tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46195651275019650182024-03-14T02:11:37.825-07:00Diksha's KaleidoscopeDiksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-9038699153821665002021-05-21T04:21:00.000-07:002021-05-21T04:21:41.365-07:00<p> </p><p><b><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Jungle-Adventures-Mickey-Jumbo-Kasare-ebook/dp/B08ZDTJS6R/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=Jungle+Adventures+With+Mickey+and+Jumbo&qid=1621595729&sr=8-2" rel="nofollow">Jungle Adventures With Mickey and Jumbo</a> (5-8 years) 3/5</b></p><p><b>By Sagar Kasare </b></p><p>A book that talks of friendship and helping your friends is a nice read. The introduction to Ayurveda in a subtle way appreciated and could've been built more upon. What the author lacks in this book he makes up for it in his second book. </p><p>There is potential in the author's writing, which is evident in the second offering. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9I0SDHmv9c/YKeWIYe10sI/AAAAAAAAfvg/X3skE37dlocwIClnrAmr7LP1kure200lgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1582/Jungle%2BAdventures%2Bwith%2BMickey%2Band%2BJumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="1515" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u9I0SDHmv9c/YKeWIYe10sI/AAAAAAAAfvg/X3skE37dlocwIClnrAmr7LP1kure200lgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jungle%2BAdventures%2Bwith%2BMickey%2Band%2BJumbo.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-48406776473324418462021-05-21T04:14:00.000-07:002021-05-21T04:14:04.204-07:00Jungle Adventures Mickey and Jumbo's Magical Quest<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p><b><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Jungle-Adventures-Mickey-Jumbos-Magical-ebook/dp/B0938N4QG7/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Jungle+Adventures+Mickey+and+Jumbo%27s+Magical+Quest&qid=1621594961&sr=8-1" rel="nofollow">Jungle Adventures Mickey and Jumbo's Magical Quest</a> (5-8 years) 3.5/5</b></p><p><b>By Sagar Kasare </b></p><p>A good attempt to get children involved in a story which speaks to them, with the modern world problem of deforestation being dealt with in a way that young children might understand. The problem-solving showcased in the book was also good.</p><p>This book has adventure and thrill. Out of the 2 Kasare books I read to my children for storytime this one was more loved and piqued their interest. </p><p>There is potential in the author's writing, however, illustrations can be worked at more. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ipbWGfHrDiQ/YKeVT286CQI/AAAAAAAAfvY/73-jgrTn0fo82IDbSAhyPHFgm0GjT5AAACLcBGAsYHQ/s1582/Jungle%2BAdventures%2Bwith%2BMickey%2Band%2BJumbo%2BMagical%2Bquest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1582" data-original-width="1515" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ipbWGfHrDiQ/YKeVT286CQI/AAAAAAAAfvY/73-jgrTn0fo82IDbSAhyPHFgm0GjT5AAACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Jungle%2BAdventures%2Bwith%2BMickey%2Band%2BJumbo%2BMagical%2Bquest.jpg" /></a></div><br />Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-69959440509154625162020-11-25T05:15:00.004-08:002020-11-25T05:15:40.734-08:00Dus Din<p><b><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Das-Din-Hindi-Edition/dp/9811110077" target="_blank">Dus Din</a> (0- 4 years) 5/5 </b></p><p><b>Board Book- Interactive</b></p><p>By Pridhee</p><p>A nice way to teach children counting in Hindi from 1 to 10. The interactive elements make it fun for older toddlers to play with while they learn to count. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuBM5zY2M5s/X75Yyr_TY2I/AAAAAAAAfWk/ZGlnpf1mzUQV1E5uD0aeTBFHWEjdrJ0DQCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/61HWZD5PGiL._SX493_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="495" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cuBM5zY2M5s/X75Yyr_TY2I/AAAAAAAAfWk/ZGlnpf1mzUQV1E5uD0aeTBFHWEjdrJ0DQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/61HWZD5PGiL._SX493_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0UVw5RSEVyU" width="320" youtube-src-id="0UVw5RSEVyU"></iframe></div><br /><p></p>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-53186749590257763572020-11-25T05:08:00.003-08:002020-11-25T05:17:34.619-08:00Kahani Purani<p><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Kahaani-Puraani-Hindi-Edition/dp/9811184585" target="_blank"><b><br /> Kahani Purani </b></a>(0-3 years) <b>5/5</b></p><p>Retold by Pridhee</p><p>A simple almost musical story about Ram, Lakshman and Sita. It is a great introduction to the epic Ramayana. The story tells us about the kidnapping of Sita and how Ram won the battle and Ravan lost. Heavy concept for a 3-year-old? </p><p>This book makes it easy for kids to understand and follow the storyline. </p><p>The book is interactive on certain pages with Laksman's page where the things in his hands can be changed and how Ram shoots an arrow at Ravan. Older toddlers will enjoy this for sure.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9myrH5h8RMU/X75W8TLz_LI/AAAAAAAAfWY/GlHLZBX-zXcmZDyhmOs4WToFT7Gh0v4bgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/51ZnohWb0VL._SX439_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="441" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9myrH5h8RMU/X75W8TLz_LI/AAAAAAAAfWY/GlHLZBX-zXcmZDyhmOs4WToFT7Gh0v4bgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/51ZnohWb0VL._SX439_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s7AOxiOwwf0" width="320" youtube-src-id="s7AOxiOwwf0"></iframe></div></div><br /><p><br /></p>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-59610502522904764222020-11-24T12:31:00.005-08:002020-11-24T12:31:57.077-08:00Ammachi’s Glasses<p> </p><h1 class="a-spacing-none a-text-normal" id="title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 36px; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span class="a-size-extra-large" id="productTitle" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.in/Ammachis-Glasses-Tulika-Publishers/dp/9350469081/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=ammachis+glasses+books&qid=1606249455&s=amazon-devices&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Ammachi’s Glasses</a> 5/5</span></span></h1><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">By Priya Kuiyan</span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Wordless picturebook. (3- 8 years)</span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">Ammachi can’t find her glasses one morning and everything goes topsy-turvy! </span></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">A hilarious book that we keep going back to and keep making new stories out of. </span></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 36px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif;">A <b>must-read </b>on my story sessions. Gets the children to make up their own versions of what is happening in the story. Great to work on building vocabulary and imagination. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2N9D9WFON4/X71tHqTIs3I/AAAAAAAAfVo/3LNsEkGFYGkUTX87Rz71ajPx0gbbtiaVgCLcBGAsYHQ/s500/61K7vo2up8L._SX443_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="445" height="519" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2N9D9WFON4/X71tHqTIs3I/AAAAAAAAfVo/3LNsEkGFYGkUTX87Rz71ajPx0gbbtiaVgCLcBGAsYHQ/w462-h519/61K7vo2up8L._SX443_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="462" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 19px !important; line-height: 36px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="a-size-extra-large" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 19px !important; line-height: 36px !important; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><br /></span></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-6923355225013909092020-11-24T12:18:00.005-08:002020-11-24T12:21:28.579-08:00 Gajapati Kulapati Series<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mH7hjkyPWO8/X71k60q8o8I/AAAAAAAAfVc/yr1RuR4SnBkWI96IgRIAy5tTBmhrpRE6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1500/gajapati-kulapati-pack-english.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1500" height="486" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mH7hjkyPWO8/X71k60q8o8I/AAAAAAAAfVc/yr1RuR4SnBkWI96IgRIAy5tTBmhrpRE6QCLcBGAsYHQ/w486-h486/gajapati-kulapati-pack-english.jpg" width="486" /></a></div><br /><p>Gajapati Kulapati Series (3- 8 years)</p><p>By Ashok Rajagopalan</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/GAJAPATI-KULAPATI-Paperback-Ashok-Rajagopalan/dp/818146835X/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=gajapati+kulapati&qid=1606248418&s=digital-text&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><b>Gajapati Kulapati </b></a> <b>5/5</b></p><p>Is the story of how Gajapati catches a cold.</p><p><b><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/GAJAPATI-KULAPATI-GURRBURRRROOOM-ENGLISH/dp/B01N0H75QT/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=gajapati+kulapati&qid=1606248076&s=digital-text&sr=1-3" target="_blank">Gajapati Kulapati Gurrburrrromm!!</a> 5/5 </b></p><p>This is the story of how Gajapati gets a tummy ache. </p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Gajapati-Kulapati-Kalabaloosh-Kulapati-Dhalabaloom/dp/9350465140/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=gajapati+kulapati&qid=1606248474&s=digital-text&sr=1-4" target="_blank"><b>Gajapati Kulapati Kalabaloosh </b></a> <b>4.5/5</b></p><p>This one is the story of how Gajapati deals with a very hot day.