are not far behind — with stores already on the ground or aggressive launch plans underway. With 60 percent of the Indian population currently under 30, it’s no mystery why. Call it irrational exuberance if you want, but this summer Indian investors judged Jubilant Foodworks — which owns the franchise rights to Domino’s and Dunkin Donuts in India and sold about $150 million worth of pizzas last year — to be nearly as valuable as the U.S.-based parent company. “We’ve now been in India for over 15 years, and we’ve actually seen the change right before our eyes,” said Amit Jatia, vice chairman of McDonald’s India. “The market is changing very significantly. People are eating out far more often than before, and I think the availability of international QSR brands has brought about that change.” Saathee.com

But as the success of DLF’s “desi food court” suggest, the future of fast food in India isn’t about pizza and burgers. In deference to Indian religious sentiments, McDonald’s doesn’t even offer its signature Big Mac here, or any other beef or pork products. Instead, it offers the Chicken Maharaja Mac and items like the McAloo Tikki burger (a mashup of potatoes and peas, deep-fried and served in a bun), the McVeggie and the Paneer Salsa Wrap — along with the Filet-O-Fish, McChicken sandwich and Chicken McNuggets. Similarly, Domino’s and Pizza Hut don’t offer any beef toppings, and offer a wide range of pizzas that incorporate traditional Indian ingredients and spices, such as the Domino’s Keema Do Pyazza pizza, with onions, spicy minced goat meat and jalapenos, or Pizza Hut’s Kadai Paneer pizza, with onions, green pepper, paprika, coriander and tofu-like unaged farmer’s cheese. Food industry experts say these flavors are here to stay. “We believe that we must respect the local culture. Therefore, around the globe we do products that are relevant for the local consumer,” said Jatia. “But we want uniquely McDonald’s products. For example, we don’t anticipate making a McDosa, but we have a Spicy Paneer burger. That has resonated very well with the Indian consumer. I feel that for global brands, a blend of local and international is the way forward.” At the same time, Indian entrepreneurs are cracking the fastfood franchise model. “We wanted to get the fundamentals right before we started expanding,” said Kiran Nadkari the CEO of Kaati Zone, a Bangalore-based chain. “Once you’ve got the back-end in place, you can expand rapidly. But during those early stages there’s not much investment capital. So, for example, I bootstrapped for three years, from 2004 to 2007.” Now, though, homegrown fast-food companies are expanding rapidly, and some are beginning to attract funding from venture-capital and private-equity firms. For instance, Kaati Zone — which sells Kolkata-style kathi rolls (spiced goat, chicken or vegetarian fillings wrapped in fried flatbread) — plans to add 80-plus new outlets to its 17 existing stores by 2013, with venture capital financing from Accel India, Draper Investment Company and Erasmic Ventures. Mumbai-based Jumbo King — a 43-store franchise business that offers Maharashtra’s famous vada pav (spicy, deepfried mashed potato on a bun) — plans to open 250 outlets this year. And Sagar Ratna — a 25-year-old South Indian food chain which bridges sit-down restaurants and fast-food outlets — recently sold a controlling stake in the company to New York-based India Equity Partners for $36 million. It plans to add 200 outlets to its 70 existing restaurants over the next three or four years. “Even Jubilant took 15 years between when they started and their IPO,” said Nadkari. “Now, the valuation of Jubilant [which this summer nearly matched that of NYSE-listed Domino’s Pizza Inc.] is showing investors that anything that’s touching Indian consumers is hot, and they can get extraordinary returns from this.” That makes India a burgeoning fast-food paradise — where you can get a six-course Rajasthani “thali,” or set meal, in 5 minutes flat, and then dash up the stairs or across the street to top it off with a McFlurry. But it also means that someday soon, if all goes well, you just might be seeing some of these brands — or at least these flavors — at a shopping mall or street corner near you. “We already export some of our products to the Middle East,” said Jatia. “We’ve done a lot of innovation work in vegetarian products, and there’s a lot of interest across the McDonald’s countries.” December 2011

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By Samir Shukla The Soul of Music So what is this elusive human soul that devils and gods fight over? Numerous religious myths have evolved over the eons; they all posit numerous questions and ideologies about the human soul in one manner or another. They bicker, wage wars, seek believers, convert non-believers, spend lifetimes trying to save souls or philosophize about reincarnating the elusive, invisible human soul. Could soul be the percussive beat of the human heart? Is the life-sustaining, rhythmic beat of a heart the soul that devils are in the market for? Or is soul simply the last abstraction, the unsolvable formula keeping god myths alive. I believe the mystery of the human soul is subtler than that. The answer may be simpler. Soul is the essential goodness of humanity, its natural love of life. The physical manifestation of the human soul resides in the music we create. Music is the language common to all humanity. Music is soul. Soul is music. Humanity’s capacity to communicate via music, whether through rhythmic percussion or via voice, is the external apparition of soul. It wouldn’t be far-fetched to call music the collective soul of humanity. Music is the galactic language that transcends barriers, breaks down inhibitions and dissolves mistrust. It sings unity. People who don’t speak the same language, or aren’t part of the same culture or ethnic group, can converse through the rhythms, harmony, and melodies of music. The conversation need not be complicated. The simple progressions of three-chord punk rock can get heads swaying as much as an elaborate orchestral composition. The timeless drone of a sitar soothes and comforts, while the somber wail of a violin can dissolve the grimmest of hearts. Let the fear-mongers fight over the elusive human soul. It cannot be judged or tarnished. This is because soul is spirituality and music is true spirituality. It cannot be broken. It cannot be converted. It doesn’t hate. The lilting notes of a piano or the universal language of percussion can help bring solace to a world of chaos. The rhythmic percussion of a human heartbeat is the simplest form of percussion. It is the rhythm that the earliest humans imitated through percussive instruments. The tribal drums of distant epochs called all within earshot to gather. A mother’s heartbeat, the rhythm sustaining two beings, surely comforts a child growing restless in the womb. The same child is comforted to sleep while nursing, close to its mother’s rhythmic heartbeat. This is the true transfer of the human soul, from mother to child. Humans have always imitated nature’s music. Simple percussion instruments and the human voice are the oldest forms of musical expression. Humans learned to imitate the warbles of songbirds or the roars of predators at the earliest stages of evolution. There are countless sounds in nature that are the rhythms of the earth. A breeze dancing through the leaves, a flowing stream, or birdsong are among myriad forms of nature’s music. Saathee.com

Music has color. The great conductor Leopold Stokowski once mused, “A painter paints pictures on canvas, but musicians paint their pictures on silence.” The conversations between a sitar player and the tabla player, between the saxophonist and the drummer, between the guitarist and the bass player, are musically spoken without a human word being uttered. But the stories they tell can fill volumes. A symphony can be a short story or an expansive, multi-layered novel. Folk songs carry the stories of a culture from generation to generation. In a sense they transfer the soul of a culture from one generation to the next. Music can evoke early mornings or settle a frazzled mind into subdued twilight or simply blanket its spell in the still of the night. It can hail the seasons. Spring is song. Summer the symphony. Winter is eternally in search of a warm note. Monsoons are the beats of countless drummers. The chill of winter fades to make spring sing. It is a sad soul that isn’t moved by music or has lost the ability to appreciate the subtleties of music. There’s music out there for everyone. Music calms, infuriates, seduces, incites and makes time slow down or speed up. Ever have a song get stuck in your head? It might be a jingle from a TV commercial, or an old favorite ditty, or a children’s song that suddenly appears in your head and you can’t stop humming it the rest of the day. Musicians can goad otherworldly sounds from their instruments or inspire spirituality through musical notes. A full symphonic orchestra can blanket a hall, a saxophonist can undress suppressed desire, a violinist can moisten the toughest eyes, and a tabla player can turn air into stellar dust. There are so many genres of music that one can spend a lifetime studying them, collating them or understanding them. Indian classical music, be it Hindustani or Carnatic, can take a lifetime of learning to absorb. Musicians of India spend their lives in disciplined study and performance to obtain the titles of ustad or pandit. These are lifelong quests. They take raw talent and bloom its soul. When accomplished musicians unfold their hypnotism, humanity begins to sing along. The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once noted, “Without music life would be an error.” Music makes humans whole. A piece of film soundtrack can create the mood of an actor on a cold and rainy day when it maybe perfectly bright and warm outside. Or it can raise spirits on a cold and dreary day with uplifting and sunny vibrations. Music stirs the senses and awakens spirituality. Let the devils and gods bicker. Let the merchants of soul haggle over its price. Human soul is the lullaby that calms a restless child, it is a poem that binds lovers till death, it is a children’s song sung while running around in circles, and it is a folk song sung during countless harvests, or a sinewy jazz standard that brings back the forgotten feeling of a lovers’ caress. There’s an innate feeling of warmth when a few notes of a familiar musical tune fires the senses. Yes, there is a soul within us. That soul is in the music within us. That’s because music is soul.

Samir Shukla is the editor of Saathee magazine. contact - saatheemag@hotmail.com

December 2011

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other Western nations have held on to sanctions forbidding all business ties to the pariah state. But those subject to some of the government’s heaviest shackles — journalists, pro-democracy agitators, even expolitical prisoners — now describe surprising moves to reverse decades of surveillance and repression. “Outside, people can’t see the whole situation here. They have so many suspicions of the government,” said Tin Oo. At 84, he From censorship to cell phones, Burma is the right-hand man of pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi isn’t quite the repressive state it once was. and vice-chairman of her National League for Democracy party. “We also have suspicions,” said Tin Oo. He is right to have them. Eight years ago, he and Suu Kyi survived an attack led by army-backed thugs. The attackers went unpunished. Suu Kyi and Tin Oo were confined to prison and, later, their homes. They were finally set free last year. “Now, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is quite pleased to work with the elected president,” Tin Oo said. Suu Kyi, 66, is the child of Burma’s independence hero, Aung San, credited with securing autonomy from the British in 1948. Charisma-wise, she is tantamount to George Washington’s daughter. After decades devoted to dulling her aura — most notably voiding her 1990 landslide election to the prime minister’s seat — senior officials now hold regular meetings with Suu Kyi. There is also talk of legalizing her party, which is currently banned, and allowing Suu Kyi to run for parliament in a byelection at year’s end. This would be her first race since the nullified election 21 years ago that derailed Burma’s democratic hopes. Change is even visible on Burma’s streets, where Suu Kyi’s By Patrick Winn - GlobalPost.com face grins down from posters sold on street corners. Until recently, flaunting her image in public would invite martyrdom. Editor’s note: “Burma Rebooted” is a three-part series that looks at the “Three months ago, we couldn’t imagine this,” Tin Oo said. startling reversal of Burma’s repression and isolation. Though known “It’s quite strange and different.” for the world’s longest running civil war and thousands of political prisoners, Burma is now also a place where pop singers can show a Burma’s time warp little skin, new cars will soon be seen around town and pushing back The military men propping up Burma’s pseudo-democracy against China is suddenly a possibility. The first two parts of the story have ordered protesters shot in the streets. They’ve robbed their are here. Find the third part online at Saathee.com under Burma people of basic freedoms and waged war on jungle-dwelling Rebooted in the News Section. ethnic groups accounting for more than half of the population. The army’s struggle with the Karen, a majority-Christian RANGOON, Burma — Want a snappy account of mankind’s armed ethnic group in Burma’s east, is considered the planet’s worst behavior? longest ongoing civil war. Punch “Burma” into Google and brace for it: child soldiers, Many of Burma’s seven main ethnicities, defended by political prisoners, state-sanctioned rape and the world’s separatist militias, have endured troops raping their women, longest-running civil war, all in one 54-million population enslaving their men as porters and forcing their children to country squished between China and India. become soldiers. Many of their villages weren’t even allowed to Burma’s military-led ruling class has cultivated a rotten vote. brand, one consistently defined as “brutal” and “Orwellian” in Still, the West’s ban on business with any Burmese company headlines. Condoleezza Rice, the previous US Secretary of State, has locked the country into a time warp, one that strains the preferred “outpost of tyranny.” average Burmese far more than connected generals and their Burma’s rulers have been so bad for so long that anyone comrades. expressing faith in their regime risks looking naive at best or, at In the largest city, Rangoon (officially called Yangon) the worst, like an apologizer for war criminals. dysfunction is staggering. But inside Burma, official breakthroughs are chipping away Children dusted head-to-toe in black soot wander downtown at the old narrative. like Dickensian chimney sweeps. Dark mold nibbles on colonial One year has passed since an election transformed Burma structures left behind by the British. The currency is so frayed (officially called Myanmar) from a military dictatorship into a that shopkeepers offer change in tissues and cigarettes. civilian government. Had it been a truly free and fair election, But any traveler keen to witness Burma’s lost-in-time the 2010 polls would have been Burma’s most celebrated event landscape should book tickets soon. The country’s de-isolation in decades. is underway. And there are signs that many absurd restrictions Instead, the voting was rigged, and the victorious party was on life in one of Asia’s poorest nations could soon go away. stacked with ex-officers and their cronies. Western heads of state declared it a sham. The United States, the European Union and continued on page 78

Rebooted: The Changing Face of Burma

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December 2011

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Sonia Gandhi: An Extraordinary Life, an Indian Destiny Author: Rani Singh (Palgrave Macmillan)

By Swapna Krishna Saraswati’s Way Author: Monika Schroder (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) Akash is a boy with a dream. Twelve years old, he lives on a farm in rural India, but he is lucky enough to be able to attend school. Akash is a math whiz, and he wants to complete his education and break the cycle of poverty that surrounds his family. But when Akash’s father dies, his grandmother sends him out to work in order to pay the family debts. Will Akash lose the drive to succeed, or will he find a way to make his dreams come true? In her middle grade novel, Monika Schroder takes a look at the difficult world that Indian rural youth must face. Akash is a bright boy with a lot of potential, but he has very few opportunities. In order to continue schooling, he must find a tutor to help him excel so that he can gain a scholarship. However, there is no money for a tutor; Akash’s family is poor, already in debt, and an education has never been a priority, especially not over the family’s well-being. Schroder deftly captures so many aspects of rural Indian poverty with this family portrait - the emphasis on family, rather than on the individual. Akash’s dreams and hopes are subordinate to his grandmother’s wishes for him; she doesn’t see an education as an advantage because it will not help them rise out of their debt in the short-term. However, there is a double standard - Akash’s uncle is an alcoholic. Not only does he not contribute to the family, but he spends their money on his vices. Akash does not understand why he cannot pay a tutor to improve himself, but his uncle can throw money away. “Saraswati’s Way” is a pitch-perfect commentary on the issues that plague modern day rural India. The fastest way to rise out of poverty is through education and investment in the futures of the young, yet in too many cases, the youth are considered a bargaining chip for the older generation. Of course, this is not the case everywhere, but many uneducated rural Indian citizens don’t understand the value of sending their children to school because the end benefit is not immediately realized. This makes this a great book to share with middle school aged children in the United States; it’s so easy to take the free public education system in this country (which definitely has its own flaws, to be sure) for granted, and it’s valuable for our children to learn what others their age are undergoing. “Saraswati’s Way” is appropriate for a wide range of ages. The book has a hopeful note, though Schroder notes that most stories like Akash’s don’t have a happy ending. There are some run-ins with a drug dealer that parents might want to take note of, but overall this is a wonderful book for pre-teens and adults alike. It’s a well-written and fast paced story with a heartwarming main character that readers will root for from beginning to end. Saathee.com

Sonia Gandhi, widow to Rajiv Gandhi and daughter-in-law to former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, has played a large role in Indian politics for the last forty years. Born and raised in Italy, she met and fell in love with Rajiv while studying at Cambridge. She adopted India as her country and has helped shape its politics since their marriage by supporting her mother-in-law, brother-in-law, and husband in their political careers. Now, she is watching her children rise to the forefront of Indian politics. Sonia Gandhi is a fascinating woman whose life has been filled with tragedy. Since her marriage to Rajiv, she has dealt with the death of her brother-in-law, Sanjay, in an airplane crash. Her mother-in-law, Indira Gandhi (daughter of one of the forefathers of modern India, Jawarhalal Nehru) died in Sonia’s arms at the hands of one of her bodyguards. Her husband, Rajiv, was assassinated just a few years later while campaigning. It would be enough to make any woman retreat into herself, but not Sonia. In this biography, Rani Singh portrays Sonia as a quiet but confident woman. Very private, it’s difficult to really get to know Sonia, but Singh does an excellent job giving the reader an extended glimpse into her personality, and how her decisions have been shaped by her history. Upon arriving in India, Sonia wasn’t sure she wanted the very public life that goes hand in hand with being a Nehru-Gandhi. But she rose to the challenge admirably, and traveled further than anyone expected, becoming a well-respected politician in her own right, destined to shape the future of India. So how did this marvelous transformation occur? Singh takes the reader back to Sonia’s early days and traces her life, talking with those who knew her the best. From her closest friends to fiercest political rivals, Singh looks at as many different sources as possible in order to create an unbiased and true picture of Sonia Gandhi. Though the end result is flattering for the most part, Singh is honest about Sonia’s flaws as well. In order to discuss Sonia Gandhi, it is necessary to scrutinize the family she married into, and here is where this biography really excels. By placing Sonia’s life into the larger context of Indian politics, Singh shows what a true force she is. Singh also has some interesting insights into difficult periods of Indian history, from the true brains behind the Emergency to Indira Gandhi’s certainty that she was signing her death warrant by taking certain actions (and indeed, she was assassinated very soon afterwards). She portrays the still-controversial Indira Gandhi as a complex and astute woman, but one with major flaws and trust issues. Whether you are looking for a biography of Sonia Gandhi or a brief and easily digestible history of the politics of modern India, “Sonia Gandhi” is a wonderful book to pick up. Swapna Krishna Read more book reviews on her blog at www.skrishnasbooks.com

December 2011

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December 2011

to. Shweta Pandit (“Awara Mann,” “Charha De Rang”), who is a pretty talented vocals, unfortunately sounds ordinary this time with not much to do in the song. Even though the lyrics are pretty boring—“you are my sohna sohna mukhda, my jiggar da tukda haaye”—you have to hand it to the duo for putting together a chartbuster dance number. “Fatal Attraction” (3.34) brings back memories of the 80s with synths present throughout. It’s a techno instrumental track with decent backing vocals by Natalie Di Luccio (“Aadha Ishq” from Band Baaja Baraat). Salim-Sulaiman haven’t had that great of a year with the compositions from Aazan and Love Breakups Zindagi faring purely average and the films’ fate being even worse. However, they do bring back memories and magic from their Band Baaja Baraat days with Ladies VS Ricky Bahl’s soundtrack. They may not have been able to prove their versatility with this OST, and they may play it rather safe musically, but hey, they sure get the job done, with “Jazba,” “Thug Le,” “Jigar Da Tudka,” and “Aadat Se Majboor” the strongest out of the seven compositions. The music of Ladies VS Ricky Bahl is all set to release on December 9, 2011.

By Amanda Sodhi Ladies VS Ricky Bahl Original Soundtrack After a very successful Band Baaja Baraat, director Maneesh Sharma is back with Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh for Ladies VS Ricky Bahl. The film introduces Priyanka Chopra’s cousin Parineeti Chopra, and revolves around Ricky Bahl (Ranveer Singh), a charming conman who has conned over twenty-eight women, taking their money and leaving them, but has finally decided to live an honest life until Ishika (Anushka Sharma) enters into the scene, planning to con him but not realizing he has another plan in mind. Riding on the success of Band Baaja Baraat’s successful soundtrack, the Salim-Sulaiman duo is roped in this time as well for the OST, with Amitabh Bhattacharya (Azaan, Delhi Belly, Ready, Luv Ka The End, No One Killed Jessica, Band Baaja Baaraat, Udaan, Dev D, Aamir) as the lyricist. Let’s see if S-S can work their Band Baaja Baraat magic again this time in Ladies VS Ricky Bahl’s seven compositions. “Aadat Se Majboor” (4.37) is a very catchy composition honed with the saxophone, techno sounds, harmonium, and rap by Ranveer Singh. The breezy vocals are by Benny Dayal (“Pappu Can’t Dance Saala,” “Dum Dum Mast”). The lyrics do a good job of establishing Ranvir’s on-screen character as a player and con-man ready to break women’s hearts. The composition definitely is a winner and is bound to appeal to the urban youth. There happens to be a remix version (4.34) which is ordinary as most remixes are. “Jazba” (4.39) showcases Shilpa Rao and her (“Toh Se Naina,” “Dhol Yaara Dhol”) soulful vocals and has some light classical sangeet influences and lovely percussion arrangements. The lyrics incorporate some interesting phrases such as “kaante rehne de, gulaab todd le.” Salim Merchant sure has a thing for providing backing vocals since doing so in Fashion in 2008, and once again his backing vocals also add something extra to this composition. There is an average remix version (4.02) of this composition, too. The violin played Indian style offers a promising start to “Thug Le” (3.39), another fun, chilled out composition bringing together Vishal Dadlani and Shweta Pandit (“Rang Deeni”). The melody here is charming, although the lyrics, once again, revolve around warning girls about a guy ready to fool them. The words, “simple yeh funda hai kuddiyo ko bataana… kuddiyan nu thug le,” just sound stale. “Jigar Da Tukda” (4.14) is another one of those S-S compositions bringing back a killer Punjabi flavor, although the composer duo really needs to start branching out of their comfort zone before their work sounds monotonous. Nonetheless, the track is enjoyable, the iktara sounds cool, and Salim Merchant’s (“Rab Rakha”) vocals are delightful to listen Saathee.com

Amanda Sodhi is a Bollywood journalist, lyricist, screenwriter, and PR/marketing practitioner based in Los Angeles.

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The Fox and the Goat An Aesop’s Fable Don the fox was in a happy frame of mind. He had just made a hearty meal of the remains at King Lion’s den after the great king had gone out for a stroll. The meal had been fresh deer and it was smacking good. If only luck like this shone upon him every day, thought Don. Thinking such thoughts, Don looked up at the clear sky and began to sing as he walked. He had watched Hindi film heroes do that when they were happy. This mainly happened when they were in love. Don wasn’t in love, at least not yet. Still, in his opinion, the emotional response that a good meal evoked was equal to the feelings that deep love brought about. It brought tears to the eyes, sometimes - it was such a fantastic experience. He opened his mouth a little wider to let out another outburst of song, and promptly found himself falling – plop, dhum, plop, crash… Don had fallen into a wide-mouthed shallow well, which he had passed hundreds of times in the past, and which he’d never have missed seeing if he hadn’t been acting like an idiot. So angry was Don with himself that he wanted to kick himself again and again. But first, he had to get out of this infernal hole. Thank god, there wasn’t much water in it. So he tried and tried and tried to get out of the well. But he failed. Though not deep, the well had moldy, slippery walls. Don could not get a firm grip on them. He gave up after several attempts and sat panting. The food had made him somewhat heavy, too. “What are you doing inside the well?” Don suddenly heard the surprised squeal from above. He looked up to find Charlie the goat, staring down at him. Charlie was a young and, in Don’s opinion, gullible goat. Not only did he have a squeal for a voice, he also asked the most irritating questions with it. To the worldly-wise Don, Charlie’s ignorance was absolutely unbearable. But he wasn’t going to let Charlie know that of course. He wasn’t a sly fox for nothing. So in his deepest voice he said, “Haven’t you heard dear Charlie? The crow had come to visit me in the morning. He has heard that the Gujarat drought, which he has seen with his own eyes, is going to spread to our beloved Bihar too (Don and Charlie lived in the jungles of Bihar). I’m not taking any chances. So I’ve jumped down here to be sure to have some water by me. Why don’t you come down too?” “A drought? How terrible. Yes, yes... I’m coming down,” mumbled the scared Charlie before jumping into the well. As soon as he did so Don jumped on his back, and by putting his feet on his long horns managed to jump up to the edge of the well. “You silly creature, this is what happens if you don’t read the newspapers. There are floods all over the north and northeastern part of our country but you believed my story about there being a drought. Since you can’t be a frog in the well, be a goat in the well.” “Is it my fault if I have a trusting nature?” bleated Charlie.

