Explosions In The Sky’s

MUNAF RAYANI An Insiders Look

at a Coachella

Olympic Wrestler Arjan Bhullar

The Olympian Diaries

JUMA at New York Fashion Week

Up Close And PersonalPrincess Diya Kumari

Of Jaipur

EXCLUSIVE: The Royal Issue

LADY DIANA & her lesser known Pakistani love affair

Plus

SEPTEMBER 2012

8 Editor’s Note10 Contributors

STYLE SCOOP12 What we’re obsessed with this month

FASHION CENTRAL20 Juma Makes a Successful Debut at NYFW22 Murano in the City Anu Raina breaths new life into the urban-chic category32 Fit for a Princesse Creative Director Karishma Shahani shows SHE how one becomes a successful cross-over designer34 Ritu Kumar unveils her Panchvastra couture collection in New Delhi

BUSINESS23 The Toronto Fashion Incubator a Canadian designer’s formula for success

SOCIAL CONSCIENCE34 Niqabi Like Me Saima Hasan spoke with two brave women who were targeted by bullies over wearing a niqab, a symbol of their devotion to their religion

PAKISTAN34 Fashion Pakistan Week 2012 was a melody of zardozi, chiffon and organza and displayed the best of what Karachi had to offer52 PSDC Sunsilk Fashion Week in Lahore celebrated its

5th anniversary in style—the four-day event was attended by the who’s who of Pakistani fashion COVER STORY74 What Fairy Tales are Made of SHE Associate Editor Priya Kumar talks with Princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur on what being a Royal is all aboutTHE ARTS98 An Insiders Look at a Coachella Artist that Keeps the Masses Coming Back Explosions in the Sky’s guitarist Munaf Rayani talks to the SHE team about he and his band’s journey from going with out heating in the winters to selling out concert halls across the world102 The Censorship of Reality Filmmaker Ashvin Kumar discusses the difficulties of being a documentarian in a Bollywood-possessed culture

MADE IN CANADA104 Senator Ataullahjan In Her Own Words Canada’s first Pakistani-Canadian Senator of Pushtan decent candidly speaks with SHE about becoming an integral part of the country’s bill passing protocol108 Sitara Hewitt:

Canada’s Very Own Shooting Star The Little Mosque on the Prairie starlet breaks down what life is like post the runaway success of the little Canadian comedy that could38 Precious by Maira has a virtual monopoly on the South Asian wedding jewelry market in Toronto—SHE finds out how her business went from a hobby to booming

NIGHTLIFE114 The Sultan’s Tent & Café Moroc SHE goes behind the scenes at one of the most iconic restaurants Toronto has ever known

HE131 Wardrobe Essentials every man should have in his closet132 That’s What SHE Said giving sound advice to our male readers on relationship, family and fashion drama133 The Olympian Diaries SHE goes one-on-one with Olympic Wrestler Arjan Bhullar exactly one month before competing in London

HEALTH/WELLNESS135 Keeping up with Tara Elizabeth Brand ambassadress

Tara Elizabeth speaks with the founders of Titika a hot new yoga wear line based out of Toronto136 Yafa138 Spirit Guru Have a question that you’ve been aching to ask that no one has given you a straight answer for? SHE’s Spirit Guru has you covered!

EVENTS139 J.J. Valaya SHE takes you behind the scenes at the king of Indian couture’s showing at the Liberty Grand

ON THE ROAD143 Steeped in Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands Travel extraordinaire Robin Esrock discovers where that little satchel of tea leaves you consume everyday originates from

BEAUTY148 Beauty Desires 149 Shirley Wu: Beauty Concept She came to Canada from Pakistan to visit relatives and ended up starting the most successful South Asian salon/beauty school in the GTA

151 Horoscopes152 Quote/Unquote “What does being South Asian mean to you?” Our favourite celebrities let us know.

23 THE TORONTO

FASHION INCUBATOR

114 THE SULTAN’S TENT &

CAFÉ MOROC

98EXPLOSIONS IN THE

SKY’S GUITARIST MUNAF RAYANI

74 COVER STORY

WHAT FAIRY TALES ARE

MADE OF

SEPTEMBER 2012

When we decided to launch SHE Can-ada, a multitude of ideas, concepts and mandates were available at

our disposal. There was, however, one thing that was certain—while we would stay true or our parent publication, Pakistan’s SHE Magazine, some work was to be done in making SHE Canada our own. On a recent trip to the South Asia, I was seated beside a Bangladeshi business-man. In spite of the rocky politics between Pakistan and Bangladesh over the past few decades, this gentleman had nothing but glowing things to say about my country. This really had me thinking—our nations’ tensions are not propagated by their people, but rather it is archaic politics that keep our governments at odds. Such sentiments promoting unity and goodwill are reflected amongst all South Asians, particularly those who are a part of a multi ethnic and multi cultural society like Canada.

After much thought and reflection to determine where we stand, we came to a consensus. Although SHE originated from Pakistan, SHE Canada would be a voice for South Asian Canadians as a whole. Wheth-er Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi, Indian, Nepal-ese or Pakistani, SHE Canada will cover the topics these cultures feel strongly for. Re-gardless of or target demographic—young women between the ages of 20 and 40 in the GTA—we strongly feel that our content will strike a chord with both a younger and older generation. We have also ensured that men will not feel left out—our section HE is an authority on men’s culture, fashion and lifestyle.

Part high fashion, part politically driven, our sophisticated, timely articles and com-prehensive editorial content cross over all cultural boundaries. In our nations of ori-gin, political, religious and ethnic tensions plague us. Here in Canada, no such ten-sions should exist and SHE Canada aims to highlight our similarities as opposed to dwelling on our differences.

This month we take an in-depth look at what it means to be South Asian living in Canada. First, back when we partnered with SHE in January we had the opportu-nity to candidly speak with the Honourable Senator Salma Ataullahjan—Canada’s first Senator of Pakistani-Pashtun decent. We also caught up with Little Mosque on the Prairie’s rising starlet Sitara Hewitt, who’s now living in Los Angeles. Finally, readers cannot miss our cover story exclusive—SHE Canada co-sponsored the Jaipur Royal Polo Challenge back in June and interviewed event hostess Princess Diya Kumari and son the teenaged Maharaja Padmanabh Singh. hope you enjoy our inaugural issue and if you take anything from these pages, let it be a message of peace and solidarity; one we look to propagate for decades to come.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Yafa Sakkejha Sakkejha is a Palestinian who was born in Toronto, Canada. She currently runs the House of Verona, a health retreat com-pany in Collingwood, Ontario. She also is a partner at Beneplan, a customer-owned health insurance company. She became passionate about health when she met a whole community in Toronto of people who successfully reversed diabetes, mood disorders such as depression, and other diseases through advanced nutrition.

Tara ElizabethWriter, ‘Inspired by Life’, page Photo credit: Kyle Scheib Tara Elizabeth is a freelance writer, actor, and model residing in Toronto. After landing a job at a Toronto magazine she got discovered by some local photogra-phers to model. Acting soon followed and she was lucky enough to hone her skills at Pro Actor’s Lab in Toronto. You can see her feature film debut in the indie film ‘Divine Enmity’.

Mariana ValenteMariana Valente was crowned Miss Universe Canada in 2009, she representedCanada in the Miss Universe pageant in the Bahamas. She speaks 4 languagesand has an honours Degree from York University. She now runs her ownbusiness in the fitness industry.

Steve RhodesBased in Toronto, Steve Rhodes has been photographing for advertising and edito-rial clients, as well as private commissions, for the past ten years. Clients include Style at Home, LCBO and Nestle.

CONTRIBUTORS

Liz GuberFashion AssistantRecent fashion school grad with an overflowing wardrobe. Guber keeps SHE readers up to date on both Canadian and international fashion. Look out for her coverage of JUMA’s collection showing at New York Fashion Week and the Toronto Fashion Incubator’s 25th Anniversary Gala.

Priya KumarAssociate EditorKumar joined the SHE family in January 2012 as a Contributing Columnist for the Pakistani Edition. She brings a wealth of international fashion/beauty experience to the table, having previously worked at Vogue India in Mumbai and Blackbook Magazine in New York. Her cover story “What Fairy Tales are Made of” on Prin-cess Diya Kumari’s life, love and family history is one not to be missed.

Robin EsrockEsrock’s success as a global adventurer, travel writer, TV producer andinternational TV personality was no accident, although it did start withone. Struck down on his bike at a Vancouver intersection, Robin hobbledaway with a broken kneecap, a modest $20,000 insurance settlement and anew lease on life. He packed up his things, quit his job and set off on aone-year solo round-the-world backpacking adventure to 24 countries.Esrock continues to write, blog, tweet and film his ongoing adventures. Heis living proof that sometimes life is just an accident waiting to happen.

CONTRIBUTORS

Nicole AlvarezArt Layout CoordinatorAlvarez is a freelance graphic designer and has been with the SHE Team since March 2012. She adds a certain flare to the layout designs.

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Ismaili-Canadian brother/sister duo Alia and Jamil Juma have achieved something most of us can only dream of; they showed their self-titled line JUMA at New York Fashion Week. An

admirable feat, their installation-style presentation at Fall/Winter 2012 NYFW was well received by editors and buy-ers alike. “We showed in Chelsea, in the Gallery District, we wanted to work with the Gallery, instead of doing a traditional runway.” It would seem that little about JUMA is traditional. The designers have taken a decidedly different approach to fashion. “We fell in it together, basically” Jamil speaks of their journey with non-chalance, revealing that he started out by studying Engineering then beginning his career in Finance, only later joining his sister in her design pursuits. JUMA was launched in 2003.

The duo’s journey has taken them around the world, even to such remote places as Kazakhstan and the Congo, “we had different lives in all these coun-tries, and it definitely had an impact on the way we view the world”. Speaking further their worldly up-bringing and the way it shaped JUMA, Jamil adds, “I wouldn’t say it [influ-enced our design process] consciously, it was more subconsciously.” Although no literal inspiration has been drawn from their many travels, the siblings’ global worldview has influenced their philanthropic efforts. Working with the UK based Maple Leaf Trust spear-headed by the Canadian Consulate; JUMA was able to help those less for-tunate in the East. Perhaps the greatest turning point for the direction of the label was the shift to computer-generated prints.

Canadian Contributing Editor S. M. Kamran Zaidi and Features Columnist Priya Kumar sit down with Jamil Juma to Discuss JUMA’s Fall/Winter 2012 Presentation and creating a new legion of fans

JUMA MAKES A SUCCESSFUL DEBUT AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK

“I just started playing around on the computer with my sister, and we de-veloped a few prints initially and they came out really well, and so we decided to go deeper into it.” Going deeper into it meant producing a collection cen-tered on dreamy, frenetic prints, bal-anced perfectly by strong, structured garments. The looks included asym-metrical dresses and shaped coats. The style lines and details were kept to a minimum, allowing the patterns to shine. When looking at the prints, one couldn’t help but see abstract, hazy sun-sets, muddled inkblots and even hints of hippie tie-dye. The standout piece of the collection was the short black dress with an unexpected green and red overlay. Its strength and androgyny was the perfect antithesis to the dainty, ladylike trend so common this season on the runways around the world.

It seems that Juma’s rise to fashion’s greatest stage was as natural and effortless as the clothes they create. Their greatest asset perhaps, is a unique approach to design and an uncompromising sense of self. For those with fashion aspirations as high as JUMA’s, Jamil offered some wise words; “Try to develop something that speaks with your voice and has some sort of authenticity”.

—Copy by Liz Guber

We developed a few prints initially and they came out really well, and so

we decided to go deeper into it.‘‘ ,,

PH

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IT: J

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SITARAHEWITT: CANADA’S VERY OWN SHOOTING STARSitara Hewitt sits down with Associate Editor Priya Kumar to talk about making it in the film industry, childhood anecdotes and being a part of one of the most talked about Canadian television shows of all time Photo Credit: Ribee

If you were to ask any Canadian from the farthest reaches of the country what television show has garnered the most attention in recent years—good, bad or otherwise—you would

resoundingly hear about Little Mosque on the Prairie. The brainchild of Zarqa Nawaz, Little Mosque was a 30-minute weekly sitcom about Muslims and non-Muslim cohabitating in the small town of Mercy, Saskatchewan (population 14,000). Like the name of the pint-sized community suggests, hilarity ensues when the white-folk come into contact with their new ethnic neighbours. The program had a great run on the CBC from January 9th, 2007 to April 2nd, 2011. After 91 episodes and being syndicated in 80 countries across the world (including Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Finland, France, Indonesia, Italy, South Africa and Spain—notably absent is the United States), the show brought the world’s attention to the day-to-day social issues modern day Muslims face in the Western world. Often its message is compared to that of The Cosby Show of the ‘80’s. Ozlem Sensory, an associate professor at Simon Fraser University explained The Cosby Show was a response to American society’s ever-evolving fear of African-American culture—many viewing it as “dangerous” or “ghetto.” “The Cosby Show emerging in that context did two things,” she continues. “It made white folks much more comfortable with a certain kind of black family. But it did so without addressing the very structural conditions that made that show necessary.”

The chemistry between the characters was undeniably responsible for the show’s long and successful run. The cast was a smorgasbord of actors from all around the country. The pilot epi-sode begins with Jummah prayers at the local Anglican Church, rented out by Yasir Hamoudi and his wife Cau-casian wife Sarah as a place to pray for Mercy’s growing Muslim community. Their daughter Rayyan, portrayed by the beautiful Sitara Hewitt, embodies the quintessential Muslim-Canadian hijabi. SHE had the opportunity to chat with Hewitt, to discuss her break-out role in the little Canadian series that could as well as what lead up to her stellar acting career.Hewitt, whose first name Sitara liter-ally translates to star in Sanskrit, got her start in film at the age of 20 as a dancer in Deepa Mehta’s Bollywood/Hollywood. She says this was the time when she was “more of a starving artist, though I had a few indie movies and pilots under my belt, some theater and a great deal of sports related shows that I hosted.” The concentrated portion of her year spent on the set of Little Mosque stood in stark contrast to the years of teaching dance, acting in low budget productions and taking acting classes. In regard to her feelings on playing a strong, positive female role model like Rayyan, Hewitt says, “[she’s] the great-est kind of character a woman can play. Rayyan lived many sides of life on the show, from relating to her parents to being a professional at work to getting involved in all the crazy, silly storylines a sitcom character gets wrapped up in, to being someone’s love interest…I think there is a shortage of female char-acters in the media who have depth of character and Rayyan was unique in that she was smart and funny but also devout in her spirituality, which I felt gave her a unique, interesting layer.”

