Austin South Asian . January 2017

Monthly Community Paper | www.austinsouthasian.com | 512-828-6709 | Vol. 10 No. 01

INDIA REPUBLIC DAY

By Ashwin Ghatalia Advisory Board Member IACT Texas State Representative Mr.

Ekal

By Sanjana Gagrani Indian American Coalition of Highschool Student & Ekal VolunTexas (IACT) is honored to have teer, Cedar Park, TX Mr. Rafael Anchia as our keynote Bollywood Milestones, the annual

dramatic hit!

This honorable cause continues to raise money to start and sustain

inside

January 2017

Tips To Refresh in........04 Ekal Vidyalaya..............05 Scribblings By Arun......06 Online Banking.............07 Tips For Road Trips......08 New Year’s Resolution..09 Cold Weather...............09 Grant To Learning........10 Malik’s Page ...........11,12

Rafael Anchia - Keynote Speaker At India Republic day celebration

speaker at the planned celebration (Continued on page 14)

Demonitization Ordinance Passed

NEW DELHI: The Cabinet approved the promulgation of an ordinance extinguishing the Re-

ernment’s demonetisation initiative. The move will also give the finance ministry enough time to

Ekal Vidyalaya concert featuring the Raj Pandya Orchestra, was held in November 2016 and was a

small 1 teacher schools (Continued On Page 10)

South Asian Women and Heart Disease Interview with Dr.Vivek Goswami

By Jyoti Naidu In the past, heart disease and heart attack have been predominantly associated with men. In fact, many even dismissed it as an older man’s disease.

The fact is heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined.

serve Bank of India’s liability for cancelled.`500 and .`1,000 notes as the logical conclusion to the gov-

factor into the budget the amount of cash that hasn’t been returned to the system if required, officials said. (Continued on page 7)

Do you know what causes heart disease in women? Or whether women of all ethnicities share the same risk?

(Continued on page 16)

February 2017 LEGAL Special

512-828-6709 Arts And Crafts............12 Tips To Keep Your Family Healthy And Happy.......13 Republic Day................14 Roots Revival...............15 Infuse Your Holidays....15 Dr. Goswani.............16,17 Jnanpith Award............18 Gani’s Page..................18 Financial Resolution......19 Predictions..............20,21 Predictions..............20,21 Children’s Page........22,23 How Do You Know........24 PM Modi Targets..........25 Entertainment.........26,27

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Austin South Asian | January 2017

Tips for Planning Your Wedding and Beyond the logo on items they don’t sell.

For example -- the cake!

While making the wedding day spectacular may seem like the main goal for engaged couples, savvy twosomes are also considering how they will build their home and life together after the honeymoon.

Luckily, these days, there are plenty of ways to plan your big day and happily ever after at the same time, say wedding trend experts.

“Couples who personalize their weddings are also quietly setting a tone for their future,” says Nelson Tejada, senior vice president and chief merchandising officer at Things Remembered, a leading retailer with 50 years of experience providing personalized wedding gifts and accessories.

Tejada suggests creating a customized wedding logo to adorn everything from invitations to keepsake items at the reception like champagne flutes and cake servers

(items that can be used during future celebrations.)

If you work with a retailer like Things Remembered, you can celebrate your marriage every day by

using the logo on needed items for your home, like cutting boards and picture frames.

The company also provides the files to the couple, so you can use

Budget- Stretching Tips for the Self-Employed The ability to stretch a budget can help businesses or those who are self-employed weather lean times and flourish in good periods, and being efficient with time can mean surviving a busy season with your sanity intact. But these principles can be hard to uphold.

To help, here are a few tips to assist freelancers, entrepreneurs and small business owners to make more happen with existing resources.

Seek Out Resources Taking care of certain logistics is easier these days, as retailers like Staples offer resources for small businesses, such as their Small Business Hub, where you can design and order business cards, print marketing flyers and posters, get invitations, announcements, calendars and brochures, many on the same day that you place the order.

“When you are on a tight schedule, having one place where you can go that meets a bulk of your small business needs is extremely useful,” says Melanie Salinas a photographer and the blogger behind “Story of Five.”

Salinas, who recently partnered with Staples as part of their #MakeMoreHappen campaign to help small business owners learn about resources to help them get things done, is a frequent user of both Staples’ online hub, as well as their in-store Copy & Print center.

Keep Expenses Organized “Don’t mix business with pleasure. Easier said than done when you’re working from home, but it’s a must. Keep business expenses separate from family expenses,” says Salinas.

It may seem like an extra step now, but you can avoid accounting headaches and help make tax time a breeze by staying organized. Good organization will also help ensure you don’t overlook expenses that could lower your taxes.

Create a Workspace If you are looking to take your business to the next level, it’s important that you have a dedicated workspace where you can get stuff done.

Look to programs like Staples Rewards to get cash back on purchas-

es, special coupons and deals.

“Even if it’s just a corner of your bedroom, creating a functional workspace will help you boost prod u c t i v i t y, ” says Kayla Buell, who runs “Gen Y Girl,” a Millennial career and lifestyle blog, who recommends sprucing up the area with supplies and décor that inspire and motivate you.

(State Point)

Including your monogram on wedding items like drinkware, the guest book, photo albums and unity candles is another personalized way to celebrate the big day and beyond. Many couples use the same stylized initials on home items like wall art, blankets and aprons, as well as accessories like keychains, wallets and jewelry.

Your monogram can also make a fun and memorable addition on items in your gift bag for the wedding party and guests. To thank your wedding party properly, be sure to seek out items they will actually use, such as t-shirts and high-quality water bottles like Corkcicle, Contigo or TruHydrate.

Attending a wedding? Guests too can help the couple create a life together with personalized wedding gifts that help make the house a home. There are many useful, beautiful home gifts that can be given a personalized touch.

For more ideas for bride and groom and everyone in attendance, visit ThingsRemembered.com/Weddings.

When wedding bells are ringing, take care to make that day and every day following one-of-a-kind with unique flourishes that speak to you. (State Point)

3

Austin South Asian | January 2017

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Austin South Asian | January 2017

Tips To Refresh Yourself In The New Year Wa n t to update a n d i m prove yours e l f for the N e w Year?

A few top-tob o t t o m tweaks c a n help y o u look a n d f e e l your best U p date S t a ples

Staples and basics don’t need to change with the seasons, however it’s important to update these elements when they’re worn out, no longer fit, or are simply outdated.

Evaluate your shoes, bags, jackets with these criteria in mind and replace any items as needed.

If there are items that you love that are in disrepair but you can’t imagine parting with, take this opportunity to re-sole and shine those shoes and replace that lost button.

You’ll improve these items’ usefulness and breathe new life into them.

You’ll also look more put together once these items are refurbished.

Look Back Refreshing your look doesn’t necessarily mean going ultra-modern.

Sometimes a vintage look can make a bigger statement.

Accessorize with a timepiece that is elegant, classic and will never go out of style.

It will serve as a nice complement to any outfit, whether you’re headed to work or going to a party.

To combine style with precision, consider the A168WG-9VT from the Casio Vintage Collection, which has a sleek gold colored band and a digital display.

Get Groomed A new haircut can do wonders.

Even if you’re growing your hair long, a trim can make you look polished and groomed.

Not only that, it eliminates split

ends and keeps hair healthy.

For extra edge, men may want to consider indulging in a professional shave while they are at the barber.

Follow a Trend Take a cue from the color experts and add a few items to your wardrobe with Pantone’s Color of the Year for 2017, “Greenery.”

A yellow-green hue evocative of spring, this color can add a bright element to your look and is totally on-trend.

By looking back and looking ahead, you can get inspired to update your look for a new year.

(StatePoint)

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info@AustinSouthAsian.com

5

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Hewlett Packard & India Today’ Honors “Ekal Vidyalaya

By Prakash Waghmare, “EVF” Nat’L Committee member Energized by its exemplary success in providing literacy and integrated development in villages across India, “Ekal Vidyalaya

Foundation”, two years back, introduced an innovative digitized supplement to rural life to speed up its integration into the mainstream.

This was never before conceived, leave alone an adopted approach to affect rural life. Recently, Ekal was honored with the “Digital Trailblazer Award” at the Digital Conclave organized by ‘Hewlett Packard’ in association with ‘India Today Gr.’ for this unique initiative.

The event was held at the Radisson Blue Hotel in Ranchi, Jharkhand on October 21, 2016. Shri Raghubar Das, the Chief Minister of Jharkhand state presented the award to Shri Lalan Kumar Sharma, Program Director of ‘Ekal Gramotthan’ (village renaissance).

Several luminaries including Mr. C.P Singh, the Minister for Urban Development, Mr. Sunil Barnwal, Secretary, Information Technology, Jharkhand state, Mr. Vivek Modwal, Country Manager Hewlett Packard and Ms. Aradhna Patnaik, Secretary Education and Human Resource Development attended the event.

The award by Hewlett Packard and India Today is a great testament to the impact Ekal is creating in rural India. Recently, Ekal had another occasion to put a feather in its cap of achievements. On Dec. 2, the US-India Chamber of Commerce of Dallas/Fort Worth, TX conferred ‘Leadership in Community Service Award’ on “Ekal Vidyala-

ya” at their annual Award Banquet.

Dr. Robert Kaplan, President and CEO of Federal Reserve bank of Dallas was the key-note speaker and Hon. Anupam Ray, Consul General of India (Houston) was the Chief Guest. According to Kaplan Fruitwala, a member of Ekal ‘Board of Directors’ and Reginal President of SouthWest region, ‘this Award is given after a rigorous and competitive evaluation process with regards to consistency, achievements and contributions to the Society and Ekal is very grateful that ‘US-India Chamber of Commerce’ has recognized Ekal’s efforts”.

Last month also saw ‘Better Business Bureau’ (BBB) putting a seal of approval on ‘Ekal’ as the member of ‘Wise Giving Alliance’, a select group of honorable prestigious o rg a n i z a tions for public charity.

Ekal, a non-profit organization, runs single teacher schools in over 54,000 rural remote villages that benefit 1.5 Million young children - more than half of which are girls.

According to Mohan Wanchoo, who has pledged $200,000 per year for several years, ‘Digital-Ekal’ works on many different levels and is a lightning rod to change the ‘face of villages’ as we know them today. Through ‘Ekal-On-Wheels’, a mobile computer training lab, Ekal imparts digital literacy to

5,000 students each year. By next year, there would be 9 such computer-fitted van making rounds of villages and 45,000 students computer-literate, each year.

They make use of spoken tutorials techniques, specially developed by IIT Bombay. Another initiative of Digital-Ekal is ‘Lok-Vidya’ or educating a common man. It provides practical information on vast number of topics related to indigenous conditions so as to improve personal health or crop output.

To support and flourish this vast number of digital transactions, Ekal has erected several Internet Towers where the power is provided by solar-panels. ‘Tablet-Computer’ pilot program is under way in some of the villages where teachers make use of ‘Tablets’ loaded with educational material.

on clean environment campaign in several villages where the focus is on awareness and accountability of ones’s action.

For this to become a way of life, habit-changing infrastructure is being vigorously promoted with necessary tools for their success.

Himanshu Shah, CEO of ‘Shah Capital’, who has pledged $100,000 per year for several years, is spearheading these efforts. Village folks are also being trained to conserve clean water and observe cleanliness in daily functionality.

In short, ‘Ekal’ is expanding its horizon beyond basic Education, healthcare or village-development.

With generous support from masses, it wants to play a major role molding the character of the nation itself. Kindly join and help Ekal through www.ekal.org.

Avoid Holiday Gift Snafus: Don’t Forget The Batteries!

If you want to avoid one of the biggest holiday season jumbles, remember the batteries when giving

ages will want to enjoy their gifts right away, so don’t forget to read the labels on holiday items and be

gifts to kids and tech lovers.

prepared.

Ninety percent of Americans have forgotten batteries for a holiday gift in the past, according to a survey by Energizer in 2016. And 44 percent of consumers take batteries out of their other devices to power a holiday gift if they forgot to purchase batteries at the store.

Remember, batteries make for great stocking stuffers. And this year, you can get prepped for holidays present and future, as Energizer MAX AA batteries allow them to hold power for up to 10 years while in storage.

According to Dr. Shubhangi Thakur, President of ‘Health Foundation for Rural India’ (another wing of ‘Ekal Vidyalaya’), for

next year, ‘Tele-Medicine’, that remotely digitally diagnosis most common ailments, is under consideration, with help from ‘John Hopkins University’, Baltimore, USA. There is also a proposal to put the impoverished farmers directly in closer contact with the marketplace through digital technology.

