Voice of Asia E paper October 23 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 1

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Will Medicare Cover When You Need Health Care Outside the U.S.

Read more on Page 18 Call 713-771-2900

Over 27 years of dedicated service to the community Vol. 28 No. 43 Friday, October 23, 2015 • Published Weekly from Houston • 713-774-5140 24 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: voiceasia@aol.com

Indian Festivals, Dussehra and Diwali at Skeeter’s Stadium bring to life Lord Rama’s ‘Victory of Good over Evil’

by Somdatta Gangopadhyay.

Edited by Shobana Muratee SUGAR LAND – This year’s Dussehra and Diwali festival at the Skeeters Stadium on Saturday, October 17, scaled new heights when it went over the top with its visual impact: towering effigies and idols (including a 25ft tall Lord Hanuman), colorful fireworks, drama, parade under spotlights, streaming bazaar and above all a rock solid community turnout!

Dr. Arun Verma, Founder, Shri Sita Ram Foundation with Parade Marshall Consul General of India, Houston P. Harish at the Skeeter’s Stadium in Sugar Land, TX during the Diwali and Dussehra celebrations on Sat. Oct. 17, 2015. Photo credit: Tomas Ramos

“It is a challenging task to motivate an increasing number of organizations (over 70 this year and increasing each year) to focus on a common goal, produce a fabulous colorful show, interesting, culturally educative, distinctly full of energy, for all age groups,

nationalities and above all an example of unity of various faiths,” expressed Dr. Arun Verma, founder of the host organization, Shri Sita Ram Foundation. The celebrations were a collaborative effort of Shri Sita Ram Foundation and Orissa Culture Center (OCC) of Houston.

Continued on Page 10

The Orissa Culture Center (OCC) float during the grand parade at the Skeeters Stadium in Sugar Land on Oct. 17, 2015. OCC co-partnered with Shri Sita Ram Foundation in presenting the festivals. Photo credit Shobana Muratee.

Bathukamma: A festival celebrating life, gaining popularity in Houston

H

OUSTON: Bathukamma, “flowerful” festival of Dassera, was celebrated by record crowds at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple on October 17th, 2015. This year’s festivities, organized by the Telangana Association of Greater Houston (TAGH) Bathukamma committee, attracted over 2,000 people. The TAGH, a USA registered non-profit organization, was formed last year by the Telangana Non Resident Indians in greater Houston area, to preserve the cultural identity and contribute to its development.

Bathukamma, the state festival of Telangana, has gained widespread prominence among Telugu people because of their sociocultural and religious importance. Bathuku in Telugu means life and amma means mother. This celebration of life festival honors Goddess Gauri, the life giver, for societal prosperity and good wishes. The festival begins on the 1st day of Aswayuja (Ashwin) and ends on 9th day - Durgashtami.

Families come together and prepare Bathukamma - a beautiful flower Continued on Page 3

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OP-ED/COMMENTARY/ANALYSIS

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VOICE OF ASIA Publisher:

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W

hat is this Indian culture that feels threatened and slighted by a visiting Australian man sporting a tattoo of a Hindu goddess? What is this Indian culture that is so intolerant of people from other faiths, especially Muslims and Christians, who do not worship the same gods and who do not have similar food habits and tastes? And who exactly are the self-styled proponents, upholders and protectors of Indian culture?

The Australian’s shocking account, reported by this newspaper, described how a bunch of people in Bengaluru threatened him with dire consequences when they spotted on his shin the tattoo of goddess Yellamma — who is worshipped in parts of southern India, and who as the Mahabharata says was slain by

All over a tattoo her son on her husband’s orders for merely looking at the pleasing reflection in a river of a celestial flying overhead.

A policeman, instead of protecting the young man from the group, corralled him to a police station and got him to write out an apology. That this happened in a modern Indian city in this age and time should worry everyone.

Increasingly, cities are falling prey to vigilante groups whose views often represent everything that is reprehensible to real Indian culture.

Couples are yanked out of the privacy of their rooms by cops who hold the view that their being together is against the culture. Women are directed, by none other than an elected Chief Minister of a

State that boasts the worst sex ratio in the country, to shed their clothes if they desire freedom. Such bizarre views and outcomes appear out of sync with the dominant political discourse of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, which repeats the development mantra while many among its cadres go about preaching the message of cultural exclusion.

In this sort of toxic air where a band of puritanical elements threaten to stamp out everything that goes against their own understanding of Indian culture, voices of sanity have to make themselves heard loud and clear.

The ruling political class, if it seeks development, has to

talk to its people on the values of Hinduism as opposed to the backward-looking forces to which it extends tacit support. Indian culture must accommodate the view that gods and goddesses have their own particular traits.

Let them not be imprisoned behind concrete vaults and confined to rituals. Hinduism has thrived over the centuries because of its larger-than-life philosophy of accommodation and tolerance. Let not Indian culture be shackled — unless this country wishes to go down the path of Saudi Arabia where women have hardly any rights; unless it wishes to take the road travelled by the IS or the Taliban; and unless it wishes to shut off all discourse. The Hindu.

LETTERS

IN THE NEWS

Trouble over tattoo

Indian activists threaten to ‘skin’ Australian over tattoo

The apology forced out of an Australian youth for sporting a tattoo of a goddess (“All over a tattoo,” Oct. 20) was a demonstration of the spread of religious intolerance even to a tech hub as Bengaluru. Given the kind of violence being witnessed in the country, the 21year-old Matthew Gordon from Melbourne must thank his stars as well as the bunch of bigots, for whom the tattoo on his shin was a sacrilege, for having been spared the skinning.

Such incidents in India’s Silicon Valley are symptomatic of the larger social malaise of communalism and they cannot be overlooked or dismissed as ‘stray incidents’. It would be a lose-lose situation if the foreign tourists fear for their safety.

The right-wing ruling dispensation cannot go on chanting the ‘development’ mantra and giving tacit support to the socalled protectors of Indian culture at the same time, masking its duplicity.

G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Kanyakumari The Hindu

Not long ago the Australian Prime minister declared in parliament that the immigrant population must adhere to the prescribed dress codes and added that people not wanting to follow these are free to go back as Australia didn’t invite them. The same should apply to an Australian national when he visits other countries. All must remember the golden quote “Your rights stop where my nose begins”.

- The Publisher

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

B

ANGALORE, India | AFP | - Right-wing activists threatened to “skin” an Australian visitor who had a tattoo of a Hindu goddess on his leg, police said Monday, adding they were looking for the culprits.

Matthew Gordon was at a restaurant in the southern city of Bangalore with his girlfriend on Saturday when around a dozen activists from the ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party began harassing the couple.

They said a tattoo of the fertility goddess Yellama on his shin offended their religious sentiments, and ordered him to remove it.

Bangalore deputy police commissioner Sandeep Patil said Gordon told officers at the station that the men had threatened to skin his leg if he did not.

“I was relieved to see a policeman, but much to my shock he started to blame me, and said, ‘This is India and we are insulting Hindus’,” Gordon later told The Hindu daily.

“He then took me to the sta-

tion... we were forced to sit there for three hours. They let me go only after I gave an apology saying I will cover this tattoo.”

Tensions between Gordon and the activists only eased after the 21-year-old tourist wrote a letter of apology addressed to a local police inspector in which he agreed to cover up his tattoo while in India.

However, police said Monday they had obtained CCTV footage of the incident and were taking it seriously. “(We) will act against them (the activists) if they are guilty,” Patil told reporters.

Offending tattoo ... the image on Matt’s leg.Source:YouTube spending three years in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Critics say right-wing Hindu extremists have been emboldened by the BJP’s victory in a general election last year.

He said he had another tattoo on his back of the Hindu elephant god Ganesh that took 35 hours to complete.

In August a leading scholar who had spoken out against idol worship was murdered in Karnataka state -- where Bangalore is located -- after receiving death threats from Hindu hardliners.

“These tattoos mean a lot to me. I’m not sporting them because of their exoticism. I know the mythology and the values of the gods inked on me,” the paper quoted him as saying.

Gordon, a law student, told The Hindu he had a strong attachment to the faith after

Australia’s High Commission (embassy) said it was concerned about the incident and was speaking to local authorities.

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FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

VOICE OF ASIA

Second Front Page

OMMUNITY

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Bathukamma: A festival celebrating life, gaining popularity in Houston

www.voiceofasiaonline.com

JVB Preksha Meditation Center’s grand Annual Day celebrates 16 years in Houston

The intricately woven Bathukammas are displayed before Goddess Gauri. After the offerings are made, ladies gather in a circle and dance around Bathukammas singing songs.

Continued from page 1 stack, arranged with seasonal flowers on a plate like base, in several concentric layers, of potter’s clay like a cone.

The popular flowers used in the preparation of bathukamma include Gunugu, Tangedu, Lotus, Alli, Katla, Teku, and other local blooming flowers.

This year over 100 Bathukammas were specially made for the occasion by the participating families. This is an arduous task as it requires time and effort to prepare Bathukammas and to transport it to the large stage exclusively made for the occasion at Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple. Houstonians showcased their passion and creativity for the event with their colorful Bathukammas; some were small and cute while others were large and impressive. The event festivities started

The center stage was decorated with flowers and other puja items for Goddess Gauri, the life giver.

The Bathukammas were placed on the stage around Goddess Gauri.

This stage became the center of the festivities for the evening. The event started at 6:30 pm with a Gauri puja by the resident priest of the Sri Ashtalakshmi temple, by invoking Goddess Gauri, the life giver, for societal prosperity and good wishes. People gathered around the Bathukamma stage to participate in this community event to receive the blessing of Goddess Gauri.

The festivities picked up gear with pre-recorded Bathukamma songs.

All women and girls in colorful and festive sarees and dresses danced as a group around the Bathukammas supported by men cheering. As the

Gauri¸ patron Goddess of womanhood while describing stories of common woman, their dreams and aspirations.

The festive songs and lively comments energized the participants over two hours.

Hon. Consul General Sri Harish Parvathaneni¸ the special guest for the evening, expressed his appreciation to the participating families and organizers for maintaining Indian culture and heritage. The event chairs, Veerender Reddy and Anita Devireddy, thanked the volunteers and team leads for various activities ranging from food to stage set-up. The organizing committee thanked individual donors and participants that contributed immensely to the grand success of this free event.

Finally, nimajjanam (water immersion of the Bathukammas) was done at a specially arranged pool at Sri Ashta-

Acharyas Shri Tulsi and Shri Mahapragyaji of JVB Preksha Meditation Center by: Seema Jain “The efforts of the past become the fate of the present and the future.”

-Acharya Shri Mahashraman 6 years ago in Houston, JVB Preksha Meditation Center opened its doors to envision the untiring efforts of Acharya Shri Tulsi & Acharya Shri Mahapragyaji to spread Preksha Meditation among masses of all religions. Today, JVB is proudly pioneering in serving the entire community with weekly classes, programs and special events to fulfill this dream and growing by leaps and bounds.

1

To celebrate JVB’s 16th Anniversary of presence in Houston & 6th Anniversary at the current Center located @ 14102 Schiller Rd, JVB patrons once again graced the occasion with families bringing Bathukammas to the temple. Organizers made arrangements to take family portraits by a professional photographer for each family with their Bathukamma. All participants also received a gift as a token of appreciation.

evening progressed, the circular group dances expanded with synchronized dancing with hand claps. These dances are similar to Garba dances which are performed during the Navaratri festival but have a typical southern flavor and style. The songs praised Goddess

lakshmi Temple. The evening ended with traditional Mahaprasadam (dinner). It was a delicious ending for a great outdoor event! This is the sixth year in a row that Houston successfully celebrated Bathukamma Sambaralu!

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The TAGH is reaching out to the community for organizing such wonderful events and festivals. They are actively seeking support and memberships. Please email at taghgroup@ gmail.com or visit http://www.tagh. org/

by actively participating in the 2 day festivities which started on Saturday, October 10th & concluded on Sunday, Oct.11th The Annual 2- day event started with the cultural program on Saturday evening under auspicious guidance of Samani Parimal Pragyaji & Samani Maryada Pragyaji. They recited the Navakar Mahamantra and JVB’s Vicepresident, Seema Jain welcomed the community members. The highlight of the celebration was two drama skits aptly crafted and directed by Samani Maryada Pragyaji along with the parent volunteers. Young & Talented kids of JVB Gyanshala ages 4-14 stormed the stage with their performances and won the accolades from the audience.

A short video tribute of the exemplary achievements and contributions of 25 years of JVBI Deemed University, based in Ladnu, India was also showcased to the audience. This one of a kind, University is serving as a beacon of commitment to provide highest quality of educational services to the utmost satisfaction of the students Continued on page 11

K. V. Doraiswamy Bhattar 281-489-0464 or 281-948-8368 kvdoraiswamybhattar@yahoo.com | kvdoraiswamy60@gmail.com

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) 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.

VOICE OF ASIA 4

COMMUNITY The People’s Lawyer

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Vibrant Ramleela 2015

www.peopleslawyer.net Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

You can’t threaten to sue on an old debt Q. I defaulted on a retail jewelry contract in Florida in 2003 for a total of $1721. I am suddenly receiving phone calls from a debt collector threatening to have me served court papers to sue me.

He says the debt now is just under $6000 with interest. He told me unless I make arrangements immediately, I will also owe lawyer’s fees and court costs when they sue me. He said if I pay $500 right away he would make it all go away. This sounds like a scam to me. Can they sue me twelve years later?

A. There are laws in every state governing how long you have to file a lawsuit. They are called statutes of limitations. If the store or debt collector were to sue, it would be for breach of contract. I believe the limit to sue is five years in Florida; it is four years in Texas. After that time, if they were to sue, you would have the right to have the lawsuit dismissed.