She also sees similarities between her-self and Rayyan. “She has a soft heart, as do I, and at the same time she’s a little intense, which annoys those around her…[We} both have a lot of convic-tion in what we believe in, and are not afraid to tell people how we feel.”Idiosyncrasies are where their similarities end however. Hewitt had an eclectic upbringing; her parents, both professors at Wilfred Laurier University, were stationed in various locations around the world including the Himalayas in Pakistan during her formative years. “I’m fortunate that my parents took me on their adventures and research. To see how people live in these remote places, cooking over a fire, growing their own food, raising animals for milk and labor [was so enriching]. [They lived] so simply, in synchronicity with nature and with a sense of community unlike anything I have ever seen.” Watching these mountain people live like they did in biblical times was also a cathartic experience for the then young Hewitt. “The landscape is breathtaking, and the people are so hospitable, that I [considered] them family.” Her fondest memories of growing up in Pakistan include, “sitting on the roof of a mud hut, looking out at walnut and apricot trees at the feet of hulking mountains, surrounded by 10 or 12 children of all ages. Though our worlds couldn’t be more different we always found ways to communicate, things to talk about.” Although she says she’s still unsure if acting is her true calling, it’s been an enjoyable ride ever since making it her career in her early 20s. When asked about crossing over to South Asian film, she says if the right one came along, she definitely would. Her Urdu and Hindi are flawless and she views Bollywood as being a fun, lively and touching medium. Growing up half-Welsh, half-Pakistani she could not be more proud of her ancestral roots. We have a hunch the feeling is mutual.

Under TheSultan’s Tent

Eastern Extravagances at Toronto’s iconic landmark, The Sultan’s Tent & Cafe Moroc and BerBer Lounge

Eastern Extravagances at Toronto’s iconic landmark, The Sultan’s Tent & Cafe Moroc and BerBer Lounge

Editor S. M. Kamran ZaidiPhotographed by ZVONKO ZUPANCIC Fashion Editor PRIYA KUMAR Hair/Make-up SHIRLEY WU Stylist Assistants LIZ GUBER, SHIRLEY WU

Models OKSANA PODKOLZINA, MARIANA VALENTE

Editor S. M. Kamran ZaidiPhotographed by ZVONKO ZUPANCIC Fashion Editor PRIYA KUMAR Hair/Make-up SHIRLEY WU Stylist Assistants LIZ GUBER, SHIRLEY WU

Models OKSANA PODKOLZINA, MARIANA VALENTE

Ritu Kumar creates pieces that have a certain timelessness. Her fashion

house has truely has endured the age since its

founding in 1968.Opposite Page: Geometric

Sequined Dress Sabbah Sharma This Page:

Saagarika Dress by Label, Ritu Kumar

Opposite Page: One-Shoul-der Cloud-Print, Gaurav GuptaThis Page: One-Shoulder Leheriya Dress in Silk Jersey, Malani Ramani

Toronto is home to many ethnic restau-rants rich in culture and flavour, but The Sultan’s Tent & Café Moroc and BerBer

Lounge have upped the ante on the local dining experience. Located at 49 Front Street East, opposite Toronto’s iconic “Flat Iron” build-ing, this two-story establishment will transport you to a bygone era of Middle Eastern opulence. “The Sultan’s Tent & Café Moroc evokes a nostalgic and romantized vision of an exotic French Moroccan set-ting,” says Jennifer Panigas Pe-rusini, Marketing Manager at The Sultan’s Tent. But while The Sultan’s Tent and BerBer may share the same building and management, this is where their similarities end. The Sultan’s Tent pro-vides restaurant-goers with savoury Moroccan food bound in tradition, exquisite belly dancers and ambience unmatched anywhere outside the Asia Minor. BerBer Lounge, in contrast, has a more after-hours feel and in-corporates dishes from North Africa, Southern Europe and the Middle East. Panigas Perusini explains that although her family is Italian, Mo-roccan culture has inspired them to create a Middle Eastern res-taurant in Toronto. “Like Italians, Middle Eastern and Moroccan cul-tures have a strong sense of fam-ily, which runs dominant in our family as well,” she says. Not only does this strong sense of familial values keep the restaurant running smoothly, they also recognize how a Moroccan themed restaurant will be considered unique even in a city as ethnically diverse as Toronto.

“The food, colours used and de-tailed architecture are not preva-lent in Toronto, or most of Canada, so my parents found it fitting to introduce the culture, food and ar-chitecture [to the masses],” While The Sultan’s Tent and Café Moroc have become household names having been in Toronto for over a decade, BerBer Lounge has only begun to gain fame in recent years. In anticipation of its opening, Panigas Perusini’s parents travelled to Morocco to gain some insights about Middle Eastern culture. “[My father] developed the whole concept and had it [memorized] when my mother and father went to Morocco for 10 weeks to meet with all the different artisans developing all the materials,” Panigas Perusini says. Everything from the floor tiles to the cedar hand carved and painted ceilings were designed and created for BerBer and its one-of-a-kind quality is not lost ontheir patrons. Every detail down to the lacquered tiles in the bathrooms and creamy leather on the bar stools have a rich artisanal past. Mosaic fountains and hollow-brass warrior statues add an element of whimsy to the BerBer experience. Not to be out done by its sis-ter restaurant BerBer, The Sultan’s Tent is largely furnished by Hol-lywood memorabilia; on one of their many sourcing expeditions, the Panigases secured a collection of props from the classic film Cas-ablanca (1942) including ceiling fans and decorative table lamps. If that’s not enough to impress the most jaded of diners, the restau-rant’s crown jewel is a large hand-woven rug hanging by the hostess

podium at the front entrance. “The King of Morocco gifted [us] this very rug and we know this because the design and pattern in the cen-tre of the rug can only be used by the King of Morocco,” explains a beaming Panigas Perusini. While the elaborate designs and décor have gained The Sultan’s Tent and BerBer Lounge international accolades, the food cannot be overlooked. Dishes range from savoury B’Stilas (a traditional North African pastry) to divine Moroccan Crab Cakes, and while there is something to satisfy every palate, Panigas Perusini offers her recommendations. “The Blue BerBer, our signature drink, is a great way to start off your meal and I can’t get enough of our Cambanzola Fritter Salad,” she says, “I think I could eat a dozen Fritters in one seating!” Finally, the feature of The Sultan’s Tent/Berber Lounge experience that cannot be overlooked is the live entertainment. At BerBer Lounge, guests enjoy various live music acts on specific nights and at The Sultan’s Tent, salutary belly dancers. While Panigas Perusini describes The Sultan’s Tent as a romantic setting for couples looking to “share that special moment,” she says that there is something for everyone looking to escape into a new world—if only for a few hours. “At The Sultan’s Tent & Café Mo-roc and BerBer Lounge, we strive to stay true to the cultures we rep-resent. We have developed experi-ences for all the senses.”

THE SULTAN’S TENT AND BERBER LOUNGE:

A Symphony Of Ethnic Flavour, Sights And Sounds By Chantelle Henriques

SHIRLEY WU BEAUTY CONCEPT Features Columnist Priya Kumar discovers this

essential for your big fat Canadian-Desi Wedding

As I developed and got into the beauty industry, I was

thinking ‘oh wow makeup is able to empower women

‘‘ ,,

A major hurdle every South Asian bride faces in Toron-to pre-wedding is finding the perfect make-up artist for the big day(s). While the major beauty giants

like MAC, Estee Lauder and L’Oreal have trained many local artists, Desi brides seek something more than typical French make-up artistry. Shirley Wu Beauty Concept is aware of this cultural disparity and answers such anxieties by picking make-up brands suitable for all skin types. “I love Motives [Cosmetics]. Motives has that edge that we can actually customize the whole makeup line. It has shades for basically every woman and every [skin tone],” Shirley says. We had the opportunity to sit down with Shirley at her studio Beauty Concept in Mis-sissauga recently. Don’t be fooled by appear-ances; Shirley Wu was born and raised in Pakistan. She entered the beauty industry at 14, working for her mother at Lily Beauty Salon in her hometown of Lahore. Here she learned the art of Desi bridal make-up in addition to understanding the special needs of South Asian and ethnic skin— one of the many things that drew her to Toronto. “I saw a lot of different ethnic groups and people that I met and it was so much fun, doing [make-up for] different [ethnicities].” If that’s not enough to put you at ease, her Hindi and Urdu are flawless. When asked why she came to Canada to start a beauty consultancy, she states, “I came to visit family. To us [Canada] is a second home. From there I got married and we started a business. Basically when I came, there was nothing much happen-ing [in the South Asian make-up industry].”

Her contacts in Pakistan passed her name along to family and friends getting married in Canada and it was on this foun-dation she built her business up over the past 20 years. Beauty Concept is not just Shirley. It’s comprised of a whole team of talented make-up artists. Her four sisters, currently living in Pakistan, come back and forth in the summer to collaborate with her. As for the local artists, she provides them with classes and training on hair and make-up so they are well versed in her clients’ specific needs. “It’s been a very successful business, and our team is great.” From the jewelry a woman wears, to her clothing, Shirley likes to draw inspiration from a variety of places and it is her passion for beauty that leads her to create unique looks. “As I developed and got into the beau-ty industry, I was thinking ‘oh wow makeup is able to empower women.’” She finds this to be the most rewarding part of her job. So how should a Canadian bride go about building her wedding trousseau of outfits, jewelry and of course hair/make-up assis-tants? Shirley says while the bridal shows are a good place to start, word of mouth is always best. In terms of make-up itself, she suggests a company that is more established. Going in for a trial and then getting friends’ feedback is a must. Shirley offers services daily at her home studio including facials, waxing, threading and hair styling. She is also a certified make-up instructor offering classes on basic and advanced application techniques. Contact her at +1.905.201.1072 or +1.905.232.6978. She’s available by appointment only, ladies!

AN INSIDER’S LOOK AT A COACHELLA ARTIST THAT KEEPS THE MASSES COMING BACK

Festival go-er Priya Kumar talks with Explosions in the Sky’s guitarist Munaf Rayani about his band’s rise, societal controversies, future plans and participating in

North America’s largest modern-day music festival

S ince 1999, The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (Coachella for short) has attracted the masses from as far as New Zealand and the UK, for

a one of a kind music pilgrimage to the sleepy California Desert town of Indio. Legendary American rock group Pearl Jam started the movement to boycott Ticketmaster’s monopoly over Californian music venues. Since its humble beginnings as a one-band concert for 25,000 at the Empire Polo Grounds, it has become a three-day ecological music and art extravaganza of unprecedented proportions. The 2012 festival spread over two weekends, boasted a roster of A-list performers including Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre, Eminem, Tupac Shakur’s ho-logram, Rihanna, David Guetta, Gotye, The Black Keys, Radiohead, Explosions in the Sky and over 100 other artists. It sold out its 180,000 tickets in just 3 hours. Besides five stages (Main, Out-door, Gobi, Mojave and Sahara) featur-ing the endless line-up of artists, giant installations dotted the Polo grounds lighting up at dusk, creating an other-worldly skyline.

Then there was the fashion—oh the fashion! From celebrities like Katy Per-ry and Fergie to the youngest of teens, revelers were decked out in their finest boho chic. Flower crowns, tassel mes-senger bags and Navajo prints were ubiquitous style staples. SHE Canada not only had the op-portunity to attend Coachella 2012, but also sat-down with Munaf Rayani, the South Asian-American guitarist of the white-hot indie band Explosions in the Sky to get his take on the festivities. “For us to get an invitation to such a grand event and get a good time-slot towards the evening was pretty exciting. It’s in those moments that I’m sure that at least 80%-90% of that crowd didn’t even know who we were.” This is where I beg to differ. Having sold upward of 250,000 albums, it was no coincidence Explosions in the Sky played at 10PM on the Outdoor stage, on Day 1 of the festival. Their music has an appeal that is revered the world over. Undeniably instrumental, giving it an exact genre goes against everything Ray-ani believes in. “These kind of labels help as reference points for somebody who may not of heard whatever music that you’re talking about. We consider

ourselves musicians and a rock band. [But] once you limit yourself in labeling or agreeing to a label you are just that and what we are making is bigger than that.” Being of South Asian origin, Rayani’s mother was born in Mumbai and grew up in Karachi. “My mother was hoping [I would become] either an engineer, doctor or both. I grew up in a small town with the fellas [from Explosions in the Sky] in Midland, Texas and we started hanging out early to listening to and playing music.” His mother was weary of what he was doing and wasn’t entirely sure if this was a phase her son was going through. “I was supposed to be going to school, but I was just play-ing music. I quit going to school [and] she was quite upset until she started to see our pictures in the magazines. People would tell her about the band.” It was then she realized the enormity of Rayani’s career prospects as a musician. “From that point which was years ago, she became very supportive of me, she’s one of our biggest supporters. She loves us and loves all the fellas and wishes us well every time we go out.” The band formed in 1999, coincid-ing with their graduating from high school. “We were going to make films. So we shot short films and wrote little scripts, doing music on the side. We did one film as part of this Super 8 contest [named for the type of film used] where you shot a short film with in-camera edits. The score for that was the very first Explosions session.” Given their background it seems only natural their music is now regu-larly featured in Hollywood blockbust-ers including Friday Night Lights, The

Kite Runner and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past. “I think Hollywood knows about us; if ever we meet music supervisors, they love to tell us how they temp our music when a film is being edited. Temp music is a placeholder. We are the kings of temp music! If you look at the glass is half-full, it’s excellent that we’re in the collective conscious but the glass half-empty, why are they not calling us to use the music [in the final product]?” Regardless, they have come a long way from their early days of going without heat to pay for recording sessions and feeling lucky to have sold even one album. Whether it is producers, directors or their fan base, their music is adored be-cause it packs equal parts of power and emotion into every chord. They have been described in the media as “easily, one of the most intense live bands ever, their sound proves to be every bit as tri-umphant as their name implies.” Speak-ing on the evolution of their first album How Strange, Innocence to their most recent Take Care, Take Care, Take Care Rayani says, “The years [have brought] maturity of honing in on our abilities and knowing a better way to write a song or orchestrate movement. Our first record was that: very innocent. As we got older, we got a little smarter.” The band has also dealt with their fair share of controversy involving their name Explosions in the Sky. When they set out on tour on September 10th, 2001, they like the rest of the world were in complete shock at how the following day unfolded. Just like that, they were a band with an album called Those Who Tell The Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever

with a picture of an airplane on their album sleeve with a caption “This Plane Will Crash Tomorrow.” To top it off, Rayani is Ismaili-Muslim—a religion that has since become somewhat misunderstood in the southern States. “That’s what it is, coincidence, and journalism can sensationalize things sometimes. It was just a silly thing for people to attach to and kind of run with. Our name was put in the paper for its relation to what was happening in the world.” This stigma came back to haunt them this past year during the days leading up to a concert they did in Boise, Idaho— the combination of the name of their band and the date of the concert, September 11th being displayed on the marquee made locals a little uneasy. Yet Rayani admits he was not the least bit fazed. “The Boise, Idaho concert was sold out. This is in Boise, Idaho, incredible! People tried to make news and made something out of nothing and that’s exactly what it was.” Speaking one-on-one with Rayani, his awareness of his roots is obvious. “I’m glad I can be of this colour and make a little bit of noise in the Western world of music. You [more commonly] hear that an Indian or Pakistanani fel-low musician [specializes in] Tabla, Sitar and Harmoniums, which are all great instruments. To break into this western world with this colour skin feels good. Good music and art doesn’t have colour; it is itself.”

