Desi American Central

Been a While Huh?

2011-05-02T15:23:00.005-04:00

Wow its been a long time since I last posted an entry in this blog. The last time I posted an entry was in the summer of 2010 and here I am in the summer of 2011 posting again. Lot's has changed during this time frame. I feel like I have lived a thousand lives since then. Actually, I feel very much like Alice in the 'Alice in Wonderland' who fell down this rabbit hole and went through a series of interesting adventures till she found her way back home. Except in my case the adventures have just begun and I am long way from home. My husband and I have separated based upon irreconcilable differences. Neither he nor I are bad people. In fact, I will go out on the limb to say he is a wonderful man and one day some woman will be very lucky to have him as her life partner. He is a great provider, a wonderful father, and a very faithful man. It's just that we both have too many personality differences between us that just did not allow for a harmonious and peaceful existence. We did, however, make two beautiful, intelligent, and talented children together. It's funny how my boys have grown up so much and are actually more mature than I am, LOL! What is funny is that my husband (can't call him my ex yet because technically we are still married) get along more now than we ever did before. Wow, talk about TMI=To Much Information! Ah who cares! This blog is about being nothing but personal so that we can learn from each other and about each other. I am an open book anyways so deal with it ;)! Oh, BTW=By the Way I am currently a red head and simply loving it! I know red is not the usual shade that most women go for in the summer but I was never known for being usual, LOL! The short haircut in the picture has changed. I, now have longer hair which you can check out in my profile section of the blog. Oh, and did I mention I, also, have an under lip piercing? Scandalous! Shame on me, LOL! And wait, wait, I have, also, lost 30lbs. to date! Woo hoo! I am on the track to regain my lost figure. YES, Avi is back and she will be blogging again for your reading pleasure. Please pass the word around and help me increase my readership :) Thank you and God bless :)!

Summer Adventures 2010: 4th of July in Mathews County, VA

2010-08-08T15:24:00.000-04:00

My quest for summer adventures 2-4 hours drive away from my home reached a feverish pitch around this 4th of July when I decided that I wanted to explore yet another lighthouse along with my family. I planned, yet, another day trip with my husband and kids to Mathews County, VA. I had contacted a very nice lady at the County's Visitors Center who agreed to leave me copies of tourism guides at a local restaurant that would be open on 4th of July if I let her charge it to my credit card over the phone. She even searched for places around the area where I could possibly rent a motorboat to use on the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, the closest boat rental was about one hours away. I prepared fresh sesame noodle salad and chickpea salad for the picnic and we picked up a yummy platter of Asian Chicken wraps and Boston Cream cake from Costco for the lunch. My husband packed a cooler filled with chilled bottled water and coke cans for the kids. I made sure to take plenty of bug spray and sunscreen for the trip. The drive to Mathews County got interesting as we got closer to it. We stopped on our way over to the county at a cute little shop selling lawn and garden decorations. It was interesting how the shopkeeper had left so much of the merchandise outside the front lawn without a care in the world while the shop, itself, was closed. I guess it is true what they say about small towns being safer and more carefree after all! Much to my glee we saw many abandoned broken down houses along the way. I love taking pictures of such homes. To me each abandoned home has a unique story of its own waiting to be explored and told. We reached the main town around 12pm. It was quite a hot and muggy day. The first thing we noticed when we reached Mathews County is that it is very tight knit and closed community. All local eyes were on us the moment we walked into the restaurant to pick up the package that the visitor centers' lady had left for us. It felt like we were transported back into old south where the black man better leave once the sun sets down. There was not a single non-white soul seated at the table of the only local restaurant open on the 4th of July weekend. The only person who made an effort to be nice and welcoming to us was a young lady behind the counter who happens to be probably in her late teens. I knew I had made a bad choice for a day trip with my family after getting a spiritless reaction from one of the locals when I asked them if there was anything worth seeing in town. Still not willing to give up just yet I kept telling my family to be patient and wait till we get to the county's Bethel Beach described as being an, "enormously glorious [uncrowded] beach" on the goingoutside.com website. It was a crappy, icky, and absolutely muddy beach. I couldn't stand to walk there more than five minutes. I could even see mosquitoes jumping around some areas of the marsh. I was so terribly annoyed to have to wash all the sand off my feet and shoes once I got the car. It was so not worth the trouble to drive all the way over to Mathews County and my kids made it worst by constantly reminding me how much they were not enjoying the trip. I felt more relaxed once we got to the local grocery store where I washed the sand off entirely off my feet. We figured we might as well go check out the lighthouse I had read about since we were stuck there anyway. The store manager told us about another beach in the area that the kids might enjoy after all! So before we drove on over to check out this new beach we were told about, we decided to get the New Point Comfort Lighthouse out of the way first. We must have driven around for hours before we found it at last only to discover how hard it is to see it from the so called observation deck. Fortunately, my camera has a very good optical zoom which made it easier for me to capture the lighthouse from the distance we were standing at. It was cool to see so many people in their private boats hovering near the lighthouse on the lazy 4th of July afternoon. One thing that struck me most about Mathews County is the lack of clear signs pointing the first time visitors towards the so-called beautiful spots they claim they would like us to see during our visit to their community. It is so easy to get lost driving around in an endless loop before your find your destination. Never mind that you will not be able to spot a single soul for miles around to help point you in the right direction. Don't even think about knocking the door of one of the friendly local residents for help because so many of them have 'no-trespassing' signs posted all over their lawns. We even found one road that warned visitors not to drive through it unless they lived in the area or were invited by one of the residents living there. The sign went on to say that the road was protected by the law and you would be punished if caught trespassing on it. We did, however, end up driving through the road because we were so badly lost only to discover a long row of average looking American houses by the water. What in the world are these folks protecting? Or what is it that these folks are trying to keep out? I still wonder. Fortunately, for us we did not get arrested for using that particular road and, actually, found someone nice enough to give us directions to the lighthouse. Well, after getting fed up with staring at the barely visible lighthouse we finally hit the Haven Beach, the so-called kid friendly beach! Unfortunately, my husband and I forgot to bring along our own swimsuits but we jumped into water anyways after watching my kids having fun along with a few others who were there. I must admit that this was the most fun we had in Mathews County all day. Once I got over the quesyness of stepping into the murky seaweed ridden waters of the painfully rocky beach it wasnt' so bad after all! The waves helped us cool down and made up for the rest of the sucky day. We stayed there till the sun went down and drove back home in our very wet clothes. We all hit the showers the moment we got home and spent the rest of the night lighting up fireworks we had bought to celebrate the 4th of July. My family and I give this trip a 2/5 stars. Note to self, don't get so excited when you next hear the word untouched and pristine beach. There is a reason why it is not so popular with the tourists, LOL! BTW for those of you who might be wondering if having a GPS might have helped avoid getting lost on the Mathews County roads, we did have a GPS and an iPhone but these modern gadgets do not work in Mathews County as we, ourselves, found out.