I suggest you let them know the debt is barred by the statute of limitations, and you believe threatening to file a lawsuit that is time barred violates federal debt collection laws. They have the right to ask you to pay, and you still owe the money, but their threats to sue are unlawful.

Q. Can my apartment complex lock me out if I am late paying rent? I was only a few days late with the rent and had to live with a friend.

A. Under the law, a landlord has the right to change the locks when you fail to pay rent. He must, however, make a key available to you to come and go 24 hours a day. To have you evicted, the landlord must file an action is justice court, where you will have a hearing, and it will ultimately be the constable who does the eviction. In my opinion, the landlord had no legal right to lock you out until you paid rent.

Q. My parked car was hit by a drunk driver. The driver didn’t have any type of insurance. I only have his name and a police report, which states he had no license or insurance. Can I sue him if he cannot be contacted?

A. If a person driving a car causes damage to your car, he is responsible regardless of whether he has insurance. If the damage is under $10,000, you can file a claim against him in justice court.

The problem, however, may be serving him with papers and collecting after you win. The police report should have an address, and if it is his correct address that is where he can be served.

If the name or address he gave police is incorrect it may be very difficult to locate him. If he had a driver’s license, he could lose it if he did not pay the judgment. In other cases, it may be difficult to force him to pay. The bottom line is that this situation shows the importance of having full insurance on your automobile, including uninsured motorist coverage.

Q. I have a small estate. I am thinking about writing my own will. Is a handwritten will valid?

Does it have to be witnessed or notarized?

A. A handwritten will, called a “holographic will,” is valid in Texas. Basically, all that is required is that the will be written completely in your own handwriting. A holographic will cannot be typed or printed. Unlike other forms of wills, a holographic will does not need to be witnessed to be valid. There is no requirement in Texas that any form of will be notarized. Most wills are notarized, however, because this makes it easier to probate the will.

Although a holographic will is simple and legal, in my opinion it is generally not a good idea.

One mistake can end up costing your loved ones a great deal in time and money. Many attorneys will prepare a simple will for a very reasonable fee, and online wills, such as those available at LegalZoom, are also very inexpensive. As far as I am concerned, this is money well spent.

Do you want to know more about your legal rights? Visit my website, www.peopleslawyer.net.

VISIT US ON: www.voiceofasiaonline.com for more articles on legal issues

Presenter Kusum Sharma, in the ‘Swayamvar of Ram and Sita’ scene of the play Ramleela.

by Runmee Barbara Photos by Anusha Rajagopalan

O

n 18th October, a visually opulent, hotblooded melodramatic entertainer with exquisite dance sequences, special effects and power packed performances stole the hearts of hundreds of Indians.

The 11th Ramleela production by Kusum Sharma’s “Shri Natraj School of Dance” (www.shrinatraj.com) was done in association with “Kalakriti Performing Arts” (www. kalakritiusa.org) and choreographed and di- A scene from the drama Ramleela, a production of Shri Natraj School of rected by the multi-tal- Dance in association with Kalakriti Performing Arts. ented Kusum Sharma.

Ramleela, literally meaning of Vishnu and Vishwamohini. delightful visual splendours “Rama’s Play”, is a perfor- The Swayavar scene is always that left the audience spellmance of the epic Ramayana in very grand and colourful with bound. The show was characthe form of a series of scenes garba dancers, confettis, fire terized by extravagant set dethat include song, narration, re- works, flower petals and a fes- cors and each of the characters cital and dialogue. Ramleela is tive mood set on stage. It’s a was brought to life by brilliant particularly focused on enact- moment of jubilant climax and performances and powerful dialogues. The audience were ing the battle between Rama the audience enjoyed it too. and Ravana, the epic battle In 2nd half, Ram’s journey constantly engaged in the narbetween good and evil. Ram- from Ayodhya to Vanvas life is ration. What made the play leela’s dramatic force stems filled with a variety of signifi- enjoyable throughout was the from the succession of icons cant incidents and situations. beautiful choreography with representing the climax of each Several scenes are played out colorful compositions and scene. to explain their deeper sig- compilation of each scene with detailed set design, props and The inauguration and light- nificance. The scene with the highlighted story lines. boatsman Kewat helping the ing of lamps took place at The lead characters were the start of the show. Kusum exiles cross the Ganga was Sharma gave an introductory well played, as was the scene played by Vipin Sharma as speech along with a tribute to when Ravan (Hari Sriram) Ram and Kusum Sharma as one of the founders of Kalakriti dances in indignation and an- Sita. Their gestures were fasPerforming Arts Late Sh. Pad- ger after he learns from his cinating ,pure, deliberate and sister Surpanakha of the in- real. makanth Khambatti. dignity Lakshmana(Prashant Alpana Khanna managed the The show opened with a Kumar) has bestowed upon vibrant devotional dance on her. The Lankeshwar dance stage, orchestrating the per“Deva Shree Ganesha”. It was in Bharatnatyam style at formers and curtain operations progressed with full energy Ravan’s darbar followed by a with brilliant coordination. when the dancers played with Shiv tandav dance which was Rajpal Hodekar did a wonderthe Lezium and Lord Ganesha an outstanding performance. ful job handling stunt and pyro technicians. Ketan Mistry from evolved in the middle.

The dancers were dressed in Mandap Creations managed Many new elements were Black and white costumes. UV the production team and on added into this year perfor- lights were flashed and mostly stage set ups. mance. The plot remains the the moves and hand styles In today’s lifestyle, the same but many new elaborat- were being seen which exerted ed episodes are added in this great energy to the ambience. growth of the mass media is year’s Ramleela. We saw Shiv Naagpash was a rare sight as we leading to a reduction in the (Played by Shyam Moorthy) saw some real snakes crawling normal audience for the Ramand Parvati (played by Nikita on the actors. The sight of Ha- leela plays. Kusum Sharma Khambe) in conversation in numan Sena lead by Hanuman has kept this tradition alive in the heaven. They were narrat- (Dharminder Dargan) with a a foreign land for the past 11 ing and discussing about vari- group of children dressed as years with a hope to educate ous plots and their significance monkeys of different sizes and enlighten the young genin Ramayana. The birth of baby looked overwhelming. Ravan’s eration. She is supported by Ram and baby Sita was also death by Ram’s arrow is suit- numerous generous sponsors , community leaders & 100+ lovery appealing. In the first half, ably strong and agonizing. cal talented artists who take out Narayan Dashavatar scene was The show ended when the valuable time from their busy eye catcher with Lord Vishnu royal couple Ram and Sita toat the centre and the ten Dasha- gether appeared on the stage everyday lives for over three vatars of Vishnu entered from for the “Ram Rajyaabhishek”, months to present this grand each side of the stage making the coronation of Ram as the Ramleela to keep our culture it a beautiful visual treat to King of Ayodhya. All the per- and heritage alive in Houston. the eyes while Narayana song formers along with volunteers We must feel proud to be a part played in the background. Two were on stage and the exhila- of it and enjoy our rich culture swayamvar scenes were en- rating audience applauded to at a distant land. We look forward to another grand show for acted. The Swayamvar of Ram the happy ending. next year. Till then do good, be and Sita and the swayamvar Like every year, Kusum got good… Jai Shri Ram!!

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 5

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Chinmaya Mission Houston showcases a festive Navaratri Garaba

By Vinod Sharma Photos By Jayesh Mistry, Rajesh Thatte and Satish Byali

C

hinmaya Mission Houston‘s Navaratri celebration at the Stafford Civic Center on Friday, October 16, was a grand event. Over 1200 member families and their friends gathered together to spend the evening immersed in all the elements that make the social aspects of Navaratri memorable – the happy interactions, resonating music, energetic dance, and sumptuous food.

Most visible of all was the celebration of immediate and extended family; what a treat it was to see infants, toddlers, pre-teens, teens, young adults, parents and grandparents in one grand ballroom, sharing the fun and frolic of the festival! As the evening began, families were greeted in a foyer decorated with flowers and were ushered into a grand hall by volunteers.

There they were surrounded by music and by familiar faces.

Some visited with friends, and others joined the Garaba dance chain that was becoming a large swaying circle around the altar. The atmosphere grew increasingly colorful and vibrant – as did the number of smiles, hugs and handshakes – as families continued to arrive. It was time to catch up and many connected with friends old and new; others lingered to simply relax and take in the scene.

Little did the gathering know that they were to be soon captivated by a Sanedo – an affectionately themed dance drama that originated in the villages

Acarya Gaurang Nanavaty celebrated his birthday on that day. of Gujarat. Chinmaya Mission Houston lyricist Uma Agarwal and vocalist Ruchira Shah had created a Sanedo in Hindi that celebrates the life of our Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda. That poetic musical mix of story time and dance time had the majority in the room on their feet.

Ladies doing the traditional dandiya/ Garaba dance .

Without missing a beat, the dancing and music segued into aarti when the congregation prayed to Amba Ma – the Goddess of Navaratri, led by our beloved Acarya Gaurang Nanavaty and Acarya Darshana Nanavaty. The devotional singing of the accomplished singers beautifully transformed the social gathering into a spiritual one, united in the oneness of the moment. And then, the mood of the group took on the spirit of a family celebration with the Chinmaya birthday song to celebrate Acarya Gaurang Nanavaty’s birthday. After that significant feature, the GaChildren having their share of fun dancing.

SLPD to Target Highway Safety during Halloween

S

UGAR LAND, TX Sugar Land police will target drunk driving and speed compliance during the upcoming Halloween holidays from Oct. 23 through Nov.2.

The holiday enforcement is

funded by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) through a Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) grant.

The STEP grant is administered through H-GAC and

provides overtime funds for enhanced DWI holiday enforcement that builds on a year-round speed compliance initiative. Holidays traditionally result in more accidents caused by excessive speed and the consumption of alcohol.

“Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs often results in poor decisions, erratic driving behaviors and excessive speeds that lead to traumatic accidents,” said Sgt. Daryl Stroud, of SLPD’s traffic divi-

sion. “You are putting your life and the lives of others at risk.”

Convicted first-time DWI offenders face penalties that include fines up to $2,000, six months in jail and loss of driver’s licenses for up to a year.

raba party was back up in full swing.

As if on cue, energetic and vibrant bhangra music started, and dancing resumed. By then, the dance floor was packed even as some used this time to break for dinner. Following a delicious dinner and some rest from the very vigorous bhangra, the crowd heard the dance music change, and it was time for all to collect their dandiyas.

The grand hall was packed to capacity with dancers forming parallel rows, in which they then skipped, twirled around, sashayed, and playfully tapped their partners’ dandiyas, all in joyful rhythm. The room was filled with toe-tapping, finger-snapping music, hearty laughter and good will. As the Garaba continued, the clicking of dandiyas sounded like the ticking of a giant clock. The, singers, dancers, and accompanying musicians competed to showcase their stamina – each group performed to outlast the other. As that evening of Navaratri concluded, the picture of children, teens, young adults, parents, and all friends on the dance floor made the social and spiritual celebration merge into one big dedication to Ma Amba – in a beautiful celebration of oneness and togetherness.

For more information about Chinmaya Mission Houston, please visit www.chinmayahouston.org

VOICE OF ASIA 6

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 8

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Neil Bush’s Distinguished Lecture focuses NRI billionaire on IACCGH’s 2016 Educational Initiative Manoj Bhargava to

by Manu Shah packed room of 140 members and guests welcomed Keynote Speaker Neil Bush at the Distinguished Lecture organized by the IACCGH on October 13th at the Hess Club.

Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia welcomed the gathering and drew attention to an IACCGH Educational Initiative to be launched next year.

The initiative would enable deserving students in Houston to intern at a Company that has a base in India and the US to get an overview on how business is conducted in two different cultures. The Executive Director also acknowledged the leaders in the room representing different organizations.

President Ashok Garg, in his introduction, stated that as a society as well as a migrant community, we prize education.

However on joining the Literary Advance of America, he was shocked to learn that there is “a literacy crisis” in Houston among both children and adults.

He lauded the Keynote Speaker for his “championship of literacy” and continuing the legacy of service that the Bush family is noted for and congratulated him for being the recipient of the prestigious 2015 Impact Award presented by Volunteer Houston recently.

Neil Bush and his wife Maria founded and co-Chair the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation which is dedicated to increasing literacy rates of Houstonians of all ages. He is also the Chairman of Points of Light, an organization that is trying to change lives through the power of volunteerism.

Neil Bush commenced his address by speaking of the “darkness that’s flying under the radar.” He was referring to the number of people who are stuck in poverty and live in conditions where there’s injustice, higher levels of crime and teenage pregnancies with little hope for self-improvement. According to the Keynote Speaker, this “darkness was weighing on our society in a big way.”

Literacy, he continued, is an

A

issue that was first championed by his mother, the Former First Lady Barbara Bush because she believed that a person who could not read could not realize their fullest potential and would always “be chained to the cycle of poverty.”

Citing some “overwhelming” statistics, Neil Bush stated that there’s one book at home for every 300 children living in poverty, 60% of kindergarten kids enter school ill prepared to learn, 24% of third graders failed the STAAR Reading Test and 20% adults in Houston are functionally illiterate which means they cannot even fill out a job application form.

distribute stationary bikes to power homes

Keynote Speaker Neil Bush delivering IACCGH Distinguished Lecture Series. Photo credit Bijay Dixit.

According to Bhargava, the bikes will keep lights and basic appliances going for an entire day with just one hour of pedaling. Photo credit BBCL.

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OUSTON: An IndianAmerican billionaire plans to distribute 10,000 stationary bikes to India in a bid to provide electricity to millions of homes.