To break into this western world with this colour skin feels good. Good music and art

doesn’t have colour; it is itself.‘‘ ,,

SENATOR ATAULLAHJAN IN HER OWN WORDS

By: Priya Kumar

grandfather and his father were old friends. Part of their arrangement by request of her father, was that they eventually return to Pakistan. “My father was very keen that he did not want any of his children overseas, so he had spoken to my husband about returning” Her husband had promised their return and it was only then she was granted familial consent to leave her homeland. Her time in Pakistan itself was peaceful and serene despite the ongoing conflict with Afghanistan. She was born in the early 1950s in Mardan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, not far from the Afghan border. As a result, around the time she emigrated, she witnessed a huge surge of an estimated 5 million refugees fleeing to Pakistan and the trouble that arose when locals were not prepared to handle the influx. Still, relative to now, Mardan was very calm at the time. She welcomed her move from Pakistan to Canada because of her familiarity with the country and its customs. Her upbringing was a

A Realtor by profes-sion, an Artist by pas-sion and now Sena-tor by Parliamentary appointment, Salma Ataullahjan continues

to remain humble to the roots that have made her who she is today. Sena-tor Ataullahjan is not only the first Ca-nadian of Pakistani-Pushtun descent to enter the Senate, but she is also one of just a handful of women to do so. I had the honour of sitting down with her to talk about her family’s history of activ-ism, her school days in Pakistan with the late Benazir Bhutto, immigrating to Canada and her thoughts on Pakistan’s current political landscape. The Senator’s journey to becoming a Canadian began in 1980 as a young bride. Her new husband had previously studied Engineering at the University of Michigan, but preferred Canada as a place to settle. Their marriage was arranged, swathed in Pakistani tradition; they had not previously known one another. However, her

privileged one at an English boarding school. In fact, the late Benazir Bhutto was a fellow schoolmate. The Senator fondly recalled young Benazir—then known as Pinky— as quiet, ambitious and very focused on her studies. Although in different classes, they celebrated birthdays and other childhood milestones together. The school made for an idyllic upbringing. She and fellow students were regularly shown Canadian films sent from the embassy. A long-standing aspiration of hers was to eventually see the Northern Lights in person. The Senator attests that her school’s strict English- speaking policy and western-style uniforms were essential to her quick assimilation into Canadian culture. “We had to speak English the minute we came we were told to not speak any other language so I did not have a language problem when I came to this country and I was familiar with wearing western clothes.” Although superficially she was able to deal with culture shock, she had problems coming to terms with the loneliness of living in the west. “I think for me the biggest culture shock was being home alone. Being with my parents, you know how [Pakistani] homes are, generally you have people coming and going and there’s always someone there, so I think for me always being alone was a big thing. I remember keeping the TV on for 3 days at a time just so there would be another voice, another human voice in the apartment.” She attributes her political aspirations to the environment she grew-up in. Be-ing a part of a politically active family, there was always loud opinionated dis-course in the house. She would not re-alize the implication such upbringing would have until adulthood. Her great-granduncle Khan Abdul Ghaffer Khan was spiritual leader and close friend of Mahatma Gandhi. Both are known for their non-violent opposition to British Rule in then-India. The Senator has al-ways appreciated Gandhi’s quote, “My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and talents. I lay them both at His feet.” Unlike her politically active forefathers, her priorities in Canada upon arrival were to settle in and start a family. As time went on however, she quickly be-

gan following the various political par-ties in her riding to become familiar with the local system and got involved wherever she could. The Senator began her career in the less-than-political world of real estate. “When I came [to Canada] I was very keen to work and I had actually wanted to study medicine [but] my dad had said no the women in our family don’t work. So when I got married the first thing I did when I came here was want to work, so I went and found a job in a school nearby. I wanted the Canadian experience to be a working women.” When in Canada, and away from her father’s watchful eye, she wanted the full Canadian experience and found a job at a local school. She soon be-came pregnant with her first daughter and decided to defer her burgeoning career to raise her on her own. In this time, her hunger to be working was no where near sated, so when Anushka en-tered Kindergarten she was advised by friends to look at Real Estate as a career path. Because being a Realtor is flex-ible on hours, she was able to plan her work schedule around caring for her daughter. Throughout her daughters’ formative years she was very involved with fundraising efforts in the com-munity and was approached by a friend who was an MP to further her public involvement. She eventually ran for of-fice in 2008 as the Conservative MP for Mississauga- Brampton South—unfor-tunately she lost to the Liberal candi-date, but as the saying goes “when one door closes, a window opens.” Senator Ataullahjan has always been a deeply religious person in that she believes in a higher being and that there is a plan for all of us. When this plan is put into motion, the impossible becomes possible. She was in Pakistan when she got a call from her daughter saying that the Conservative Party was looking for her. “I thought because we were a minority government [it must be] elections again. Then I received the call— they said there’s a vacancy [in the Senate], would you be interested? I just couldn’t believe it! I hadn’t even thought that it would have been something that would be possible or that I would even be considered. It really is the impossible dream.” It was 1:30AM in Pakistan when she got the call, but she was asked not to tell

anyone because it would jeopardize her candidacy for the position, since there were a few more people up for it. Away from the prying eyes of family, she signed the papers and sent them back through her children. After some time had passed and she hadn’t heard back she recalls saying to her family that she was up for something really wonderful in the government but she didn’t think she got it. Her children comforted her in saying, “Oh Ma, at least you were considered for it.” A few days later she received “the” call from Ottawa, telling her to check her email and that she should expect a call from Prime Minister Harper in the coming days. Due to flooding in Man-itoba, this call was even further delayed but finally when the Prime Minister did call, all the anticipation subsided to elation. They briefly spoke about her trips to Pakistan and how her life would now change that she was being appointed to the Senate. Her daugh-ters and husband were sitting in the backyard when she shared the good news. She broke it to them minutes lat-er saying, “guys I got it!” Today when she looks at Parliament she always has to remind herself, “Wow, I work there.” Currently, she is working on an Anti-Cyber Bullying initiative for the Human Rights Committee. She has been getting amazing feedback on the project and has discovered that such bullying is not limited to children; adults are becoming victims too. She brought the issue to the Human Rights Committee in October under the urging of her daughters and feels they keep her connected to hot-button topics to Canada’s youth. She says that being Senator is a job that she would do, without a doubt, for free. “I am honored to serve the coun-try that has given me so much” and she is happy to give something back in return. When asked if she would ever consider going back to Pakistan to work in politics she has resolved that the answer is “not right now.” As Sena-tor, she feels her responsibilities are here—further, going into politics there would require her to put her safety on the line not unlike her former class-mate Bhutto. To that she states, “We were very, very saddened by [her pass-ing]. She did not deserve what hap-pened to her.” Nobody did.

FIT FOR A PRINCESSEKarishma Shahani tells PRIYA KUMAR about Growing Up Sindhi, Her Education

in Monaco and How Her Handbag Label Fuses Luxury with Practicality, contemporary shapes and styles. It was her time abroad that really cemented her design sensibilities by allowing her to understand the needs of various cultures. Although hard to believe, Shahani’s fashion career did not begin with design. In her early-20s, she started-out as a journalist at a local newspaper and eventually worked her way up to contributor at ELLE India. While writing about fashion was stimulating, she realized that instead of reporting on other designers work and featuring their lines she wanted to create products of her own. She opened a multi-designer store called Whym to satisfy this aspiration. Whym was a platform for young designers to showcase their products and became a favourite among fashion insiders. She ran the operation for a year before

deciding to leave for Monaco to pursue her Masters of Science in Luxury Goods & Services. In addition to being exposed to the upper tiers of the luxury world, Shahani’s time in Monaco was behind the inspiration for the label’s name. Princesse K was named after the timeless style icon Grace Kelly, the beautiful wife of the now late Prince Rainier. Incidentally, “K” also happens

Mu m b a i - b a s e d handbag label Princesse K has filled a niche in South Asian fashion. Branded

India’s latest “cross-over star” by Style.com, Creative Director Karishma Shahani has built a fashion house on a foundation of international training and experience. Her brand’s ethos revolves around producing an interesting mix of uniquely constructed designs for the discerning woman with an innate understanding of style.

Quite literally a citizen of the world, Shahani is Sindhi in origin, but born and raised in Mumbai. She heard many stories throughout her life about Sindh Province pre-independence. While most of her design influence is based on what she has seen growing up, she attributes her “never say die” attitude to her ancestral homeland. Belonging to an international Sindhi family also allowed her to gain sharp business acumen. She spent a year studying in Monaco where she learned about European luxury brands, the importance of their history and the quality and workmanship that goes into creating a luxury label. Being surrounded by the citizens of Monaco, who quite literally exude luxury, she began to understand the value of European luxury brands. She brought this knowledge back with her to Mumbai and infused it into her own brand. She also played around with traditional South Asian fabrics and embroideries to enhance the design of each style, while maintaining

to be the first letter of Shahani’s name. Besides being inspired by the French Riviera, she is constantly making mental notes of inspirational objects and themes for her collections. South Asian history, colours and culture to different forms of weaves she sees while traveling or walking through local markets have all played roles in her design process. Most importantly, her handbags are always free of leather and fur, as she does not believe in the killing of animals for the sake of style and fashion. Most recently, Princesse K has developed a brother brand called Lord K, because Shahani did not see any fun men’s accessories up to her standard in South Asia. At the time, the segment consisted of dull black laptop bags, brown messengers and tomato-red totes. She wanted to add some zest

to these classic designs. Her first collection barely veered at all from the usual shapes and styles, but for the upcoming designs she plans to play around with more patterns and textiles. When asked what her ultimate aspiration for Princesse K is, Shahani stated that she would like to see it available in niche boutiques and online stores across the world. This is well underway as her designs can be purchased across South Asia, Singapore,

Australia and via online portals such as Brandmile.com. Karishma Shahani is certainly a name to watch—her designs can currently be seen in action in Bollywood’s latest blockbusters. Be sure to check for Princesse K on John Abraham in Desi Boys and on Bipasha Basu in Jodi Breakers. Not bad for the one-time young, struggling Sindhi journalist.

“THE BEAUTIFUL WIFE OF THE NOW LATE PRINCE RAINIER.”

“PRINCESSE K WAS NAMED AFTER THE TIMELESS STYLE ICON GRACE KELLY”

STEEPED IN SRI LANKA’S CENTRAL HIGHLANDSBy Robin Esrock

do, but tea when I want to relax. Since the first leaf accidently fell into a Chi-nese Emperor’s boiling water, millions around the world enjoy their tea too. The British planted coffee in colonial Ceylon first, but it failed to take hold. Tea quality, on the other hand, is de-pendent on soil, climate and altitude. All blended perfectly in the Central Highlands, and Ceylon tea quickly became a valuable global commodity. Certainly, I’ve never enjoyed a fresher cup of tea like the one waiting for me on the patio. The early morning sun sparkled on the evergreen tea terraces, painted like layers into the hills. “What are those yellow and blue specks mov-ing around up there?” I ask my but-ler. I’d never had a butler before, but I could get used to it. “Those are the tea pluckers, sir.” My education in tea was about to begin. While Tea Trails offers hiking, mountain biking, tennis, a spa and croquet, most guests simply enjoy the opportunity to be at a working tea es-tate, learning about the finest tea in the world. The estate’s guide is Andrew Taylor, a friendly, quick-witted tea mas-ter and direct descendent of Sri Lanka’s first tea planter. We start in the fields, where I learn how tea is plucked— always the desired two leaves and a bud. Left alone, these plants would grow over 7m. The estate’s army of tea pluckers consist of short, skinny ladies wrapped in colourful saris, with a bas-ket balanced around their head. With lightning fingers, they pluck up to 16kgs of tealeaves a day, paid according to weight. I ask one lady if I can give it a try, which solicits a cackle of laughs. The basket is heavy, already straining my neck, even though it’s relatively empty. I clumsily pluck away for a half hour, before deciding that it’s work best left to wispy women with necks of steel. Since its inception, Dilmah has prided itself on being a truly ethical tea com-pany. Through their MJF Foundation,