Summer Adventures 2010: Solomons Island, MD

2010-07-16T02:25:00.001-04:00

This summer I have promised myself to stop being a couch potato and to go out with my family on little adventure trips about 2-4 driving hours away from home. I intend to give my children a memorable summer vacation this year around. I use google maps to randomly select a few areas to explore and then I conduct further online research to see if it might be worth a trip. On June 27, 2010, a lazy Sunday afternoon, I decided to pack a cooler filled with chilled water bottles, ice-cream and a few snacks for me and my kids to enjoy during our first summer road trip to Solomons Island located in Calvert County, Maryland. We started our journey on the highway around 4:00pm that day. It took us about two and a half hours to reach our destination. Boy, what a sight! Solomons Island is a picturesque fishing town community where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Patuxent River. My long held fascination for lighthouses is one of the main reasons why I chose to go to Solomons Island. The drive to the island is nothing to rave about, but you'll be taken aback by the splendid beauty of the place once you get there! Since the days are longer in summer, we had plenty of time to explore the island even though we arrived there by 6:30pm. Being that it was a Sunday evening, we did not have to contend with huge crowds. My kids and I walked the boardwalk and enjoyed the view of the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge situated atop the river. We were treated to a local ladies church choir singing under the cool and shaded gazebo near the boardwalk. Few people were boating, jet-skiing, and sailing on the river under the clear blue sunny skies. The kids and I drove deeper though the private streets on Solomons Island and were awed to see tiny little houses situated right along the banks of the river, each home with its own private front lawn leading directly to its own private boating dock. It felt like a guilty pleasure to drive through the very narrow and quiet streets because of the no trespassing signs posted everywhere. Just imagine waking up each morning and simply walking across your front lawn and sipping tea while sitting under the shady trees overlooking the river. Sigh! As we drove around the area we were lucky enough to spot an area right next to the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Science where we could park our car and get out to enjoy the beautiful island. Later on we checked out the Calvert Marine Museum where the Drum Point Lighthouse (1883-1962) is, also, situated. We could not check out all of the museum exhibits since it was after hours, but we got to explore many parts of the museum all by ourselves without a single soul interrupting us. I was amazed to notice the proximity of homes to the museum and the lighthouse. Everywhere I looked there were homes with their boats docked on the island waters. The boats are a normal part of the island residents much like the cars are an ordinary part of most of us living in the city. One of the restaurants in this quaint little fishing town, also, features the menu of one of the Hell's Kitchen chefs. My kids and I spent the rest of the evening watching the sunset and we drove back home late at night. The best part of this whole trip is that it didn't cost much to have fun with my children. It would have been nice to have rented a boat of our own had my husband had been there with us. Nonetheless, my kids gave this trip 5 stars and couldn't stop telling their father about what a wonderful time they had once they got back home.

My Dream Bedroom

2010-05-24T22:39:00.002-04:00

I am a very creative person who likes constant change. I am never satisfied with just one particular style. I tend to see my projects as a work in progress. There is always room for improvement. After having experimented with countless looks for my bedroom I have, now, fallen in love with the old world romantic charm. I have just added a new wrought iron canopy bed to my room. I was lucky enough to find a three neutral color curtains lying around my home. I carefully draped the two curtains behind the headboard and tied them with one of my scarves which I have not used in the longest time. But what to do with the footboard side? I only had one more curtain left to use on this side and that would have left one side of the front side bare. Well, this is where my creativity kicked in. I carefully draped my one curtain on the front of the canopy and viola! A totally unique and gorgeous look. I have strategically placed a mahogany wood console behind my bed on which I have placed a elegant blue willow lamp, a small artificial cactus, and my digital telephone. On the wall facing my bed I have added a deep mahogany dressing table which is adorned with my kids game systems and my perfumes. Instead of placing the usual mirror on top of the dresser I have, instead, had my LCD TV installed on the wall. What did I do with the mirror that goes with the dresser? Well I placed it behind the console table behind my bed which adds an interesting element to the room's interior. The windows behind my bed are covered with neutral colored curtains hung on cherry wood rod with round finials. At the moment the walls are bare and still need to be worked on. I am not sure what I am going to do with them yet. I promise to tell you once I figure it out ;)!

