Saathee Charlotte February 2018

Bridging America and the Indian Subcontinent

saathee.com

February 2018

In this issue:

New Tax Laws Explained: Pg 50 Puzzles for the Family: Pg 112-115 Classifieds: Pg 122

Coming to the Carolinas on Sept 29, 2018 Gopal - 336-509-5943 I Sohil - 980-254-5355 Vimal - 704-915-2939 | Rajni - 704-488-8145 Keyur - 919-995-0566 (Live Pulse Entertainment)

February 2018 Issue # 237 Editor

Samir Shukla

(Samir@Saathee.com)

page 80 page 18 page 10 Proposed Using Fewer Grad H1B Changes Cellphones to Students Affect Track Mosquitos Coming to US Spouses

Hello ReadeRs!

Proposed changes to the H-1B Visa program could put many women back into a golden cage. See the interesting story on page 10.

Read about using cell phones to track mosquitos around the world in a feature on page 18.

Fewer grad students are coming to the US, especially ones from India. Read the story on page 28.

Now that the new tax laws have been passed, it is time to undestand their potential impact. Read the personal finances column on page 50.

Test your India Knowledge and take our quiz on page 54.

Catch up on the all the activities of the regional community organizations beginning on page 90.

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

Get updates about the community, local and national news, movie releases, analysis and videos at Saathee.com.

We welcome all comments and suggestions.

Quote:

"Musicians should not play music. Music should play musicians." - Henry Rollins

page 112 Spot the Differences in these Two Images

In tHIs Issue

H1B Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 10 Teatime in the City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 14 Skeeters and Cell Phones . . . . . . . . . .pg. 18 Upcoming Movie Releases . . . . . . . .pg. 22 Film Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 26 Fewer Grad Students . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 28 Subcontinental Divide . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 32 Mirror Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 36 Namaskar Y’all . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 40 Marketing Turnaround . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 44 Mastering Meaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 46 Personal Finances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 50 Test Your India Knowledge . . . . . . . .pg. 54 Thinking about Thinking . . . . . . . . .pg. 56 College Admissions Insider . . . . . . .pg. 60 Sangeet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 62 Nutrition for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 68 My Voice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 70 Youth Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 74 Eye on the Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 76 News Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 80 Community Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 82 Community News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 86 Community Organizations . . . . . . . .pg. 90 Spot the Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . .pg. 112 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: Shiva temple Murudeshwara, Karnataka

Murudeshwar is another name of the Hindu god Shiva. Famous for the world's second tallest Shiva statue, the town lies on the coast of the Arabian Sea and is also famous for the Murdeshwar Temple.

Photo: Dreamstime.com

Publisher & Advertising Divakar Shukla

(rakavid@aol.com)

Ad Design / Layout Nate Andrews

Digital Media & Marketing

Jennifer W. Allen & Dhruv Pathak

Contributors for this issue: Kirit Shukla, Judith L. Bergman, Parul Kharod, Ahsen Jillani, Shyama Parui, Ketu Desai, Kristen Moon, Mo Vidwans, Gail Z. Martin, Balaji Prasad, Kamal Darji and Jalendu Vaidya.

All content

© 2018 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.

For a free Saathee subscription, visit saathee.com/subscription Mission: Our goal is to be a valuable source of information for the South Asian community and to be a vital advertising tool for businesses.

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February 2018

Proposed changes to the H-1B Visa Program Could Put Many Women Back Into a ‘Golden Cage’

By Sonia Paul, The PRI’s The World

Register, the government’s official journal of agency rules, proposed rules and public notices. But they say it’s is only a matter of time until Mahajan, and thousands of people like her, can no longer legally work in the US. “I think it definitely will happen,” says Sarah Pierce, an expert on employment-based immigration at the Migration Policy Institute.

The changes to the H-4 visa are part of Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” executive order and are fallout from a longstanding lawsuit against the Obama directive. Save Jobs USA, an organization of former Southern California Edison IT workers who claim they lost their jobs to H-1B workers, sued DHS in April 2015, for granting the work permits — just before Obama’s order went into effect. While a US district court dismissed the lawsuit in September 2016, Save Jobs USA appealed that ruling.

Since Trump took office, both DHS and Save Jobs USA have filed motions in the case. DHS asked the court to pause the case while it implements removing H-4 work authorization. The court has yet to make a decision on the most recent motions, filed in December 2017.

What does all of this amount to for those who hold H-4 visas? After years of advocacy and rebuilding their confidence from joining the workforce, women like Mahajan fear returning to what they call the “golden cage” or the “depression visa.”

Rueful laughs spliced with sighs tumble out whenever Mahajan talks about how she once idealized the “American dream.” Now, after a decade in the US, she says she feels more like an “American in waiting.” Her announcer-ready voice remains articulate, but shakes when she talks about her feelings.

“Anxiety is what it is,” she says. “I’m always anxious. ... I think it’s only increased over these years because I do not see any end in sight to our situation.”

The first thing Neha Mahajan did when she received her authorization to work in the United States was apply for a social security number. Then, she opened up her own bank account.

“I will no longer be my husband’s wife, only,” she declared to PRI’s The World in an interview at the time. Her voice was clear and crisp, groomed from years of working as a broadcast journalist in her native New Delhi.

It was 2015, just after the Obama administration had issued an executive order that granted people like herself, spouses of skilled workers who were on the path to permanent residency, the right to work. That change was a victory for Mahajan. As she tells it, when she first arrived in the US in 2008 at age 25, she began to see the most productive years of her life rot before her eyes. Unlike the spouses of other professional employment visa holders, adults on the H-4 visa — the name for the dependent visa attached to the H1B visa — were barred from employment themselves. Ninety percent of them are women. Often just as skilled, experienced and ambitious as their husbands, they were rendered utterly dependent on them for everything. They were invisible in the eyes of the US government, even though they paid taxes.

That’s why President Barack Obama’s order was so important to Mahajan. Her dreams of growing as a journalist in a new country were shattered when she realized the restrictions of her visa, so she advocated for reform. But a recent announcement from the Department of Homeland Security indicates her ability to work is in jeopardy: “DHS is proposing to remove from its regulations certain H-4 spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants as a class of aliens eligible for employment authorization.”

In short, they plan to stop giving the spouses of H-1B visa holders permission to work in the US. According to analysts, the proposal will go through scrutiny, likely in February 2018 after it’s listed in the Federal Saathee.com

continued on page 72

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TEATIME IN THE CITY Notes from the Editor’s Desk

By Samir Shukla

The current increase in anti-immigration sentiment is not new. My family has been here since 1974 and has received much love and support though the years, but I can recall several negative personal experiences. The first year I was in the States, a self-important and pudgy classmate, whose thick accent gave away his own recent arrival from Britain, taunted me several times saying, “We civilized you.” Meaning the Brits civilized Indians. His overall meaning was also “what the hell are you doing here? You don’t belong here.” Alas, I couldn’t come up with a retort at the time to put that little punk in his place.

In the early 80s, while strolling through a New York City store during a vacation with family members, the clerk nonchalantly blurted out, “See all Indians are same…..they won’t buy anything...” I can almost hear him mumble under his breath, “Why don’t you go home.” His attitude clearly implied that Indians are cheapskates and brought their frugal ways with them, even though there were many other people who strolled through the store and walked out without buying anything, as tourists do in touristy areas and shops around the world.

When I owned a record store, a young black male accosted me more than once to say “You Indians are taking our jobs. Why don’t you go back to where you came from?” That was in the 90s.

There have been other instances, but I don’t take them as general hostile nature of average Americans. Here, we have been afforded opportunities that would not have been possible elsewhere. I am a product of the best elements of two cultures.

I am an American and I am proud of my Indian heritage. I have always said I don’t have any issues with my duality.

Human migration to other lands has always been marked with dissonance and fear, the natives sometimes uncomfortable with new arrivals. Some migrants have also wrought devastation of lands and cultures. Just ask Native Americans.

White Europeans didn’t take away jobs from Native Americans when they migrated to America, they took their souls.

Steady immigration has had a positive impact on America and conversely on those who immigrate here. Most Americans know and understand this. There will always be a small percentage of haters, but most who want to reduce immigration into this country, both legal and illegal, aren’t necessarily all haters or racists. They have legitimate economic fears. I get it.

It’s when politicians skew numbers, espouse fearmongering, and inflame passions that haters and racists crawl out of the woodwork. They feel empowered and bogus narratives are formed. This can lead to further degradation of the real American story, one that evolves with each wave of immigrants into something better.

There are plenty of bipartisan possibilities to weave longterm immigration solutions. It requires courage and that is hard for policymakers, many genuinely want to effect positive change, when the next election and loud partisans always loom around the corner.

america’s Welcome Mat

One cold January night, while flipping through channels, my wife and I happened upon a movie that had just begun playing on TCM. The B&W film, Hold Back the Dawn, drew us in within a few moments with its layered story. It’s a wonderful film that I had never seen or heard of before. TCM’s narrator Ben Mankiewicz later recapped the film and said it had received six Oscar nominations including for Best Picture, back in 1941.

The film is about immigrants trying to get into the United States. You can guess by the year that they are all Europeans escaping fascism and war in Europe. They have made it to Mexico on the California border somehow and have applied for visas in their own manners and await their fate. The protagonist is a con artist and womanizer who finds out the “quota” for his country of origin, Romania, is very small and he would have to wait several years to legally acquire entrance into the US. He is passing the days in Mexico for months until an Steady immigration has old girlfriend shows up and had a positive impact on tells him how she acquired a America and conversely on legal way to get into the States, by marrying an those who immigrate here.

American. She ditched her husband once she acquired a visa to get into the States, of course. Our protagonist now gets the idea and targets a young American school teacher he accidentally meets when she brings a group of school children to Mexico for a daylong trip.

Well, without going into the whole story let’s just say he tricks and then later charms her and manages to marry her within 24 hours. The rest of the film is an exploration of this story. Other characters in the film include a pregnant woman who realizes she is about to give birth and crosses the border one day (it was surprisingly easy to walk through the gate) and has a child on the American side, and now instantly her child is an American citizen. There are other tales of future Americansin-waiting woven into the whole story. The film’s plot and the interwoven characters all make it worth seeing.

I thought of contemporary debates about immigration while watching the film. DACA, H1B, jumping the border, marrying American citizens and other means of entering the country seem to have parallels in the film, which takes place over 75 years ago at a very different time in American history. The film’s characters, much like millions around the world today, were simply trying to find ways to enter the land of their dreams.

There is clearly a rise in anti-immigrant feeling under the Trump administration, but his supporters’ arguments against chain migration, worker visas taking American jobs, added stress on social services, and reducing illegal immigration by any means, are all valid concerns. I don’t write them off loosely as all hate speech or rising intolerance. There are genuine fears for underemployed Americans, even though a lot of the fear doesn’t pan out statistically, while the prime ethos remains in place, that Americans are generally very tolerant and welcoming people.

Saathee.com

Samir Shukla

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

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February 2018

Tracking Some of the World’s Biggest Killers,

Via Cellphone

By Rae Ellen Bichell, PRI’s The World

Over the last few years, Haripriya Mukundarajan has gotten intimately acquainted with the world’s most efficient serial killers.

Stanford bioengineer Haripriya Mukundarajan, center, began the Abuzz project after contracting malaria while she was in college.

Credit: Kurt Hickman

“This is Anopheles gambiae, the most dangerous animal in the world,” she says, pulling up a recording of one flying around.

The mosquito kills almost half a million people every year in sub-Saharan Africa, many of them children under the age of Saathee.com

5. Its relative in India, Anopheles stephensi, is probably the one that gave Mukundarajan malaria back when she was in college.

“I had the worst headache ever. I didn’t know my head could hurt that badly,” says Mukundarajan. “Each cough was an adventure in pain ... [It was] the only time when I really feared that I might not make it to see the next day,” she says.

Mukundarajan is now a bioengineer at Stanford University, and she’s hoping to help keep other people from getting diseases from mosquitoes.

“What we really need is lots and lots of data on how to find them,” she says. “When are they encountering humans? Where and how and when are they biting people to make them sick?

And this is data that’s extremely difficult to collect.”

At the moment, most mosquito maps are either indirect — like predictions of where mosquitoes might breed based on satellite images — or they’re incomplete. In fact, there’s a saying that current mosquito maps just show where the entomologists are, not the bugs.

But Mukundarajan and her colleagues realized they might be able to solve that problem by using a tool that everyone has in their pockets: cellphones. People everywhere have cellphones.

“What’s more, those places in the world where the mobile network is growing fastest — with the most number of subscribers added every year — are the same exact places in the world that have the maximum amount of mosquito-borne disease,” says Mukundarajan.

The trick is to use the phones to record the insects’ sounds. continued on page 80

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485 February 2018

UPCOMING MOVIE RELEASES February 2

February 23

Winchester (Director: Michael & Peter Spierig) Cast: Helen Mirren and Jason Clarke

Parmanu: the story of Pokhran (Director: Abhishek Sharma) Cast: John Abraham, Diana Penty, and Boman Irani

the Window (Director: VK Choudhary) Cast: Amit Kumar, Vashisth, Teena Singh, and Preeti Sharma

Hichki (Director: Siddharth P Malhotra) Cast: Rani Mukherjee, Neeraj Kabi, and Shivkumar Subramaniam

Kutte Ki dam (Director: Sunil Patel) Cast: Tanya Dang and Jass Boparai

annihilation (Director: Alex Garland) Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac

February 9

the War with Grandpa (Director: Tim Hill) Cast: Robert De Niro, Jane Seymour, Uma Thurman, and Christopher Walken

sonu Ke titu Ki sweety (Director: Luv Ranjan) Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Nushrat Bharucha, and Sunny Singh Nijjar

March 2

aiyaary (Director: Neeraj Pandey) Cast: Siddharth Malhotra, Manoj Bajpai, and Rakul Preet

Hate story 4 (Director: Vishal Pandya) Cast: Karan Wahl, Ihana Dhillon, and Urvashi Rautela

PadMan (Director: R. Balki) Cast: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, and Radhika Apte

drive (Director: Tarun Mansukhani) Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput and Jacqueline Fernandez

the 15:17 to Paris (Director: Clint Eastwood) Cast: Anthony Sadler, Alek Skarlatos, Spencer Stone, Jenna Fischer, and Judy Greer

death Wish (Director: Eli Roth) Cast: Bruce Willis, Kimberly Elise, Vincent D’ Onofrio, and Elizabeth Shue

tholiprema (Director: Venky) Cast: Varun Tej and Rashi Khanna

driver Ramudu (Director: Raj Satya) Cast: Shakalaka Shankar and Navika Kotia

February 16

Red sparrow (Director: Francis Lawrence) Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, and Jeremy Irons

3 storeys (Director: Arjun Mukerjee) Cast: Sharman Joshi, Richa Chadda, and Pulkit Samrat

Jai Bhavani (Director: Vishwa Prasad) Cast: Meera Jasmine

daas dev (Director: Sudhir Mishra) Cast: Rahul Bhat, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Richa Chadda

Pari (Director: Prosit Roy) Cast: Anushka Sharma and Parambrata Chattopadhyay

early Man (Director: Nick Park) Cast: Tom Hiddleston, Eddie Redmayne, and Miriam Margoyles

March 9

Veerey Ki Wedding (Director: Ashuu Trikha) Cast: Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda, and Jimmy Sheirgill

Black Panther (Director: Ryan Coogler) Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Lupita Nyong’o, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira, Forest Whitaker, Andy Serkis Saathee.com

a Wrinkle in time (Director: Ava DuVernay) Cast: Chris Pine, Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon 22

February 2018

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February 2018

FILM CLIPS Peter Rabbit

Aziz Ansari Wins Golden Globe

always wanted to play Indira Gandhi. I haven’t decided yet whether it should be a film or a web series, but that will take a while anyway,” Balan, a National Award winner, said in a statement in January.

Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran

This is a feature animation adaptation of Beatrix Potter’s classic children’s tale of a rebellious rabbit trying to sneak into a farmer’s vegetable garden. The film is directed by Will Gluck and features the voices of Daisy Ridley, Margot Robbie, and Elizabeth Debicki.

Try to catch Peter in cinemas beginning February 9.

Early Man

Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures and woolly mammoths roamed the earth, Early Man tells the story of humans Dug and his sidekick Hognob as they unite their tribe against the mighty enemy Lord Nooth and his Bronze Age City to save their home. Director Nick Park takes viewers on animated cinematic fun for the whole family. The film features the voices of Tom Hiddleston, Maisie Williams, and Eddie Redmayne. The movie opens in theaters on February 16.

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Aziz Ansari was born in Columbia, SC, to a family from Tamil Nadu. He started his career as a stand-up comedian, acted on television in the comedy series Parks and Recreation, created the Netflix TV series Master of None based on his personal experiences, where he stars and directs. He won a Golden Globe in January for “Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy.” “I genuinely didn’t think I was going to win because all of the websites said I was going to lose,” was Ansari’s reaction when he won. Other nominees were Anthony Anderson (Blackish), Kevin Bacon (I Love Dick), William H. Macy (Shameless) and Eric McCormack (Will & Grace). He is the first Asian-American to win in the television category. Winners are selected by The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, an organization of journalists and photographers who report on the entertainment industry activity and interests in the United States for information outlets predominantly outside the U.S.

Vidya Balan to play Indira Gandhi

Vidya Balan is all set to play former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in a project based on journalist-author Sagarika Ghose’s book “Indira: India’s Most Powerful Prime Minister.” “I am happy to have acquired the rights to Sagarika Ghose’s book, because I have 26

This film is a look at India’s first confidential nuclear test series conducted at Pokhran in Rajasthan that was led by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam during the time of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure. Parmanu is directed by Abhishek Sharma and stars John Abraham, Diana Penty, and Boman Irani. It opens in theaters on February 23.

Hichki

Hichki presents a positive and inspiring story about a woman who turns her biggest weakness into her biggest strength. Rani Mukerji stars along with Kunal Shiinde, Shivkumar Subramaniam, and Supriya Pilgaonkar. The film is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra and hit the cinemas on February 23.

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February 2018

National Science Board and chemistry professor at the University of Oregon. “Over 50 percent of our graduate students in technical areas are from outside the country.”

The number of US-born students in STEM graduate programs started declining in 2008, and international students have been important in keeping program numbers up, Richmond said.

“We have a research engine that needs to be fueled, and that fuel is really our graduate students,” Richmond said. “So, as we continue to try to attract the best and brightest in our country, we also seek to attract the best and brightest from these other countries.”

Graduate programs also feed, in part, into hubs like Silicon Valley, where more than half of tech workers are foreign-born.

“There is an insatiable demand. There’s more jobs than we can fill with the current slate of talent,” said Michael Morell, a founder of the tech recruiting firm Riveria Partners.

“The way we talk about it internally is, if you are an average or above-average engineer with core skills as a computer scientist, that is probably a negative unemployment rate.”

The new National Science Board report doesn’t try to explain why enrollment numbers dropped in 2017.

Geraldine Richmond said it will be important to see if this oneyear dip turns into a trend. She points to the relatively high costs of coming to the US for graduate school, as well as increasing competition from China, as possible contributing factors.

A survey last year by the American Association of College Registrar and Admissions Officers raised similar concerns about international students overall.

students from India concerned about job prospects, safety The concerns of Indian students planning to attend graduate school in the next few years suggest this dip might not be a oneyear aberration.

Several students interviewed by The World worried that with changing US immigration policies under President Donald Trump’s administration, they may not be able to get jobs after graduation, which would saddle them with the debt of an American degree but provide few of the benefits. Some worried about their personal safety as cases of antiimmigrant violence make news around the world.

Others were turned off simply by the high cost of pursuing a degree in the US. Many are looking to Canada, Australia, Germany and the UK as possible destinations for graduate Engineering student Sai Shouri school instead of the US. gives a speech at his college, CVR One of those students is College of Engineering in Sai Shouri, a senior studying Hyderabad, India in July of 2016.

IT at an engineering college in Credit: Courtesy Sai Shouri Hyderabad, India. When he was a kid, relatives who lived in the US would come back to India for visits and tell him about the job opportunities and comfortable lifestyle that came with living in the US. “Since my childhood, I had dreams of the US, studying in the US as well as getting settled in the US,” Shouri said.

Fewer International Students Coming to US for Grad School in Science and Engineering

By Carolyn Beeler, PRI’s The World

International student enrollment in graduate science and engineering programs in the US dropped in 2017 after several years of increases.

Science and engineering fields saw a 6 percent decrease in international graduate students from the fall of 2016 to the fall of 2017, and almost all of that decrease was concentrated in two fields: computer science and engineering.

This follows steady increases from 2005 to 2015 and comes at a time when demand for tech workers outstrips supply — and foreign-born students are increasingly filling a gap left by declining numbers of American citizens studying science and technology at the graduate level.

The biggest drop came from Indian students, whose numbers fell by 19 percent in 2017. Saudi Arabia, Iran and South Korea also sent fewer students in 2017.

The figures were released today in the 2018 Science and Engineering Indicators report from the National Science Foundation’s governing body, the National Science Board.

