citymasala.comcitymasala.com/pdf/cityfeb07.pdfmukund and hina bhalani, along with their daughters,...

CityMasala 6 February 2007

CityMasala A Lifestyle and Entertainment Magazine for Today’s South Asian

IN THIS ISSUE February 2007

On The Cover 12 Valentine Jodis from Tampa Bay. 8 Achievers’ Club: Tax Planning - Save Your Money 14 Beauty with Shahnaz: Valentine’s Day Quick Fix Ups. 16 The Legal Corner: Immigration Myths Dispelled 18 Cricket: A Source of Concern 20 Bollywood: Evergreen Jodis

Also In this Issue 18 Top Ten Desi Countdown 21 Reel Talk: Movie Reviews 22 Health Talk: Pointers to Ideal Child Care 22 The Parents’ Chat Room 26 Auntyji Ko Pucho 28 Daru Ka Nasha 28 Dining: Restaurant Review 30 TechTalk: Mega Pixels Maze 32 In The Kitchen: Recipe 32 CityMasala Book Club: Book Review - The Strike 34 Body Talk: Getting Down to the Core 35 Star Lite Star Brite: This Month’s Horoscope

CityMasala is published by CityMasala LLC. The opinions and viewpoints of our contributors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect those of CityMasala’s. CityMasala disclaims any liability with respect to the use of our reliance on any such information and further disclaims any liability to any party for loss or damage caused by errors or omissions, negligence, accident or any other cause. CityMasala reserves the right to reject any advertisement they deem unacceptable or inappropriate for publication in CityMasala. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and original-ity of content. Copyright © 2005 CityMasala LLC. All rights reserved. Reprinting of any material without prior permission from CityMasala is prohibited.

From Our Desk to Yours Happy Valentine’s Day to all our readers from Team Masala! We have yet another exciting issue for you to read and enjoy. Our efforts to bring you quality content continues as we add new columns based on your feedback.

This issue’s cover and story bring you some local Valentine jodis who are very much in love. Some are newlyweds and some are the more seasoned kind, yet, in all you see how love perseveres and what matters most to them.

Achievers’ Club, one of our most popular columns, brings CPAs to the forefront to help you with your tax planning needs. They give you tips on how and where to save money and advice on when tax planning should begin. Please take the time to take your tax planning seriously and feel free to contact any of these featured gurus to take advantage of their expertise.

We have introduced a brand new column called The Legal Corner which will attempt to answer those burning and all important questions related to immigration. In this issue, Neelofer Syed dis-pels some popular myths about immigration as per the Department of Labor. Please feel free to send us your questions about immigration to [email protected].

The Parents’ Chat Room saw quite an influx of questions from our readers. Dr. Trivedi has taken the time to answer two of them. Shahnaz Husain writes about some quick fix-ups for your skin and hair to get ready for the big day with a special person and Health Talk talks gives you tips on infant care.

In our Bollywood column, Nandini brings some new and some evergreen jodis and invites you to look into the kind of love you have experienced in your life. Reel Talk brings you movie reviews by Kavita. Javid writes about the Indian cricket team continuing to be a source of concern and DJ Jafar brings us the latest Top Ten Desi Countdown. Vishi talks about some myths and the reality relating to Mega Pixels when purchasing a digital camera in TechTalk and in CityMasala’s Book Club, Sheniz reviews “The Strike” by Anand Mahadevan. In the Kitchen brings you yet another creation by Anita Singh and in Daru Ka Nasha, Ashish has some perfect cocktails for you to woo your beloved. In Body Talk, Sanjay Puranik elaborates on exercises for the core in order to ensure that you get a good head start with your physical fitness regimen.

We welcome your feedback and any questions or comments. All our columns invite you to write to us so that we can continue to provide you with the kind of entertainment you desire. Email sugges-tions or questions to [email protected] or [email protected].

Remember to talk about CityMasala, rave about CityMasala, make your friends read CityMasala and ask for your copy of CityMasala by its name!

Chhaya Sanghavi and Shaphali Jain

Published By: CityMasala LLC

Marketing 813-476-5415 813-642-3313

Email [email protected]

On the Web www.citymasala.com

Editor and Publisher Chhaya Sanghavi

Shaphali Jain

Junior Editor Surabhi Jain

Content Contributors

Anita Singh Ashish Jain

DJ Jafar Javid Lateef

Kavita Trivedi Mala Chakravorty Dr. Maulik Trivedi

Nandini Chakraborty

Content Contributors

Sanjay Puranik Shahnaz Husain

Sheniz Janmohamed Vish Viswanathan

Zed Rehman

Guest Contributor Dr. Adarsh Jain

Neelofer Syed, Esq.

DOCTOR’S GOODWILL FOUNDATION A medical mission to Anand, Gujarat, was organized by the Doctor’s Good-will Foundation which consisted of 12 doctors, 22 premedical and medical students and spouses. This medical camp offered free medical consultations and medicines to over 2200 patients in the village. All participants spent their own money to put this project together. The mission also donated $20,000 to a local High School for their science laboratory.

The participants were in Anand from December 26th until December 31st and 90% of the students said they would want to return to offer their services again. They felt a great sense of gratification in working with the underprivi-leged population in India.

Mukund and Hina Bhalani, along with their daughters, Rina and Meera Bha-lani, Dr. Bhalani, Dr. Kanti Bhalani, Dr. Ashok Modh, Dr. Sharad Laka-dawala and Dr. Pankaj Gandhi were amongst the people who participated in this mission.

In order to get involved in future medical missions organized by this founda-tion, contact Dr. Bhalani at 321-298-5531 or visit www.doctorsfoundation.org.


Mr. R. G. Raju: CPA R. G. Raju got into the accounting field out of financial necessity. With a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics, he had to get a degree in account-ing to keep his first real job at Bank of India. He moved to Winter Haven, FL, from Mysore in 1979 and passed his CPA exam soon after that.

Raju has been living in Tampa since 1982. Proud father of two sons, Santosh and Prashant, Raju also has the pleasure of having his wife, Tara, by his side all day long. Tara manages his office.

He started his practice out of his home in 1984 and there has been no looking back since then. He started with zero clients and has now ex-panded that base to over 600 business and over 1,000 personal accounts.

Being a CPA is a tough job! Raju used to work 14-16 hour days, but now that he has a partner, Amol Nirgudkar, and 8 employees in the of-fice, the burden has eased off and he actually gets to go home after a 10 hour day!

As far as saving on taxes is concerned, Raju says,

“learn how to minimize taxes and do it legally. Don’t go out of the gray area! Start your tax planning at the beginning of the year so that there are no surprises.”

Raju feels that there is no real competition in his business. He has a niche market and most of his business comes through referrals for a job well done.

For all of those who aspire to become CPAs, Raju says, “you need to be really good with math and you have to possess great people skills. Be patient and listen well.”

His message to readers – “Go after what you want. Don’t think about the money and do what you do best. Be passionate about what you do in life, be disciplined, be goal oriented and have the determination to achieve your goals.You will achieve what you set out to and you will be successful.”

In order to contact Raju for your tax planning needs: Email: [email protected] Website: www.reliancecpa.com

813-931-7258

Satya Shaw: CPA

Satya came to the US to study for a MBA in Kentucky. His first job was as an auditor after which he passed his CPA exam. He moved to Tampa in 2003 with his family, wife, Rajashree, 13-year-old daughter, Sonali and 8-year-old son, Sunil.

Going back to one of his experiences he recalls having helped Dr. Kothari, founder of AAPI, get a tax exempt status for the organization. He says he is the only person who is not a doctor to have become a life member of AAPI, an organi-zation for doctors.

Satya does tax planning to help people and businesses reduce taxes in a legal way. He guides his clients in maximizing deductions through 401k plans, IRAs and pensions so that there is a minimal tax impact. He has clients in six different states but he does not do audit work. His forte is tax planning and tax manage-ment. “When people have money,” he says, “they do one of 3 things. Spend money, save money or invest money. With a higher risk in-vestment, the returns can be higher; my advice is to balance the risk.”

About his business growth, he says, “I try to solve the problem rather than push a product, I do so by providing advice on tax planning, asset protection, investment advice and estate planning.” As far as cutting down on taxes is concerned, his advice is to take advantage of retirement plans in order to save for the future and to lower your

current tax liability.

According to Satya, there are three important factors in becoming a CPA. Get a degree in accounting, pass the CPA exam, and get experience. He highly recom-mends going through a preparatory course for the CPA exam, given the fact that only 2% of the people who take this exam pass it on the first attempt.

As far as competition is concerned, he feels that he doesn’t have any competition. He works with other CPAs, and his business is about maintain-ing his client base by planning for tax reduction, estate management, and safer money manage-ment.

When asked about some of the common mis-takes that people make with taxes, he says, “they miscalculate and overlook deductions that they could take advantage of. I do second opin-ions at no cost and 60% of the time I will find additional tax savings.”

His message to readers: “timing is very impor-tant. People should diversify their portfolio and maintain it. People are afraid that they will outlive their money and want a quick solution. Don’t be greedy, be an informed investor, and weigh your options carefully.”