A Very Indian Deepika Padukone

2010-05-16T13:12:00.001-04:00

Gotta give two thumbs up to Ms. Deepika Padukone for sporting a gorgeous saree designed by Rohit Bal at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, May 13, 2010. Now lets take look at the former Ms. World (1994) and the current Bachchan bahu, Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Not once did she don the very elegant and extremely beautiful Indian attire in front of foreign audiences in the Canne Film Festival. Keep in mind that Deepika is still a relative newcomer to the Bollywood scene, whereas Aishwarya has long established a presence in both the Indian and International scene. It is interesting to see how Deepika is not afraid to openly and proudly show her Indian heritage to the whole world, whereas the so-called traditional Bachchan bahu is still shying away from doing the same. Or perhaps, she is just too proud to wear Indian clothes. Anyways, I admire Deepika Padukone for gracing the French red carpet in her full Indian colors. Kudos to Deepika. May God bless her with even more success and shame on you Aishwarya!

Give some TLC to your skin

2010-05-06T10:13:00.001-04:00

Do you love the way your skin looks now? Do you want to keep it looking that way? Do you have bad skin? Do you want to improve it? Do you worry about getting wrinkles? Well, I have three words for you. Exfoliate, Tone, and moisturize. As we get older, our skin loses collagen, an important skin protein, resulting in lost firmness, elasticity, moisture and radiance. What this means is that our skin is more prone to lasting wrinkles and dullness. There are many expensive and inexpensive skincare products out there in the market today that promise to help us slow down and reverse visible aging. Perhaps, like my mother you don't have the time and/or energy to go through the lengthy beauty regimen each day and night. Or maybe you don't really want to spend huge amount of money on skincare products. Whatever you may think right now, believe me one day you will be glad to have developed one basic skincare habit I am about to share with you now. You need to invest in a good facial scrub (an exfoliant), face toner, and a good face moisturizer with at least SPF15 strength. It is very important for you to exfoliate your skin at least once a week in order to remove dead skin off your face. Then, follow up with a toner. Put a few drops of the toner on a cotton ball and gently rub it all over your face. Using a toner helps to remove any leftover skin impurities and excess oil off your face. Plus, some toners even help to minimize and tighten the large pores. Toners prep your skin for the final and ultimate step, the moisturizer! A good SPF15 moisturizer helps seal in moisture and protect the skin from the harmful effects of sun and harsh climate. This is what is essential in preventing and slowing down wrinkles. The earlier you develop this good habit the better, highly recommended for people in their thirties.

Desi Gone Blonde!

2010-04-01T01:43:00.004-04:00

Folks I have broken one of my own fashion rules yet again. About two weeks ago, yours truly has gotten blonde highlights ! I was one happy camper when my stylist unveiled my new golden locks in the salon, but the confidence began to wear off once my husband responded lukewarmly to my new summer shade. I immediately called my stylist begging for her to change my hair color back to a darker shade, but she asked for me to wait for at least a week before making any further changes. Well, I am glad that for once I did not act impulsively and decided to give the new hair color a chance. Now that my blonde highlights have settled in after being washed regularly for a few weeks, the shade has begun to show its true beauty. I love my blonde highlights. I know its not common for desi women to flaunt such a shade, but I feel like being different. The blonde highlights make me feel light and airy and in the end it is my opinion that really matters. So I guess this calls for me to remove my YUCK list at last. I don't need to impose my fashion sense on others and I guess do whatever feels good for you, ladies:)! From now on that is my new mantra "I am my own fashion guru!" However, ladies please be careful about choosing the right stylist if you want to go blonde because if not done correctly you can permanently damage your hair. My stylist knows how to lighten my hair without going overboard with the harsh bleach chemical. Plus, you must follow up your hair regimen with a good hair shampoo and conditioner, and if you like straightening your hair as much as I do then please use a dime sized helping of Aveda's 'Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother' in order to protect your hair from the heat and damage of the styling products.

Designers Gone Cuckoo this Spring 2010

2010-03-19T00:23:00.002-04:00

I love fashion. Although, I may not fully understand it, I do appreciate beautiful clothes. I understand that runway fashion doesn't always have to be about showcasing practical wearable clothes, and that the designers can use the runway as a medium to express and display their visionary craftsmanship. But some of the so-called fashion pieces that have been making appearances on the fashion runways lately have left me wondering whether the designers have gone mad? Are they on drugs? Or, are they just plain bored? What sort of inspiration am I supposed to draw from these mad hatter creations? I know I am not the only one who thinks that these clothes are plain fuggly because I have read the comments of countless other women who, like me, can't stand these hideous creations. Perhaps, the designers got the wrong season memo and meant for these hideous rags to be part of the Halloween collection, LOL!

Rodarte's 'She-Crow/Drained Vampire'

Proenza Schouler's 'Oops, I wore my Christmas tree skirt!'

Rodarte's 'Shit! The vultures tore my dress!'

Marc Jacob's 'I'm a cheap ho' collection!

Alexander Wang's 'Pagli (silly beyotch) forgot her skirt.'

ADAM's 'Dust Bunny' for today's reccionista!

Jill Stuart's 'Redneck Holiday.'