</p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/9389203899/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5" target="_blank"><b>Gajapati Kulapati Kalicha Kulica</b></a> <b>4.5/5<span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 28px;"> </span></b></p><p>This is the story of how Gajapati enjoys playing in the mud. </p><p><br /></p><p>We were introduced to the <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=gajapati+kulapati&i=digital-text&ref=nb_sb_noss" target="_blank">Gajapati Kulapati</a> series in 2017 and my then 4 years old fell in love with the gentle elephant. The stories are simple and the storyline is enjoyable for 8-year-olds too. </p><p>It's one of the most requested stories by my young listeners. </p><p>Of all the books in the series, Gajapati Kulapati and Gurrrrrooom are the children's favourites. </p><p><br /></p>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-4421518732070440022019-03-18T09:17:00.003-07:002020-11-24T12:22:23.101-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XV5_k2SAagU/TfDU7XcevaI/AAAAAAAAb_g/fNFJ5vCWLOgisjkc4FNUdbXKDTTZJM8dQCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/SAGNLOGO_NEW.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="94" data-original-width="570" height="73" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XV5_k2SAagU/TfDU7XcevaI/AAAAAAAAb_g/fNFJ5vCWLOgisjkc4FNUdbXKDTTZJM8dQCPcBGAYYCw/w448-h73/SAGNLOGO_NEW.png" width="448" /></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 16pt;">Blue Blood: A Collection of Short Stories</span></h1>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 16pt;">May 2011 </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">A refreshing collection of short stories, Blue Blood gives us insight to world of Royal Families of Post-Independence India, where some struggle to hold on to their rich history while some are busy creating a new history by adapting themselves to the ever changing lifestyle of the modern hustle bustle. </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">The Indian Royals have a very vast history. We have the Hindu Maharajas, Muslim Nawabs and the Portuguese Royal descendants all captured in a different light in this book. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pre Indian Independence, the Princely sates were offered <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Privy of Purse’ which were a payment to the Royal families of these Princely states as a part of their agreement to integrate with India in 1947, and in 1949 to merge their Princely states with the states of India, and losing their right to rule their states. In 1971 with the </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">26th Amendment to the Constitution of India, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abolished this allowance completely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">Here are some excerpts from the conversation with Author, <i><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">Uttara Chauhan</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">Congratulations on your nomination to the <b>Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award. </b>How does it feel to be recognized for your work? </span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">Thank you. It is a very nice feeling, and the news came as a wonderful surprise. “Blue Blood” is my second book, but my first collection of short stories. To have been on a long-list with some of the best contemporary short story writers in the world was a great honour. It is also terrific motivation for my future work.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> Tell us about yourself. Which part of India did your parents come from, some special moments during the making of your novels that you'd like to share.</span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">My parents are from North India. I arrived in Canada as a baby and grew up in Saskatchewan. My family and I moved back to India when I was a teenager and I spent many years there before relocating back to Canada as an adult. Quite naturally then, I am very interested in both countries; both societies. Currently, India and the Indian diaspora in Canada are of great interest as subjects of my writing. History, social change and identity are other themes that recur in my work.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">I have always loved to write. I remember enjoying creative writing in my Grade 7 English class and my best friend from Grade 2 recalls how I told her I would write a book one day (even though I don’t remember that myself!). However, as I went through high school and university, creative writing got pushed further and further aside, because I was expected to pursue science and take up a profession. I became an architect and an urban planner, and worked as an architectural journalist and a planning consultant, but all the while my love of fiction grew, especially the work of the new crop of Indian writers in the early 90s. Those were the first moments of my writing. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> Tell us a little about your first book A Model House, what is this novel about? How long did it take you to write it? </span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">“A Model House” follows the journey of Alaknanda (Nanda), a young Indo-American woman in search of her Indian roots. Nanda falls in love with Raghu, an architect who becomes involved in a controversial reconstruction project in an Indian village torn apart by caste violence. She also discovers the diary of Raghu’s deceased brother Shiva, an unsung hero of the student-led Navnirman Movement of 1974. Watching Raghu’s struggle with manipulative NGO leaders and politicians, and reliving the heady moments of Shiva’s idealism through his diary entries, Nanda gains a unique insider-outsider perspective on the politics of change and development in India – and in the process, a better understanding of her own identity.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">“A Model House” was written in bits and pieces over ten years.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> Tell us a little about Blue Blood. How long did it take you to write it? How many days did you spend in India researching your book? </span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">“Blue Blood” is a collection of 8 short stories on the theme of former royalty in India. It describes the personal triumphs and tragedies of former royals as they navigate the space between their past glory and the reality of the present. Through their stories, I explore universal emotions such as love and longing, betrayal and revenge, loss of status, and issues of identity. </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">Again, work on the book was spread out over several years, during which I was in and out of India. I did not make any special trips to India to do the research, nor did I conduct any formal interviews. My interactions with formal royals were informal, and more by chance, rather than by design. The manuscript was accepted by Penguin India in November 2009 and the book was launched in India in January 2011.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> What made you write about Indian royalty? </span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">Being trained as an architect, I suppose my fascination began with the erstwhile palaces, many of which have been converted into heritage hotels. </span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"">My interactions with former royals were informal</span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">, as well as people who are familiar with the subject matter. And then I began to read widely. I discovered that while there are a lot of books about Indian royalty, most of them are in the non-fiction category (memoirs, biographies, histories, etc.), and most of them focus on the pre-Independence era. Till now, no one had written a short story collection on post-Independence Indian royalty. So in that sense “Blue Blood” is unique. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> What do Indian royals stand for in the eyes of modern-day Indians?</span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">They mean different things to different people. Some royals continue to be very visible, especially those who have taken up politics and public service. Others have become successful hoteliers, while those from smaller states have slipped into middle-class professions or businesses. And some have slipped into complete oblivion. </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">There is an eternal fascination with royalty, not just in India, but worldwide. The recent visit to Canada of Kate and William is a case in point. Today, the notion of royalty is not just associated with the glory of days gone by, but with a high degree of glamour and commercialism. Today’s royals are celebrities in their own right, and this can be seen in India, as well. With the rise of heritage tourism, India’s royals are also seen, and used, as cultural symbols.