Hampered by unsanitary conditions and lack of awareness about personal hygiene, proper healthcare in all its form is a distant call in rural life. Inspired by PM Modi’s ‘Swachchh Bharat’ (Clean India) clarion call, Ekal has embarked

So don’t let the phrase “Batteries Not Included” crush holiday cheer or require an anti-climactic run to the store. Parents will want to be especially mindful of ensuring gifts are ready to use, as kids can be extra eager to play with their new toys once opened.

But whether it’s a remote-controlled car, video game controller or robotic pet, recipients of all

They also offer long-lasting power and are designed to prevent damaging leaks, so gifts stay fun longer.

More information can be found at energizer.com.

Even the best holiday gifts can lose their luster without batteries to operate them. Ensure the holidays end on a high note by remembering the batteries with your gifts this year.

(StatePoint)

6

Austin South Asian | January 2017

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Scribblings By Arun Get The Skinny On Avoiding Holiday Weight Gain Tell How To Rely On

Tell how to rely upon these all Justice and love, as God they call.

Justice is God that they say But where is justice, ask one may.

The rich and mighty, just buy it, In their favour, the facts to twist.

Deprived of their justice due None to hear, their cry or hue, Victims, the poor and innocents Till their end, they suffer in silence.

But where is love, ask one may.

Only the affluent and wealthy get Even when they, need it least.

With their love, so genuine But sans riches or high status Though the poor pour their heart, Hardly any, to reciprocate.

Even with a year of healthy habits under your belt, it’s easy to let the holiday season tip the scales.

But don’t let those parties, extra trays of cookies floating around, and massive holidays feasts get the best of you.

you talk on the telephone.

And if you belong to a health club, prioritize your trips to the gym as you would any other appointment on your calendar.

Cut the Fat

Eagerly searching for an answer apt What justice, which Love, They call as God Are we demeaning the God at last?

Editor: Bala Kumar Marketing: Jayachitra Vijay -512-828-6709 info@austinsouthasian.com Production: Jyothi Mariswaran Admin: Sharada Dayanidhi Publisher: Vidya Kumar Circulation: Vasooda Kumar

©All rights reserved.

No material herein or portions thereof be published without the wirtten consent of the publisher.

The deadline for advertisement and article is 20th of every month.

512-828-6709 info@austinsouthasian.com ww.austinsouthasian.com

The tablets contain Litramine, a weight loss ingredient that binds to dietary fat and reduces the amount of fat calories absorbed by the body. Studies have shown I-REMOVE helps users lose up to three times more weight than dieting alone.

Safe, effective and gentle, it won’t cause digestive issues when taken as directed. More information can be found at iRemoveWorks.com.

Austin South Asian

Love is God that they say

as I-REMOVE from bmiSmart, a plant-based supplement taken after each meal with a glass of water.

Use Moderation

Here are smart ways to stay trim all season long and avoid regaining an entire year’s worth of dieting.

Even with a workout program in place and weight loss tools to aid your dieting efforts, it’s important to not let the holiday season be a caloric blank check. Use the same sensible tricks that work for you all year long.

Schedule Your Workouts

Fat has more calories per milligram than any other nutrient, and most people underestimate the amount of fat they consume.

Sure, the holiday season is super busy. There is more shopping to do, errands to complete, and social engagements to keep. But through it all, be diligent in finding opportunities to burn more calories.

Unfortunately, the holidays can be a particularly frustrating time of year to avoid it -- for instance, pumpkin pie can have 20 grams of fat in just one slice and a gingerbread cookie has 7 grams of fat.

Use the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Park farther away from an entrance than you normally would.

Do calf raises as you wait in line.

Curl weights or perform squats as

Rather than avoid your favorite foods and treats altogether, consider weight loss solutions that don’t require specific meal planning or a massively restrictive diet, such

For example, if you’re eyeing the party buffet, prioritize your favorite treats so you don’t end up getting stuffed on items you don’t even enjoy.

Fill your first plate with fruits, veggies and other healthy options before diving into the richer fare. And of course, make sure you drink plenty of water between those servings of egg nog and champagne.

To give your 2017 resolutions a great jump start, mind your health during the holiday season.

(Statepoint)

7

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Why Online Banking Makes Financial Cents Driven by lower banking fees, better interest rates on savings accounts, round-the-clock convenience and mobile phone usage, more consumers than ever are doing their banking online than at brick-and-mortar locations.

convenience, here is a deeper look at how online banks are providing advantages to their customers.

Customer-Centric Focus For example, Ally Bank, one of the

customer service.

In addition, most online banks have a “customer-friendly” fee structure in contrast to traditional banks, as they often do not impose monthly maintenance fees and typically of-

The adoption of online banking has doubled since 2004, reaching 71 percent of consumers in 2015, according to Javelin Strategy & Research’s Online Banking Forecast 2016.

“Our focus is on designing competitive products and features to meet our customers’ needs, combined with the best technologies and customer experience.”

Digital Technology

And these numbers are growing, as more consumers are made aware of the different services they can take advantage of at home and on-thego.

From the distinct cost advantage over traditional banks, (since they don’t have the expenses associated with maintaining a physical branch network) to their flexibility and

“When we launched Ally Bank seven years ago, we were very focused on building an obviously better banking experience for our customers,” says Diane Morais, chief executive officer and president of Ally Bank.

leading online banks, is able to offer consistently competitive rates and is always open with 24/7 live

fer lower fees on transaction services.

while on-the-go using mobile devices.

Most banking transactions that used to require a visit to a brickand-mortar location are now conducted online, fundamentally changing customer banking behavior and expectations.

Online banks are striving to make handling personal finances simple and flexible with no time wasted in line at a neighborhood bank.

Advances in digital technology have literally put a broad range of services at customer’s fingertips.

To learn more about the advantages of banking electronically, visit nationaldaycalendar.com/nationalonline-bank-day.

Mobile payment services such as Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay and Masterpass, and online bill pay and mobile check deposit, mean customers can complete many transactions from home or

If you are seeking a more modern banking experience, it’s worth investigating online banking to determine if it’s right for your pocketbook.

(Statepoint)

as possible. For the Narendra Modi government has cleared a new rule that may land you in jail if you are found having more than 10 banned notes after March 31, 2017.

dinance to penalise people found holding banned notes after March 31, 2017. The penalty for holding old currency in excess of 10 notes may include financial fines and a jail term of up to four years in certain cases.

The government wanted to end the liability of the government and RBI on banned notes post March 2017 to avoid legal complications in future. However, it is not yet clear if the penal provisions would apply for people found holding the banned notes after the 50-day window to deposit them in banks ends on December 30 or after March 31, till which time deposit of old currency notes at specified branches of the Reserve Bank after submitting a declaration form is open.

Demonitization Ordinance Passed

(Continued from page 1)

“The Cabinet cleared the ordinance,” a government official said on Wednesday. The ordinance is expected to provide a limited window for depositing the cancelled notes at select RBI branches until March 31and also prescribes a monetary penalty for anyone holding such currency in large quantities after the deadline. The details of the ordinance that amends the RBI Act and completes the demonetisation exercise will be released when it receives presidential assent. The old notes can be deposited in banks until December 30.

ET had reported the government’s plan to issue an ordinance on December 7. The decree is called the Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance, said people with knowledge of the matter While announcing demonetisation on November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the.`500 and .`1,000 notes would cease to be legal tender, this having been

achieved through a notification.

But experts felt extinguishing the liability completely needed a change in the law since every note issued by the central bank carries a promise that the bearer is entitled to the value printed on it.

The ordinance will end the central bank’s liability with regard to the notes that are not returned to the system as also those that were deposited. The amount of extinguished currency that is not deposited is expected to flow to the government or be used by the central bank for any other purpose approved by its board.

Of the .`15.4 lakh crore of currency that was scrapped, about .`14 lakh crore is estimated to have already been deposited in banks or exchanged.

The budget session of Parliament will only begin late January and the government wants to be well prepared to deal with the situation arising after the deposit deadline, prompting the ordinance.

A fresh set of guidelines will be issued on December 30 detailing procedure for exchange of currency at RBI counters until March 31.

These norms will define exceptional circumstances in which currency can be swapped in this manner.

The ordinance also seeks to make possession of more than ten `500 or `1,000 notes after deadline a penal offence attracting monetary fine of `10,000 or five times the cash held, whichever is higher, the official said.

Furnishing wrong information while depositing the old currency between January 1 and March 31 will attract a fine of .`5,000 or five times the amount. In 1978, a similar ordinance was issued to end the government’s liability after.`1,000, .`5,000 and .`10,000 notes were demonetised by the Morarji Desailed government.

If you are still holding banned Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes, then deposit them in banks as soon

The Union Cabinet today approved an ordinance that would end the government’s and the RBI’s liability on demonetised notes after the end of the March 31, 2017 deadline, according to reports. After December 30, the banned notes could be deposited only through RBI-specified windows until March 31. ANI quoted sources as saying that name of the ordinance is ‘The Specified Bank Notes Cessation of Liabilities Ordinance’.

PTI reported that the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also approved an or-

To Advertise In ASA 512-828-6709

8

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Top Tips For Holiday Family Road Trips

The holiday season is one of the busiest travel times of the year, which means congested roads under potentially difficult driving conditions.

For added peace of mind, visit your local mechanic or dealership where you can have your car serviced by an accredited technician.

while you’re on the road.

• Avoid “are we there yet”? Technology features like built-in

To keep holiday road warriors comfortable and content on their drives, Autotrader editors offer some of their top holiday travel tips.

consider bringing along a handheld device so kids can play games or watch videos.

And if technology isn’t your thing, remember that magnetized board games and word games can work just as well.

You can also encourage kids to stay occupied by having them help you navigate and by playing DJ.

• Tune up. Do a quick check on the essentials before you head out.

• Have patience. These days, your car’s navigation tools can offer realistic travel times, but be prepared for the unexpected.

Check the wear and pressure on your tires, and be sure your fluids (oil, coolant and wiper fluid) are topped off.

For do-it-yourselfers, you can perform these quick and easy inspections on your own.

Tending to potential issues proactively means you are more likely to avoid having to deal with them

screens and DVD players can be saviors on the road, but if your car doesn’t come equipped with these,

Did you get carried away with the holiday spirit this past season?

Sticking to this plan results in $1,378 saved at the end of the year, as well as any interest you’ve earned.

ket account with no minimum and no monthly maintenance fee.

Inclement weather, traffic and bathroom requests can set you back. Give yourself extra time to reach your destination.

• Have fun! Holiday road trips can be a great pastime for the whole family while creating wonderful memories.

Enjoy the adventure of it!

To learn more, visit Autotrader. com/HolidayDrivingTips.

“Family time this holiday season starts the moment you hit the road,” says Tara Trompeter, managing editor at Autotrader.

“A little bit of planning ahead before you get on the road will go a long way toward filling the experience with more fun and laughter for everyone involved.”

(StatePoint)

Tips To Save and Spend Wisely In 2017

On the heels of hefty spending, the New Year is the best time to take stock of personal finance habits and make beneficial changes for the year ahead.

Creating a savings account for a

You can deposit money easily through e-check deposit, direct deposit and you’ll earn interest com-

Here are some useful tips and tricks to spend and save wisely in 2017.

Think Long-Term Don’t neglect the future. It’s never too early to save for retirement.

In fact, the sooner you start, the better off you will be.

Invest through a company-sponsored plan if possible.

If not, look into IRAs that can help you grow your wealth exponentially.

Create Categorized Funds Consider the 52-week savings challenge. In the first week, save $1, followed by $2 the second week, all the way through week 52, when you put aside $52.

Use Shopping Apps

pockets.

It is incredibly easy to save money with a little online research.

“Use credit cards that reward you for the things you buy the most,” says Diane Morais, chief executive officer and president of Ally Bank, the direct banking subsidiary of Ally Financial Inc.

With a few minutes effort, you’ll find discount codes, loyalty programs or cashback websites that track your purchases and reward you for the extra step of navigating through their shopping portal instead of going straight to the big name retailers’ websites.

Reap wards

specific purpose is a perennially sound savings strategy.

Look for banks that are fee friendly, such as Ally Bank Member FDIC, ally.com, which allows you to open an Online Savings or Money Mar-

pounded daily on your savings.

In addition, putting this money in a separate account allows you to track your spending against the account balance.

