Saathee Charlotte February 2017

saathee.com

February 2017

In this issue: Prep for Tax Season - pg 50 Mind Your Heart Health - pg 62

February 2017 Issue # 225 Editor

Samir Shukla

(Samir@Saathee.com)

Growing up Smith Movie Review page 10

Indians Learning Sign Language page 18

HeLLo ReaDeRS!

Read about the wonderful new film Growing up Smith, a coming-of-age story of a first generation Indian immigrant boy. It's on pg 10.

The book review of "The Chaos of Empire" - where the author debunks much of the romanticized myths of the British Raj is on pg 14.

Indians are just beginning to learn sign language to communicate with the deaf community. See story on pg 18.

Read about how a polo tour in India is helping to protect a rare breed of ponies on pg 24.

Catch up on the all the activities of the regional community organizations beginning on pg. 88.

The AstroScope, our exclusive monthly horoscope is on pg. 120.

Get daily updates about the community, local and national news, latest movie releases, analysis and videos at our website www.Saathee.com We welcome all comments and suggestions.

Quote:

"A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes.”

- Charles Spurgeon

Polo tour to protect Rare Ponies page 24

Can you Spot the Differences in these images? page 88

In tHIS ISSue

Growing up Smith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 10 Teatime in the City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 14 Learning Sign Language in India . . . .pg. 18 Polo Protecting Rare Ponies . . . . . . . . pg. 24 Film Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 26 Upcoming Movie Releases . . . . . . . . . pg. 28 Mirror Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 32 Sangeet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 36 Namaskar Y’all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 40 Youth Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 44 Mastering Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 46 Personal Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 50 Subcontinental Divide . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 52 Thinking About Thinking . . . . . . . . . . pg. 56 Marketing Turnaround . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 58 Uncertainty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 60 Nutrition for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 62 Test Your India Knowledge . . . . . . . . pg. 68 Heart to Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 70 News Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 74 2016 Financial Markets Recap . . . . . . pg. 78 Spot the Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 80 Community Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 82 Immigration Matters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 86 Community Organizations . . . . . . . . . pg. 88 Pop’s Puzzles and Jokes . . . . . . . . . . pg. 114 Festivals and Holidays . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 118 Puzzle Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 118 AstroScope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 120 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg. 122 Index of Advertisers . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 124

Cover: Sursagar, Vadodara

Sur Sagar lake, also known as Chand Talao, is situated in middle of the city of Vadodara, Gujarat. The lake was rebuilt with stone masonry in the 18th Century. A 120 ft tall statue of lord Shiva built by Vadodara Mahanagar Seva Sadan stands in the middle of the lake.

© Parthbhatt | Dreamstime.com - Lord Shiva, Sursagar, Vadodara, India

Publisher & Advertising Divakar Shukla

(rakavid@aol.com)

Ad Design / Layout Nategeshwarji

Digital Media & Marketing Assistant Jennifer W. Allen

Contributors:

Kirit Shukla, Judith L. Bergman, Parul Kharod, Ahsen Jillani, Shyama Parui, Rajesh T. Ganatra, Gail Martin, Mo Vidwans, A. Spaice, Kamesh D. Patel, Balaji Prasad, and Jalendu Vaidya.

All contents

© 2017 Shukla Entertainment, Inc.

Opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and advertisers and not necessarily of the publisher or editor.

Please contact us prior to submitting articles or photographs.

Saathee is published monthly. Deadlines for advertisement, submissions and events information is 15th of the month.

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Smith goes through a series of adventures with Amy and her motorcycle-riding father Butch (Lee) while managing the quirks of his traditional Indian parents who are keen on keeping his and his older sister’s Indian values intact.

Later, due to his sister's actions and a misadventure he has with Butch, Smith is sent back to India to live with his grandmother where he becomes a doctor, marries and has a personal trauma and finally returns to America 19 years later to rejoin his family and see about his childhood love.

It’s a lovely film that takes its time telling the story with a wonderful performance by Akurati as Smith. Nigam, Lee and other actors turn in stellar performances to flesh out the story and propel the film forward.

I spoke with Nigam recently about his work and the film.

Nigam began his career in 1988 with an army training film called “Hostage Crisis and Terrorist Management,” he played a young and naïve terrorist. Then he began the ups and downs of a struggling actor and has been a “working actor” since ‘93-‘94. He has worked in Bad Words, True Detective, Grey’s Anatomy, and made numerous other film and TV appearances including on Jimmy Kimmel.

Growing up Smith was filmed in upstate New York in the Kingston area of Hudson Valley, but could be any small town in America. Nigam spoke of his work over the years and the difficulty in getting a film made.

The film is a labor of love that began as early as 2000, says Nigam. It took a lot of perseverance, seeking funding, finding actors, writing and rewriting, before the film was made.

A Coming-of-Age Film That Strikes All the Right Chords

By Samir Shukla

Indian-American experiences are unique, filled with wide-eyed expectations, dreams, fears, and, of course, traditions. There is nothing like the experience of first generation immigrants, especially Indians who arrived in the 1960s and the 1970s. Sure, Indians have been migrating to the US for decades, but the first wave in significant numbers really began in the 1970s. The foundations of the now successful Indian-Americans spread out all over the country were laid in the 70s by the “pioneers” if you will. My family was among those who arrived in the early 70s.

Anjul Nigam, actor, writer, and producer, also arrived in the States in the early 1970s with his family. Some of his own experiences from childhood inform his latest film, the coming-ofage story of an Indian boy titled Growing up Smith. It’s a fine independent film that centers on 10-year-old Smith Bhatnagar, portrayed by newcomer Roni Akurati. Nigam co-wrote and coproduced the film. The film also hit some memory chords for me, an 11-year-old new arrival in NYC in 1974, trying to make sense of the Americans and their way of life.

The film, where Nigam portrays Bhaaskar Bhatnagar the family patriarch, also features veteran actors Jason Lee (My Name is Earl, Alvin & the Chipmunks), Hilarie Burton (One Tree Hill), Brighton Sharbino (The Walking Dead), Poorna Jagannathan (The Night of), Shobha Anjul Nigam Narayanan (Quantico) and Samrat Chakrabarti (Midnight’s Children) as the elder Smith and narrator.

Debutant director Frank Lotito has crafted a warm and funny film - about an Indian family that migrates to America with hopes of living the American Dream in a small town in 1979. Their 10-yearold son Smith falls hard for Amy, the girl next door (Sharbino). He desperately wants to fit in and be an American (his father has even named him Smith thinking the name will Americanize him somehow without losing his Indian identity).

Saathee.com

Smith (Akurati) and Amy (Sharbino) enjoying their swapped lunches.

10

The prime roadblock? It took years to find the financing. “We hit one roadblock after another. It was a journey to understand how film financing works and a journey in understanding how much B.S. there is in the entertainment industry. What brought the project to a green light was a financier out of New York who is in the Hedge fund world. Whose bucket list item was to make a movie. He came on board with significant financing and we began the process of casting the movie.” The financier wanted a star in the movie for marketing reasons, so Nigam and crew focused on the character Butch and through luck and a fine script, they landed Jason Lee. Nigam enlightened me on the egos and bumps of the entertainment world. The constant fires that have to be put out even after financing and casting is set.

“Another fire we had to put out was two weeks before preproduction we lost our title role. So we began search for another actor and we received over thousand submissions. It was a worldwide search believe it or not. We narrowed down using Skype auditions. Roni who is based in Chicago and L.A. was actually in India at the time. Due to spotty internet a 10-minute audition turned into a three day one. We loved his work and had to bring him in for a screen test. We had three contenders for a screen test in L.A. We had Sharbino already cast in the role of Amy and we did a screen test for chemistry with her and Roni got the job.”

Growing up Smith will be released in limited cities in early February and will expand nationwide during the month.

February 2017

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TEATIME IN THE CITY Notes from the Editor’s Desk

insurgency against an anxious regime’s counterproductive efforts to hold on to power.”

In each chapter, Wilson tells mini tales that bring clarity to the events of specific timeframes. He backs it all up with solid research and documentation.

The administrators and soldiers’ paranoia, careless governance, and distrust of locals often led to violence.

The one paragraph that describes the retelling of key moments in Indian history and the idea of British superiority is in the following graph, found in the aptly titled chapter “The Great Delusion.”

“India’s later British rulers and their postimperial chronicles liked to propagate the view that imperial rule in India was a systematic form of power driven by coherent ideas.

‘The Raj’ is a phrase which embodies a certain kind of authoritarian highmindedness. On television or in fiction it is now associated with unbending, stiff-lipped men capable of imposing their visions of order and hierarchy on an otherwise chaotic society.

Historians of empire spend much of their time discussing those visions, tracing the British belief in the inferiority of Indian society, the rhetoric about ‘civilization’ and ‘development’, the arguments about property and the rule of law. Too often the context of those visions is absent, and texts are read with no reference to the situations they were written in. In reality, the British proclaimed their strength and purpose when their authority seemed the most fragile. In fact, as we have seen in this book, British power in India was exercised sporadically. It was driven by a succession of short-term visceral passions. It did not have a systematic vision of peace and stability, nor a way of working able to produce order. It created chaos.”

The British were good at public relations, promoting their activities about building things in India – railway, government buildings, court houses – but Wilson shows they were lousy at daily governance, and when they finally departed in 1947, the country was left divided and in chaos. The violence just before and following the partition of India was the worst.

Wilson’s The Chaos of Empire is as instructive as it is fun to read, denuding the perceived romanticisms of the Raj.

By Samir Shukla

Book Review:

the Chaos of empire: the British Raj and the Conquest of India Author: Jon Wilson (Public Affairs)

The long-accepted British narrative about its rule over India has always been suspect, a seemingly sanitized and self-serving affair, deeply mired in nostalgia. The operatives of the British rule during their time in power have written about India that suits their narrative – of bringing order to a vast and diverse populace.

Historians who have written about this have mostly gone along with this narrative, which is deftly debunked by Jon Wilson, a professor of history at King’s College London, in his book The Chaos of Empire: The British Raj and the Conquest of India.

He unravels these generally accepted notions and demonstrates that in reality chaos and violence were the norm during the period. The managers of East India Company sent glowing reports back to the powers in Britain about their "(British power) did not progress in India, but they have a systematic vision of were P.R. missives and whitewashed the reality on peace and stability, nor a the ground. This is Wilson’s way of working able to premise in the book and he produce order. It created tells it all in fluidly written chaos." chapters examining different situations and different times during the period. The truth is dusted off those old nostalgia and half-truths. His analysis: The Brits and East India Company had tenuous control over the dominion at best and often resorted to violence. The East India Company was originally formulated for trade between England and India. It quickly became imperialistic, using force to further its objectives and foundations in the Subcontinent.

Wilson traces Britain’s rule, known as the British Raj, from the East India Company’s first transactions in the 1680s, to the formal establishment of the Raj in 1858, all the way to Indian Independence in 1947.

In The Chaos of Empire Wilson cites specific examples from different junctures of India’s history with the British and deposes each British-written tale of the era as bunk. He points out the constant disorganization of the rotating cast of players who assumed power or command of a region that generally ensued in violence against the natives, mired in exploitation and racism, both subtle and overt. The pervasive distrust among the denizens of the country toward the British failed to synthesize the vast political and regional diversities of India.

Administrators, rulers, and subjects, both British and Indian, are analyzed.

One of more telling paragraphs in the book is about the 1857 rebellion, arguably the first organized attempt to dislodge the British from India’s soil. “The 1857 rebellion was not a revolt against the confident regime intent on spreading capitalism, civilization and modernity throughout the world. It was an Saathee.com

Samir Shukla

is the editor of Saathee magazine. contact - samir@Saathee.com

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February 2017

With a Deaf Community of Millions, Hearing India is Only Just Beginning to Sign

By Nimisha Jaiswal, GlobalPost.com

Last September, Rupmani Chhetri sat in a circle of people in a park in central Delhi. As she signed rapidly, those around her practiced the basic words they had learned over the last few months.

The coordinator of Pune Finger Chats, Aswin K. Ravi, teaches volunteers how to sign the letter “R.” Credit: Courtesy of Finger Chats

“People can easily listen to and learn other languages, but they don’t try to learn sign language,” signed Chhetri, who is deaf.

“Every communication I have with hearing persons is very short because the interpreter also has trouble communicating as quickly.”

There are only about 250 certified sign language interpreters in India, translating for a deaf population of between 1.8 million to 7 million. (The wide range in population estimates exists because the Indian census doesn’t track the number of deaf people — instead, it documents an aggregate number of people with disabilities.)

Chhetri and other deaf and hearing volunteers are looking to bridge this gap, one sign at a time.

Every Saturday since April, Chettri and 15 to 20 others have met in Delhi’s public parks to teach and learn basic sign language for free. They call the gatherings “Finger Chats.”

“Both my parents are deaf, and Indian Sign Language is my mother tongue,” said Sarah Sharma, who volunteers at Finger Chats sessions. “It makes me happy to see all of these people signing and learning.”

Sharma is also part of a society called Children of Deaf Adults (CODA). While members of CODA are fluent in Indian Sign Language and often in American Sign Language as well, they cannot be certified interpreters without completing a mandatory nine-month diploma training.

But the mainstreaming of Indian Sign Language faces many more roadblocks, the biggest one being the lack of official recognition.

“We are a multilingual nation, and we need to look at the deaf community as a linguistic minority,” says Ruma Roka, the founder of the NGO Noida Deaf Society. “ISL needs to be accepted as another Indian language, and the effect of that recognition would percolate to schools, universities and parents.”

In December, a revised bill on the rights of persons with disabilities was passed by both houses of parliament. Among other things, the new law reserves 4 percent of government jobs and seats at educational institutes for people with disabilities. But the law does not include specific measures for the deaf, nor does Saathee.com

it mention Indian Sign Language or its promotion.

The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment does oversee the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre, which is currently compiling a crowdsourced ISL video and print dictionary.

The ministry’s Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities runs programs like a job search portal for the hearingimpaired, and a program for the prevention and control of avoidable hearing loss. Currently, there are close to 400 government-funded schools for the hearing-impaired across the country.

However, over 12 years of work with the deaf community in India, Roka has found a troubling pattern at schools as well as in society. Often there’s an emphasis on training the deaf to accommodate the hearing community — by forcing speech therapy, written communication and lipreading — while discouraging sign language. Unaware of how they sound and conscious of the reactions of hearing people, many deaf students are too uncomfortable to attempt speech. Language ability is also often stunted, as the deaf are forced to communicate in a language they know only partially.

“Since we have systematically created barriers in their way, the onus also stays on us to break down those barriers,” says Roka.

“Deaf kids go through 12 years of school without learning anything,” she continues. “The education system urgently needs to be updated to make the development of social and life skills easier as well.”

And this is before factoring in India’s high illiteracy rates — close to 26 percent according to the 2011 census — and the many villages short on public services.

“I met a boy who is deaf and who didn’t even know any sign language, he had no method of communication,” says Vishnu Soman, who works with the nongovernmental organization Enable India on improving deaf people’s access to the workforce.

The boy was brought to an outreach program when his relatives learned that he could get a job through the organization.

The coordinator of Pune Finger Chats, Aswin K. Ravi, teaches volunteers how to sign the letter “R.” Credit: Courtesy of Finger Chats

According to several social workers, deaf Indians who cannot access formal education learn signs primarily when they meet other deaf people. As Indian Sign Language is not formalized or widely taught, however, the signs themselves vary widely across regions and states.

“The way there are so many different dialects in oral language, sign language has a lot of variations,” says Aparna Dass, who has worked with Enable India for 14 years. “A sign I use at home may not be used outside, but ISL can allow people to communicate across the country.”

For now, government programs focusing on skill development for people with disabilities, and the improvement of physical and workforce accessibility are seen as steps in the right direction. However, Dass emphasizes the need for awareness campaigns to make India’s deaf community known to the hearing majority.

“People at the policy level should be exposed to places where the deaf are working and learning,” says Dass. “National organizations for the deaf are limited to Delhi and Mumbai, but they need to be scaled up and replicated across the country.”

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How a Polo Tour in India is Helping to Protect a Rare Breed of Ponies

By Sandip Roy, PRI

Persia claims to be the birthplace of polo, but the modern version of the game comes from the small state of Manipur in northeastern India. The British discovered it there and brought “hockey on horseback” to the West in the 19th century. These days, the West is going back to Manipur to play polo.

Since 2013, members of the United States Polo Association have been coming to compete with Manipuris. The 2017 USPAManipur games get underway next week in Manipur’s capital, Imphal.

“We have been promoting USPA here as part of our way of getting attention drawn to the Manipuri pony,” Roy says. He says their numbers have fallen to fewer than 500.

The ponies are revered here — they were used for war and sacred ritual, not as pack animals. But Roy, who’s worked as a film curator in New York, says when he returned to Manipur in 2000, he would see abandoned ponies wandering around the city, feeding on garbage because people could not afford to take care of them, and their grazing lands were vanishing.

At the polo grounds during the games in January last year, there was a banner with the words “No pony No polo” — a reminder that if the ponies disappear, so would Manipur’s polo tradition. Roy hopes the international attention from the USPA will give the Manipuri pony a lifeline. In November 2016, the Manipuri state government announced plans for creating a sanctuary for the remaining ponies to help preserve the breed.

They might be looking for some divine assistance, as well.

Manipur has a god of polo, Marjing, whose mount is the winged pony. It’s said that when the pony’s wings were clipped, it fell to Earth and became the Manipuri pony.

Marjing’s shrine on a hillside near Imphal is strewn with small, white figurines of horses. Red and white polo mallets hang in a corner, and there are pictures of horses on the wall.

The shrine overlooks a meadow that Roy expects will be a new grazing area for the ponies, keeping alive Marjing’s flock as well as an ancient piece of world polo heritage.

American and Manipuri players particpate in the woman’s polo tournament in Manipuri in January 2016. They’re riding the native Manipuri ponies.

Credit: Courtesy L. Somi Roy

For much of the year, the Mapal Kangjeibung grounds in the center of Imphal are used for soccer. But in the crisp January air, this stadium returns to its roots — as the world’s oldest active polo ground. Manipur’s historians say the earliest records of a polo match can be found in court chronicles that date back to the first century.

Today, however, the game is all about women power. The women from Team USPA come here to play alongside the Manipuri women, all under the watchful eyes of a Kangla-sha statue — a dragon with antlers.

Communicating with local players is sometimes a challenge, says Tiamo Hudspeth, from Team USPA, who traveled to Manipur in January 2016. Still, she picked up a few Manipuri words. For instance, lingba for “strong.” Nopa for “weak.”

“We’d chant lingba, no nopa before we played our game,” she says with a laugh.

Another issue for the Americans is the size of the Manipuri ponies. They’re only about 4 feet tall, from shoulder to hoof.

Cristina Fernandez, of the US team, says it was a little “intimidating” as a “tall American” to ride these small ponies.

They look a little like windup toys, she says. “I wanted to sort of wind it up and let it go.”

These ponies are one of five indigenous Indian breeds, semiwild ponies, found just in this corner of India. But their numbers are dwindling. In 2013, the Manipur state government declared the ponies here an endangered breed. L. Somi Roy, whose mother belonged to Manipuri royalty, helps put together the USPA tour. His interest in polo, he says, is really about the ponies.

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FILM CLIPS Beaufort International Film Festival

The Beaufort Film Society will present the 11th annual Beaufort International Film Festival from February 15 – 19. Experience what has been called by many as the “best little film festival in the southeast.” The fest features five days of international and local short films, feature films, animation, filmmakers’ surprises, educational forums, and guest speakers. Visit www.beaufortfilmfestival.com for information about special guests, events and more.

Jolly LLB 2

Jolly LLB 2 is a film about a clumsy lawyer who is faced with representing the most critical court case of his career. The courtroom comedy-drama film, written and directed by Subhash Kapoor, stars Akshay Kumar and Huma Qureshi. Shukla will make a special cameo appearance as will Arshad Warsi. Annu Kapoor will portray the rival lawyer against Akshay Kumar in the film. The film is a sequel to 2013 film Jolly LLB, which originally starred Arshad Warsi, is scheduled to release worldwide on February 10.

The Ghazi Attack

The Ghazi Attack is an Indian war film with Amitabh Bachchan lending his voice for narration. It is India’s first underwater/war-atsea film. The story is about an executive naval officer of the Indian Submarine S2 and his team.

The film explores the mysterious circumstances under which the PNS Ghazi sank off the coast of Visakhapatnam in 1971. It is a tale of the courage and patriotism of the men aboard the Indian Submarine S-21 who destroyed the Pakistani submarine PNS Ghazi when it ventured into Indian waters to destroy the INS Vikrant. Sankalp directed the film that stars Rana Daggubat, Taapsee Pannu, Kay Kay Menon and Milind Gunaji. It releases on February 17.

Rangoon

Saathee.com

Aa Gaya Hero is the comeback film of veteran actor Govinda. The action and comedy film is directed

by Dipankar Senapati and features Govinda and Richa Chadha in the lead roles, along with Ashutosh Rana, Murali Sharma, Makarand Deshpande and Harish Kumar.

The film has been in the works for a couple of years, but reportedly Govinda did not like the original story and had a new one written.

According to an online interview, Govinda said, “When the director Dipankar Senapati narrated the subject to me, I felt I had to do it.

It’s something I’ve never done before. I wanted to play this idealistic cop. And I wanted to complete the film in one schedule which we did successfully.” The film releases on February 24

Full Frame Documentary Film Festival

The Great Wall

When a mercenary warrior (Matt Damon) is imprisoned within the Great Wall of China, he discovers the mystery behind one of the greatest wonders of the world. As wave after wave of marauding beasts besiege the massive structure, his quest for fortune turns into a journey toward heroism as he joins a huge army of elite warriors to confront the unimaginable and seemingly unstoppable force.

The adventure film The Great Wall is directed by Yimou Zhang and also stars Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, and Tian Jing. It opens on February 17.

Aa Gaya Hero

Rangoon an upcoming drama, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, is a period film set during World War II. The film stars Kangana Ranaut, Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan in lead roles. Much of the film was shot in the remote northwestern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The stylish period epic is slated for release worldwide on February 24.

26

The 20 th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival will return on April 6 – 9 in Durham, NC. Each spring Full Frame welcomes filmmakers and film lovers from around the world for a four-day, morning to midnight doc fest of over 100 films, panel conversations, and southern hospitality. The festival landscape is walkable, in fact, it’s only a 10-minute walk end to end. Full Frame’s 2017 Film Schedule will be announced in mid-March. For more details, visit www.fullframefest.org.

February 2017

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February 2017

UPCOMING MOVIE RELEASES February 10

February 24

jolly LLB 2 (Director: Subhash Kapoor) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Huma Qureshi, Saurabh Shukla, and Annu Kapoor

Rangoon (Director: Vishal Bhardwaj) Cast: Kangna Ranaut, Saif Ali Khan, and Shahid Kapoor aa Gaya Hero (Director: Dipankar Senapati) Cast: Govinda, Richa Chadha, and Makrand Deshpande

john Wick: Chapter 2 (Director: Chad Stahelski) Cast: Ruby Rose, Keanu Reeves, Ian McShane, and Bridget Moynahan

March 3

jeena Isi Ka naam Hai (Director: Keshav Panneriy) Cast: Arbaaz Khan, Manjari Fadnis, Himansh Kohli, Supriya Pathak, and Ashutosh Rana

the LeGo Batman Movie (Director: Chris McKay) Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Jenny Slate, Rosario Dawson, and Mariah Carey

Logan (Director: James Mangold) Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Doris Morgado

om namo Venkatesaya (Director: K. Raghavendra Rao) Cast: Anushka Shetty, Brahmanandam, and Nagarjuna Akkineni

Commando 2 (Director: Deven Bhojani) Cast: Vidyut Jammwal, Esha Gupta, Adah Sharma, Nargis Fakhri, and Adil Hussain

February 17

ajab Singh Ki Gajab Kahani (Director: Rishi Mishra) Cast: Ajay K Singh, Yashpal Sharma, Govind Namdev, Manoj Mishra, and Archana Prasad

Viceroy’s House (Director: Gurinder Chadha) Cast: Manish Dayal, Huma Qureshi, and Om Puri

March 10

Irada (Director: Nishant Tripathi) Cast: Arshad Warsi, Naseeruddin Shah, Divya Dutta, Sagarika Ghatge, and Sharad Kelkar

Badrinath Ki Dulhania (Director: Shshank Khaitan) Cast: Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan

March 17

Duniyadari (Director: Shital Shah) Cast: Malhar Thakar, Esha Kansara, Aarjav Trivedi, and Tarika Tripathi

t2 trainspotting (Director: Danny Boyle) Cast: Ewan McGregor, Kelly Macdonald, Jonny Lee Miller, and Robert Carlyle

Mona Darling (Director: Shashi Sudigala) Cast: Anshuman Jha, Divya Menon, Suzanna Mukherjee, and Sanjay Suri

Sarkar 3 (Director: Ram Gopal Varma) Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Manoj Bajpayee, Yami Gautam, Amit Sadh, and Jackie Shroff

the Great Wall (Director: Yimou Zhang) Cast: Matt Damon, Pedro Pascal, Willem Dafoe, and Tian Jing

March 24

Phillauri (Director: Anshai Lala) Cast: Suraj Sharma, Diljit Dosanjh, and Anushka Sharma

the Ghazi attack (Director: Sankalp) Cast: Milind Gunaji, Bikramjeet Kanwarpal, Rana Daggubati, Taapsee Pannu, and Kay Kay Menon Saathee.com

March 31

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naam Shabana (Director: Shivam Nair) Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher

February 2017

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February 2017

MIRROR, MIRROR A Conversation From the Outside Looking in...

She also became a well sought after script doctor. I didn’t even know such a thing existed until I heard that she was doing it.

More importantly, she became a well-known face to educate people about drug addiction and mental illness. She was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder at 29 and often cited that the drugs were self-medication to cope with it. Unfortunately that led to years of addiction to cocaine and prescription medication such as Percodan which was often used to control her more manic side. She often said that the drugs made her feel “normal.” She was sober by the late 80’s and in turn decided to help educate others. She even became a (mostly) anonymous internet therapist for a while answering fans in emails and chatrooms.

Throughout her many public appearances over the years, it became clear that the most memorable aspect of Carrie was her very open and honest personality. Perhaps as a way to cope with both her mental illness and constantly being in the limelight, she would always answer questions with such a smart yet dry wit that would catch most people off guard. One moment she would be speaking about Star Wars and then she would mention as an aside that her ex-husband (Paul Simon) often used a Leia doll to push voodoo pins into. Whether it’s true or not, it can’t help but make you chuckle.

