Voice of Asia E-paper October 12, 2018 by VoiceOf Asia

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FRIDAY, October212, 2018 In Section

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Vol. 32 No. 40 • FRIDAY, October 12, 2018 Published Weekly from Houston 24 Pages (2 sections) 50 cents 713-774-5140 • E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Ekal Houston Gala raises $1.5 Million

IACF Gala commemorates 30 Years in Charity by Shobana Muratee

TAFFORD – The Indo-American Charity Foundation (IACF) has an indelible history of charitable service in Houston with focus on Education, Family, General Welfare and Healthcare. This year, the organization celebrated its 30th Anniversary at the annual gala themed “Thirty in Charity” held on October 6, at the Stafford Center where it raised over $165,000. Following its motto “We live here, we give here,” IACF will channel its funds to aid local non-profit organizations and provide scholarships to graduating meritorious high school students from underprivileged backgrounds. Last year, IACF Continued on Page 4 Keynote Speaker Mr. Bob Patel with IACF President, Mahesh Wadhwa. Photo credit: Roy Photography

Ekal Vidyalaya's gala team in Houston

kal Vidyalaya’s Houston Chapter held its fundraising Gala at Sugarland Marriott, Saturday, October 6, 2018. This Gala was our first crack at it and the volunteers, charitable donors, and especially the young generation made it a roaring success, in terms of the attendance, donations and commitments made. The event was attended by over 650 people; 150 from the younger generation. Guests enjoyed dressing up for a fine evening of good food, social interaction and learning about Ekal Abhiyan. They opened their wallets and pledged over $1.5 million to support holistic development of villages and tribal areas of India.

The evening began with a networking hour. The formal program started with the American and Indian National Anthems, sung by Ms. Karuna Antani. Ms. Pooja Lodhia, from Channel 13 KTRK, event emcee, carried the evening forward expressing her curiosity to learn more about Ekal where more than 50% of the students are young girls. She invited Houston Chapter President Pankaj Desai to welcome the guests and introduce Dr. Anupam Ray, Consul General of India. Dr. Ray expressed how Ekal movement, Continued on Page 9

IACF's "Angels of Charity" honorees with Bob Patel at the IACF 30th gala on Oct 6. Phot credit: Roy Photography.

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Editor Online: Shobana Muratee Marketing Director: Susan Pothanikat Web Designer: Joey Belleza All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof may be published without the consent of the publisher. Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol.com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com. It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints. Although paid advertisements may appear in Voice of Asia Group Publications in print, online, or in other electronic formats, the Voice of Asia Group does not endorse the advertised product, service, or company, nor any of the claims made by the advertisement. — The Publisher Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $50 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074.

Professor Christine Blasey Ford: A victim of dual assault by Judge Brett Cavanaugh and political process Chandra K. Mittal, Ph.D.

by Chandra K. Mittal, Ph.D.

hile Professor Christine Blasey Ford of Palo Alto University, the victim of alleged sexual assault might have not succeeded in persuading Senate Republicans about her pain and plight, or at stopping Judge Brett Cavanaugh’s confirmation to the United States Supreme Court, she definitely shook the conscience of America with her powerful testimony that galvanized a sense of “self” in many victims of sexual assault throughout the nation. Her public revelations, which she made before the US Senate Judiciary Committee under the glare of the world media about her alleged sexual assault inspired many public figures including journalist Connie Chung of CBS, Kirsten Powers of USA Today and Senator Chris Coons of Delaware to reveal their personal stories of their own sexual abuses in the past. Looking back at the entire Senate proceedings of selecting the Supreme Court Justice which played out over the past two weeks, one could not be but bewildered with the whole process, and surmise over the emotionally moving testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford about her alleged sexual assault by Judge Cavanaugh when they were both in High School in Maryland. In her testimony about the incident, Dr. Ford was vivid in describing the events of the alleged evening and came across absolutely compulsive, credible and persuasive by her expressions and demeanor. She convincingly described the unforgettable “Uproarious Laughter” by Judge Cavanaugh and Mark Judge during the sexual assault. On cross examination by Member, she reinforced her recollections and memory by academic explanations as a psychology scholar, such

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as the role of hippocampus – a specific structure in brain that stores memory. Besides her testimony, Dr. Christine Ford had also taken the polygraph (Lie-Detector) test to establish the truth about the alleged sexual assault she had experienced, and had passed it with flying colors. Polygraph tests, while not admissible in the Courts, are routinely administered by FBI, CIA and US Defense department to establish truth in cases of doubtful situations. While at personal level all Republicans including President Donald Trump paid lip-service to Dr. Ford’s testimony and declared it as compulsive and credible, but it did not turn into any justice. Philosophical polarization and political wrangling compelled Senate Republicans to overlook the truth about the alleged sexual assault on Dr. Ford. They were instead satisfied with denials by Judge Brett Cavanaugh, who was belligerent, confrontational, combative, argumentative and evasive in answering questions posed to him by the committee members. Despite Dr. Ford’s compulsive and credible testimony before Judiciary Committee and her positive polygraph test, Senate Republican did not want to investigate the truth about alleged sexual assault by Judge Cavanaugh. Their goal and intention, instead, was to somehow discredit Dr. Ford’s testimony by counter arguments, political wrangling, and caricaturing. This was best exemplified

by President Donald Trump at the recent election rally speech in Mississippi, where he sarcastically mocked Dr. Ford as having claimed to have “only one Beer” at the party but forgot the “venue” where Brett Cavanaugh allegedly sexually assaulted her. He wanted to cast doubt in people’s mind about Dr. Ford’s testimony and suggest that Cavanaugh was indeed the victim, not Dr. Ford. It was most despicable illustration of insensitivity by a US President towards the sexual assault victims. In another political maneuver to satisfy the public sentiments Republicans did order FBI investigation, which was sham as it severely restricted the scope of FBI investigation as admitted by the Senate Leader Mitch McConnell himself. They did not want FBI to interview either Dr. Ford or Judge Brett Cavanaugh. Nor did they want the investigation of many other willing corroborating witnesses with whom Dr. Ford had confided with or shared about the sexual assault she had experienced, including the polygraph technologist. Senate Republicans’ goal was simply to sweep the “truth” under the rug to push Judge Brett Cavanaugh through the Senate confirmation process and put him on the Supreme Court bench. While they emphasized the “due process”, “fairness” and “presumption of innocence” as the bedrock of American justice system, they constantly manipulated it in favor of Judge Cavanaugh, and denied the same to Dr. Ford. In their inquiry, they applied the criteria of a “job interview” to the Judge Cavanaugh, but that of the “criminal case” to Dr. Ford with FBI’s hands ties behind

their backs. Another casualty of this high-powered political maneuvering is the public confidence in the American institution of justice that is supposed to be based on truth and honesty. It has also raised skepticism about the sanctity of US Senate as the governing institution and elected members who serve in it. Even though many Senators have impeccable credentials, their participation in this process did not produce the product satisfactory to majority Americans. As for Dr. Ford personally, she is victim of not only sexual assault but also of a political process that is riddled with extreme partisanship, philosophical conflicts, and political wrangling which is never about truth or morality but expediency. Indeed Dr. Ford experienced assault twice like most sexual assault do, once at the hands of the perpetrator and other with a dysfunctional governing institution that did not believe her. In the end, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford will have to resign to the reality that this is best American system could offer her and to the nation, but with the pride that she did perform her most solemn civic duty as a citizen to alert a national governing institution to a pernicious social evil that it should guard against.

Dr. Chandra Mittal is Professor at Houston Community College, Life-member of IndoAmerican Press Club, Inc., and Co-Founder of Indo-American Association, Inc. Houston. He can be contact at drckmittal@ yahoo.com

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Section 1

Community Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

Tel: 713-774-5140

Indian Film Festival of Houston celebrates 10 Years

Founder and Festival Director Sutapa Ghosh accepting the Proclamation from the Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner.

OUSTON - Audiences who attended the Indian Film Festival of Houston were treated to screenings, entertainment, food, and an opportunity to mingle with film directors and actors during the threeday event. They saw cinema par excellence at the Asia Society on October 4th and 5th. A cocktail hour began the festivities with music by Moodafaruka and snacks provided by Nirvana. Opening Night's Chief Guest, Deputy Consul General of India Surendra Adhana, greeted everyone and congratulated Sutapa Ghosh for the milestone anniversary. The popularity of Indian cinema now has a global reach, gaining new fans each year. Director Kanwaljit Sethi presented his feature film entitled Once Again, then an-

swered questions on the first night. A short film, Sound Proof, and documentary, Shalom Bollywood, followed. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner was the Chief Guest for the second night.. He congratulated the Indian Film Festival of Houston for its 10th Anniversary and talked about his deep appreciation for the festival's sharing wonderful Indian cinema and culture with the city's residents. He concluded his talk by presenting a proclamation to Festival Director Sutapa Ghosh, marking October 4th, 2018, as Indian Film Festival of Houston Day. Films the second night were the short, Shame, directed by Anusha Bose who answered questions about the unusual plot, followed by the feature film, The Music Teacher which was presented by Sartak Das-

gupta who came with the lead actor, Amrita Bagchi. The documentary, Purdah, ended the evening's activities. Each of the films during the two nights was unique and had universal appeal. They were the best of the best selected from more than one hundred submissions. Sutapa Ghosh, Festival Founder and Executive Director, is known for her excellent taste, and it was on full display as guests arrived at the Hotel ZaZa in Memorial City. Mistress of Ceremonies, Deborah Duncan, greeted them after the cocktail hour had provided a chance to meet filmmakers and the other guests. The decor, food, as well as entertainment by "Rhythm India" and Moodafaruka, added to the enjoyment of the evening.

320

IFFH Board Members with Deputy Counsel Mr. Surender Adhana (far right)

The highlight of the Gala was the presentation of awards. Sutapa Ghosh gave remarks about how pleased she was that the Indian Film Festival of Houston was celebrating its 10th anniversary and remarked about plans for the future. Loyal patron Dr. Carolyn Farb was unable to attend in person, so she sent a letter that was read by the previous nights' Master of Ceremonies Jose Grinan. Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor and President of University of Houston, received the Award of Excellence. She arrived in the city in 2008, just as the film festival began, and has been one of its strong supporters. She spoke of the importance of the annual event as a way of sharing Indian culture with diverse audiences, and then told of plans for University

of Houston to build a medical school as well as helping the neighboring community that surrounds the campus. All of the films were superb. Awards for the 2018 Indian Film Festival of Houston are: • Best Feature Film: Once Again, directed by Kanwaljit Sethi • Best Short Film: Shame, directed by Anusha Bose • Best Documentary Film: Shalom Bollywood, directed by Danny BenMoshe • Special Recognition: Amrita Bagchi Judging by pictures and comments from those who

attended the events, it was a huge success. Watch for news of the 2019 Festival, because Sutapa Ghosh is not one to rest on her laurels. Expect it to be bigger and better next year. IFFH emanates from a strong passion for art and film. Love for the medium of cinema and a deep desire to create greater awareness and appreciation of Indian Cinema and culture is the aim of this festival. Organized by the Indian Film Festival of Houston (IFFH) Inc. — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the festival serves as a great platform to honor artists and performers in the film industry, and for the screening of films that bring the internationally diverse Indian diaspora’s perspectives to the forefront. Visit iffhinc.org for info.

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FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

IACF Gala comemorates 30 Years in Charity

Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray speaking on the occasion. Continued from Front Page contributed $200,000 towards the Houston Mayor’s Harvey Relief Fund. Mahesh Wadhwa , IACF President welcomed Chief Guest Consul General of India in Houston, Dr. Anupam Ray, Mayor Leonard Scarcella, Key note Speaker Mr. Bob Patel, CEO of LyondellBasell and other dignitaries including Mayor Protem Ken Mathew and nearly 400 guests on the occasion. In his address, Wadhwa reiterated the organization’s commitment to its key areas and spoke briefly on its progress under his leadership. “We have strengthened the partnerships with fellow organizations - Indian Doctors Associations and the Indian Doctors Charity Clinic (IDA and IDCC) to raise funds thru the ‘IWALK - ICARE ‘walkathon which supports health care projects by these partners.“ He also mentioned that IACF supported approximately 18 local charity organizations with grants and funded scholarships for 30 deserving high school seniors. “We see demand from more school districts to include them in the IACF Scholarship program,” he said. Key note Speaker Bhavesh ‘Bob’ Patel , CEO of LyondellBasell , one of the largest plastics, chemicals and refining companies in the world, lauded IACF on its 3 decades of service and volunteerism. Being a 100% volunteer organization helps keep costs low and maximizes distribution of funding, he pointed out. Patel spoke on the importance of giving back to the community. “I love their motto ‘We live here , We give here’” he said about IACF, “because it speaks to the core of what our community is about and all of the ways we can give back to help those in need.” On a philosophical note he spoke about ‘dana’ which means ‘giving’, which is an important part of one’s dharma as a Hindu. “I represent more than 18,000 of our very best colleagues in our company,” he said. Patel said he came to the United States in October 1976 with his grandmother, mother and brother. “Our future in this land was far from certain.” The thing that has been consistent in my life despite the different jobs and many moves around the world and amidst uncertainties and challenges the things that has made each step of my journey a little more certain are the values that I learnt in my childhood. Speaking on the occasion, Consul General Dr. Ray said “Listening to Mr. Patel’s very moving story, I was reminded of the million narratives like Mr. Patel and his mother which make India.” This year IACF honored ten couples as “Angels of Charity” who are actively involved in charitable causes. Recipients included: Deepika and Swapnil Agarwal, Drs. Renu and Chary Tamarisa, Usha and Vijay Jha, Sarah and Mayank Sangdod, Pragna and Vinod Shah, Anuradha and Mani Subramanium, Sridevi and Kumar, Dr. Srividhya and Sridhar, Anita and Dr. Kiran Nair, Sridevi Sridhar and KanchanaKuntla. Each year the organization recognizes individuals for their service to the community and support to IACF as ‘Friends of Charity. This year’s recipients were: Subbu Neti, Bangar Reddy Aloori, Amrik Singh Nijjar, Viral Amin, Dr. Barkat Charania, Munira Panjwani, Charanjiv Roye, Dr. Prasun K.

