A-Desiflava Jan-Feb, 2020 Issue

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Volume 9 | Issue 1 | JAN-FEB 2020 HONG KONG’S FIRST LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE FOR SOUTH ASIANS

Entertain

Enlighten

Engage

IO N

The

In The Island Country

Exploring Philippines

Millennials

Hong Kong young ethnic expats talk candidly about their unique lifestyle Cover Story

10 Commandments to a Successful Life

Sharing the secret mantras of successful personalities Philanthropreneur

Predictions for 2020

Astrology, Tarot and Numerology

Globetrotter

10 MustHave App

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For hea securitylth, gaming, and mo re N

etizens

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How to of ‘pop’ in element k? your loo

The Stylist

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EDITOR’S NOTE

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CONTRIBUTORS Bejan Daruwalla

Brinda Khandwala Managing Editor editor@aplomhk.com

World-renowned, revered astrologer and prophesier of Shri Ganesha Bejan Daruwalla is acknowledged as one of the 100 great astrologers in the last 1000 years in Harper Collin’s Millennium Book of Prophecy. According to Bejan, Ganesha says timing is everything in astrology and in life - meaning the right person at the right place and time.

Sanjay B Jumaani

Happy New Year, Readers!

We’ve all just about woken up from the New Year haze and freshly included our resolutions into the regimented routines. Our magazine has some goals set too inclusion, in its larger sense, being the main one. And we start with including the youngsters.

For our cover story, I met with the newly-turned adult lot from our South Asian expat community, and was pleasantly surprised that my perception of this age-group is far from reality. If this group is rightly representing their generation, I can safely say our future is safe in their young hands.

This time, we are also reaching out to the even younger ones, with a small gesture of curating news bits specially for them. Its an attempt to remind this ‘on-screen generation’, the joy of reading print.

Of course, there is no escape from the screens. The last decade was the era of social media - something we all have a love-hate relation with. And we have to admit, it remains the fast most efficient and entertaining medium to reach people. I request you to follow us on our social media for us to reach you better.

Keep inspiring, Brinda

After struggling in a sales job for 17 years, Sanjay added the ‘B’ in his name on his father’s advice. A non-believer at the time, he saw a roller-coaster of change that the vibrations of the name brought into his life. He quit his job and plunged into the world of Numerology. Today, some of the most successful businessmen, sportsmen and film celebrities are his regular clients.

Munisha Khatwani The Page 3 personality of Mumbai is also a renowned Tarot card reader. With her deep study and understanding of the Vedic sciences, she offers a plethora of services including Vedic horoscope, gemstone consultation, janm patrika reading, kundli matchmaking, numerology report and so on.

Sonia Samtani Founder & MD of All About You, Sonia is a Clinical Hypnotherapist, qualified Life Coach, certified Corporate Trainer, accredited Image Expert, Family Constellation Facilitator, certified Transpersonal Regression Therapist and Public Speaking Coach. Her keen observation of life with articulate speech are the testament of her wisdom beyond her age.

Abhimanyu Narayanmoorthy Man about town – Abhimanyu is a familiar face everywhere that Hong Kong desis get together. And yet the Risk Management Consultant with a French Bank makes time to establish his entertainment company Cutting Chai, explore unique destinations and pen down his travelogues for us.

Jeenali Desai The fashion stylist travels avidly to the fashion-savvy cities of the world from Mumbai, London, Dubai, Singapore… picking up trends along the way. She curates edgy and interesting looks with her characteristic feminine touch for work and play!

Maitreyi Karanth This ‘marvelous missus’ concocts all her global influences into acts that have audiences rolling with laughter. Hong Kong’s only female Indian standup artist shares some of her PG humour that doesn’t make it to the mic for our readers.

CONTRIBUTORS Mrs. Poonam V Mehta An early-childhood educator and counsellor, Poonamji runs several schools. As President of Be The Change HK Organization, she is actively involved in helping Hong Kong’s ethnic communities. She is also a core member of Sage Foundation (Mumbai) and Trustee of Dreamz Home Orphanage (Mumbai).

Leading with love, she inspires us to be better beings.

Seema Puri Bhatia Co-founder of PranaYum, food blogger (SpicyAbundance) Seemaji grew up as her mother’s ‘sous-chef’ and went on to design her own wholesome and healthy food philosophy. Her most soughtafter recipes are now shared here for our readers to also embrace a healthy-eating lifestyle.

Pearly Chhabra Well-known in the beauty circuits of the city, Pearly’s expert hands equipped with makeup brushes and palettes work the magic of a fairy godmother! But the artist truly believes that makeup is simply the sparkle on natural beauty. She shares tips and hacks on enhancing your god-gifted looks.

Azake Rahman Investing in the latest in camera technology, the very suave and skillful Azake captures magic through the lens in his unique style. Be it a candid conversation, the cities buzz or scenic views, he seizes memorable moments within our pages – making the stories come alive for our readers.

Niru Vishwanath

Sonal Advani

From the Ethnic Minorities Unit at EOC (Equal Opportunities Commission), Niru shares her valuable advice, case studies and expert inputs on common queries concerning equality. She joins us to further reach and help the growing ethnic minority community of Hong Kong

Dutiful, diligent and dignified, the youngest member on our team – our intern, shows maturity beyond her age. Her valuable contribution to the content helps us make the magazine more relatable and interesting for our younger readers.

CONTENTS

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PHILANTHROPRENEUR

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The New-Age 10 Commandments THE STYLIST

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Pop! Goes the Wardrobe EDITORIAL: WELLNESS

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Bygones & Beginnings ASTROLOGY

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Neha Gaurav Pathak

37 40

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COVER STORY

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The Millennials

Freshly into adulthood, the current lot of young ethnic expats of Hong Kong, seems to be making the most of both - their traditional values and modern lifestyle.

Brinda Khandwala and Sonal Advani find that the new generation of ethnic-origin global kids show amazing amounts of clarity and control over their lives

W

ith all the coordination happening over a WhatApp group, I half expected these never-metbefore youngsters to either show up late or not at all on the day of this chat. While I was prepared to wait and maybe having to make a few ‘chasing calls’, I was surprised to find a group already waiting for me at our decided place, couple of minutes before time!

Between the ages 18-22 years, this group of six – five of Indian origin and one of Sri Lankan, there are those who have been brought up in Hong Kong entirely, who have moved here some years ago.

mom grew up in India, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and my dad only in Hong Kong, they have been following religion and rituals quite strictly.” She feels language, religion, customs and culture must be passed down generations to keep them alive.

The most rooted to her Sri Lankan culture, Himeshika surprises me with her strong traditional values and just as strong modern thinking.

“My dad is traditional and my mom is modern. With her, the communication is a lot more open. Dad is stricter – he will ask which friend I’m going out with or if there will be guys where we go, he will remind me to put my jacket on… and his last line is always, ‘don’t make your mum worry’.” She is extremely close to her parents and remains mindful of their feelings in everything she does.

Ethnic Home in Global City “I have a very Indian home,” says Manasvee. The chatty and opinionated young lady, as I find later, explains, “We are Marwaris from Jaipur.

My parents had an arranged marriage. So, it’s a proper traditional Indian household.”

Finding a fine balance between the traditional home and her modern outlook, Manasvee is quite outspoken and often uses her candid approach to bring about new changes in their lifestyle.

Her close friend, Prasheena adds, “My home is pretty traditional too. We follow the usual customs. Though my

Manasvee Sharma

Prasheena Ganglani

Himeshika Samaradivakara

COVER STORY

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Ayush, too, has experienced life in India (Orissa) and Hong Kong. “In our home, my mom is the most traditional – she does all the poojas and rituals.

She will even call up relatives back in India to ask exactly how certain rituals are done.

In that sense, dad and I are a little less religious but we follow when mom tells us to do.” Having friends in Orissa and in Hong Kong, Ayush feels at home in both places.

Respectful of his culture, he thinks independently with high regard for his parents’ thoughts – even though they may be different sometimes.

Sanil, born in Singapore and raised in Hong Kong also lives in a fairly traditional home with great influence on grandparents. “My mom has lived in Hong Kong most of her life, and dad in Singapore – the cultures of both cities, being global Asian cities, are quite similar. So, they already have a modern outlook. But they have always followed all rituals and customs.”

Ayush Shetty

Piyusha Dongre Moved recently to Hong Kong from Pune, Piyusha says her home is ‘very Indian’ too.

“Having lived in India for 14 years of my life, we carried the same traditions here when we moved. My parents too had an arranged marriage.” Quiet and observant, she took her time to find her feet in the new city adding a unique flavour to her lifestyle with her traditional values. She shows maturity beyond her age.

Sanil Chandiramani

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COVER STORY

Language and culture “My parents made it a point to speak with my brother and me in Marathi,” shares Piyusha.

“And having studied in a local school in Pune, I have formally learned the language so I am fluent in Marathi – reading, writing and speaking.” In fact, at community events, Piyusha finds that from their generation, her bother and she are the only kid who are fluent with the language.

“When I was new here, I felt that my accent was different from the others and maybe if my parents had spoken to us in English like all other Indian parents, I wouldn’t have an issue with the accent,” she recalls. “But now I look back and don’t see it as an issue.

And I am glad I know my mother tongue.”

"I can even speak English with the Indian accent. When I visit family back in Jaipur, I switch to that accent and it lingers for a few days after I am back." ~ Manasvee

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“I wish I did!” says Prasheena.

“I think it is very important for parents to pass on their language and culture to the next generation. As a child I may have resisted to watch Bollywood movies, but I wish my parents had forcefully taught me Sindhi and Hindi it would give me a deeper understanding of my culture.

Sindhi is not spoken by much of the younger generation and teenagers of Hong Kong. I still do try to learn it, however, I feel disconnected from my roots at times”

school all my life. My mom used to criticize my English accent, but it was the same as the accent of my teachers. I have also learned French and Mandarin.”

connected with your people. I also speak some Cantonese.

I learned it myself by observing my friends. It’s very basic though – good enough for surviving here!”

Sanil speaks basic Hindi with his Indian helper and has started picking more of it from some friends and films. “But the home language is mainly English,” he admits. “I feel learning the mother tongue, Sindhi in my case, or learning Hindi is important for staying

They all unanimously agree that they feel the language barrier the most when they have to get a cab!

Manasvee is very fluent with Hindi and English alike. “In fact, I can even speak English with the Indian accent. When I visit family back in Jaipur, I switch to that accent and it lingers for a few days after I am back. So, then I switch back,” she laughs.

From all of them, Himeshika speaks the most languages.

To my surprise, I find that Cantonese is her first language! “Yes,” she laughs.

“Though my parents spoke to me in English and Sinhalese, I think in Cantonese first because I have studies in local

Of course, the Hong Kong culture is very ‘mind your own business’ kind, a sharp contrast to the ethnic cultures of close-knit communities.

COVER STORY

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“The older Chinese people are very warm and greet you well,” Ayush points out. “But yes, the younger ones who go to work are dead silent.

They don’t even care to give a stare.”

Ayush enjoys the contracts and switches back and forth from the culture differences with ease. “In India, my friend and I planned and punctured a fellow’s car tyre simply because he was dating some girl one of our friends liked. I can’t imagine that happening here.”

I can relate to this – I share a story of when my friends and I had punctured the bike tyres of our Hindi professor in school because he was rather partial to a certain lot of students.

Himeshika marks another difference in the cultures.

“Though I’m not expected to have an arranged marriage, its all about caste and class in Sri Lanka. We are from the upper class. If I were to marry someone from a lower class, it will be like – ‘why would you ruin the family balance’!

Thankfully my parents have been here long enough to understand that class isn’t more important than the individual.”

While the youngsters don’t understand the logic behind some customs, rituals and superstitions, they don’t mind participating for the sake to continuing traditional practices and staying connected to their culture.