Her last few years, I could tell that physically something was a bit off about her. She seemed a lot more exhausted whilst touring around for either her books or The Force Awakens, but her mind was just as sharp as ever.

Her last few appearances often included her beloved French bulldog, Gary who became a star all to himself thanks to his occasional antics and constantly having his tongue hang out the side of his mouth. It’s been said that he was an emotional support animal to help her with her mental illness, but she certainly took his celebrity up to 11 since he has his own Twitter & Instagram account. With her passing, Gary now lives with Carrie’s daughter Billie Lourd so he’ll always have a good and loving home.

Fisher’s death struck an emotional cord with me that not many other celebrities could. I think the only other people whose deaths made me completely break down were Freddie Mercury and Robin Williams. As amazing as those two were, Carrie was something different. She will always be a feminist icon who transcended the traditional concepts of being a celebrity. Leia Organa is a strong character because of the equally amazing woman who brought her to life. She gave us a beautiful gift of honesty, humility, humor, and brilliance that not many other human beings will ever be able to duplicate.

She has been and will always be my spirit animal, my hero, and my Princess.

While she said that she wanted her obituary to mention that she died “…bathed in moonlight, strangled by her own bra,” I think that she would be equally amused that her ashes were placed in a giant novelty Prozac pill.

Rest in peace, Carrie Fisher, and May the Force be With You wherever you are…

By Jennifer Allen

Carrie Fisher: the Writer, the activist, and our Princess

“If my life wasn’t funny it would be true, and that’s unacceptable.” ~ Carrie Fisher

In the early 1970’s, I was born into this world with a view that strong women were (somewhat) the norm. The Women’s Liberation Movement was in full swing and seeing a world before it started in the late 60’s seemed so extremely bizarre.

My own mother was this way due to her own struggles earlier in life, and while I’ve also had various obstacles while growing up she certainly instilled a good bit of inner strength to cope with it all. Of course, there were outside influences that assisted in molding my overall character into its current state.

It shouldn’t be too surprising that many selfconfident women in the 60’s She has always been and and 70’s come from the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genre. Lynda will always be my spirit Carter as Wonder Woman. animal, my hero, and my Lindsey Wagner as Jamie Princess.

Summers, the Bionic Woman.

Nichelle Nichols as Lieutenant Uhura in Star Trek. Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley in Alien. Heck even Louise Fletcher’s Nurse Ratched in To Kill a Mockingbird was showing just how powerful she was behind her (supposed) soft, calming demeanor.

Perhaps the most recognizable of them all was a woman introduced in a white dress and that now iconic hairdo who showed us with one simple image that she wasn’t and never would be a damsel in distress.

Aside from the Golden slave bikini scene in Star Wars, just about every time we see Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia Organa on screen, she shows an enormous amount of personal strength.

When Han and Luke screw up her rescue, she grabs a gun and rescues them. Also, she persuades Chewbacca that they need to get Han back from Boba Fett before he leaves Cloud City.

Even when she chases after the forest Troopers on the Moon of Endor to keep them from reporting to their superiors. Time and time again she took the whole concept of “save the girl” and turned it on its head.

“Leia follows me around like a vague smell.” ~ Carrie Fisher

Whether she liked it or not, Princess Leia became the personification of a cultural icon. There were certainly times that she despised aspects of the performance. From George Lucas telling her she couldn’t wear a bra because “…there’s no underwear in space,” to the pressures to lose weight to the aforementioned golden bikini, she went through a lot. I think it was only when she came back for The Force Awakens and the amount of promotional interviews she did for it that she finally accepted her cult status and had a lot of fun with it.

After Star Wars, Fisher would not only be recognized as a memorable actress. She was also a celebrated book author and screenwriter. She said she started writing short stories and poetry as early as 12 and was quite the book enthusiast since reading helped her to hide from all the stress in her childhood.

Saathee.com

Jennifer Allen

works at Saathee and is also a Podcaster, Blogger, Photographer & Graphic Artist .

32

February 2017

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February 2017

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SANGEET Popular Music of India

Meaning (Summary): The night burned very slowly.

My eyes were filled with smoke.

I opened my eye corners slowly in the nights, my eyes then stared at the dawn, the smoke doesn't leave my salty eyes.

I lifted the fire of my dreams on my eyelids, I burned the fuel of my eyes.

At times pain sang lullabies and at times pain woke me up from my sleep.

The smoke doesn't leave my unfriendly eyes.

At times pain woke me up from my sleep.

The smoke does not leave my unfriendly eyes. The night burned very slowly… Now there is no sleep in these burning embers, I put out the stars by gently blowing on them. Who knows what I removed from the night box, there was dawn in the corner when I opened it. The smoke doesn't leave my swollen eyes. The night burned very slowly ...

By Kirit Shukla

tribute to Living Legends of Bollywood

Rekhā Bharadwaj (1959 – Present) Rekhā Bhardwaj was born in New Delhi and has been a film playback singer since the 1990s. She is married to veteran music director Vishal Baradwaja and has a natural affinity for music and a distinct singing style and voice. It was her husband who encouraged her to sing in films and pursue a professional career as a vocalist. She has recorded songs for numerous films as well as made non-film recordings. Some of the movies in which she has given her unique voice include, Makdee, Omkara, Superstar, Money Hai Toh Honey Hai, Delhi-6, Gulaal, Raavan, Barfi, Maazii, D-Day, and Dedh Ishqiya. She is still active singing songs for upcoming films. You can find many examples of her voice and songs on YouTube and other online audio and video sites.

Lyrics in Hindi:

awards Filmfare Awards for Best Female Singer: 2009 - Delhi 6 2011 - 7 Khoon Maaf

National Award: 2010 - Ishqiya

She has also received awards for songs sung in other Indian languages.

Lyrics to her award-winning classical Hindi song “Badi dhire jali …” from the film Ishqiya are given on this page.

evergreen and Classic Lyrics

Note: The contents of this article are compiled from the news, books, internet and my knowledge and love for Indian music.

Prabhu ji mere avagun...

Song: Badi dhire jali …

Film: Ishqiyā Year: 2010 Music: Vishal Bhāradwāj Singer: Rekhā Bhāradwāj Lyricist: Gulzār Based on Indian Classical Rāgā: Lalit Tāl/Rhythm: Kaharavā Starring: Vidyā Bālan, Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi

Kirit Shukla

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Lyrics in english: Badi dhire jali rainā dhuvā dhuvā nainā, raton se haule haule, Kholi hai kināri, akhiyon ne tāgā tāgā bhora utāri,Khāri ānkhiyon se dhuvā jāye nā,Palako pe sapanoki agni uathāye, Humane do akhiyon ke ālane jalāye,Darda ne kabhi loriyā sunāi to, darda ne kabhi ninda se jagāyā reBairi akhiyonse nā jāye dhuvā jāye nā, Badi dheere jali …

Jalate charagon mein ab ninda nā āye,Phukonse hamane sab tāre bhujhāyeJāne kyā khali rāt ki pitāri se khole to koi bhora ki kināri re, Suzi ankhiyo se nā jāye dhuvā jāye nā, Badi dheere jali ...

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February 2017

NAMASKAR Y’ALL Reflections and a few confessions as an Indian American in the Carolinas

By Shyama Parui

What is Love?

helped her husband through his health troubles speaks volumes of her love.

Let me share another tale of love. As a teenager, I thought the story of Rekha and Rohit (not their real names) was dreamily romantic. Rekha, then a close friend of mine would share how she was falling in love with a “tall, dark and handsome guy” who sent her love notes and apparently stared at her for hours with smitten lovelorn looks. Her clandestine dates with Rohit made us giggle and long for love lives of our own. The story took a more interesting turn when Rekha’s parents expressed disapproval but it fueled their love and made them stubbornly stand by each other. After desperate measures, they succeeded in getting parental approval and their whirlwind romance was followed by a beautiful wedding. The marriage however ended quickly in an ugly divorce. Love in this case was like fireworks against the night sky - momentary sparks of beauty that leave a smoky mess.

And then there is “filmi” love glorified on the silver screen.

I have to confess that most movies I watch are churned out by Bollywood’s prolific industry and the way love is depicted in cinema baffles, annoys and sometimes makes me roll on the floor laughing. Ironically, the most successful “love stories” end in tragedies. Take the film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak as an example. This was a hugely popular movie from my school days about a pair of young star crossed lovers who elope to avoid confrontation with their warring families. Sound familiar? Yes, in many ways it was the classic Shakespearean drama of Romeo and Juliet remixed for contemporary audiences and set in Rajasthan.

My sisters and I loved the songs and watched the movie many times but even as a teenager, I couldn’t fathom how the protagonists could fall so deeply in love after a few stolen glances and moonlight meetings. Why they would be willing to sacrifice their luxurious lifestyle and live in the woods for puppy love was beyond my understanding. Living in a makeshift house with no running water is more likely to cause friction than ignite passion. The unreasonable behavior of the parents was just as confusing. Why couldn’t they simply have a conversation with their grown children and handle things like adults are supposed to? Nevertheless, loud dialogue delivery, melodramatic vows of revenge and hot headed relatives add to the dramatic turns of the movie and even if you haven’t watched the movie you can guess that it doesn’t end well. If this is love, we might as well stay away from it.

My suspicion, however, is that we have found love and love has found us in ways that look very different from works of art or fiction. We miss it, cherish it and even take it for granted so there is nothing wrong with dedicating a day to expressing our love although I doubt it requires spending money. Valentine’s Day sales end up benefiting retailers but you and I my friend, can choose to love and show love every day.

Love is a universal migraine, A bright stain on the vision Blotting out reason.

- Robert Graves (from the poem “Symptoms of Love”)

Yes, it’s true that love can be a headache at times but writers of popular Hindi songs would beg to differ. My quick and unscientific review of song lyrics show that love or “pyaar” is poetically and most commonly expressed as “deewana,” “zindagi” or “jaadu.” Translated in English, these words mean crazy, life and magic respectively. Do you agree? How would you define love? If you are like me, it depends on the day. When my children were infants, loving them meant taking care of their fragile bodies, spending sleepless nights and feeling rewarded at the sight of their first smile or step. Today, as they get closer to In a small rural town of adolescence, love is empowering them to become West Bengal, a tomboyish independent even if that girl was balancing herself means allowing them to on a tree branch, picking... make mistakes and ignoring their mismatched clothes.

Love is one thing you cannot hide from, especially in February. Valentine’s Day will make its presence felt but instead of browsing through store aisles overflowing with red, pink and heart shaped merchandise, my thoughts go to a true story.

In a small rural town of West Bengal, a tomboyish girl was balancing herself on a tree branch, picking fruit with her brother and friends. Laughing and swinging, she was oblivious to the fact that a couple of elderly gentlemen, accompanied by a young boy, were a little lost and wandered close to them. She was startled when she heard one of them call out to her and ask for directions. Turns out they were looking for her father and helping them was much easier than getting to the juiciest mango on the tree. She couldn’t help noticing that the boy was staring at her. “How rude!” she thought. A few minutes later her aunt rushed to her and much to her annoyance pestered the girl to get off the tree and into the attire of a young woman of marriageable age - a saree.

She willfully ignored the absurd request until her mother changed her mind using some cajoling and some threatening.

That evening marked a major milestone in her life. It was determined by the elders in her family that she would be married to the young boy she had caught a fleeting glimpse of and become the daughter-in-law of the gentleman who had asked for directions. And that is how my parents met and their wedding was arranged. Strange, unromantic, impractical or simply typical of the way things were in the late 1950s. Love followed and it was not the stuff of movies but of lifelong caring. Once, in an act of uncharacteristic impulsiveness, my dad halted their long- distance bus, so my mom could get a cup of tea. Definitely a romantic gesture, my husband agrees but doesn’t see himself doing. The selfless way in which my mom Saathee.com

Shyama Parui

Shyama is a long time North Carolina resident and an ardent writer. You can reach her at: shyamashree_parui@hotmail.com

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February 2017

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February 2017

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February 2017

YOUTH CORNER Word World

Y

Who wants to be a Scholar?!

Answer the ones you know and research to answer the rest.

There is only one correct answer.

By Kirit Shukla

P

D

A I

R

1. Arrange these Moons of Jupiter from large to small in size. (a) Callisto (b) Europa (c) Io (d) Ganymede

M

2. Music director of 2010 Hindi film ‘Ishqiyā’? (a) Ismail Darbar (b) Monty Sharma (c) Pritam (d) Vishal Bhāradwāj

3. The highest waterfall in the world is (a) Angel (b) Niagara (c) Victoria (d) Jog

Make words using 4 or more letters. The central letter must be used in each word. Letters cannot be used more than once per word.

Use all letters for the subject word (underlined in solutions below) 11+ words = Excellent; 7 to 10 words = Good; 6 or less = keep looking.

Words we found are in solutions below.

4. What is the southernmost point in peninsular India? (a) Mumbai (b) Kochi (c) Amdavad (d) Kanyakumari 5. This area pertains to “Lord Krishna.” (a) Lanka (b) Panchavati (c) Ayodhya (d) Kurukshetra

Brain train

6. The capitol of Manipur state, India is (a) Imphal (b) Bishnupur (c) Ukhrul (d) Karong

Hi Kids. Here is a simple quiz. See if you can solve it.

How many triangles are there in this figure?

7. If your house is tenth from each end of the row, how many houses are there the row? (a) 18 (b) 19 (c) 20 (d) 21 8. By melting sand, soda & lime we get (a) Limestone (b) Glass (c) Lime soda (d) None of above

The answer given on the bottom of this page (no peeking).

9. The national highway between Mumbai and Delhi, in India is Highway number: (a) 8 (b) 5 (c) 2 (d) 4

Dadaji’s moral short stories

Some little frogs were hopping, jumping and playing in a pond. A bull came up to the pond to drink water. After drinking water, the bull bellowed loudly and walked away.

The little frogs got frightened on hearing that sound. They hopped away quickly to their Dadaji (grandpa). Dadaji asked: “Well children, what is the matter?” One little frog croaked in a feeble voice: “Dadaji, we saw a very big animal in the pond.

He had a terrible loud voice and we were all frightened.“ The grandpa frog spread his legs and puffed his cheeks and asked: “Was the animal as big as this?” The answer came: “He was much bigger.” The grandpa frog puffed still more and again asked: “Was it still bigger?” The reply was: “Much bigger, even bigger.“ The grandpa puffed, puffed and puffed until his lungs burst and he fell down and passed away.

10. The state flower of North Carolina is (a) Cherokee Rose (b) Mistletoe (c) Violet (d) Dogwood

Answers are below. No Peeking.

Scholar: All correct; 1st Class: 9 Correct; 2nd Class: 8 Correct 3rd Class: 7 Correct; Need to improve: 6 or less 8. b

Scholar Answers: 1. d, a, c, b.

Answer for brain train: 12

9. a

2. d

10.

3. a

4. d

5. d

Word World (Solution): AIRY, AMID, AMIR, ARID, ARMY, DAIRY, DAMP, DIARY, DRAM, MAID, MYRIAD, PAID, PAIR, PARD, PARDI, PIMA, PRAY, PYRAMID, RAID, RAMP, RAPID , YARD

44

7. b

Saathee.com

6. a

Moral: Vanity is foolishness.

February 2017

MASTERING MEANING

Harnessing the Power of American English

By Judith L. Bergman

a. Mathematical calculations b. To add in or include, as in making an account c. The shape or form of a human body d. To conclude, believe, or predict e. It’s really strange! Just try to understand it.. f. A written or printed symbol representing something other than a letter, especially a number. g To conclude, judge, reason, or think h. People who are especially well known i. The impression created by a person through behavior j. A design or pattern, as in a textile. k. An outline, form or silhouette l. An amount represented in numbers m. Any combination of points, lines, curves, or planes Saathee.com

Suggested strategies to increase your mastery of meaning this month: Read the business, sports and political news articles in your daily and Sunday newspaper or in digital format and look for uses of figure, figures and figuring. Notice whether any or the expressions in this article are used by your colleagues and pay attention to the setting and the context.

References: 1, http://www.idioms.thefreedictionary.com/figure answers: 1-k, 2-f, 3-l, 4-c, 5-o, 6-h 7-a, 8-n 9-r, 10-j, 11-b, 12-t, 13-d, 14-i, 15-m, 16-g, 17-p, 18-e, 19-q, 20-s.

The movie, Hidden Figures has just opened as I write this column.

This movie is the true story of the role of three brilliant mathematicians in the 1960’s who, with their team were called “computers” just before IBM provided functioning computers to NASA. They then taught themselves to program these computers!

These brilliant women enabled the successful completion of the first orbital space flight by John Glenn. They were literally “hidden away” and segregated in office spaces because they were African Americans.

Beyond the powerful message of this movie (which I intend to see as soon as the ice melts), is the clever double meaning of the title, Hidden Figures.

In The Free Dictionary.com I found multiple meanings of figure used as a noun, a verb and in a variety of idioms (non-literal expressions).

Can you match the meanings (“a” to “t”) below to these expressions that use figure or figures? 1 1. He thought he saw the figure of a black bear through the window. _____ 2. My son in kindergarten can print his name and is now learning to print figures. _____ 3. My neighbor’s house sold for a large figure. ____ 4. Fashion models usually have figures that are too thin and don’t resemble average women. ____ 5. Did you know that he is making a salary in the six figures? ____ 6. The fifth grade is studying famous historical figures. _____ 7. She’s studying to be an accountant and is very good at figures. ____ 8. Many people like to watch the figure skating competition. _____ 9. Did you see the figure of the office layout that Bob drew? _____ 10. She bought a lovely silk scarf with a paisley figure. _____ 11. Remember to figure in your travel expenses when estimating the cost. _____ 12. Unfortunately my advice hardly figured in his decision. _____ 13. I never figured that this would happen. _______ 14. He is a great father-figure for the boys on the team. ____ 15. In geometry we study plane figures and solid figures. ______ 16. I figured that you wanted me to stay. _____ 17. Don’t take it literally. It’s just a figure of speech. _____ 18. She says she wants to have a conversation, but when I try, she does all the talking. Go figure! _____ 19. I know you can’t give me the exact cost. Just give me a ballpark figure. _____ 20. We are figuring on you and your wife for dinner next weekend. ______

n. A pattern traced by a series of movements o. One of the digits specified as making up a larger number p. A form of symbolic expression q. An estimate, an “educated” guess r. A diagram s. To count on someone or something t. Was treated as relevant and pertinent

Judith L. Bergman M.A CCC

is the director of Triangle Speech Services specializing in foreign accent modification.

Contact: jlbergman@mindspring.com or 919-489-5464. www.trianglespeech.com

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February 2017

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February 2017

ANIS H S H A H www.RealtorAnish.com

Broker

Licensed in NC & SC

I have SOLD most of my listings and am in need of new listings.

If you are thinking of selling, please contact me!

New Listing - BASEMENT - Piper Glen

FOUR LEVELS OF LUXURY LIVING!! Beautifully remodeled golf course home on the 11th green.

New granite counters in kitchen and bathrooms, brand new floors, and more! Dual staircase, heavy mouldings, wine cellar, huge wraparound screened porch. Amazing kitchen and luxurious master with sitting area. Fantastic golf course views!! $824,900

New Listing - Sardis Ridge North

SOLD

Amazing Location. Close to Southpark and Uptown. Elegant home with updated systems! New HVAC and 2yr old HWH. New Paint/Carpet/Kit appliances.

Gorgeous wood floors on main level.

Formal living areas, spacious family room with fireplace. Kitchen features, 42" cabinets, granite counters and tile backsplash. Large master suite with dual vanities, roomy separate shower and jetted soaking tub. Huge unfinished Basement. Oversized side load garage and enormous deck overlooking a beautiful backyard. $299,900

New Listing - Wyndham Hall

Gorgeous estate home located in the heart of Marvin. Grand Kitchen with large island and a commercial gas stove. Luxurious main level Master Bedroom. Extra spacious Bonus Room with full bath on upper level. Screened Porch and adjacent Patio with flagstone flooring. Beautiful circular driveway, 3-car backload garage and large level lot. Brand new landscaping. Freshly painted inside and out. Exquisite details throughout! $849,900

Coming Soon - Amberleigh

Beautiful 4 Bedroom home in Ballantyne. Hardwood floors on main level. Open floor plan with high ceilings. Formal Living & Dining Rooms. Large Sunroom. Bright spacious kitchen. Completely updated!

New Listing - BASEMENT - Firethorne

Stunning Custom Built Renaissance Villa with 3 levels of indoor/outdoor living.

Totally updated. Grand central hall staircase with flanking balconies overlooking the foyer.

Formal living areas, open Family Room, and fantastic views from all three Terraces. Magnificent Kitchen is with custom finishes, prep sink, oversized Island, and much more. Luxurious Master Suite, finished basement with Wet Bar, and spectacular tee-to-green view of 12th hole. A wonderful opportunity. $1,099,000

Rental - Maplecrest

D E T N RE

Huge Fantastic end-unit Townhome with Finished Basement! Laminate HW floors on main level. Spacious Great Rm w/ FP. 2 MBRs with cathedral ceilings and bathrooms on second level. Walk-out basement with Bedroom, Bathroom, and Bonus room. Deck and fenced-in patio, perfect for entertaining. Wooded backyard. Great Ballantyne location. Convenient to shopping, great schools, and easy access to I-485. NEW Paint and NEW carpet, Lots of room. Move in ready!

Lots of storage. A Must See! $1,495 / month

New Price! - Riverpointe $349,900

Bright, beautiful cul-de-sac home with a huge deck and private backyard. U-Shaped Kitchen open to family room.

Spacious bedrooms with great closet space. Fresh paint and new carpet throughout. In Riverpointe Community.

Playground, pool, walking trails, tennis courts and lake access for your enjoyment. *** Brand new granite counters and SS appliances for the kitchen coming soon! *** $349,900

www.RealtorAnish.com

Serving the Carolinas’ Real Estate needs since 2000 Coming Soon - Kensington Forest

Gorgeous 5 Bedroom executive home in desirable Kensington Forest. Beautifully customized throughout including a gourmet kitchen, grand Master Suite, and a separate Guest Studio with kitchenette and bath.

Coming Soon - Bridlestone

4 Bedroom home with two Master suites!! Dramatic 2-story foyer and great room. Office with double French doors. Spacious walk-in closets. 3-level Deck overlooks wooded backyard.

Coming Soon - Rental - Maplecrest

Fantastic opportunity in Ballantyne. Townhome with 2 bedrooms, each with vaulted ceiling and private bath. Laminate wood floors in Living room.

Smooth top stove and large center island in kitchen.

Community pool.

Recipient of the President’s Cup for Overall Company Sales Leader 2008-2016

Awards:

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Nandi Daniels Executive Assistant Cell: 704-737-2384

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15235 John J. Delaney Dr. Charlotte, NC 28277

PERSONAL FINANCES Get Ready. the tax Season is upon us. again.

2017 IRAs, too. This way you get a head start for earning growth for a whole extra year on that IRA when you don’t wait till the end of the year or the New Year.

If you moved for your job, it is possible you can claim unreimbursed expenses for that; all you need is the supporting paperwork to determine how much you can claim. Same goes for the student loan interests up to $2,500. Teachers can claim adjustments to their income if they spent on their own for school supplies. There are upper limits for all of these expenses and also in many cases upper-income limits too.

If you are running a small business on your own on the side, the income from that as well as expenses for the same can be claimed. If you need to pay taxes from this income, then half of those taxes can also be claimed as adjustment to your total income.

By Mo Vidwans

As sure as the orange fireball rises every morning without fail, just like tree leaves changing color every autumn, and daffodils popping out of the snow early spring and just like undeniable wail of a hungry baby, have you noticed that tax season comes with some uncanny regularity?

It was only last March/April that we thought we might not have to look at it again for a while. Well, actually it so happens that we can help ourselves much if we do not ignore the tax preparation and be vigilant about it all through the year. We will talk more about preparing ourselves for 2017 taxes next month but let us look at what we need to do now and prepare ourselves for the 2016 tax season.

Itemized deductions Those who do prepare schedule A would have much more of homework to do before the calculations start. Unreimbursed medical expenses including health insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays need to be sorted out. Don’t forget the mileage you traveled for going to the doctor, for treatments or other work for your health. There is a deductible to be applied before you can use medical expenses.

Everybody knows about the home mortgage interest and the insurance premiums on the mortgage.

All donations need to be backed by the receipts, including cash; so make sure you ask for the receipt when you donate.

State, city, county income taxes and property taxes, lets get the receipts all together. Also, if you have some advisor managing your assets, their annual charges can be deducted.

Paperwork for professional fees and other related expenses should be reviewed because most of those are in for deduction.

Unreimbursed business expenses can be claimed; keep good back-up paperwork. Losses to personal property due to natural causes can be claimed but they have to be unreimbursed and there are deductions.

Gathering all the documents.

By now at least some of the documents that we need for the tax preparation must have started arriving in the snail mail or electronically or otherwise and I assume they all are kept safe and together in some place. The examples of these documents are W2s, all kinds of 1099s, 1098, schedule K (if you are into it), statements from social security if you are old enough for that, medical expenses, property tax bills, donations receipts and there are many more.

It also implies that if you are not seeing what you need and you know you should have it then you have to go after it and pursue the right institutions to get them to send you the pertinent documents. It is always possible that the documents can get lost in the mail or even at home (eaten by the dog) if not taken care of immediately. Many banking institutions do not have to send you a 1099, for example, if they are to report interest earned which is less than $10 (and during these past years of low interests it is possible). They are legally allowed to do that but you still need to report that interest on your tax return. So probably the best thing to do is to call and get the right amount. Rest assured that, even if they are not obliged to send you any paper for the same, it still needs to be reported to IRS. One area that can be easily forgotten or overlooked is carryover capital losses. You do not get any reporting paperwork for last year’s capital losses from anybody and it is not obvious where you should be looking for it; you actually have to go through last year’s tax return and dig it out. But it does help and is all worth the efforts especially if you still have unclaimed losses that you can use this year to reduce taxable income.

Miscellaneous income is another aspect where we need to pay some attention. Gambling winnings, or jury duty pay or interest earned on private loans, and litigation settlements are just some of the other incomes that must be reported but on many occasions we don’t get any documents for it like 1099 or similar.

adjustments to your income Even though it is calendar year 2017, it is not too late to make your decisions for depositing your IRA for 2016 and take a deduction for it; and actually while at it think seriously about Saathee.com

Credits If you are able to take advantage of these credits, which reduce your taxes, dollar for dollar, that is the best way to go.

