south asian focus

These articles are for the South Asian Focus newspaper by Brampton Guardian. I loved working on them and contributing to this lovely paper. Sunil Rao is my editor, his support and encouragement is the soul of all these published articles.

http://www.southasianfocus.ca/saf/community/article/100603

http://www.southasianfocus.ca/saf/community/article/102228

http://www.southasianfocus.ca/saf/community/article/98418

http://www.southasianfocus.ca/saf/community/article/95572

http://www.southasianfocus.ca/saf/community/article/97006

articles on topics I love to write

My latest article published in Suhaag online magazine on Bollywood moments

http://www.suhaag.com/artsentertainment/bollywoods-biggest-newsmakers-in-2011/

Older ones
http://www.suhaag.com/living/the-best-thalis-in-the-gta/

http://www.suhaag.com/fashionbeauty/bridal-couture-trends-this-season/

writing is life: this one is for the love of bollywood

writing is life: this one is for the love of bollywood

this one is for the love of bollywood

wondering why is that everytime I am down and out, I google songs I heard as a teenager and listen to them. songs that I heard when the monsoon hit the roof and the earth and the heated cement verandah, while reading a book. Chaya geet on vividh bharati was the the moment I waited for and worked hard the whole day including going to school which I found a chore some days when I did not complete my homework. those thirty minutes from 10 to 10.30 pm it was pure bliss. spending time virtually with Lataji, Talat Mahmood, Hemanth Kumar, Geeta Dutt and many others Life was that and reading Tinkle when it had just hit the stands, or a good read by enid byton. ofcourse I graduated to mills and boons and biographies and ayn rand etc. but my date with those Hindi oldies stayed. to this day it stays. that I say is the magic of our old bollywood numbers. I had a song for every occasion and I sure so many others out there must be having a few themselves.

Sham a gham ki kasam, truly these links work well for me all the time.

http://www.dhingana.com/legends-talat-mahmood-the-silken-voice-cd1/movie/songs/hindi/oldies/4844

http://www.dhingana.com/legends-talat-mahmood-the-silken-voice-cd2/movie/songs/hindi/oldies/4883

http://www.dhingana.com/legends-geeta-dutt-cd1/movie/songs/hindi/oldies/6584

there will be few more numbers coming along very soon...

remember Narendra Modi will go on a fast, Amar Singh will pull a fast one, there will be scams galore but bollywood will never fail to entertain you.

We create our beings

Just a minor thing but how it gets blown out of proportion is expressed by me here. There are moments in our lives when we just do not want to give up. Not just trying various things in life, but our point of view too. I had dinner with friends at a restaurant. This place is known to add gratuity to the bill. No harm, many restaurants do it. But this is a stuffy, greasy looking tiny pigeon hole where there is no room to move elbow, in the fear that it might hit touch the plate on the next table. Service is below average. Servers rush you saying 'there is a crowd building outside' dining is an intimate experience as far as I am concerned. But here there is no experience and food is just okay.

I had to do my bit, so I called the owners and complained about untrained staff, the lady at the other end of the phone muttered that they are training their staff on daily basis. I guess she was trying to tell me, the staff gets daily briefings ahead of a shift. I just lost my cool and told the lady in a no nonsense tone, 'what training can you impart when you require one badly?

That day I created a self that was honest to what it believed in. I believed I was right and wanted to express it.

R

Lesson in love, co-existence

Ranga Rajah

Nanak is a young lad who shows an inclination towards divinity. While he is busy composing verses praising the lord, his father is concerned about young Nanak’s future and is unhappy with him. But Nanak finds his patrons, older sister, Nanaki supports him throughout. Rai Bular is another kind soul besides his sister who spots that special power Nanak has been bestowed by the Almighty.

Throughout his journey, we learn from this book, God is Nanak’s protector, when the buffaloes under his supervision stray into the neighbour’s field and eat the crops. But upon inspection by the neighbour and people, the crops appear untouched. There are many such examples cited to prove this.

Nanak performs his domestic duties, gets married and has children. One day, Nanak suddenly disappears after bathing in the river. People assume he is drowned. Nanaki is hopeful about her brother’s return. Nanak proves her right and returns after three days. This is the time when Nanak was chosen by God to spread his message. Jai Ji, the first Sikh prayer was composed during this time. This was also the turning point in Nanak’s life because he decides to take on the journey to spread the message of God worldwide. Nanak travels with Mardana, a Muslim. Encountering hardships, they both travel to different countries including Sri Lanka, Tibet, Mecca and Lahore. Thus began the journey of Guru Nanak, the First Sikh Guru.