By 2016, Manoj Bhargava plans to test the first 50 bikes in 15 or 20 small villages in Uttarakhand, before larger distribution of the bikes.

Attendees at the IACCGH Distinguished Lecture series on Oct. 13, 2015. Photo credit Bijay Dixit.

Describing this bleak assessment of the city’s literacy levels as a “human rights issue,” he stated that this affects not only the individual but all of us as it leads to higher crime rates and higher costs related to healthcare, welfare and education.

On a brighter note, the Keynote Speaker also spoke about the positive work that was being done to combat this issue by the 1000’s of nonprofit organizations and the millions of volunteers that act selflessly to lift others.

He offered some concrete ex-

amples of organizations that are “serving on the frontlines of the literacy crisis,” such at Books between Kids, Literacy Advance of Houston, Read Houston Read and CYCLE. Stressing the idea that “we need to think and act more strategically, collectively and urgently”, he cited progress in Houston through the area wide Early Matters Coalition and neighborhood coalitions like the one in Independence Heights. He also urged the gathering to volunteer and “join the army to combat illiteracy” by going to www.connect4literacy.

org to sign up with a qualified organization.

Shell’s VP Fred Whipple proposed the vote of thanks where he expressed his appreciation for the service that the Bush family is doing for communities everywhere and stated that the lecture had “truly inspired him to become a better person.”

IACCGH will be hosting a Women’s Mentoring Event featuring Francene Young, former VP Shell and current Pastor on October 28th. For more information, please visit iaccgh.com

According to Bhargava, the bikes will keep lights and basic appliances going for an entire day with just one hour of pedaling.

“This is going to affect a few billion people,” Bhargava said.

The main challenge for Bhargava is expected to be distribution.

While he doesn’t intend to give the bike away, he’d prefer to incentivise distributors with profits.

He says a village can also pool its resources, buying one bike but multiple batteries that can be swapped out to power individual homes.

Manoj Bhargava is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder and CEO of 5-hour Energy, the company which markets the energy shot.

Michigan-based Bhargava whose family moved to the US in 1967, is set to distribute 10,000 free electric battery- equipped bikes in India in 2016.

The 62-year-old billionaire is also the creator of the famous 5-hour Energy drink.

Several practical inventions created by 100-or-so engineers at Bhargava’s Stage 2 Innovations laboratory in Farmington Hills, Michigan, are based on relatively simple technologies that have been around for decades, but adapted to be more compact, mobile or efficient, USA Today reported. PTI

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Indian Festivals, Dussehra and Diwali at Skeeter’s.....

Continued from page 1

ous occasion of Ratha Yatra. The Aga Khan Society and the Wells Fargo were among some of the others who added to the richness and diversity of the parade. The horse-drawn carriage procession by Wells Fargo which was led by four white horses added elegance to the parade.

With setting sun, the stadium lights shone brighter showing a packed stadium. At the entrance, welcoming all was the gigantic orange idol of Lord Ganesha, the dispeller of all evil. Before Him was a delicate rice rangoli (floor art) of Shri Sita Ram that was a treat to many eyes.

Deeyas (4000 LEDs) were seen moving in circular motion the dark as the religious rituals inaugurated the Maha Arti, offering worship to Goddess Lakshmi and Ganesh A splendid firework show added sparkles to the moment which followed thereafter the Maha Arti. Effigies of Kumbh Karan, Ravan and Meghnad were burnt so as to symbolize the destruction of evil force. Toward the end was also a lucky draw for a free trip in the US.

The chanting of Lord’s glory inside the temple built for the event paved the route to a spiritual journey enveloped by an aroma of bhakti (devotion). The rice rangoli of Shri Sita Ram was a treat to many eyes.

The cultural show was opened

by Sangeeta Dua, host, TV Houston followed by a bhajan performance by the ISKCON of Houston and then a dance by Radharani Dance and Tippani and Garba Raas by the Natya Upasana Dance Academy. A costume competition for little children dressed mythological characters was one of the highlights. The Kathak Nritya Kala Kendra who showcased their Krishna and Bangla dance performance was introduced by Dr. Nik Nikam. Shweta Arora, emceed part of the show introducing the performers of Ashirwad -A Blessing, who presented Durga. Media sponsors including Koshy Thomas, publisher, Voice of Asia were among them the honored. Grand Sponsors were Wells Fargo Bank and the Nova Asset Management and sponsors of in other categories were duly recognized on the occasion.

“It is time consuming but when done with devotion towards it becomes easy, satisfying and wanting to do more of it to please Lord Voice of Asia publishers Mrs. Moani Thomas and Ram. We try our best,” Dr. Verma had to say Koshy Thomas were honored as Media Sponsors. about the success of the event.

The grand entrance to the pavilion. Photo by Shobana Muratee. other accessories from the vendors displaying their wide range of collection. Apart from salwar kurta, there were other varieties too like lehnga choli, salwar kameez and many other dresses.

Food vendors including the wellknown Hot Breads, Bawarchi, Saravaana Bhavan and some others catered with their mouthwatering food like dosa, medu vada, paneer bun, pav bhaji,

India. Vedic Temple of Katy followed next who also invoked the spirit of religiousness which was followed by the Jalaram Temple, Houston Ratha Yatra organized by the Orissa Culture Center (OCC) which enlightened the air with the traditional classical Odissi dance as the members also shared the story of the trio Balaram-Jagannath-Subhadra going to visit their aunt on the piMedia Sponsors being honored by Arun Verma and Dr. Sen. Photo credit: Tomas Ramos

ISKCON of Houston kirtan group were a major part of the celebration with their non-stop kirtans.

The gave a fitting finale to the show. Phot by Shobana Muratee.

The Wells Fargo’s horse drawn chariot at the parade. Photo by Shobana Muratee. biryani and the list would go on.

Devotees also had the opportunity to refresh themselves with ‘prasadam’ (offering from the Lord).

Children had the opportunity to exercise their right to enjoy to the fullest with free balloons, face painting, petting Zoo as well as an active fire truck from the city of Sugar Land which kept ICC members were volunteers at the Clean Ganga Fund booth. them entertained throughout the US Congressman Al Green, evening. ‘I’m making sure that Sugar Land Councilman Harish the children don’t miss India. On Jajoo, City of Stafford Councilbehalf of India House, I’d invite man Ken Mathew were among all Houstonians to be a part of the dignitaries present who gave our community Diwali celebratheir greeting on the occasion. tion on November 1st at the InThe mythological play Ram- dia House.’ said Dr.Virendra leela was a window to the au- Mathur, Trustee India House. dience to understanding the The much awaited grand paancient heritage of the Hindu rade begun as processions were religion. Performers dressed in carried on by Shri Meenakshi colorful costumes presented the Temple Society, Houston Mastory of epic Ramleela while harashtra Mandal who appeared celebrating the victory of good along with drum beats and huge over evil. The audience which pomp and grandeur. Among comprised of all age groups was others, there were Shri Gurusitting spellbound by the perforvayurappan Temple, Shri Sita mance of the Ramleela as it conRam Foundation, the Gayatri tinued and let the sky echo with Parivar, Houston Baptish Uni‘Har Har Mahadev’ chants. A versity (HBU) who appeared classical Indian traditional dance dressed in blue and beige. A loud performance added variety to the cheer from the audience along cultural evening. ‘Shri Sita Ram with the announcements as to inFoundation has provided an troduce each organization added amazing opportunity to the Inliveliness to the evening. Bollydian American and mainstream wood Shake and their procession community of Greater Houston added color to the moment folto experience the rich and glorilowed by Gauriya Govinda Math ous tradition of Ram Leela and as they proceeded with ‘Haribol’ celebration of Dussehra in India. chants. The graceful dance perFor many young participants of formance embodied by ISKCON the Mela, this is a formative exin their procession did bring deperience of rich Indian Cultural light in the hearts of many as the traditions . It was heartening to audience created rhythm through that many temples of the city their claps as they were also encame together to celebrate and couraged to chant ‘Hare Rama mark the victory of Good over Hare Krishna’ as the procession Evil.’ said the Indian Consul continued. ISKCON celebrated General. its 50th anniversary this year and The crowd also had the oppor- in the parade had large banners tunity to shop some ethnic Indi- of Srila Prabhupad, Acharya and an dress as well as jewellery and founder of the movement outside

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 11

JVB Preksha Meditation Center’s grand Annual Day ......

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

MTS celebrates Navarathri highlighting Suvasini Pooja

team of 7 local singers and musicians performed. Ayush Kanhare, One of the youngest star performer was the cynosure of all eyes as he kicked off the musical evening with his Tabla skills. Hemantji & Daksha Bhavsar, Prernaji shah, Surenderji Talwar, Diptiji Kanhere mesmerized the audience with their soulful Bhajans supported ably by Nishadji Kanhere on Tabla & Narendraji Sanghavi on Harmonium. No effort was Children gave their finest performances

Devotees packed the Main temple to witness the Suvasini Pooja

by Bhargavi Golla

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JVB Chairman, Shri Swatantraji Jain leading the members in aarti.

Continued from page 3 and give them an opportunity to cultivate an integrated personality backed by spirituality and moral values. The practice of pragmatic principles such as anekant, non-violence, tolerance and peaceful co-existence are the noble ideals of this Institute. Samani Parimal Pragyaji did the “Udbodhan” and addressed the audience with her powerful message. She emphasized the importance of progress in life and how it has less to do with the speed and more to do with the direction.

She also explained that JVB is a Journey, a place for exploring spiritual progress of Life. JVB is the inspiration to develop moral conduct & equanimity.

If one stays detached from material possessions, then he/she becomes the part of natural system (law of nature) where only

Prosperity, Success, Honor and Solutions prevail. Samanijis too recognized the precious efforts of each & every community member associated with JVB since its inception.

Later, JVB Chairman, Shri Swatantraji Jain delivered a “Thank you” speech and appreciated the tireless efforts of JVB President, Nikhil Jain, all the members of the Executive Committee and the volunteers for all the events throughout the year. He acknowledged the enthusiasm with which JVB Gyanshala kids & parents performed. He also broke the news of buying the adjacent property to accommodate the future expansion plans of JVB premises.

The climax of the cultural program was a much awaited Bhajan program where the star

spared and the result spoke for itself.

The Sunday morning started early with Adhar Abhishek Pooja of Bhagwan Mahavir by Reverend Shri Jayesh Khona (from California) followed by Aarti. Adhar Abhishek is a very sacred ritual ceremony of offering 18 different types of Abhishek with holy water (mixed with various sacred substances). Several devotees took the labh of this special, once a year Pooja. Once again, humble & dedicated volunteers won the heart of several by serving delicious lunch thereafter.

JVB Preksha Meditation Center envisions a blissful and peaceful society through Preksha Meditation, Yoga and education of Non-violence. For more information please visit www.jvbhouston.org

avaratri is a Hindu festival of nine nights dedicated to the worship of the goddess Shakti, as the emanating power, the essence and the creative manifestation of the Supreme Being. The tenth day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or Dasera.

It was the day on which evil was finally destroyed by good. During these nine nights, the mother goddess is being worshipped in nine different forms. The spectacular display of Golu (kolu) is an essential feature during Navarathri in south Indian tradition.

The MTS Navarathri Cultural Event commenced on the first day with an exciting and enthusiastic performance by the students of the Vedic Heritage School. The bhajans flowed gently under the guidance of Bhavani Iyer. The performance was coordinated by Mahesh Iyer, the MTS Vedic School director as he took the effort of assembling and creating this delightful exhibition. A very special guest appearance of Vidwan Erode Nagaraj (a very talented mridangist and a disciple of Palladam V. Ramachandran and

Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman).

The cultural programs were off to a successful start of the Navarathri festival.

At Sri Meenakshi Temple, in the midst of an expansion construction, Navarathri was celebrated during October 13th through 22nd, with beautiful alankarams every day and the Golu is beautifully displayed.

The goddess is being worshipped in nine different alankarams for Sri Meenakshi and Sundareswara on oneside and Sri Padmavathy and Sri Venkateswara on the other; the elaborate alankara’s include on day1 of navarathri Tuesday the Oct 13th, the Alankaram was Sri Raja Rajeswari and Sri Vaikunta Nathan, on day2 Anna Purani Devi and Sri Lakshmi Narayana, on day3 Sri Dakshinamoorthy and Sri Venugopalan, on day4 Sri Meenakshi Pattabhishekam and Sri Kalinga Narthana, on day5 Sri Meenakshi Digvijayam and Sri Navaneetha Krishna, on day6 Sri Meenakshi Thirukalyanam and Sri Nachiyar Thirukolam, on day7 Sri Meenakshi giving the Nectar of Wisdom to Thirugyana Sambandar and Sri Rama Pattabhishekam, on day 8 Sri Mahisasura Marthini and Sri

Vamana Avatharam and day 9 Sri Meenakshi Performing Siva Puja and Sri Saraswathi.

On Friday, October 16th, the Suvasini Puja was conducted beautifully inside the main temple by the eminent priests of MTS. This Puja for women is performed on a Navarathri Friday every year by MTS. The program included Abhishekam and Lalitha sahasranama Archana for Sri Meenakshi and special Alankarams for Utsavamurthis followed by Manjal Kumkum distribution to ladies. The main temple was packed with devotees chanting Lalitha sahasranamam. The major attraction for the evening was 300 colorful sarees, which were given to the Puja sponsors. Prasadam was distributed at the end of the puja and a light dinner was provided

by MTS. The Navarathri cultural program show casing local talent was put together by the cultural director Mala Gopal; Sasi Pillai coordinated the daily Navarathri Poojas on behalf of RAC. As the devotees pray to the Goddess in all three forms Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi, we wish the readers a Happy Navarathri. (Contribution to article by Adhi Gopal).