Look for it, gather paperwork and get ready for the following: foreign taxes paid (shows up on your 1099s), child and dependent care expenses when both parents are working or looking for work, education credits, retirement savings contribution, child tax credit and residential energy saving expenses. Different forms have to be filled for each one of these and it will behoove you to get to know them ahead of time.

There are income limits for all of these.

Next month we will take a detailed look at long-term strategy for tax preparation.

Mo Vidwans

Vidwans is an independent, board certified financial planner. For details visit www.vidwansfinancial.com, call 984-888-0355 or write to mpvidwans@yahoo.com.

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February 2017

Chess for All Ages Open to all ages and skill levels.

Welcome beginners and casual players.

Charlotte Chess Center offers:

Give the gift of membership!

Casual Play Classes Camps Tournaments After School Programs

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February 2017

SUBCONTINENTAL DIVIDE An Indian Subcontinent & America Dialogue

By Ahsen Jillani

HoCuS PotuS: the media and its delinquent progeny

“@aHSENjILLANI. Looooser. Just like @MerylStreep and that civil rights black man in GA. Greatness is upon you. #LOSERLOSER #BUILDTHEWALL #PUTINROCKS #NANYNANYBOOBOO” – Donald J. Trump

So by the time you read this we’ll have a new President of the United States (POTUS). I just got a Facebook message inviting me to the inauguration “personally.” It seems now that practically anyone who could play a musical instrument has dropped out of the festivities, and our glorious leader has hired four homeless men to beat on empty trash cans all evening. It’s the Make America Great Again Fantasy Tribute Band. Now I wouldn’t have an issue with a guy with a Pomeranian puppy pelt pasted to his head tweeting from his 18K gold plated toilet at 6am if he wasn’t…POTUS. Having said that, I admit that I’ve enjoyed the show thoroughly and strangely.

I wouldn't have an issue Yes, this is capitalism; the with a guy with a puppy media ratings are going to pelt pasted on his head shoot sky high for the next tweeting from his goldfour years. A reasonable and plated toilet at 6 am if... intelligent person quietly going about “Making America Great” is not exactly entertainment. So, the brokenhearted commentators, anchors, analysts, academics, experts…well, they make millions if you like to watch them looking brokenhearted. There are only two options here: We lose, or, well, we lose.

So here’s the funny aspect of this, and coming from someone who edited a few newspapers and magazines back in the day— there is no mainstream news media in America; it is an entertainment medium that mints money every time you tune in. We can track this back to WW II, when the media acted as a propaganda machine to further the government war effort. They stepped out of line a few times during Vietnam and the rulers quickly made adjustments. By the 1990 Gulf War, we were back where the corporate/government machinery wanted us: watching smart bombs zig zag through bunkers while we had a pizza slice in one hand and a beer in the other.

This wasn’t rocket science either, as channels expanded and cable TV bloomed. The media entities realized that Americans weren’t sitting in front of the TV to get downer news. Life was like a football game. You wanted your testosterone to fire me.

You wanted to get emotional and break furniture. You wanted to cheer for Team USA. By 9/11, the federal authorities had perfected the science. They would ignore media that questioned them. They would deny them White House access or credentials.

They would insult journalists and suggest they were unpatriotic for questioning the Cheney-Rumsfeld view of the world.

Truth was, they said, if journalists weren’t “embedded” in the tank convoys, they may die. Many in American media bought designer desert fatigues and spent the war in fancy Baghdad hotels talking to Arab insiders and ducking as missiles flew by miles from them. The $3 Trillion war launched by showing satellite photos of garbage trucks is still raging. But money flowed freely. Good media ratings; great defense contracts.

Saathee.com

Facts actually don’t need to interfere with the operation of American media at all. More Americans actually die from falling out of bed annually than have been killed by terrorists on Western soil. That won’t exactly keep you glued to Fox News when you have 2000 other channels available. So this brings us to “reality” TV, where every surprise look is taped seven times to get it just right to pull at your (clogged) heartstrings as you reach for another pizza slice.

I lived five houses away from the local “Extreme Makeover” home in Charlotte and endured the citywide fiasco for a week as Disney/ABC invaded the street for a week like the National Guard and I couldn’t walk on a public sidewalk because Disney guards were protecting the stars of the show. When the surprise ending came, the lucky owners of the home didn’t react properly.

Take after retake happened until they fell down hyperventilating, jumping like idiots, hugging each other and collapsing in the arms of the Hollywood A-listers and city officials slobbering over tall blonde ladies and construction workers who looked like Chippendale dancers.

So when our glorious POTUS is telling CNN to sit down because they are fake news, it’s not really hurting anybody.

People want to tune into CNN to see the fight. The networks know, because they produced this golden boy whose brash, egomaniacal actions keep folks glued to the screen. The underemployed country boys, the unemployed rust belt blue collar workers, the evangelicals who say that people are just jealous of the naked pictures of the First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS), well, they are waiting for America to be great again.

I have been scratching my head about the again part for two months. The POTUS tells us that people who are with him are about to experience greatness again: 1930s, The Great Depression? 1940s, a brutal WW II? 1950s, Korea and launch of Cold War and global CIA operations? 1960s, JFK/Marilyn, Civil Rights and Vietnam? 1970s, worst economic crisis in US history?

1980s, hyper-inflation and staggeringly-high interest rates and threat of nuclear annihilation? Maybe, just maybe, POTUS is talking about 1997-2000, when despite Somalia, despite Monica, despite GOP witch hunts, the dot-com stars aligned as a new technology matured and gave us a taste of greatness. 9/11 on, we have seen tax money doled to the defense industry, a crippling recession and collapse of the real estate and banking industries.

That can’t be where we need to be again. I remain puzzled.

But, FakeNews and a fake reality star like POTUS, and where the entire planet knows where the moles are on the first lady’s most private areas, well, somehow this is all fitting for a country striving to be great “again.” So what if our supreme leader has French kissed every contestant in his beauty contests; so what if there’s audio of him discussing his sexual exploits; so what if Putin may have videos that shows his sexual perversion. We are all headed for greatness. Just don’t cross the POTUS during his morning toilet break, or you’ll never be great again. ________ Ahsen Jillani lives in Mint Hill and wants Melania as president.

Ahsen Jillani

a former editor and publisher, is originally from Islamabad , Pakistan , and now lives in Charlotte.

He owns Must Media, a PR company focusing on both political and corporate clients.

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February 2017

THINKING ABOUT THINKING

By Balaji Prasad

Sat Score: Chore or ore?

“Passion is what gets you through the hardest times that might otherwise make strong men weak or make you give up.” ― Neil deGrasse Tyson

We live in an age, where physical capabilities have generally become less valued than abilities to perform mental feats. So, the world’s wealth distribution system is, understandably, skewed in the direction of brain rather than brawn. Core to this way of operating is the ability to figure out who ranks higher than whom, with regard to performance as we define it. Colleges, jobs, social standing, and all other kinds of tangible and intangible rewards depend on the ability to rate and rank people based on their “smartness” – a quality that underpins the kind of performance valued by our society.

But smartness is not easy to assess. It is not like differentiating degrees of physical strength based on who can lift a bigger load. But we are resourceful people. We have come up with grades, scores and tests like the SAT and ACT. There are other systems too, that purport to measure IQ, EQ, psychological quotients. When someone has some combination of scores across these things, they are presumed to be capable of having what it takes. Often, the word “smart” comes into play.

Is this obsessiveness with measuring people’s abilities a healthy one? Does it make for a better world? And, can we be confident that we are actually measuring the thing that we set out to measure, or do we end up creating illusory metrics that mislead rather than inform? Do we lose something in the process?

Can we measure “smartness”?

Are you smarter than a chair? Most people would say yes to this. But can you do what a chair can do? Arguably, not. Even if you end up competing with that chair, can you do what it does, as effectively as it does? Most certainly not! The chair is designed to do some things well, and you are capable of a whole range of things, but being a good chair is not one of them.

So, going back to the question: are you smarter than a chair?

Can we agree that the answer to this would be a tentative “it depends”, rather than a firm “yes”? It all depends on the scope of the question, and the definition of “smartness” that emerges from that. It depends on the job that needs to be done.

The comparison with a chair was just to make a point. It’s the same thing when we try to compare one person against another; it is difficult to do a flat-out “who is smarter” comparison. While we are fascinated with measurement-based systems, at some level, we also realize the inadequacy of simple measures. This is a good thing. Imagine the horror of a world where everyone is ranked according to his or her smartness, and treated according to some smartness rank!

Things are not as bad as they could be, but that does not mean that things are rational and fair. To be successful, you need to understand where the goal is, what the rules of the game are, what makes you a good player in the game, what scores matter, and how much they matter.

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Scores – a double whammy There is a dark side to scores. You can get overly focused on measures that others supposedly care about, rather than on what you do. That focus can prevent you from doing something well, because of the disconnect between actual performance and some illusory metric. Plus, there is only so much enjoyment you can get from numbers, especially during the time when you are working toward some number, without any guarantee that you will actually achieve that metric. And, when you do get the score, any pleasure that comes from it is ephemeral. It is not quite the same as the pleasure derived from seeing something beautiful that you create. Also, you miss the whole experience of doing something with passion, engaging with it and coaxing the most out of it. You go to the ball, but you’re too busy to dance!

If the journey is uninspiring and the destination is insipid, is it unfair to call the whole thing about scores a double whammy?

Be smart about being smart!

When you get put into a box, you cannot keep complaining.

You learn to make yourself comfortable in the box. All of us are put into various boxes, whether it is at school, on the job, in family situations, whatever. We don’t always get to choose our boxes. But … we do get to choose what we do, and how we operate within the boxes that we cannot break out of. It takes creativity and we all have some degree of that. It may be useful to think about creativity as a kind of smartness that transcends the traditional notion of smartness, and makes the experience of being in the “smart” box a more pleasant, perhaps even a gainful one.

to the high-schoolers out there …

There are a couple of important things that I wanted to bring out, especially for the young people who are looking to do well in school and get into good colleges and careers. Things like the SAT don’t have to be viewed as dampers. Nor grades at school.

People will measure you by these things, of course. These are boxes you get put into; and no, you don’t get to decide whether those boxes are good or bad – they just are. However, you can use them to your advantage. It is a matter of attitude and creativity. If you must do what you have to do, you might as well enjoy the experience while you are doing it. It is your time after all, and your experience that gets compromised if you don’t do this. And, this is important …. As many famous achievers have said before, if you enjoy what you do, the results will take care of themselves.

Can you enjoy preparing for the Sat? Learning and developing capability is a pleasurable, wholesome exercise. Ask any toddler who keeps trying and trying and trying to walk, falling many times during the process.

I say this to students who have difficulty with tests such as the SAT: Think of a score and a chore as ore; mine it for some gold.

If I can help with this, I will be happy to.

Balaji Prasad

is an IIT/IIM graduate, a published author, SAT/ACT Online and Offline Coach, interview, resume, and career coach at NewCranium.

Contact: 704.746.9779 balaji.prasad@newcranium.com

February 2017

MARKETING TURNAROUND

By Gail Z. Martin

Creating Champions

Athletes don’t make it to the national level without good coaches. Coaches advise, develop training plans, assess the competition, refine performance, and encourage athletes to get past performance plateaus, personal challenges, and life’s rough spots. We wouldn’t expect a top athlete to succeed without a coach, so why do entrepreneurs believe we can do it alone?

Coaching can take all kinds of forms for entrepreneurs. Life coaches help us figure out what we want to do for our Fresh Start Success. Success coaches help us get over limiting beliefs and behaviors. Media coaches help us look good in front of the cameras. Financial and systems coaches help us put together accounting and back office practices that work. Human resource and management coaches teach entrepreneurs—who are usually subject-matter experts—how to be a good boss and manage a company. As marketing consultants/coaches, we help entrepreneurs see and seize opportunities to gain visibility and translate that into a stream of new clients. The bottom line is, regardless of our individual competencies, there is always more to learn—we all need coaching of one kind or another.

When you’re making your Fresh Start Success, don’t try to go it alone. If Olympic athletes need coaches, even though they’re the best in the world at what they do, then maybe you could benefit from experienced counsel, too. Don’t let your ego get in the way of finding the help you need to reach peak performance.

Coaching for Results Lauren wanted to be a teacher. She went to university to study teaching and discovered that she hated being in the classroom. “That was a huge eye-opener,” Lauren says. “I really gained respect for the teachers in university.” From the time she was seven years old until she was nineteen, Lauren was a competitive rhythmic gymnast, competing for Canada internationally in events that included World Championships.

She was a member of the Canadian National Team for rhythmic gymnastics and eventually became National Team Coach.

Falling back on her experience as an athlete, Lauren refocused her teaching background and trained to be a coach.

After university, she joined a dance company, but it didn’t satisfy her love of gymnastics, so at age twenty-three, she began coaching full-time, then became one of Canada’s national coaches. “It hasn’t been about the job; it’s been about the higher purpose,” Lauren says.

As much as Lauren loved coaching and rhythmic gymnastics, she became disillusioned with the sport in 1991.

Behind-the-scenes changes she saw at the World Championships were not aligned with her core values, and Lauren quit the sport again in 1997. Her first Fresh Start Success began when she went to work for her husband, a former New York City professional dancer, who ran a post-secondary college for musical theater students. For sixteen years, Lauren was the managing director of Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts. She taught herself how to use a computer and poured her passion into the business, which grew from Saathee.com

$300,000 in revenue to $1.5 million in ten years with new programs that she created. She was a catalyst for infrastructure changes that supported such rapid growth and honed her skills on the job even without a formal degree in business.

Lauren realized she needed to reinvent herself again because it became clear that although she was doing amazing work and putting in a lot of hours, she was supporting her husband’s dream, not her own dream. She had tried to make the school her dream, but it wasn’t where her true passion lay.

Lauren realized that she needed to make a change for herself.

“I was caught up in the cult of being the ‘ideal worker,’ working insanely hard to prove that I was smart and accomplished, and the ‘ideal mother’—trying to prove that I was a supermom,” Lauren recalls. “So I ‘demoted’ myself to a smaller role. But I was still super goal-oriented and a perfectionist, and pretty soon, I realized I was building myself another new, huge role with the school even though it wasn’t my passion.” Lauren did some soul searching and looked inward to listen to herself. She paid attention to her conversations with people, looking for direction.

As Lauren listened to what themes kept coming up in conversation, she heard people asking for a life coach. Coaching was in Lauren’s blood, and she had a track record working with gymnasts, students, and the faculty at the school. Still, it took her four years to decide to go back into coaching—this time, as a life and leadership coach. Lauren did her research, hired a coach for herself, and went back to school. As an athlete and now as an adult, Lauren recognized that her inner dialogue was holding her back. “I had to silence the negative mind chatter and my doubts about being too old to start over, since I was already forty-nine,” she says.

“I realized that the gremlins in my head are full of shit,” Lauren adds. “Getting to the point where I could acknowledge that was a profound way to step into awareness. I was in my own way with disempowering thoughts, doubts about my ability, and crippling perfectionism. It was holding me back.”

She also learned to give herself permission to reinvent her career. “It was my turn,” Lauren recalls. “For sixteen years, I had supported my husband’s dream, and now he was supportive of me.” Her family was very supportive of Lauren’s reinvention, even though it meant a shift away from the family business. Some people were judgmental and made her second guess herself. Prevailing against the naysayers helped Lauren become more determined and grounded.

Immersing herself in learning went well. Lauren felt like she was starting late, and that sense of catching up from behind was a motivator to keep her focused and driven. She was still working full-time while she trained to be a coach but quit her job at the school when her coaching client roster grew to where it was too much to handle both.

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continued on page 116

Gail Z. Martin

owns DreamSpinner Communications.

Contact her at Gail@GailMartinMarketing.com

February 2017

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UNCERTAINTY Conversations in Science & Math

By A. Spaice

Relatively Speaking

The third time the caller rang, I wrote down the country code. It sounded like a number out of some science fiction story, +1618. I googled it. Flatland. Where? The fourth time, I picked up. It originated from the aphelion of winter, or, that’s what I imagined, anyway, when the staccato telegram-style voice of a country I’d never heard of said it needed some data about Eliza K. Vera. My best friend. Data, it had said. My mind wheeled to the last time I saw her, in Aarhus. Eliza had said she needed to go North, even further from there. “Dark matters.” Offering me nothing further in the way of information. No questions allowed.

The caller gave me the weird news, and in an odd way.

“Eliza K. Vera isn’t reachable.” That was the word. Reachable.

That’s funny, I thought. My head was still fuzzy from just waking up, it wasn’t quite sunup where I live. “Isn’t reachable? Is that what you Weird that we were talking said?” Your brain doesn’t about urban transit in the work right in these moments, Far East, but I knew the does it? No way anyone sensation of what it felt like could make the right words being.... to fill this blank. But somehow, it offered words: “… everything is clear now, Spaice, yes? Repeat. We have no location on Vera. Do you understand? When did you last see the concerned?”

“Um.” Silence.

“Your last encounter with Miss Vera? Can you give us the detail?”

“I… I’m… last met? That would have been in Denmark.” I didn’t elaborate that Eliza and I exchanged regular correspondence, almost monthly, by letter. “Yes, I’m sure of it.

Last year, no wait, two autumns ago, now that we’re in 2017, aren’t we.” Muffled shuffling. Then the detached voice made a frank and thorough list for me. It verified I knew Vera. Then it told me I would need to make an appearance, whatever that meant. A statement, too. Could I do that? Yes, of course. The whereabouts of EKV, the Flatlander said, was a matter of utmost priority for the MV-J4 community. “Also, there is the matter of the item,” it said, after a flicker of what seemed its first instance of self-doubt.

The item? I thought I heard a sigh.

“A notebook.” Black, it reported, in what now sounded a snow-colored voice. The size of a Japanese paperback, of the style that people there read on trains on their commutes. “You are familiar?” Weird that we were talking about urban transit in the Far East, but I knew the sensation of what it felt like being in a sea of strangers, all of us peering into pages that took us elsewhere, somewhere magical, or dark, but wherever it was, it was far. “Do you know that size?”

“Yes.” The voice seemed audibly relieved. “I have Vera’s black notebook of that size. It is covered in a soft cloth jacket, with embroidery. In the center, near the top, these white threads spell a word. Tanizaki.” At the mention of the name, sheaths of the Saathee.com

Arctic handcuffed me. All my reason folded at my elbows. My universe stilled. Gave me all the room I needed. “Can you confirm this property belongs to the concerned, Spaice?”

“Yes. I can. It is.”

“Most certainly?”

“Yes. This is the only thing I’ve ever been certain about.”

A week later a white box arrived at my stoop. There were no stamps. Inside was Eliza’s notebook.

Eliza used to send me word-sketches of her ideas, by letter, so I knew most of what she had recorded in this small notebook by heart. Still, it was nice to hold it. Since it arrived, I’ve been pulling out her old letters, rereading emails, digging up archived copies of my own responses, and seeing how our conversations had grown from the seeds in this small book. So raw, these early workings. Honest. While I’m waiting for word of where she is (and trying not to get worried about what might have happened, of course) I’m going to do it. Share one of her writings, here.

Can’t say why, exactly. Just a feeling, a feeling that this is what I’m supposed to do with the notebook. Disclaimer: I need to tell you before that there is a way that Eliza has of speaking and writing that is really hard to make sense of. It’s not easy to wade through sometimes, but I’ve found things sometimes stay with me for a long while after I’ve read them. Anyway, I don’t want to over-verbalize. Just see what you think. Here it is: “Relatively Speaking.”

From the cloth-covered notebook of Eliza K. Vera, particle physicist

I want to explore this a second. For us to talk together frankly, here. Relationships. First the one with that model, it’s a long story, then, with my self. It is very personal, very subjective, what is intriguing to one’s own self. Except for when it’s universal. Let me try to close in on this a bit. First, let’s establish that we are focusing on learning, and philosophical stretching.

We could go intellectual and start quoting what people have written about relational aesthetics. Or not. Academic talk is terribly boring. Minute in many ways, afraid of cosmic wonder.

I like exploring a very particular kind of relationship now, outside of the realm of human relations. It’s a special kind of ratio: VERY SMALL: VERY BIG We can read more about G. Vickers now, but this will kill the other imperative challenge, which is to make ourselves aware of the uncluttered space of the big black empty, of possibility, of what might yet come. The infinitude. It’s in the eyes. Look. A magnificent vastness is there, resonates, and is also our own. C. said the only one who can show it is your child. Your child and you ‘get’ it. But why not others, too? “Life. Let’s make it dance.”

Was that Spaice? The light and the dark, and we are back to praising shadows, with Jun’ichiro Tanizaki., and the youthful me and EKVs from many periods of my existence are learning to let go of something, some grip, some hold, on conflicts. Old ones. Now, let’s see. How it goes. The Einstein thing, about what’s valuable. It’s hard to think about what counts, what doesn’t count, what’s countable, what’s not countable. Must come back to this. Best if it could be before 2050. Erm, hm. That means, there’s not that much time left. Ahead, onwards, into the fourth.

–EKV, Copenhagen, November 2015

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February 2017

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February 2017

NUTRITION FOR LIFE Valentine’s Day: Heart Health

increase the risk of heart attacks. This includes, meat, dairy, and eggs, and whey protein powders. Overdoing protein can also damage kidneys.

• Tofu is a good source of protein. Moderate intake of soy isoflavones have been proven to lower cholesterol and offer protection against heart disease. Substitute tofu in paneer dishes.

• Limit meats to small portions of 2-3 oz. Limit meat and eggs to 2-3 days per week. Choose very lean meats. If you are at an increased risk for heart disease, go veg! Vegetarian and vegan diets have been proven to prevent and even reverse heart disease.

• Beans and nuts are also good sources of protein. Eat a variety of beans in different forms. Sprouting beans makes them easier to digest.

By Parul Kharod

Om Puri, Carrie Fisher, and George Michael – the world lost these celebrities in the past two months due to heart conditions.

Countless others die every day succumbing to heart disease.

Every day almost 2,600 Americans die of cardiovascular disease and 7.1 million Americans have had a heart attack during their lifetimes.

The risk is even higher for Asian populations. A 2014 research study by the American Heart Association found that cardiovascular disease causes more deaths for Asian Americans than all forms of cancer combined. Coronary artery disease tends to occur earlier in life and in a higher percentage of the population in Asian Indians than in other ethnic groups.

On this Valentine’s Day, make a resolution to start paying extra attention to heart health for yourself and your loved ones.

Heart disease can be preventable. Small dietary and lifestyle changes can significantly reduce the risk of coronary artery disease. It is possible to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and chronic inflammation by knowing what foods to add and what to avoid.

Limit Sodium Sodium is a preservative. All packaged foods, including snack foods, frozen meals, instant foods, etc. have extra sodium.

Restaurant foods and fast foods also have an excessive amount of sodium.

• Don’t keep salt on the dining table • Limit salty snacks and processed foods • Limit eating out • Eat papad, pickles, and other salty foods in moderation

Choose Healthy Fats The type and quantity of fat in your diet is a very important factor for heart health. In general, aim to eat a low fat diet.

• Unsaturated Fats – the good fats: nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, oils. Avoid fried foods and use very little oil for sautéing and cooking. Use nuts and seeds in small portions; a handful per day or 1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter. Buy raw or dry roasted nuts.

• Saturated Fats – the bad fats: fats present in animal foods such as meats and dairy, including cheese. Choose 1% milk and small amounts of 2% cheese. If you eat non-veg, choose small portions of lean meats.

• Trans Fats – the ugly fats! You may have seen Trans fats in form of vegetable shortening (Crisco or Dalda) or partially hydrogenated oils and palm oils. Trans fats are the worst as they can directly raise your LDL cholesterol. Trans fats are used as a preservative, so mostly all snack foods, ready to eat foods, and fast foods have Trans fats in some form.

Avoid these as much as possible.

Drink Water Adequate amount of water is important a number of reasons.

• Drink 6-8 glasses of water • Avoid other beverages such as soda, juice, Gatorade, KoolAid, and other sugary drinks. Avoid their diet versions also.

• Limit alcohol

exercise Daily physical activity has protective influence on the heart.

You do not have to join a gym. Make a resolution to move more.

• Get a pedometer or a phone app to count your steps.

Increase your activity slowly till you reach the goal of 10,000 steps per day • Add resistance exercises to strengthen your muscles and bones. Elastic bands or small weights are inexpensive and can be used at home. Yoga and Pilates are also excellent.

Choose Healthy Carbohydrates Simple starches and sugars can raise triglycerides, increase insulin resistance, and thus increase the risk of heart disease.

• Choose whole grains. Choose brown rice and other whole grains including whole wheat, brown rice, bulgur, barley, ragi, oats, bajri, jowar, quinoa, whole grain bread and pasta.

• Avoid foods made with maida or enriched bleached flour (all-purpose flour) • In general, eat less foods made with flour (atta) and choose intact (sabut) grains • Eat whole fruits. Avoid juices and processed forms of fruit.

• Avoid sugary foods and beverages. Avoid diet drinks.

Don’t overdo Protein Excessive protein from animal sources has been proven to Saathee.com

Reduce Stress and anger Stress and negative emotions such as anger have a negative effect on heart health. These conditions can increase inflammatory hormones and start a chain reaction that can lead to a heart attack. A recent study showed that people who were continued on page 116

Parul Kharod, MS, RD, LDN

is a registered dietitian and licensed nutritionist and works as a Clinical Dietitian with Outpatient Nutrition Services at WakeMed Hospital in Cary and Raleigh. She can be reached at parulkharod@gmail.com 62

February 2017

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HINDU CENTER Support Hindu Center Expansion

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Upcoming Hindu Center Events & Activities: Maha Shivrati Celebrations: Feb 24 (Fri) Holika Dahan: Mar 12 (Sun); Dhuleti: Mar 19 (Sun) Chaitra Navratri: Mar 28 thru April 4 Ugadi/Gudi Padava/ Baisakhi in Temple: Mar 28 (Tues) Swaminarayan Jayanti: April 1 (Sat) Chetti-Chand: April 2 (Sun); Ram Navami: April 4 ( Tues) Mahavir Jayanti: April 9 (Sun); Hanuman Jayanti: April 11 (Tues) MahaPrabhuji Patotstav: April 29 (Sat) Ugadi/Gudi Padava/ Baisakhi Mela: April 22 (Sat) HINDU CENTER OF CHARLOTTE

7400 City View Drive, Charlotte, NC 28212 Ph. 704.535.3440 Fax. 704.535.6923 email: administrator@hcclt.org

OF CHARLOTTE

MAHA-SHIVRATRI February 24, 2017 (Friday)

Lord Shiva Abhishekham all day This year Maha Shivaratri will be celebrated by performing Pooja all night long including Rudhrabhishekham.

