By Gaurav Rastogi

It is divine intention, then, that as I started my blog-meditations on the subject of “belief”, I am blessed by the coming out, so to speak, of several all-too-familiar shock-news stories about Godmen in India. And thus, this post was written, by the will of the creator!

I recently had a deep resoaking in traditional India. There, I realized just how deep is our urge to connect with something divine, and how far each of us is willing to go to believe. In my many recent trips to India, I have continued to be surprised by the prodigious rise of the Godman culture. There are TV channels, billboards, posters, pocket-calendars, internet darshans, blogs, temples, satsangs, and Youtube channels that proclaim the divinity of an alarming number of self-styled Babas, Gurus, Mahants, surplus Shankaracharyas, Swamis and other ochre-robed manifestations of divinity.

Not one to make fun of someone’s faith- and risk eternal hellfire and internet flames, I kept my opinions to myself so far. However, I suspect it’s well within reasonable limits to think about the reasons behind this phenomenon. What is driving it?

Believing in something is easier than knowing everything: First off, there is too much information in the world around us. I’ll research just how much in a future post, but we know that the scientific and information revolution in the last couple centuries has expanded the “information quantity” by several orders of magnitude. The human brain, unfortunately, has not kept pace. Hence, we have to limit ourselves to knowing only a fraction of the stuff that’s out there, and we have to believe the rest. That means, if someone is simplifying reality for me, he’s doing me a favor, and I must call him my Guru. Problem solved, no!

Everyone’s doing it: Belief is like the swine flu- it’s infectious. If my neighbors have it, and their neighbors have it, then I would be foolish not to have it! I start believing partly to fit in, and partly because it helps simplify my life (see above). Then, I become a vector of this belief and through my inspired anecdotes and miracles, I infect others with my belief.

A few good Godmen: Like honest politicians, not all Godmen are out to cheat, swindle, and defraud (Gawd! I love the Thesaurus). There are quite a few Godmen who are honest, and are interested in the public good. That’s what keep the engine moving. I think.

The long tail of spirituality: Think about it- with so many channels of information, you can find just the guru that you were looking for. You can get a north Indian guru, a south Indian guru, a pan-hindu guru, a post-hindu guru, a cancer-curing guru, a cute kid guru. There are all types of gurus out there, and with the information distribution that’s possible with TV and internet, each small niche will be fulfilled.

GodMan-liness is a scale business- big is better: If you read the news articles about the fake gurus, you will conclude-as I did- that there is a lot of money and power at stake here. All those lavish ashram’s need money to build, and all those news channels need content that they can play. The bigger a guru’s following, the more money they have, and the more they are likely to attract new followers and crowd out the smaller, local types. You know, the ones who cared about spirituality and other soft stuff!

Escalation of commitment: And finally, once you have taken a ride on a guru band-wagon, there’s no getting off. You have learnt their lingo, you have got into their community, you have attained the Guru’s blessings, and you have brought your friends and family into this circle. Now, what would you do if you found your Guru was a fake? You’d hush it, because there’s no way you can get off that juggernaut without getting trampled. You’ve joined into the lie.

Mo’ Money: As India gets richer, people (a) have more money to spend on spirituality (!), and (b) have more reason to try to prevent a slide back into the cesspool of poverty they recently climbed out of. This means good business for those that promise continued good fortune because, ahem, they have a direct line into you-know-who.

In sum, I would say this whole business is a Ponzi scheme. Think about it.
—
Here’s some news feeds to tell you more about the state of this business. No peeking, kids. This stuff is PG-13.

(Originally posted on http://rustus.blogspot.com. Check it out for more on Godman-liness and associated stories.)

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• According to the independent and non-partisan Congressional Budget Office,
people who get coverage through their employer today will likely see lower premiums.
• If you like the health plan you have, you will be able to keep it.
• The President’s proposal will strengthen the coverage you get at work by reining in the worst insurance company abuses.
• Nothing about the President’s proposal will interfere with the choice of doctors you have today, or cause you to change the coverage you have at work today.

“I OWN A SMALL BUSINESS.”
You won’t be required to provide health insurance to your employees, but if you choose to, new tax credits will make covering your employees more affordable.
You will also have access to a new insurance exchange to find the best deal, and the entire process will be simpler.

• The President’s proposal provides tens of billions of dollars in new tax credits to small businesses to make it easier for them to provide coverage if they choose to do so.
• You will be protected from sudden, arbitrary rate hikes because a worker gets sick; under the President’s proposal, insurance companies will no longer be permitted to base the cost of coverage on health status.
• The President’s proposal gives small business owners the leverage that big
businesses enjoy by allowing them to buy coverage through the exchange.