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VOICE OF ASIA 13

Section 2

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FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Tel: 713-774-5140

Breaking tradition, India’s child brides fight for freedom

by Annie Banerji

which says it is the only charity working to annul child marriages after winning its first case three years ago.

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ODHPUR, India - University student Santadevi Meghwal has been threatened, harassed, ostracised and even fined by a council of male elders in her village in India.

Trust head Kriti Bharti recalled stumbling on the littleknown provision in India’s anti-child marriage legislation that permitted annulments.

But the 20-year-old is determined to push ahead with annulling her child marriage, and join a small but growing number of youngsters in northern India rejecting the ancient tradition.

“Child marriage was like a huge, dark room. And in it, we found a ray of hope in a small law,” said Bharti, sitting behind her desk in a room decorated with awards and certificates for her work.

Meghwal was only 11 months-old when her elders married her to a nine-year-old boy from a neighbouring village in the desert state of Rajasthan, where rates of child marriages have long been high.

She recalls seeing her husband for the first time aged 16, when a friend, whose family had attended Meghwal’s ‘wedding’ when she was a toddler, pointed out a drunk man hurling abuse outside their school.

Indian uinversity student Santadevi Meghwal, (left)), a victim of child marriage, with her friend.

(AFP Photo/Money Sharma).

- Health problems -Every year, on the holy day of Akshaya Tritiya, authorities crack down on underage marriages.

The festival, usually in April or May, is an auspicious time across India for weddings, including those between children.

“I asked them, why did you marry me off like that? I was so innocent and I didn’t even realise what happened, I mean, how old was I?,” she said, sitting on a bench in Jodhpur University, where she is finishing her final year of arts.

The custom is particularly strong in Rajasthan, a popular tourism destination, where politically powerful village councils, comprising men of the same caste, have an iron grip over social and moral life.

But a small number of youngsters there are fighting back, seeking annulments to marriages they never agreed to, with

Granted with the consent of both parties and proof of their age, annulments also avoid the stigma of divorce for women.

Meghwal is hopeful of eventually winning an annulment despite the fact her husband, with whom she has never lived, staunchly opposes one, and has threatened to abduct her.

“My friend turned to me and said ‘look, that’s your husband’,” Meghwal said, describing how her heart sank as she raced home to confront her parents.

Although illegal, millions in India are married as children in a deep-rooted tradition in mostly poor and rural areas. Nearly 50 percent of women, aged 20 to 24, say they were married before the legal age of 18, government figures show.

Bharti, whose charity has helped annul 27 marriages in Rajasthan, said annulments were favoured over divorce, as they were generally quicker and required less paperwork.

University student Santadevi Meghwal, a victim of child marriage, poses with a photograph of her wedding ceremony in Jodhpur (AFP Photo/Money Sharma) the help of a local NGO and government crackdowns.

Meghwal was supposed to move in with her husband when she turned 17. But instead she has fought a three-year battle against her council, and turned away her in-laws when they came to fetch her.

Meghwal’s defiance had ter-

Police in Rajasthan together with social workers often conduct raids on villages to break up ceremonies, and pressure priests, wedding-card printers, caterers and tent operators to say no to families wanting to

hire them.

Such campaigns, along with government cash incentives for families who defer marrying their daughters until they are older, have helped lower the overall numbers.

But Joachim Theis, UNICEF’s chief of child protection in India, warned the challenge was still huge and needed a national approach given the enormous population.

Parents continue the practice in the hope their daughters will be cared for financially by their in-laws. Parents also opt for marriage to avoid daughters having pre-marital sex, still considered taboo. They also believe unmarried girls are more likely to become victims of sexual abuse.

But the results are devastating, especially for girls, who often drop out of school to cook and clean for their husbands. Teenage wives also suffer health problems from giving birth too early and their underweight babies are more likely to die.

“The girl has less education, has greater difficulty in raising their own children, is more vulnerable to violence, so it’s this chain reaction that has multiple effects,” Theis said.

Meghwal, who hopes one day to become a teacher, says her dream is to prove to her community that she alone is in charge of her life.

“I will get married some day but only after I complete my education and stand on my own two feet,” she said, her eyes welling with tears.

rible consequences, with the enraged council barring her and her family from taking part in village life in Jodphur district.

It also slapped her father with a 1.6-million rupee ($24,000) fine which as a mason he could not afford to pay.

- ‘Ray of hope’ -Meghwal turned in May to Sarathi Trust

Indian uinversity student Santadevi Meghwal, (3rd R), a victim of child marriage, attends class at her college in Jodhpur (AFP Photo/Money Sharma)

LEISURE

VOICE OF ASIA 14

Cookbooks: a recipe for success in publishing world

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Chilling: Company plots Halloween killing with Trump masks

In this Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015 photo, a worker airbrushes a mask depicting Republican presidential candidate, real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump, in the Caretas REV costume maker plant, in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The company, which ships its costumes to Mexico and the U.S., is gearing up for the Halloween season with two new and very popular products: The Donald Trump mask, and the El Chapo costume. (AP Photo/Tony Rivera).

J

Chef demonstrates for visitors Frankfurt Book Fair. AFP photo.

by Marie JULIEN

F

RANKFURT, Germany - Visitors to the Frankfurt Book Fair are greeted by images of aromatic spices, mouth-watering desserts and beaming chefs as cookbooks, once a niche segment, take the publishing world by storm.

“Twenty years ago, cookbooks were hidden, cookbooks were not respected,” said Edouard Cointreau, president of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. “You had to be specialist and if you were specialised, you never went very far in a big publishing house.”

But nowadays “people need comfort in a world that has become more and more difficult with crises. And cookbooks are one of the ways to be happy.

Cookbooks are to dream, to feel good, to travel,” Cointreau said.

In the sprawling exhibition halls hosting the world’s biggest book fair until Sunday, the Gourmet Gallery is dedicated exclusively to cooking, with recipe books on display from all over the world.

A stand from Gaza sits alongside one from Israel, there are books ranging from Russian specialities and Indonesian dishes to the secrets of celebrated French cuisine maestro Alain Ducasse.

- A trend in Iran Cookbooks are a runaway success in almost every corner of the world, including Iran.

“Five years ago, our market was not like that, but now, cookbooks are more popular in Iran,” said chef Samira Janatdoust, presenting her own books despite Tehran’s boycott of the fair sparked by an appearance from British-Indian writer Salman Rushdie, author of “The Satanic Verses”.

In such a crowded global market, it is often difficult to stand out.

Sofia Piqueras, an artist from Barcelona, offers eye-catching one-off editions with handmade covers decorated with aromatic herbs and spices.

“There are definitely trends emerging all over the world,” said Pixie Shields, international rights director at Marabout (Hachette Livre), one of the

big players in the sector.

Particularly en vogue at the moment are books on healthy eating, on vegetarian and vegan cooking and recipes for kale dishes or green smoothies.

People tend to go for brightly presented books, full of photos, which they can show off in their kitchen and leaf through occasionally, said Shields.

For most people, cookbooks are like glossy fashion magazines.

“Statistically, people cook between one and three recipes from a book,” she said.

Among the other trends, Cointreau points to manuals on increasingly specific themes, such as cupcakes, reqional cuisine, but also cookbooks for children and self-published books.

- Stagnating French market Cointreau said the annual market for cookbooks is estimated at around six billion dollars and is growing at between three and five percent, with television programmes the prime growth driver.

IUTEPEC, Mexico - Considered Mexico’s prime villains, Donald Trump and fugitive drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman are Halloween stars in this country, with a company seeking to make a killing with masks of the infamous duo.

The latex mask with the Sinaloa cartel boss’s signature mustache and a black-and-white striped prison uniform sell for $30 on the Internet and some shops in Mexico City.

The market is also still very much for printed rather than electronic books, he said.

But growth can vary from country to country. In France, for example, the market appears to be running out of steam, at least for now.

According to the specialist magazine Livres Hebdo, around 1,760 new cookbooks or new editions appeared in 2014, which represented a stagnation compared with previous year, after the segment had notched up consistent growth between 2006 and 2012.

In Germany, books on food and drink make up around 28 percent of sales of what are generally classified as guide or instruction books. But that proportion has also remained unchanged for the past two years, after growing consistently in the preceding years.

Grupo Rev says it has already sold 2,000 Chapo disguises and is making another 1,700. The masks take an entire day to make at the factory in the central town of Jiutepec.

“There’s a little bit of criticism but we are Mexicans and we find laughter in tragedy,” Maria del Carmen Navarro, a Grupo Rev design engineer, told AFP. While Mexico celebrates the Day of the Dead in November with flowery altars in honor of their ancestors, the Halloween holiday on October 31 has also become increasingly popular.

So Grupo Rev has found another character to make some cash from this Halloween.

Trump, the Republican presidential hopeful, has become one of the most hated people in Mexico since the billionaire real estate tycoon made inflammatory remarks about immigrants, declaring that the Latin American country was sending rapists and other criminals to the United States.

Grupo Rev has made just 250 Trump masks so far and has yet to set a price, but the company is confident that it will sell just as well as “El Chapo.”

HEALTH, SC & TECH

VOICE OF ASIA 15

Cancer drug shows promise against Parkinson’s disease

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ASHINGTON, AFP - A cancer drug may be helpful in improving memory and motor skills in patients with Parkinson’s disease, according to preliminary research presented at a US medical conference this weekend.

The trial at Georgetown University involved 12 people who had Parkinson’s or a related condition called Lewy body dementia.

All 11 who completed the trial using the drug nilotinib -- marketed by Novartis as Tasigna, which has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for leukemia -- showed improvements in movement and mental function by the end of the study, according to the findings presented at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Chicago.

For some, the gains were dra-

matic, particularly those who were treated early in the course of their disease. One person who had been confined to a wheelchair was able to walk again, researchers said. Three others regained their ability to speak and hold conversations.

“To my knowledge, this study represents the first time a therapy appears to reverse -- to a greater or lesser degree depending on stage of disease -- cognitive and motor decline in patients with these neurodegenerative disorders,” said a statement by researcher Fernando Pagan, a Georgetown University associate professor of neurology.

“But it is critical to conduct larger and more comprehensive studies before determining the drug’s true impact.”

The drug appears to work by clearing toxic proteins in the brain.

India’s food safety watchdog banned the noodles in June, saying lead levels exceeded statutory limits.

But the Bombay High Court, the highest judicial body in the western city now known as Mumbai, overturned the ruling two months later and ordered fresh tests.

“All the 90 samples, covering six variants, tested by these laboratories are clear with lead much below the permissible limits,” the Swiss food giant’s Indian unit said in a statement.

Nestle India, which has continued to sell the product in other countries, added that it

hoped to return the brand to Indian stores as soon as possible, saying it had “always maintained that Maggi noodles were safe”.

“In compliance with the orders of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court, we will now commence manufacture and will start selling only after the newly manufactured products are also cleared by the designated three laboratories,” the statement read.

The doses used were much smaller than the amount used to treat cancer -- which is up to 800 mg daily -- and patients experienced no major side effects.

The study was designed to test safety, and did not compare the drug to other treatments or to a placebo.

The drug is costly, however.

The 800 mg daily dose used for cancer treatment costs $10,360 per month, according to the researchers.

Larger clinical trials with nilotinib for patients with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s could begin as early as 2016.

as well as traces of flavour enhancer MSG (monosodium glutamate).

Spreading antibiotic resistance could have disastrous consequences for patients undergoing surgery or chemotherapy, a study said Thursday.

In the United States, up to half of infections after surgery and over a quarter of infections after chemotherapy are caused by organisms resistant to standard antibiotics, researchers found.

A 30-percent reduction in the efficacy of preventive antibiotics given to patients undergoing these procedures could result in 120,000 infections and 6,300 infection-related deaths each year in the United States alone, they predicted.

Nestle’s Indian arm has estimated that its run-in with Indian regulators will cost them 3.2 billion rupees ($50 million).

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India imposed a nationwide ban on Maggi noodles after inspectors found excessive levels of lead,

Nestle had sold the product for over three decades in India, and had 80 percent of the country’s instant noodle market before the ban.

“This is the first study to estimate the impact of antibiotic resistance on broader medical care in the United States,” Ra-

At the same time, however, bacterial resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics is increasing at an alarming pace.

The study, published in medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, is the first to examine the extent of rising resistance to preventive antibiotics.

A team led by Laxminarayan

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IAMI - Dogs may have become man’s best friend in Central Asia, specifically in what is modern day Nepal and Mongolia, researchers said Monday.

Shares in Nestle India shares rose almost eight percent on the Bombay Stock Exchange following the news.

Antibiotics are routinely given as a precautionary measure to patients undergoing surgery and cancer treatment, to prevent infection.

“Early detection may be the single most important factor in successfully treating breast cancer,” says Dr. Arlene Ricardo, breast surgeon, affiliated with Memorial Hermann Southwest. “It’s important for women to know their bodies and trust their instincts when you think something may be wrong.”

Nestle has said it does not use MSG in its Maggi products sold in India, but that glutamate is a naturally occurring substance and may be present in some of the ingredients.

“We are committed to reintroduce our beloved Maggi noodles at the earliest,” it added.

“A lot of common surgical procedures and cancer chemotherapy will be virtually impossible if antibiotic resistance is not tackled urgently.”

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women of all races according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pet dogs originated in Nepal, Mongolia: study

In August, the court in Mumbai called the ban “arbitrary” and said it violated the “principles of national justice”.

manan Laxminarayan, director of the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy in Washington, said in a statement.