In order to contact Satya Shaw for your tax planning needs: Email: [email protected]

Website: www.satyafinancial.com 813-842-0345 Contd. On Page 10

Start your tax planning at the beginning of the year so that there are no surprises.

I try to solve the problem rather than push a product.

If you would like to recommend someone who you feel should be featured in CityMasala’s Achievers’ Club, please write to [email protected] or [email protected]. Don’t forget to give us some contact information so we can follow up on finding out more about that person. We want to continue to bring noteworthy south Asians to the forefront through our publication and look forward to hearing from you.

CityMasala 10 February

Mr. Shan Shikarpuri: CPA Roshan Lal (“Shan”) is the managing and founding director of Shan Shikarpuri & Associates, Certified Public Accountants and Business Consultants, (Palm Harbor, FL) and has resided in Florida for more than 30 years.

Shan was born in Khandhar, Afghanistan, and moved to the US in 1971. He earned three degrees from Florida State University and was a member of the honorary Beta Alpha Psi accounting fraternity. He has taught accounting and income tax laws at the University of South Florida and Univer-sity of Virginia and trained auditors at the US Inspector General’s office in Washing-ton DC.

Shan is fluent in seven different languages and is a frequent speaker on various tax and accounting issues and has published numer-ous articles. In a recently published book, The Global World of Indian Merchants – 1750 to 1947, Claude Markovits of Cam-bridge University has traced Shan’s family of merchants to the Indus Valley Civiliza-tion. Currently Shan lives in Palm Harbor with his family and two children, Rita and Ryan.

Shan is an accomplished CPA and a well recognized civic and community leader. For his contributions to Palm Harbor, Pinellas County and the state of Florida for the year 2004, he was voted Palm Harbor Citizen of the year. Also, Shan is a successful businessman and what he enjoys most about his business is consulting with clients, creating value for them, directing them and seeing them succeed. He finds it very rewarding and fulfilling when he sees his clients do well. Most of his business comes from referrals and he

has clients all over the US, including some very high profile celebrities.

Shan often gets referrals from other CPAs and law firms and helps to set up tax efficient structures for companies, assisting in mergers and acquisitions. Shan has also served in courts as an expert witness on tax issues.

For aspiring CPAs, Shan’s advice is that this is an excellent time to look into accounting and auditing careers. It is well publicized in the media that there is a tremendous shortage of CPAs and auditors. Financially, the field is very lucrative, and accord-ing to him, a seasoned CPA can make more than an average doctor.

On his success, Shan says, “I have been very fortu-nate. You have to be in the right place at the right time and I have been lucky in that regard. Further, I cannot over emphasize the importance of getting involved with the community and charities.” He attributes his success to his involvement with civic and charitable organizations. “I believe in doing good deeds and giving back to the community un-conditionally and I have seen things come back to me multifold.” He also thanks God for having been born in historical and beautiful Khandhar, Afghani-

stan, and having had the opportunity to be exposed to different cultures and learn several different languages.

His message to readers: “Be motivated and set higher goals. Determina-tion, perseverance, and persistence will help you get there.”

In order to get in touch with Shan for your tax planning needs: Email: [email protected] Website: www.bconsultants.net Phone: 727-786-1800

Mr. Vinod Arora: CPA Fondly known as Vinnie, Vinod was already a CA from India when he arrived in the US in 1984. After working with a CPA firm in New York and passing his CPA exam, he moved to Florida to work as a Controller.

He has worked with the state of Florida as a tax auditor. He then became a regional manager for the state and had 16 counties under his jurisdic-tion. His responsibilities included collecting taxes from distributors, hotels and bars. He started his practice along with his job with the state and went into his practice full time in 1999 with six people on staff. He lives in Windemere, FL, with his family.

Dealing mainly with small to medium size busi-nesses, Vinnie gets his clients mainly from word of mouth. He says, “I build a relationship with my clients by helping them save money as well as guiding them with their tax planning and asset protection. When someone calls me, I don’t even need to look at their file, I know their history.” Having worked with both sides of taxes, collecting and reducing, gives Vinnie an edge in the field.

About 99% of his business comprises of business taxes. His major tip for lowering taxes: the most important thing for young people is Roth

IRAs. The growth is tax free and it will turn into a good nest egg. For businesses, he emphasizes setting up pension plans to accelerate growth of assets.

Vinnie works 12-14 hours a day on an average and he says that he never gets tired of it. When asked why he has a higher ratio of south Asian clients, Vinod pointed out two reasons, “firstly, the clients feel comfortable as we talk the same language. They feel that the accountant can see their point of view and understand it better. They feel at home. Secondly, they may feel that going to a desi CPA will help them save on taxes as opposed to going to any other CPA – this is a myth. There are laws and guidelines that we all must follow.”

His advice to future CPAs. “Number one, if you enjoy numbers, go for it or you will get burnt out. Practical experience is extremely important. Work with a practice and get some experience before you take the CPA exam. Learn every aspect of your business in order to be successful.”

In order to contact Vinod Arora for your tax plan-ning needs: Email: [email protected] WebSite: www.varoracpa.com Phone: 407 248 9677

Contd. On Page 24

Contd. From Page 8

I cannot over emphasize the importance of getting involved with the community.

The most important way of saving is with Roth IRAs.


By: Surabhi Jain

Jodi No. 1: Harminder and Maninder

Met in - 2001. The jodi recently tied the knot after having known each other for more than 3 years. “I was not interested in him from the word ‘go’, but he won my heart with his simplicity,” reveals Man-inder.

First Valentine Memory - Maninder blushes and goes back in time. “We went to the beach and were there for the whole day. He showered me with so many gifts and flowers.”

What he likes about her - “She is the most amazing cook and is just so much fun to be with every minute of the day. Mani is so full of life and energy.”

What she likes about him -“He loves me despite my lack of patience. He is the perfect guy I can imagine.”

Best gifts they ever gave each other - Maninder religiously showers him with gifts from The Gap and with cards, while Harminder showers her with perfumes, clothes and just about anything else her heart desires.

Plans for this Valentine’s Day - “Don’t spill the beans please. I have something special planned,” says Maninder. As for Harminder, he can’t wait for 14th Feb. Jodi No. 2: Jayesh and Payal Bhatt

Met in - Ahmedabad in 2001. Payal gushes, “Can you believe that we actually met on Valentine’s Day and decided to say ‘Yes’?” Adds Jayesh, “I just knew she had to be my Valen-tine for the rest of my life.”

First Valentine Memory - “A mix of excitement and anticipation as we really made the choice of spending the rest of our lives with each other on that day,” recollects Jayesh.

What he likes about her - Her pa-tience.

What she likes about him - His support at every step in her life.

Best gifts they ever gave each other - “Jayesh got me a gold necklace which I still wear and loads of flowers,” says Payal. Jayesh’s pick? “She got me a very handy digital diary. It’s as if she knew my choice right from

day one.”

Plans for this Valentine’s Day: A quiet dinner along with their 4-year-old son Ansh. Jodi No. 3: Tejinder and Maninder Glamour

Met in - 1986 in Ludhiana. “Our fami-lies knew each other and that’s how we were introduced. The wedding was love-cum-arranged.”

First Valentine Memory: Says Tejinder, “At that time this day was not

what it is today. We hardly realized it then.”

What he likes about her - “Mani is a real life partner in the true sense. She upholds Indian values and has been a great mother and a wonderful wife.”

What she likes about him - “He is such a good human being that I can never find any faults with him. He is just perfect.”

Best gifts they ever gave each other - Maninder feels “We specialize in impromptu gifts. The feelings have mattered more than the gift itself.”

Plans for this Valentine’s Day - “Now we don’t miss a chance to make this day special,” comes the chorus reply. Jodi No. 4: Bhavin and Payal Modi

Met in - Ahmedabad. “It was an arranged match, but I loved her simplic-ity,” says Bhavin.

First Valentine Memory - Payal has a painful memory. “He was leaving for USA and I had to stay back for my visa clearance. I was in tears when he gave me 24 red roses and loads of choco-lates.”

What he likes about her - Bhavin feels that Payal is not just supportive at every step of his life, but is also emo-tionally stronger than him.

What she likes about him - “He never lies. Not to me and not to anyone else. I love that about him,” says Payal.

Best gifts they ever gave each other - Both look at their 5 year old son, Jash, and say, “We feel so complete with him.” Payal adds, “He sent me a huge card from US for our first Valentine’s Day. I still have it.”

Plans for this Valentine’s Day: A quiet dinner at Blue Martini. Jodi No. 5: Preet Kamal and Preeti

Met in - Ranchi. “It was an arranged match, and we have been happy together now for four years,” says Preet.

First Valentine Memory - “We were just happy to be together. We went out and exchanged gifts. The feeling was unbeatable,” says Preet.

What he likes about her - “Try her cooking and then you will know what I like best about her,” smiles Preet.

What she likes about him - “He is one of the most organized persons I have ever met. It reflects in his per-sonality too.”