But some things sure amuse them.

“Like why can’t we cut nails after dark?” asks Piyusha.

“Yeah! I’m pretty sure that made sense in the past when there were no lightbulbs!

But there is no logic now,” Prasheena adds.

“And the spitting!” says Manasvee. “Everytime I gather my fallen hair, I have to spit on it and then throw. They say, it will grow back if you do that.”

Superstition or not, I am going to try that one because I am losing a lot of hair!

Culture, they all agree, should be passed down generations.

However, they all feel there should be some logic or explanation over certain religious rituals. Like pouring milk over the Shivling and immersing the Ganesha idols into our water bodies can be done differently now that the environment is getting affected.

Its nice to know this generation is mindful of the environment. Prasheena is vegetarian out of choice for ten years because she feels killing an animal for food isn’t ethical.

“We don’t bring meat at home but eat it outside. Once we had cooked it at home and I was sick for a long time. So, my parents co-related the two and believe that bringing it home was a bad omen so we stopped,” says Piyusha.

Dating, relationships and marriage Of the six, only two admitted they are dating. While one of them hasn’t informed the parents yet since its too soon, the other has kept the parents in the know of the three-year relationship but the extended family and community isn’t aware – because the partner is of another community.

All of them aren’t in favour of casual dating. And they prefer if they were to find someone from their own community simply because the cultures match.

Not disclosing names but this is some of the things this group has said.

“Arranged marriage is a good backup option. Its nice to have that in case you don’t find anyone.”

“I agree, but it would make a very boring ‘how we met’ story!”

“Its not about whether I would marry within the community or not, its more about compatibility for me – whoever it is.”

“I think before you become sexually active, you definitely need to be educated about it.

It’s all okay as long as you are aware of what you’re doing.”

“I think before you become sexually active, you definitely need to be educated about it.

It’s all okay as long as you are aware of what you’re doing.”

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COVER STORY

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“Yes, we have sex education here. And it’s fairly well explained. But they don’t discuss different sexual orientation.”

“People can take drugs but not abuse it. Marijuana can help people with anxiety so it should be legalized for such use. Sometimes you need a certain push and if that helps you then but don’t binge it.”

“My dad thinks homosexuality is unnatural. And mom feels its all in the mind – all you have to do is think ‘straight’!”

“I don’t smoke. I have friends who do vaping and shisha. I don’t do that either.”

“My dad thinks men wearing pink ‘looks gay’.”

“I am comfortable talking to my parents about everything – drinking, smoking or drugs.

What I had and how much of it. I like that we have that open communication.”

“One I told my mom about a friend ‘coming out’. And her response was like – you aren’t allowed to be homosexual.”

“I think schools need to be more responsible towards teaching about different sexualities so that students are sensitive about it. My school had a gay girl and she faced a lot of bullying.

She had a tough time. In her senior year, she set up a club for gay people and now the environment in the school is better for them.”

“Its sad, but my parents are really close-minded about it. For them, it’s supposed to be like Adam and Eve get together and they make children – and that’s the only way. They are in denial of homosexuality.”

“No one in my family knows that my cousin sister is gay and she has a girlfriend.

There is no way they would understand.”

Drinking, Smoking and Drugs “My parents know I drink. And they know when I go out with my friend for drinking but we don’t say it to each other. It’s like they know and I know they know… All I will say is ‘I am going out’.”

“I started drinking with my parents. I guess they wanted

“I think my dad didn’t have open communication with his parents and he and his buddies may have overdone some of the indulgences in their young age. He didn’t want the same with us, so he prefers keeping it all open between us.”

me to try in their presence so they know how it affects me.”

“Personally, I don’t like going out much nor do I enjoy drinking. For me, sleep is more important than a night out. My parent in fact insist I go out with friends and even try a drink but I don’t feel like it.”

“I have tried drugs – both here and in my home country. It was more potent there. Of course, its not an addiction at all. Just something I tried with friends.”

“People can take drugs but not abuse it. Marijuana can help people with anxiety so it should be legalized for such use.

COVER STORY

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It doesn’t seem like the youngsters give into peer pressure over drinking, smoking, drugs or anything else. They carefully choose friends who match their wavelength and the peer group in fact becomes more of a support than pressure.

Education and career Its amazing to find, all the parents, especially their mums, are very invested in their education.

“My mom does it in full Indian style,” says Ayush. “She will give me a task, then come after 15 minutes to check if I’ve done and then set another task.”

Manasvee points out another very ‘Indian thing’ desi parents do. “They pressure you

indirectly. Like if someone mentions their child’s good grades or achievements, they give this little side glance to us as it saying ‘see, you should also get such grades’!”

Himeshika seems to take it upon herself to take the pressure. “I screwed up in high school and it was the worst feeling to see my mom disappointed and crying.

I am proud of myself that I am now working hard for my education. She’s my guardian angel, I do everything for her.”

“I set my own goals as well,” Ayush adds. “Its not pressure but its self-motivation to do well.”

“I’m lucky my parents don’t pressurize me,” says Prasheena. “But then its all the Sindhi aunties who feel like ‘why are you doing arts?’

and ‘why not business’. They feel like arts is not serious enough.”

Mananvee agrees, “Many people confuse arts with painting and designing. Like that’s all there is to it. And then the gender norms – like its assumed my brother will run the family business and I will occupy some cabin, designing something.”

Being small close-knit communities, we all experience the aunties and uncles having a say in our lives. “It’s funny how we are known by the businesses our fathers run. I’ve noticed that in Gujaratis and Sindhis. Like if I talk about some friend – my grandparents will be like ‘he is so-and-so company’s son’… How can someone be a company’s son?” While

Sanil would like to explore his options in the corporate world, he knows friends who assume that will be taking over their parents’ businesses by default.

“We live in a global city like Hong Kong, we should make the best of opportunities and get our worth in the corporate world.” ~ Sanil

“I’m not saying its not great.

Our parents’ businesses have provided for us and it’s the thing that has given us the education. But we live in a global city like Hong Kong, we should make the best of opportunities and get our worth in the corporate world,” he adds.

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COVER STORY Stress and mental wellness They all agree the primary reason for stress in their lives so far would be studies.

“Why do local school students commit suicide? Because of their educational system, because it’s that difficult.” ~ Himeshika

Himeshika speaks passionately about it. “The problem is the education system. If you fix the syllabus you won’t have as many stressful people. Why do local school students commit suicide? Because of their educational system, because it’s that difficult.

Kids are cramming to learn three different languages.

These kids deserve to have a proper childhood. It starts with education, teacher training, culture sensitivity.”

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Speaking of culture sensitivity, “There is some amount of racial bullying as well,” Piyusha shares. “When I was new here, I expected to be friends with the other Indians here. But there was this one Indian girl next to me who asked me to change my seat because she wanted her ‘personal space’. She was rather nasty about it. But with time you find like-minded people and make friends.”

“But I agree. Often its Indian kids bullying other Indian kid,” adds Manasvee. “I get flak from Indian kids who have come to universities here to study. They come at 8 am with full makeup, dark kajal and their Gucci purses giving a judgmental look because I have come to class in sweats and sneakers.”

But its all in good humour.

They are all smart enough not to take the stress of social pressures.

We briefly spoke about the young Indian girl who went missing and the message

went viral on all the WhatsApp groups. The group knew the girl and everyone’s reaction was of concern rather than judgement. They knew the incident worried their own parents as well and are very conscious of the consequences their actions can have.

We go on to discuss their personal struggles and those of their friends. “Its not only depression and suicide,” says Manasvee, “There are many other forms of mental stress.

I feel as long as you have someone to share with – a parent, a sibling or friend, you will be okay.”

Himeshika agrees that if she were to have thoughts of suicide, the first person she thinks about is her mom.

“I had great support from my mom as well. When I lived away from home, for studies in Canada, I had a hard time.

And it was mom who helped me through that,” Prasheena shares.

Adulthood and independence Speaking about living independently, Prasheena speaks more candidly about her experience in Canada.

“I was only there for three months. There were some issues with my roommate.

And to add to that, Vancouver has a very quiet and slow-paced environment.

It’s a city of retired people.

Compared to the buzz we are used to in Hong Kong, the cold and quiet winters add to the gloomy mood. I felt very lonely there. That experience made me realize I am a very familyoriented person. I like to have my people around me. I am happier living with my parents and having the extended family closeby.”

Ayush also experienced living independently and learned that it makes practical sense to live with parents. “We were three friends who moved together in an apartment.

We bought all the furniture and set it up. Then one of the friends got an offer from another city so he moved out.

My other friend and I couldn’t find another flat mate and we couldn’t afford to keep with the rent by ourselves. All this began to affect my studies.

It was then that I realized its better to stay home with parents or in dorm rooms.”

“My parents would take it as offence if I were to suggest living independently,” says Manasvee. “They will be like, ‘are we not giving you enough space in our house that you have to spend on living elsewhere?’. It’s not even a matter of discussion if I am in Hong Kong. But I have gone as an exchange student to Australia and had the experience.”

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“I don’t feel we need to live away from home to have independence. If the home environment is open and communication is free flowing, you won’t feel the need.” ~ Piyusha

“I don’t feel we need to live away from home to have independence. If the home environment is open and communication is free flowing, you won’t feel the need,” says Piyusha.

Himeshika enjoys a similar home environment. “They know my circle of friends so they are okay with me being out till late with them. They call to check in if I am okay.

There is more trust because they know what I am doing.”

She continues to feel a sense of responsibility, not only towards her parents but also the extended family.

They are at an age when parents become friends and communication opens up.

“While I like that my parents are open minded and we talk

about everything, I am happy that they are a mix of being friends and parents towards me,” says Ayush. “I think that authority is needed to keep us on track. Some parents go all out in being friends and their kids may end up losing focus.”

“I think we will all learn to live independently and take on that responsibility when it’s thrown at us. Right now, even if mom says, learn to keep your room clean and do your own work, we won’t because we know there is a helper do pick up after us,” says Sanil.

“But later, when we have to, we will learn with our own experience.”

Our chat went on for hours… we spoke about everything from music, movies, friends, food and more. This interview extracts a few conversations amongst so many that made me realize that this generation of ethnic expat youngsters are firmly rooted to their culture and show great promise for the future.

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DID YOU KNOW?

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“Did you know… that a prospective tenant or buyer has the right to receive services in similar terms, manner, and quality from estate agents regardless of sex, marital status, pregnancy, disability, family status, or race?

For instance, an estate agent who refuses a prospective tenant or buyer request for a service, asks for a higher commission, quotes a higher price, or excludes property search because of any of the grounds mentioned would be violating Hong Kong’s antidiscrimination ordinances.

A tenant also has the right to have access to all the housing facilities just like other tenants regardless of sex, marital status, pregnancy, disability, family status, or race.”

Case: A Pakistani couple was looking for a flat to rent. The husband speaks Cantonese but the wife speaks neither Cantonese nor English. The wife took along a friend who was able to communicate with the agent to view flats. There was one which seemed to suit their needs and the agent mentioned that the following documents would be needed to finalise the contract:

the “landlord does not like letting (the apartment) to Pakistani people”. The couple were upset and asked for a refund of the $500 deposit.

The agent said that the deposit would be refunded when the provisional tenancy agreement was returned.

When they did so, the agent tore the papers in front of them. This was not the first time they had had to face such treatment.

The couple complained to the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) against the agent and the landlord alleging race discrimination. The agent’s explanation was that the documents given were expired and that cast a doubt on the couple’s ability to pay the rent. The case was settled through early conciliation.

The Law: Under the Race Discrimination Ordinance, it is unlawful for a landlord to refuse to rent his/her property or an estate agent to refuse to provide service to a prospective tenant because he/she comes from a certain race.

