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Mr. Naveen Srivastava
Consul General of India, Shanghai
Dear Members of the Indian Community,
“The presence of an
active Indian Association is a testimony to the
strength of the Indian
community in Shanghai
and desire of the community to maintain its
strong cultural roots in
India. I wish the Association success in all its
endeavors”
It is always a pleasure to join you all in the celebrations of Diwali, which
the Indian Association does every year with such a passion and
enthusiasm. Let me wish all of you a very happy Deepawali.
May the “Festival of Lights” marking a victory of good over evil, bring to all
of you joy, happiness, peace and prosperity.
As you know there has been a general strengthening and intensification of
the bilateral relations. Along with this process, we have seen the natural
increase in the size of the Indian community in Shanghai. Today the
diversity of India, in terms of religion, language, life-style and
cultures finds reflection in Shanghai too. It is wonderful to see that almost
all Indian festivals are now celebrated in Shanghai and these events have
become the central attraction that brings the community together under
the umbrella of the Indian Association.
The presence of an active Indian Association is a testimony to the strength
of the Indian community in Shanghai and desire of the community to
maintain its strong cultural roots in India. I wish the Association success in
all its endeavors.
I once again wish all of you a very happy Diwali on behalf of all of us at
the Indian Consulate.
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Dear Friends,
It gives me great pleasure in wishing you and your loved ones a
happy and joyous Diwali on this auspicious occasion – Indian Association (IA) Diwali Nite 2014.
Diwali is the victory celebration of good over evil. It is a time for
families and friends to meet-n-greet and cherish the bonds of love,
friendship. Diwali, I believe is also a time of introspection.
As this new IA team gets busy in the hectic preparation of the 3rd
Diwali Nite that they have put together, each one of us has taken
some time to self reflect, to introspect.
The IA team is well aware that for some IA members, the Dandiya
2014 and the Diwali nite 2013 has not been up to the high standards
that this team as well as the earlier IA team’s have set. I however
wish to assure each and every IA members that key learning’s have
been taken from these events and this will translate in improved
performance in future events.
I welcome suggestions, comments and feedback from members and
this will serve us to get better. Finally IA is nothing but a little bit of
each one of us, isn’t it. With over 5000 registered Indians residing in
Shanghai, an association such as IA does play a crucial role in forging together a sense of togetherness within the rich and diverse cultures that Indians in Shanghai have. Of course, we have had some
splendid events in 2014.
The year 2014 started with the much loved Bal-Diwas event. It was
simply a marvelous sight to see more than 100 young performers,
our talented children and youngsters from Shanghai taking part and
of course excelling. A big round of applause to our talented young
generation in Shanghai and to the parents for all their hard work and
support !
On Saturday, the 10th of May, we had an once in a lifetime opportunity to listen to the musical genius of Pt. Hridaynath Mangeshkar
and his troupe present ‘Didi aur Mein’ – a musical event celebrating
the life of one and only Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar. It was a special treat to hear Lata Didi speak to us on the phone and share her
blessings to the Indian fraternity living in Shanghai
Also in the month of may we had the much loved – IA Cricket Sixes
Championship. With 10 teams taking part in this event, there was
loads of excitement, competition and wonderful sportsmanship on
display !!
We added to our list of events a new ‘Meet the leader’s’ series. We
had Shri Ashwin Dani (Vice Chairman, Asian Paints Ltd) address the
Indian professionals in Shanghai.
Our strong focus on charity has continued with IA sponsoring students from economically challenged backgrounds as well as our
sponsorship towards young orphans in Shanghai.
Moving forward, there will be a strong attempt at IA to ensure that
there is not only a constant dialogue with the IA members. We will
also ensure that host of events are organized throughout the year
in which there is a opportunity to meet, to exchange thoughts and
ideas, to learn from each other and of course, to have fun.
With the above words, let me once again wish you a very Happy
Diwali and a wonderful year ahead !!