Re-

While no personal finance expert would advocate running up credit card bills one can’t afford, savvy consumers know how to take advantage of credit card reward programs for hotel points, airline miles or just straight cash in their

There are often offers for opening a new credit card with a minimum spend, such as the Ally CashBack Credit Card, which provides a $100 bonus when you make $500 in eligible purchases during the first three billing cycles, and offers two percent cash back at gas stations and grocery stores, and one percent cash back on all other purchases -- as well as 10 percent bonus on rewards that are deposited into an eligible Ally Bank account.

If you don’t want to open a new account, check your current credit cards for promotions or cash back offers, which can add up quickly on everyday purchases.

With a little homework, savvy consumers can make 2017 the year they spend strategically and save more.

(StatePoint)

9

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Must-Have Accessories For Cold Weather Here are some great, functional must-have accessories to keep you looking great and feeling warm.

Texting While Warm This winter, you don’t need to resort to fingerless gloves or no gloves at all to be able to use your smartphone while outdoors.

Continue to text, update your Instagram and orient yourself without letting your fingers go numb by using gloves with touchscreen capability.

Available in a number of styles and materials, from athletic to cute to sophisticated, staying fully functional in subfreezing temperatures has never been so easy.

In cooler weather, it’s all about finding clothing and accessories

that stand up to the elements and are also stylish.

Toasty Toes Whether you are off to work in

casual business attire or lounging around the house in jeans, stylish socks that hold up during long days are a must in winter.

More information can be found at www.goldtoe.com.

Along with your hands, you’ll want your feet to stay warm in cooler temperatures, so don’t compromise on quality.

Don’t let a windy day leave your throat exposed to the elements.

For men’s casual crew socks, the GOLDTOE brand’s Harrington collection are a great choice, as they feature innovative AquaFX Responsive Cotton, which offers moisture management and wicking capabilities to provide long lasting comfort.

The brand’s Oh.So.Soft. line, women’s socks made of ultra soft yarns, are available in an assortment of colors and are nice for lounging around the house or for busy days on-the-go.

Foolproof Neck Warmer

While regular scarves are prone to unravel or even fall off on a blustery day, an “infinity scarf” is the best way to keep your neck protected no matter what blows your way.

Unlike a traditional scarf that is a long piece of fabric, an infinity scarf is a full loop that closes and can be wrapped multiple times.

Not just a passing trend, these scarves are easier to wear and harder to lose. This winter, there is no need to sacrifice comfort or style.

Both can be had with the right accessories.

(StatePoint)

Healthy New Year’s Resolutions To Boost Your Immunity This New Year, one important resolution is to focus on supporting a strong immune system for a happy and healthy 2017.

“Building a strong immune system can improve and even extend your life,” says Larry Robinson, PhD,

wellness and vitality.

For a healthier year, Robinson and the experts at Embria are encouraging people to toast to these great health and wellness tips.

Be Social

Research shows that people that have more human interactions are better at combating cold weather challenges.

So make sure to chat with your coworkers during the day and make plans with your friends after work.

Not only will this boost your immunity, but social activities may also help reduce stress and depression.

Supplement While a well-balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can support good health, getting the proper vitamins and nutrients in sufficient quantities every day can prove challenging.

and vice president of Scientific Affairs, Embria Health Sciences, a manufacturer of natural, sciencebased ingredients that support

It’s easy to hole-up during these cold winter days, but it’s not very good for your health or immune system.

Consider resolving to offer your immune system targeted support with a supplement designed to boost healthy immune function.

One of the best immune strength-

ening ingredients is EpiCor fermentate, which has been clinically shown to support the body’s ability to initiate the proper immune response when needed, support rapid immune response and maintain healthy immune function.

You can find EpiCor in many popular and trusted supplement brands.

Rest and Relaxation Rest and relaxation can go a long way toward supporting good health.

Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to a number of major health problems and can impair the way your immune system responds, accord-

ing to the National Institutes of Health.

What’s more, too much stress can compromise immune response.

So whether it’s spending time with friends, going to yoga class or taking a bath, make sure your schedule includes time for both sleep and for stress-reducing activities.

Improve your health from the inside out this New Year.

By focusing on boosting your immunity as a goal, you will naturally adopt healthy habits.

(StatePoint)

To Advertise In ASA 512-828-6709

10

Austin South Asian | January 2017

$2 Million Matching Grant To Expand Social And Emotional Learning At AISD Three Austin donors-the Buena Vista Foundation, the Klein Family Foundation and the Tapestry Foundation-recently announced their commitment to donate $2 million as a reinvestment into AISD’s Social and Emotional Learning initiative.

The matching grant is an invitation to the Austin community to support a deeper integration of SEL into the practice of all AISD schools.

“We are grateful for this pledge and the generous support from our partners.

SEL skills, such as setting and achieving goals, empathy, problem solving and selfawareness, are skills our kids need to succeed in college, career and life,” said AISD Superintendent Paul Cruz.

“These are critical for success in a 21st Century workforce.”

Research has established a link between the social emotional well-being of students and their level of academic engagement.

SEL skills have proven to have real-life benefits for students both in school and in the workplace.

SEL teaches students to understand and practice the concepts of self-awareness, selfmanagement, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making that prepare them to be effective and productive in their schools, careers and communities.

Schools participating in AISD’s initiative the longest have seen a 45 percent decrease in discipline referral rates in elementary school and a 29 percent decrease at the middle and high school level.

Furthermore, a 2006 survey by the Confer-

ence Board-a business research associationshowed that three of the top four skills desired by employers are the same skills reinforced through SEL: professionalism and work ethic, teamwork and collaboration, oral communication and ethics and social responsibility.

AISD, which is a leader in SEL among districts across the nation, first introduced SEL to a few schools in 2011, and has incrementally rolled it out to all schools.

The district’s SEL initiative has been supported by a public-private partnership that includes the NoVo Foundation, the Buena Vista Foundation, the Klein Family Foundation, the Tapestry Foundation, the St. David’s Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the RGK Foundation, as well as AISD. Since 2010, AISD has been a member of the Collaborating Districts Initiative through the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning, which has provided technical assistance to and established communities of practice among the other participating districts.

The funds will ensure professional development for campus and district leaders, the ongoing evaluation of SEL’s impact and the alignment of SEL to other district and community efforts.

Incorporating SEL into the practice of all campuses will ensure a positive learning environment for all students.

For more information, visit the district’s SEL website at www.austinisd.org/academics/sel.

To support AISD’s SEL initiative, please visit austinisd.org and click on the “donate now” button in the upper right-hand corner or contact AISD’s Executive Director of AISD’s Office of Innovation and Development Michelle Wallis at 512-414-4850 or Michelle.Wallis@austinisd.org.

AISD is the largest school district in central Texas, serving more than 83,000 students at 130 schools.

Follow AISD on Facebook at www.facebook.com/austinisd, Instagram at @austinisd or on Twitter at @AustinISD.

Ekal Empowers Through Education

(Continued From Page 01)

all around rural and tribal India for underprivileged kids who otherwise don’t have access to primary education and basic literacy.

TV Asia featured the Austin community coming together and sponsoring over 100 schools in 2016 again!

The evening featured some of the greatest songs India has produced into one evening including nostalgia inducing standards transporting the audience to the 1960s and recent hits from the latest in Indian cinema.

The audience’s spontaneous dancing was a testament to the musicians’ artistry. The well planned event included a catered banquet dinner and tableside chai service.

The warm hospitality and impeccable food demonstrated the volunteers’ enormous efforts.

Overall, Ekal Vidyalaya’s annual Austin Chapter event was a successful and extraordinary event that was a major step on the path to making education possible for all of India’s children.

The annual event for 2017 is anticipated to be in the late spring time, anyone interested in helping out or joining the cause can reach out at www.ekal.org to be connected to the local chapter in Austin.

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Austin South Asian | January 2017

Latest Pakistani Fashion Prediction For 2017

BY SUMAIYA MALIK

stan. Either you want to come across as the intellectual or you are the trendy fad followFashion is really a movement. er flashing as much of wealth as possible to It’s not about the cut of the announce your great fortune. shirt or pants and presence or absence of the dupatta in Paki- The first one is the arty sophistication where, stan. a careless, carefree air with hair tossed to the sides, maybe some beads as accessories, It’s about the beat of the time a kohlapure chappal, a chadar on the side and the thoughts behind the and a careful curation of the absence of inclothing. ternational designers.

Chimianga Adichi, an American African writer of world fame aptly said, “Women who wanted to be taken seriously were supposed to substantiate their seriousness with a studied indifference to appearance.

‘Kia cool hain hum!” is the beat of that group. They want their personality to only be accentuated by their clothing.

For serious women writers in particular, it was better not to dress well at all, and if you did, then it was best to pretend that you had not put much thought into it.

These are the bleached and streaked blond beauties, with orange and pink lipsticks, embroidery filled printed shirts, with truck art and crystals in their slides, designer handbags, over emphasized dark sunglasses and fancy imported cars.

The second is, “Yes, I am so fashionable that I am a model… I’ll follow the fads to the nth degree.”

Such is the movement in Paki- These are the ladies who are flaunting their

Pakistani Rock Icon And Religious Leader Dies In A Plane Crash Along With 47 Others

By Sumaiya Malik

[JJ], the heartthrob youngsters and trailblaz- Soon enough, Junaid turned towards the life er in the eighties. of a preacher.

On December 8, a PIA flight 661 took off from Chitral, Pakistan, and soon crashed His death shocked all in Pakistan, India and their diaspora all over the world. Junaid’s life was a soul-searching conversation with himself and it came to a sudden closure.

Famous songs like ‘Dil, dil Pakistan made Junaid Jamshed a household name of commercial viability.

He grew a beard, changed his attire totally to Shalwar Kameez and started recording religions songs.

He broke the hearts of a million followers, but another million rallied behind him.

Each group staunchly supported the era of JJ they believed in.

Shocked by his death, his followers and fans from all over the world started sharing their thoughts in social media.

His Pakistani clothing The outpour was so great that newspapers line named after him, opened pages of tribute to share a side of JJ opened up at every no one had ever seen before. street corner.

The bodies of the deceased took time to be His business sense was identified and after four days, Junaid’s reinto the hillside near Havelian area of district Abbotabad. All 47 people perished as powerful as his voice. mains were confirmed. along with a Pakistani rock star sensation that turned towards religion at the peak of Then came an inner calling. Sources say, Junaid Jamshed’s body was laid to rest that he became dissatisfied with the status in Karachi. Thousands attended funeral his career. quo and keep looking for more inspiration. prayers including politicians, artists and reThe South Asians loved Junaid Jamshed ligious scholars.

wealth and showing the world that they don’t really need to use their brain because they married a rich bloke.

This lot is also seen in leggings and designer tees and a trendy scarf.

The movement is also influenced by what is happening on the international fashion scene.

With a greater focus on having healthy bodies and not starved ones, the international silhouette is enhanced by looser blouses and flowing fabric.

And so in the Pakistani fashion too shirts are looser and short.

Here is a cheat sheet for all South Asians who follow the Pakistani shirt, pants and dupatta more popularly known as Shalwar Kameez.

1. Shirt length 36 to 37 inches. Anything else is out of date.

2. Formal color palate: Plain muted ivory, white, black, earth tones – casual: bright digital printed tunics 3. Dupatta or no dupatta? NO dupatta for heavens sake move on!

4. What about the tulip shalwar? Tulip shalwar still exists… good comeback towards the shalwar.

Wearable in the evening as well. Black and white is a good option. With a printed tulip shalwar, go for a plain shirt.

5. Embroidery is overdone right now! Please avoid prints with embroidery. They are overdone and tiring.

6. Fitted or loose: LOOSE, loose and looser shirts! And no one dare move towards fitted!

It’s so out!

Pakistani workmanship is also quite up to the par. The cuffs, buttons, hooks and ties are fixed with great care and shoddy workmanship is looked upon with disdain.

So whether you are the follower of fads or an intellectual, the cheat sheet will help you be fashionable with comfort.

With the American fashion moving towards long tunics, jeans and scarves, the South Asians are in luck.

They can blend the their own clothing with jeans and look fashionable.

12

Austin South Asian | January 2017

In memoriam: Junaid Jamshed, The cool big brother

By Sumaiya Malik

time.

There’s was the cool house. Everyone in the family was expressive and artistic starting from mom and dad and down to the kids.

Junaid bhai was making music and going to the university in Lahore and would be home often where

Each one was following his own ‘dhun’ and following it passionately.

I was in 10th grade and Bhaijan in 11th and we would be welcome all the time in their house.

We had no idea that Junaid bhai was not just following his own tune; he was making it and in the process forging a path that others would follow.

There was a heightened level of expression in the Jamshed household.

We were definitely ready to follow him. Junaid bhai was the handsome big brother who was funny and always in a good mood.