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> Your 8 short stories have tried to cover every aspect of the Indian royals’ lives, care to elaborate.</span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">My intention in writing these stories was to describe the complete ordinariness of today’s royals, especially the ones from smaller, lesser-known princely states, in their struggle to adjust to modern times. Despite the pomp and splendour associated with their past, today they are forced to work for a living and rub shoulders with commoners. Some have accepted this transition gracefully, while others continue to live in the past, and the few who are unable to reconcile with their loss of status engage in self-destructive behaviour. I wanted to let readers inside the private lives of royal families, simply to demonstrate that despite their special history, they share the same human emotions as you and I: love, lust, loneliness, jealousy, betrayal, greed…and questions around identity, be it sexual identity or the royal vs. non-royal identity. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Your stories bear some similarities to some real life events such as Manvendra Singh Raghubir Singh,<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span>the Gay Prince of India and Raghavendra Rathore the first royal to become a fashion designer. What all scenarios did you explore before developing the 8 stories?</i></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">The opening story “The Birthday” is about a young prince who also happens to be a gay fashion designer, but the character takes no cues from either Manvendra or Raghavendra. In fact, I wrote that story in Ottawa and only after I finished did I find out that India has an openly gay prince – who has also been on the Oprah Winfrey show.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">I did not set out to write the collection with a premeditated plan. Adherence to the lives of real-life royals was not important. Rather, reality merely formed the starting point for the stories, which are largely the product of my imagination. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> You seem to cover all your bases from Rajputana royals to an Indian-born descendant of the Portuguese royal family. How many types of royal families did you interview or research? </span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">It was not my goal to cover all regions or communities of royal India. Most of the stories have Hindu Rajputs as characters, while one story focuses on a Muslim family and another on a Catholic Portuguese king. As one reviewer has observed, the stories have a North Indian bias, and that is because I wrote about characters and regions with which I have some familiarity. </span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> Do you still think there is a certain amount of respect for the royals of yesteryear? </span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">In India, I think people appreciate the work of the royals who are committed to public service and clean, constructive politics in a democratic system. The perception is that because they have their own wealth, they are not corrupt. People expect them to provide positive role models, but as common citizens. At the same time, they are visible reminders of a bygone era.</span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Symbol;">·</span></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;"> What’s next in store for your readers? </span></i></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve finished a draft of my third book -- another novel – and am waiting for comments from a reader. This book, set in India, Canada, the U.S, and Hong Kong, explores memory and mid-life issues and the new Indian urban middle class. I’ll be spending the next few months reworking and polishing the draft.</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "sans-serif"" style="font-size: 12pt;">I’ve also started researching my fourth book. </span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G7KZya-OzFE/TdwNMIIOyiI/AAAAAAAAGiw/iSmW-YYf9mo/s1600/Dalits.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-G7KZya-OzFE/TdwNMIIOyiI/AAAAAAAAGiw/iSmW-YYf9mo/s200/Dalits.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Dalits or the Untouchable caste of India faced a lot of hardships in the pre Independence era; well that’s what most of us think isn’t it? But not a whole lot has changed even with enforcement of the Quota system and other amenities, can we expect centuries of discrimination to fade away with a few laws? I am doubtful about this, which was not the case a mere 3 weeks ago. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>I believed that we were all equals back home in India, because I had a few classmates with the surnames which were of the Dalit caste and we never discriminated against them, it really wasn’t something you thought about and our teachers never treated them differently to us. Isn’t it stupid to think that we still discriminate people because of the surname or caste they were born in? I was oblivious to the sad facts of the life lead by the Dalit class in some parts of my motherland. Event today people are being killed because of their castes, inter-caste marriages are forbidden in some parts till today. In my interaction with <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><b>Arun Prabha Mukherjee</b>, a</span> Professor of English at York University in Toronto, I came to know of the facts and life of the present day Dalits in India. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Prof Mukherjee is the author of <i>The Gospel of Wealth in the American Novel: The Rhetoric of Dreiser and His Contemporaries</i> (1987), <i>Towards an Aesthetic of Opposition: Essays on Literature</i>, <i>Criticism and Cultural Imperialism</i> (1988), and numerous books and articles on postcolonial literatures, women’s writing and critical theory. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She moved to Canada in 1971 from Madhya Pradesh, India<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as a Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Toronto. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpA8zoahYGQ/TdwNRqwhLDI/AAAAAAAAGi4/N7YOXCaZrtA/s1600/joothan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fpA8zoahYGQ/TdwNRqwhLDI/AAAAAAAAGi4/N7YOXCaZrtA/s200/joothan.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>She has translated two books on the Dalit into English one is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">‘Joothan’</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in 2008 which was written by<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>Omprakash Valmik</b>i. Valmiki deals with the issue of humiliation meted out to the Dalits by Indian society, no matter where they lived. This humiliation stems from the fact that Dalit inferiority has gotten embedded in the psyche of the upper caste, several recollections of calamities faced by the author brings out the scars that the modern day Dalit still has to face. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-42M40yXe0ZU/TdwNRIo18lI/AAAAAAAAGi0/MI9vqB1-95Q/s1600/Hindu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-42M40yXe0ZU/TdwNRIo18lI/AAAAAAAAGi0/MI9vqB1-95Q/s200/Hindu.jpg" width="124" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">‘Hindu’ </span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is a novel by <b>Sharankumar Limbale,</b> reflecting contemporary conflicts in India, this novel, translated from the Marathi into English for the first time, is set in a village in Maharashtra, where panchayat elections are due. Under the rules of reservation of seats in politics, the post of the village sarpanch falls to their share, and a Dalit candidate is successfully fielded by his upper caste employers, leaving the upper castes frustrated and angry. What happens to caste relations, the new political consensus that emerges slowly, if violently, are defined intuitively.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Sharankumar Limbale </span>is a well-known Dalit activist writer, editor, and critic who has worked successfully with several literary genres and is the author of some 24 books and who serves as the Regional Director of the Yashwantrao Chavan Mararashtra Open University, Naashik in India.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"> </span>Omprakash Valmiki has published three collection of poetry – <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sadiyon Ka Santaap</span></em>(1989) <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Bas! Bahut Ho Chuka</span></em> (1997), and <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ab Aur Nahin</span></em> (2009); and two collections of short stories – <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Salaam </span></em>(2000),and <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ghuspethiye </span></em>(2004). He has also written <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Dalit Saahity Ka Saundaryshaastr</span></em> (2001), and a history of the Valmiki community, <em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Safai Devata</span></em> (2009). These two writers have different flair of writing and different life experiences yet they have the same anger and contempt in their voice against the inhuman practice of caste system.