Yup the Desi Braids are Back

2010-03-11T01:45:00.002-05:00

Oh my God, I never thought I would ever hear myself say this in a million years, but guess what the braids are coming back this Spring/Summer 2010. The last time I had worn my hair in braids was when I was 10 years old in India. Each morning my father used to amusingly watch me untie my tight braids/guttas strung together with the school mandated blue ribbons just before the school bus came to get me! Thankfully, my mother got tired of the daily frutiless struggle and stopped braiding my hair once we came here to the United States. I mean can you imagine the snickers I would have gotten from my American peers had I walked into the school with the tight nerdy braids with crisp blue ribbons! Well, that was then, and this is now! Lately, the fashion runway models have been sporting guttas which have come a looong way! The new and improved braids are quite hip and sexy. Here are a few pictures of the new and twisted braids for you to practice on your very own hair just in time for the Spring/Summer 2010 season. Happy knotting!

The Assymetric Braid

Cheryl Cole's 2 Side Cornrows w/the rest of her maine in a loose bun!

Fishtail Braid

Hippie Hipster!

Sarah Michelle Gellar's Tale of Two Sophisticated French Braids

Simple Side Braid

Sienna Miller's Milkmaid Braid

Gwen Stefani's Knotty French

Arjun Gupta in Motherhood (2009)

2010-03-05T14:24:00.127-05:00

Funny, witty, poignant, and very entertaining film! A must see for couples with kids and couples who are considering having kids. In this movie, Uma Thurman plays the role of a frazzled and frustrated housewife/mother of two young 'uns living in a rent controlled apartment situated in the upscale Greenwich Village, New York. She is on a mission to give her daughter the best 'sixth' birthday party ever while trying to juggle a million things on her to-do list. To make matters worst, she loses her parking space, and, later, her car gets towed by a film production crew that unexpectedly decides to shoot on her very own street. In the midst of all this chaos she, also, wants to find time to write an entry for an online contest about what it means to be a mother. She is like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, and her buttons get pushed after a little visit from Makesh (Arjun Gupta) the courier, a carefree young boy who gives her a little taste of freedom and reminds her once again of what it is like to have dreams. This movie has so many, "Oh damn, this really does happen" moments that will leave you laughing and crying out loud. I was, especially, pleased to see that Arjun Gupta's role in this film was not so stereotypical a role for an Indian American actor after all. He got decent amount of screen time in this film alongside a top Hollywood actress and his role is memorable. I hope to see more of this cutie in other Hollywood films.

20 Fresh & Beautiful Faces of India

2010-03-04T17:57:00.006-05:00

As the popular Hindi song from Gupt (1997) goes, ‘Duniya Haseeno Ka Mela (World is carnival of beautiful women). . .’ Bollywood, too, has become the ever revolving door for countless Indian beauties! There was once a time when a select few extremely talented actresses appeared in Hindi movies over and over again until it was time for them to retire. Nowdays, it’s so hard to keep track of so many fresh new faces continually appearing on the Bollywood scene. Exacerbating the matter even further is the fact that so many of the new girls look like carbon copies of each other, and the fine line between actors, models, singers, and dancers has been slowly dissolving. Well it took some time and research to compile a list of twenty most beautiful young women in the Indian media at this moment. Of course, there are far more beautiful women in India than this, but I wanted to keep the list short and sweet. I promise to keep adding more beautiful faces to this list when I come across them. I wish all these newcomers utter success in the Bollywood arena and now without much further adieu I present to you the 20 Fresh & Beautiful Faces of India.

1) Kangana Ranaut- This twenty-three year old Himachal Pradesh beauty made her debut in the Bollywood movie Gangster (2006). She wowed us with her award-winning performance as Shonali in the movie Fashion (2008), and her mystery continues in her latest movie Raaz (2009). Beautiful and Bold! Turns out this headstrong beauty isn’t afraid to shed her clothes either, as she has appeared semi-nude in Dabboo Ratanani’s 2009 calendar.

2) Shruti Hasan- South can’t get hotter than this! This twenty-four year old Aquarian singer/actress is the daughter of none other than the famous South-Indian actor Mr. Kamal Hassan and Sarika, the award winning Indian actress. She has, already, made waves in the North with her debut Bollywood film, Luck (2009).

3) Chitrashi Rawat- Here is yet another Aquarian. Recognize this Uttarkhand State’s hockey player? No? Me neither. At least not one that looked like this. This twenty-eight year old is of the Chak De! India (2007) fame!

4) Shazahn Padamsee- This twenty something year old definitely launched Ranbir Kapoor’s rocket in Rocket Man: Salesman of the Year (2009). She is the daughter of the renowned ad guru/theatre personality Alyque Padamsee and Sharon Prabhakar.

5) Jacqueline Fernandez- Okay, this former Miss Sri Lanka (2006) isn’t really Indian. However, this twenty-five year old definitely looked the part in Aladin (2009), her Bollywood debut film.

6) Vipasha Aggarwal- Meet the stunningly beautiful face of Lakme cosmetics. This thirty-three year old Varanasi born model/actress has also starred opposite the handsome Arjun Rampal in the movie ‘I See You' (2006).’ In the movie she played a role of an invisible woman who could only be seen by Arjun Rampal. However, this beauty is very much visible in the popular Indian media. She has starred in ads for brands like Thumbs Up, Garnier, The Taj Group, and Monte Carlo to name a few. Currently, she is regarded in India as being one of the top television advertisement models.

7) Chitrangada Singh- This twenty-eight year old Meerut born model/actress is often compared with the late actress, Smita Patel. She is famous for her debut in the critically acclaimed Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003). She is married to Digvijay Singh, a Gurgaon based professional golfer, and the couple has a toddler son named Zooravar.