IACF Board of Directors

Jalal, Mohammad Tariq and Haroon Shaikh. Event Chair Sajid Khan, CEO Curve Hospitality was among the major corporate donors along with Fuel Maxx, Wallis State Bank, NRG, to name a few. Swapnil Agarwal, Bob Patel and others also made generous contributions. The gala evening began with the singing of National Anthems of the United States and India Chloe Chowdary and Milinda Nutalapati respectively, followed by the lighting of lamp by Mrs. Patel, Mrs. Wadhwa and Mrs. Khan. Entertainment was provided by students of Anjali School of Performing Arts with a Welcome Dance, under the directorship of Dr. Ratna Kumar. Other items were Dhamaka Dance by Punjabi Bhangra and live music by Deep Bhatachariya, Sharmishtha Kolay and lakshmi Peter. . The Mistress of Ceremonies was the charming Rashi Vats, News Anchor for Fox 26 News. Pledge Drive was conducted by Dr. Nik Nikam, a longtime supporter of IACF. A good spread of Indian cuisine was served by Bombay Brasserie. Sound

Ladies lighting the lamp initiating the gala program

Shobana Muratee, IACF incoming president proposing a vote of thanks

& Lighting was by Sage production, Décor by Sheila Burki Designs, Roy Photography, Mahesh Malekar for graphics. There was also a silent auction run by Subha Venka and Pankaj Wadhwa.

motivated the gala committees throughout. Donors and vendors were recognized for their enormous support. Muratee will be taking charge in 2019.

Incoming IACF president Shobana Muratee, Editor, Voice of Asia, proposed a vote on

the occasion. She thanked the IACF board and gala committees for their inspiring team work and dedication. She thanked Mahesh Wadhwa and his family for extending their help and expertise. Event coordinator Mousumi Banerjee, ensured a smooth flowing of the event. Past president Nanda Vura lent his experience and

About IACF IACF was founded in 1988 by a group of Houstonians of

Indian origin (Indo- American) compelled by an altruistic desire to give back to their local community. Their mission to help the underprivileged originated with the effort to fight hunger and has now developed into a multi-faceted philanthropic endeavor to help those in need in the Greater Houston Area.

VOICE OF ASIA 5

Fort Bend View

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

Sugar Land, Katy, Stafford, Missouri City, Richmond, Rosenberg and Meadows Place

Section 1

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

7th Annual Festival of Lights - Largest celebration at Skeeters with Gov. Abbot

UGAR LAND, October 09, 2018 - Diwali nd Dussehra, is the largest festival of India celebrated by more than 1.3 billion people worldwide. It is also called the ‘Festival of Lights’, celebrating the ‘Victory of Good Over Evil’ This festival is celebrated by the people of Indian origin in the Houston area on a large scale in the month of October. This is the 7th year that Shri Sita Ram Foundation is organizing this festival at the Skeeter’s Stadium in Sugarland. This year the festival is on Saturday the 20th Oct. from 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. The chief guest for festival is the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, and the Parade Marshal is Congressman, Pete Olson. The stadium is brilliantly decorated in dazzling multicolored lights for the ‘Festival of lights’. This festival showcases the rich and ancient culture of India through various activities and presentations like Folk Dance Ensemble, historical plays, bridal fusion show, and cuisines from different parts of India, Dussehra Parade – an embellishment of about 50 floats showcasing historical representations from ancient scriptures. Amongst other floats Wells Fargo ornate their chariot looking carriage with four horses. The festival shall also have beautifully decorated booths selling traditional jewellery, clothing and a host of other items. There will be freebies from 4 pm to 6 pm from various vendors. The event also

Elaborate decorations at the entrance of the Skeeter’s Stadium in Sugarland during the festivals held there last year. showcases people dressed up in several historical characters in their unique outfits and accessories representing various Indian Gods and Goddesses to add to the flavor. The festival has several activities to engage the children e.g. Costume contest, moonwalks, petting zoo, Fireworks, clowns, free face painting, free balloons, free piñatas, Shooting the demon with bow and arrow etc. The climax of the festival is the burning of effigies of demons amongst loud sounds of crackers and spectacular fireworks to celebrate the occasion of the ‘Victory of Good Over Evil’. Past events have seen a capacity crowd at the Stadium

with nearly 10,000 people in attendance. Apart from Greater Houston, residents of other states and cities are also seen to attend this festival, from as far away places as Florida, New York and California. More information about the festival is available on the Foundation website www.ShriSitaRam.org The tickets to the event are $6.00 and may be obtained from www.ShriSitaRam.org or from Eventbrite.com About Shri Sita Ram Foundation, USA: It is a 501 (C) (3) Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott nonprofit organization engaged in several philanthropic activi- also provides scholarships and ties at multiple stages and levels. assists underprivileged people Foundation provides support to of the community. For more about 30 non profits/charities Information contact Info@ annually in Houston area. It ShriSitaRam.org

Tel: 713-774-5140

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital welcomes oncologist Kirtan Nautiyal, M.D. Nautiyal. “Being part of a multidisciplinary, hospital-based oncology practice is a perfect fit because I understand and appreciate the value of collaboration and teamwork in delivering high-quality cancer care within the community. Houston Methodist Sugar Land has unparalleled clinical resources for patients and an oncology service that is growing both in size and reputaKirtan Nautiyal, M.D., hematologist/ tion. I look forward to oncologist .Photo credit: HMSLH working with my new colleagues and serving the Fort Bend commuUGAR LAND, Octo- nity.” ber 9, 2018 - Houston Nautiyal joins Jorge DarMethodist Sugar Land court, M.D., and Sindhu Nair, Hospital is pleased to wel- M.D., where he will specialcome fellowship-trained he- ize in gastrointestinal oncolmatologist/oncologist Kirtan ogy such as cancers of the Nautiyal, M.D., to the staff of stomach and colon. Houston Methodist Oncology Houston Methodist OncolPartners effective Oct. 1. ogy Partners is located in Nautiyal is a graduate of UT Medical Office Building 2 on Southwestern Medical School the Houston Methodist Sugar in Dallas. He completed his Land campus, 16659 Southresidency in internal medicine west Freeway, Suite 131. To at Baylor College of Medicine make an appointment with in Houston. Following his Nautiyal or another oncoloresidency, he served as a hos- gist with Houston Methodpitalist in the Baptist Hospital ist Oncology Partners, call System in San Antonio and 281.201.6669. St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa, To learn more about HousOklahoma, before completing a joint hematology/oncology ton Methodist Sugar Land visit houstonfellowship at Baylor College Hospital, methodist.org/sugarland or of Medicine. our Facebook page at fb.com/ “I am excited to join Hous- methodistsugarland for the ton Methodist Oncology latest news, events and inforPartners at Sugar Land,” said mation.

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“Look. Listen. Learn.” - Top 3 lifesaving campaign tips for National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 7 to Oct. 13)

issouri City is participating in this year’s National Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 7 to Oct. 13) and reminding citizens of the 2018 theme to “Look. Listen. Learn. Be Aware. Fire Can Happen Anywhere.” “This annual campaign is critical in helping our team educate and engage citizens about prevention initiatives that can help them to safeguard their families and their homes,” said City Manager Anthony J. Snipes. “It is also an informational resource that aligns with the Fire & Rescue Services’ mission to preserve life, property and promote a safe community for all.”

Mayor Owen, second from right, presents a Fire Prevention Week Proclamation to Chief Campbell, third from left, and some members of his team. (Image courtesy of Missouri City)

FPW is an initiative led by the National Fire Protection Association, a global nonprofit devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The organization reports that although home fires have steadily decreased over the past few decades, the death rate per 1,000 home fires reported in 2016 was 10 percent higher than in 1980, which makes prevention outreach an ongoing priority. Experts say that homeowners only have “as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds” and that planning and practice is key to knowing what to do in that short timeframe. To prepare for an emergency, here are three life-saving tips that residents can practice with their families at home: l LOOK around your home for fire hazards. Take the necessary steps to fix them; l LISTEN for the sound of the smoke alarm. If a smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside; and

MCFRS joins Edgar Glover Jr. Elementary School students and staff for Red Nose Day, an initiative to raise awareness and help end child poverty. (Image courtesy of Missouri City) l LEARN two ways out of every room. Have an outside meeting place a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet. “Fire prevention, safety tips and community outreach initiatives are central to our day-to-day operations that focus on the primary functions of administration, community risk reduction, fire and emer-

gency medical response, emergency management and development/training,” said Chief Eugene Campbell Jr., whose department responded to 6,933 calls in Fiscal Year 2018. “All of these areas have a number of programs that are designed to benefit and protect citizens.” For updates, please watch the City website: www.missouricitytx.gov

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FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

StreetLevel Investments Breaks Ground on Mixed-Use Development at Former TI Campus The Grid to feature exceptional, first-to-market retail, restaurants, entertainment and more

OUSTON, TX – September 24, 2018 – Dallas-based StreetLevel Investments and joint-venture partner Provident Realty Advisors, Inc. today broke ground on the much-anticipated, expansive mixed-use development coming to the former Texas Instruments (TI) campus in the southwest Houston suburb of Stafford. Spanning 192 acres, the Grid will integrate 350,000 square feet of destination retail and restaurant concepts; 2,400 residential units; 500,000 square feet of creativelyfocused office space; multiple hotel brands and concepts; a premier health club; a luxury cinema; a network of pocket parks, jogging and bike trails; and activated public space, together in a walkable urban district. “The Grid will create a vibrant community gathering place for Stafford residents, office workers and visitors from neighboring communities throughout Fort Bend County,” said Adam Schiller, Managing Principal, StreetLevel Investments. “Strategically located at the gateway to Fort Bend’s Innovation Corridor, the site has a rich history of world-changing innovation and we look forward to building upon that legacy as the Grid sparks new economic growth in southwest Houston.” The Grid will feature a number of first-to-market brands including: Drive Shack Drive Shack is a premier golf entertainment destination for players ofevery level, featuring interactive golf games and a full drink and foodmenu. Drive Shack will have its first Texas location at the Grid. Whiskey Cake Whiskey Cake serves craft cocktails and farm-fresh comfort food,sourcing flavors, locally-grown ingredients and ideas straight from thefarm. This will be the third Whiskey Cake loca-

tion in the Houstonarea. In-N-Out Burger Known for being quick, simple and delicious, In-N-Out Burgerfeatures fresh, neverfrozen burgers, fresh hand-cut fries and real icecream shakes. The Grid location will be one of the earliest In-N-Outsopening in and around Houston. Luma Grove An illuminated outdoor dining destination, Luma Grove will host some of the region’s hottest culinary concepts around communal patios, a beer garden, outdoor games, and lively entertainment. The expansive outdoor dining area is shaded by large heritage oaks and illuminated by dramatic specialty lighting. Aloft Hotels / Element by Westin A first-of-its-kind concept in the Houston area, Aloft Hotels and Element by Westin have teamed up to present a cobranded hotel at the Grid. The dual concept hotel will feature 234 total keys. JLB Partners The first phase of the Grid’s residential component includes an initial 380 units currently underway by JLB Partners. The urban residences will feature fresh interior design, chef-style appliances and luxury finishes, as well as amenities such as high-tech fitness centers and onsite bike share stations. CBRE CBRE has been named the leasing partner for 500,000 square feet of creative-focused office space. The Offices at Grid enjoy direct I-69 access, as well as plentiful and convenient parking. The Offices wil also have walkable access to a multitude of amenities. Designed with a commitment to sustainability, the Grid will

repurpose more than 750,000 square feet of iconic mid-century modern buildings from the original TI campus. The center of the project will be anchored by an authentic food hall, where artisan chefs and local purveyors will come together to create a culinary destination highlighting the food and flavors of Houston. The inspired mix of shopping options will include notable brick-and-mortar brands, as well as curated pop-up shops showcasing one-of-a-kind and emerging retail and food concepts. The heartbeat of the development will be The Lawn, a community gathering place activated with live music, seasonal events, movie nights and art exhibits. Wide sidewalks, lush landscaping and abundant patios will create an inviting environment. The development will also preserve heritage oak trees located on the site and incorporate them into the design. The finished product will include public parking garages, as well as ample streetside parking. Additional brands joining the Grid include Pluckers Wing Bar, Outback Steakhouse, Chipotle and Verizon. “The GRID represents a transformational moment in the life and character of Stafford and Fort Bend County,” said Jeff Wiley, President and CEO, Fort Bend Economic Development Council. “The former TI campus, which was the home of much innovation powering today’s technology, will now be transformed into a tech-savvy, mixed-use development. We have worked on the delivery of this project with the developer, city, county, water district and development authority for quite some time. The day has finally come to let others see the collective vision come to fruition.” StreetLevel has tapped Houston-based Gensler and TBG as project consultants. The first phase of the $500 million, multiphase project is slated to open in 2019.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 7

BIO-SOS joins Abrahams in celebrating Houston Symphony & Bollywood Dance

OUSTON: Enchanting Western classical music and zestful Bollywood dances were the highlight of an inaugural collaborative event hosted by the BIO (Blending Inner Voice with Outer Actions) program of SOS (Share Our Secrets) and Abrahams Oriental Rugs on Friday, September 28, 2019.

This latest fundraising quarter is yet another sign that Sri has the momentum in the race. He already outraised Rep. Olson at the end of the June quarter. And while Sri has been out

talking with voters -- he is hosting three town halls just this week -- Rep. Olson, who has refused every opportunity for a televised debate despite being offered 12 possible dates, is nowhere to be found. “This campaign has proven that we can win. And we’re doing it all without corporate PAC money. Rep. Olson is out of touch and not listening to the voters in our district, and we’re proud to see our message is resonating with folks hungry for a change in Washington.” - Sri Preston Kulkarni

Virtuosi Quartet with Sam Abraham and Houston Symphony Board Member Helen Schaffer. leges, but enables us to achieve career goals and live a fulfilling life.” Speaking of BIO, Bhagia said, “This is a women-led initiative that promotes authentic living for ourselves, our families, and our children. This includes providing meaningful experiences, one of which is engaging with the Houston Symphony. A symphony employs diverse musical instruments to create wonderful music. I hope the confluence of the diversity of BIO-SOS and the Houston Symphony will create wonderful melodious ripples.”