“In the US, [international students] are tremendously important,” said Geraldine Richmond, a member of the Saathee.com

continued on page 88

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February 2018

SUBCONTINENTAL DIVIDE An Indian Subcontinent & America Dialogue

By Ahsen Jillani

Good, always better to have the business.” 5:30am: “Sleeping late this morning? Always nice to have the business; which reminds me, I need a project at 8am for a meeting.” I simply stopped sleeping.

It was approaching Thanksgiving of 2017 when the lightbulb went on in my wimpy little brain: No, it’s not good to have more business. I got on Quickbooks and quickly realized that I was living like billions of suckers on this planet—grinding my gears sitting in the same place. After expenses, deliveries, supplies, conference calls, and a lot of headaches and beers and tobacco and coffee, I was making about what I would at Taco Bell.

America, this last bastion of economic success, has a model that borders on a Third World country. My first job here in 1979 paid $10/hour and it has not changed for most of the labor force I talk to. The general attitude from the companies has been consistent: “You’re lucky to have a job. Thank Jesus.” NOT! Regardless of the vile smelling bull out of Washington, the labor force does not benefit from skyrocketing stock prices and wild dividends. I employ delivery people and mailroom people and pay them generously. These people go from one petty job to another on a daily basis and have about a zero percent chance of breaking out of the rut they are in for life.

We all read those success stories that seem all-American to us. You arrive with a suitcase, you work hard 23 hours a day.

Your second generation goes to Harvard and becomes millionaires. Your kids are featured on the cover of Fortune magazine. The politicians name you on stage during their sham rallies; the family is frustrated with your frustration but you are all they have; the boss gives you a Timex watch at retirement and tells you that you were lucky to have a job (then he leaves for his beach house).

I remain square in the middle of the middle class, and will die here. On December 7, 2017, I woke up and decided to fight back. I didn’t respond to 5:30am texts, the 6am emails, and the 7am frantic calls for the 8am project some idiot Congressman should have started a week earlier. I stayed in my pajamas and read articles about pleasant and interesting things—birds, space exploration, medical breakthroughs. I took a leisurely 2-hour lunch. At 5pm, for the first time in 39 years in the workforce, I turned the phone off.

Okay. I lost clients. My anger dissipated quickly as I started telling political campaign folks that I really didn’t want to work with their clients because they were criminals and liars. By Christmas, I had lost 20 pounds, was eating a healthy vegetarian diet, was free of heartburn and addictions, and was sleeping 79 hours. Today in mid-January, I am 38 pounds lighter. “Good to have the business!” No thanks! We cut expenses (addictions alone eat cash) and the cash flow is about the same as before.

Today I don’t care about that Timex sitting on my chest in a coffin, or a one-sentence statement by a Congressman about what an efficient piece of blue collar garbage I was when I served them 24/7. Today, I am in control. I am Ahsen Jillani, a grumpy but healthier 57-year-old making a cup of tea.

sage advice from a Grumpy Guy

Well, turn the TV off and they won’t come. My multi-year plan to find eternal peace may actually be the death of me. I have lived the last three years like a bushman with a machete, slicing and dicing stress and anxieties into a mystery salad of nirvana.

My goal was to redefine myself for my remaining years and emerge mentally and physically healthy—and to smile, perhaps for the first time in my life…

One of the stellar achievements of my 40s was to stop blaming the world for my problems; to let go of the anger. Since college, I had been waking up angry: the professors were pushing me, friends wanted my time, the ladies wanted to walk in the park, and the landlord wanted his money. Then came the bosses. Every one of them had an excuse. The company was about the go bankrupt. Raises and bonuses would come—but not this year. The economy was tough; it was practically the great depression through Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush, and Obama. But the bosses loved me and I needed the love.

A quarter century into the job market in 2005, while Regardless of the bull out dialed into work at Dubai airport on my third two-week of Washington.The labor vacation in decades, I realized force does not benefit from what was eating me: Anger. skyrocketing stock prices My well-being was and wild dividends. dependent on 10 cups of coffee, a pack of cigarettes, half a can of paan masala, chewing tobacco, two deadly burger meals and a few beers daily. Mind you, I still woke up with nausea, heartburn, breathing problems, upset stomach, dry eyes, and a cough that would not go away.

Everybody said to exercise. At age 43, I started that as compulsively as I do everything else. It became a terror for me throughout the day and I hated to even go home because of the dreaded six mile bicycle ride. I felt worse and my anxiety problems got worse until I ended up in the ER thrice during one busy work season in 2007. And actually, I had taken a positive step to hold the hot potato in my own hands—started my own business. In reality, the 12 hour shifts had turned into 18 hour shifts while I tried to work a day job and build a home business.

So, here I am, a decade out from that period when I thought I would finally have a savings account or a retirement plan and find peace and solace going into my twilight years. Well, there’s always an issue: the fridge blew up, then the washing machine, then the dryer, then the kids needed a dentist, then two of the cars had check engine lights on, then I needed a dentist…and so on and so forth. A savings account was not an easy task. And the bosses, and the clients….

In early 2017, I took the plunge and quit my day job after working for The Man for 35 years (these are millionaires always on the verge of bankruptcy when you ask for a raise). I thought I had just made the most empowering decision of my life: joining the world of small business, the lifeline of the American economy. Nothing was farther from the truth. Now The Man came in the form of the client/customer. 2:30am: “Working hard?

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Ahsen Jillani

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

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February 2018

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

By Jennifer Allen

appreciating the little things…

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment. ~ Buddha

February…

Once again we find ourselves within the shortest month of the year. A month where we celebrate everything from Love to the last few days of partying before some experience 40 days of sacrifice. Americans celebrate African American culture and raise awareness for Heart health. Every four years there’s another day tacked onto it, much to the chagrin of those born on this odd day. Regardless, it is often seen as just a short time before we stride head first into March.

It made me think, however, about how much we as human beings tend to underappreciate small things that happen in our lives. In truth, our whole existence is made up of so many little moments that it can be difficult to give any of them meaning.

I was born when both of my parents were in their 30s. Ironic since many of my other relatives had had children much earlier in their lives. Because of this, I came into a world of family members already reaching their midlife crisis and beyond. By the time I was eight, I learned all too well about death as I lost my paternal grandfather. As the years went on and I got older, I spent more time at funeral homes and churches staring at coffins of lost family members than I did doing normal teenage and young adult things.

These experiences certainly offered me a unique perspective to life that many other kids at my age wouldn’t think of having.

I became extremely existential at 15 after my mother passed. I was certainly seen as a bit “off” to some of the other kids, even as my dad remarried and I was forced to finish my high school years across town with hardly anyone I knew.

living a whole other life and learning about another culture in a span of about 25 minutes, though for him it felt closer to 40 years. In the end, this experience changes Picard as he becomes much warmer to the crew and, along with his experience with the Borg, helps him appreciate life to its fullest. Who knew that the reappearance of a little brass flute could make everyone cry so much?

Finally, while I was high school, I had the opportunity to play in a statewide student orchestra. We played many famous pieces from the likes of Mozart, Prokofiev, Dvorak, Bach, and many others. One piece that we loved playing was Schubert’s “Symphony No 8”. Also known as the “Unfinished Symphony” and is comprised of only two movements as opposed the usual 3 or 4 movements that most composers would create. While the piece is “smaller” than most, it doesn’t make it any less special.

I think with only two movements it makes the music more unique and therefore better appreciated as an orchestral masterpiece in its own right.

As my life has progressed, it certainly had its share of darker moments, but also quite a few tiny pieces of light as well. Those little moments, thanks to my previous experiences, helped me keep my chin up and appreciate my life, the world, and my place it in. Think about a time where you stopped for just a moment and noticed something out of the corner of your eye.

A something that was out of the ordinary and yet couldn’t help but make you smile. Was it worth it?

If you want more of those little moments, most of all in this little month known as February. . . then take that cell phone and place it in your pocket. Take your headphones off and simply listen for as long as you need to. Turn your game system off and go outside see what the world has out there for you to experience. Take a walk. Take a drive. Take a friend with you.

You may just discover some of your own moments which you will no doubt cherish and make your life just a bit sweeter.

My father says that almost the whole world is asleep. Everybody you know. Everybody you see. Everybody you talk to. He says that only a few people are awake and they live in a state of constant total amazement. ~ Meg Ryan, Joe vs the Volcano

Around this time I also saw a movie that most people would normally scoff at as a silly comedy. Indeed a film named Joe vs the Volcano would certainly raise eyebrows to the point that it would simply be tossed on some video shelf to collect dust. The movie was the first partnering of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as the two romantic leads. It’s about a man who learns he has some obscure incurable brain disease and then decides to go on an epic quest to the South Pacific in order to end his life in a more heroic fashion. In the end he finds out that he wasn’t actually dying and that this whole journey and the people he met along the way made him appreciate all those little moments and his life in general. When you realize the true meaning of the story, it’s a lot deeper than some film released for cheap gags.

Soon after, my journey went even deeper with an episode from Star Trek: The Next Generation’s 5th season entitled The Inner Light. This episode featured Captain Jean-Luc Picard Saathee.com

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February 2018

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

By Shyama Parui

swap recipes. So, she did not have to deal with demands or sweet persuasions for French style crepes or Kashmiri mutton.

Bengali meals prevailed, created with seasonal vegetables and freshwater fish, not to be mistaken for seafood. Devoid of overpowering spices or onion and garlic, the simplicity of the preparations brought out the best flavors.

Perhaps it is my desire to live up to the previous generation’s standards that compels me to meet my self-imposed expectations. Quick, delicious, and mostly healthy food – a tall order! Today, merely determining the criteria for “healthy” is confusing. The definition of healthy has gone through several iterations. A decade ago, fat was the “bad guy” but now it is sugar in all its forms. I wish the nutrition label would list the sugar from unnamed or unpronounceable sources as well.

Another specification to consider is whether fresh vegetables and fruits are conventionally or organically grown. I shudder at the thought of how much pesticide I may have unknowingly consumed in my lifetime. At first, I was skeptical about the benefits of switching to organically grown foods. One summer, we had grown cherry tomatoes and just as they were ready to be harvested, Japanese beetles swarmed on the tiny crop. In an attempt to get rid of the bugs, we sprayed “safe” pesticides and succeeded. Close inspection of the contents left us horrified.

Consuming the tomatoes laced with the chemicals we had sprayed on them, even after ten rinses, was simply unacceptable.

After that experience I was a convert, aiming to go organic whenever possible, even if it means cutting out pedicures and pricey shoes. It’s a matter of priorities as well as acknowledging the risks that may not be either near or obvious. I wish I had been more tolerant of the worms that squirmed out of the cauliflowers in India. It probably meant that the vegetables hadn’t been doused with bug spray.

A gourmet kitchen today looks a lot different than it did 20 years ago. It is probably as dynamic as a tech lover’s desk with new tools and gadgets that replace the uncool ones. Walking into a store specializing in culinary tools can leave you bewildered. Drawn to an object that looked like a colorful Aladdin lamp, I discovered that it was a tagine. My ignorance prompted me to set it down gently, as if it was an exotic fruit that I was too afraid to taste. I’ve been guilty of collecting plethora of cookware and tools over the years. Some have been genuine life savers, like the juicer, others have been either forgotten or lost favor such as non-stick pans. Meanwhile, the electric can opener has been untouched in recent months, sitting next to the idle slow cooker on the countertop, gathering dust.

With so many options, figuring out the compatible match between soup and blending gizmo, for example, can be a task.

What was once hate, is now closer to love partly because of these daily hurdles. As someone who enjoys a good challenge, I have come to appreciate cooking. Perfection could potentially turn the gastronomic art into a robotic function, so I am going to enjoy the journey of crafting satisfying family meals without worrying about the destination.

Cooking Conundrum

“Learn to cook or you will never find a husband,” my mother warned. “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” advised my sisters. Undaunted by these clichés and empty threats, I stuck to my favorite argument against the pressure to cook, “if you don’t expect my brother to learn how to cook, I refuse to be dragged into the kitchen.” As a teenager, that was my minor crusade to attain gender equality, partially because I was averse to cooking. While my older sisters managed to impress everyone with their skills in the kitchen, I preferred to read and hang out with my friends, much to my mother’s disappointment. Ironically, it was father’s practical advice that allowed me to have an open mind. According to him, we all needed to have important life skills, namely education, driving, swimming, and cooking. He didn’t want me to worry about a future husband, but suggested cooking for survival.

Cooking has never been an inherently rewarding experience for me, although our relationship over the years has improved greatly. Nevertheless, the path is not without obstacles. The right dish created with the Consuming the tomatoes right recipe, prepared with laced with the chemicals love, ready at the right time, we had sprayed on them, no, the perfect time can still even after ten rinses, was fail to please the palates of simply unacceptable. my family of picky eaters. It amazes me how three of my favorite people mercilessly present me with a cooking conundrum every day. It would be less of a challenge if they were simply unadventurous about food. To make things complicated, my husband is vegetarian, my oldest child is the exact opposite – a meat lover, my youngest can live on fruits, and I crave spicy dishes. Guess what does not make it to the top of the list, macher jhal (spicy fish curry) or lau chingri (shrimp with bottle gourd). This is not because my family is unsupportive of my favorite dishes, it is I who is too exhausted by the day’s meal planning to cook an additional item. So, one of us is always unhappy at the dinner table.

My mother speaks of what seems like a bygone era. She cooked hot meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner, skillfully whipping up scrumptious meals for the extended family. From a young age, I marveled at the speed at which the food would arrive from the kitchen, especially since my mother was averse to pressure cookers, food processors or other modern gadgets.

She loved the traditional tools typically found in Bengali households, as much as I found them intimidating.

The large stone grinder called shil-noda resembled a prehistoric artifact and one needed the strength of a wrestler to grind poppy seeds into a paste. The sharp boti (chopping blade) made me wary even though it was efficient. I often watched Maa sit on the floor and slice bitter melons or pumpkins effortlessly, worrying that the unforgiving boti would punish the user with a deep cut, if they dared to blink.

One advantage that favored my mother was that we as children were not exposed to a wide variety of cuisines. We rarely dined out and neighborhood moms were not known to Saathee.com

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February 2018

MARKETING TURNAROUND

By Gail Z. Martin

Video and social Validation for nonProfits and Cause-Centric organizations

Video rules the online world: Facebook Live, Periscope, and Snapchat can help you and your volunteers show the devastation from a disaster, go live at a food drive, fundraiser or resource collection point, bring viewers the real-time experience of building a Habitat house, filling grocery bags for a food bank, or other project. (Always respect the privacy of your recipients and never show faces or give names without permission and a signed release form.) The objective is to bring your social media audience into the situation, sharing the urgency or encouraging them to get involved.

Most cause-centric organizations spend a lot of effort educating people about their mission and the need for their services. Social media makes it easier than ever to share photos, video, stories and testimonials in a compelling way to awaken urgency and spur action. You can also share photo memes and short tweets and posts on tips or facts related to your cause, promote a hotline, or share links where people can access resources. Not only can you reach a wide audience with your information, but you can also track engagement through the likes, comments, shares, views and retweets. Short video is particularly good for communicating essential tidbits and attracting maximum social media attention.

When you hold fundraisers, set up a “red carpet” photo spot with a backdrop of your logo, like you see at the Academy Awards or Comic Con, and encourage your donors to take and post selfies in front of the backdrop. People like to be caught doing something good.

Don’t wait for the media to discover your fundraisers, community projects, and relief projects. Tag bloggers and local, regional and national media on your tweets and posts. Upload video from disaster sites and relief efforts to sites like CNN and Huffington Post. Cultivate social media connections with sympathetic reporters and bloggers, and become their source for information pertaining to your organization’s cause. Here’s a place where everything I’ve talked about concerning branding, credibility, and influence comes together. Reporters will be more willing to tap you as a subject matter expert on your cause if they recognize and trust your brand, if your organization has a record for credibility and good behavior, and if you are visibly connected (and therefore, informally endorsed) by other influential people the reporter trusts.

Monitor Your Brand: Guard your organization’s reputation to maintain your credibility. One great way to do that is to use social media to listen. Several years ago, one international charity went through a scandal that disillusioned many donors and supporters. Even though the organization had a lengthy history and well-known brand, its credibility took a big hit.

Instead of stonewalling, going defensive or mounting a feelgood PR counteroffensive, the organization went on social media and asked people to talk to them about the crisis. They purposefully engaged in online conversation that was sometimes uncomfortable, answering with transparency and honesty. It was a first step in restoring the organization’s trustworthiness. While it’s best not to ever need to do damage Saathee.com

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control, when the worst happens, realize that social media can be the place to begin to rebuild trust.

Use tools like Google Alerts to assure that you see when your organization’s name is mentioned online. Hire someone to set up a Wikipedia page about your organization, and check the page periodically too make sure crowdsourced information doesn’t introduce incorrect information. Google your organization regularly to see what comes up in the results. Go deeper with tools like IceRocket, SocialMention and Topsy to dig into how your company is showing up on Facebook and Twitter. Consider an inexpensive reputation management program like Reputology to help you gather information easily.

While it would be nice if everyone agreed on social causes, the reality is that cause-centric organizations often have vocal opposition, and may face hostile comments or even detractors who post false information. If your organization has a controversial focus, proactive and consistent reputation management is a necessity. You do not want negative comments or misinformation to gain momentum and become difficult or impossible to rebut or correct. While dealing with an online crisis is uncomfortable, the potential for disaster from doing nothing is far worse.

social Validation: Social validation happens when people follow what other, more influential people, are doing and do likewise. It’s the principle behind celebrity endorsements and high-profile product placements, and it’s alive and well online— and easier than ever for you to harness for your organization.

We’re used to thinking of social validation in terms of highly influential people—politicians, athletes, TV and movie stars, and other ‘famous’ people. There’s certainly still value in tapping the traditional forms of validation, such as high-profile speakers at an event, or having a well-known celebrity as a spokesperson.

Yet today’s online generation is more skeptical, realizing that most ‘spokespeople’ are really paid endorsers. Live events have limited attendance, and traditional media like newspapers, magazines, and TV are waning in their influence.

Social media can provide social validation when an influential person with a large online following generates or retweets favorable content about your organization. Here’s where it pays to know about connections your senior management, board members, loyal donors and clients may have with famous or highly visible people. Asking someone to tweet or retweet requires much less time, effort and commitment than recruiting them as a spokesperson, but one tweet from a celebrity can reach millions of people from a source they deem credible and worthy of emulation.

While your radar should always be on the lookout for big fish, don’t overlook the cumulative power of highly-connected but not-famous people. Many bloggers, podcasters, subject matter experts, and gregarious individuals have built large online followings on the basis of their personality, perspective and valuable information. They have high credibility with their continued on page 116

Gail Z. Martin

owns DreamSpinner Communications.

Contact her at Gail@GailMartinMarketing.com

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MASTERING MEANING

Harnessing the Power of American English

By Judith L. Bergman

The London Royal Observatory is the exact spot where the civilized world officially starts “counting time,” the location of Greenwich Mean Time. In reality, clock-time is an illusion. In the age of jet travel, we can pass through several times zones in a matter of hours, outrunning the earth as it turns, but there we were, standing on the starting point of all of these time zones.

Our experience of time is so central to our awareness of our mortality and is also so changeable. Time flies when we are enjoying ourselves but we kill time when we are forced to wait.

Some people resist the passage of time, brain-washed by the youth culture, and keep plastic surgeons wealthy. Others continue to learn and grow, staying vital and fully alive, wiser and happier and, often, looking much younger than their chronological age.

Will Rogers a wise and clever humorist wrote, “Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save.” Maria Edgeworth says, “If we take care of the moments, the years will take care of themselves.” 1 The English language has at least 15 slightly different meanings for time as a noun.2 Most advanced speakers of English as a second (or third) language are probably very familiar with many of these.

However, time is also a key element in at least 18 idioms, that is, non-literal expressions, some with multiple meanings.3 Match the idioms in the sentences below with the correct definitions.

1. We worked against time to meet the deadline. ___ 2. On “Black Friday” all the shoppers tried to get into the store at one time. __ 3. At times our baby gets very fussy and we get very little sleep. ___ 4. His teaching style was interesting but his use of technology was behind the times. ___ 5. “It’s high time that you settle down and do your homework.” ___ 6. For the time being we’ll take a different route to work. ___ 7. I’ll have the report finished in no time. ___ 8. In time most of us learn that the only person we can change is ourselves! ___ 9. You’ll improve your public speaking skills in good time. ___ 10. We plan to pay for the home improvement on time. ___ 11. Usually, the trains were arriving on time. ___ 12. The children had the time of their life at Disney World. ___ 13. In preschool, the children liked to march in time to music. ___ 14. In spite of the heavy traffic, we arrived at the theatre in time for the play. ___ 15. I knew I would have time on my hands in between flights, so I brought some reading material.___ 16. I understand your argument. At the same time, I can’t agree with you. ___ 17. It’s about time you got here! ___ 18. Time was when we felt safe letting our children run around outside without supervision. ___ a. Temporarily b. The appropriate or urgent time c. Eventually d. In a reasonable length of time e. A wonderful experience f. We were not too late g.With a quickly approaching time limit. h. An interval with nothing to do i. Out of date, old-fashioned Saathee.com

j. There was once a time k. Simultaneously l. Punctually, on schedule m. Almost instantly, immediately n. In installments o. On occasion, sometimes p. To the beat or tempo of q. However r. Indicating that you are late. suggested strategies to increase your word power this month: Pick one article each week from different sections of your newspaper. Underline all the uses of time, see how many were used in idioms and define each one.