When ancient Arab traders discovered a fertile, teardrop island in the Indian Ocean,

they called it Serendib. We still use their word, serendipity, to describe the phenomenon of finding something valuable that was not expected. The word stuck in my mind as I drive into Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands, pass-ing dense jungle, milky waterfalls, and playful monkeys. Locals smile and wave, exuding their distinctive cultural warmth, even as the temperature drops due to the rising altitude. By late after-noon, the mountains turn into a rich carpet of manicured plants that roll smoothly with the hills. I had arrived in the heartland of Sri Lanka’s most fa-mous export: tea. My destination is Ceylon Tea Trails, a luxury bungalow resort originally built for the tea barons who ruled over the estates. Owned and operated by Dilmah, one of the world’s largest tea brands, Ceylon Tea Trails is their love letter to anyone with a passion for tea, tranquillity, hospitality, and the region itself. The four bungalows, which re-semble large country estates, are at least 4km apart, serviced by butlers and private chefs, and encircled by gardens that offer stunning views of mountains and lakes. Entering the colonial Tien-tsin Bungalow, originally built in 1888, is like stepping into another era—pol-ished wooden floors, high ceilings and plush 4-poster beds. Uniformed staff wait with an evening cocktail in a lounge that smells of old, expensive leather. Old, faded paintings of tea bar-ons hang on the wall. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve just intruded on a royal escape. The fireplace is blazing, a re-lief from the hot sticky weather on the coast. It was a long, winding drive, wor-thy of a deep sleep in perfect silence. I drink coffee when there’s work to

they support an incredible 1500 com-munity projects, including childcare, geriatric services, arts programs, coun-selling and even prisoner rehabilita-tion. The company provides free hous-ing, education and medical services for their tea estate workers. On the slopes, the mood is light, as the women chatter away, moving between rows of waist-high plants, gathering the tealeaves that will find their way to 92 countries. At the nearby tea factory, I learn about the process of withering, rolling, fermenting and drying, and how leaves are classified and graded. Andrew ex-plains how to make the perfect cup of tea— water just to a boil, one spoon of tea per person, and one for the pot. Never add sugar, which negates the considerable health benefits, and only a dash of milk if required. We taste different grades, much like wine tast-ing, letting the liquid roll around the tongue, and expelling mouthfuls into a spittoon. There’s still a lot to learn, but my appreciation for tea has deepened, and no afternoon break will taste the same again. Back at the Tienstin bungalow, named after the Chinese village from whence the tea seedlings came, a fine mist rolls across the hills. I consume my afternoon tea without sugar, en-joying its aroma, strong flavour and bright colour. I hear a gentle strum-ming guitar in my head, inspired by a former Tientsin guest, Paul Simon. In a country once scarred by war, I don’t be-lieve I’ve ever enjoyed such peace and serenity. Finding something valuable not originally sought after? Serendipity indeed.

Vancouver-based Robin Esrock is the co-host of the OLN/CityTV series Word Travels. You can follow his adventures at www.robinesrock.com

LOVE & CRICKETThe Taliban Cricket Club By Timeri N. Murari HarperCollins Canada Price $21.00 CAD

As the name implies, The Taliban Cricket Club is the haunting and at times per-ilous fictional story about Afghanistan’s temporary broken ban on sports and entertainment in an attempt to put together an official cricket league.

Set in a mid-90’s war-torn Kabul, the novel follows the 24-year-old aspir-ing journalist Rukhsana. Precocious and ambi-tious, the Taliban’s tight

reign over its people has no hold on this daring, young ingénue. Although they have forced her by law to quit her job at the Kabul Daily, she still manages to bra-zenly fax wartime coverage to the Hindustan Times in New Delhi, chronicling the oppressions and injustices the people of modern-day Afghanistan face. From pub-lic stoning, to the hardships of life as a woman trying to make ends meet in this patriarchal society to the constant threat of punishment

from the reckless religious police, no detail is spared. From page one it is evident Rukhsana’s ultimate goal is to flee her ancestral homeland that has confined her to the house she grew up in. Everything is in place for her exit—a soon-to-be fiancée is liv-ing happily in America, a mother who is gravely ill with cancer has almost passed and a contingent of close childhood companions have already left. The only hitch in her plan is her 16-year-old younger brother Jahan. He would be left in this tyrannical society to fend for himself and she will not stand to see this happen. Fortuitously, the Taliban an-nounces a cricket tournament that that will send the winning team off to Pakistan for training (and a life of freedom). She, her brother and closest cousins feel this is their only way out and she defiantly agrees to teach them the game she loved so much while liv-ing in India as a student. The Taliban Cricket Club is a poignant story about the bond that holds a family together and

the importance of retaining hope at all costs. Although a great sum-mer read, the story was written after many years of in-depth re-search. Timeri M. Murari trav-elled to Kabul to speak with locals about the situation. He carefully wove fact with fiction to create this story that details the frustra-tion, loneliness and fear of every-day living Afghanis had to endure under the rule of the Taliban. The story brings together two opposing trains of thought; one that all women are evil vices, put on earth to tempt and entrap men and the other of a young, edu-cated journalist trying to get the word out about the hardships of living in a modern-day Afghani-stan. The Taliban Cricket Club sheds light on the lack of choices women living in Kabul have and coupled with the threat of a ruth-less, trigger-happy ministry, fo-cuses on the urgency of the hero-ine’s audacious escape. Readers will hold their breath along with the protagonists until the novel’s final word.

BEAUTY BUZZ

Beauty Secrets SHE Swears By:

My hair is a little embarrassing. Coming from an Asian background,

where most, if not all, women have beauti-ful long, silky, straight hair, mine is the total opposite. I have medium-thick hair, and it is

sometimes curly, often wavy, but not the type of wavy that most women strive to perfect. No, my hair is an utter disaster. But, like a shining knight, Moroc-

canoil came to my rescue. I started using the oil serum in January 2012, and since then, the texture of my hair has made a remarkable transformation. It’s incredibly

soft and silky—like how Asian hair is supposed to feel—and I fool most people into thinking my hair is naturally this amazing. I use Moroccanoil twice each time I style my hair; two squirts before I blow-dry,

and half a squirt before I flat iron. Sometimes, when I don’t have time to style, I apply two squirts before finishing it off with mousse. Moroccanoil has truly turned my beauty

regimen inside out. —Reporting by Myrtle Jurado

For their Fall 2012 collection the always-

creative OPI takes us on a journey to Deutschland!

With a healthy mix of bolds and neutrals, OPI manages to hit the nail

polish trends on the mark once again! We love all their Germany-inspired

colours but our favourite is definitely

German-icure!

HIJABI LIKE ME

What is it that sep-arates being Ca-nadian from any other citizenship in the English-speaking world?

Perhaps it’s Canada’s diversity, or the fact that Canada’s constitution pro-tects multiculturalism as opposed to national assimilation. Regardless of what sets Canada apart, cultural and religious freedom in this coun-try is unparalleled the world over. Yet, the post-9/11 era has ushered in a new host of problems and discord attached to a burgeoning Islamo-phobia that continues to challenge this harmony. Eleven years on, this tension should have alleviated but the reality of the situation is that anti-Muslim sentiments are more prevalent than ever. As a Pakistani-Canadian woman of Muslim origin, I often sense this discord first hand, especially during encounters with border control and airport security. Admittedly however, blatant xeno-phobia on the street aimed directly at me is less of an everyday reality. I have begun to think that one fac-tor in my relatively protected exis-tence is the fact that I do not wear any discernible religious symbols, thus “passing” as a non-Muslim South Asian. In essence, this al-

lows me to fly below the radar of any potential religious bigots. The same cannot be said about Muslim women who choose to express their devotion to Islam by donning a hi-jab (head scarf) or niqab (face veil). Recently, there have been a slew of hate attacks on hijabis around the world, some reported in England and some in our very own backyard here in the Greater Toronto Area and Kingston, Ontario. Now it’s up to us as a society to educate one an-other on our differences. As a correspondent for SHE, I had the opportunity to do just that; I spoke with two women who have experienced different forms of cul-tural harassment in violent and non-violent ways. One such victim of a physical attack fueled by clear xenophobia was against Mississau-ga’s Inas Kadri. Kadri was raised in a religious family and always knew that wearing a niqab was something she would embrace in her life as an expression of her devout faith. However, her choice to wear the niqab would not go unchallenged as she soon realised. In August 2010, Kadri was out shopping at the Sheridan Centre in Mississauga with her two young children (then 3 and 2 years old). A surprise attacker named Rosema-

Two years ago Inas Kadri’s veil was ripped from her face while she shopped at the Sheridan Centre in Mississauga with her two young

children. The niqab attack made international headlines and after all this time Kadri bravely opens up to SHE’s Saima Hasan about the unsettling

experience and how it affected her life as a Muslim-Canadian woman.

rie Cresswell suddenly approached her and pulled off her niqab while yelling discriminatory slurs. Kadri says, “She was swearing at my reli-gion, she was swearing at my [head] cover, she was swearing at my pres-ence here in Canada.” Over a year later in November 2011, Creswell was charged with racially motivat-ed assault and pled guilty. She was given a one year suspended sen-tence with 100 hours of community service, and apologised to Kadri in court. Creswell was also mandated to educate herself by attending local mosques. Despite the legal victory, Kadri has developed new insecuri-ties and fears as she ventured out into the public sphere as part of her daily life. This is the true trauma victims suffer through as a result of hate attacks—the trauma of psycho-logical effects for years to come.After having time to reflect, Kadri claims that this experience taught her many things about her place in Canada. “I understand that some people are not understanding of my religion, even though it’s Canada,” she says despondently. “[My Niqab] does not need to be right for every-one, as long as it’s right for me.” De-spite the unsettling incident, Kadri firmly maintains that her faith is stronger than ever. “What hap-

pened did not bring me down. It is not my nature.” Many of us would not have this kind of conviction af-ter being attacked for being who we are but Kadri chooses to see it as an opportunity to bring about a posi-tive change in the world. Kadri believes the root cause of the issue lies in a lack of education and awareness. She claims that edu-cating people about her beliefs will hopefully prevent similar assaults on other Canadian Muslim women like her. “Freedom does not mean to expose yourself, I can choose how to identify myself…just as much as I have trust in people, they should trust me.” She hopes Cresswell, her attacker, will learn to trust people of different cultures and religions in the future and share her newfound wisdom with others around her.Kadri’s noble optimism is admi-rable. She hopes to end the cycle of discrimination by speaking out about the many misconceptions about Muslim women, especially those who wear a niqab. She tells us that women like her are not all oppressed, some might be but the vast majority are not, despite the pervasive stereotypes. She leaves us with the key words, education and choice. Education is a key factor in decreasing discrimination in a mul-ticultural city such as Mississauga.

Choice emphasizes that Muslim women choose to cover themselves and are not coerced to do so. This sort of cultural insensitivity does not limit itself to the sprawling metropolis of Toronto. Mahwash Fatima is another Canadian Mus-lim woman living in Ottawa who chooses to wear a niqab, a choice she made much to her family’s cha-grin, at the age of 20 after migrat-ing to Canada. Fatima tells SHE that her choice came after much consideration, speaking with other educated niqabis (women who wear the niqab), and doing research into the theological principles that sup-port it. Thankfully she has not ex-perienced an overt attack like Kadri but claims that the she has become accustomed to more subtle forms of Islamophobia such as unwelcoming looks and being called names which are equally alienating. She recounts, “I was told by a lady at the mall: ‘Hon, you are in Canada now, you don’t have to do this.’” She was ac-tually very sweet but it’s like telling someone nicely that you don’t like what she’s wearing. It kind of spoils the day!” Fatima also says an aside that she has also experienced more accepting reactions from non-Mus-lim women, which reinstates the hope for a brighter, increasingly di-verse future.

Much like Kadri, Fatima empha-sizes that many people carry mis-conceptions that niqabis and/or hijabis are unaware of their rights or are oppressed coerced into wear-ing a covering by dominant males in their household. We only need to hear Fatima’s story to know that the stereotype is in fact just that. Ironically, Fatima claims that being a Canadian woman allows her the freedom to practice her religion as she chooses; it was only when she arrived in Canada from Pakistan that she chose to wear the niqab. Unfortunately, we can see that this freedom also comes with sacrifices and challenges. Fatima wants the general Canadian public to know that she as a niqabi is well aware of her rights and no one should as-sume otherwise. She leaves us with a final thought; “People need to start thinking that it is also an op-pression to force someone to take off a piece of clothing on their body which they don’t want to expose”. The stories of both Kadri and Fatima force us to more closely ex-amine our own biases resulting in the spreading awareness through telling their stories. We at SHE Canada hope that our country is one step closer to the harmonious multicultural that the world believes it to be.

FIGHTING THE CENSORSHIP OF REALITY

Ashvin Kumar, Indian filmmaker and docu-mentarian, has a style of portraying a story that has become well known to audiences around the

worldwide. While his films showcase his talent as a storyteller, Kumar admits that filmmaking was something he dis-covered later in life. “Growing up at the age of 16, 17 I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and then theatre came along and I decided that would be it. But film came much, much later,” Kumar said. Kumar’s films have experienced inter-national success. Many have been part of official selections to over 130 film festivals including the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), he won first-prize in the Montreal Film Festival and his works showcased at the Chicago Children’s Film Festival. Despite his prize-winning success, Kumar has managed to stay humble and grounded. “I don’t have any particular interest in the stuff that happens after the film leaves my editing table. And by that I mean all of the awards, new reports and interviews,” Kumar said. “This kind of stuff I just do because I have to do it, to be very honest.” This independent filmmaker`s unique documentary style has attracted much attention and controversy from the Indian censor board which banned some of Kumar’s earlier films including Road to Ladakh starring Irrfan Khan (The Namesake, Slumdog Millionaire). His 2010 film titled Inshallah, Foot-ball has only just recently received the

green light from the censorship board to show it publically. His most recent film Inshallah, Kashmir, which tells the story of the ongoing conflict in Kash-mir over the past 20 years, through tes-timonials, was released only online to avoid an encounter with the board. He officially released the full-length feature on YouTube, a feat that no other film-maker has accomplished before. “We bypassed censorship in India because Inshallah, Football was banned there,” Kumar said. “I decided let’s just put it online.” Kumar is no stranger to censor board controversies. His alma mater The Doon School, an elite boys boarding school in Dehradun, India, commissioned his 2010 film Dazed in Doon in celebration of their 75th Anniversary. The school ultimately banned the film due to the excessive de-piction of bullying at Doon. “The school board complained to the Indian censor board and they would not allow the film to have a certificate,” he said. While Kumar is aware of the contro-versy his documentaries may cause, he feels that above all else getting the story across in a truthful way is the most im-portant aspect to filmmaking. To view-ers who might be offended by his con-tent, Kumar says they just have to deal with the reality of the situation. “I’m documenting,” Kumar said. “I didn’t create the situation, I didn’t cause torture [...] and things like that we don’t do that as filmmakers, we go there and try to under-stand why these things are happening.”It is those real life happenings that be-come something Kumar looks for when he is behind the camera and says

Priya Kumar sits down with Ashvin Kumar to talk about his career off the beaten path typical filmmaking

that sometimes these real situations can be “stranger than fiction”. “You don’t really know what’s going to happen, you don’t know what people are going to say, how they’re going to say it,” Kumar said. “How the story took shape, how it unfolds, all of that is hap-pening in front of us and I have to be there with the camera in the right place at the right time to shoot it.” Along with being in the right place at the right time, as a documentarian, Kumar must be careful to put personal opinions aside and focus on what is actually happening in front of the lens. Separating one’s biases from the scene in front of you is a dilemma that filmmakers face while working on a project, but Kumar is confident that he overcame this obstacle for Inshallah, Kashmir. “I had to rigorously re-examine ev-erything that I hadn’t thought of [even though] I had been told about the situa-tion [in Kashmir],” he said. The way Kumar manages to maintain neutrality and depict political unrest in his films has earned him several promi-nent awards. Kumar has gained the title of youngest Indian writer and director to be nominated for an Academy Award Oscar as well as the first Indian to be nominated at the European Film Academy. Despite his popularity, Kumar ad-mits he doesn’t measure the success of his work but rather the process of mak-ing a film. “Coming onset every morn-ing and just being able to create some-thing that did not exist before [...] that’s the most enjoyable part,” he said.

