At Hanukkah, Indian-Jews remember the homeland which nurtured their faith. “India has been the only country in the world where Jews have never been oppressed or suppressed or discriminated against,” says Romiel Daniel, who is Jewish-Indian-American. Indeed, India has been nurturing home and haven for generations of Jews whose ancestors fled from persecution centuries ago. At its peak there were about 37,000 Jews living in India. “Discrimination is something that has never happened in India for 2000 years and that is something we are very proud of, and that is why we go back to India so often,” he says.

“There are no shortcuts. If we have a goal we must work at it and earn it with integrity and hard work. No matter who you are, in order to complete a mala you have to tie the 108 knots. It might require patience or present challenges but don’t be so hard on yourself, the joy is often in the journey and most of the times nothing really worthwhile and rewarding comes easy.”
Guest Blog – My New York

In fashion-mad New York, it’s not just the people who get decked out in designer fashion – their bicycles do too! The recent Tour de Fashion may not have been exactly the Tour de France, but bikes certainly received a lot of love from some of New York’s top designers including Diane Von Furstenberg, Isaac Mizrahi, Betsey Johnson, Elie Tahari, Yeohlee, Nanette Lepore, Nicole Miller and many more.
Noted jewelry designer Amrita Singh and happening fashion designers Prabal Gurung and Bibhu Mohapatra were the South Asian presence at this buzz-y fest with designers, fashionistas and hordes of fashionholics.

“I get a missed call. I know who it is, it would have been a dream come true in the US but here it has become ritual – that call… I have pondered over it several times. It’s surreal – the annoying convenience that we get used to in India. I remind myself to be grateful and not get irritated by that call. I tell myself it’s the call of duty on a silver platter. I am almost guilty to be receiving it.”

“Youth today love trendy topics and catchy tunes, a lethal combination. The song passes off as an English song though it is sung in a Tamil accent. People who don’t know the lingo also can understand this song. I don’t know the Tamil language but I love this song because of the laid-back, charming and fun way it has been sung. Language is no barrier here and it actually bonds people who speak different languages.”

“Time flies when you are having fun. It has been a little over a year since I started blogging for Lassi with Lavina and I am absolutely amazed by all the positive feedback.

We’ve conversed about so many important topics. I enjoyed sharing my take on dating, relationships, love, heartbreak, depression, spirituality, emotionally unavailability, positive thinking, marriage, addiction, Kim Kardashian, social media etc, etc…”
Monica Marwah – Sex and the Single Desi

This is the story of Priya and Manav, a childless Indian-American couple who came to India in search of a surrogate mother. They got more than they bargained for – and some surprises too which convinced them to make India their permanent home.
Guest Blog – Chatty Divas. Photo by Paras

Traditional Brahmin values, sex and rock n roll and drugs, caste and class, British missionaries, forbidden love affairs and murder, Indian schoolgirls playing British – all in the same India of the 70’s. ‘Miss Timmins’ School for Girls’ is a lush coming of age story and a murder-mystery rolled into one, set in an all-girls school in the sleepy hill station of Panchgani in India.

It also happens to be Nayana Currimbhoy’s first novel – and that is surprising for the writing is seasoned, evocative, taking you into a compelling yet insular universe.
Q and A with the author.

“There is something magical in the city on the day of the NYC Marathon. Swirling in the fall air are stories of determination, strength and the human spirit.
As I stood on the street at the 17 mile mark, I watched the runners go by, each one of them carrying their own story.”

Guest Blog: NYC – City of Hope

He’s got to be the world’s greatest multi-tasker. Dr. Sanjay Gupta is living several lives rolled into one. He’s an Emmy-winning television celebrity, a neurosurgeon, a professor, an author. Not to mention, a husband and dad of three girls, and a sportsman.

“When I turned 40 years old, I thought I could start making my biological clock not just run slower, but start to reverse and I think I have done that. I think in many ways biologically I am younger now than I was five years ago. Athletics, sports, and fitness are a very, very big part of my life. I was up at 4:15 and going for a run and a swim, so it is a big part of my life and that is something that I am teaching my girls too.”