It was a rare anomaly; something so radically different from the normal houses we visited.

We were in awe and we loved to hang out there and absorb all that we could.

Our dads used to work in the same office in Pakistan Navy and we lived in the Naval complex in E-8 in Islamabad not far from each other.

Our families were close during this

I remember once I called their home and asked for my mother who was visiting his mom, Aunty Nafisa. his parents lived.

Bhaijan [my older brother in Urdu] and I used to hang out with Junaid’s much younger two siblings.

Not expecting him to pick up, I blurted out, “Could I speak to your Najma Aunty?”

He chuckled amusingly, “I will call

MY Aunty Najma.”

both hugged and chatted.

Junaid Bhai was the perfect gentleman. I remember his wedding.

Conversation was as usual expressive.

He proudly escorted his beautiful wife amid the fanfare of glitz and glamor in the Air Force Mess in Karachi.

Bhaijan asked why Junaid Bhai had changed. Big bro replied that he never had and they joked the same way.

O’Khanum Guja Biri, Zindagi kehnay lugi… His life was really talking to him.

Perhaps, he was right, he was still following his own beat and forging a path that others would follow.

He continued talking to life and looking back he was actually having a conversation with it.

We will not run into this big brother any more.

Years later, when he turned towards spirituality, our families were already separated by cities.

We had drifted apart, but whenever we met it would be with the same love.

When Bhaijan ran into a now bearded Junaid bhai two years ago during a Dubai to Karachi flight,

Junaid Bhai left a mark on us deeper than many others we came across in younger days.

He stayed with us in thoughts and in subtle ways inspired us to follow our beat and be cool.

What do we do now Junaid bhai?

I can almost see him say, “Have a conversation with life.”

How Arts And Crafts Can Help Heal Veterans In Your Community When people hear there might be a bomb nearby, most will try to get as far away as fast as possible. U.S. Army Specialist Brandon Sanford and his bomb-sniffing dog Rexo, however, were not as lucky.

Sanford and Rexo were part of the Army’s bomb detection unit, tasked with finding life-threatening explosive devices. “I was nervous on the first patrol missions since our duty was to find explosives designed to kill American soldiers,” said Sanford. When a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in 2008, Sanford suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), among other wounds. Because of his injuries, Sanford suffers from seizures as well as problems with balance, fine motor skills and more.

Basic tasks like buttoning a shirt are now daunting endeavors for him. And so the long, arduous process of healing began. Along with surgery and physical therapy, craft therapy became part of Sanford’s treatment plan. When men and

women return from war or other military postings, they often bring home more than their duffel bags.

consist of hundreds of craft categories like woodworking, leather, models and a variety of needlec-

dexterity. Crafts can also help alleviate anger issues and the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and TBI triggers, such as anxiety, memories, sadness and frustration.

In some cases, the benefits are physical as well. For example, stringing together a leather craft might help with hand-eye coordination and dexterity. Painting or model building can ease symptoms of PTSD or depression. Sanford said that working with small pieces has helped him with his hand-eye coordination.

That is why Help Heal Veterans (Heal Vets), a nonprofit founded during the Vietnam War, operates on the knowledge that not all medicine comes in a bottle. As America’s largest supplier of therapeutic arts and crafts resources, Heal Vets has distributed more than 29 million kits since 1971, averaging 43,000 kits per month. The kits

rafts.

Many doctors and occupational therapists prescribe arts and crafts as an important component of a treatment plan. Such an approach provides tremendous therapeutic and rehabilitative benefits, including improving fine motor skills, cognitive functioning, memory and

He also suffers from short-term memory problems associated with his TBI, so working on the kits helps train his focus and concentration skills. Since World War I, craft kits have consistently proven effective tools for veterans’ rehabilitation and healing. According to a Health Care Data Inc. study, 89.6 percent of patients surveyed felt Heal Vets craft therapy helped maintain or improve their physi-

cal capabilities. Furthermore, craft projects help build family bonds when completed with loved ones, improve self-esteem and surface previously untapped artistic talent.

As Americans pay their respects to those who have served, Heal Vets encourages you to think about ways you can help enrich the lives of the 22 million U.S. veterans and military personnel. Heal Vets relies solely on charitable donations to produce its craft kits.

For more information about the program or to donate art supplies, journals and other tools that spark creativity to a veterans’ organization near you, visit HealVets.org.

“Today, one of every three Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffers from PTSD and/or TBI. Even more, the suicide rate for U.S. military members continues to rise. Reawakening veterans’ enthusiasm for life, therefore, remains an utmost priority,” said Captain Joe McClain, a U.S. Navy veteran and current Heal Vets CEO. (StatePoint)

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Austin South Asian | January 2017

Tips To Keep Your Family Healthy And Happy This Winter With colder weather comes an increase in weather-related illness and health issues. From activity

ing benefits. People who exercise 30 to 45 minutes a day experience a 40 to 50 percent reduction in the

number of days they get sick, according to studies at Appalachian State University’s Human Performance Lab. Encourage the family to get active with step or fitness trackers. Daily or weekly step goals and challenges with siblings or spouses are fun ways to keep everyone moving.

FitBit, Garmin and Jawbone all make trackers with corresponding mobile apps to help monitor goals.

And, when cabin fever sets in, grab the kids and head outside. Cold weather activities nearby or on a trip away, such as sledding, skiing and snowboarding, can offer additional exercise outside the normal indoor routine.

levels to mood, diet and more, seasonal weather affects all areas of your life. But, don’t let the winter blues get you down -- follow these tips to help keep your family healthy and happy during the coldweather months.

Getting more out of a vacation

Seven new hotels opened in 2016

Some fresh fruits and veggies can be hard to find in winter. The Cleveland Clinic suggests turning to root vegetables like beets, carrots and turnips since they can withstand cold temperatures, making them easier to find. Also on their list of suggested foods are oatmeal, soup (without a lot of salt), sushi, broccoli and cauliflower -- all of which provide essential nutrients to support immunity and boost vitamin levels.

Keep Moving Studies show that daily exercise and activity offer immune-boost-

When the weather gets cold, the risk of certain illnesses like cold and flu rise. What’s in your feelbetter-fast kit when your family gets sick?

Items that doctors recommend to have when a cold or the flu hits include: pain and fever relief (ibuprofen, acetaminophen), tissues, fluids (especially cool water), soup and tea, throat lozenges and a digital temperature monitor.

Instead of waking young children to get accurate temperature readings with a digital thermometer, consider picking up TempTraq the

next time you’re at Target, CVS or Walgreens.

It’s a wearable, Bluetooth monitor that safely and continuously senses, records and transmits body temperature for 24 hours through its free TempTraq app. You can even receive fever alerts so you can eliminate poking or prodding kids in the middle of the night, providing peace of mind for you and much needed rest for them during sick days.

For a happy and healthy winter, use these tips to inspire your family to eat right, get active and be prepared for colder weather.

(StatePoint)

Vacation Destinations Where You Can Stretch Your Dollar In 2017

“Winterize” Your Diet

Also, be sure to work vitamin D into your system. It aids bone health and muscle strength, but during shorter, cloudy days of winter, you might not get the necessary amount you need. Harvard School of Public Health recommends daily 15-minute walks outside to get some sun, and eating vitamin D-rich foods such as dairy products, breakfast cereals and fish like salmon and tuna. You may also consider a supplement.

Always be Prepared

flights from the U.S. The increased competition means packages that used to cost $2,000 per person can now be found for as little as $1,299. Travelzoo deal experts also recommend the Air New Zealand Explorer Pass, a cost-effective way to see the country from North Island to South Island.

Peru

starts with finding ways to stretch your travel budget. To help, travel deals publisher Travelzoo recently unveiled the top six destinations where Americans will find the strongest deals in 2017.

“We predict three trends will influence travel deals next year. Increased choice for flights, a strong U.S. dollar, and hotel openings will create increased supply leading to competition and more deals,” says Michael Stitt, president, North America of Travelzoo, which recently unveiled its annual “Wow Deal Destinations” for 2017.

Florida’s Gulf Coast

in the Clearwater area, including the luxury Opal Sands Resort. A new Wyndham Grand Resort on Clearwater Beach is among several upscale brands opening their doors in 2017. Budget airline Allegiant flies into St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport from 20 U.S. cities, and nearby Tampa airport is serviced by most major U.S. carriers, resulting in heavy competition and frequent airfare sales.

New Zealand The number of airline seats to New Zealand has doubled this year, with three top airlines introducing direct

There are now seven airlines flying nonstop from the U.S. to Lima, creating more intense competition than ever. The dollar is at a 10-year high against the Peruvian sol. Recently the Peruvian government started limiting the number of visitors to Macchu Pichu, so those interested in visiting should do so soon.

Paris The French department of tourism reports a 1.8 million drop in the number of visitors to Paris for the first 10 months of 2016 compared to 2015. If this trend continues, it will put pressure on Parisian hotel rates. At the same time, a favorable exchange rate and sharp increase in low-cost flight options mean Americans can experience the French capital for the lowest price

in recent years.

United Kingdom The British pound hit a 31-year low after the U.K. voted to leave the European Union in June 2016.

A weak pound, coupled with a drop in airfares means increasingly aggressive deals available to U.S. travelers.

Washington, D.C. A slew of new hotels makes now the time to visit a city that’s already popular with deal-seekers.

Washington, D.C. has a huge number of free attractions, including world-class museums like the newly opened National Museum of African-American History & Culture on the National Mall.

Fourteen new hotels this year and 16 opening next year will likely drive down room rates. For deals, consider weekends, when business travelers leave town.

For more information on the 2017 Wow Deal Destinations, visit the Travelzoo blog at travelzoo.com/ blog/2017wow. This year, consider taking advantage of the trends identified by experts that can make amazing destinations affordable and convenient. (StatePoint)

14

Austin South Asian | January 2017

India Republic Day Celebration

(Continued from page 1) of India Republic Day on 28th January2017

Representative Anchia has championed many of the issues that are espoused by the Indian American community such as:

cuts made to healthcare and thus extending healthcare to additional 118,000 children and he has been a champion of human rights.

Energy needs of Texans and balancing that with environmental concerns and choosing the middle path creating a win-win situation for citizen’s quality of life and business and employment.

He was the former member of House Election Committee. He has fought to protect and expand Texans’ voting right.

He has worked to improve Texas public education system by improving teacher’s pay, improving administrative efficacy with fiscal benefits, worked on educational opportunities for both college and vocational students Worked on areas such as safe neighborhood in his district Worked on improving healthcare making it affordable and accessible to all Texans restoring many

A cryptic description of his excellent public service does not do justice to his dedicated public service for last 16 years both as Texas legislator and outside. and please read a short bio included here which hardly does justice to his extant work Bio of Representative Anchia

Rafael Anchia has served six terms representing House District 103, covering a western corridor of Dallas County, in the Texas Legislature.

Before serving in the Texas House, he was elected twice to the Dallas School Board. During the 2013 and 2015 legislative sessions, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus appointed him Chair of the International Trade and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, and in 2015 he became a member of the Energy Resources Committee.

From 2011-2015, he served as an appointee of President Barack Obama to the Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiation which counsels the White House and the United States Trade Representative on trade and investment agreements.

Chairman Anchia graduated cum laude from Southern Methodist University and served as Senior Fellow at Tulane University Law School. In 2014, Chairman Anchia was awarded a Cahn Fellowship at the John F.

Survey Unmasks The Peculiar Behaviors Of Pet Owners Do you share a playlist with your poodle? Take a bath with your turtle? It might seem far-

fetched, but since many people treat pets like family, they often let them do surprising things.

A recent survey, commissioned by Moen, conducted online by Harris Poll, finds that, among other things, 43 percent of Americans who have ever owned a pet have let their pet lick their plate before washing them. From bathing with pets to letting them sit at the dinner table, pet owners do peculiar things. “Almost all of us have had at least one furry friend in

our lifetime,” says Andrea Maher, senior marketing communications specialist, Moen. “What’s different about today’s pets, however, is that we truly treat them like family.

Sometimes, even better.”

To make pets feel like someone is with them at all times, some people leave the TV on for them. And some do a bit more. Indeed, the average amount Americans who have ever owned a pet spend on their pet per month is $55, outside of medical expenses.

“We’ve heard from customers who have installed Pot Filler faucets to fill dog water bowls, those who’ve created pet bathing stations with our powerful handshowers, and even some who have bathtubs dedicated solely to washing pets,” adds Maher.

“It’s no longer a ‘man’s world’ these days.

It’s a ‘pet’s world,’ and we’re just living in it.” (StatePoint)

Kennedy School o f Gove r nment at Harvard Univ e rsity.