8) Neha Sharma- This twenty-three year old Telugu cinema actress is a Delhiite much like myself. She has yet to appear in any Bollywood film. Considering her killer looks and great dancing skills, I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens soon!

9) Sumana Das- There is a certain air of mystery about this seductive Assamese beauty which is only intensified more by the lack of further information about her in the Indian media. For months she has enthralled countless Indian housewives on Sony TV as Shamoli in ’Bayttaab Dil Ki Tamanna Hai,’ a successful Balaje teleserial.

10) Mugdha Godse- This twenty-eight year old Pune born model turn actress has walked the fashion ramp, starred in music videos, and won many beauty contests such as the Gladrags Mega Model Contest (2002) and Ponds Femina Miss India (2004). She has, also, starred along with Shah Rukh Khan in the Airtel television spot. Mugdha made her Bollywood debut as Janet in Fashion (2008).

11) Aruna Shields- This Anglo-Indian actress has done lead roles in European cinema and action flicks. This gorgeous babe is, also, one tough chick. She can ride horses, scuba dive, sky dive, perform martial arts, and, even dance with snakes. Indians got a peek of her in Kookie Gulati’s ‘Prince’ (2010).

12) Asin Thottumkal- This twenty-nine year old Catholic Keralite honey has starred in various Tamil, Telugu, and Malayali films. She won many awards for her stellar performance in both the Tamil and Hindi version of the box office hit ‘Ghaijini’ (2008). She has, also, starred in another Bollywood film ‘London Dreams’ (2009) along with Salman Khan and Ajay Devgan.

13) Kritika Kamra- This adorable baby-faced twenty-two year old television personality hails from Madhya Pradesh. Sorry boys, she’s taken! She is romantically involved with the very handsome TV actor Karan Kundra. However, you are more than welcome to take a look at her in Ekta Kapoor’s teleserials ‘Kitani Mohabbat Hai,’ and ‘Pyaar Ka Bandhan.’

14) Sneha Ullal- No, this is not a picture of Aishwarya Rai during her younger years! This Muscat born and raised twenty-three year old Indian cutie, first, appeared alongside Salman Khan in ‘Lucky-No Time for Love’ (2005). Since then, this blue-eyed beauty has been acting not so successfully in Bollywood, Tollywood, and Kollywood films. I guess Salman Khan wasn’t her lucky charm after all!

15) Bhavana Pani- Funny how hardly anyone knows that she has been in the movie industry since 2000 when she first appeared in ‘Tere Liye.’ Ironically enough Tere Liye was a movie in which many new actors played the part of struggling new actors in the film industry. It remains to be seen if her new film will Fast Forward (2009) this struggling actress’s incredibly slow movie career!

16) Urvashi Sharma-This Delhi born Indian-n-white masala mix model/actress made her entry into the Bollywood film industry in Naqaab (2007). Urvashi has, also, appeared in Mika’s ‘Something Something’ music video. You can bet that she is telling lots of somethings and sweet nothings to her current boyfriend, Bipin Deore, who is a Mumbai based advertising film director. Her most current films are Baabarr (2009), and Chai Garam (2009).

17) Shahana Goswami- There is just something refreshing about this unconventional beauty! This athletic twenty-four year old Delhiite was a sports champion during her school days. Shahana learned the classical dance form of Odissi under the guidance of Guru Padmashri Kiran Segal for ten years. She was, also, a part of a travelling dance troupe. Shahana had always wanted to act and even served as a production assistant and an actor in Jaimini Pathak’s theatre group called the Working Title. The actress got her big break in the Bollywood movie Rock On!! (2008). She has, also, won awards for her performance in Rock On!! (2009), and Firaaq (2009).

18) Frieda Pinto- Who doesn’t know this famous Mumbai born twenty-six year old actress of the Slumdog Millionaire (2008) fame? She was featured in People magazine’s ‘Most Beautiful People List’ in 2009. She is also listed as being one of the most desirable women on Askmen.com. Frieda is the current spokesperson for L’Oreal. However, the latest L’Oreal ads have been attracting a lot of controversy because they feature her as being lighter complexioned than she originally is. Although Frieda has been getting a lot of attention in the West, it was ironic to see her complain during the Pearls Wave Awards 2010 ceremony about how Hollywood is not quite ready, yet, to give non-stereotypical roles to the Indian actors, while she, herself, was being presented with the Global Indian Face Award by Harman Baweja & Kunal Kohli. She is currently playing the real off-screen love interest of Dev Patel, the main star of ‘Slumdog Millionaire.

19) Tapur & Tupur Chattarjee- This thirty year old pair of Bengali supermodel twins has set the Indian fashion ramp on fire with their doubly killer looks! They are granddaughters of the late Hrishikesh Mukherjee, the classic Hindi filmmaker. This inseparable pair has even graced the covers of famous magazines like Elle and Cosmopolitan.

20) Alina & Sana Wadiwala- Here is another saucy pair of supermodel twin sisters. They have already replaced the other pair of supermodel twins, Tapur & Tupur in J.P. Dutta’s upcoming film. The twins have taken acting lessons in London. Both girls have, also, appeared in the second season of Bigg Boss, which is the Indian version of the Big Brother show.