Niru Vishwanath Ethnic Minorities Unit Equal Opportunities Commission

• Bank passbook

If a landlord refuses to rent a flat to me because he doesn’t like the ‘curry smell’ of Indian homes, is that considered discrimination?

The wife agreed and signed the provisional tenancy agreement papers. A week later, the agent called the couple and told them that the deal was off because

Ans: If a landlord unreasonably refuses to rent his/her premises to anyone who cooks curry, this would automatically exclude Indians and Pakistanis as possible

• Salary proof • 2-month rent for initial deposit

tenants. Even though the landlord has not mentioned any ethnicity in particular, the condition imposed, i.e. of “curry”, indirectly targets some groups of South Asians. According to the Race Discrimination Ordinance, this would amount to indirect race discrimination and may be unlawful.

The prospective tenant may lodge a complaint with the Equal Opportunities

Commission against the landlord.

If there is a concern that you need to address, feel free to send us your question and we will publish it with a reply in our next issue.

If you need further information regarding your rights under Hong Kong’s anti-discrimination ordinances and the complaint handling procedures of the EOC, please contact:

Equal Opportunities Commission 16/F 41 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong Hotline: 25118211 Email: eoc@eoc.org.hk Website: www.eoc.org.hk Office hours: Monday to Friday from 8:45 am to 5:45 pm

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GLOBETROTTER

In The Island Country - Philippines A chance visit by a friend into our ‘fragrant harbour’ (literal translation of Hong Kong), gave Abhimanyu Narayanmoorthy an excuse to pack his bags again for exploring some of the many, many islands of Philippines

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GLOBETROTTER

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C

omprising of 7641 islands, the Philippines provides a quick getaway for a very cost effective vacation to most travellers looking to explore the region. The arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521 and thereafter of Lopez de Legazpi bought the island under Spanish influence for 300 years. First stop in Philippines is Manila which has plenty of flights from Hong Kong, every day. After a night’s stay in Manila, our exploration commenced.

Palawan (Coron) We took off the next morning for Coron.

Forty-five minutes into the flight, we were welcomed with the sight of white sands and turquoise blue water. As soon as we got off the flight, we were welcomed by a crisp sunlight and abundant fresh, unpolluted air that I was longing for. Without wasting any time, we began hiking up Mt. Tapyas. The 1000 step hike provided a 360-degree view of the islands and a spectacular sunset point.

We concluded the day by visiting the Maquinit Hot

Spring in the evening. After a moderate hike, the hot spring provided the much-needed relaxation. Preferably go a bit later in the evening so as to avoid the crowd.

The next morning, we began exploring the various islands of Coron. A short boat ride from Coron town took us to the Kayangan Lake which is

considered to be one of the clearest lakes in Asia. A short hike to a famous hill top near Lake Kayagan provides for the most insta-worthy view of the Philippines. One site that is not to be missed is Barracuda Lake nearby, which has hot springs and underwater mountains.

We concluded by visiting the Twin Lagoon that are hidden away amongst the staggering jagged cliffs separate the two lagoons and protect

them from the currents and tides making water clear and calm. The only way to travel between the two lagoons is to jump in the water and climb a rickety wooden staircase or swim around the natural archway formed in the rock.

As the fresh underground water meets the warm sea, one can experience a totally different sensation. Our day was topped up with a sumptuous dinner at the Kawayanan Grill Station.

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GLOBETROTTER

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After a late lunch and resting at our hotel we headed to the famous White Sand Beach. I chose to spend the evening by enrolling myself into paddle boarding lessons which are priced moderately. Boracay offers great dining options and a vibrant night life going into the wee hours of the morning.

The second day of island hopping began with the tour of Malcapuya Island, one of few idyllic islands near Coron. Being sparsely populated it provides tourists with a tropical paradise.

Ultimate destination for those looking for soft sand beaches, clear warm waters all with a secluded appeal.

It is totally untouched by developments with only a few families inhabiting there. Long stretches of soft white sand, shimmering turquoise waters make this a ‘must visit’. Next stop was the Banana Island where we stopped for lunch.

It’s idyllic beaches provide a perfect stop for a post lunch siesta.

Boracay One of the most popular islands in the Philippines is the island of Boracay. Situated 300 km south of Manila one of the most popular islands flooded with tourists from across the world. It is a 7 km long stretch which is divided in to 3 stations. One can reach the island after a quick ferry ride from the Caticlan Airport.

The next day we began with our first stop at Puka Beach. It’s a quiet retreat with a dense tropical forest bordering its white sand and pristine waters. The stretch of sand runs for about 2,620 feet (800 meters), making it one of the longest on the island. Examine the tiny Puka shells, which gives the beach its name.

Enter via the wooden portal welcoming you to the beach.

Enjoy the tranquil ambiance, which offers a stark contrast to busy White Beach. The sand is a little rough here, resulting in fewer crowds and vendors. Listen to the sound of the gentle waves as you relax on the sand and soak in the sun. Stay for sunset and watch the sky darken above this secluded beach.

One cannot leave Boracay without experiencing the exciting cliff jump at Ariel’s Point at the Magic Island.

We concluded the day by indulging in water sports at the White Sand Beach.

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GLOBETROTTER 1754- 1776. Truly exquisite piece of architecture, this place is not to be missed.

We also visited Silliman University, in particular, the Anthropology Museum.

The bulk of the artefacts displayed came from field works and excavations. The items included a few tools and ornaments. One should not miss a quality stroll of Rizal Boulevard. It is one of the signs of Spain’s colonial history in Philippines. The Boulevard is spread with many restaurants, 50 kms to the north of Dumagute.

Bohol After a glorious outing in Dumagute we went to our penultimate destination Bohol. The morning ferry ride took around two hours and we alighted at the port of Tagbilaran. This province is a popular tourist destination with many resorts and beaches. The main island is surrounded by around seventy smaller ones with Dingalan being the biggest.

Post lunch we hired scooters and headed to the Alana Beach to spend the rest of the day. The sunset is absolutely glorious and not to be missed.

Two-wheeler enthusiasts should make most of their time by exploring the area on safe roads of the islands.

Dumaguete The next day we proceeded to Dumaguete, the capital city in the province of Negros Oriental. It is also referred to as University City due to the presence of many universities in the region. We arrived at Sibulan Airport and proceeded to check in to our hotel. We began our exploration of Dumaguete by visiting the Cathedral Church built during

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GLOBETROTTER

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Bohol truly has a variety of natural sites to visit. Our first step was to visit the Tarsier Foundation. The Tarsier is a nocturnal primate measuring about six inches in height. It is mainly found in the South of Philippines.

Next was the Bohol Bee Farm that arranges a tour for you of their various facilities.

Being an organic bee farm, the effort is to minimise use of insecticides. Holding the hive of bees could be intimidating but was definitely worth it.

Post lunch at the bee farm, we visited the Hinagdanan cave, which is a naturally lit cavern with a deep lagoon. The cave is of limestone. It is filled with sleeping birds.

The last stop of the day before heading to the Alana Beach was the Blood Compact Site namely Sandugo. This is where Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna the Chieftain Of Bohol got together to seal their friendship in blood.

One cannot complete a trip of Bohol without visiting the

Chocolate Hills. There are around 1260 hills spread across 50 sq kms. Three legends explain the formation of the Chocolate Hills. The first tells the story of two feuding giants who hurled rocks, boulders, and sand at each other. The fight lasted for days, and exhausted the two giants. In their exhaustion, they forgot about their feud and became friends, but when they left they forgot to clean up the mess they had made

during their battle, hence the Chocolate Hills.

After the hills we got on board a floating restaurant and enjoyed the Loboc River Cruise with buffet meal. This river is one of the cleanest rivers in the country. This is the one tourist spot you don’t want to miss during your Bohol Tours.

The Bamboo Hanging Bridge crossing the Sipatan River in the Municipality

of Sevilla, Bohol, is a fun tourist attraction. Originally constructed using just bamboo and rope, today the rope has made way to steel cables, giving added safety and stability. The deck of the bridge is formed out of woven bamboo slats. In places some of these appear broken but its still sturdy enough to take the weight of tourists, locals and even small motorcycles!

Stepping onto the bridge is a little daunting at first with the

GLOBETROTTER

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bamboo deck flexing a little under your feet. Although the support cables are made of steel, you still experience some side to side sway and up and down bounce. If there are lots of people on the bridge and you have young children with you, wait before crossing. The movement of the bridge might make you feel a little uneasy, as it will bend and sway more than normal. I guess its all part of the experience.

The bridge spans around 40 meters and offers a great view of the emerald Sipatan River below.

On the far side of the bridge you will find small shops selling souvenirs, cold drinks and snacks. Additionally you can see ’The Buko King’the world’s fastest coconut husker. He can strip a coconut (buko) in something like 10 seconds using just his teeth!

There are actually two bridges now, so foot traffic is reduced somewhat with I believe a one-way system in place, you cross on one bridge and come back on the other.

Cebu The last stop on the trip before our flight to Manila

was Cebu. We reached Cebu by a ferry from Tagbilaran in the morning. Our first spot was the Cebu Taoist Temple located in Beverly Hills Subdivision of the city. The temple is a towering, multitiered, multi-hued attraction accessible by three separate winding routes.

A ritual among devotees is where one prays to the gods to grant one's wish. The ritual includes washing of hands, going inside the chapel barefoot and dropping two blocks of wood. If the blocks of wood are both face up then one could make a wish. If not, then it is not yet the time for one's wish to be granted and one has to come to the temple some other time.

The next site was the Magellan's Cross. It is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu. Prior to having lunch, we visited the Lapu-Lapu shrine, a 20-metres bronze statue erected in honor of LapuLapu, a native leader who defeated Spanish soldiers in the Battle of Mactan.

From Cebu we went back to Manila before returning

back to HK. It is safe to assume that even month is not sufficient to visit all the islands that Philippines has to offer. As I boarded the flight to return home the one image

that got stuck in my mind was that of the turquoise blue water and the crisp white sand. This was my second trip to the island and I can certainly say that it would not be my last.

Travel Tips: • Make sure to carry loads of sunscreen as there is constant exposure throughout the day • Make the most of the natural beauty Philippines has to offer to rejuvenate yourself • If you’re not a regular swimmer, it would be nice to take a refresher swim course as a lot of the time is spent in the water • Food can be a bit of an issue, for vegetarians especially, if visiting remote island • Most airports in Philippines offers competitive exchange rates for USD • As these islands get continually bombarded by typhoon it would be advisable to get a travel insurance in case of emergencies

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The New-Age

10

COMMANDMENTS

We started the Philanthropreneur series to uncover the secrets to a successful life of entrepreneurs who are also involved in community work.

With each interview, we found that hardwork, ethics, humility and love go into the making of an inspiring life

Ramesh Amarnani Founder of the Shirdi Saibaba Temple

Raju Sabnani President of Amigos

• Gratitude is the best attitude

• Set an example for others to follow

• Work is worship

• Certain situations are best handled with diplomacy and so be diplomatic when required

• Honesty is the best policy • Patience is a virtue • Respect for one and all regardless of their financial and social status, caste, creed, age etc.

• Always be kind to your workforce/employees and treat them with love and respect

• Absolute and unquestionable loyalty towards family and friends • Groom yourself and look your best.

• There is no alternative to hard work • Honesty is the best policy • Patience is a virtue • Consistency is key • Good teamwork is imperative for success

• Contentment is happiness

• One should have clarity and direction

• Service to mankind is service to God

• Chase your dreams and never give up

• Love your family, since they are your biggest strength

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PHILANTHROPRENEUR

Mrs. Purviz Shroff Philanthropist

• To live is to give. Service to Humanity is Service to God.

• Be empathetic. See things from others’ shoes.

• Babies need our touch and hugs. Even we as adults need touch and hugs.

• Quit complaining. It is easy to fall into a vicious cycle.