He has dedicated his public service to fighting for civil rights, protecting the environment and improving access to healthcare for women and children.

Chairman Anchia is a Managing Director in the international real estate private equity firm, Civitas Capital Management, and is Of Counsel at the largest law firm in Dallas, Haynes & Boone, where he specializes in corporate and public finance.

Most importantly, he lives in beautiful North Oak Cliff, is blessed with two exceptional daughters, and worships with the Catholic Campus Community at SMU. IACT Board invites you to join us in welcoming representative Anchia and felicitating 67th anniversary when India joined the USA and other democracies in granting universal franchise to her citizenry.

For details of the event please visit infor@iactaustin.org

15

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Infuse Your Holiday Traditions With A Touch Of Sweetness As the holidays approach, you’re probably starting to think about ways to make the season a little bit sweeter for friends and family. After all, it’s the perfect time of year to indulge your sweet tooth.

Here are some fun, festive and tasty ideas to sweeten your holiday traditions and make them unforgettable, from the holiday experts at See’s Candies.

Candy Bar Dedicate a section of your holiday party buffet to sweet treats, chocolates, candy and hot chocolate.

Don’t forget to have small goodie bags available so guests can take some of the sweetness home with them.

Stocking Stuffers While you will most likely purchase personalized gifts for each member of your family, you can also amp up their stockings with

Roots Revival: India’s Classical Dance Is Back En Vogue Students elegantly curve their hands before breaking into synchronised footwork at a class in New Delhi, where growing numbers are signing up for Indian traditional dance classes rooted in Hindu mythology.

Class participants range from from pre-teens to surgeons and marketing managers -- but they have all chosen to learn traditional Indian dance, which emerged from the country’s temples centuries ago, over western options such as ballet, jazz and hip hop.

(Continued On Page 23)

candy full of holiday cheer.

Goodies for Santa

One delicious seasonal choice is See’s Candies North Pole Delights Gift Box, which includes milk chocolate balls, molasses chips and rich dark chocolate.

Hostess Gifts

A favorite holiday tradition for many is leaving something sweet for Santa. This year, make Santa’s night by leaving him something extra yummy, such as See’s Candies Christmas Peanut Brittle.

Don’t forget the milk!

You will likely be attending many gatherings and parties this holiday season. Make sure you don’t arrive empty-handed.

See’s Candies offers a variety of over 100 different candies and chocolates, which are made using only the best ingredients.

A box of chocolates in a keepsake holiday-themed tin makes for a convenient and wonderful host or hostess gift.

You can find See’s at holiday gift center locations in major malls nationwide or at www.Sees.com.

In fact, having several on hand in your home is a great idea for easy gift-giving all season long, especially for last-minute gifts when you realize you’ve forgotten something for the mailman, your babysitter or your child’s teacher.

For more holiday ideas, visit @ SeesCandies on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram.

With a few sweet, festive touches to your holiday traditions, you can make this holiday season one to remember.

(StatePoint)

16

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Heart Disease and S.A.Women

(Continued from page 1)

Heart Association.

What about women of South Asian descent specifically? What about the survival rate?

He specializes in general cardiac and vascular care as well as cardiac imaging and preventative cardiology.

Well, to get answers, I sat down with Dr. Vivek Goswami, M.D. He is Clinical cardiologist who practices at Heart Hospital of Austin and Austin Heart.

Dr. Vivek Goswami is board certified in Cardiovascular Disease (Cardiology), Nuclear Cardiology, Vascular Interpretation and Clinical Lipidology. He currently serves as the Director of Nuclear Medicine for Austin Heart.

He is also a clinical assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center.

He serves on the Board of Directors and has recently been named President-Elect of the American

Dr. Goswami. Thank you so much for taking time and giving us this opportunity to share your knowledge on heart diseases especially in women and in women of South Asian descent.

Women from South Asian descent are certainly an understudied ethnicity, even though 60% of all the cases in women are of South Asian descent.

In general the prevalence of heart disease occurs 10 years earlier in women of South Asian descent when compared to other ethnicities.

Heart disease is considered as

number one killer of women. Are we seeing increasing trend in heart diseases in women in US, especially in Asian and Indian community?

It is important to define what heart disease is.

So from literal stand point anything that affects heart can be considered heart disease.

So if one has heart valve problem or electrical problem with heart, those are heart disease to some extent but i think what’s implied when we say heart disease being number one killer, we are talking about cholesterol plaque that builds up in the arteries which leads to heart attacks, bypass surgeries. So we are specifically talking about cardiovascular diseases.

In general we have done good job in last 15-16 years, although mortality rate peaked right around year 2000 and the trend has been favor-

able. However that is not true for all demographics.

of plaque in the arteries is a normal process of aging.

For younger women in particular, the trends have been opposite. So in younger women due to possibly a combination of sedentary life style, obesity, high prevalence of diabetes and lack of awareness, we are seeing higher uptake in the incidence of heart diseases.

So if you live long enough, you are going to develop plaque. What we are trying to prevent is premature development of the plaque.

When you say younger women, what is the age range you are referring to?

Younger women meaning, less than 50 year old.

To some degree, the process of development

When that plaque ruptures it leads to heart attack. Unfortunately that is the leading cause of death in America.

So if we are talking about 30 and 40 year olds, clearly it’s going to be much more relatively infrequent compared to folks who are in 60’s and 70’s.

(Continued On Page 17)

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Austin South Asian | January 2017

Heart Disease and S.A.Women

(Continued From Page 16)

However, this process starts very early on and the earlier we can

chest discomfort, or pressure that can move to jaw or left arm, sweating, vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath and such.

always get simple blood test and EKG. The reality is that people tend to forget any inconveniences, the following week.

The atypical symptoms combined with not being aware, can create a delay in health care access and when that happens the risk of the heart disease becoming a problem with increased complications goes even higher, unfortunately

When should women pick up phone and make that appointment and visit the doctor?

Hear disease can manifest in different ways. If there is a plaque rupture, that means 20-30% rupture of the plaque like a pimple, then that is a medical emergency and needs to be tended right away without delay.

However if there have been chronic symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, then in those situations, it’s important to talk to your primary care doctor and discuss various scenarios and tests.

6 out of 10 times, the first symptom we see is sudden cardiac death. So if one waits till something breaks then 6 out of 10 times it too late.

That is a problem. identify, the earlier we can put interventions on the natural progression of the disease.

The symptoms that women experience seem to be different from men in general.

To what extent do they differ?

What specific symptoms that women should be more aware of?

Yes, they certainly are. That possesses a big challenge not only for patients but for doctors as well.

Clearly the prevalence of heart disease is just as high in women as in men.

In women the symptoms are different and are not so classic, when compared to men.

The classic symptoms are like

However, often times with women, the symptoms are atypical or not very classic.

Women can often have isolated symptoms like, isolated back pain, abdominal pain, fatigue, isolated arm pain(either), shortness of breath. So the classic symptom of elephant sitting on the chest does not necessarily happen in women.

Are there any challenges with diagnosis in women when they visit primary doctor, due to how the heart disease presents itself in women?

Yes, Its important to realize that the atypical symptoms are challenging to patients and sometimes to clinicians too and can be misdiagnosed as heartburn, general stress, anxiety when it is actually the heart.

So, when are women to take these general symptoms seriously as being possibly related to their heart?

Also some of the testing is limiting in women due the general female body structure.

That is the challenge and I would suggest erring on the side of caution. Most people are pretty intuned with their bodies.

The soft tissue can be in the way during nuclear imaging or ultra sound, as the heart is so buried in the chest.

When one feels something is wrong then get yourself checked by actually visiting the doctor. One can

What are the different precautions that women need to take apart from diet and exercise? Can we assume

that most people understand the importance of diet and exercise?

People really need to understand and not get desensitized with the message on diet and exercise.

The reality is we spend more time in front of computers, in cars driving, sitting for very long periods of time and not really being cognizant of dietary intake.

80% of the heart diseases are preventable. Only one in five people are malignant plaque formers. But for most heart diseases are preventable.

Earlier you said 60% of all the cases in women in the world are of South Asian descent. Why is that so?

Possibly due to lifestyle, genetics or due to certain characteristics such as low level of HDL (good cholesterol) or high triglycerides.

The body composition plays an important role too.

Many times BMI may seem normal and may not tip the scale by conventional methods.

However, often times they could be under high risk category due to less lean muscle, central obesity and lot of visceral and abdominal fat.

This can lead to diabetes and the chance of heart disease becomes high.

Secondly, Often times, exercise is not part of recreational activities.

When you look at general life style along with diet containing high sugars, more processed grains and lot of fatty foods. These all could be contributing factors.

So are you seeing increased number of patients from South Asian descent?

Yes and with really premature heart diseases. If I can remember, the last half dozen patients that I saw are younger than 40 years with heart attacks and all of them are of Indian descent.

Earlier when we were talking about precautions, I wanted to ask you about Heart Savers CT scan. How is it different from other tests and what are the benefits of it in early detection.

Conventionally when you visit your doctor, they get your checked for cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose.

These are good tests however they are testing for risk factors of heart disease.

They are not necessarily screening for actual heart disease.

Now we have better technology.

The CT scan allows us to look at the plaques as a black and white image.

This allows screening of the actual process. It is specific and personalized and allows us to know on how aggressive we should be with certain individuals.

One can get the CT scan every 5-7 years to see where they stand.

So the CT Scan is a visualization tool?

Yes, it allows direct visualization of the plaque. CT scan is quick, noninvasive with minimal exposure to radiation. IV is not required.

It takes about five minutes to scan and patient remains fully clothed.

In general if you have to summarize, what would you suggest to our audience regarding care towards heart diseases?

Awareness is the key. I would say people should become more insightful, power oneself with knowledge and prioritize.

Focusing on professional development and taking care of kids and family is important however don’t neglect your engines that keep you alive.

Thank you so much Dr. Goswami.

18

Austin South Asian | January 2017

GRAPE FRUITS

By Venkappa Gani

History: Grapefruit is subtropical fruit semisweet which is cross between pamela and sweet orange.

Initially this hybrid fruit did not have any name it was called forbidden fruit.

Lately this fruit growth resembles to clusters like grapes that is how it was named “GRAPE FRUIT” There are various colors of grapefruits like Red, White, pinkish.

Red color one is sweet others are sour and these are not good for marketing.

Texas Grapefruit: Accidental discovery of red grapefruit on a pink grapefruit tree gave rise to the Texas grapefruit industry.

There are several grapefruit varieties marketed under ‘Ruby’.

The ‘Ruby Red’ grapefruit was the first grapefruit to be granted US patent.

There are many varieties of grapefruits are grown in different places suitable to their climate.

Grapefruits are grown in Florida, California and Texas.

citrus in central Texas subtropical climate selected Texas Red grapefruit variety.

Citrus trees require good soil with drainage and composted regularly with sufficient water.

These are perennial plants. You may need protection for winter cold.

Grapefruits propagated by seeds take long time to produce fruits.

Citrus test plants at my backyard have survived through hard winter freeze.

This year good rains and warmer climate during early spring and fall gave bumper harvest of all citrus trees.

Last month wrote about Meyer Lemons, this month writing about grapefruits shown in the pictures.

Rio Grande valley is popular in growing various citrus fruits in Texas.

For the project we had undertaken to test the feasibility of growing

The picture shows different clusters like in grapes but bigger size fruits with small clusters.

The picture shows the cluster of four big ripe grapefruits.

the muscles you have must work harder. It can be exhausting.”

Even quick exercises done regularly can make a huge difference in your muscle health.

The Picture shows cut view of Red Ruby fruit, very sweet I am eating this fruit regularly and drinking the

juice.

Fruit size 4-6 inch in diameter oblate spheroid shape.

My backyard tree is almost 10 ft tall and 8ft wide, branches laden with heavy fruits touching the ground.

Grapefruit is fat free, sodium free, cholesterol free, contains dietary

fiber, high in vitamin C & A, contains lycopene.

Grapefruit is good for breakfast as Juice or slices.

This is used in cakes, salads etc Grapefruit juice can interact with numerous drugs in many cases resulting in adverse effect.

Grapefruit can block the absorption of drugs in intestines.

I am really enjoying having citrus evergreen perennial trees making all season food forest in the backyard along with other fruit trees like apple, pear, persimmon etc.

Do not forget to include fruit trees in your garden along with ornamental Wish you Happy Holidays, Healthy Holidays and Prosperous new year.