Best Gifts they ever gave each other - Both agree that the best and most

priceless gift is their 5 month old daughter, Meher. “She is our life!”

Plans for this Valentine’s Day - “With a 5 month old baby, we can’t do too much. But we will definitely have a quiet dinner and cherish every mo-ment of it,” reveals Preet. Contd. On page 24

Love is in the air and we bring you some of it. Spotted around town, these are some of Tampa’s Valentine’s jodis we got the low down on. Read on to get details on when they met, what their first Valentine memories are and what they like best about one another.


It’s February and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Although beauty and healthy skin take time and patience to develop, I shall give you some quick tips that you can follow to get a glow for that special day.

SKIN CARE The most common problem is oily skin, which leads to blackheads, enlarged pores, pimples and premature ageing of skin.

In order to rejuvenate your skin for Valentine’s Day or for any other special day, start with these easy to follow steps.

Step 1 - Find a cleanser that suits your skin type. Use plenty of water to wash off all traces of the cleanser.

Step 2 - Deep clean the skin using a scrub mixed with a rose-based skin tonic to remove the outer layer of dead skin and to remove blackheads. Mix rice powder with yogurt or rose water. Rub gently on the skin with fingertips in circular motion. Leave on for 5 minutes and wash off with water. Do not use cleansing grains on area with acne.

Step 3 - Lemon juice, rose water and cucumber juice have the properties of an astringent. Apply any of these with some cotton, leave on for 15 to 20 minutes and wash off.

Step 4 - If the outer layer feels taut, as it can in winter, use a light liquid moisturizer.

FOR ACNE PRONE SKIN Mix together one tsp cinnamon powder, half

tsp methi seed powder and a few drops of honey. Apply only on acne eruptions and

wash off after a couple of hours.

HAIR CARE CONTROL THAT DANDRUFF!

If you plan to wear black, red or any other dark color, make sure you hair and scalp are abso-lutely clean. Dandruff is not only a sign of an unhealthy scalp, but it can also lead to skin prob-lems on the face, back and upper arms. Use the following quick fix to curb any dandruff related complications.

Mix yogurt with lemon juice and apply di-rectly to the scalp. Leave on for 15 minutes and wash off with plenty of water. Dry your hair well so that it does not smell damp.

EAT RIGHT Add a tablespoon of honey and squeeze the juice from one lemon to a glass of warm water and drink it first thing in the morning, every morn-ing.

Drink plenty of water along with fresh fruit juices, raw salads and yogurt. Avoid oil and spices so that the skin does not develop any sud-den breakouts.

HAIR STYLES Avoid an elaborate hairdo or a “set” look. If your hair is long, you can leave it down. For short hair, straight layered styles are in. For longer hair, loose curls are definitely on their way back.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day and don’t forget to write in with your questions at [email protected]. I will be more than happy to answer them.

MAKE-UP Skin looks its freshest and most natural with minimal make-up.

Apply pressed powder with a slightly damp sponge all over the face and neck, concentrating more on the oily areas like the nose, chin and forehead. This helps the make-up set and last longer.

Foundation can also be used to cover-up pim-ples. Take some foundation and apply it directly on the pimple. Avoid rubbing or smearing. In-stead, pat it onto the skin and then apply loose powder on top, blending the powder with the rest of the skin.

Use a blush, but be subtle. Apply on the cheek-bones and slightly below it. Pink or peach blush suits most skin tones.

For eye shadows, the trend is to mix two tones of the same color. For example, light and dark brown eye shadows blended together give a natural look. If you want to line the eyes, use an eye pencil, rather than eyeliner.

For the lips, plain gloss is enough for the day, or add a touch of gloss over a light colored lipstick. Avoid dark red or maroon lipstick for the night. These colors make you look older.

Use a light flowery or lemony fragrance, noth-ing too overpowering. Finally, wear your skin, clothes and make-up with confidence.

By: Shahnaz Husain


By: Neelofer Syed, Attorney at Law

Immigration law is one area of law that is ever changing and, usually, at a very fast pace. There is a new policy, new decision, new procedure, or a new law that keeps immigration attorneys on their toes every single day. Information regarding immigration issues is very crucial for our community. The CityMasala team is initiating a great service by starting an immigration Q&A column in the magazine. Since this is the first column, I would like to touch upon some misconceptions, especially those which I have found are held by many of our clients.

Immigration: Answers to Some Commonly Asked Questions

1. An H-1B visa holder must ensure that their Green Card process, usually started with the fil-ing of the Application for Alien Labor Certifica-tion (PERM), is started 365 days before the ex-piry of the 6th year of the H-1B visa, otherwise they will not be eligible for an H-1B extension beyond the 6th year.

2. The employer who files your H-1B does not have to be the employer who files for your Green Card. Any other future potential employer can start your Green Card process while you are still employed with your H-1B employer.

3. Your H-1B employer does not have to be a big company. A small company, sole proprietor-ship or an individual can qualify as an employer. In addition, you can form your own company and sponsor yourself for an H-1B.

4. Having a Labor Certification or certified PERM does not give you a legal status to live in the United States. You must maintain your legal status by extending your authorized stay or filing a change of status to another category.

5. Permission to work is automatically granted if

you possess a work visa like H-1B, L-1, E-2, or E-1. You are also eligible for a work permit if you have a pending application for adjustment of status (Green Card) or an asylum application that has been pending for over 150 days.

6. Do not panic if you are traveling and you realize that your permanent resident card (Green Card) has expired. According to the law, you can re-enter the US with the expired card. This is not applicable if you are a conditional resident.

7. If you entered the United States with inspec-tion, but with fraudulent documents, and now, are married to a United States Citizen, you may qual-ify to adjust status if you file a hardship waiver and it gets approved.

8. The Department of Labor is still allowing employers to substitute an employee for PERM as well as for the employee to be substituted at the time of filing for an Immigrant Worker Peti-tion (I-140). However, an employee cannot sub-stitute an employer on the PERM. An employee can port to another employer after his I-140 has been approved and adjustment has been pending for over 6 months.

9. In adjustment of status cases, if the income of the Petitioner does not meet the required limits, the immigrant beneficiary can always include their own income so both the incomes of Peti-tioner and Beneficiary can be combined to qual-ify. In addition, any other person who is a U.S Citizen or a permanent resident can become a joint sponsor. There is no need for the joint spon-sor to be a family member.

10. If you entered the United States without inspection, or in other words, if you sneaked in, currently your status cannot be adjusted under any law unless some Family based or Employ-ment based Petition was filed on your behalf prior to April 30th, 2001. If no Petition was filed before April 30, 2001, you have no option to file for adjustment even if you are married to a United States Citizen.

Please note that all the above facts are general in nature and that all cases are unique. Before mak-ing a decision on any immigration matters on your own, do consult an immigration attorney. Do not put your future at stake by taking compli-cated legal matters into your own hands. Please send your question to [email protected].


By: Javid Lateef

I had the chance to celebrate the onset of 2007 in India this year. I also had the opportunity to meet quite a few DJs in India and have found that they are in high demand for weddings, receptions and all kinds of parties. DJs in India are rather different from the ones in the US. To put it mildly, I was surprised when one of the DJs actually brought his own dance floor for an event. OK, I was VERY surprised.

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and here is the Top Ten list for all you love birds out there!

1. Banjaiya: Sillsilay 2. Tere bin: Bas Ek Pal 3. Tu hi meri sab hai: Gangster 4. Tumhi dekho na: Kabhi

Alvida Na Kehna 5. Salaam: Umrao Jaan 6. Kya mujhe pyaar hai: Woh Lamhe 7. Salaam-e-ishq: Title Song 8. Kya khoob lagti ho: (remix)/ DJ Suketu 9. Chanda re: Eklavya 10. Tere bina: Guru DJ Jafar can be contacted at 941-238-8243 or via email: [email protected].

It is January 2007 and the World Cup will be here in a matter of months. Every single cricket team is ramping up in preparation for the one day cricket’s greatest trophy. All teams except for one that is – India!

We look like a pale shadow of what we were as a unit, about a year ago. Our batting is spineless and our bowling lacks the control that is needed in a limited overs competition. The constant experimen-tation that the team management continues to toy around with, has wrecked havoc in the confidence of most of the players. As I write this, the team for the one day series against the West Indies has been announced, and as expected, there are some radical changes. Sehwag (who was, until recently, the vice-captain of the Indian team) has been dropped and so has Irfan Pathan (once the poster boy for Indian cricket).

This, I believe is the right thing to do. The Indian cricket players tend to sit on their laurels too much. International cricket is a brutal arena. With all the technology available right now, any kind of weak-ness in a player is identified and exploited by the opposition. Sehwag and Pathan are very capable of staging a comeback but they have to put in the ef-fort. The other senior players need to step up big time as they are also not among the runs. The addi-tion of Ganguly, who I presume will open with Sa-chin, is a good move. Having a right-left combina-tion at the start of the innings is always desirable and this combination has done well for us in the past.