“I HAVE MEDICARE.”
Health reform protects Medicare. The President’s proposal makes Medicare
more financially secure and seniors who hit the prescription drug “donut
hole” will be protected from high costs for their medicines.

• Your guaranteed Medicare benefits will not be cut, and the Medicare Trust Fund will be extended for more than 9 years.
• In addition, you will have benefits you don’t have today: Preventive services like cancer screenings at no cost, and a substantial reduction in prescription drug prices if you fall into that gap in coverage known as the “donut hole.” Over time the proposal closes this coverage gap completely.
• Health insurance reform will not affect the choice of doctors you have today and it won’t affect your relationship with your doctor. The President’s plan aims to increase the number of primary care providers, giving you greater access to doctors than you have today.

“I DO NOT HAVE INSURANCE.”
You will have access to new insurance choices in the same insurance marketplace where all members of Congress will buy their insurance, receive tax credits to help you afford coverage if needed, and enjoy protections from insurance company abuses.

• For the first time in history, there will be limits on how much anyone will have to pay to receive health care coverage.
• If you need it, you will receive a tax credit to help pay for your coverage – part of the largest middle class tax cut for health care in history.
• Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to simply tell you “no.” They will be required to offer coverage regardless of your health status or because of pre-existing conditions, and they cannot jack up rates or drop you from your coverage when you get sick.

“I BUY MY OWN INSURANCE.”
There will be new protections from insurance company abuses, and tax credits will make coverage more affordable. You will have access to new insurance
choices in the same insurance marketplace where all members of Congress will buy their insurance.

• You will likely pay less—perhaps much less—than you do currently.
• In addition, many Americans buying coverage in the individual market will qualify for tax credits that reduce their premiums by an average of nearly 60 percent – and they will get better coverage than what they have today.
• Health insurance reform will limit what you have to pay out of pocket, a protection that does not exist today.
And for the first time, no one will be required to pay more than a set percentage of their income on health care coverage.

If you like what you see in the President’s plan above, spread the word and support reform.

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Perhaps we immigrants are inspired by the challenges our children go through to assimilate into this new culture and want to share stories from the war zone. (It certainly isn’t to become the next J.K. Rowling.)

Sanjiv Sinha took a techie approach to the problem of finding a publisher.

A father of 2 daughters from Dallas, Texas, software professional Sinha recalls making up stories for his 4-year-old a few years ago. The stories touched on the common issues faced by desi children in the US – joining a preschool where no one looks like you, bringing lunch that invokes laughter from your classmates, and so on.

The stories were the inspiration for Alisha’s World, a charming picture book revolving around the eponymous Alisha, perhaps a composite of Sinha’s kids Riya and Shibani, who the book is dedicated to. The book has 3 stories revolving around the third-grader Alisha and her experiences at school. Joining a new school at the start of the book, Alisha faces the typical cultural challenges of a second generation Indian American. She navigates them with the help of a loving family, understanding teachers, and good friends. The glossy book is illustrated beautifully by Archana Sreenivasan.

After exploring options of finding a US publisher or using an American self-publisher like Lulu or Amazon, the software professional eventually settled on outsourcing! Alisha’s World is illustrated and printed in India and sold in the US for $17.99.

The books have been a hit at local schools, where teachers have used them to teach valuable lessons on multiculturalism and diversity. To help things along, Sinha set up the Alisha’s World website, which features information about the book, fun games, and a way to purchase the book.  A Facebook page keeps fans updated on Alisha and her adventures.

The quality of the book notwithstanding, finding a mainstream audience has been difficult. Says Sinha, “I need to sell just 20,000 books per year to break even.” He is looking at the library and school market rather than individuals who, he admits, might be reluctant to dish out over 15 dollars for the 40-page book.

Sanjiv, Riya and Shibani

In the works is the second book of Alisha’s adventures. A typical story deals with Alisha’s request for a sleepover and her parents’ misgivings about this quintessential American ritual.

“I find this endeavor just so much more creatively satisfying than my day job,” laughs Sinha.

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When: March 27 & 28, 2010

Registration & Reception: 4:30pm – 5:45pm

Everyone is requested to be seated by 5:45pm

Saturday: 6pm – 9pm

Sunday: 5:30pm – 10pm

Where: USF Soccer Stadium, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33620 – USA

Website: http://www.mysticeye.org

A Rare Two-Day Event

From the caveman’s time when everything from the sound of thunder, rain, fire and floods were all too mystical, to present day where anything that is not within the tenets of rudimentary logic is a matter of scorn and ridicule, man has certainly come a long way.