Word World By Kirit Shukla

P L

A E

K R

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

Riddles A fruit on a tree, a tree on a fruit. Pineapple. What kind of bow can’t be tied? Rainbow. What gets wetter the more it dries? Towel. What can you make that nobody else can see? Noise. What always goes to sleep with his shoes on? Horse What has four legs and a back but no body? Chair What starts with a T and ends with a T and is full of T. Teapot Flew away without feathers and wings, With only a thread tied to its neck. A kite What is it that wipes its face with two hands all day? A clock I see him, but he does not see me. A mirror What is it that takes dried clothes off and wears wet clothes? A clothesline

Word World (Solution): ARES, ARSE, EARS, KALE, LARES, LARK, LEAK, LEAP, LEAR, PALE, PARE, PARK, PEAK, PEAL, PEAR, PEARL, RAKE, RALE, RAPE, RASE, REAL, SAKE, SALE, SEPAL, SPARE, SPARK, SPARKLE, SPEAK, SPEAR

What has eyes but cannot see? Sewing needles Saathee.com

December 2011

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of Design. They are turning fiber work into fine art with great dedication and passion, or with every fiber of their beings. In this expression, “fiber” refers to their essential character or inner reality and the headline plays with the multiple meanings of “fiber” as a physical property of fabric and a spiritual quality of one’s inner self.

Mastering Meaning By Judith L. Bergman M.A. CCC Don’t ignore puzzling newspaper headlines in the Sports, Life, Opinion and front pages of your local paper. Decoding clever headlines is a “painless” way for a non-native English speaker to learn to understand and use metaphors and multiple meaning words. I collect these as I read the Raleigh News and Observer (N & O) every morning and periodically pick out and save the “best” to “decode” with readers of this column.

“Oil still has us over a barrel” This March 13, 2011 N & O “Other Opinion” section article by Michael J. Graetz refers to “the spike in oil prices and gasoline costs at the pump,” the unstable conditions in the Middle East and widespread complaints about the “lack of a coherent U.S. foreign policy.” We, consumers of oil, are helpless i.e. over a barrel i.e. “in an awkward position from which extrication is difficult” 2 Our gas prices are, of course based on the price of a barrel of oil.

Your process should be the same as mine! First read the headline, see the word play, figure out the meaning by reading the first few paragraphs of the article and then check with www.thefreediction.com/idioms. Even if you think you are sure of all of the “double meanings” and embedded humor, checking the online resource may reveal even more subtle jokes and a wider range of meaning that you suspected.

“Biscuit bakers, time to rise up.” Andrea Weigl, the N & O’s award winning food writer is calling home bakers to enter the Best Southern Biscuit contest in her “Mouthful” column in the Food section on August 3, 2011. Have you ever tasted a truly fluffy, light and delicious biscuit? The yeasted dough used in a variety of bread products has to rise or “puff up.” The expression rise up usually refers to groups who are revolting or emerging triumphantly. So, the writer was encouraging readers who are expert bakers to “emerge” and send in their favorite home recipe for making delicious, fluffy biscuits..

“Leafs blow past Canes” The Toronto Maple Leafs’ hockey team defeated our own Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 in a game described in this February 4, 2011 N & O article by Javier Serna as one of the Canes “more regrettable losses of the season.” The word play is, of course, with the expressions blow past and leaf blower, that noisy contraption that we hope our neighbors won’t start up too early on weekend mornings. The Free Dictionary 1 reveals at least forty ways “blow” is used and this will be explored in another article! In this phrasal verb, blow past means to break through a barrier which is an apt description of the “combat” that we watch in a typical professional hockey game.

Suggested strategies to increase your word power this month: Every day try to find at least one newspaper headline on line or in your local paper which has a “catchy” or clever headline that you don’t quite understand, try to guess the meaning from the content and then check it out in The Free Dictionary on line. You’ll be amazed at what you didn’t know! References: http://www.idioms.thefreedictionary.com/

1, 2

“Army’s top brass blows into town.” This headline shows another way to “play” with the multiple meanings of “blow.” Martha Quillin reported on a special Fort Bragg army unit in the N & O on October 19, 2011. This tightly coordinated and well-rehearsed group came to the NC State Fair and “performed its mission flawlessly.” The group is the Army’s Brass Brigade, an 11-piece band of trombones, trumpets, tuba and sax players! Blow into town means to enter into town suddenly and the musicians could all blow their instruments with great expertise as they played a repertoire of “rock, rap, funk, soul and Dixieland jazz.”

Judith L. Bergman M.A CCC is the director of Triangle Speech Services specializing in foreign accent modification. Contact: jlbergman@mindspring.com or 919-489-5464 www.trianglespeech.com

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December 2011

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Gale provides a rich terrain for astro-biological experiments. In two years of roving, Curiosity will have travelled 12 miles horizontally and 4 miles vertically, up the gentle hill that the Gale crater encircles. The terrain is layered and will provide a lot of information regarding the past Martian geology and future potential for humans on Mars. By Chanden Sen As one of the speakers put it, the rover will relay back to us information that reads like an unfolding novel. In conclusion, The Mars Science Laboratory “Curiosity” as the chief scientist of NASA put it at the NASM conference, By the time you read this, and weather permitting, NASA the entire mission—-like all of NASA’s missions—-will ignite will have launched an exciting new rover bound for Mars in and bring to the surface the childlike excitement that we all felt late November 2011. The rover, atop an Atlas V541 rocket, is when we first gazed at the stars in the firmament above. slated to land on Mars sometime in August 2012. The name, Curiosity, given to the rover, was chosen through a naming And So On To Solar and Wind Power competition which 6-year old Clara Ma from Kansas, won. In the late 1990’s I wrote a letter to Kamal Nath, Curiosity is a bit like its predecessors, but differs in Environmental Minister at New Delhi. The letter was about the important ways. It is much bigger and carries a total of 10 river Ganges, which had become very polluted. The Hon. scientific experiments with a payload of 80 kilograms, almost Minister kindly wrote back, and I still have that letter 10 times that of the earlier Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. somewhere. The 6-wheeled Curiosity is chockfull of advanced equipment In the same vein, Al Gore writes that we humans pollute the which almost reads like science fiction. The electric power, for atmosphere to the tune of 90 million tons of greenhouse gases, example, of 100-125 watts, will be delivered, not from solar daily. If that number doesn’t scare you, it should. Granted, the cells, but from an RTG unit, or Radio-isotope Thermo-electric atmosphere is huge, but it is a finite entity. There’s only so Generator. As the name suggests, Plutonium 238 is allowed to much that it can take without changing its composition and decay naturally within an onboard reactor, and the heat properties. released drives a thermo-electric unit. The coal, oil, and natural gas industry, with their huge The onboard, radiation-hardened computer is the RAD600, financial resources, even today deny that burning fossil fuels which operates at 400 MIPS, or million instructions per second. can pollute the atmosphere. According to them, believing in The computer has 256 MB of DRAM and a 2GB flash drive. If global warming is like believing in a flat earth. Ha! Ha! these specifications don’t look too impressive, one has to Some decades ago, the well-entrenched and well-heeled remember that weight and power consumption, not to talk of tobacco industry was busy denying that smoking could cause reliability, are prime considerations in space. There are two lung cancer. Now, thank heavens, we all know better. onboard RAD600’s of which one is a standby or back up unit. In the late 1960’s, when I used to cycle to St. Xavier’s College There are 17 cameras in all on Curiosity. Some are mounted along the streets of Calcutta, I could feel my eyes smarting from at the corners of the rover, and one is at the highest point in the car exhaust fumes. Those were the days before cars were chassis. There is a NAVCAM, or navigation camera, and a required to have emission control units. The problem has been HAZCAM or hazard avoidance camera. reduced but not totally eliminated. The silent foe, carbon Among the 10 astro-biological experiments that Curiosity dioxide, is still being spewed from cars, trucks, buses and coal supports, some are from Germany and Russia. To give you an and oil fired generating stations. idea of the technology used, one experiment involves training According to one expert, the term “clean coal” is a myth. Coal an infra-red laser beam on a rock up to 7 meters away, firing a cannot be economically cleaned and large-scale carbon capture short laser burst, and spectroscopically analyzing the light flash and sequestration experiments have not really succeeded to an produced by the vaporized sample of rock. This has the name extent worth shouting about. LISA, or Laser Induced Spectroscopic Analysis. Yet the coal industry touts “clean coal” as the silver bullet of The Curiosity has a flexible arm which can drill into a rock energy production. It’s just one more attempt to hoodwink the up to 5 cm depth, collect the sample dust, and fold back to public and keep their decades-old power stations up and deposit it into one of 74 tiny buckets for further analysis. running. True, solar power and windmills have some issues of If you remember, the earlier Spirit rover landed on Mars their own. Firstly, the strongest sunlight happens to shine in cocooned in air-bags. Well, this design would not work for the desert areas, far from population centers. much bigger Curiosity, hence the final landing on Mars will This means that long transmission lines have to be laid, an actually be on the 6 out stretched wheels of the rover itself. added cost. Secondly, if you consult a map of feasible windBefore that, while still a few thousand feet from the Martian power regions of the United States, ie, where the wind speed is surface, Curiosity will be lowered from its capsule by cables, a at least 15 mph, you will see that much of the Western US is never-before tried maneuver. Once Curiosity lands, the rest of very promising, while the East, such as North Carolina, is not the unit higher up will shoot away to land at least a few so. hundred feet from Curiosity, so that it does not contaminate any samples that are chosen to be analyzed. continued on page 118 In a fascinating discussion at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, five top scientists and technologists Chandan Sen involved in the upcoming mission spoke enthusiastically about Contact: some of the salient points of the mission. chandansen33@hotmail.com The site chosen for Curiosity to explore – called the Gale crater – is one of four sites short-listed from literally hundreds of possible sites after inputs from 300 scientists worldwide. Saathee.com

December 2011

Position 8: Om Tvaritayai Namah, salutations to she who is swift. As you inhale swing the head up and back as much as possible keep the elbows locked. Position 9: Om Kulasundaryai Namah, salutations to she who is virtuous, respectable and charming. As you exhale swing the hip up and Chandra Namaskara back and assume the inverted V, feet and palms resting on the The word Chandra means moon. Just as the ground. moon, having no light of its own reflects the light of the sun, so the practice of the Chandra Position 10: Namaskara reflects that of Surya Namaskara. Om Nityayai Namah, salutations to she who is eternal. Inhale The sequence of asana is the same as Surya Namaskara except and step forward with your right leg, bring the leg where it was that ardha Chandrasana is performed after ashwa in step 4. sanchalanasana (after position 4, and 9 in Surya Namaskara). This posture develops balance and concentration, which adds Position 11: Om Nilapatakinyai Namah, salutations to she who is adorned another dimension to the practice. The twelve position of the Surya Namaskara relate to the with a blue flag. Exhale bringing palms in prayer position, inhale twelve zodiac or solar phases of the year, the fourteen positions and stretch you arms up over your head and arch back forming of the Chandra Namasakara relate to the fourteen lunar phases. a half moon like figure, from your heel to your fingertips. Exhale In the lunar calendar the fourteen days of the full moon are bringing your palms in prayer position, inhale and place your known as sukla pakshs, the bright fortnight, and the fourteen palms as in position 4. days after the full moon are known as krishna pakshs, the dark fort nights. The lunar mantras are those that glorify Devi, the Position 12: OM Vijayayai Namah, salutations to she who is ever victorious. female or lunar aspect of divinity. Exhale and step forward with left leg lock your knees and tuck Position 1: your head in-between the knees. Om Kamesvaryai Namah, salutations to she who fulfills desires. Fold the palms in front of the chest in prayer position and exhale. Position 13:

By Pradip Bulsara

Om Sarvamangalayai Namah, salutations to she who is the source of good fortune. Inhale, stretch and swing your arms up and above your head and look back.

Position 2: Om Bhagamalinyai Namaha, salutations to she who wears the garland of prosperity. Inhaling all the way, swing your arms up above your head, bending the trunk from the base gradually up the vertebrae as far back as you can (Exhaling as the end of the movement will enable to stretch little more).

Position 14: Om Jvalamalinyai Namah, salutations to she who is fenced with instant flames. Exhale and come in prayer position.

Position 3: Om Nityaklinnayai Namaha, salutations to she who is ever Repeat the above steps with the other leg as one round of compassionate. Extend upward and then forward stretching the Chandra Namaskara. spine and breathing out. Without bending your knees place your palms besides your feet and bury your face between the knees. Pradip Bulsara teaches a yoga class at the Hindu Center in Charlotte on Sunday mornings

Position 4: Om Bherundayai Namah, salutations to she who is ferocious. Step back with the right leg inhaling, flex the left leg at the knee (knee in line with the ankle) and look up. Position 5: Om Vahnivasinyai Namah, salutations to she who resides in fire. Exhale bringing palms in prayer position, inhale and stretch you arms up over your head and arch back forming a half moon like figure, from your heel to your finger tips. Exhale bringing your palms in prayer position, inhale and place your palms as in position 4. Position 6: Om Vajreshvaryai Namah, salutations to she who possesses Vajra, the thunderbolt, and is adorned with diamond ornaments. Step back with the left leg, straighten you arms legs and the back. Hold your breath. Position 7: Om Dutyai Namaha, salutations to she whose messenger is Shiva. As you exhale flex the elbows and knees and dip down keep the toes, knees, chest, palms, and forehead on the ground. Keep the tail up giving a pelvic tilt. Saathee.com

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only they have cancer fighting compounds but they are also good source of other nutrients, such as vitamin-C, carotenoids, fiber, calcium, and folate. By Anjana Agarwal

Try this simple recipe for Broccoli and Ramen Noodle Salad:

Vegetables: Powerful Prostate Cancer Fighters

Ingredients: 1-16 oz package broccoli coleslaw mix 2 package Ramen Noodles (crushed to small pieces) 1 bunch green onions copped 1 cup unsalted peanuts 1 cup sunflower seeds 2 Tbsp vegetable oil ¼ cup sugar or equivalent sugar substitute 1/3 cup cider vinegar Method: Mix all the ingredients together and serve immediately. For individual nutrition counseling consult a registered dietitian. Many insurance companies now pay for the consults.

We now know that cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, kale, mustard, rutabagas, turnips, radishes, and daikon are unique among plant foods as being rich source of glucosinolates, sulfur-containing compounds responsible for the strong aroma released when they’re cooked. Sulforaphane, I type of isothiocynate is one of the most studied compounds formed from glucosinolates. Numerous promising studies have examined Sulforaphane’s ability to interfere with the cancer process at different stages of development for lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers. Preliminary studies have uncovered evidence it may be effective against melanoma, esophageal cancer, and pancreatic cancer. A study conducted at the Linus Pauling institute of Oregon State University has found even more positive news that Sulforaphane targets not only cancerous cells, but also cells which are showing early signs of abnormalities while leaving healthy prostate cells alone, that means this compound is safe to be used in cancer prevention or treatment through both diet and drugs. How much Sulforaphane you get from cruciferous vegetable depends how they are cooked and handled. Extended boiling, prolonged storage, even at optimal refrigeration, reduces the amount of Sulforaphane. Eating raw cruciferous vegetables that have been stored for a short period of time is likely to provide the most Sulforaphane. The degree to which people benefit from increase intake of these vegetables may also be a matter of genetics. People inherit different capacities to metabolize and eliminate Sulforaphane, though at this point, there’s no way to know who may benefit the most. The National Cancer Institute recommends consuming 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables. The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend that one-half plate at a meal should consist of vegetables and fruits. Broccoli sprouts are an excellent source of Sulforaphane. The study is just one more piece of the puzzle, but findings are showing consistently protective effects. Cruciferous vegetable should be at the top of the list of all vegetables, not Saathee.com

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The visit to Delhi followed Pakistan’s decision on November 2, 2011 to grant “most favoured nation” (MFN) status to India, which reciprocated the gesture made by India to Pakistan in 1996. Mahmood said that “We have to fully normalize our relationship and you cannot fully normalize the trade relationship without invoking the MFN principle (and) so we will be working on that,” By both nations having granted each other the MFN status, it will eliminate discriminatory higher pricing and duty tariffs that stand as barriers to exports between the two countries. Despite the continuing economic challenges, Wall Street had a remarkably positive October 2011 and solid start to November 2011. Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ-GRPN) completed its highly anticipated IPO and began trading on the stock market on November 4, 2011 - GRPN offered 35 million shares at $20 per share and on its first day of trading, the stock opened at $28 and briefly ascended above $31 before settling the day at $26.11; the next several trading days brought a decline to the $24-ish range. Delphi Automotive (NASDAQ-DLPH) returned to the stock markets on November 17, 2011 with an IPO of 22 million shares at $22, and the stock fell below its offering price on the maiden day of trading. During the first half of November, the Dow oscillated above and below 12,000, the NASDAQ Composite was solidly above 2,600 and the S&P 500 index was comfortably above the 1,200 level. The U.S. economy added 80,000 new non-farm payrolls in October 2011 and the unemployment rate registered a rate of 9 percent. The housing market continues to be extremely soft throughout many areas of the country in terms of real estate values, foreclosures and lack of new sales. During early November 2011, Crude Oil was approaching $100 per barrel and Brent Crude was trading in the low $110s per barrel. On the NY Merc, Gold hovered near $1,800 per ounce and Silver was trading around $35 per ounce. During early November 2011, the greenback traded in a band of $1.57-$1.61 to the £ and $1.34-$1.38 to the €. The US$ did manage to reclaim the “parity” level with the Canadian Dollar, however, it still stood below “parity” against the Swiss Franc and Australian Dollar. The Federal Reserve has met seven times during CY2011 and Interest rates were held unchanged at all of those events; the remaining meeting for CY2011 is scheduled for December 13. From the comments released by the Fed subsequent to the meetings, it appears that interest rates will be held at the current historical low levels for some time to come, most likely until mid-2013.

By Rajesh T. Ganatra After reclaiming the 17,000 level in late October 2011, the Sensex managed to hold that level well into mid-November 2011 until another sell off took the index back to the 16,500 range. Inflationary pressures have continued to persist throughout the economy over the past 18-24 months and as a result, the Reserve Bank of India has embarked on a series of 13 interest rate hikes since March 2010 to try and stem the inflation problem. During mid-November 2011, a US$ could purchase over 50 Indian Rupees, compared to the INR 44-ish range to the US$ that was seen during July 2011 - this sharp drop in the Rupee is expected to be a short-term situation. Recently, Louis Vuitton launched a yacht business in India and the plans are to sell 4-5 luxury liners within the next year. The “low end” boats are expected to be at a price of INR 4 Crore (US $800,000) and the “high end” boats are expected to fetch nearly INR 30 Crore (US $6,000,000)! Coca Cola (NYSE-KO) currently employs 25,000 in India and it plans to invest an additional US $2 billion into India by 2017 - the company and its bottling partners plan to invest in consumer marketing and further development of the brand, expanding distribution channels and substantial placements of cold drink equipment. Additionally, KO plans to further develop its manufacturing capacities within India. The struggling upstart Kingfisher Airlines has been facing a lot of financial turbulence recently - the carrier reported a loss of INR 468.66 Crore for the quarter ended on September 30, 2011 and the main culprit for the substantial loss is higher energy prices. The carrier has never turned a profit and its finances are quite strained - it has a substantial debt burden and recently, it has been late in paying salaries. Its bankers are insisting that the company raise fresh equity to create some liquidity, and the carrier insists that it will not be shutting down and is “in the market” for the long haul. However, Kingfisher recently exited the low-cost segment, which was quite puzzling to analysts. Similar to other markets around the globe, Pakistani stocks staged a handsome comeback from the brutal sell-offs of 3Q2011. The Karachi KSE-100 had dipped to the 11,000 level during September 2011, and there were fears that the index would surrender that key marker and head even lower. However, the market quietly formed a base around 11,000 and reclaimed a millennium by mid-November 2011, settling at 12,038.93 on 11 November 2011. The Pakistani Rupee traded in a band of PKR 86.50-87.50 to the US$ during the first half of November 2011. During mid-November 2011, officials from India and Pakistan met in Delhi to work out agreements regarding opening up trade between the two nations – this will be a significant step in improving relations between the two neighbors. Pakistan’s Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood met with Indian counterpart Rahul Khullar and indicated that the goal was to strike a deal to double annual trade over the next three years to US $6 billion. Saathee.com

Special Note: This article contains the ideas and thoughts of its author and it does not necessarily imply the viewpoints of “Saathee” magazine or its principals.

Rajesh T. Ganatra Contact him at rajeshtganatra@rocketmail.com

December 2011

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December 2011

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at a designated USCIS Lockbox facility. USCIS will centralize intake of Forms N-336, N-600 and N-600K at the Phoenix Lockbox facility. The Dallas Lockbox facility will handle the Form N-300. Individuals filing Form N-400, Application for Naturalization, already file at a Lockbox facility. USCIS has updated the information on our N-Form Web pages regarding filing forms at a Lockbox to clearly identify this change in procedure. Please carefully read the form instructions before filing your form to ensure that you are filing the correct form type at the correct location. Any individual submitting the wrong form type for the benefit sought will not receive a fee refund. Instead, individuals will have to re-apply using the correct form and pay a new fee.

“Entrepreneurs in Residence” Initiative Agency focuses on fully realizing the job-creating potential of current immigration law U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas joined the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness in Pittsburgh last month to announce “Entrepreneurs in Residence.” This new initiative will utilize industry expertise to strengthen USCIS policies and practices surrounding immigrant investors, entrepreneurs and workers with specialized skills, knowledge, or abilities. Mayorkas announced the initiative at the Jobs Council’s High Growth Entrepreneurship Listening and Action Session in Pittsburgh before the Council’s quarterly meeting with President Obama. “This initiative creates additional opportunities for USCIS to gain insights in areas critical to economic growth,” said Director Mayorkas. “The introduction of expert views from the private and public sector will help us to ensure that our policies and processes fully realize the immigration law’s potential to create and protect American jobs.” USCIS will launch the “Entrepreneurs in Residence” initiative with a series of informational summits with industry leaders to gather high-level strategic input. Informed by the summits, the agency will stand up a tactical team comprised of entrepreneurs and experts, working with USCIS personnel, to design and implement effective solutions. This initiative will strengthen USCIS’s collaboration with industries, at the policy, training, and officer level, while complying with all current Federal statutes and regulations. The initiative builds upon USCIS’s August announcement of efforts to promote startup enterprises and spur job creation, including enhancements to the EB-5 immigrant investor visa program. Since August, USCIS is: - Conducting a review of the EB-5 process - Working with business analysts to enhance the EB-5 adjudication process - Implementing direct access for EB-5 Regional Center applicants to reach adjudicators quickly; and - Launching new specialized training modules for USCIS officers on the EB-2 visa classification and L-1B nonimmigrant intra-company transferees.