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OUSTON - Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital is shining a pink light on Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In addition to pink ribbons wrapping each tree on campus, pink lights will shine at night from the hospital’s towers through the month of October.

It criticised the company for failing to include MSG in the list of ingredients.

Antibiotic resistance threat to patients: study Paris, France | AFP | Thursday 10/15/2015 - 23:01 GMT | 309 words

Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital Goes Pink for October

Patients were given nilotinib, a treatment for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), in escalating doses of 150 to 300 milligrams over the course of six months.

Nestle says fresh tests show Maggi noodles are safe MUMBAI, India | AFP | Friday 10/16/2015 - Nestle said Friday that laboratory tests ordered by an Indian court had found its popular Maggi noodles were safe to eat, paving the way for their return following a government ban.

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

reviewed data from clinical trials conducted between 1968 and 2011.

They found that 39 percent of infections after caesarean sections, and 50–90 percent of infections after rectal prostate biopsies, were caused by organisms resistant to common antibiotics.

Just over a quarter of infections after blood cancer chemotherapy were resistant.

In a comment also carried by The Lancet, Joshua Wolf of the Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis said the study “describes a future in which patients who need surgery or chemotherapy can no longer be protected from lifethreatening infections by antibiotic” treatment.

“All clinicians have a responsibility to prevent this situation from becoming our patients’ reality.”

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Dogs evolved from Eurasian gray wolves at least 15,000 years ago, but just where and how they made the historical leap from roving in packs to sitting before human masters has been a matter of debate.

Aiming to resolve a longstanding mystery about where dogs were first domesticated, the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sci-

ences described itself as the “largest-ever survey of worldwide canine genetic diversity.”

The team, led by Adam Boyko at Cornell University, analyzed more than 185,800 genetic markers in some than 4,600 purebred dogs of 165 breeds, along with more than 540 village dogs from 38 countries.

The analysis “suggests that dogs were likely domesticated in Central Asia, plausibly around modern-day Nepal and Mongolia,” said the study.

“Domestic dogs may have originated in Central Asia and spread to East Asia and be-

yond.”

Some archaeologists have long believed Central Asia was a likely origin for domestication of dogs, but genetic studies have been lacking.

Still, the study cautioned “we cannot rule out the possibility that dogs were domesticated elsewhere and subsequently, either through migration or a separate domestication event.”

More study is needed to confirm the findings, and to determine whether these early dogs were just scavenging scraps from hunter-gatherers, or if they were assisting in the hunts.

VOICE OF ASIA 16

Section 2

Young Life

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Austin and Clements High School football teams donate breast cancer shirts SUGAR LAND—(October 20, 2015) — Two Fort Bend ISD high school football squads recently made generous donations to the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital’s breast cancer patients.

Football athletes from Clements High School and Stephen F. Austin High School donated a number of postmastectomy, pocketed shirts.

The shirts are specially designed for the unique needs of women who have undergone a mastectomy; they will be given to patients over the next year.

“All of us at the Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital admire the selflessness, generosity and kindness that these young men have demonstrated through their donation,” said Maria Socci, breast care navigator. “Their donation will enable us to provide these special shirts to our patients free of charge as a show of support from the community for their fight against breast cancer.”

Clements Head Coach Keith Knowles began the effort three years ago, when his team captains wanted to use a portion of the money they raised to buy post-mastectomy shirts rather than more football equipment.

“I always try and teach our players the importance of giving back to the community,” said Knowles. “We are fortunate to have a great deal of support, and this is one way we can pass it along. I am amazed every day at the character and quality of our young men.”

Austin Head Coach Dan Schreiber said he was im-

pressed when his team captains suggested they use some of their funding for the postmastectomy shirts.

“The players’ willingness to make a donation like this demonstrates a great deal of maturity and compassion,” he said. “These young men recognize that fighting cancer is a difficult task, and they wanted to do their part to make it a little bit easier for women fighting breast cancer in our community.”

Early Detection Saves Lives The Houston Methodist Breast Care Center at Sugar Land now offers the latest in breast cancer screening advances – low-dose radiation tomosynthesis, also known as 3D mammography. Don’t forget to schedule your mammogram! For more information or to schedule online, visit houstonmethodist.org/sugarland or call 281-242-PINK (7465).

IMAGES TOP: Fort Bend ISD,

Stephen F. Austin High School football squad BELOW: Football ath-

letes from Clements High School Photo Credit: Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

Evening Learning Programs Set In Nov. 2015 At School Of The Woods-Montessori

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chool of the Woods will present two Evening Learning Programs in November. They are structured as full evening events, both programs beginning at 7 PM. Parents, students, prospective students and anyone interested in Montessori education are invited to attend.

The program on Monday, November 9, will feature Woods Middle School on the main campus at 1321 Wirt Road. The Middle School faculty will discuss how Montessori philosophy impacts 7th and 8th grade students and promotes love of learning in this age group.

The second Learning Program will be on Tuesday, November 10, at Woods High School. It is located at 7812 Bobbitt St., just a half-block from the main Wirt Road Campus. The High School faculty and students will explain the college prep curriculum as it pertains to the Montessori environment. They will also discuss how Montessori education tenets and fundamentals apply to the older student.

School of the Woods is an independent, nonprofit and nonsectarian school, Houston’s oldest continuously operating Montessori school, pre-K through grade 12, and is fully accredited. Woods High School is one of only several Montessori high schools across the U.S. Three additional Learning Programs will be held at the Wirt Road campus in 2016 School of the Woods recently installed a grand-scale sand box on the playground. It has proved to be magically successful - occupied to capacity within minutes of its completion.

-- January 12, 19 and 26 for upper and lower elementary levels and for early childhood ages. For more information, call School of the Woods, 713.686.8811.

Fort Bend ISD to observe Digital Citizenship Week, October 18-24 Week-long campaign aimed at teaching students how to be safe, responsible and respectful online FORT BEND ISD – Fort Bend ISD is joining school districts and families throughout the U.S. in a week-long campaign to empower students to think critically, behave safely

and participate responsibly in our digital world. During Digital Citizenship Week, October 18-24, FBISD Digital Learning Specialists will tweet important messages, share classroom lessons with teachers, and provide campus staff with educational resources through its Technology News electronic publication to remind students to be

safe and responsible with technology.

“Fort Bend ISD is committed to ensuring that each student is empowered to safely navigate the digital landscape,” said Dr. Allegra McGrew, FBISD Digital Learning Coordinator. “It is vital that these 21st Century skills are adequately taught via fundamental digital citizenship

lessons, classroom discussions and in the home environment.

The acquisition of these skills will help our students to better communicate, learn, and collaborate safely and responsibly in the digital environment.”

learn with technology. Whether using social media, playing online games, sending computer emails or texting, students will learn five basic safeguards to keep in mind:

During Digital Citizenship Week, students will learn how to remain safe and responsible as they explore, interact and

Keep private things private.

Be kind.

Don’t believe everything you see.

Don’t overshare.

Stand up for others.

To learn more about Digital Citizenship Week and how to communicate with your children, click here. The community is also invited to join educators and parents who are talking about it on Facebook and Twitter by using hashtag #HaveThetalk.

VOICE OF ASIA 17

Section 2

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Bollywood Masala

Email: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

Kajol and I are the worst best IAA and Pratham partner in bringing “Madan Mohan dancers in the world: SRK Remembered” to Houston H YDERABAD, India: While shooting Rohit Shetty’s “Dilwale” in Hyderabad, superstar Shah Rukh Khan made an “honest confession” that he and his co-star Kajol are the world’s “worst best dancers”.

OUSTON - The Indo-American Association (IAA) has been known to bring unique cultural arts events to Houston since 1993.

Now, IAA is joining PRATHAM USA to present “Madan Mohan Remembered” to raise funds for Pratham’s education programs for underprivileged children and youth, initiating an example of arts supporting great social causes. A portion of the ticket sale proceeds will benefit Pratham; the mechanism is in place for concert goers to designate 25% of their ticket purchase to the charity. IAA feels privileged to join Pratham, one of the largest education NGOs in India, in this manner.

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The 49-year-old “Happy New Year” actor filmed a dance sequence with Kajol, 41.

“There’s nothing I like more than working. A dancing night with Kajol even better. We are the worst best dancers in the world!!! Honest confession,” Shah Rukh tweeted.

The concert is on Saturday October 31, 8pm, at the New Stafford Center on Cash Road. Tickets are $30, 35, 45, 60, 80(VIP), and 115(VVIP), available online at www.iaahouston.com or by phone at 281.648.0422 Few bollywood music directors have made the im- Madan Mohan pact with their musical magic like Madan Mohan.

With three well-known singers Mahalaxmi Iyer, Hrishikesh Ranade, Vibhavari Joshi, six accompanying musicians, narration by Prithivi Theatre fame Salim Arif, and personal reflections by Madan Mohan’s son Sanjeev Kohli, Milind Oak and Niche Entertainment bring alive in this multi-media production the genius of the musical legend!

Christened by Lata Mangeshkar as the “Ghazal Ka Shahzada”, Madan Mohan is best known for his classical raga based Ghazal compositions in films. Starting in 1950 with film ANKHEIN, in twenty five years Madan Mohan decorated more than a hundred films with heart-warming music!

The hit Bollywood on-screen couple have appeared together in many films like, “Baazigar”, “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge”, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai”, “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham…”.

They will be seen romancing

Kajol and Shah Rukh Khan again after five years.

“Dilwale” also stars Varun

Dhawan and Kriti Sanon in pivotal roles. The film will release on December 18.

Shah Rukh Khan given honorary doctorate by University of Edinburgh

Madan Mohan’s musical journey was curtailed by his untimely death at the age of 51. But, his musical genius lived way past his leaving this world. Thirty years past Madan Mohan’s death, in 2004 Yash Chopra decorated his highly successful film VEER ZARA with Madan Mohan’s unused musical compositions, and not surprisingly, music was the major reason for the success of the film. This is a UNIQUE recognition of the work of Madan Mohan establishing him as one of the elite composer of all time- no other music director in the history of Bollywood has been so honored!

Between 1950 and 2004, Madan Mohan ji has given music lovers many memorable songs.

Here is a sample of his most popular compositions, but the list goes on and on.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

**Jhumka gira re barailee ke bazaar mein **Unko ye shikaayat hai ki hum kuchh nahin kahte **Kaun aayaa mere man ke dware, paayal ki jhankaar liye **Naina barse rim jhim rim jhim, piya trere awan ki aas **Nainon mein badra chhaye **Jo hum ne daastan apni sunaayii, aap kyun roye **Ruke ruke se kadam, ruk ke baar baar chale **Tu jahan jahan chalega, mera saaya saath hoga **Aapki nazron ne samjha, pyaar ke quabil mujhe **Bainyaan na dharo balmaan **Ja re badra, ja re ja **Phir wohi shaam, wohi dil, wohi tanhaee hai **Yoon hasaraton ke daag muhabbat mein dho liye ** All songs of VEER ZARA The Princess Royal of Edinburgh confers the Doctorate degree (Honoris Causa) upon Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan at the University of Edinburgh. Photo credit BBC.

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Film based on Assamese folklore gets European premiere

ONDON - Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has received an honorary degree from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

was greeted was very heartening. It shows that the core dramatic content in folk tales are universal. The London Film Festival is a good opportunity for us to introduce a slice of Assamese culture to a European audience. We hope the screenings here will be as successful as in Busan,” said the director, who could not make it to London in time for the screenings due to lastminute visa problems.

Shah Rukh received the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University Chancellor HRH The Princess Royal in Edinburgh.

film based on events and characters from Assamese folklore is all set for its European premiere at the London Film Festival this week.

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“Kothanodi”, which translates as “The River of Fables”, is the first feature film by Delhi-based director Bhaskar Hazarika and stars actor Seema Biswas and a string of well-known Assamese actors like Zerifa Wahid, Kopil Bora and Adil Hussain.

“This film is based on events and characters from Assamese folklore, from folk tales compiled into a book called ‘Grandma’s Tales’ by Assamese literary giant Laxminath Bezbaruah in 1911,” Hazarika told PTI. “While these stories have been rendered before in film, radio, and theatre in Assam - ‘Kothanodi’ is perhaps the first instance where these stories are treated through a more realist lens, and what has come through are colder and darker

narratives of what traditionally are known to be children’s stories,” he explained.

The film will be screened at the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in central London on Saturday and the British Film Institute (BFI) on the banks of the river Thames on Sunday.

The multi-narrative script revolves around four shades of motherhood - about a mother who puts her daughter’s life at stake for her pride; a woman who has given birth, but still isn’t a mother; a mother who makes a stand for her child; and a mother who never wanted to be one in the first place.

It had its world premiere at Busan International Film Festival earlier this month, where the audience was overwhelmingly Korean.

“Even though they belong to a culture very far removed from Assam’s, the enthusiasm with which each show

The film has been nearly four years in the making as the production team worked on innovative ways to fund this unique story. It is among the success stories of Indian crowd-funding start-up, Wishberry, where it raised nearly Rs 22 lakhs.

From the London Film Festival, “Kothanodi” will travel back home for its Indian debut at the MumbaiAcademy of the Moving Image (MAMI) Film Festival next month, where the film has been selected in the competition category from over 200 entries. PTI.

The 49-year-old “Chennai Express” star, who has appeared in more than 80 films, was presented with the degree in recognition of his outstanding record of philanthropy, altruism and humanitarianism and his global reach

as an actor.

His charitable work includes bringing solar power to rural villages in India, creating a children’s ward at a Mumbai hospital and supporting relief funds to assist areas devastated by tsunamis.