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Dalit literature has come into its own in India and has become a powerful tool of protest. It opens new dimensions of experience, so dark as to be unimaginable for anyone not born into the Dalit community. <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">A vibrant field of Dalit literature has appeared, and some of the works are beginning to be translated into English. The firsthand unadulterated writings of hardship and discrimination by people, who looked down upon them only because they were born into the upper classes, is an eye opening experience. People being discriminated and differentiated not by any merit but merely by birth. The Dalit writers of Tamil, Marathi and Hindi have given a voice to the atrocities faced by their people and translators like Prof Mukherjee has allowed these stories a new audience and a much wider awareness of the present day situation in Post Independent India. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">It’s ironical that this caste was considered untouchable, yet the women were beddable for these so called Upper castes, most of the time they were forced into the beds of these so called upper caste men. What double standards can one have? The wells made by the pain and sweat of the Dalits would become impure if its own creator would touch it! The life of a Dalit is still not easy. If you thought you knew everything about the Indian Society because you’ve lived there for several years, well read these books and come to know ‘Incredible India’ a little bit more closely. India has the good, the bad and well this is an ugly truth that still lingers on almost 6 decades post-independence. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Our very own Torontonian Prof Mukherjee is one of the <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">voices of the oppressed who have helped get the necessary attention to this atrocity that our motherland continues to cultivate in different regions.</span></span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal">What is it like to grow up as an impoverished outcaste in modern India? Perhaps the best way to find out is through the words and emotions of those who have lived through the experience and who have the education and talent to write so expressively about it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">Valmiki seems to declare his final judgment in the opening lines of the preface to Joothan: "Dalit life is excruciatingly painful, charred by experiences. Experiences that did not manage to find room in literary creations. We have grown up in a social order that is extremely cruel and inhuman. And compassionless towards Dalits"</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-urXjrOTo9Ds/TGxAC-eJe5I/AAAAAAAAFEw/BormQEZhVb0/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-urXjrOTo9Ds/TGxAC-eJe5I/AAAAAAAAFEw/BormQEZhVb0/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-9471774377567541582010-09-15T06:38:00.000-07:002010-09-15T06:38:34.915-07:00Filmi South Asian Film Festival- Coming soon!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.filmi.org/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qx="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TJDLLaYlT4I/AAAAAAAAFQE/nSzpwPzTrtE/s1600/n2256169764_9274.jpg" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A lot has changed in the world of movies. Initially it was the old Zamindaar trying to swindle the poor farmer of his land. Then came the songs shot in foreign locations and Angry young men who would fight off the bad guys, stop drug smuggling and save the day! After which we were introduced to the love stories where the Khans took over romancing the lovely ladies of cinema. These days we are seeing a change in the movies with movies like 3 Idiots, Peepli [Live], and Road. Now there is a wider subject matter and there is something for everyone. Toronto International Film Festival kicks off on the 9th of September, which will showcase movies from all over the world. September starts with TIFF and will end with a BANG with Filmi ishtyle...with our very own 11th Annual Filmi South Asian Film Festival!</div><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.filmi.org/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" qx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TJDLrQ0Ga-I/AAAAAAAAFQI/Pby4cbeaI08/s200/dinesh.jpg" width="146" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dinesh Sachdev</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">To tell you more about Filmi, this Film Festival was created ten years ago in response to the absence of South Asian representation in the North American Film industry. Today it has grown to be the largest festival of its kind in North America, and aspires to become the largest outside India. Filmi hit the festival circuit during the summer of 2000, at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, earning accolades from the worldwide film community and audiences alike. Continuing with its success, Filmi is now an annual event committed to cultivating a new audience for films produced outside of India and the Bollywood system. The creation of the Filmi South Asian Festival is further proof that all great things are born from a dream. In 1999, Mohit Rajhans and Dinesh Sachdev founded Filmi and together, they have grown this festival to be the largest of its kind in North America. Mohit is a household name when it comes to television and Dinesh holds the same stature when it comes to the world of stage and movies; both men have given us a platform to honour and recognise Film Creatives amongst our own!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The schedule for the 11th Annual Filimi Festival is available on line at www.filmi.org. The festival kicks off on Thursday September 30th, at Jackman Hall – 317 Dundas Street West. Friday and Saturday Movies will be screened at Revue Cinema – 400 Roncesvalles Avenue. And we end the event with the Grand Finale on Sunday October 3rd at Bloor Cinema – 506 Bloor St. West.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Now South Asian producers, directors and actors have a platform for their stories; these creative people come together to promote their films and we get to see more than the song and dance around the tree! Some of the movies that have been showcased on Filmi in the past have been: Just a Little Red Dot, directed by Mitra Sen; Hyderabad Blues by Nagesh Kukunoor; and the shocking true story Bawandar (Sandstorm), directed by Jagmohan Mundrah.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">In ten years, the audience have grown to over 5,000 people and is still growing. If you want to have the opportunity to view the premiere of many Canadian films by South Asian filmmakers as well as South Asian films from around the world, this is the place to be! Come and see the wonderful creative works of these directors, producers and actors. It’s going to be a fun filled weekend in Toronto. You wouldn't want to miss it!</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/THUf2S47ZmI/AAAAAAAAFIU/yQexMT7QG2g/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" qx="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/THUf2S47ZmI/AAAAAAAAFIU/yQexMT7QG2g/s200/Diksha+Signature.png.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-31976943885676355712010-08-26T07:27:00.000-07:002010-08-26T15:39:09.241-07:00Star Buzz EXCLUSIVE!! Chak Jawana: Gurdas Mann in GTA!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/THZnVC4XTJI/AAAAAAAAFKA/FlDpuSFyH7U/s1600/gurdas+mann+new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/THZnVC4XTJI/AAAAAAAAFKA/FlDpuSFyH7U/s320/gurdas+mann+new.jpg" width="314" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In coversation with Gurdas Mann</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I had the privilege to recently meet the God of Punjabi Entertainment: the singer, songwriter, director and acclaimed actor Mr. Gurdas Mann. He was in town for the release of his latest movie ‘Chak Jawana’, a movie based in a village in Punjab where the youth have fallen prey to drug addiction. The turmoil of the parents seeing their children wasting their life and affecting the village atmosphere is portrayed in the movie. Then shows up Captain Gurjeet Singh (played by Mann) of the Indian Navy to save the day and put the disillusioned youngsters on the right path. ‘Chak Jawana’ has been scripted by the debutant director Simerjit Singh with Rupinder Chahal and has music by Jaidev Kumar.</div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I asked Mr Mann about why he wanted to make this movie, and what message he wanted to give to the youth with this movie. To my question he quickly corrected me by saying that this movie isn’t merely for the youth but for everyone, as the parents and loved ones of an addict are all together involved in both making an addict and helping the addict to leave the vice. The movie gives a message to everyone and their roles are important. The problem of the drug Doda that affects the GTA has deeply saddened Mr Mann and he urges the GTA community to go watch his film. Mr Gurdas Mann says that ‘Chori, yaari, nasha chupaya nahi chupda.’ (even though one might try to hide addiction and bad deeds, no one can really hide it for long).</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>I don’t follow Punjabi but I doubt there is anyone who doesn’t know Gurdas Mann and his catchy songs like ‘Dil da Mamala’. Mr Mann has popularised Punjabi music and songs from the early 80’s. He introduced us to his vibrant melodies, enriched with the soil of Punjab in every word. This Punjabi munda was born on 4th January, 1957 in Giddarbaha, Muktsar District, Punjab, India.<br />