Let’s examine the rest of the batting line up now. Dravid has a lot on his shoulders as he is the one person the team will look to, to control the innings.

I strongly believe that per-formance should be rewarded and Dinesh Karthik should be picked as a batsman. He has shown great judgment in leaving balls outside the off and is no slouch at stepping up the run rate. Yuvraj will not be fit for this series, but how he fares after the long injury layoff remains to be seen. I am very excited at the prospect of seeing Joginder Sharma in action. From all the reports I have, he is in great form, with both bat and ball. Our middle order is our biggest weakness and it is where we lose games, both in test matches as well as ODIs. Hopefully this new blood will help us out. Suresh Raina may get another chance here and I am hoping he comes through, as he is a phenomenally talented player and an extraordinary fielder.

The bowling will revolve around Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and Harbhajan. Agarkar and Harbhajan have not played International cricket in a while. Sreesanth is the wildcard. He bowled well in SA, but his line and length in ODIs leave a lot to be desired. He pitches the ball up to get movement and as a result is carted around the field. Let’s hope the coach can sort that out.

In conclusion, all we can hope for now is a good showing against the Windies and a boost in confi-dence that will carry through to the World Cup campaign. We certainly need some-thing to happen, and it has to happen soon!

A Source of Concern


B O L L Y W O O D By: Nandini Chakraborty

Dilip Kumar – Saira Banu Despite the 22 year age gap, this marriage has lasted over 40 years. Dilip Kumar had a tor-rid courtship with

Madhubala well before he met Saira Banu. After a bitter and public breakup, he met the latter, and surprised everyone with their mar-riage announcement.

Amitabh Bachchan – Jaya Bhaduri This couple supposedly met at the Film and Television Institute of India. Over the years, they’ve seen

many ups and downs in their relationship, but the “first family of Bollywood” has stayed to-gether through supposed affairs, life-threatening health issues, politics and bankruptcy, with dig-

nity and poise.

Rishi Kapoor – Neetu Singh The great on-screen chemistry of these co-stars made courtship and marriage a natural progression. Rishi continued his lover boy characters on-screen with various heroines throughout

the years with Neetu by his side.

Shah Rukh Khan – Gauri Chhibber

Theirs was a forbidden love, full of drama and histrionics, but eventually, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge!

Kishore Kumar – Madhubala This tragic love story didn’t last very long. Mad-hubala had al-ready been diag-nosed with a fatal heart condition at the tender age of 28. She married

Kishore Kumar without his parents blessings and withdrew from filmdom, to succumb to her illness six years later.

Hrithik Roshan – Suzanne Khan Childhood companions whose friendship blos-

somed into love. She’s perfectly settled in her role as Suzanne Khan-Roshan, interior designer and wife of one of Bollywood’s hottest stars. If you’re wondering about the Dhoom II “scandalous” kiss, she told her hubby, “If you’re going to do the kiss, make sure it’s

the best goddamn kiss in the world!”

REEL JODIS Which reel couple pairings are you partial to? While the permutations and combinations are seemingly limitless, let’s take King Khan and just a few of his various pairings. Which ones did you prefer?

Shah Rukh Khan and …

Kajol in Karan Arjun, DDLJ, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or KKKG?

Preity in Dil Se, Kal Ho Na Ho or Veer Zaara?

Rani in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Chalte Chalte, Paheli or KANK?

Madhuri in Koyla, Dil To Paagal Hai, Hum Tumhare Hai Sanam, or Devdas?

Juhi in Darr, Ram Jaane, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Yes Boss, Duplicate, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindu-stani, or One 2 Ka 4? www.erosentertainment.com

www.erosentertainment.co




REAL STAR JODIS While we may never know how deep one’s love is, let us take a moment to wonder about the length and breadth of love for these Star Jodis – some green and some evergreen.


Ah … love! Yeh ishq nahin aasaan … yeh kaam hai bas deewano ka. Love - that many-splendored thing, that compelling emotion, that all-consuming passion that causes even the strongest of the men to wilt. Confusion, palpi-tations, hot flashes, butterflies, sleepless nights, pangs of withdrawal; how many of your own can you list? Kya yahi pyaar hai? People have died for love, have abdicated thrones for love, have been disowned for love, and have run away for love. Pyaar karnewaale kabhi darte nahin … jo darte hai voh pyaar karte nahin. Unrequited love, love lost. The depths of de-spair when passion is only one-sided. Have you experienced it? Tu nahin to zindagi mein aur kya reh jayega … door tak tanhaiyon ka silsila reh jayega. How lost we feel without our beloved. How empty we feel with no love by our side. How lonely the nights are when there’s no one to hold. The pain of separation can be too great to bear. Humein aur jeene ki chaa-hat na hoti … agar tum na hote. Love at first sight? Or friendship that

developed into love? Which one have you experienced? Mere mehboob tujhe meri mohobbat ki kasam … phir mujhe nargisi aankhon ka sahara dede … bhool sakti nahi aankhen voh suhaana manzar jab tere husn mere ishq se takraya tha. Do you believe in only one love? Hum ek baar jeete hai, ek baar marte hai, aur pyaar … sirf ek hi baar karte hai. Did you marry the one you love? Or did you have to forsake them? Main khayaal hoon kissi aur ka … mujhe sochta koi aur hai. Society has written about love in all its forms through the ages, yet nobody has every been able to give a straight answer as to what love is. Bollywood jodis have always fascinated and I am sure, inspired a lot of us. While we may never know how deep one’s love is, let us take a moment and wonder about the length and breadth of love for these star jodis – some green, some evergreen, and some reel jodis.

CityMasala

R E E L T A L K By: Kavita Trivedi

Balraj (Bachchan) is a modern day successful businessman who places a great deal of impor-tance on family and traditional values. Sup-ported by his loving wife Shobhna (Hema Ma-lini), his family portrait is complete after their only son, Avinash (Salman Khan), marries Mil-lie (Rani Mukherjee).

Tragedy strikes when Avi is killed in a car crash. He leaves behind a 4-year-old son and a devastated Millie and parents. Unable to see the extreme sorrow and depression his widowed daughter-in-law sinks into, Balraj tracks down Mille’s childhood friend, Rajat (John Abraham), a man who has always been in love with Millie. Balraj then attempts to get Millie and Rajat mar-ried, much to the outrage of his orthodox family

members.

Director Ravi Chopra makes a brave attempt to adapt traditional Indian values to modern day society and tackles the issues of loss, love and grief with sensitivity.

Rani shows her usual versatility and proves why she is one of India’s hottest young stars. She gives an emotionally charged and convincing performance and is simply superb as the widowed Millie. Bollywood veteran, Amitabh Bachchan gives a stalwart performance which is moving and effortless making him one of the main highlights of the film. Salman and John do justice to their supporting roles.

Overall, an emotional tearjerker. Worth watching.

After the global success of Kal Ho Na Ho, director, Nikhil Advani gears up for his next mega release which features some of India’s biggest stars. Salaam E Ishq tells the story of six different cou-ples in different countries. Aware of nothing but their own existence, their paths cross in the name of love.

Field reporter Tehzeeb (Balan) is madly in love with film editor Ashutosh (Abraham). Two years after eloping, the pair is struggling to make ends meet. After Tehzeeb is in a tragic accident, their relationship comes close to a breaking point. Then there is Raju (Govinda), a taxi driver from Chandni Chowk, whose life changes after meeting the woman of his dreams outside Delhi International airport - the blonde

bombshell Stephanie. Vinay Malhotra (Kapoor) is a PR professional who lives in his plush suburban London home with his loving and perfect wife Seema (Chawla). However, things are about to change when he meets the not so perfect Anjali (Anjana). Kamini (Priyanka) is the most sought

after chorus girl in Bollywood who al-ways seems to attract bad press from the media and blames herself for not getting lead roles. She devises a plot to change her image that will guarantee her to be the number one actress - but, she did not an-ticipate meeting Rahul (Salman Khan).

Most of the film is shot in London and Oxford and the cinematography is excel-lent. Salaam E Ishq focuses on love and depicts various human relationships and how they affect the people concerned.

Bearing some resemblance to the Hugh Grant and Emma Thompson starrer, Love Actually, Salaam E Ishq has been tipped as one of the biggest re-leases of the year.

Flirtatious Raj Jaiswal (Rampal) is the host of a popular TV series and wastes no time in using his star status to woo every woman he meets. Things change after he meets Shivani (Vipasha) who enters his life like a dream. Shivani is no ordinary woman; she is a free spirit who enters his life when she pleases, whether it be on the street, at home or in his office. The only problem is – no one but Raj can see her! After his best friend Akshay (Pandey) refuses to believe that Shivani exists, Raj sets out to find out the truth. His in-vestigation leads him to a hospital where he finds her motionless body which is in danger of being sold for internal organs.

Inspired by the Hollywood movie, Just Like Heaven, starring Reese Witherspoon, a man fal-ling in love with a ghost may seem to carry the

romantic theme, but it fails to make an impact due to its weak script and poor screenplay.