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Message from IA
President
- Amit Waikar
2011- 2014
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Message from the Patron - CG Naveen Srivastava
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Message from IA President - Amit Waikar
News, Events and Articles:
6
News from the Indian Consulate, Shanghai
16 Swatccha Peldge
18 IA Sports in Shanghai (Sachin Sehgal)
20 Diwali 2013, Bal Diwas, Didi aur Main
24 IA Charity (Vivek Arora)
26 Marathon- Do you have it in you (Mandar Ponkshe)
28 China to Cochin - Geeta Canpadee
PG 6 CONSULATE NEWS
30 Shanghai Marathi Parivaar
32 Shanghai Adda Paribar (Kunal Sinha)
34. Manas Sarovar to Kailash Parvat (Geeta Canpadee)
35. Wecome to China...Namaste (Neetha Sanjay)
37. A trip to Tibet (Ravi Yellajosula)
38. The Chinese Calender (Geeta Canpadee)
40. The Chopstick Eater (Harmeet Kaur)
42. Celebrating Festivals (Prajakta Diwanji)
45. Untitled Short Story (Meher Arora)
47. Essence of Beauty (Nidhi Sharma)
48. Home Remedies (Rajshree Sehgal)
PG 23 DIDI AUR MAIN
49. My Book Buddies (Anupama Sharma)
50. Demystifying the Mystery Diets (Shivika Tarika)
53. Vegetarian Cooking (Rajshree Sehgal)
54. Info Article: Know your City- (Puja Khiatani)
58. Summer in Switzerland- (Dhruv Bhagwani)
60. Tranquil Tai Hu (Renuka Inamdar)
62. KIDS CORNER Articles, Poems, Paintings
Indian Association 68. Indian Associaton Members Directory
PG 62 KIDS CORNER
75.
Emergency and Hospital Contacts
77.
How to become a Member
79.
Sponsors and IA Board members
81.
Acknowledgements to Sponsors and Volunteers
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Unity in Diversity
- By Vijay Bhatia, Consul (Culture and Information),
Consulate General of India
Indian Restaurant Week
On the occasion of the 65th Republic Day of
India, Indian restaurants in Shanghai organised
“Indian Restaurant Week” from January 20 to 26,
2014. During this period, while some Indian restaurants offered special set menus for lunch / dinner, others offered a flat discount. 15 restaurants
participated in this and the event saw enthusiastic response.
Consulate General of India, Shanghai hosted a reception on January 24, 2014 on the occasion of
the Republic Day of India at Renaissance Shanghai Yangtze Hotel. The reception was attended
by Vice Mayor of Shanghai Municipal People’s
Government, Ms Zhao Wen, representatives of
Shanghai People’s Congress and Shanghai Committee of Chinese People’s Political Consultative
Conference as well as a number of municipal
leaders and senior government officials from the
provinces of Jiangsu & Zhejiang. Local dignitaries, academics, businessmen, media persons and
prominent Indians from Shanghai, Jiangsu & Zhejiang as well as members of the Consular Corps
also graced the occasion. A colourful and attractive Rangoli, prepared by members of the Indian
community, adorned the entrance of the reception hall.
Indian Music & Kathak Dance
Recital
Consulate General of India organised an Indian
music cum Kathak dance recital on the occasion
of 65th Republic Day of India on January 26,
2014 at Changing District Art Centre, Shanghai.
A 5-member troupe led by Ms Punita Sharma
enthralled the audience with their performance.
More than 500 people attended the show with
maximum of them being local Chinese. The
event was organized with the support of ICCR
and the Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SPAFFC).
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An exhibition of digital prints of Tagore’s paintings and photographs of his world
Consulate General Events and News
65th Republic Day
The 65th Republic Day was celebrated at
the Consulate General of India, Shanghai on January 26 with great joy. Consul
General Mr Naveen Srivastava hoisted the
National Flag and read out the President’s
message. The event saw attendance in
large numbers by people alongwith their
families. Also present were Indian students
from various universities including Tongji
University and Suzhou University (Jiangsu
province). A group of spirited Indians also
rendered patriotic songs on the occasion.
VASANT
Talented musicians from the
local Indian community, in
association with Consulate
General of India, Shanghai,
presented Indian classical
music concert ‘Vasant’ on Saturday March 1, 2014 in the
Consulate premises. The event
saw Indian musicians presenting traditional Indian classical
music alongwith Chinese and
Polish musicians. The concert
was a tribute to Indian classical music- an ode to centuries
of living traditions.