Ugly Business

2010-02-25T00:15:00.005-05:00

I just finished watching Chris Rock’s ‘Good Hair’ documentary on DVD today. It was an interesting documentary about how big the hair business is in the African-American community. So many black women obsessively visit the black owned hair salons in quest for their ideal ‘perfect hair.’ Black women will go to any lengths to achieve the type of hair most European and Asian women are born with. I cringed when I saw a cute little six year old sitting still in the salon chair while being subjected to all types of hair torture so that she, too, can have the pretty hair like her other little classmates. Some black mothers take this obsession with perfect hair so far that they even consider putting their daughters younger than two years of age through this very barbaric ritual. Apparently it is easier to score a homerun with a black woman than it is to touch her expensive hair weave according to the black men conversing in a barber shop in this documentary. To my surprise, India happens to be the largest supplier of the human hair demand in the African-American community. Only if the clueless Hindu devotees knew that their holy priests are pimping their sacrificed ‘sacred’ hair out to ‘big business’ overseas!

Anyhow, it got me thinking about how we Indians are not immune to this unattainable ideal of beauty either. Sure we have the great hair, but what about skin color? Isn’t the skin lightening or shall I call it whitening a big thriving industry back in India? Lately the new stream of desi FOB’s have brought the very self-depreciating fad of skin ‘whitening’ along with them. Just visit Ashé Skincare’s ‘about us’ page and see how Aisha, President of Ashe Skin Care Products & Ashi Salons, Inc. (Houston-TX) unabashedly describes herself as being a “pioneer in beauty industry,” and having “discovered a miracle product called “Skin Whitening Crème.” What won’t Indian women do to look ‘Fair and Lovely?’ Well, what they will do is to use bleach on their skin. Most skin bleaches being sold in India contain Hydroquinone, a toxic chemical substance. Hydroquinone is legal in the United States despite the fact that the FDA cannot definitely rule out its link to cancer in humans. Now the skin lightening phenomenon is not just limited to the Indian culture. Skin lightening products are popular in Africa, Latin America, Middle East, and other parts of Asia as well. For the more affluent consumer they even have nifty pills called Transamine to help your skin become “white, tight, and bright!’ Even the less affluent consumer can look whiter with the help of countless legal and illegal products available on the market. Unfortunately, the price for vanity is not so cheap after all. Some of the known consequences of using such products can range anywhere from temporary scarring, loss of melanin leading to skin damage and skin cancer, and, even, permanent disfiguration. Does any of this prevent women from madly pursuing the coveted ‘fairer’ complexion? Hell no! Why is it so, you wonder? Well, it is cultural and familial pressure. It isn’t uncommon in India for people’s first inquiry about the newborn to be, “Kya baccha gora/gori hai? (is the baby white),” when calling to inquire about the child, especially, if it’s a girl. The matrimonial sections in the Indian newspapers are filled with parents seeking fairer matches for their sons, never mind that their own son might be as black as coal himself. “Lekin dulhan gori honi chahiye! (But the bride should be white).” What is even more mind-boggling is the job sections in the Indian newspapers. Even the employers are openly asking for the job candidates to be attractive and fair complexioned. So much for equal employment opportunity (EEO) in India! I couldn’t stop laughing my ass off when I saw the Pond’s ‘white beauty’ cream ad featuring Priyanka Chopra, Neha Dhupia, and Saif Ali Khan on the internet for the first time. Now mind you Priyanka is definitely a more sought after bollywood actress than Neha Dhupia, but apparently she can’t get the man in the Pond’s ad because she is not as light as Neha.

I wonder whether Priyanka, herself, believes in the philosophy of the product which she is pedaling on television to countless Indians. Then again, I wouldn’t be surprised considering she is part of the culture that highly values lighter skin. Upon my recent visit to India, even my older sister-in-law expressed her disappointment in my not-so-white complexion. Now mind you, I am pretty light skinned for an Indian girl. However, I am just not light enough for my sis-in-law, who, herself, is at least four shades darker than me. My reply to her was that I am proud of my very own skin color and that I prefer to stay the way I am. I made sure to walk the talk by refusing to take the skin bleaching treatment included in the beauty package offered to me by the upscale beauty salon I had visited during my stay in Chandigarh. It was my way of saying no to the beauty ‘ideals’ of others. What is the solution for this incredible display of self hatred, you ask? Should we demand the government to ban these skin-lightening treatments? Should we go burn down these businesses? Should we boycott the movies of the Bollywood stars endorsing these products? Well, my proposal is a bit more revolutionary than this. What we Indians need to do is to collectively grow a ‘conscience’ and show some ‘self-respect!’ We need to take a stand against this age-old ‘fair is lovely’ mentality that has been heavily ingrained in us by, first, recognizing how racist and detrimental this tendency to worship lighter skin is. Next, we need to send a powerful message to these skin-lightening businesses by putting our money where our mouth is by refusing to purchase such products. Till then we’ll continue to be bombarded by high-powered ads targeted at capitalizing on our insecurities.

IHop National Pancake Day 2010

2010-02-23T12:15:00.003-05:00

My morning just got sweeter today once I found out that today is IHOP's National Pancake Day! They will be giving out a short stack of buttermilk pancakes to everyone who visits them from 7am to 10pm today. In return, all they are asking for you to do is to (check this out) consider donating to the local children hospitals through the Childrens Miracle Network or other charities. There couldn't be a more yummier way than this to give back a little to the great community we live in. Now I know we desis love great discounts and freebies, but please don't be cheap and take a whole truckload of kids to IHOP and only donate a dollar or something, okay !

Sweaty & Stinky Armpits

2010-02-17T20:56:00.001-05:00

One of the worst stereotypes Americans have about us desis is that we stink. Frankly, I have to agree. This is, especially, true of the FOBs (Fresh of the boat types). For some reason, desis have a strong aversion to deodorants. I think it has something to do with the myth that using deodorants causes cancer or something. Honeys, no offense but your not using a deodorant is already killing those around you of bad smell. So, ladies unless your man has a underarm fetish there is no excuse anymore for you to sport sweaty armpits anymore. Deodorants are easily available to all of us here in United Sates and even in India these days. You can even find them at the dollar store. Please do us all a favor and use them. Not only is it unsightly, it also smells bad. Deodorants are also available in clinical strength for those of us who might have overactive sweat glands.