The evening’s formal program began with Sam Abraham welcoming the guests and introducing board members of the Houston Symphony and the SOS leadership, including SOS founder Biki Mohindra and BIO President Preity Bhagia. Emceed by Ms. Bhagia, the night featured heartfelt speeches regarding the importance of the mission and outreach of the Houston Symphony, the Life and Leadership Program (LLP) of SOS, and the mission of BIO, the women-only program which helps its members lead an authentic life by learning how to both listen to their inner voice and deal with the outside world

Sri Preston Kulkarni raises $575k in Q3, over $1 Million for cycle (TX-22) UGAR LAND, October 8, 2018 - Sri Preston Kulkarni, the Democratic nominee for Congress in TX-22, raised $575,000 in the quarter ending September 30th. This is the most money raised in any quarter and more than the entire campaign to date. In total, Sri has now raised over $1 million this cycle without taking any corporate PAC money.

Former Symphony board member and active supporter, Samuel Abraham and his wife, Omana, opened the doors to their flagship rug emporium in the Gallery area for attendees to mix, mingle and join forces to further the missions of both BIO-SOS and the Houston Symphony. The event provided an opportunity for more than 120 Houston’s leading dignitaries to learn more about both organizations while enjoying an Italian dinner by El Tiempo Catering, a classical music rendition by the Virtuosi Quartet, dancing by Bollywood performer Henna Shah, and tunes from DJ Chante J. Chiverton. The Abrahams’ talented son-in-law, lawyer Raj Duvvuri, even stepped up for a solo.

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

SOS & BIO members Mani Subramanian (left), Anasuya Kabad, Preity Bhagia, Qusai Maheshri, Anuradha Subramanian, Vijay Bhagia, Nita Singhal and Sam Abraham. with a giving and unselfish approach. “SOS

focuses

LOL,

which means life of learning. Learning should never stop. When you stop learning, you stop living,” explained Bha-

gia. “SOS offers learning for all ages and all stages of life. One learns skills that are not available in schools and col-

Speaking in praise of the Abraham family and their offerings of the finest in oriental rugs, SOS Founder Biki Mohindra said, “I’m privileged to know the Abrahams for more than 40 years. What is different about the Abrahams? It is trust. You don’t just get a rug, but a lifelong relationship of trust. Looking at it from the viewpoint of an Abrahams’ rug, you

either hang on the walls of Governors, Senators and Corporate Presidents or you get trodden by VIPs such as Margaret Thatcher and President George W. Bush.” Mohindra also praised the Abraham family for their philanthropic leadership, including donating valuable rugs to major Houston organizations such as the Houston Symphony. Other speakers at the event included Susan Arnoldy Hanson who was the Abraham’s very first interior design client in the 1970s, Mary Beth Mosley, Community development officer for the Houston Symphony, Helen Shaffer and Betty and Jess Tutor, all long-time members of the Symphony’s Board of Directors. The Abraham’s daughters, Annie Thomas and Rachel Duvvuri offered touching words for their parents. A raffle raised over $1,200 for the Houston Symphony.

SRI PRESTON KULKARNI

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

15th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Week - 2018 Speech Contest

he Father of Our Nation, Mahatma Gandhi Ji, is majorly known for his efforts to free India from tyrannical rule in the 1940’s. What many do not know, is the lasting impact he has left on the minds of younger generations today, as seen in the amazing speeches presented by children of various ages. On October 6, Mahatma Gandhi Library held its 2018 Speech Contest for the 15th year at the gracious Arya Samaj of Greater Houston. The Speech Contest is held annually to determine the two speakers at the 1000 Lights For Peace program, at the Miller Outdoor Theatre. Under the able and proficient guidance of Dr. Rakesh Agarwal and Mr. Karam Gupta, the coordinators for this year, the speech contest ran smoothly and showcased the public speaking talents of today’s youth. The esteemed three judges were Mr. Rashid Kapadia, Dr. Huma Jafry, and Colonel Raj Bhalla, all expressing keen interest in the words of

The MC of this year, Shreya Chawla, started off the program with a prayer and words of encouragement to the participants. As a part of Arya Samaj, she represented both the Mahatma Gandhi Library and the Arya Samaj of Greater Houston. After reminding the competitors of the guidelines, she set the contest off to a great beginning, which only got better.

Participants of 15th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Week – 2018 Speech Contest held at beautiful premises of Arya Samaj Greater Houston

the participants. The timer for the event was Dr. Alka Agarwal. Children 10 and under described their interpreta-

tions of the famous Benjamin Franklin quote “Honesty is the Best Policy,” while those 11 and over responded to “If I Met Gandhi Today.” The top

three winners of each category will be publicly awarded at the 1000 Lights For Peace celebration.

The fascinating speeches of the youth included humorous, relatable anecdotes and quotes from honorable leaders of the world. The younger children rotated their speeches around their local areas, such as school, or at home. The older children brought in more controversial topics of the world, ranging from gun violence to women’s rights. The incredible speeches of all age groups entailed the knowledge and awareness, accumulated after the research of these topics and that which already resides in the evergrowing minds of the future generations.

For the finale, Mr. Atul Kothari, the founder of Mahatma Gandhi Library praised the kids and parents for their effort and dedication. He thanked Mr. Sanjay Jain from the Arya Samaj Of Greater Houston, the distinguished judges, and the volunteers for their aid and service towards spreading Gandhian values. Mr. Kothari then invited all to the grand finale ‘1000 Lights for Peace’ – a beautiful, international cultural program organized as part of Gandhi Jayanti week, from 5:00pm onwards on Sunday, October 14th at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park Houston. All in attendance were then asked to participate in Poster Contest for Mahatma Gandhi Week 2018 organized by Mrs. Rita Kothari at the same venue. Participants of 15th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Week – 2018 Speech Contest held at beautiful premises of Arya Samaj Greater Houston

13th Anniversary Mahatma Gandhi Peace Walk & 1000 Lights for Peace Sunday October 14, 2018 at the Hermann Park Houston

OUSTON - Mahatma Gandhi Library, Houston nvites all to Walk 5K for Peace on Sunday, Oct. 14 at the Hermann Park staring at 4:45 PM.

The ‘1000 Lights for

Peace’ – a beautiful, international cultural program organized as part of Gandhi Jayanti week, from 5:00pm onwards on Sunday, October 14th at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Hermann Park Houston.

Walk For Peace leaving Miller Outdoor Theatre for a 5 K walk in the beautiful Herman Park.

The finale of the evening was a lighting of a candle by all present as a pledge to practice peace in their own lives!

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

Ekal Houston Gala raises $1.5 Million Sonal Shah, an accomplished economist and educationist, who launched Indicorps to work on issues of healthcare, farming, women empowerment, etc. in India, similar to Ekal’s mission. She inspired her peers to realize their potential and make a difference in the lives of the less fortunate. The evenings fund raising was coordinated by Wayne Wheat, ex-Army Airborne Captain and motivational speaker. Donations poured in from the hearts of philanthropists from Houston and as far as East and West coasts.

Sonal Shah, founder, Indicorps, an economist and educationist, speaking on the occasiion. Continued from Front Page through education, has been transforming curious yet education deprived young children into healthy and productive citizens. Each educated child is one less for the Devil’s workshop! The Gala Chair, Ramesh Shah, extended specific welcome to Dr. Kiran Patel, keynote speaker from Tampa, Florida, and to the Ekal India leadership team: Bajrag Bagra (CEO - Ekal India), Naresh Kumar (President –

Ekal Global) and Hema Malini Kumar (VP – Ekal Arogya). He introduced a video about Ekal Abhiyan, a program that evolved beyond child education into special projects: Digital Literacy (using tablets), Ekal-on-Wheels (mobile computer lab), Skills Development Centers (vocational education), Tailoring Centers (for women), Telemedicine, and Integrated Village Development (covers 30 villages). The contribution from Ekal USA now supports nearly 25% of the 75,000 schools in India.

Ekal USA President, Suresh Iyer, then introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Kiran Patel, who delivered a very powerful message on how selfless giving comes back to you in greater multiples - quoting Sir Alexander Fleming, inventor of penicillin, anecdote. Swapnil Agarwal, young entrepreneur from Houston, expressed his passion for education and shared his success story from humble beginnings. His vision of providing for his consumers, employees, and investors made him a very credible

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Ekal supporter Swapnil Agarwal addressing the audience. and empathetic speaker - commented a young professional in the hall. Vibhore Jain, entrepreneur from the young generation,

narrated how they celebrated their son’s first birthday by donating to Ekal since education and children are so dear to Anvi and him. He invited

Dancers from Bollywood Shake and the Roarin’ Raas group from the University of Houston entertained the guests with their artistic and energetic performances. After the dinner the guests danced to Bollywood and Hollywood tunes from DJ Yogi G. Gala director Yogi Patel delivered a vote of thanks to all who made this gala possible – vendors, event planner Therese, dance groups, volunteers, and the guests.

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Rituals Performed: Sreemantham, Punyahavachanam, Namakaranam, Annaprashanam, Vidyarambham, Choulam, Upanayanam, Wedding, Sathya narayana puja, and all kind of Homas (Havans) and more. I can drive to your place. More than 30 years of experience as Priest in major temples including Sri Meenakshi Temple Pearland, TX. Can speak 5 languages (Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English)

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

Katy Premier League 2018 event raises $85k for charity KPL continues to raise the 'Spirit of Charity' through sports in the community

Presenting one of many checks towards a charitable cause.

Sri Preston Kulkarni, candidate for congressional district #32, Stafford city council member Ken Mathews, and Grand sponsor Raghuveer from Brick & Mortar spoke. The event raised around $85k.

aty Premier Legue (KPL) 2018 was the largest sporting event in USA hosting 43 multi state teams, 420 players, 100+ volunteers, 1000+ spectators and 50 Corporate sponsors, conducted in Houston Sportsplex on Oct 5th and 6th. Friday evening kicked off with a KPL Inaugural Ceremony, which was truly a spectacular event and was conducted on par with most International Sport - Inaugurals with 42 teams standing in multi-color uniforms with special drone coverage and live broadcast. Several dignitaries graced the Inaugural Ceremony including Sri Preston Kulkarni, candidate for 32 congressional district, Stafford council member Ken Mathews and our Grand sponsor Raghuveer from Brick & Mortar. This event raised around $85,000 dollars so far and will be paid to beneficiaries Krishna Giri who suffered from cardiac arrest and Mayuri Giri who had a brain cancer, both have suffered traumatic life altering

14 Pews presents Matangi/ Maya/M.I.A.

by a Staff Reporter

OUSTON - 14 Pews, a film and lecture space in the Houston Heights, presented the new acclaimed documentary on Sri Lankan-born rapper, singer and activist M.I.A. earlier this month. Two showings on Cotober 4th and 6th drew a sold-out crowd to the small event hall. A second showing has been added for Friday, October 12 at 7pm. Drawn from a cache of personal video recordings from the past 22 years, director Steve Loveridgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sundance award-winning Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. is a startlingly personal profile of the critically-acclaimed artist, chronicling her remarkable journey from refugee immigrant to pop star. She began as Matangi. Daughter of the founder of Sri Lankaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s armed Tamil resistance, she hid from the government in the face of a vicious and bloody civil war. When her family fled to the UK, she became Maya, a precocious and creative immigrant teenager in London. Finally, the world met her as M.I.A. when she emerged on the global stage, having created a mashup, cut-and-paste identity that pulled from every corner of her journey along the way; a sonic sketchbook that blended Tamil politics, art school punk, hip-hop beats and the unwavering, ultra-confident voice of a burgeoning multicultural youth. www.14pews.org

medical conditions, and also to Kerala and Karnataka flood victims. KPL will adopt a village in Kudugu district and help rebuild homes and the lives of those affected. Family night on Saturday was a truly a spectacular event with local performers from Swaramadhuri and Bollywood Dancing stars putting on a spectacular display of music and dance. All kids and youth had a wonderful time with entertaining games, face painting and dancing.

Everyone enjoyed the two days, with great volleyball, Throwball competitive sports, kids entertainment, friends and family bonding and involving in giving back to the community. Houston Panthers are the winners of the Volleyball Advanced level. Shooting Thowball

stars

won

the

KPL Sports might have ended, but the 'Spirit of Charity' continues.

Trophies for spectacular achievements in volleyball were proudly handed out.

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 11

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

Flowerful Bathukamma Festival Set for Oct. 13 by Rajender Aparasu OUSTON: This year’s Bathukamma, a “flowerful” festival of Dassera, will be hosted at India House grounds on October 13 at 6 pm by the Telangana Association of Greater Houston (TAGH). Over the years, this signature event of TAGH has brought Houstonians together to celebrate the wonderful festive season of Dassera. This year TAGH has shifted the venue to India House grounds to provide easy accessible outdoor facilities and FREE parking to attract record attendees. Large scale plans are being made by the TAGH to welcome families to come together for the “flowerful” festival of Dassera and to pray to Goddess Gauri, the life giver, for societal prosperity and good wishes. This is a FREE outdoor event with two hours of

Ladies at the 2016 Bathukamma festivies. (Photo courtesy: Murali Santhana Photograph)

non-stop lively music and Bathukamma dance. This year Kolatam (garba) infused with dandia sticks is also being planned to especially in-

volve youth and kids. Outdoor seating arrangements are being made for seniors to enjoy the festivities. Live capture of the event by drone footage

will be displayed on giant LCD screen. FREE Mahaprasadam will be provided to all attendees. Every family will receive a FREE gift for

preparing and bringing Bathukamma. Professional photographers will also be available taking a FREE family portrait with Bathukamma. The India

House grounds will provide an ideal venue to share the joy and celebrations with friends and families. The program starts at 6 pm and the organizers are requesting attendees to come early for enjoying the festivities and for ease of parking. The TAGH, a USA registered non-profit organization, was formed in 2014 by the Telangana Non-Resident Indians in the greater Houston Area, to preserve the cultural identity and contribute to its development. The TAGH Board and committed volunteers are been working hard for the last several months to make this outdoor event a grand success. For contributions, sponsorships, and volunteering, please contact Chair Madhav Boorgu and Co-chairs Kranthi Nednur and Venu Kesani at taghgroup@gmail. com or visit http://www. tagh.org/