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Consulate General Events and News
Ojas – An Indian Dance Performance
Consulate General of India, Shanghai organized an evening of Indian dance on March 5, 2014 by Abhinava Dance Company from
Bangalore. While keeping the traditional themes of Indian dance, the 18 member troupe led by dancer-choreographer duo NirupamaRajendra presented an eclectic mix of the traditional and the contemporary with fabulous choreography, spectacular visuals (costumes
and lighting) and rich musical score. Rooted in the Indian traditional dance forms of Kathak and Bharatanatyam, Ojas fused ethnic
and modern genres of Indian dance. It carefully crafted with intricate detailing in synchronization,choreography patterns, thematic
costumes and light & stage effects. The event was organized with the support of TEXPRO, Canara bank & ICICI bank.
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Exhibition on Rajasthan
Consulate General of India in Shanghai in collaboration with
Consul
the China
National
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Writers’visited
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samples
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books
Danyan titled “Castles and Palaces in Rajasthan”.
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and
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The exhibition was opened
at Shanghai Library on 13th April along with a launch of a new
book by Ms. Danyan about her travel writing.
.
Inauguration of Glimpses of India Festival in Shanghai
The “Glimpses of India Festival’ in China was inaugurated (May 7) by Mr. Ravindra Singh, Secretary Ministry of Culture, Government of India along with Mr Cai Wei, Vice Chairman of Shanghai Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) &
Consul General of India in Shanghai Mr. Naveen Srivastava. Speaking on the occasion, Mr Singh spoke of traditional warm and
friendly relations shared by India and China based on historical and cultural linkages over centuries. He also mentioned that one
of the main objectives of the Festival of India was to expand people to people contacts so as to enable better understanding of each
other’s culture, tradition and heritage. He told the audience that the year round festival would showcase a wide range of events
including Indian performing art, visual and photographic exhibitions, Indian modern art, food festival, yoga, film festival as well as
events involving eminent Indian & Chinese scholars & writers.
The inauguration was followed by a mesmerizing performance by Kalakshetra Repertory Company. The troupe performed dance
drama based on scenes from Ramayana at the prestigious Shanghai Oriental Arts Center in Pudong, Shanghai. The Opera Hall of
the Oriental Arts Center was packed with an audience of more than 1000 local Chinese residents including senior leaders and officials from Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
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Consulate General Events and News
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Indian Folk Dances Extravaganza
Consulate General of India, Shanghai organized
an evening of Indian folk dances extravaganza at
Shanghai Center on May 8, 2014 by Kalakshetra
Repertory Company. Presenting various kinds of
folk dances which represent the priceless artistic
traditions of India, the 29-member troupe led by
dance director Mr Haripadman enthralled the
audience with their performance. Each dance
composition was carefully crafted with intricate
detailing in synchronization, music, choreography,
thematic costumes and light & stage effects. The
performance was preceded by an ‘India-China
Friendship Medley’ sung by Mr Megh Kalyanasundaram which was given a thunderous applause by
the audience with many singing along. The medley
was unique in terms of seamless rendition of popular Chinese songs on Friendship and Love with
Indian songs on Friendship and Love with similar
mood and melody woven in to it.
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Rabindra Jayanti Celebrations 2014
Consul General Mr Naveen Srivastava & Director General,
FAO of Huangpu District Ms Wu Xiaoqian paid floral
tributes to renowned poet and nobel laureate Rabindranath
Tagore on May 10, 2014 on the occasion of his 153rd d
birth anniversary. This was followed by members of Indian
community singing songs composed by Tagore. The simple
ceremony, held at Tagore Bust on Maoming Lu-Nanchang
Lu, saw attendance in large numbers from members of
Indian community as well as Chinese admirers of Tagore.