USCIS Redesigns Employment Authorization Document and Certificate of Citizenship To Enhance Security and Combat Fraud The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas announced last month the launch of an enhanced Employment Authorization Document (EAD) and a redesigned Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560) with new features to strengthen security and deter fraud. The Stateof-the-art technology will deter counterfeiting, obstruct tampering, and facilitate quick and accurate authentication. As part of USCIS’s ongoing efforts to enhance the integrity of the immigration system, the state-of-the-art technology incorporated into the new documents will deter counterfeiting, obstruct tampering, and facilitate quick and accurate authentication. USCIS began issuing the new EADs today and will begin using the redesigned certificates on Oct. 30. The agency anticipates that more than 1 million people will receive the new documents over the next year. “These enhanced documents are more secure than ever,” said Director Mayorkas. “They advance our efforts to safeguard against fraud and protect the integrity of the immigration system.” The new features of the EAD will better equip workers, employers and law enforcement officials to recognize the card as definitive proof of authorization to work in the United States. USCIS worked closely with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Forensic Document Laboratory to incorporate technology and tactile features in order to deter fraud and facilitate card authentication. Additionally, USCIS employs a new and more secure printing process for its redesigned Certificate of Citizenship that renders the certificate more tamper-proof. Although the look and feel of the documents is new, the manner in which an applicant applies for and receives them will not change. USCIS will replace EADs already in circulation as individuals apply for their renewal or replacement. All previously issued EADs remain valid until the expiration date printed on the card. Previously issued Certificates of Citizenship remain valid indefinitely. These improvements demonstrate USCIS’s ongoing efforts to produce more secure documentation. In 2010, USCIS issued the new Permanent Resident Card, which added security features to the physical card and integrated technology improvements in the card production process. Additionally, USCIS launched the redesigned Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550) featuring the naturalization candidate’s digitized photo and signature embedded into the document. USCIS will continue to enhance document security features as technology improves.

Improved Processing for Naturalization and Citizenship Forms U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is enhancing the filing process for select forms dealing with naturalization and citizenship (N-Forms). Beginning Oct. 30, 2011, the new process will allow individuals to file N-Forms at a secure Lockbox facility instead of our local offices. This change streamlines the way forms are processed, accelerates the collection and deposit of fees and improves the consistency of our intake process. Individuals should begin submitting affected forms directly to the appropriate Lockbox. Forms received by local USCIS offices during a transition period through Dec. 2, 2011, will be forwarded to the USCIS Lockbox facility for processing. Forms received at local USCIS offices after Dec. 2, 2011, will no longer be forwarded but will be returned to the individual with instructions on how to re-file Saathee.com

For more information on USCIS and its programs, visit www.uscis.gov or follow us on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon. 60

December 2011

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By Gail Z. Martin Ten reasons not to target mass media (and where you can focus instead) Every business owner dreams of seeing his or her press release on the front page of The New York Times. But did you ever stop to realize that as ego-gratifying as an above-the-fold placement in a major newspaper might be, it might completely miss your target audience? Thirty years ago, consumers received their information differently than they do today. Back when there were only three major TV networks, all an advertiser or publicist had to do was get onto the major networks to reach most viewers. When a daily newspaper and weekly magazines were the only choice for news, the strategy was simple—get in the paper and magazines. But times have changed. The proliferation of cable channels, satellite radio choices, online news magazines, and mobile phone applications, as well as the demise of many long-running newspapers and magazines has completely changed how consumers consume information. “Mass media” is now not nearly as “mass” as it used to be. So making the front page of a major newspaper won’t help you sell products or services if your target audience doesn’t read that newspaper. Welcome to a whole new world of niche marketing. Niche Marketing Gets Results Does the shift in consumers’ media preference mean the end of mass media? No—or at least, not yet. However, that shift has dramatically reduced the effectiveness of mass media to reach the same kind of broad audience they once dominated. Believe it or not, “mass media” vehicles such as The New York Times, CBS and FM radio stations have become niches themselves. Since they can’t promise to reach everyone, even such longlived media vehicles now emphasize the profile of the consumer they do reach (in other words, their niche). Am I saying that mass media no longer plays a valuable role in promotion? No—but its role isn’t what it used to be. The big newspapers, the three major broadcast networks and big city FM radio stations can help a major advertiser saturate a market, but they reach a shrinking audience base at a very high cost per person compared with New Media alternatives. If you’ve got a couple of million dollars to round out your promotional campaign, go ahead and spend it with the traditional media. If you’re looking for a better, more focused and less expensive alternative, keep reading. Refocus your idea of PR to take a broader look at the opportunities that exist for you to reach your target audience. Many people are so obsessed with having their press release picked up by a big newspaper, a major magazine or a network TV show that they have not bothered to study those media vehicles audience profiles to assure that the message is reaching the right consumer. Sure, you get bragging rights if a big paper picks up your release, but will you get sales? It won’t hurt—but how much will it help? Not only that, but what’s the value of a one-shot media mention versus developing relationships with more targeted venues that provide the potential for you to reach your ideal customer over and over again? Saathee.com

Here’s something else to consider: how often can your company generate news that is truly worthy of national attention? For most mid-sized companies, having nationalcaliber news might happen once or twice a year—a new product launch, an IPO, landing a huge company as a client. For solo professionals and small companies, even a once-a-year national news item might be a stretch. Publishing a new book with a major publisher would qualify, as would winning a national award or being named to a national board of directors, but beyond that, it is difficult to imagine too many opportunities that would tempt a national reporter to cover your news. Now re-think that question, with your focus on regional/local news as well as the information sources that reach your profession or industry. Picture your ideal client and think about the blogs, Websites, podcasts, Internet radio shows, online/offline specialty magazines, newsletters and member organization publications that speak directly to their interests and needs. I bet your mental wheels are turning, helping you envision all kinds of news that would be interesting and valuable to the audience most likely to buy your products or engage your services. Why not focus the majority of your effort where it is likely to make you the most sales? Go Where Your Customers are Already Getting Their News If you haven’t already surveyed your best customers to see what they are reading, watching and listening to, now is the time! Online survey tools are inexpensive and easy to use. If you use Constant Contact for your email newsletters, look into their survey tool to include a survey in your newsletter. Or, try out sites like SurveyMonkey.com that provide basic survey capabilities for free. When you target your PR to the sites and publications your best customers are already reading, you create several advantages for your PR campaign. First, you remove the clutter of sending releases to a huge mailing list of publications that are largely not interested in your news. You can invest your time better elsewhere. Next, by shrinking the number of media outlets you’re targeting, you can invest the time to get to know which reporters are covering subjects relevant to your news, so that your pitches can be pitch-perfect. Finally, and very importantly, these niche publications have already won the trust and loyalty of your best customers. They have become trusted advisors. When your news appeara in these niche publications, readers are likely to accept it as a referral from a friend. It’s useful to have an idea of the nationwide size of your total target audience. Do they number in the millions (for example, small business owners or participants in multi-level marketing programs), or in the thousands (yacht owners, shipwreck enthusiasts, etc.)? Don’t stop with a broad catch-all category like “small business owners.” In the U.S., a company is officially a “small business” up to 500 employees. Is your target audience a “big” small business or a “small” small business? You’ll have the best results if you can get specific. For example, do you specialize in helping start-up companies, specifically those that have been in business less than three years and have sales under $1 million? Or do you only prefer to work with continued on page 76

Gail Z. Martin owns DreamSpinner Communications. Contact her at dreamspinnercommunications@earthlink.net

December 2011

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By Krutika Chheda Year End Tax Strategies for Small Businesses and Professionals This has been an eventful year with a lot of new regulations and tax breaks from the Obama Administration. As the budget deficit keeps on increasing, it is becoming clear that very soon our tax rates are likely to go up so as to help the treasury department bridge the deficit. Whether the government increases taxes in 2012 or further, it is never too early for businesses and individual professionals to start their tax planning. Many small business owners and quite a few professionals underestimate the savings potential when it comes to taxes. It is surprising how many small business owners and individual professionals come during the tax season to figure out how to reduce their tax liability, not realizing that it is too late by then and the books have already closed for the tax year. And it is shocking how often the same mistake is repeated each year! As difficult as it is to keep pace with all the business and professional challenges, one way to handle economic slowdown is to continue to reduce your business expenses. Reviewing your business performance and planning for taxes may not only help you reduce the tax liability but also help assess your business profitability and uncover other hidden expenses. The best time to plan for your taxes is before the year end. Last quarter is also a good time for your accountant to spend quality time with you going over your business performance and planning for taxes in advance. Year-end tax planning is complicated this year due to the fact that there are several changes being put in place for the tax rules in 2011. As we discussed in this column last month, the Small Business Jobs Act would also make significant changes in the tax rules. There may be additional clarification forthcoming about tax rules after 2011, so stay tuned to this space and consult with your tax adviser to learn which strategies are best for your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s situation in light of any tax changes. Advance Tax Planning Strategies for Small Businesses and Individual Professionals The first step in your tax planning effort is to determine whether you expect this year to be a profitable or losing year. This will help determine tax strategies before the end of the year to optimize your tax liability. Here are some tax-planning strategies that you may want to consider prior to the end of the year.

falls upon individual shareholders or owners of the business. Different business partners may have varying and sometime conflicting individual situations and require additional tax planning. For example if one of the partners (or their spouse) has a substantial income from salary (W2 income), he or she would like to use the business loss to offset some of the individual income and reduce taxes. Whereas another partner may be relying solely from the income within the business and perhaps like to show a higher income in order to establish personal credit to secure home mortgage. Inventory Valuation Retail businesses that are required to hold inventory can reduce the amount they deduct for inventory purchases over the course of a year by the amount remaining in inventory at the end of the year. For example, a business that purchased $100,000 in inventory during the year but had $40,000 remaining in inventory at the end of the year can only count $60,000 as an expense for inventory purchases, even though the actual cash outflow was much larger. Valuing the remaining inventory could vary the amount deducted from income and thus change the amount of tax owed by the business. Equipment Purchases Under Section 179 of IRS, businesses are allowed to deduct equipment purchases during the year in which the purchases are made. It is often advantageous for small businesses to use this tax incentive to increase their deductions for business expenses, thus reducing their taxable income and their tax liability. Necessary equipment purchases up to the limit can be timed at year end and still be fully deductible for the year. The Small Business Bill introduced last year temporarily increases the first-year write-off for business equipment from $250,000 to $500,000. There are several other tax-planning strategies that may help small business owners and individual professionals; for example adopting a qualified retirement plan if you expect the business to be profitable in 2011. We will cover more strategies in coming months as the tax filing deadline approaches, but the key point is that you need to start the planning process before the end of the tax year. In the meantime you can find more tax saving ideas and case studies on www.kmaccountant.com

Keep in mind this column and the articles published here are only meant to provide you with high level information about tax and business matters and in no way should you consider this as tax advice. Consult your tax and legal advisors regarding your individual tax and business situation. This Article provides only an overview to the complex Tax Laws. It is not exhaustive nor a substitute for Independent Tax Advice provided by a Tax Accountant or a Tax Attorney familiar with your case.

Type of Business Entity Tax planning may vary greatly depending on the type of business entity you are operating under such as sole proprietorships, partnerships, C corporations, and S corporations. For example as a sole proprietorship you may have to pay an additional payroll tax (up to 15 percent) in addition to the Federal and State Income tax on your profits. S corporations are pass-through tax entities and the tax liability Saathee.com

Krutika Chheda K&M Accounting and Tax Services www.kmaccountant.com You can Contact her at kmchheda@kmaccountant.com (704) 502 3960 66

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Self-immolations Spread from Tibet to the Diaspora China’s rising economic might is making the plight of the Tibetans look more desperate than ever. By Jason Overdorf – GlobalPost.com In November, Migmer Tenzin, a 26-year-old Tibetan exile, set himself on fire outside the Chinese embassy in New Delhi. He wanted to show his solidarity with the monks and nuns burning themselves to death in protest against China’s suppression of religious freedom in Tibet, he explains. “I just tried to show to every nation and every human being what is happening,” Tenzin told GlobalPost, speaking in broken English from his hospital bed in New Delhi. “If I die in this action, it is OK. Our brothers and sisters in Tibet have also died in self-immolations. Unfortunately, the policeman was so fast that they stopped the fire and I am still alive.” Tenzin, who doctors expect to make a full recovery after receiving skin grafts for serious burns on his legs, is not alone in those feelings of desperation. As nearly a dozen religious leaders inside Tibet have tried to burn themselves to death this autumn, an uncomfortable realization is beginning to strike home in the Diaspora. There’s a grim reason for the mounting tide of self-immolations in the homeland they may never see. Now, perhaps more than ever before, China is winning the battle for Tibet. “The power that China is getting right now, nobody can stop them,” said Norbu Lodoe, a 32-year-old exile living in New Delhi. Tensions have been escalating over the past year, according to Srikanth Kondipalli, a specialist in Chinese affairs at Jawaharlal Nehru University. First the Dalai Lama relinquished his political powers. Then the exile community elected a new democratic government, implicitly challenging the legitimacy of China’s autocratic rule. And finally, the Dalai Lama has repeatedly hinted that he may break from tradition in choosing his successor — perhaps going so far as to reincarnate himself before he dies — to cheat Beijing of an opportunity to put forward a hand-picked rival. Yet China has not shown the slightest willingness to give ground on the religious leader’s demands for greater religious freedom and legitimate autonomy for Tibet. “All these things put together, the elections, the selfimmolations, the Dalai Lama’s observations on reincarnation and the developments in Tibet, as well as no talks so far between Tibetans and Chinese, all these indicate that the tension is growing,” said Kondipalli. So far, nine Tibetan monks or former monks and two Tibetan nuns in Sichuan province have set themselves on fire since March, according to Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Six of them are believed to have died. In the most recent case, on Nov. 3, Palden Choetso, a 35-year old nun from Tawu, died after she set herself on fire. The Chinese government has responded to the protests with mass arrests, imprisonment, and possible killings by the security forces, the human rights watchdogs said in a press release. Those arrested included 300 monks from Kirti monastery, who the authorities said were taken away for “patriotic education.” “Years of restrictions on Tibetans’ rights have led to further unrest and acts of desperation,” Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said in the statement. “It is Saathee.com

clearly time for the Chinese government to fundamentally rethink its approach by listening to and addressing Tibetans’ grievances.” Unfortunately, Beijing is doing just the opposite. “For a long time, we have been following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s advice of nonviolence,” said Pema Tsering, a 65year-old India resident who escaped Tibet in 1959. “Since 1979, the Dalai Lama has proposed a middle path whereby we go back to Tibet with an autonomous government under the People’s Republic of China. But the communist government has not shown any recognition or willingness to talk.” Since the mid-1990s — when the United States abandoned efforts to make China’s most-favored-nation trading status contingent on its human rights record — Beijing has rebuffed every effort of the Dalai Lama to open negotiations for increasing religious freedom in Tibet. Moreover, as its economic might has continued to increase, China has taken the battle further, successfully exporting its repression of dissent to its neighbors in South and Southeast Asia, where Vietnam recently cracked down on members of the Falun Gong religious sect. Despite pledging to improve its track record on human rights in its bid to host the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, for example, in the leadup to the games China stepped up the crackdown.

Chinese authorities crushed protests in Tibet — allegedly killing more than 150 people, according to the Tibetan government-in-exile. As calls for a boycott of the opening ceremony faded, Beijing prevailed upon neighboring Nepal to arrest hundreds of Tibetan exiles to prevent them from demonstrating in solidarity. And when the protests cost them nothing, the Chinese sought to up the ante. In June 2010, Nepal sent at least three escaping Tibetan refugees back to China, violating a United Nations-brokered “gentleman’s agreement” under which Kathmandu pledged in 1989 to allow fleeing Tibetans safe passage to India. Similarly, in June of this year, Washington was compelled to urge Kathmandu to register Tibetan exiles born after 1990 — the last time a census of Nepal’s Tibetan refugees was conducted. “Since some time ago, the Nepal government has stopped renewing or issuing fresh refugee cards, so the community is facing very, very tough times in Kathmandu,” a Tibetan exile in Nepal told GlobalPost. continued on page 76 December 2011

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Australia visits South Africa 1st 20 over match: South Africa v Australia at Cape Town - Oct 13, 2011 Result: AUS won by five [5] wickets with 3 balls remaining SA 146/7, 20/20 overs AUS 147/5, 19.3 0vers

Hello cricket fans. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see some recent interesting stats below. Let's take a look at some of the highest scores in Test Innings 2nd 20 over match: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg Oct 16, 2011 during 2011: Result: SA won by three [3] wickets with 5 balls remaining AUS 147/8, 20/20 overs SA 148/7, 19.1/20 overs 1st ODI: South Africa v Australia at Centurion - Oct 19, 2011 Result: AUS won by 93 runs (D/L method) AUS 183/4, 29/29 overs SA 129/all out, 22/29 overs 2nd ODI: South Africa v Australia at Port Elizabeth - Oct 23, 2011 Result: SA won by 80 runs SA 303/6, 50/50 overs AUS 223/all out, 50/50 overs 3rd ODI: South Africa v Australia at Durban - Oct 28, 2011 Result: Australia won by 3 wickets (with 15 balls remaining) SA 222/6, 50/50 overs AUS 227/7, 47.3 overs 1st Test: South Africa v Australia at Cape Town - Nov 9-13, 2011 Result: SA won by 8 wickets 1st Inn - AUS 284/all out, 75.0 overs 1st Inn - SA 96/all out, 24.3 overs 2nd Inn - AUS 47/all out, 18.0 overs 2nd Inn - SA 236/2, 50.2 overs 2nd Test: South Africa v Australia at Johannesburg - Nov 17-21, 2011 New Zealand visits Australia 1st Test - New Zealand vs. Australia at Brisbane - Dec 1-5, 2011 2nd Test - New Zealand vs. Australia at Hobart - Dec 9-13, 2011 Pakistan vs. Sri Lanka at UAE Tue Oct 18 - Sat Oct 22 - 1st Test - Drawn And on the other end of the spectrum ... here is a list of the tems Wed Oct 26 - Sun Oct 30 - 2nd Test - Pakistan won by nine [9] wickets who had some of the lowest Test Innings during 2011: Thu Nov 3 - Mon Nov 7 - 3rd Test - Drawn Fri Nov 11 - 1st ODI - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Dubai International Cricket Stadium Result: Pakistan won by eight [8] wickets SL 131/all out, 40.3 overs PAK 132/2, 21.5 overs continued on page 88 Rajesh T. Ganatra Contact him at rajeshtganatra@rocketmail.com

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companies that have been in business for over 10 years and need to address issues with succession planning and mature markets? All “small business” is not alike. Don’t be afraid to start with a fairly tight definition of your ideal customer. Once you successfully reach that narrow audience, you’ll become attractive to broader audiences. Having a fair idea of the size of your total target audience will help you target your online PR and marketing. If you know, for example, that there are 500,000 potential customers for your service, then a publication, Website or blog that reaches 50,000 people is reaching ten percent of the total market, making it a potentially valuable outlet for your news. Without the knowledge of your total market, you might have been tempted to bypass a site that didn’t have a readership in the millions (that old mass market mindset again). You can use sites like Alexa.com to gauge traffic on the Websites, blogs, podcasts and other online sites that you are considering for your PR outreach. Tools like Alexa.com can help you find the sites with the most traffic, meaning that getting a news item picked up by those sites is likely to put you in front of a large number of people who are ideal prospects. It can also help you gauge how many people are seeing your release on the sites where it’s been posted online, and give you ideas of new sites to target with future releases that you might not have otherwise discovered. Realize that even among sites that reach your ideal audience, size isn’t the only thing that matters. Some smaller publications are read by people who are “influencers”—trendsetters, authors, reporters and others whose opinions carry weight. These sites may have a smaller audience, but the audience’s importance is larger than its size. Likewise, a new site might not yet have a big following, but you might be able to establish a relationship with the blogger or site owner easily during the online publication’s early days, so that you’re a trusted news source when the site gains popularity. Realize that some small sites have a dedicated following who are true insiders within your niche audience. When your news reaches them through a site they trust, these insiders are in a position to help you grow by inviting you to speak, purchasing your product in bulk or recommending them to their own membership. Smaller sites can be extremely influential; so don’t overlook them as you build your media list. With the continual evolution of services available via mobile phone and now “smart phones” with Web and data capabilities, a growing number of consumers are reading their email and surfing the Web through their phones. In the same way that permission-based email marketing revolutionized promotion in the 1990s and early 2000s, mobile phone text marketing is poised to reshape niche market promotion in the years to come. If your message is timely and your target audience would consider it to be very important, text messaging may be a valuable tool for you. For example, restaurants and nightspots can text a message to their loyal customers about dining or drink specials or nightly entertainment. Customers who make purchases on a predictable schedule might be happy to find a discount coupon in their text inbox timed for their normal purchasing habits. Sites like MakeMeSocial.net and other providers help businesses create and manage mobile phone text campaigns. Text message marketing is here to stay, so file it away as a “maybe” for your future promotional needs.

In October 2010, the Nepalese authorities blocked local efforts to participate in elections for the Tibetan government-in-exile, seizing ballot boxes to prevent local refugees from voting for the exiles’ first prime minister. On Nov. 1, the Nepalese government once again arrested dozens of protesters in an effort to scuttle what Beijing calls “anti-China activities” — only to face renewed protests and an attempt at self-immolation by an as yet unidentified Tibetan exile chanting “Long live Tibet.” “There is immense pressure from the Chinese on the Nepal government in the recent days,” said Siddartha Gautam, chairman of Nepal’s Lumbini Foundation, a Buddhist nonprofit that works with the local Tibetan community. Indeed, according to a spokesman for Nepal’s home ministry, Kathmandu may crack down further on the Tibetan community if protests continue as a likely visit by the Chinese premier approaches on Dec. 21. “This will lead to a situation where the government may have to slash all the facilities being granted to the Tibetans residing in Nepal, such as that of their freedom to move even,” said spokesman Sudhir Kumar Saha. He specified that the government may decide to put a ban on Tibetan exiles’ business activities and their freedom of movement within the country if protests continue. Chinese affairs specialist Kondipalli says there’s no sign, so far, that India will follow suit. As a condition of providing refuge for the Dalai Lama and other Tibetans who escaped the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, India agreed that it would not provide a base for exiles to engage in political mobilization. But unlike Kathmandu, New Delhi allowed the elections of the government-in-exile to proceed without interference last year, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently met with the Dalai Lama against Chinese objections. Still, the suppression of protests, and even arrests, are not unknown in India, either. And in some regards, at least, China has succeeded in converting the Tibetans into a bargaining chip for India, rather than a humanitarian cause. Recently, the censors ordered a Bollywood film to cut a scene that depicted protesters waving Tibetan flags, even as the Indian media questioned the Chinese ambassador over maps that depicted parts of Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh as belonging to China. Similarly, Beijing has used India’s suppression of separatists in the disputed territory of Kashmir to prevent New Delhi from pushing too hard on Tibet. In 2009, the Chinese embassy in India began issuing stapled visas to Indians from Kashmir, implicitly rejecting the validity of their Indian passports. Soon after, India’s foreign minister was compelled to plead with his Chinese counterpart to be “sensitive to our concerns on this very vital issue for India, just as we have been sensitive to Chinese concerns, for instance on the Tibet Autonomous region and Taiwan,” India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told journalists in 2010. “India has its own problems with human rights in Kashmir, so it doesn’t want the finger pointed at itself,” said Abanti Bhattacharya, a professor of Chinese studies at Delhi University. “India is rather in a dilemma at supporting such a cause.”