References: 1 http://www.quotationspage.com/subjects/time/31.html 2,3 http://www.idioms.thefreedictionary.com/ answers: 1-g, 2-k, 3-o, 4-i, 5-b, 6-a, 7-m, 8-c, 9-d, 10-n, 11-l, 12-e, 13-p, 14f, 15-h, 16-q, 17-r, 18-j. is a speech-language pathologist and corporate speech trainer who owns Triangle Speech Services and specializes in foreign accent modification. Her book, Mastering Meaning: Harnessing the Power of American English, is now available at lulu.com and amazon.com.

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

Judith L. Bergman M.A CCC

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PERSONAL FINANCES

By Mo Vidwans

What other write-offs are changed or eliminated?

Several other write-offs from Adjustment to income and Itemized list are eliminated. Deductions for job-related move expenses, all misc expenses subject to 2 percent of AGI limit including employee unreimbursed business expenses, brokerage and IRA fees and tax preparation costs, theft losses, alimony for post-2018 divorce decrees and most importantly personal casualty losses are all gone for 2018 and beyond. Surprisingly this includes presidentially declared disaster areas, too.

new tax laws are Here: let us try to understand them

After all the struggles and the rhetoric that was put out by the Congress and the President, the new tax laws were finally passed, signed and sealed. It is something we need to understand and follow. Like any thing else in life, there are good things and bad things embedded in these regulations.

One thing is for sure: whatever is there in the law will affect every one of us working folks. It does not matter what immigration status you have; whether you are a student, H1B visa holder, temporary or permanent resident, a naturalized citizen or any other category. This law will affect all those who have income. They should be interested not only in the impact of this law but also in the form and shape it has taken and should carefully study and understand it. Unlike other legal situations, everyone who has income has his/her skin in this game.

My strong suggestion would be that even if you are not a citizen and cannot vote, you are still very much affected by the law and you should write to your congressman and the two senators, letting them know what your feeling are about how it is impacting you. All middle class families, especially, have to be very vigilant about this.

I am giving answers below for some of the most frequently asked questions about what passed.

then what is preserved or enhanced?

Well, the charitable contribution deductions are preserved, in fact, enhanced a little bit. The AGI limitation on cash donations to qualified charities is upped from 50 percent to 60 percent.

The medical expense deduction is actually enhanced. Not only did lawmakers keep this popular write-off, they also have temporarily lowered the AGI threshold for deducting 2017 and 2018 medical expenses on schedule A from 10 percent to 7.5 percent for all.

What about the actual income tax rate?

The law keeps the seven tax brackets but with different rates and break points. Not only is the top individual tax rate is lowered to 37 percent but also that rate kicks in at higher income level. Readers should also note that whatever new bracket you fall into, more of your taxable income will be hit with lower tax rates than before. One has to wonder how much of a tax break or relief are we really getting. Inflation indexing of income tax brackets is also altered using a chained consumer price index resulting in lower inflation adjustments from year to next year.

This is a hidden tax hike that will adversely affect nearly all taxpayers over time.

Tax rates on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends do not change, but instead of depending on tax-brackets, congress decided to set the rates on income thresholds independently. The 0 percent rate will apply on joint returns up to $77,200 and 20 percent will start at $479,000 for joint filers. The 15 percent rate will apply for filers between those two.

are these laws temporary or permanent?

Believe it or not, most individual tax provisions are temporary. They expire after 2025. Unless extended or changed by the new Congress then and signed by the new President, the laws will automatically revert to the rules now in effect for 2017.

The corporate tax changes, however, are permanent and will not automatically revert back.

What are the salient changes to the individual taxes?

Most striking one is that the Standard Deduction nearly doubled with couples getting $24,000 now and the appropriate sum for singles and head of the households as well. Folks 65 and up and blind people will also get $1,250 more per person. What many folks don’t realize is that the personal exemption for individual filers and their dependents is also totally repealed.

This will nullify the beneficial effect of doubling up the standard deduction for most. However, because the standard deduction is doubled it will discourage many folks from itemizing. Today about 50 million taxpayers itemize their returns. It is expected that the number of taxpayers itemizing will drop by half.

Most of you probably have heard about the mortgage interests and state taxes deduction limitation. Home mortgages are curtailed; interest can be deducted up to $750,000 of new acquisition debt on primary or secondary residence. This limit applies only to mortgages incurred after December 14 2017. No write-off is allowed after 2017 for interest on existing or new home equity loans.

State and local taxes are also squeezed. Any combination of residential property taxes and income or sales taxes can be deducted up to a $10,000 ceiling. Property taxes remain fully deductible in a business or for-profit activity; which means taxes paid on rental realty can be taken in full on schedule E. Saathee.com

other notables: The child tax credit is doubled. The kiddie tax is significantly revamped. 529 college savings plans are enhanced. Many individual owners of pass-throughs will get a new 20 percent deduction. The rules cover sole proprietors and owners of S corporations, partnerships and LLCs. It is clear to me, as it should be to you as well, that the new proposal, contrary to what the Republicans are touting, is going to affect the middle class adversely. And the prime motive behind this is to reduce taxes on Corporations and for the top 1 percent of the population. And it is not just a deficit neutral shifting process either. In the process of shifting the tax burden we are also adding about $1.5 Trillion additional debt to the society, which will be shouldered by us, the common people.

National debt is perhaps the biggest threat to our national security; something worth thinking about.

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 2018

test Your

Knowledge Indian Rivers

1

3

2

This west flowing river runs through Rajasthan and Gujarat before draining into Gulf of Cambay.

Gandhiji’s home on the Sabarmati River is also known as___ .

5

4

This largest city in Gujarat is situated on the Sabarmati River.

The ancient name of Sabarmati River.

This gravity dam is located on the Sabarmati River.

7

6

Gujarat’s capital, ____ , is situated on the Sabarmati River.

8

Sabarmati originates at _____ in Rajasthan.

9

The source of Sabarmati.

The length of the Sabarmati River is approximately ____ .

Answers: 1. Sabarmati 2. Sabarmati Ashram 3. Bhogwa 4. Amdavad 5. Dharoi Dam 6. Gandhinagar 7. Aravalli Range 8. Dhebar Lake 9. 371 kilometers (231 miles).

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February 2018

THINKING ABOUT THINKING

By Balaji Prasad

Reading through a thousand eyes “The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” ~ Rene Descartes

If you are reading this article, you are, undoubtedly, a reader!

You stopped by either because you hoped to get some enjoyment from the reading, or thought you might gain some insights to help in pursuits of interest to you. We do a lot of things towards getting a better grasp on the world around us. We also spend a fair amount of time on getting entertained and finding enjoyment in our day-to-day lives. So should we not expect the same from our reading?

Reading is critical Reading is a foundational capability. If there is something we might think of as a sixth sense, this could be it! We gain knowledge through the experiences that our other five senses – taste, touch, hearing, sight and smell – open up for us. However, this sixth one is what brings countless voices from different places and different times together into our present moment.

Those voices come from sights seen, and sensations felt by vast numbers of people whose voices would be inaccessible to us, were it not for their writing and our reading. The medium between them and us is our portal into their world, enabling a part of their world to enter ours. Surely there is value in not to have to learn everything through the school of hard knocks? This is exactly what we get when we hear from others through their writings: People like Charles Dickens, Shakespeare, Rabindranath Tagore, and P.G. Wodehouse sitting side by side with J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey and Neil deGrasse Tyson.

They say so much, and we could receive so much, if we decide that it is worth our time to do so … and read what they wrote.

Reading allows us, therefore, to transcend our five senses, and see through a thousand eyes, not just through the single pair that each of us owns. But reality is always a bit more nuanced than good or bad; there is a dark side to seeing through other people’s eyes. And, if we are not careful, we could end up absorbing things that put us on the wrong track.

Critical reading is critical Ultimately, the only world that each of us knows is inside our heads, and runs through the neural network that underpins our thinking. So ideas and concepts from other people’s heads need to be assimilated and synthesized with what already exists, so that it all continues to make sense in our individual and unique little world. So when we read, we need to be aware of not only what we read but also of what we already “know”. This aspect of self-awareness that we bring to the reading task is one part of what might think of as “critical reading”.

There is more to critical reading than just self-awareness.

Specifically, we need to be “other-aware” – that we are getting indirect information that is created by other people. It is not just a thousand eyes that are a conduit to our minds via reading; there are also a thousand I’s between the indirect experiences from other people and us. Each writer brings his or her own worldview, perspective, biases, prejudices, and belief system Saathee.com

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into the writing that we read so eagerly. There is music within all that writing, but there is noise as well. And, some of that noise can damage us, if we take it in, unfiltered.

Of late, there has been a lot of concern about “fake news”.

The fact is that fake news has been part of society from the day there were at least two human beings on the planet. Critical readers everywhere have known this forever, and so cast a doubtful eye on all that they read, knowing that meaning lies not just in the eyes of the beholder, but also in the voice of the teller of tales. But the times we live in demand even more criticality from us, because of the rapidity with which information spreads. Also, as things get said over and over again by different voices with different nuances, suddenly a single author begins to sound like a million voices chanting the same mantra in unison. It is all too easy to fall under the illusion that decibel level is a reasonable proxy for quality, and begin to trust what we hear in what is a very loud echo chamber. So we need each of us to be critical readers. This is critical!

Breeding the reading Reading is an unnatural activity. Literally! It is not like walking, eating and other capabilities that are organic within us, and develop through natural means without our even trying to excel at these activities. Somewhere, somehow, we figured out that we could carve little squiggles that can stand in for the real things that exist in this world. When everyone agreed to some shared meaning for these squiggles, we had the ability to communicate via the written word. And then Gutenberg happened. The writing spread. And in the twentieth century, the Internet happened. The writing went viral. There are writers everywhere and readers everywhere now. So the ability to read, and to read critically, has become that much more important.

Since writing is more or less open to anyone now, some of the quality checks of the past have fallen by the wayside; critical reading is even more critical now.

One way to become good at reading is to do much more of it. The more you read, the more you develop techniques and tricks to help you read better. Also, the more you read, the more it becomes a part of you, a part that you employ not only to gain information, but also to derive pleasure.

Besides brute force, which certainly works, it is possible to step up reading ability by learning from an expert reader who has cultivated this expertise. Just as with any other skill, such as music, some top-down learning can be a valuable augmentation of a bottom-up brute force approach to learning.

For some, like our high schoolers, being a good reader is not optional. Performance in school tests and college admission tests such as the SAT and ACT absolutely mandate that you be a great reader.

Breed the reader in you, by reading the right kinds of things, using the right techniques, along with, of course, the right attitude towards reading. You are the breeder first, of reading, before you are the reader. And, the stronger, your breeding skills grow, the stronger your reading skills. Breed on!

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 2018

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February 2018

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS INSIDER

By Kristen Moon

and students across the nation. They also have a lot of smaller events in which the executive director of the organization talks more about CTCL and the process of the college search.

44 Colleges You Probably never Heard of, But should!

Most people can name 20-30 colleges off the top of their head. There are over 4,000 universities worldwide. I want to introduce you to 44 universities you might not have heard of.

If you are looking for great liberal arts colleges to apply to, you should definitely check out CTCL (Colleges That Change Lives). CTCL is a non-profit organization. Visit their website at ctcl.org. You can also check out the book at your local library; the author is Loren Pope. The book is a great resource to flip through and view universities by location. Their member institutions are a perfect fit for students looking for a challenging academic curriculum with more hands-on experience in their undergraduate environment.

The bottom line is that CTCL colleges are student focused learning institutions. The member colleges challenge the notion that only Ivy League universities are capable of offering challenging courses and top-notch faculty. The CTCL metrics of what constitutes a great learning environment are more varied and interesting than the ones used by most college guidebooks and their effectiveness as a measure of quality education is evident in the results they produce. The member colleges also have resources for students who have learning disabilities. If you are planning to apply to a liberal arts college, their site will help you make a more informed decision about your path of education.

• What does CtCl do as an organization? – Their main goal is to educate students, counselors and family members about colleges that they might not have heard of. Their process is more informed, streamlined and introspective.

They are strong advocates for the liberal arts and all their member schools are known for their quality liberal arts programs.

• How are the colleges selected? – The late Loren Pope, who was responsible for the list believed that the residential liberal arts experience is the ideal way for college students to learn. As of 2016, CTCL has 44 member schools that are all part of a non-profit organization interested in working together with students and parents to educate them about the liberal arts college scene.

• Who are the ideal candidates for the CtCl member institutions? – Any student who is looking for a college experience that includes extensive interaction with the faculty members will be best served by the CTCL schools.

Since the class sizes are small, the faculty members act as mentors and not just advisers. Small schools create an excellent intellectual space in which the students get to live and learn. They are challenged, supported and they get to interact with a diverse group of both domestic and international students.

• do they ever drop or add colleges? – No school has yet been removed from the organization. If the school is no longer able to offer a strong liberal arts program or change their educational system and admission process and make it less student-centered, they would no longer fit with the organization and their message. Colleges can be added if they follow the founding principles.

• Where can I learn more about CtCl? – If you want to know more about CTCL and its attendant institutions, visit their (ctcl.org). You can also follow them on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #CTCLColleges. They post regular updates on their specially curated tours for parents Saathee.com

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Kristen Moon

is an independent college counselor and founder of MoonPrep.com. She specializes in Ivy League, BS/MD Programs, and International Students. She works with students 9-12th grade. kristen@moonprep.com

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February 2018

SANGEET Popular Music of India

Contemporary Film lyrics (1990 - current)

By Kirit Shukla

evergreen Classic Film lyrics: oldies (1940 - 1990)

dil Kya Kare

Jay Jay shiva shankar

Song: Dil kya kare ...

Film: Kaabil Year: 2017 Music: Rajesh Roshan Singer: Jubin Nautiyal Lyricist: : Kumaar Tāl/Rhythm: Kaharavā Starring: Hritik Roshan, Yami Gautam, Ronit Roy theme: Valentine’s day (February 14)

Song: Jay jay Shiva Shankar...

Film: Aap ki kasam Year: 1974 Music: R. D. Burman Singers: Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar & Chorus Lyricist: : Anand Bakshi Starring: Rajesh Khanna, Mumtāz theme: Mahā shivaratri: (February 13)

This day is, of course, for lovers. When you fall in love with This is a Hindu religious festival celebrating Lord Shiva. On this someone your heart is lost and you don’t know what to do. You day some devotees drink “bhang” a laced drink that gives the are lost in the world of love and it feels like nothing remains in drinker a high. This song is sung after the protagonist drinks your control. This song emotes those feelings. bhang and begins to have a good time. lyrics in english: lyrics in english: Zarā zarā si nind bhi ajnabi si ho gayi, Hai jai bolo shiv shankar ki jay...

Zarā zarā chain se dushmani si ho gayiTum mile ho gayā hai Jay jay shiv shankar, kāntā lage na kankarjo pyālā tere nām kā khud kā hi patā ,kyā karun kyā nahi kuch bas mein nā rahā, piyā, O ~ gir jāungi, main mar jāungijo tune mujhe thām na samjhu kaise koi samjhāye... Dil kyā kare jab kisi se kisi ko liyā, so rab di~Ek ke do, do ke chār, muzako to dikhate hain, pyār ho jāye, jāne kahān kab kisi ko kisi se pyār ho jāye, Aisā hi hotā hai, jab do dil milate hain –2Sar pe zamin pānva Hooo… unchi unchi diwāron si is duniyā ki rasmein, nā ke niche hai āsamān, ho~ so rab di~ , kuchh tere bas mein jānā nā kuch mere bas mein, tum mile, Jay jay shiv shankar … kho gayā hai khud kā hi patā, kyā karun kyā nahi kuch bas Kandhe pe, sar rakh ke, tum mujhako sone do, masti men jo mein na rahā, samjhu kaise koi samjhāye… dil kyā kare jab chāhe Ho jāye hone do, aise men tum ho gaye bade beimān, kisi se kisi ko pyār ho jāye, jāne kahān kab kisi ko kisi se pyār ho so rab di~ Jay jay shiv shankar ...Raste men, ham dono, ho jāye, kisi se pyār ho jāye… ghar kaise jāyenge, ghar vāle, ab hamako, Khud lene āyenge, kuchh bhi ho lekin mazā ā gayā meri jān, lyrics in Hindi: Ho~ so rab di~ jay jay shiv shankar …

Are bajāo re bajāo, imāndāri se bajāo; he he… lyrics in Hindi:

Kirit Shukla

Contact him at kiritsshukla@hotmail.com

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February 2018

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February 2018

HINDU CENTER Support Hindu Center Expansion

Leave a Lasting Memory on HC Wall.

Sponsor a BRICK $1001 $5,001 for 5 X 7 Marble Plaque $10,001 for 8 X 11 Marble Plaque Expansion project update:

Grading, Parking Lot and foundation completed.

Building work in progress, stone work 90% complete and outside stonework started!!

2018 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE

Annual Membership: $101, Students & Seniors $31 Donate Brick and Become life member for $1001!

Upcoming Hindu Center Events & Activities: Purandar Dasa Aradhna: February 10 (Sat) Maha-Shivratri: February 13 (Tues) Thyagraja Aradhna: March 3 (Sat) Holika Dahan: March 1 (Thurs); Dhuleti: March 11 (Sun) Spring Festival / Basant Mela: March 17 (Sat) Chaitra Navratri: March 18 (Sun) thru March 26 (Mon) Ugadi/Gudi Padava/ Baisakhi in Temple: March 18 (Sun) Ram Navami: March 26 (Mon) Hanuman Jayanti: March 31 (Sat) Cheti Chand: April 1 (Sun) & Mahavir Jayanti: April 1 (Sun)

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

OF CHARLOTTE

MAHA SHIVARATRI Feb 13, 2018 (Tuesday)

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

Evening Puja Abhishek, Bhajans, Aarti and Prasad

Holika Dahan

March 1, 2018 (Thurs, 7:30 PM) Puja & Aarti 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Dhuleti:

March 11, 2018 (Sunday at 12:30 PM) COLOR, MUSIC & FOOD

Chaitra Navratri:

Celebration from Mar 18 thru Mar 26

Chaitra Navratri Bhajans - Timings 3/18 - Sun 2PM - 4PM 3/19 - Mon 7PM - 9PM 3/20 - Tues 7PM - 9PM 3/21 - Wed 7PM - 9PM 3/22 - Thurs 7PM - 9PM 3/23 - Fri 7PM - 9PM 3/24 - Sat 2PM - 4PM 3/25 - Sun 2PM - 4PM (Kanjak Pujan at 3 PM) 3/26 - Mon 7PM - 9PM

HINDU CENTER

Hindu Center of Charlotte celebrates Spring Festival/ Basant Mela encompassing

Holi, Ugadi, Gudi Padva & Baisakhi

with a Mela & Cultural Program with music, dance, and flavours from all over India !

Cultural Program Contacts Email: hc_cultural@yahoo.com Anitha Gowtam 704 206 9348, Sarika Milhoutra 201-696-1877, Pausha Bhatt 980-428-1381, Minal Jajoo 321-689-1789 Sponsorships Call: 704 206 9348/ or email: hc_cultural@yahoo.com HC Contact Reena Roy reena.roy@hcclt.org; Hemant Amin 704 258 3588

Food Stalls

Community Entertainment

Apparel, Jewelry, Crafts Dance Competitions

Special Musical

WHEN: March 17 (Sat) 11AM – 7PM (tentatively) WHERE: Vihar Hall Hindu Center ENTRY: $5/person (FREE for kids under 5)

Ugadi / Gudi Padva / Baisakhi In Temple on

March 18, 2018 (Sunday) Lord Balaji Archnas all day every hour $11 donations.

OF CHARLOTTE Sri Rama Navami March 26 (Monday) Ramayan Reading

Hanuman Jayanti Celebrations March 31, 2018 (Saturday)

108 times Chanting Hanuman Chalisa from 10 AM to 6 PM followed by bhajans, aarti and Prasad

Cheti Chand 2018 Sindhi New Year april 1, 2018 (sunday)

Lord Mahavir Jayanti Celebration

april 1, 2018 (sunday, 10 aM to noon)

NUTRITION FOR LIFE

By Parul Kharod

With the New Year setting in, most people make resolutions to lose weight and eat right. But can you go too far with healthy eating? There is another condition which is a mild manifestation of an eating disorder. This called Orthorexia.

To be vigilant and enthusiastic about health and healthy eating is perfectly okay. The trouble starts when it turns into an obsession, to a point where ironically the same eating habits start damaging your health. The word ‘Orthorexia’ is derived from the word ortho meaning straight or pure. It is defined as a fixation on righteous eating. Orthorexia is not currently recognized as an official diagnosis, but many people seem to struggle with it.

It starts out innocently with adapting healthy eating habits.

You read information about hormones and pesticides and choose to buy organic and non-GMO products. You choose to remove processed foods and start adapting a clean whole foods diet. Until then it is all fine. Then you read something about sugar being all evil, and you give up sugar. Then you read something about all grains being bad and out go all the grains.

More restrictions start developing where you only eat raw foods then you eat only fruits or you give up solids and only do juicing.