However, Ashok Mehta’s cinematography cap-tures the picturesque and historic scenes of Lon-don which add a modern touch to the film and the musical score provided by Vishal-Shekar is fairly adequate.

Arjun Rampal is charming as Raj and Chunkey Pandey provides some laughs in his supporting role. Boman Irani is reasonably good as the psy-chiatrist. Overall, a disappointment in terms of direc-tion and script. Unless you are a hard core Arjun Rampal fan, give this one a miss.

BAABUL Dir: Ravi Chopra; Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Salman Khan, John Abraham and Rani Mukerjhee

SALAM E ISHQ Dir: Nikhil Advani; Cast: Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla, Akshaye Khanna, Ayesha Takia, John Abraham, Vidya

Balan, Govinda, Sohail Khan, Perizaad Zorabain, and Karan Johar

I SEE YOU Dir: Vivek Agarwal; Cast: Arjun Rampal, Vipasha Agarwal, Chunky Pandey, Boman Irani & Sonali Kulkarni

www.erosentertainment.com



Some Pointers to Ideal Child Care By: Dr. Adarsh Jain

NEW BORN (Birth to Six weeks) Feeding Milk should be offered to the baby every two and a half hours. Feeding more frequently may cause colic as milk needs time for digestion and assimilation. If enough time is not given be-tween feedings, undigested food, along with chemicals, will be pushed down the gut creat-ing gas and frequent small bowel movements. This in turn causes irritation around the anus. Giving bigger feeds that fill the tummy every three hours or more is ideal. About seven feeds of breast milk in 24 hours is recommended for this age group.

Always breastfeed the baby in a sitting posi-tion. Hold the baby at an angle of 45 degrees. This allows the natural pull of gravity to pull the milk down to the stomach. Swallowing opens the Eustachian tube in the throat to let in the air in the middle ear. Feeding in a horizon-tal position can lead to milk going via the Eustachian tube to the middle ear. This will increase pressure in ear and cause pain and can lead to frequent ear infections as well.

MASSAGE A daily massage is highly recommended, espe-cially behind the ears, neck, armpits and groin.

It stimulates the skin (skin plays an important role in the temperature regulation of the body), tones it and makes it more resistant to infec-tions. It also soothes the nerves and increases the bond between the mother and the baby. An added benefit is that it encourages a thorough inspection of the whole body.

While massaging the baby, move all the joints fully, especially the hip (bending the knee on the abdomen and straightening it out.) Hearing a mild click while doing this is normal. This procedure corrects dislocation of the hip. Also massage the dry patches on the scalp (cradle cap), cheeks and bottom. These need special attention. Use pure oils like olive oil or almond oil and move all joints to increase flexibility.

Keep the baby snug and warm. This will ensure that the baby sleeps for the required 18-22 hours.

In next month’s column, I will talk about the care of a baby from ages four to six months.

Please feel free to write to Dr. Jain with comments or feedback at [email protected].

After having covered some basics on maintaining and promoting health, I would like to address child care ranging from the newborn stage to toddlerhood. I will cover points on proper feeding, caring, physical and mental development, and some common illnesses that babies go through during this period and give you the best possible methods to be the best caregiver you can be.

By: Dr. Maulik Trivedi

Q. My daughter is 9 years old and is very shy. She finds it very difficult to talk to people and makes herself sick before a party or a new school day. She is even afraid to get on the 'phone. I want to help her come out of her shell as I believe that her life will become easier if she is less shy. How can I help her do this? Name withheld on request.

A. Shyness or nervousness is a normal part of early child development. It serves to protect the child from strangers and unfamiliar surround-ings. As we learn to trust others and form our ideas about safe places, our sense of nervousness usually becomes less alarming, and we normally lose shyness between ages 5 and 7.

If shyness is not adequately overcome by a cer-tain age, it begins to hurt the social development of the child. If not addressed appropriately, it leads to poor self-esteem in the teenage years and ultimately to a general sense of feeling like a failure as an adult.

To address this issue, it is important to help your daughter catch up on her sense of ‘mastery.’ To elaborate, you want to actively pursue activities and interactions that help establish your daugh-ter’s sense of accomplishment. You have to be careful not to be too pushy, but at the same time you must challenge her.

Consider using baby-steps; break down the ‘big scary thing’ that your daughter might believe she “can never do” into smaller pieces that she “can do.” For example, she might feel very scared of walking up to the mall security guard to ask for the time. You can break down this task into small parts which can be accomplished one at a time. On the first try, you may want to have your daughter sit at a table in the food-court and imagine asking the guard for the time. Once she gets confident with this image, you may want to hold her hand and walk by the guard. Once she is comfortable with this, you can walk up to the guard while holding your child’s hand and greet the guard. Do this over several visits to the mall until your daughter has mastered how to ask someone for the time without feeling nervous at all.

Follow this process over and over again . Re-member to be patient. Be imaginative and make it fun. By exposing your daughter to different people and different life-experiences, you will help her establish an age-appropriate sense of safety, as well as help her grow up to be a confi-dent and successful individual

Q. I have a one year old son. My wife insists that we should speak only in Hindi to him right now so that he learns our language first. I feel that this is wrong as he has to grow up in this

country where English is the first language. What would you suggest? Rajesh from Riverview, FL

A. Your question is an important one, particu-larly for parents in our community. Rest assured that your child will learn English without any problems even if he hears no English being spo-ken at home. On the flip -side, unless you pre-sent your child with enough familiarity with your mother-tongue, your child is prone to not use that language at all. So, if you want your child to grow up being comfortable with your mother-tongue, you can improve the odds by using it around the house all the time, starting now.

From a developmental perspective of the child, I want to assure you that you can speak any lan-guage you want and your child will learn it. If you introduce him to, let’s say, Greek and Swa-hili, your child will learn both. Pretty amazing, huh? Remember that what will remain with and mold your child is what you actually have to say to him and not the language you have used. Say the right stuff to your kids, and they’ll never go wrong!

Dr. Trivedi is a Board-Certified Psychiatrist with a private office in Tampa. He treats children, adoles-cents and adults. Please visit www.MINDvantage.com for more information.

We would like to thank all the readers who submitted their questions so enthusiastically. In this issue, we are pleased to post Dr. Trivedi’s response to two very interesting questions. We aspire to address all questions in one form or another, so please keep send-ing them in to [email protected].

Baby Tip Feed mildly sweetened boiled water with a drop of lemon juice if the baby demands milk earlier than two and a half hours.

Baby Tip Lay the baby on the abdomen for two to three minutes before every feed under your watchful pres-ence. This enables the baby to take a better feed.


Contd. from page 12

Jodi No. 6: Johnny and Payal

Met in - Indore. Says Johnny, “My sister and Payal’s mom were friends and they got us together.”

First Valentine Memory -“Don’t remind me of it,” says Payal. “His dad was not well and was admitted into the hospital. So Johnny was there and I was at home. It was sad because of his dad being so unwell, and also because we weren’t together.”

What he likes about her - “She is so genuine and honest. No one can beat her

innocence,” says Johnny.

What she likes about him - “He is the best guy on Earth. What else can I say?” Payal says.

Best gifts they ever gave each other - Payal shows off her ring that she wears proudly, It is a solitaire diamond. “It’s the best gift I ever got.” Johnny says that every gift his dream girl gives him is the best!

Plans for this Valentine’s Day - “This year we plan to surprise each other,” smiles Payal.

The Special CityMasala Jodi: Yomi and Mahender

In continuation with the Valentine’s jodis theme, here is a very special couple who sent in their story to us. They are due to tie the knot soon and everyone from Team Masala wishes them endless happiness.

Our love story began about three and a half years ago. I was introduced to Yahoo Chat by a friend and found myself going to the Indian chat room. After being online for a few minutes a box popped up - "goldyname". That was his ID. We chatted for 3 hours.

Soon after that, he became my world. I would run home each day after work to check my messages. After a year and three months of chatting via the webcam and talking on the ‘phone at least twice a day, he sent me a

ticket to visit India. Yes, without physically knowing this man, I took the risk and went to India to meet him. I am Spanish and he is from north India. In 2004, I stayed in India for 7 months to become familiar with the life-style, culture and traditions.

We went through a lot to be together, especially since his mother and father had already selected a bride for him. I never doubted his commitment to me or his love. He went against his family and social expectations to be with me … the one he says he loves.

It's sort of funny; I decided I wanted to marry an Indian after watching ... K3G (Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham). Mahender is no SRK, but I wouldn't exchange him for anyone else.

Contd. from page 10 Mr. Zahir Kanji: CPA

Zahir is a sports enthusiast who was born in a small town called Moshi in Tanzania. He has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro twice and remembers wearing 10 pairs of socks and a pair of tennis shoes during his climbs! He completed most of his schooling in Moshi and went for his A Levels to Dar Es Salaam. He then had to join the National Service, the army, and remembers being an exceptional marksman.