-Copy by Chantelle Henriques

I didn’t create the situation, I didn’t cause torture; we don’t do that as filmmakers.

we go there and try to understand why these things are happening

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1.) Inshallah, Football Poster2.) Road to Ladakh Poster3.) Dazed in Doon Poster4.) Little Terrorist Poster5.) The Forest Poster

INSPIRED BY LIFE

I’m overcome with pride walk-ing into Titika’s serene head-quarters in North York to in-terview the co-founders Eileen Zhang and Courtney Brooke. Courtney and I first met in 2008

at a photo shoot where she was working as a stylist and attending George Brown College in Toronto for Fashion. We quickly forged a friendship and worked on various creative shoots afterwards. Courtney and Eileen began their work-ing relationship in class as students; not realizing it would soon bear the fruits of Titika. Compiling research for their last in-school project, they noticed that active wear was a fast growing niche market with a lack of fashion forward designs. By definition, active wear is clothing designed to be worn for sports, exercise and outdoor activities. So with their love of fashion and newly acquired skills from school, they set out on a mis-sion to provide a fresh perspective in active wear. The brand’s name was coined rather unconventionally. Eileen’s 3-year-old son was repeating ‘Titika’ and dancing one day. Inspired by the spark of a tod-dler’s imagination and joyful energy, Ti-tika was born. The Toronto-based com-pany strives to ‘inspire and empower’ while promising style with purpose, as well as maintain the use of quality fab-rics for superior performance in any

activity. Titika’s functional yet comfort-able fabrics are listed in detail on their website, guaranteeing longevity of their innovative garments. Eileen and Courtney look young and vibrant wearing their latest designs, showcasing the multiple ways Titika can be worn - yet another reason it has taken off since their first store opening in October of 2009. They are now three stores strong, and growing. Eileen pairs her Armani jacket with a Titika tank and tights. “It’s so easy to pair business jackets with Titika for work-per-fect looks at the office, then out to dinner or to workout or even to catch a flight. Combining it all, that’s today’s woman on the go,” she explains. Courtney is wearing the Dance Collection. Titika not only of-fers a great basics line, but also specialty ones that include limited editions every season. This fall, expect to see the Galaxy collection that promises their mandate or rather ‘womandate’ to combine fashion with function. Offering free in-store classes at each store like Zumba, Bootcamp, and Yoga, they have created a unique USP not of-fered by any other active wear brand. They welcome the interaction from customers and in return have tons of social media contests, brand advocates and take part in charity events around the city like the Kickbox for the Cure Cancer research fundraising event.

Giving back to the community is a huge priority for the designers. Their alma mater encourages and supports their graduates, carrying Titika in all locations of the George Brown Cam-pus Stores. Sporting Life sells pieces from their line and they also get invited to take part in swag lounges of various high profile parties like the Muchmu-sic Video Awards (MMVAs). If that’s not enough high-profile exposure, Tre Armstrong of “So You Think You Can Dance Canada” exclusively wears and swears by Titika. Eileen and Courtney’s empire is ex-panding due to their pragmatic work-ethic and being on call 24/7. This pas-sion is evident in the finish of their products. Every detail thought out maps the natural curves that seamlessly compliment each woman’s body with comfort and style. “When Life gives you lemons, Ti-tika gives you an alternative.” The fun, cheeky slogan, in reference to their clos-est competitor and retail giant, is on all their shopping bags and reflects Titika’s light-hearted nature. Inspiration con-ceived by the purity of a child has be-come a fresh fashion statement in active wear for women around the world. Check out their online store at www.ti-tika.ca , Facebook page and Twitter @titika_active for more info.

Titika Active Wear’s brand ambassadress and SHE Canada contributor Tara Elizabeth explores one of

Canada’s hottest up-and-coming fashion houses

damages the molecule so that it cannot be properly absorbed by the body. The diet also helps those suffering from cancer and diabetes to healtumours and remove their dependency on insulin permanently. Clinics likethe Hippocrates Institute and The Tree of Life Centre are run by doctorsfor the purpose of healing through live food.

What About Protein? When we ingest protein, our bodies break them down into their buildingblocks -- amino acids -- and then re-as-semble them into the types ofproteins that we need at that moment. Amino acids are abundant in raw foods, but are damaged when cooked. Also, since about 50% of protein is dena-tured when heated, it is rendered uselessby the body. So, raw vegans “cut out the middle man” by eating raw aminoacids in place of pre-assembled protein. The body then synthesizes newprotein internally from those aminos.

What About Deficiencies? It is critical to supplement B12. Howev-er, even meat-eaters should supplement, as it’s destroyed easily through cooking.

D3 must be supplemented during the winter. The Garden of Life VitaminCodeRaw Multivitamin is a good brand which contains all nutrients, including B12 and D3. Iron should not be a problem as long you’re eating a high amount of greens– think 2 bunches per day. The body uses chlorophyll to create red bloodcells, and thus keep iron counts high. Blend parsley into your smoothies,juice kale with cucumber, or have a big ro-maine or bok choy salad for lunch.

Gisele Bündchen, Demi Moore, Amrita Rao, and Vidya Balan are just a few of the many celebrities who are making the raw vegan food diet a corner-

stoneof their lifestyles. Celebrities use it to help slow aging, maximize energy, and cleanse after island parties. Sound scary? Actually, it can be easy and delicious to reap the benefits.

What Is It? The raw or “live food” diet consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds,and grains which have not been heated over 115°F (45°C). Cooking food pastthis point causes the nutritional value of the food to plummet: 100% ofenzymes are destroyed, up to 100% of the vitamins and minerals are damaged,50% of the proteins are denatured, and healthy fats become rancid. Cooking also creates advanced glyca-tion end products (A.G.E.s), which ageour tissues, damage cells, create wrinkles and add age spots. A mango hasabout 13 A.G.E.s, while a chicken tikka masala dish has 20,657 A.G.E.s. Dr. Paul Kouchakoff, a Swiss research-er, found that leukocytosis, a raisedwhite blood cell count, occurs when cooked food is ingested. This typically oc-curs when the body is fighting an unwant-ed invader, such as a virus, or infection.

What About Studies Where Cooking Tomatoes Increases The Lycopene Content?

Plants’ nutrition is locked in their cell walls, and so rupturing these walls makes vita-mins more accessible. Cooking ruptures cell walls – but so does juicing or blending. Although cooking increases lycopene, heat

RAW FOOD: HOW CELEBRITIES STAY YOUNG

The Benefits• More energy• An improved outlook on life• Weight loss• Improved mental clarity and focus• A glowing complexion• Elimination of depression• Higher sex drive• Reduced appearance of

wrinkles• Less gray hair• More stamina• Accelerated muscle growth

when weight training

How Can I Start?• Start very slowly. Experiment

with recipes from goneraw.com, such as raw pad Thai or raw brownies.

• Read anything by Victoria Boutenko, Dr. Ann Wigmore, or Dr. Gabriel Cousens MD.

• Visit giveittomeraw.com, where thousands of members share advice.

• Try a raw restaurant: in Toronto, visit Live Food Bar; in Montreal, Crudessence; and in Vancouver, Gorilla Food.

Top 5 Raw Foods1. Wheatgrass

Full of chlorophyll, enzymes, vitamins, amino acids, and trace minerals.

2. Blue-green algae Packed with EFAs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and chlorophyll.

3. Beet tops Beet tops contain up to 20,000 times the vitamin A held in beet roots.

4. Kale Packed with vitamins A, C, K, amino acids, chlorophyll, and minerals.

5. Young coconuts Their water is naturally filtered, and one of the best natural sources of electrolytes. It even has the same electrolyte balance as blood. UC Berkeley reported that during World War II, it was used as a substitute for intrave-nous plasma.

THE TORONTO FASHION INCUBATOR: A Canadian Designer’s Formula for Success

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To ambitious, but large-ly unknown design talent in Canada, The Toronto Fashion Incu-bator is an invaluable resource. The Incuba-

tor guides, mentors, fuels and hous-es the various hands and minds of Canada’s fashion future. TFI is a one of a kind, not-for-profit center for entrepreneurship. This year, the Incubator celebrated its 25th year of operation. At the Incubator’s helm is Susan Langdon, a former designer with 30 years of industry experience. Langdon navigates the treacherous waters of government legislation, fighting for the expan-sion and support of manufacturing and design in Canada. The Incubator, located on Toron-to’s waterfront, preaches a “thrive and survive” motto, offering many resources to start-up fashion busi-nesses necessary for long-term pro-fessional success. TFI boasts an im-pressive list of mentors, including David Dixon, an Incubator alum, and one of Canada’s most celebrat-ed fashion designers, and Wendy Wong, designer of House of Spy and costume designer for TV’s Glee. Mentorship on collection cohesion and line aesthetic are available to all members. Legal and accounting ad-vice is also readily accessible. Need further proof that TFI is a recipe for success? Labels JUMA and NADA have both enjoyed fashion week success, Pina Ferlisi, a former TFI member is now the creative direc-tor of McQ, Alexander McQueen’s diffusion line. The Toronto Fashion Incubator offers two types of membership. An outreach member pays a small yearly fee—a fee that is even lower for students—that offers access to mentorship and counseling, busi-ness planning resources and is able to partake in seminars and exclu-sive industry events. The Incuba-tor’s Resident members, ten in all, pay a monthly fee, and in return, receive studio space at below mar-ket value, a wide array of industrial machinery, and the same precious mentoring hours to help them de-

sign, edit, produce, market and distribute a fashion line. Resident members usually stay for a term of 3 years, or until they are ready to go out into the industry on their own. Working side by side, the Residents, each driven and perhaps slightly competitive, motivate and inspire one another. The TFI New Labels competition, which has taken place yearly since 1992, is the organization’s most newsworthy event. New Labels is a boot camp for designers, who work to create a marketable, yet memo-rable collection to show in front of thousands of consumers, buyers and fashion media representatives. The highly coveted first prize is the Suzanne Rogers Award for Best New Label, a cash award of $25,000, a 24/7 studio at TFI and a feature in a top Canadian fashion magazine. Winning this prestigious award can be a life changing, career-altering experience. This year, New Labels coincides with the Incubators 25th anniversary, a black tie fund raising gala was held at the Royal Ontario Museum’s Crystal, where Edmon-ton’s Sid Neigum took home the top prize for his streamlined, unisex looks. The remarkable thing about TFI is that it not only nurtures individ-ual talent and creativity, it pumps revenue back into the Canadian re-tail economy. Copied by 33 coun-tries in the last 25 years Toronto’s Incubator returns twelve dollars for every dollar it receives in funding, offering countless jobs and revenue opportunities for domestic retail-ers. The often frivolous and un-predictable world of fashion has, thanks to TFI, become a rich source of economic progress. Although the Toronto Fashion Incubator seems like everything a young aspiring fashion novice may need for success, the first ingredi-ent remains talent, something TFI cannot provide. When the intuition and skill of a budding designer meets the power and influence of TFI, great things can and do hap-pen. Each year brings new promise to the Canadian fashion scene.

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Services: Include: Reuniting loved ones, Aura cleansing, Bringing happiness,And Peace of Mind, Palm Readings, Dream Interpretations, Picture Readings and more.

AS SEEN IN THE NEW YORK TIMES Lisa has the powerful knowledge in negative reversal and can help you over come all problems. There is no problem too big or too small she can’t handle. Lisa will call out your issues one by one without asking a single question. She has helped all walks of life worldwide; don’t be fooled by other Psychics giving false hope! Lisa tells you what she sees not what

you want to hear! If you are ready for the truth Lisa the psychic for you! Don’t stay stressed! Help is a phone call away! Office 416-972-5000*ALL CALLS ARE 100% CONFIDENTIAL*WALK IN WELCOME – 475 BLOOR ST. WEST (WEST OF SPADINA)

HOROSCOPES

Gemini: May 21st to June 20thYou may feel faith has just stepped into your life, yes new romance looking good so give it a chance and don’t let fear stop you from moving forward.

Cancer: June 21st to July 22ndYou’re feeling extra sensitive, more then usual, the comfort from a loved one fills the void. Now is the time to turn to friends and family for emotional help

Leo: July 23rd to August 22nd Time to put things in perspective and make time to focus on your home and family plan. A family get together dinner seems like the perfect plan to catch up on old times.

Libra: September 23rd to October 22nd You might want to discuss your ideas with others. Advice given to you will put you back on the path to success. Doing things on your own seems to have set you back a bit, but not to worry you’ll be back in the game soon.