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Gurdas Mann was educated in Malout and gained a Master’s Degree in Physical Education from the National Institute of Sports, Patiala. He competed in many athletic events and won medals including a bronze at the National Championship. He is also a black belt in Judo. Mann took part in youth festivals and it was here, upon seeing his performance in a play, a producer of a Jalandhar TV station approached him for a TV recording of his song ‘Dil da Mamala’, which Gurdas reluctantly agreed to. When the song was aired on December 31, 1980 it stormed the nation and Gurdas Mann became a household name. The overwhelming success of the song grabbed the attention of HMV who wanted to record the song and from this came his second album in 1981. He starred in the hit film ‘Shaheed Udham Singh’, and ‘Des Hoyaa Pardes’.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/THZnWfqMQCI/AAAAAAAAFKE/qAoV8PJK3kc/s1600/gurdas+mann5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/THZnWfqMQCI/AAAAAAAAFKE/qAoV8PJK3kc/s320/gurdas+mann5.jpg" width="320" /></a>Gurdas has produced over 27 albums and has written over 200 songs. He also wrote and directed TV programs like POP Time for Doordarshan Delhi. The ever-popular "Apna Punjab hove" track has surpassed all other songs by Gurdas Mann. This track has received awards for The Best Song, Album & Best International Artist of the Asian Pop and Media Awards held in Birmingham in 1998. This song was originally written by Makhan Brar, who lives here in Toronto. As Gurdas Mann was performing in his concert in Toronto, Makhan Brar handed this song to him. It became a hit at that concert. Later on Gurdas Mann added a last verse to this song "marjaane Maana kion Punjab Janda khind da" and included it in his forthcoming album.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">When I asked Mr Mann about his 30 year career in entertainment and the struggle he had to go through to achieve what he has now, he simply states that “Struggling is a part of life. It doesn’t matter what profession you are in; what matters is how you deal with the situation you are in at that particular time. If one is bold and has the ability to fight he shall overcome any situation he is put in; all you need is confidence in yourself and a little faith in the almighty.”</div><br />
I asked him about the different caps he has worn through the years and which cap he finds the most challenging. To this he very eloquently said “I love to be on the stage and have that one-on-one interaction with my audience. With the mood of my fans I change and decide what songs to play; at times I change the line up on-the-spot because what’s important is that my fans enjoy their time with me. To understand them and please them during live performances is what I find most satisfying.”<br />
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Well, it was a pleasure for me to meet this wonderful gentle man who was kind enough to sing me a song from Chak Jawana before I took my leave. Not only did he sing it, but knowing that I don’t follow Punjabi completely he explained it to me as well. Do make sure you watch Chak Jawana and listen to his music. I know I will! A pleasure meeting a legend of Punjab! Here is to another 30 years of Gurdas Mann entertaining us! Click here to hear a song from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdhmXL2F9e4">Chak Jawana</a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singing a song from Chak Jawana<br />
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</tbody></table>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com1Mississauga, ON, Canada43.548599 -79.62642743.299762 -80.093346000000011 43.797436000000005 -79.159508tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-67396530869324889122010-08-20T18:42:00.000-07:002010-08-20T18:42:50.221-07:00Remembering CK Nayudu...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TG8vCpjsJJI/AAAAAAAAFFg/quI3ai6w2Og/s1600/000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" ox="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TG8vCpjsJJI/AAAAAAAAFFg/quI3ai6w2Og/s320/000.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-66406123762981682762010-08-12T06:01:00.000-07:002010-08-18T13:24:55.248-07:00Remembering CK Nayudu...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5SRFyAtzJoZuzsyY8p8QD-QhRqXNwGPWgfHmYFXptVuZJ10LLwYhs6iGFMAmOwPdlX2FGSdox6RqRu9oNS_l9o0c-DmhQ1ogg2a3njXoK7CEcXmekRRmTzCZzAJnbnDwfz_5-FTCcZIf/s1600/50159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5SRFyAtzJoZuzsyY8p8QD-QhRqXNwGPWgfHmYFXptVuZJ10LLwYhs6iGFMAmOwPdlX2FGSdox6RqRu9oNS_l9o0c-DmhQ1ogg2a3njXoK7CEcXmekRRmTzCZzAJnbnDwfz_5-FTCcZIf/s200/50159.jpg" width="154" /></a></div>Recently I met up with Sangeeta Kanjani and her husband Ram who own <a href="http://www.artefac.ca/">ARTeFAC Inc</a>. Sangeeta’s mother is such a wonderful lady; having spent some time with her I knew what my next article would be about! Mrs. Leela Vidyasagar (Sangeeta’s mom) moved to Mississauga with her late husband ten years ago. Meeting Leela ji, I realised how important family and their legacy means. <br />
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Talking to Leela ji I come to know of her fond memories of her father - Cottari Kanakiya Nayudu, often known as C.K. Nayudu, who has the honour of being the first ever captain of the Indian Test Cricket team. He is also famous for being the first Cricket player of India who was bestowed with the Padma Bhushan award. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdWqNzepyjz7ZtGSZrCcmWw-GiYwsghI_xLIuwOlLOM6WxJUGwQukPrMvleKJcTClqi9okKTT8dcVgyg4_4x-GyFonHcfHRXOT4-kHU1W7IoPyYgQQfIcp6Ohw_B8J5HgxxvqsTTWjb9Q/s1600/dsc_0064copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdWqNzepyjz7ZtGSZrCcmWw-GiYwsghI_xLIuwOlLOM6WxJUGwQukPrMvleKJcTClqi9okKTT8dcVgyg4_4x-GyFonHcfHRXOT4-kHU1W7IoPyYgQQfIcp6Ohw_B8J5HgxxvqsTTWjb9Q/s200/dsc_0064copy.jpg" width="148" /></a>Nayudu was born in Nagpur, Maharashtra on 31st October 1895 where he spent his childhood as well. It was here that he first started playing cricket and also went on to captain the cricket team of the Hislop Collegiate High School, Nagpur. C.K. was selected by the Modi Club and later on became its captain. In 1916 he debuted in First Class Cricket, playing for Hindus against the Europeans. In 1923, Nayudu was made Captain of the army of the ruler of Holkar; he went on to hold the position of Colonel and made Indore, Madhya Pradesh his home. </div><br />
C.K. Nayudu will always be remembered in Indian Cricket history for he lead the Indian cricket team in its first test cricket match, played against England in 1932. Even though in this match C.K. injured his hand while fielding, he still managed to make the highest runs of the innings. Overall, he scored 1,842 runs and grabbed 65 wickets during the whole tour. <br />
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Nayudu was blessed with a tall and well-built physique, and was quite good at driving the ball as a batsman. Apart from this, he was also an accomplished fielder and slow-medium paced bowler.<br />
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Nayudu played his last Ranji Trophy cricket match for Uttar Pradesh in the year 1956-57 at the age of 62, wherein he scored 52 runs. He died a graceful death on the 14th of November 1967 in Indore.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQfCLSMHmXaqn8e-aG-0NFohHEPRl9yFqTICt6rKc2SyFRDbhfR6cp4tKCjCXoRkK0xH-fLfOoyKa0GPh0Xf1u-KKsxQZO49T55HA0HvOmkzkTfj5ogY_4S4KoWTipRN5qhdd-Ac3T2QK/s1600/nayudu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipQfCLSMHmXaqn8e-aG-0NFohHEPRl9yFqTICt6rKc2SyFRDbhfR6cp4tKCjCXoRkK0xH-fLfOoyKa0GPh0Xf1u-KKsxQZO49T55HA0HvOmkzkTfj5ogY_4S4KoWTipRN5qhdd-Ac3T2QK/s200/nayudu.jpg" width="119" /></a>Sipping tea in their warm home, Mrs. Leela recollects the life of her father. “Nana (Telugu for Father) always taught all of us children to be humble and that no work should be measured to be big or small…whatever you do, just do it with all your heart and dedication.” Leela ji herself was very good in sports, having represented her state and college in badminton and table tennis, and her shelves of trophies are witness to those glorious days of her life. Leela’s sister, Chandra Nayudu, went on to create another first for India by becoming the first woman cricket commentator! Chandra also wrote a book, ‘C.K. Nayudu, a Daughter Remembers…’.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Way before the IPL or T20s there was test cricket and C.K. Nayudu, and way before Mandira Bedi there was Chandra Nayudu! Leela ji has lived on the principles of her father and carries his legacy with her. She tells me that she used to go watch all her father’s matches as she does her grandsons Rohan’s and Rishi’s these days. She has immense hope for her grandson to carry on the legacy of her father. The Nayudu Family has given a lot to Indian cricket history…here is hoping Rohan and Rishi will enrich the Canadian cricket history! To the Kanjani family, thank you for opening your doors to me and our readers and sharing your story.