Consulate General Events and News
Indian Food Festival
Consulate General of India in Shanghai, in association with
ITDC organized ‘Indian Food Festival’ as a part of ‘Glimpses
of India Festival’ at Hotel Shanghai Marriott City Center from
May 13-20, 2014. Consul General Mr. Naveen Srivastava
inaugurated the event which was attended by a large number of people from diplomatic community, Indians and local
Chinese on May 13. The food festival showcased Hyderabadi cuisine from the province of Andhra Pradesh & Punjabi
cuisine from the north Indian state of Punjab by specially
renowned chefs Mr. Mukesh Kumar and Abdul Rasheed from
India. The opening of the food festival featured a ‘Gandhi
Medley’ comprising favorite songs of Mahatma Gandhi by
Mr Megh Kalayanasundaram and a fascinating performance
of the traditional ‘Bihu’ dance from Assam by Madhumita
Bhuyan. Air India sponsored a bumper lottery prize of a
return ticket to India at the end of the festival. The food festival saw a large turnout from persons from all walks of life
specially the local Chinese community in Shanghai.
Consulate General of India in Shanghai, in association with ITDC organized ‘Indian Food Festival’
as a part of ‘Glimpses of India Festival’ at Hotel
Shanghai Marriott City Center from May 13-20,
2014. Consul General Mr. Naveen Srivastava
inaugurated the event which was attended by a
large number of people from diplomatic community, Indians and local Chinese on May 13.
The food festival showcased Hyderabadi cuisine
from the province of Andhra Pradesh & Punjabi
cuisine from the north Indian state of Punjab by
specially renowned chefs Mr. Mukesh Kumar and
Abdul Rasheed from India. The opening of the
food festival featured a ‘Gandhi Medley’ comprising favorite songs of Mahatma Gandhi by Mr Megh
Kalayanasundaram and a fascinating performance
of the traditional ‘Bihu’ dance from Assam by
Madhumita Bhuyan. Air India sponsored a bumper
lottery prize of a return ticket to India at the end
of the festival. The food festival saw a large turnout
from persons from all walks of life specially the
local Chinese community in Shanghai.
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Consulate General Events and News
SAPTAKAM
Consulate General of India, Shanghai organized an evening of Indian dance performance ‘Saptakam’ on July 13, 2014 by Sangeet
Natak Akademi, New Delhi. The 20-member troupe led by choreographer Ms Madhavi Mudgal mesemerized the audience by its
performance. Through a subtle and dynamic interplay of forms which dissolve into one another, Saptakam presented before the
viewers seven Indian classical dance forms in a single performance. Playing upon the relation between forms and the formless, the
show group showcased Bharatanatyam,Manipuri dance, Odissi, Kathakali,Kathak dance,Sattriya and Kuchipudi blending folk tradition of drama with its classical grammar.
Indian Yoga Festival
The inaugural function of Yoga Festival took place in Jing’an
Public Park on July 14, 2014. It was attended by more than 150
people who participated in the yoga session conducted by the
three yoga experts from Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga
(MDNIY). The session drew an enthusiastic response from local
Shanghai community. The experts conducted sessions across
Shanghai not only in Y plus Yoga Center but in media centers,
companies and think tanks.
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Independence Day Celebrations 2014
The 68th Independence Day was celebrated at the Consulate General of India, Shanghai on August 15, 2014 with
great joy and patriotic fervor. Deputy Consul General Mr.
M.P. Bhardwaj hoisted the National Flag and read out the
President’s Address to the nation, delivered on the eve of
Independence Day, to the members of the Indian community and friends of India. Also present were Indian students
studying in Universities in Shanghai. Indian Community
members sang patriotic songs on the occasion.
CHAITI
The 68th Independence Day was celebrated at the Consulate General of India, Shanghai on August 15, 2014 with great joy and
patriotic fervor. Deputy Consul General Mr. M.P. Bhardwaj hoisted the National Flag and read out the President’s Address to the
nation, delivered on the eve of Independence Day, to the members of the Indian community and friends of India. Also present were
Indian students studying in Universities in Shanghai. Indian Community members sang patriotic songs on the occasion.
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Swachhta Pledge
Mahatma Gandhi dreamt of an India which was not only free but also clean and developed.
Mahatma Gandhi secured freedom for Mother India.
Now it is our duty to serve Mother India by keeping the country neat and clean.
I take this pledge that I will remain committed towards cleanliness and devote time for this.
I will devote 100 hours per year that is two hours per week to voluntary work for cleanliness.
I will neither litter nor let others litter.
I will initiate the quest for cleanliness with myself, my family, my locality, my village and my work place.