Scorpio: October 23rd to November 21st Dreams and goals might prove to be valuable sources of inspiration. You’re on a roll, don’t let negative people around you stop you from moving forward you been at a stand still for too long now --its all about you!

Sagittarius: November 22nd to December 21stFinances are looking good so take time out for travel --you need a little R&R. Love is in the air but it can pass you by if you are not looking out for it. Don’t be so distracted by other situations around you. Keep your eyes open.

Capricorn: December 22nd to January 19th This month is time to set new goals. Out with the old in with the new! Taking a course or class will help things move forward a little easier for you in the work department

Aquarius: January 20th to February 18th New beginnings put a smile on your face. It’s all about love this month. Finances looking good –it may be time to save and invest your money.

Pisces: February 19th to March 20th Let go of all grudges and make time for new friends. Your social circle is changing this month so its time to let go of that bar that seems to be raised so high and let new people in your life.

Aries: March 21st to April 19th It is time to advance your career. New opportunities are heading your way, but you need to be more positive and confident. Don’t let others see you sweat. You can handle almost anything when you put your mind to it.

Taurus: April 20th to May 20th Keep positive! Don’t let family issues get you down. Change is coming and things are looking bright. You need to have a better outlook on life and stop blaming others for your mistakes. Own up and change things up!

“LISA is a fantastic reader. She accurately pinpoints where you’re at and where you’re heading. She’s direct and to the point. She provides clarity where there is indecision.“-- Joelle, BC

Virgo: August .23 to Sep 22nd Its time to get in touch with your feelings and let your partner know you are ready to start moving forward. This is your time to shine, the ball is in your court. Take control, you can do it!

It completely defines me. At home we have been brought up with a completely Sindhi lifestyle from food to traditions and even language. But at the same time I have maintained a cosmopolitan lifestyle and more than being a Sindhi I believe I’m a world citizen.Princesse K

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I was born a Kashmiri and I chose to be a Canadian.

Anu Raina‘‘ ,,

It definitely had an impact on the way we view the world.

JUMA

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Having to blaze my own trail, I’m grateful to be part of such a rich, eclectic culture.

Sitara Hewitt

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It means a lot to me because it brings me back to the roots. I just love the warmth and the people it’s just like my family and being a Pakistani, being brought up here I don’t feel any difference, between whether I’m Chinese or Pakistani. We are just like one family.Shirley Wu

,,‘‘

I’m glad I can be of this colour and make a little bit of noise in the Western world of music. You [more commonly] hear that an Indian or Pakistanani fellow musician [specializes in] Tabla, Sitar and Harmoniums, which are all great instruments. To break into this western world with this colour of skin feels good, kind of back to what I was saying good music and art doesn’t have colour...it is it’s itself.Munaf Rayani

,,‘‘

Growing up we didn’t have many Sikhs to look up to. I always looked up to professional athletes on TV and that type of thing. It means a lot to me to be that guy for somebody else. Arjan Bhullar,,‘‘

QUOTE UNQUOTEWhat Does Being South Asian Mean To You?

To me it means being a positive role model.

Salma Attaulahjan ,,‘‘

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Born in Kashmir, Anu Raina lived a bewitch-ing childhood in the snow covered hills. She describes growing up as “a little journal of inno-

cent adventures. We lived very close to nature. My thoughts and life ex-periences play a great role in my de-sign process.” Not all was as it should have been in Anu’s fairytale land—as war broke out amongst the natives of Kashmir she and her family were forced to relocate. “There was al-ways a sense of loss of homeland and scattered friendships which strongly influenced my color palette. It was pretty dark for a long time.” This influence of darkness is cer-tainly perceptible in her Fall/Winter 2011 collection. Mysterious and ethe-real, Anu uses layering techniques of various fabrics to complete her looks. More than a fashion designer, she re-fers to herself as a “textile designer.” She perfected her techniques at To-ronto’s Sheridan College, where she learned Silk Screening, Digital Print-ing and working with Natural and Chemical dyes.

Working with many traditional and contemporary printing techniques, she has flawlessly fused the two. “When something catches my attention, it kind of becomes intuitive and obsessive. I start by drawing free hand, tie-dyeing small piecs of fabrics, sewing them, coloring and manipulating them till I get an interesting surface. I often end up accumulating a whole bunch of artwork. The toughest part is editing which I often find difficult—you tend to get attached to your work.”She is extremely intuitive when it comes to using the right print technique with a specific design. Although her Fall/Winter 2011 collection included many dark palettes of onyx, rust and ivory with paisley patters and print from ancient scriptures, her most recent collection is its antithesis. For Spring/Summer 2012 Anu has incorporated similar print techniques using a rainbow of colours, predominantly various shades of pinks and purples. The collection is titled “Murano” and

HOT FASHION IMPORTAnu Raina Sits Down with Contributing Editor S. M. Kamran Zaidi from

Toronto, Canada to Discuss Her Meteoric Rise in Western Fashion

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Florals are front-and-center in the season appropriate collection. Each piece creates a breezy silhouette while remaining form-fitting and youthful. Anu has made such an impact on Toronto’s fashion scene that the FDCC (Fashion Design Council of Canada) President Robin Kay branded her “one of the hottest upcoming designers.” Anu’s bi-annual shows are not to be missed by fashion insiders. This Kashmiri mother of two has come a long way from her days of sliding down the snowy hills of Kashmir on dinner plates borrowed from her mother’s kitchen. Her spectacular foray into the international fashion scene has secured her a place amongst Can-ada’s top designers. However, she does not forget to credit her past as being the driving force behind her work—when asked what her great-est inspiration is when designing her collections, she simply responds “my life journeys.”

-Copy by Priya Kumar

Spring is in the air!Previous Page: Oversized patterned men’s shirt with tailored navy shortsOpposite: Chandelier DressThis page: Circles Strap-less Dress

To colour block or to wear a pattern? How about both!Opposite: Starburst DressThis page: Flower-print bolero and high-waisted electric blue skirt

A Blazer. Nothing dresses up an outfit as effortlessly as a well-tailored blazer; you can wear it with almost anything! To avoid looking too serious however, try opting for one gray or navy in colour. Throwing on a blazer over a graphic tee with jeans is perfect for coffee, impromptu meetings, a causal dinner date and virtually anything else! Think of it as your new favourite jacket, which, in essence, it is!

WARDROBE ESSENTIALSIt’s one thing to have your own personal sense of style—everyone has one—but how can you ensure you still look professional in the workplace without compromising that style? We’ve all heard that first impressions are crucial. Thus, having a few key elements in your wardrobe will ensure you’re prepared for any occasion. Here are a few wardrobe must-haves, and some tips to safeguard your individual style:

Dark wash jeans. Here’s a staple that just about everyone already has in his wardrobe. Trust us when we say that a good pair of denim is definitely worth investing in. Look for a dark wash that has little to no creasing, and know that just because a particular style is trendy, that does not mean it’s going to look good on everyone. Don’t be afraid to try them on in the store, because the last thing you want is a pair of $200 jeans that don’t look right. And, no, embellishments or huge logos plastered all over the jeans are not appropriate. For any occasion.

A good pair of shoes. A lot of women say the first thing they notice on a man is his shoes. While this may or may not be true, I always say it’s better to be safe than sorry! Take good care of your shoes, and just like a good pair of jeans, a good pair of shoes is also an investment piece. The perfect pair should be able to take you from day to night, and anywhere in between.

THAT’S WHAT

SAID... By: Myrtle Jurado

I’m about to propose to my girlfriend of 4 and a half years. I’m really nervous about it and harping on how much it sucks that the man has to propose to the woman. How did this lopsided custom come into being?

It is a little unfair, isn’t it? I recently read Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert, and it made references to the history and sanctity of marriage. Before cities and governments existed, there were tribes. Men and women had, in the past, married to gain physical security against other tribes; once villages and cities were established, they married for financial security. Marriages had become a sort of business arrangement in which the man would be the primary holder of the finances, and the woman would be responsible for raising the kids and taking care of the household. The tradition has been ubiquitous across cultures for generations, even though different civilizations carried out different versions of it. For instance, in southern India, one bride may be shared by brothers; in ancient Rome, marriage was recognized as a union between two aristocratic men; in medieval Europe, two siblings may be married when valuable property was in danger; young couples in modern revolutionary Iran were able to ask for a marriage permit, or a sigheh, which entitled them to a twenty-four hour pass allowing them to be seen in public, or to legally have sexual relations. In more recent years, however, women (and men)

have been fighting for equality, so the old tradition of the man proposing is gradually decreasing in popularity. Plenty of women have gotten down on one knee in proclamation of their love. To sum it up, the man proposes because it has been customary, but always do what feels the most right. Make your own rules when it comes to your relationship—especially if it is one you see lasting a lifetime.

My family introduced me to a great girl. Her family is equally keen on the match, however she is a Med School graduate and I am an entrepreneur in the early stages of business. With that being said, there is a bit of a salary gap between us. It makes me uncomfortable—but is this something I should be concerned about as we move forward in our relationship?

Focus groups have found that men take pride in their possessions, so naturally it goes without saying, being the main provider of their family is also important. Although women have been proven to be competitive amongst their peers, they often don’t show it as boldly as men do, especially domestically. Female professionals are more common now than ever, and with the incline of successful women, a man’s need to be the sole provider for his family should be on a decline as well. Being successful is important to most people, not just for men, and it certainly isn’t a reason for competition in a relationship. Therefore, in response to your question, the

answer is no. You should not be concerned as your relationship progresses. Communication is key to avoid any unaddressed bitterness or misunderstandings in the future. I have no doubt that both of you will prove to be equally essential to providing for your future household whether constructively, emotionally or of course financially.

I work at a relaxed startup IT company, and I want to know what I can wear to work because nobody wears suits. How can I be fashionable without looking like I’m trying too hard?

Putting together an effortless business casual look is just that: effortless. However, this is fully dependent on what exactly you already have in your wardrobe. You can never go wrong with a well-tailored blazer and pants, a pair of dark blue jeans (which you probably already have), and a few collared shirts. By adding a blazer on to almost any outfit, it instantaneously goes from casual to dressy, and if done right, it won’t look like you’re trying too hard. If you’re going for a business casual look, the trick is to work with one key piece; jeans with a blazer, or a pair of dress pants with a nice dress shirt. Start off with one investment piece and work your way up from there. Eventually, you’ll be able to put together outfits with no effort at all. Keep one thing in mind; nothing is trendier than a dose of confidence.

WHAT FAIRY TALES

ARE MADE OF

How does India’s Centuries Old Jaipuri Royal Family Handle the Pressure ofHolding their Titles in the World’s

Largest Democracy? Associate EditorPRIYA KUMAR speaks with Princess

Diya Kumari about her passion foreducating youth, visiting Toronto and

raising a son who has alreadyascended the throne at the tender age of 13

as Maharaja of Jaipur

Photography by: Steve Rhodes

On the second weekend of June in 2012, the city of Toronto was issued a smog adviso-ry with a UV index of 9. The winds were barely blowing from the west, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the hot air seemed to cling to anything it touched. It was the

perfect day to sit under a tree and watch a polo match of regal proportions just outside the city. There was a time during the British Raj when it was wildly popular for India’s elite to attend the “season.” During the winter months, the upper crust of society would bounce around from event to event with the purpose of seeing and being seen. This would happen mainly in and around Calcutta, whose Calcutta Club is the oldest existing Polo club in the world. Attending sporting events as social outings such as Polo matches, known as the “Sport of Kings,” was commonplace in those days. People were thrilled to get together during the golden age of Polo. The ladies were especially excited to come out in the latest couture, eat the most decadent of food wile sipping the finest of drinks. Fast-forward several decades and oceans to here and now at the Toronto Polo Club’s Alliston facility in Egbert, Ontario. Maharaj Narendra Singh of Jaipur is leading the Royal Jaipur

Polo Team on horseback in an exhibition game against the Toronto Polo Club. Other esteemed guests include Chuck Weaver, the U.S. Polo Association Chairman playing for Toronto, Maharaja Padmanabh Singh and famed Indian couturier J.J. Valaya as spectators, with the match itself being officiated by HRH Princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur. Coming from a long lineage of esteemed polo players, the Princess could not be more appropriate to do the throw-in commencing the match.

How was it that a well-traveled, multi-lingual, sophisticated, royal glamazon was able to fall for the small-town, boy-next-door? A source close to the palace once said, “no one was good enough for Diya. Not the local chieftain’s boys, not the bright beautiful men she was

allowed to see but not come out of her fish-bowl to meet and be with.” Her every move was put under a magnifying glass. Only staffers were exempt from this scrutiny and eventually one became her first and only paramour. He served as her escort during harmless activities such as shopping, visiting girlfriends and going to movies. While they were out, other staff members would turn a blind eye to give the young couple some precious time together. This said time soon cost the young lovers—as soon as the Maharani caught wind of their bond she gave the boy marching orders. He was sent to work in a far-off village putting miles between the two. Yet somehow their romance, by now Jaipur’s worst kept secret, continued to evolve with the assistance of the Princess’ cooperative and discreet staff. It has been said the whole charade almost came apart at the seams when her beau had a motorcycle accident returning home to his village. Helpful passersby looking through his wallet for identification, chanced upon letters with the royal insignia and a picture of the Princess herself. Immediately word was sent back to the City Palace that a member of the royal circle had

A Little Princess

A Forbidden Love

AS THE LONE SCIONETTE OF THE ILLUSTRIOUS 900-YEAR-OLD KACCHAWA RULING DYNASTY, THE

FATE OF THE CLAN SOLELY RESTED ON THIS UNION. Noble families across the great state of Rajasthan clamored for the

royal family’s attention.

Born in 1971 with a platinum spoon in her mouth to the now late Maharaja Bhawani Singh and Maharani Padmini Devi both of Jaipur, Rajkumari Diya Kumari refused from the beginning to sit back on her royal pedigree. She led the charmed childhood one might expect

of a princess of royal blood. As a young girl she studied at the prestigious Modern School in New Delhi followed by her grandmother’s prep school Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School in Jaipur. By 18, she was in the UK pursing a degree in Decorative Arts. Impeccably groomed by the palace, the young Princess was set to fill the void in India’s social stratosphere left by the legendary Maharani Gayatri Devi, whose personal memoir A Princess Remembers remains on bestseller’s lists across the world to this day.