Newtown H.S. children visit Vatsalyagram in India for service by Manu Shah

hradha Sahani, a 2016 graduate from the University of Maryland was looking to spend her summer volunteering before starting her PhD program. She spent weeks researching different organizations around the world but one name jumped out at her -Vatsalya Gram. The institution’s unique concept of creating families by

grouping abandoned children with destitute women, providing housing, food supplies and other necessities to live as a unit piqued her interest. Shradha’s cousin Shaanti accompanied her to Vatsalya Gram where the girls spent two weeks in service or sewa. It was “a life changing experience” for both. Vatsalya Gram which means a Village of Maternal Love is a sprawling, 50 acre founda-

tion in Vrindavan, two hours from New Delhi. It was started under the Param Shakti Peeth Trust by Sadhvi Ritambhara when she found an abandoned baby on the front steps of the ashram where she was staying. The Gram houses three schools, a hospital for the poor, a prosthetic center and a dairy and vegetable farm. Several families live on its premises. Each family has 5 children, a

Exchange students and teachers of Newtown High School with Sadhvi Rithambara (center) mother, an aunt and a grandmother all biologically unrelated. The children receive a mother’s love and care while the women find refuge and a purpose in life. When the Superintendent of Newtown High School, Dr. Eradi learned about Shradha’s experience at Vatsalya Gram and its innovative configuration of families, he was intrigued enough to extend an invitation to Sadhvi Ritambhara or Didi Maa as she is affectionately called, to visit the school. Months later, Reena Sahani, Shradha’s mother picked Didi Maa from the airport and says she was “struck by the love and compassion she radiated.” Didi Maa met school officials who gave her a tour of the school. When Dr. Eradi asked Didi Maa if she would like the school to raise funds for her foundation, her response was characteristically parental. Since this wasn’t a regular student program, four teachers from Newtown High School visited Vatsalya Gram in September 2017 to explore the possibility of a long term association. Highly impressed, they decided to institute a program where Newtown High School students would come to Vatsalya Gram and interact with students there. Several meetings and presentations later, it all fell in place. A remarkable administrator and head of Biology Susan McConnell and Reena accompanied seven children to Vatsalya Gram in April 2018. The core purpose of the visit was a cultural exchange between Newtown High School and the children of Vatsalyagram, with a targeted project theme - Success is self-defined! After touching down in New Delhi, a chartered bus took the group to Vatsalya Gram. The premises has 3 schools. Samvid is a private English medium CBSE accredited school which was attended by the Vatsalya Gram children, Vishistam – a special needs school and KBRM – a Hindi medium school. The Newtown children attended all three schools, participated in the classes, held discussions, exchanged viewpoints, shared chores, recited mantras, ate vegetarian meals, and bonded like they’d known each other for years. Highlighting the cross cultural collaboration between Newtown and Vatsalya Gram, Didi Ma stated that this purab aur paschim ka mel (East meeting the West), would be an enriching experience for both sides. Every one of the seven children shared their experiences and it distills down to one line: “Our lives have changed forever.”

VOICE OF ASIA 12

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

KIM K. OGG

THE HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE - PROTECTING OUR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES The international community is Houston. Houston is the most diverse city in America, with many foreign embassies and over 115 languages spoken by our residents. Unfortunately, crime can happen to anyone. Anyone visiting, living, or working in Harris County has the right to be treated with dignity, fairness, and respect by law enforcement – regardless of citizenship or immigration status. Police and prosecutors want to help you, and by reporting crime, you may prevent others from being victimized by the same criminal. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is the government agency responsible for prosecuting criminal offenses committed in Harris County. The office is committed to the safety of Houston’s international communities, including all foreign nationals visiting, living, or working in the Greater Houston Area. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office works with Interpretalk to offer translation services in more than 200 languages. Following a crime, they can provide immediate support over the phone for witnesses and crime victims who need to communicate with prosecutors in a language other than English. If you need immediate help, dial 911 on a telephone. Operators are available 24 hours a day to send police, firefighters or an ambulance in an emergency. Translation service is available for non-English speakers. If you already reported a crime, the Harris County District Attorney’s Office offers assistance from coordinators who are committed to helping victims and witnesses navigate the criminal justice process. For help from the Victim Witness Division or to check the status of a case, please contact (713) 274-0250.

BE AWARE

Don’t stare into your smart phone. Criminals look for people who seem oblivious to their surroundings.

LOCK YOUR DOORS

SECURE YOUR CAR

WATCH FOR SCAMS

Keep the door to your home or hotel room locked. Do not open the door unless you know who is on the other side. Be wary of unexpected visitors.

Don’t leave your purse, backpack or other items in view through a car window. Lock your car. When you return have your keys ready and enter your car without delay.

Beware of people who offer something that seems too good to be true; it probably is. Scams can be simple or elaborate. A common criminal tactic is challenging you to trust them by giving something of value.

DON’T BE THE VICTIM

OF A

SCAM!

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN DOING BUSINESS: • Is the provider of the goods or services licensed by the state? • Is the provider registered with the Better Business Bureau or local Chamber of Commerce? • Have you searched the Internet for reviews of products or services? • Does the provider have a local office? • Was the provider recommended to you by someone you trust? • Can the provider give you a list of references?

PURSE SAFETY:

“Jugging” is when a robber follows someone leaving a bank, drive-through, or ATM and robs them or their vehicle at a later stop. PROTECT YOURSELF: • Look for suspicious vehicles: backed into parking spaces, with dark windows, no front license plate, or suspicious looking occupant(s). • Avoid indications that you are carrying cash. • Check the rear view mirror frequently to see if you are being followed, if so, call 911 while driving to a police station. • Avoid driving home since “juggers” may have used your license plate number to get your home address. • Call 911 if you see someone else being “jugged.”

• • • • • • • • • •

ALWAYS Be aware of surroundings! Hold your keys & LOCK YOUR CAR or carry purse when refueling. NEVER walk with purse facing out. Always hold tightly or use strap. Only carry what you NEED! SECURE it to cart’s child safety strap. Keep it closed, zipped & NEVER alone! Look around as you enter the parking lot. Put purse & child in FIRST when unloading cart. If you use the trunk RE-PARK if shopping again. Get EXPENSIVE items last before check out.

AUTO SAFETY: • • • • •

HIDE your valuables. LOCK your vehicles & TAKE keys. Never hide a 2nd set of keys.. Park in WELL-LIGHTED areas. NEVER leave your vehicle running!

“Remember, leaving your keys in an unattended, running motor vehicle is a CRIME in Texas” /SouthwestManagementDistrict

/SouthwestMD

/southwestmd

/user/GreaterSharpstown

/channels/swmd

www.SouthwestManagementDistricts.org

VOICE OF ASIA 13

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Daiso Japan holds Grand Opening of second Houston area store

OUSTON -- DAISO Japan, a rapidly growing value store known for selling quality items for $1.50, is pleased to announce the opening of its second Houston area store in Westchase, after successfully opening in Katy last month.

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

Tel: 713-774-5140

Ramesh Cherivirala named to New York Life’s Chairman’s Council

The Westchase Daiso store is located at 11151 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042-3218. “We are very excited to be opening our second store in the Houston area,” said Mr. Yoshi Murata, senior vice president Daiso Japan USA. “We hope the community of Westchase and Houston join us for the celebration and take advantage of our fun and unique shopping experience Daiso offers.” Spanning nearly 10,000 square feet, the Daiso Westchase store features products and styles for the season, including back-to-school, Halloween items and holiday decor. Daiso offers thousands of

Photo: Susan Pothanikat quality products ranging from kitchenware, beauty supplies, stationery and wrapping paper to electronic accessories and useful, everyday sundries. Shoppers will find novel, unique gift items, snacks, greeting cards and party favors for every occasion. More than just a value store, Daiso’s goal is to put the fun back into shopping in a budget friendly way, offering use-

ful and unique products that meet the needs of just about every shopper in the household. Our buyers work hard to stock must-have items as well as novelties, creating memorable shopping experiences that keep customers coming back. From gardening supplies and household sundries to a growing selection of specialty foods, Daiso is a onestop shop for the entire family.

IMF says Pakistan has not approached fund for deal

ALI, Indonesia | AFP - The International Monetary Fund said Tuesday Pakistan has not approached the body to begin negotiations for a possible bailout to stem a balance of payments crisis, hours after Islamabad announced it will enter talks.

For weeks analysts have warned that a new current account crisis could undermine Pakistan’s currency and its ability to repay billions in debts or purchase imports.

“We have not been formally approached yet,” said Maurice Obstfeld, the IMF’s top economist, during the fund’s annual meeting in Bali Tuesday. The IMF’s comments added to the appearance of confusion around the abruptly announced decision. Pakistan’s finance minister Asad Umar told the daily Dawn newspaper as late as Saturday that the government had not yet decided whether it would go to the IMF, and had not sketched out a formal proposal to the fund ahead of the Bali summit. “We will be listening very, very attentively when and if they come to us,” said Obstfeld. “Pakistan is suffering from a number of imbalances: A very large fiscal imbalance. A large current account imbalance. They also have a low level of reserves and a currency that is too rigid and overvalued,” he added. - Austerity -

UGAR LAND, TX, July 20, 2018– Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala has been named a member of the 2018 Chairman’s Council of New York Life today. Members of the Chairman’s Council rank in the top three percent of New York Life’s elite sales force of more than 12,000 licensed agents in sales achievement. He is registered to attend the council meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona from October 29th through November 2nd, 2018. Dr. Cherivirala has been a New York Life agent since 2001 and is associated with New York Life’s Houston General Office in Sugar Land.

Former cricketer Imran Khan’s new administration took office in August vowing to weigh up whether to seek an IMF bailout to stabilise its economy as it sought other avenues of financing.

Late Monday the country’s finance ministry announced that it would begin bailout talks with the IMF.

Dr. Ramesh Cherivirala

Imran Khan (Photo: Stephan Röhl) Khan came to power on an anti-corruption agenda, vowing to build an Islamic welfare state. He has sought loans from friendly countries, promised to recover funds stolen by corrupt officials, and embarked on a series of populist austerity measures such as auctioning buffalo and luxury cars owned by the prime minister’s house, and crowdfunding to build a dam in the country’s north. But economists’ warnings have grown increasingly urgent, and the uncertainty saw the country’s stock exchange lose 3.4 percent of its value on Monday. The announcement hours later that Islamabad would begin IMF talks sparked a devaluation of the rupee, with the currency trading at 134 for a dollar at the official rate on Tuesday, against 124 the day before. The drop in the currency’s value shows the government is willing to take tough measures, said Mohammed Sohail, chief executive of the Topline Se-

curities, a Pakistani brokerage house. Pakistan has gone to the IMF multiple times since the late 1980s. The last time was in 2013, when Islamabad got a $6.6 billion loan to tackle a similar crisis. Analysts say Pakistan needs a loan of around $12 billion to turn the corner, but a diplomat told AFP in August that Islamabad is betting on a loan of at least $6.5 billion to get it through the crisis. However the US, one of the IMF’s biggest donors, has raised fears Pakistan could use any bailout money to repay mounting loans from China, sparking criticism from Islamabad. That has also increased fears that the terms of any IMF programme could be more restrictive than in the past, undercutting Khan’s welfare drive. The IMF has also warned the new government that growth would likely slow and inflation rise further if it does not act fast.

Dr. Cherivirala migrated to USA in 1992 after acquiring his Ph.D. degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad in synthetic organic chemistry. He holds LUTCF (Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow) designation and passed Series 66 - Uniform Combined State Law Examination, Series 63 - Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination, Series 7 - General Securities Representative Examination, Series 6 - Investment Company Products/Variable Contracts Representative Examination, Series 24 General Securities Principal Examination. During his career, with New York Life as a partner for over 9 years, he was

ranked one of the top 50 partners in 2008, 2010 and 2012. Ramesh has decided to return to the field in 2014 as a Financial Adviser with Eagle Strategies, LLC, a registered investment advisor, a wholly owned subsidiary of New York Life. Dr. Cherivirala has earned several sales recognitions within the company. He is a member of National Association of Insurance and Financial Professionals (NAIFA) since 2002. He is also a member (2005, 16, 17 and 18) of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT), a premier association of financial professionals, recognized globally as a standard of excellence in life insurance sales performance in insurance and financial services industry. Dr. Cherivirala is known to the Houston community for over couple of decades for his philanthropic contributions and community service through several Indo-American and Asian community (non-profit) organizations such as South Asian Chamber of Commerce (SACC), India Culture Center (ICC), Telugu Cultural Association (TCA), India House, Indo-American Political Action Committee (IAPAC), 80-20 PAC, Indo-American Charity Foundation (IACF), Telugu Bhavanam and Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir (SSJM) under various capacities. He is also active in Fort Bend ISD, serving in PTO’s and booster club. He lives in Sugar Land with his wife, Anuradha, daughter, Spoorthi and Son, Sushain (currently pursuing Masters in Computer Science

at Stanford University) New York Life Insurance Company, a Fortune 100 company founded in 1845, is the largest mutual life insurance company in the United States* and one of the largest life insurers in the world. Headquartered in New York City, New York Life’s family of companies offers life insurance, retirement income, investments and long-term care insurance. New York Life has the highest possible financial strength ratings currently awarded to any life insurer from all four of the major credit rating agencies**. Please visit New York Life’s website at www. newyorklife.com for more information. **Based on revenue as reported by “Fortune 500 ranked within Industries, Insurance: Life, Health (Mutual),” Fortune magazine, 6/1/18. For methodology, please see http://fortune. com/fortune500/ **Individual independent rating agency commentary as of 8/1/2017: A.M. Best (A++), Fitch (AAA), Moody’s Investors Service (Aaa), Standard & Poor’s (AA+) ***New York Life Investments is a service mark used by New York Life Investment Management Holdings LLC and its subsidiary, New York Life Investment Management LLC. Bates 465825

VOICE OF ASIA 14

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

BOLLYWOOD - HOLLYWOOD

Section 2 www.voiceofasia.news Email: voiceasia@aol.com

#MeToo throws open Bollywood floodgates

Shilpa Shetty unveils the reason behind her Bollywood hiatus

by Manjusha Radhakrishnan

t took a year for Hollywood’s #MeToo movement to emerge in Bollywood, but the floodgates have opened as more than a dozen talents in cinema and comedy are accused of sexual misconduct ranging from lewd messaging to rape. Two weeks ago, actress Tanushree Dutta sparked a watershed moment in the clannish Indian entertainment scene as she revived her charges of sexual misconduct against Nana Patekar for harassing her while she was filming in 2008 for Horn Ok Pleassss.