Tips To Curb Muscle Loss As You Age

As the population of Americans over age 55 soars toward 70 million over the next decade, more Americans are searching beyond avoiding wrinkles and fine lines for tips, foods and products that will help them live the lives they desire well into their advanced years -- and this includes muscle maintenance.

Per Dr. Lamm, there are a few easy

“I tell my patients to aim for a regular sleep schedule of eight or nine hours each night to promote optimal muscle mass, heart health and brain health,” said Dr. Lamm.

Try a Supplement

As people age past 30, they can lose up to eight percent of their muscle mass each decade.

Finding a way to maintain muscle through the years has been one of the more elusive parts of the healthy aging quest.

“Muscle loss can really take its toll.

Even simple movements like opening a jar of pickles or gardening, become more difficult,” said medical director of NYU Langone’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Men’s Health, Dr. Steven Lamm.

“When you have less muscle mass,

Sleep also feeds muscle growth and recovery.

You cannot halt aging, but new research shows you may be able to curb the muscle loss that comes with getting older.

steps that can keep your muscles healthy as you age -- and new research shows there may even finally be a way to curb muscle loss associated with aging.

Be Active One of the most effective ways to keep muscles in tip-top shape is to be active.

“Try the long route when you’re taking the dog for a walk or take the stairs instead of the escalator.

Staying active can also maintain joint health,” said Dr. Lamm.

Feed Your Muscles Most people know that protein is a building block for muscle, yet don’t get enough of it.

A new clinical study showed that daily supplementation with the super antioxidant, Pycnogenol (picnoj-en-all), improved muscle function and endurance and reduced some of the symptoms accompanying muscle loss.

“I’ve recommended Pycnogenol to my patients for years as a natural extract for healthy aging, and as an important building block of wellness.

This research builds on those findings,” says Dr. Lamm.

Pycnogenol is one of the most researched ingredients on the market, and decades of research demonstrate the benefits of this natural extract for cognitive support, joint health, and skin health that all contribute to an overall healthier self as we age.

It’s available in more than 700 dietary supplements, multi-vitamins and health products worldwide.

For more information, visit pycnogenol.com.

Muscle maintenance is a key to healthy aging.

Luckily, there are many steps you can take to prevent muscle loss and stay strong through the years.

(StatePoint)

19

Austin South Asian | January 2017

9 Financial Resolutions!

By Jacob

to your long term goals.

To that end, below are 9 financial New Year’s resolutions designed to help you grow your wealth in 2017. Enjoy!

1. Set realistic, reachable financial goals.

If it seems a bit ironic that our first resolution or goal is to have goals, that’s because this is where most people fail at the outset.

Either they don’t have specific financial goals in mind, or they set the bar so high that their goals are virtually impossible to reach, causing them to lose heart and give up.

Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good: Set your benchmarks now.

5. Look for creative ways to increase income.

2. Prepare for changes in the tax laws.

When President-Elect Trump takes office on January 20, 2017, changes in the tax codes will almost certainly follow.

If you haven’t already done so, talk to us, your financial advisor, and your tax advisor now to strategize about changes to your estate, financial, and tax plans.

3. Review your investment portfolio.

The beginning of a new year and the last few days of 2016 are good times to take a detailed look at your investments, to see which investments are performing well, which are not, and where to reinvest and diversify.

4. Review and track your income and expenses and look for ways to get your budget under control.

Examine your income and expenses for 2016 so you know your starting point.

Then, throughout 2017 pull year-to-date reports so you can identify and correct problem areas before they become out of control.

Analyzing your expenses regularly helps you identify when money is being spent on things that have less importance

If you own or operate a business, are there new strategies you could implement to reach untapped markets or otherwise increase revenue?

If you work as an employee, are you due for a raise this year?

Do you own any intellectual property you’re not currently exploiting for royalties?

Brainstorm, and use your imagination to find additional ways to increase your personal income.

6. Deal firmly with debt.

Debt is dead weight and the interest charges can be an anchor on an otherwise good financial plan.

Bite the bullet, and get on a debt reduction or elimination plan in 2017.

7. Review your life insurance coverage.

Your policy may be out of date and not have features now commonly available on insurance policies.

Worse yet, you may be underinsured if your family’s financial needs have changed.

Put the coverage under the microscope to build an action plan.

Once you’ve decided on changes with your insurance advisor, coordinate the beneficiary designation with us, so it completely aligns with your estate planning goals.

8. Review your retirement plan.

If you have a 401(k) or an IRA, how is it performing?

5 Reasons to Work for the City of Austin

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Learn How Government Works Invest in Your Community Have Access to Great Benefits and Wellness Programs Learn to Navigate Obstacles through Innovation Be a Part of a Great Team

Visit www.austincityjobs.org to search and apply for City of Austin jobs.

Visit one of our five Employment Assistance locations to get help with: • Applications and Resumes • Interview Coaching • Other Community Resources For more information on City jobs or Employment Assistance locations: Call: 512-974-3210 or TDD 1-800-526-9159 Email: employment.services@austintexas.gov Visit: austintexas.gov/employmentassistance

Follow us on: Discover-Austin-Jobs

Is it time to increase your contributions?

Should you roll over to a different plan?

If you don’t have a retirement strategy, start now, and get to it.

Now’s also a great time to verify that your beneficiary designation coordinates with your estate plan. We’re here to help if you have questions.

9. Plan for your heirs.

AustinCityJobs

The City of Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

20

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Yearly Forecast - 2017

ARIES (March 21 to April 20): Saturn’s moving away from enemy camp to a neutral zone, in Sagittarius on January 22nd will bring relief in a very big way. Hardships of past will disappear overnight. People struggling in career or working part time will find very nice job which may last for several years.

Saturn in ninth which happens to be the house of luck as well as religion will bring drastic change in life, snatching you away from all fears created by religion to a more free and fearless soul leading a spiritual life. Saturn being the lord of house of career as well as house of gains in house of luck , will improve your financial conditions.

People connected with hardware, mines , metals , oil industry or advance technology and in service to others industry will benefit most.

Things will even get better or to the peak when Jupiter moves into seventh on September 12th. Little caution is advised in between June 21st and October 10th when Saturn becomes retrograde and moves back in eight, probably causing some health and financial troubles.

Initially you will have to observe the jolt but Jupiter in seventh after September 12th will bring things under firm control. Your concerns and fears about a child will be over in August once Ketu move out of fifth. Jupiter will bring better luck and improve living conditions but may start to give some health trouble to spouse and immediate attention will help prevent major complications later. Money wise January 22nd to May 28th and then from July 11th to end of August and then from November and onward is favorable. Strongest possibility of a marriage this year if you are single. People having multiple locations may dispose off most of them and focus on one to have more peace of mind.In all respect this will be a far better than previous 3 years for you.

TAURUS (April 21 to May 20): Jupiter’s presence in fifth until September 12th can curtail the happiness from children or may not

allow another or any addition in the family, no matter how hard you try. Just seek the blessings of elders which will also help at a later date. You will become more wise and gain self control and start analyzing every situation before taking the decision with cool and rational mind. Once Saturn moves into eighth in neutral zone , relief will come in strange way. Families staying separate because of work, will be together for many years. Travels will reduce a lot and many of you may find nice job very close to home. Saturn in the mysterious house eighth will help people involved in research and development and working in very risky field and people dealing with life and death like health insurance and emergency rooms.

You may also inherit some wealth or get large sum of money through a law suit in next couple of years with the help of this Saturn. There is a big financial growth indicated after September 12th. Some of you may diversify and get into a new business with the help of an older person. Lots of uncertainty of the past in career will disappear in first couple of weeks of 2017. April 23rd to May 28th is not good for health and you may find yourself in financial crunch or dealing with a big loan process in between May 28th and July 11th. Jupiter’s presence in fifth till September is vary favorable for students and those seeking to enter specialized field like medicine. You will have to take off from work for little time to entertain some visitors mostly friends or distant relatives from overseas this summer. Investing in a property this summer will be a better idea. Spouse’s health and relationship with friends will improve this year.

Gemini ( May 21 to June 20): Things will start getting better all of a sudden once the lord of house of luck, Saturn moves into seventh house on January 22nd. Jupiter in the fourth will still continue to make even the smallest goals, hard to achieve in first shot and most of the time you will feel helpless and continue to settle for less. It will

be hard to please boss no matter how much heart and soul and labor you put in. There could be some problem with the home you live in. You may need to change your strategy after January. Just don’t be double minded and take actions.

Sitting and waiting for things to happen is not going to help. The point is that you will need to get out of home on time and be at the destination on time. If you will be late the opportunity will slip out of your hands. Now again in between June 21st and October 10th, you will have many chances to come ahead of competition.

You will develop some method to gain an edge and come out a winner in a highly competitive exam.

There will be a dream come true opportunity after Sept 12th in career and you will move to a completely different level and continue to climb the ladder for next few years. Some of you finally find a great deal on a house with lots of greenery around and move towards the end of summer. Saturn’s transit will also help spouse make steady progress in career. Now you need to watch out for your lower back.

Use proper technique to lift things or this Saturn may cause temporary or permanent injury or weakness to lower back. Money wise you will do very well this year. It will be a better year if you in between 34 and 38 of age. You will be helping a child with admission or moving away after September. Right help and guidance from an elderly person will make this switch smooth.

People in franchise business will add few more locations. This year will be a remarkable and memorable for changes in career.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22): Saturn’s transit in sixth from January 22nd will remove all stress about a child and you will be able to plan things in a better way. Settlement in ongoing legal matters is imminent though the actual money may take few more weeks to come. On the other hand Mars transit in house of luck will add to positive trend for next several months. There will be many positive changes in career. Better job with less stress and better pay is a

strong possibility before May 28th.

February is the month when you will finally find resolution to an important issue involving a child and the stress of past 2 1/2 years will disappear overnight. Jupiter will continue to shower his blessings from third before moving into fourth house on September 12th.

Most probably you will buy and move into a better and bigger home at that time. You will be working in a highly competitive environment but at a leading position.

Some of you may start winding up some of your operations in order to make life easier after making a calculations about your needs versus stress. As the opportunity will come like a tornado and if you grab the opportunity, it will take you to a different destination like a whirlwind in very short period. Rahu in August will bring tremendous change in your personality and you will get rid of some ungrateful or people who betrayed you from your phone book, though they will try to make a futile attempt to come back in your life pleading innocent.

LEO (July 23 to August 22): Saturn’s transit in fifth starting January 22nd will be better.

You will be relieved of lots of stress of past 2 1/2 years. Peace of mind will be restored and you will start finding solutions to problems or hurdles chasing you especially in last year. Children will do better and if were waiting to get married, it will happen this year. You may also find some suitable partners for your business venture. People already in business will expand by buying more locations. Still till July it will be like a roller coaster ride but if you maintain a tough attitude, you will be winner. Now after July you will meet someone who will motivate and guide you and suddenly you will become very ambitious and try your hands in different directions.

Results will be all positive and before the year ends, you will have no regrets. There is a strong chance of having another member added to family in August. You will still have to watch out and maintain a safe distance from someone tall and dark in color. Jupiter’s transit

in third from September 12 will be beneficial and allow you to grow financially. Expenses will reduce a lot and you will see more money in the bank at the end of year. On the other hand planet Mars will continue to occupy good houses, providing with the stamina and courage to go after your goals. Transiting Jupiter in third will help more to people in sales , teaching and communication industry. Saturn and enemy of your sign transiting fifth may start giving some trouble in stomach region and if you are not careful it could lead to some kind of surgery even.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22): Saturn will move in fourth house on January 22nd. If you are ready to move, you can make it a better year otherwise transiting Saturn will just take away your peace of mind. Jupiter in your sign will continue to provide you with some protection especially till September. Money wise you will continue to do well as Venus will transit favorable places for most of the time. The progress will be slow and gradual this year. People looking for ideal partners for their project will be successful in finding one in the month of February.

Transiting Saturn in fourth may temp you to buy a run down business or a fixer upper property. Just don’t do it. Throughout the year you will need lots of self control.

Temptation to make quick money and company of a known trouble maker could get you in trouble.

Some of you may accept an assignment in April in the direction West and move with rest of the family following later. Jupiter’s transit in second after September 12th will bring financial prosperity and the money may pour in from more than one source. Jupiter this year will cause expansion in life and one of them is that you will have to keep on your diet and quantity otherwise will end up putting up weight. Transiting Mars can cause high blood pressure problem and may even inflict non fatal injury on the body.