Obsessed by the mundane and ensnared by the prowess of the logical, over centuries man has obliterated the mystical from his life. Yet, whether it is the process of birth or death, a miracle healing, enlightenment or mukthi, it is the realm of the mystic that rules the world of the seeker and existence.

Refracted through the mystic eye, a lens of exceptional insight and piercing clarity, our world is transformed into a realm of boundless possibilities. Join Sadhguru, perhaps the world’s most profound master, yogi and mystic alive today, on a rare two-day exploration of our existence beyond limited, material reality.

Mystic Eye offers an unprecedented glimpse of an expansive perception from which our most burning questions about the nature of life, death, enlightenment, and life-hereafter can be answered. This unified reality, which mystics have known for ages, modern quantum science now confirms.

Mystic Eye is an event for the thirsty. Sadhguru offers another perspective on the world you thought you knew and reminds you that there are indeed many more things on heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophies.

For more information about Sadhguru, see www.IshaFoundation.org

PROGRAM COST:

Regular: $250

Early Bird (until March 7): $225

Seniors (65+): $180

Full-time Students: $150

Groups(2-4): $225 each

Groups(5+): $200 each

Discounts cannot be combined. Must be 16 years or older to register.

Registration: http://mysticeye.org/registration

For questions or offline registration details:

Phone: 813-413-1661

Email: info@mysticeye.org

What is Mystic Eye?

Mystic Eye is a rare opportunity to be in the presence of Sadhguru, a yogi and profound mystic of our times. Let his free-spirited humor charm you; let his authentic accessible wisdom engulf you as he unveils the mysteries of life.

If you think he is someone who walks on water, who materializes things out of thin air, reads people’s mind, looks into a crystal ball and tells people what they did and what they ought to do, you are in for a surprise.

And if you think not, you are in for a bigger surprise.

In a manner that is candid, audacious and unpretentious, Sadhguru shatters conventional definitions of morality, religion and spirituality and provokes you to delve into spaces that are not for the faint-hearted.

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“Shreya Ghoshal & Group Live In Concert “

A Fundraiser for Sankara Eye Hospital, Punjab
Flint Center, Cupertino, CA
March 12, 2010. 7:30 p.m.

Mesmerized by the melody of ‘Bairi Piya’ ( Devdas) , ‘Yeh Ishq Hai’, (Jab We Met), ‘Dheere Jalna’ (Paheli) ? Lost in the tunes of ‘Barso Re’ (Guru) , ‘Jadu Hai Nasha Hai’ (Jism)?

Shreya Ghoshal is one of the most talended playback singers Bollywood has ever seen. With 4 National Awards and 4 filmfare awards, she is also the most awarded playback singers in the recent times.

Join SEF for an enticing evening with Shreya Ghoshal – Live in Concert, and support the great cause of eradicating curable blindness in India.

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On October 14, 2009, the Indian government’s Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) cleared the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) brinjal (eggplant, aubergine, baingan). For the first time a GM food crop was approved in India.

GEAC is an ad-hoc 30-member committee. Its members are mainly bureaucrats and scientists from state institutions. There is no other regulatory agency.

A huge uproar followed the announcement all across the country. Before we go into that, here are some basic facts.

The vegetable originated in India. Half a million hectares go under an annual baingan crop for an output of 8.4 million tonnes. We have a choice of nearly 200 varieties. The transgenic brinjal was developed by Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company) in collaboration with the US-based transnational, Monsanto. It involves the insertion of a gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis into the DNA or genetic code of the vegetable to produce pesticidal toxins in every cell.

You can imagine what the GEAC clearance meant. Once Bt brinjal was approved for commercial cultivation, there’s nothing to stop other GM food crops like rice, maize, soybean and sorghum from coming in through the open door. Bt brinjal means directly introducing a genetically engineered vegetable into India’s food chain. The silver lining was Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had publicly opposed GM foods only months ago.

Do we have experts talking on this? Yes, one is Professor P M Bhargava, biologist, GEAC’s only independent expert, appointed by the Supreme Court. Another is Biotechnologist Sultan Ismail of Chennai. They both say that a majority of the necessary bio-safety tests were skipped before the clearance was given. That in itself is a strong reason for refusing to approve Bt brinjal. We don’t know enough about the effects of insertion of alien genes on the recipient organism, about the risk of transfer of those genes to human organ systems or viruses and hence about the impact on human and animal health and the environment. (Read article by Praful Bidwai)

Intense opposition for Bt. brinjal came from several NGOs and state governments (Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal and Bihar). Two weeks ago, the government put on hold commercial cultivation of GM brinjal till such time independent scientific studies established, to the satisfaction of both the public and professionals, the safety of the product on human and animal in the long-term.

