Asia Today, LLC, 1050 E Ray Road, Suite 5 #318, Chandler, AZ 85225 SIA • December 2014 ATODAY 1 Phoenix, AZ PERMIT NO.1714 Uniting all South Asians in the Valley Monthly Newspaper • Vol-VII • Issue-12 • Phone : 480-250-2519 • [email protected] • December 2014 Happy Annual Who is Healthy Interfaith Dinner Life of Katrina New Year Langar Seva by an Indian Kaif’s new from Phoenix Sikh Seniors 6 Community 17 22 Lady BFF? 33 Yuba City Nagar Kirtan Audience Mesmerized with Pranav Mehta’s Ghazals he ghazal virtuoso Pranav TMehta accompanied by Tabla superstar Prafulla Ath- alye mesmerized a packed audience at ASU-Kerr Cultural Center on Sunday November 9th. The program was present- ed by IACCONNET, a premier organization in Phoenix for promoting classical music and dance. Pranav took the audience on a melody ride while con- ducting a workshop on the thekas, taals and their varia- craving for more. His first popular ghazals had audience ishkam Seva gurudhwara sahib arranges a bus every tions used by ghazal mae- number Hothon se choo lo screaming Mere mehboob ki Nyear to visit Yuba city nagar kirtan and prepares a float to stros to match the bol (words) tum touched everyone’s heart tarif kya kije. The able fingers represent nishkam seva gurudhwara sahib. Phoenix Sangat and emotions represented in from the start. Tumko dekha to of Prafulla matched every taal helped to decorate the float truck. The management really the ghazals. A very entertain- yeh khayal aaya, Ham to hain of Pranav’s ghazals as if say- appreciates everyone who helped in decorating the truck. ing and melodious method of pardes mein, Ankh se ankh mi- ing Yari hai Iman mera. In the • More on P20 education had the audience lata hai koi and several other end the audi- • More on P10 www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz www.asiatodayaz.com SIA ATODAY 2 • December 2014 Special Offers $ 1 Lunch Off 20% Dinner Off We do catering. www.asiatodayaz.com www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz Local Coverage SIA • December 2014 ATODAY 3 Shiva Parvati Kalyanotsavam www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz www.asiatodayaz.com SIA From the Desk of Asia Today ATODAY 4 • December 2014 Fear and Judgment… I think a lot of this has to do with Uniting all South Asians in the Valley he deepest fear we have, ‘the fear what society has become today. Nothing Monthly Newspaper • Vol-VII • Issue-12 • December 2014 • [email protected] “Tbeneath all fears’, is the fear of is ever good enough. The marketing Asia Today Team not measuring up, the fear of judgment. targeted at how you can be better: It’s this fear that creates the stress and thinner, fitter, richer, etc. Workplaces Marketing Director: Manju depression of everyday life.” Recently (Manjeet K Walia) Editor’s targeted at taking every ounce out of came along this quote, which was part NOTE every employee; this is no longer the Editor: Deepa Walia (MS CIS) of a sermon by Pastor Tullian Tchvidjian. days of the 8 hour workday after which (Sandeep Kaur) Even though I am not Christian, this goes to show we shut down and enjoyed time with our families or Publisher & Designer: that there is something to be learned from people of where workplaces respected family time and needs Raja (BA) (Gagandeep Singh Walia) all backgrounds and religions and as I read this line, when they occurred. Employers are trying to get I realized how true it was. every ounce of productivity from their employees Patron: Mini from California (Damanjot Kaur Walia) We dedicate our lives to “measuring up,” whether at all hours. Not only are we starting to bring work that be at home or at work. We are constantly striving home but we are also starting to bring that work Jyoti from New Jersey (Navjot Kaur Singh) to please others: our significant others, our boss, mentality home. Combining that work pressure with our parents, our children, our friends with no end in the media marketing is starting to program our brains Surinder Singh Pall (Reporter from New Jersey) sight. The more we do, the higher the expectations into thinking that is how all aspects of our lives are become and we keep working harder and harder to supposed to be. But that is not true. Press Photographer meet them. We are driven by the perception that Family, friends, and loved ones are where you Sameer Soorma www.sameersoorma.com others may be judging what we are doing as not good are supposed to go to escape from all that and be enough or not measuring up so we have to do more who you truly are – enjoying and loving your life Amit Mitter (Reporter from Punjab, India) instead of being driven by our hearts and what we so you can recharge to go back and do it all over desire to do. Over time, this can lead to stress and again. This holiday season, instead of adding to Disclaimer Asia Today, LLC is not responsible depression but