Remember that just adapting an alternate lifestyle is not orthorexia. It is when it becomes an obsession to the point where not following your own made up rules lead to anxiety and self-punishment. People who are orthorexic become consumed with making each and every meal perfect according to the standards they have set for themselves. If they slip-up, they will do a cleanse or fast to make up for resorting to temptation. This fixation often leads to multiple cleanses or rigorous fasting. The body eventually starts showing symptoms of malnutrition due to diet restriction. Orthorexics need to have complete control over the quality and type of food they are eating. This often leads to social isolation and family conflicts.

eating disorders

Until recently, eating disorders were believed to be more prevalent in white affluent societies. Unfortunately this sad and dangerous affliction is increasingly being seen in Asian Indians.

Young girls, especially in high school and early college years, are most vulnerable.

Food is our fuel, and the primary reason we eat is for nourishment. For humans, though, food is part of something more than just nutrition. We eat for social and emotional reasons.

Eating can serve many purposes that have nothing to do with the food itself. Often, we eat to manage stress, and we may use food to cope with feelings. You are stressed, you eat your comfort food to make you feel better, and it works! You feel soothed or relieved, if only temporarily. Your brain learns that it can get a quick fix, and the cycle of addiction begins. In fact, foods that are high in sugar, salt, or fat (or all three) trigger the same pleasurable dopamine release in the brain that is involved in addiction to drugs.

Eating disorders are serious and often fatal illnesses that cause severe disturbances to a person’s eating behaviors.

Obsessions with food, body weight, and shape may also signal an eating disorder. Social and peer pressure, body image concerns, and personality traits like perfectionism and obsessiveness can trigger eating disorders, which are often accompanied by depression and/or anxiety.

Types of eating disorders include: • Anorexia nervosa – voluntary starvation (a person may restrict food because they feel they are overweight, when in reality they may be severely underweight) • Bulimia nervosa, which involves periods of overeating followed by purging, sometimes through self-induced According to the National Eating Disorders Association, vomiting or using laxatives there nothing is wrong with striving for healthy eating habits.

• Binge-eating, which is out-of-control eating. Binge To know whether you are bordering towards orthorexia, ask eaters are often overweight or obese, and can also yourself these questions: experience guilt, shame, and distress about their binge 1. Is food and healthy eating taking up an unreasonable eating, which can lead to more binge eating. amount of time and attention in your life?

2. Do you feel guilty and or have a sense of self-loathing Here are some questions to ask to assess the possibility of an when you ‘slip up’ or ‘cheat’? eating disorder: 3. Is it causing you to be isolated or causing conflict in 1. How often do you weigh yourself? your life?

2. How much time have you spent dieting?

3. How do you feel if you missed a day of exercise?

For all eating disorders, the road to recovery begins with 4. Do you count calories? counseling. Talking to a licensed dietitian nutritionist can help with 5. Do you experience loss of control over your eating? correcting nutritional status. Psychology counseling and therapy 6. Do you ever feel guilty, ashamed, or embarrassed about is crucial to correct body image perceptions, anxiety/depression, and to build self-esteem. In some cases, medications, or how much you eat?

7. Do you eat for emotional reasons, such as when you’re hospitalization may be needed to get back on track. bored, sad, or anxious?

Parul Kharod, MS, RD, LDN 8. Compared to other things in your life, how important is a registered dietitian and licensed is your weight to you?

Eating disorder assessments are much more comprehensive and should be conducted by professionals, either psychologists or dietitians, who are trained in this field.

Saathee.com

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

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February 2018

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MY VOICE Readers' Forum

By Kamal Darji

lifting Weights Raises More than Just Your Muscle Mass

It was my freshman year in high school. I was a scrawny kid in New Jersey who was in love with the game of basketball, and I spent a lot of my time playing pickup games at the park near my house.

Everyone around me, however, had become more and more interested in lifting weights.

As a result, I decided to take a weightlifting class as a way of both fitting in and, hopefully, becoming stronger.

I remember back then everyone was obsessed with the bench press. I would see guys walking up to the bench and knocking out their sets with ease.

One day, when the coast was clear, I walked up to the bench.

There were 45 pound plates on both sides and the bar, itself, weighed 45 pounds. I did the math in my head and came to the conclusion I could bench 135 pounds since everyone else made it look so easy.

I unracked the weight with a confidence that was rare to me; however, as soon as the bar began its descent, I knew I was in trouble.

The weight came to a rest on my chest and I was struggling to even move it at that point. I let it sit on my chest for a while as I looked around the room. I did not want the females in there to see me at my weakest point nor did I want the guys to make fun of my strength or lack thereof.

Then a guy, who was built like a young Terry Crews, came running over and helped me rack the weight.

As I got up from the bench, some of the people around me had a look of disgust on their faces. The girls were all giggling in the corner while some of the guys were just shaking their heads.

Granted, the embarrassment of that moment kept me out of the gym for a few years after that; however, it did give me a feeling that I somewhat enjoyed.

It was in college, when the itch, so to speak, would strike again.

I had always struggled with my confidence growing up; I was not a ladies’ man by any stretch and more often than not, I preferred to be alone. I preferred to stay in my room and just read a good book over interacting with others.

My roommates in college, however, changed all of that.

They were much stronger than me and convinced me to go to the gym. We started from the very basics and they made sure I utilized proper form—we created a consistent routine.

Over time, I was becoming stronger, and I fell in love with the euphoric feeling lifting weights provided.

As I started lifting more, I became more confident, and I observed how it transferred to other areas of my life. I became more outgoing and I no longer considered interacting with others a nuisance.

Whenever I would hit a personal record such as benching 225 pounds for the first time or deadlifting 315 pounds, it would give me a rush, and I kept going back for more.

The videos online helped a lot in inspiring me to lift as well; Saathee.com

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for instance, guys such as C.T. Fletcher, Bradley Martin, Mike Rashid, Kris Gethin, Jay Cutler and other various behemoths in the weightlifting world provided a spark. My friends and I would push each other and serve as a support system whenever it was needed.

The exciting thing, in my opinion, about lifting weights is that you have to earn everything. I was very weak at first compared to the regular gym-goers; however, a good friend taught me that one must remove one’s ego when it comes to making true progress.

Furthermore, I would, on occasion, ask the strongest guys for advice. To my surprise, most of these guys were very humble and extremely helpful in the tips they would give me.

Lifting weights has definitely had a very positive impact on my life, and it is something I hope to pursue as long as I possibly can. It has helped with my depression, anxiety and overall well-being.

Moreover, I believe it serves as a great analogy for life: those that keep pushing forward ultimately make the most progress.

Kamal Darji

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H1B Visa

continued from page 10

The US allows for 85,000 H-1B visas to be issued every year.

About 70 percent of H-1B visa holders have Indian passports; by extension, most H-4 spouses hail from India as well. Without work authorization, the only other way a spouse on an H-4 visa would be able to work is if she were able to become a legal permanent resident, a green card holder. But the US has quotas for the number of green cards it grants to immigrants from each country every year. Because India delivers the most skilled workers to the US, India’s green card waiting line is severely backlogged.

It’s a complicated and time-sensitive process. To be eligible for an employment-based green card, an H-1B holder needs an employer to sponsor them and there needs to be a visa available. The H-1B visa typically lasts up to three years with one three-year renewal, so employers have to file their petition before the immigrant’s visa expires. While a green card is pending, though, H-1B holders can continue to renew their visas until their application is processed.

Neha Mahajan was recognized as a high-achieving employee by her company, Global Data Management Inc. in Woodbridge, NJ. She worked there for almost two years as an account manager, with work authorization that comes with her H-4 visa. But she was asked to resign in November 2017. Credit: Courtesy of Neha Mahajan

In January 2018, the US State Department reported that they are still processing green card applications from Indians who filed their forms in 2006 and 2008. The US issues about one million green cards per year, limiting the number of family- and employment-based green cards from each country to 7 percent of the amount issued, regardless of each country’s population.

Advocates with Skilled Immigrants in America, an organization made up of mostly Indian workers and their families calculate that applicants from India, if nothing changes, could have to wait upwards of 70 years to adjust their status from an H-1B to a green card because as many as 95,000 applicants are being added to the queue each year. The process of getting a so-called “visa number,” a spot in the yearly supply, becomes nearly impossible.

“For adjustment of status, you need to have a visa number available. But the visa number is not available because of these discriminatory country caps,” says Karthik, a member of Skilled Immigrants in America who is based in California. He asked to only use his first name because he fears his advocacy might hurt his green card process.

The issues these green card applicants face trickle down to their family members.

Divya Ravindranath is a PhD candidate at Washington Saathee.com

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University in St. Louis who conducted in-depth, qualitative interviews with 32 Indian women with H-4 visas for a small study. Despite wanting to work — all the women Ravindranath spoke with expressed an explicit desire to do so — they ended up reliving stereotypes of women in India, where a variety of factors continue to make it difficult for women to join the workforce. These H-4 spouses might have challenged those barriers in India, but it is impossible for them to do so in the US. H-4 visa holders from other countries, meanwhile, have different experiences than those from India because of the green card wait times associated with their country. An organizer for the South Bay H-4 visa holders support group, based in Silicon Valley, for example, told me the group is not very active these days because most everyone has transitioned to a green card or benefitted from the Obama administration’s work permit change. Some of those who transitioned to green cards came from Europe; others who were able to work without waiting for green cards were from India.

“I think there is a culture of silence around the world where we talk about labor force participation being an economic principle without thinking about what are the larger structures that push women out of the labor force. We almost make it sound like women are not in the labor force and that’s the problem,” Ravindranath says. “But what is causing that problem, right?”

When Mahajan first realized she couldn’t work under her visa, she volunteered to keep her skills fresh and boost her resume. But at home, she joined private social media groups about H-4 visas and poured out her agony. Her husband empathized, but his H-1B visa is also uncertain. In October 2017, DHS announced it would increase scrutiny of H-1B renewal applications (PDF). On Dec. 30, the McClatchy news organization reported that officials in DHS are considering removing renewal options for H-1B holders awaiting green cards.

In the meantime, Mahajan struggles to move forward. Her family eventually saved up enough so that she could pursue a certificate in public relations. She saw other friends on the H-4 pursue master’s or associate’s degrees — the H-4 visa doesn’t stop you from studying — but it didn’t make sense for her single-earning family with a small child, she says.

“What is the whole point of studying if you cannot work?

How much can you continue to study?”

In 2011, Mahajan met another H-4 visa holder, Meghna Damani, at a film festival in New Jersey where she was volunteering. Damani had made a film about her experience on the H-4 and was mobilizing spouses for immigration reform.

Forget Facebook — the in-person experience of sharing stories with Damani and watching her film created a more real sense of community for Mahajan. “I had that sense of satisfaction so as to say that I am not alone,” Mahajan says. “There are so many women like me.”

Save Jobs USA argues that spouses of H-1B visa holders — like Mahajan — are being given the opportunity to take jobs that should prioritize hiring US workers. Their lawsuit, they say, is about limiting the amount of power the president has to issue such an order.

“The problem is that if a president has that much power, the president has the power to wipe out every protection for the American worker,” says John Miano, a labor attorney who represents Save Jobs USA. It’s hard to argue that H-4 workers are impacting the availability of jobs in practice, though, because so little is known about them. “We have lots of data on H-1B workers,” says continued on page 110

February 2018

YOUTH CORNER Word World

By Kirit Shukla

5. The science of the diseases of the mind is called (a) Psychopathology (b) Psychometrics (c) Psychology (d) Psychobiology

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; 6 to 10 words = Good; 5 or less = keep looking.

Words we found are in solutions below.

6. The national hwy from Varanasi to Kanyakumari is (a) No. 10 (b) No. 9 (c) No. 8 (d) No. 7

7. The previous name of the Charlotte Hornets baskeball team (a) Jaguars (b) Whales (c) Ponies (d) Bobcats

Brain train

8. The Atomic number of the element Gold [Au] is (a) 81 (b) 80 (c) 79 (d) 78

Hi Kids.

What is the missing number in the series: 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, 12, ?, 27, 36. (a) 18 (b) 21 (c) 24 (d) 27

9. “Taoism” is a religion in China. Tao means (a) Pure (b) The way (c) Truth (d) The life

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

10. The total area of North Carolina is about (a) 50800 Sq. Miles (b) 51800 Sq. Miles (c) 52800 Sq. Miles (d) 53800 Sq. Miles

dadaji’s moral short stories It was a wedding day for camels. The donkeys were the priests, chanting the mantras loudly with their ears raised. The sheep were the invitees and attendees. After the ceremony was over, the camels clapped and praised the donkey priests: “Wow, What a fantastic sound quality of your chanting mantras! Your voice is the best in the world. We have really enjoyed it and do appreciate your efforts.” Donkeys were happy and responded: “Thank you. You are the most beautiful couple in the world. Look at your licking lovely lips; your curvy humps, short knotty rope like tail, your long neck like a slide, eighteen crooked limbs, rough muddy colored skin!

Wow!” All the sheep attendees also clapped and cheered! (This is originally a Sanskrit verse.)

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

Moral: Don’t be overly proud of flattering comments you receive in public.

4.c

Who wants to be a scholar?!

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

There is only one correct answer.

Answer for brain train: (a) 18 [Solution. 2,3,4 is a sequence: each number is multiplied by 3 will give second sequence 6,9,12; So, multiply 2,3,4 by 9 will get 18, 27, 36]

1. Arrange these cities of Madhya Pradesh from East to West. (a) Jabalpur (b) Ujjain (c) Bhopal (d) Ratlam Saathee.com

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Word World (Solution): DENT, DUET, DUNE, NEST, NUDE, NUTTED, SEND, SETT, SNED, STET, STUDENT, SUET, TEND, TENT, TEST, TUNE, UNDE, UNSET .

T

N

4. How long does a soccer match last? (a) 60 Minutes (b) 75 Minutes (c) 90 Minutes (d) 105 Minutes

3.b

S

E

D

2.c 10. d

T

3. A “Chagrined” person is he who is (a) Happy (b) Annoyed & disappointed (c) Miser (d) Friendly

Scholar Answers: 1. a, c, b, d 5.a 6.d 7. d 8.c 9.b

U

2. The music director of 2017 Hindi film “Kaabil”? (a) Pritam (b) A. R. Rahman (c) Rajesh Roshan (d) Sanjay Leela Bhansali

February 2018

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February 2018

EYE ON THE MARKETS Trends and Commentary

By Ketu Desai

tax rate that is the important part of any increase in CapEx.”

Global economic Picture strong

The market finished the year strong behind continued economic strength, low interest rates, and a passed tax cut.

Telecom and energy were the worst performing sectors for the year, but performed the best during December. In general, this month, investors sold the best performing sectors for the year, in favor of underperforming sectors. Traditional retail names worked great over recent weeks, as retail sales rose 5 percent, the highest growth rate since 2011. On the flip side, investors took profit on tech names. Optimism on the global economy and a weaker dollar helped emerging markets and oil rally. Gold finished the year with its best since 2010. The Federal Reserve raised rates during the month, but it was widely expected, and was treated as a non-event in the market.

As we go deeper into the year, the global economic picture appears to be strong. The global economy is growing at its fastest pace since 2011. In 2018, most expect the global economy to grow between 3.5 percent and 4 percent. The growth appears to be broad based, as all 45 countries tracked by OECD are expected to grow. Even countries such as Brazil and Japan that have struggled are expected to grow at significantly higher rates than in recent history. India and China are expected to grow 7.5 percent and 6.5 percent, respectively. Europe also appears to have stabilized, and is now showing levels of PMI, confidence, and manufacturing activity that have not been seen in years.

Domestically, we have had two consecutive quarters of 3 percent+ growth, and are on track for Q4 growth of 2.8 percent according to the Atlanta Fed. For 2018, the U.S. is expected to grow 2.5 percent. However, there is some risk to the upside. Take a look at these passages from FedEx and Paychex earnings transcripts from late December. As you will see, growth and earnings estimates could get revised up, as companies adjust to the new rules, and potentially pull investment forward.

FedEx: “Passage of U.S. tax reform could add materially to next year’s U.S. GDP forecast. Globally, our world GDP forecast for this year and the next reflects the best growth since 2011 with a synchronized global upturn supporting trade volume growth.”

On Capital Expenditures: “So we have a couple of other questions here on CapEx and expensing, and the part that is often missed in the conversation because of the politics involved in this situation is if the tax bill works as anticipated, there will be a significant growth in GDP. And remember that the Business Roundtable did in a survey prior to this tax bill passing and 82% of the BRT membership anticipated that if it did pass that it would substantially increase their capital expenditures, and 75% anticipated that they would increase employment. Well, they’re not making additional CapEx and increasing employment for any other reason than the market is growing.

So if we increase capital expenditures, as Alan said, it will be because the market is growing. We think we can make more money and increase cash flows and so forth. But there’s not just any willy-nilly interest in increasing CapEx other than for that except for one thing.

In the case of expensing, you increase the net present value of the returns if it is a replacement piece of capital because you get in, in place earlier and you get your money right back.

So to that extent, it would be bringing the money forward and not spending it later. It’s the CapEx for GDP growth rates induced by the Saathee.com

Paychex: “Let’s look at the guidance for 2018. It’s unchanged from what we’ve provided last quarter. This guidance doesn’t reflect any impact from tax reform legislation. What we try to do in both the press release and you will hear in a second is supreme, what we think the ongoing benefit from tax reform will be for us…We anticipated (the benefit) to be in the range of 10% to 12% on our annualized effective tax rate.”

On Capital Expenditures: “there some technology investments that could be made over the next, this fiscal, next fiscal, that while you’re getting the biggest benefit of tax reform that we could accelerate those investments to maybe speed that up.”

Goldman Sachs expects the plan to boost growth by 0.3 percentage points in both 2018 and in 2019. If growth does continue, the risk then becomes inflation and faster rate increases.

Forecasts for Fed rate hikes for 2018 range from 2 to 4, despite inflation being muted, core PCE is up just 1.5 percent on a year over year basis. There are signs, however, of wage pressure, which would boost inflation. One of the key reasons for higher than average equity valuations, has been the low level of interest rates, and the relative attractiveness of equities, and if we start to see inflation and higher rates, then the attractiveness of equites begins to be questioned.

equity Risk Premium:

Source: i-squared research

As the graph above shows, if rates increase, bonds increase their attractiveness to equities. Further, as rates increase, we could see multiple compressions. With the tax cuts now passed, it is likely that 2018 S&P earnings will be in the $150s, the multiple applied makes a big difference in returns, and rates are a key determinant of the multiple. Multiple compression of a turn or two could mean the difference between a respectable year and a down year. If rates spike, it will also cause repricing in other asset classes such as gold, currencies, emerging markets, and high-yield. As we all wonder, how long the good-times will last, rates and inflation are key fundamental indicators to keep a close eye on.

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Ketu Desai

Ketu Desai is the Principal of i-squared Wealth Management Inc. (www.isquaredwealth.com), an investment management firm based in New Jersey ketu@isquaredwealth.com.

February 2018

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“When you speak in your office, the window vibrates ever so slightly,” says Eamonn Keogh, a professor of computer science at the University of California, Riverside. Apparently, Cold War spies could actually shine a laser on an embassy “When they beat their wings to fly, they beat it at a certain window, for example, and reconstruct a conversation inside number of times every second, and that’s what we hear as that based on subtle vibrations in the light. annoying buzzing whine of the mosquito,” says Mukundarajan.

Those annoying buzzes actually sound different because different species flap their wings at different rates. It’s how they find their mates. You can even tell male and female mosquitoes of the same species apart because their wingbeat frequencies will always be one musical fifth apart — except for when they mate. Then they harmonize, matching their frequencies.

In a project called Abuzz, Mukundarajan and her colleagues are asking that people around the world hold off on squashing mosquitoes just long enough to whip out their cellphones and record the bug for a second or two, then send in the file so they can compare it against their database of other mosquito recordings. The sound alone might be enough to identify the mosquito. If not, the time and location data recorded along with the sound might help identify the species. For example, some mosquitoes have different biting schedules.

“The malaria mosquito bites mostly at night, while the Zika and dengue mosquito is like a toddler on sugar. It just goes The Abuzz project hopes to help curb mosquito-borne illnesses by throughout the day,” she says.

With a sense of which mosquitoes are where, health officials using cell phones to track mosquito outbreaks around the world. might be able to spray pesticides in the specific area where Credit: Rebecca Konte/Courtesy of Abuzz they’re breeding or distribute bed nets in the right neighborhoods so that fewer people get sick.

Keogh remembers learning about the trick and wondering: They might even be able to help track how mosquito ranges What if a bug flew in front of the spy’s laser as she was trying are changing in response to climate change. to intercept a secret conversation? The spy, to her chagrin, “That’s an important point for the future because there are would hear the bug, not the top-secret conversation. plenty of regions of the world that are getting warmer,” says He decided to run with his observation.

Mukundarajan, “and this means that mosquito habitats are “You can kind of spy on insects by doing this trick with the expanding.” light,” says Keogh.

Other mosquito researchers are impressed with the project.