“It is a pleasure to be honoured by the University of Edinburgh and tread in the footsteps of so many of the world’s illustrious thinkers, leaders and personalities.

To have the opportunity to address one of the most esteemed educational institutions in the world is a special

moment,” said Shah Rukh after receiving the honour.

“I look forward to the University continuing on its path as a great civic university, demonstrated by its partnership with India, addressing health, academic and research excellence and social justice.

I hope that many more of India and South Asia’s brightest minds get a chance to learn, think and grow at Edinburgh.”

Shah Rukh also gave a public lecture, which was attended by the University’s South Asian students. : (PTI).

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VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

HEALTHY LIVING VOICE OF ASIA

Section 2

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

American Diabetes Association Hosts Annual Diabetes Expo

by Susan Pothanikat OUSTON - On October 17, 2015, the American Diabetes Association of Houston held their annual Diabetes Expo at NRG Park. The expo had something to offer for people of all ages, educating people how to be healthy, active and live well with diabetes. Free health screenings for glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, kidney, foot/podiatry, vision, BMI, dental and chiropractic were offered. Free flu shots were sponsored by Walgreens.

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Local representatives from BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, United Health Care and Medicare/Medicaid were on hand to explain changes in this years open enrollment and how to take advantage of all the features the health insurance policies offer. BlueCross BlueShield of Texas is touring the state in their new RV to reach families in rural areas to get more families covered. The RV is equipped with two consolation rooms with bi-lingual agents to help families get educated about the various health insurance plans offered and enroll on the spot.

As part of the “Step On Up” program, actor, Cedric the “Entertainer,” spoke about diabetic

A view of the vendor pavilion of the Diabetes Expo at NRG Park, Houston. Seen here is the RV of sponsor BlueCross BlueShield of Texas that will be touring the state. Photo by Susan Pothanikat. nerve pain. Basketball legend Dominique Wilkins also spoke about his struggle with Type 2 Diabetes. Attendees also had a chance to win an autographed basketball by Dominique Wilkins.

A few chefs were also on hand providing demos showing attendees how to cook diabetic friendly recipes. Chef, Doreen Colondres, let attendees

sample strawberry and spinach salad and quinoa stir fried chicken. Chef, Leticia Moreinos Schwartz specializes in Hispanic cuisine. She cooked up some Moroccan meat balls.

A key to keeping diabetes under control is with exercise.

The YMCA had an indoor obstacle course to get families jumping, running and sweating! The Tracie Brothers’ team

from Sugar Land Lifetime Fitness got attendees dancing with Zumba classes.

Some major sponsors of the event were: BlueCross BlueShield of Texas, Houston Methodist, Walgreens, AMS, Goya, Merck, Christus, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, and St. Joseph Medical Center.

Women urged to wait until 45 for breast cancer screenings

by Kerry SHERIDAN

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IAMI (AFP) - In a controversial shift, a leading US medical association on Tuesday urged women to wait until the age of 45 before getting an annual mammogram to screen for breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society previously recommended women be screened each year from age 40, but has changed its advice because evidence failed to show enough lives are being saved.

And while younger women are being advised to start later, women over 55 are now urged to switch to getting mammograms every two years, instead of annually.

“Since the last American Cancer Society (ACS) breast cancer screening update for average-risk women was published in 2003, new evidence has accumulated from longterm follow-up of randomized controlled trials and observational studies,” said the guidelines, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Women should still have the opportunity to begin annual screenings at 40 if they choose, the guidelines noted.

Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, described the new guidelines as “disappointing.”

“Although the recommenda-

tions are based on scientific studies, most of the studies only look at survival as the only important outcome,” Bernik said.

“They fail to address the fact that women with smaller tumors often need less treatment.”

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women worldwide. It is also the second deadliest form of the disease in women, after lung cancer.

More than 40,000 women in the United States will die of breast cancer this year, according to background information in the article.

- Little benefit Early detection can help improve survival, but screening all women beginning at age 40 can also lead to problems, such as false positives, biopsies, surgeries to remove masses that may not have been dangerous, and potential surgical complications, experts say.

Evidence from clinical trials has shown little benefit from mammograms when it comes to saving lives among younger women, said an accompanying editorial by Nancy Keating of Harvard Medical School and Lydia Pace of Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

They wrote that regular mammography might prevent breast cancer deaths in about five of every 10,000 women in their 40s, or 10 of every 10,000 women in their 50s.

“Thus, about 85 percent of women in their 40s and 50s who die of breast cancer would have died regardless of mammography screening,” they wrote.

Offering more sophisticated screening tests, including genomic risk factors, would be better for younger women than expanded screening mammography, they argued.

The new guidelines also no longer recommend breast exams, in which clinicians manually feel patients’ breasts for lumps, for women of any age who do not have a family history of breast cancer.

The American Cancer Society cited the “absence of clear evidence” that they contribute “significantly to breast cancer detection prior to or after age 40.”

The updated guidelines are now closer in line with the other major issuer of health guidelines, the US Preventive Services Task Force, which has already said that there is not enough evidence to support clinical breast exams as a way of finding breast cancer or preventing breast cancer deaths.

The ACS guidelines also urge older women to “continue screening mammography as long as their overall health is good and they have a life expectancy of 10 years or longer.”

Both groups recommend that screening decisions be indi-

vidualized to reflect a woman’s preferences and her underlying risk of breast cancer.

- Pre- or post-menopause A separate study published in JAMA Oncology, which informed the American Cancer Society guidelines, found that women benefit more from yearly mammograms before they enter menopause.

“Our results suggest that menopausal status may be more important than age when determining screening intervals,” said University of California, Davis researcher Diana Miglioretti.

“They suggest that postmenopausal women may be safely screened every two years. In contrast, premenopausal women who are undergoing screening may want to be screened annually to increase their chances of diagnosing cancer at an early stage.”

According to Susan Boolbol, chief of the division of breast surgery at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, the problem is that many women are not aware of their personal risk.

“Another issue is that the overwhelming majority of women who develop breast cancer are average risk,” said Boolbol, who was not involved in the writing of the guidelines.

“The main message is that women need to discuss these issues with their physicians and determine the best screening schedule for them.”

Tel: 713-774-5140

Will Medicare Cover When You Need Health Care Outside the U.S. How often is it covered?

In general, health care you get while traveling outside the U.S. isn’t covered. The 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa are considered part of the U.S. Medicare may pay for inpatient hospital, doctor, or ambulance services you get in a foreign country in these rare cases: • You’re in the U.S. when a medical emergency occurs, and the foreign hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your medical condition.

• You’re traveling through Canada without unreasonable delay by the most direct route between Alaska and another state when a medical emergency occurs, and the Canadian hospital is closer than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat the emergency.

• You live in the U.S. and the foreign hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that can treat your medical condition, regardless of whether an emergency exists.

• In some cases, Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) may cover medically necessary health care services you get on board a ship within the territorial waters adjoining the land areas of the U.S. Medicare won’t pay for health care services you get when a ship is more than 6 hours away from a U.S. port.

Medicare drug plans don’t cover prescription drugs you buy outside the U.S. Medicare doesn’t cover dialysis you get when you travel outside the U.S. unless it’s an emergency in which you get dialysis at a hospital.

Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap) policies may cover you when you travel outside the U.S. Medigap & travel Your Medigap policy may offer additional coverage for health care services or supplies that you get outside the U.S. Standard Medigap Plans C, D, F, G, M, and N provide foreign travel emergency health care coverage when you travel outside the U.S. Plans E, H, I, and J are no longer for sale, but if you bought one before June 1, 2010 you may keep it. All of these plans also provide foreign travel emergency health care coverage when you travel outside the U.S. Medigap coverage outside the U.S. Medigap Plans C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, M, and N pay 80% of the billed charges for certain medically necessary emergency care outside the

Sudhir Mathuria Contact: Sudhir Mathuria Licensed Professional Health Life 360 6650 Southwest Freeway Houston TX 77074 713-771-2900 www.MyMedicarePlanning.com U.S. after you meet a $250 deductible for the year. These Medigap policies cover foreign travel emergency care if it begins during the first 60 days of your trip, and if Medicare doesn’t otherwise cover the care.

Foreign travel emergency coverage with Medigap policies has a lifetime limit of $50,000.

Your costs in Original Medicare You pay 100% of the costs, in most cases. In the situations described above, you pay 20% of the approved amount, and the Part B deductible applies.

In the situations above, Medicare pays only for services covered under Original Medicare: • Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers hospital care (care you get when you’ve been formally admitted with a doctor’s order to the foreign hospital as an inpatient).

• Part B covers emergency and non-emergency ambulance and doctor services you get immediately before and during your covered foreign inpatient hospital stay. Medicare generally won’t pay for services (like return ambulance trips home) if Medicare didn’t cover your hospital stay, or you got ambulance and doctor services outside the hospital after your covered hospital stay ended.

• You pay the part of the charge you would normally pay for covered services.

This includes any medically necessary doctor and ambulance services you get in a foreign country as part of a covered inpatient hospital stay.

You also pay the coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles you’d normally pay if you got these same services or supplies inside the U.S. To choose the right Medicare Plan and or Part D drug plan during open enrollment period contact Sudhir Mathuria 713-771-2900.

Sitting no worse for health than standing: UK study ONDON - Sitting down is no worse for you than standing up as long as you take regular exercise, a British study said Monday, casting doubt on the health benefits of sit-stand work stations.

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The study also challenged advice from the UK National

Health Service (NHS) based on other studies stating that “remaining seated for too long is bad for your health, regardless of how much exercise you do.”

Exeter University and University College London researchers followed more than 5,000 people over a 16-year

period and their findings were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

“Any stationary posture where energy expenditure is low may be detrimental to health, be it sitting or standing,” said Melvyn Hillsdon from Exeter’s sport and health sciences department.

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“The results cast doubt on the benefits of sit-stand work stations, which employers are increasingly providing to promote healthy working environments.”

The research found there was no influence on mortality risk for participants from

sitting at work, during leisure time or watching television.

The NHS said on its website in advice published last year that there was “increasing evidence” linking excessive sitting with being obese, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and premature death.

It recommends an active break from sitting every 30 minutes, citing expert Professor Stuart Biddle saying: “Sitting needs breaking up.”

“Do some tasks standing, like having coffee and chats, or even writing a letter –- Ernest Hemingway wrote his novels standing,” he added.

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Business

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

VOICE OF ASIA

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YouTube announces ad-free paid subscription service

by Shaun TANDON EW YORK - YouTube on Wednesday announced a new paidsubscription service that would eliminate advertisements as the video service behemoth looks to better tap its vast commercial potential.

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YouTube, which is owned by search engine giant Google and claims more than one billion users worldwide, also announced an expanded music platform and original movies in a bid to encourage subscribers.

The new service, called YouTube Red, will offer commercial-free access for $9.99 a month starting on October 28, initially only in the United States.

YouTube Red will also let subscribers save videos to watch later on their comput-

ers or smartphones, even when they lack Internet connections.

The traditional YouTube site backed by commercials will remain available and free.

“YouTube Red marks an evolution in our desire to give fans more choice and features that they love and a much better experience,” Robert Kyncl, YouTube’s chief business officer, told a launch event in Los Angeles that was broadcast to its New York office.

Originally created by three young entrepreneurs as a way to swap videos, YouTube was bought by Google for $1.65 billion in 2006 and is now the world’s third most visited website after Google itself and Facebook.

new YouTube Music app, hoping to draw more dedicated users amid the rapid growth of music streaming.

While YouTube is notorious for its chaotic array of videos, YouTube Music -- to launch at an unspecified date later this year -- will function much like a streaming platform, with organized channels that provide videos of each artist.

YouTube Music, designed after the company offered the YouTube Music Key test platform, will also make it possible to listen solely to the music without videos, a feature aimed in part at users who want to keep listening when driving.

- Dedicated music, original shows -

Kyncl credited YouTube with reviving music videos, making them a vital force for artists to promote their work.

YouTube also announced a

“We want to take that to the next level and provide a way

for artists and fans to connect,” he said, voicing hope that YouTube Music would become a “primary destination for music.”

Spotify remains the leader in music streaming, but newcomers Apple Music and Tidal have sought to win over users in part by offering video content.

YouTube Music will be free with commercials. Subscribers to Google Play Music, the parent company’s audio streaming service, will automatically receive YouTube Red and vice versa.

In hopes of drawing subscribers to the paid tier, YouTube said it was developing movies and series exclusive to YouTube Red. The original programming will initially focus on content from providers who have made their name on YouTube.

Lilly Singh, a Canadian comedian and motivational speaker who has won a following under the YouTube name Superwoman, will star in a movie entitled “A Trip to Unicorn Island.”

Other programming will include a singing contest called “Sing It!” and a romantic drama, “Single by 30,” by Asian American filmmakers Wong Fu

S

Communist-ruled China now has 596 billionaires, up a “staggering” 242 over the last year, Shanghai-based luxury magazine publisher Hurun Report said, surpassing the 537 Americans.

“The world used to look to American entrepreneurs... for inspiration. This year, 2015, is a turning point,” Hurun Report chairman Rupert Hoogewerf told AFP. “This is the first year we’ve seen they’ve been eclipsed.

They are being overtaken by

Chinese, and not just a little bit.”

by a surge in the stock price of a listed unit.

The number of Chinese billionaires would increase to 715 if those from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan were included, the survey said.

Wang is known outside China for a string of overseas acquisitions including the organiser of Ironman extreme endurance contests, Swiss sports marketing group Infront, and a stake in Spanish football club Atletico Madrid.