Evening Puja; Abhishek, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad

Lord Shivji Archanas $21 donations special Abhishekham line.

Rudra Abhishekham sponsors including Archna $51 donations please call 704-535-3440 to reserve.

Holika Dahan March 12 Sunday, 7:30 pm

Puja & Aarti 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Dhuleti:

March 19th (Sunday) at 12:30 pm COLOR, MUSIC & FOOD

HINDU CENTER New Vedanta Bhavan

OF CHARLOTTE The Hindu Center of Charlotte presents:

Date: Saturday, March 25 • Venue: Hindu Center Vihar Hall Times: Dinner: 6 pm to 8 pm, Play at 8:30pm

Tickets (including dinner): $35 / Person with seat numbers - First 10 Rows $25 / Person - General Admission Call: Hemant Amin: 704.258.3588; Rajni Patel: 704.488.8145; Ravi Patel: 704.201.7358; Anil Patel: 336.262.3814 Ashok Shah: 704.460.5569; Bharti Patel: 704.678.9991; Bharat Patel: 704.909.8072; Gita Shah: 704.408.2479; Hindu Center: Reena or Amita: 704.535.3440; Rashmika Patel: 704.596.7188

test your

Knowledge Cities of India

1

3

2

This city in Tamil Nadu was formerly known as Cape Comorin.

What is the geographical location of Kanyakumari?

5

4

The nearest major town to Kanyakumari.

Kanyakumari town is the southern tip of the ____, an extension of the Western Ghats range.

Kanyakumari’s name is derived from?

7

6

What body of water is Kanyakumari located on?

8

This 95 ft statue is tourist attraction and monument built on a rocky island in Kanyakumari.

9

One of the famous and popular churches in Nagercoil near Kanyakumari.

This memorial to Swami Vivekananda stands on a rock island near Thiruvalluvar Statue.

Answers: 1. Kanyakumari 2. The Southernmost tip of Peninsular India 3. Cardamom Hills 4. Nagercoil 5. Devi Kanya Kumari Temple in the region. 6. Laccadive Sea 7. Thiruvalluvar Statue 8. Cathedral of St. Xavier 9. Vivekananda Rock Memorial

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February 2017

HEART TO HEART Heartfulness: Purity weaves destiny

the Science of Spirituality The Stillness Paradox

For example, we have eyes so that we can look around and see things better; that is their main purpose. But we use the eyes for a different purpose that is desire-based, drawing us outwards, creating a vacillating mind and disturbance. Then we are unable to focus on our center. If we focus on the steadiness of the soul, we will stay centered. Consider it from another angle: the earth is revolving around the sun while spinning on its own axis at a very high speed. If you are seated at the Equator you will have maximum exposure to that movement at almost 1000 miles per hour, whereas if you are at the North Pole you will feel as if you are stationary, as you are on the top of the axis. So the key is to find that axis within yourself. How is this possible? It is possible only when you match your movements with those of your axis.

And what are those movements all about? The ability of your mind to settle down.

The great yogi, Ram Chandra of Fatehgarh, said that it is the settledness of the mind on a subject that brings happiness. If that settledness is not there, then you will be jumping from one thing to another without any resolution. You will not have any closure, you will not have any satisfaction, and you will not have any peace. You will still be vacillating and dissatisfied all your life, and you will not have learned anything from all your activities.

So settledness is the key. When you meditate, you must feel settled. Or putting it another way: if the meditation is done correctly you will automatically feel settled.

Now settledness does not mean inactivity; in fact, it is activity at a dimension we have never conceived of before. When you have a subject to study, a business venture to work upon and a conversation with your child, your mind should be steady on them. At the same time your mind should also be steady on any other thing that you need to attend to. The steadiness should be there. It is not that when you are fully attentive to one thing you are less attentive to another. One does not rob your mind of capacity for the other. It depends on how you develop your capacity to expand your consciousness. As you progress, you will not feel that you are thinking or contemplating, as it just becomes a part of your nature. It is like developing any other capacity. For example, when little children have to add 2+2 a lot of thinking is involved, but as a teenager you can have a complex equation in your mind and work on it, no longer needing to think. You are able to contemplate. When you advance a little more, you are neither thinking nor contemplating, as the answer comes just like that. The nature of the soul is movement and thinking, and in the early stages of a spiritual practice, you learn to focus and think clearly. Later on comes expansion, which means you develop 360-degree consciousness. Still later, when you reach higher realms of human consciousness, it is as if you are everywhere at the same time. Consciousness is of a nature where you have gone beyond expansion, and that is why there is stillness, which happens when things are moving extremely fast.

So, let’s look at it from the perspective of infinite movement versus perfect stillness. What is infinite movement? We can

By Kamlesh D. Patel

He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.

— Albert Einstein

The above quote resonates with some ideas I have been thinking about lately on consciousness. Imagine a beautiful flower blooming in the garden. If you run past it you will not be able to appreciate its beauty, whereas if you are walking by you can enjoy it more, and if you stand still in front of it you will appreciate its beauty even more. If you are flying, then you will not even see the flower below you on the earth. So, when we are moving rapidly, we miss out on many things. The mind is even faster than any physical movement. When the mind is moving rapidly from one object to another, one subject to another, one venture to another, what you miss is the blooming of the flower that is inside you. You are not merely missing out on the details; you miss out completely on the existence of the flower itself.

Now what is that flower? It is your soul. Let’s explore this idea further and ask a question: is it possible to move at speed and still be present in each moment? Can we reach a critical speed where we stand still in movement? To understand this better, let’s revisit the diagram we have of the various bodies of a human being.

The soul is the center of our being, around which we have the four main subtle bodies that we know as the mind. The first is consciousness, the canvas that is the field or fabric of the subtle body. Then there is the ego, which is our identity, so it is also deeply entwined with the individual soul. Then comes intellect, which allows us to discern and make choices, and then at the surface level of the mind is the thinking function. Then there is the physical body, which is the outermost layer. If noticed keenly, it is always the subtle that supports the less subtle in its wake.

The soul is the subtlest, followed by consciousness, ego, intellect, mind and finally the physical body, and hence the origin of the sequence in the order mentioned above. Think of a wheel.

The very center of the wheel is quite steady, without movement, whereas the circumference of the wheel experiences maximum movement. Similarly, the center of a tornado, the eye, is in utter stillness. If you want to be calm, position yourself in the center of the tornado and keep moving along with it, and then nothing will affect you. And what is our center, around which the vortex of life exists? It is the soul.

Let’s explore the physical end of the spectrum. The five senses are given to us for a noble purpose, but we are so busy using them for our pleasures at the physical level that we misuse them.

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continued on page 112

Kamlesh D. Patel

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Kamlesh D. Patel is the fourth spiritual guide in the Sahaj Marg system of Raja Yoga meditation, teaching Heartfulness meditation free of charge. contact carolinas@heartfulness.org for more information or visit www.Heartfulness.org

February 2017

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February 2017

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w w w . R e b a t e F o r H o m e B u y e r. c o m

NEWS NOTES Southeast Asia is Experiencing a Thrilling Wave of Species Discovery

By Patrick Winn, GlobalPost

The newt’s toes and tail are creamsicle orange, a striking contrast to its ochre-brown torso. Its head is shaped like a hexagon.

But its defining feature is a craggy ridge of bones along its back and skull. All together, the creature looks remarkably like a Klingon. Or rather, a Klingon’s forehead that somehow sprouted tiny limbs.

The so-called “Klingon Newt,” newly discovered in northern Thailand Credit: Courtesy of the World Wildlife Fund

The jungles of Southeast Asia are teeming with undiscovered species. Until recently, this creature — full name, tylototriton anguliceps — was one of them.

Now it’s among a wave of species discovered in and around the Mekong River.

In the minds of many Americans, the river recalls death; its delta region saw gruesome battles following the US invasion of Vietnam. But the river is, in fact, a great giver of life — much of it slithering. Scientists trudging through the Greater Mekong region are finding a surprising number of previously uncatalogued species. “There are still a lot of unexplored areas,” says Jimmy Borah, a Southeast Asia-based program manager with the World Wildlife Fund.

“But if you look deeply, you’d be surprised by how many species you can find,” Borah says. “We’re finding more than two per week.”This is not just an Asian phenomenon. Centuries after we began cataloging plants and animals in earnest, humans are still finding loads of new ones. In fact, in a good year, we can rack up as many as 20,000 newly discovered species.

This pace is owed in large part to technology: online archiving, precision DNA tests and cheap flights to remote lands. The world’s scientists know that places such as Madagascar, for example, are rife with undocumented creatures.

But they no longer have to reach its shores via creaky sailboats.

Actually spotting new creatures means sticking your nose in rotting logs or checking under rocks — both choice hangouts for the Klingon lizard. It dwells near the Thai-Myanmar border in a province called Chiang Rai. “There’s a lot of energy involved in finding new species,” Borah says. “Not many people would immediately notice [the Klingon newt] if they came across it in the forest. Most people would think, ‘Oh, it’s just a lizard.’ But there are people looking for new species that can spot all kinds of morphological differences.”

Saathee.com

Scientists who hunt new species are enjoying what some environmentalists call a “golden age of discovery.” When it comes to wildlife preservation — often a horribly depressing subject — this is a rare bit of upbeat news.

But don’t get too comfortable.

Many ecologists believe the world is now suffering through the “sixth extinction,” a catastrophic mass death of species.

Researchers aren’t certain how many species go extinct each year; after all, we don’t know how many we haven’t yet discovered. Some estimate the planet loses 150 per day.

As the term “sixth extinction” suggests, there were five others in the past. Those catastrophes were caused by ice ages and asteroids. But this one is brought on by human activity. Its causes are varied but involve climate change, deforestation, poaching and industrial farming.

Thanks to humans, much of the planet’s sentient life is now narrowed down to a band of lifeforms that we like to eat. In fact, if you exclude small critters, most hot-blooded creatures standing on the Earth’s surface live their entire lives in captivity.

The sort of creatures usually evoked by the word “wild animal” — say, a tiger or a fox — are increasingly hard to find.

They’re severely outnumbered by domesticated animals such as dogs and chickens.

According to the macro-historian Yuval Noah Harari, livestock accounts for roughly 60 percent of the Earth’s biomass, at least when it comes to animals larger than a few pounds.

Humans clock in around 30 percent. Wild animals? Maybe 10 percent. Harari puts it succinctly: “Homo Sapiens has rewritten the rules of the game. This single ape species has managed within 70,000 years to change the global ecosystem in radical and unprecedented ways.”

So what does all this mean for creatures like the little Klingon newt? Scientists don’t know much about the newt at this point.

But they do know it’s highly sensitive to man-made poisons in the form of pesticides. Researchers such as Borah also worry about another human threat: jungle poachers.

“Whenever a new species is discovered,” Borah says, “illegal wildlife traders will think, ‘Oh, there’s a new species here.

Maybe we can sell it for our own profit.’”

He cites the example of a snake, recently discovered in Laos, with brilliant iridescent colors shimmering on its head.

(Researchers have already dubbed it the “Ziggy Stardust” snake.)

This type of creature would be easy to market within a global illicit wildlife trade — centered in Asia — that rakes in an estimated $10 billion per year.

“Whenever a new species is discovered,” Borah says, “it becomes easy for poachers to throw out some new superstitious idea. They might say, ‘This snake has a rainbow on its head so that’ll give you power.’ It’s pretty easy to convince consumers.”

At this point, there’s no way of knowing how many Klingon newts or Ziggy Stardust snakes are wriggling around Southeast Asia. At this point, neither are fully protected by the core international treaties that attempt to protect wildlife from smugglers.

For biologists, tracking down and identifying new species is easier than ever before. Yet they’re pitted against humanity’s destructive hand in a race to catalogue as many species as possible before they’re eradicated.

Ideally, the Klingon newt will persevere — but if it doesn’t, it wouldn’t be the first creature to get wiped out within a mere decade of its discovery.

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February 2017

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February 2017

Carolina Horse & Carriage

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International Community Church A WORSHIP CENTER FOR PEOPLE FROM INDIA AND NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES

We Welcome you to Become a Part of this Loving Spiritual Family “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 (The Holy Bible)

Pastor: Joseph B. Jesudason

Regular activities

Worship Service - Sundays at 8:30 aM Child Care Available 1524, north Harrison avenue, Cary (next to SaS Campus)

Children’s Sunday School & adult Bible Study - Sundays at 11 aM 1215 Jones Franklin Rd Suite 204 Prayer Fellowship - Wednesdays at 7:00 PM Meet at Four Zones at host families Raleigh, Durham, Apex, Cary, Morrisville, Holly Springs & Chapel Hill

SeRVInG GoD anD tHe CoMMunIty SInCe june 1984

Zakar Bible Club: Character development of children through memorization of God’s powerful & redemptive word.

Please send your child and receive guaranteed life lasting blessing.

Church office: 1215 jones Franklin Road, Suite 204 Raleigh, nC 27606 (919) 233-2900 or (919) 467-4435 (Residence) www.icc-nc.org

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We welcome you to come and receive a blessing through this evangelical, Christ-centered, Bible-based, non-denominational, loving, caring, mission-minded spiritual family church.

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February 2017

Helping children develop to their fullest potential through a secure, nurturing, loving and stimulating environment.

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Financial Markets a year in review

By Rajesh T. Ganatra

What a year 2016 was! It was a crazy election cycle ending in the victory of the most unconventional presidential candidate in history. By the time you read this Donald Trump will have been sworn in as the 45th President of the US. The markets around the world had a busy and substantive year. Here is my analysis.

the Dow jones Industrial average aka “The Dow” began 2016 at 17,245.13 and closed out the year at 19,762.60, which represented a gain of 2,337.47 points [+13.5%]. The major bulk of the gains came during the months of November and December. In anticipation of a Clinton victory, on Monday, 11/7/2016, the Dow increased from 17,888.28 to 18,259.60 and on Election Day itself (Tuesday), 11/8/2016, the Dow had another jump up to 18,332.74. As the election results began to come in and be analyzed and tabulated, the Dow “Futures” were down as much as 900 points on the heels of the shocking and astounding Trump victory. However, when the market opened up on Wednesday, 11/9/2016, the Dow opened down only 15 points and actually had a significant bullish action, settling out at 18,569.69. From there, the march to 20,000 really commenced and the financial sector fueled the rally on anticipation of significant deregulation under a Trump administration. The highest point for the Dow was intra-day on Wed, December 28, 2016, when the index reached 19,981.11. From there, it was a retreat and the index closed down for the remaining 3 days of 2016. In the opening days of 2017, the Dow traded in a narrow range of 19,718.67 to 19,999.63, which was the intra day high on Friday, 1/6/2017. The Dow was not able to rise an additional 0.37 to achieve the milestone of 20,000, which remains extremely close yet quite elusive to-date. Part of the reason for this can be attributed to Trump’s first press conference held post the election (on January 11th, 2016). In this news conference, Trump provided little clarity about how he would implement his aggressive proposals that he had promised during the campaign and hence; the rally to 20,000 lost steam.

the naSDaQ Composite started CY2016 at 5,007.41 and settled out the year at 5,383.12, which represented a gain of 376 points (+7.5%). The index’s rise was due to the healthcare and technology sector, although the technology sector is very different than what it was during March 2000, when the NASDAQ achieved a closing milestone of 5048 on 3/10/2000. In 1999-2000, it was the Internet/dot.com stocks that fueled the rally on the NASDAQ because the Net was in its early stages back then. Any stock that had association with the Internet soared and continued to soar even more. In addition, when the new Millennium was on the horizon, there were a lot of Y2K companies that sprouted up. These companies specialized in fixing computer programs and systems that had only two digits for the year, so that the transition from 1999 to 2000 would not cause any glitches. IPOs of ‘Net’ and ‘Y2K’ companies were plentiful and those stocks rose exceptionally, although many companies were unprofitable and did not have a realistic business plan.

Soon after the records set in March 2000 came the piercing bust of the balloon. Because the majority of the dot.com companies had no profits, the hype suddenly came to a crashing halt and many of the dot.com companies folded entirely. The turn of the calendar from 1999 to 2000 was much smoother than Saathee.com

expected and the event did not bring significant disruption, chaos or any major glitches. Therefore, the Y2K companies lacked a sense of purpose after 1/1/2000. The NASDAQ Composite took a long, hard plunge and especially after the dreadful terrorist attacks of 9/11/2011 and the recession thereafter, the index took a major beating and on 10/9/2002, the NASDAQ closed at 1114.11, which represented a drop of 78% from the March 2000 peak. It took fifteen long years for the NASDAQ to approach 5,000 again and it closed at 5,008.10 on 3/2/2015. Subsequently, the index oscillated between 4600-5100 for several months. After the election in, 2016 the NASDAQ was a part of the rally and set new highs in the 5500 area.

One of the hottest dot.com stocks back in 1999-2000 was Amazon.com (AMZN) and the company not only survived the bust and economic downturns but has manifested itself from being just an online bookstore to a one-stop-shop for “anything and everything”. It has built an network of warehouses and shipping centers to get orders to the consumers quickly and with the ease of shopping online, many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have been significantly hurt by this online giant. AMZN is a stalwart in the NASDAQ Composite and it has indeed helped fuel its comeback. Another company that has turbo-charged the NASDAQ is Apple (AAPL). Literally left for dead in the mid1990s, the company turned into “survival mode” and completely reinvented itself with the advent of the iPhone, iPad and iMacs, and these products have transformed consumers’ lives in countless ways, especially in the way we listen to music. Another powerhouse stock that helped the NASDAQ reclaim 5,000 is Google. It had humble beginnings as a search engine and Google IPOed in 2004. Since then, Google has many products and is working on proto-types for driverless cars!

the Standard & Poors (S&P) 500 Index started CY2016 at 2,043.90 and ended the year at 2,238.83, which represents a gain of 194.93 points (+9.5%). The S&P 500 Index consists of the stocks of 500 major large cap companies that trade on the U.S. Exchanges, and several of these companies have two classes of stock, therefore, the total number of stocks in the index is actually 505, despite its name. The S&P 500 Index covers nearly 80% of U.S. Market Capitalization. The weighting of the index is determined by market capitalization, therefore, the moves in the larger-cap companies are “weighted heavier” and they tend to sway the index more.

the Federal Reserve controls two key interest rates: the Federal Funds Rate, which is the rate that financial institutions borrow money from each other and the Discount Rate, which is the rate that financial institutions borrow directly from the Fed itself. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) normally meets eight times per year to evaluate the economic data and decide whether to make a move on interest rates. A basis point is 0.01% and normally, any moves up or down are done in increments of 25 basis points (0.25%) at the meetings.

However, in times of economic duress, namely after events such as the “dot.com” bust during the spring of 2000, the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01, the Great Recession of 2008-2009, many interest rate moves have been 50 basis points (0.50%) and several of these have been undertaken in between the regularly scheduled eight [8] meetings per year. Two of the larger interest rate moves in recent history have been the 75 basis point (0.75%) interest rate cut on 1/22/2008 when it became evident that the entire banking system was buckling under enormous pressure due to the housing crisis, and also during December 2008 when the Fed Funds was lowered to a target range of 0%-0. 25%: the Fed did not want rates at an absolute zero point.

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February 2017

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February 2017

COMMUNITY FOCUS Events of Note

Mad & Divine Dance Performance Sun Feb 12 (Durham, nC) The Indian Classical Music and Dance Society presents, “Mad & Divine” the stories of Janabai and Lalleswari by Kalaimamani Rama Vaidyanathan. The dance performances will take place on Sun, February 12 beginning at 5pm at HSNC, 309 Aviation Pkwy, Morrisville, NC. Tickets range from $10 - $30 and admission is free for ICMDS members.

For more details call 919.244.082 or visit www.IDMDS.org.

new Bern antiques Show & Sale - Feb 10-12 Get hot in New Bern at the Antiques Show & Sale to be held at the New Bern Riverfront Convention Center. Come play and shop at the New Bern Preservation Foundation’s 31st Annual Antiques Show and Sale featuring over 35+ vendors. The show will feature items from the 18th Century to 1970. Make some finds for your collections. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Learn more about the event at visitnewbern.com or www.newbernpf.org art Ball 20 - Sat Feb 11 (Cary, nC)

Beaufort International Film Festival - Feb 15-19 The Beaufort Film Society will present the 11th annual Beaufort International Film Festival from February 15 – 19. Experience what has been called by many as the “best little film festival in the southeast.”

The fest features five days of international and local short films, feature films, animation, filmmakers’ surprises, educational forums, and guest speakers. Visit www.beaufortfilmfestival.com for information about special guests, events and more.

Sangeet Saagar – Sat, Feb 18 (Chapel Hill, nC) Sangeet Saagar is the premier South Asian A Cappella competition on the East Coast featuring six teams from across the nation. Hosted by Delta Sigma Iota Fraternity, the teams will be singing mashups of popular Hindi and English songs.

The event will take place on Sat, February 18 at 6pm in Memorial Hall at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Sangeet Saagar has been named an official bid competition, where the first-place team will get an automatic bid to the national championship “All American Awaaz.”

Information regarding tickets can be found on sangeetsaagardsi.com. All proceeds from this event will be donated to AID India.

The 20th Annual Art Ball, which supports all of Cary Visual Art’s programs, is coming Saturday, February 11 at 6:30pm in West Wing, North Carolina Museum of Art. Join friends of Cary Visual Art for an artful evening celebrating 20 years of promoting, inspiring, encouraging, and supporting visual arts for the uplifting of the human spirit in the Cary community.

Cary Visual Art organizes permanent and temporary placement of visual art in Cary, develops and educates young and emerging visual artists, and provides unique exhibition opportunities for experienced visual artists. The evening is a fundraiser and will feature dinner, dancing, live music, artwork, a short film, silent auction and more. For more details visit, www.caryvisualart.org.

Dil Se naach - Sat, Feb 18 (Greenville, nC) ECU Pirate Raas presents Dil Se Naach dance competition to benefit Vibha RDU charity. The event features 12 teams from all over the country. Dance styles include Bollywood fusion, Bhangra and Garba-Raas. It will take place on February 18, 2017 at 6PM on the East Carolina University Campus - Wright Auditorium; Tickets available at ecuarts.com.

Charleston SteM Festival - Sat Feb 11 The Charleston STEM Festival is a celebration of science, technology, engineering and math in the Lowcountry.

The 4th annual festival will be highly visible outdoor event that provides opportunity for engagement and exchange between children, teens, families, and local STEM professionals. This exciting event will take place on Saturday, February 11 from 10am-3pm at Brittlebank Park in Charleston, SC and will feature over 80 exhibitors who will provide hands-on activities, live performances, interactive demonstrations, and family-oriented STEM entertainment. After the festival, Partner Events will occur throughout the Lowcountry. For more details visit, www.charlestonstemfest.org.

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Mardi Gras Columbia – Sat Feb 25 (Columbia, SC) The Krewe de ColumbiYaYa, Columbia, SC’s first Mardi Gras krewe, hosts the city’s annual Mardi Gras festivities. Everyone is welcome to join in the fun, and emphatically encouraged to wear a costume! The festivities include a Lagniappe 5k run (your dog can run with you), parade, and the festival itself which runs until sunset. Food & drinks will be available all day as well. For more info and tickets to each event, visit www.mardigrascolumbia.com 82

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nevermore Film Festival - Feb 24-26 (Durham) Created in 1999, The Nevermore Film Festival is a juried competition festival which programs brand-new genre feature and short films from around the world. The festival seeks submissions for narrative feature and shorts with in emphasis on horror, science fiction, dark fantasy, animation, mystery/suspense, and action-thrillers. Tickets start at $10 and will be on sale starting January 29. Learn more at www.carolinatheatre.org

in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Center with the goal of going beyond the stereotypes of Southeast Asian Indians by exploring their daily lives, to struggles in a new country and contributions to food, culture, and politics. “We were excited to open this exhibit in Raleigh” said Ernest Dollar, Director of the COR Museum, “It is a great opportunity to tell the story our rapidly growing Indian community through exploring Indian American’s impact on American history.” In addition, the museum is partnering with local groups to present a series of public programs and events to highlight Wake County’s connection to the exhibit. “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation” is a creation of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The exhibit will have an extended stay at the museum through April 9, 2017. The museum hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m./Sundays 1-4 p.m. Admission is free; donations accepted. For more details, call 919-996-2220 or visit www.cityofraleighmuseum.org.

nuv yug India Fest - March 2017 (Charlotte & Raleigh) The Nuv Yug Cultural Association presents the Nuv Yug India Fest on Sat-Sun, March 18 - 19 at the NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh, NC and on Sat-Sun, March 25 - 26 at the Park Expo Center in Charlotte. The events feature performances, arts, fashion, exhibitions, crafts, food, vendors, and more. The audition deadlines for performers at Sat, February 25 for the Raleigh fest and Sat, March 4 for the Charlotte fest. For more details call 919-2289867, write to team@nuvyug.net or visit www.nuvyug.net.

Community News

CMS Student Gives Speech at annual State of Schools Ceremony Sanskriti Deva Kulshreshtha won Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools - CMS State student award last fall and was invited to give a speech during State of schools ceremony and yearend wrapup on December 7, 2016

by CMS Superintendent Ann Clark. Sanskriti is the first Indian-American selected to address CMS state of schools in Charlotte. She is a ninth grader at Philip O Berry Academy.

taj express: the Bollywood Musical – Sun, Mar 12 (Greenville, SC)

the Charlotte City Council appointed Dimple ajmera to the District 5 Seat The Charlotte City Council last month voted unanimously to appoint Dimple Ajmera to represent District 5 in east Charlotte. Ajmera will replace Councilman John Autry, who was elected to the NC state House of Representatives in November. She is a member of the Charlotte Housing Authority Board. She is employed as a project manager at TIAA Inc. Ajmera is a Democrat.

By state law, appointees to council vacancies must be from the same party as the person they’re replacing. She was chosen from among six candidates and sworn in on January 23. She is the first Asian-American appointed as Charlotte City Council member. She immigrated to the US from India with her family when she was 16. Ajmera’s term ends in December. “I told them I will fill the term for 11 months,” Ajmera told the Charlotte Observer. “I’ll support whoever decides to run for the district.”