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Burma Rebooted continued from page 38

“A lot has changed. Not too long ago, it was damn scary,” said a British woman I’ll call Margie. Margie has lived in Burma, off and on, for two decades. She now holds a senior position with a well-known international charity. Her ties to the pro-democracy movement, paired with her status as a foreigner, have long drawn the gaze of Burma’s surveillance network. “You learn to whisper and use coded language. No names,” she said. “We know every restaurant in town with a back door. You need your escape routes lined up. Even on the phone, they’ve got full control and can listen at will.” But in recent months, Margie said, much of the surveillance appears to have fizzled away. Previously forbidden subjects are discussed openly in tea shops. “Everyone’s still a little scared,” she said. “But I’m daring to hope. The external narrative says we must have 100 percent human rights overnight. In what country do you have that?” A 27-year-old Burmese news addict and diehard Suu Kyi supporter, nicknamed Jimmy, was equally spun by recent changes. Clad in a black T-shirt and a forest green “longyi,” the Burmese sarong, Jimmy was excited by the blunt talk now swirling around Rangoon’s tea shops. His news fix relies both on the Democratic Voice of Burma’s website and old-fashioned gossip. “This is not a democracy. But it’s more free now,” he said. “Look at your country, America. Look at how long you had your black-white problems.” Did he vote last year? “No,” Jimmy said. “Maybe I should have.”

Economic openings Burma’s government doesn’t just stifle liberty. It imposes bizarre restraints on commerce. But some of these economic restrictions are also melting away. First, look at how destitute Burma has become. Here’s a whirlwind tour through the poverty stats: - Average monthly salary: $27, according to the United Nations. - Percentage of population without electricity: 70 percent, according to the US State Department. - Percentage of Burmese without clean drinking water: 40-60 percent, according to the European Commission. - And if that wasn’t bad enough, a 1988 Toyota Corolla costs more than $28,000. But it’s looking up. Saathee.com

Consider Burma’s Cuba-esque restrictions on vehicles. Regardless of high demand, the government only allows the import of a few thousand cars per year. The supply is so meager that Reagan-era junkers sell for more than $30,000. Traffic in Rangoon is like a procession of zombies on wheels, all resurrected from an auto graveyard. Unlike Havana, blessed with pre-revolution Chevys, the Burmese are more likely to squeeze life out of a Japanese fourdoor with floorboard gashes that offer passengers a view of the street underfoot. But this too is set to change: a cash-for-clunkers scheme will soon benefit drivers of extremely old cars (40 years or older) willing to let the government melt down their vehicle. In return, they’ll be allowed to import one used car worth $3,500 or less. Future phases will extend the deal to progressively younger cars. Eventually, Burma’s car market could start to resemble reality. Cell phones are another anomaly. Until recently, SIM cards, the microchips that provide phones with a distinct number, cost $1,500. (Phone sold separately.) The regime-set rate meant only the extremely wealthy could afford mobile phones. That was the point. With phones limited to the highest income bracket, spies had a smaller network to keep tabs on. But as of this year, the SIM card price is $625. And according to the Myanmar Times newspaper, prices are set to fall even further. But perhaps Burma’s currency, the kyat, is the mess crying loudest for a fix. The government contends that six of their kyat are worth $1. No other institution agrees. The real rate, set on the black market, is roughly 13,000 percent higher. There are no ATMs in Rangoon. Visitors are advised to bring US$100 bills for a black-market exchange. The Benjamins must be pristine: crisp, unblemished and issued after 2006, ideally bearing serial codes beginning with the letter H. Rangoon’s fastidious dollar swappers conduct business in back alleys and beneath staircases. They examine visitors’ $100 bills as a jeweler would diamonds. An infinitesimal smudge, the mere suggestion of a crease, and the bill is declared unworthy — or at least worth substantially less. But there is hope yet for a cash-swap method less akin to scoring pot. Burma’s government has already invited teams from the International Monetary Fund to untangle its its currency chaos. The next visit is set for early 2012. In the meantime, according to China’s Xinhua outlet, six private banks will be permitted to open exchange windows offering a legit rate. But Burma’s government is obliged to move quickly. According to the IMF, Burma’s tangle of official and unofficial exchanges can wreak efficiency losses worth 14-17 percent of annual GDP. Censorship abates Along with economic shifts, the media is also breathing easier. Over coffee at a cafe inside one of Rangoon’s few high-rise buildings, a Burmese reporter (I’ll refer to him as Zaw) agreed to explain the constantly evolving restrictions. You still can’t write about Than Shwe, the untouchable dictator general who was Burma’s head of state from 1992 until last year’s election. You cannot allude to a power struggle between hardliners and the ascendant reformers led by the general-turned-president Thein Sein. “However, you can praise the president and say his reforms are an improvement on the past military government,” Zaw said. “It’s amazing!” 78

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Earlier this year, journals devoted to lighter fare — sports, health and fortune-telling — were allowed to publish without first submitting articles to government censors. In October, the deputy head of Burma’s “Press Scrutiny” department, Tint Swe, told Radio Free Asia that “press censorship should be abolished in the near future.” His proposal: eliminating the filter for all publications. Zaw is the play-it-safe type. His 10-plus years have taught him which questions risk detention and which ones allow him to return home for dinner with his wife. Even if censors stopped pre-filtering his copy, they could still punish him postpublication if he crossed the line. Still, Zaw is often shocked by the newfound courage of young Burmese reporters. “These little guys and gals,” he said, “they keep asking harder and harder questions.” The moment that really wowed Zaw took place in September. Hundreds of protesters dared to commemorate a 2007 monkled “Saffron Revolution” uprising that was violently crushed by the army. Zaw anticipated cracked heads. “But you know what happened? They didn’t throw everyone in the back of a truck. They negotiated with them.” “Cannot retreat now” Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy is headquartered in a two-story wooden home that smells like an antique shop. It is a Suu Kyi shrine: her photo hangs from every corner except for wall space allotted to images of her father or Che Guevara. On one October afternoon, the headquarters greeted recently freed political prisoners. About 200 had just been released in amnesty with more than 6,000 common criminals. Many had shuffled out of Rangoon’s notorious Insein Prison, walking barefoot on the sun-baked dirt, their belongings balanced in bundles on their heads. Gatherers outside received them with delighted cheers. One week later, Suu Kyi’s party was treating the ex-prisoners to a free curry plate and envelopes filled with about $12.50 worth of kyat. (Or, if you follow the government rate, $1,666.) Would Suu Kyi make an appearance? Not today, visitors were told. She’s off meditating. “We want her health to be perfect. She wakes up every day, has a prayer service, and gets to work,” Tin Oo said. “She has conversations on the ... Sky? Skylight?” — Skype? — “Yes! Skype.” Releasing political prisoners is among the loudest demand from US officials, including President Barack Obama. Since the election, the No. 1 prisoner, Suu Kyi, and about 315 others have been set loose. According to most estimates, there are roughly 1,600-plus political prisoners remaining in prison. To many human-rights watchdog groups, this slow leak of prisoners is not up to speed. “Does Amnesty International really expect, as per the proverbial and rhetorical words, that this should literally happen overnight? Yes, we do,” wrote Amnesty researcher Benjamin Zawacki in response to the latest release. “By their definition, prisoners of conscience should never have been detained in the first place.” Along Burma’s other frontlines of abuse, the jungles where outgunned ethnic militias spar with Burma’s army, the situation appears to have worsened since the election. As Amnesty and other groups report, “widespread and systematic” crimes such as forced labor have continued unabated. Tin Oo, a former army general, has seen the military’s inner workings and also felt its wrath. Since a falling out with the military in the 1970s, he has floated between freedom and Saathee.com

prison. He went on to help Suu Kyi found her party in 1988. While Burma seems on the cusp of great change, there have been similar times of openness in its history that have failed to turn into lasting reform. Burma experienced a period of relative respite from repressive policies in the summer of 1998, which directly preceded its deadliest crackdown in recent history. Like most, Tin Oo doesn’t think the ruling party has suddenly discovered ethics. “They probably just want to save their skin,” he said. But he is convinced that, like it or not, cooperating with the men who’ve oppressed Burma is the key to helping it rise. “The government understands that people desire peace at any cost,” Tin Oo said. “They cannot retreat now.”

Burma Rebooted: Part 2 Reformists dare to push back against Beijing The new reformist government seeks to shift alliances. RANGOON, Burma — For centuries, Burma was an impenetrable badlands rife with malaria, headhunters and, according to 13th-century explorer Marco Polo, the occasional unicorn. These days, we can subtract the unicorn (which was probably just a rhino) and swap headhunters for ethnic militias defending their hills against Burma’s brutal military. The nation is still among the world’s most isolated, and doubly so thanks to Western sanctions. But Burma, officially known as Myanmar, ﬁnally appears destined for the spotlight. It is rich in natural gas, bigger than France and wedged between China and India, Asia’s twin rising powers. If only it weren’t run aground by despots over the last 50 years. Since 1997, the United States, the European Union and others have outlawed most business dealings with the pariah state. Their goal: forcing better behavior from a government guilty of locking up dissidents and waging ruthless war on ethnic minorities. But none of these misdeeds have scared off China, which has swooped in to shower Burma’s rulers with pay-offs, military hardware and mega-projects. For 2010-2011, official data shows 70 percent of Burma’s $20 billion in foreign investments coming from China. Lacking friends in the West, Burma has allowed China to become its powerful protector. But this has forced a new dilemma stirring anxiety among autocrats and pro-democracy forces alike. Should Burma protect itself from China? “In every faraway place, there are quite a lot of Chinese projects. They employ not with labor from here ... but with Chinese people coming in,” said Tin Oo, vice-chairman of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party. “All these places will be infested with Chinese people,” Tin Oo said. “Burma will not be an independent state. Burma will become the vassal of the People’s Republic of China.” “All these places will be infested with Chinese people,” said Tin Oo, growing visibly agitated during an interview at his Rangoon party headquarters. His party, banned by the government, is known for resisting the Burmese government’s tyranny. But he speaks of Chinese dominance as a threat to the nation itself. “Burma will not be an independent state,” Tin Oo said. “Burma will become the vassal of the People’s Republic of China.” 80

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which has since become the world’s largest rice exporter. “They did it in 1945. They showed the world they were No. 1,” Vichai said. “They could come back to being No. 1 again.” Burma is not Afghanistan, barren and rubbly, or Somalia, cursed with drought. That the nation is so fertile and rich in gems, gas and timber makes its poverty all the more regrettable. What it shares with those two countries, however, is unbridled corruption. In its index of the world’s most corrupt nations, Transparency International gives Somalia the top spot with Burma and Afghanistan sharing second place. However, in November of 2010, Burma technically ended decades of dictatorship. An election, clearly rigged, shifted power to a civilian party flush with ex-generals and cronies. Whether the new regime will ever allow real democracy, or continue as a dictatorship lite, remains to be seen. But new economic reforms, paired with a slow rollback of repressive laws, appear partially motivated by fears of Chinese supremacy. As it stands, most Western investments in Burma are banned. So are loans from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the major life-support lenders to destitute nations. As China fills this investment void, there are signs that Burma’s rulers are open to the reforms that could bring in Western funds to balance out China’s influence. Exhibit A: Burma’s new president, an ex-general named Thein Sein, recently suspended construction of a $3.6 billion Chinese hydro-power dam. It would have flooded an area equal in size to New York’s five boroughs. The mega-project would have displaced tens of thousands and offered little benefit to poor villagers. There were rare public protests against the dam, and it was condemned by Aung San Suu Kyi, a long-time government foe considered a voice of the oppressed. As China’s state-run Global Times warned, this “whimsical change will inevitably send troubling signals to potential investors.” But Burma’s president insisted in a speech that the dam ran “against the will of the people.” Acknowledging the people’s will is rare for a Burmese ruler. In doing so, Thein Sein appears to be positioning himself as the public face of Burma’s reform movement. “It seems like his internal power struggle [with old-guard hardliners] has been resolved for the time being,” said Jim DellaGiacoma of the International Crisis Group, which has closely monitored Burma’s reforms. “They’re acutely aware that they’ve been left behind compared to their peers in the region.” According to a Burmese journalist based in Rangoon, the president hopes to go down in history as the man who pulled his country out of the darkness. “We all think Thein Sein is trying to show us he’s the good guy,” he said. “All the top generals have $3 million houses and 10 cars. But he appears to live a simpler life.” Thein Sein seeks to proclaim Burma’s rise by chairing ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a 10-country bloc that includes Thailand and Vietnam. Burma’s next shot at the rotating chairmanship is in 2014. ASEAN will make the decision in coming weeks and, according to Della-Giacoma, Burma may well get its wish. “The message other members have given is that you’ll have to allow hundreds of journalists in the country,” he said. “They will want to speak to Aung San Suu Kyi. And after a certain amount of time, that will become ordinary and we’ll forget what an extraordinary thing it used to be.”

Beijing’s bi-coastal ambition For nearly 15 years, Western diplomats have watched with frustration as Chinese cash subverted their Burma sanctions. Still, the two nations’ cozying up cannot be interpreted as a romance. In addition to greed, Burma’s rulers have also been driven into China’s arms by necessity and fear, said Thant Myint-U, an American-born Burmese scholar and former Cambridge University lecturer. “It may sound ludicrous to some,” Thant Myint-U said. “But coming at the same time as tightening sanctions, covert funding of opposition groups and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, a US-backed overthrow didn’t sound too ludicrous to the generals in charge.” Among Burmese generals’ greatest fears is a United Nations “commission of inquiry” into war crimes that could land them in prison. China has so far sheltered the generals from this fate with its UN influence. Beijing’s compensation? Advancing its “Two Oceans” policy. Unlike America, blessed with dual coasts, China fronts only the Pacific. To its southwest lies the Indian Ocean through which 80 percent of its crude oil and other essential commodities are shipped. The dilemma: China’s nearest western coastline belongs to Burma. At present, ships approaching from the west must ply the narrow Straits of Malacca near Malaysia and push ahead to Chinese shores. Not only does this route waste time and fuel, it’s vulnerable: a rival navy such as America’s could easily choke off the channel and grind China’s economy to a halt. China’s solution is to transform Burma into its own California, a long western coastline built up with ports and pipelines. Just as Egypt’s Suez Canal created a maritime highway between Europe and Asia, China could alter the map in an equally radical fashion, said Thant Myint-U, whose book “Where China Meets India” explores both powers’ potential to remake Burma. This transformation is already underway. Of China’s $14 billion in pledged investments to Burma in 2010-2011, most are designed to feed China’s soaring energy demands. A planned port project in Kyaukpyu, western Burma, will take shipped-in foreign oil and shoot it up a 600-mile pipeline into China’s interior. Yet another pipeline will pump Burma’s natural gas into landlocked Southwest China. New Chinese-built highways will further link the two nations and a series of hydro-power dams will zap electricity to China via long cables. Neighboring India, a democracy itself, also has designs on Burma. Under its “Look East” policy, India plans to build ports, roads and rail links to its far-flung northeastern provinces. But its promised projects, for now, lag far behind China’s. Land of the lost Burma shook off Britain’s colonial yoke in 1948. In the decades before, few would have imagined it could become one of Asia’s poorest nations. From 1936-39, Burma was Southeast Asia’s wealthiest country with the per capita value of exports six times greater than that of India and 25 times that of China, according to the University of Singapore. It was also the world’s biggest exporter of rice, a crop eaten by half the world’s people. “Burma, prior to the second World War, used to export 4 million tons. Today they export 100,000 tons,” said Vichai Sriprasert, CEO of exporter Riceland International in Thailand, Saathee.com

continued on page 88 82

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Community Focus Events of Note:

is only when we see instances of people who have gone ahead and taken that extra step to help others are we assured that yes making a difference in other people’s lives is possible. The new foundation Sangamithra is working toward this end. This past summer, during my trip to India along with my family, I visited the SNM Government Lower Primary School in Ernakulam, Kerala, where the Sangamithra foundation, recently, provided a clean drinking water facility for the students. Each sip of water those children drank was safe, clean and filtered and each sip lessened the worry of parents and teachers. This demonstrated that simple ideas or projects can go a long way. This is part of the vision of the Sangamithra Foundation, an organization born out of the collective thoughts of a group of like-minded people. The root word in Sangamithra “sangam” itself means a group, and this organization clearly teaches the magic of helping the needy. The first project of providing clean drinking water to the students of the SNM School in Kerala was successfully completed within just months of the founding of the organization. Furthermore, Sangamithra has made its presence known in the Charlotte community by its participation in the 2011 Festival of India with a food stall. Other fundraising initiatives have included participation in a local 5k race as well as promoting more member recruitment. In addition, with liaisons in both the UK and the UAE, Sangamithra is reaching out on a global scale to bring positive change to underprivileged communities in India. While the message is spread around, for the members and supporters of Sangamithra, the journey has indeed begun. Sangamithra is currently working on its second project which is to provide supplies to the Abhaya Bhavan Charity in India. For more details about the Sangamithra Foundation, visit www.sangamithra.org or email: info@sangamithra.org.

Sitar Performance Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte presents a wonderful year-end concert with sitar maestro Pandit Indrajit Banerjee accompanied on tabla by Salar Nader. The performance will take place at Tate Conference Hall, Overcash Performing Arts Center, 1200 Elizabeth Ave., CPCC, Central Campus, Charlotte, NC 28232 on Saturday, December 17, 2011 beginning at 6pm. Tickets are $25 for non-members and free for IPAAC members. Free parking will be available in designated areas. For further details on the concert, visit www.ipaac.org. First Night Charlotte The annual New Year’s Eve celebrations in Charlotte will take place on Saturday, December 31, 2011 in the downtown area of Charlotte. The family-friendly, alcohol-free celebration will feature many activities, bands, performances, food, and fireworks at midnight. Another feature of the celebration is First Night Kids where children of all ages can enjoy the music, dance, theater, history, science and more. First Night Kids is scheduled between 3 – 7 pm with events and performances at ImaginOn, Levine Museum of the New South, City Market (Former Reid’s store on 7th street) and Discovery Place. For further details on all the festivities and programs, visit www.firstnightcharlotte.com. First Night Raleigh The annual New Year’s Eve celebrations in Raleigh will take place on Saturday, December 31, 2011 in the downtown area of Raleigh, NC. The family-friendly celebration will feature many activities, arts, crafts, performances, music, food, and fireworks at midnight. For details visit www.firstnightraleigh.com.

Community Reports: Children’s Day 2011

“Project No One Hungry” on Christmas On Christmas Day 2011, Spice South of Charlotte is sponsoring a charity project to feed 2000 needy people hot meals. There will be vegetarian as well as a non-vegetarian platters prepared and delivered to needy folks and organizations that serve those in need. The platters will consist of tasty Indian food. This is a donation driven endeavor. Those interested in participating call Raj (704.246.6538) or Joel (678.914.5476) for further details.

Community News:

The Children’s Day is celebrated on the birthday of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, because of his deep commitment to children. This year in celebration of Children’s Day in India, Google used a special doodle where the users could see the word Google designed in the shapes of various Indian musical instruments like Tabla, Shehnai and Veena. But what makes it more interesting is the fact that

Sangamithra Foundation - A Different Stroke Making a difference in other people’s lives is something that is easier said than done. When one ponders deeply, there seems to be many ways to do this. In the American society everything seems to be in abundance and yet often times we still find it difficult to sacrifice some of what we have for others. Maybe, it Saathee.com

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Varsha Gupta, a 3rd grade student won the “Doodle 4 Google competition.” Here in the Triangle area, the Heritage India Association of NC celebrated its fifth anniversary of the children’s Day on November 12, 2011 as a day to honor and celebrate all children. The group organized various activities and a cultural program to make the day special for the children. There were 130 kids who participated in the stage performances. The program began with “Deep Prakashan Ceremony” by Dr. Arvind Shah and “Jan Gan Man” song, choreographed by Vinita Kochar. This was followed by a Bharatnatyam dance “Jai Ganesha,” choreographed by Chanchal Hari. Four more Bharatnatyam dances were presented by children of ages 5-8 and 9-12 years, all students of the Kalanjali School of Arts and Kalasrishti School of Performing Arts, respectively. Also, a selected group of folk and Bollywood dances were choreographed by Triangle area’s prominent choreographers — Amol Pise, Shanti Pise, Jashi Abhirajan, weta Bhatnagar, Nivedita Kakaar, Anushka Sukhramani, Ayaon Yadav, and Althea Sukhramani. Two musical presentations were choreographed by Vinita Kochar and Mrs. Ranganayaki Rajan of the Laasya School of Dance and Music. Veda Rajagopal and Vybhav Jagannath served as Emcees. A group of 18 teen performers presented Bhangra, choreographed by Lavesh Pritmani, which won the first prize of $100. A Bollywood dance group of 8 teens, choreographed by Shanti Pise, won the consolation prize of $50. The day also featured face painting and greeting card painting for the kids. The event concluded with a recognition ceremony and a magic show as a grand finale. Two teen honorees were Shaunak Turaga, for winning the “Academic Excellence Heritage Award” and Amber Gautam for winning the “Community Ambassador Heritage Award.” — Submitted by Yash Garg

The first ever Eid Gala Event was held at the Omni Hotel Charlotte on November 6, 2011. The event was organized and hosted by Ayesha Mian of A&A Events. The evening brought together the Charlotte Muslim community in a festive and intimate setting to celebrate Eid. The event also showcased Charlotte-area vendors and local, talented performers. The chef of the Omni prepared a selection of appetizers for the guests.

AAHOA, the Asian American Hotel Owner’s Association’s NCa region held a town hall meeting on Nov 3, 2011 in Greensboro. Jay (Jimmy) Patel, director of the North Carolina region, organized the event that attracted 120 members and guests. Several speakers, including North Carolina state senate and representatives attended the meeting. The NC region will hold its regional meeting on February 29, 2012. Saathee.com

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Cricket Forum

continued from page 72

Mon Nov 14 - 2nd ODI - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Dubai International Cricket Stadium Result: SL won by 25 runs SL 235/7, 50.0 overs PAK 210/all out, 46.3 overs Fri Nov 18 - 3rd ODI - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Dubai International Cricket Stadium Sun Nov 20 - 4th ODI - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium Wed Nov 23 - 5th ODI - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Fri Nov 25 - 20 over match - Pakistan v Sri Lanka - Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Pakistan visit Bangladesh Tue Nov 29: Only T20I - Bangladesh v Pakistan, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur Thu Dec 1: 1st ODI - Bangladesh v Pakistan, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur Sat Dec 3: 2nd ODI - Bangladesh v Pakistan, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur Tue Dec 6: 3rd ODI - Bangladesh v Pakistan, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong Fri Dec 9 - Tue Dec 13: 1st Test - Bangladesh v Pakistan, Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium, Chittagong Sat Dec 17 - Wed Dec 21: 2nd Test - Bangladesh v Pakistan, Shere Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur West Indies visit India 1st Test: India v West Indies at Delhi - Nov 6-9, 2011 Result: IND won by five [5] wickets 1st Inn - WI 304/all out, 108.2 overs 1st Inn - IND 209/all out, 52.5 overs 2nd Inn - WI 180/all out, 57.3 overs 2nd Inn - IND 276/5, 80.4 overs 2nd Test: India v West Indies at Kolkata - Nov 14-18, 2011 Result: IND won by an Innings and 15 runs 1st Inn - IND 631/7 [d], 151.2 overs 1st Inn - WI 153/all out, 48.0 overs 2nd Inn - WI 463/all out, 126.3 overs [follow-on] 3rd Test: India v West Indies at Mumbai - Nov 22-26, 2011 1st ODI: India v West Indies at Cuttack - Nov 29, 2011 2nd ODI: India v West Indies at Visakhapatnam - Dec 2, 2011 3rd ODI: India v West Indies at Ahmedabad - Dec 5, 2011 4th ODI: India v West Indies at Indore - Dec 8, 2011 5th ODI: India v West Indies at Chennai - Dec 11, 2011

Burma Rebooted

An uncertain future Burma’s rulers have a long way to go in satisfying the West. The White House takes its cues from Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel laureate whose 1990 election to the prime minister’s seat was voided by the military. Considered Burma’s rightful leader, she has helped dictate the West’s demands: release all political prisoners, end authoritarian laws and offer the people a greater say in Burma’s future. Would these reforms kickstart a Burma renaissance? The end of US sanctions could bring Starbucks and KFC franchises to Burma’s decaying cities. It could give British Petroleum and Exxon Mobil a shot at its gas reserves. But there is still no guarantee that a freer Burma would bring great prosperity to the masses. “There could be more media freedom, much greater economic growth, perhaps even another round of elections that are freer and fairer,” Thant Myint-U said. “But at the same time, there could be more corruption, cronyism, criminality,” he added. “We could see the end of dictatorship but also a return to the sort of gangster politics we had back in the 1950s, with the army hovering in the background.”In other words, Thant Myint-U said, “Burma could become a lot like many other countries in the region.”