I believe that the countries of the world that appear clean are so because their citizens don’t indulge in littering
nor do they allow it to happen.
With this firm belief, I will propagate the message of Swachh Bharat Mission in villages and towns.
I will encourage 100 other persons to take this pledge which I am taking today.
I will endeavour to make them devote their 100 hours for cleanliness.
I am confident that every step I take towards cleanliness will help in making my country clean.
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Sports in Shanghai
- By Sachin Sehgal
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Cricket Sixes 2014
Cricket is what Indians live by!
IA Cricket Sixes Championship 2014, an annual event for Cricket loving Indian community in Shanghai was held on May 1st at Livingston American School. It was an all-around entertainment day for
everyone present at the ground with 10 teams participating in the annual championship. Some of the
matches were nerve twitching going to last ball finish whereas one Semifinal match between YCL Blues
and Shanghai Runners Group ended in a tie. It was finally decided by Super Over in which YCL Blues
were edged out by Runners Group team. Shanghai Warriors led by Amir Khan managed to qualify to
semifinals on the basis of better average run rate in the preliminary group as they ended in a tie after the
first round of matches. A strong audience of about 200 cheered the teams and were thrilled by dancing
tunes of Bollywood and running commentary. The event was played in a shorter format with Team of 6
playing 5 overs match. Total of 14 matches were played through out the day.
IA presented different colored T-shirts to all the teams. Sachin Sehgal won “Maximum Sixes” prize
while “Yanlord Tigers” team led by Sandeep Abhichandani were the champions and “Shanghai Runners Group” led by Mandar Ponkshe were the runner’s up. Trinity International, One World Freight and
Mauj TV sponsored special prizes for the event besides IA main sponsors - Bukhara, State Bank of India
& Air India whose continuous support have made such events possible in Shanghai !!
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Diwali Ball 2013!
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Diwali Ball 2013!
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Bal Diwas 2014
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Didi aur Main
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IA Charity 2014
- Vivek Arora
Since inception the Indian Association has made ‘giving back to society’ as a key
part of it’s activities in Shanghai.
As Indians we believe that giving back to the land where we make our homes to be
an integral feature of our ‘karmic’ responsibilities.
Since the mid 1990s the community has supported various charities in China and
also when there was a calling supported causes in India.
Some of the institutions and causes supported in the past years have included:
-Old age homes in Shanghai
-School for the blind
-Shanghai orphanage
-Institute for the mentally challenged
-Helping construction of school building in Sichuan
-Educating deserving students in Shanghai
-Relief efforts to flood and earthquake victims
-Blood donation drive in Shanghai
The list is long and the scope of work done rather wide.
Currently your association supports educating three university students in Shanghai.
(Include the photo from last donation get together)
These students were identified as being deserving by the local government body where they
reside and the selection criteria is as follows:
Must be a high achiever Family’s total income is below the average income due to a mishap or
accident Student must show consistent effort at working hard and maintaining grades.
There are many opportunities for the community (including children) to take part in charity
activities; volunteers are welcome to contact the Gen.Secretary Sachin Sehgal by
email: sachin4574@gmail.com. I hope there will be many potential ‘sevaks’ availing this opportunity to ‘give back’.
I take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Healthy and Happy Diwali and a rewarding year
ahead.
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Marathon
- By Mandar Ponkshe
“Do you have it in you?”
You don’t know what I am talking about. Right? Well you don’t know what you don’t know. I am talking about long distance
running (read Marathons). And you don’t know if you have it in you to run a marathon. But as I said you don’t know what you
haven’t tried yet. Looking at the explosion in the runners all over, I can safely bet that you can run – at least – a half marathon
(21.0975 km) in 7 months even if you do ZERO running today. Any takers?
“If you want to run, run a mile. If you want to experience a different life, run a marathon.
– Emil Zatopek”
On 01-Dec last year, we had 22 desi runners who successfully completed Half / Full marathon. 14 men and 8 women had
systematically worked towards the goal and achieved it with aplomb. 2 runners (Naru and Nitika) did fab completing their first
full marathon, and Anil as usual was the fastest. And we had amazing extended contingent of desi runners who did 5k and 10k
distances on the day. Some of them (Viraj and Amit) completed 10k even though they had registered for just 5k. Such is the
excitement and once-in-a-year opportunity here that true Shanghai-ite doesn’t want to miss. If the marathon event day (01-Dec)
was exciting, 07-Dec celebration party went one step further. All runners with families and friends had absolutely memorable
time to celebrate the run and good lifestyle in general.