Why do we oppose it?
THREAT TO BRINJAL DIVERSITY
Genetic engineering should not be allowed in the “centre of origin” (of brinjal) as it could lead to the loss of original varieties by transgenic cross-pollination .
Counterview from Mahyco: “The origin of cultivated brinjal is uncertain, with differing views put forward by scientists . South America and Indo-China are thought to be areas of origin. India is considered a centre of diversity.”

TOXIN PUT IN BRINJAL NOT SAFE FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION
Bt brinjal is fatal to a pest called fruit-and-shoot borer. Some scientists question the premise that the Bt gene acts only in the alkaline environment found in the gut of insects. For, the human digestive system is acidic only in the stomach while the rest of it is alkaline. The study done by Mahyco on rats allegedly does not address possible human dangers such as cancer, infertility and kidney damage.
Counterview: The Bt gene breaks down during digestion into common amino acids, which are part of the normal diet and are neither toxic nor allergic.

PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
Bt brinjal has been developed for the first time anywhere in the world. Precautionary principle requires that its clearance should have been withheld because of the uncertainty and irreversibility of its long-term implications for health and environment .
Counterview from Mahyco: There is no cause for alarm over Bt Brinjal as Bt cotton, the GM crop introduced in India in 2002, “is already in our food chain” . For, about 11 lakh tons of Bt cotton oil is consumed annually by people, directly or through vanaspati. “As the Bt gene present in cotton is identical to that used in brinjal, there is a strong precedence for safety of the gene itself.”

NO LABELING AND LIABILITY REGIME
It is a matter of consumer choice. Introduction of Bt brinjal be put off till a mechanism of mandatory labeling is put in place. But then, how will GM food be labeled in a country where vegetables are not sold only in supermarkets? And how feasible is it to maintain the segregation from the field to the market? Worse, there is no law fixing liability in the event of contamination of non-Bt brinjal by the GM variety.

LEGALLY UNTENABLE

GM products, without proper labelling, was illegal and attracted penal action under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992.

SPURIOUS SEED TRADE
Asked about the possibility of spurious Bt brinjal seeds making their way into India, Ramesh said it was up to state governments to check this. “I hope we don’t see a repeat of Bt cotton where spurious and illegal Bt cotton seeds found their way into the market.”

“A moratorium implies rejection of this particular case of release for the time being; it does not, in any way, mean conditional acceptance,” said Jairam Ramesh. The decision followed his month-long public consultations in seven cities across the country. The opposition was loud, dramatic and acrimonious.

“I am not getting into any timeframe . . . the moratorium will continue for as long as it is needed to establish public trust and confidence,” JR said. He admitted that the current standards followed by GEAC in coming to its decision on Bt brinjal did not match with the global regulatory norms. “GEAC processes need to be changed and made more transparent,” he said.

A little bit of Google search will reveal the murky details of GEAC’s work with Bt brinjal. A PIL was filed by activist Aruna Rodrigues seeking a moratorium on GM crops. The Supreme Court was appalled to discover that the GEAC was rubberstamping recommendations made by the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM), a part of the Department of Biotechnology, promoter of GM crops.

I am not going into the details now, but it is enough to say that GEAC was pulled up for contempt of court. And Bhargava’s view on the incompleteness of the safety assessment was vindicated by the GEAC’s disclosure of another installment of raw data on the bio-safety of Bt brinjal on November 17, more than a month after it had already cleared the crop.

The moratorium is confined to Bt brinjal. It would not cover the issue of genetic engineering and biotechnology in agriculture. Still, it was a victory for the farmers and concerned NGOs who had opposed it.

Now we realize we breathed easy too early. The battle starts all over again. Science and technology minister Prithviraj Chavan is our opponent now.

Mr. Chavan seems to be fuming over the public rejection of Bt Brinjal. He will be introducing a GM bill to make it easy to legalize cultivation of bt. brinjal, rice, etc. What is interesting is the letter he has written in support of the GM crops. It in he has copied word for word paras from a study funded by biotech seed companies, including Monsanto. He has not included any public inputs in it. This letter representing commercial interests is now a part of the official documents being referred to by the Prime Minister’s office. Why has he done it?

And here is the alarming part:
Chavan’s bill would create a Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI), a small body of technocrats whose decisions cannot be questioned. If passed, this bill will deny the State governments’ rights to say no and BRAI will escape the purview of the Right To Information Act – both of which helped stop Bt Brinjal. The citizens of this country will never be able to stop genetic contamination of rice or any of the other food crops in the pipeline.