Read Online at Saathee.com:

continued from page 82

Arm them all As in many Southeast Asian nations, including those run by communists, Burma’s fear of Chinese power runs deep. Many of Burma’s contemporary generals rose through the ranks ﬁghting the China-supplied Communist Party of Burma, which controlled a vast stretch of hills through much of 20thcentury’s latter half. Even today, Burma’s most powerful armed ethnic group, the Wa, is led by ethnic Chinese who control an estimated 30,000 Saathee.com

fighters. Rich from manufacturing most of Southeast Asia’s meth pills, the Wa maintain anti-aircraft weaponry and close ties to Chinese officials across the border. Ironically, China has long financed Burma’s ethnic militias as well as the army battalions deployed to kill them. Between 2000 and 2008, Burma’s military soaked up more than 60 percent of China’s arms sales to Southeast Asia, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. That’s roughly $164 million in assault rifles, armored vehicles and warships. China’s interests in Burma are starkly pragmatic. It seeks stability with militants on the border, which is longer than the continental US Pacific coastline. And it wants freedom to extract timber and gems from rebel-held territories. It also seeks goodwill with generals in charge of approving billion-dollar investments that will feed its energy needs. With few revenue sources to turn to, Burma’s rulers have been forced to tolerate China’s interference in the hills. But the idea that Burma’s reform drive is solely designed to back off China and end Western sanctions is “completely off base,” Thant Myint-U said. Burma’s ruling class appears to enjoy Chinese money just fine. But they would prefer to make China compete more with investors from India, Russia, rising Asian economies and the offlimits West. “That the old system was unsustainable was plain to see,” Thant Myint-U said. “It’s hardly surprising that some at the top understood the need for real reform.”

Burma Rebooted: Part 3 Young, gifted and Burmese Burma youth culture pushes the censors’ ever-changing invisible line. December 2011

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various Indian languages are used in the Sunday services. Contact for further details Rev. Dr. K.C. Paul (704.771.1414), Rajan Mathew (704.756.4969), Jose Varughese (704.453.6177), Varughese K. Thomas (803.322.9549).

Charlotte Art of Living (Healing with the Breath) Art of Living is dedicated to serving society by strengthening the individual. This is done through self development programs that recharge the body, mind and spirit and allow people to function at their optimum potential. People from all backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions come together in service and celebration. For Further Details: 704.248.2647 charlotte@us.artofliving.org www.artofliving.org

Charlotte Gita Study Group Beginners and advanced students of the Gita are welcome. The group meets the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 3 - 5 pm. This course is based on the Home Study Course of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, PA. Each session starts with a meditation followed by a recorded lecture in English, supplemented by discussion among the group. For further details: Rishi and Shikha Bhatnagar, rishi@solveron.com, 513.518.5300 Shridhar and Kruti Dave, skdave@hotmail.com, 704.844.9567 Naras and Beena Eechambadi, narasee@gmail.com www.freewebs.com/gitastudy

Association for India’s Development - Charlotte A volunteer movement committed to promoting sustainable, equitable and just-development. AID Charlotte supports grassroots organizations in India and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as education, livelihoods, natural resources, health, women’s empowerment and social justice. For further details: Kiran Uppalapati 704.307.6450; Venkata Ramana Duddu 662.231.2350.

Charlotte Hindu Center Table Tennis The group meets every Monday and Wednesday from 6.30 - 10 pm. New players come after 7.30 pm for orientation. The TT action takes place at the Vihar Hall of Charlotte’s Hindu Center, 7400 City View Drive, Charlotte, NC 28134. All levels and types of play. Free coaching and lessons. For further details: s_jan@yahoo.com or visit www.ttclt.com.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Regularly scheduled activities include a daily Aarti at 6:30 am and 7 pm. Darshan: Mon-Fri 6:30 am-12:30 pm and 4 - 8:30 pm, Sat/Sun 6:30 am-8:30 pm. Gujarati classes are held every Sunday from 3 - 4 pm and “Satsang Sabha” is held every Sunday at 4:30 p.m. The Swaminarayan Temple is located at 4100 Margaret Wallace Rd, Charlotte, NC, 28105. For Further Details: 704.573.0805 704.573.0820 (fax)

Charlotte Indian Christian Fellowship The group meets the third Saturday of every month at 6:30 PM for Bible Study, Prayer and Fellowship. Everyone is welcome to join the fellowship along with family and friends. For Further Details: Hema at 704.841.7060 hadhopper@hotmail.com. Charlotte Kannada Koota The Charlotte Kannada Koota is an organization that promotes understanding of Karnataka culture and provides a medium for people of Karnataka (Kannadigas) to get together. The activities include social get-togethers, music, and drama. For Further Details: 704.526.9990 (Appan Patil), agm_patil@hotmail.com 704.281.8732 (Raj Kulgod), kraj7@yahoo.com

Bethel Christian Fellowship Bethel Christian Fellowship offers services in various Indian languages (i.e. Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, etc.) .Sunday School Time - 11:15 - 11:45 am; Sunday Worship Service time : 11:45 - 1:15 pm. Sunday Service Location: Fort Mill Church of God, Student Life Center Building, 216 Academy Street, Room 102. Fort Mill, South Carolina 29715. Saturday Service Location: Life Builders Church - 730 Oak Dale Rd, Charlotte NC 28216. For Further Details: 803.792.7223; pastorofbcf@gmail.com (Pastor: Rajan Samuel).

Charlotte Kriya Yoga Group Charlotte Kriya Yoga Group Promotes Kriya Yoga Meditation practices as taught by lineage of realized masters such as Mahaavatar Baba Ji, Lahri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteshwar Giri, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Hariharananda, and Prajanananada. A sincere seeker who follows the path of Kriya Yoga with love and devotion and a desire for spiritual growth can attain Self-realization- even in one lifetime. The center hosts two annual initiation programs and a weekly Sunday meditation for initiates. For Further Details: Agupta1@Carolina.rr.com www.kriya.org

Carolina Sanskritk Maharashtra Mandal CSMM promotes Maharashtrian culture and language. Maharashtra mandal is committed to serve Carolina Marathi community with various cultural, social and traditional Marathi programs and events. For Further Details: Abhay Khanore, terasahara2000@yahoo.com, 803.554.1234 Manish Khot, manish.khot@gmail.com, 215.380.8722 Sangeeta Korde, sangeet_k@yahoo.com, 704.421.4279 Carolinas Christian Assembly - Charlotte Everyone is cordially invited to join for Sunday worship, Bible class, Sunday school: Sundays from 9 am - 12 pm. English and

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Gurdwara Sahib - Charlotte The Sikh Heritage Society strives to unite and enrich the lives of the Sikh & Punjabi communities of Charlotte and surrounding areas. “Gurdwara” address: 1760 Stoney Creek Lane, Charlotte, NC 28262. Regular Program: Every Sunday: 10 - 11am, Asa Di War by Bhai Satnam Singh Jee, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm, Keertan by Children, 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm, Keertan by Bhai Satnam Singh Jee, 1:15 pm - 1:30 pm, Ardaas, followed by Guru Ka Langar. For Further Details: Gurdwara: 704.509.2828 704.541.0350 (Sajjan Dhaliwal), sajjan@carolina.rr.com, 704.948.8091 (Inderjeet Rajpal), irajpal@aol.com

Lane). Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 6-10 pm, Saturday 2-6 pm Sunday 1-5 pm. For Further Details: www.charlottetabletennis.org Charlotte Telangana Association Charlotte Telangana Assoc was formed to promote Telangana cultural activities within greater Charlotte area and also bring together all the Telangana people living in the area to discuss, plan, and take action around the development of Telangana focusing both on rural and urban Telangana areas. “CTA” will also actively engage in educating private, public and non-profit organizations about the great resources that Telangana has for business activities, political climate of Telangana reason. For Further Details: www.charlottetelangana.com

Hindu Center of Charlotte The Hindu Center is located at 7400 City View Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212. The center is open every day. Temple Phone: 704.535.3440. The library is stocked with books, CDs, DVDs and other materials on varied genre such as religion, culture, history, philosophy, yoga and health. Library info: 704.554.0765. Children’s Religious Oriented Program (C.R.O.P.) is for children Kindergarten through 12th grade to educate them in culture and understand religious practices. A glimpse on understanding The Bhagvad Gita provides children with an opportunity to learn about the GITA with simplicity, ease and in an inclusive discussion format. Info on CROP 704.547.1676 (Chetna Patel) patel4260@bellsouth.net. The Senior Citizens Group meets on the 1st Sunday of every month at 4 pm and followed by Satyanarayan Katha at 5 pm. Future trips and activities are in the planning stages. Info on the group: 704.334.2462 (Gobind Bhojwani). The sloka class teaches children above the age of five different Hindu hymns, their meaning and significance. The class meets Sundays at 9:30 am. Info on the class: 704.814.9355 (Lakshmi Muthukrishnan). Info on the Social Welfare Committee: 704.372.1265 (Narain Amar) or 704.948.5609 (Dhinakaran Pillai). The Vedic Havan is held at the vedant hall on second Sunday of every month at 10:30 am to 12:00 pm noon followed by Prasadam. Info: 704.825.9223 (Swadesh Sawhney). The Pranayam classes are held on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Info: 704.649.5374 (Kajal Jain), 704.554.0765 (Manisha Naik), or 281.304.5597 (Sanjay Vyas) pranayamclt@aol.com. Yoga classes are held Sundays at 9 am. Info: 704.864.8212 pradip_bulsara@hotmail.com. Free Table Tennis Open Play & Coaching is available for Members and their families (especially children 10 years and over). The hours are from 6.30pm to 10:00pm every Wednesday in the Vihar Hall. No prior registration is necessary. There are five good tables and can add more as necessary. Free coaching is also available from Srinivas Janardhan (SJ) and three other experienced certified coaches from Charlotte Table Tennis Club (CTTC). For further details visit www.TTCLT.com or contact SJ (s_jan@yahoo.com), Hemant Amin (hvamin@hotmail.com) or Chetan Thakker (chetanthakker@yahoo.com). Upcoming Events: Sat Dec 3 - Fundraiser event featuring performers from the Nrityangan Cultural Academy, 5-7 pm. For Further Details: www.hcclt.org

Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills. The Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group holds weekly group sits and monthly all day sits for established students (those who have taken at least one ten day course from S. N. Goenka or one of his assistant teachers). Ten-day courses are also available for all students. There is never a charge for a course. New center now open in Jesup, GA. To apply for a 10 day retreat visit www.patapa.dhamma.org For Further Details: 704.277.5013, rbddesai@gmail.com 704.563.5440, dspranger@gmail.com www.dhamma.org Classical Music Association of Charlotte (CMAC) CMAC sponsors many classical concerts during the year in Charlotte. Membership forms are available at concerts. For Further Details: 704.541.3361 (Rama Rachakonda), 704.814.9355 (Lakshmi Muthukrishnan), lakshmi7778@yahoo.com cmacmusic@yahoo.com www.onlinecmac.com Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India (EVFI) was established to help in the overall development of the remote tribal and rural villages in India. Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA along with EVFI is committed to the cause of eradicating illiteracy from tribal areas. Education is the key to self-esteem, self-sustenance, economic well being and happiness. Ekal Vidyalya (One School One Teacher in one village) plans to establish 100,000 schools in tribal areas by 2012. This will cover all the villages in tribal areas where there are no schools today. The Carolinas Region of the EVFUSA conducts fund raising and awareness programs in North and South Carolina. For Further Details: Ekal Charlotte Chapter: Neena Narumanchi / neena.narumanchi@gmail.com Ekal Columbia: Janak Dalal / jaydalalcolumbia@gmail.com

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Kiran KIRAN is a multi-cultural, non-religious, community based, South Asian organization. Promoting the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner. The group spreads awareness of South Asian women’s issues in the community and we cooperate and collaborate with organizations in the USA and elsewhere with similar objectives. Countries in South Asia include Bangladesh, Bhutan, Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Though there are differences in language, customs, and religions across these countries, these regions share many basic cultural and historical similarities. KIRAN operates a crisis phone line Monday- Friday from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm. For help or information regarding domestic violence call an advocate. Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and context-sensitive manner • Non-judgmental help and support to women who are experiencing oppressive/crisis situations • Emotional support • Referrals to professional and community services regarding legal issues, health care, short-term child care, psychological counseling, and temporary shelter and housing • KIRAN’s services are completely confidential. Translators and crisis counselors do not disclose any information provided by our clients. For Further Details: Crisis Hotline: 1877- NC-KIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 Kiran@Kiraninc.org www.kiraninc.org

IAMC (Indian American Muslim Council) - Charlotte Chapter IAMC formerly known as IMC-USA (Indian Muslim Council – USA) is committed to promoting peace, pluralism and social justice for all through advocacy. The organization is also committed to promote and protect human rights and human dignity in India, as they are the foundation of freedom, justice and peace. IAMC-Charlotte, seeks to reach out to Indian Muslims living in and around Charlotte to join efforts to promote Peace, Human Rights and Social Justice for all in India, to strive for Inter-Faith, Inter-Community understanding in the United States with particular focus on Indian Diaspora and to build alliances and relationships with individuals and groups who share the basic values. For Further Details: Ashfaq Mehdi 704.904.5778 Afzal Syed 704.770.1103 iamc-charlotte@yahoogroups.com India Association of Charlotte (Festival Of India) Is a non-profit organization with the goal of fostering better understanding of the rich diversity of Indian culture, by the larger community in and around Charlotte. A key activity is the annual Festival of India that is traditionally held during early September in Uptown Charlotte. For Further Details: Toni Sawhney 704-604-2133 Lal Vishin 704-545-3727 www.indiafestival.net

Net IP Charlotte NetIP Charlotte is the only official Carolinas chapter of North America’s Largest Network of Indian Professionals. NetIP Charlotte provides a forum for on-going Career Developmental and Professional Networking activities. It arranges various events and maintains deeper ties with Businesses & the community. It provides various effective ways for Carolinas’ Indian Professionals to connect with other successful professionals. For Further Details: www.netIPnc.org

Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte (IPAAC) IPAAC (Indian Performing Arts Association of Charlotte) promotes classical Hindustani music by inviting well-known artists from India. Upcoming Events: Sat, Dec 17, 2011 - Sitar performance by Pt. Indrajeet Banerjee, accompanied on Tabla by Salar Nader at 6 pm. Venue: Tate Conference Hall, Overcash Performing Arts Center, 1200 Elizabeth Avenue, CPCC, Central Campus. For Further Details: Sarla Kumar 704.846.4423 Chaula Jain 704.364.0984 contact@ipaac.org www.ipaac.org

Pratham - Charlotte Area Pratham is India’s largest non-profit organization with grass roots programs in the area of primary education. Pratham has made an impact on the learning levels of several million children through its Read India campaign, which reached 31 million children across India. Pratham has developed an accelerated learning technique that helps children to read & write in two months. With nearly half the children in India who attend schools not learning to read and write at the required level, Pratham is trying to fill an important gap in the area of primary education. For Further Details: Anju Desai (ajdesai66@gmail.com or 980-622-0125) and Shubhra Chakraborty (shubhra.chakraborty1@gmail.com) or 704-942-4798). www.prathamusa.org.

Indian Visual Artists Association of Charlotte (IVAAC) IVAAC was founded by artists of Indian origin living in the Charlotte, NC area in their pursuit of a creative outlet, stemming from an urge to express the flow of their innate artistic moods and ideas. The vision is to promote the enigmatic and intriguing Indian culture into meaningful forms of expression that exposes the rich traditions and diversity of one of the most ancient civilizations on earth, in today’s fast blending global culture and to create an organization that provides planning and funding required to ensure and support a vibrant and culturally diverse Indian art community. For Further Details: 704.540.8799 (Amit Shah), 704.688.5387 (Kinshuk Agarwal) www.ivaac.org Saathee.com

Probasi of Charlotte Probasi is the Bengali community based in Charlotte and surrounding areas. The community’s goal is to organize 94

December 2011

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SouthPark Cricket Club South Park Cricket Club is based in Charlotte, North Carolina and it has been an active member of the Mid Atlantic Cricket Conference since 2002. The club’s home ground is located at the Reedy Creek Park, 2900 Rocky River Road, Charlotte, NC. For Further Details: 847.722.9865 (Baseet Ahmed), baseer_11@yahoo.com www.southparkcc.org

cultural and educational program related to Bengal in the Greater Charlotte area, to increase Bengali cultural awareness, and to provide community service in the area. For Further Details: www.probasi.org Sahaj Marg Meditation- Charlotte Area Sahaj Marg, which means Simple or Natural path, is a Raj Yoga system of spiritual training based on the heart centered meditation. The unique features of this meditation include transmission of divine energy into the heart of the practitioner and cleaning of deep impressions, thereby regulating the mind. Regular practice of this system of meditation integrates the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of human being, while still encouraging people to maintain a normal family and working life. In the Charlotte area, group meditation is held at the Unity of Charlotte on Sundays and Wednesdays. For Further Details: Arun and Promila Sehra 704.844.0147 Srikanth Katakam 704.496.4411 naturalpath.nc@gmail.com www.srcm.org

Srishti of Charlotte Srishti based in Charlotte, North Carolina, over the past 6+ years has emerged to fulfill the North Carolina community’s need for togetherness and the desire to showcase Bengali culture, heritage, literature, theatre, music and popular arts. Literally, the word Srishti means an act of creation. Though established and coordinated by a group of Bengali families, Srishti welcomes and brings together people of varied cultures, ethnicity, languages, background and nationalities who are interested in East Indian traditions. Members include not only Bengalis but also Indians from other parts of the country and a few foreign nationals too. For Further Details: Samiksha Bose: 704-321-1964 Santanu Sarkar : 704-541-3451 Rituparna Mukherjee: 704-844-9505

Sangamithra Foundation Sangamithra Foundation is a Charlotte based charity organization started less than a year ago. The foundation, formed by a group of people who strive to make a difference in society, have taken the path of identifying the needs of underprivileged communities in India and provide support to meet those needs. The first project of providing a water filtering system to a school in India was successfully completed within just months of the founding of the organization. Sangamithra has made its presence known in the Charlotte community by its participation in the 2011 Festival of India, as part of its fund raising activity. In addition, with liaisons in both the UK and the UAE, Sangamithra is reaching out on a global scale and working collectively towards realizing its vision. For Further Details: www.sangamithra.org info@sangamithra.org

Tamil Catholics of Charlotte Tamil Catholics living in the Charlotte-Greensboro area interested in attending monthly mass in Tamil contact pravben@gmail.com. United Cricket Club Forming a team this March of experienced as well as beginners that love cricket. Team will play in the Atlantic League. Practice is every Sunday at Reedy Creek Park (11 to 4pm). Sunday and Monday evenings for ages 15 and up. Join the fun. For Further Details: 704.905.9127(Captain-Syed) 704.493.7629(Vice Captain-Mohsan)

Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal The 1st Saturday of the month, Shree Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal has kirtans and bhajans at the Hindu Center of Charlotte at 5 pm. After the bhajans, there is Aarti and Mahaprasad. In addition, on the 3rd Sunday every month, an additional Satsang Sabha is held at sponsor’s house at 3 - 5 pm. For Further Details: 704.392.4488 - Ramesh Dhanani admin@issvcharlotte.org

Greensboro Art of Living (Greensboro) The Art of Living Foundation offers programs to uncover the strength, peace, and joy that lie at the core of every human being. Part I courses are offered regularly in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Charlotte and now Greensboro. The Part I course covers breathing techniques to eliminate stress & tension; skills for improving relationships at home & at work; practical wisdom to get the most out of life; insight into the laws that govern the mind & emotions; low-impact yoga and the masterpiece of the Art of Living Course is a powerful breathing-based technique called Sudarshan Kriya, or the healing breath. For Further Details: Nirupama Shankar @ shankar.nirupama@gmail.com Puja Verma @ puja_usa@yahoo.com http://us.artofliving.org/greensboro

Shri Rang Avadhut Parivar (Parspar Devo Bhav) Soul devotees of Guru Dattatraya Rang Avadhut and Shri Prem Avadhut meet every Thursday evening in Charlotte, NC from 7 - 8 pm. for recital of Datta-Bavani, singing devotional Dattatraya Bhajans and reading Guru-Lilamrut. Detailed information about Charlotte meetings, literature, videos, Nareshwar Ashram and Shri Avadhut’s life is available. For Further Details: Bharat Shah - 704.724.6247 / Nagesh Patel - 704.399.7805 Saathee.com

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Upcoming Events: Feb 17 – 20, 2012 – Maha Shivratri Celebrations For Further Details: 336.421.0690 lifemissionusa@gmail.com www.lifemissionusa.com

Greensboro Cricket Club (GCC) Good news for cricket lovers! There are several teams that play cricket in Greensboro. The goals of GCC are fun, fitness, and friendship. For info on play and location contact below players. For Further Details: 336.501.3566 (9:00 am - 9:00 pm, S&S) Dev, Greensboro Warriors, happy4mehta@yahoo.com; Venky, Triad Tigers, venkyhot@hotmail.com.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center of Greensboro, NC The Center regularly conducting Sai Bhajans, Study Circle, various service activities and SSE class (for students) in Greensboro, NC all Sundays — 9:45 am - 12:15 pm For Further Details: Swami Rajendran 908-875-6964 Dr. Varatharajah 336-851-9150

Gujarati Cultural Association of Piedmont (GCAP) The Gujarati Cultural Association of Piedmont serves the Asian Indian community through sponsored events, cultural, educational and social programs. GCAP, 127 Landmark Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410 For Further Details: Narendra Patel: 336.601.1978 (Pres.) Dipak Patel: 919.478.4759 (Vice Pres.) www.gcap.us

Temple of the Holy Name Prabhupada Village is a rural Hare Krishna community situated in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Every Sunday @ 3 p.m. —- chanting, dancing, feasting and philosophy. The temple is located at 1283 Prabhupada Rd, Sandy Ridge, NC 27046 For Further Details: 336.593.9888 www.prabhupadavillage.com

India Association of the Triad The objective of the Association is to promote social, cultural and educational interests of its members, develop understanding between members of the Indian community and other residents of the Triad, and make the latter aware of issues of concern to the Indian community. Hindi Language classes are being taught by Mrs. Punjabi. For Further Details: Krishna Balu - 336.292.9462 www.iatnc.org