When the government turned socialist almost overnight, his family came upon extremely hard times and at the age of 16, Zahir followed his girlfriend, now wife, Az-ina, to California. Zahir and Azina have been married for 33 years and Azina has a degree in Business Man-agement and is the Business Consultant for their firm, Financial Accounting Services PLC. They have two sons, Hasiz, 25 and Aleem, 24. He says that Azina is the reason for their success today. She is patient and ex-tremely hard working and pushes each one of them to achieve more.

Zahir’s older son, Hasiz is finishing his B.Sc. in Accounting from the Uni-versity of Central Florida and will graduate in August. He works part time for the firm. His younger son, Aleem is attending Rollins College and will be graduating in May with an MBA in Finance. Zahir says that both his sons are very athletic, generous and very good looking!

Zahir attended California State University and completed his B.Sc. in Ac-counting and worked for the Six Flags Magic Mountain Corporate office as an Assistant Controller for three and a half years. He then moved on to War-ner Brothers Communications as their Corporate Controller for about 10

years. He completed his Masters in Accounting from Ft. Lauderdale and is a Certified Public Ac-countant licensed in both California and Florida.

Zahir’s firm specializes in tax planning, asset pro-tection and retirement planning. He says that most of their clients become friends because their firm is extremely family oriented. They make the effort to make all clients feel completely at ease and at home.

Zahir’s passion lies clearly in sports. In Tanzania, he was a consistent champion in table tennis and badminton and in California, for volleyball. He has also been declared the MVP (Most Valuable Player) in almost all the states in the US and Canada for volleyball.

Zahir’s advice to most of his clients is to not leave tax planning till the very end of the year. He says,

“it is important to plan ahead of time in order to maximize how much you can invest into your fu-ture.” He tries to integrate retirement planning as a

part of tax planning which saves clients both in taxes as well as facilitates putting a chunk of their money aside for retirement.

What sets Zahir’s firm apart from the rest is that he spends one on one time with his clients in order to guide them. Normally, clients are not charged by the hour which gives them more flexibility in expressing their needs which can then be addressed in a better manner by the firm.

In order to contact Zahir for your tax planning needs: Email: [email protected] 407-423-2371

I make the effort to make all my clients feel completely at ease and at home.

Achievers’ Club Tax Planning - Save Your Money


There is trouble brewing in paradise. Until now Auntyji’s life had been about basking in the sun-shine, enjoying her vodka martinis and chicken tikkas, sitting on South Beach and looking at beautiful people. Her eyes would become sated with the beauty of nature and the human body, her skin would absorb all the harmful sunrays it could handle for the day, her body would be a bit tipsy with the drinks that she would lose count of, and her stomach would hurt after she had stuffed it with yet another plate of paneer pakoras … suspended in this blissful condition, Aun-tyji’s hunky trainer, Yul would drive her home. Not only was he her trainer, he was also a com-panion who was always by her side … but alas, now he is gone.

Without Yul, Auntyji feels a sense of great loss and loneliness. She understands that this is a feeling shared by many others who go through similar situations. To deal with this situation, Auntyji started doing what a lot of people do. She started to become a little self destructive. The drinking increased and then there was the issue of eating without being able to stop. After all, there was no Yul to guide her and encourage her to be healthy. A friend suggested eating and then purging, but that is a serious disease that Auntyji could not condone and certainly not put herself through.

It took a few days, but eventually Auntyji realized that she was sinking into depression. Just as Auntyji dishes out caustic advice to others, she decided to open up to her readers and to follow her own advice. Tomorrow is another day!

Q: Auntyji, I arrived in the US last year to do my Masters here. My problem is that I am made fun of because of the way I talk. I am also picked on because I don’t seem to have the right clothes. I feel awkward and quite con-scious and have not been able to make too many friends. Even the desi students stay away from me. I feel I cannot fit in and want to go back to India. Please help. Lonely Jeevan from Jacksonville.

A: Jeevan beta, it was a brave step for you to leave home and come over here to study. You are in an environment where things are very different from what you were used to, including speech , mannerisms, behavior and social norms. Your different accent is to be expected since that is how you learnt to speak. Over a period of time, your accent will blend in. If you really make an effort, more will blend in. However, you have to decide whether you want to blend in or if you would rather hold on to who you are and be confident about yourself.

The same can be said for the way you dress. By observing other people around you, you might be able to see how they function in various situa-tions and how they dress. Each society has its own social norms, and you will soon adjust to the ones over here. The degree of your desire to assimilate in this culture will dictate the amount you are able to absorb. Some people get off the boat and talk and behave like a Yankee in two months where as there are others who have lived here for twenty years .. and you would think that they came here just two weeks ago.

As for the people who make fun of you – they are just ignorant. There are other people out there who would really like to be friends with you and will value your differences. Don’t let a few people’s callous attitude discourage you. Making new friends is never easy. Don’t let your differences become liabilities … use them as assets.

Q: Auntyji - I don’t know why I am even writ-

ing to you … but here goes nothing! I am a regular American guy married to an Indian woman. This being said, our social life is a disaster. Her parents come to stay with us for months on end. We are rarely invited to any “white” parties. When we go to “desi” parties, I find them boring because all the men go to one room and talk about cricket or politics in India and the women collect in the kitchen. I also think that people talk a lot about us behind our back. What can I do to make things a little more “balanced” between our cultures? Frustrated Brad from Florida

A: Didn’t anyone tell you that when you marry an Indian, you marry the whole clan … or were you not paying attention? More often than not, families are very important and are an intrinsic part of peoples’ lives … that might be the case with your wife. You need to discuss it with her, and set limits that both of you are comfortable with. The silver lining is that whether you realize this right now or not, your in-laws are the best future built-in babysitters.

As for the “white” parties that you are not in-vited to ... maybe you are a boring couple! Or maybe, you bring nothing to the party. Instead of complaining, start hosting parties yourself … you will develop a group of people who will hopefully invite you back. Not all desi parties are like the ones you have described. Take some initiative and start conversations with topics that interest you - people might join in.

And as for people talking about you … it’s just because your life is probably more interesting than their pathetic ones.

Q: Auntyji, I am a 27 year old engineer from India settled here in the US. In India, I was emotionally drawn to my married teacher who was gentle, sensitive - a man with very inde-pendent thoughts. We fell in love even though I knew the relationship could not go anywhere. He was willing to go to any lengths to make it work. Some years ago, I got married to some

one else and moved to the US. I carry a deep sense of guilt as I ended up hurting such a wonderful person. I have also come to know through close friends that he is not doing well. Whenever I think about him, I break down and cry. After watching Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, I realized it can happen to anyone, anytime and anywhere. I don't know what to do. My hus-band loves me deeply and I love him too. Name withheld upon request.

A: You seem to be living in a fantasy world and seem to be a very selfish person. Auntyji has not seen the movie Kahbi Alvida Na Kehna that you refer to but she is smart enough to know that it is a Bollywood creation meant for our entertain-ment and not applicable to the REAL world in which we live. Loving someone and knowing it might not go anywhere is a situation we may find ourselves in sometimes. However, leading that person on when you knew that there was no future is wrong. Still, a lot can be forgiven as mistakes made in our youth.

You claim to love your husband and say that he loves you. If that is the case, you should be con-centrating on your relationship and not even thinking about your ex-teacher. How do you think your husband will feel if he finds out about this? Have you given any thought to how your life would be if you were to leave your husband for the person you have left behind not to men-tion the fact that you would be destroying four lives in the process!

Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Stop letting mov-ies rule your life. If you have too much time on your hands, get a job or do some volunteer work. You claim to love your husband, so start by loving him honestly and completely and making a loving home for both of you to live in. On this note, Auntyji bids her readers alvida and waits to hear from you at [email protected]. Don’t forget, life is short—live it to the fullest with attitude!

By: Auntyji


By: Ashish Jain Love is in the air. Flowers and chocolates are in abundance (grossly over priced!), and all the men folk wear a panicked ex-pression on their faces while women sit on judgment. It can be no other time than Valentine’s Day and if you are like me, you have absolutely nothing planned and will be looking forward to the proverbial “dog house!” One way to claw your way out of this one would be to make especial drinks for the special person in your life in order to celebrate this “Hallmark” holiday.

ARISE MY LOVE Add 1 tsp crème de mente to chilled champagne in a flute glass.

CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES Take a regular glass and add equal parts of Godiva and tequila Rose. Serve on the rocks.

CHOCOLATE KISS Pour 1 oz of crème de cocoa (white), 1 oz Frangelico and 1 oz vodka in a shaker filled with ice. This should be shaken, not stirred (Bond style) and should then be poured into a martini

glass. Finish with style by dropping one Her-shey’s Kiss on the top.

MY SWEET RED LIPS Shake or blend 2 oz raspberry schnapps, 2 oz vodka and 3 oz cranberry juice with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass and serve.

SUNSET IN A GLASS Mix 2 shots of peach schnapps, 1 shot of cran-berry juice and a splash of orange juice in a cham-pagne flute and top off with chilled champagne.

SWEET HEART In a cocktail shaker, add a quarter oz amaretto, quarter oz triple sec and half oz raspberry liqueur with ice and strain into a shot glass and serve.