• Help the ageing, the needy and the underprivileged children.

• Let go of unhappy past.

When one door closes, another opens.

• Express gratitude. Be thankful.

• Look for opportunities to volunteer.

Dr. David Harilela Founder of The One • Follow your heart • Treat others as you would like to be treated • My personal motto is: “In the end the love you take, is equal to the love you give” • Always be fair to all concerned.

• Surround yourself with people that have similar principals • Treat those around you like family.

• Be honest, transparent and integrable.

• Never stop giving.

• Always put family first.

• Always strive to do good – you can never be too young or old.

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• Keep your body healthy.

• From time to time, take a break. It helps you walk the longer road ahead.

Dayal Harjani Author • Better to do small things in a big way rather than big things in a small way.

• A wise man does not deny the pleasures of life that

comes his way, but he himself pursues the path of prosperity, peace and prayer.

• Respect your body and do all you can to keep your self fit, by preventing diseases to inflict your mind and body.

• Do not waste your time trying to be a ‘somebody’.

In the end all fades away for those who are obsessed by name and fame.

• Know the true purpose of life as per the mystical saying “Know thyself” and keep on reminding yourself till the fickle mind rests in the crucible of this divine call.

• Keep up the company of wise – sincere men and books – spiritual and mundane, to hone your vocation and to keep yourself charged and inspired. Keep up with all kinds of changes in science and technology.

PHILANTHROPRENEUR

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Newton’s law – to every action there is a reaction.

Similarly, the Bible says, ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you’.

• Never waste valuable resources – such as our environment. Water should be consumed economically.

Save natural resources for our future generations.

Wasting water or wasting food is selfish behavior. It’s a grave mistake which we will regret when our children will not have access to enough supply.

Gary Ahuja Ex District Council Member, Yau Tsim Mong District Council Read about Chanakya and emulate.

• Swami Sivananda once said: Sing a little, dance a little, laugh a little, read a little, serve a little, a little bit of all that bring you relaxation, peace, and happiness in the mode of goodness.

• Contemplate, meditate and never forget to celebrate in your soul this breath and existence called life.

• Serving the poor with devotional love is the ultimate prayer.

• Serve the elders, your mother and father and uncles and aunties and all to elicit blessings from their heart regularly. It is these blessings that will become your shield against all kinds of adversities, which will eventually lead you to prosperity God-hood.

Gary Ahuja’s 10 commandments to a successful life: • Rise early. It makes you more productive and efficient.

• My personal philosophy which I have always lived by and share with my very own children, has always been that ‘work is worship’.

• According to Bhagavad Gita, regarded as one of the highest sources of ancient spiritual knowledge in Hinduism, Lord Krishna counselled Arjuna to ways face his fears and do his duty. He further counsels him to not be attached to the fruits of his actions but rather be determined to carry out his duty successfully • Never hurt another person’s feelings. I believe in ‘karma’, which is synonymous to

• Time is another valuable resource. We all get 24 hours each day – if cherished and used wisely, it can be an advantage.

Translating Kabir’s poetry, ‘tomorrow’s task should be done today, and today’s task should be done now’.

Take action now.

• Enjoy evenings and holidays with family. The driving force behind most successful people is ‘family’. Lord Ganesha says, ‘praying to one’s parents is as close to praying to God’. Look up the beautiful story of Lord Ganesha and his brother Karthikeya about the importance of respecting parents.

• Keep learning. Never believe you know it all. Be a humble student of life – ask good questions, listen more and talk less. Success comes to those who are ready to absorb more knowledge.

• Enjoy the diversity of cultures and various arts.

These enrich one’s life.

• Be grateful, at least once a day or more.

Dr. Kuldeep Buttar Founder and Chairman of Buttar Groups of Companies

• Develop a passion • Never stop learning • Be honest with yourself and those around you • Make time for family • Make time for yourself • Cultivate your spirituality • Do not take yourself too seriously • Actualize all of your potential • Take care of your physical health • Leave a better world behind

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BRAND TALK

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British Council International Pre-School Enquries : 2913 5290 www.britishcouncil.hk/en/preschool 1/F and 2/F, British Council, 3 Supreme Court Road, Admiralty, Hong Kong School Registration Number 601896

About us British Council International Pre-School is committed to providing our students with an excellent bilingual education that enables them to become global citizens.

Our students are inquisitive, confident, responsible and independent thinkers, led by our highly-qualified teachers with extensive experience of Early Years education methodology, pedagogy and content. Here at British Council International Pre-School, our students are eager to learn and grow into life-long learners.

Full Immersion Bilingual Programme Classes are delivered through a full-immersion bilingual programme and taught in English and Chinese with daily integrated Mandarin time. Students will be immersed into a truly bilingual and bicultural learning environment to develop their language ability naturally.

Small class teaching We offer small class size teaching with a 1:7 teacher-to-student ratio, which means your child will get individual attention and support with their learning.

Admission procedure Nursery Class (K1)

Age 3 to 4 years old

Lower Kindergarten (K2)

Age 4 to 5 years old

Upper Kindergarten (K3)

Age 5 to 6 years old

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The International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC) The International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC) is a comprehensive, thematic-based curriculum with a clear process of learning and with specific learning goals for every subject, for international mindedness and for personal growth.

The curriculum provides a holistic educational experience for children to develop in the following areas: • Communication and language

• Problem-solving and reasoning (numeracy)

• Physical development

• Understanding of the world

• Personal, social and emotional development

• Creativity (expressive arts and design)

• Literacy Our lessons are exciting and stimulating with lots of hands-on activities that give our students plenty of opportunity for exploration and discovery.

Sessions Morning Session

8:45am to 11:45am

Afternoon Session

1:15pm to 4:15pm

Extra-Curricular Activity (ECA) - Extended Programme We offer an extensive extracurricular (ECA) programme for all our students. ECA for our K1 students run for an additional hour everyday ending at 2:00pm while ECA for our K2 & K3 students run for two hours everyday, finishing at 3:15pm. ECA classes are conducted in English and consist of a variety of fun-filled activities such as cooking, science activites, kids yoga, storytelling, role play, balloon twisting, phonics, numeracy activities, board games, art and craft, magic, music, dance and lots more. The ECA programme also helps prepare our students for a longer school day at Primary school.

STEAM ECA Activity We also offer STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) ECA classes. In our robotics and coding classes for our K2 and K3 students, students use blocks to learn about moving parts and use ramps and cars to learn about gravity and how it affects everything around us. This work leads on to students building their own simple robots.

Admissions We accept applications for children aged between 3 and 6 years old.

Please refer to our website www.britishcouncil.hk/en/preschool for enrolment procedures and fees. www.britishcouncil.hk/en/preschool for enrolment procedures and fees.

Jasmina Wadhwani, Head of School

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THE STYLIST

The winter wardrobe is all grey and beige if not black.

Our stylist Jeenali Desai tells us how to elevate your look with just a little element of ‘pop’! Anything that grabs the attention and gets heads to turn – from cherry red lips to a purple strand in the hair can be pop. Here’s how you can put some ‘pop’ in your usual looks for this season

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Pop!

Goes the Wardrobe

Outdoor Sunday Yes, we want to start with our favourite day! The best part about being in Hong Kong is the beautiful outdoors – from jog on the harbor front, a day at the beach to a hike to the hilltops… there’s a lot you can do on weekends. Pick your happy colour and let it pop on some basics

Monsoon Jumper

Max & Co Jeans

Onitsuka Tiger

Lululemon Goody Bag

Superdry Mesh Tote

Accessorize Hairclip

THE STYLIST

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Enter that meeting like you own the room! Just because you’re wearing a serious business suit, doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it. Break the classic B&W with a pop of yellow – keep is simple yet eye-catching.

Maintain the rest of your look formal and neutral for work. And may we suggest a little more sass to it with a pair of formal Bermuda pants instead of trousers?

I Mean Business Accessorize Stud Earrings

Zara Blazer Off-White Box Tote

Charles & Keith Laser-cut Mules

DKNY Modern Aviators

H&M Airy Flounced Blouse Mango Bermuda

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THE STYLIST

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High Boots & Hair Down It’s party time! Make that LBD pop with unabashed pop in orange knee-high boots. Add more fun with a twist on the classic hoops – one longer than the other.

Just let your hair down and we needn’t say no more!

Alexander McQueen Double-wrap Skull Bracelet

Max & Co boots

Mango Raffia Bag

Asos earrings

Zara dress

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WE, THE WOMEN

En Route to

SUCCESS Niharika Sabnani

I finally settled in Hong Kong when I met my husband. When we decided to get married, I had to say goodbye to my beloved flying career and move to Hong Kong for good. Although it was not an easy choice, it was my choice and I stood by it. The transition from living out of a suitcase to nesting permanently was not too difficult because I’ve been in several countries where language is a bigger barrier than it is in Hong Kong.

The only challenge for me was building a new career from scratch.

I

was born and brought up in a small town called Bhopal in India; but my work as a flight attendant allowed me to travel the world. I flew for eight years and truly witnessed how different and unique we all are. The best part about my work was meeting people from different cultures and that in fact made me learn more about myself as a person.

I started off with working with my husband in his manufacturing business as that seemed the most obvious choice.

Although I enjoyed designing for his brand, I felt my creativity had constraints. I have always been a creative person but struggled to find a sole outlet to express it. After working in his business for a year and a half I embarked upon a journey of self-discovery to find something that I’m passionate about and that makes me happy. That’s when I decided to change one of my passions into my profession.

They say, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to

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work a day in your life”; that proved true for me. I’ve always been a makeup fanatic. I loved using it, buying it, talking about it and experimenting with it. More than anything else, I loved how it makes people smile when they see themselves transformed. It’s not only a tool for enhancing one’s beauty but could also be an amazing outlet for creativity. I started off with makeup as we know it, but with time and learning, discovered it to be so much more than that. I started freelancing as a makeup artist and got to work with brides as well as models for several brands.

The beauty industry does feel like oversaturated at times, but I believe there’s a place for everyone here. If you work whole heartedly and you are good at what you do, there will always be work for you. I was fortunate to meet some people who shared similar passions in the world of fashion and ended up collaborating with them on several projects. With them I felt free to create and push my creative limits further. It felt like a major achievement when two of my editorials were featured in international magazines recently.

My journey has only begun and I have a long way to go.

I remember the days, when I was unsure about quitting a well-paying job for something I simply ‘love’ to do. But as of today, I have no regrets.

I believe when you are not afraid to work hard and do not succumb to failure, things do work out.

Phone: +852-69530919 Email: niharikamathur1985@gmail.com Facebook: Niharika Mathur Sabnani Instagram: Niharika.sabnani_mua

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BATTER At Best Rashi Shah

F

or me, baking was never considered a choice of profession. It wasn’t even a fleeting thought. Growing up in Mumbai, my career aspirations leaned towards design. I studied Jewelry Design. In fact, I worked for five years as a Jewelry Designer, honing the craft and learning the business from manufacturing to marketing.

Marriage brought me to Hong Kong. Career took a break while I was making this new city my home. We are strictly vegetarian by faith. And finding foods without animal products was already a bit of a challenge - especially when it came to truly good eggless desserts. A happy consequence was that I started baking at home. It surprised me how much I was enjoying it. The more I baked, the better I got. It made me hungry to learn more. I took some dessert-making courses and tried new recipes on friends, who were happy guinea pigs! Some of them shared valuable inputs that helped me improve.

I took my time to develop and perfect my recipes. I didn’t want to rush into putting out a half-baked idea – literally.

A mother of two, freshly out of a long maternity break, starting her own venture for

the very first time felt like a monumental task already.

I worried that the concept of eggless dessert would immediately marginalize my market. Of course, there was ample support of friends and family, but I wanted my brand, The Batter Co. to be able to compete with everything out there. That’s when my design senses kicked in – I ensured everything that I create has great aesthetic appeal. It was a slow process. Every day I would bake a new flavor and work on making it look attractive. Each day, my hand got steadier and the desserts looked prettier.