Check out http://epaper.expressbuzz.com/NE/NE/2010/02/26/ArticleHtmls/26_02_2010_001_010.shtml?Mode=1

Here’s something you can do about it.

Sign the petition to the Prime Minister of India and save our food from genetic contamination:

http://greenpeace.in/safefood/chavan-petition/

UPDATE: A message from Greenpeace India

More than 23,000 have signed the petition asking Prime Minister Singh to stop Prithviraj Chavan’s unconstitutional bio-tech bill.

We’ll deliver the petition to the PM, but now he needs to be pressurized further to get him to kill this bill.

Can you give the Prime Minister a call and ask him to stop Chavan’s bio-tech bill? When you call, you can say something like: “Minister Chavan has betrayed the public trust by doing the dirty work of bio-tech giants. The Prime Minister should throw out Chavan’s corrupt GM bill.” Here’s the number.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
Phone: +91-11-23012312

Then click here to let us know you called. Tracking the number of calls is key:

http://greenpeace.in/safefood/thanks-for-calling-the-pm/

You don’t need to be an expert to call. Just speak from the heart, and tell the PM’s office your opinion.

Mr. Chavan wrote a letter supporting Bt Brinjal, copied word for word from reports funded by bio-tech corporations like Monsanto, and now he has drafted the GM bill to cater to their interests.

In just the past week, Monsanto admitted that Bt Cotton — the only GM crop in India — has failed to stop pests,[1] but Chavan is still pushing for the BRAI bill.

Here’s how the bill would make it easier to approve Bt Brinjal and other genetically modified foods:

* The bill would create a small body of technocrats who take the final decision on the genetic tampering of brinjal, rice, and more. There is no place for public opinion, State governments, other ministries, or any elected representatives like panchayats.[2]
* The science and technology ministry is already responsible for promoting GM crops. It would be a conflict of interests for the same ministry to regulate GM crops.
* The bill has provisions to imprison and fine people who raise concerns on GM crops.[3]
* The National Campaign for People’s Right to Information states that the bill subverts the Right to Information (RTI) act by letting the authority decide what information can be disclosed to the public, instead of the Central Information Commission of the RTI act. The bill thus overrides the powers of the commission which is an impartial body to decide public interest.
* The biotech corporations automatically get a seat in the advisory councils of the very body that’s supposed to regulate them.

Give Dr. Singh a buzz and tell him to save your food and your rights. The Prime Minister is accountable to all citizens of our country, so your voice can create change. Call him now:

Thanks a billion!

Picture courtesy woodleywonderworks via creative commons.

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Audition Call

Tughlaq
(Hindi/Urdu)
a play by Girish Karnad

Show Dates
June 10 – 20, 2010, in San Jose

About The Play
Muhammad Bin Tughlaq (1325–1351) is widely regarded as the most eccentric sultan to ever rule Delhi. He has been variously depicted as a genius and a fool, a compassionate ruler and a cruel monarch held captive by his whims. Girish Karnad’s masterpiece, Tughlaq, selects the most interesting incidents from the sultan’s life to illustrate the enigma that Tughlaq remains for historians to this day.

Audition Details
Time: (see Audition Format below)
Date: March 7, 2010
Location: 5216 Meridian Ave (Meridian Villas)
San Jose, CA 95118
Phone: 408-518-1792

Roles
Group 1: Indian female, 50-75
Group 2: Indian male, 45-60
Group 3: Indian male, 18-50

Audition Format
RSVP to manish@naatak.com with your name and group. Mention previous theater experience if you have any.
You will receive a confirmation by email, giving you a slot between 1 and 3 pm.
Come prepared with a monologue in Hindi/Urdu (2-5 minutes) that need not be original but must involve
some movement (i.e. don’t deliver a speech).
Come five minutes BEFORE your given time.
If you are shortlisted, you will be called back at 4 pm the same afternoon.
Roles will be announced the same evening.

RSVP
An RSVP is required to attend the audition.
RSVP to manish@naatak.com with your name and group

Production Team
We are looking for people who can join our production team (sets, lights, sound, make-up, visual design,
photography, sales, publicity and marketing). Please contact Pradeep Gupta (pradeep@naatak.com)

Rehearsal Schedule
Rehearsals will start almost immediately on weekends (both days) and one day during the week.
In June, there may be up to 4 rehearsals per week.

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A lot of readers have said, ‘Ok so you moved to India, and you’ve told us it’s not that bad. Great, so what?’ They’ve asked me how I’ve coped, how I handle the poverty around me, how I adjust to the social scene here, and how I’ve adapted in the work environment.