“This is just about me speaking up my truth and creating awareness so that other women can come forward,” said Dutta. Her harassment claims, which has been denied by Patekar and who has now lawyered up against her, has empowered, emboldened and galvanised women to name and shame their high-profile sexual predators. The last few days have seen a surge in sexual assault allegations in an industry that’s known to hush up sexual abuse claims for the fear of embarrassment or loss of livelihood in a male-dominated entertainment industry. Women from all fields are stepping up as they share their experiences of harassment publicly. In the last 72 hours, actors, including Alok Nath who is Bollywood’s go-to man for upright, genial father roles in clean family entertainers and Malayalam actor-politician Mukesh, have been accused of varying degrees of predatory behaviour. Vinta Nanda, the writer-director of hit television drama series Tara, accused Alok Nath of rape and brutalising her at her own home, charges that he allegedly denied to reporters in India.

Actress Kangana Ranaut, who played the lead actor in Vikas Bahl’s Queen, hasaccused Bahl of inappropriate behaviour. (File photo) National Award-wining director Vikas Bahl, who directed the enduring female-centric romantic comedy Queen, was accused of sexual misconduct by his colleague who was a part of his now-dissolved production company Phantom Films, cofounded by maverick talents Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane. The news of their fractured partnership was followed by harassment claims against Bahl that sent shock waves in Bollywood. Actress Kangana Ranaut, who played the lead actor in Bahl’s Queen, also accused Bahl of inappropriate behaviour that included holding her tightly and smelling her hair while embracing her. As the #MeToo movement gains momentum, the backlash has been swift. Bahl, who was working with Bollywood heavyweight Hritik Roshan in his next film Super 30, has been reportedly dropped from the promotions of his new film and he has also been dropped from his new TV series project. Actor Rajat Kapoor, who has acted in Mira Nair’s Monsoon Wedding as a paedophile, was also called out for his alleged sexual harassment on Twitter with two women — an assistant director and a journalist —

accusing him of inappropriate behaviour. Kapoor has apologised for having “slipped”. “I am sorry from the bottom of my heart — and sad that I was the cause of this hurt to another human being,” Kapoor tweeted. His film Kadakh has been dropped from an upcoming film festival, MAMI. Comedian Utsav Chakraborty of AIB comedy collective has also been accused of sexual misconduct. Following the allegations, its co-founder Tanmay Bhat who didn’t take adequate steps to curtail Chakraborty’s growth in his organisation has stepped away from AIB. It isn’t just Bollywood that’s feeling the tremors of #MeToo movement. Casting director Tess Joseph took to Twitter to accuse CPM MLA and actorcomedian Mukesh of sexual misconduct that took place 19 years ago during the shoot of television quiz show Kodeeshwaran, Kerala’s answer to Kaun Banega Crorepati. Author of pulp novels Chetan Bhagat was called out for sending sexually suggestive messages. The list of predators continue to grow as women call out onscreen heroes and topple them from the pedestal. Try to catch up with the names. - Gulf News

Jonah Hill talks “Personal, emotional” directorial debut ‘Mid90s’

he cast of Jonah Hill’s Mid90s raved about the freshman writerdirector at a surprise screening of the film at the New York Film Festival on Sunday night. Mid90s stars Sunny Suljic as Stevie, a shy 13-year-old with an abusive brother (Lucas Hedges) and a loving but oblivious mother (Katherine Waterston). Longing to escape his gloomy home life, Stevie befriends a group of teenaged skateboarders led by aspiring pro Ray (Na-kel Smith) and loudmouth ‘Partyboy’ (Olan Prenatt). Primarily known for his career as an actor, Hill stepped behind the camera for the first time with Mid90s. “It means a lot to work with a director who’s really, really passionate about what

ollywood’s esteemed actor Shilpa Shetty has stepped forward unveiling the reason behind her absence from the silver screens since 2010. During an interview with Hindustan Times, the 43-yearold beauty queen came forth addressing the hiatus she has been on in reference to her acting career since her last released film The Desire: A Journey of a Woman in 2010. When asked about top experienced male actors maintaining their stature in the industry while the veteran female actors like Karisma Kapoor,

The Bollywood icon went on to discuss the shift in pri-

orities in her life that has led to the change saying: “My family is my priority and I was very clear about that. I think that’s why I went on a sabbatical and films always took a back seat.” She went on to add: “With the erratic schedule, there are times when you have to spend days without meeting your child. But now since my son is more settled and grown up, I think I’m sorted on the family front which is why I feel that I can adjust with it now. Earlier, I knew that I had to give a break to films.” - TheNews.pk

Ali Zafar proud to represent Pakistan at film fest in China

akistani actor-singer Ali Zafar says he is proud to represent Pakistan at the 5th Silk Road International Film Festival in China, where he will also discuss bilateral cooperation between the two countries in cinema. “Proud to represent Pakistan at the Silk Road International Film Festival to discuss bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and China in cinema,” Ali tweeted. The actor feels honoured to have his latest release “Teefa In Trouble” for a special screening at the festival amongst other international films. The Silk Road Film Festival is a small group of passionate and dedicated individuals committed to providing an amazing display of Middle Eastern, Persian, Arab, African, Asian and European films each year

The first-time director said of his young stars, many of whom are professional skateboarders with no previous acting experience, “Watching them put in the hard work to do that has been, like, the single most moving experience of my life.” (- Getty Images) he does. I had the same feeling when I worked with Greta,” said Hedges.

Raveena Tandon and others having been swapped by younger ones, the Baazigar actor stated: “It’s unfair to say that the girls haven’t lasted as much as the boys. Maybe they didn’t want to continue or other priorities took precedence. I try to stay relevant with whatever I’m doing by choosing interesting content. Whether it’s the big screen, small screen or even radio, it’s the content that drives me. It allows me to choose roles or do things that are different than the others.”

to Dublin, Ireland. “Teefa In Trouble” is about the son of a gangster, who enlists an enforcer to kidnap a woman for an arranged marriage. Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new

mid-day Android and iOS apps to get the latest updates This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. - Mid-day.com

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In an exclusive interview with Gulf News tabloid! last month, Dutta labelled Patekar as “the bully, the manipulator and a person who doesn’t shy away from using any pressure tactics.”

LEGAL

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

YOUR IMMIGRATION LAWYER

PERSONAL INJURY

Fair Compensation For Medical Bills In An Auto Accident

Mala Sharma

f you or a significant other suffered bodily injuries in a car accident, there will most likely be several bills that need to be paid by the negligent driver’s insurance! There will be the ambulance expense, hospital bill, emergency physician’s fee, and more. If there was health insurance available, the health insurance will cover a portion of those bills leaving the patient’s portion of responsibility for the bill outstanding. Please note that the first offer of payment for bodily injuries by the negligent driver’s insurance will be unreasonably low. Most people want to resolve their case immediately and would accept this unjust offer without being properly compensated. Thus, always talk to an experienced personal injury lawyer who will fight for the true worth of your damages, have all bills paid, and all treatment completed before the case is closed forever.

tal liens and health insurance companies cannot touch any settlement through a person’s own insurance for reimbursement or subrogation purposes, as prescribed under the Texas Property Code. On the other hand, Medicare/Medicaid may be reimbursed for any payments made for an accident under not only the negligent driver’s auto insurance, but also through one’s own insurance settlement under UM/UIM and also, any PIP payments. However, all subrogation claims may be negotiated and reduced down when applicable. Thus, never settle without having a knowledgeable personal injury attorney on your side! About Mala Sharma Mala Sharma has been practicing family law and personal injury with her family at the Law Offices of Sharma & Associates, founded in 1997. Mala is President Emeritus of the Houston Northwest Bar Association, Board member of the Houston Trial Lawyers Association and South Asian Bar Association. She is also a member of the Houston Bar Association.

Further, once your attorney receives policy limits from the negligent driver’s insurance policy, you are also entitled to compensation from your own insurance, if you were not compensated sufficiently for your damages by the negligent driver’s insurance. This coverage is available through your own insurance if you have full coverage under uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM). You are also entitled to personal injury protection, in any event, if you have this coverage as well. Further, although hospitals and health insurance companies are allowed to recover their liens or expenses through one’s personal injury settlement against the negligent driver’s insurance, hospi-

Never settle with the auto insurance company for your bodily injuries without just compensation! When you are hit by a negligent driver, their insurance policy should pay all your medical bills depending on policy limits available. However, they will never offer you the correct value of all your medical bills as it is their job to

Disclaimer: This material is available for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. If you require advice on any particular legal question, you may contact Sharma & Associates at 281-893-8644 or by email at mala@sharmalaws. net to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

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Sharlene Sharmila Richards

Q: What is a public charge and how does it apply? A: For purposes of determining inadmissibility, the term ‘public charge’ refers to an individual who is likely to become primarily dependent on the Government for subsistence. This is determined by either the individual’s receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance or institutionalization for long term care. Q: The Government is introducing a new rule that if anyone who intends to become a permanent resident or even become a US Citizen, he or she will be prohibited from doing so if they took any public benefits. When will it take effect? A: On September 22nd, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security introduced a draft rule related to public charge. It is not law yet. This rule which seeks to expand the public charge application to prospective immigrants will probably take several more months before it actually becomes law. Q: What is the current law about public charge? A Currently, applicants applying for permanent residence or seeking Immigrant Visas from consulates abroad need to have an affidavit of support which is essentially a contract signed by the immigrant’s sponsor to financially support the immigrant so that he or she will not become primarily dependent on government for financial assistance. The existing rule is the intending immigrant cannot have used cash assistance such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), any state and local cash assistance programs for income maintenance (normally termed ‘State General Assistance) and institutionalization for long term care such as resi-

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT PUBLIC CHARGE dence in a nursing home or mental health facility at government expense. Under the current rule, an applicant for permanent residence will however not be penalized as a public charge for using Non-Cash Programs such as public housing, child care, disaster relief, Head Start programs, energy assistance or Health Care Benefits such as Emergency Medicaid, prenatal care, free or low cost medical care at health facilities, clinics and health centers (other than long term care at nursing home or similar type institution), the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and under Food Programs such as Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), school meals and other general food assistance programs.

consider the applicant’s credit report. It appears that in relation to benefits used, the proposed rule will not be retroactive if it becomes final - It will not penalize past use of newly included programs such as Medicaid, Housing Assistance and SNAP if they were used before the final rule goes into effect. Also notable is this - All affected individuals will be given a grace period of 60 days after the final rule has been published to remove themselves from the benefit program if need be.

Q: What is the proposed change to this existing policy?

A: No under the proposed rule, any listed benefits received by family members of the immigrant applying for permanent residence would not be considered in the public charge determination.

A: The proposed rule will define that someone is a public charge if he or she merely uses a government program specifically listed by the rule. The rule also expands the list of prohibited publicly funded programs and any past or current use of these listed publicly funded benefits can be taken into account as well. Under the proposed rule, past and current use of benefits such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP (also known as Food Stamps), Section 8 Housing Assistance and Low-Income Subsidy for the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit can be used as evidence that the applicant for permanent residence or Immigrant Visa applicant is inadmissible under the public charge ground. In addition, use of cash aid such as TANF, SSI and any state or local cash assistance program could also make the applicant inadmissible as a public charge. Further, immigration officers will be allowed to consider whether the applicant had in the past used immigration fee waivers and may also

Q: Under the proposed rule, if the immigrant’s family members receive the prohibited benefits, will that cause the immigrant to be denied his or her permanent residence as a public charge?

Disclaimer: Any advice provided in this article is general in nature and not intended to constitute legal advice for any specific case. Please consult with an immigration lawyer about the specific circumstances of your case. My Bio Sharlene Sharmila Richards is a licensed Immigration lawyer practicing in Houston, Texas. She is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2000 and is a member of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and a member of the US Supreme Court. You may contact her at telephone number 713623-8088 or by email at srichardslaw@aol.com to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.

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devalue your case. Further, if there was any health insurance payment on any bill, for a significant amount less than the original bill, the auto insurance will now only value your case at that reduced cost instead of the original bill. For example, if your hospital bill is $10,000.00 and your health insurance pays a contracted reduce price of $500.00, then the auto insurance will only pay you for your bodily injuries in the amount of $500.00, instead of $10,000.00. This significantly reduces the value of your case and therefore, how much you recover for your damages. Thus, do not sign any bodily injury agreement and never settle for less! It is highly advisable to hold off on using any health insurance to pay for medical bills in order to circumvent this issue so that your case is valued at its full potential.

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Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 16

The young Americans who are bucking the divorce trend

f you’re married and a millennial, then congrats are in order - the chances are your relationship will last longer than your parents’.

parents.

Between 2008 and 2016 the divorce rate in the US fell by 18%, according to a report from the University of Maryland.

Millennials are three times less likely to marry than their grandparents, but those who do tie the knot appear to be staying together.

The author put it down partly to people born between 1980 and the mid-1990s getting divorced at a lower rate than their baby boomer

“Marriage has become more selective, and more stable, even as attitudes toward divorce are becoming more permissive,” the report suggested.

So what’s the key to millennial marital bliss? Two couples in the early stages of their marriages tell us their love stories. get (insurance benefits, better tax rates, etc.),” Mehmet explains, echoing the pragmatism expressed by other millennials we spoke to. The couple say that establishing and expressing equality, even on their wedding day, was very important to them. “It helps our marriage flourish. We even walked down the aisle together!”

PEACE

ountries are talking about it. Religions support it. People want it. Laws are made to maintain it. We are talking about peace. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “There is no path to peace, peace is the path.” Our schools are making rules to practice peace, and our community promotes peace. Peace in School In my school, all my classes have a set of rules. These rules teach us to respect each other, and most definitely be kind. These classroom rules go without saying but they intentionally teach us how to be peaceful. In school, we have team sports. These teach each team player to cooperate, work together to play, and to figure out strategies. Peers help each other in everything, be it in academics, music or sport. We rely on each other, and support each other to succeed. With all these steps Conroe ISD schools definitely promote peace. Practicing Peace War begins when we harden our hearts. War is mostly what we think of, to obtain peace. It was what Hilter thought.

Mehmet and Jacquelyn, 31 and 33, live in New York City. They’ve been married for just over two years. (Photos courtesy the couples)

Mehmet and Jacquelyn Like many people we spoke to, Mehmet Alpaslan and his wife were together for several years before they married in 2016. After a year’s long-distance relationship in 2013, they moved in together when Mehmet, an astrophysicist, moved to California where Jacquelyn lived. Religious and social norms

used to make marriage virtually compulsory and - even recently - living together before marriage could raise some eyebrows. But now that many communities accept long-term cohabitation, why bother getting married? “We’re best friends, and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. “That being said, we certainly were also aware of the legal benefits that married couples

Jenny and Zack By the time she turned 30, Jenny Chan Greene had been through some “tumultuous” relationships, so she made a list

of what she wanted in a partner - “boisterous, sociable, and funny.” Months after she met Zack Greene in 2013, she carefully considered whether they

So Many Degrees. So Little Tuition.