My biggest challenge was to minimize the difference between the gourmet desserts available in the market and my eggless ones.

I’ve successfully bust the myth that you need eggs to make cakes soft and moist. I still love to hear people ask, “Is it really eggless?”! It’s a huge compliment. Today, I can say unabashedly that The Batter Co. desserts, especially the cupcakes are excellent in terms of taste, presentation, packaging and price.

The Batter Co. operations are set up within my home kitchen because I want to remain available for my two children while I pursue my career. Though it was challenging initially, I now

see my children respect my work commitments. Its heart-warming that they don’t disturb me when I’m completing a big order in my kitchen. They proudly proclaim, “My mumma is the best baker”! I’m glad that I am able to instill that sense of hardwork and commitment in them through my actions.

I want my daughter to know that a woman can be a successful entrepreneur and a perfect homemaker because neither role needs to be exclusive.

My husband is very encouraging. He is also my toughest critic. I love his involvement in the business every time I try something new. The pride in his eyes when someone compliments the cupcakes is worth all the hours in kitchen!

identity and independence.

I am thrilled with the overwhelming response that poured in almost immediately to my new venture. I’m hoping to expand this business and regularly supply my desserts through multiple channels.

I also want to learn and master vegan desserts, and desserts for special dietary requirements.

It’s a dream that someday, a vegetarian can walk into a restaurant or café and order an eggless dessert of their choice without having to pre-order it.

My secret ingredient to success is passion. Passion let’s discover the strength you’re able to manifest to realize your dream. At the end of a busy day, there is a calm sense of contentment. My baker’s hat has given me a new

Phone: +852-64769676 Email: rashi@thebatter.co Instagram: thebattercohk

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WE, THE WOMEN

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Healing from the A

happily married homemaker in Hong Kong, it was only some years ago when I developed a stomach illness that I found my calling in life. After western medicines and other modernday treatments from all over the world failed to help me, I visited naturopathy centres in India. From there, I met with

Smita More

Heart

a US-based Ayurvedic doctor who helped me recover and learn about energy healing to take care of one’s own wellbeing.

I went on to study Ayurvedic Food & Nutrition in I-Soul and Energy Healing in Service Above Self in Houston Texas.

I also underwent intensive training in Ayurveda from

Kerela Ayurveda Academy. I studied pathology, herbalogy medicine making, ayurvedic diet, ayurvedic massage, facial and skincare, ayurvedic cooking and management of disease. I just finished ‘marama therapy’ which is about pressure points and my studies for certified Ayurvedic Wellness practitioner is ongoing.

Personally, healing children through Ayurveda is closest to my heart because I am able to help them without the use of any western medicine, only with herbal remedies and energy healing. It’s not pranik healing or reiki.

Learning is a lifelong journey for me. I started at the age of 45, and today even at 48 I like to keep upgrading myself with new knowledge and discoveries. I am also a certified yoga instructor.

My latest certification is in mindfulness-based cognitive theory.

Married for 28 years with three beautiful children and a background in jewelry designing as well as office management, it was rather difficult for me to convince my family about venturing into

the field of holistic wellbeing.

They weren’t sure if I will be able to help people with energy healing and Ayurveda. But in my heart, I know its my calling.

The universe sends people my way who are suffering from chronic illnesses and I help through this knowledge.

Recently, a patient with breast cancer came to me for healing before her surgery.

She had great anxiety about undergoing chemotherapy after the surgery. However, I started treating her and at the time of the surgery she was told, there is no trace of cancer, and that she won’t be needing chemo at all. Her family sent her reports forward to London and they were told she will never have cancer. It is my prayer to the universe to send me more and more people who I can serve and help from inside out.

I’d like to dedicate this column to my mother Usha Pasari, the more modern woman who’s thinking is way ahead of her times. She always told me to follow my heart. I know she was always proud of me. I truly value her presence in my life because she continues to remain my pillar of strength even after she was gone in November this last year. It was only after her cremation that I got to know from her friend that in her last words she mentioned that she is very happy that I am involved in such a noble cause. That is my strength that encourages me to make her proud every day.

Phone: +852-63337189 Email: holisticwellbeing@smitamore.com

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In Rhythm with

Success Rani Asra Gidwani

M

y dream job was either to be an airhostess, an actress or a model - like most kids dream while growing up. As an ambitious, modern and foresighted youngster, I developed the skills to achieve my dreams.

For me, the significance of these professions was that they would allow me to travel the world, especially a job of an airhostess. Even that of an actress looked exciting because I enjoyed dramatics and the idea of being a famous personality was thrilling. Evening modeling looked appealing for the same reasons. As a child, I often dreamt of becoming a celebrity!

But in reality, I didn’t choose my career, rather it chose me. Dance started simply a fun hobby for me which soon became my passion. It was only with the support and encouragement from friends and family that I took it up as a career. Considering I have no formal training in dance, I’m proud to be now running a full-fledged dance class. This was only possible because of the support I have and the personal drive to achieve something.

In this journey of entrepreneurship, I have learned a lot; especially being patient. I’ve also learned to be more creative, hone my skills

to perfection and coping with challenges. By God’s grace, an opportunity knocked on my door and I saw that as a sign to start my profession as the first Bollywood dance instructor and choreographer in Hong Kong. Not only do I focus on Indian students, but I have also trained many international cultures to groove to Bollywood music! I teach to students from ages young as 3 years old to adults who are 80+ - it's a stress buster whilst letting go to the beats of your favourite music and create a signature move.

But now, there are different challenges coming my way, but I always try to step up the notch and do my best. I try to balance between confidence and arrogance, learning the dynamics to fit it all. If I look at it in a positively, these all challenges are healthy and make you grow beyond your capability to stretch out, aim and hit the mark.

As a woman, I believe, every woman is able to manage risks, improve her status and well-being. A woman can take the lead to new realities with self-confidence and independence. I also believe it is my fervent faith in Durga Maa that continues giving me strength. Without Her blessings I would not be where I am today.

My family has also been very supportive and understanding

toward my career goals. They respect my need to work and achieve my dreams.

They make a very solid and dependable support system.

I’d also like to mention the wonderful Indian society in Hong Kong which is everencouraging of its people. It is lovely to see how our people influence each other with positivity and growth.

For me, maintaining a work life balance is about separating your personal and professional lives without allowing one to encroach upon the other. Both are important and neither should be neglected. Always take a break to spend time with friends and your loved ones, I go with the flow, take each day as it comes… learn how to be positive as it leads to amazing results. My professional success makes me feel complete and worthy.

It gives me great satisfaction.

Of course, success is not always just about work – we women are already successful in many ways. And it’s an ongoing journey of reaching higher level of being.

I am looking to make my dance studio grow by keeping its core values and discovering new creations.

Originality is a must for me.

I want to be an inspiration for others which is why I am constantly setting new goals

for myself. I am positive that the milestone I have achieved will resonate and energize me with great opportunities into 2020 and will shine for me even greater than before.

Phone: +852 94107050 Email: ranidanze@gmail.com Facebook: Rani Asra Gidwani Instagram: rani.asra.g

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WELLNESS

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situations, as well as reassess our health, finances and relationships. If any of these memories are bringing back emotional charges that are uncomfortable, know that you have not let go of a certain perspective, which is still causing you pain.

You are probably still judging that things have been unfair and not ‘right’ towards you.

One of the biggest gifts you can give yourself is to accept what happened without judging it as good or bad, and look at what you can learn from the situation.

Bygones & Beginnings And just like that we are in the year 2020! Moving into a new year often brings up reflective thoughts of what happened last year and creative thoughts of what we would like to achieve in the year to come.

Sonia Samtani guides us into the new year with more awareness as we address both – the bygone and the upcoming time Closing 2019 To actually gain closure with anything, we first need to let go of any grudges by acknowledging that what happened is over, and then look at what we can learn from our experiences.

It may be a good idea to take a moment and acknowledge that the events of 2019 are over and belong to the past along with all the pain and drama they may have caused. I can understand that last year was challenging to many people. It required us to step up and face difficult

If you look at 2019 through the lens of “what can I learn from my experiences”, you would find more learning opportunities than ever before! Staying in our comfort zone doesn’t inspire growth; when things are ‘fine’ we tend to repeat the same behavior without much awareness. Instead when there is chaos, we wake up and find our inner resources and deal with it, and then we grow. Hence 2019 has given us many opportunities to learn patience, acceptance, resilience, and a deeper level of trust (trusting that life will be okay despite what things look like).

I invite you to think of one thing from last year that is still disturbing you, have the courage to drop your current perspective, and instead look at what it has taught you.

What has 2019 taught you as an opportunity to grow?

Creating 2020 It is helpful to take the New Year as an opportunity to check-in on where you are and create a vision of where you would like to be. I invite you to do this with the

same attitude of peace and acceptance, and without any guilt or self-judgment. In the area of goal setting, my top tips would be: 1) Make sure your goals are 100% under your control.

Setting goals that are about “making others happy” are pretty much guaranteed to fail because we cannot control anyone else’s responses. Even goals about getting a certain result or passing an interview may not be fully in your control, because it depends on others too. What you can control fully is your thoughts, choices, and actions. The more your goal is about you, the more likely you are to achieve it.

2) Schedule your actions towards it. There are many things that keep appearing on our resolution lists, and the biggest reason they are not achieved is simply because we haven’t made space for it!

If you really want something, schedule it in your diary and plan for it to happen.

You are far more likely to do something you have planned for because it means you have already thought about it, imagined it, and created time for it, even if it’s months in advance!

3) Be loving towards yourself on your journey. Make sure you create some time for rest, replenishment, selfacknowledgment and regular check-ins. Letting go of the past and creating new visions doesn’t necessarily need to be a yearly activity; it could be a regular exercise where you are in touch with your own evolution Here’s to leaving our baggage in the past where it belongs and starting the year consciously!

ASTROLOGY

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Astrologer Bejan Daruwalla January-February 2020 Predictions Aries: Ganesha says there are many roadblocks but you manage to get past them with skill. Boulders are thrown in your path. You will know instantly how to make the right moves, say and do the right things! It’s a good idea, cautions Ganesha, once again, to keep your arrogance and impatience under control. Your social skills bring you a time of respite from your demanding lifestyle this period.

Taurus: There is a lot on your plate and you slog away. It may be a bit of a struggle at times, but you rise to the occasion.

You strive to conquer many new peaks. Your self – appraisal of last period sets you on the path to true creativity. Those in the media make their presence felt with an extra dollop of creativity, dash and josh! In this period there could be emotional, sentimental and maudlin moments in this soft phase.

Gemini: You will express deep feelings of love. This is a period of innovation, creativity and original ideating. Your soul – searching has set you well and truly on a deep spiritual and fulfilling path. But as the period ends, one of the best phases will begin. There are material, spiritual and emotional gains. I feel that this is a purple patch and you should make the most of it.

Cancer: You are in the throes of success. There could be a few problems if you are travelling, moving house, buying / selling,

but the end result will be positive. The health of parents, elders and in-laws will cause anxiety. All your ties will be joyous and filled with hope.

There is bonding, romance and passion. In addition to your job / business / profession, there will also be room for research and philosophy, justice, law and order.

Leo: You display rare insights along with determination, creativity, imagination and style. The growth trajectory continues. You are aware that this is the right time to make the world your oyster. You continue to be on a roll. It is a great way to be. You pursue success and all doors open to your magic touch. The luck of the draw will be with you, and that’s half the battle won!

Virgo: You will find yourself quite convinced of the need to project your personality, the image of your company, forcefully and effectively.

In this period, you seek out and improve on the flaws you perceive not only in your persona and personality, but also in your environment. It ensures a marvelous period of joy and achievements and a high happiness quotient.