He and his colleagues have built light sensors that can detect “It’s wonderful stuff,” says Aubrey Moore. Moore is an not only a bug’s wingbeat frequency but other information, too, entomologist at the University of Guam who is not involved like its harmonics, the height an insect is flying at and its with Abuzz. He worked on identifying mosquitoes using sound direction and speed. in the 1980s, though he says the idea goes decades back. In fact, “We can even tell you if she’s recently had a blood meal,” he in the 1940s a Finnish entomologist with perfect pitch managed says, because mosquitoes fly a little bit differently when they’re full. to catalog hundreds of insect species using just his ears. The Keogh’s idea is to set up a bunch of these sensors in places man could tell exactly which “note” an insect was playing, so where mosquitoes are a problem and have them report back — to speak, and identify it right away. in real time — which bugs are flying past.

“So, people have been suggesting you can use wingbeat But there will almost certainly be fewer of these sensors frequency for identifying insects for a long time,” says Moore, around than there are cellphones, which brings us back to the “and it’s just recently that the cheap, ubiquitous equipment is Abuzz project and Haripriya Mukundarajan. She says it’s available to us for doing that.” already underway, with recordings sent in from countries as But there are limitations to how well cellphones can help far afield as Tajikistan, Malaysia, Brazil and Germany. track the bugs because some mosquito species sound very “If we get this from, for example, every single house in a similar and could appear in the same place at about the same city, we’d be able to build a really good map of mosquito time. To tell those species apart, you’d have to be able to pick density in that city,” says Mukundarajan. up on more than just a bug’s rate of wing-flapping. Moore says Her group recently published their methods in the journal you’d have to be able to pick up on what are called the eLife after field trials in the US and Madagascar, and are now harmonics. Even if they’re playing the same note, different building their database. At this point, they can only identify 20 out species create slightly different sounds, like a piano and a of about 60 species that can make people sick. But Mukundarajan French horn both playing middle C but still sounding different. says the database will be open to anyone who wants to sift through “If you look at the wingbeat frequency plus those it or come up with a better identification algorithm. harmonics, you get far more information which would allow And just for fun, the lab hired a composer to make a song you to separate out species,” says Moore. from mosquito sounds. “We deal with mosquito sound,” The Stanford project can’t do that. But there are other Mukundarajan says. “It can’t be all bad. I mean, they sound so groups working on mosquito-identification methods that do sci-fi and so jazzy! incorporate more measures, including harmonics.

One of them even harkens back to a James Bond-style spy details at abuzz.stanford.edu technique for eavesdropping.

Tracking Mosquitos With Cellphones continued from page 18

Saathee.com

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February 2018

COMMUNITY EVENTS Mega Dance NC Feb 3 (Greensboro)

The India Association of the Triad presents Mega Dance NC, a dance competition on Saturday, February 3 at the Meridian Convention Center, Greensboro. There will be a $1000 top prize. Registration is now open.

There will be vendors and food available. To register visit, www.iatnc.org/megadancenc.

For more information call 336-392-6267 or write to megadancenc@iatnc.org.

Krishna’s Forest Playground, Witherspoon Lecture Feb 12 (Charlotte)

For the Love of Wine & Chocolate - Feb 17-18 (Nebo, NC)

Ah, Amour! What could be better than lovely pairings of wine & chocolates just for you at the South Creek Tasting Bar? Gourmet Chocolates are complimentary with your purchased wine tasting. This event, which coincides with Valentine’s Day will be held between February 17 & 18 at the South Creek Winery. To learn more, visit www.southcreekwinery.com

Southern Spring Home & Garden Show - Feb 23-25 & March 2-4 (Charlotte)

The Southern Spring Home & Garden Show in Charlotte features gardens filled with flowers, chic designer rooms and exhibits focusing on the best in landscaping, building, remodeling and decorating. Meet landscape professionals and representatives from companies showcasing everything for outdoor needs, like lighting, irrigation, tools, seed, power equipment, outdoor furniture, grills and more. Go see what new items can spruce up your home on either February 23-25 or March 2-4 at the Park Expo & Conference Center.

To see more info including featured speakers, events, exhibitors and tickets, visit charlottespringhomeandgardenshow.com

Raleigh Body Mind Spirit Expo - Feb 24-25

The Body Mind Spirit Expo strides into its 30th year between February 24 & 25, 2018 with the theme “Be the Change.” Located at the NC State Fairgrounds, the expo offers holistic exhibitors and free lecturers from across the nation. Get your aura photo taken, receive a relaxing massage, purchase quality nutritional supplements, have your future revealed, connect with lost loved ones, or uncover hidden significance in your soul. From ancient healing traditions to new age technology in the holistic field, get ready to be educated and entertain your body, mind and spirit. To learn more, visit www.bmse.net/ John Stratton Hawley of Columbia University will look at the Krishna faith in the 21st Century at the 34th Annual Loy H. Witherspoon Lectures in Religious Studies on Monday, February 12 at UNC Charlotte Center City. Reception will be at 6pm followed by the program at 7pm. The lecture is open to the public without charge, but RSVPs are requested. Complimentary parking will be available in the lot at 430 E. 9th Street. Hawley is the Claire Tow Professor of Religion at Barnard College, Columbia University. His most recent books on India’s bhakti traditions are A Storm of Songs: India and the Idea of the Bhakti Movement (Harvard, 2015), Sur’s Ocean (with Kenneth Bryant, Harvard, 2015), and a poem-by-poem commentary called Into Sur’s Ocean (Harvard Oriental Series, 2016). A Storm of Songs received the Coomaraswamy Book Prize of the Association for Asian Studies in 2017. Hawley has received multiple awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Smithsonian, and the American Institute of Indian Studies. In 201617 he was in India as a Fulbright-Nehru Fellow, working on a project called “The New Vrindavan,” which forms the basis for his 2018 Witherspoon Lecture. For more information visit: exchange.uncc.edu.

Saathee.com

Charleston Food + Wine Festival - Feb 28-March 4

Fueled by a contagious passion for the people and places that make Charleston, SC worth celebrating, the annual festival infuses homegrown flavor with top chefs, winemakers, authors, storytellers, artisans, and food enthusiasts from around the globe for a five-day event that spans the first full weekend each March. The festival consists of over 100 events, located throughout the Charleston area with the anchor of the festival, The Culinary Village, taking place in Marion Square Friday, February 28 through Sunday, March 4. Learn more at charlestonwineandfood.com

Holi Celebrations - Mar 10 - 11 (Charlotte)

The Hindu Center of Charlotte presents the annual Holi celebrations and Basant Mela. Holika dahan will take place on Thursday, March 1. Holi and Basant Mela will take place on Saturday March 10 and Dhuleti and fun with colors will happen on Sunday, March 12. There will be food, music and lots of colors flying around. The Center is located at 7400 City View Dr., Charlotte. For more details call 704.535.3440 or visit www.hcclt.org.

Kaarwaan Recital - Mar 17 (Charlotte)

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Kaarwaan - A melodic journey of scholars by Aarohan will take place on Saturday, March 17 at Dana Auditorium, Queens University, 1900 Selwyn Ave., Charlotte. Aarohan School of Music’s 8th annual recital will feature students, aspiring singers along with Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt (Mohan veena slide guitar) and Aditya Kalyanpur (tabla). All proceeds from the show will go to CRY America. For more details call 704.701.6235.

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presents the 16th annual Featuring internationally acclaimed performer and choreographer Dr. Maha Gingrich and group

Saturday, April 21, 2018 • 4 p.m.

CPCC Central Campus, Overcash Center, Dale F. Halton Theater

Tickets: 704.330.6534 tix.cpcc.edu

adults - $10, 18 years or younger - $5

Don't miss this opportunity to celebrate the history and culture of India. Join us to see:

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• stories brought to life through unique dance dramas, brilliant costumes and traditional props

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Central Piedmont Community College is an equal opportunity institution. CPCC 20508

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February 2018

COMMUNITY EVENTS Nuv Yug India Fest - Mar 17-18 (Raleigh) Mar 24-25 (Charlotte)

The Nuv Yug India Fests will take place from March 17-18 at the Exposition Center, State Fairgrounds, Raleigh NC. It will take place on March 24-25 at the Park Expo and Conference Center (800 Briar Creek Road) in Charlotte.

The weekend-long event features many facets of Indian culture, dance performances, vocalists, vendors, food, arts and crafts and much more. For more details visit: Indiafestusa.net

Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Business Showcase - Mar 21

Charlotte Chamber of Commerce prsents the the 18th annual Business Showcase, a premier networking event and the Charlotte Chamber’s only tradeshow. Hosted once again by the Charlotte Chamber, Greater Hospitality and Tourism Alliance and CRVA Partners in Tourism, Business Showcase is labeled as one of Charlotte’s largest businessto-business tradeshows. Business Showcase features over 160 exhibitors from these three organizations. More than 1,000 attendees participate annually. The event includes a complimentary networking reception. It takes place on Wednesday, March 21 from 3 7pm at The Park Expo & Conference Center, 800 Briar Creek Rd., Charlotte. For more details call 704.378.1366 or visit: CharlotteChamber.com.

Columbia International Festival April 14-15

iMAGINE Upstate STEAM Festival - April 7 (Greenville, SC)

The mission of iMAGINE Upstate is to create meaningful experiences that promote a culture of lifelong learning and career readiness with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM), innovation, and entrepreneurial activity in Upstate South Carolina. iMAGINE Upstate is a program of South Carolina’s Coalition for Mathematics & Science (SCCMS) at Clemson University. The festival will showcase interactive exhibits and live stage shows from more than 70 STEAM organizations in the West End of Greenville on Saturday, April 7, 2018. See more information about the festival and how to get involved at imagineupstate.org

Rock & Roll Raleigh Half Marathon - April 7-8

You’re invited to join us in 2018 for the 5th year running of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh Half Marathon & 5k Run presented by WRAL on Saturday. April 7, 2018 & Sunday, April 8, 2018.

Meet fellow runners, enthusiasts and great rock & roll music in the sophisticated and charming capital city of North Carolina to discover the hidden gem of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series! The start and finish like are both in the downtown area. To register and learn more details about the race, visit: runrocknroll.com/raleigh/

Raleigh Southern Women’s Show - April 13-15

Shop, sample and share the fun at the Triangle’s favorite event for women. Discover hundreds of boutiques filled with the latest fashions, trendy jewelry, gourmet treats, health and beauty, and so much more. Enjoy fashion shows, top chefs, and celebrity guests. Bring your mom, sister, and best friend and spend the day doing everything you love! The event will take place at the North Carolina State Fairground between April 13 & 15, 2018. Learn more at southernshows.com/wra/

The Columbia International Festival showcases the music, culture, food and performing arts of the various cultures, nationalities, races and language groups represented in South Carolina. The event brings all of the area’s international communities together to build better community/race relations between various ethnic/cultural/language groups and with the South Carolina community at large. Learn about the cultural heritages of more than 60 countries displayed by their foreignborn hosts through pictures, artifacts, and many other items.

Events will take place between April 14 & 15 at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds including an International Fashion Show, Bazaar, Parade of Nations and more!

Learn more about the attractions and where to purchase tickets at cifonline.org.

Dances of India - April 21 (Charlotte)

CPCC presents the 16th annual Dances of India on Saturday, April 21 beginning at 4pm at Halton Theater on the CPCC Central campus, Charlotte.

The performances are presented by Dr. Maha Gingrich and group. A large ensemble of dancers will present 3,000-year-old classical and folk dances of India. Stories that will be brought to life through unique dance dramas, brilliant costumes and traditional props. The show features the signature dance, “Unity in Diversity,” which features several international dance styles set to live music. Tickets range from $5 - $10. For more details call 704.330.6534 or visit: tix.cpcc.edu.

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February 2018

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COMMUNITY NEWS

unC offers academic summer Program in India

UNC Chapel Hill is offering an academic summer program in India for graded credit. It is open to students at any university as well as lifelong learners. The program runs from May 14 to June 22, 2018. Participants can receive seven hours of UNC graded credit. The trip is led by UNC faculty Dr. Afroz Taj and John Caldwell (Dept. of Asian Studies) and fulfills UNC’s Experiential Education requirement. Three of the program weeks are spent in Delhi, the vibrant political and cultural capital of India. Also included are excursions to contrasting cities and regions of India: Agra (UP), and Haridwar-Rishikesh (Uttaranchal), and Jaipur (Rajasthan). Estimated total program cost for six weeks: $4,500 includes tuition, lodging, all meals, local transportation, monuments, Study Abroad office fees, and insurance. Airfare to Delhi is not included. For more details email: taj@unc.edu. The 2018 application deadline is Feb 14.

from the Silicon Valley are now looking to invest in their app.

The other team from Charlotte named Soar Innovation also won the 2nd place. The first place winning team included Sanskriti Deva Kulshreshtha, Sanskar Deva Kulshreshtha, Aaryan Vemunoori, and Aakas Shah. The parent mentors were Sudhanshu Kulshreshtha and Vivek Vemunoori.

Goels Plaza new Year eve

Krishna Casts a spell in the triad

The Svasti School of Dance celebrated its 3rd anniversary on December 2 by treating Triad residents with “Krishnarpanam” - a thematic production that was conceptualized and choreographed by Svasti’s artistic director, Aparna Pisharody.

After the customary obeisance to Lord Ganesha, the performances began at Elliott University Center Auditorium (UNCG) with the catchy, Swaagatam Krishna. Dancers as young as seven added vibrancy to the repertoire with the next dance Mukunda Mukunda. The Madhava Panchakam was a unique piece that extolled the virtues of Krishna. Of the hundreds of tales about Krishna’s conquests, the Govardhanagiri Dhaara stands apart owing to the wonder little Krishna displays by lifting mount Govardhan with his pinky to protect the cowherds of Mathura. Dancers presented the classical tradition of Bhratanatyam in the Muralidhara Kauthuvam. The little tots came back to wow the audience in the playful Radhey Govinda, Krishna Murare. Nritta (footwork) and abhinaya (expressions) swayed in unison in the captivating Kalinga Narthana thillana.

An adorable repartee between Mother Yasoda and mischievous Krishna was eloquently presented by Aparna Pisharody in the solo item, Mein To Nahi Jaau Janani. Senior performers extolled the virtues of Krishna in the popular Madhuraashtakam. All the dancers then came together is a vibrant sea of tune and footwork to offer their obeisance to God, gurus and the audience in the Mangalam. The music selection for the repertoire was eclectic; the narration and story-telling by Aparna was uplifting.

Goels Plaza New Year’s Eve 2018 was an unforgettable experience with a sold-out crowd of over 750 coming from all over the East Coast. IIFA’s Official Afterparty DJs, Dholi, and MC came to the Raleigh and rocked the dance floor with Bollywood, Bhangra, and Telugu hits in one of the Triangle’s top-ranked venues. Dharani Indian Cuisine fueled the crowd with wonderful food and Goels Plaza’s hosts rang in the New Year with another fun event.

Charlotte team Wins silicon Valley shark tank Pitch Fest

A team from Charlotte participated in the Annual Silicon Valley SVCC Shark Tank Pitch Fest recently where students from across the nation competed by making products and business plans to present to venture capitalists. Their product was an app called MyFood, a comprehensive food app that tells you exactly what’s in your food. They qualified to compete nationally by winning the first place in North Carolina Pitch Fest competition conducted here in Charlotte. Winning here at state level presented the opportunity to go visit the Silicon Valley and compete in nationals as well as opportunity to visit major Fortune 500 companies. MyFood team won first place nationwide and got the chance to visit and talk to the officials of companies like Facebook, Google, and Tesla. Venture capitalists Saathee.com

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February 2018

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COMMUNITY NEWS

Bollywood Magic night at Charlotte Hornets

On January 20, 2018, Excel India, an organization based out of Orlando founded by former Bollywood actress Chandni Navodita hosted their first Bollywood Magic Night in Charlotte.

The festivities included the Hornet’s cheerleading squad, the Honyebees performing a Bollywood number during a time out in full Bollywood outfits. Beginning at 1pm, 13 dance teams descended into Spectrum Arena all vying for a chance to perform in front of upto 20,000 people during halftime of the Charlotte Hornets vs. the Miami Heat game that evening. Teams came from all over, ranging from Charlotte to Cary to a team from Orlando.

Each team had approximately four minutes to perform a choreographed routine to a song mix of their choice. The judges gave scores based on two categories: choreography and quality, on a scale of 1-10. All the teams were decked out in beautiful colors and traditional wear. Participants were diverse, ranging from men and women, young and old. In the end, all the teams performed well but Carolina Indian Arts, senior group, won.

They fused traditional, high energy bhangra with tight choreography that blended in current hip hop favorites to make for a winning combination. Receiving straight 10’s across the board, Carolina Indian Arts became the inaugural dance team to perform at halftime for the Charlotte Hornets. Bollywood Magic nights are taking place at numberous NBA game this season.

Reporting and photos by Dhruv Pathak Saathee.com

Fewer Grad Students continued from page 28

Four years ago, he started an undergraduate degree in IT specifically so he’d be competitive for a computer science master’s program in the US. But his plans changed in a single moment in the fall of 2016.

“That moment was when Trump was elected,” Shouri said.

Shouri had followed President Trump’s America-first campaign platform and his promises to restrict immigration to increase job opportunities for citizens.

“We used to believe that,” Shouri said. “If he really gets to be the president of the United States of America, then we might have a tougher situation.”

He thought landing a job might be harder, and after hearing about anti-immigrant violence in the US, like how two Indian men were shot in a Kansas City bar last February, he feared for his safety.

“What if I get attacked by some random guy?” Shouri worried.

It was enough for Shouri to ditch his decade-old dream to study in the United States. “[I was] shattered for some time, for a couple of days I was, like, totally aimless.”

Canada’s immigrant-friendly reputation attractive to students International enrollment trends in Australia and Canada are moving in the opposite direction. International students in Australian colleges and universities were up 15 percent from March 2016 to March 2017.

Canada also saw increases.

“This is a moment for Canada to shine,” said Paul Davidson, president of Universities Canada, which represents nearly 100 institutions across the country.

“We have seen an 11 percent increase in international enrollment at Canadian universities over the last year,” Davidson said.

He first started seeing increases of interest in Canadian universities after Brexit. Then came the Trump administration’s January 2017 travel ban.

“The weekend that that happened, my iPhone was absolutely dancing across the table, because the world wants to find an alternative,” Davidson said.

That Canadian alternative caught Sai Shouri’s eye when researching graduate school options outside the US after President Trump’s election.

“I was reading about that country, and I fell in love,” Shouri said.

Shouri started chatting online with Canadians and found them welcoming.

“They don’t mind which country you’re from, what’s your financial status, how you look, how you talk, they don’t care about any of those things,” Shouri said.

That rosy view of Canada was reinforced by what Shouri saw on the news.

“You can see the Prime Minister [Justin Trudeau], how he’s accepting the Syrian refugees, going to the airport, receiving them one by one, hugging each of them,” Shouri said. “And you can see Mr. Trump. And you can see a contrast between them.”

Shouri has applied to five computer science programs in Canada and hopes to start at one of them in September.

He still wants to work at a big tech company like Google — just in their Canadian office.

And he hopes that one day he’ll return home to Hyderabad with stories of how great his new home is. It just probably won’t be in the US. 88

February 2018

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February 2018

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

followed by a recorded lecture in English and discussion For Further Details: dshetti@gmail.com - 214.587.7331 skdave@hotmail.com - 704.844.9567

Charlotte

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 are welcome.

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

Charlotte Hindu Center table tennis The Charlotte Hindu Center Table Tennis group meets every Wednesday from 6.30 - 10 pm. All levels and types of play. Takes place at Vihar Hall, Hindu Center, 7400 City View Dr, Charlotte, NC. For Further Details: 704.607.8412

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.

For Further Details: www.saathee.com/baps-charlotte

Charlotte Marathi Mandal The 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.

For Further Details: 704.565.9237 committee@charlottemarathimandal.org www.saathee.com/charlotte-marathi-mandal

Bethel Christian Fellowship BCF was founded to “Raise Up The Next Generation For Jesus Christ.” The Fellowship offers services in various Indian languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam) 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.bcfcog.org

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

For Further Details: Devender Reddy Gudepu - 702.510.8355 Shivaram Madhahu - 513.374.5040 charlottetelanganaassociation@gmail.com www.charlottetelangana.com

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

For Further Details: carolinakhadayatasamaj@yahoo.com Jaswant Mehta - 704.839.1965 Rita Shah - 704.321.0740

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 remedy for universal ills. The Charlotte Vipassana Meditation Group holds weekly group sits and monthly all-day sits for established students. Ten-day courses are also available for all students. Never a charge for a course.

For Further Details: 704.277.5013 - rbddesai@gmail.com 704.807.3933 - madhaviparikh@yahoo.com www.dhamma.org

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. Sunday morning worship services is currently being held at Morningstar Lutheran Chapel, 12900 Idlewild Road, Matthews, NC 28105 at 10am. Pastor, Dr. Shibu Cherian, offers free counseling services to married couples and is a licensed premarital counselor.