In his lifetime, Guru Nanak strived hard to achieve and prove that, regardless of caste, creed, gender and religion human, beings are all equal in the eyes of God. Guru Nanak, spread the message around the world that, no matter how rich or poor you are, God views all mankind alike. And that God is the nucleus around whom we all exist. He taught people to love, share and coexist. Hindus and Muslims equally worship and respect this Guru who asked people to shun their greed, ego and hatred.

This profound message by Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion is narrated in a simple and easy expression by Rina Singh. Illustrations by Andree Pouliot enhances the narration. Together Rina and Andree have helped readers get a rare glimpse into the life of this great Guru.

soul food and

How does it feel to have your soul food? yum and just yum. I can never have enough of this utterly carbolycious (my word for carbohydrate) fill I have everytime I am down and out. add 1 cup of yellow and red lentils (mung and masoor dal), add quarter cup of rice to it and add 2 litres of water, add shallots and garlic pods and tablespoon of oil or ghee and while this watery soup is being cooked, chop some real hot thai chillies and large red onion rings and while waiting for this delicious simple and tasty soul food to get cooked, just chill with a book. keep an eye on the consistency though, I love it as watery as possible. the rice and dals need to get mushed totally.

get a large bowl add the chillies and onion rings and added the mushed, overcooked meal and add a pinch of salt and eat it to your heart's content. just let go and feel the food nourish your soul and lift up ur spirits...

This bowl of hearty, warm soup and my all time favorite movie Katha, or khatta Meetha or my favorite book, khuswant singh's autobiography does the trick for me. we all need something to hold onto when we are down and out don't we all?

What About Sita?

Ranga Rajah

Sita, in the epic Ramayana, is the epitome of patience, tolerance and is dutiful. She is the ideal wife, mother and a shining example of womanhood. Almost mute to everything she is put through. She is doubted by Rama, though she remains faithful to him throughout her confinement in Ravana’s kingdom. After Rama wins the war, she proves her chastity by entering a pyre and comes out unscathed. Rama takes Sita along with him to Ayodhya. After the coronation, a pregnant Sita is banished into the forest by Rama because of some rumours he overhears. She raises her sons Luva and Kusha in the forest. Trained in the art of warfare, these two boys capture the attention of Rama. Upon knowing that Luva and Kusha are his sons, Rama invites Sita and their sons back in the palace. This time however, Sita decides to leave Rama forever and enters the bosom of mother earth requesting Rama to take care of their children. A perfect picture of sacrifice, selfless devotion to her husband, children and family in general. But the part where she decides not to accept Rama’s invitation is when the seeds for asking questions were sown, perhaps…

Samhita Arni the author and Moyna Chitrakar the illustrator have made Sita break her silence in Sita’s Ramayana. What Sita thinks, how her thought process leads her into asking questions as a wife and a woman. A pictorial, the narration is depicted using minimum expressions yet it speaks volumes about the plight of women and their sufferings. Samhita very subtly manages to raise questions which the progressive women of today will not dare to ask. These questions are buried deep into the recesses of their minds and yet they do not raise any key questions due to conditioning as well as for reasons unknown. One of the most poignant question asked by Sita to Rama, “Then why did you fight this war?” So why do men fight wars? Just to prove their superiority perhaps. How can destroying lives and shedding blood help someone assert their powers? Rama won the war, he proved himself to be a just king. People worship Rama, he is a hero, Ramayana is Rama’s. What about Sita? Born a princess, married to a king, her fate is ultimately that of any woman. Bottom line, she is just another woman, who has to carry the burden of unjust decisions made on behalf of her, for her, by her husband and the society in general. At some point in their lives, the progressive women of today have been there, or are still there where the rules are laid by the men. This time around Sita, after centuries of staying silent, is finally asking questions. We have a heroine who won the battle by living a day to day life. No bloodbaths, no conquering of killing fields to show authority. Finally a heroine for women to worship, a heroine to frame questions for women to ask…

If Samhita has put words into Sita’s mouth, Moyna, an artist and performer from the Patua scroll-painting tradition has given expressions to those words and together they have made Sita speak.

when the going gets good

I know, we all know how we have to make things happen when nothing is happening. I sat for long looking life pass by and one day out of the blue, no one pushed me, few motivated me perhaps. but not enough to shake me out of my reverie. a little voice deep inside me did it. I started taking baby steps...