(Continued On Page 21)

21

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Yearly Forecast - 2017

(Continued On Page 21) LIBRA (September 23 to October 22): Saturn, a big favorable planet will move into third house on January 22nd and as long as it will be there , life will keep getting better every day and at a fast pace. All positive things will take place a ll of a sudden, unexpected and in a dramatic way. Any legal matters initiated in previous years, will get resolved in your favor and the gains could be larger than expected. Some of you may be offered very lucrative opportunity away from home and it will be better to grab them. Saturn in third will give you the wisdom and courage to go for the Gold and even help you achieve your goals, professional or personal very easily. It will really help you in all legal matters and will enhance your fate and fortunes this year. Saturn leaving the second house which belong to its bitter enemy Mars is better for finances too. On the other hand Jupiter in house of expense will make you spend more money on children and immediate family , but all on noble reason till September 12th.

Now Jupiter’s transit in your sign from September and onward could be slightly tricky for health. You may develop some complications which modern medication may not be able to cure, only losing weight and change of diet will. Jupiter’s transit will make you wise and teach you to take all decisions with a cool and rational mind. You will be making some long term plans and implement them quickly and at the same time may invest in a big rental property. An addition in the family is also possible during this transit and you may find a very suitable match for one of your marriageable child. You will travel more frequently this year and may also go on an vacation to far off places towards the end of 2017.

Scorpio ( October 23 to November 22): Saturn will move away from your sign in a neutral camp on January 22nd. This will bring much relief in life. Stress will come down or kind of disap-

pear completely. Saturn’s transit in second or house of finances will be a blessings. You will start to appreciate the value of money and make sure the money is going in the right direction before it leaves your hand. By the end of year you will probably for the first time, see lots of savings. You may expect some money through legal channel also. This Saturn will help people in business learn ways to dodge taxes and help them accumulate undeclared wealth. More peace at home and less trouble from children. You will definitely change or buy another vehicle around May or June. Now Jupiter’s transit from September and onward will increase your expenses on children all of a sudden. Probably they will move to better school or start college. And of course money could go towards engagement or marriage of a child. It will be a better year for people connected with health industry , surgeons,dentists and people in accounting. January 14th and onward is the most favorable time to change career. There will be some very positive changes in career in the month of April or May. Just remember it was Saturn who was creating confusions in the past not allow you to see things clear, It’s over.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 to December 22): Saturn will move in your sign on January 22nd in a neutral camp. Stress started in the past couple of years will still haunt you but on a diminished scale.

And this could be the beginning of a hard and challenging life for you.

Relaxing time will be over but the good thing is that rewards will be better than expectations and prove to be a blessing for health also. You will be able to shed some weight without going to any gym and see sugar level and blood pressure problems reducing quickly. You will become far sighted and plan things carefully this time. You will become very organized and have better control over money. Fighting spirit will continue to steer you in the right direction and make things slightly easier to achieve.

Now Jupiter’s transit in house of

career after September will cause some turbulence. Either the working conditions will get tough because of some drastic changes in management or you will get bored with stagnant life and start looking around for a change. Luck will be definitely on your side for several months after February 14 when Sun moves into Aquarius. It will once again give you the Midas touch and help accomplish your goals.

Strong Sun may also help you get an important clearance from Government before May 15th. Some one younger will be very helpful and may even offer to start a new venture in partnership , and it will not be a bad idea. Frequency and number of travels will increase this year and you may even travel overseas this summer.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19): Saturn will transit twelfth house this year making it slightly slow year for you. Whatever goes wrong or may not happen, will be due to lack of confidence and concentration. Money wise since Saturn will aspect second from twelfth house, you will have absolutely no problems. The only thing is the rapid growth and expansion you had been going through for quite some time, will slow down all of sudden. This year some of you may go through changes in career several times.

In Jan, Feb or March you may be offered an opportunity during the course of a trip. From April 4th to May 19th, another job or opportunity may be offered when you are attending a social event with some friends or even relatives. Third time the opportunity may come from within company itself before June 13th. The big question is you will have to stay focused when grabbing any one of them other wise they may turn out a lot lower than your expectations and this applies on people in business too. Month of January is critical for finances as transiting Mars may take you under heavy debts. You will need lots of patience at home in Month of February as small small things could lead to big arguments at home. July and August are again critical for

married people as transiting Mars in seventh may try to cause damage if your are not extremely careful and avoid arguments with partners, domestic or business. again it’s the self restraint and focus on real issue that can help you survive these situations. Transit of Jupiter in tenth after September will cause so much frustration that you may feel like just quitting your job and feel like staying home. In all it’s gonna be a tricky year for career, just don’t loose confidence.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18): Saturn will move in house of gains on January 22nd. Jupiter will continue to occupy eighth till September.

Money wise you will do better this year and may come across several opportunities to expand or make extra money. All you will need to do is recognize and grab the opportunity. Venus a strong factor will continue to occupy strong houses till end of August , giving you lucky breaks here and there to make money and have progress in career at the same time. People in business having hard time to find the right associates will be successful in finding few starting February and onward.

Spouse may continue to have some health issues, not life threatening but slightly difficult to resolve with modern medication.change of diet and little exercise will resolve the problem. There is a strong chance that you will purchase a nice home between June 29th and August 26th or may add another vehicle. Some of you may even have another member added to the family in the month of September. Expect some good opportunity in career after September 10 and especially one in the month of November for sure.

Jupiter’s transit in ninth after September will bring relief to spouse in the way off freedom and cure from any past ailments. It will also resolve some issues with business partners. You may also recover most part of long overdue money after September. You may hit some kind of financial jackpot between October 22nd and November 20th in 2017. It is going to a more relaxing year as lots of your work will

be shared by able and competent associates.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20): Saturn will move in house of career on January 22nd. Jupiter will continue to occupy seventh till September before moving into eighth. Saturn’s transit in tenth is very favorable for all career related matters. This Saturn will help you get things resolved with government agencies also and may help people with political aspirations , trying to grab a position in government. Justice you deserved in legal matters, will be served in your favor but without much financial gains. More of a moral victory.

Jupiter on the other hand will keep protecting you from getting into mess from time to time, though the temptations you will come across will be hard to ignore or turn down.

Your expenses will increase and so will be income in 2017, but you will get to enjoy life more this year and may travel to places you had on hold for past several years.

Money wise month February, May and July are favorable. June is the right time to make the offer on a property in slightly warmer area.

You will be spending lots of money in month of May and probably got for the quality and expensive items this time for the home. You may travel to a nice place with family towards the end of July for few weeks. Any legal problem during the year, will get solved very quickly. You will have better control over your finances in 2017.

Pandit Parashar parashar@parashar.com www.parashar.com 925-833-7170

22

Austin South Asian | January 2017 THEME: FINISH THE LYRICS

DOWN

1. Face fringe 6. Go low, as in jeans 9. “Oh, my!”

13. Underway 14. Tire measurement 15. Wear away 16. Luciano Pavarotti, e.g.

17. Roman goddess of plenty 18. Previously an Oiler 19. *”...I’m ready, yes, I’m ready for you. I’m standing on my own ____ ____” 21. *”On a dark desert highway, cool wind in ____ ” 23. It’s all the rage 24. Person, place or thing 25. PC brain 28. Bingo-like game 30. Moses’ older sister 35. Be in pain 37. Sail support 39. *”Come on, shake your body, baby, do the ____” 40. “Heat of the Moment” band 41. Single-cell protozoan 43. *Then along comes ____” 44. Great white, e.g.

46. “Goodness gracious!”

47. Commoner 48. *”Raindrops are falling on ____ ____” 50. Saharan-like 52. “Cause I’m a woman! W-O-M-A-N...” singer 53. Like Roman Empire 55. ENT’s first concern 57. *”My daddy’s sleeping and mama ain’t ____” 60. *”So put another dime in the ____” 64. *”...I’ll tell you all about it when I see you ____” 65. “____ to Joy” 67. Abomination 68. Formal dishes 69. *”So bye, bye Miss American ____” 70. *”Oh, I was only twenty four hours from ____” 71. Front-line combat vehicle 72. Credit card acr.

73. Wheel shafts

1. Quilter’s stuffing 2. Not many 3. Something that’s unacceptable 4. Disappear, like into the sunset 5. Unbroken series of events 6. See him run!

7. Cleopatra’s cause of death 8. Whatchamacallit 9. “Summertime” or “Porgy and Bess,” e.g.

10. “Laughing on the inside” in text 11. Month of Purim 12. D.C. bigwig 15. Thai or Mexican food, e.g.

20. a.k.a. dropsy 22. Delish!

24. Small bouquet 25. Geological rift 26. Aggressive 27. “Umble” Heep 29. *”I’ve got a blank space, baby, and I’ll write your ____” 31. Boisterous play 32. Collectively 33. Come to terms 34. *”...Here’s my number, so call me ____” 36. Container weight 38. Kind of ski lift 42. “Farewell” in Paris 45. V.I.P. in Hawaii 49. Draper of “Mad Men” 51. Actress Fanning 54. Parkinson’s drug 56. Updike’s “Rabbit ____” 57. Turkish honorific 58. *”All you get is pain. When I wanted sunshine I got ____” 59. Sound on Old MacDonald’s farm 60. Audience’s rejection 61. Hillary’s hubby 62. British river 63. December 25th, for short 64. Pre-college challenge 66. Party bowlful

ACROSS

SUDOKU

Sudoku

Please email your sudoku answers to info@austinsouthasian.com.

Name and photo of the inviduvidual with first correct answer will be published in January 2017 issue.

To Advertise In ASA Call 512-828-6709

23

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Roots Revival: India’s Classical Dance Is Back En Vogue

(Continued From Page 15)

wood films.

“Tradition is becoming popular now,” said Nitya Pant, a Mumbai-based marketing executive who practises Odissi -- an ancient temple-based dance that honours Hindu Lord Jagannath, Lord of the Universe. “No other form can give you the satisfaction that classical dance gives you,” added the 29-year-old. “You feel like you’re one with God.”

While reasons for enrolling vary from exercise to extra-curricular points in college applications, Nabanita Baul Dutta says

that correspond to movements -- keeping rhythm with a wooden stick and plank.

Her students clasp their hands in front of them and stamp out beats

Such is the appeal that Pant flies to Delhi, spending around Rs7,250 ($100) every weekend, on flights just to train under acclaimed dancer Madhumita Raut.

India is home to eight major classical dance styles including Odissi and Bharatnatyam -- a genre originating in the country’s southern temples more than 2,000 years ago -- that tell stories of gods through facial expressions, hand gestures and rapid footwork.

They run deep in India’s culture, performed at marriages, folk festivals, school contests, on reality shows and most notably in Bolly-

dance saved her from depression.

“Dance is happiness to me,” said the 23-year-old house wife, who has been learning Bharatnatyam in Delhi for the past year.

“After moving to Delhi, I went into depression... Then I found akka (guru), I came to her and I got out of depression,” said Dutta.

In a cramped living room, Dutta’s guru Aayurshi Neeraj recites a ‘sollukattu’ -- a sequence of syllables

with their feet. “Bharatnatyam to me is spirituality, it is a meditation and it’s a favourite dance to Lord Shiva,” said Neeraj.

A garage-turned-studio in a upmarket part of the capital serves as Raut’s studio where she teached Odissi, a more fluid-moving dance in which face and hand movements are perfectly timed. Pant and five other student mirror Raut as she forms mudras (hand gestures) to a

steady chant.

“My children also learn different forms of dancing. Today they are learning Zumba-Rumba something like that and one year back it was hip hop...” said 47-year-old Raut, listing off dance crazes that slipped in and out of fashion.

“They know that Odissi is for keeps,” she adds comparing the allure of traditional dance to the enduring appeal of classic texts.

“There is a difference between literature, a coffee table book and a magazine,” said Raut, who has more than 60 pupils and a growing waiting list. “Shakespeare will be there always,” she added.

- Temples to concert halls Once performed in temples and royal courts, India’s classical dance has found international resonance with troupes performing around the world. Thanks to a mushrooming Indian diaspora, traditional dance schools have popped up globally, piquing the interest of other nationalities too.

Back in Delhi, the students say the West looks to India in search of spirituality, culture and history, which is why this classical art has gained international popularity. “What is lacking, especially in the US and so, they don’t have a very rich cultural history... I think they seek and they want to find that piece of ancient history, that art form,” said Pant, who has been learning Odissi since she was 14.

“They’re leaning to India because we’ve had the most ancient civilisations and that’s why India and its culture has become so popular.”

Her guru Raut, an award-winning dancer who has lived, taught and performed in Europe, the US and Japan, believes Indian dance transcends borders between people and countries.“Today it’s music, tomorrow it’s costume, day after tomorrow it’s movement. It’s so graceful.

There’s no end to it,” Raut said.