For Further Details: 704.208.9099 www.carolinaschristianassembly.org

Charlotte Gita study Group Beginners and advanced students of the Gita are welcome. The group meets the second and fourth Sunday from 3 - 5pm. This course is based on the Home Study Course of the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, PA. Each session starts with meditation Saathee.com

Classical Music association of Charlotte (CMaC) CMAC sponsors many classical concerts during the year in Charlotte. Membership forms are available at shows. Upcoming Concerts: March 25, 2018 — Vocal Concert by Sikkil Gurucharan and Group Saturday, April 28, 2018 — Jugalbhandi Concert - Flute by 90

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704.588.0011 Fax: 704.588.0022 sepa@sepaconsultings.com www.sepaconsultings.com 10960 Winds Crossing Drive Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28273

February 2018

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Jain Center of Greater Charlotte (JCGC) JCGC serves the spiritual, cultural, and social needs of Jain families around metro Charlotte area. It is dedicated to the practice, understanding, promotion, and preservation of the Jain faith.

Members meet regularly for worship, ceremonies, and festivals throughout the year. These activities include celebrating major religious festivals such as Mahavir Jayanti, Paryushan, and Diwali, and programs like Swadhyay, Poojas and children’s Pathshaala.

Located at 7631 Malliard Creek Road, Charlotte, NC 28262.

Upcoming Events: Sun, Feb 11 (Agiyaras): Paathshala for children, 10:30am Wed, Feb 14 (Chaudash): Pakkhi Pratikraman, 6:30pm Fri, Feb 16 (Ekam): Snatra Puja, 10am Sun, Feb 25 (Dasam): Monthly Meeting & Paathshala for Children, 10:30am Wed, Feb 28 (Chaudash): Pakkhi Pratikraman, 6:30pm Regular events: 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

Shashank and Sitar by Purbayan Chatterjee plus Tabla For Further Details: Lakshmi & Muthukrishnan - 704.814.9355 Jayashree & Panduranga - 704.442.1186 memberservices@onlinecmac.org www.onlinecmac.org

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.

For Further Details: 704.509.2828 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.

Upcoming Events: Feb 24: Maha Shivratri Mar 1: Holika Dahan Mar 10: Holi / Basant Mela Mar 11: Dhuleti Mar 18 - 26: Chaitra Navratri Mar 18: Ugadi / Gudi Padwa / Baisakhi Mar 25: Cheti Chand For Further Details: www.saathee.com/hindu-center-charlotte

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 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 - 704.814.7476 info@charlotte.kriya.org www.kriya.org

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. They host the Festival of India every September.

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

Pratham - Charlotte Pratham organizes grassroots programs in the area of primary education and has made an impact on the learning levels of several million children through its Read India campaign. With nearly half the children in India who attend schools 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

Indian american Muslim Council (IMaC) of Charlotte IAMC is committed to promoting peace, pluralism and social justice through advocacy. The organization is also committed to promote and protect human rights and dignity in India as they are the foundation of freedom and justice. IAMC-Charlotte seeks to reach out to Indian Muslims living in Charlotte to strive for InterCommunity understanding with focus on Indian Diaspora.

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

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

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: Chaula Jain - 704.248.1515 contact@ipaac.org www.saathee.com/ipaac Saathee.com

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February 2018

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

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.

For Further Details: anishtr@hotmail.com www.southparkcc.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 and teaches very simple techniques of meditation. Sessions are conducted weekly or biweekly at 5935 Hickory Grove Rd, Charlotte.

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

srishti of Charlotte Srishti works to fulfill the NC community’s need for togetherness and the desire to showcase Bengali culture, literature, theatre, music and popular arts. Literally, the word Srishti means an act of creation. Srishti welcomes and brings together people of varied cultures, ethnicity, languages, and backgrounds who are interested in East Indian traditions.

For Further Details: Santanu Sarkar - santanu_kumar@yahoo.com 704. 541.3451 www.srishtiofcharlotte.org

sangamithra Foundation 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 works collectively towards realizing its vision.

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

telugu association of Greater Charlotte area (taGCa) TAGCA was formed with an intention of preserving and promoting the Telugu cultural heritage and traditions among the Telugu speaking people residing in Greater Charlotte area. 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

shanti niketan senior Center of Carolinas The Center values diversity, holistic health, peaceful living, civic and community engagement, especially for under-served populations including Refugees, Immigrants, and Minorities (RIM). Efforts are made to support a rapidly diversifying population with the understanding that a vibrant diverse population adds to the strength and well-being of the whole community. Located at 7701 Wallace Ln., Charlotte.

For Further Details: NimishBhatt@bellsouth.net / 704-491-1186 uisac.org

trimurti temple devasthanam 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

shree swaminarayan satsang Mandal Vadtal On the 1st Saturday of every month, Shree 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: Divyesh Chauhan - 704.965.9735 Sanjay Savaliya - 704.779.7574 admin@issvcharlotte.org issvcharlotte.org

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, to observe and celebrate festivals, and to engage in humanitarian and educational activities. 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 is located at 1006 Vickie Lane, Matthews, NC 28104.

For Further Details: www.saathee.com/vallabh-pushti-vpsc

shri Rang avadhut Parivar (Parspar devo Bhav) Devotees of Guru Dattatraya Rang Avadhut and Shri Prem Avadhut meet on Thurs from 6-8pm in Charlotte for recital of “Datta-Bavani,” singing devotional Dattatraya Bhajans and reading “Guru-Lilamrut.” Info about literature, Videos, as well as bios of Nareshwar Ashram and Shri Avadhut’s lives are available.

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

Vibha Charlotte Vibha Charlotte is volunteer driven organization dedicated to create a brighter future for underprivileged children. 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: Volunteers@charlotte.vibha.org sites.vibha.org/Charlotte

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 Saathee.com

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February 2018

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February 2018

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

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 - balu4428@infionline.net - 336.292.9462 www.iasofnc.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, or the healing breath.

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

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: President: Aanchal Chopra - indouswinston@gmail.com 336.575.5348 www.indouswinston.org

BaPs shri swaminarayan Mandir 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: 336.355.9798 bapsgreensboro@gmail.com www.baps.org/Greensboro

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

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: Janak Patel - 919.799.1603 www.gcap.us

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

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: committee@iatnc.org www.iatnc.org

sri Mata Hindu temple of north Carolina The Mata Hindu Temple of NC strives to meet the community’s Religious, Spiritual, Cultural, Artistic and Literary Needs.

Panchayatana Puja is the system of worship in the Smarta Sampradaya of Hinduism. It is said to have been introduced by Sri Adi Shankara. It consists of the worship of five deities: Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya and Ganesha. One of these deities is kept in the center and the other four surround it. This Temple is going to be Shakhi Panchayatana model where Sri Sri Lalithaambika is the presiding deity at the Center and the 4 intercardinal (ordinal) directions will have the shrines for Sri Ganapathy, Sri Aditya, Sri Maha Vishnu (Balaji) and Sri Maha Kaameshwara (shivalingam).

The Temple is located at 8535 Lasater Road, Clemmons, NC 27012 Regular Events: Weekdays: 6:30 - 7:30pm Sat & Sun: 10:30am - 12:30pm For Further Details 336.LOK.MATA (565.6282) info@matahindutemple.org or visit: www.matahindutemple.org

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. Their Center is located in WinstonSalem.

For Further Details: Gopal - 336.509.5943 Hasmukh - 336.971.5594 (Membership Help) indianac14@gmail.com www.indianac.org

Indo-american society of nC (IasnC) The objectives of IASNC are to support the Indian, South Asian Saathee.com

sri sathya sai Baba Center (Greensboro) The Sri Sathya Sai Baba Center regularly conducts Sai Bhajans,

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

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

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

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

Bhartiya senior Citizens of nC (BsCnC) The 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 Saturday, January 13. The group will renew their memberships, Satya Narayana katha will be read, and will discuss Uttrayan.

For Further Details: Yogesh Gandhi (president) 910.391.1809 Mahendra Patel (secretary) 919.793.6588.

Raleigh

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 under the guidance of Swami Shivananda and Swami Tapovanam. Dedicated to spreading the knowledge of Vedanta and other Hindu scriptures and to provide to individuals 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

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 www.artofliving.org/us-en/raleigh

dada Bhagwan Foundation (Raleigh) Every living being is in constant pursuit of happiness; no one likes suffering. This search ends only when the source of eternal happiness is found. It can be attained through realizing your true Self. A path to eternal happiness was discovered by Gnani Purush A. M.. Patel, also known as Dada Bhagwan and it was revealed to the world as Akram Vignan, a spiritual science. This spiritual science is based on the foundation of Self Realization. This unique knowledge bestows a new vision which helps us bring solutions in practical day-to-day circumstances that leads to harmony and happiness in life. Satsangs are held Saturdays 5 - 7pm. General Satsang followed by Aarti and Prasad. Satsang Venue: HSNC, 309 Aviation Pkwy, Rooms 5 & 6, Morrisville, NC. For Further Details: 877.505.3232 x 1003 wcraleigh@us.dadabhagwan.org www.dadabhagwan.org

assamese association of north Carolina AANC is a Socio Cultural organization with the objective of promoting and providing understanding of Assamese Culture and Language. AANC celebrates Assamese festivals and organizes cultural activities like Bihu Dance, music, songs and social gettogethers with essential touch of Assamese culture. Everyone from Assam as well as anyone with any connection to or interest in Assam or Assamese culture is most welcomed.

For Further Details: Nilaskhi Phukan - 919.949.1618 - nilakshi_phukan@yahoo.com 919.200.4020 assameseassociation.nc@gmail.com

BaPs shri swaminarayan Mandir (Raleigh) 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 7am & 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. Location: 1020 Aviation Parkway, Morrisville, NC 27560 For Further Details: saathee.com/baps-shri-swaminarayan-mandir-morrisville-nc

Bengali association of north Carolina (BanC) The Bengali Association of North Carolina (BANC) seeks to Saathee.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).

For Further Details: Suresh and Madhavi Kota - 919.434.1604 www.dycusa.org 98

February 2018

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February 2018

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

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

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.

You can listen to Geet Bazaar worldwide using the NC State Student Media App or live streaming on wknc.org. 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

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 the poor, and prison seva.

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

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. Located at 3108 Sparger Road, Durham, NC 27705.

For Further Details: Yadvinder Singh - 919.477.7035 acsikhassociation.org

Heartfulness Meditation (triangle) Heartfulness meditation is a heart-based meditation system open to all. It is a simple system of meditation centered on the supremacy of heart in our makeup that helps one realize the ultimate potential within oneself. Regular practice under capable guidance enables aspirants to progressively experience the sublime presence of the divine in their daily lives. Heartfulness meditation is freely offered to seekers worldwide through Shri Ram Chandra Mission. In the Triangle area, group meditations are held on Sunday at 8:30am & Wednesday at 7pm.

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

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 such as Heritage India Festival in April, Gandhi Jayanti in October, Children’s Day in November, and also participates in the International Festival of Raleigh in October.

For Further Details: www.saathee.com/heritage-india-association

Hindi Vikas Mandal of nC Hindi Vikas Mandal (HVM) based in the Raleigh-Triangle area, promotes study and appreciation of the 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 organizes Kavi-Sammelan (Poetry Reading); Independence Day Function, Dushera Festival and a members’ picnic. HVM also conducts weekly Hindi classes (10:30 - 11:30am on Saturdays) at HSNC for children.

For Further Details: www.saathee.com/hindi-vikas-mandal

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 7pm, 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: www.saathee.com/hsnc 100

February 2018

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

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 / 919.656.5224 www.hindi.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 Events: Mar 11: Basant Bahar For Further Details: www.saathee.com/hum-sub

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 samimmanuelag@gmail.com www.immanuelassembly.org

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.

For Further Details: www.saathee.com/icmds

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 iaff100@gmail.com www.iaff1.org

Instepp InStepp Inc. is a community-based, nonprofit organization located in Durham. The organization has served women residing in the Triangle area since 2007. InStepp offers long-term support and training to women who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking; women who are transitioning back into the workforce following separation or divorce; women transitioning from prison or jail, and immigrant women, including women from South Asian cultures, who are victims of crimes.

For Further Details: 919.680.8000 919.680.8282 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 www.icc-nc.org Saathee.com

IsKCon new Goloka temple of nC New Goloka temple is a member of the International Society for 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. New Goloka also provides educational classes and programs for children and 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 iskconnc@gmail.com www.newgoloka.com

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 serves and empowers South Asian victims of domestic violence in NC 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. 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 counseling, 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: www.saathee.com/kiran-inc www.kiraninc.org 24 hours Crisis line: 877-NC-KIRAN (877-625-4726) kiran@kiraninc.org Office: 919.831.4203

Krishnadham usa Krishnadham USA’s mission is to foster richness of Hindu cultural heritage in our children and to provide learning experiences on our cultural values to visitors and residents alike under the 102

February 2018

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COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

guidance of Vaishnavacharya Shri Dwarkeshlalji Mahoday.

Krishnadham will be established on a 16 acre sized tract located at 795 Beaver Creek Road in Apex, North Carolina (in Chatham County) not far from Jordan Lake. Krishnadham USA is having weekly Satsangs and Monthly manoraths to celebrate various Pushtimargiya festivals. They meet at 4000 Bearcat Way, Suite 102 in Morrisville, NC 27560 on Saturdays from 5:30pm to 7:00pm for Satsang. Everyone is invited to attend. For Further Details: Hemant Sura - 919.608.2412 krishnadham.nc@gmail.com

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 www.facebook.com/MaitriAtNcsu

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.

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.”

For Further Details: Sri Rajgopalan - rajagoph@yahoo.com Ravi Sundarajan- ravisrajan@yahoo.com www.prathamusa.org

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 Saathee.com

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. The address is 3109 Globe Road Morrisville, NC 27560.

For Further Details: 919.412.8304 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 such as Makar Sankrant, Shiv Jayanti, Gudi Padwa, Picnic, Ganesh Festival and Diwali.

For Further Details: mail@rtpmm.org www.rtpmm.org sahaja Meditation Ongoing meetings, seminars and workshops are available in Raleigh. There is never a 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 International USA is a Hindu faith-based humanitarian service organization.

For Further Details: www.sewausa.org/chapter/raleigh/raleigh-overview

shree swaminarayan Hindu temple (Isso) ISSO’s 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. They organize a weekly “Satsang Sabha,” every Saturday, which includes Kirtan bhakti, Katha, Aarti and Mahaprasad. Temple is now open daily 8am to 12pm and 4pm to 9pm; Daily Sandhya Aarti: 7pm; Weekly Satsang Sabha: Saturday 5pm to 8pm. The Mandir is located at 500 SE Maynard Road, Cary, NC 27511 For Further Details: www.saathee.com/issonc

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 Triangle area.

SKY Meditation initiation and SKY Kaya Kalpa Yoga Courses are 104

February 2018

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February 2018

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

(Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) area of North Carolina to promote the nutritional, ethical, environmental, and other aspects of vegetarianism. Open to all, they aim to build a sense of community among people of varying interests in plant-based diets, encouraging healthy, sustainable, and peaceful lifestyle choices.

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

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: sifaa.music@gmail.com 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: www.saathee.com/sv-temple-nc

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: www.triangletelugu.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.

For Further Details: www.saathee.com/triangle-gujarati-association

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. The Triangle Vegetarian Society was founded in 1986 in the Triangle Saathee.com

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. We holds weekly group sittings in Cary on every Saturday. These sittings are only meant for old students who have completed 10 day Vipassana course as taught

by S N Goenka in tradition of Sayagyi U Ba Khin.

For Further Details: 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 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 - seemafaruqi@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 in the activities.

For Further Details: Arvindbhai Shah - 919.233.7677 Vithalbhai Shah - 919.803.9027

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

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February 2018

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

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

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 temple of the Holy name in Prabhupada Village The Temple of the Holy Name, situated in a very peaceful, rural area, is a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). They welcome you, your friends and family to take darshan of Sri Sri Parama Karuna Nitai Gaurasundara from 5am-7:30pm, 7 days a week and invite you to their special program held every Sunday at 3pm with arati and kirtan, bhajans, discourse on the Bhagavad-gita, As It Is, and a pure vegetarian feast - all free! Festivals are celebrated year round.

Temple is located at 1283 Prabhupada Rd. Sandy Ridge, NC 27046 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. Nithyananda Sangha North Carolina 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

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.

Upcoming Events: March 24-25: India Fest, Park Expo and Center, Charlotte For Further Details: www.saathee.com/nuv-yug Prabhupada Village Prabhupada Village is a rural, ISKCON, devotional community, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspiration and guidance comes from the books, letters, lectures, and example of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Following Srila Prabhupada’s personal example, the group teaches spiritual values in order to achieve true happiness, prosperity and spiritual fulfillment. They are dedicated Saathee.com

to serving the North Carolina and Southern Virginia Hindu communities, visiting homes for fellowship, worship, scriptural study, and doing kirtan. Spiritual festivals, Bhagavad-gita and Srimad Bhagavatam discussions, teach puja, and vegetarian cooking are falilitated.

For Further Details: 336.593.8108 or 336.593.3031 sarvadrik@gmail.com www.facebook.com/outreachseva www.prabhupadavillage.com

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.

Aarti is at 6pm.

For Further Details: 828.476.4073 / www.srisomesvara.org

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.

For Further Details: Contact in the evenings: 803.233.7042 / 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. The meditation is on Monday, & Thursday from 6- 8pm & for women only on Friday 9- 10am. Sutta discussion on Saturday from 2-4pm. Full moon Poya program from 9am - 3pm on the closest Sunday to the Full moon (Notified when scheduled). The Temple is located at 113 Woodridge Circle, Greenville, SC 29607 For Further Details: 864.329.9961 / greenvillebv@gmail.com www.carolinabuddhist.net

Hindu society of Greater spartanburg The Society holds Satsang from 5-7pm on the second Sunday of each month. There are usually around ten families present. The Society also celebrates many religious and social festivals based on the Hindu calendar. Recent celebrations have included Navariti, Diwali, Janmashtami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Geeta Jayanti, and many others. Temple is located on 1130 Fairview Church Road in Spartanburg, SC 29303.

For Further Details: 864.599.7048 pluralism.org/profile/hindu-society-of-greater-spartanburg/ 108

February 2018

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Hindu temple and Center (Columbia, sC) The temple is open on weekdays between 8:30am to 12 noon and between 5pm and 8:30pm. On weekends, the temple is open between 8:30am to 1pm and 5pm to 8:30pm. Bal Gokulam (Sunday School) classes are held every Sunday from 10:30am to 12 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

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 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

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 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 and visiting from India.

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 Saathee.com

H1B Visa

continued from page 72

Pierce of the Migration Policy Institute. “We don’t have any information on their spouses.”

Rashi Bhatnagar runs the popular Facebook discussion group “H-4 visa, a curse.” She says that many women simply can’t get employment authorization documents, or EADs: “The EAD is dependent on the husband. I know so many women who are qualified for an EAD but their husbands have not filed for an EAD.” The government has approved over 104,000 H-4 employment authorizations since 2015. They initially estimated that more than 179,000 people would be eligible immediately, and about 55,000 more people each year would become eligible.

But the government does not track information on the total number of H-4 visa holders who are actually working, according to a US Citizenship and Immigration Services spokesperson. So it’s difficult to tell what kind of a dent H-4 visa holders are making in the job market.

What’s left is anecdotal.Miano, the labor attorney representing Save Jobs USA, says regardless of the numbers, American workers have experienced losing jobs to H-1B visa holders and they don’t want the same with H-4 visa holders.

But Mahajan says many H-4 visa holders who do get work authorization don’t actually work.

“Many of them have just taken the EAD for the heck of it, because it gives them the liberty to get a social security number and to open a bank account in their own names,” she says.

“They’re not even working.”

After getting her employment authorization in August 2015, it took Mahajan more than eight months to land a job that used her skills, though not in broadcast journalism.

Some employers dismissed her volunteer work as not equivalent to work experience, she says. Others, upon discovering her visa status over the course of interviews, politely declined. She eventually landed a job as an account manager for an IT firm, Global Data Management, Inc., where she worked for about a year and nine months. She was honored for high achievement within the company.

Still, when the news of the Trump administration’s intentions for H-4 work permits first started circulating in November 2017, her employer gave her notice and asked her to resign by the end of the year. They cited budget cuts. When DHS formally announced their plan to stop offering H-4 work permits a month later, the request was expedited.

“They asked me to just leave. ‘There’s an immediate budget cut. We can’t keep you any longer,’” she recalls her boss telling her. Mahajan resigned that very day. “I thought this was an attack on my self-respect,” she says.

Global Data Management, Inc., did not return repeated calls requesting comment about Mahajan’s departure and how proposed changes to visas will affect them. Mahajan says she worries she will have a hard time finding another job after speaking out. She thinks, given the timing, what happened at the company was related to Trump’s policies.

“Maybe I’m wrong, but I see a link there,” Mahajan says.

Although DHS has announced plans to reverse the rule that allows her to work, Mahajan hasn’t completely given up hope for a new job. But the process, considering the circumstances, is excruciating.“At least a couple of places, I’ve been told that — on the phone, not in person — that, ‘You know you’re on H4 EAD and you know what the noise is all about. So we’re really sorry. We really like your skills, but we can’t hire you.’”

“And I am again at a juncture where I don’t know what life’s going to unfold.”

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Check out Job listings (Classifieds) Movies showing in theaters Community Events Bollywood News Print Edition Videos & Photos News & Feature Stories Web Extras and much more!