The musical show, “ Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue” will be performed on Sunday, March 12 beginning at 6:30pm. Taj Express explodes with the sounds of India and Bollywood, capturing the vibrant, expressive spirit of the world of Bollywood movies that have been entertaining billions of people in India for generations. Through a fusion of film, dance, and music, this dazzling international sensation will take audiences on a live cinematic journey through modern Indian culture and society during their 2017 US tour. The production is a high energy celebration of new India’s pop music, Bollywood culture, and deep traditions featuring colorful costumes, joyful dance, and live music. Tickets range from $25-$45. Peace Concert Hall, 300 Main St., Greenville SC. Details call 864.467.3000 or visit http://www.peacecenter.org/

Beyond Bollywood exhibit - thru apr 9 (Raleigh) The City of Raleigh Museum is hosting its first Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibit “Beyond Bollywood: Indian Americans Shape the Nation.” The exhibit is the first national exhibit to celebrate the history and achievements of IndianAmericans in the United States. Beyond Bollywood was created Saathee.com

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Courtesy of WFAE and the Charlotte Observer

February 2017

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February 2017

IMMIGRATION MATTERS

provision applies for certain H-1B nonimmigrants seeking employment-based permanent residency status if 365 days or more have passed since the filing of a labor certification application or employment-based immigrant visa petition.

• The new rule establishes that employment-based immigrant visa petitions approved for over 180 days would not automatically be revoked based on a petitioner’s withdrawal or termination of the business. The beneficiary may be eligible to retain the priority date of the petition.

Based on this provision, an H-1B worker with an approved I-140 may be able to obtain an extension, even if they change employers.

• The new rule also establishes an employment authorization for individuals with compelling circumstances in valid E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, O-1 or L-1 statuses. However, once the nonimmigrant elects to use this “emergency EAD,” they are no longer eligible to change or adjust status in the U.S. but would need to process in an embassy or consulate abroad.

These sections of the bill will specifically impact employers: • Employers will need to file a new form “Supplement J to I485” with USCIS to confirm the existence of a job offer which would allow green card portability. The form is intended to “ensure uniformity in the collection of information and submission of initial evidence.”

• For higher education institutions, the definition of “affiliation” has been expanded to eliminate the shared ownership and control requirement for affiliated capexempt non-profits.

Rules and Proposed Regulations to Impact High-Skilled nonimmigrant Worker Classifications

Immigration has been a frequent topic in the news this past election season. As President-Elect Donald Trump takes office and new rules take effect, international employees need to monitor these changes closely to ensure compliance with the laws and to take advantage of new provisions that provide more flexibility to workers. In this article we explore two major topics:

• DHS Final Rule: “Retention of EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Immigrant Workers and Program Improvements Affecting High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers” • Advance notice of proposed rulemaking: EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program

DHS Rule The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a final rule titled “Retention of EB-1, EB-2, and EB-3 Immigrant Workers and Program Improvements Affecting High-Skilled Nonimmigrant Workers” in the Federal Register late last year, and was scheduled to go in effect in January.

The new rule clarifies and expands existing regulations surrounding the employment of high-skilled foreign national workers. The summary of the rule states it will result in: “improved processes and increased certainty for U.S. employers seeking to sponsor and retain immigrant and nonimmigrant workers; greater stability and job flexibility for those workers; and increased transparency and consistency in the application of DHS policy related to affected classifications.”

The rule provides explanations on the portability and flexibility of the H-1B, as well as better defining certain cap exemptions. It also addresses extensions of stay under the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 (AC21). The rule gives nonimmigrant workers more flexibility in changing employers while maintaining a valid status. Employers should also benefit from the streamlined processes and faster processing times.

Our attorneys and paralegals have reviewed the new rule and would like to share some of the most impactful aspects for workers and employees.

• Workers in valid E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, L-1, O-1 and TN visa statuses, but who are no longer employed by their sponsor or whose current status has expired, are eligible for a 10-day grace period. These workers can lawfully remain in the U.S. during the grace period in order to seek new employment.

• Workers in the same classifications may also be eligible for a grace period for up to 60 days during the petition validity period. This grace period is available only once per authorized validity period and DHS may shorten the period at its discretion.

• The new rule also confirms the ability to recapture time spent inside the United States in any other nonimmigrant status (except H-1B or L-1) during the initial 6-year period of H-1B admission, based on a 2006 USCIS memorandum.

• The rule provides a “lengthy adjudication delay exemption,” which allows authorization of an approved H-1B status beyond the typical 6 years (in one year increments. The

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Proposed Rulemaking on eB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Center Program The final topic for this month’s article is DHS’s recent announcement about regulatory changes to the EB-5 Immigrant Investor Regional Program. Here are some of the most significant proposed changes: • The standard minimum investment amounts would increase from $1 million to $1.8 million in high employment areas to adjust for inflation.

• For a targeted employment area (TEA), the minimum investment would increase from $500,000 to $1.35 million, or 75% of the proposed standard minimum investment.

• DHS has proposed regular increases to the minimum investment amounts every 5 years, based on the unadjusted Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U).

• Under the proposal, the TEA designation process would be modified so DHS would make all TEA designations rather than individual states in order to “address inconsistencies” and “ensure that the reduced investment threshold is reserved for areas experiencing significantly high levels of unemployment.”

You have an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed EB-5 rules before April 11, 2017 by visiting www.regulations.gov.

While the DHS rule is finalized, the two Congressional bills and the DHS notice for the EB-5 program are all in the “proposal” phase.

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

carolinakhadayatasamaj@yahoo.com Jaswant Mehta - 704.839.1965 Rita Shah - 704.321.0740

Charlotte

agaram tamil Palli Agaram Tamil Palli serves the Tamil speaking community in Greater Charlotte area by conducting Tamil language classes at CPCC, central campus.

For Further Details: Megalai Ezhilarasan agaramtp.coord@gmail.com 704.456.9881 http://agaramtamilpalli.wordpress.com

Carolinas Christian assembly Carolinas Christian Assembly located on 12601 Idlewild Road in the city of Matthews, NC, offers worship, fellowship and community assistance to all South Asians living in the Charlotte area. Pastor, Dr. Shibu Cherian, offers free counseling services to married couples and is a licensed premarital counselor.

For Further Details: 404-840-6745 (Mobile) www.carolinaschristianassembly.org

art of Living (Charlotte) Art of Living is dedicated to serving society by strengthening the individual. This is done through self-development programs that recharge the body, mind and spirit and allow people to function at their optimum potential. People from all backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions come together in service and celebration.

For Further Details: 980.216.8732 charlotte@us.artofliving.org www.artofliving.org/charlotte

Charlotte Gita Study Group Beginners and advanced students of the Gita are welcome. The group meets the second and fourth Sunday of each month from 3 - 5pm. This course is based on the Home Study Course of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, PA. Each session starts with meditation followed by a recorded lecture in English and discussion among the group.

For Further Details: Rishi and Shikha Bhatnagar - rishi@solveron.com - 513.518.5300 Shridhar and Kruti Dave - skdave@hotmail.com - 704.844.9567 www.freewebs.com/gitastudy

association for India’s Development (Charlotte) A volunteer movement committed to promoting sustainable, equitable and just development. AID Charlotte supports grassroots organizations in India and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as education, livelihoods, natural resources, health, women’s empowerment and social justice.

For Further Details: Kiran Uppalapati - 704.307.6450 Venkata Ramana Duddu - 662.231.2350

Charlotte Malayalee association The association promotes and facilitates the cultural, educational, social and economic welfare of the Charlotte Malayalee community.

For Further Details: cltma@cltma.org 704.517.5850 www.cltma.org

BaPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Charlotte) A spiritual, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to improving society through individual growth by fostering the Hindu ideals of faith, unity, and selfless service. Activities include: Daily Arti 6:30 am & 6:30 pm; Weekly Satsang Sabha held every Sunday which includes Bhajans and spiritual discourses: Adults: 4pm, Young Men (Ages 23-36) - 3pm, Young Women (Ages 23-36) - 4pm, Teens - 4:30pm, and Children - 5pm. The Temple is located at 4100 Margaret Wallace Rd, Matthews, NC, 28105.

For Further Details: 704.573.0805 www.baps.org

Charlotte Marathi Mandal The Charlotte Marathi Mandal adds to the vibrancy of Charlotte with various events including the Ganapati Festival which are designed to keep the cultural values and traditions alive. The community is encouraged to participate, socialize and have fun.

For Further Details: www.saathee.com/charlotte-marathi-mandal

Charlotte Sahaj Marg Center Sahaj Marg which means Simple or Natural path, is a Raja Yoga system of spiritual training based on the heart centered meditation.

The features of this meditation include transmission of divine energy into the heart of the practitioner and cleaning of deep impressions, thereby regulating the mind. Regular practice of this system of meditation integrates the physical, mental and spiritual aspects of human being, while still encouraging people to maintain a normal family and working life. A group meditation is held at the Unity of Charlotte on Wednesdays and also the group meets for breakfast at Panera Bread near Whitehall most Sundays.

For Further Details: Srikanth Katakam - 704.496.4411 www.sahajmarg.org www.meetup.com/Balanced-Life-Meditation/

Bethel Christian Fellowship BCF was founded with a singular vision / mission to “Raise Up the Next Generation For Jesus Christ”. The Fellowship offers services in various Indian languages (i.e. Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, etc.) with a Sunday School from 9 - 9:55 am and Sunday Worship from 10 - 11:45 am. The Fellowship is located at 7604 New Town Road, Waxhaw, NC 28173 For Further Details: 803.792.7223 Pastor Rajan Samuel - pastorofbcf@gmail.com www.bethelchristianfellowship.org

Carolina Khadayata Samaj All Khadayata families of NC and SC are welcome to be part of the Carolina Khadayata Samaj.

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Charlotte telangana association This association was formed to promote Telangana cultural activities within greater Charlotte area. It brings together all the Telangana people living in the area to discuss, plan, and take action February 2017

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downtown Charlotte.

For Further Details: Toni Sawhney - 704.604.2133 Lal Vishin - 704.545.3727 www.indiafestival.net

around the development of Telangana focusing both on rural and urban areas.

For Further Details: President: Devender Reddy Gudepu - 702.510.8355 charlottetelanganaassociation@gmail.com www.charlottetelangana.com

Indian american Muslim Council (IMaC) of Charlotte IAMC is committed to promoting peace, pluralism and social justice for all through advocacy. The organization is also committed to promote and protect human rights and human dignity in India as they are the foundation of freedom and justice.

IAMC-Charlotte seeks to reach out to Indian Muslims living in and around Charlotte to strive for Inter-Faith, Inter-Community understanding with focus on Indian Diaspora.

For Further Details: Ashfaq Mehdi - 704.904.5778 Afzal Syed - 704.770.1103 iamc-charlotte@yahoogroups.com

Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques of meditation. It was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills. The Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group holds weekly group sits and monthly all day sits for established students (those who have taken at least one ten-day course from S. N. Goenka or one of his assistant teachers). Ten-day courses are also available for all students. Never a charge for a course.

For Further Details: 704.277.5013 - rbddesai@gmail.com www.dhamma.org

Indian Performing arts association of Charlotte (IPaaC) IPAAC promotes classical Hindustani music by inviting wellknown artists from India and offers music classes at various locations in Charlotte.

For Further Details: Jyoti Kulkarni: 704-804-1275 Chaula Jain: 704-248-1515 contact@ipaac.org www.ipaac.org

Classical Music association of Charlotte (CMaC) CMAC sponsors many classical concerts during the year in Charlotte. Membership forms are available at shows.

Upcoming Events: Sun, March 26: Saxophone concert Dr. Kadri Gopalnath and party Sun, April 23: “Kshetra Sangeetham” vocal concert by Dr. Vijayalakshmy and group For Further Details: Lakshmi & Muthukrishnan - 704.814.9355 Jayashree & Panduranga - 704.442.1186 memberservices@onlinecmac.org www.onlinecmac.org

jain Center of Greater Charlotte (jCGC) JCGC serves the spiritual, cultural, social, and community needs of Jain families in and around metropolitan Charlotte area. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to the practice, understanding, promotion, and preservation of the Jain faith. The members of JCGC meet regularly for worship, ceremonies, and festivals throughout the year. The center coordinates religious activities year-round, including festivals such as Mahavir Jayanti, Paryushan, and Diwali, and routine programs like Swadhyay, Poojas and children’s Pathshaala.

Weekdays: 9:30am - Prakshal and Puja; —- 7:30pm - Aarti and Mangal Divo Weekends: 10:30am - Prakshal and Puja —- 7:30pm - Aarti and Mangal Divo For Further Details: JCGC President: Vipul Shah: 704.705.0314 info@jaincenterus.org / www.jaincenterus.org 7631 Mallard Creek Road, Charlotte, NC 28262 jet uSa (Charlotte) Jeeyar Educational Trust (JET) Charlotte chapter is a non-profit running under the guidance of Sri Jeeyar Swamiji.

For Further Details: chinnajeeyar.org/jet_usa/localchapters/charlotte/ jetnc@jetusa.org 704.847.1574 / 248.495.4590 www.Facebook.com/JETUSA.Charlotte

Gurdwara Sahib (Charlotte) The Gurdwara works to enrich the lives of the Sikh & Punjabi communities of Charlotte and surrounding areas. Regular Program: Every Sunday: 10 - 11am, Asa Di War by Bhai Satnam Singh Jee, 11am - 12pm, Keertan by Children, 12 - 1:15pm, Keertan

by Bhai Satnam Singh Jee, 1:15 - 1:30pm, Ardaas, followed by Guru Ka Langar.Located at 1760 Stoney Creek Lane, Charlotte, NC 28262.

For Further Details: www.charlottegurdwara.org

Hindu Center of Charlotte The Hindu Center of Charlotte holds many regular events and religious ceremonies. The temple library is stocked with books, CDs, DVDs and other materials on varied genres such as religion, culture, history, philosophy, yoga and health. The temple is located at 7400 City View Dr., Charlotte, NC 28212.

Upcoming Events: Fri, Feb 24: Maha Shivratri Sun, March 12: Holika Dahan Sun, March 19: Dhuleti For Further Details: 704.535.3440 / 704.607.8412 (facility manager) admin@hcclt.org / www.hcclt.org

Kriya yoga (Charlotte) The group promotes Kriya Yoga Meditation as taught by the lineage of realized masters such as Mahaavatar Baba Ji, Lahri Mahasaya, Sri Yukteshwar Giri, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Hariharananda, and Prajanananada. A sincere seeker who follows the path of Kriya Yoga with love and devotion and a desire for

India association of Charlotte The organization works to foster better understanding of the rich diversity of Indian culture by the larger community in and around Charlotte. The annual Festival of India is held every September in Saathee.com

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info@sangamithra.org www.sangamithra.org www.facebook.com/SangamithraFoundation

spiritual growth can attain Self-realization. The center hosts two annual initiation programs and a weekly Sunday meditation for initiates.

For Further Details: Adesh Gupta - info@charlotte.kriya.org - 704.814.7476 www.kriya.org

Shanti niketan Senior Center of Carolinas The Shanti Niketan Senior Center of Carolinas, also known as the Universal Institute for Successful Aging in the Carolinas (UISAC) is a nonprofit organization that values diversity, holistic health, peaceful living, equal opportunity, civic and community engagement, especially for under-served populations including Refugees, Immigrants, and Minorities (RIM). We developed around 2006 out of the growing needs within the Charlotte Metro area to support a rapidly diversifying population. They understand that a vibrant diverse population adds to the overall strength and wellbeing of the whole community. It is located at the Midwood International & Cultural Center, 1817 Central Ave., Room 208, Charlotte, NC 28205 For More Details: http://uisac.org/

net IP Charlotte NetIP Charlotte is the only official Carolinas chapter of North America’s Largest Network of Indian Professionals. NetIP Charlotte provides a forum for on-going Career Developmental and Professional Networking activities. It also arranges various events and maintains deeper ties with Businesses & the Community.

For Further Details: www.netIPnc.org

Pratham - Charlotte Pratham organizes grassroots programs in the area of primary education. Pratham has made an impact on the learning levels of several million children through its Read India campaign. It has developed an accelerated learning technique which helps children to read and write in two months. With nearly half the children in India who attend schools are not learning to read and write at the required level, Pratham is trying to fill an important gap in the area of primary education.

For Further Details: Anju Desai - ajdesai66@gmail.com - 980.622.0125 Shubhra Chakraborty - shubhra.chakraborty1@gmail.com 704.942.4798 www.prathamusa.org

Shri Rang avadhut Parivar (Parspar Devo Bhav) Devotees of Guru Dattatraya Rang Avadhut and Shri Prem Avadhut meet on Thursdays from 6-8pm in Charlotte for recital of “Datta-Bavani”, singing devotional Dattatraya Bhajans and reading “Guru-Lilamrut”. Detailed information about Charlotte meetings, Literature, Videos, as well as biographies of Nareshwar Ashram and Shri Avadhut’s lives are available.

For Further Details: Bharat Shah - 704.724.6247 Nagesh Patel - 704.399.7805

Shri Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal On the 1st Saturday of every month, Shri Swaminarayan Satsang Mandal Vadtal has kirtans and bhajans at the Hindu Center of Charlotte at 5pm. After the bhajans, there is Aarti and Mahaprasad.

In addition, on the 3rd Sunday of every month, an additional Satsang Sabha is held at a sponsor’s house from 3 - 5pm.

For Further Details: Ramesh Dhanani - 704.392.4488 admin@issvcharlotte.org issvcharlotte.org Sindhi association of the Carolinas The Sindhi Association of the Carolinas (SAC) organizes religious, cultural, community, and social events in Charlotte. SAC also sends donations for the needy to the schools in India for Scholarships and for camp refugees in India.

For Further Details: sindhiassociationcarolinas@gmail.com 704.779.2396

Probasi of Charlotte Probasi’s goal is to organize cultural and educational program related to Bengal in the Charlotte area, to increase Bengali cultural awareness, and to provide community service in the area.

For Further Details: Swapan Nandi - 704.708.5993 Anindita Paul Bhunia - 704.360.2326 welcome@probasi.org / www.probasi.org

Sahaja yoga Meditation Sahaja Yoga Meditation classes are free to attend and meant for all age groups who desire to find his or her true self, which is full of peace, joy of life and love for others. Sahaja Yoga was founded and developed by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi since 1970 and teaches very simple techniques of meditation which helps oneself to remain in present. Currently meditation session is conducted weekly or biweekly at 5935 Hickory Grove Rd, Charlotte, NC. Timings fluctuate.

For Further Details: www.meetup.com/SYCharoletteNC/

South Park Cricket Club (SPCC) The South Park Cricket Club is a group of gentlemen who play competitive cricket for fun. SPCC is based in Charlotte and has been a part of the Carolina Cricket League since 2010. The Club practices every Wednesday at 5:30pm at Kilborne District Park in Charlotte.

For Further Details: anishtr@hotmail.com www.southparkcc.org

Sangamithra Foundation Sangamithra Foundation is a Charlotte based charity organization formed by a group of people who strive to make a difference in society. The team has taken the path of identifying the needs of underprivileged communities in India and provides support to meet those needs. Sangamithra is reaching out on a global scale and working collectively towards realizing its vision.

For Further Details: Saathee.com

Srishti of Charlotte Srishti works to fulfill the NC community’s need for togetherness 92

February 2017

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

and the desire to showcase Bengali culture, heritage, literature, theatre, music and popular arts. Literally, the word Srishti means an act of creation. Though established and coordinated by a group of Bengali families, Srishti welcomes and brings together people of varied cultures, ethnicity, languages, backgrounds and nationalities who are interested in East Indian traditions.

For Further Details: Santanu & Bhabani Sarkar - santanu_kumar@yahoo.com committee@srishticharlotte.org www.srishticharlotte.org

Greensboro

art of Living (Greensboro) The Art of Living Foundation offers programs to uncover the strength, peace, and joy that lie at the core of every human being.

Part I courses are offered regularly in Chapel Hill, Raleigh, and Greensboro which cover breathing techniques to eliminate stress & tension; skills for improving relationships at home and at work; practical wisdom to get the most out of life; insight into the laws that govern the mind & emotions; low-impact yoga and the breathing-based technique called Sudarshan Kriya.

For Further Details: Sonal Chhawchharia - sonal.chhawchharia@gmail.com Puja Verma - puja_usa@yahoo.com http://us.artofliving.org/greensboro

telugu association of Greater Charlotte area (taGCa) The Telugu Association of Greater Charlotte Area (TAGCA) was formed in 2006 with an intention of preserving and promoting the Telugu cultural heritage and traditions among the Telugu speaking people residing in Greater Charlotte area of the United States. The association organizes social and cultural events and festivals that reflect the Telugu people culture from India.

For Further Details: pr@tagca.org www.tagca.org

BaPS Greensboro BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of Greensboro features activities which include Sunday Sabhas: Shishu (Toddlers) sabha: 4 - 5pm; Bal/Balika sabha: 4:15 - 5:30pm; Kishore sabha: 2 - 3:30pm; Main sabha: 4 - 6pm; Gujarati classes: 2:30 - 3:45pm and Arti at 6pm followed by Mahaprasad. Fresh Shayona snacks available on Sundays.

Located at 922 Gallimore Dairy Road, High Point, NC. For Further Details: bapsgreensboro@gmail.com

trimurti temple Devasthanam Trimurti Temple Devasthanam’s mission is to build a temple in traditional Indian architectural style according to the Agama Sasthrasis. The temple grounds offer many areas to explore including 14 sanathis with traditional Mandabams for various Hindu deities. Open daily with a Morning Puja at 10am and Evening Puja at 7pm. Sunday Abhisekhams at 11am as well as other special pujas. The temple is located at 6519 Beatties Ford Road, Charlotte, NC, 28216.

For Further Details: 980.219.7556 contact@trimurtitemple.org www.trimurtitemple.org

Greensboro Cricket Club (GCC) There are several teams that play cricket in Greensboro, NC. The goals of GCC are fun, fitness, and friendship.

For Further Details: Venky - venkyhot@hotmail.com Gujarati Cultural association of Piedmont (GCaP) The Gujarati Cultural Association of Piedmont serves the Asian Indian community through sponsored events, cultural, educational and social programs.

Located at 127 Landmark Drive, Greensboro, NC 27410 For Further Details: Jack Dhekar - 336.254.1727 Manubhai Patel - 336.253.7182 www.gcap.us

Vallabh Pushti Samaj of Carolinas (VPSC) VPSC’s objective is to fill devotional need for hundreds of Vaishnavs in Carolinas to worship and pray together, perform seva and rituals, to observe and celebrate festivals, and to perform and engage in humanitarian and educational activities. Regular Paath and Bhajan recitations are held on the 2nd Sunday of each month from 4 - 6pm. A VYO Youth (ages 6-14) educational Meet is also scheduled on the 1st & 3rd Saturdays of each month. The Shrinath Dham Haveli: 1006 Vickie Lane, Matthews, NC 28104.

For Further Details: Bhupinbhai Shah - 704.224.6500 Prathmesh Shah - 704.763.3059 Mitesh Gandhi - 704.236.4004 vsccarolinas@gmail.com

India association of the triad (IatnC) The objective of the Association is to promote social, cultural and educational interests of its members, develop understanding between members of the Indian community and other residents of the Triad area, and make the latter aware of issues of concern to the Indian community.

For Further Details on the India Association of the Triad: committee@iatnc.org www.iatnc.org

Vibha Charlotte Vibha Charlotte is volunteer driven organization dedicated to create a brighter future for underprivileged children. Charlotte Action Center has a group of energetic and enthusiastic volunteers from varied backgrounds. This group came together through a strong belief in Vibha’s mission and resolved to create a positive societal impact in India. The group works to organize social events that spread awareness and raise funds to further the mission.

For Further Details: Volunteers@charlotte.vibha.org sites.vibha.org/Charlotte Saathee.com

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Indian association of the Carolinas (IaC) The mission of the IAC is to promote the Indian culture by hosting community events such local picnics, Diwali and Garba and similar celebration and sports events. Center is located in Winston-Salem.

For Further Details: Gopal - 336-509-5943 Hasmukh - 336-971-5594 (Membership Help) indianac14@gmail.com www.indianac.org February 2017

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Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center (Greensboro) The Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center regularly conducts Sai Bhajans, Study Circles, various service activities and SSE classes (for students) every Sunday from 9:45am - 12:15pm.

For Further Details: Swami Rajendran - 908.875.6964 Dr. Varatharajah - 336.851.9150 www.sathyasaicentergso.org

Indo-american Society of nC (IaSnC) The objectives of IASNC are to support the Indian, South Asian and American community residing in Greensboro, NC and vicinity and other individuals interested in learning the culture, traditions, and arts of India. Specifically, IASNC promotes Indo-American cultural, arts and sports events and also school based volunteering activities.

For Further Details: Krishna Balu - 336.292.9462 - balu4428@infionline.net www.iasofnc.org

Winston-Greensboro Cricket Club (WGCC) Everyone from Triad Area in North Carolina, from the cities of Greensboro, High Point, Winston Salem and all nearby locations are welcome to come and join the club. The goals of the WGCC are fun, fitness, and friendship. WGCC is also a member of the Carolina Cricket League. Practice Sessions during the regular season are held every Wednesday at 5:30pm in Weston Park, Winston-Salem.

For Further Details: www.wgcricketclub.com

Indo-uS Cultural association of Winston-Salem The Indo-US Cultural Association’s primary mission is to increase awareness of the cultural heritage of India which is tremendously rich in its diversity and history. The Association seeks to reach out to the thriving Indian-American community within the Piedmont and Triad areas to share the vibrant Indian culture and promote cross-cultural understanding.

For Further Details: Manish Kumar, 336.565.6427 kumar.manish1983@gmail.com www.indouswinston.org

Raleigh

Life Mission, uSa This ashram has been established to provide helpful benefits for all - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. All these benefits can be achieved through the natural remedies of yoga therapy, Ayurveda, naturopathy and diet. The ashram is located at 8136 NC Highway 119, South Mebane, NC 27302.

For Further Details: 336.421.0690 Dr. Manoj - 848.459.7401 lifemissionusa@gmail.com www.lifemissionusa.org

art of Living (Raleigh) Art of Living gives practical knowledge and techniques to unlock deepest potential and bring fullness to life. The techniques are effective in reducing stress levels and increase health, physical energy, enthusiasm, self-esteem, awareness, and clarity of mind.

Advance courses are also available once every few months. Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravishankar’s mission is to create a violence free, stress free society and One World Family.