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxBj-LC0AI/AAAAAAAAFFM/D9RZYqhntVM/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxBj-LC0AI/AAAAAAAAFFM/D9RZYqhntVM/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" /></a></div></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com1Mississauga, ON, Canada43.548599 -79.62642743.299762 -80.093346000000011 43.797436000000005 -79.159508tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-76198989207618381022010-08-05T04:49:00.000-07:002010-08-12T06:06:37.429-07:00The Column in the Paper<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TFqlHiB0ZeI/AAAAAAAAE-w/Unb6W5yT3ZE/s1600/StarBuzz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TFqlHiB0ZeI/AAAAAAAAE-w/Unb6W5yT3ZE/s640/StarBuzz.jpg" width="466" /></a></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-68213888048828606972010-07-29T07:25:00.000-07:002010-08-18T13:24:17.964-07:00Nainital<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TFha_is-zAI/AAAAAAAAE-Y/9Zohu4ybCt8/s320/nainital+3.jpg" width="240" /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TFha-jQZbGI/AAAAAAAAE-U/GoBdkR2HvnE/s1600/nainital+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TFha-jQZbGI/AAAAAAAAE-U/GoBdkR2HvnE/s320/nainital+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Hey dear readers, I hope you didn’t miss me too much! I’m back in town now; back from my very short vacation home. Where’s home? Home is Nainital the Lake city in Uttrakhand, India.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nainital">Nainital</a> a small Hill station and tourist spot where many people from North India come to spend their vacations.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">To start with, I’ll tell you how the city got its name. Parvathi, the daughter of King Daksh, married Lord Shiva against the wishes of her father, who did not favour the match. To embarrass and insult both daughter and son-in-law, King Daksh held a ‘Yagna’ (holy ritual). Everybody was invited to this ritual except the daughter and son-in-law. Parvathi, at this insult to her consort, stormed the ‘Yagna’ and before everyone’s eyes leapt into the raging flames of the ‘Yagna’. Lord Shiva himself retrieved the half charred body into his arms and left for Mount Kailash, the home of the Gods. On his way to Mount Kailash the eyes of Parvathi fell into a lake and gave it a beautiful bluish green expanse of water. The lake was in present-day Nainital, and a temple was built on the shores of the lake for Goddess Naina Devi, a name given to Parvathi in affection. Hence the Lake was called Naini Lake and Naini, which refers to the eyes of Goddess Parvathi, and Tal, meaning lake, brought about the name Nainital. It is said that the lake is formed in the shape of an emerald eye.</div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">There are many other stories as to how this lake city got its name but this mythological story is the most popular one. At an elevation of 1,938 m, Nainital has a unparalleled scenic beauty: imposing mountains, reflected in its lake which is 1,372 m long and 457 m broad with a maximum depth of 29 m. Surrounded by lofty peaks the city is divided into two parts - Talli Tal(lower lake) and Malli Tal (upper lake).</div><br />
Here in Nainital, all the locals know one another as Nainital is such a small place. Some of the best educated and very famous men and women have spent their childhood here in the boarding schools built by the European Missionaries in the last century. Some the famous alumni of these schools are Amitabh Bachchan, Kabir Bedi, Bharat Ratna Aroona Asif Ali, Naseeruddin Shah, and Lalit Modi to name a few. <br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The seven peaks that surround the lake have wonderful hiking routes like Cheena Peak, Kilbury, Dorothy’s seat and Snow View. The places you can see in and around Nainital are the Governor’s House, Hanuman Garhi, Corbett National Park, and the Boat House Club. In Nainital the Nainital Yacht club continues to be an embodiment of tradition and a repository of sailing heritage. Every year national and zonal Yacht races are held in Naini Lake. Swimming, Canoeing and Kayaking competitions are also organized in Nainital during the summer months. Rock Climbing is also something one should try when in Nainital. </div><br />
If you are going to the Northern part of India and want to visit a beautiful place then Nainital is meant for you!<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TFhbHcs0YUI/AAAAAAAAE-g/SOQiS_cbuR0/s1600/nainital-snowview-ropeway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TFhbHcs0YUI/AAAAAAAAE-g/SOQiS_cbuR0/s320/nainital-snowview-ropeway.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Also See: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdTD_Jr8Ap0">KUCCH NISHAN WAQT KE</a> - A poem dedicated to my home town Nainital </div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxBam6mqgI/AAAAAAAAFFI/ZC4ByKJXMXE/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxBam6mqgI/AAAAAAAAFFI/ZC4ByKJXMXE/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" /></a></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-57942767618884496302010-07-21T05:21:00.000-07:002010-08-18T13:23:47.832-07:00Shopping Diamonds!Shopping for the right piece of jewellery for the right price can be extremely time consuming. Purchasing from an online store can be a bit daunting. Now imagine, having a jewellery expert come to your home, or office, with unlimited designs to work with you to find the absolutely perfect piece for you, for a price that would blow you away.<br />
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#!/pages/Zuri-Diamonds/349652867375?ref=ts">Zuri Diamonds</a> is bringing to you a whole new way to purchase your wedding rings, gifts, or whatever your fine jewellery needs may be. No more sales people convincing you to buy from them, or trying to charmingly sell you what you don’t want. Without overhead and inventory costs that retailers incur, Zuri Diamonds is able to maintain incredible prices. “We are only interested in making our clients happy, as our business relies on word-of-mouth sales.” says Zehra Abbas, co-owner of the business. “What we are really proud of is the quality we produce. Our credibility lies in the finished item we provide our client.” <br />
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They have also committed a certain percentage of their sales to charity. “We want to be a socially responsibly company.” says Abbas. The husband and wife team were inspired by their own wedding ring shopping experience to establish Zuri Diamonds. I would know because for my first year anniversary we bought our wedding bands from them. The process was hassle free, and not to mention within our budget. <br />
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The best thing about Zuri diamonds is that whatever your budget they'll have something for you.<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxBTHczDNI/AAAAAAAAFFE/4HMh8cAS3oY/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxBTHczDNI/AAAAAAAAFFE/4HMh8cAS3oY/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" /></a></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-2568172963996081012010-06-10T14:56:00.000-07:002010-08-18T13:25:53.743-07:00End of Season- South Asian Focus TV and First Local in Hindi<blockquote></blockquote><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">It’s that time of the year…the sun is out and everything seems to be nice and wonderful, but there is a sadness in my heart…why? Well, the season is coming to an end. No, not the summer season but the TV season for my shows South Asian Focus TV and First Local in Hindi which air on Rogers TV channel 10 in the region of Peel. We’ll be back in September with bigger and better shows for sure, but for now the fact that the show is ending makes me a little sad.</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TBFe6upQapI/AAAAAAAAEfM/6NxUEDiB4OU/s1600/3544654765.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" qu="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TBFe6upQapI/AAAAAAAAEfM/6NxUEDiB4OU/s200/3544654765.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Rogers TV is a unique channel which lets people from any age and walk of life come and obtains first-hand experience of the world of TV. I remember the day we had our first show…I had never worked with volunteers before in my life; but all my apprehensions disappeared the moment I saw how hard everyone worked and made the first show happen. Since then, we’ve never looked back!</div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On our shows we’ve had amazing guests from priests to movie producers, from musicians to authors; we’ve celebrated Eid, Diwali, Christmas and Holi. You name it, we’ve done it! All of this could not have taken place without the efforts of the people behind and in front of the screen. It’s been a year since I moved here and looking back I consider the people and friends I’ve made here as my second family.</div></div><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First Local in Hindi Team<br />