VALENTINE Combine equal parts of Godiva, Kahlua, rasp-berry liqueur and vodka and serve over ice.

Restaurant Review: Bawarchi Indian Cuisine By: Surabhi Jain

If you thought that authentic flavors came from apna desh, here is a chef who was trained in India and is now serving true desi tadka in Palm Har-bor, FL. Ramesh Patel took over Bawarchi In-dian Cuisine from Jasdev Singh about 3 years ago. Since then, the entire menu has been re-vamped, not just in terms of the items served, but also in terms of that ‘special’ touch that Ramesh provides from India.

From samosas, to pakodas, to chicken tikka ma-sala, the starters are sure to whet your appetite. Try the Bawarchi platter to taste all of these.

The three chefs at Bawarchi cater not just to the spice loving Indian patrons, but also adjust the flavors for anyone who walks in to try and experi-ence Indian cuisine. Ramesh tries to supervise each and every dish that the kitchen serves.

For the main course, you can choose from chicken makhanwala, chicken do piaza, or chicken noorja-hani korma amongst the list of ten Bahar-E-Murg

specialties that the restaurant offers.

The Tandoori delicacies have tandoori shrimp, tandoori fish and chicken tikka. The chef’s recom-mendation is the reshmi kabab- a minced chicken dish with a mint flavor.

There is also a wide array of lamb dishes to choose from, such as, lamb curry, lamb madras cooked with fresh co-conut and me-thi saag gosht.

The mouth watering sea-food specials include shrimp korma, lobster vindaloo and fish makhanwala.

For the veggie lovers out there, don’t despair. The dish to try out for sure is vegetable makhanwala. The vegetarian array also offers kadhai paneer, daal makhni, baingan bhartha, malai kofta and many other dishes that are cooked with authentic Indian spices.

If all these dishes make it hard for you to decide which ones you should try, go for the lunch buffet served daily to sample a variety and decide which

ones are your favorite.

Tuesdays to Saturdays, the lunch buffet costs a reason-able $7.99. However, the special Tuesday night and Sunday lunch buffet has more to offer at $10.95.

Ramesh feels that the menu caters to all tastes and prefer-ences. He says that he is open to suggestions in terms of adding a particular dish to the menu. He feels that Indian cuisine is not just about the flavors, but is also about the

art of serving guests with warmth and gracious hospitality. This is what he tries to embody every day in his restaurant.

Bawarchi Indian Cuisine is located at 34832 US Hwy 19 N, Palm Harbor, FL 34684 and the tele-phone number is 727-789-9760.

Boss, if you cannot manao your joru after these enticing concoctions, it can only mean that you messed up big time and some major patana would have to be attempted. I will enlighten you with ideas to make some really fancy drinks, but first, let me take you down memory lane again with a story from my glorious past. We had rented a beach house along with three other friends and their families over a Valentine’s weekend a few years ago. Being the typical duffer that I am, I had not bought anything for my woman while the other three joru ka gulams had flowers, presents and chocolates hidden in their mini-vans for their jorus. Suffice it to say that if there was any country out there looking for WMDs, they could have bottled up the glares I got from my wife! I got myself out of this jam by doing some drastic last minute shopping (remember the overpriced chocolates, flowers and presents?) for my “love” and by making truly balle balle drinks. These are some of the drinks that helped me get out of the dog house that eventful weekend.

APHRODITES LOVE POTION One and a half oz brandy, 5 oz pineapple juice served over ice garnished with a cherry.

KAHLUA SMOOTHIE Blend three parts vanilla ice-cream with one part crème de cocoa and one part Kahlua in a blender and serve in a tall glass.

My story ended on a good note and I hope all of you have a great Valentine’s Day full of love and zero WMD glares. Until next time, cheers and drink to enjoy and celebrate life.

Please feel free to write in with questions, comments and feedback to [email protected].


By: Vish Viswanathan

As long as digital cameras have been available, one question has ruled supreme: how many mega pixels does a camera’s image sen-sor have? Since “more” often means “better”, it was inevitable that a misperception would arise. More mega pixels means higher-quality photographs.

This is definitely not the case. When you are in the market for a digital camera, mega pixels should factor into your purchase decision, but not for the reasons many people believe.

The Mega Pixel Misunderstanding

The main thing that mega pixels determine is the size of a photograph rather than its clarity or quality.

Let’s say your digital camera shoots a maximum of 2,000 pixels high and 3,008 pixels wide. (This would be a good time to show you the math: 2,000 x 3,008 = 6,016,000). Based on this equa-tion, your camera shoots 6MP (or 6 million pixel) photographs. If your camera saves your shots in a standard resolution of 300ppi (pixels per inch), that’s effectively a 7x10-inch picture.

Now let’s say you open this photograph in an image editor and resize it. If you change the resolution to 200ppi, leaving the “Resample Im-age” option unchecked, you now have a 10x15-inch picture. You haven’t changed the picture’s pixels, just the dimensions in which those pixels are contained!

Professional printers can generate film-quality prints from pictures set at 200 to 300ppi, that should give you a good range of size options.

How Big Can You Go?

What size pictures can you expect from a given number of mega pixels? There’s no definite answer. As I have shown, your picture’s resolu-tion will determine its initial size, but that’s just the starting point. You can scale it down, and it

can potentially be larger.

A digital picture’s quality depends on several factors, including the photographer’s skill with light and exposure and the quality of the cam-era’s lens, image sensor, and processing. Keeping that in mind, the following table will give you a good idea of the range of possibilities. Print sizes at 300dpi show exactly what the pixel

dimensions equate to with most image sensors. When ordering actual prints, you would round up or down to the nearest standard size.

How Many Mega Pixels Is Enough?

You can’t have too many mega pixels, although you may never use them all, and cost isn’t nearly the factor it was even a few years ago. Some loose guidelines, however, based on your shoot-ing/printing habits, might help narrow things down.

If you want small prints (say, 4x6s) or images for on-screen viewing, a 3MP or 4MP camera should suffice. If you are a general user who occasion-ally needs larger prints (8x10s), go for something in the 6 to 8MP range. And if you like poster-sized prints, look for cameras with 10MP and above.

Final Focus

When shopping for a camera, mega pixels matter, but keep them in perspective. Mega pixels are just one part of a bigger picture.

Please feel free to write in with comments and feedback to [email protected].

The Mega Pixel Maze: Myth Vs. Reality

Resolution in MP

Print Size At 300dpi

Potential Enlargement

2.1 4x5.33 10x13 3.2 5x7 16x20 4.1 >5x7 20x24 5 6.5x8.5 24x30

6.1 7x10 26x40 8.3 7.8x11.7 32x49

10.2 8.5x12.7 33x50 12.4 9.5x14.3 40x60

Special Financing Program for New Immigrants! Special Financing Program for New Immigrants! Special Financing Program for New Immigrants! $800 Allowance for Immigrants $800 Allowance for Immigrants $800 Allowance for Immigrants

Available Available Available ONLYONLYONLY at Wesley Chapel Toyota at Wesley Chapel Toyota at Wesley Chapel Toyota

Creations by Anita Singh

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs chicken with bones (cut into medium pieces) ¼ cup oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 medium tomato diced 1 tsp ginger garlic paste 2 to 3 dry red chillies 6 to 7 curry leaves 5 to 6 peppercorns 1 to 2 bay leaves 1 big cardamom 1 stick of cinnamon 2 tbsp red chilly powder Salt according to taste ½ tbsp turmeric powder ½ tsp pepper powder ½ tsp coriander powder 2 to 3 green chillies. Slit into 2 pieces ½ cup water (optional) 1 tsp garam masala ½ tsp lime juice ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves

Chicken with Coconut & Sesame Paste Grind the following ingredients into a paste: 1/2 cup coconut 1/2 cup sesame powder METHOD

Marinate the chicken for ½ hr with ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilly powder, turmeric powder, corian-der powder and ground pepper. 1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. 2. Add dry red chillies, curry leaves, pepper corns, bay leaves, cardamom and cinnamon. 3. Add chopped onions and sauté for 3 min on medium heat or until they are transparent. 4. Add marinated chicken and cook until it turns brown and is half cooked. 5. Add diced tomatoes, ground paste and garam masala. 6. Mix well - add little water if needed. 7. Cover and cook until chicken is done. 8. Sprinkle with lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves and green chilies.

Enjoy with paranthas, rice and rasam.

Sitting at the TSAR (Toronto South Asian Re-view) Publications book launch, I was trans-ported into the carriage of a train, swaying to the clanking of the engine, my nostrils in-vaded by the spiced sweat of passengers. Anand Mahadevan was reading from his debut novel, The Strike. I had to read it.

The Strike follows the journey of Hari, a young boy discovering the intricacies of the world he inhabits. Set in southern India circa 1980, The Strike explores Tamil politics and religious and social hierarchies through the boyhood dilemmas of a growing (and some-what confused) Hari.

Mahadevan’s strength lies in his character description, rich and tinted with a hint of irony. His account of Radha, the eunuch, is a prime example, “Here was a man more femi-nine than masculine, more dark than fair, more comely than muscular, and despite all this, he found her rather pretty.” Some char-acters are stronger than the others, like the eunuch and Vishu, the servant’s son.