primarily because we have no goal in your pressures, by making sure you have the perfect for any claims made by advertisers mind. We are blindly working towards this concept house, the perfect dinner, the perfect décor, the nor does it endorse any product or services advertised in the paper. of measuring up without defining what measuring up perfect clothes, take a break and enjoy the holidays For concerns or questions related means to us. as they are meant to be enjoyed. Love, live, laugh to these advertisements, please We never stop to think why we are doing this or and spend time with your loved ones in a way that contact the business directly. realize that those that love us (friends, family, loved recharges you preparing you for the challenges you Asia Today, LLC also does not ones) are free of judgment and love you for who may encounter in the upcoming year. Wishing all our endorse any views presented by volunteer writers. Those views are you are so why are we so bent on measuring up to supporters, advertisers, volunteers, and readers a solely of the author and bear no our perceptions of their standards. In doing so, we very happy, relaxed, and stress-free holiday season indication to the views of Asia Today. are destroying the person we truly are – maybe the and looking forward to serving you all in the upcoming Please contact us at person that they originally loved and respected until 2016. Happy holidays! Asia Today, LLC that day comes where we start questioning who we -Deepa Kaur Walia PO Box 749 are. Because in trying to please others, we have lost Editor, Asia Today, Chandler, AZ 85244 [email protected] 480/ 250-2519 sight of ourselves. hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. For sale inquiries: [email protected] IThanksgiving with friends and Merry Christmas and Happy family! Holidays! For additional inquires/comments: Now since Christmas is around the -Manju Walia [email protected] Marketing Director corner, I like to wish you all a joyful NOTE [email protected] www.asiatodayaz.com www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz SIA • December 2014 ATODAY 5 December 1 to December 31 Only dine in December 1 to December 31 www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz www.asiatodayaz.com SIA Local Thoughts ATODAY 6 • December 2014 Happy Healthy New Year from Seniors ooking Ahead: The Senior Group Lwill not be meeting on upcoming Holidays as they are falling on Thursdays this year - Christmas December 25 and January 1st so that our members may enjoy holidays with their family. New Year Wishes: Senior Group member extends their best Wishes for a Healthy and a Happy New Year to Seniors of the Indo-American Community. Thanks for the Caring for Seniors: As we wind up year 2014, we extend our deep gratitude to the management of Indo-American community newspaper Asia Today for their support by dedicating valuable space in newspaper for communicating our activities and achievements to the local community. Our deep gratitude to the management of Indo-American Cultural and Religious helping to do all the necessary work - - is under Hospice care at home and days on mother earth. Foundation for organizing the Senior organizing activities, cooking, picnics, we wish him a well earned respect as Photo: Seniors promoting Healthy Group activities and making available publishing weekly and monthly reports, he symbolizes preservation of Indian Living practice - Sunday weekly the Indo-American Community Center etc. Senior Group coordinators culture by Indian Diaspora in alien hiking in South mountain Park; L to for our weekly meetings. Bhagubhai Patel and Lalitbhai Patel land for many generations. - visualize R Bhagubhai Patel, Babulal Mehta, Thanks you IACRF Board of deserves special thanks for their singing Hindi Bhajans and Bollywood Ramesh Patel, Kirit Desai, Mahendra Directors and specifically IACRF untiring efforts to keep the program songs when he does not understand Patel, Mahesh Shah, Meghji Patel, president Nate Bhadriraju. Also, Senior functioning all year along. and speak Hindi language or read and Lalit Patel, Devendra Majmundar and Group members like to extend heartfelt Member News: Our dear member write Devnagari script. We wish him Anjana Majmundar thanks to Senior Group volunteers Goberdhan Gokool - a native of Trinidad well deserved peace for his remaining by Bhagubhai Patel www.asiatodayaz.com www.facebook.com/asiatodayaz Local Thoughts SIA • December 2014 ATODAY 7 alala Yousafzai is a 16-year-old literacy rate and reduce the poverty MPakistani girl who lived in Min- which is the major reason why girls gora, the largest city in Swat Valley, Malala Yousafzai are not getting education. In order to Pakistan, and is someone very spe- Peace Prize just recently as well as these girls and give them the educa- further aid this horrible problem, she cial.