Libra: You are giving off your best at work and socially. Now you will be totally absorbed in the domestic scene, the house and home, along with working at a punishing phase.

There is a lot on your plate.

Try not to go under with this monumental burden. Learn to make time to relax, to pursue hobbies, pleasure activities, sports and exercise. You may get carried away with excesses. There is a kind of careless rapture pervading your life and pursuits.

Scorpio: Ganesha says that the health of loved ones may cause some concern, but it is all going well for you on the work front. You may even be looking at entirely new vistas of work and employment. New assignments should fall into your lap, aiding your progress.

You are also determined to give off your best. In the midst of all this work is also love, passion, and affection. You’re still on the upward spiral of life, and determined to make the most of it.

Sagittarius: This period finds you pursing your goals aggressively and confidently.

It also gives you just that amount of energy and enthusiasm to conquer all obstacles. The period sees many domestic demands. As the period ends, you look for more freedom in whatever you do. But this is a significant period because you can reach out to people and taste new areas of life and have several varied and rewarding experiences.

Capricorn: This is a period that will be important for contacts,

contracts, communication and hi-tech computerization; you could be looking at new trends in technology for both personal and professional benefit. There could be a bonding on the personal level too. There will be a fine-tuning of existing ties and relationships, especially marital and emotional ones.

Aquarius: You will also be wining, dining and hosting parties. The end of the period mood may have set in early.

This is an excellent time for all financial matters; and you plunge into them. You will feel like making your surroundings appear more elegant, and you may spend quite a lot of money too. Expenses soar but along with this concern with material acquisition, there also some very real possibilities for inner growth.

Pisces: The mood is good and you are seriously planning ahead. You have the heart to take on both extra work and some calculated risks that may pay off soon. Follow your hunches, says Ganesha, but do not go overboard. You may be making big plans and signing documents. Watch your intuition and go with the flow. Do not get obsessive and keep away fanatical thought processes. There are maudlin and soft moments mid period and you meet with family and friends.

Ganesha's Grace

Phone: +918141234275 | email: info@bejandaruwalla.com www.bejandaruwalla.com

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TAROT

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What’s

Cards? on the

January 2020 Aries: On the personal front it will be a time of change as your Mars is changing for the better. The change will settle marriage issues and will help even in love life problems.

You will be focusing on your professional life as well and there will be some new opportunities on the horizon.

On the health front fitness and diet will be important to you. Your social calendar will be quite busy.

Taurus: Your sun planet is shining this month so that will help you on the professional front especially for those who are just starting out. These few weeks you need to learn to go with the flow and believe in the power of the universe.

What you give out is what you will get so try and keep your energies positive. Health needs a bit of attention as

you have drawn the card of the tower which means health issues could be there.

Gemini: Travel is surely indicated in your cards and there could be some good news as well if you go abroad.

For students a good time as far as studies are concerned and you will be looking at even studying further. For those wanting to change jobs right now your Saturn planet is a bit weak which means some delays could be coming your way. Don’t worry as god’s delays are not god’s denials.

Cancer: Money flow will be good this month as you will spend and earn money as well says your card The Empress.

Women will be in the mood to pamper themselves. You will be connecting with certain family members this month.

This month your Jupiter planet is quite strong which will give you a spiritual growth

Tarot Reader Munisha Khatwani

as well. You will be inclined towards yoga and meditation.

Leo: You have got the card of The World which means this a good month on the work front, maybe even a deep desire of yours could get fulfilled. Life seems to be getting better for you and you seem to have a good control over your life in general. You have been working very hard on a particular project and this month sees that coming through.

Virgo: You will see a rise and good fame as your Jupiter shifts into a positive position.

In case you want to clear old debts this is a good period as you might have some excess funds. There could be some legal issues that you need to sort out and it will take a while.

For some, new property is indicated on the horizon.

Libra: You are quite happy with certain changes that are taking place in your life, your Uranus planet does help you as far as certain professional decisions are concerned. On the personal front there could be some differences with your partner but overall you will stick with your commitment.

For some, a move to a new country is indicated. There could also be some good news in the family and certain couples might be blessed with children.

Scorpio: A penny saved is a penny earned and you need to think about saving some money this month.

Yes, money flow is there but expenses are also sky high.

For those looking at getting married, this month seems to be a good period to make a marriage decision. Your stars

TAROT

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indicate that your Mars will be strong which will help you to remain strong emotionally but will also get you certain hidden enemies. You need to be careful in all your professional dealings.

Sagittarius: When in doubt never make a major decision, it is always better to think things through before you decide what is the final verdict. This month the advice from the cards say that in love be patient as things will fall into place. Your stars also are changing but gradually that’s why you need to be patient.

Remember patience is a virtue and few live by it. The good news is that some pending payment comes in this month, so have something to look forward to.

Capricorn: You finally have realised that you have strong feelings for someone, but you are not sure how to go about the entire process. You need to be upfront and admit what is truly in your heart. Your cards indicate there could be some family pressure and there could also be some delays at work. Don’t worry this is a passing phase and you will be seeing some good results.

Aquarius: You need to carefully weigh the pros and cons and need to make sure you are confident about certain decisions. For some there is a new business or business opportunity on the horizon. You have got the card of 5 Of Cups meaning you will be thinking about the past and will be thinking about the mistakes you have made.

Some of you might be busy preparing your marriage. This month you will feel that god is with you only you need to have the faith in him.

Pisces: Work will be busy, and your cards say you might use that as a distraction from some other stresses.

Your planet Venus is well placed which will give you the support of your life partner and if there were some issues on the love front, it is likely to get sorted out this month.

Health will be good as many of you will be concentrating on your fitness and lifestyle changes.

February 2020 Aries: There could be some disappointments this month on the love front but nothing to pay too much attention too as it's just a passing phase says your cards. You might feel a bit weak physically this month due to exertion.

For some your totally in a holiday mood and will barely concentrate on work due to a weak Mangal.

Taurus: If there is a certain situation that you cannot control then it's best you try not to control it says your cards. Your Venus planet is soon going to improve which will help to clear up misunderstandings with any loved ones. For those who are working very hard on a particular project, you will be happy says your planet Rahu.

Gemini: You are in a festive mood and might think of mingling with new people this month says your Mercury planet. You will appreciate people who have helped you in the past and will feel that you need to acknowledge the same this month. Don't be afraid of addressing your fears this month as it will help you.

Cancer: You are having some ego issues with a friend and

this is a huge problem for you.

You really need this friendship to last and this month things do get better. On the love front, slow and steady wins the race, so don’t be in a hurry. If you are looking for a commitment on the love front this might not be the right time says your planet Venus.

Leo: Finances will be a bit tight month as you realise that you have gone a bit over budget says your planet Mars. You will also be a little stressed regarding some future plans, says your Moon. Health will be getting better for those who have had health issues.

You will be also in the mood to support your partner and be more understanding towards him or her this month.

Virgo: You will be smiling regarding your finances and how! Life is quite hectic, and you will be juggling work and your personal life but somehow you will be able to do so. Travel is definitely on the agenda and so is spending time with your family and friends says your planet Jupiter. There is some spiritual growth indicated and that will be good for you, but you may find some situations a little challenging.

Libra: You feel like taking a sudden trip this month, say your cards, and might land up planning so with a friend.

There might be someone chasing you this month and you will enjoy the attention says your Venus. For those expecting a child, you will need to look after your health this week suggests your planet Saturn.

Scorpio: What goes around comes around and who would know that better than you?

This month you are focusing on good karma and also

working towards certain goals in life. Nothing happens at random is what you will start believing. For those looking to get married you might get some arranged marriage proposals suggest your planet sun.

Sagittarius: There is some stress as far as work is concerned, say your cards.

Sometimes some things come through when it's a hope against hope so it's best to just keep the faith. Your Saturn planet is a bit heavy, which delays certain aspects in your life. So this month requires extra patience.

Capricorn: Life settles for you on the financial front for the better now. You will be taking care of your health and your diet and lifestyle. For those of you wanting to go abroad you might be able to do so during this period. There could be some family issues and some legal matter that you need to sort out.

Aquarius: Some things might not have worked out for you recently but now you will have no regrets regarding the same.

You need to be a bit careful on the health front as you can’t afford to take too many risks with your health. For those in love your partner might surprise you.

Pisces: Life, at the moment, might be a little unclear as of today about your career so it's best to not make any final decisions this month says your cards. For women, a good month regarding money and some blocked money comes through for you.

Some old flame might decide to reconnect with you this month suggests your planet Mars.

Email: khatwanim@gmail.com

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NUMEROLOGY

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What’s Your

Number?

Numerologist Sanjay B Jumaani

Number 1 (SUN): (Those born on the 1st, 10th, 19th and 28th in any month)

Number 2 (MOON) (Those born on the 2nd, 11th, 20thand 29thin any month)

A fairly fortunate year is on the cards as 1 (Sun) and 4 (Uranus) are known as twins; Sun and Uranus are identical with regards to their qualities.

This implies that the muchawaited growth on the work front shall materialize.

Those in the spot of command could perform better this year, especially if you execute your eccentric & unconventional ideas. Being extra guarded & conscious wouldn't help in attaining your goals.

This could be an opportune moment to take a leap in the dark & set foot into another career! Perhaps a speculated switch.

You may indulge in the Holy aspects, which might help you avoid nervous breakdowns, which you usually fall prey to as you are aspiring. Students can lay hold of these alternate mediums and get inclined to such subjects to learn some mysterious & mind-boggling stuff!

Creative Industry could get an impetuous & Artistic geniuses with their imagination would cast a strong impact this year.

Number 3 (JUPITER) (Those born on the 3rd, 12th, 21st and 30th in any month) Despite No. 4 (Uranus) not belonging to your family of No's, you still have liquidity of funds. This could be a year of trials & errors, so keep distance from taking risks.

This year, you could understand the importance of Karmas, mental stability, patience & love. If you downsize your ego & learn to extend a good ear, your empathy would serve you well, further helping you earn recognition in the society.

You may have a satisfactory to a moderately good year, as 2 (Moon) & 4 (Uranus) share a great bond. Even the two 2's in 2020 shall work in your favour & will help you unwind your tasks without relying on others. But if you continue to count on others, you may sadly face disheartenment.

Numerologically, 2020 (4) doesn't read too well. Thus, always try & write '20 so as to add it up to '2', your lucky number & not 2020 (adding it to 4.)

Avoid intervening in matters of others as you could get dragged in and targeted for no reason. Since you're an emotional person, you must keep away from such involvements.

On the romantic front, you must try & be more sensitive, patient & calm while dealing with your partner. Your mental fallouts could cause more damage to your relationship.

So for a change, seeing things through others' perspective won't do any harm to you.

Those waiting to tie the knot could get hooked or knotty!

You could gather admiration for your work due to your unconventional thinking.

Nonetheless, you'll need to implement your ideas more thoughtfully & wisely.

Your stubbornness could lead you into quarrels, which might make you financially, as well as emotionally weaker.

Try & merge your thoughts with others', however not at the cost of your uncommon ideas, even if you're being judged by people.

Be very cautious on the personal, as well as professional front, as this may be a sensitive zone for you.

Always experimenting & venturing in the jungle is not a good idea!

Your wit could be the most bizarre, sharp and accurate.

Be more expressive and show your love to those who matter. Expression assures Compassion!

Take good care of your respiratory system (nose, chest, lungs, etc.), and avoid dusty surroundings & chilled items.

Number 4 (URANUS) (Those born on the 4th, 13th, 22nd and 31st in any month) 2020 adds to your primary number, 4. Well, this is your year to shine!

Take good care of breathlessness and lower part of your anatomy, especially the legs.