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Business Owners Ask us how your business can benefit by advertising with

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call (704) 527-7570 or e-mail: saatheemag@hotmail.com

SPOT THE DIFFERENCES

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POP’S PUZZLES & JOKES

By Kirit Shukla

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

1. The official language of USA. 7. A card game for three people, played with 32 cards.

10. To attract, tempt or entice.

11. Hastening; Hurrying.

13. Making thin, narrow strips of wood or metal, used as a support of bed and in venetian blinds.

15. Officer Of the Day. (*) 17. A Hindu festival of night prayers in honor of the God Shiva, putting water on Shivalinga, offerings etc.

19. First Indian ruler (Samrat) to embrace Buddhism.

20. Department of Education. (*) 21. American Airlines. (*) 22. The Indian condiment made with yogurt, mint, cucumber.

23. Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. (*) 25. The European descendants born in in West Indies.

27. A region of DNA, the molecular unit of heredity.

28. A standard of conduct that must be followed.

29. A little spray; a small, headless brad.31. Credit Note. (*) 32. A Japanese dish consisting of marinated chunks of skewered chicken and pieces of vegetables and grilled.

35. A greasy, combustible substance made from minerals.

37. Become weary or fatigued thru exertion.

38. A person living in the Benin region of S Nigeria.

40. Specialists in the careful management of wealth.

42. A person living in Myanmar, east of Yangon.

43. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (*) Saathee.com

Clues down:

1. Other; different.

2. Not any; No. (Law) 3. Comparative adjective of grassy.

4. Surgical removal a of stone from the bladder, kidney.

5. Another name of God Shankar. (Sanskrit) 6. Fragrance. (Arabic) 7. Silicon. (*) (A symbol for the chemical element.)

8. A hard lump on a tree where a branch grows out.

9. A monetary unit of Israel, equal to 1/100 of a shekel.

12. A variety of heron with long, white plumes.

14. A large archeology site in Guatemalan dept. of Petén.

16. An absorbent underpants folded and worn by a baby.

18. A slow ballet dance technique, requiring balancing.

19. Of the lower order of the Mormon priesthood.

22. Reserve Companion Non Commissioned Officer Education System. (*) 23. The NSAID drug to treat pain, fever etc. (C9H8O4) 24. A going or coming back; return.

26. The people living near Northern circumpolar region.

30. Radio and Television Executives Society. (*) 33. The smallest constituent of a chemical element.

34. Idaho (*) 36. A distinct piece of land.

39. A river in the European Russia, flowing into the Volga.

41. In the direction of.

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

Hee Hee

Teacher: “If you keep doing good work and serve people, you can be popular in all the corners of the world.”

Student: “But, sir, the earth is round. There are no corners!”

••••••••••••••

Priest: “Our special study group will begin a study on this prayer. What it is and how to do it.”

Disciples: “And what will be our next topic?”

Priest: “ We will move into study about sin. What is it and how to do it.”

•••••••••••••• At a Valentine’s Day party, a boy meets a girl.

Boy: “I like your nice long hair.”

Girl: “I like your big smile and nice teeth.”

After a few months he proposed marriage. She agreed and they got married.

On their honeymoon night, they went to bed. The girl took off her wig and the boy took out his dentures. (Both were in their 90s.)

114

••••••••••••••

February 2018

Word Find (Created By Kirit Shukla)

Find & circle the words in the puzzle.

(Subject: “Some large cities of the world”)

Math Magic Use these numbers only once: ( 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) 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.

CALI CHENNAI CHICAGO DALI DELHI DOHA ISTANBUL KARACHI KOLKATA LAHORE LIMA LONDON LOSANGELES MANILA MEXICOCITY

MUMBAI NEWYORK OSLO PISA PUNE RIODEJANEIRO ROME SAOPAULO SEOUL SHANGHAI SINGAPORE SUVA VANCOUVER

The unused four letters spell the city where Taj Mahal is located.

(solution on page 118)

eZ-BZ

TEST YOUR IQ The common letters are “EO” - Fill in the blanks)

1. The branch of mathematics that deals with lines, planes, figures and examines their properties. _ EO _ _ _ _ _ 2. A dove. _ _ _ EO _ 3. Having the power to destroy bad odors. _ EO _ _ _ _ _ _ 4. Designating the picture of telecast. _ _ _ EO 5. The goddess of dawn. (Gr. Myth.)

EO _ 6. Second hand; used. _ _ EO _ _ _ _ 7. Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatories. (*) _ _ _ _ EO 8. The empire state of south. Cap. Atlanta. _ EO _ _ _ _ 9. A professional cowboy bull rider. _ _ _ EO 10. A unit of time equal to a billion years. (Astronomy) EO _ 11. An electrical instrument used to control a current by varying the resistance. _ _ EO _ _ _ _ 12. The scientific study of composition of earth. _ EO _ _ _ _ 13. A plaza or walkway for strolling. _ _ _ EO 14. A medical doctor who performs surgery _ _ _ _ EO _ 15. A rule in math expressed by formulae. _ _ EO _ _ _ 16. A red fluorescent dye C20H8Br4O5.

EO _ _ _ 17. Of or relating to the characteristics of a gas. _ _ _ EO _ _ 18. The topographical features of a region. _ EO _ _ _ _ _ _ 19. Of or containing water _ _ _ EO _ _ 20. An exchange that occurs as compromise. _ _ _ _ EO _ _ 21. An inert noble gas (chemical element: Sym. Ne). _ EO _ 22. To happen or come about again. _ EO _ _ _ _ 23. A brief break in play in a game or sport. _ _ _ EO _ _ 24. Chief Executive Officer. (*) _ EO 25. A French ancestry person born in Louisiana. _ _ EO _ _

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

Kirit Shukla Contact him at kiritsshukla@hotmail.com

Saathee.com

115

February 2018

Marketing Turnaround continued from page 44

online followers, and can have a reach in the tens of thousands.

That individual following might not match that of a single Hollywood actor, but when grouped together with similarly well-connected online personalities, the numbers add up.

Another benefit of targeting ‘nearly famous’ influencers is the ease of access. Getting to a major celebrity often involves going through layers off gatekeepers (unless your board member happens to be a close personal friend or family member), and can involve lengthy negotiation. By comparison, reaching out to ‘famous enough’ influencers is as easy as sending an email or a direct Twitter message. You’ll spend some time identifying likely partners and compiling contact information, but your interactions will be direct, not filtered through agents and go-betweens.

Before contacting any influencer, ask yourself what’s in it for them, and why they would want to agree. Social validation is most effective when the influencer has a personal, sincere connection to the cause. It can backfire spectacularly if the public suspects that any kind of quid pro quo considerations have been made that aren’t explicitly made known.

Take time to read the blogs and social media feeds of the influencers you think might be a good fit. Ideally, the person should be known and well-regarded by the audience you want to reach. This is where demographics come into play. If you’re trying to reach young adults, the celebrities and online personalities with the most influence may be completely unfamiliar to your board members.

Look for natural connections. Does the person you’re researching already have an affinity for your type of cause? Are they already talking about issues in your realm? Pay attention to more than just their content. Is the social persona of the individual something that would favorably represent your organization? An influential person with an interest in your cause might still do more harm than good if they are combative or if the their content is at odds with your organization’s brand.

Resist the temptation to just tag famous people and hope they’ll respond. That is viewed very negatively, and likely to result in complaints to the social media site and/or a backlash.

Influencers are highly protective of their credibility and following, with good reason. They will not appreciate being tagged in posts that run counter to their opinions or presume or suggest endorsement without their permission.

When is it appropriate to tag someone on Facebook or Twitter in relation to your organization? If the person is attending your public event, serving as a spokesperson, or involved with your organization in a public way, tagging okay and desirable. If you’re retweeting or quoting them or referring to their work or to an article/media interview/blog post featuring them that somehow relates to your mission, tagging is perfectly fine. If they begin to engage with your organization by retweeting/liking/commenting your organization’s posts and a relationship develops, tagging them on important content on occasion (don’t abuse the privilege) may get a high-profile retweet. Just go slowly and don’t wear out your welcome.

Cause-centric Crowdfunding and Peer-to-Peer Campaigns Social media has proven extremely effective for fundraising, especially from young adults. Being able to respond to a request for targeted donations on a mobile phone with the click of a button appeals to donors who are at home in an online world.

Not only is giving via social media easy and immediate, but it lends itself to going viral with a little gamification.

Big donors have often been public about their philanthropy, either for social recognition or to inspire others to follow their example. New peer-to-peer fundraising software combines the Saathee.com

reach of social media and the challenge of gamification to enable ordinary people to make a public declaration of their support for a favorite cause/organization and encourage their friends to join them—or even compete to hit goals. This is so much more than posting ‘please support this cause’. Peer-to-peer fundraising empowers individuals to make a difference in the world for a cause that fires their passion.

If you’re an organization person and the idea of turning individuals loose to fundraise gives you the willies, realize that peer-to-peer is nothing new. It’s behind every charity walk-athon and 5K challenge, every kid selling wrapping paper or fruitcake, every college student collecting spare change from motorists or dancing for 24 straight hours. From that perspective, these new online sites provide far more accountability and tracking than putting a jar on the counter of the local coffee shop. Even more importantly, peer-to-peer social media fundraising campaigns are easy to share with an individual’s world-wide network of friends and colleagues, and they create social value out of good-natured one-upmanship.

Charitweet enables people to donate as little as one dollar directly to the charity of their choice—and challenge their social media followers to match their donation. Charitweet only works with cause-centric organizations vetted through CharityNavigator, and emphasizes transparency.

Classy is a mobile app/social media tool for peer-to-peer fundraising and crowdfunding, including event registration capabilities. It grew out of its founders’ experience organizing a pub crawl for charity, and seeks to make it easy for people to rally their friends to raise money for causes about which they are passionate. Classy can also be used by cause-centric organizations to hold ticketed or online fundraising events with their template pages, making it easy to get up and running without proprietary programming on your own web page.

Similar sites include FirstGiving and CrowdRise. All of these social media tools are second-generation improvements similar to GoFundMe, with slicker interfaces, better mobile apps, and more built-in resources. CrowdRise is primarily for peer-to-peer campaigns, but can be used by organizations as well. FirstGiving also supports organization-drive campaigns and peer-to-peer.

If you’re looking for an enterprise scale, cloud-based solution, check out Blackbaud, which offers a suite of products to run all of your online fundraising along with templates to make it easy.

All of these sites offer a wealth of free resources to help organizations and individuals make their fundraising efforts effectively. Peer-to-peer fundraising enables individuals to make a statement about causes they care about, and use social media to make a personal ‘ask’ (which anyone familiar with donors knows is the most effective way to raise money). Social media fundraising rewards people for doing the right thing, something traditional campaigns do for big donors but which is rarely done for small and micro donors. By going public with their peer campaigns, individuals gain a sense of ownership over the results, and an emotional investment in the organization.

Social media can be a powerful tool for cause-centric organizations, enabling you to increase your reach to donors, sponsors, supporters, volunteers, community leaders and clients. Take advantage of what LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other sites can do to help you cement your brand, extend your influence and reinforce your credibility. the last Word: Tap into the power of social media to extend your connection with volunteers, donors and community leaders. By leveraging social validation, gamification, peer-topeer fundraising and crowdfunding, as well as the power of inthe-moment photos and videos, your organization and its mission can become more compelling than ever.

Excerpted from The Essential Social Media Marketing Handbook

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February 2018

We Welcome You to Become a Part of This Loving Spiritual Family

International Community Church

A Worship Center For People From India And Neighboring Countries

“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)

Regular Activities

www.icc-nc.org

Worship Service - Sundays at 8:30 AM (Dynamic Praise Time) 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 PM Meet at Five Zones at host families Raleigh, Durham, Apex, Cary, Morrisville & Chapel Hill

seRVInG God and tHe CoMMunItY sInCe June 1984

Pastor: Joseph B. Jesudason

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 Rd, Ste 204 Raleigh, NC 27606 (919) 233-2900 or (919) 467-4435 (Residence) 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.

Serving Buyers and Sellers Since 1989 Our experienced and talented agents can speak English, Hindi & Gujarati Offering Motels, Restaurants, Dry Cleaners, Laundromats, Convenience Stores, Land and more

Let Us Help You Buy or Sell A Business

County South Realty & Business Brokers 303 Indian Trail Road South Indian Trail, NC 28079

704-821-8888 www.countysouth.biz

Business Brokers

CONVENIENCE-STORES:

C-Store: Hickory, NC $32K + Inv, Annual Sales $800K, Fuel Gallons $200K C-Store: Nebo, NC $125K Property Included, Store Closed C-Store: Kernersville, NC $99K + Inv., Annual Sales $700K, Fuel Gallons 60K C-Store: Nash Cty, NC $95K + Inv, Annual Sales $750K, Fuel Gallons 108K C-Store: Shelby, NC $89K + Inv, Inside Sales $375K, Fuel Gallons 360K C-Store: Laurens, SC $450K + Inv, Property Incl. Inside Sales $480K C-Store: Johnsonville, SC $469K + Inv., Prop Incl., Annual Sales $2.5M C-Store: Boiling Springs, NC $249K + Inv, Inside Sales $740K, Fuel Gal. 600K

FOOD:

Indian Restaurant: Burlington, NC $89K, Annual Sales $264K Seafood Restaurant: Coastal Region, NC $250K, Annual Sales $644K

OTHER SERVICES

Commercial Land: Hickory, NC $1.25M, 1.422 Acres Commercial Land: Statesville, NC $369K, 1.085 Acres

Document & Data Storage Company: Weddington, NC $175K, Annual Sales $80K Saathee.com

More listings available at our website: www.CountySouth.biz 117

February 2018

FESTIVALS & HOLIDAYS

spot the differences solutions from page 112

February 2018

1. Girl dress color changed

Feb. 1 - Imbolc Feb. 2 - Groundhog Day Feb. 8 - Sitā Jayanti / Nirvana Day Feb. 10 - Dayananda Saraswati Jayanti Feb. 11 - Vijayā Ekādashi Feb. 12 - Lincoln’s Birthday Feb. 13 - Mahā Shivaratri Feb. 13 - Mardi Gras Feb. 14 - Ash Wednesday Feb. 14 - St. Valentine’s Day Feb. 15 - Darsha Amās (No Moon) Feb. 16 - Chinese New Year (Year of the Dog) Feb. 17 - Ramakrishna Paramhansa Jayanti Feb. 19 - Presidents’ Day Feb. 21 - Atthāi (Jain) Feb. 26 - Āmalki Ekādashi

6. Pineapple added

7. Man and boy added

2. Building top removed

8. Bird added

3. Trash removed

9. Temple added

4. Words removed from sign

10. Shirt color changed

5. Color changed on carriage 8

9

2

4

10

5

7 1

March 2018

6

Mar. 1 - Holi / Purim Mar. 2 - Dhuleti Mar. 4 - Shivāji Jayanti Mar. 8 - Sitā Jayanti Mar. 11 - Daylight Savings Time Begins Mar. 13 - Pāpamochani Ekādashi Mar. 17 - St. Patrick’s Day Mar. 17 - Darsha Amās (No Moon) Mar. 18 - Gudi Padvo, Ugadi Mar. 19 - Cheti Chand Mar. 20 - Pateti /Navroz (Pārsi New Year) Mar. 21 - Ostara / Spring Equinox Mar. 25 - Ram Navami Mar. 25 - Sahajānand Swami Jayanti Mar. 27 - Kamadā Ekādashi Mar. 29 - Mahavir Jayanti Mar. 30 - Good Friday Mar. 31 - Hanuman Jayanti Mar. 31 - Passover begins

3

Puzzle Solutions from page 114

Math Magic from page 115

Saathee.com

118

February 2018

Serving North, South Indian and Indo-Chinese Dishes (Veg & Non-Veg)

For catering contact: Andy @ 704-512-9177 or Passagetoindiaclt@gmail.com We now cater Gujarati food for all occasions We carry fresh Flowers and Flower Garlands for all Events.

PLACE YOUR ORDER ON-LINE AT

www.PassageToIndiaNC.com

Lunch Buffet: Mon to Fri (11 - 3) & Sat & Sun (11:30 - 3:30) Dinner: Sun - Thurs: (5 - 10) & Fri - Sat (5 - 11)

Special LUNCH BOxES $4.99 & up Lunch Buffet: $8.99 Weekend Brunch Buffet: $10.99

Over 30 items including Pani Poori, Bhel,Chat Papdi, Pav Bhaji, Idli,Medu Wada, Sambar,Vegetable Chowmein, Chilli Chicken, Tandoori Mix Grill,Goat Curry & more

We Serve Fresh Dosa on Table - Please Ask Your Server

WE SERVE HALAL MEAT

704-549-1886 OR 704-512-9177

9510 University City Blvd. Suite 101, Charlotte, NC 28213 TAKEOUT SPECIAL

15% OFF

Take Out Only. Cannot be combined with any other coupons. Other restrictions may apply. Must present coupon. Exp: 3/5/18

WE DELIVER

(INCLUDES LUNCH BOXES) Minimum order $20.

Within 5 mile Radius only.

No Coupons or Discounts.

Restrictions Apply.

Get $5 Off DINE IN SPECIAL

When second entrée of equal or greater value is purchased.

Cannot be combined any other offer.

One coupon per table. Must present coupon. Excludes buffet, Indo-Chinese & South Indian. Exp 3/5/18

General Predictions for FEBRUARY

ASTROSCOPE aRIes (Mar 20 - apr 20) -

Try to use your education and knowledge, otherwise the process of changes and other problems will continue to plague you till the middle of the month.

The last week will be even better and more comfortable.

Remember that there won’t be any major financial problems, but family matters, health and partnership might get big hit.

Don’t act hyper or romantic. Business-related travels should prove to be favorable. You may benefit through your competitors. tauRus (apr 20 - May 21) -

A big cloud of illusion will be around you. It may be very negative or very positive, but it is sure that you won’t have any control over the situation. Use your intelligence and confidence to pass this wave of illusion. Listen to and follow your spouse. Time is not good for entering into any new ventures. Unexpected break in career or financial loss is also possible. Use the power of prayer to get out of this illusion. You will enjoy good health.

GeMInI (May 21 - Jun 21) -

The happiness of mind and a steady flow of income will be there, but unexpected expenses or legal problems may disturb everything. Very sincerely try to curb your expenses. Any risk-taking tendency must be controlled. You must also watch your health. A minor improvement will be there after middle of the month while a long distance journey is possible in the first half of the month.

CanCeR (Jun 21 - Jul 22) -

This is going to be a good period. There are chances of getting involved in more responsibilities. You will overcome your enemies or competitors and might get recognition of your inventive work. On the whole your reputation and respect will increase, but you may get discouraging news through communication. Try to act with courage and confidence. You may enjoy exploring new ventures. leo (Jul 22 - aug 23) -

This month will relieve you of your tensions and anxiety. You will act more selfish while a minor mishap is possible at the place of business or employment. You may spend some money on worthless family issues. Don’t get involved in any new venture. Somebody may cheat with you and you may lose money. A minor health ailment is also possible. Compromise with any arising situation on as needed basis.

VIRGo (aug 23 - sep 23) -

During this month you might face major financial problems. The flow of income will not be normal. You may not react seriously about the problems. Your parents’ health is likely to suffer. Please do not sign any important documents. Your associates and friends may break your trust. Your opponent will be successful in damaging your business and reputation.

Saathee.com

120

lIBRa (sep 23 - oct 23) -

Try to be practical this month. Even though your income will rise, an unexpected health problem or dispute with partner could be there. Speculation can be beneficial for you during this month. Others will appreciate your written work. You may become interested in philosophy or metaphysics. Business-related travel might not produce good results. There is a possibility of change in career. sCoRPIo (oct 23 - nov 22) -

Your religious / spiritual inclination will intensify during this month. A sense of relaxation will prevail in the last week of the month. A rise in income is clearly indicated. Short distance travels will bring good luck and will be very fruitful and pleasant. You might get involved in new business deals. Enjoy this period. You will experience difficulties on the family front, particularly with your spouse. saGIttaRIus (nov 22 - dec 21) -

You will be quite happy during this month. Your efforts will start giving good results. Long distance travel will prove rewarding, but avoid short distance travel. Time is also good for love and romance. An increase in your family is possible, although you may face a bitter experience with your sibling or friends. Sudden health-related problems are also possible.

CaPRICoRn (dec 21 - Jan 20) -

You will feel like a puppet during this month. Fate may play games with you. Try to control yourself inwardly. Heavy financial gains are also possible during this month. Try to surrender yourself to the mighty powers to enjoy success. You may have to be cautious in your day-to-day pursuits. Work hard but avoid taking risks. Be prepared for uncertainty. aQuaRIus (Jan 20 - Feb 19) -

You will get mixed results during this month. You may have to labor hard, but will be rewarded for your efforts. You will experience a lack of confidence but still will be successful in getting increase in your financial returns. Some unexpected heavy expenses are also possible. Your subordinates shall extend their full support towards you. A minor stomach ailment is also possible during this month.

PIsCes (Feb 19 - Mar 20) -

This month will make you feel comfortable. There will be a rise in status as well as happiness in family life.

You must avoid travel as well as disputes with your siblings. Your associates may not fulfill their responsibilities towards you. Time is good for getting involved in new ventures. Your efforts will give you good results. Try to take full advantage of this month. Keep moving forward bravely and with a steady pace.