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In last 1 year, the running group has
participated in Hangzhou Marathon,
Shanghai Marathon, Suzhou Marathon,
Dishui Lake run, Jinqiao run. Some of
us also did Gucun Park half-marathon
in grueling June heat. Our usual running
adda is Century Park in Pudong; but we
also run in Puxi locations. Idea is to include as many friends in the group as
possible. This year Shanghai Marathon
will be held on 02-Nov. Its going to be
exciting 3 weeks from now to get ready
for the event. We have 2 runners doing
Full Marathon first time. Do come out to
cheer us on the day and feel the buzz,
the excitement, the pure energy!
I take special pride in Shanghai desi
runners group as I have rarely seen such
an enthusiastic group in any other quarters of life anywhere. The families get
involved. New friends get added. Kids
run with the group once in a while and
show adults how easy it is. We don’t run
for exercise. There are deservedly better
exercises (walking, swimming, weights
training, yogasan, etc.). Just one marathon (or half marathon) will tell you that
it brings in completely different lifestyle.
It connects you with yourself. We do it
to learn and understand ourselves. We
do it to imbibe discipline in our daily
life.
And it wasn’t long time ago that we
asked “can I do it?”. So the question
now is Can YOU do it? Of course you
do. The journey starts but with a firm
conviction in the result and resolution
to live the Runner’s Life. Once you
make up your mind, there is a whole
new friends’ group awaiting you to welcome with arms wide open.
“The cave you fear to enter holds
the treasure you seek”
– Joseph Campbell
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ARTICLE
From China to Cochin !
- Geeta Canpadee
the church is clearly demarcated.During the Portuguese
period(1503—1663) St.Francis was a Roman Catholic
Church,later during the Dutch period(1664-1804)it became a Dutch reformed church and during the time of
the British(1804—1947) it was an Anglican church.
The second stop is another piece of history-‘The Ancient
Synagogue’. Built in 1568, the Synagogue is situated at
the Jewish colony of Matancherry.It’s not only a place
of worship but a standing monument of religious toleration and hospitality—a thing of beauty and an architectural achievement in itself. Magnificiently decorated by
Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers, the giant scrolls
of the old testament can be still found here.
Recently while researching everything Chinese,I came across this interesting piece on Chinese fishing nets which no longer exist in China but
are still found in the coastal town of India-Cochin.Called ‘Cheena Vala’,in
Malayalam,these nets are fixed to the sea shore and operated like an elevator.They are usually set up on bamboo and teak poles and held horizontally like hammocks.They are then counter weighed by large stones tied
to the ropes.The fishing nets are about 10 by 20 mts and need nearly 6 to
7 men to operate it at one go.The net is first lowered into the sea and left
inside the water body for 5 minutes before it is raised back by tugging the
ropes.The produce collected is usually sold on the spot, to eager buyers.
This unusual method of fishing today exists only in Cochin and the Chinese
fishing nets suspended in mid air, along the sea coast, has become a great
tourist attraction.
The fishing nets are said to have been first brought by the famous Chinese
explorer ‘Zheng He’from the court of Chinese emperor ‘Kublai Khan’.It
seems amazing that someone could have travelled 5000kms all the way
from China to Cochin,carrying such massive fishing nets.Its also intriguing
that despite so many hassles, people in those days still travelled to such far
off places unknown and unheard of.
On this note,I take you on a journey to Cochin which is a must see destination for any serious traveler.
Popularly known as the Queen of the Arabian sea,Cochin or Kochi(as it is
called by localites),has since ages been a popular port for trade and commerce.Seafarers, merchants and explorers from across the world stopped
by Cochin for its exquisite spices.The most famous of them all is Vasco-dagama,the Portuguese sailor who was the first European to set foot on Indian
soil,paving the path to the entry of European traders who later went on to
colonise the entire country.