I have done all of the above, but it has taken time, more time than I could have imagined. How I’ve managed to do it? With a positive attitude. It sounds cliché, but that’s the honest to God truth. I won’t be able to answer how I accomplished all of those things in one go, but here’s one for starters.

When I started college I quickly realized all of the people in my school were your typical rich Delhi folk. They drove around in fancy cars, wore huge sunglasses, were probably a few years older than me, and never came to class. Needless to say I really didn’t have many friends in college. The few students that did end up coming to class once in a while, either conversed in Hindi (and my Hindi is probably as good as Katrina Kaif’s in her first few movies- no offense, I’m a fan, I love her) or thought I was a total weirdo/loser since I attended each and every single class without fail.

So yes it was tough, and initially I thought, I was going to be such a loner and my only friends in college would be my professors. Luckily that didn’t happen. I managed because I found people that I could relate to – outside of college.

I joined the American Women’s Association in Delhi (men have no fear; you are allowed to join as well.) It’s an organization that allows you to interact with other Americans who are working, or going to school mostly in the NCR area. Being part of the organization makes you feel at home, because you’re doing things that you would do if you were in the States. They organize all sorts of activities from 4th of July BBQs, to Easter Egg Hunts, as well as events for a cause, like the annual ‘Walk For Life’ which I was privileged to have been part of.

All your major cities will have some sort of expat community. In Bangalore there’s the Overseas Women’s Club, in Mumbai there’s the American Women’s Club – yes they all have the word ‘Women’ in it, but men can and do join as well.

I’ll also go ahead and say that though some of my really close friends are parts of these organizations- I can’t spend all of my time in the expat community. For starters, you’ll go broke, because they tend to wine and dine at the five star hotels and restaurants, and secondly you can’t always relate entirely because at the end of the day they may not have any sort of cultural ties to this country, but you do.

India is not the same place we use to visit as kids; there are plenty of people like us working, volunteering, studying or just living life here. You just have to make the effort to find them, and when you do you’ll be able to talk to them and share stories and frustrations – which funnily enough will make your stay here enjoyable.

Also, you really need to start looking at the whole experience as one big adventure. That’s how you will get through this, and that’s how you will be able to have happy memories of India. I’m not saying that life isn’t serious, and that there aren’t serious issues that you will eventually have to deal with, but if you look at it from a different angle, you’ll relieve some of the stress you’ve started to carry with you.

Yes the infrastructure isn’t ideal, and there are cows on the road, there are huge buses with way too many people in them, there is pollution all over, there are places that smell bad, there are drivers that drive like maniacs (how many drivers have you seen with glasses on- you’re telling me they all have 20-20?), there are people who cross the road when they shouldn’t, vagera vagera. Seriously, my advice is to look at it as one big game of Mario Kart.

I’ll never forget one winter morning in Delhi. My Mom and I were taking our daily stroll around the building and we saw my brother walking towards us. Apparently he had missed his bus. Now, my brother is like me, he enjoys going to school and getting full attendance. We decided to follow the bus route and catch it ahead.

We call my Dad from the lobby and tell him to bring the keys to the car. We get into our inherited dark blue Maruti 800 (which if you ask me, really does look like one of those cars in Mario Kart), and were on our way. First road block, the water tanker, conveniently unloading water when we need to get out. After twiddling our thumbs for 2 minutes we’re on our way. Next road block, traffic light, which refused to turn green, “Come on man, come onnnnnnnn,” another 3 minutes, and we’re on our way again. Driving, driving, bumpy road – no shock absorbents on this baby! Watch out for the pothole, Dad I think we lost a wheel! Now we see the bus! Yes, we’re almost there, hmm why is the traffic moving so slow? A big, brown cow!  Can anything be more clichéd?

Jai Ho, now get out of the way, ah we see the bus it’s pulling into someone’s building, we made it!! Brother goes to open door- but the door doesn’t open (really really old Maruti 800.) Mom opens door up and there goes brother, on his way to school, backpack, brown bag lunch and all.

See, there were two ways of looking at the situation. With my backseat commentary the full way, I’d have to say that this experience is probably one that my family and I will take with us for a long time, and we can look back and laugh at it. We could have looked at it as a problem. Mom and I didn’t get to do our exercise, Dad didn’t get to have his morning tea, the car probably got a few extra dents in it, the roads were bad, and we were driving around in this crappy car when we were used to driving around in Fords and Toyotas our whole life, but that was all irrelevant at that time.