• By Jalendu Vaidya • Contact: 973-223-5047 www.jmvaidya.com

February 2018

CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES:

Motel for sale: 18-room completely renovated motel with 2 bed manager apartment in Murphy, NC near Hurrahs Casino. Gross $145K provable income w/ minimal running cost. Asking 415K or best offer. Room rates $60-80/night. For details Call Bobby 828-644-3338.

Golden opportunity to start your own business. Well running 99cents plus store in the heart of Cary, NC with complete inventory. Very reasonable price! Call Asif at 919-892-2433. subways for sale: Prime locations in Cary NC. Low rent & operating costs. Call or text 919-345-8255.

Businesses For sale: Pretzel Maker, TCBY & Great American Cookies at Carolina Mall food Court in Concord, NC. All 3 businesses franchised together.

Contact Crolinamallgac@gmail.com or 240-625-4695.

Independent Motel for sale in Myrtle Beach SC. 46 units. On Ocean Blvd. Financing available with down payment. Owner’s apartment. Contact 843-450-4779.

Fast growing Franchise opportunity.

EngineeringforKids STEM Education Franchise for after school and camps in Charlotte, NC. Operation can run from brickand-mortar-store or home. Well positioned for expansion! Contact 919-818-8304.

Convenience stores for sale in Forest City, NC and Cowpens, SC. Call 980-250-4995.

Family Fare Convenience store franchise opportunity in Wilmington, NC (other locations coming soon) We rely on the entrepreneurial drive, leadership and energy of Franchisees to independently manage store operations. Learn more at www.familyfarefranchise.com.

Motel for sale. 59 unit Independent motel in Winston-Salem, NC. Excellent location right off highway exit. Call 336253-3500 or 336-767-2900.

Convenience store for lease in Greenville, SC. Very good potential & highly profitable. Call 704-299-8535.

For sale or lease: Gas Station w/ C-Store & Restaurant in Pollocksville, NC. ATM, pool table, jukebox & video games also included (extra income). Three bedroom mobile home accommodations. Call Milan Patel 252-521-5656.

High Volume dry Cleaners for sale near Greenville, SC. Could also be partner. Low rent. Long lease. Full Price. Owner finance.

Contact: hary0108@yahoo.com / 678-343-3970 Saathee.com

C-stores with Gas: Multiple locations in NC & SC with an average investment of $160k. Call Brian 864-300-4889.

Retail / Convenience stores: C-Store: REDUCED! Louisburg, NC $90K + Inv, Annual Sales $915K; C-Store: Monroe, NC $1.65M + Inv, Annual Sales $2.4M+, Prop Incl.; C- Store: Gastonia, NC $175K, Store Closed, Prop Incl; Call 704-821-8888 or visit www.Countysouth.biz.

Franchise Hotel for sale near Rock Hill/Richburg, SC. 32 Units. Current owner retiring. Includes owner’s apartment.

Financing available. Call 803-230-4402. subway for sale in Fort Walton beach, FL. Sales $7000/week. Rent $2800. Price $160k. Contact yatinpay@yahoo.com or 850-218-8579

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

elder Care needed in Savannah, GA. Professional, competent and compassionate Caregiver for elderly mother (83). Live-in.

Must have own transport & speak Gujarati.

Prepare meals, administer medication, some housekeeping, etc.

Contact kphotelbroker@gmail.com Convenience store help wanted on South Blvd in Charlotte, NC. Part-time or Fulltime. Contact 704-431-8310. eyebrow threading Help needed in Greensboro, NC and Fayetteville, NC. Call or Text 336-686-7007.

Hotel Help Wanted for Front Desk & Laundry near Raleigh. Accommodations provided. Legal status required. Call 980-921-9999. live-in nanny needed for cooking and light housekeeping in Cary, NC. Must be able to cook Gujarati Vegetarian food. Call 919-444-1597. looking for GMs to operate franchise motels in Richburg, SC and Rock Hill, SC. Legal status & fluent English required. Accommodations provided. Call 803-230-4402.

C-store / Gas station Help Wanted in Gaffney, SC. Part-time or Full-time. Single, Couple or Family. Legal status required.

Fluent English & previous experience preferred. Call 704-726-7544.

Hotel Help needed: Front desk (Single/Couple) and Housekeeping (Couple) for Comfort Suites in Clinton, SC (on -I 26, exit 52). Legal status & some experience required. Contact 704-906-2239.

Manager needed for 17-room hotel in Rock Hill, SC. Single/couple/retired is ok. Call 803-262-3337 or 803-329-6998.

Front desk help wanted for Rodeway Inn in Winston Salem, NC. Contact 423-4322838 or araol.nc873@gmail.com 122

Front desk and Housekeeping couple needed for Franchise motel in Richmond, VA area. Fluent English, computer knowledge & legal status required. Accommodations provided. Call 804-262-8880 or 214-497-0819.

Hotel Help Wanted: Laundry Couple & Housekeeping Couple needed for Hotels in SW Virginia. Hotel experience & legal status required. Contact Sanjay at 276-7339511 or sanjay32@email.com.

Motel Help needed: looking for AGM and Housekeeping couple for Motels in the Carolinas. Accommodations provided. Legal status required. Contact Mack at 803-467-7536 Hotel Help Wanted: Front Desk, Laundry & Maintenance for franchise motel near Charlotte. Fluent English required.

Experienced preferred. Couples welcome.

Accommodations provided. Please call 704-457-0580 or 704-751-9082 Full-time sales Person Wanted for Leading Furniture & Equipment supplier to Hotels/Motels in High Point, NC. Fluent English required and Gujarati preferred. Must be able to travel.

Knowledge of furniture a plus & past sales experience preferred. College degree & good communication skills required.

Call Raj at 336-558-3410.

Front desk Couple Wanted for independent 33 room Motel near Charlotte.

Accommodations provided. Legal status & fluent English required. Call 864-384-6900 strictly between 9am & 5pm. elder Care needed near Cary, NC. Parttime caretaker for elderly handicapped mother (78). Some Indian - vegetarian cooking maybe needed. Hours are flexible, and rate is negotiable. Call 919-673-1384.

Multiple positions available for Convenience/Gas Station, Liquor Stores, & Fast Food Restaurants in Lexington County, SC. Single/Couple, Full-time or Part-time & good pay. Fluent English & Legal Status required. Call 803-414-4883.

Motel Help Wanted in Wilmington, NC for housekeeping, laundry & nighttime front desk. Accommodations provided.

732-881-9132. south Carolina Hotel Management Firm now Hiring. Looking for Housekeepers, and General Manager for front desk (fluent English required) for franchise hotel. Experience required. Call Vijay 704465-8089 or Chandrakant 704-737-0363; Email resumes to cpandoria@gmail.com & ratravijay@gmail.com.

Mecklenburg County aBC Board is hiring for Pt.Time Sales Associates.

Starting pay is $13/hr. Apply at www.meckabc.com/careers.

February 2018

experienced threading Practitioners or licensed esthetician in Charlotte & Raleigh. New locations now open. Full or part-time. Great pay & flexibility.

Experience required. Good English skills.

Call 980-322-1110 (M-F 9-5) live-In Indian nanny needed for newborn, cooking and light cleaning.

Contact Khyati Shah at 551-689-2491 or vikram0802@gmail.com Gas station Help Wanted: Full-time Single or couple in Columbia, SC. Experience Preferred. Must speak English. Call 803-4665861 or 803-319-9878.

Hotel Help Wanted in Charlotte. Competitive salary & accommodations provided. Front desk - all shifts (experience a plus) & housekeeper. Must be fluent in English. Call 704-464-4427 or e-mail 123nash@gmail.com 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.

Motel Help Wanted: Housekeeping, Managers & Night Auditors for Independent & Franchise Motels in South Carolina. Good pay and accommodations provided. Call 803-347-6320.

Full-time opening for sales admin position at manufacturing facility in High Point, NC. Please send resume to kajalb@amerifabintl.com.

Front desk Clerk needed for franchise motel in Charlotte. Full-time or part-time.

Experience & fluent English required.

Must be honest & reliable. Call Nina 704299-3364. looking for Couple to manage Subway Restaurant in Kinston, NC. Legal status, fluent English and computer skills required. Call Milan Patel 252-521-5656.

Housekeeping couple needed for Hotel in Cleveland / Akron, Ohio. Accommodations provided. No English necessary. email: ram@omdevelopmentcorp.com or call 919673-7623.

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).

Hotel Help needed: Front desk (Single/Couple) and Housekeeping (Couple) needed for Independent Hotel near Baltimore, MD. Accommodations provided.

Legal status, Experience & English required.

Contact 301-338-4035 C-store/Gas station help wanted ASAP. Full-Time. Location 45 mins from Raleigh, 30 mins from Greensboro. Good Pay! Call 336-509-4054 Saathee.com

nanny needed in Charlotte area. PartTime Gujarati babysitting help in evenings (approximately 3-7 pm or 4-8 pm). Cooking and light housework, must have your own transportation. Please call 317-679-5408.

MATRIMONIAL

Mumbai based parents invite alliance from Gujarati families for daughter: 29, light complexion, slim, very pretty, MA in English literature. Email Biodata, Kundli & latest Photos to ankunadar@gmail.com

seeking well cultured match for 44 year Gujarati Male divorcee. He is well qualified engineer, US citizen, living in Northern Virginia / Washington DC metro area. Contact nileshrmak@gmail.com or 571-528-8312.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

two story home for sale in Moss creek (Concord area). 6 bedrooms/3 bath. Elementary and Middle schools within walking distance.

Email raider2498@gmail.com or call 704756-4614.

townhouse for sale in front of Archdale Station. Close to shopping center, bank & post office. Three bedroom, 3 bath, living, dining, large kitchen, patio & parking.

Text 917-251-2447.

used Hotel locks and RFId keys. Onity, Kaba-Ilco, Saflok and Vingcard. Also selling RFID keys for all major hotel brands. Contact Neal 410-349-1967 skhospitality@yahoo.com or Neal@JSKcards.com Fun Photo Booths for every occasion!

TapSnap kiosks are open-air and fully customizable to capture your memories with unlimited 4x6 prints. Call TapSnap 1205 at 919-349-1205.

SERVICES

Free consultation on life & supplemental health insurances. Licensed insurance consultant and consultant pharmacist in State of North Carolina. Contact Rashmi Kanjia 980-253-3936 or rashmikanjia4@gmail.com for appointment.

ladies Fashions: Sadagi Styles offers a great selection Cholis, Lehnghas, Kurtis, Leggings, Palazzo, Tunics, Dresses and more. Call for an appointment 704.775.8823 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 704-438-6334.

Babysitter available in Greensboro area.

Contact 973-234-7186.

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saree draping: specializing in draping sarees, dupattas and jewelry for any event. Weddings, Engaments, Baby showers, Birthdays, etc. Contact Rital Patel at info@bridaldraping.com or www.bridaldraping.com 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. 28 years of experience. Special Deals & Great Service. Call: 704-846-7912.

Gujarati Families: I am interested in learning everything Gujarati, culture, food, language, etc. If willing to help, please call Nik 803-579-1405.

Carolina software testing Hub: QA Training / Mobile & Cloud Testing in Charlotte from experienced professionals in Industry . Hands on Technology , Live Projects and training on Testing Tools .

Resume and Interview Guidance with 100% Job Placement assistance. Contact 803-228-0468 / 704-451-0955 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 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 shimmy the arabian way with Bellydance Classes by Jessica Hannan Sultan. Sign up now for 2018 session in Chapel Hill Tuesdays 11am. www.JessicaHannanSultan.com.

Fusion Wedding officiant can perform all ceremonies and pujas, trained by Brahmin priests in Maharastra, as well as all Christian/non-denominational services.

Search Facebook for Reverend David Mark Seidel, call 704-526-7284 or email david@davidmarkseidel.com neeta’s Beauty Parlor: Charlotte area open 7 days a week. Full service. Call for appointment. 704-968-0270.

To Submit a Classified visit:

Saathee.com/classifieds or email: info@saathee.com or call 704.527.7570 February 2018

Advertisers Index A to Z Wholesale ......................................................19

DJ Lalit (Lalit Hemnani).............................................25

Pathak, Atul (Real Estate)..........................................75

Aarohan (Amrita's School of Music)............................9

EnRootz LLC by Mukta Ghangas ..............................39

PNC Bank (Commercial Financing - Reena Ruwala).....46

Accounting Solutions (Muhammad Kamran Awan)...71

Eye Level (locations) .................................................47

Pramukh Mandapam ...............................................63

Akruti Collections......................................................45

Falguni Pathak (Gujarati Samaj Of Charlotte)...............3

Puja Boutique (Charlotte)..........................................89

Ali & Sons Car Care ................................................42

Family Fare Stores....................................................19

Raghu Mothukuri Allstate Agent................................25

Anand, Versha (Real Estate) .....................................49

Fashion and Jewelery...............................................42

Raj D Batra Photography ..........................................89

Anil & Anjali Bedi LLC (CPA & Consultants)...............33

First-in-Smiles Dentistry ...........................................83

Rajbhog Foods .........................................................57

Aroma Indian Cuisine (Charlotte)...............................38

Gandhi International Market ...................................121

Rajdeep Video & Photography (Ramesh Panjabi)......91

Around The World Market (Charlotte)........................69

Global Mall / Legacy Jewels ..................................127

Ram Realty (Ram Kalagara)......................................53

Asiana Fusion.Sushi .................................................29

Godavari (Truly South Indian - Charlotte)...................99

Regal Oaks Dental .................................................101

Aspect Commerical Realty (Prashant Parmar) ..........77

H2 Laser & Skin .......................................................60

Ritu Selects - India Inspired Couture.........................55

Aureus University School Of Medicine (Aruba)........125

Handy Andy Services................................................37

Robert Brown LLC (Oza, Rishi: Immigration Law)......25

Austin Village Eye Care (Dr. Keshav Bhat) ...............113

Hindu Center of Charlotte (Events) ......................64-67

Rocket ATM..............................................................27

Bala Sure (Broker / Realtor, NC & SC)......................29

Hull & Chandler, P.A. (Ketan Soni - Legal)..................35

Royal Events LLC (DJ Service & More)......................91

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Charlotte)............61

Illume MD (Laser Hair Removal)................................35

S S Event Services (Event planning, Photo, Video).....33

Barot, Tushar (State Farm)......................................125

India Grocers (Charlotte) ...........................................87

Saathee Subcription .................................................17

Bashyam, Spiro & Coats, LLP (Immigration Law)......97

International Community Church ...........................117

Sadagi Styles ...........................................................17

Battineni, Sekhar (Real Estate)..................................21

K & M Accounting ....................................................70

Saffron Restaurant and Catering...............................21

Bhindi Jewelers ......................................................2

Kabab-Je ...............................................................113

Sahil Trivedi (Real Estate) .........................................55

Bipin Parekh Realty, LLC.............................................8

Kaur, Karamjit (New York Life Insurance)...................37

Shah & Trivedi CPA, PLLC.........................................57

Blooming Buds.......................................................125

KB Zaveree.................................................................4

Shah, Anish (Real Estate) ...................................78-79

Bombay Grille (Charlotte)..........................................34

KD Financial & KMD Realty.......................................85

Shah, Kirti (CPA - Sepa Consulting) .........................91

Brijal Shah (Keller Williams - Real Estate)..................17

Khanna & Sons Jewelers .........................................15

Shining Stars Academy ............................................24

British International School of Charlotte.....................52

Krut Systems (LED, Signs, Solar)...............................16

Shukla, Kirit (Music Lession & Band) ......................107

Carolina Law Group (Monty Desai)............................30

Kumon Math and Reading Center (Fort Mill, SC).......73

Singh Tutoring ..........................................................55

Carolina Wedding Belle (Event Design & DĂŠcor)........81

LED Lights (Smart Energy Solutions).......................126

Sithara (South Indian Restaurant - Charlotte)............95

Carolinas Entertainment LLC (Mystic India).................5

Maadhurya Photography..........................................71

SJ Iyer Realty............................................................89

CaroMont Medical Group (Dr. Manu Patel) .............105

Maharani Indian Cuisine (Charlotte) ..........................43

Sonal Furniture (Atlanta) ...........................................12

Charlotte Chess Center ............................................43

Malak Jewelers........................................................23

South Charlotte Endocrinology (K. Narasimhan, MD) ..48

Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat ..............................58

Malani Jewelers.....................................................128

SouthEast Family Care (Hiren Italia, MD & Vijay Jarsania, MD)103

Charlotte Music School.............................................45

Malaya Kitchen.........................................................45

Southern Oncology Specialists (Dr. Swetha Gujja).....95

..................................................107

Mathur, Gitanjali (Allen Tate Realtors) ........................51

The Blue Taj..............................................................31

Concha, David (Immigration Attorney).......................99

Matthews Family Dentistry ....................................105

Travel Passion ..........................................................91

Concord Children's Clinic ......................................99

Meenakshi Creations LLC.........................................51

Travel Today..............................................................33

Copper Restaurant (Charlotte)...................................31

Nationwide Ins. (Maqsood Khan) ..............................77

Travelinks .................................................................27

County South Realty & Business Brokers ...............117

Neeta's Beauty Parlor.............................................105

Ttravel Guru..............................................................17

Chiro-Carolina

Cruise Planners (Raghu Mothukuri) ..........................75

North American Bancard ........................................13

Tyagi, Rita (Real Estate)...........................................103

Curry n' Cakes (Charlotte).........................................59

Nuv Yug India Fest....................................................11

Uni World Travel........................................................77

Dances of India (Dr. Maha Gingrich)..........................83

OM Tech Training ...................................................105

Veeru Ganne (Real Estate - Parkside Realty).............93

Dentist (Dr. Prashant Rao-Cedar Walk Dentistry).....113

Origin International Market (Gandhi Int Market).......121

Villexo Realty (Villa Plots: Bengaluru, Karnataka) .......63

Dentist (Pineville Dentistry - Lina V. Mistry, DDS) .......48

Passage To India - Fine Indian Cuisine....................119

Vyas Travels..............................................................36

Desai & Desai LLP (CPA & Financial Services)..........39

Patel Brothers (Charlotte)..........................................20

Woodlands Vegetarian Cuisine (Charlotte) ..............109

Desai, Rajarshi (CPA, PLLC)......................................59

Patel, Champa (Real Estate) ...................................107

Worldwide Travels ....................................................63

Devam Jewelers.........................................................7

Patel, Mrugesh (Law Offices)....................................81

Yafa Halal Market & CafĂŠ..........................................53

DJ Desi (Amit Vasi) ...................................................75

Patel, Tony (Real Estate)............................................41

Zafran Kabab Palace (Charlotte / Pineville)................41

Saathee.com

124

February 2018

Blooming Buds 18 Exclusive Mandaps to offer!!

Decorations and Flowers for All Occasions

Tushar barot, Agent

919-629-6199 704-302-1215 919-586-7279

CALL FO DISC R OUN TS

Extravagant Mandap Decorator

tushar@tusharbarot.com

WE PROVIDE

www.Tusharbarot.com

• Mandaps, domes, backdrops, torans & entrance gates • Ganesh murtis & elaborate hand-carved furniture • Bridal chairs & chair covers • Decorations for stages, garbas, weddings and all other occasions!

• Masala DJs Entertainment professional sound & LED lighting

110 Osterville Drive, Holly Springs, NC 27540

919.465.7265

Best Service with Competitive Prices!

Call Manju Nigam

www.bloomingbudsnc.com

Aureus University School of Medicine

Set Your Sights on a Bold New Horizon Semester begins January 2018 and May 2018

Your Path to Medical School Why Choose AUREUS?

þ Small class sizes, enhancing the learning experience þ Professors are able to give individualized personal attention to each student þ Experienced and full time faculty enrich student academics þ Affordable tuition fees þ Individually sponsored merit based scholarships þ US & Canadian licensed visiting professors þ Warm, friendly, and safe atmosphere.

Saathee.com

Offers MD Degree Program: Five Years (High School Graduates) Four Years (BS Graduates) MCAT not Required MD Degree Recognized In: United States (ECFMG & IMED) Canada (MCC) Listed in WHO Directory 125

united states admission office 21-00 Route 208 South, Suite 220 Fairlawn, NJ 07410 Tel: (201) 773-8880 Fax: (201) 773-8884

aureus university Campus Wayaca 31C Oranjestad, Aruba Tel: 297 583-2126 Fax: 297 583-2127 www.aureusuniversity.com February 2018

SMART ENERGY SOLUTIONS SAVE

60% to 75% on energy

www.smartlednc.com

Serving ALL States Across the USA! ALLY E D A R T D AUTHORIDZEUKE ENERGY FOR

CEILING LIGHT

35w AREA LIGHT

CHECK OUT OUR NEW SHOWROOM FOR HOTEL & MOTEL LED PRODUCTS

150W AREA LIGHT

50W & 80W WALL PACK

PANEL LIGHT & TROFFER LIGHT

240w HIGH BAY

15w WALL PACK

5’ COOLER LIGHT

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DUKE ENERGY SMART SAVER INCENTIVE PROGRAM

Duke Energy Rebate Available

Mr. Amit Patel: 980.254.4200 Mr. Rupal Patel: 704.287.3426

527 n. Polk St., Pineville, nC • 704-835-1054 • Serving all States 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