The first stop on our journey thus is the famous St,Francis Church at Fort
Kochi. Supposed to be the first and foremost church built by the Europeans in India, it is even more famous because Vasco-da-gama who died
on the X-mas eve of 1524, in Fort Kochi was buried inside this church.
His remains were later transported to Portugal but the burial spot inside
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The Jews of Cochin are supposed to have arrived in King
Solomon’s merchant fleet nearly 2000 years ago.Of all
the maritime nations that traded with India, they were
the first ones to come not only as traders but as settlers.
They made their home on the south west coast as early
as the 1st century itself.The Jewish merchants were into
import and export of pepper, timber, amber, coral, rice,
cotton.They not only enjoyed complete religious toleration but their holy days and Sabbaths were gazetted
holidays for them in the state.
They speak Jeudo-malayalam and restrict themselves to
the Jewish town of Matancherry.However many are returning back to Jerusalem not because they have been
discriminated or socially pressurized but just for their
deep sense of religious fervour to live and die in the
holy land.Thus more and more Jews are returning to the
land they migrated from and the handful who are left
behind are getting converted to new religions.
Third stop is the ‘Dutch Palace’ where the coronation
of many a Rajas of Cochin is supposed to have taken
place.The palace also has a fine collection of mural
paintings unique to kerala art.Here you can witness the
tolerance displayed by the kings of Kochi towards the
foreign settlements on their land.
Fourth stop would be the harbor point where you can
take a small boat ride to Bolghatty island where the Bolghatty Palace is situated. The palace however has been
converted to a hotel by the Kerala tourism dept and can
be booked at KTDC Bolghatty Palace Hotel for a royal
stay.It’s been attached to a golf course and makes an
attractive picnic spot.You can easily spend a couple of
hours capturing the panaromic view of the Cochin harbour from the island.
Finally you can board the Royal Lady which is a specially designed luxury boat for 30-40 people at a time,
offering a five hour sight seeing cruise through the scenic backwaters of Kerala.
Standing on the upper deck of the boat,you can spot the
Chinese fishing nets, the Synagogue, the Dutch palace,
St.Francis Church, all from a distance, seeming like a
collage on a picture post card.It’s a beautiful memory
which you will end up carrying for days to come.
Kerala which will leave one spellbound).
Travel Tips:-
Take a course of relaxing Ayurveda massage
Due to it’s strategic location and commercial importance, Cochin
or Kochi is extensively connected to the rest of the country and
world by air, rail, road and sea.
The international airport is 30kms from the heart of the city and
both the domestic and international terminals are adjacent to each
other.It’s the 5th busiest airport in India.
There are three main railway stations—Ernakulum junction, Ernakulum town and Cochin harbour terminus.
Three national highways pass through this city, connecting every
part of the country.
The port is used regularly by large cargo ships and regular boat
services to Kottayam, Kumarakom, Alleppey(called Venice of the
East) through the backwaters of Kerala are available.
Swim along the Cherai beach.
Summers are hot and sweltry(April-May).Monsoons from JuneSept. pleasant from Oct-March.Some intend to take a monsoon
holiday to experience the non-stop rains of the Malabar.
View a Kathakali performance(a traditional dance performance of
Shop for curios, clothes, handicrafts along M.G.Road and the
line of shops at Mattancherry, enroute to the synagogue.
For an extended stay, visit the neighbouring tourist spots like
Munnar hillstation(140kms), Thekkady and Periyar Wildlife sanctuary(190kms), Thattekad bird sanctuary(60kms),
Kumarakom and Allepey where you can even hire a house
boat called Kettuvolam (traditionally called the rice boat.)
and spend a night in there.It’s a spectacular experience as
you move slowly down the backwaters bordered by rich
paddy fields, watching the sun-set.One can even go upto the
mesmerising Lakshadweep islands(400kms off the coast of
Kochi).
Don’t forget to savour the delicious Malabar cuisine wherever
you go and wash it down with the sweet nectar of coconut
water.