Over Accessorizing

2010-02-17T20:52:00.001-05:00

Oh Gosh, I don’t even know where to begin with this one! She looks like a walking jewelery shop. I wouldn’t be surprised if the girl tips over and accidently falls down because of the sheer weight of the jewelery. I know that wearing gold jewelry is a huge status symbol for us desis, but this is a bit much don’t ya think? It looks like the parents couldnt’ wait to show off how much gold they are giving their daughter for her wedding and just made the poor girl wear it all at once for showmanship sake. There is a difference between being gaudy and being classy. What I say is that if you are really rich then you don’t need to shout it out. Understated elegance goes a long way ladies!

Here again is another example of using too much jewelery. Was this woman confused about which set to wear? Looks like she decided to go ahead and wear both. It would be classier if she wore just the smaller set which would really go well with her saree. It would, also, be fine if she wore just the longer set with the matched earrings too! Again, don’t overdo the gold please.

Desperate Desi Housewives/Aunties

2010-02-17T17:34:00.019-05:00

The two women pictured below are perfect examples of the stereotypical desi desperate housewives/aunties many a teenage desi boys drool over. Aging is never fun and can do a number on the women’s self-esteem. Some middle-aged women try very hard to hold on to their fading youth by trying to dress ’sexy.’ They mistakenly think that wearing lesser clothes will also lessen their age. Wrong! All it will do is make you look cheap, desperate, and slutty. The bra tops, midriff tops, below the bellybutton sarees and lehengas may look sexy on models, but believe me they do not look flattering on an aging woman in real life. So unless you want your pictures to end up being posted on unsavory sites intended to titillate horney desi boys and men., please do not copy these looks.

Exhibit #1: Okay for starters the crimped hair is so 80s. It just makes her look trashy. It would be more flattering and classy if she straightened her hair instead. Also, ladies please be careful about wearing the spaghetti bra top with your sarees. There is a right way and a wrong way to do this. Spaghetti bra tops tend to look better with transparent sarees. Also, do take your age and body type into account before daring this look.

Even the prettiest and hottest Bollywood actress can get this particular look all wrong. Bipasha Basu has got it right in this picture to your left. This look looks well put together. The spaghetti bra top actually goes well with the colors and the embroidery of her saree.

Now take a look at Mrs. Aishwarya Rai Bacchan here. The spaghetti bra top she is wearing is just too plain for her beautiful white saree. It looks as if she is wearing an undergarment and not a saree blouse underneath her saree. The blouse is just too distracting and pulls attention towards her boobs instead of her beautiful face.

Exhibit #2: Now this is what I call the 'porn star' look! Heavy tan and oily makeup, boobs spilling out of her teeny tiny tube top, her ghahgra tied strategically way below her skankily piereced belly button. One tug and we'll be able to see her crotch, LOL! Now all she needs is the typical porn star glass platform shoes and then she'd be all set for her very own raunchy shoot.

Diamonds: The New Indian Romance!

2010-02-17T16:01:00.002-05:00

I love diamonds. If I had my way, I would be dripping head-to-toe in diamonds. Fortunately for me, I do have two beautiful diamond rings, and a sweet diamond heart pendant. Oh, and my husband purchased an elegant diamond mangalsutra for me during our recent trip to India . Did you know that diamonds first be traced back to India about 3,000 years ago? Back then the Indian nobility used diamonds for decoration purposes and as a talisman to ward of evil. Some of the world’s largest and famous diamonds such as the Kohinoor and the Blue Hope were found in India during the middle ages. Even today India remains at the forefront of the diamond cutting and polishing industry. According to Sakina Sadat Hussain of MSNBC.com ‘92 percent of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished in Surat (Gujrat).’ However, Indians have traditionally been more interested in 22K gold and not diamonds. Jewelry companies like Nakshatra and D’damas are planning to change that by recruiting Bollywood celebs like Aishwariya Rai and Katrina Kaif to promote diamonds to the modern Indian women. By the way did you guys check out Shilpa Shetty’s diamond engagement ring? I wonder if she’ll be sporting a diamond mangalsutra too. I really recommend purchasing diamonds from a reputable jeweler in India because diamonds are much cheaper there and, also, you will have a bigger variety in terms of designs to choose from in India. Plus, the jewelers will, also, custom design your diamond jewlery for you. Don’t forget to check out the Blue Nile website for Diamond Education before you decide to go on hunt for your very own perfect diamond!

Desi FOB's Guide to America

2010-02-17T15:52:00.002-05:00

1.Please do not stare at the locals here no matter how intrigued you are by the newness of what you are seeing. They are just people like you and not some zoo animals on display for your viewing pleasure. It rude and lecherous and you might even get a middle finger stuck out at you if you piss someone off.

2.Please shower daily and use a deodorant. Americans are very picky about body odors.

3.Please do not brag endlessly about how wealthy and well-connected you are back in India. Nobody cares about it here in USA. Look around you, we are all hard-working and self-sufficient here and we can afford to own the luxuries that are not easily available to most Indians back in India. You’ll just look like a desperate name dropping fool!

4.Please do not expect your hosts to serve you hand and foot. Pick up your own cups and plates and offer to clean up after yourself. Most of us do not have servants here and we are not your servants either!