Nishant, Shruti, Sahar and Sunny</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The <a href="http://www.rogerstv.com/option.asp?lid=12&rid=51&sid=3346">First Local in Hindi</a> team is led by Sunny Joshi’s dedication and leadership quality; his knowledge about everything ranging from Bollywood to sports has always added positives to our shows. Nishant, the young energetic sports anchor, is very knowledgeable about his subject; Shruti, our entertainment host, has always given us the latest gossip and happening news from Bollywood and if she recommends a movie, then it’s worth the watch!</div></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TBFadfvxDWI/AAAAAAAAEe8/rDmuBj9iV30/s1600/saftb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" qu="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TBFadfvxDWI/AAAAAAAAEe8/rDmuBj9iV30/s200/saftb.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">South Asian Focus TV Team</td></tr>
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Sahar and Shivani have made the team <a href="http://www.rogerstv.com/option.asp?lid=12&rid=51&sid=3116">South Asian Focus TV</a> all the more entertaining with Sahar’s charm and Shivani’s sophistication; this duo takes Girl power to the next level! Wasim has hosted most of the season of SAF TV, and is missed on the show. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Levent and Kyle -SAF TV</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunny, Pushp and Qaiser</td></tr>
</tbody></table>To the unsung heroes – Milan, Levent, Kyle, Qaiser and all the volunteers of both shows – a big Thank You for all the amazing things you’ve done to make these shows a huge success! Last but not least, a note of thanks to the Peel Region Station Manager, Jake Dheer; thank you for providing a platform for South Asians.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">This show has grown with the season and we have provided you with access to the community and its events. We hope that you have enjoyed our programs and will surely tune into our shows next season in September. Do watch both our shows season finale. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxBHhZrkiI/AAAAAAAAFFA/yXOFe3R_ycg/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxBHhZrkiI/AAAAAAAAFFA/yXOFe3R_ycg/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" /></a> </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> Log on to www.rogerstv.com for our schedule. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Hey don't forget to join our Face book Groups! Click on the name to go to the FB page.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Local-In-Hindi/10150126858995473?v=photos&ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=119427733391&ref=ts">South Asian Focus TV- The Official Group</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Local-In-Hindi/10150126858995473?v=photos&ref=ts#!/pages/First-Local-In-Hindi/10150126858995473">First Local in Hindi</a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-35923061711759019062010-06-04T05:38:00.000-07:002010-08-18T13:26:21.847-07:00Need a weekend form my weekend!My, oh my, what a week! The Monday blues were actually something I was looking forward to, for a change. Have you ever wished for a weekend from your weekend? Well, with so many things happening all in one weekend, I know you all must be hopping from one place to the other! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrasauga at Hersheys Centre</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">My first Carassauga Festival experience was nice, with so many pavilions, things to see and taste. Talking about food, there is a new restaurant in Brampton which opened last Friday called Spice Garden Restaurant. It’s located at the Shoppers World Mall, 499 Main Street South, Steeles & Hurontario intersection, Brampton. Nice place; you should give it a try. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TAjyBHZzUCI/AAAAAAAAEcY/8399r8fuF5g/s1600/nandita.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TAjyBHZzUCI/AAAAAAAAEcY/8399r8fuF5g/s200/nandita.jpg" width="138" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amazing Nadita performing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.nanditadias.com/">Nandita Dias</a> is a wonderfully talented singer and songwriter who had a concert recently at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre. Her performance was amazing and the fusion of Indian and Jazz musicians to make sweet melody was an eye (or should I say ear) opener. There is no shortage of talent in the GTA and Nandita leads the way with her Jazz Raga.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.roadtoday.com/">Road Today</a> had an event on the 29th where a variety of Trucks were put on display for the viewers. There was a Ladies Bollywood Night Out also on the same day, and how can we forget DesiFest! So many things happening at the same time… and to top it all we had Kavitha Krishnamurthy singing her most popular numbers on the 30th! All in all we ended South Asian Heritage month with a big bang!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Well, dear friend, there are a lot of things coming in the month of June as well. Don’t forget the most awaited <a href="http://www.mosaicfest.com/">Mosaic Festival</a> (Log on to: www.mosaicfest.com ) in July! We have a Painting exhibition by <a href="http://www.artofjaswant.com/">Jay Jaswant Singh and Sarita Mehra</a> at Beaux-Arts Brampton 70 Main Street North, Brampton, Ontario. Art lovers must go have a look! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiger Jeet Singh And I</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Recently I had Wrestling legend Tiger Jeet Singh on my show – South Asian Focus TV, which airs on Rogers Channel 10 in the Peel region. He came to promote the first annual Tigers Wrestle Fest, an amateur and professional wrestling fundraising demonstration that will coincide with this year’s Downtown Milton Street Festival. <a href="http://www.tigerjeetsingh.com/">Tigers Wrestle Fest </a> is to take place on Saturday June 5, 2010, from noon to 7 p.m. in front of Troy’s Diner located at 295 Main Street East in downtown Milton. Admission is free. Over 25,000 people attend Milton Street Festival annually and it has become a treasured event in its fourth year. Tigers Wrestle Fest 2010 is a wonderful new attraction that is expected to dramatically increase attendance and reach of this already popular event. There will be demonstration of free-style wrestling from noon to 4 p.m., demonstration of Cross Fit and boxing by Firepower Training between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., and an exhibition of professional wrestling from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TAjzH5ENuxI/AAAAAAAAEcg/dA0AwYOxHR8/s1600/meena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TAjzH5ENuxI/AAAAAAAAEcg/dA0AwYOxHR8/s200/meena.jpg" width="120" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meena Chopra </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Also on last episode of my show was our very own <a href="http://meenasartworld.blogspot.com/">Meena Chopra</a> who came to talk about being nominated for the Marty’s award. <a href="http://www.mississaugaartscouncil.com/">The Marty</a> are awarded by the Mississauga Arts Council to Mississauga residents who have done exemplary work in various fields. I would know as I judged one of the categories. Even the <a href="http://www.speakupfilmfest.com/">Speak Up Festival</a> taking place in mid June is something you all should visit. As a Judge of the event I got to see the film and music works of the talented students; some high school submissions were so amazing to look at that I couldn’t believe the work was done by amateurs!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So dear readers May madness is done, but June is here with some exciting things as well! </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxA60qcGEI/AAAAAAAAFE8/47yRIq0nu4E/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: left; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxA60qcGEI/AAAAAAAAFE8/47yRIq0nu4E/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Log on to: </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://meenasartworld.blogspot.com/">http://meenasartworld.blogspot.com/</a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://www.mississaugaartscouncil.com/">http://www.mississaugaartscouncil.com/</a> </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://www.speakupfilmfest.com/">http://www.speakupfilmfest.com/</a> </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> <a href="http://www.tigerjeetsingh.com/">http://www.tigerjeetsingh.com/</a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.mosaicfest.com/">http://www.mosaicfest.com/</a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.nanditadias.com/">http://www.nanditadias.com/</a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.roadtoday.com/">http://www.roadtoday.com/</a> </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://www.artofjaswant.com/">http://www.artofjaswant.com/</a> </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-55287176438165786732010-05-26T15:11:00.000-07:002010-08-18T13:21:08.687-07:0026th May- Lipakshi and our Date at Doaba<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lipakshi and I</td></tr>