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

He thought the only way to find peace for Germany was through war. Oddly enough, he was wrong. Inner peace is only found in pure hearts, hearts that won’t harden with the slightest mistake or grudge. One of the ways to practice peace would be to help out the community. Meditate yourself. No effort is too small to make a difference. Many great leaders used non-violence to achieve what they wanted, which was all for the betterment of the world. Mahatma Gandhi showed that peace ends suffering and oppression. Peace is not achieved by warring against an enemy but by bearing witness to wrong-doings and allowing sympathy and common humanity to do their patient work. Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa lived different aspects of peace, both of which were proven to be a viable way to achieve great things. People anywhere can celebrate the International Day of Peace. You can practice meditation by working with children and families to create peaceful ways of living and relating, helping out a neighbor, or even doing small acts of kindness.

- Article written by Urvi Adur, 13 years.

should live together: “I had read that relationships that slid into cohabitation without true intention would end poorly,” Jenny explains.

I feel that many modern marriages start later, when people have had a chance to learn from failed relationships,” Jenny suggests.

Having the independence and financial means to chart the course of their relationships marks out many millennials from previous generations.

The couple say marriage, rather than long-term cohabitation, was something they “needed”.

“It was crucial in helping me find someone I could respect, and could demand respect from. We joke that as a feminist, I don’t need a man but have one because I wanted him specifically,” she says. “Dating apps cycle people through matches very quickly and expose them to many more varying types and personalities.

“We wanted a ceremony and vows made to each other in front of our most treasured people. Some people are fine without labels, but in this age of “hooking up” and “swiping”, defining our relationship reminds us that this is steadfast. “Being married helped us to remember that we respect each other.” - BBC America

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VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

October is Learing Disabilities Awareness Month

Section 2

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Supportive Care on Hospice: The Kinder Way be 2 physicians who agree that it’s the right time for a patient to referred to hospice, the patient’s treating physician and the physician on hospice. Where is hospice located? Hospice can provide care where ever the patient lives. The team of nurses, social workers, and chaplains, directed by a physician, can make home visits to address the medical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the patient and family. Medications and medical equipment can be delivered to the home. A nurse is available, whether it is holidays or weekends, to ensure the patient and family have their questions answered.

Thuy Hanh Trinh, MD by Thuy Hanh Trinh, MD, Team Physician at Houston Hospice

ospice is a specialized kind of care with a team of people dedicated to supporting the patient and family when a patient has a life-limiting illness of six months or less. Who can receive hospice care? Patients with a prognosis of six months or less can receive hospice care. When further testing or curative treatments may cause harm or discomfort, then the patient and family may choose There needs to

What does hospice provide? Hospice provides supportive care for the patient and family. Benefits of having hospice care include medications for symptoms, like pain, nausea or shortness of breath and emotional and spiritual counseling for the patient and loved ones. The goal is to have the smallest doses of medications necessary for symptom management while having the patient be as alert as his/her body allows. One of the key benefits of hospice is bereavement support, in which the hospice may provide calls, mailings, and support groups for loved ones thirteen

months after the patient has passed away. When is the right time for hospice? When further testing or treatments may be more painful or harmful to the patient, or when the long emergency room visits or cumbersome intensive care unit stay are no longer beneficial, that is when hospice can provide support for the patient and the caregivers. How can a patient be referred to hospice? One of the most difficult decisions may be to choose hospice care, but it is a loving decision that can lead to more quality time for the patient and family in their home, allowing the patient and family to remain in their own surroundings. A call to the hospice office can be made by the patient, a family member, or a member of the medical care team. A referral from the patient’s physician is required to start the process of getting the patient and family the hospice care that can give them peace of mind that they never have to be alone, because a whole team of people are available to help them along the way, which is the kinder way.

Churches can help reduce heart disease: study Health workers operating at faith communities in New York City were able to significantly lower and manage hypertension

he path to reducing rates of hypertension in black communities may start in the church pews, according to a new study by New York City researchers. Specially trained community health workers operating within faith communities in New York City were able to significantly reduce and manage hypertension in black communities, compared with health education alone, according to researchers at the NYU School of Medicine. The results were published Tuesday in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes Journal. “What we found was that for the group that had the intervention, there was a significantly lower blood pressure reduction in them than the other group. In other words, that group had

a reduction in blood pressure by almost 6 points compared to the control group,” said Dr. Olugbenga Ogedegbe, an author of the study and professor . Blood pressure is measured in two parts: systolic and diastolic. Systolic is the pressure when your heart is beating, and diastolic is the pressure when it’s resting, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A healthy blood pressure reading is less than 120/80 millimeters of mercury (noted as mmHg), with the first number systolic and the second diastolic. High blood pressure is 140/90 or higher. For the new study, researchers split 373 people from 32 New York City churches into two groups. One, called the MINT-TLC group, attended 11

90-minute weekly group sessions focused on making healthy lifestyle changes. The sessions were run by members of the church acting as lay health advisers. These were followed up with three monthly phone calls updating one of the group leaders from the weekly sessions about their progress. The other group received one lifestyle session focused on high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, and 10 sessions given by health experts on another topic such as Alzheimer’s disease or fire safety. Members of this group did not receive motivational calls. The use of the church as a location is significant to Kiser, who is also a senior program director at the Interfaith Health Program at Emory, especially in a commu-

Comfort and Care Wherever You Need Us To Be If you have a terminal condition, help is available for several months, including expert physical, emotional and spiritual support for patients and their families. Doctors, nurses, chaplains, social workers, and hospice aides provide care wherever you wish: in your home, assisted living facility, skilled nursing home, or in our beautiful care center in the Texas Medical Center. 100% covered by Medicare for qualifying patients and paid for as long as the patient continues to meet the criteria necessary. Call 713-468-2441 or email us at info@houstonhospice.org for a free info packet.

Call any time, day or night: 800-630-7894 │ 713-467-7423 (713-HOSPICE) │ www.houstonhospice.org

nity that may not have a trusting relationship with health care. “Faith-based settings, they do tend to be sources of trusted information, and so when public health can align with those sources of trust in communitybased efforts, it strengthens disease prevention and health promotion activities,” she said. - CNN

How 2019 Medicare Advantage New Personal Care Benefit looks like

arlier this year, Congress and the Trump Administration for the first time allowed Medicare Advantage plans to offer their members non-medical supportive services such as transportation and home meals. As insurance companies begin to roll out their plans for Medicare’s 2019 open season enrollment, we are starting to see what these new benefits are going to look like. Relatively few plans will offer the supplemental services in 2019. Because the government issued guidance about what the plans could offer just a few months ago, insurers had little time to put together benefit packages. Their actuaries, who like to price policies based on experience, are working with a product that they know little about. Marketers are unsure which additional services will attract consumers. And, most of all, this is all very new and insurers are, well, cautious.

Sudhir Mathuria HEALTHLIFE 360 713-771-2900 choose one of the following additional annual benefits at no extra cost: • Up to 16 home delivered “healthy’ meals per health event, or no more than 64 meals per year. A qualifying health event may be a hospital discharge, or if a member is very overweight or has severe uncontrolled diabetes.

Early adopter But some plans have taken the leap. One early adopter is Amerigroup, parent company Anthem Inc., which will include additional benefits through two separate programs. Marc Russo, President of Anthem’s Medicare business, says he wanted to be a first mover. Take a look at Anthem’s benefit packages and the experimental nature of the effort is clear. Not all Anthem MA plans will offer the extra benefits, but the firm will make them available in a dozen states. They’ll be sold under different brands and offer two very different benefit models. In one, consumers will choose one benefit from a suit of six services. In the other, they’ll be able to access a full package of nine benefits. A program, called Everyday Extras, will be sold through Amerigroup in Tennessee, Texas, and New Jersey. Under either plan, members would

• Up to 60 one-way trips per year to health-related appointments or other covered services. • Up to 124 hours of support from a home health aide or similar assistance. • A $500 allowance for safety devices such as shower stools, reaching devices, or temporary wheelchair ramps. • Up to 1 visit per week for adult day services. • Up to 24 acupuncture and/or therapeutic massage visits. Limited, but revolutionary This experiment will answer some big questions over the next few years: For consumers, of course, the key is whether these relatively modest benefits will improve their quality of life. To choose right 2019 Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Supplement Plans with Medicare Prescription Drug plan contact Sudhir Mathuria at 713771-2900.

HEALTH

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

‘Catastrophic’ mental health changes tied to climate change: study

Researchers identify erectile dysfunction gene

by Josh Magness

ASHINGTON | AFP | Monday 10/8/2018 - Researchers have identified a genetic variant that is partially responsible for erectile dysfunction, a development that could help improve treatment, according to a study published Monday in a US journal.

EW YORK, Tuesday 10/09/2018 - On the heels of a United Nations report that warned we have until 2030 to stop climate change from raising temperatures above a key threshold, another study found that the increasing heat could also lead to a decline to mental health. Nick Obradovich, research scientist at the MIT Media Lab and co-author of the new study, warned of “catastrophic” dips in mental health for some if climate change causes the global temperature to increase by 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. “Our paper — when coupled with evidence that climate change may impact everyday human moods to severe outcomes like suicide — provides further evidence that exposure to heat, on average, worsens mental health outcomes,” Obradovich said, according to Inverse. The UN report says that, at the current rate, the world will witness a 1.5 degrees Celsius increase above preindustrial levels sometime between 2030 and 2052. For the study, researchers combed through a decade’s-worth of data from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, which had 2 million people self-assess their state of mental well-being. That data were collected from 2002 to 2012. Researchers say they noticed an increase of “problems with emotions” during 30-day periods that had temperatures averaging over 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Both people with low income and women were 60 percent more likely to have emotions tied to weather than those with a higher income and men, respectively, according to the study’s findings. More specifically, the study determined that there was a 0.5 increase in mental health difficulties for people in a month that averaged over 86 degrees Fahrenheit when compared to a month with an average between 77 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The study also found that a 1-degree Celsius increase over 5 years — or a 1.8-degree Fahrenheit increase — causes a 2 percent increase in mental health problems.

Men who have a copy of this variant have a 26 percent increased risk of facing erectile dysfunction compared to the average population, said the findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. A new study reveals the increase in declingin mental health and suicides when the average temperatures increase. (Illustration: Getty Images) Other studies have found a connection between suicide rates and temperature. Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, one study led by Stanford University economist Marshall Burke found that a 1.8-degree Fahrenheit increase in monthly average temperature causes a 0.7 percent increase in suicide rates in the U.S. and 2.1 percent increase in Mexico. “Surprisingly,” Burke told Medical News Today, “these effects differ very little based on how rich populations are or if they are used to warm weather.” But that’s not all: The study used climate change models to predict that anywhere between 9,000 to 40,000 suicides could be caused by climate change by the year 2050 if nothing is done to stop the rising temperatures.

And another study — looking at 17 years of data from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on heat waves and hospital admissions — also found an increase of people coming to the hospital for “self-harm” during warmer times of the year. Despite those findings, Obradovich concedes that even with his new study, “we can’t be sure” exactly why mood appears to be altered by weather. “It could be via the impacts of heat on sleep, on daily mood, on physical activity rates, on heat-related illness, on cognitive performance, or any complex combination of the above,” he said, according to Inverse. “Unfortunately, these processes are so complex that we can’t easily identify precisely which mechanism is driving our results.” - Mami Herald

Expanded HPV vaccination age will save money

ASHINGTON - A study by the FDA found the Gardasil 9 vaccination is 90 percent effective in preventing HPV, causing them to expand their age recommendation. “This is really important,” said Dr. Richard Deming, medical director at Mercy Cancer Center in Des Moines. “Most people don’t realize that about 50 percent of cancers in the United States are preventable.” Previously the vaccine was only

available up until age 26. Not all nine strains of HPV cause cancer, but Deming said getting the vaccine is a sure way to protect yourself. Deming said preventing cervical cancer by getting the vaccine is more cost-effective than screening women to find cancer. “This is really important,” said Dr. Richard Deming, medical director at Mercy Cancer Center in Des Moines. “Most people don’t realize that about

variant Jorgenson and his colleagues identified alone accounts for two percent of the risk. Obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease all have genetic components and are also linked to erectile dysfunction. “We know that there are other factors for ED including smoking, obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and men who address those factors can reduce their risk of ED,” Jorgenson told AFP.

The results were based on a database of 36,649 patients of Kaiser Permanente Northern California.

“Because the region that we identified in the human genome appears to act independently of those risk factors, developing new treatments that target the variation in this genetic location has the potential to help those men who do not respond to current treatment.”

The average population risk is of one in five men, according to a 2007 study in the United States, but the ratio increases sharply with age.

He noted that about 50 percent of men do not respond to erectile dysfunction treatments currently available.

About a third of erectile dysfunction risk is linked to genetic factors. According to the new study, the genetic

The study’s results were validated by studying a second database in Britain.

Those with two copies of the variant face a 59 percent higher risk, according to geneticist Eric Jorgenson, the study’s lead author.

SEVA CLINIC Health Promotion Day Saturday, Oct. 13th @ 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. V.F.W. Hall - 4202 W. Walnut in Pearland • Free Flu Shots While Supply Lasts • Free Vision Screening by UTHealth, McGovern Medical School • Free Diabetic Screening / Education Glucose testing, Review of medication, Dietary counseling, Blood pressure and Foot exam SEVA CLINIC is free charity clinic open every Thursday between 5.30 pm and 7.30 pm, no appointments needed; have to register by 7 pm. Location: 2335 N Texas Avenue, Pearland, TX 77581

50 percent of cancers in the United States are preventable.”

The HPV virus causes 43,000 new cancer cases each.

Deming said he is thrilled that the HPV vaccine is available to more people.

“Of those 43,000, we could prevent 90 percent of them if everyone was vaccinated,” Deming said.

“It is a really effective safe way of preventing cancer and saving lives,” he said.

Not all nine strains of HPV cause cancer, but Deming said getting the vaccine is a sure way to protect yourself. - KCCI TV

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VOICE OF ASIA 19

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

Home&Real Estate Why are homes being built in flood plains?