Number 5 (MERCURY) (those born on the 5th, 14th and 23rd in any month) 5 (Mercury), the planet just like the element, Mercury has the quality of adaptability, thus it makes you mingle with all No's and 2020 or No. 4 is no exception. However, try to be more consistent with the work that you already have instead of jumping fields.

NUMEROLOGY

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indulgence. Even the river evaporates at some point.

Try not to be impulsive. Haste most often makes waste.

Avoid letting your mind wander if you've made your decision, and don't take up newer tasks without putting an end to what you've started.

Be steady & patient with those who can't match with your thinking, in order to avoid distance with them.

Those in a relationship must go slow & steady and must also refrain from making spontaneous/heated confrontations, which may take a toll on you, leading to stomach disorders caused by anxiety.

This could be marked as the year where you sow seeds/ venture into something that'll help you reap benefits in the following year, your year (2021 = 5).

Number 6 (VENUS) (those born on the 6th, 15th and 24th in any month) You're usually inclined towards flamboyance & glamour, and since Venus provides you with luxurious tastes, your ideas can be costly too! Avoid over-

You'll have your set of well wishers & dear ones; however, they may not be as expressive as you'd expect them to be, and the lack of attention could leave you disappointed. Hence, don't get carried away by your heart, if you wish to have an emotionally satisfying year.

Patience & perseverance would help you on the work front. Your skills of blending with people in a social surrounding could prove beneficial if you work on the networking or PR aspect.

Those who are frustrated with their careers or looking for a new job, must be grateful that they at least have a job.

A lot of people are bearing the brunt of global recession.

Control your emotions and learn to take things with a pinch of salt.

Instead of crying over the injustice the world has done to you, let bygones be bygones.

Try & keep yourself busy at all times. Alternate remedies like Yoga, Pranayam, etc. might help to calm your mental faculties.

This can be the year to bounce back if you learn to channelize your emotions.

Financially, it could be a child's play if you depend on practicality, than living a child's dream!

Do not mix work with play, cut out the tasks with finesse.

Number 9 (MARS) (those born on the 9th, 18th and 27th in any month)

Counter the negative emotions and breathe the air of positivity. Most importantly trust your intuitions.

Number 8 (SATURN) (those born on the 8th, 17th and 26th in any month) Be ready for trials & errors, hits & misses, especially work on your tolerance & patience while people meddle with your peace, causing you mental strain.

Avoid excessive and lavish banquets, junk food & sweets; a person's health can be judged by which they take two at a time- pills or stairs!

Number 7 (NEPTUNE) (those born on the 7th, 16th and 25th in any month)

Good news is 2021 (5) & 2022 (6) are amongst your best years so prepare your launch pad now to take off next year!

4 (Uranus) & 8 (Saturn) can turn out to be an extreme combo. Thus, avoid speculations & gambling.

If you fail to maintain patience, relations could get sour; so stay grounded & less selfish.

Anyways, good things take their own sweet time to happen.

Those looking out to shift their home or jobs, should get their paper work thoroughly checked before going ahead with anything legally.

Your bank of abundant knowledge can help you form the structure for a safer 2020, which can be the turning point of sorts. Don't forget, time flies, so celebrate your success, but find humor in your failures!

Others could misconstrue your intentions, both at home & work; you may face a few ups & downs this year, but nothing that cannot be ironed out.

On the other hand, do not judge & misunderstand people by their face value, rather take your time in making the right decisions. ‘Haste makes Waste’ is your guru-mantra for the year.

There shouldn’t be any place for negativity, especially in your mind; with your stubbornness & conviction, you can force your way in.

Sanjay B Jumaani 402, United Heights, Mogul Lane, off Sitladevi Temple Road, Mahim (W) Mumbai 400016 Phone: +919870052645 / +912224374025 Website: www.jumaani.com

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y p p u P HUMOUR

Heist

man and Mother of nine – a charming young anth talks Kar eight handsome furries, Maitreyi ‘maid on about the adventurous Day 1 of the leave’ days

N

o helper in the house, for us very spoilt slightly welloff folk, means a nightmare!

We have to clean our own home, we have to look after our own kids, our own dogs… what is the world coming to?!

Well, it was one such day when I had to take my dogs for a walk, and I have 8! I also have a mother who is mostly blind and hence is not usually in charge of opening the door once locked. Since my helper wasn’t there, she reminded me to take the house key so that I could lock her in. My mother is a great reminder of everything. She reminds me to drink water. She reminds me to take everything I need before going out, and she reminds me to take my

pills if need be. She reminds me of things so much that I automatically switch off and only remember what she wants me to remember.

The dogs were pulling me, and it was mayhem. All of them want to go on the walk at the same time, which is always the case, especially when mummy wants to walk them. I walked out with three of them in tow for a nice quiet long walk. When I got back, I realized I had no key.

I thought, “Damn it, why am I such a klutz! The first day without the helper and I lose my house keys”. I went back on the same path, went to all the places I thought I might have dropped the keys at, and by the time I was done with the round it was dark.

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Of course, there was no way to tell my mom that I am now locked outside. It was dark as well, not that that made any difference to her! The neighbouring house with which we shared the garden wall was unoccupied, and their gate was open. I looked around to make sure no one was watching and slowly snuck in with my three dogs.

I then proceeded to climb the wall carrying each of my dogs and dropping them into my side of the wall. Finally, I was on the other side.

What I didn’t realise that there was a man in a house nearby who was watching all this unfold piece by piece and he had already called the cops. Since I took so long climbing that wall (what do they say? Climb and climb until you succeed), the cops were already at my gate! I heard them shouting, “Open the gate.” I rushed to the gate and opened it. In total panic seeing the officers, I said, “What happened, sir?” The cop said they got a complaint from one of our neighbors saying someone is stealing what looked like the dogs!

I panicked! “Oh my god… I just got back… I need to check inside the house. My mother is alone, my mother is alone…”!

I ran to the house door and rang the doorbell. My mom came fidgeting and opened the door. “Mom, are u OK?,” I asked.

She said, “I am hungry, and the internet stopped working, so my TV serial has stopped.

I will never know now if her husband managed to bring her back to life. She was dead, you know, but he prayed and prayed…”

I started counting my dogs… all eight were staring at me like, “Where is our food, where is the helper, why all these delays, can we bring some normalcy in this house please…”

I said to the officer. “All eight are…” and that’s when it struck me. It was me the man saw ‘stealing dogs’! I fumbled with my words and somehow convinced the officers that all was well, and the man was obviously mistaken. I saw them off at the door and came in, heaving a sigh of relief.

I walked in, and I heard my mom say, “Oh, by the way, you did not take the house keys with you, they are on the table.”

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RECIPE

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Celebrating the NEW The New Year has set in and after all the merry and cheer, it is now time for us all to have our healthy eating resolutions in place. Food connoisseur Seema Puri Bhatia shares exciting new recipes that are as nutritious as they are tasty!

Ingredients 3 medium sized beetroots peeled and sliced A good drizzle of olive oil Pink salt and black pepper to taste 1/2 cup cooked quinoa 1 cup shredded purple cabbage 1 red small onion sliced 1/2 red capsicum thinly sliced 3 tablespoons tahini 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 crushed red pepper 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon orange juice

For the garnish

Spiced Tahini & Turmeric Quinoa Bowl

Strands of cilantro Roasted pine nuts

Preparation Preheat your oven to 350- 375 degrees. Place your beetroot slices on a baking sheet and drizzle well with olive oil. Sprinkle over some pink salt and black pepper and bake until they are tender and soft (about 25 minutes). Blend the tahini, turmeric, lemon juice, orange juice and chili flakes together till well mixed. Place the purple cabbage shreds, quinoa, red onion and red capsicum in a medium sized bowl.

Top up with the roasted beetroot wedges, pour over the dressing and you may like to season further with pink salt and pepper.

Garnish with cilantro strings and roasted pine nuts.

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Ingredients 16 oz dark chocolate chips or 1-2 tablespoon jaggery powder or more for more sweetness 1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder 1/4 cup of pistachio slivers 1/4 cup almonds slivers 1/3 cup mixed dry fruits and berries such as goji, raisins and chopped up dry apricot A sprinkling of sea salt

Preparation Cover up your baking sheet with parchment paper. In a double boiler melt the chocolate and jaggery on a low flame until all is smooth, velvety and lump free. Spread this chocolate mix evenly on the parchment paper it should be 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle over the slivered nuts, dried fruits, berries and sea salt and allow this to cool fully.

Once cooked at room temperature this bark will harden and you can just break it up into desired sized pieces and serve or store in a cool space in an airtight container for up to a week.

RECIPE

Crunchy Cardamom Nut Bites in Dark Chocolate

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PHOTO FEATURE

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Adult Contest If you’ve read this magazine, it will be easy for you to answer the following questions and win prize!

1. W hich government body can you reach out to if you encounter racial discrimination at the hands of your landlord?

2. Where can you see the ‘Boka King’?

3. What is the Pantone Colour of the Year ‘20?

Prize Send in your entries to A-DesiFlava magazine, Room 20, 13th Floor (Top Floor), Eldex Industrial Building, Block B, 21 Ma Tau Wai Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon.

2 Lucky Winners

will get a Sonic Electronic Toothbrush each Winners will be announced on our Facebook | Instagram

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BEAUTY

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Nailin’ It "Any woman can wear a great outfit, but it is her nails that make the statement”, Tammy Taylor. Our hands go long hours doing chores, not to mention our poor feet bundled in those sneakers walking endlessly, especially in Hong Kong.

And often they are left unattended and uncared for.

Beauty and makeup expert, Pearly Chhabra reminds us to indulge in some TLC for the ten fingers and ten toes once in a while

L

ong nails look gorgeous but are also a powerhouse of bacteria. Maintaining them needs just a few minutes of attention every day. A good mani-pedi once a month goes a long way. I remember my grandfather once pointed out, “You can tell a woman takes care of herself by looking at how well she keeps her hands

and feet”. Nothing is more disgusting than cracked heels and callouses on feet. You may look sharp but if your feet tell a different story, it’s a no go.

It shouldn’t be embarrassing when you decide to put your feet up on the couch when your friends come over for afternoon coffee. So, let’s start the new year with a promise to include a little naircare routine in our day.

BEAUTY

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Cuticle Care Irrespective of the weather, use a good moisturizing cuticle cream or a biotin rich oil (almond, jojoba, vitamin E) before you go to bed to keep your cuticles hydrated. If unattended, the dry brazen cuticles can really hurt. (And look nasty!)

The Soaks Himalayan Pink Salt Prepare your foot tub with warm water, Himalayan pink salt and a few drops of essential oil. Soak your feet for 20 minutes. The salt is great for drawing out odours and toxins. The oil keeps the feet supple. Just the activity of soaking the feet will spread a general sense of relaxation from the feet muscles to the whole body. Repeat for hands. *Avoid this in case of an open wound or infection. Consult doctor

with ground coffee, honey, rose water or aloe vera gel.

Gently slough the dead skin to reveal the softer, glowing skin.

Complete with a bedtime mask which includes glycolic and lactic acid. It encourages new cells to appear to the fore by breaking down dead skin.

Paints and Polishes Whatever colours you choose, remember to start with a base coat and finish with a top coat.

The base coat helps protect the nails from strong colours while the top coat keeps acts as a sealant and keeps the glossiness of your paint longer lasting.

If you’re a regular at the nail salon for gel polish (soft or hard), nail art or extensions; allow your nails some ‘downtime’ from these treatments.

A tip: Personally, I keep my toenails short and devoid of any nail paint in the winter unless I’m wearing peep toes.

If you don’t like the pale, de-coloured look on the bare nails, use a light nude layer to keep them looking fresh. Also be mindful of not wearing tight or narrow-tipped footwear too often as they can alter the shape of your natural growing nail and possibly develop ingrowth.

