By Rohini Mohan
Teena Arora, co-owner of CurrySutra, conducts cooking classes around the Bay Area, while educating her students on the wonders of vegetarian cooking and the health benefits of the Indian spice pantry. She has experience from the ground-up in the food business, having been hostess, waitress and manager/supervisor at her parent’s restaurant in the Midwest. Who says that the dhaba-esque flavors of Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Di Roti cannot tempt the tastebuds of the stereotypical meat and potatoes kinda guy? Hey, you can’t knock till you’ve tried it, right? Continue reading
By Vidya Pradhan
Stepping into Swati Couture’s tiny studio in Milpitas is like entering a fairy tale world, shimmering and sparkling with color. All around you are gorgeous dresses embroidered intricately and embedded with gems and sequins. Even at first glance it is evident that this is not one of your run of the mill desi outfit store, but a place for the princess in you.The creator of this magical queendom is Swati Kapoor, designer and style entrepreneur. She gives me a mini tour of the studio and I am captivated. The first stop is the hand painted sari line, developed specially for a fashion exhibition at the Pleasanton library. Each sari is like a painting, with detailed images of temples and other Indian icons. The work is astonishing, unique. “What about repeat value?” I ask her. “These are pieces that people wouldn’t forget.” “If you want repeat value, buy a t-shirt from Gap!” is her acerbic reply. Continue reading
Indian-Americans today are considered a “model” immigrant community – we are well educated and have made tremendous inroads in several areas. As a young community, we have been inward-focused – on us as individuals, on the family and children and a close circle of friends. It is only recently that we have started to be involved in School PTAs and other school related outreach efforts. Despite the fact that we think of ourselves sometimes as being “temporary citizens” in this country – with the dream of going “back home” soon, we are here. And we need to get involved in merging with the mainstream community. There are several ways to be involved in the communities we live in.
Global warming, shlobal warming! I refuse to be despondent about the future of a species that can be crammed into progressively smaller and smaller spaces over longer and longer periods of time and still be able to smile at the end of it. I am referring of course to our 7 hour flight to Newark, New Jersey on a trip to the Rocking Horse Ranch(RHR).
You hear the controller say “Cessna 4-3-0-2-Lima, Runway 27, cleared for take off.” You turn around to make sure your passengers are all belted in. “Ready to fly?” you ask. They nod eagerly. The next few seconds are a bit of a blur – the rapidly increasing sound of the engine, racing down the runway till suddenly all that seems to fade away as the aircraft gracefully leaves the ground beneath it. You look down at the little planes dotting Oakland airport as they get smaller, and then suddenly you hold your breath – just beyond the boundary of the airport, the magnificent structure of the Oakland Arena and Coliseum have come into view – your once-in-a-lifetime experience of a flying tour of San Francisco Bay has begun! 
13 year old Vivek Ramakrishna moved to the Bay Area from Madison, Wisconsin last summer. Leaving your friends, your home, your school, your comfort zone and move half way across the country can definitely cast a cloud over your life. But Vivek soon discovered the silver lining – that the Bay Area is a veritable paradise for the table tennis buff.By Vidya Pradhan
Imagine your backyard as a canvas. The flowers and the greenery provide the color while the architectural details form the composition of the painting. If you have a vision for your garden and want help transforming it into a work of art, then Laxmi Natarajan of Bagicha is the artist for you.
The after school Hindi program is run by the US Hindi Association (USHA), the brainchild of Prerana Vaidya and Ruchita Parat.
Growing up in India, dancing Bharathanatyam was part of my life and spirit. At first it was forced on me by my mom. After several teachers and my mom’s failed attempts at motivating me to be the famous dancer that she could never be, we hit the jackpot with my aunt.
I learned early on that there were no special privileges for being a ‘niece’. I had to call her aunty or ‘ma’am’ like the rest and there was a line of reverence that you never crossed. Well, never say never!
Water, No Ice 