Concerned about rising mortgage rates? Borrowers have options

Houston Chronicle analysis finds one in every five new home permits in Houston is located in a flood plain.

OUSTON - In the year since Harvey, one in every five new home permits in Houston is located in a flood plain. Analysis from the Houston Chronicle finds more than 1,200 permits have been issued in the 100-year and 500-year flood plains since the storm. The results are that 1-in-5 new homes permitted in the year after Hurricane Harvey are located on a flood plain. Also, startlingly, new rainfall data showed existing flood maps understate the risk posed by strengthening storms. Many of these permits were issued to homeowners razing and elevating their flooded homes; more than 300 of the homes were approved on lots for which a demolition permit was issued after the storm. Others were issued to builders, many of whom tore down existing bungalows and replaced them with clumps of townhomes, packing more families into the flood plain. Still others were issued to developers building brand new subdivisions in areas that previously were open fields. In many cases, the homes complied with new city regulations designed to better protect life and property only when builders did so voluntarily. That’s because the rules the City Council approved in April — which extended regulations from the 100-year flood plain to the broader 500-year flood plain and required new homes built in those areas to sit higher off the ground — didn’t take effect until Sept. 1, more than a year after Harvey came ashore.

In Harris County, subdivisions like Wimbledon Champions Park (pictured above) see flood waters up to and enter into the homes. That’s the way the city is and it is only going to get worse, experts say. Mayor Sylvester Turner said the way forward is to build homes higher and improve the region’s drainage infrastructure, such as by adding more stormwater detention basins. “Houston cannot and should not abandon a third of the city to avoid flooding any more than San Francisco should abandon numerous established neighborhoods that could be affected by earthquakes,” Turner said. “Houston was founded on a system of bayous and the huge majority of existing development took place before flood plain maps existed. Now the maps are being redone, for good reason, meaning the lines will move — while residences will not.” Still, some civic leaders have called for the region to begin charting a path toward abandoning its flood plains, perhaps

by pouring billions of dollars into buying out tens of thousands of at-risk homes. Among them is Jim Blackburn, of Rice University’s Severe Storm Prediction Education and Evacuation from Disasters Center. Blackburn said what most concerns him is that local officials seem no closer to a long-term plan to manage Houston’s flood risk. Setting aside sufficient funds to do widespread buyouts when the next flood hits would help empty the flood plains, he said, by giving flooded homeowners an option other than perpetuating the cycle of rebuilding only to flood again. “No one is talking about flood plain development being dangerous — that it’s unsafe, it’s unwise,” Blackburn said. - NPR News

Black and White: a reemerging home design trend

Photo Source: (c) photoillustrator.eu / stock.Adobe.com

hile mortgage interest rates remain near historic lows, they have been slowly rising over the last year, increasing the cost of 30-year loans for borrowers.

of mortgage distribution for PNC Bank. “The opposite may also be true: it’s possible the rate will decline if market forces are pointing that way. The best advice is to check with your lender for the details.”

Home buyers concerned about higher rates have other options to consider: an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM), which provides an initial lower monthly payment, or a 15-year fixed rate mortgage, which has a higher monthly payment but reduces the amount of interest paid over the course of the loan.

What You Need to Consider

A Shot in the ARM An ARM typically starts out at a lower interest rate than the classic, 30-year fixed rate. After an initial period, typically five, seven or 10 years, the interest rate adjusts over the life of the loan. There are several different types of ARMs, but one of the most popular is the 7/1, which stays at the same rate for the first seven years and then adjusts yearly thereafter. “After the fixed period, the rate can increase each year, but the good news is that there are caps on how high that rate can go,” says Peter Boomer, head

Boomer said it’s important to know how long you expect to be in your home. “The national average is seven years before homeowners sell or refinance, which is why the 7/1 ARM is so popular,” he said. “If you expect to be in a home for fewer than 10 years, then you may want to consider an ARM.” Boomer suggests talking with a mortgage loan officer about whether an adjustable rate may save you money. Many people like the idea of that lower rate to start, while others prefer the peace of mind of a stable rate. For traditional mortgages, refinancing remains a viable option if interest rates fall in subsequent years. “It’s important to remember that mortgage rates rise and fall over time. It may be worth considering an ARM because over time there may be savings, as opposed to the cost of refinanc-

ing,” Boomer says. Look at your family, job, future and goals to decide whether this option makes sense. Your family may grow, you may get a new job and relocate, you may downsize for retirement or face other changing financial conditions. 15-Year Mortgage Another alternative is a shorter term fixed-rate loan, the most popular being 15 years. According to Boomer, while a 15-year mortgage will have a higher monthly payment than a 30-year fixed, the interest rate is typically lower and you pay back the principle faster, which means you can save money on interest over the length of the loan. “The good news for consumers is that there are many financing options available. Talk to your loan officer to discuss which best fits your situation,” he says. To learn more about borrowing options, visit pnc.com. Owning a home is on the path to keeping your American dream alive, and exploring your options can help you more easily achieve it. - StatePoint

An energy-conscious home gets woven into a waterfront landscape by Lucy Wang

assive solar principles, indoor/outdoor living, and a “forever home” mindset are combined in this elegant, art-filled property in Northern California.

lack and white always has been a classic color pairing, and this neutral palette has resurged as one of today’s hottest design trends. Whether your look is modern or traditional, knowing how to properly use black and white can provide balance and boldness to a home. Here are some tips to help integrate this trend into your space. • Create a Luxurious Living Room. They say the darker the wall color, the smaller the space feels -- but that’s not entirely true when black walls are paired with the right light accents. In the right instances, black and white go together like yin and yang, transforming living rooms into picture-perfect spaces. “You can either go heavy on the black, with black painted walls or wallpaper, or make it the accent color and opt for white walls,” says Danielle DeBoe Harper, interior designer and senior creative content manager at Moen, a leading manufacturer of kitchen and bath fixtures. “In a white-heavy room, include touches like artwork in black frames, a black fireplace or a black painted

floor and ceiling moldings. In a black-heavy area, use white trim and rugs to offset dark walls for a contemporary look, or organic wood accents to create a unique boho feel.” In modern homes, DeBoe Harper recommends incorporating a pair of bold buffalo check chairs or large scale black and white photos. For a more traditional approach, she suggests using silk black and white striped curtains, or painting the ceiling in a black and white herringbone design. • Turn up the Heat in Your Kitchen. Also known as entertaining central, your kitchen is the perfect location for some wow factor. The boldness of black and white will seriously impress your guests. “A lot of homeowners want the clean kitchen look, so they’re afraid to bring in a dark, dramatic color,” says DeBoe Harper. “In reality, incorporating black cabinets or fixtures into an all-white kitchen can give it an upscale, current feel that’s still streamlined -- and doesn’t require cluttering your countertops with accent pieces.” Consider combining a matte

black faucet, such as Moen’s Sleek kitchen faucet, with a white backsplash and counters, or mixing black bentwood café chairs around a modern white tulip table for a more eclectic approach. • Shower Your Bathroom with Style. Black and white can give your bathroom a clean, crisp look. Infuse black accents through a matte black faucet and coordinating accessories, like those from Moen’s Genta bathroom suite, or through black and white floor tiles in a geometric print. Towels also provide an opportunity to add texture and visual interest, whether it’s a modern floral or traditional houndstooth. For a seriously eye-catching shower, install black and white striped tile. Keep the bathroom’s walls white, so the tiles really pop, expanding the stripes to the ceiling to emphasize the height of your bathroom walls and make it feel bigger -- the thinner the stripes, the bigger the statement. “Integrating black and white makes your space feel sophisticated, yet playful and on trend,” adds DeBoe Harper. “Use these tips to achieve the ideal balance in your home.” - StatePoint

On the eastern edge of California’s Tiburon Peninsula, local firm Walker Warner Architects has designed Tiburon Bay View, a contemporary abode named after its sweeping vistas of the San Francisco Bay. The clients, a family with a penchant for art and nature, wanted a spacious home with room for entertaining and multi-generational living. To minimize the visual heft of the resulting 12,000-square-foot abode, the architects terraced the two-story property into the hillside. The series of low-slung horizontal volumes simulate the feeling of a compound. A natural material palette and large expanses of high-performance glazing further blend the architecture into the landscape. “Truly at one with the landscape, the home’s material palette of Aegean limestone,

The outdoor terrace is paved with honed basaltina. The teak outdoor sofas arranged around the fire pit are by James Perse. (Photos: Laure Juliet) western red cedar, zinc, and board-formed concrete make it feel one with its surroundings,” note the architects.

bay, the main residence is split into two levels with the main living areas on the ground floor.

Interior designer Nicole Hollis further emphasized indoor/ outdoor connections with a restrained, minimalist approach along with surface materials and custom furnishings that echo the exterior palette.

The architects add: “Inspired by the client’s appreciation for art and nature, the residence incorporates bold architectural moves that convey the element of surprise through unexpected spaces.”

Oriented toward views of the

- Dwell.com

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

VOICE OF ASIA 20

US ‘green growth’ pair win Nobel Economics Prize

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

New to Parenthood? Smart tech can help

by Pia Ohlin

TOCKHOLM, Sweden | AFP | Monday 10/8/2018 -US economists William Nordhaus and Paul Romer won the 2018 Nobel Economics Prize on Monday for constructing “green growth” models that show how innovation and climate policies can be integrated with economic growth. Working independently, they have addressed “some of our time’s most basic and pressing questions about how we create long-term sustained and sustainable growth,” the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said. The academy said their models, both developed in the 1990s, have “significantly broadened the scope of economic analysis”. The prize announcement came as the UN warned in a landmark report that an “unprecedented” transforma-

William Nordhaus, Sterling Professor of Economics at Yale University and the world’s leading economist on climate change, holds a press conference October 8, 2018 at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut after being awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences said. He later revealed how he got two phone calls before 6.00am (1000 GMT) but didn’t answer, thinking they

Complementing Nordhaus’s research, the jury said Romer laid the foundation for “endogenous growth theory”, which explains how ideas are

eing a new mom or dad can be tough. But smart tech is revolutionizing the way parents care for their little ones, alleviating common parenting worries, such as sickness, the baby sleeping through the night and proper feeding. Eighty percent of American adults use or would use smart products to help care

Image source: StattePoint.

for a new baby, according to a recent survey commissioned by leading faucet manufacturer, Moen and conducted online by Harris Poll in April 2018. The poll investigated what parents are anxious about and how smart tech can make their job a little easier. Why are smart home prod-

ucts so popular? From the bathtub to the nursery, smart technology can help parents keep their babies safer and provide peace of mind. With smart tech to the rescue, you too can enhance your parenting skills while spending more time enjoying your newborn. -StatePoint

Google says social network bug exposed private data

Yale University economics professor William Nordhaus appeared alongside Bill Clinton at the White House in 2000 tion of society and the world economy was needed to avoid global climate chaos. It said time was running out to avert disaster, noting that our planet’s surface has already warmed one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). “The policies are lagging very, very far -- miles, miles, miles -- behind the science,” Nordhaus, a professor at Yale University, told the Swedish Academy, referring to US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord. “We are actually going backwards in the United States with the disastrous policies of the Trump administration,” the 77-year-old added. “I think its really anomalous in the United States, this degree of hostility to environmental policy... all I can do is hope that we get through this without too much damage,” he told reporters at Yale, after teaching a class as normal despite finding out earlier he had won from his daughter. Romer, 62, a former World Bank chief economist now at New York University’s Stern School of Business, said he was confident the world could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and still improve standards of living in the future. - ‘Losing commitment to facts’ “We can absolutely make substantial progress to protecting the environment, and without giving up the chance for sustained growth,” he

would be telemarketing. Seeing they were from Sweden, he called back and found out he had won. “What’s a little bit troubling, even though I remain very optimistic about technological possibilities, is that it seems as though we’re starting to lose our commitment to the facts,” he told a news conference in New York. The jury said Nordhaus and Romer’s findings “have brought us considerably closer to answering the question of how we can achieve sustained and sustainable global economic growth.” Nordhaus was honoured for “integrating climate change into long-run macroeconomic analysis.” His “integrated assessment model” is now widely “used to simulate how the economy and climate co-evolve” and to examine the consequences of climate policy interventions, for example carbon taxes. Nordhaus’s research shows that the most efficient remedy for problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions is a global scheme of carbon taxes uniformly imposed on all countries. Countries refusing to take part in the scheme could be subjected to customs tariffs. - ‘Momentum’ “There’s a lot of momentum here, it’s like a super tanker, that it takes a long time to slow it down, but I think it’s something we can do,” Nordhaus said, asked if he was hopeful about reversing the effects of climate change.

different from other goods and require specific conditions to thrive. His research demonstrated how economic forces govern the willingness of companies to produce new ideas and innovations. Romer resigned from the World Bank in January 2018 after raising questions about how the institution was ranking countries. Both winners, tipped as Nobel frontrunners in recent years, will share the nine million Swedish kronor (about $1.01 million or 860,000euro) prize. Unlike the other Nobel prizes, which were created in the will of Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel and first awarded in 1901, the economics prize was started by the Swedish central bank in 1968 to mark its tricentenary. It was first awarded in 1969. The prize, which also consists of a diploma and a gold medal, will be presented at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10. The economics prize wraps up the 2018 Nobel awards season, notable this year for the lack of a literature prize, postponed for the first time in 70 years over a rape scandal that came to light as part of the #MeToo movement. The most highly anticipated Nobel, the peace prize, went to Yazidi women’s campaigner Nadia Murad and Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege for their work in fighting sexual violence in conflicts around the world.

AN FRANCISCO | AFP | 10/8/2018 Google announced Monday it is shutting down the consumer version of its online social network after fixing a bug exposing private data in as many as 500,000 accounts. The US internet giant said it will “sunset” the Google+ social network for consumers, which failed to gain meaningful traction after being launched in 2011 as a challenge to Facebook. A Google spokesperson cited “significant challenges in creating and maintaining a successful Google+ that meets consumers’ expectations” along with “very low usage” as the reasons for the move. In March, a security audit revealed a software bug that gave third-party apps access

to Google+ private profile data that people meant to share only with friends.

cessed did not include posts, messages or telephone numbers, a spokesperson said.

Google said it was unable to confirm which accounts were affected by the bug, but an analysis indicated it could have been as many as 500,000 Google+ accounts.