The Center is located at 4000 Bear Cat Way, Suite 102, Morrisville, NC 27560.

For Further Details: 919.659.5939 rdu@us.artofliving.org takeabreathraleigh.org www.artofliving.org/us-en/raleigh

Prabhupada Village Prabhupada Village is a rural Hare Krishna community situated in the beautiful foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Puja/Worship of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai/Sri Pancha Tattva starts at 5:00am every day. Every Sunday at 3pm there is chanting, dancing, feasting and philosophy. The temple is located at 1283 Prabhupada Rd, Sandy Ridge, NC 27046.

For Further Details: 336.593.2322 / 336.793.7138 prabhupadavillage@gmail.com / sarvadrik@gmail.com www.prabhupadavillage.com Quan am Buddhist temple All interested in Buddhism are welcome. The temple is located at 1410 Glendale Dr, Greensboro, NC 27407 For Further Details: www.ChuaQuanAm.com

BaPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Raleigh) BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir of Raleigh invites everyone to the regularly scheduled events: Ravi sabha - every Sunday at 4 - 6pm followed by Aarti and Maha Prasad. Mahapuja conducted every Purnima at 7pm. Many classes are conducted.

Fresh Indian snacks and sweets available at Shayona.

Located at 1020 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC 27560.

For Further Details: 919.469.6605 www.swaminarayan.org http://www.baps.org/Global-Network/North-America/Raleigh

Bengali association of north Carolina (BanC) The Bengali Association of North Carolina (BANC) seeks to promote Bengali culture, language, music, arts and social activities by offering varieties of programs for members of INDO-American community within North Carolina and adjacent states. The association is organized exclusively for charitable, cultural, social and educational purposes.

For Further Details: exec@banc-online.org www.banc-online.org

Sri Mata Shakthipeetham of nC The mission of Sri Mata Shakthipeetham is to provide a place of worship for Hindus in Triad Area according to Agama Sastras (in a traditional way) in all religious, charitable and educational dimensions and perform and uphold Hindu religious activities as defined in Vedas. The Temple is located near Winston-Salem, NC. For Further Details: smsofnc@gmail.com www.aumsrimata.org Saathee.com

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For Further Details: Srinivas & Anita Chittineni - srinivasrc@yahoo.com - 919.484.1993 Suresh Kota - info@dycusa.org - 919.461.0843 www.dycusa.org

Bhartiya Senior Citizens of nC (BSCnC) BSCNC is an organization for senior citizen of Indian origin that are age 60 years and over. BSCNC members meet on the 2nd Saturday of each month at the Cary senior center in Bond park in Cary, NC from 10 am to 3 pm. The next meeting will be on February 11. Where members will celebrate Maha Shivratri and Valentine’s Day. For Further Details: Yogeshbhai Gandhi (President) 910.391.1809 Ramesh patel (Vice President) 443.848.9333

Duke Diya Diya is a Duke University student organization that committed to providing a forum for interaction through events relating to South Asian Americans and anyone interested in South Asian culture, politics or economics. Duke Diya represents the six major nations of South Asia: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka. Social events like club mixers and semiformals, especially with other Duke cultural groups and South Asian organizations at UNC and NC State, are also an extremely enjoyable aspect of life with Diya.

For Further Details: diya.duke@gmail.com www.dukediya.com eKtaa Student organization (nCSu) EKTAA (meaning unity) is the South Asian Student Organization at North Carolina State University (NCSU). The organization was founded in 1970. The motto is “unity within diversity.” EKTAA strives to spread culture and heritage of South Asia all over the campus as well as the local community and the organization works hand-in-hand with many organizations on and off the NCSU campus, as well as South Asian organizations from area universities.

For Further Details: ektaaexec@ektaa.org / www.ektaa.org

Carolina Rajasthani association (CRa) The Carolina Rajasthani Association’s mission is to preserve and promote Rajasthani culture, values, heritage and traditions. CRA’s purpose is to preserve and promote the Rajasthani culture and heritage and promote their rich culture by celebrating traditional festivals.

For Further Details: carolinarajasthanis@gmail.com carolinarajasthanis.org

Chinmaya Mission Raleigh-Durham (CM RDu) Chinmaya Mission was founded by Swami Chinmayananda. Not satisfied with degrees in literature and law or with other worldly aspirations, he pursued the spiritual path in the Himalayas under the guidance of Swami Shivananda and Swami Tapovanam. The mission is dedicated to spreading the knowledge of Vedanta and other Hindu scriptures and to provide to individuals, from any background, the wisdom of Vedanta and the practical means for spiritual growth and happiness. CM RDU conducts weekly discourses (Satsanga-s) and study groups for adults, and classes for youth (Yuvakendra) and children (Bala Vihar).

For Further Details: www.chinmaya-RDU.org

Geet Bazaar Radio (nCSu) Every Sunday morning from 10am - 12pm on WKNC 88.1 FM, join hosts Afroz Taj and John Caldwell, for a wide variety of music from South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and beyond.

They specialize in the music of the Indian film industry, with lots of ghazals, qawwalis, bhajans, and Indi-Pop to round out the mix.

Geet Bazaar will also publicize community events free of charge.

For Further Details: Dr. Afroz Taj & John Caldwell - 919.851.1119 geetbazaar@wknc.org GeM Raleigh Church of God Come and join in every Sunday from 10:45am to 1pm. They have worship services, prayer meetings, Sunday school, and much more. Located at 3331 Blue Ridge Road, Raleigh, NC 27612 For Further Details: Pastor Thankachan Mathai - 919.395.6208 globalem@gmail.com

Dada Bhagwan Foundation (Raleigh) Every living being is in constant pursuit of happiness; no one likes suffering. This search only ends when the source of eternal happiness is found. Eternal happiness can only be attained through realizing your true Self. A path to eternal happiness was discovered

by A. M. Patel, also known as Dada Bhagwan, and was revealed to the world as Akram Vignan, a spiritual science. It is based on the foundation of Self Realization. This science provides practical dayto-day solutions that lead to harmony and happiness in life. SelfRealization is attained in a two-hour ceremony (Gnan Vidhi) by the grace of the Gnani (spiritual master). Dada Bhagwan Satsang, Raleigh center invites everyone to the regularly scheduled events at HSNC, every Saturday 5 - 7pm. General Satsang followed by Aarti and Prasad. Satsang Venue: HSNC, 309 Aviation Pkwy, Rooms 5 & 6, Morrisville, NC. For Further Details: 1-877-505-3232 Ext 1003 wcraleigh@us.dadabhagwan.org www.dadabhagwan.org

Gokul Bhajan & Vedic Studies (Raleigh) Weekly satsang of parents and children singing bhajans and glorifying past times of Lord Krishna. Satsang every Friday 7pm 9pm at the HSNC in Morrisville, NC with a dinner afterwards.

Gokulam Learning Center in Durham every 1st & 3rd Saturday from 5pm - 9pm with a dinner afterwards. Children learn slokas, learn presentation skills, manage and lead various projects such as book distribution, charity for cow protection, food for poor, and prison seva.

For Further Details: bkdasa@gmail.com 919.491.9536 www.gokulbhajan.com

Datta yoga Center (Raleigh) Mission: Spread the teachings of Sadguru Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji of Mysore. Activities: Namasankeertana - Bhajans written, composed and sung by Pujya Sri Swamiji. Kriya yoga classes conducted by Pujya Sri Swamiji-trained teachers from India. The group meets on the first Saturday of every month and every major festival day for Satsang and Namasankeertana (divine singing).

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Gurdwara atlantic Coast Sikh association One of the oldest Sikh associations in the Southeastern US. The association meets every Sunday for Diwans along with Akhand Paths celebrated on appropriate dates. Classes for Punjabi and religious studies are held for children at the same time. Gurdwara located at 3108 Sparger Road, Durham, NC 27705.

For Further Details: Bhai Dyal Singh Rangila - 919.309.1045 acsagurdwara.tripod.com

Heritage India association of nC (HIanC) Heritage India Association of NC aims at providing Indian cultural experience through performing arts, cultural arts, fine arts & crafts of India. Its mission is “to preserve and promote Indian heritage and culture.” During the year, HIANC presents several annual events and also coordinates Indian dances for the main stage performances for the Raleigh International Festival.

For Further Details: www.saathee.com/hianc

Hindi naatak Group The Hindi Naatak group is based in Raleigh-Triangle area. Its motto is to promote Indian culture and heritage by utilizing local talent to stage Hindi Plays. So if you have an Actor hidden in you, contact the group. Come explore your dream to act on stage in a professional 2/3 act Hindi play. You must meet following criteria: You are male or female of 20 to 50 years of age. You can read and speak Hindi fluently. You have some experience in working on or off stage. You can make 3-4 months of weekend commitment for the project. You live in RTP or surrounding area. We also need a team who can work behind the scenes to manage rehearsals, publicity, tickets, booking venue, and other arrangements.

For further details: HindiNaatakNC@gmail.com.

Hindi Vikas Mandal of nC Hindi Vikas Mandal (HVM) based in the Raleigh-Triangle area, promotes study and appreciation of Hindi Language, and strives to foster Indian culture and traditions through Hindi. HVM has special focus on the youth for the preservation of Indian heritage.

Every year HVM has been organizing Kavi-Sammelan (Poetry Reading); Independence Day Function with over a dozen other Indian organizations of the RTP area participate in this function where HVM takes the lead; celebrates Dushera Festival and a members’ picnic. HVM also conducts weekly Hindi classes (10:30 - 11:30am on Sundays) at HSNC for children.

For Further Details: https://www.facebook.com/hindivikasmandal/

Hindu Society of north Carolina The Hindu Society of NC temple is open daily from 7am - 9pm.

Morning Aarti: Mon-Fri 10.30am, Sat-Sun 10am. Evening Aarti: Mon-Fri 8pm, Sat-Sun 6pm. There are many other regular events taking place at the temple. All major religious celebrations are observed. Facility rentals are also available. Activities: Yoga, Hinduism and Meditation classes; Weekend Community Classes: Jain pathshala, Hindi classes, Sanskar Gurkul Classes, Tamil classes, Balmukund classes; Youth Affairs: Ohm Squad is the youth wing of HSNC involved in the youth activities like camp, games, craft and arts. Located at 309 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC and serves the greater Triangle area.

For Further Details: Saathee.com

Phone number: 919.481.2674 (Temple Office) hsnc@hsnconline.org www.hsnconline.org

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) The HSS conducts activities to develop character and leadership skills in participants, emphasizing values such as self-discipline, self-confidence and a spirit of selfless service (seva) for humanity while maintaining Hindu cultural identity in harmony with the larger society. HSS is inspired by the idea that the whole world is one family. HSS has over 100 chapters (shakhas) across the country.

Activities are tailored to include yoga, games, songs, lectures and discussions on Hindu dharma and culture. The HSS also has a Balagokulam forum for children (4-15 years age) to discover and manifest the divinity of Lord Krishna’s magical childhood in Gokulam. There are Chapters in Cary, Morrisville and Chapel Hill.

For Further Details: www.hssus.org www.balagokulam.org

HumSub HumSub is dedicated to sharing the social and cultural traditions of India with the residents of the Research Triangle Park and North Carolina.

Upcoming Event: Sun, March 12: Basant Bahar For Further Details: www.humsub.net

Immanuel assembly of God A full Gospel Christian church serving the Indian / South Asian community in the Raleigh area of North Carolina.Service is offered Sundays at 10:30am & Bible Study is Wednesdays at 7pm.

The Church is located at 5419 S. Alston Ave, Durham, NC 27713.

For Further Details: Pastor Sam Daniel 919.442.8537 thechurch@immanuelassembly.org www.immanuelassembly.org

India Development & Relief Fund (IDRF) The Triangle chapter of IDRF supports volunteer-based, honest and highly experienced non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in India in serving their populations’ critical needs around education, childcare, healthcare, women empowerment and tribal welfare, as well as relief and rehabilitation in times of natural disasters.

For Further Details: info@idrf.org www.idrf.org

Indian Christian Prayer Fellowship An Indian Christian Prayer Fellowship based in the RTP area that meets every Friday from 7:30 - 9pm. This group is part of the Carolina Christian Fellowship, so you get to be part of a bigger church community while you also have fellowship with likeminded people with similar culture in a smaller group.

Located at the Cary Church of God on 107 Quade Drive, Cary, NC. For Further Details: 919.451.9662 919.929.0706 www.carolinachristian.net

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February 2017

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Indian Classical Music & Dance Society (ICMDS) ICMDS is dedicated to promoting Indian classical music and dance in the Triangle area by inviting top artists from all over the world to perform.

Sun, Feb 12: Mad and Divine dance performance For Further Details: questions@icmds.org www.icmds.org

Indian talent Discovery Foundation ITDF was established to promote any form of art that has originated in India. The primary objective of the foundation is to encourage local talent to excel in the chosen art to become professionals. The art can be in any form such as Indian Classical and Bollywood dance, Indian music, Astrology, Numerology, Palmistry, traditional medicine, Vaasthu Shasra, and so on.

For Further Details: contactus@itdfoundation.org www.itdfoundation.org Indo-american Friendship Foundation The foundation works to improve Friendship between the People of India and USA through Cultural and Technological Exchanges.

The Center is located at 1413 Boxwood Lane, Apex, NC 27502 For Further Details: Dr. Subhas C. Mohapatra - President 919.362.7653 www.iaff1.org

InStepp InStepp’s mission is to create a vibrant community by empowering women who’ve come up against some challenges in their lives to rise above those challenges and succeed personally and professionally through innovative, gender-responsive training, educational and prevention services. InStepp welcomes all women from South Asian cultures and can provide services in many South Asian Languages.

For Further Details: 919.680.8000 info@instepp.org www.instepp.org

International Community Church ICC is a worship center for people from India and neighboring countries. Church services at Reedy Creek Baptist Church 1524 N. Harrison Avenue Cary, NC 27513 For Further Details: 919.233.2900 Pastor: Joseph B. Jesudason http://www.icc-nc.org/

International Hindi association IHA promotes Hindi language and literature and has chapters all over the United States. The Raleigh Chapter periodically organizes Kavi Sammelans with local and indigenous talents. Open to those interested in listening to poetry or in reciting poetry.

For Further Details: Saroj Sharma - 919.460.7830 / 919-851-0225 www.hindi.org

ISKCon new Goloka temple of nC New Goloka temple is a member of the International Society for Saathee.com

Krishna Consciousness. Visitors are welcome any day of the week to come have darshan of Sri Sri Radha Golokananda. Every Sunday at 4pm, there is a special program consisting of arati, kirtan, Bhagavad-gita discourse, and a prasadam feast. From 4:30 5:30pm, there is a Sunday School program for children ages 3-7 and 8-12. Children take part in learning Bhagavad-gita slokas and bhajans, understanding the basic philosophy, reciting and hearing stories from the Vedas. New Goloka also provides educational classes and programs for adults. New Goloka Daily Darshan Times 4:30 - 5am, 7:15am - 1pm, 4:15 - 5:45pm, 7 - 8pm. Saturday and Sunday Darshan open from 7:15am - 8pm. The Radha-Krishna temple is in a rural setting at 1032 Dimmocks Mill Rd. Hillsborough, NC. For Further Details: 919.732.6492 newgoloka108@gmail.com www.newgoloka.com

ISSo Shree Swaminarayan Hindu temple ISSO is a socio-religious organization and its primary objective is to advance the Sanatan Dharma in accordance with the principles and teachings of the Original Shree Swaminarayan Sampradaya, founded and ordained by Bhagwan Shree Swaminarayan Himself.

A new Shree Swaminarayan Hindu Mandir will be opening soon at 500 SE Maynard Road, Cary, NC 27511. Bhoomidaan and Murtipratishtha yajman opportunities are available for a limited time. They organize a weekly “Satsang Sabha,” every Saturday, which includes Kirtan bhakti, Katha, Aarti and Mahaprasad. Pujya Santo visit often to impart the divine knowledge of Swaminarayan Bhagwan.

For Further Details: 919.964.1008 issonc@issousa.org www.issonc.org

jain Study Center of north Carolina (jSCnC) The JSCNC was organized to study and understand Jain religion, philosophy, rituals, and literature and to educate the children.

Over the years the Center has participated in many activities for youths and adults, where an environment is created making members feel like a part of the family. Jain pathshala and swadhyay are held routinely for children and adults respectively.

For Further Details: jscnc101@gmail.com jscnc.org

Kiran, Inc. Kiran, Inc is a not-for-profit organization that serves and empowers South Asian victims of domestic violence in North Carolina by helping them rebuild their lives and ending the cycle of violence. Although domestic violence is rarely talked about in South Asian communities, it is a rampant and preventable public health problem. Operating in Raleigh since 2008, Kiran is passionate about promoting healthy family relationships in South Asian communities and raising awareness on the prevalence of domestic violence in South Asian homes through outreach and advocacy. Kiran’s core services comprise of a 24 hour free and confidential hotline, crisis counselling, legal advocacy, translation assistance, resource referrals, skills development and other culturally sensitive support services needed to meet the unique challenges of South Asian victims.

For Further Details: 102

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

24 Hour Crisis Hotline: 877.625.4726 Office: 919.831.4203 kiran@kiraninc.org www.kiraninc.org

Krishnadham uSa Krishnadham USA’s mission is to foster the richness of Hindu cultural heritage by imparting the values of love, wisdom and devotion in future generations. They provide a platform for learning and for sharing our experiences and values with the society at large. The time is coming when a new Vedanta inspired sanctuary will manifest. This inspirational experience will be expressed in buildings, pathways, water flows, and connections with the surrounding natural setting at a location not far from Lake Jordan in Chatham County of North Carolina and will be recognized as Krishnadham USA. Their current address is at 795 Beaver Creek Road, Apex, NC 27502 For Further Details: info@krishnadhamusa.org bakulparikh11@gmail.com www.krishnadhamusa.org

Maitri (nCSu) A student organization at NC State that aims at unifying various cultures at university. The organization works to help and support Indian students at NC State, but also creates opportunities for them to immerse in the global culture while retaining their rich Indian identity.

For Further Details: maitri.ncsu@gmail.com www.maitrincsu.org

nuv yug Nuv Yug is a cultural organization with a mission to promote awareness of Indian cultural arts and heritage. Striving to create synergy among various cultural groups from the South Asian region.

For Further Details: www.nuvyug.net

Pakistani american anjuman The North Carolina Pakistani-American Anjuman (NCPAA) is a non-political, cultural and social organization that strives to promote the presence of the people from Pakistan living in the Triangle area of North Carolina. Their mission is to provide cultural and social interaction for the families and individuals of the Pakistani community and to offer a variety of programs and services to its members Several events are presented during the year including a family dinner on the second Friday of every month.

For Further Details: www.ncpaa.org

Pratham - triangle area Pratham is a grass-roots organization that works towards universalizing primary education in India. It is one of the largest NGOs in field of literacy movement in India. Pratham continues to evolve, grow and works to meet the continually changing needs of the children it educates. The NC chapter actively aims to collaborate with individuals, local organizations and community associations and seeks ideas, volunteers and resources to deliver the vision of “Every Child in School and Learning Well.”

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For Further Details on Pratham: Rajeev Thalla - rajeev.thalla@gmail.com Monica Awasthi - awasthimonica@yahoo.com www.prathamusa.org

Professional Indians’ association PIA is a meetup group is made of Indian professionals and grad students interested in cultural events, socializing and meeting/making friends with like-minded people around the Triangle. Monthly events include meeting at bars/restaurants, Bollywood movie nights, potlucks, Indian concerts/performances, outdoor activities, community service and volunteering. It is an opportunity for professionals to share their thoughts on respective industries, social causes, the economy and politics.

For Further Details: http://www.meetup.com/PIATriangle/

Raleigh Sai Center Parthi Sai devotees of Triangle area meet every Sunday from 4 6:15pm in the Mini-Hall of Hindu Bhavan in Morrisville. There is also a study circle, Bhajan Practice, Veda Chanting etc. between 4 - 5pm depending on the week, followed by bhajans from 5 6:15pm. The center carries out several service activities as well, including Human Values Education (SSE) classes for the children of different age groups.

For Further Details: rsc.president@yahoo.com raleighsaicenter.org

Ramakrishna Vedanta Society of nC The Ramakrishna Vedanta Society draws inspiration from the timeless, philosophical wisdom of the Vedanta as practiced and preached in the modern day by Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi and Swami Vivekananda. Practical Vedanta and the message of the harmony of religions and the spiritual oneness are studied.

Regardless of background and/or knowledge the organization welcomes participants.

For Further Details: 919.806.5928 vedantanc@gmail.com www.vedantanc.org

RtP Maharashtra Mandal The Mandal is a home away from home for Marathi-speaking people. The goal of the Mandal is to advocate the vibrant culture, the rich heritage and the language of Maharashtra. The Mandal is dedicated to showcase the cultural, social and traditional attributes of Maharashtra to the local community through variety of entertaining programs, and events.

For Further Details: mail@rtpmm.org www.rtpmm.org

Sahaj Marg Meditation (triangle) Sahaj Marg translates to “The Natural Path.” It is a simple system of Raja Yoga meditation and spiritual practice that helps one realize the ultimate potential within oneself. Regular spiritual practice under capable guidance enables aspirants to progressively experience the sublime presence of the divine in their daily lives.

Sahaj Marg system of meditation is freely offered to seekers worldwide through Shri Ram Chandra Mission. In the Triangle area onf North Carolina, the group meditations are held on every

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February 2017

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Sunday and Wednesday evenings.

For Further Details: Raj Solanki - raj_solanki@yahoo.com www.srcm.org www.sahajmarg.org

Sahaja Meditation Ongoing meetings, seminars and workshops are available in Raleigh. There is never any charge for Sahaja Meditation instruction. RSVP in meetup: Sahaja-Meditation-Triangle-Group Thursdays at 7:30pm. Located at 9308 Fairbanks Dr, Raleigh, NC. For Further Details: balaram.krishna@gmail.com 919.757.3135 www.sahajamediation.com

Sewa RtP Sewa RTP - a chapter of Sewa International - is a team of volunteers who organize various activities - ranging from local community service to fundraisers for developmental projects in India.

Currently Sewa RTP has following activities on monthly basis: Sewa Day, Workshops / Seminars, Assisting Community in Emergency situations, Chapter Meetings - 3rd Thursday of every month. Sewa means Service - a unique concept of Selfless Efforts for Welfare of All. Sewa International USA is a Hindu faith-based humanitarian non-profit service organization. The vision is to increase civic engagement of the communities in the United States to volunteer and promote volunteering.

For Further Details: www.sewausa.org/rtp Sky Meditation and Kaya Kalpa yoga Benefits include longevity, wellness and stress management.

Triangle Sky Meditation group holds weekly group meditation and simplified physical exercises every Friday in Cary for those who have attended Shri Vethathiri Maharishi’s Kaya Kalpa Yoga course. Kaya Kalpa Yoga Courses are held several times a year for anyone 14 years and above.

For Further Details: Rajendran Kailasam - 919.824.8429 sky.cary@yahoo.com www.vethathiri.edu.in

South Indian Fine arts academy (SIFaa) SIFAA is a non-profit organization that works to arrange and promote concerts and performances in the Triangle and Triad areas, concentrating on Carnatic music.

For Further Details: 919.773.1580 www.sifaa.org

SV temple of north Carolina The temple is built on over nine acres of centrally connected triangle area. This grand tribute to Lord Venkateswara and his consorts is designed to exacting standards of shilpa shasthra and features the only shrine in North America to incorporate abodes to Lord Viswaksena and Lord Sudarshana/Lord Narasimha as part of Srinivasa Parivaram. The temple rituals are performed in accordance with Pancharathra Agama Shastra.

For Further Details: 919.468.0040 comm@svtemplenc.org www.svtemplenc.org Saathee.com

tamil Cultural association of north Carolina (tCa nC) TCA NC was formed for the purpose of providing youths with exposure to Tamil culture. Everyone is invited to join TCA and become part of the organization promoting Tamil culture in the Triangle area.

For Further Details: tca_nc@yahoo.com www.tcanc.org

triangle area telugu association (tata) TATA is committed to building a vibrant Telugu Community and promoting Telugu culture and language in the Triangle area of North Carolina.

For Further Details: committee@tataonline.org www.tataonline.org

triangle Bangladesh Society (tBSnC) TBSNC strives to arrange musical programs by artists who have captured the hearts and minds of millions of Bengali, Urdu and Hindi-speaking music fans all around the globe.

For Further Details: Ishtiaquem@gmail.com www.tbsnc.org

triangle Gujarati association (tGa) TGA’s mission is to promote and serve Gujarati culture in the Triangle area by organizing various events and programs throughout the year and impart Gujarati culture and language on the youth and upcoming generations.

For Further Details: nctga00@gmail.com www.nctga.org

triangle Rang Mandal Devotees of Pujya Sri Rang Avdhoot Maharaj meet every Saturday in Cary or Raleigh from 8:30 - 10:30pm to sing devotional Dattatreya Bhajans and Datta-Bavani in a spiritual atmosphere.

Special programs are organized on Guru Purnima and Rang Jayanti and on the occasion of Pujya Sri Prem Avdhoot Bapji’s annual visit to the US. For Further Details: rangmandal@gmail.com

triangle Vegetarian Society (tVS) The mission of TVS is to build a sense of community between current vegetarians and people who are interested in vegetarianism and have a forum for a discussion of issues.

For Further Details: barman@cs.unc.edu www.trianglevegsociety.org

triangle Vipassana Meditation Vipassana, which means to see things as they are, is one of India’s most ancient techniques and was taught 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills. The Triangle Vipassana Meditation group holds weekly group sittings in Cary and Raleigh on Thursday, Saturday, and Monday, a 3-hour sitting on the 3rd Sunday each month, and one full-day sitting once every few months for established students (those who have taken at least one ten-day course).

For Further Details: 106

February 2017

Come to Mount Soma, Mount Kailash of the West! sri somesvara temple Pure Vastu, 46 tons of granite from India

Pilgrimage site, drawing people from all over the world Delicious Indian food Discount on accommodations Monday – thursday

Rejuvenate! Soak in the stillness and coherence of Mount Soma.

Just hours from Charlotte and Raleigh in the Mountains of NC srisomesvara.org

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Call 828-627-6200 to make your reservation now 107

February 2017

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Hitesh & Vaibhavi Parekh - 732.213.9660 / 919.601.3555 carync.sittings@gmail.com www.dhamma.org

urdu Majlis Urdu Majlis, the Triangle’s Urdu Literary Society, meets monthly in the FedEx Global Education Center on the campus of UNC: Chapel Hill. Meetings include discussions of the life and works of major South Asian poets as well as opportunities to share original poetry and other writing. Urdu Majlis is co-sponsored by the Carolina Asia Center and the South Asia Section of the UNC Department of Asian Studies. It is an intellectual endeavor with no political or religious affiliations.