Triad Hindu Temple The Triad Hindu Temple is located at 2424 Huffine Mill Rd., Greensboro. Its mission is to serve the Hindu Community and promote Hindu Culture through religious, social and educational activities. Regularly scheduled events include Puja, bhajans, children’s programs, celebration of holidays and community service. For Further Details: www.triadhindutemple.org

Indo-US Cultural Association of Winston-Salem The Indo-US Cultural Association’s primary mission is to increase awareness of the cultural heritage of India which is tremendously rich in its diversity and history. The Association seeks to reach out to the thriving Indian-American community within the Piedmont and Triad areas to share the vibrant Indian culture and promote cross-cultural understanding. For Further Details: Manjunath C Shamanna, 336.413.5090 http://indouswinston.org/contact.aspx

Triad Nepalese Community Center (TNCC) TNCC is an association of Nepalese and friends living in the Piedmont Triad area of North Carolina. The Piedmont Triad region encompasses the cities of Greensboro, High Point and Winston-Salem, and the surrounding areas. TNCC was established with a view to: Bring together Nepalese residents of this region and their friends to work cohesively toward preserving and promoting Nepalese ethnicity, culture and arts; Promote friendship, cooperation and mutual respect among the Nepalese people and the diverse Triad community; Provide direct and supportive services to the community; Empower community members to achieve skills and confidence in order to contribute to the well being of the Triad community; Collaborate closely with local organizations and agencies to fulfill our mission to address any challenges of the community. For further details: info@nctncc.org www.nctncc.org/portal/home.html

Life Bliss Foundation The NC Chapter offers workshops, books, CD’s, and DVD’s on spirituality and enlightenment from living enlightened master Paramahamsa Nithyananda. Many videos are available on YouTube. Satsang in Greensboro is held the first Wednesday of each month. The meeting includes meditation, video discourse, and Q&A. Satsang Location: First Wed of the month, 6:30 - 8 pm, Integrative Therapies, 7-E Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro NC 27407. Meditation workshops are taught on a regular basis. For Further Details: 336.644.1111 www.lifebliss.org Life Mission, USA This ashram has been established to provide helpful benefits for all - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. All these benefits can be achieved through the natural remedies of yoga therapy, ayurveda, naturopathy and diet. 8136 NC Highway 119 South Mebane, NC 27302. Saathee.com

Raleigh AANC - Assamese Association of North Carolina AANC is a Socio Cultural organization with the objective of promoting and providing understanding of Assamese Culture and Language. AANC celebrates Assamese festivals and 98

December 2011

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organizes cultural activities like Bihu Dance, music, songs and social get-togethers with essential touch of Assamese culture. Everyone from Assam as well as anyone with any connection to or interest in Assam or Assamese culture is most welcomed. For Further Details: 919.200.4020 assameseassociation.nc@gmail.com Academic Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (AFICE) Interested in exploring the diverse cultures of the world? Become a host family for a high school exchange student! All the students will come from various countries around the world, and all students speak fluent English. They are of high school age (15-18) and will attend local high school in their respective communities. Each student will live as member of their American host family, sharing household duties and responsibilities. AFICE is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing cultural gaps by allowing foreign students the opportunity to live as part of an American community. For Further Details: lathapamarthi@earthlink.net www.afice.org Art of Living (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) The Art of Living Foundation offers “Art of Living” Course that teaches you practical tools to better handle the stresses of daily life, to unlock their deepest potential and bring fullness to life. In the Art of Living course participants will learn and experience: Breathing techniques that heal and harmonize the body, mind, and spirit, eliminate stress & tension; Skills for handling negative emotions and situations; Practical wisdom for improving work and relationships; Insight into the laws that govern the mind & emotions; Low-impact yoga. The masterpiece of the Art of Living Course is a powerful breathing-based technique called Sudarshan Kriya, or the healing breath. It is immensely powerful and incorporates specific natural rhythms of breath to release stress and purify the entire system by releasing toxins at the deepest cellular level. Ongoing research has shown that the rhythmic breathing technique Sudarshan Kriya, and its accompanying practices (SK&P) can lead to improved physical, mental and emotional health. For Further Details: Phone: 919-275-0443 (Priti Manmode) E-Mail: RDUArtofLiving@gmail.com priti.manmode@artofliving.org http://us.artofliving.org Association for India’s Development (AID) - Duke University Chapter AID’s mission is effect social change in India, by supporting projects with grassroots NGOs in India in the areas of literacy, health care, rural credit, women’s empowerment etc. For Further Details: http://www.duke.edu/web/aid/ Balagokulam Gokulam is where Lord Krishna’s magical childhood days were spent. It was here that his divine powers came to light. Every child has that spark of divinity within. Balagokulam is a Saathee.com

forum for children (4-15 years age) to discover and manifest that divinity. It will enable Hindu children in the US to appreciate their cultural roots and learn values. This is done through games, yoga, stories, songs, shlokas, arts/crafts, and Seva (selfless service) in the community. Balagokulam sessions are free for all and are held on Saturdays. For Further Details: balagokulam.rtp@gmail.com hss.charlotte@hssus.org (Charlotte region) www.balagokulam.org BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir BAPS Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir invites everyone to the regularly scheduled events: Ravi sabha - every Sunday at 4 - 6 pm followed by Aarti and Maha Prasad. Mahapuja – every Purnima at 7 pm. Many classes are conducted. Fresh Indian snacks and sweets available at Shayona. 1020 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC 27560. For Further Details: 919.469.6605 www.swaminarayan.org Bengali Association of North Carolina (BANC) BANC seeks to promote Bengali culture, language, music, arts and social activities by offering varieties of programs for members of INDO-American community in NC and adjacent states. The association is organized exclusively for charitable, cultural, social and educational purposes. For Further Details: 919.461.2386 (Ratan Ray), ratanray@hotmail.com 919.510.7943 (Swaty Sen), swaty_sen@yahoo.com banc_members@googlegroups.com www.banc-online.org Bharatiya Senior Citizens of North Carolina (BSCNC) BSCNC is a nonprofit organization for senior citizens of Indian origin that are age of 60 years and above. The BSCNC members meet on the second Saturday of each month at Cary Senior Center in Bond Park in Cary NC from 10am to 3pm. The next meeting will be on Sat Dec 10, which will be a “General Body Meeting”. Everybody is free to speak on any matter (without criticism) to anybody for maximum 5 minutes. The results of the voting for Constitution Amendments and Nomination for three vacant Board of Directors positions will also be announced. If there are more than 3 Nominations, there will be an election. There is a cruise tour being organized that will depart on 25 March 2012 and the deadline to sign up for the trip will be the meeting on Dec 10. Members are requested to provide their current/correct address details to a member of the current Officer group to ensure that they receive all of the communiqués from the organization. For Further Details: Harish Shah 919.387.1629, Mahendra Patel 919.793.6588, Raojibhai Patel 919.866.4391, Mulchand Patel 252.446.7891 Carolina Rajasthani Association Visit the website for upcoming events. www.carolinarajasthanis.org Sushma Maheshwari - 919-880-8529, sushmaofnc@yahoo.com Shruti Singhi - 919-412-4819, mshruti@yahoo.com 100

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Chinmaya Mission Chinmaya Mission is a worldwide non-profit organization promoting spiritual growth, started by Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. The Chinmaya Mission Raleigh Durham (CMRDU) chapter conducts Balavihar classes from 3 year old to youth on Sunday from 10 am to 11:30 am at Reedy Creek Middle School, Cary. The classes are tailored to each age group by special curriculum created by experienced Swamijis and Acharyas exclusively for CM Balavihar. Trained teachers conduct the classes. Curriculum includes learning to chant the Bhagavad-Gita verses, shlokas, singing devotional bhajans, stories from scriptures, family pujas, meditation, and fun activities like overnight lock-ins, picnics, and competitions. Introduction to Hindi and Sanskrit is also included. This year’s theme being Rama - My Brother, the children will learn to incorporate helpful virtues throughout their life. All festivals are celebrated with families and Prasad. Parents wishing to enroll their children in Balavihar can register through the website. A regular adult study group is conducted for adults on Sunday mornings at Reedy Creek Middle School, as well as other locations in the Triangle. For Further Details: Venkat Mandavilli at 919.387.8434 Srinivas Andhavarapu at 919.439.4444 www.chinmaya-rdu.org Dada Bhagwan Satsang Don’t miss on the lifetime event of “Gnan Vidhi” which opens up the path to “Moksha” - everyone is encouraged to procure details of the “Gnan Vidhi” at their nearest location. Meanwhile, download some spiritual books and enrich the spiritual foundation. Subscriptions for monthly spiritual magazine “Dadavani” are also available. When in India, visit Tri Mandir at Adalaj near Ahmedabad. Visit www.dadabhagwan.org and watch Satsang on Web TV. For children - visit www.kids.dadabhagwan.org Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation RTP Chapter Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India (EVFI) was established to help in the overall development of the remote tribal and rural villages in India. Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA along with EVFI is committed to the cause of eradicating illiteracy from tribal areas. Education is the key to self-esteem, self-sustenance, economic well-being and happiness. Ekal Vidyalya (One School One Teacher in one village) plans to establish 100,000 schools in tribal areas by 2012. This will cover all the villages in tribal areas where there are no schools today. The Raleigh Chapter EVFUSA conducts programs in the Triangle area. For further details: Ekal/RTP: raginiusa@yahoo.com Geet Bazaar Radio Program Every Sunday morning from 10 am - 12 noon on WKNC 88.1 FM, join hosts Afroz Taj and John Caldwell, for a wide variety of music from India, Pakistan, and other countries and languages of South Asia. Geet Bazaar will also publicize community events free of charge. For Further Details: 919.851.1119 (Dr. Afroj Taj) taj@unity.ncsu.edu Saathee.com

GEM - Raleigh Church of God Attend worship services, prayer meetings or Sunday School. For Further Details: 919.395.6208 (Pastor Thankachan M.) globalem@gmail.com Heritage India Association of NC (HIANC) Heritage India Association of NC aims at providing Indian cultural experience through performing arts, cultural arts, fine arts & crafts of India. Its mission is “to preserve and promote Indian heritage and culture.” During the year, Heritage India Association of North Carolina presents several events and also coordinates Indian dances for the main stage performances for the Raleigh International Festival. Hindi Vikas Mandal of NC Hindi Vikas Mandal (HVM), based in the RTP area, promotes study and appreciation of Hindi language and strives to foster Indian culture and traditions through Hindi. HVM has a special focus on the youths for the preservation of Indian Culture and heritage. For Further Details: Saroj Sharma 919.851.0225 V.P. Tiwari 919.423.0365 Hindu Society of North Carolina - Morrisville, NC The Hindu Society of North Carolina, located at 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, N.C. serves the Indian community in the Triangle area and its vicinity. Temple timings are: Mon. - Fri. 8 - 11 am and 5 - 9 pm, Sat. - Sun. 8 am - 7 pm. Daily Aarti and Puja is also conducted by the Priest. Other regular religious and cultural programs: Monthly Vedic Havan, Tuesday Hauman Chalisa recitation, Sri Ramakrishna Study Group, Sri Sai Baba Group, Gita Study Group, Devi Puja, Vaishnav Bhajan Group, Akhand Ramayana Recitation, Weekend Language and Spiritual Knowledge Classes, and Sloka classes for Children. Yoga classes are also offered twice a week (Sunday at 8:00 a.m. and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.) at the Cultural Hall. Priest services are available at your home and/or at the Temple for a nominal charge. For Further Details: Saroj Sharma at 919.654.5224 or 919.851.1225 Arvind Shah 919.434.8021 hsnc@hsncweb.org www.hsncweb.org Hindu Students Council (HSC) - NC State University HSC-NCSU is a chapter of the national organization Hindu Students Council (HSC). HSC-NCSU is a cultural and religious student organization. It aims to provide opportunities to learn about Hindu philosophy, spirituality and cultural heritage through various activities, events and projects and is dedicated to provide “seva” (service) to the community. For Further Details: 919.676.0298 (Mrinmoyee Sanyal) msanyal@ncsu.edu www.hsc-ncsu.org Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) The HSS conducts weekly activities to develop character and 102

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leadership skills in participants, emphasizing values such as self-discipline, self-confidence and a spirit of selfless service (seva) for humanity while maintaining Hindu cultural identity in harmony with the larger society. HSS is inspired by the idea that the whole world is one family. HSS started in 1989 in the United States and currently has over 100 chapters (shakhas) across the country. The Research Triangle Park chapter meets every Saturday. Activities are tailored to include yoga, games, songs, lectures and discussions on Hindu dharma and culture. For Further Details: hss.rtp@hssus.org - Triangle area hss.charlotte@hssus.org - Charlotte region. Hum Sub Hum Sub is dedicated to sharing the social and cultural traditions of India with the residents of the Research Triangle Park and North Carolina. For Further Details: 919.367.0461 (Sonali Luniya) 919.851.5959 (Poonam Gupta) contactus@humsub.net www.humsub.net Indian American Forum for Political Education (IAFPE) IAFPE, known as the FORUM, is the oldest and largest Indian American organization for political education in the country. This is a non-profit organization with numerous chapters throughout the United States. The North Carolina Chapter is in Raleigh and has just established a new committee for a 2year term. IAFPE is excited and motivated to educate the community on political issues and help the community with various services. Support is needed from the community and members to help us grow and provide relevant services and informative events. For Further Details: Nilesh - 919.656.4361 www.forum-nc.org Indian Classical Music & Dance Society (ICMDS) ICMDS is dedicated to the task of promoting Indian classical music and dance in the Triangle area. ICMDS invites the top artists from all over the world to perform in the Triangle area. For Further Details: www.icmds.org Indo-American Friendship Foundation Did you know that about 90 percent of rural orphans are female and most of them are abandoned at birth due to their gender? Not one of them gets the opportunity to become a doctor, engineer, or even receive basic education. Because they cannot live in the orphanage when they turn 18, many of them fall victim to different types of exploitation, including sex trade. IAFF has created an orphanage education fund to help qualified orphans to rise as high as they can climb in the educational/professional ladder. For Further Details: 919.362.7653 (Dr. Subhas C. Mohapatra) www.iaff1.org Indus Foundation Indus Foundation was founded in NC by a group of Saathee.com

professionals with the sole purpose of giving back to the community and the country that has helped members achieve success. Every dollar is wisely spent back into the community without any overheads. Current major projects: Indian Cancer Society rehabilitation Center in Mumbai, Mental Healthcare Center for socially rejected Women in Indore, and three Educational Centers in Gurgaon. Adopt an on-going project or launch a new project under specific guidelines. Make a commitment today to build a better tomorrow. For Further Details: 919.461.0001 (Dr. Vinnie Goel, Chairman) 919.467.0598 (Dr. Shri Kulkarni, President) 919.319.7294 (Dr. Vijaya Bapat, Vice-President) www.indusfoundation.info International Community Church CC is a worship center for people from India and neighboring countries. The pastor is Joseph B. Jesudason and the church office is located at 1215 Franklin Jones Road, Suite #204, Raleigh, NC 27606. For Further Details: 919.233.2900 www.internationalcommunitychurch.org International Hindi Association International Hindi Association (IHA) promotes Hindi language and literature and has chapters all over the United States. The Raleigh Chapter periodically organizes Kavi Sammelans with local and indigenous talents. Open to those interested in listening to poetry or in reciting poetry. For Further Details: 919.656.5224 (Saroj Sharma) 919.678.9056 (Sudha Om Dhingra) www.hindi.org International Swaminarayan Satsang Organization (ISSO) Primary objective of ISSO is “To advance the Sanatan Dharma in accordance with the principles and teachings of Shree Swaminarayan Sampradaya, founded and ordained by Lord Shree Swaminarayan (Shree Sahajanand Swami),” enabling His devotees from both the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi (Ahmedabad) and Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi (Vadtal) to practice their religious duties in harmony. The Raleigh-Durham chapter organizes a “Satsang Sabha” every two weeks, typically on Friday or Saturday evenings, which includes Kirtan bhakti, Katha, Aarti and Mahaprasad. For Further Details: 919.363.2356 (Niraj Joshi) niraj_joshi@yahoo.com www.swaminarayan.info Kiran KIRAN is a multi-cultural, non-religious, community based, South Asian organization. Promoting the self-reliance and empowerment of South Asian women who are in crisis through outreach, peer support, and referrals in a confidential manner. The group spreads awareness of South Asian women’s issues in the community and we cooperate and collaborate with organizations in the USA and elsewhere with similar objectives. Countries in South Asia include Bangladesh, 104

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Bhutan, Burma, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Though there are differences in language, customs, and religions across these countries, these regions share many basic cultural and historical similarities. KIRAN operates a crisis phone line Monday- Friday from 9:00 am – 9:00 pm. For help or information regarding domestic violence call an advocate. Services offered are confidential and free of charge: • Information in a culture- and context-sensitive manner • Non-judgmental help and support to women who are experiencing oppressive/crisis situations • Emotional support • Referrals to professional and community services regarding legal issues, health care, short-term child care, psychological counseling, and temporary shelter and housing • KIRAN’s services are completely confidential. Translators and crisis counselors do not disclose any information provided by our clients. For Further Details: Crisis Hotline: 1877- NC-KIRAN or 1-877-625-4726 Kiran@Kiraninc.org www.kiraninc.org Lakulish Yoga and Health Retreat Lakulish Yoga and Health Retreat is a secluded resort in Caswell County, located at 8136 N.C. Highway 119 South, Mebane, NC 27302. It is a place of natural beauty that stimulates a spirit of detachment and inspires and uplifts visitors. This resort is hallowed by a Yogi, a Sannyasi who ensures that the true practice of Dharm and Yoga flourishes here, offering the North Carolina community and visitors an ongoing program of free Yoga Classes. The classes are offered each Wed from 6 - 8 pm, and each Saturday from 11 am - 1 pm. For Further Details: 336.421.0690 lifemisionusa@gmail.com www.lifemissionusa.org Nuv Yug Nuv Yug is a cultural organization with a mission to promote awareness of Indian cultural arts and heritage. Striving to create synergy among various cultural groups from the South Asian region. For Further Details: www.nuvyug.net Pakistani American Association The Pakistani-American Association (NCPAA) is a nonpolitical, non-sectarian, cultural and social organization that promotes Pakistani culture to all the communities living in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. Several events are presented during the year. A family dinner is held on the second Friday of every month. For Further Details: payamber@ncpaa.org http://ncpaa.org Pratham - Triangle Area Founded as a UNICEF initiative, Pratham is a grass-roots organization that works towards universalizing primary education in India. With a goal of reaching 20 million children, Pratham is one of the largest NGOs in field of literacy Saathee.com

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movement in India. Pratham continues to evolve, grow and works to meet the continually changing needs of the children it educates. Pratham’s North Carolina chapter actively aims to collaborate with individuals, local organizations and community associations and seeks ideas, volunteers and resources to deliver the vision of “Every Child in School and Learning Well.” For details: Gunvant Bhakta, 919-488-8975; Punit Chhabra, 919-380-9569; Sudha Rathie, 919-481-4451; Harshad Shah, 919-341-8894. For Further Details: www.prathamusa.org Priyadarshini Arts Known for their unique dance drama pieces, is a non-profit, duo sister team, promoting India’s Vedic and modern heritage through the various forms of dance and acting. For Further Details: Varshana at priyadarshini.arts@gmail.com http://www.youtube.com/user/PriyadarshiniArts Professional Indians’ Association [PIA] PIA is a meetup that serves young South Asian professionals in the Triangle Community. The group is made of Indian professionals and grad students interested in cultural events, socializing and meeting/making friends with like-minded people around the Triangle. Monthly events include meeting at bars/restaurants, Bollywood movie nights, potlucks, Indian concerts/performances, outdoor activities, community service and volunteering. This will also be an opportunity for professionals to share their thoughts on respective industries, social causes, the economy and politics. For Further Details: http://www.meetup.com/PIATriangle/ Raleigh Karaoke Group Raleigh Karaoke Group meets once a month, normally on the first Friday, for the South East Asian community of the Triangle area to showcase their talent and lose themselves in nostalgia through song. However due to a conflict with a concert by the son of one of our regular participants, the December session will be on Friday 9 December from 7:30 pm to 11:30 pm at Zayka Indian Cuisine in the Brier Creek area of North Raleighphone 919.361.5370. Choose from over 15,000 Hindi Film, NonFilm, Ghazals including Jagjit Singh and Chitra favorites, Gujrati, Punjabi, Kanada, Koli, Konkani, Malayalam, Malayalam Muslim, Marathi, Oriya, and English Songs. Events are free and open to the entire music loving community for singing or listening to friends. For Further Details: Shafi Parekh at (919) 413-3924, or Email at shafi@pdiagnostics.com Raleigh Sai Center Parthi Sai devotees of Triangle area meet every Sunday from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the Mini-Hall of Hindu Bhavan in Morrisville. There will be Study circle, Bhajan Practice, Veda Chanting etc. during the 4-5 pm slot depending on the week, followed by bhajans from 5:00 - 6:00. The center carries out several service activities as well. The Human Values Education (SSE) classes for the children of different age group will be from December 2011

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3:30 - 5:00. All are invited to participate in the Satsangh and service activities. For Further Details: Ganesh Kumar, President, Raleigh Sai Center at (919) 413 0579 or (919) 833-7523 E-mail rsc.president@yahoo.com. Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of North Carolina The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of NC draws inspiration from the timeless, philosophical wisdom of the Vedanta as practiced and preached in the modern day by Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. Perhaps you know a great deal about Practical Vedanta and the message of the harmony of religions and the spiritual oneness of Existence or perhaps you are just curious and want to learn more. Regardless of background and/or knowledge the organization welcomes participants. For Further Details: www.vedantanc.org RTP Maharashtra Mandal RTP Maharashtra Mandal promotes Maharashtrian culture and language. Maharashtra mandal is committed to serve RTP community with various cultural, social and traditional marathi programs and events. For Further Details: 919.468.8824 (Jayant Yete) 919.757.7300 (Neeraj Shikarkhane) www.rtpmm.org S. V. Temple of North Carolina S.V. Temple of North Carolina is built on over nine acres of centrally connected triangle area. This grand tribute to Lord Venkateswara and his consorts is designed to exacting standards of shilpa shasthra and features the only shrine in North America to incorporate abodes to Lord Viswaksena and Lord Sudarshana/Lord Narasimha as part of Srinivasa Parivaram. The temple rituals are performed in accordance with Pancharathra Agama Shastra. Upcoming Events: Mon, Dec 5 – Gita Jayanti Fri, Dec 9 – Satyanarayan Vrat For Further Details: 919.468.0040 comm@svtemplenc.org www.svtemplenc.org Sahaj Marg Meditation - Triangle Area Sahaj Marg translates to “The Natural Path.” It is a natural, simple system of Raja Yoga meditation and spiritual practice that helps one realize the ultimate potential within oneself. Regular spiritual practice under capable guidance enables aspirants to progressively experience the sublime presence of the divine in their daily lives. Sahaj Marg system of meditation is freely offered to seekers worldwide through Shri Ram Chandra Mission. In Triangle area, group meditations are held on Sundays and Wednesdays. For Further Details: (919) 303-7447 (Raj Solanki) (919) 493-6180 (Devi Sekar) raleigh.center@gmail.com> www.srcm.org, www.sahajmarg.org Saathee.com

SAMPIGE - Triangle Kannada Association The Triangle Kannada Association is a cultural association for people residing in the Triangle area from Karnataka, India. Sampige organizes Kannada (the language spoken in the Karnataka area) activities in music, dance and drama as well as social activities. For Further Details: sampigeeditor@yahoo.com www.sampige.org Share and Care Foundation Carolina Chapter Share and Care Foundation Carolina Chapter is part of Share and Care Foundation based in New Jersey. It is a Charitable organization focused their work in Rural India and their main goal is to empower children and women by providing funding to NGOs for their education, vocational training and microloans. More than 90% of donations reach the empowered people with the least administration and marketing cost. For further details: 919.237.2816 (Manu Patel), Patelmanu@hotmail.com 919.481.4618 (Piyush Patel) www.shareandcare.org Sikh Gurdwara of North Carolina The Sikh Gurudwara of North Carolina welcomes visitors of all backgrounds regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or gender. All peoples, regardless of their origin or orientation, are welcome to attend our services and share in the blessings of God. Religious services are held every Saturday evening and Sunday morning, followed by a community meal (langar). In addition to religious services, we offer educational programs for children and young adults. Adults participate in religious discourse during monthly study circles. Members of the Sangat (congregation) regularly participate in community service projects in the Triangle area. The Sikh Gurdwara at North Carolina is located at 3214 Banner Street in Durham, NC 27704. For Further Details: 919.220.9917 www.sgncweb.org South Indian Fine Arts Academy (SIFAA) SIFAA is a non-profit organization that works to arrange and promote concerts and performances in the Triangle and Triad areas, concentrating on Carnatic music for the present. For Further Details: 919.773.1580 www.sifaa.org Sri Shirdi SaiBaba Mandir NC SSMNC promotes Sai philosophy and facilitates worship and services similar to Shirdi SaiBaba Temple, located in ShirdiIndia. This Organization is dedicated to sponsor and support religious, spiritual, cultural, educational and charitable activities in the United States and abroad. Mandir Timings: Monday - Friday 9 - 10 am, 12 noon - 1pm, 6 - 9 pm. Sat - Sun 9 am - 9pm. Details at www.shirdisaimandirnc.org or call 919.386.1085. St. Gregorios Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Holy Qurbana and Sunday School are held in Malayalam and 108

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dec 8 - dec 11 • Weekdays: 6:30 pM - 9 pM • sat & sun: 10 aM - 4 pM Morrisville, north Carolina

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supports volunteer-based, honest and highly experienced nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in India in serving their populations’ critical needs around education, childcare, healthcare, women empowerment and tribal welfare, as well as relief and rehabilitation in times of natural disasters. For Further Details: www.idrf.org.