Google did not specify how long the software flaw existed, or why it waited to disclose it.

“We found no evidence that any developer was aware of this bug, or abusing the API, and we found no evidence that any profile data was misused,” Google said in a blog post. It was referring to application programming interface software for the social network. The data involved was limited to optional profile fields, including name, age, gender, occupation and email address, Google said. Information that could be ac-

The Wall Street Journal reported that Google executives opted against notifying users earlier because of concerns it would catch the attention of regulators and draw comparisons to a data privacy scandal at Facebook. Earlier this year, Facebook acknowledged that tens of millions of users had personal data hijacked by Cambridge Analytica, a political firm working for Donald Trump in 2016. “Every year, we send millions of notifications to users about privacy and security bugs and issues,” a Google spokesman told AFP.

Facebook launches AI video-calling device ‘Portal’ by Julie Jammot

ONDON, United Kingdom | AFP | Monday 10/8/2018 - Facebook on Monday launched a range of AI-powered videocalling devices, a strategic revolution for the social network giant in its bid for a slice of a market currently dominated by Amazon and Google. “It’s been a big shift for the company,” Facebook’s vice president of consumer hardware Andrew Bosworth told AFP before the launch of “Portal”. “We’ve seen a rise of video calling, on both Messenger and WhatsApp -- it has been a tremendous trend,” he said. The device, which will be available for pre-order in the United States from Monday, is designed to allow users to make video calls at home without having to stand immediately in front of the screen or hold

a phone at arm’s length. But the launch of a product putting a camera into homes is likely to raise privacy issues for the social media giant, which has suffered several data breaches this year involving tens of millions of user accounts. Although Facebook acquired virtual reality headset manufacturer Oculus in 2014, this is the first time it has developed a consumer hardware product in-house. - ‘Hey Portal’ Offering hands-free voice control, Portal comes in two sizes, a 10-inch screen which retails at $199 (173 euros) and a 15-inch version will go for $349. And to start the call, all it takes is: “Hey Portal.” During calls, it can also play music on Spotify as well as tell children stories via augmented effects app Story Time.

And it also comes bundled with Amazon’s voice interface “Alexa”, enabling users to shop or control household appliances. During a conversation, the integrated camera can automatically zoom out to include a second person, or be instructed to follow a certain individual as they walk around. Facebook has moved to quickly allay security fears, saying that by keeping the processes on the actual device rather than in the cloud, the risk of hacking is lower than with a smartphone or computer. Calls will be encrypted, and the AI technology runs locally on Portal, not on Facebook servers. It only sends voice commands to the servers after hearing, “Hey Portal”. The camera can be blocked by a cover and the device has a button for disabling both the lens and the microphone.

VOICE OF ASIA 21

‘Ten Years Japan’ film omnibus imagines post-nuclear future

CULTURE

by Mathew Scott

USAN, South Korea | AFP | Monday 10/8/2018 - Fears of a future clouded by nuclear fallout and state-sponsored mind control have been captured on film by a group of Japanese directors who were tasked with presenting their visions of where life in their country was headed.

“We have so many dimensions when it comes to social issues in Japan, we made it clear to the filmmakers we wanted their take on what exactly it is that they see as the problems,” explained Japanese producer Miyuki Takamatsu, who instigated the pan-Asian project. The five-part “Ten Years Japan” imagines citizens living underground to escape nuclear fallout –- but dreaming of life in the sun –- as well as coping under constant surveillance and with messages being transmitted into their brains via an implant. It also looks at how Japan might end up dealing with its rapidly ageing population, while other chapters focus on a daughter tapping into her deceased mother’s digital data, and on life in Japan during a future war time. The production features work from directors Chie Hayakawa, Yusuke Kinoshita, Megumi Tsuno, Akiyo Fujimura and Kei Ishikawa. “We wanted to discover new talent,” said Takamatsu. “We thought it would be a good challenge to see who could produce films for this difficult topic and here we are, we have found them.” The original film in the “Ten Years” series came out of Hong Kong in 2015 and painted a bleak picture of the city under Chinese control. It was fiercely political, coming on the back of the “Occupy” pro-democracy sit-in protests that brought the centre of the city to a standstill for 79 days in 2014. Despite a limited local theatrical release and condemnation by mainland Chinese authorities and their supporters in Hong Kong, the film was a major hit, picking up the top prize at the Hong Kong Film Awards. “Ten Years Thailand”, which premiered at the Cannes festival in May, drew on the talents of the likes of acclaimed director Aditya Assarat (“Hi-So”) and is primarily concerned with fears of censorship and state control, while “Ten Years Taiwan” debuted at the Taipei film festival and tackles social issues such as the threat of nuclear fallout and the hardship of rural life. The Japanese and Thai productions are slated for domestic release before the end of the year, while the Taiwanese film is set for a rollout in 2019. “Ten Years Japan” might lack some of its predecessors’ overtly politically charged bite but it taps into the talents of socially aware Cannes Palme d’Or winning director Hirokazu Kore-eda -- who has his drama “Shoplifters” up for Oscar consideration -- and is onboard as executive producer. It reflects Kore-eda’s trademark languid style, often to chilling effect, even though Takamatsu said the director allowed the filmmakers full freedom in terms of subject matter and of style. “Hong Kong had one specific problem as its focus, in Japan there are many things to think about,” said Takamatsu. “[Kore-eda] didn’t make any

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Living by the bow and arrow in Bhutan by Abhaya Srivastava

HIMPHU, Bhutan | AFP | Monday 10/8/2018 - Every weekend Bhutanese Pema Dorji channels his inner Robin Hood and aims for the bull’seye, but not without generous sips of the local brew and a legkicking dance and song routine. The likes of Dorji make up the vibrant archery scene in the small Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan where the traditional sport is a way of life for its 800,000 people.

The “Ten Years Japan” omnibus has made its world premiere at the 23rd Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), the region’s largest movie industry gathering, and it follows on from similar projects produced out of Hong Kong, Thailand and Taiwan.

Competitions are held across the country on various auspicious days each month before culminating in national championships attended by hundreds of raucous fans.

The five-part “Ten Years Japan” imagines citizens living underground to escape nuclear fallout. (Photo: BIFF) rules or give advice during production but he was involved closely in reading the scripts and advising on changes, and on getting the money needed together.” Veteran actor Jun Kunimura (know to Western audiences from “Kill Bill: Volume 1”) plays a role in “Ten Years Japan” and said the experience had opened his eyes up to the worries of Japan’s modern youth. The “Ten Years” project came to life over coffee at the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, in 2015 when the team from Golden Scene, which had distributed the original Hong Kong film, had been surprised by the positive – and inquisi-

tive – audience reaction to a screening. On Takamatsu’s suggestion, and with another producer in Lorraine Ma on board, they decided to take the idea regional – and they are now considering extending the franchise into other Asian markets. “It’s a great platform for the filmmakers to imagine what they think of the problems of their countries 10 years later,” said Golden Scene’s founder and managing director Winnie Tsang. “Different countries have different problems. Some of the problems maybe universal but we can see the different culture in each country.”

FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

“Alcohol and archery go hand in hand,” said Tashi Dorji, the research and development officer with the Bhutan Indigenous Games and Sports Association (BIGSA). “We drink to gain confidence. We have a belief that if we drink we can hit the target better,” the 25-year-old said, barely hiding a sheepish grin. The game they play pits two teams of 11 players each who try to hit the maximum number of bull’s-eyes on a fixed target a full 140 metres (yards) away. A war cry rings out each time the target is hit. Players in traditional “gho” dresses dance and sing folk numbers -- different ones for winning and losing. The crucial drink breaks see archers gulp down locally brewed whisky before locking horns again on the field where colourful flags flutter in the breeze.

In this photo taken on August 25, 2018, a Bhutanese archer aims at a target at the Changlimithang Archery Ground in Thimphu. (Photo: AFP / Arun Sankar) - Poison arrows The beloved national sport is steeped in legends about how bows and arrows were used to hunt prey and destroy demons and evil spirits. Stories also abound about how the Bhutanese fought the rifle-armed soldiers of the British army in the 19th century using arrows dipped in poison. Archery was popularised by the first king of Bhutan Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuk (1862-1926) and it continued to flourish under royal patronage through the years. But it suffered a decline after the reclusive nation decided to pursue economic development and open its doors to modernisation, eventually allowing in television in 1999. “TV made modern sports available, sports like football and volleyball which are cheaper to play. Suddenly there was competition for our traditional sports,” said Kinzang Dorji, president of the BIGSA.

“Children had a wider choice unlike the generations before them,” he told AFP. In addition, the advent of more advanced compound and recurve archery has meant Bhutanese archers used to traditional equipment made of bamboo reeds have struggled to find their feet in international competitions. Bhutan has sent archers to every Olympics since 1984 but a medal has eluded the nation. - Rivalry and revelry Some say the Bhutanese, who will vote in only the country’s third elections later this month, lack the fiercely competitive streak needed to do well in the sport. The likes of Ygyen Dorji beg to differ though. “The rivalry is quite intense. Opponents often plant women in the stands to distract the rivals,” said Ygyen Dorji, a mental health counsellor and archery enthusiast.

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The week ahead also has more intense overtones with a strong focus on your sector of finance and business. It’s possible to make progress to resolve any financial relationship issues as you go.

21 April to 20 May Your dreams are trying to tell you something over the weekend. Look up a symbol or theme that’s dominating your subconscious. Good things will happen, but perhaps not exactly when you want them to.

21 May to 20 June The most important challenge now is putting your needs first. If you’re primarily focused on the needs of others. A sweet energy supports good communication. Finish all you can.

21 June to 22 July You’re likely to seek ways to let your creativity shine. You need to use your emotions to make a living somehow. Thinking about products that everyone can enjoy will yield the best results for you.

23 July to 22 August Are you thinking of entertaining? Sociable retrograde Venus suggests that you’d better think very carefully about who you’ll invite because someone could be disappointed if they’re left off the list.

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23 September to 22 Oct Figure out what it will take to make you happy, Libra, because no one else is as dedicated to it as you should be. If a friend goes out of their way to hook you up with someone you end up liking, be sure to thank them.

23 October to 21 Nov The energy this time can see you being especially restless and not wanting to be told what to do. Be patient with anything that seems like a limitation. The Universe brings an opportunity to shine.

22 November to 21 Dec This period is all about the challenges when the Universe brings up all kinds of emotions, some of which may be valuable when it comes to making money. Your brain is releasing some of its most creative material.

22 December to 20 Jan What makes you tick in terms of your well-being? The coming period may bring an event or perhaps a set of symptoms that cause you to question the way you look after yourself. If you can do it better, then do it better.

21 January to 19 Feb You might also have a lot going on regarding your career or personal ambitions, with plans for expansion and taking your present situation to the next level. Go easy, though. Still, take those first steps to enjoying new experiences!

20 February to 20 Mar Changing your routine can lead to romance over the weekend, but being open to doing something new has to be a conscious effort on your part. Don’t be afraid to try something for the first time! Let things happen naturally.

ACROSS 1. Got some shuteye 6. Pop-ups, e.g. 9. Mound 13. String quartet instrument 14. Wisecrack 15. Batu Khan’s posse 16. Famous fabulist 17. *Number of World Series won by the Senators 18. Blue-Green scum 19. *One of two baseball teams to play for both leagues 21. *Home of team with most World Series titles 23. Reggae precursor 24. “The Man Who Mis____ His Wife for a Hat” 25. Have a bawl 28. Wing-shaped 30. Handrail’s main supports 35. It often runs deep 37. It cuts a furrow 39. Double, in French 40. Shakespeare’s tragic monarch 41. Sunny prefix 43. Notary Public’s mark 44. Run on a bank, e.g. 46. Building extensions 47. 18-wheeler 48. *One of two teams to win in its only appearance 50. Dutch cheese 52. Actors’ group 53. OK 55. *”____house Gang” nickname for 1934 World Series victors 57. *Fall ____ 61. *Baseball league award 65. Bald symbol 66. Bauxite, e.g. 68. Andrea Bocelli, e.g. 69. Walk like a peacock 70. *R in RBI 71. Old but in 72. Clothes line 73. Tennis divider 74. Are not

DOWN 1. Union foe 2. Sinister look 3. “What ____ can I say?” 4. Works the soil 5. Brown v. Board of Education city 6. ____ ‘n’ Andy 7. *He pitched the only World Series perfect game 8. Shorthand 9. Sacred 10. “Cogito, ____ sum” 11. Month of Purim 12. Sneak a look 15. Sold 20. Actor Fiennes 22. Long time 24. Streetcar named Desire, e.g. 25. Planktonic tunicate 26. 2018 movie “____’s 8” 27. Edible cannabis substance 29. Away from wind 31. Weak one 32. The Three Musketeers’ swords 33. Camel’s cousin 34. *Commissioner Emeritus of Baseball 36. Great Lake 38. *____ card 42. Missouri River tributary 45. Skeleton’s hiding place 49. Hit the slopes 51. “I think I can, I think I can...”, e.g. 54. Oak fruit 56. Expression of contempt 57. ____pool or ____pit 58. Like the White Rabbit 59. Taj Mahal city 60. Shantytown 61. Closely confined 62. A chip, maybe 63. Fate of Norse mythology 64. Turkey dance 67. Poe’s Morgue

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FRIDAY, October 12, 2018

Voice of Asia to host 2019 Indian American Nurses Legacy Award

he purpose of the Indian-American Nurses Legacy Award is to honor, recognize, award and to give the respect due to Indian American Nurses for their sacrifice and service. This will help the next generation to recognize the nurses who walked before all of us to this land of opportunity who are responsible for the rich life the later generation is enjoying now. If you are not a nurse, please help in reaching someone else you know who is deservng to be awarded. Please participate and support this noble act by registering your name in our form available online at www.voiceofasia.news. Koshy Thomas Publisher and CEO, Voice of Asia Group You can call me at 832-419-7537

Indian American Nurses Legacy Award (IANLA) Presented by

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Please forward this form to all your nurses contacts. Send form to: nursesawards@gmail.com or register online at voiceofasia.news. or simply email details to nursesawards@gmail.com For more information, please call: 713-774-5140. Submit form by November 30, 2018.

We request every Nurse who came till the end of 1975 to register. Name: ______________________________________________________________________________ Email: _____________________________________________ Phone No: _________________________ Place of Arrival: _____________________________________ Date of Arrival: _____________________

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