“In 2015, the entrepreneurs are Chinese, they are not American. We have American ones, but the king is Chinese,” Hoogewerf said.

Real estate and entertainment magnate Wang Jianlin dethroned founder of e-commerce giant Alibaba Jack Ma as the country’s richest person, Hurun’s annual wealth ranking showed.

Wang, who founded conglomerate Wanda, saw his fortune jump more than 50 percent to $34.4 billion, helped

He burst into the spotlight in 2012 by buying US cinema chain AMC Entertainment for $2.6 billion.

Wang took the top spot back from Ma, executive chairman of Alibaba, because of a collapse in the Internet company’s New York-quoted shares, which were the world’s biggest initial public offering when it listed last year. Ma’s wealth still stands at $22.7 billion.

Kyncl said that YouTube would share the “vast majority” of its revenue to creative partners but declined to go into details.

YouTube has long come under fire from the music and other creative industries, who say that artists are rarely compensated for content uploaded from non-official sources.

Weight Watchers soars after Oprah tips investment scale EW YORK, - US film and TV star Oprah Winfrey is buying a 10 percent stake in Weight Watchers International and joining the board of the struggling weight-loss company, sending its shares soaring 86 percent.

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China billionaires overtake US: survey HANGHAI, China (AFP) -The number of billionaires in China has overtaken that of the United States for the first time, an annual survey said Thursday, calling it a “turning point” for the super-wealthy.

Productions.

Beverage tycoon Zong Qinghou of Wahaha remained in third place with just over $21 billion while Pony Ma, founder of Internet giant Tencent which operates popular messaging app WeChat, took fourth place with a little under $19 billion.

lion.

Lei Jun of smartphone maker Xiaomi, which is seeking to challenge Apple, jumped five places to fifth by doubling his wealth to more than $14 bil-

“Despite the slowdown in the economy, China’s richest have defied gravity, recording their best year ever,” Hoogewerf said in a statement.

Yan Hao of road builder China Pacific Construction was sixth while the founder of search engine giant Baidu, Robin Li, dropped to seventh amid worries over his company’s huge spending to expand its business.

Winfrey, one of the world’s richest celebrities, who has fought a long battle in controlling her weight, said she was forming a partnership with Weight Watchers to inspire people worldwide to lead a healthier life.

“Weight Watchers has given me the tools to begin to make the lasting shift that I and so many of us who are struggling with weight have longed for,” Winfrey said in a statement.

“I believe in the program so much I decided to invest in the company and partner in its evolution.”

Winfrey said she will join the Weight Watchers program and share her experiences with the public. The weight management program includes weekly meetings for group support and information on developing healthy eating and physical activity patterns.

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 20

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

ASIE held Technical Seminar Tour at BAPS Mandir

by Dinesh Shah, MBA, PE

framing or any steel anchors.

After a large number of soil tests, it was decided to excavate the existing soil in and around the foundation area and replace it with special soil. A special concrete mix with lesser cement and more fly-ash was developed and tested for all seven phases of the foundation with eleven feet deep and 5000 cubic yards of concrete. A total of 244 piers are supporting this heavy foundation raft and enormous weight of about 60,000 cubic feet of stone. Each pier is 30 ft. deep with diameters ranging from 30 to 54 inches.

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TAFFORD - American Society Of Indian Engineers & Architects (ASIE) consistently strives to promote professional development by organizing monthly technical events. For the first time ever, the skeptical idea of technical tour of a religious structure was a great success.

Over 80 visitors including more than fifty architects and engineers were amazed to learn about the ancient architectural and related unique engineering was applied for the construction of this monument.

During Q & A, Dinesh gave additional technical information for Los Angeles Mandir located in Chino Hills, the hotbed for seismic activity. It is protected to last thousands of years by using the base isolation system technology. It consists of steel plates stacked together with viscous liquid to allow for lateral movements in the event of an earthquake.

The Mandir is supported by 40 base isolators, which allow the upper portion of the Mandir to remain separate from the foundation. Engineers and architects have deemed it as the “floating” Mandir.

Ashwin Dave and Ketan Inamdar of BAPS welcome the group. ASIE President Raj Basavaraju, thank BAPS for their hospitality and introduce two speakers Dinesh Shah and Jatin Desai, both professional Engineers and Life members of ASIE. Dinesh Shah started the architecture design presentation with slides for the beginning to the completion of the project, and continued that this first traditional Hindu Mandir of 21st century in North America required the perfect combination of state-of-the-art engineering methodology, ancient carving techniques, guidelines outlined in ancient Shilpa-Shastras.

This Monument 95’x125’x78’ high and 25,620 square feet of area is built with 33,000 pieces featuring Pinnacles, a Central Dome with 22 ft. in diameter and other small Domes, 70 ceilings with 24 unique designs, 11 Garba Gruha, and 122 Arches.

ASIE members seen with BAPS representatives at the BAPS Mandir in Stafford, TX The structure is supported by 136 load bearing Pillars and each pillar is made of six sections and 7 types of unique designs. It has a Mahamandap near idols, Mandap in the

middle, Ardha-mandap at front, and outside area open or covered for Pradakshina.

He continued that a special team of architects and engineers surveyed the area and

weather, and chose Turkish limestone for the exterior and Italian marble from Italy for the interior stone for the Mandir.

More than 2000 skilled artisans and craftsmen precisely hand-

Houstonian seniors’ Club 65 Picnic

carved marble slabs and pieces of stone in India. After carving, all the pieces were subsequently numbered and shipped to Houston. All the pieces were organized to begin the process of assembling the Mandir similar to a jigsaw puzzle - piece by piece. So each piece of stone set in place here in Mandir has travelled from Europe to India to Houston, a distance for more than 20,000 miles.

and Zarina Mohamed, Taiyeb Shipchandler, Nasir Ali, N.G Daredia,, Jamil Chunawala, Rashida Abdullabhoy, Omaina Tambawala also helped rock the day.

In year 2000, the design work in Houston and fabrication of stones in India started parallel.

The actual construction commenced on March 25, 2002 and completed only in 28 months.

Club 65 is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of IMAGH (Indian Muslims of Greater Houston). To find out more about Club 65 or to become a member, please visit, www.imagh.org or call Paru Mcguire at 440-390-1763.

Jatin Desai explained the engineering design concept for Mandir to last thousands of years without using any rebar in the foundation. It is amazing that the entire structure with thousands of hand carved delicate stone pieces is still standing without using any steel

At the end, Ashwin Dave made the spiritual portion of presentation, and added that during the construction everyone has devoted countless manhours as their labor of love which has created the beauty and history of this Mandir.

The seminar was concluded with lots of appreciation. Then everyone was invited to the assembly hall to enjoy the spiritual and cultural festival celebration. The ASIE group was welcome and Raj Basavaraju, the current President of ASIE was honored on the stage by Pujya Shwetmuni Swami with garland. As a token of appreciation, Raj presented a memento to Swami with a remark, “The Houston BAPS Mandir is a place of Paramount Peace for all, but for ASIE, it is a mind boggling magnificent monument built with 33,000 pieces using Sacred Architecture and Science and Unique Engineering Design without any steel framing and rebar in foundation to last more than 1,000 years.”

The program was concluded with dinner of Maha-prasad.

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L - R: Club 65 members Paru McGuire, Rozina Jafferali, Fatehali Chatur, Asghar Alibhoy

by Jaseem Pasha MD

H

oustonian Seniors’ Club 65 is well known for its hospitality, including good food, educational seminars, delightful outings, picnics and great entertainment. The well-planned superb quality of all the fun programs for the seniors provides an experience of a lifetime.

The success of the programs would be impossible without the Club 65’s team of trusted pros, like Club 65’s leaders Paru McGuire, Rahat Kalle, Latafath Hussain and Fateh Ali, who are well versed in invigorating and inspiring the seniors. This also explains why more and more seniors of the Greater Houston Area are seeking to join the Club 65 to be included in the regular picnics and entertainment put together by the Club volunteers.

A group picnic is always a great fun and therapeutic too.

Such picnics provide not only

opportunities to relax andunwind, but also humor, laughter, poetry, and sing-along, which strengthen immune system, boost energy, diminish pain, and protect the seniors from the damaging effects of stress, and keeps them focused and alert.

And that’s what happened when the Club arranged a picnic on October 4, at the Beach Front Pavilion in Rockport, TX. The beach is about three miles bus ride. A two and a half hour bus ride brought the Club 65 members to this beautiful location. It was a custom ordered day with the warm sand, blue sky and an air-conditioned room with a beautiful patioset with Picnic Tables and a view of the ocean. One had to just walk down the steps to the sand.

The Club 65 volunteers greeted the 85 plus individuals with a cold glass of chaas, perfect for the Texas heat. People wandered off to take a walk on

the beach and sink their feet in the cold waters, while others played Frisbee in the sand and yet some of them just relaxed on the picnic benches socializing and admiring the beautiful view.

There was plenty of entertainment in both the buses, including a game of Trivial Pursuit, sing-along. Some sang with an international flair, sung in Swahili, Gujarati, English and Hindi as well as jokes, and shayaris. In the other bus members watched an all time favorite Bollywood movie.

Seniors participated in various games. Lunch was sumptuous with Pav Bhaji, garma garam pooris that were fried right there in the kitchen with chole, chicken, salad, and sooji halva for desert.

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In addition to Paru McGuire, Rahat Kalle, Parvin Saiyed, Rozina Jafferali, Farida Jinnah, other Club 65 Committee members and Volunteers, Noor Pasha, Antakshari,Diamond

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FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Importance of Betel Leaf (Paan) in Religion and Health

Meenakshi Bhattacharjee

by Prof. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee, Rice University, Houston TX.

B

etel leaf or paan plays a prominent role in the socio-religious life of the Hindus. The betel (Piper betle) is the leaf of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family. No auspicious Vedic occasion is complete without a ritual involving paan in it. A popular folk marriage song of Eastern India describes the Himalayas as the birth-place of paan. It is believed that Lord Shiva and Parvati themselves had sown the seeds of paan in the Himalayan ranges. Eaten by over 600 million people daily in a geographic area measuring 11,000 x 6,000 km, the betel leaf symbolizes not mere botany, but culture, tradition and even the sacred.

The plant itself seems to have originated in Malaysia or India; the exact site of origin is yet to be established with certainty.

The Harappan civilization, 4600 years ago, cultivated and used the betel leaf. The Vedic people were familiar with it, and both Suruta and Charaka, the great medical experts of pre-Christian India wrote of its virtues.

In Hinduism the concept of “Aasan” or seat is there. When some guest arrive we usually ask him to have a seat. So Pan is used as a seat to supari. You may also find statues of deities are also kept or put on pan in some Yajnas or rituals. It is used not only in Hindu ceremonies, but also as an auspicious exchange material.

Deals, business transactions and even marriage alliances are made using tambulam exchange. The Vietnamese saying “chuyen trau cau” means matters of betel and areca nut.

Betel leaf also known as paan is served on special occasions to guests.

And the sheer variety! The pale Banarasi, the green Magadi, Kerala’s Tirur, Kumbakonam light, pungent Mysore, nonpungent Ambadi, Hinjili cut of Orissa, special ones from West Bengal and Dhaka, the list goes on. Songs and movie ditties are written about the paan ( Khaiyike Paan Banaraswala Khul Jaye Band Akhal ka Taala, and Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamaro, Saavali suratiya Honth Laal Laal).

Paan culture rose to its elegant heights in the courts of Lucknow nawabs, with special area nut cutters, handcrafted silver boxes called Paadaans. It was at once an aphrodisiac, attention getter and status settler.

The popular belief is that all the important deities are present in the beetal leaf. It is also an important component in the Ashtamangalya items. There is a general saying that Goddess Mahalakshmi is present in the lower tip of the betel leaf; Goddess Saraswati is present in the middle part; Jyeshta Lakshmi is present at the portion that connects the betel leaf to the stem; Goddess Parvati and Mangalya Devi are present on the left side.

Bhudevi or Mother Earth is present on the right side; Sri Hari Vishnu resides inside the betel leaf. Shiva resides on the outside of the leaf; Shukra resides on the top portion. Indra resides on the tip of the top portion while presence of Surya is felt throughout the leaf. Kamdev, the god of love, resides on the outer portion of the leaf. Any pooja or Vrat of-

Betel leaf

fering to Gods is done according to the Shodashopathe Shodashopachara (meaning, 16 types of worshiping). Out of these 16 steps, the step that comes immediately after Naivedya is Tamboola. Betel leaves are the most important part of this, Tamboola, in combination with areca nuts.

It symbolises that after a heavy meal, we should consume tamboola. Indeed, after any heavy meals, we find that betel leaves (in the form of Paan) are offered.

As to the reason WHY only betel leaves are offered and not any other leaves, I think it is because of its medicinal properties Importance of betel leaf (BL) has been described in ancient books of Ayurveda. Use of betel leaf was known for centuries for its curative properties. In Chinese folk medicine betel leaves are used for the treatment of various disorders and claimed to have detoxification, antioxidation, and antimutation properties.

There are number of research experiments on BL, where the leaf extract, fractions, and purified compounds are found to play a role in oral hygiene, and to have various properties including antidiabetic, cardiovascular, anti-inflammatory/immunomodulatory, anti-ulcer, hepato-protective, anti-infective, etc., Patents were also awarded for some of the biological activities like antiinflammatory, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory associated with the leaf extracts and purified compounds. Betel Leaves have been used as a remedy for

various illnesses. Systematic application of betel leaves on the forehead helps in curing serious headaches. The heated paanjuice, if poured in the infected ear, prevents pus formation.