English, led by Reverend Dr. M. K. Thomas at 225 Bashford Road, Raleigh, NC (Triangle area). For Further Details: 919.461.1773 sec@stgregoriosnc.org www.stgregoriosnc.org Tamil Cultural Association of North Carolina (TCA NC) TCA NC is a non-profit organization formed for the purpose of providing youths with exposure to Tamil culture. Everyone is invited to join TCA and become part of a wonderful organization promoting Tamil culture in the Triangle area. For Further Details: tca_nc@yahoo.com www.tcanc.org

Triangle Gujarati Association (TGA) TGA’ s mission is to promote and serve Gujarati culture in the Triangle area by organizing various events throughout the year and impart Gujarati culture and language on the youth. For Further Details: www.nctga.org Triangle Indian Youth Organization (TIYO) This organization has been created with the purpose of encouraging youths of Indian origin aged between 12-18 years to develop skills for leadership, to organize team-oriented efforts, understand and participate in community services, understand and develop individual potential. There will be activities that will fall into the broad categories of education, arts, cultural, charity, religious and community services. For Further Details: 919.363.7339 (Latha Pamarthi [Director of TIYO]) triangleindianyouth@yahoo.com

Tamil Sangam of Carolina The Tamil Sangam is an organization that promotes understanding of Tamil culture and provides a medium for people of Tamil culture to get together. The activities include music, drama, lectures, Tamil movies, etc. For Further Details: (919)-465-1606 - Ravi Shanmugam (President) http://members.fortunecity.com/tamilsangamofcarolina Telugu Christian Fellowship of NC (TCFNC) The Telugu Christian Fellowship of North Carolina (TCFNC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to reach out to Telugu Christians living in North Carolina, to be united and bonded together as a Telugu Christian family of God and encourage and pray for each other. TCFNC provides a place for Telugu Christians for time of worship, prayer and fellowship. They also provide a forum for kids to grow in the knowledge of the Lord and to equip them to be ambassadors of Jesus Christ. The group organizes, each year, an Annual Telugu Christian Family Conference. For further details: www.tcfnc.org Phone: 919-43-TCFNC (82362)

Triangle Rang Mandal Devotees of Pujya Sri Rang Avdhoot Maharaj meet every Saturday in Cary or Raleigh from 8:30 - 10:30 pm to sing devotional Dattatreya Bhajans and Datta-Bavani in a spiritual atmosphere. Special programs organized on Guru Purnima and Rang Jayanti and on the occasion of Pujya Sri Prem Avdhoot Bapji’s annual visit to the US. For Further Details: rangmandal@gmail.com

Triangle Area Telugu Association (TATA) The Triangle Area Telugu Association (TATA) is a non-profit organization (started in 1983) committed to building a vibrant Telugu Community and promoting Telugu culture and language in the Triangle area of North Carolina. For Further Details: committee@tataonline.org www.tataonline.org Triangle Bangladesh Society (TBSNC) TBSNC strives to arrange musical programs by artists who have captured the hearts and minds of millions of Bengali-, Urdu- and Hindi-speaking music fans all around the globe. For Further Details: 919.741.9343 (Ishtiaque Mohiuddin) Ishtiaquem@gmail.com www.tbsnc.org Triangle Chapter-India Development & Relief Fund (IDRF) IDRF is a registered, tax-exempt non-profit organization that Saathee.com

Triangle Vegetarian Society (TVS) The mission of TVS is to build a sense of community between current vegetarians and people who are interested in vegetarianism and have a forum for a discussion of issues. Upcoming Events: Sat Dec 10: Annual TVS Holiday Party potluck and white elephant gift exchange at Barry Nakell’s home, 149 Dixie Drive, Chapel Hill, NC. 919-967-7325. After dinner there will be a low cost or no cost gift exchange. Bring one present per person. (Do not exceed $10.) For Further Details: barman@cs.unc.edu www.trianglevegsociety.org Two Cents of Hope (TCH) Two Cents of Hope was started by a group of Indian students at NC State University with the belief in empowering youth via education. The goal is to uplift the weaker sections of the society through education. The foundation lies in the power of cents giving TCH its name. As J. Carney put it, “Little drops of water, little grains of sand, make the mighty ocean, and the pleasant land.” By using coin boxes to collect loose change, the total donations result in a collection that yields considerable

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amount of money, enough to give education to a poor student - indeed a firm footing for the rest of his or her life. Apart from the coin collection other sources of funding include fundraising events (Trishna, Crescendo, and Booth in Cary Diwali) and sponsors. In the last three years TCH has funded $21,689, which includes 77 projects benefitting 270 students and two schools in India. To keep a coin box at your place or to know more about Two Cents of Hope, email coordinator@nc.twocentsofhope.com. www.twocentsofhope.com Urdu Majlis Urdu Majlis is a literary organization for the promotion of Urdu language and literature and has no political, national or religious affiliations. The group has regularly scheduled monthly meetings in which enthusiasts and scholars of Urdu literature meet to discuss the life and works of a selected literary figure. For Further Details: 919.851.1119 (Dr. Afroz Taj) 919.596.4792 (Ashraf and Seema Faruqi) taj@unity.ncsu.edu Vaishnav Samaj of Triangle Area The Vaishnav Samaj is a group of like-minded devotees who meet for religious worship and understand Pushti Marg Principles at large. Recently, a sub-chapter of Vallabh Youth Organization (VYO) was formed under the leadership of Mrs. Harsha Shah. Regular Bhajan recitations are held 2nd Sunday of the month from 4-6 pm and Seniors are requested to encourage youngsters to participate in the activities. For Further Details: Arvindbhai Shah 919.233.7677 Vithalbhai Shah 919.467.4254 Navinbhai Parikh 919.387.8808

Regional Barsana Dham satsang [Greenville, NC] For Further Details: Madhu Sharma 336.404.7047 email: madhu0sharma@yahoo.com Website: www.barsanadham.org

Hindu Bhavan of Fayetteville, NC Hindu Bhavan of Fayetteville, NC is a non-profit organization. Ceremonies and events take place regularly. Temple Address: 907 Cedar Creek Road, Fayetteville, NC 28302. Upcoming Events: Dec 6 - Geeta Jayanti For further details: 910.485.4626 910.484.8956 hindubhavan@yahoo.com www.hindubhavan.org Hindu Society Of Eastern NC (Greenville, NC) Upcoming Events: Sundays - Dec 11, 18 & 25 - Balagokulam - 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM Sundays - Dec 18 & 25 - Balavihar - 11:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Sundays - Dec 18 & 25 - Geeta Study - 10:30 AM to 12:00 Noon Sun Dec 4 - Geeta Jayanthi & Akhanda Geeta Parayanam - 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Sun Dec 11 - Bhajans by devotees - 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon For Further Details: B.S. Srivatsa 508.654.0360 Hindutemplenc@gmail.com Sri Somesvara Temple Sri Somesvara Temple is located near Asheville, NC. Temple hours are 8 am - 7:30pm. Regularly scheduled pujas: Subrabhath Aarti - 8 am, Rudrabhishek Nityapuja - 9 am - 12 noon, Pradoshakala puja and mangala aarti - 6 pm - 7:30pm. The temple also hosts special events. Contact the temple: 828.476.4073. It is located at 95 Mount Soma Blvd., Clyde, NC 28721 For Further Details: www.srisomesvara.org.

South Carolina

Cape Fear Cultural Association of India - Wilmington Cape Fear Cultural Association of India is an organization that promotes understanding of Indian culture and promotes a medium for people of Indian culture to get together. For Further Details: Shashin Patel, President. (910.790.9448) Sanjay Batish, Vice-President. (910.371.9860) Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce The Georgia Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (GIACC) develops and promotes trade, business, commercial and professional relationships between India and the United States, especially within the state of Georgia. GIACC was formed recognizing the need for promoting bi-lateral activities among South Asian and mainstream communities in the United States Saathee.com

and South Asia as well as the Indian subcontinent. For Further Details: 678.762.7589 AniThirdM@aol.com, ani@giacc.org. 770.840.1925 - susan@giacc.org. www.giacc.org

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American South Asian Cultural Association of Columbia, SC The American South Asian Cultural Association of Columbiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fundamental goal is to increase cultural awareness and develop cultural understanding among American Southeast Asian Community in Columbia area. A monthly Lunch meeting will be held on the Second Sunday of every month between 1 to 3 PM. There will be $7.00 Per Person charge for Lunch (Kids Ages 6-10 pay half price) at Delhi Palace, 542 Saint Andrew Road, Columbia, 29210. For Further Details: Evenings: (803) 233-7042 / (803) 233-3995. Bethel Christian Fellowship Bethel Christian Fellowship offers services in various Indian languages (i.e. Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, etc.) and December 2011

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Sunday Worship services are at 11:30 a.m. Address: Fort Mill Church of God, Student Life Center Building, 216 Academy Street, Room 102. Fort Mill, South Carolina 29715. For Further Details: 803.792.7223 Pastor Rajan Samuel @ pastorofbcf@gmail.com www.bethelchristianfellowship.org Carolina Buddhist Vihara (Greenville, SC) Regular beginner meditation program conducted by a Buddhist Monk. Activities are held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings: 6:30 pm (puja), 7 pm (meditation), and 8 pm (“Dhamma” talk or discussion). A “youth program” is also held once a month. For Further Details: dhammasc@hotmail.com Hindu Society of Greater Spartanburg The daily Aarti is at 7:00 p.m., Balvihar classes are conducted from 10:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on scheduled Sundays, and Satsang is on second Sunday every month from 5 - 7 pm. Location: 1130 Fairview Church Rd., Boiling Springs, SC 29303. For Further Details: 864.599.7048 Hindu Temple of South Carolina The Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of South Carolina was established with an objective to fill the need for thousands of Hindus in the State of South Carolina to worship and pray together, perform sacraments and rituals, to observe and celebrate festivals, and to perform and engage in humanitarian and educational activities. For Further Details: http://www.hindutemplesc.org/index.php India Assoc. of Greater Charleston (IAGC) The IAGC was founded in Charleston to bring together people who were interested in India and to provide a forum to increase the understanding of the heritage of India in US. For Further Details: 803.884.0859 iagcfolks@yahoo.com International Fellowship Church of Greenville, SC International Fellowship Church offers Sunday worship services and other weekly activities for people of Indian origin. For Further Details: 864.234.1256 (Pastor Suhas Raiborde) www.internationalfellowshipchurch.org Masjid Noor-UL-Huda The Mosque is located at 517 Winmet Drive, Columbia, SC. On the first Saturday and third Saturday of every month from 6 – 8 pm, Islamic session is held by Hafiz Mohammed Basheer. Quranic Reading classes are conducted daily, and everyone is encouraged to send their children to these sessions. For Further Details: 803.749.0827 (Dr. Shami) 803.740.5127 (Qari Abdul Khader Multani) 803.754.2632 (Mosque main number) Saathee.com

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Mrudani School of Performing Arts Mrudani School of Performing Arts is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote the classical arts of India. Mrudani School offers classes in Bharathanatyam (Kalakshetra style) and Kuchipudi in Columbia, Orangeburg, and Charleston, SC. For Further Details: Monica @ 843.849.7841 Anuradha @ 803.347.3851 classicaldance.india@gmail.com Sirigannada Sirigannada, the Kannada Association of South Carolina, a nonprofit organization was created on July 18, 2004 by the interested Kannada speaking people of South Carolina. It is a voluntary organization primarily run by memberships and donations from Kannadigas of the State of South Carolina. For Further Details: www.sirigannada.org Telugu Association of Greater Greenville, SC Telugu Association of Greater Greenville, SC, serves the Telugu community of the Greenville/Spartanburg area of South Carolina. The group sponsors several events throughout the year. For Further Details: www.taggsc.org Triad Avatar Meher Baba Group The Meher Center is a spiritual retreat/ashram located on SC Highway 17 immediately North of the Highway 22 connection 8 miles from Myrtle Beach, SC. Meher Baba visited this place 3 times and considered it His home in the West. A small brick house built especially for Him is open for “Darshan” on Fridays and Sunday (11:00 am.) / Meher Center: (843) 272-5777. For Further Details: 336.299.9683 runderwood@webtv.net www.avatarmeherbaba.org

Send updates or events for your club, group, organization, or association, for inclusion in the Community News section by the 15th of the month to: saatheemag@hotmail.com

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Pop’s Puzzles & Jokes Clues Down:

By Kirit Shukla

Note: * denotes abbreviation of the word or phrase Clues Across: 1. The chemical element, Symbol: Hg. Atomic No. 80. 7. “Bhagavad- __” - Dialogue between Arjuna and Lord Krishna, found in Mahabharata, the ancient epic. 11. The Beehive state in west USA. (UT*) 12. A marine bony fish that resembles eel. 14. A short love poem sung without accompaniment. 16. Trinitrotoluene. (*) 17. British Prime minister, Tony ___. 18. Deadly harm; Ruin. 19. Rupees. (*) 21. Senior. (*) 22. Youth Specialties. (*) 23. A college teacher ranking below an assistant professor. 28. The highest point; Peak. 29. Lift; Move to a higher level. 31. A bird with wide beak. 33. South Carolina. (*) 35. An enclosed cosmetic paste to color lips. 36. The flat wood/metal runners for gliding over the snow. 37. Being a single thing or unit.38. To put a question to. 39. Food etc. put on a hook to lure a fish. 40. The plural of I. 41. The protein component of an enzyme, to which the coenzymes attaches to form an active enzyme. 43. Enough or more than enough. 44. Secretary of State. (*)

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1. Bombay in Hindi. 2. And others. [L et alibi]. (*) 3. An oscilloscope that virtually displays the reflected radio beams picked up by a radar receiver. 4. A holiday on Dec. 25 celebrating the birth of Jesus. 5. A large desert area covered with coarse gravel. 6. The twelve months makes one ___. 7. General Practitioner. (*) 8. The ninth letter of the Greek alphabet. (ι) 9. An alternative name for the tuna fish. 10. To certify by oath or signature. 13. Late Latin. (*) 15. Infrared. (*) 18. To cook by exposing to a flame. 20. The thirteen letter of the Greek alphabet. (ν) 21. To walk or move along stealthily or furtively. 24. Of or pertaining to the nostrils. 25. Rigid conformity to formal rules that is considered redundant, hindering action or decision-making. 26. A metal toy that makes a clicking sound when pressed. 27. Rupees. (*). 30. The people living near North Pole area. 31. Forces air into, onto or thru. 32. The American buffalo or the wisent. 34. Summons to appear before a court of law. 36. Tells; States. 39. “EZ-__,” Saathee’s Feature to test your own IQ. 41. Alabama. (*) 42. New York. (*) (Puzzle solutions are on page 124. NO peeking!)

Hee Hee Teacher: “Name the animals that have mustaches.” Tina: “A rabbit.” Mina: “A cat.” Chiki: “My papa and grandpa have mustaches, too!” •••••••••••••• Nurse: “Your wife has delivered a healthy baby.” Booddhoo: “Tell me. Is it going to use a razor or a lipstick?” •••••••••••••• Teacher: “What is farther away from here? India or Moon?” Chiki: “Sir, India.” Teacher: “How?” Chiki: “ I can see the Moon from here but I can’t see India.” •••••••••••••• Husband: “I look ten years younger after my haircut!” Wife: “You would look like a kid if you had clean shaved.” •••••••••••••• A Chinese, a Mexican and an Indian made an agreement to manufacture airplanes. The Chinese made all the parts of the plane. The Mexican assembled a strong plane from the parts. The Indian wrote on the plane: “Air India.” 116

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YOUTH CORNER (Created By Kirit Shukla) (Find & circle the words in the puzzle). (Subject: “New What?” )

EZ-BZ AGE ARK BEDFORD BLUE BORN BRITAIN CHURCH COMER DELHI ENGLAND FASHION FOREST GRANADA HAMPSHIRE HARMONY

IDEA INVENTION JERSRY MAN MEXICO MOON ORLEANS PORT ROCHELLE TESTAMENT THOUGHT WAVE WORLD YEAR YORK

The unused 5 letters spell “NEW _____ .” It is the second largest city in Connecticut.

TEST YOUR OWN IQ The common letters are “PU” - Fill in the blanks 1. Famous. _ _ PU _ _ _ 2. A student. PU_ _ _ 3. A hill station in Dang district forest area of Sahyadri mountain range, in Gujarat, India. _ _ PU _ _ _ _ 4. The red/purple discoloration of the skin. PU _ PU _ _ 5. The capital (Pink city) of Rajasthan, India. _ _ _ PU _ 6. “Pop’s__ and Jokes,” Saathee’s Feature. PU _ _ _ _ _ 7. January 26, is “The __ Day” of India . _ _PU _ _ _ _ 8. A land inhabited by tiny 6” tall people. _ _ _ _ _ PU _ 9. A state in NW India. Capital: Chandigarh. PU _ _ _ _ 10. Data entered in the computer for processing. _ _ PU _ 11. A sudden gushing forth; Jet. _ PU _ _ 12. The electronic machine that computes. _ _ _ PU _ _ _ 13. A cougar. PU _ _ 14. A sealed glass or plastic container for one dose of a sterile medicine to be injected . _ _ PU _ 15. The ﬁrst dance piece of Bharat Natyam dancers learn and perform. _ _ _ _ _ _ PU 16. A long-necked plucked lute, like a sitar. _ _ _ PU _ _ 17. Any of the musical work composition. _ PU _ 18. Leaf like parts at the base of leaf petiole. _ _ _ PU _ _ 19. Prompt; On time. PU _ _ _ _ _ _ 20. Father in Gujarati. e.g. “Gandhi __; Morari __”. _ _ PU 21. The wrist or the wrist bones. _ _ _ PU _ 22. To cause to be in certain position; Place. PU _ 23. A S constellation near the celestial pole. _ PU _ 24. To drive back; Repel as an attack. _ _ PU _ _ _ 25. “ __ Sultan,” ruler and Tiger of Mysore, India. _ _ PU (Puzzle solutions are on page 124. NO peeking!) Kirit Shukla Contact him at kiritsshukla@hotmail.com

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December 2011 Dec. 2 - Pramukh Swāmi Mahārāj Birthday Dec. 6 - Gitā Jayanti Dec. 6 - Mokshadā Ekādasi Dec. 6 - Tazia Dec. 10 - Dattātreya Jayanti Dec. 10 - Akshar Purnimā (Full Moon) Dec. 20 - Jain Pārshwanāth Jayanti Dec. 21 -Safalā Ekādasi Dec. 21 - Hanukkah Dec. 24 -Darsha Amās (No Moon) Dec. 25 -Christmas Dec. 31 -Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti Dec. 31 -New Years Eve. (2011 ends) January 2012 Jan. 1 - New Years Day. (2012 begins) Jan. 5 - Putradā Ekādasi Jan. 9 - Poshi Purnimā (Full Moon) Jan. 12 - Swāmi Vivekānand Jayanti Jan. 14 - Makarsankrānti/Uttarāyan Jan. 19 - Shatatilā Ekādasi Jan. 23 - Somavati/Darsha Amās (No Moon) Jan. 26 - Republic Day (India) Jan. 28 - Vasant Panchami Jan. 30 - Mahātmā Gāndhi Punyatithi February - March 2012 Feb. 3 - Jayā Ekādasi Feb. 14 - Valentines Day Feb. 17 - Vijayā Ekādasi Feb. 20 - Mahāshivarātri Mar. 7 - Holi Mar. 8 - Dhuleti Mar. 12 - Rang Panchami

Astride

continued from page 48

The problem boils down to choosing between a catastrophe and a difficult option. The latter wins hands down. According to one estimate, a solar “field” of 96 miles by 96 miles can collect enough sunlight to power the entire United States. Interesting? You bet! Doable? Why not! The Romance of Satellite Communications Professor D.K. Sachdev, of George Mason University, was inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame in 2009 for his stellar contributions to satellite communications. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Science and one-time General Manager of the Indian Telephone Industries, Bangalore. Earlier, in 2003, Professor Sachdev got the Arthur Clarke prize for his work at INTELSAT and WorldSpace in general and Saathee.com

satellite communications throughout the world. Arthur Clarke, recently knighted, wrote a seminal paper in Wireless World in 1945 regarding the possibility of world-wide communications using three strategically placed geostationary satellites. Sir Clarke’s prophecy came true when, in 1963, the world’s first GEO was launched in time to televise the 1964 Olympic Games held in Tokyo. This was the Syncom satellite which, at its inauguration, saw President Kennedy speaking to the Prime Minister of Nigeria over the satellite link. Incidentally, Syncom saw a full five years of service with the U.S. Government. Bell Labe had earlier, in 1962-63, launched Telstar I and Telstar II, but these were LEOs, or Low Earth Orbit satellites. Also, as every schoolboy knows, the very first satellite was the Russian Sputnik, launched in 1957. Sputnik was a wake-up call to the West, and competition in space had truly begun. To digress a bit, the Russians even won the race to put a man in orbit. This was Yuri Gagarin, but America won the race to put a man on the moon.(Neil Armstrong). In India the space age was started by the legendary and charismatic founder of space technology efforts, Vikram Sarabhai, called the “Father of Indian Space”. The other pioneer is U.R.Rao, who worked with Vikram Sarabhai and had the responsibility to start the development of satellite systems in India. INSAT started in the early 1980’s as an operational system. Initially, a NASA satellite, ATS-6, was moved over India for the SITE experiment in 1976.The second experiment was with the world’s very first three-axis spacecraft, Symphonie, developed in Europe. Professor Sachdev spent 18 years at INTELSAT, which started off as an IGO, or Inter Governmental Organization, under the UN. Until 1979, INTELSAT was largely run by Comsat. INTELSAT was literally born via the Early Bird, and for over two decades it had the implicit responsibility of helping the satellite industry grow. This was achieved through two overlapping methods: funding of near-term and long-term R and D around the world and through the development and procurement of larger and larger generations of spacecraft. The competition to INTELSAT came slowly but surely and from several directions—-regional and domestic organizations, optical fiber cables, and from “separate systems” like Panamsat, founded by the one and only Rene Anselmo. Other notable satellite systems worth mentioning are JSAT of Japan, Eutelsat of Europe, and Telesat of Canada. It is worth pointing out that whenever we make a long-distance phone call, send an email, or chat over the INTERNET, we are using GEO satellites in one form or another. I remember the days when I first came to the USA in 1984, when a letter to India and back took a month, and making phone calls was difficult and expensive, or rather, just beginning to improve. Finally, for all its glamour, the use of rockets to launch satellite payloads is firstly, very inefficient – of the order of 1% efficiency – and secondly, the rockets themselves let off toxic gases that pollute the atmosphere. Once again, it was Sir Arthur Clarke who came up with the idea of the space elevator to put objects into orbit. The science fiction of today becomes the science of tomorrow and the technology of the day after tomorrow. One hopes that by 2045, exactly a century after Sir Arthur’s groundbreaking paper, a space elevator is deployed, perhaps with its anchor near Sri Lanka, where the fictional space elevator in his best-selling science novel, “Fountains of Paradise,” is located. Only then will the inconvenient truth of satellite communications be revealed, analyzed, and rectified.