Be IN the moment, as a wise guru once said. You have to enjoy it – live it and be there- nowhere else. Stop comparing. In America it may be like this or that, and that’s great, but you live in India right now, focus on that. Philadelphia cream cheese costs about 500 rupees, which is insane; it’s however also the same amount that I believe people pay in the States for a bag of namkeen.

There are days where you will curl up into a ball and just cry your heart out- think about how life used to be, where your life has taken you now. If you didn’t have those days I’d wonder a little about you, it’s only human to have those feelings. Crying helps, but I get up the next morning or maybe it takes me a few days, and I realize not everyone gets to do this. Not everyone gets to move to a place like India and live life, heck not many people even get to see India.

You can go on living life here and constantly imagine how wonderful your life would be in the States. How you’d go out and party at night, how you’d be able to drive around by yourself, how easy it would be to get work done and how customer service is excellent, how your apartment would look, and how you’d have a dishwasher. Try to live IN India – with your mind and body. Life isn’t exactly a cake walk in the States either.

Give it time, let it grow on you, and only then will you be able to finally find your comfort zone. How you manage also depends on you, and your personality. But yes, being positive and making lemonade when life hands you lemons, in my view, will help your journey be all the smoother.

Picture courtesy Foxypar via Creative Commons

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I attended the conference last year and found it a wonderful experience. The speakers were interesting and it was great to see what creative pursuits the South Asian women in the Bay area were up to. The hall was packed, as I recall.

The purpose of this year’s event is also to bring together women from all over the Bay Area to share knowledge, meet new people and more importantly have fun. As they put it, ‘Everyday each of us juggles the hectic demands of home, family and work. Let’s take a moment for ourselves to celebrate who we are and define our own future.”

Buy your tickets today at www.narika.org to get the early bird discount.

The Keynote Speaker is Rennu Dhillon, Founder and CEO, Genius Kids

A well known Bay Area resident & community activist, Rennu has been in the United States since 1986. She is the founder of Genius Kids – www.geniuskidsonline.com and Miss.Rennu Online – first worldwide interactive early learning website - www.missrennuonline.com. Genius Kids was started by Rennu Dhillon in the San Francisco Bay Area, with its first center in Fremont in 2001. Today it boasts 5 centers in Fremont, CA. Rennu and her center have won numerous awards. In 2009 Rennu was a finalist of the American Business Awards for the Fastest Growing Women owned Company.

The workshops cover various topics that are important to today’s women:

1. Kahaani ghar ghar kii: Building bonds that last

How do you nurture the relationships that mean the most to you? A look at our relationships – enjoying the good times and navigating the more difficult ones.

Speakers:

Manasi Rana is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist with Kaiser Permanente in San Jose. She completed her Bachelors in Medicine and Surgery (M.B.B.S) from Madurai Medical College in India and her Residency and Post Doctoral Fellowship from Stanford University Medical Center, CA.

Naheed Sheikh has a doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Wright Institute, Berkeley, CA. She has been involved with Narika for over a decade. Her passion is working with issues of urban poverty, chronic trauma, grief and loss. Naheed has experience working with children, individual adults, couples and families.

Kalpana Asok is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a practice in Cupertino. Kalpana Asok works from the perspective that understanding the roots of stress in relationships is essential to making posiitive changes in life, love and work. Her focus is on Family, Stress, and Work-life Balance.

Shanta Jambotkar is a social worker in San Francisco. She is currently at an agency called Support for Families, working with parents who have children – birth to 5 years old – with special needs and developmental disabilities. Shanta completed her Master of Social Work (MSW) at the University of Michigan in 1998. She volunteers for Narika and previously served on their Board of Directors. She also volunteers for Trikone, an organization for LGBT people of South Asian descent. She lives in San Francisco with her partner and son.

2. Choice of
Paisa Vasool: Managing your money’s worth

How do you protect our assets and build on what we have? Take a more active interest in your personal and your family’s finances.

Speakers:

Saadia Ahmed runs her financial planning practice in affiliation with Waddell and Reed. A seasoned professional in the financial services industry with over 11 years of experience, she has an MBA in Finance, is a Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor, a Registered Representative and an Investment Advisor Representative. She is the Chair for OPEN Silicon Valley Women Forum, dedicated to the promotion of entrepreneurship and leadership in the women of South Asian-American business community.

Helen Pastorino is the founder and President of Pertria, a real estate investment firm in Los Gatos, California. She is the Founder and past President of Alain Pinel Realtors with billions in annual sales. Before that she was Regional Vice President for Fox and Carskadon managing 1 billion in sales. Helen has been licensed in Real Estate for over 30 years

Javed Ellahie the founding partner of Ellahie & Farooqui, LLP located in San Jose, California. The firm handles bankruptcy, estate planning, trust & probate matters. The firm also handles profit and non-profit corporate matters. Mr. Ellahie has over 30 years of experience as an attorney.