Additionally, paan is also good in curing cough, cold, etc. Furthermore, ancient scriptures report that paan increases passion, freshens the breath, and cures oral diseases. Thus, paan has become a crucial part of Hindu life and remains a symbol of divine veneration, as well. The medicinal applications of Betel leaves are: 1.

Improves digestion: Chewing betel leaves takes a lot of effort and ‘works’ your salivary gland. It stimulates the release of saliva which is the first step of digestion, as various enzymes in it break down food, making it easy to digest.

2.

Prevents carcinogenesis in the oral cavity: Chewing betel leaves has also shown to prevent oral cancer by maintaining the levels of ascorbic acid in the saliva. Ascorbic acid is an excellent antioxidant, which helps reduce the free radicals in the body, thus preventing cancer.

3.

Helps maintain good oral hygiene: Betel leaves have various compounds which have bactericidal effects that help in destroying bad breath causing bacteria. Also, various spices like cloves, fennel, cardamom. etc. when wrapped in betel nut to make paan, make an excellent mouth-freshener. Spices like cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg etc.

are also known to solve many oral problems.

4.

Is an aphrodisiac: Betel leaf is known to have aphrodisiac properties and it is a common practice to offer masalapaan to newlyweds.

5.

Treats gastric ulcers: Extracts of betel leaves are known to have gastroprotective activity and help in preventing gastric ulcers.

6.

Treatment of warts: Betel leaves are a major component in various Ayurvedic medicines used in treating warts. These medicines are known to not leave any scarring and remove the wart completely without recurrence.

7.

Cures boils: They are widely used in Ayurveda for treating boils. Betel leaves are warmed till slightly softer and coated with a castor oil and placed over the boil. This treatment is known to rupture the boil and drain it.

8.

Treats diabetes: Extracts of betel leaves are known to control blood sugar levels and have an effective anti-diabetic property.

9.

Treats cough: Betel leaf extract mixed with honey is known to relieve cough and helps removing phlegm from the chest.

10.

Relieves headache: Betel leaf is also known to have analgesic properties and hence applying it over the affected area is known to effectively reduce headache.

11.

Heals wounds: Juice of betel leaves, when applied over a wound and bandaged with betel leaves is known to heal within two days.

12.

Cures constipation: Stalk of betel leaves dipped in castor oil, when introduced in the rectum, effectively relieves constipation. Along with betel leaves, natural remedies like flaxseeds, triphala, lemon, etc. are also known to cure constipation.

13.

Erectile dysfunction in men: The use of these leaves in conditions like “erectile dysfunction” are widely appreciated in texts of ayurveda. Chewing 1-2 leaves of this vine after meals

help to overcome this condition.

A mixture of saffron, cardamom, dry coconut gratings, raisins and powdered sugar candy (misri) can be wrapped in these leaves to enhance its aphrodisiac properties. This is a known natural herbal remedy for erectile dysfunction.

Precautions to use these leaves: 1.

People suffering from acidity, stomach ulcers, migraines, urticaria, tuberculosis, epilepsy, and other psychological disorders should never use these leaves.

2.

Do not chew these leaves in form of quid.

3.

Always chose semi tender juicy leaves. Old leaves will have lost their medicinal properties.

Paan Culture in India The betel has no fruit and is grown only for the sake of its leaves .In ancient India, there was a trend amongst women of chewing paan and acquiring redness on their lips and mouth, as it serves the purpose of lipstick.

Even today, in northern India, there is a tradition of chewing paan after Deepawali puja for blessings.

Recent Scenario Paan dukan (Paan shop) can be found at almost every other lane in India. A professional paan maker is popularly known as paanwala all across Northern India. While in the rest of India, they are either known as panwadis or panwaris.

Every-year, around April-May, the sacred betel leaf is worshipped by the Baruis - a group of paan cultivators in Bengal.

But recently, in the Indian state of Maharashtra the paan culture has been severely criticized owing to the prevailing hygiene problems led by the irresponsible paan eaters who spit in the public places. Besides, paan is also losing its appeal to the farmers because of falling demand. Consumers prefer cheaper and unhealthy alternatives, for instance chewing tobacco formulations such as gutka, over paan. Finally, in the recent scenario, higher costs, water scarcity and unpredictable weather have made betel gardens much less lucrative.

HOROSCOPE

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FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Your Horoscope for the Week of October 23, 2015 READ YOUR COMPLETE HOROSCOPE

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Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April All your hard work noticed by those in authority. Your interest in improving your lifestyle will help you to make some dreams come true. Free yourself from any negative energy. You may feel as if your head is about to burst. Focus on the tasks at hand and you will soon have a deeper understanding of what to do. Don’t be surprised by other’s reaction to your success. Some may have ‘high hopes/expectations’ built into a situation & only to ‘crash’ and then find they may be feeling anxious, annoyed and ‘gathering up restless or aggressive energy’ because of it.

You are with an urge to decorate and beautify your immediate surroundings is a great way to express your creativity. Look past the immediate to find some old treasures to exhibit your style. You may be feeling very sensitive, even vulnerable. It may be time to think about a little rest and relaxation. You can be imaginative but you need to rejuvenate yourself first. Generous emotional contributions, especially to in-laws, spouse and youth of any sign, may include time, skill/talent, money and sacrifice of your own needs/wishes.

Scorpio (N,Y) 23 Oct to 21 Nov

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May Prove that good relationships can bring out your true self. Your energy level will soar high. All victims may not always be innocent. Be wary of those who try to hide their true nature. Your patience and understanding will enable you to grow greatly as a person. You may find a new interest to lead, in your field. You should branch yourself out to reach a larger audience. Financial ‘hits’ are likely near and may come from bring things ‘up to snuff’ with appliances, plumbing/electric or health care issues and vehicles, overdue bills and travel.

Looking for want or need to take an opportunity to learn new ways to increase your income. Be sure to check everything thoroughly. Someone may be trying to confuse you.

You may need to work a little harder to find a compromise that pleases everyone. Take the time necessary to research some fascinating adventures far away from home. Emotional discussions MAY escalate out of control, especially IF other members are involved unless you ‘tone it down’ quickly should you find yourself ‘too embroiled’ expressive or ‘loosened easily......

Sagittarius (BH,F,DH,TH) 22 Nov to 21 Dec

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Feeling empowered to reach many goals. The nature of your studies will depend on your personal interests. Whatever you decide to pursue, you will do so with great intensity. Your concentration and focus is very strong. You may become so engrossed in your investigation that you won’t be able to do anything else until you find the information that you seek. Several discussions may be required this week, especially near next week and some tend to be needed ‘before’ a decision is made, spending is done or discipline is handed out....

You may need to slow down your hectic pace to enjoy the company of friends & family. You really won’t have to push your ideas too hard to find mutual agreements. You’ll be able to find new way to share your daily duties and activities with loved ones. You always love a happy ending and this story should prove to be a real winner. Happy and contented energies are the ‘norm’ for this week and good news, a change for the better and visitors or invitations may be part of it.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July Realizing that you can be very effective right now. You may find yourself in the position to rally others to your point of view. You’ll also be able to communicate with great conviction. Games or contests will provide you with an extra burst of energy. Excitement will reign, as your romantic urges will also run high. You could actively pursue the one you desire.

Finding you in a situation where you need to push your positive influence forward to those in authority. Your original proposal may start to fade but you can retain the essence of it by promoting your true values. Being yourself, as unique as you are, is what makes you a real treasure. You’ll feel empowered once you understand that. You’ll be able to trust other’s ability to help you find answers.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 Feb

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August Your desire for harmony and beautiful surroundings stronger than usual. You’re more inclined to use your charm and persuasion than a more direct method to achieve your goals.

A spontaneous inspiration may prove to be very beneficial to your life. You may have an opportunity to directly pitch your ideas and beliefs to those who can make things happen.

You may spend a lot of ‘thinking time’ going over old or current issues and feeling/being rather ‘fed up’ with an older system or ‘attitude’ that is ‘pervasive’ in/within the family and revamping is highly likely.

Need to try hard to streamline your tasks to create more leisure time in the immediate future. Your perceptive touch will help find the best result by keeping your interest strong in others activities. You’ll be at the right place at the right time. Your ideas will fit in well with your peers. Your aura will lead you to those who will help you find answers. Your patience is low, your hopes are set HIGH and your expectations may be slightly ‘unreasonable’ especially with youth and those just ‘not equipped’

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 March

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Have friends seeking some guidance in your area of expertise. Your counsel will prove to be very lucrative. Giving of yourself in this generous manner will prove that your motives are genuine. You might have some difficulty in situations which require you to rely on other’s resources. Your sensitive side will help you to recognize how judgmental people can be. Your fuse will be super short and you may not be able to even control or contain it as your ‘lag time’ is in micro seconds.

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Your natural drive for self-expression is high right now. You can push yourself into a competition with great energy and zeal. Play hard and you’ll win in your creative projects. Your mood to socialize is high. Your intellectual curiosity and mental restlessness may flicker from one scene to another. Your sense of well-being may become quite fragile if you continue to dwell on the negative. Finding a more positive perspective will provide yourself with a real boost.

QUICK REFERENCE SERVICES DIRECTORY

Accountants

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BOOK-KEEPING INCOME TAX

Restaurants

Personal and Business Tax Returns, Payroll Sales Tax, Income Tax Audits and Representations

S. Ram and Associates

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M.D. Associates LLP A full service CPA firm

India’s Restaurant & Catering for special parties and corporate events. Preferred Wine list, Authentic vegetarian & non-vegetarian dishes, finest Indian cuisine with chef’s special dishes

Restaurants

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visit us at : www.mdassociatescpas.com

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10758 FM 1960 West Houston, TX 77070 281.955.9878 216.338.3940 (cell)

Shiva Indian Restaurant & Catering specializing in North Indian cuisine, Office and Corporate catering.

• 2514 Times Blvd. Rice Village, Ph: 713-523-4753 • 2130 Lone Star Dr. Sugar Land, Ph: 281-494-2981

Tutorial Adults Learn English or Spanish

by Internet, Telephone or in Person Learn American English accent & to talk Texan Immigration. Business English. Call David Browning, Private Tutor 832-788-3383 • www.GlobalSpanishTutor.com

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Place classifieds of any nature. Employment, Job Wanted, Car for Sale, Garage Sale, Business for Sale. We also offer them online. Call us for details.

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To advertise, call: Phone: 713-774-5140 ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

CLASSIFIEDS

VOICE OF ASIA 23

Property Manager We are looking for an experienced and skilled Apartment Manager to lead our community to continued success.

Job Summary We have a Property Manager position available in Houston, TX and Oklahoma City, OK. The Property Manager’s main responsibilities include: the overall daily operations and management of the property, as well as all of the activities within leasing, revenue management, fiscal planning, resident, and community relations.

Responsibilities • • • • • • • • • • •

Direct and participate in the daily operations of the property

Responsible for implementing and completing a successful turn that ensures resident satisfaction

Performs monthly unit inspections, as well as prior to move-in and move-out Assist with leasing duties as needed and approving all new leases Overseeing the risk management and emergency procedures Managing staff including; hiring, training, and developing Maintain positive resident relations Responsible for purchases for the property and monitoring all expenses Maintaining system for service requests Reporting on payroll and employee records Maintain the resident database, accounts receivable, and accounts payable records

Requirements • • • •

Bachelor degree strongly preferred, high school diploma required

2 years of experience as a Property Manager with a proven track record of achievements

Proven proficiency in all areas of property management operations Must have excellent communication, management, and people skills

Please submit your resume to this posting for consideration. Thank you, Fax: 888.761.8942

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MANAGEMENT TIP OF THE DAY FROM HBR.ORG Focus on Your Breath to Sound More Persuasive Breathing plays a big role in how you sound. The ability to harness your breath is critical when you’re speaking up in a meeting or giving a speech or presentation.

To speak with more confidence and power, focus on your breath. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and raise your arms up over your head. Breathe in deeply. As you exhale, slowly lower your arms down to your sides. Make sure your shoulders are back, not hunched. This is the best posture for speaking: you are standing tall, owning your full height, and resonating confidence.

Put one hand on your belly button and one hand on your chest. Breathe deeply and notice which hand moves.

Keep your chest steady and breathe into your stomach.

Then exhale slowly, and speak “on the breath.” Also, make sure to use your breath to support your words by letting it out steadily while you are speaking.

Adapted from “Breathing Is the Key to Persuasive Public Speaking,” by Allison Shapira

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015

Team Player Seeking a Motivated Team Player who can work well in a small, fast paced company environment.

Responsibilities can include order taking, order dispatch, data entry, invoicing, accounts receivable, accounts payable, and providing support to other roles. A 4 year college degree preferred. Please send your resume to:

afshic@gmail.com

This is our Classifieds Section 713-774-5140 Sell anything!

From Garage Sales to Selling a Business Call us. Nothing is too trivial.

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Now You Know!

Amazing facts from all over the WORLD!

• The average hen lays 228 eggs a year • The average cow produces 40 glasses of milk a day • The average life span of a mosquito is 2 weeks • The average person sheds 1.5 pounds of skin each year • The average person walks the equivalent of twice around the world in a lifetime

Free community events on: www.voiceofasiaonline.com Calendar!

Got a favorite fact? Let us know!

Email us: ads@voiceofasiagroup.com

Know Your Words Here’s your chance to be a Vocabulary Sleuth!

Lascivious adj. Lustful.

Magnate n. A person of rank or importance.

Neophyte adj. Having the character of a beginner.

Obsequies n. Funeral rites.

Partible adj. Separable.

Free community events on: www.voiceofasiaonline.com Calendar!

Got a favorite word? Let us know!

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VOICE OF ASIA 24

FRIDAY, October 23, 2015