Mahadevan has a clear insight on family dy-namics, depicting a neurotic mother and an awk-ward pre-teen boy with intense accuracy.

Another powerful character sketch is Mukund,

the Bollywood star wannabe, “His jet black hair

was glossy and wavy. He had a pleasant clean-shaven face, with rugged features sharper than the soft boyish faces of the pretty Bollywood stars.”

The novel is divided into titled sections, from

Acai (desire) to Paruttal (ripening), each sym-bolizing the loose theme or central situation of a collection of chapters.

The narrative is playful and lighthearted, but scratch beneath the surface, and there is grav-ity that cannot be ignored. Mahadevan keeps this gravity at a safe distance, reminding the reader that the narrative is through the mind of a child.

Mahadevan’s language often enters the realm of the poetic, allowing the reader to taste the slick oil of sizzling puris and the salted rust of trains, “As Hari lifted a piece of puri to his mouth, he could smell the train--- its peculiar combination of rust, iron, and dirt that made his hands smell like blood and taste like salt.”

One disappointment with The Strike is that it ends too soon. The book could have continued for another 100 pages, and Mahadevan has the talent and the right words to make it even more enjoyable. When it ended, I felt like I had eaten a spoonful of chillies and was left

without a glass of water. Perhaps his next novel will quench my thirst.

To purchase The Strike, visit TSAR Publications website: www.tsarbooks.com or amazon.ca.

BOOK REVIEW THE STRIKE: Anand Mahadevan

By: Sheniz Janmohamed


By: Sanjay Puranik

Getting Down To the Core

A strong core is important for most athletic and non-athletic activities. The main muscle groups of the core include muscles of the abdomen, lower back and the pelvic region. Unfortunately, unlike claims made by advertisements, there are no short cuts to working towards a strong core! It requires a lot of patience and hard work. Even worse, if you don’t use it you lose it! While performing the exercises below, concentrate on maintaining a tight contraction of the abdominal and gluteal muscles. Remember to move slowly throughout the range of motion while maintaining form. Please feel free to write to [email protected] with questions or comments.

CRUNCHES

Equipment: None. Sets: 3 with 10-12 reps each. • Lie flat on the floor. Place your hands under

your head and bring your legs up as shown in the starting position.

• Lift your torso to bring your shoulder blades just off the ground.

• Hold the position for 1-2 seconds and slowly lower your body to the starting position.

SIT-UPS

Equipment: None. Sets: 3 with 10-12 reps each. • Lie flat on the floor. Place your hands under

your head and bring your legs up as shown in the starting position.

• Lift your torso to bring your body up to a sitting position.

• Hold the position for 1-2 seconds and slowly lower your body to the starting posi-tion.

DOME PUSH-UPS

Equipment: Bosu ball. Sets: 3 with 10-12 reps each.

• Place hands near the edges of the Bosu ball, with feet balanced on toes as shown in the starting position.

• Flex elbows outward to lower chest to the top of the dome, but do not let your chest touch the dome.

• Hold the position for 1-2 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.

BACK EXTENSIONS

Equipment: Stability ball. Sets: 3 with 10-12 reps each.

• With your feet resting flat against the wall, curl your body around the stability ball with your hands behind your ears. Using the ball, slowly pivot upwards keeping the lower abdomen pressed against the ball.

• Hold the position for 1-2 seconds and slowly return to the starting position.


Zodiac of the Month

Aquarius: Jan 20th - Feb 18th Ruled by: Saturn and Uranus; Gemstone: Blue Sapphire; Lucky Day: Saturday Cool, distant and oozing with magnetism, you are fiercely independent coupled with a need to be different. Encom-

passed with an inspiring intelligence you are a firm favorite with people because of your helpful and humanitarian nature. You love to be different and to stick out in a crowd. However, you are also rebellious and erratic. Your imagination and need to experiment for pleasure needs to be strongly fulfilled. You not only want to possess your lover’s body but also want to know what is going on in their mind. On the other hand, your aloofness can make it difficult for people to get close to you. Your Horoscope: You can feel rather alone and isolated especially by those close to you. Bitter remarks and gossip can take there toll on you. It’s best to lie low and let the dust settle before you make any decisions. Don’t be surprised if a friendship comes to an abrupt end.

Star Lite Star Brite

Aries: Mar 20th - Apr 19th Ruled by Mars Gemstone: Red Coral Lucky Day: Tuesday

You are prone to moodiness and will be more sensitive than usual. The little things that you usually don’t notice may start getting to you. It’s time to take a break from your responsibilities and to treat yourself to a retreat or a weekend away where you can just relax and be at peace with yourself. Taurus: Apr 20th - May 20th Ruled by Venus Gemstone: Diamond Lucky Day: Friday

Keep a close check on your finances as you can spend way over your limit only to be shocked later by your credit card statements. Avoid fal-ling deeper into debt. Make this the right time to organize your bills and reduce any unnecessary expenditure. Gemini: May 21st - Jun 20th Ruled by Mercury Gemstone: Emerald Lucky Day: Wednesday

Fiery passions can run wild in your love life where you enjoy sweet sentiments and romantic moments. Try not to suffocate your partner as they may want to run if this happens. Avoid confrontations with your superiors at work as this could create a few unnecessary enemies. Cancer: Jun 21st - Jul 22nd Ruled by the Moon Gemstone: Pearl Lucky Day: Monday

Prioritizing your goals is of utmost importance or else you may feel rather lost and confused by all that may happen around you right now. Cer-tain people will be leaving your life, especially those that no longer serve a purpose in it, as you will want to clear out unnecessary attachments and old ways of living.

Leo: Jul 23rd - Aug 22nd Ruled by the Sun Gemstone: Ruby Lucky Day: Sunday

You take a keen interest in health and fitness, as you desire to live a healthier lifestyle. Sorting out your eating patterns, replacing junk food with healthy alternatives coupled with plenty of exercise can get you on the road to success with-out having to starve your system. Virgo: Aug 23rd - Sep 22nd Ruled by Mercury Gemstone: Emerald Lucky Day: Wednesday

You love to have you own way and doing things your way but will find it rather difficult right now. Trouble is brewing as people around you may not agree with your way of thinking. Learn to be more flexible otherwise watch out for some fiery tempers. Libra: Sep 23rd - Oct 22nd Ruled by Venus Gemstone: Diamond Lucky Day: Friday

Your mind is full of abundant ideas. You are inspired to learn and expand your horizons. A trip to the library or a bookstore can really open the doors to your mind. You are bound to discover a new subject that will prove to be a beneficial hobby to you in the coming years. Scorpio: Oct 23rd - Nov 21st Ruled by Mars & Pluto Gemstone: Red Coral Lucky Day: Tuesday

There may be an abundance of money coming your way. This is a good time to push for that pay raise, bonus or promotion. Even a gamble with the lotto may make you richer. Just remember ‘everything in modera-tion’ as you could lose as easily as you gain.

Sagittarius: Nov 22nd - Dec 21st Ruled by Jupiter Gemstone: Yellow Sapphire Lucky Day: Thursday

You are bold, daring and confident, and the world is your oyster as anything is possible now. A risk taker at heart, you will be willing and eager to make a sacrifice to follow that child-hood dream you have so yearned for. Your hesi-tation is in the past and has been replaced with sheer determination so, go for it. Capricorn: Dec 22nd - Jan 19th Ruled by Saturn Gemstone: Blue Saphire Lucky Day: Saturday

Travel and trips color your life as you sail for the seven seas in search for rest, respite and all round pleasure. You may experi-ence a boost in your energy as you get in touch with yourself and get to grips with where you are going in life. Pisces: Feb 19th - Mar 19th Ruled by Jupiter and Neptune Gemstone: Yellow Sapphire Lucky Day: Thursday

Stress, overwork and burdens at home can take their toll on your system and you need to take time out to relax. Spending quality time with friends, shopping or even a trip to the spa can do you a world of good as this will give you the opportunity to enjoy the things that you other-wise don’t have time for. Nicolas Aujula is a certified astrologer with the New Age Foundation and an accredited LCFS fashion designer. He is a qualified Hypnothera-pist and Past Life Therapist accredited in emo-tional and psychological health. He is a Coun-seling Code of Conduct Registered Counselor and Registered with the United Fellowship of Hypnotherapists. Visit Nicolas at www.inspired-artisan.com.

CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT: THREADING LOCATIONS IN TAMPA & ORLANDO: Threading experience a plus but will train. Excellent salary plus tips and commission. Call Elizabeth (888)242-8550.

MALANI JEWELERS: NEW LOCATION ON 2367 E. Fowler Ave. is looking for pleasant mannered and courteous sales people for their store. Call Noor at 404-376-9037 PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD HERE FOR ONLY $15 FOR 25 WORDS. CALL 813-642-3313.

citymasala.comcitymasala.com/pdf/cityfeb07.pdfmukund and hina bhalani, along with their daughters,...

Documents