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</div>I am on a diet; my best friend Lipakshi (in picture) keeps telling me that only a best friend like her will be honest enough to tell me that I'm fat. Sometimes I wish she weren't that honest with me, because she says that quite often....which makes me defiant, and I secretly go to the places where we get the yummiest of food and, well, I eat to my heart’s delight! <br />
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Maybe after reading this column I might get into trouble with Lipakshi, but I intend to make it up to her by taking her to <a href="http://www.doabasweetsrestaurant.com/">Doaba Sweets and Restaurant</a>. The 'garma -garam' Jalebi ought to make her heart melt. On my last visit there I met with the owner of the place, Mr. Narinder Soor; what a pleasant man to speak with. He is passionate about food and the magical power of words. Not many people know this about him: he also writes lyrics to songs! Mr. Soor comes to Canada from Khushalpur, Punjab. He first moved here in 1988 and since then has made our lives wonderful and healthy with his 100% vegetarian food. Mr. Soor, tells me about how this is his family business. He helped with the first Doaba, which opened 10 years ago in Brampton and is still a success. This restaurant is owned by his elder brother. Mr. Soor now has his very own Doaba in Mississauga, which is comparatively new at 3 years old.<br />
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While listening to Mr. Soor telling me about his family and their dedication to making this restaurant a success, I help my self to some of the delicious food they have to offer. I remember when I first moved to Canada a year ago, The Doaba was one of the first few restaurants I visited. I have never had better Chana Kulcha in my life! I sit here today as well eating the Chana Kulcha. They have really good Punjabi food in this restaurant. My husband Karthik's favourite is the Sarson ka Sag and Makki di Roti. We also love the thali they have and the best part is everything is 100% vegetarian! Recently they have started with the Gujarati thali as well. Those of you who do not have egg even in cakes should most definitely try their egg-less cake which they started about six months ago. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jalebis made in Desi Ghee</td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The sweets corner of their shop has a variety to choose from: they have rasmalai, kulfi faluda, khoya and paneer sweets and not to forget the hot and delicious Jalebis which are served only on the weekends or on special order during the weekdays. The Jalebis are made true 'Desi-ishtyle' with desi ghee. Believe me, if I’m risking a stern reprimand from my wanna be mom/best friend Lipi, it’s bound to be good. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Try the Doaba out this weekend, and if you intend to have a party you should try out their catering option; it’s worth the money. </div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Doaba means uniting of 2 rivers; Doaba can also mean the story of two brothers, or the story of this couple - Narinder and Devinder's struggle to feed us good food...or the uniting of east and west to give us Doaba. Doaba for me means different types of kulchas, parathas, chaat items and not to forget the life saving Jalebis! </div><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Doaba is located on: 5390 Terry Fox Way, Mississauga, ON L5V0A5</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxAmNqrQsI/AAAAAAAAFE4/tsIIZGCGLSg/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxAmNqrQsI/AAAAAAAAFE4/tsIIZGCGLSg/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" /></a></div></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-82648601706181145012010-05-26T14:55:00.000-07:002010-08-18T13:21:34.143-07:0019th May Whats making News in Peel!Summer is around the corner so how many of you have decided what to do with your time? I always try to exercise or go for long walks but then they just end up being one time events... I wish there was some consistency! So now I scheme to do something else... I can't shed the weight so now I plan to learn something new and expand my horizon! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">How you ask? Well there are several things you can do with your time... how about volunteering for the <a href="http://www.cre8iv80studio.com/index.asp">Mosaic Festival</a> (<a href="http://www.mosiacfest.com/">http://www.mosiacfest.com/</a>) ? It's the best event that happens in this part of the region! <a href="http://www.facebook.com/dpal1234?v=app_2344061033#!/event.php?eid=114155495288255&index=1">'Nachan ge sari raat'</a> is a dance competition that they are organising and the deadline for submissions is 30 of May. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I have two left feet so I'm going to first learn how to dance! There are a few very talented people who teach dance here... like the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=74830938547&ref=ts">Diya Dance Academy</a>; then there is the <a href="http://www.bollywoodgrooves.ca/">Lopa Sarkar</a> who teaches some real good bollywood and bhangra numbers.</div><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">So I think I shall be ready for the competition next year! But then who says we can't learn things like playing the tabla or some other instrument? There are several places that one can go to learn that as well. For example I have seen Amar Seepersad and his students perform and they are amazing to watch and listen! <a href="http://www.thetablahouse.ca/">The Tabla House</a> gets two thumbs up from me!</div><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If music and dance just isn't your scene, then how about learning martial arts? Every body wants to learn karate, but have you ever thought of Gatka? Gatka is the spiritual and physical martial art of the Sikhs. Sarabjit Singh of the <a href="http://www.gatka.ca/Gatka/Academy.html">Yudh Combat Training Academy</a> can give you some classes and no one would ever mess with you again! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">On Wednesday June 2nd, SAPNA and Holistic Nutritionist and Homeopathic Doctor Sunita Mohan will take our taste buds on an aromatically tantalizing and nutritious journey through the culinary worlds of India and Malaysia. What else is making news this week...Martys awards are coming up on 3rd of June while we end May with <a href="http://www.carassauga.com/">Carassauga</a>! So many exciting things happening! </div><br />
There is good food, dancing and music to make summer exciting... more next week!<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxAeaUj3gI/AAAAAAAAFE0/ZuJ-giv-0pg/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxAeaUj3gI/AAAAAAAAFE0/ZuJ-giv-0pg/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" /></a></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4619565127501965018.post-11306830921010678702010-05-26T14:35:00.000-07:002010-08-18T13:21:21.690-07:00Welcome to my Column<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/S_2esq5mmRI/AAAAAAAAEZ8/1VD9_WiWRsI/s1600/gimp_kaleidoscope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/S_2esq5mmRI/AAAAAAAAEZ8/1VD9_WiWRsI/s200/gimp_kaleidoscope.jpg" width="200" /></a>Welcome to my Kaleidoscope, an ever changing reflection of things I see, places I visit and people I meet… This is a column for those who want to try out something new or to merely get entertained with my ramblings. I moved to Mississauga a year ago from Delhi, India. Having moved from Delhi, where if you are to smile at a stranger would mean trouble, to a country where it’s impolite to not smile back to random strangers, a lot has changed through the year! But what hasn’t changes is my desire to stay connected to my roots. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karthik and I</td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Marriage and a great husband brought me to Canada, where I reside in Mississauga. The GTA is a great place to live in. I don’t feel I am away from home, just away from a few people who matter to me. Everything Desi is available here. I remember the first time I went into a shop to buy groceries the first thing I saw in the rack was Parle-g biscuits! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The ‘Desi’ in me still loves a good bargain when I get one, love the ‘desi’ foods we eat and I still love wearing our Traditional clothes. Like all working women I love getting to go out and eat rather than stay at home and cook, my husband loves going out cause it saves him from eating my burnt food. Do you like eating chole kulche, have you tried the Doaba at Derry road east, well if you haven’t you should! You should also try the Pav bhaji and Vada Pav- Mumbai ‘ishtyle’ made at <a href="http://www.bombaydelights.ca/1.html">Bombay Delight</a> at highway 10 and Dundas. Keep a watch on this space for more information on great deals. </div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Until next week…Take care!</div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxAC-eJe5I/AAAAAAAAFEw/Qjv7gorcdYs/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" ox="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_AEBkgP8El80/TGxAC-eJe5I/AAAAAAAAFEw/Qjv7gorcdYs/s1600/Diksha+Signature.png" /></a></div>Diksha Pal Narayanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14076362354834074726noreply@blogger.com2