“It’s a vast treasure and it can be shared and it will only spread and spread.”

(Courtesy : http://www.dailymail. co.uk/)

December 2016 Sudoku Answer Correct Answer: Mr. Yudhveer Bagga

Mr. Rajnish

Ms. Ketika Tyagi

24

Austin South Asian | January 2017

How Do You Know When You’re Really An Adult?

Think back on those milestones that made you feel like you were finally a grown-up.

Harris Poll.

Some of the most common signs

Forty-nine percent of Americans said moving out of their parents’ home made/would make them feel

that getting married made/would make them feel like an adult.

Though culture has changed, a majority of people still seem to value marriage, which also often includes parenthood -- another marker of adulthood for many.

After all, what’s more grownup than being called “Mom” or “Dad”?

Homeownership Homeownership is a pivotal sign of maturity.

For first-time homebuyers, the chances of finding the perfect place

with new hardware and fixtures may be slim, but updating a home can be another important part of “adulting.”

Brands like Moen offer kitchen and bathroom fixtures that are on-trend and easy-to-install, so DIY is doable for almost anyone.

“Whether you’re renovating and looking for a faucet that speaks to your style, or need a handshower to make bathing your baby stressfree, great fixtures can help make being a grown-up great,” says Andrea Maher, senior marketing communications specialist, Moen.

(StatePoint)

CHILDREN ARTICLES Children Email Us Your The curious minds at Moen investigated the markers of adulthood, via an online survey conducted by

reported by those polled include:

like an adult. Why?

Moving Out

This act may mark the start of financial independence, getting a full-time job and paying bills.

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Settling Down Fifty-four percent of Americans say

Articles To See It In Print info@AustinSouth Asian.com

25

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Tips To Throw Better Movie Nights At Home Whether it’s family movie night and you’re watching an old classic, or you’re hosting a big crowd to

game.

Here are some cool ideas to help

When it comes to food and drink, treat guests to all their theater favorites.

Candy bars, soda and popcorn are great standards, and these days, many theaters also offer beer, wine, cocktails and elevated fare.

You can also take it one step further by tailoring your menu to the theme of the movie.

Think about the setting, the characters and the plot for inspiration.

But remember, foods that are easy to eat in the dark and don’t make a lot of racket work best.

Upgrade Your Tech

Since you may not have the option of a windowless room or blackout curtains in your home, seek out a projector that senses ambient light in the room and automatically adjusts its brightness accordingly.

ness, mercury-free option. More information can be found at CasioLampFree.com.

Costume Party Whether you’re watching a dramatic period piece or enjoying a sci-fi action flick, add a touch of excitement to your party by encouraging guests to wear costumes.

For example, the XJ-F210WN LampFree Projector from Casio’s Advanced Series line features Intelligent Light Control that does just that, so viewers can enjoy optimal visuals any time of day and in any lighting conditions.

This will help get everyone pumped up for the movie well in advance of the screening.

This model also comes equipped with 20,000-hour estimated operating life and reaches full brightness in as fast as five seconds.

With a few tech upgrades and hosting tips, movie night just got even more fun.

screen the latest blockbuster, you can take steps to make the viewing experience feel more like the theater -- from upgrading your technology to improving your hosting

movie lovers better enjoy their favorite flicks at home.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has quietly plugged a tax loophole used by the wealthy to buy real estate in someone else’s name as part of his

of real estate assets with suspicious titles.

nymity as unauthorized to speak to the media.

many cities is bought by people who have evaded taxes.

Tax officials expected to use re-

Any move to clean up India’s messy real estate market could prove to be a mammoth and tough task and would come even as the Modi government is facing mounting criticism of its handling of the cash crunch that followed the scrapping of higher denomination currency notes.

In his monthly radio address on Sunday, PM Modi defended demonetisation, which he has billed as an attempt to fight corruption, and said the government would implement the law to clean up India’s real estate records in coming days.

Thematic Snacks

Flat screen TVs are great, but for the real theater feel, consider a high-quality projector designed for home use.

Look for one that’s low maintenance, easy to turn on and off, and comes with HDMI terminals as well as a USB power supply.

Its combination of laser and LED light source is a great high-bright-

As host you may even want to include a trivia round afterwards and offer prizes to winners.

(StatePoint)

PM Modi Targets Real Estate Assets In Drive Against Corruption

India’s land records are patchy and arcane. Analysts say people such as politicians, businessmen and non-resident Indians often use cash they haven’t paid taxes on to buy property, but put it in the name of their relatives or trusted employees. campaign against corruption, a senior tax official said on Monday.

While the focus of his administration was managing the fallout of the shock move last month to scrap old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes, the official told Reuters that the department expected to step up scrutiny

turns for the current year that are filed in July as well as other means such as raids and data from bank transactions to gather information about suspicious real estate assets, the official said.

“This is our priority for next year,” said the official, requesting ano-

But often apartments and land pass down generations in a family without the original owner’s name ever being changed in the title.

Data on the scale of such activity is not available.

But industry estimates show about 5 to 10 percent of real estate in

“There is no question of a retreat,” PM Modi said.

The law, called the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, which came into effect on November 1, says people who hold assets that don’t actually belong to them could face up to seven years in jail, besides seizure of the property.

The government has yet to spell out how it will update real estate records and land registries.

Analysts said the real test for PM Modi would be to increase compliance and punish people who have evaded taxes without causing hardship to others.

“The relentless pursuit of black money needs to be backed by solid execution.

Otherwise this will just remain on paper,” said Amit Maheshwari, a partner at consultancy Ashok Maheshwary & Associates LLP. © Thomson Reuters 2016

Austin South Asian Invites Contributions From Readers And Community

26

Austin South Asian | January 2017

‘Dangal’ Box-Office Collection Day One: Aamir Khan Film Becomes Second Highest Opener Of The Year

Aamir Khan is at it again. The actor has taken the box-office by storm with his latest release ‘Dangal’, which hit theatres on Friday, December 23.

registered collections of Rs 29.78 crore on Day One, including Rs 59 lakh from its Tamil and Telugu versions.

the highest opening with Rs 36.59 crore, is also a wrestling drama.

Not just that, ‘Dangal’ has registered itself in the top ten opening collections of all time, sitting strongly at the seventh position.

The list of top ten opening collections sees a heavy dominance from the three Khans - Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir.

While Salman’s ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ rules the chart with Rs 39.32 crore, Aamir’s films in the list include ‘Dhoom 3’ on the fourth spot and ‘PK’ at the tenth spot.

The wrestling drama, which released across 4000 plus screens in India, opened on a strong note as it

The Aamir starrer has become the second highest opener of the year - interestingly, ‘Sultan’ which saw

One of the first screenings of the forthcoming Hrithik Roshan star-

Hrithik was only 12 when he faced the camera with the Legend.”

The Nitesh Tiwari-directed film hasn’t been able to match the first day figures of ‘Dhoom 3’ which had seen Rs 32.48 crore coming in.

‘Dangal’ is expected to see a jump in its collections as it has come on a non-holiday and has the entire weekend to mint money.

The film has fared exceptionally in East Punjab and Delhi NCR. One can assume that the Haryanvi setup of the film has given it an advantage in the northern states.

The movie registered relatively

lower numbers in Eastern India (West Bengal, Bihar etc) and Gujarat. However, the film has got glowing reviews from critics across all quarters.

The question that looms large now is whether ‘Dangal’ will go on to become the biggest hit of the year or will it come a close second to Salman’s ‘Sultan’. Guess we’ll have to wait and watch.

Nivin Pauly On His Next Two Films

Nivin Pauly recently in an interview to English daily spoke about his next two films.

Another film of the actor is ‘Sakhaavu’ directed by Sidharth Siva.

His two films are ‘Njandukalude Naatil Oridavela’ and ‘Sakhaavu’

Nivin says that it is an intense film and those who watch it feel a surge

which are getting ready for release.

of emotions.

In ‘Njandukalude Naatil Oridavela’ the attraction is that it has most of the ‘Premam’ team.

When he initially he heard about the film, he thought it was an offbeat category.

He says that it is content oriented film and based on some incidents that happen in a family.

After hearing the script he felt it has lot of potential and got everything – humor, romance and some elements of masculinity.

Roshans To screen Kaabil For Rajinikanth for Hrithik.

Says Rakesh fondly, “That an iconic superstar like Rajini has complimented Hrithik makes me a very proud father.

We’ve been friends for years, although we do not get the time to speak regularly. But real friends don’t have to meet or talk every day.

Rajini and I respect one another immensely and this will never change. The last time Rajini spoke to me was during the time of release of Krissh when he had complimented both me and Hrithik for the film.”

rer Kaabil would be held for the mighty Rajinikanth who showered praise on Hrithik in the film’s trailer.

Kaabil producer Rakesh Roshan can’t stop smiling at the compliments from the Thalaivaa. Says Rakesh, “I am elated by Rajini’s praise.

If you remember Hrithik’s first film Bhagawan Dada was with Rajini.

In Bhagwan Dada which was released in 1986 and which was directed by Hrithik’s maternal grandfather the prolific filmmaker J Om Prakash, Hrithik played the 12-year old protagonist Govinda who reforms the criminal Bhagwan (Rajinikanth).

Hrithik’s self-confidence before the camera even at that young age had taken Rajinikanth by surprise and he had predicted superstardom

The proud producer and father says a special screening of Kaabil for Rajinikanth is definitely on the cards.

“We are going to show Kaabil to Rajini very soon.”

The film’s Tamil and Telugu versions are all set for release simultaneously with the Hindi version on January 25.

It has Srinda playing as his twin sister.

It is full of realistic situations that happen in a family. Currently the dubbing work of the film is going on.

The actor seems to have lot of hope in the film. There is 30 days of shooting left for the film.

27

‘’EN ROUTE TO CHENNAI FOR 2.0’’

Superstar Rajinikanth and Shan-

The sound designer of the film,

dubbing with our own @superstarrajini for #2.O’’.

It seems like that the dubbing of the film is also developing while the shoot is going on. The film is slated for a Diwali 2017 release and the production work for this magnum opus is bound to take time.

Austin South Asian | January 2017

Saptagiri’s Wise Decision After A Flop Comedian Saptagiri’s first attempt Saptagiri Express may not have impressed critics.

The latest is that the actor said to have informed his aides that he would continue as comedian like

However, the mass following for the actor resulted in relatively decent numbers in B&C centres.

before.

This simultaneous working for the post production will help the film come out as early as possible.

Sources say that Superstar Rajini is currently filming and that he has only one more schedule left.

It is also reported that his portions are to be completed by February 2017. kar’s 2.0’s shooting is progressing at a good pace and it looks like the post-production work of the film is also happening simultaneously.

Resul Pookutty has posted on his Twitter handle about this interesting update on the film. He posted, ‘’Enroute to a chennai to start the

We can expect more updates from the team of 2.0 in the near future as the film is making headway at a brisk pace.

Who Is Hero In AO? Rohit Or Vishnu?

As Nara Rohit and Sri Vishnu starrer Appatlo Okadundevadu is all

set for release on Dec 30th, several doubts are being raised in tinsel

town on who is the protagonist in the film.

Even the film’s trailer saw equal importance for both Rohit, Vishnu.

Adding fuel to those speculations, the latest is that few tall hoardings of the film featuring Vishnu alone have been placed in and around city hinting that Vishnu is playing one of the lead roles in the film.

But the moot question is why Rohit’s picture is avoided.

Buoyed with it, elated actor has thrown party to media and thanked for the support and bringing hype to the film.

He added that he won’t forget his roots.

But in between if he comes across any hero roles with impressive script he has no qualms in doing them.

Unlike Sunil who gave up his career as comedian and stick to hero roles, Saptagiri is going to juggle with both comedy roles as well as hero roles.

Raajakumara 2nd Teaser On Jan 1St The second teaser of Raajkumara will be released on the first day New Year - January 1st.

While Vishnu is seen as a cricketer Railway Raju, Nara Rohit dons the Khaki as he plays cop role.

Set against Naxal backdrop, one is wondering who is the real hero in this film?

It’s not first time, Rohit is sharing screen space with other heroes.

The announcement has been made by none other than Puneeth himself. The teaser was expected last week but could not be released due

He did a equal-importance role with Naga Shourya in Jyo Achyutananda and the film turned out to be success.

to technical issues.

As the film is releasing on 30th, one has to wait and see who will come out of flying colours?

The film is directed by Santhosh Anandram. Shooting for the film has already been held abroad and in locations in Karnataka including Bengaluru

Puneeth has said that all the stars who are part of the film will be introduced in this trailer.

28

Austin South Asian | January 2017