For Further Details: Afroz Taj - taj@unc.edu - 919.851.1119 Seema & Ashraf Faruqi - pasbaan@hotmail.com - 919.596.4792

Vaishnav Samaj of triangle area A group of like-minded devotees who meet for religious worship and understand Pushti Marg Principles at large. Regular Bhajan recitations are held 2nd Sunday of the month from 4-6pm and Seniors are requested to encourage youngsters to participate.

For Further Details: Arvindbhai Shah - 919.233.7677 Vithalbhai Shah - 919.803.9027 Vibha Raleigh Vibha is dedicated to creating a brighter future for underprivileged children. The Raleigh Action Center has a group of energetic and enthusiastic volunteers from varied backgrounds, including working professionals and students. This group came together through a strong belief in Vibha’s mission and resolved to create a positive societal impact in India. The group works to organize social events that spread awareness and raise funds to further the organization’s mission.

For Further Details: volunteer@raleigh.vibha.org sites.vibha.org/nc

Vraj education Raleigh Kendra The Vraj Education Raleigh Kendra is conducting comprehensive weekly teaching of Hinduism and Pushtibhakti Marg backed by Vraj Temple Pennsylvania. Raleigh Vaishnav children will get an opportunity to recognize, learn, and exercise Pushtimarg guidelines and leverage rich Shri Vallabh Mahaprabhuji heritage to improve individual life style.

For Further Details: vraj.raleigh@gmail.com for timing and location information. www.facebook.com/VrajEducationCenter/

Regional

ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of India (EVFI) was established to help in the overall development of the remote tribal and rural villages in India. Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA along with EVFI is committed to the cause of eradicating illiteracy from tribal areas.

Education is the key to self-esteem, self-sustenance, and economic freedom. The Carolinas Region of the EVFI USA conducts fundraising and awareness programs in Raleigh & Columbia.

For Further Details: Southeast Regional President: Chander M. Aggarwal Saathee.com

- cmaggarwal44@gmail.com - 407.454.3739 Carolinas Regional President: Janak Dalal - jaydalalcolumbia@gmail.com - 803.665.4050

Grihastha Family Institute The Grihastha Family Institute has a mission of preparing everyone with the basics and nuances of marriage and family management, and to compensate for the loss of traditional structures, norms and methods that used to support the family structure. Workshop camps, private consultations are available.

For Further Details: krishna@grihastha.org www.grihastha.org

Hindu Society of eastern nC (Greenville, nC) The temple celebrates major festivals and holds regular bhajan seesions and Geeta study.

For Further Details: Temple - 252.752.2670 B.S. Srivatsa - 508.654.0360 Hindutemplenc@gmail.com

ISKCon of Sandy Ridge - temple of the Holy name in Prabhupada Village The Temple of the Holy Name, situated in Prabhupada Village, a rural community, is a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Prabhupada Village is also home to the Bhaktivedanta Archives and the Festival of India. Everyone is welcome to take darshan of Sri Sri Parama Karuna Nitai Gaurasundara from 5am-7:30pm, 7 days a week. Special program every Sunday at 3pm with arati and kirtan, bhajans, discourse on the Bhagavad-gita As It Is and a pure, vegetarian feast. Festivals celebrated year round. For Further Details: 336.593.2322 tothn@iskconpv.org www.iskconpv.org

nithyananda Sangha north Carolina (Inner awakening) Inner Awakening works to spread the knowledge of Yoga and meditation by letting people experience the teachings of Vedic Science in its purest form delivered by the enlightened master Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda. The sangha is part of a worldwide movement for meditation and healing. Paramahamsa Nithyananda is a global leader in the science of enlightenment and the author of more than 300 books published in 27 languages.

For Further Details: 704.766.1420 / 704.992.6114 innerawakening.org nithyananda.org

Sri Somesvara temple (asheville) The Sri Somesvara Temple is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. It is a Vedic Shiva temple at the center of Mount Soma, a community commonly referred to as “Mount Kailash of the West.” People travel great distances to experience Sri Somesvara’s powerful Linga, profound silence, and timeless vibrations. The temple is open every day from 9:30am to 6:30pm.

Aarthi is at 6pm.

For Further Details: 828.476.4073 www.srisomesvara.org 108

February 2017

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS South Carolina

american South asian Cultural association of Columbia, SC The American South Asian Cultural association of Columbia’s fundamental goal is to increase cultural awareness and develop cultural understanding among American South Asian Community in Columbia, SC area. A lunch meeting will be held on the second Sunday every month between 12:30 - 2:30pm at Persis Biryani & Indian Grill, 1728 Bush River Road, Columbia, SC 29210. Cost is $11 per person.

For Further Details: Contact in the evenings: 803.233.7042 or 512.547.7077

Carolina Buddhist Vihara (Greenville, SC) Carolina Buddhist Vihara is a temple and monastery in South Carolina, USA. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to offering teachings of the Buddha, primarily by bringing Theravada Buddhist nuns and monks to Greenville. “Theravada” refers to the oldest surviving branch of Buddhism, the highly traditional school found in countries such as Sri Lanka, Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand. Activities are held Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings: 6:30pm (puja), 7 pm (meditation), and 8 pm (“Dhamma” talk or discussion). A youth program is also held once a month.

The Temple is located at 113 Woodridge Circle, Greenville, SC 29607 For Further Details: 864.329.9961 greenvillebv@gmail.com www.carolinabuddhist.net Hanahan table-tennis training Center The primary focus & mission of the HTTTC is creating a professional image for the “sport” of “table-tennis” in the United States. The center is open on Wednesdays & Thursdays from 7 10pm and Saturdays & Sundays from 2 - 6pm. No partner needed but athletic attire is required. The center is located at City of Hanahan Gym on 1253 Yeamans Hall Road., Hanahan, SC 29410.

For Further Details: 843.256.3949 / tthanahan@hotmail.com www.tthanahan.com

Hindu Society of Greater Spartanburg A daily Aarti is conducted at 7:00pm, Balvihar classes are from 10:00 - 11:45am on scheduled Sundays, and Satsang is on second Sunday of every month from 5:00 - 7:00pm. Temple is located on 1130 Fairview Church Road in Boiling Springs, SC 29303.

For Further Details: 864.599.7048

Hindu temple and Center (Columbia, SC) The temple is open on weekdays between 8:30am to 12:00 noon and between 5pm and 8:30pm. On weekends, the temple is open between 8:30am to 1:00pm and 5:00pm to 8:30pm. Bal Gokulam (Sunday School) classes are held every Sunday from 10:30am to 12:00 noon. Classes are designed to help children build physical, mental, cultural, social & spiritual lives. It is located at 5704 Kiawah Road, Columbia, SC 29212.

For Further Details: 803.772.6940 www.hindutemplesc.org Saathee.com

India assoc. of Greater Charleston (IaGC) The India Association of Greater Charleston (IAGC) was incorporated when the residents of Indian origin in Charleston felt the need to organize a community of people who were interested in the culture and heritage of India and share the profound beauty of this culture with others. They celebrate various events throughout the year including Diwali & various Picnic gatherings.

For Further Details: Omi Hasija (Chairperson) - 843.766.4661 iagcchs@gmail.com www.indiaassociationofgreatercharleston.com Indian upstate Fellowship Service The Indian Upstate Fellowship holds weekly service on Sundays, 5:30 - 7:30pm, followed by dinner, in Greenville, SC. For Further Details: Pastor Suresh Jonnalagadda - 864.561.1016 www.indainupstatefellowship.org

Kannada association of Greater Greenville (KaGG) An organization devoted to the awareness and promotion of Kannada culture in the Greater Greenville area of SC. KAGG is a primarily run by volunteers and invites Kannadigas living in and around Greenville area to participate in the organization. Kannada classes for children are also conducted.

For Further Details: 864.430.4973 kaggculturalcommittee@gmail.com www.kagg-sc.org

Masjid noor-ul-Huda (MnH) The Mosque is open for five daily prayers in congregation every day of the year. On the first and third Saturday of every month from 6pm - 8 pm, an Islamic session is held by Hafiz Mohammed Basheer. Quranic Reading classes for children are also conducted daily. The Mosque is located at 517 Winmet Drive, Columbia, SC. For Further Details: Masjid main number - 803.754.2632 info@noorulhuda.org www.noorulhuda.org

Spartanburg Buddhist Center of SC The Center’s resident monks seek to preserve Theravada Buddhist traditions and welcomes all who are interested in Buddhism, Southeast Asian culture, or meditation. Since the center opened in 2010, a regular English-speaking group meets at 6pm on Thursdays for meditation, a brief Dhamma talk, and short discussions.

The Center is located at 770 Bryant Road, Spartanburg, SC 29303.

For Further Details: 864.327.8726 https://www.facebook.com/spartanburgbuddhist2012

telugu association of Greater Greenville Telugu Association of Greater Greenville (TAGG) is a non-profit organization devoted to the awareness and promotion of Telugu Culture in the Greater Greenville Area. The association caters to the cultural and social needs of the Telugu people living in and around Greater Greenville Area. TAGG organizes events to celebrate major festivals and organizes a picnic during the summer as scheduled activities. In addition, TAGG screens choice Telugu Movies mostly throughout the year and organizes special cultural events from time to time, usually performed by artists from USA 110

February 2017

C E NT RA L

P I E D M O NT

C O M M U N ITY

C O L L E G E

CPCC Central Campus Dale F. Halton Theater Overcash Center Saturday, April 29, 2017; 4 p.m.

Tickets: adults, $10 18 years or younger, $5

Come and celebrate the history and culture of India, which is thousands of years old.

Join us to see:

• Choreographer Dr. Maha Gingrich and a large ensemble of dancers present classical and folk dances • Stories brought to life through dance dramas, costumes and masks • Our signature dance, “Unity in Diversity,” set to international dance styles and live music

Tickets: 704.330.6534 • tix.cpcc.edu

tix.cpcc.edu T

This project was supported by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural & Cultural Resources.

tix.cpcc.edu T

Saathee.com

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February 2017

Financial Markets continued from page 78

The Federal Reserve kept the Federal Funds Rate at the historical low range from quite an extended period of time due to the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The markets bottomed out in the spring of 2009 and subsequently began recovering, however, the unemployment rate and job losses in the economy persisted.

The economy sputtered along during 2010-2014 and in CY 2015, several economic indicators perked upwards. Therefore, on 12/16/2015, the Fed increased the Federal Funds Rate by 25 basis points to 0.50%. The year 2016 brought substantial strength in the housing market and therefore, at the last meeting of the year on 12/14/2016, the Fed pumped up the Federal Funds Rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%. The Fed expects good economic growth under President Trump and therefore, the bond market has priced in at least 2-3 additional rate hikes during CY2017.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS and also artists visiting from India and touring the country.

For Further Details: www.taggsc.org

Vedic Center of Greenville Daily Aarti is conducted Monday - Friday at 8pm. Bal Vihar classes are conducted Sundays from 11:15am - 12:30pm. Sri Venkateshwara Suprabhatam is held on 2nd Saturday of each month at 9am.

The Center is located at 520 Bethel Road, Mauldin, SC 29662.

For Further Details: President: Geera Desai - 864.451.4305 864.967.2852 www.vediccenterofgreenville.org Send your organization's updates and events to us by the 15th of the month for inclusion: info@Saathee.com

Heart to Heart

continued from page 70

understand this by considering the physics of movement. If you go from Detroit to New York by car, you will go at a certain speed; let us say you take 8 or 9 hours. If you take a flight, you will arrive there in an hour and fifteen minutes. If you take one of those old supersonic flights, by the time they announce you are taking off you are already landing. If you fly at the speed of tachyon particles (purported to travel faster than the speed of light), you can be in New York and Detroit at the same time. Now why is this relevant to infinite movement? When we go beyond certain frequencies in Nature, it seems as if there is nothing happening because of the enormity of the speed with which things are moving. You can think of it like a child’s spinning top.

When it is spinning the fastest, and is perfectly balanced, it looks as if it is not moving at all. As we move inwards towards our center, something similar happens; we become subtler. As we become subtler and subtler, the frequency within also changes.

The transformation follows the progression from matter to energy to Absolute. In such a profound state of being, it appears as if nothing is happening inside. But actually, so much is happening at the same time! The 360-degree awareness is so rapid that it is almost real time. For example, even before another person speaks, you have felt what they are going to say, understood and responded. Nothing is holding your mind, or you can say that your mind is able to settle on everything simultaneously. You can be absolutely settled on your spirituality, and you are also settled on your business decisions without becoming either disturbed or elated about them. There may be a hundred things that you are planning in your life, but if you have the ability to move from one to another at lightning speed, why worry? The idea of all yogic practices is to make the mind still and steady so that it can resonate with the stillness of the soul. So all our efforts towards the eight steps of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga – yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi – are for the single purpose of creating stillness in the mind. The outer stillness of the mind is then able to match the inner stillness of the soul. Everything is integrated. This is the state known as sahaj samadhi, and to achieve this state is why we meditate.

Saathee.com

the Mumbai (Bombay) Sensex commenced CY2016 at 26,160.90 and settled out the year at 26,626.46, which resulted in a gain of 465.56 points (+1.7%) during CY2016. The main story of the year 2016 in India was demonetization. Overnight on November 8th, 2016, Prime Minister Modi declared all of the Rs. 1000 and Rs. 500 notes invalid, essentially wiping out 86% of the currency in circulation. This in a country where nearly 90% of transactions are made in cash and half the population does not have a bank account. The economy virtually froze up: small businesses that do not have the ability to process credit/debit cards and run on barter or cash virtually froze up. There were going to be new Rs. 2000 and Rs. 500 notes issued but the distribution of those notes was disorganized and the ATMs at banks had to be reset and recalibrated for the new notes. People were left unable to draw out money at ATM banks and long queues formed at banks as the population exchanged the suddenly worthless currency into smaller “spendable” denominations. The reason for taking on this demonetization was to get the illegal (“black”) money out of the economic system, encourage electronic transactions by debit/credit cards and to also get the population to deposit more of their money at banks, thereby increasing liquidity in the financial system. Did it work and was it worth it? By the way, are you are wondering if the Sensex ever traded above 30,000? The answer is yes it did, reaching a pinnacle of 30,024.74 intra-day on 3/4/2015. However, the Sensex retreated and has never closed above 30,000. The index would need to appreciate nearly 10% for it to approach the 30,000 level again. Can it happen? Only time will tell.

the u.S. Dollar strengthened against the British Pound due to the Brexit vote in June 2016. Prior to the vote, a pound was worth approximately $1.41. After the vote, the pound sharply dropped to $1.27. After Trump’s victory, the dollar also gained significantly against the Euro, Canadian Dollar and Swiss Franc.

A major rate of this was the interest rate increase that was undertaken by the Fed in December 2016 and more rate hikes are expected in CY2017. Higher interest rates tend to strengthen the Dollar, where lower rates tend to soften the Dollar.

the India Rupee traded in a range of 66.50 to 68.90 to the U.S. Dollar during CY2016.

During the aforesaid demonetization, the Rupee weakened considerably and unofficially; it was changing hands at over 70 Rupees to the Dollar. However, once the initial shockwaves and ripple effects wore off, the Rupee stabilized at 67.60 to 68.10 to the Dollar.

112

Wishing all the Saathee readers a very happy, successful and prosperous CY2017!

February 2017

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More listings available at our website: www.CountySouth.biz 113

February 2017

POP’S PUZZLES & JOKES

By Kirit Shukla

Note: * denotes abbreviation of the word or phrase Clues across:

1. The basic monetary unit of Mexico.

5. A basic unit of health effect of ionizing radiation in SI units.

11. Breathing in the lungs.

13. To stop living; to cease existing.

14. Jail.

15. An edible bulb with a paper-like skin, sharp smell & taste.

17. The sums of money preserved to keep safe.

19. The emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. (962-973).

20. An ornamental chandelier with branches ending in gas jets.

22. Offensive Tackle (*) (Football) 23. The objective form of ‘She’.

24. To dispatch, convey or transmit (a message).

25. The two musicians playing together.

26. Mountain State of NW US. (Cap. Boise) 28. Selfishness; The tendency to be self-centered.

30. A system of measuring finite duration. (Unit: Second!)

32. A vast desert area of deep, rolling sand dunes.

33. Loosely, any of the solids of smoke, as from tobacco.

35. Finish; conclusion.

37. Ovum; a reproductive cell produced by female animal.

39. Any of the awards given annually in the U. S. for special achievements in off-Broadway productions.

41. A small holder on which a football is put for a kickoff.

43. Equal Rights Amendment. (*) 45. Regulatory Limit. (*) 46. Dependent on chance, luck or an uncertain outcome.

49. The day before today.

50. Delaware. (*) Saathee.com

Clues Down:

1. The small seeds, as of an apple, pear, or orange.

2. Made very angry; infuriated.

3. A Hindu festival in honor of the God Shiva. (2/24/17) 4. A fertile place in a desert, due to the presence of water.

5. One only; individual.

6. Indiana. (*) 7. Self-esteem; conceit.

8. To revise and make ready (a manuscript) for publication.

9. Boisterous; without restraint.

10. The cutting or dividing of a tendon. (Surgery) .

12. Desolate; unfrequented.

16. Not either. (Used in a pair: Neither…… ? ) 18. The ratio of the opposite side of a given acute angle in a right-angle triangle to the hypotenuse .

21. The thin, sharp, cutting part of a blade.

23. All recorded events of the past.

25. A person or thing that excavates.

27. Hawaii. (*) 29. A natural mineral from which metal is extracted .

31. To come or go in or into.

34. Having enough power or skill to do something.

36. No longer living.

38. A framework of parallel bars; grating.

40. To put (food) into mouth, chew and swallow.

42. Estimated Time of Arrival. (*) 44. A playing card marked with one large, centered pip.

47. Luxury Edition. (*) 48. Used to express surprise, pain, worry etc.

(Puzzle solutions are on page 118. NO peeking!)

Hee Hee

An astronomer was watching the sky through a telescope.

Booddhoo was carefully watching him and saw a falling star.

He shouted at the astronomer, “Wow, nice aim.”

••••••••••••••

An old thief: “I am deaf, officer (looking for sympathy).

Young Constable: “Never mind pop. You will get hearing in the morning.”

••••••••••••••

Mafatlal, Booddhoo and friends used to meet in the garden every weekend. Booddhoo: “Do you guys know? Mafatlal is the dumbest guy and I will prove it.” He kept a five dollar bill in one hand and one dollar bill in the other. He told Mafatlal to select one and take it. Mafatlal took the one dollar bill and walked away. A friend asked him why he did not take the five dollar bill. Mafatlal: ”If I had taken the five dollar bill, I would lose all my future chances!”

114

••••••••••••••

February 2017

Word Find (Created By Kirit Shukla)

Find & circle the words in the puzzle.

(Subject: “Valentine's Day”)

AFFECTION BALLOON BOUQUET BOWANDARROWS CRUSH CUPID EDEN DARLING DEAR DINNER DRINKS FEAST FEBRUARY FLIRT

FLORIST FLOWERS FRIENDSHIP FUN GIFT GREETINGCARD HEART KISS PINK RED ROMANCE ROSE TEDDYBEAR WOO

The unused 6 letters spell ”Affectionate persons.”

Math Magic Use these numbers only once: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8] in empty squares, to get = the final given answers.

Note: Follow the order of operation per basic math rule: ×,÷, +, The multiplication or division is done before addition and subtraction. (solution on page 118)

eZ-BZ

TEST YOUR IQ

The common letters are “SL” - Fill in the blanks)

1. The Muslim religion. _ SL _ _ 2. Remove from the place where it is suspended. _ _ SL _ _ _ 3. Of drowsiness; not very active.

SL _ _ _ _ 4. Impairment of the ability to read. _ _ SL _ _ _ _ 5. Rubella. _ _ _ SL _ _ 6. A very small island. _ SL _ _ 7. A blow with the palm of the hand.

SL _ _ 8. A landslide caused by rock failure. _ _ _ _ SL _ _ _ 9. Digital Subscriber Line. (*) _ SL 10. Made to prevent sliding. _ _ _ SL _ _ 11. To cause to believe something is not true. _ _ SL _ _ _ 12. A mix of raw cabbage & salad dressing . _ _ _ _ SL _ _ 13. A heated argument; squabble. _ _ _ SL _ 14. Slow; idle; sluggish.

SL _ _ _ 15. A passage between sections of seats in rows. _ _ SL _ 16. A counter standing alone in center of a kitchen. _ SL _ _ _ 17. An adherent of Islam. _ _ SL _ _ 18. Long and thin.

SL _ _ _ _ _ 19. A sloppy or gross person.

SL _ _ 20. Obliquely. _ SL _ _ _ 21. Aversion; antipathy . _ _ SL _ _ _ 22. “Elvis __”, U.S. Rock-and-roll singer. _ _ _ SL _ _ 23. Skillful at trickery or deceit.

SL _ 24. A plant with aromatic leaves used for flavor. _ _ _ SL _ _ 25. A gas jet or burner. _ _ SL _ _ _ _ (Puzzle solutions are on page 118. NO peeking!)

Kirit Shukla Contact him at kiritsshukla@hotmail.com

Saathee.com

115

February 2017

Marketing Turnaround

Nutrition for Life

continued from page 58

continued from page 62

Lauren attended The Coaches Training Institute and found angry and exercised actually increased their chance of a heart their programs to have great synergy with her vision for the attack. future. Then she dreamed up a new life that could provide her • Learn to let go. Be forgiving to yourself and others. Do not with autonomy, allow her to set her own hours, and work at a hoard negative emotions. less compulsive pace. She started providing life and leadership • Practice yoga and meditation to learn how to reduce stress coaching programs of her own in 2013 as The Cartwheel Coach.

• Take deep breaths “Sometimes, I regret that it took me four years to decide what • Take up a hobby or engage in activities that you enjoy and to do,” Lauren says. “But then I realized I needed that time to bring positive emotions gain the wisdom to make the shift successfully.”

Championship-level gymnastics—as an athlete and a top 10 Foods for Heart Health coach—required visualization, goal-setting, forward-thinking, • Go Red: Tomatoes, strawberries, pomegranates, red grapes, —all skills that Lauren brings into her work now. “I’m curious beets, etc. The color red has many antioxidants and about the person in front of me, and I am passionate about phytochemicals that help lower risk of heart disease. supporting them to reach a greater purpose and be their best.”

• Oats: are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, Two years into coaching, Lauren is still early in her new potassium, vitamin B, calcium, and a soluble fiber called career. She considers herself successful, since she is making a beta glucans. Oats can lower cholesterol and help reduce living from her coaching practice and earning as much money plaque in the arteries. as when she was at the school. “I’m always setting my goals for • Omega 3 fats: omega-3 fatty acids help dilate the blood something bigger and greater,” Lauren says. “But the real vessels of the heart and brain. Thus, they can improve blood success for me was in taking the risk to jump without a net and flow to these vital organs. Research shows that supplements trusting that I was going to be fine. I’ve learned that success is are not as effective. Choose foods with omega-3 such as waking up and feeling fulfilled, having less stress-filled days walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, and olive oil. (and nights), and knowing that I have the resilience to live • Bananas: Bananas are rich in potassium, vitamin C, the B through change.” vitamins, tryptophan, and carbohydrates. These nutrients Before the self-discovery work she did as part of her are essential to heart muscle contraction and preventing preparation for coaching, Lauren would have said she was a heart rhythm abnormalities. Bananas can also help lower Type A personality. “I was driven and controlling, and hiding blood pressure. a lot, distanced from my emotions. I knew people were • Garlic: contains allyl sulfides, which may help lower depending on me, and I covered up my fear with arrogance. I cholesterol levels had also been a huge people-pleaser, and I needed to deal with • Nuts: are filled with unsaturated fats (the good fat), vitamin that.” Lauren had not finished her university degree because E, magnesium, protein and fiber. Hence, nuts are good for she got an offer from a dance company and always felt “not the heart, blood vessels, and skin. enough” because she hadn’t graduated. Going back to school • Beans: are high in protein, vitamin B, magnesium, omegaand getting certified as a coach let her lay that concern to rest.

3 fatty acids, calcium, and fiber.

“I know now, though, that I don’t need a degree to define me,” Lauren says. She furthered her education by attending • Green vegetables: These are rich in lutein, vitamin B, Leadership Development Training, learning how to have an magnesium, potassium, calcium, and fiber. A study shows impact in the world at large. “My goal now is to learn to slow that low levels of vitamin B6 (found in vegetables) are down, center myself, and find a new way of being present in associated with high levels of C-reactive protein, a known the moment. I used to be stuck in fear and regret. Now, I’m marker for heart disease. mindful of how I show up,” Lauren adds.

• Soy products, like tofu and soy milk. Soy is packed with protein, vitamin B1, B12, niacin, folate, calcium, and the take-away potassium.

When you look at your career, can you see a central theme • Dark chocolate: contains the wonderful components of that has transcended your individual jobs? Lauren was a resveratrol and flavonoids to protect your heart! teacher, and then a gymnastics coach, and then part of the management team at a performing arts school, and finally a life Welcome To The Wonderful World Of Travel At coach—roles that all centered around educating and mentoring.

As different periods in her life unfolded, her central theme was reimagined, but it always remained a part of what gave her purpose and satisfaction.

Shakoon Panjwani As you’re planning your own Fresh Start Success, realize 704-542-5315 that the answer to the question of what to do next might be Fax: 704-841-0748 E-mail: ttravelguru@hotmail.com closer than you think. Look for the central themes in your work history, and then look for other jobs that emphasize those same Consolidated Fares On Major Airlines aspects. Don’t get hung up on titles—pay attention to what the Asia, Africa, Middle East, Europe and more. meat of the actual job entails. You might find that a new career Tour Packages and Cruises • Taj Tours Within Europe that seems radically different from your past on the surface Visa and Passport services shares essential common threads at its heart.