As the Princess came of age, Rajasthan’s Rajput chieftains held their breath in anticipation for whom she would select as her betrothed. As the lone scionette of the illustrious 900-year-old Kacchawa ruling dynasty, the fate of the clan solely rested on this union. Noble families across the great state of Rajasthan clamored for the royal family’s attention. There were whispers a few Kashmiri princes were in the running as the most likely suitors, besting Rajputs with the bluest of blood. However, Diya’s final decision would rock Indian high society to its core. In the last week of July 1997, the royal family announced 25-year-old Diya was to wed her childhood sweetheart of 9 years, Narendra Singh Rajawat, also 25. Given his less than noble lineage—he was born to a modest family and had worked at the City Palace as a cashier—the union set off shockwaves amongst the social elite across South Asia and left many wondering how such a relationship was even able to transpire. Aided and abetted by the Princess’ ladies in waiting and other aides-de-camp who empathized with her bird cage of an existence, one could go so far as to call Disney’s Aladdin—sans the magic lamp, three wishes and animal incarnates—an allegory for their star-crossed romance.

In April of 2011, the same week William wed Kate in front of an audience of one billion, a less glitterati-attended royal ceremony, albeit of equal significance, was taking place in Jaipur. Maharaja Bhawani Singh had passed away at the age of 79 on April 16th and the then 12-year-old Rajkumar Padmanabh Singh

performed his sonly duty by lighting the funeral pyre. He was then blessed by a number of Hindu priests in an elaborate coronation ceremony before leading a procession of military guards to the City Palace. Other than the crown, the pre-teen also inherited a Rs. 1,000 crore ($250 million USD) fortune, familial lawsuits equivalent to half as much and the City Palace that includes 30 acres, several thousands of suites, courtyards, museums and elephant stables. The young Maharaja currently studies at the exclusive prep school Mayo College in Ajmer where he is in Grade 9. In spite of the intensity of household politics that will rest on his shoulders alone in the coming years, the adolescent displays interests that any 13-year-old might. He exclusively told the

A Modern Day Boy King

been injured. Hush money, contacts and reputation snuffed out the impending scandal—yet the romance continued. Their wedding was the plebian equivalent of a hush-hush elopement. To avoid the offended Rajputs, who threatened excommunication of the royal family, the affair was shifted from Jaipur to New Delhi. The ceremony itself was held before a cozy 200 guests that comprised mainly of relatives and close family friends. With the rumor mill still grinding away, Princess Diya Kumari’s father, Maharaja Bhawani Singhji was pressured by family elders including siblings and cousins to adopt a male nephew to carry-on the family legacy. Such a tradition was not uncommon among the Jaipurs. His own father was adopted into his role as clan patriarch. The Maharaja’s own birth marked the first time in two generations that a natural heir was born and so many bottles of champagne were opened in celebration, his English nurse bestowed him with the name “Bubbles;” a name his personal and familial consorts would call him his whole life. Perhaps it was this reason he refused to take heed to his siblings’ pleas. As time went on, Princess Diya too would bear a son. And in the grand tradition of the Jaipuri royal family, Maharaja Bhawani Singh adopted the boy as his own. Raj-kumar Padmanabh Singh was born on May 22nd, 1999. By 2002 after a lengthy adoption ceremony, the then toddler was officially next in line for the throne.

HE EXCLUSIVELY TOLD THE SHE TEAM THAT HE LOVES VISITING TORONTO AND ESPECIALLY

ENJOYS CANADA’S WONDERLAND . Apparently he has a particular panache for rollercoasters and

other midway rides.

SHE team that he loves visiting Toronto and especially enjoys Canada’s Wonderland (Toronto’s world-renowned amuse-ment park in Vaughan). Apparently he has a particular pa-nache for rollercoasters and other midway rides.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.

Although the young Maharaja has a life-long vocation that will keep him busy for the fore-seeable future, the Jaipurs are well aware of the power of education. When the late Princess Gayatri Devi married HH Maharaja Sawai Man Singh in her early 20s, she started the

Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls’ Public School in Jaipur to allow daughters of the nobility to study in a nurturing environment as opposed to being in purdah (separated from the oppo-site sex and hidden under a curtain-like cover) as tradition dictated. Many M.G.D. old girls went on to attend esteemed universities across the world and make significant contribu-tions to the fields of science, engineering and the arts. It is said that when Princess Gayatri Devi was in search of a founding Principle for her school, she unexpectedly came across Miss Lillian G. Lutter. Miss Lutter had previously been teaching 8 students in Burma (present day Myanmar). During wartime, she managed to lead these pupils through treacherous jungles and mountains to safety across the Indian border. She did not suffer even one casualty and became a living legend in educa-tion during the British Raj due to her bravery. With such an established institution to draw experience from, Princess Diya Kumari was happy to follow in her revered grandmother’s footsteps and open up two schools of her own. Speaking with the SHE team one-on-one the Princess explained “one is a Montessori school in the palace [called The Palace School] that goes up to Grade 7 and the other is [a regular private school called] Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh School (MSBSS).” With these schools she hopes to provide students with a co-educational environment to prepare them for life in a new India; “they’re for boys and

girls, co-ed because that’s how it is nowadays. [However], we give preference to girls when it comes to admissions. Sometimes even the second girl child is given free admission.” Her educational mandate is closely in line with that of her Grandmother’s. According to UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) the literacy rate in India for male children over the age of 7 in 2011 was 82%, while for female children it was a mere 65%. Princess Diya Kumari aims is to turn these figures around by the next generation.

The Big O

Earlier this year fellow educational pioneer Oprah Winfrey, who founded a successful Girls’ school in South Africa for deserving, yet underprivileged young ladies, visited the royal couple at the City Palace. She was ushered through the front gates by a parade

of Rajasthani musicians, regally decorated elephants, camels and of course the royal family themselves. On video, Winfrey’s face is joyfully astounded with the eclectic sights and sounds. When asked about the experience of hosting the celebrated talk show host who has seen and done everything, the Princess said Oprah “connected with everyone she met. She had something personal and something relevant to say to each person.” Poignantly, we felt the same way about speaking with the Prin-cess herself. Radiating poise and elegance, she is the quintessen-tial royal one would expect. However, her profound interest in school and shaping the minds of today’s youth is what sets her apart. Under her patronage, she has also gone beyond the bor-ders of education to invest in tourism, culture and hospitality in Rajasthan. By promoting her home state on the world stage, she is setting her subjects up for generations of prosperity. Without a doubt Princess Diya Kumari is the people’s princess— a people she has taken on the responsibility of educating for a thriving fu-ture in a new India.

1. Oprah Winfrey on her visit to Jaipur with the royal family in early 2012

2. A young class at The Palace School, Princess Diya Kumari’s Montessory

3. The City Palace at Night4. Princess Diya Kumari at

home in Jaipur5. The Royal Family of

Jaipur (left to right) Maharaj Padmanabh Singh, HRH Padmini Devi, Rajkumari Gauravi Kumari, Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singhji, HRH Princess Diya Kumari, Maharaj Narendra Singh, Rajkumar Laksh Raj Singh Kumar

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3

4

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From the very beginning, the exhibition game between the Jaipur Royal Polo Team and the Toronto Polo Club (TPC) at the picturesque rural

setting of the TPC’s Alliston facilities in Egbert, Ontario was incredibly fast-paced, as both teams wasted no time in displaying their superior skill and dedication to the sport. As the home team advanced down the field—practically flying on their dark thoroughbreds—the visitors, led by Maharaj Narendra Singh, continually changed the flow of the game with well-executed back shots, sending the ball in the opposite direction. The piercing sound of the mallet head striking the ball could be heard all the way from the spectators corner shielded with a giant white tent. The guests of honor, Princess Diya Kumari, along with her son Maharaja Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur, sat in the front row. Despite the excellent show, the princess wore an inscrutable expression behind her large stylish sunglasses.By the second chukker, the Jaipur Royal Polo Team led by 4-0 after a succession of spectacular goals orchestrated by the deft hands of Uday Kalan, Ransher Singh, Manu Pal Godara and Dig Vijay Singh. Victory, however, would not come easily as the Toronto Polo Team rallied back, showing a great deal of character and drive, tying the game 5-5 by the end of the fourth chukker due to a series of unfortunate penalties committed by the opposition Despite the scorching heat, (afternoon temperatures rose to nearly 40 degrees at one point) and the fact that this was a friendly exhibition match, both teams played as if the stakes were sky-high during the last few minutes of the game. Only the voice of the commentator could be heard as spectators were on the edge of their seats watching the teams rally back and

forth, desperately trying to get a leg up on the opposition. Horses jostled one another as the ball was sent flying down the field. Sticks sliced through the grass flattened down by the constant, almost rhythmic beat of hooves. Onlookers watched as the sun bore down on the sweat-soaked players who did not seem to tire even after several long minutes of continuous play. This hypnotic tug of war for power was finally cut short in the most dramatic fash-ion. In the dying seconds of the match, the Royal Jaipur Polo Team capitalized on the home team’s sloppy pass. Narendra Singh redirected the ball through the goal line, and watched it sail smoothly through the red posts. The crowd erupted into cheers. Although the visitors won 6-5, both teams had cause for celebration as the afternoon festivities were concluded with an elegant award ceremony that doled out individual trophies to all of the participating players. Most notably, the veteran polo player Chuck Weaver (and chairman for the U.S. Polo Association) for the home team garnered warm applause from the audience as a way to acknowledge his major contributions to the game. Princess Diya Kumari presented the awards herself and graciously took photos with all of the players.

THE ROYAL JAIPUR POLO CHALLENGE

By: Frances Du

The Basics of Polo… Two teams composed of four players play the game. Their shirt numbers indicate the position they play (e.g. number 1 plays offense, number 4 plays defense, number 2 & 3 are usually the most experienced players). Mallets are used to strike the polo ball so it can advance across the field towards the designated goal posts. To prevent injury in this high paced game, the “right of way” rule was instated to make sure that the last player who touched the ball is the only person who can follow the ball’s direction of travel. Any other player cannot cross this imaginary line. While the match is broken up into six periods or “chukkers” which last up to 7 minutes each, there is no stoppage in play unless it is due to penalties or injury.

House of Valaya Gala

As evening fell on downtown To-ronto, the who’s who of Toronto’s South Asian community gath-ered at the elegant Liberty Grand to celebrate they day’s exciting Royal Jaipur Polo Challenge. Organized by Eventivity, the gala was attended by renowned fashion designer Princess Diya Kumari, her son Maharaja Pad-manabh Singh of Jaipur and Ma-haraj Narendra Singh, and J.J. Valaya who’s House of Valaya collection was on display in an after dinner runway extravagan-za. Overall, the night was a spec-tacular end to an exciting week-end of polo, royalty and fashion Toronto is not soon to forget.

--Reporting by Liz Guber

Before the September issue went to print in July, the 2012 Olympic Games were looming in the not-so-distant future, and the world was turning its attention to London for the third time in the history of the legendary games. While we as Canadians have many reasons take pride in our country’s athletes, it is the South Asian community that will be es-pecially attentive this year. Arjan Bhullar (26) is the first athlete of South

Asian origin to compete for Canada in wrestling at the Olympic level. Wrestling is one of the few sports that have been a part of the Olympics since ancient times, 708 BC to be exact. For ancient Greeks, wrestling was the penultimate sport of brawn and brains. Plato was considered an early champion of the sport while Homer recorded the matches as an early sportswriter. The sport was considered the ancient Olympics’ marquee event. More than two millennia later in London, Bhullar is ready to take the world stage of wrestling with a vengeance, hot on the heels of his Commonwealth Games Gold Medal win in New Delhi, India in 2010. Coming from a family that nurtured his talent—Bhullar’s father Avtar was a top wrestler in Punjab, India decades ago—he took his first steps on the wrestling mat of their home gym. SHE Canada had the opportunity to speak with the elite athlete born and raised in Richmond, BC, one month before the greatest competition of his life.

THE OLYMPIAN DIARIESArjan Bhullar Shows Associate Editor Priya Kumar what it takes to become an Olympic Level Athlete Vying for the Gold

Your family has a long legacy of par-ticipating in wrestling. How have they nurtured and encouraged your talent? What role do your parents in particular play in your career?They’ve supported me in every aspect of my life, and any [direction] I wanted to go, they supported that. When I was younger, there were a few other sports as well, but as I grew older, I decided to go into wres-tling. That was my main area of focus and their main area of support. It obviously came naturally, because my father and my uncle—they wrestled. Plus especially at that age, my teenage years, my dad and I were pretty close and beyond that. When I went to university, and started doing my own thing and grew more into a man, I became closer to my mom. Although you are of Sikh origin, your father came to Vancouver at a young

age—how did your family end up set-tling in Canada? And then how did wrestling factor into your father’s life? My grandpa actually came over first. He came by himself and lived a really hard life. He was around sawdust his whole life and was allergic to it, but did what he had to for his family. My dad was pretty young when he came over and went to high school here, as did my mom. He took a liking to wrestling, and never looked back, pretty much stuck with that. He trained in Canada, and he liked to travel to India and compete there.

How did you find the transition from the youth championships to the world championships? And can you explain how your strategy has evolved?Well to tell you the truth, there’s a lot more hype about the sport, the bigger the tournament and the older you get [and the more intense the competition becomes]. But you know, a match is a match and a tournament is a tourna-ment. I’ve been doing it my whole life; it’s just different circumstances now. If you get caught up in all that, you’ll add a lot more pressure on yourself, so I try not to. It’s still one mat, and one oppo-nent, guy vs. guy, same rules, same stuff. The level of competition has been a lot tougher and there aren’t too many sheep left. I like to call them sheep. Everyone’s

a wolf now. I’ve had to be a lot tougher mentally and physically. In every aspect I have to be better because there are no easy opponents. You almost have to wrestle mistake–free now because if you make one mistake, the other guy is that good, and he’ll capitalize on it. It can be hard to recover. So you have to wrestle a perfect match. Everything has to be in line, whereas before I could be a little more careless or rely on my physical gifts to get my win, but now not so much. But that’s what makes it fun, is that level of competition. If I was competing against easy opponents, I wouldn’t like it. It wouldn’t test my limits and push me beyond [them]. What sacrifices have you made as an elite athlete to compete against the best in the world?We’re amateur wrestlers, we’ve put in

work just like professional athletes, but we don’t get paid like professional ath-letes, so that’s one sacrifice, Aside from that, throughout my life I’ve always put wrestling before everything else. For example, in high school all these events were a big deal, like prom and I had a wrestling match the day of my prom, so I had to pick, prom or go wrestle. I’ve had that [happen] a few times, birth-days, parties, that type of stuff growing up. Always had to keep my priorities straight, and I’ve continued to do the same thing.