OR
Bas it na sa khwab hai: Getting the big picture on small business

How do you start your own small business? Hear from those who have and learn about what it takes to make the dream a reality.

Speakers:

Sukhi Singh, founder of Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Foods, is the mastermind behind the company’s innovative Indian food products and services. A former teacher with a Masters degree in English literature from Delhi University, Sukhi came to the United States with her husband via the United Kingdom. Once here, she gave up teaching for a career that combined her passion for good Indian cooking with her entrepreneurial zeal. Today, Sukhi’s management team at Sukhi’s Gourmet Indian Foods includes her husband and three children but she still plays an active role in all aspects of the business, including production, new product development, and marketing.

Shashi Lal is a well qualified and a widely traveled individual with over 35 years of experience in Early Child Education. She is the owner and Director of Springfield Montessori school with two campuses in the Bay Area. Throughout her teaching career she felt the children in Early Childhood were not getting the full benefit of the education for several reasons. She felt she could, and had to, remedy this situation.  In 1990 she decided to start her own school to provide the children with an education model that met all their needs and brought excellence in Early Childhood Education.

Teresa Powell is the Executive Vice President at Focus Business Bank. She is part of the Executive Management team at the bank. She has spent her entire banking area working in Santa Clara county.

3. Choice of

Aage ki soch: Charting your career

How do you stay ahead of the competition at the workplace? Plan your career while you still make time for the people and things you love.

Speakers:

Dilip Saraf is a Career and Life Coach and has been voted LinkedIn’s #1 Career Coach. Dilip’s specialty is reinvention and he has pioneered the concept of an Inductive Résumé, which helps clients take their career from the known to the unknown. Together, with his genius-discovery tool (Unique Skills), Inductive Résumé, and forward-looking messages, Dilip has made several breakthroughs in how professionals should project their message and manage their careers through compelling verbal branding. Dilip has authored five books and has published articles in Harvard Business Review, Chief Executive, and other publications. Dilip holds degrees from IIT-B and Stanford.

Reena Mittal is a human resources professional from hi-tech having lead global staffing efforts in companies such as Cisco, eBay and Google. She is currently pursuing a career in Counseling Psychology including career counseling.  She has an MBA from University of Minnesota, an MHR (Marters in Human Resources) from Univ of South Carolina and is currently pursuing a Masters in Counseling Psychology.

OR

Man ke manjeere: Finding your groove

How do you give vent to your creative urges? Think about channeling the creative instincts into a creative enterprise

Speakers:

Paawan Kothari is the founder and CEO of Green Coriander, LLC. After 12 years in corporate world, Paawan brought together her passion for sustainability and healthy lifestyle with her desire for social entrepreneurship to start this venture. Paawan’s first entrepreneurial experience started with The Chai Cart in Aug ‘09 when she decided to sell chai as a street vendor in San Francisco. Paawan has an MBA from INSEAD and is a seasoned hi-tech marketer and strategist.

Sheetal Sahni Singhal is one of the founders of MeeraMasi. At MeeraMasi the mission is to create curiosity about the languages, traditions and culture of India through a variety of high-quality products including books, audio CDs, DVDs and interactive toys.Sheetal also authors some of the MeeraMasi beginner book series. She is a trained classical dancer and teacher, Sheetal is well respected in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her dance school, SThree Productions specializes in semi classical, folk/free style dancing.

Laxmi Natarajan is an award winning Bay area based artist and art instructor who has been painting for 13 years. She works with water colors and Chinese Brush Paintings to create organic and elegant paintings.She is also the founder and owner of the landscape design company – Bagicha which does residential garden designs, horticultural consultations and retails succulent plants

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RANA is celebrating SF Bay Area’s biggest HOLI 2010 at Bay Lands Park, Sunnyvale

WHAT: Celebrate Holi 2010 with RANA

WHEN: Saturday Mar 6th 2010  11 AM – 3 PM

WHERE: Sunnyvale Baylands Park, 999 E Caribbean Dr, Sunnyvale, CA

DETAILS: Featuring DJ Shrem,authentic Rajasthani lunch, Thandai, tons of colors, and just a whole lot of fun

TICKETS: Early Bird prices until Feb 28th,  Adults $5 Children $2, at RANA.org
MORE INFORMATION: www.rana.org or call 408.63.INDIA

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