Ttravel Guru

Excerpted from Fresh Start Success: Reinvent Your Work, Reimagine Your Life and Reignite Your Passionn

Saathee.com

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Spot the Differences Solutions from page 80

FESTIVALS & HOLIDAYS

1. Boat Removed 2. Color Changed 3. Island Removed 4. Boat Added 5. Crab Added

February 2017 Feb. 1 - Imbolc / Vāsānt Pānchāmi Feb. 2 - Groundhog Day / Kumbhā Sankranti Feb. 4 - Bhishmā Ashtāmi Feb. 7 - Jayā Ekādashi Feb. 9 - Vishwakarmā Jayanti Feb. 10 - Māghi Purnima (Full Moon) (Moon Eclipse) Feb. 11 - Tu Bishvat Feb. 12 - Lincoln’s Birthday Feb. 14 - St. Valentine’s Day Feb. 15 - Paranirvana Day Feb. 18 - Shrināthaji Pātotsava Feb. 20 - Presidents Day Feb. 21 - Swami Dayānand Sarasvati Jayanti Feb. 22 - Vijayā Ekādashi Feb. 24 - Mahā Shivarātri Feb. 26 - Darsha Amās (No Moon) (Solar Eclipse) Feb. 28 - Ramakrishna Jayanti Feb. 28 - Mardi Gras

6. Seagull Added 7. Truck Added 8. Boat Removed 9. Rock Removed 10. Clouds Added

10

7

9

March 2017 Mar. 1 - Ash Wednesday Mar. 3 - Rang Panchami Mar. 8 - Āmalaki Ekādashi Mar. 8 - International Women's Day Mar. 11 - Chaumasi Chaudas Mar. 12 - Holi (Full Moon) / Purim Mar. 12 - Daylight Saving Time starts Mar. 13 - Dhuleti / Hola Mohala Mar. 17 - St. Patrick's Day Mar. 19 - Ostara Mar. 20 - Spring Equinox Mar. 21 - Jamshedaji Navroz (Parsi) Mar. 24 - Pāpamochini Ekādashi Mar. 27 - Darsha / Somavati Amās (No Moon) Mar. 28 - Gudi Padvo (Shalivahan Shake 1939 starts) Mar. 29 - Cheti Chand

3

4

5

8

2

1

6

Puzzle Solutions

from page 114

Math Magic

from page 114

Saathee.com

118

February 2017

T H R E E

L O C A T I O N S

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Three Convenient Locations Opposite of Concord Mills Mall 8455 Pit Stop Court Suite 150 Concord, NC 28027 704-979-8533 www.aromainconcord.com

Transamerica Building Uptown Charlotte 401 N Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28202 704-919-0502

Three Wells Fargo Center Uptown Charlotte 401 S Tryon Street Charlotte, NC 28202 704-919-0502

ASTROSCOPE

aRIeS (Mar 20 - apr 20) - This month may start with full

confidence and power. You should be very busy with projects at your workplace. Drive carefully and watch your health. You may need some help or support during second half of the month. A kidney-related health problem may bother you this month. Consider donating some money or services for religious activities. Avoid borrowing funds or taking any loans this month. tauRuS (apr 20 - May 21) - You may have to wait until

last week of the month to see positive results. Don’t rush to bring changes into your life. You may go through major ups and down during the month. Your assistant may prove to be great support for you. You can take financial risks or work on starting your business. Don’t assume anything and follow your education and knowledge to solve any problems. Your spouse may do well this month.

GeMInI (May 21 - jun 21) - After a slow progress, things

may improve dramatically for you during second half of the month. It is very important to act safe and drive cautiously during second week of the month. Help from your spouse should always be there. Destiny is playing with your karma, so accept it as a part of life. You could do very well at workplace, but financial progress may not meet your expectations.

CanCeR (jun 21 - jul 22) - Strained relations with your spouse due to differences in ideology may bring a major turning point in your life. During this change, don’t make your career a major issue. Also avoid considering your personal sentimental values. Good health and financial stability may improve your self-confidence. Be careful while driving during second half of the month.

Leo (jul 22 - aug 23) - Try to be careful in every step of life this month. Most importantly control your anger and ego. Your health could be a major concern. Don’t count on close family members. Your partner could be good support for you. Try to slow down and compromise as needed.

There is a possibility of getting an unexpected big financial benefit through your heritage. Minor improvements in a situation are possible during the second half of the month.

VIRGo (aug 23 - Sep 23) - Destiny may bring a big change in your ideology and line of action. Your child may indirectly be involved in this process. During this major disturbance and change, your knowledge and spouse’s firm support will help you in getting through it successfully. It may go very fast and make you happy and comfortable at the end. You will enjoy good health this month. Move ahead with confidence.

General Predictions for FEBRUARY 2017

the month. A child’s education expenses could be another major concern. Move very cautiously this month.

SCoRPIo (oct 23 - nov 22) - You may face small ups and downs this month. Major changes in relations with siblings and friends may develop problems during second half of the month. You can learn more from your competitors than your friends. Try to accomplish all your projects during first half and then take a vacation during second half of the month. Also be careful about your health, particularly if you are a heart patient.

SaGIttaRIuS (nov 22 - Dec 21) - You may work against your nature this month. You want to travel to far off places and lose some contracts. But you will have confidence to get back in the system. You may accomplish a major family-related project this month. Even though it may bring big changes in your life, you will love it and enjoy it.

Minor health issues are possible, but you want to ignore them for now. A family member’s involvement in your work may increase this month.

CaPRICoRn (Dec 21 - jan 20) - Most of the people around you may be living normal life and you will be stuck with uncertainty and change. You like to work hard, and welcome it. Also this will bring financial benefits for you. Again, don’t get involved in legal matters and take any health-related issue seriously. Your friends and siblings will support you in your projects. You may see rise in workload, but keep working sincerely.

aQuaRIuS (jan 20 - Feb 19) - Your aggressive behavior and morals may help you a lot this month. You could enjoy an increase in your current savings, however you may also lose a great opportunity. Time might improve during second half of the month. Listen to your family and spend more time with them. Avoid travel and sincerely focus on your work. Don’t dispute with your spouse. Also avoid attending public gatherings this month. A para-psychic experience may delight you.

your spouse may bring happiness and prosperity during the month. You may need to work in a mature and intelligent manner. Your expenses may go up during second half of the month. Problems due to sickness might obstruct your plans. Self-confidence and education will protect you against all possible odds. Your hobby may also help you avoid problems.

LIBRa (Sep 23 - oct 23) - You may face major problems

during this month. This may include health, finance and as well as a lack of confidence. Your associates may misguide you and your friends may not keep their word. Try to be sincere towards your work and responsibilities. There is no major improvement in this situation until the last days of

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PISCeS (Feb 19 - Mar 20) - Combined efforts along with

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•By Jalendu Vaidya • Contact: 973-223-5047 www.jmvaidya.com

February 2017

Religious Service

Looking for a Multilingual Hindu Priest to Perform Rituals at your home?

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Raas Garba, Bhajans, Bollywood Songs for Mehndi, Weddings, Birthday Party, Corporate Event, Anniversary and all your musical needs.

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Email: HingooAndParty@gmail.com 121

February 2017

CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES:

Gas Station for Sale or Lease in Millers Creek, NC. Currently closed. Contact to discuss financing. 336-902-1892 or donbpatel@gmail.com.

Indian Grocery Store for sale in Columbia, SC. In business for 5 years and very profitable. Serious inquires only.

Call 803-730-4664.

Gas Station for Lease in Jackson, NC. Inside sales: $30K, Gas $20K, Lottery $25K per month. Looking for $50K + inv. $1600 per month. Call 252-676-7454.

C-store for Sale near Columbia, SC along with displays for fresh produce & frozen items. Call 904-307-4770.

Gas Station/C-Store w/ Deli for Sale in Gastonia, NC. High-traffic. Excellent location close to major highways & hospital. GR $2.5M. Must have capital for inventory. Contact 704-609-3047 or amitrpatel@hotmail.com.

Indian Restaurant for Sale in Cary, NC. Currently running. Inventory included.

Contact 706-399-3275.

Grocery Store & Halal Meat Shop for Sale in Morrisville, NC. Good sales.

Owner financing available / partnership for meat shop. Contact 336-613-5521.

Motel for Sale: Recently renovated 20room all brick Motel in Trion, GA. Owner’s apartment w/ 3 bedrooms &full kitchen included. Owner financing available. Call 770-309-8156 or 813-484-0238.

C-Stores with Gas available: Multiple locations in NC and SC with an average investment of $160k. Call Brian at 864300-4889.

C-Store/Gas/Land for Sale in Statesville, NC next to I-40. Includes inventory, land (1.41 acres) & store (2560 sqft).

Greyhound / U-Haul contracts. Newly installed slot machines. $355k or best offer. Please Call 424-750-6500 or email rshah7844@gmail.com. one Stop Shop: Hotel for Sale in Florence, SC. C-store for Sale in Lincolnton, NC. Call Lena: 336-684-1152.

LanD FoR SaLe:

Learn about land in the apex, nC area (named the #1 place to live by Money Magazine). the Landman, Bob atkinson can help! Call 919-362-6999 or visit www.learnaboutland.com

Saathee.com

Retail / Convenience Stores: Neighborhood Store: Chester, SC $35,000 + Inv, Inside Sales $300K; C-Store: Catawba, NC $130K Property Incl, Owner Financing Available; C- Store: Danville, VA $49K + Inv, GR $800K; Call 704-821-8888 or visit www.Countysouth.biz.

C-Store/Gas Station for Lease/Sale in Gastonia, NC. Great Opportunity with high potential. Only serious inquiries; must have capital for goodwill/ inventory. Please call 980-250-4995.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

energetic Manager needed for hotels in Raleigh & Virginia. Must be fluent in English.

Strong operational, QA, revenue management & computer skills required.

Hotel experience preferred. Call 919-757-7462. experienced tandoor/Kabab Chef wanted for Indian restaurant in Charlotte. Call/text 703-677-5229.

Full-time Gas Station help wanted in Rock Hill, SC. Must speak fluent English & have legal status. Call 704-737-7230. accounting Help Wanted: Full time opening at manufacturing facility in High Point, NC. Please send resume to kajalb@amerifabintl.com.

Restaurant Help wanted: Hiring server, cook, & kitchen helper in Wilmington, NC. Must have experience. Call 910-262-1517. experienced Front Desk Clerks needed for Franchise Hotel in Charlotte, NC and Hotel in Virginia. Fluent English required. Call Mr. Patel 828-446-3080.

Gas station help wanted in Chapel Hill, NC. Full or part-time. Call 919-260-2177.

Housekeeping couple needed for Hotel in Cleveland / Akron, Ohio.

Accommodations provided. No English necessary.

Call 919-673-7623 or ram@omdevelopmentcorp.com.

Live-in nanny needed for cooking and light housekeeping in Cary, NC. Must be able to cook Gujarati Vegetarian food.

Call 919-444-1597.

Convenience Store help needed immediately in Charlotte, NC. Full-time or part-time. Call Virmal at 704-299-2580. nanny needed to look after expected 2nd child near Concord Mills in Charlotte.

Also help with cooking. Live-in or Liveout. Call/text 347-726-1602.

Full-time/part-time help for motivated individuals at Burger restaurant near RDU on NC-54. Legal status & fluent English required. Email inquiries to skanjiya@jakeshamburgers.com.

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Motel Help Wanted: non-franchise Motel looking for front desk and housekeeping in Goldsboro, NC. Accommodations provided. Legal status and fluent English a must. Call 919-396-1752.

Looking for Couple to manage Subway Restaurant in Kinston, NC. Legal status, fluent English & computer skills required.

Call Milan Patel at 252-521-5656.

Front Desk Manager needed (single or couple) for 50 room Franchise Motel in Covington, VA. Honest, dedicated & reliable. Hotel experience, fluent English and legal status a must. Email moli@royaltouch.us.

Immediate live-in Caretaker needed for elderly disabled 84 year-old mother in Jacksonville, FL. Light housekeeping required. Call 904-294-5907 or 904-294-5903. nanny needed (Live-in) in University City area of Charlotte. Care for 5-months old and some household chores (cooking and cleaning etc.) Call 757-617-0298.

Front Desk/Housekeeping help needed for Franchise motel in Winston Salem, NC. Call Jay 423-544-6834.

House Help needed for home near Mallard Creek in Charlotte. Flexible options. Call 704-941-0694 for details.

Cashier Wanted for opening shift at Cstore/Gas station in Burlington, NC. Fulltime. Great pay. Contact Nick at 434-466-4884. nanny needed for 3 year-old baby girl and newborn in Cary, NC. Must be Gujarati speaking and live-in. Also some light household work. Call 919-656-2729.

Front Desk help wanted at Charlotte Hotel. 9am-9pm. Accommodations provided. Monthly salary. Come by Lamplighter Inn or call 803-554-6377 10am-2pm for an appointment. nanny needed for 6 month-old at home in Waxhaw, NC starting at the end of March. Full-time (9am-5pm). Can either have own transportation or pick-up. Call 704-222-5218. experienced travel agents needed in North Carolina. Guaranteed salary plus other benefits. Sent resume to travelconsolidator1975@gmail.com. experienced Housekeeping Couple needed for Days Inn in NC. Must have legal status & fluent English.

Accommodations provided. Call Samir at 336-342-2800.

Store Manager needed (single or couple) for Gas Station /C-Store near Greensboro, NC. Excellent Pay + Profit Sharing. Call 925-330-4784.

February 2017

Housekeeping couple needed for 40 room independent motel in Rock Hill, SC. Legal status preferred. Call 803-487-3303.

Sales Help Wanted: Individuals with customer service skills. Corporate mall business in Charlotte. Temp to perm with flexible schedule. Qualified Individuals should show responsibility, loyalty, discipline, honesty and can deliver sales numbers. Contact 704-2315038 or pvdadlani@gmail.com.

Couple needed for manager & laundry at independent motel in Greenville, SC. Legal status & fluent English required.

Call 864-517-9587 or 864-376-7543.

Front Desk Clerk needed for Motel in Durham, NC. Must have front desk experience, computer literate, fluent in English, and legal status.Call 919-4523131 or Email kenco00@hotmail.com.. nanny needed (Live-in or Live-out) in North Charlotte to help take care of 5month old & some small household chores. Call 717-370-6070 or 717-856-6455.

Hotel Management Firm now Hiring: Housekeepers, front desk (must speak fluent English), and General Manager of franchise hotels. Experience required. Email resumes to abcone@abcinns.com or call 704-649-6833 (M-F, 9AM-5PM).

Full-time nanny Required (Monday Friday, 9am to 5:30pm) to take care of 2 year-old baby at home near Ballantyne.

Please call 704-763-5283.

Convenience store help wanted in Concord area. Part-time or Full-time.

Call 704-787-6654.

Housekeeper needed for brand new Franchise hotel near Savannah, GA. Contact Ketal 843-540-3733.

Retail Sales associate needed for Clothing & Sports Store in Columbia, SC. Must have legal status and speak fluent English. Opportunity to advance quickly to management. Contact 706-877-0315 or 803-387-6715.

Kitchen Help needed for Hindu Center of Charlotte. Part-time cooking assistant for Maha Prasad. Call Ashok Shah at 704-460-5569.

Front Desk Clerk needed (single or couple) for franchise motel in Fort Mill, SC. Legal status, fluent English, franchise motel experience & computer skills required. Accommodations provided.

Send resume to bwhospitality78@gmail.com. experienced threading Practitioners or Licensed esthetician in Charlotte & Raleigh. New locations now open. Full or part-time. Great pay and flexibility.

Experience required. Good English skills. Please call 980-322-1110 (M-F 9-5).

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Help Wanted: Franchise Motel in Spring Lake/Fort Bragg, NC for Front Desk and Housekeeping.

Accommodations Possible. Good salary. Fluent English a must. Contact Dev 630-253-8860 or simtsuper8@gmail.com. night audit/ Front desk help wanted for Franchise motel in Charlotte, NC. Full-time / Part-time. Must have experience, honest, reliable, & fluent in English. Call Nina 704-299-3364.

Housekeeping couple needed for Hotel in Raleigh, NC. Accommodations provided. Good salary. No English necessary. Call Kevin 646-353-3461 / 919721-5798 (9am-10pm).

Front Desk Clerk needed (single or couple) for 40-unit hotel in North Charlotte. Legal status, fluent English, motel experience & some computer skills required. Accommodations provided.

Send resume to mars803@gmail.com.

Hotel Help Wanted in Charlotte.

Competitive salary & accommodations provided.

Front desk - all shifts (experience a plus) & housekeeper.

Must be fluent in English. Call 704-4644427 or e-mail 123nash@gmail.com.

Motel Help Wanted: Housekeeping, Managers & Night Auditors for Independent & Franchise Motels in South Carolina. Accommodations provided. Call 803-387-6715.

SERVICES

Beauty Parlor in Columbia and Charlotte area: Waxing, Threading, Bridal Henna & Makeup, Facials. Call for appointment: 704-526-8707.

Looking for a multilingual Priest to perform Hindu Rituals at your home?

Contact Sastriji 704-231-0751 or 704-6257578; Email: sastrigal2007@gmail.com

Certified Henna/Mehndi artist available in NC and other states. For all occasions (corporate, birthday parties, weddings, etc).

For free consultation: 832-290-0059 or email: arpna001@gmail.com; Facebook.com/Nikki-Aggarwal-HennaArtist-1673373292919497/. Will work closely with you to meet your needs.

Gujarati Priest: Devendra Dave Independent priest. Ganesh, Randal, Navratri, Diwali’s Laxmi & Sharda Pujas, Satyanarayan Katha, Weddings, Vastu, Baby Shower, Funeral Seva. Call Daveji 704-780-3563. God Blessings to All. Pari Beauty In Matthews: Threading, Waxing, Facials, Massage for newborn and mom & other services. 27 years of experience. Special Deals & Great Service. Call: 704-846-7912.

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affordable transportation (Sedan & SUV) in Charlotte region for airport, corporate events, sightseeing, special events. Ride the Maharaja (King) style.

For rates & availability call / text 980-8885298 or visit: SinghKingTransportation.com

Gujarati Priest in nC & SC for Ganesh, Randal, Laxmi, Sharda Pujan, Satyanarayan Katha, Wedding, Vastu, Baby Shower, Hawan, Grah Shanti.

Kishor Trivedi Home: 336-774-0597 Cell: 336-486-7925 E-Mail: kishor7@juno.com Priest available for the following services: Shree Satya narayan katha, Shanti hawan, Vastu shanty, Weddings, Baby shower, Bhumi pujan, Mata ki chowki pujan, Funeral, all types of karmakand. Please call Viral Bhatt 704438-6334.

Gujarati Families: I am interested in learning everything Gujarati, culture, food, language, etc .If willing to help, please call Nik 803-579-1405.

Dholi For Hire: Plays the Dhol (drum) for any occasion!

Barat, Doli, Graduation, Birthdays, Baby Showers & any other festivity. Affordable rates! Call Arpan Bhandari 704-641-4761 or email: arpandholi@yahoo.com

Garland Design Studio By: GP. Flower shop for all occasions.

E-mail Ghanshyam.patel53@gmail.com or call 704548-2852 / 704-779-0277. Facebook.com/ GarlandDesignStudioByGp/

neeta’s Beauty Parlor: Charlotte area open 7 days a week. Full service. Call for appointment. 704-968-0270.

Saathee Classifieds Business ads are $25 Personal ads are $15 Upgrade to color or add a box for additional $10 Saathee.com ads posted daily (call for rates) We accept all credit cards and checks.

Ads up to 25 words. Deadline for print is the 20th. Web ads daily.

How do I Submit classifieds?

1. on-line: saathee.com (classified section) 2. e-mail: info@saathee.com 3. Fax: 704.527.7590 4. For more info call 704.527.7570 Saathee Magazine PO Box 11468 Charlotte, NC 28220 February 2017

Advertisers Index Accounting Solutions (Muhammad Kamran Awan)...31

DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani).............................................61

Patel, Champa (Real Estate)......................................81

Agarwal, Lata, CPA (Grippin Donlan Pinkham).......... 27

Ekal Vidylaya Foundation (Music Concert & Dinner).. 12

Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)..................................109

Anand, Versha (Real Estate) .....................................87

Ektaa NCSU (Oak City Revolution)...........................109

Patel, Tony (Real Estate)............................................63

Anil Bedi & Associates PC (CPA & Consultants)........ 29

Embassy National Bank..............................................3

Pathak, Atul (Real Estate)..........................................25

Aroma Indian Cuisine (Charlotte)............................ 119

Eye Level .................................................................45

Payal Groceries........................................................ 37

Around The World Market (Charlotte)........................99

Friends Travel.........................................................121

Peace Center (Taj Express Bollywood Musical)... 30

Asiana Fusion.Sushi................................................. 37

Gandhi International Market......................................38

Piedmont Health (Gastroenterologist V Trivedi, MD) . 81

Aspect Commerical Realty (Prashant Parmar).......... 31

Geological Resources, Inc................................... 47/89

Pirate Raas, ECU (Dil Se Naach - Dance Competition)..107

Austin Village Eye Care (Dr. Keshav Bhat)..................87

Global Mall / Legacy Jewels ..................................127

PP Tax & Accounting Services.................................. 43

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Charlotte)............57

Gujarati Natak (The Waiting Room)........................... 21

Puja Boutique (Charlotte)..........................................27

Barot, Tushar (State Farm)........................................ 61

H2 Laser & Skin....................................................... 46

Rajbhog Foods......................................................... 41

Bashyam, Spiro & Coats, LLP (Immigration Law)......55

Handy Andy Services................................................17

Rajdeep Video & Photography (Ramesh Panjabi)......89

Battineni, Sekhar (Real Estate)..................................39

Hindu Center of Charlotte (Events)...................... 64-67

Raj's Photography.................................................... 35

Beyond Bollywood (City Of Raleigh Museum)........... 22

Idolize Brows & Beauty .........................................111

Ram Realty (Ram Kalagara)......................................85

Bhindi Jewellers ..................................................... 2

India Grocers (Charlotte)........................................... 97

Regal Oaks Dental ...................................................83

Bipin Parekh Realty, LLC...........................................73

International Community Church ............................. 76

Religious Ceremonies (Swminath Sastrigal)............121

Blooming Buds.......................................................125

K & M Accounting.................................................... 35

Ribald Floral and Events......................................... 121

Bollywood Photo Booth / DJ Hangama.....................24

Kabab-Je................................................................. 71

Ritu Selects - India Inspired Couture.........................33

Bombay Grille (Charlotte)........................................117

Kasarla, Gopal & Veena (Real Estate & Mortgage).....72

Robert Brown LLC (Oza, Rishi: Immigration Law)......47

British International School of Charlotte.....................34

Kaur, Karamjit (New York Life Insurance)...................51

Roop Beauty (Pooja Patel).........................................71

Carolina Horse & Carriage........................................76

KB Zaveree.................................................................4

S S Event Services (Event planning, Photo, Video).....47

Carolina Law Group (Monty Desai)............................91

KD Financial & KMD Realty.......................................19

Saffron Restaurant and Catering...............................95

Carolina Wedding Belle (Event Design & DĂŠcor)........31

Khanna & Sons Jewelers............................................9

Saint Mary's School..................................................23

CaroMont Medical Group (Dr. Manu Patel)................85

Krut Systems (LED, Signs, Solar)...............................16

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC.........................................25

Charlotte Chess Club ..............................................51

LED Lights (Smart Energy Solutions).......................126

Shah, Anish (Real Estate)................................... 48/49

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat ............................103

Maadhurya Photography..........................................61

Shah, Kirti (CPA - Sepa Consulting) .........................75

Charlotte Music School.............................................43

Maharani Indian Cuisine (Charlotte).......................... 69

Shining Star Academy.............................................. 77

Chaupatti (Casual Indina Kitchen - Charlotte)............33

Malani Jewelers.....................................................128

SJ Iyer Realty............................................................27

Chiro-Carolina

Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors)........................ 69

Sonal Furniture (Atlanta)........................................... 20

.................................................... 85

Concha, David (Immigration Attorney).......................85

Matthews Family Dentistry ...................................... 95

South Charlotte Endocrinology (K. Narasimhan, MD) 75

Concord Children's Clinic ...................................... 87

Meritage Homes.......................................................53

Southern Oncology Specialists (Dr. Swetha Gujja)...101

Copper Restaurant (Charlotte)...................................93

Mishra Architecture PLLC.........................................36

Sri Somesvara Temple (Mt. Soma, North Carolina)..107

County South Realty & Business Brokers............... 113

MyTripFare (Travel agent)........................................125

Sweta Bhardwaj 8 Spa.............................................43

Crossroads Brokers (Sara Cartee - County South).... 76

Nationwide Ins. (Maqsood Khan)............................ 125

The Blue Taj..............................................................93

Curry n' Cakes (Charlotte).........................................23

NCSU Nazaare....................................................... 113

Travel Universe......................................................... 54

Dance Of India (Charlotte - Dr. Maha Gingrich)....... 111

Neeta's Beauty Parlor...............................................81

Travelinks...............................................................105

Darji, Iyer, Joshi & Patel (Accounting & Tax Services).11

North American Bancard ........................................ 15

Ttravel Guru........................................................... 116

Delhi Palace / Spices of India (Columbia)..................39

Nuv Yug India Fest......................................................8

Tuggle Duggins, PA (Scott C. Gayle - Attorney at Law).. 41

Delta Sigma Iota (Sangeet Saagar Competition)...105

OM Tech Training .....................................................75

Tyagi, Rita (Real Estate).............................................17

Dentist (Dr. Prashant Rao-Cedar Walk Dentistry).......71

Pac N Fly (Travel Agency)..........................................89

Uni World Travel........................................................29

Dentist (Pineville Dentistry - Lina V. Mistry, DDS).....101

Panache by Jia.........................................................21

Vyas Travels..............................................................75

Desai & Desai LLP (CPA & Financial Services)..........13

Paracha Ent. (Mika Singh Concert)..............................5

Woodlands Vegetarian Cuisine (Charlotte).................42

Desai, Rajarshi (CPA, PLLC)....................................381

Parekh, Smita (NY Life).............................................72

Worldwide Travels ....................................................11

Devam Jewelers.........................................................7

Passage To India - Fine Indian Cuisine......................59

Yafa Halal Market & CafĂŠ..........................................35

DJ Desi (Amit Vasi)................................................... 29

Patel Brothers (Charlotte)..........................................79

Zafran Kabab Palace (Charlotte / Pineville)................63

Saathee.com

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February 2017

Blooming Buds

Meet the benefits of the world's best travel provider.

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February 2017

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Open: M-F 9am to 6pm, Sat 10 to 5 (1/2 Mile from Patel Brothers & same shopping center as India Grocers) Rebates Available with Duke Energy and other small utility companies in small towns. Call for details