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you from any long-term disaster. Traveling must be avoided this month. You may enjoy benefit of inheritance during third week of the month. It should bring great relief for you. Enjoy good health. LIBRA (Sep 23 - Oct 23) New relations and change in approach towards life should make you very relaxed and excited this month. Time is very positive for developing or changing status of relations. Your creative activity should reach new horizon and earn name and fame for you. It may boost your confidence and build courage to adopt challenges. It is very important that you take risks and catch opportunities coming your way.

General Predictions for December 2011 ARIES (Mar 20- Apr 20) Life should be moving very fast; welcome all changes with courage and confidence. If there is any confusion, take help from your partner or your child. You need to control negative comments and egoist speech, as it may damage your image in society. Avoid signing any legal documents this month. If you face any health problems, check for a second opinion. Heavy workload and positive changes in life should make you happy.

SCORPIO (Oct 23 - Nov 22) You may risk your reputation and break the law or traditions to achieve success during beginning of the month. It is going to be a very hectic period. Life should move fast and you have to take instant brave decisions. Go for it with confidence. Your luck may not support you all the time, but you need to move forward. Improvement in health and family support will boost your confidence. Avoid making egoistic comments.

TAURUS (Apr 20 - May 21) Some kind of fear may block your progress this month. It may lead towards major dispute with your spouse during first half of the month. Students may not perform well in their study. Renovation or decorating of the property and related expenses are possible this month. Avoid travel. You may have to change your plans to accommodate other priorities. Improvement in health should make you comfortable.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22 - Dec 21) Time may go very slow for you, but be prepared to gear up after the last week of this month. Destiny is under process of bringing positive changes and life will speed up. It is important that you curb your expenses and play safe to avoid unnecessary disturbances in coming positive period. Keep an eye on your health, too. Uncertainty may still be there; you have to make the right choice. You want to take a vacation this month.

GEMINI (May 21 - Jun 21) You may face a major downfall during beginning of the month. Your own mistakes may lead you towards depression. Your competitor may lead you towards success after middle of the month. Unexpected travel is possible during second week of the month. Your child may guide you towards major changes in your approach towards life. Happy family life and raise in income during second half are clearly indicated.

CAPRICORN (Dec 21 - Jan 20) Destiny is going to favor you now. You may need to move fast and take quick positive steps. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lose the opportunity only because you are not prepared for it. You may need to play smart, dirty game to achieve short-term success. Your partner may prove to be good help this time. Your own people may try to damage your reputation, so donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trust anyone blindly. Minor health problem may keep bothering you.

CANCER (Jun 21 - Jul 22) You may start looking for major changes in your career during this month. It may also lead you towards taking some foolish actions. You may also plan to start further career-related study. Second half of the month may bring some real good news regarding your career. Unexpected financial gain is possible anytime during this month. It is also possible that you take investmentrelated risks and enjoy gain.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20 - Feb 19) Make a team with your spouse and enjoy life. Success should flow to you from more than one direction. Also remember to protect your spouse from false allegation in his or her career. The second half of the month is going to be more productive than the first half. Business-related travel is also possible this month. A good state of health is clearly indicated. Be prepared to move fast and work hard to enjoy the luck.

LEO (Jul 22 - Aug 23) You may be blamed and face serious consequences during first half of the month. It may change the course of your life. Try not to sign any documents and do not lie. Start acting aggressively but with positive attitude to solve the issues. Business-related travel should bring very good results for you. Your friends and spouse may cooperate with you. Financial gain is clearly indicated during last week of the month.

PISCES (Feb 19 - Mar 20) Your enemies may put you in a situation where you may be forced to do something wrong. Control your self during first half the month by avoiding doing anything against your morals. The time will take a big positive turn during second half of the month and life will start moving smoothly. Minor health problem may bother you this month. Travel plans may get changed. Wait and watch before making any move.

VIRGO (Aug 23 - Sep 23) Major problems with your sibling and friend may put you in hot water. Unexpected expenses are possible this month. You may lose your self-confidence and make mistakes. Family tradition and culture should protect Saathee.com

By Jalendu Vaidya Contact: 908-638-6388 / hindusvision.com 120

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December 2011

Classifieds BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES: Businesses For Sale: Café, restaurants, deli, coin laundry, dry cleaners, and more plus residential listings. Call for the best discounts when you buy or sell. Guaranteed Excellent Service! 704-649-9095. Broker. Business For Sale: Package Deal 4 duplexes and coin laundry in NC. Serious inquiry only. 980.428.3049. C-Stores: Archdale, NC, $825K + Inv., GR $1.7M; Mills River, NC, $1.1M + Inv., Gr $3M; Greensboro, NC, $950K + Inv., GR $2.0M; Gastonia, NC, $1.5M + Inv., GR $4.2M; 704814-9435 www.countysouth.biz Brand Name Gas Station/Conv. Store For Lease: In S.C. Rent only $2500 Per Month. Inside Sales $35,000. Asking Price $45,000. Call 678-326-6564 For More Details. Gas-station/C-store with Property for sale: High Point, NC. Inside $28k-$30k, Gas 15k gal. Lotto commission $900, Rental Income $420 + ATM asking $389k plus inventory option to lease available.. Call 336-686-1429. High Volume Gas Station/Conv Store: On very busy intersection in Augusta, GA for lease. Very populated neighborhood with highway traffic. Call Manpreet 864-554-4846. Call between 9am-5pm. Business For Sale with Property: Convenience/Gas & Liquor Store. Good running business, BP Brand, college next door, owner moving. Serious inquiries only. Call Gordon 864-923-4213 Smoothie store for sale in uptown Charlotte, five day business. Great opportunity for owner operater. Call 704604-2133. Businesses for sale: Two Hair Salons in Cary, $149K, $99K; Coin-operated laundromat / car wash w/RE (Person Co., $650K). Info@entrustassociates.com. 919881-9997 Independent Hotel For Sale In South Carolina flanked by forest on one side and restaurants on the other. on one of the busiest exits on hwy I-95 .This well maintained hotel sits on a large plot consisting of 52 rooms and a large size owner apartment. This is one time opportunity to own a revenue generating and a turnkey hotel which can be managed by a family. Contact Moni: 206 349 4183, jsinghofusa@aol.com Store For Rent: Kinston, NC 3000SF closed c-store/gas station for rent. Highway 40k car count busy intersection location. Space for Kitchen/deli 919-394-9096 Saathee.com

Store for lease in Lincolnton NC. Inside store sales $45K,gas $45K,lotto $25K. Please contact for more info 704-280-3753; 704-578-4470. Store for Lease: Good Neighborhood in York, SC. Inside Sales $50K, Gas Sale $45K, Lotto $35K. Call Harry for information 864-590-5737. Gas-station/C-store for Sale: Upstate, SC Well established & Very Busy Location Asking 125,000 plus Inventory Branded Gas/ Diesel, Lotto, ATM, EBT, U-Haul Dealership & more. For Inquiry email: patelrs2011@yahoo.com

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Part / full time nanny / babysitter for a 2 yr old boy. light cleaning and cooking. Should know driving. GREAT PAY. Prefer Hindi speaking. Contact 828-2929848. Near Hickory, NC. Help Wanted: Experienced Sales Person needed immediately for part/full time position in men’s clothing store in Gastonia, NC. Must speak fluent English and be people friendly. call 704.865.6699 Help Wanted: Curry and tandoori chef and kitchen helper needed for restaruant in Raleigh. Call 586.419.3566. Household Help needed in University City Area Charlotte. Mon-Fri for 3 hours in evening with cooking, laundry, ironing, and light cleaning. $10/hr. Must have own transportation. Call 704-971-2004 Threading job in Winston Salem. Hair Threading female position open for IMMEDIATE HIRE. Full-time or PartTime, for long term. Call 980-622-4386. Threading Practitioners Wanted: Full or Part-Time. In Charlotte, Raleigh, & Virginia areas. Experience & good English skills needed. Please call 980-322-1110 Seeking household help in South Charlotte home for cooking and cleaning. Must be willing to do all household work. Full or part-time. Please call 704.604.1058. Hindi speaking babysitter needed for 2 month old in Stokesdale (near Greensboro) a few hours 2-3 times a week. Mother at home. Help with cooking would be great! Call 336-6448073 or email@ s.pooja3@gmail.com AT&T authorized retailer is looking for an office person. Requirements: ms office & accounting & Inventory control. Hours: 9-5. Monday to Friday. University area of Charlotte. Email resumes : amyn.mithani@nobleamerica.com Nanny Needed: Experienced Nanny needed who loves children to care for 5 month old. References required, must have own transportation. Gujarati preferred, but should speak English. Some light housekeeping. Hours: M-F 8:00-6:00. Please call 704-251-5084 122

Eyebrow Threader

HElp wanTED

Saathee

We are hiring females who know Eyebrow Threading or henna tattoo. Training provided. Fulltime, part-time or weekends. Cary, NC Eyebrow Threaders Waxing / Facial Specialists Raleigh, NC Eyebrow Threaders Waxing / Facial Specialists Fayetteville, NC Eyebrow Threaders Virginia Beach, VA Eyebrow Threaders (773) 507-8848 (773) 981-8848 Email: apq147@yahoo.com If you wish to make up to $3000 a month (with tips) and are ready to move out of state, please call immediately.

Chemistry Tutor Needed in Charlotte for in home high school Honors Chemistry. 704-315-4719 Nanny Needed: Seeking a loving and energetic full time nanny for a 4 month old baby. Matthews, NC. Prefer English and Gujarati speaking. Must have transportation. Call 407-488-5334 or email matthewsnanny1@gmail.com. Motel Help Wanted: Franchise Motel in Raleigh, NC need Couple for Front Desk. Must have Legal Status & have Computer skill. Accommodation will be provided. Please Call: 919-208-3513 Hotel Management Firm Now Hiring: Various positions available for House keepers, front desk (must speak fluent English), and General Manager/s of franchise hotels. Experience is REQUIRED for all positions. Serious inquiries only. E-mail resumes to abcone@abcinns.com OR call ( 704-6496833 m-f , 9:00 am- 5:00pm) Help Wanted: Energetic male or female needed for retail clothing stores in South Carolina. Must speak fluent English. CONTACT 706 877 0314 or email resume @ PAMSUM70@gmail.com Hiring Immediately: Young & Energetic Sales Person. Opportunity for advancement. For part/full time position in men’s clothing store. Must speak fluent English and people friendly. Stores located in Camden, Columbia, & Orangeburg, SC. Good Pay+Commissions. Contact 803-427-1681. Gas Station Help Wanted: Looking for a Couple or single. Full-Time for convenience store / gas station / restaurant near Charlotte, NC. Accommodations Provided! 704-701-9975 Help Needed: Front Desk / Customer Service 20-30 hours / week. Requirements telephone skills and excellent customer service. Sales experience a plus! M - F 3-8:30 pm and some Sat. 9 am-1 pm. E-mail resume & cover letter to info@charlottemusicschool.com December 2011

Refulgent Technologies Inc.: IT staffing company is currently recruiting Java, .Net, SQL Server and QA candidates. We also do Training & Placement. Please contact Anu: e-mail: recruiter @refulgent-tech.com or 704-405-4238 Help Wanted: Indian Restaurant in Charlotte, NC is looking for a waiter. Please call 704-512-9177 Hotel Help: Need person with smiling face & fluent English for front desk, night audit at franchise hotel, located north of Charlotte. Accommodation provided. Please call 704-502-2444 or pmcomfortinn@gmail.com Gas Station Help: Looking for full-time or part-time help for a gas station in Mooresville, NC (Lake Norman Area, Near Charlotte, NC). Experience preferred but not needed. Call 704-2228998 or leave a message. Indian Restaurant in Morrisville, NC needs kitchen help full time. Please call 919.244.9550 Convenience Store Help Wanted in Winston Salem. Full-Time. Couple or Single. Experience preferred but not required. Must speak fluent English, be people friendly, and have legal status. Contact Ashwin (336)-782-3388 Live In or Live Out Nanny Needed: University area for a 15 month old baby girl. Vegetarian cooking and household work also. Please call 704-900-9134 or email at monakasera@gmail.com. Single or Couple Needed: For front desk and laundry at franchise motel in Martinsburg,WV. Must have some experience and computer skill. We will train. Please contact us at 304-267-2211 or 304-886-6433 Looking for live-in help to cook and be an adult companion for older wife while husband is at work. Light housework is required. We are looking for a woman over 55 who is compassionate and willing to adapt. Please call 910-737-2521. Seeking long-term (3-5 years) commitment of a full-time nanny for infant baby. In Ballantyne area. Job includes light housework and cooking. Please call 704-752-9370. Excellent pay and possible other benefits. MATRIMONIAL: Seeking A Hindu Indian Female: For a divorced male age 37 for marriage, working in NC on h1b. For info call: 704957-9005 Hindu Male seeking Hindu Female age 25-30. Must be family friendly. He is IT professional in NC. 31 years old. Love to travel. Caste no bar. e-mail to receive biodata. rakavid@aol.com.

Saathee.com

PROPERTY FOR SALE OR RENT: Condo for rent in RTP. Very convenient location to Duke, UNC, 15/501, close to bus line. Fully furnished, W/D included in unit. Call Avani Parekh Bhatt 704.608.2511. Townhome for sale near Park Rd Shopping Center Charlotte. Great Location and Myers Park High School zone. 2 br; 1.5 bath, fireplace. 135k. For details e-mail: rakavid@aol.com SERVICES: Astrologer With Gold Medals - Jayanti Lad- Contact for Health, Wealth, Relationship, Child, Enemies, Court Cases, Marriage, Job, Business, Vastu Problems, Preparing & Matching Horoscope. Call 919-463-5180 or 919-7982598 Jayantinlad@yahoo.com Tuition Available: Experienced Math, Physics, Chemistry tutor for middle, high school, IB, AP courses (including AP Statistics). Cary, Raleigh, Durham area. Call 704-497-2639 Priest available for Shri Satyanarayan Katha, Lakshmi Havan, Vastu Puja, wedding, baby shower, engagement and all other types of puja. 704-500-2210 (h) & 704.450.6447 (c). Catering & Tiffin Service: Including Gujarati, Panjabi, Indo-Chinese, South Indian & more. for details call Shyam 919-961-0482. Computer Consulting: Assistance with software installation, set-up, formatting, back-up, troubleshooting and more. Very reasonable rates. 704-619-2358 Neeta’s Beauty Parlor: Charlotte area open 7 days a week. Full service. Please call for appointment. 704-968-0270. Pari Beauty In Matthews, NC: Threading, Waxing, Facials, Bleaching & Much More! 20 years of experience with Special Deals & Great Service. For Appointment Call: 704-846-7912 Mehandi (Henna): Award winning artist from Jaipur, India specializing in wedding parties (Bride & attendants). Satisfaction guaranteed regarding design, color & price. Please call: Krishna Priya Dasi 919-824-7734 E-Mail: krsnapriyad@hotmail.com Foreign Accent Modification: Your speech is your "vocal resume." Speak English clearly and with confidence. Individual tutorials with certified speech specialists at Triangle Speech Services. www.trianglespeech.com. South Indian Priest: Sastriji is an independent priest Call for Pujas, Gruhapravesh, Weddings, Multi-lingual, Vedic traditional priestly services, etc. Call 704-625-7578 or 704-231-0751. Email: sastrigal2003@yahoo.com

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Dholi For Hire: Plays the Dhol (drum) for any occasion! Classes Available! Barat, Doli, Graduation, Birthdays, Baby Showers & any other festivity. Affordable rates! Call Arpan Bhandari 704-843-7202 or email: arpandholi@yahoo.com Gujarati Priest: Devendra Dave Independent priest. Ganesh, Randal, Navratri, Diwali’s Laxmi & Sharda Pujas, Satyanarayan Katha, Weddings, Vastu, Baby Showers, Funeral Seva. Call Daveji 704-780-3563. God Blessings to All. Ribald Farms Nursery & Florist: Specializes in Indian wedding reception design and floral arrangements. For more information contact Shawna Turner at 803-328-2266 or www.rockhillflowers.com Carolina Prayer Tower: Great things happen in prayer, especially when we do it in unity! Carolina prayer tower is dedicated to pray in unity, with people just like you, who desire to see the Holy Spirit's miracle-working power at work. Send your prayer requests, they are instantly sent to our prayer warriors; and its our prayer right now that you see God's supernatural power at work in your life! E-mail to 'carolinaprayertower@gmail.com' with your name, telephone number and a good time to pray with you, so that we can join with you and intercede for your specific need confidentially.

Saathee Classifieds: Business ads are $25 & personal ads are $15 up to 25 words. Ask about upgrades to color and box. Submit classifieds on-line at saathee.com Deadline is the 20th. We accept credit cards and checks. Ads are posted on saathee.com at no extra charge with paid print listing. Feel free to call us with any questions.

704.527.7570 Fax: 704.527.7590 Saatheemag@hotmail.com www.saathee.com PO Box 11468, Charlotte, NC 28220

A features magazine for the South Asian Community of the Carolinas

December 2011

index of advertisers

Nationwide Ins. (Maqsood Khan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103 Natya Performance Academy (Maniktala) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49 Nazar Television . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 NC Dermatology Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Neeta Puri's Expressions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 Oxford Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Oza, Rishi (Immigration Legal Services) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Palika Bazaar & Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Patel Brothers (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93 Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Patel, Shailesh DDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Poplai, Deepak (White Insurance) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Prashant Video Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Prime Internal Medicine (E.N. Reddy, M.D.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Pulte Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Raj D Batra (Kamera Art Photo & Video) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Rajbhog Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Rajdeep Mandap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Rajdeep Video & Photography (Ramesh Panjabi) . . . . . . . . . .12 Rajesh Jyotishi (Shalin Financial Services Inc.) . . . . . . . . . . .125 Real Triangle Properties (Joe Mathews) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Rohini's Beauty Parlor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99 Roopkala Sarees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Royal India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69 Saathee Subscription Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Saathee.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .115 Sai Krishna Bhavan (Restaurant) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Sangam Mart (Indian Groceries) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Sarvaga Studios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Shah, Kirti (CPA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Shah, Mihir (NY Life) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Singh CPA PLLC (Accounting & Tax Services) . . . . . . . . . . . .83 Sitar Indian Cuisine (Durham) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Skynet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Sleep Inn (Charlotte) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Smart Properties (Real Estate - Smruti Patel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Sur-Sumiran School Of Music . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 Suvidha Indo-Pak Groceries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Swift Telecom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126 Tamarind (Apex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 The Montessori School of Raleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Tower Restauant (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Travel Universe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Travelinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Triangle Indian Market (Cary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Triangle Women's Center (Haritha Nadendla, MD FACOG) 87 Ttravel Guru . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 UroGender Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Usha Decor (Wedding Planning & Decor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Vonage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Vyas Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 Wake OB/Gyn (Dr. Nanda Shah) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 West Cary Medicine (Dr. Kareem M.D.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101 White Horse Weddings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .89 Worldwide travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 Zayka Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

A & V Satellites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Abbi, Chitra (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Access Realty & Funding (Chandravadan Shah) . . . . . . . . . .33 AKM Realty (Arvind Mahajan) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Anil Bedi & Associates PC (CPA & Consultants) . . . . . . . . .101 Apna Bazaar (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Apna Travels (Morrisville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Around The World Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 Art Of Living Course Raleigh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109 Ashton Woods Homes (Glenlake) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Bashyam & Spiro LLP (Immigration Law) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107 Bhindi Jewellers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Front Cover Bipin & Smita Parekh (Real Estate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Blooming Buds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Bombay Grille Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Care First Physical Therapy & Rehab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Cary Cardiology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Cary Internal Medicine & The Diabetes Center, PA . . . . . . . .34 Cary Medical Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 Cary Photo & Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 Chai Pani (Restaurant - Ashville, NC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Chakras Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47 Challa Law Offices, PLC (Immigration) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Chandni's Beauty Salon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Chawpaty Food (Catering) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Choksi, Viral (Northwestern Mutual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Concha, David - Immigration Attorney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 Cornerstone Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine . . . . . . . . . . . .64 County South Realty & Business Brokers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Crescent Dental (Dr. Kavita Ghai) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .97 Darji, Iyer, Joshi & Patel (Accounting & Tax Services) . . . . . .47 Dave & Dave Inc. (Accounting) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Desai Desai Accounting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Dish Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 & 7 DJ Hangama . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52 DJ Kenz (Kenz Desai) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73 DJ Desi (Amit Vasi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 DJ Don (David Pandoria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 DJ Lalit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 DJ Ravi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Eco-Bidet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Elegant Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 Eshaan Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Evershine Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75 Eye Care Center (Apex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105 Eyebrow Threader Wanted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .122 Fairview Home Mortgage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111 Friends Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Goels Plaza - Banquet & Conference Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Grand India Mart (Groceries) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Greater Triangle Realty (Thomas John) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 Henna By Niki & Vaida's Boutique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Hotbreads Cafe (Nick Foods) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Huntington Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 iFuturistics Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71 Inchin's Bamboo Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 India Super Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113 Indian Food & Spices (Fayetteville) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .81 Indu Conv. Store Greensboro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83 International Comm Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54 Jaipriya Senthilkumar (Cosmetologist) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 K.B. Zaveree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Kadhambam Spices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95 Kalashri . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Kaya Designs Boutique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 KD Photographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Khanna & Sons Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Koolz Enterprises (Apartments in Banglore) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Krishna Indian Grocery (Greensboro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Law Office of Rashmi Shah (Immigration) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Legacy Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Inside Back Cover Lucky Salon & Spa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85 Maadhurya Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77 Mahabazar.com Travels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .119 Malani Jewelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Back Cover Mantra Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Maruthi Pediatrics (Dr. Badriprasad R. 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December 2011

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