How did you feel when you won Gold in the Commonwealth games held in New Delhi last year? Tell us about your final match in your own words.It was good. First and foremost it felt good beating that guy [India’s Jaginder Kumar] because he beat me before. He beat me within that year, and he beat me in Vancouver, on home turf, so that was my main goal, to beat him. Aside from that it made it that much sweeter, I had my family out there and a lot of supporters. And beating the hometown favorite in the final round of competition, it was awesome, it was a good feeling and I was happy with the maple leaf on the high stage and walking around the stadium with the flag.There was a lot of controversy sur-rounding the Commonwealth Games

in India regarding the substandard athlete quarters. As a Canadian ath-lete competing, how did you and the other athletes find it? It was awesome, I even talked to the other people that were there, but every-one was happy, there was no complaint.

You are the first South Asian Cana-dian to wrestle in the Olympics. Tell us about the process to qualify for the 2012 London games. Well in terms of overcoming, I just fell short in 2008, but I was really young then, 21 or 22 [years old]. But deep down in-side I always knew it was my destiny to get to the Olympics. I think I’m going to win a medal for my country. I have that belief inside of me. I was hurt after not qualifying [for Beijing], I was pretty dev-astated, but I kept that inside of me and I

let that drive me for four years. Yeah, I just worked and worked to get it done and it feels amazing.

What is the order of events for you during the Games?My competitors and I weight-in on Au-gust 10th— after which we will receive our draws and figure out our bracket to see who’s going to wrestle who—and compete on August 11th. We will compete from morning until evening (roughly 4 to 5 bouts) and find out who the best in the world is. We will be com-peting at the ExCel Center, London. Our interview came to a close with Bhullar mentioning that after the Olympic Opening Ceremony he and his teammates will be bustled away from the intensity of London, waiting their turn to compete. Allowing them to stay focused and not crumble under the pressure of the whole world watch-ing their every move, they would have been rejuvenated and ready to take on the top opponents in the world. It will be with great pride and excitement that SHE and the rest of Canada will be cheering Bhullar on an ocean away come August 11th.

The level of competition has been a lot tougher and there aren’t too many sheep left. I like to call them sheep.

EVERYONE’S A WOLF NOW.

her out once we establish ourselves but right now it’s a setback. I think it’s time to speak up. HELP!

—Married to Mama’s Boy

Dear Married to Mama’s Boy, This is dangerous territory so tread carefully. It sounds like your husband is shelling out more then just “pocket-mon-ey”. If you have separate finances then he is allowed to spend his personal money as he wishes but if this is affecting your joint finances, then you two need to talk. COMMUNICATION IS KEY. Express your concerns to him as diplomatically as possible and come up with a few alter-natives/conditions together. For instance, only giving small gifts to your mother-in-law but no major purchases unless jointly agreed upon. OR providing her with a monthly allowance that you can afford. If she were to live with you and was not financially independent, then it would make more sense for him to provide for her basic needs. Hope this helps!

Dear Spirit Guru, I seem to have the worst luck with guys; this is the first time I’ve been sin-gle since high school and have only had two long-term relationships which both ended badly, with one suddenly leaving me without any reason and the other cheating on me. Needless to say, I have huge trust issues. Now in my mid-20’s it’s so hard to find a guy I like, and if I do find someone they are the “no-com-mitment” type. I am starting to feel like I suck at this relationship thing, what is wrong with me?!

—Destined to Singlehood

Dear Destined to Singlehood, First let me say that it sounds like you are being quite harsh on yourself and taking most the blame for the demise of your relationships, which is not healthy.

Your ex-boyfriends seem like they did not treat you well and respect you or your relationship. Moving forward, I think you first need to work on yourself and your confidence before you can even THINK about dating again. Partake in activities you love whether it be sports, crafts, art galleries, travelling but most of all have fun! You’re still young; take this time to focus on yourself. Know that you deserve a guy who is into you as equally as you are into him. Once you begin to do that, the right guy will make his way into your life. Trust me.

Dear Spirit Guru, I think my best friend is severely de-pressed. She used to be a fun, easy-go-ing friend to hang out with but over the past year she has changed a lot. She nev-er wants to go out and is very negative when we talk, about anything. I have tried to cheer her up but it never works – I am afraid I’m losing her because I’m running out of ideas and patience. I want my friend back!

—Baffled BFF

Dear Baffled BFF, She is lucky to have you as friend, how-ever depression is a very serious condi-tion. This sounds like an issue for a profes-sional. As a friend I would encourage her to speak to a psychologist or a counsellor that she has access to. There are some free/government services available for mental health issues, although free services may have a longer waiting list. But if she is will-ing to pay, then she can probably get help immediately. As for your role, unfortu-nately, more patience will be required on your end. Also, keep in mind that depres-sion often goes through phases, so here’s to hoping that with the right help, this phase ends soon and she gets back to her old self! Hang in there!

SPIRIT GURU Have a question that you’ve been aching to ask that no one has given you a straight answer for? The Spirit Guru has you covered!

Dear Spirit Guru, I’ve been at my current job for about a year now and I feel constantly tar-geted by my manager. I’m always given more work than my colleagues, I stay the latest, and I never receive any ap-preciation, in fact I get reprimanded for seemingly inane things. It’s come to a point where I hate going to work ev-eryday. This is affecting my health and relationships with everyone around me. I am not sure why I’m targeted and how do I deal with this?

—Young Targeted Professional

Dear Young Targeted Professional, If your manager is giving you more work than others that may mean they think you are more capable than others. Start sending them end of the day sum-maries of all the things you accomplished as a reminder of how valuable you are to the team. Also, if it feels like they are “rep-rimanding” you that may be because they have high expectations of you, which is a good sign. Listen to their advice carefully, stick it through and you may find yourself advancing faster then others. Remember not to take things too personally, as your manager may not even be doing this consciously.

Dear Spirit Guru, My husband is a certified Mama’s boy, which never bothered me until it started affecting us financially. When-ever his mother needs a new haircut, outfit or anything for her home, he pays. My husband has been helping out his mother ever since he started work-ing because he was still living at home. However, now we’re married and have our own place with our own bills, but he still gives his mother pocket money and then some. This constant money drain is now affecting our future plans and relationship. I wouldn’t mind helping

Yafa Sakkejha Sakkejha is a Palestinian who was born in Toronto, Canada. She currently runs the House of Verona, a health retreat com-pany in Collingwood, Ontario. She also is a partner at Beneplan, a customer-owned health insurance company. She became passionate about health when she met a whole community in Toronto of people who successfully reversed diabetes, mood disorders such as depression, and other diseases through advanced nutrition.

Tara ElizabethWriter, ‘Inspired by Life’, page Photo credit: Kyle Scheib Tara Elizabeth is a freelance writer, actor, and model residing in Toronto. After landing a job at a Toronto magazine she got discovered by some local photogra-phers to model. Acting soon followed and she was lucky enough to hone her skills at Pro Actor’s Lab in Toronto. You can see her feature film debut in the indie film ‘Divine Enmity’.

Zvonko Zupancic

Steve RhodesBased in Toronto, Steve Rhodes has been photographing for advertising and edito-rial clients, as well as private commissions, for the past ten years. Clients include Style at Home, LCBO and Nestle.

CONTRIBUTORS

Liz GuberFashion AssistantRecent fashion school grad with an overflowing wardrobe Guber keeps SHE readers up to date on both Canadian and international fashion. Look out for her coverage of JUMA’s collection showing at New York Fashion Week and the Toronto Fashion Incubator’s 25th Anniversary Gala.

Priya KumarAssociate EditorKumar joined the SHE family in January 2012 as a Contributing Columnist for the Pakistani Edition. She brings a wealth of international fashion/beauty experience to the table, having previously worked at Vogue India in Mumbai and Blackbook Magazine in New York. Her cover story “What Fairy Tales are Made of” on Prin-cess Diya Kumari’s life, love and family history is one not to be missed.

Robin Esrock

CONTRIBUTORS

Nicole AlvarezArt Layout Coordinator

Maira Mahmood be-lieves when it comes to creativity, there are no limits. Born into a family with a strong heritage of jewelry de-

sign, she spent most of her childhood in Faisalabad, Pakistan. Among her fondest memories of growing up in Pakistan in-clude dining out at traditional Pakistani lunch homes with her family almost every night. Maira was an inquisitive child and a self-proclaimed daddy’s girl—it was her father’s influence that drove her into a career of jewellry design as he too is es-tablished in the industry. Intrigued with the Pakistani design tradition at a young age, Maira learned the craft of turning a simple piece of metal into a work of art. “I used to draw designs on paper but now I feel very excited when I actually make them” she says. She always hoped that

her love of the craft would eventually develop into a career. After spending her formative years in Pakistan, Maira immigrated to Can-ada after marrying her now husband. After taking some time to acclimatize, she immediately started designing again and began working on new col-lections. Her favourite aspect of be-ing a dual citizen is having the best of both worlds. She loves the Canadian lifestyle but still loves being associated with Pakistan. When she launched her collection in 2009, she brought a flare to the Canadian jewellery marketplace that was previously lacking. She feels her pieces have been well received lo-cally due to the sheer distance between North America and the Far East. To Maira’s clientele, distance has certainly made the heart grow fonder. Exotic and ethereal, Maira’s range of jewellery

PRECIOUS BY MAIRA BRINGS THE PAKISTANI JEWELLERY DESIGN TRADITION TO TORONTOCreative Director Maira Mahmood goes one-on-one with Canadian Contributing Editor S. M. Kamran Zaidi and Features Columnist Priya Kumar to discuss Pakistani jewellery design in Canada

includes precious and semi-precious stones. Alongside her collections, Maira also works exclusively with her clients to create customized pieces. Her designs range from cutting-edge con-temporary to timelessly traditional—whichever the style, Precious by Maira can be passed on for generations. She believes creating pieces for all ages and occasions is the fun part of jew-ellery design. Maira works to launch new themed collections almost every month. Recently, she has favoured the influence of Egyptian and Islamic Art. This past summer, Precious by Maira had the opportunity to partici-pate in IIFA (International Indian Film Awards). She was the jewellery designer selected to display her latest collection on the runway at the Samsara show. Hosted by actress Lisa Ray (Water, Bollywood/Hollywood), Samsara was a display of

Maira Mahmood (left) and Lisa Ray (right)

Bollywood’s glitz and glamour before the awards ceremony itself. Maira’s expertise lies in using tra-ditional jewellery craftsmanship tech-niques because she feels it is more flex-ible to work with. Her goal has always been to create something that her cli-ents will cherish. Keeping her clients happy by crafting her most beautiful work is her number one priority. As for advice to emerging jewellery de-signers, she encourages them to not get discouraged. Every business takes time to flourish. To all aspiring jew-ellery designers, she concludes “make your passion your occupation, and then dedicate yourself to it!”

—Copy by Priya Kumar

info@preciousbymaira.com+1 647 295 8111

K nown as the empress of South Asian fashion, Ritu Kumar did not disappoint with her latest couture collection titled Panchv-astra. Literally translating

to “five threads” in Sanskrit, the collection revolves around the five heroines in the Mahabharata. For you non-history buffs out there, the Ma-habarata is one of two Sanskrit epics written in the 4th century BC in South Asia, the other being the Ramayana. Known as one of the longest mytholo-gies every written, the Mahabarata tells the tale of five women— Ganga,Draupadi, Kunti, Amba and Gandhari—as they face trials and tribu-lations that have served as religious allegories for centu-ries. Kumar’s collection is her interpreta-tion of each woman’s plight and their inner strength to prevail. Gota, a type of metallic embellish-ment, is predominant in the collec-tion. Lenghas, anarkalis, phulkaris and saris are front and center. The collection is split into five with each segment representing the disposition of each woman including themes such as purity, seduction, swayamvar, exile

and darkness. Purity was represented by hues of white and peach, while se-duction was depicted by all shades of burgundy. Swayamvar, or the Palace of Illusions segment, displayed the opulence of Swarovski crystals embel-lishing the garments. Exile, counter in-

tuitively, was denoted by a rainbow of bright traditional colours like fuchsia, orange and gold. Finally, the most dra-matic pieces in black, gold and indigo were representative of darkness. The show was held on February 2nd at luxurious The Aman in partnership with American Express. The relation-ship between Kumar and the financial giant has spanned decades. The presen-tation employed various uses of textile,

Canadian Contributing Editor S. M. Kamran Zaidi offers his take on the designer’s manifestation of an age-old myth

theater and film to give the characters meaning to its contemporary audience. For such a grand show, four leg-endary Bollywood actresses of past and present walked the ramp as show-stoppers—Sushmita Sen, Kirron Kher, Dia Mirza and Seema Biswas each

appeared in a dif-ferent segment. Kumar speaks of her show stating that “Panchvastra is a collection with a rare synthesis of fashion, craft and inspiration. The cos-tumes have a rich feel, which emanate from India’s oldest and richest crafts researched over the last 45 years. What adds a newer dimen-sion to the collec-tion is the more contemporary yet aesthetically sound interpretation of the same idiom by Amrish Kumar, [my

son]. This takes the collection from vintage costume to an aspirational younger of-fering giving it a rare synergy recreated for a newer generation.” What a synergy it is; Kumar’s collections never fail to dazzle.

—Copy by Priya Kumar

Ritu Kumar C-32 E Street, Block 4, Clifton, Karachi (92-21)3-581-0540

RITU KUMAR UNVEILS HER PANCHVASTRA COUTURE

COLLECTION IN NEW DELHI

Dia Mirza, Kirron Kher, Anita Ratnam, Seema Biswas and Sushmita Sen with Ritu Kumar