Apple Cider Vinegar Mix a capful of apple cider vinegar in warm water, just enough to soak the feet. This works like a miracle for dry and cracked feet. The vinegar will cleanse through the cracks and clear out the dry skin. After rinsing and drying the feet, moisturize and wear cotton socks. You can repeat this weekly until the dryness and the cracks disappear.

Exfoliation No matter how much you moisturize those pesky flakes on your hands and feet, if you don’t exfoliate, your effort to achieve baby soft skin will go waste. Make a coarse paste

What’s Trending?

• Nudes - match them to your skin tone but make sure they are opaque • Neon tips - think mint, yellow, electric blue, orange and pitch them against nude base • Chrome nails! A party favourite • Pantone’s colour of the year – Classic Blue on square nails

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NETIZENS

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10

Must-Have Apps

W

hether you’re home or out, awake or asleep, at work or at a party – your phone doesn’t leave your side. The one loyal companion – call her Siri, Alexa or Cortana, its there to serve you all the time. Assuming you already have the basic apps like Google Maps, Shazam, CamScanner, Truecaller, Splitwise etc.., make your phone work even better for you with some of the latest must-have apps

Skyscanner Simply said, it makes holiday planning and booking easier. From flights to hotels and car hires, it scans the availabilities and prices to offer the best deals. It’s a great portal to compare prices. People mostly use it for flight booking as it connects you to the best flight deals available at the given time. But if you use all the features of the app – you can book your whole trip on one app and be sure to get a good bargain on it. The app also suggests inspiring destinations and activities in the destinations.

Psych

Pocket An offline reading app that saves your selected articles from various platforms for reading later. We spend a lot of time browsing various news apps and Facebook or simply the internet and stumble upon interesting articles. But not always do we have the time to read them in that moment. Often its forgotten or if you remember it, you may not find it. Pocket works like a bookmark for reading later.

The best part is you don’t need the internet for reading later. The article can be read offline – so even when your phone is on flightmode, you can use your travel time to revisit those articles and read at your leisure.

Pacer We all have fitness goals for the new year, and this is just the app for getting there. Pacer is a pedometer and step counter. It tracks your activity all day as well as provides a weekly, monthly and annual graph with average. It also supports weight, BMI and BP tracking! You can feed in your information and set your goals. The app allows you to connect with a friend and track your activities together. The app interface is clean and user-friendly. It also offers guided workouts within the app.

A lot of you may already have this. But for those who don’t, it’s a fun one to have for parties! Psych is an exciting party game to play with friends on game night, road trips or simply late-night gatherings at home. Heck, you can play a round or two with the office team during lunch break! Apart from the various categories, you can even customize the game for your little team of players. It’s a battle of wits as fake and quirky answers to trivia score higher.

Forest An app to get you off your phone! Forest is the antidot to your phone addiction. It allows you to plant virtual trees when you start your tasks.

The more your concentrate on your task, the more the trees grow, and your forest becomes lush. If you’re looking for some de-addiction methods, this one is fun and helpful. Try it and you’re sure to make a new change this year. And you’ll be proud for making an actual difference because you’re spending virtual coins in Forest for planning real trees!

Seven Amongst the many ‘7 Minute Workout’ apps, this one seems to be the most popular. With personalized workout plans, it helps in building muscle, losing weight or just generally getting fit. You can spare 7 minutes a day, anywhere and anytime as there is no equipment needed. It allows you

NETIZENS

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to share goals and compete with friends. The app tracks your activity and as you achieve your goals, you can earn new instructors!

Headspace You’re taking care of the body, and now this one is for the mind. The app is for guided meditation and mindfulness. There are ten 10-minute sessions for meditation. You can even download a session for later and use the app offline. The user interface is simple yet smart. The animation is excellent in explaining concepts. This is something you can do with the family too as the app has ‘Headspace for Kids’ as well. In fact, the kids content is great to get children to calm, focus and sleep better.

Kaspersky Safe Kids Amongst the cheapest and best options for monitoring kids using smartphones, tablets and computer. Though the free version can monitor only one child with one device, the premium version (affordable) can monitor multiple devices. You can ‘allow’ or ‘forbid’ certain apps and categories. It also lets you set time limits on the use of certain apps. Your child can continue using the phone normally and yet have limits set on watching YouTube or playing games. Kaspersky Safe Kids offers comprehensive web-filtering feature sets with a total of 14 categories and each can be flagged as ‘forbidden’, ‘allowed’, or ‘warning’.

Pleco Learn Chinese! With an integrated Chinese to English dictionary, flashcards, script scanner and handwriting inputs - this app is all you need to get by. Don’t let the language barrier slow you down, get Pleco at your fingertips.

Whether you already know the language or you’re learning it afresh, it will be helpful because it allows different methods of inputs. It generates both - meaning and pronunciation.

Citymapper Yes, let us say it – its better than Google Maps. Citymapper is a great app for navigating through the city. Its very efficient is guiding with the best route and transport options within the city. It smartly calculates which more of transport is ideal and also allows to pick from options of walking, MTR, bus, tram, minibus, ferry, taxi, Uber and more! If you are walking, it will also show you how many calories you’ve burned.

The real-time information on the app is as close to accurate as it can get. Updates on traffic and delays are included in the estimation of time. You can save your regular commute route and the app alerts you in case there are any disruptions on your path.

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KIDS NEWS

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Who is

GRETA THUNBERG? the leaders by striking out the Swedish parliament on Fridays with a hand-painted sign saying ‘School Strike for the Climate’. Her recent ‘angry’ speech at the UN General Assembly went viral with the #howdareyou hashtag. Today, In 2018, at the age of 15, ‘the Greta effect’ is causing a she first made her public stir in global politics with many speech about climate change. coming forward in support.

She got the attention of in social interactions and non-verbal communication along with repetitive patterns of behaviour. However, in her speech Greta said she considers her Aspergers as her superpower.

T

ime magazine has announced Greta Thunberg as the ‘Person of the Year’ for 2019. And rightly so! Greta is the world’s youngest environmental activist who has been fighting climate change. The young student from Stockholm is on sabbatical from school to travel across the world for getting countries to change

their policies in order to save the environment.

At the early age of 8 years, she learned about climate change and was unable to understand why people are doing so little to fight it. Soon after she was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome - a condition in which one has difficulty

KIDS NEWS

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Pixar, on the other hand, follows the life of teen elf brothers Ian and Barley Lightfoot in Onward. The trailer looks magical with the voices of Tom Holland (the young new Spiderman) and Chris Pratt (Owen of Jurassic World). Watch their quest to discover magic on March 6, 2020.

T

he biggest names in children’s entertainment - Disney, Pixar and Marvel, are all set to make this year an eventful one! Here’s taking a look at what they have in store for us…

Entertainment ‘20

Exciting news for Asia in the ‘year of the rat’ as Disney is all set to re-introduce their warrior princess Mulan, in a live-action version!

Remember the young princess who disguises to take the place of her father in the Imperial Army? You can watch her on 25th March, 2020.

On the superhero front, Marvel turns the spotlight on Black Widow. In terms of the timeline in the Marvel world, this story takes place between Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. Meet the femme fatale in May 1, 2020.

Of course, there is more from these houses of entertainment. This is just the first half… We shall keep you posted.

Plants Are Noisy When Upset Y

es, plants let out noises when in pain or stress!

A recent study in Isreal found that plants make ultrasonic sounds (which cannot be heard by humans) when in distress. For the study, microphones that can record ultrasonic frequencies were placed few inches away from the plants. They noted frequencies between 20 to 150 kilohertz, the levels

which can be heard by bats or rodents. Through the recordings, the team was capable of distinguishing between plant sounds and general noises, and identifying the condition of the plants – dry, cut, or intact. As strange as it sounds, this new discovery could help cultivators in assessing their crops wellbeing in the future!

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WHILE AGO

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Mumbai’s Devesh Mirchandani, takes an off-beat path to make it big in dance with his classical renditions on Bollywood songs. He started learning jazz after which he moved to kathak and is now known for his unique combination of kathak and Bollywood.

BEYOND Bollywood invited the talented international performer to Hong Kong for a unique dance workshop in November 2019.

Excerpts from our interaction…

Was is a struggle when you took up dance professionally?

Of course. To begin with, jazz as a dance form is a bit sassy and feminine. So, people kind of looked down upon it. But the real struggle was when I started learning kathak, in a class of 110 students where I was the only boy!

How did this unique rendition of kathak on Bollywood happen?

India is the only country which has eight classical dance forms and every region has at least one folk dance. You can imagine how rich our culture is in dance and music. I felt that if I take up Bollywood dance, I would like to bring the discipline and respect of a classical dance form into it.

So, I learned Kathak.

The beauty of combining kathak with Bollywood is that there is an instant connection with the audience when it comes to Bollywood music.

Add kathak movements to it, and the audience will sit up and take notice.

A word of appreciation for BEYOND Bollywood…

All Performers with the President of the Association

Its commendable! They’re not Indian but they love Indian dance. Actually, Indian culture seems to be more valued by non-Indians. Kudos for spreading the knowledge of Indian dance everywhere.

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WHILE AGO

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KIDS CONTEST

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AUNTY MVP

Definition of

Life

Grateful for life with friends, family and different experiences, Poonam V Mehta tells us how to move forward cherishing every moment despite our worldly troubles

Life is picturesque… paint it Life is joyous… enjoy it Life is expedition… trek it Life is unkempt…organize it Life is mysterious… unfold it Life is victorious… conquer it Life is obnoxious… tolerate it

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F

riends and families who share their stories are remarkably courageous and live with the hope that someday God will favour them and heal their hurts and henceforth they will never have to look back. Their pain has become their strength and they need to credit themselves for their resilience. They have accepted the fact that past doesn’t exist, just cherish the thought that thankfully it is all over.

Paint a picture of better future and dream of a brighter days ahead. This adventure is called life, we do not know the incredible joys and sorrows of life. Illusions, desires and attractions weaken us. Yet, when we act and adjust, it is enough to deal with any situation. The stories I wish to share are heart-rending, but the outcome of these stories is gratifying.

Couple of stories I wish to share are of people whom I have met on a flight or on a train journey.

When I strike a conversation with these strangers it appears there is a reason we met. It is God’s amazing plan. And till date we remain friends.

It is well known that organ trading happens rampantly in India and it involves large sums of money. Where one life is saved by the organ, another may benefit with the money.

But what happens when a critically ill patient is waiting for his organ and the donor,

after taking the payment, just disappears?!

When the family went looking for the missing donor, they discovered he had a heartbreaking story himself. The agent who had organized the deal had not given the donor the said amount. It was depressing for the donor because he wanted to use the money to send his son overseas. Unfortunately, his son had committed suicide over separation with his lady love.

Later, after much persuasion and offering more money, the donor agreed to donate the organ. It was a challenge to make it in time to the hospital before it was too late for the procedure. But when God is in control things start to roll. In the end the patient was saved, and the donor was able to overcome his grief through his generous act of kindness.

The good Lord is action-oriented and in control, therefore never underestimate the power of prayers.

This story teaches us life is short, count your blessings specifically in gratitude to the Almighty.

Another story with a courageous ending about what happens to people when they encounter sudden heartbreak.

This is a common scenario

when we hear about someone’s troubled situation, instead of showing empathy we become opinionated.

It is hard for a woman to have her life shattered in seconds when she finds out her husband has another woman in his life. Imagine her plight.

Her first thought was to get a divorce, but instead she stayed calm and continued to pretend that is not aware of his affair although her friends and neighbors were aware of it. She accepted his act of infidelity for the sake of her two young girls. Couple of years later the man found out the lady in his life had another man. Without hesitation he committed suicide leaving all his assets to his wife and children. The wife had the courage to face pre and post consequences. Such are the stories that teach us life’s lessons.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.

Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition ~ Steve Jobs

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