5.Please refrain from passing sexist comments and making sexist jokes, especially, in mixed company. Women here are more independent than what you might be used to and we have a very high sense of self-respect for ourselves. So don’t be the stereotypical macho Indian man by trying to show us what you think is our ‘correct place’ in society, unless you want to be shown yours by us !

6.This may sound crude, but let’s get honest here! Women in America are not just waiting here with their legs wide open for you, you little hot Indian stud you ! Just because a woman is being nice and friendly to you doesn’t mean she is ready to fuck you. Unlike the heroines in Bollywood films when a woman tells you NO she means NO. If you intensely chase after a real woman like the heroes in Bollywood movies, you will not end up winning the girl but you will win the title of a ’stalker!‘ Stalking is illegal in mostUS states. Same rules applies to women, too!

7.Please be careful when using the world rubber and gay here. In America rubber means condom and gay means homosexual. So unless you need a condom, please do not ask your co-workers to pass you the rubber, and unless you mean you are into men, please do not say that you are in a jolly gay mood today !

8.Please be more conscious about your dressing style. I recommend that you check out Valley Chai » How Not to Look Like F.O.B article for further advice.

9.Please do not irritate the sales clerk by haggling for lower prices. The sales prices are set here in the United States and that is how we like it. This way all of us know that we are being treated fairly and are paying the same price. Websites like eBay are available to those who like to bargain for lower price.

10.Be proud of who your cultural heritage without being obnoxious. Whether you are here for a short trip or here to stay forever, be open to the new experiences and watch and learn !

Enzo Milano Conico Curling Iron

2010-02-07T16:51:00.010-05:00

I am not good at styling my hair and wanted a good curling iron that would really work on my tough to curl hair. I purchased a $15 curling iron from Walmart and boy not only did it not hold my curl for even a minute but it, also, fried my hair and left a burning smell in my hair which told me that using a cheap curling iron was definitely not an option for me. Then, I went to Sally Beauty supply and picked up yet another curling iron from the rack and it did nothing at all for my hair either. Finally, I decided to go ahead and order my ººEnzo Milanoºº curling iron from Hair Extensions.com - The Hair Professionals. They gave me a good price because at that time I found another reputable website selling it for lower price. I ordered the 18/9mm conico clipless curling iron in my favorite pink color. My Enzo Milano arrived within a week and it came along with a heat resistant glove, which I highly recommend using unless you are a pro. Now mind you I am horrible at styling my hair when I first plugged it in to use it. My Gosh, did my hair curl in an instant? Not only did my hair get super curly, but the curls would not go away till I washed them out the very next day. At first, I sucked at curling my hair and I ended up looking like Medusa. Although I am still not too good at properly curling my hair, I know that this iron definitely works. Now only if someone will show me how to properly angle my curling iron so that the curls fall elegantly down my head, I'll be all set ! Volunteers anyone?

Hunt for the best hair straightening iron

2010-02-04T16:20:00.017-05:00

I have been straightening my hair for over two years now and love the way it looks and feels. So far I have been able to effortlessly achieve the pin straight hair look with former version of the the Remington Haircare - Wet 2 Straight Wide Plate Straightener. Unfortuately, my flat iron began to go bad on me once I took it to India with me on my recent trip about a month ago. I think the voltage there did a number on my favorite hair straightner. Even my hair dryer got fried in India and stopped working two minutes after I plugged it in.

Anyhow, after returning back to USA I decided to try another straightening iron for a change. A few days back, I purchased Infiniti by Conair® - Infiniti Nano Silver by Conair™ Tourmaline Ceramic™ 1" Straightener from Costco for $34.99+tax. It sells for $59.99 at Target, so I figured I was getting a good deal. Well, it turned out to be a huge dissapointment. Even at the highest setting the Conair did not deliver the same amount of heat that my previous Remington had at a medium setting. Plus, I had to run it thrice through my hair to straighten my hair. At that pace, it would have taken me twice as long as it had with my former Remington.

Needless to say, I returned the Conair back to Costco the very next day and instead picked up another Remington Straightening iron from Target for $27.99+tax. This time I decided to get the curved version of the previous straightening iron. Remington Haircare - Wet 2 Straight 2" Curved Plate Straightener . The one thing I don't like about this curved version is that it doesn't have the locking mechanism that used to exist in the former version of the same iron about two years back. Plus, the LED light colors do not change to indicate the level of heat range as they used to on the digital display of the earlier model. My first try with this curved version of the Remington Flat iron has been not so great either. I do not like the sharp lines it leaves on top of my hair from where I begin to pull my hair.

I returned the Remington curling iron yesterday morning and decided to try the Remington Haircare - T-Studio Tourmaline + titanium + Ceramic 2-1/4" Digital Flat Iron instead. Yes, finally I have found my perfect flat iron. It is sleek and sexy. It heats up fast and stays hot even at low heat settings. I only had to run it once through my hair to achieve perfectly straight hair. It glides smoothly through my hair. I love the digital LED display which even allows you to lock in the temperature you want it to remain at so that you don't accidently change the temperature settings while styling your hair. Plus, I like the way you can lock the flat iron after use for easier and more compact storage. Plus my favorite part is that it is relatively inexpensive, it only cost me $37.99+tax. If I can get the results I want without spending more, why not? So far, I love this flat iron and recommend it to others as well. I just hope that it is durable and doesn't break down on me within a year. I would love to hear from others who have used this iron as well. How do you feel about the T-Studio Digital Flat Iron?