Indradhanush
2014
29
Shanghai Marathi Parivar
Greetings to you all from Shanghai Marathi Family
Like the earlier years, 2014 was also an eventful year for Shanghai Marathi Family. Few veterans left and a lot of young energetic families joined the Shanghai Marathi group. Shanghai
Marathi started the year with Makar Sankrant (Ladies only program) and then has celebrated two big programs “Gudhi Padwa
– The Marathi New Year” and the grand “Ganeshostav”.
Gudhi Padwa, is the Marathi name for Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. It is celebrated on the first day of the Chaitra month to
mark the beginning of the New Year according to the Hindu
calendar. This day is also the first day of Chaitra Navratri and
Ghatasthapana (also known as Kalash Sthapana) is done on this
day. The practice of raising the Gudhi was started by Shivaji
Maharaj to welcome the New Year and symbolizes victory “Vijay Dhwaj”. Since then this culture of raising Gudhi’s has been
followed in and around the strong holds of the Maratha kingdom. The word padwa or padavo comes from the Sanskrit word
padwa, which stands for the first day of the bright phase of the
moon called pratipado in Sanskrit.
Gudipadwa was celebrated on 05th April in the honourable
presence of renowned actor Shri Dilip Prabhavalkar (the 2nd
most famous Gandhi after the real Mahatma Gandhi). And the
man was as humble as the mahatma himself. The audiences
was mesmerized with his show “Chimanrao to Gandhi”, by his
old Doordashan acts like of this wonderful actor. The live act
by Shri Dilip Prabhavalkar was even more enthralling. The kids
really enjoyed the time with the modern day Gandhi (acted
in Munnabhai MBBS). The Shanghai Marathi group also did
many small gapshap mehefils with the veteran actor to understand more about his personal life. It’s heartening to hear how a
BARC scientist, a government employee ended up acting without any formal training and eventually making a place in the
heart of his audience.
Ganesh Chaturthi was being celebrated as a public event in
Pune since the times of Shivaji (1630–1680), the founder of the
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2014
Maratha Empire. The Peshwas, the de facto hereditary administrators of the Empire from 1749 till its end in 1818, encouraged the
celebrations in their administrative seat Pune as Ganesha was
their family deity (Kuladevata). With the fall of the Peshwas, Ganesh Chaturthi lost state patronage and became a private family
celebration again till its revival by Indian freedom fighter and
social reformer Lokmanya Tilak. In 1893, Lokmanya Tilak transformed the annual domestic festival into a large, well-organized
public event. Tilak recognized the wide appeal of the deity Ganesha as “the god for everybody”, and popularized Ganesh Chaturthi as a national festival. Tilak was the first to install large public
images of Ganesh in pavilions, and also established the practice
of submerging in rivers, sea, or other pools of water all public images of the deity on the tenth day after Ganesh Chaturthi.
Shanghai Ganeshostav was celebrated on 07-Sep. The honourable consul general graced the event with his presence. The group
presented “A Glimpse of Mankind’s Journey through Yugas”. This
was a tremendous effort by different age groups, especially kids
practising for weeks to be able to deliver a wonderful depiction of
the mankind journey. We had lot of Indian community members,
and not just Marathi people, performing on the stage. Despite the
informality of organization and even absence of so called professionalism, this small Marathi family delivers excellent programs
throughout the year. Most of the programs are such that it allows
almost all to explore their hidden talents. It truly adopts the famous democratic slogan “Of the people, by the people and for
the people”.
There is something that binds this community to become truly
a Family. Somehow this bond brings out the latent creativity in
the individuals to share it with all. The urge to share, as we do
within family with family members is what keeps it going. Veteran Shanghai-kar Girish Kshirsagar summed up the spirit aptly
as below:
After the function on 7th Sept, quite a
few people came to me and had nice
thing to say about our program and I
believe most of it was genuine! I was
trying to reflect how we could get 60+
participants of disparate age group work
in harmony, of different community
coming together putting a reasonably
coherent performance. It was no way
perfect, far from it with quite a few slips!
We neither had strict regime nor
someone with big stick. But we all delivered!
And we delivered because of some
unflinching commitment.. Really we all
should feel proud to be part of this
family! In this endeavour of ours there
was no “I’, only “we”! The spirit was
participative, cooperative and
infectious! It’s a wonderful web that
binds us all together. The web provides
us a stable but flexible net where hidden
talent finds its expression.
Let us try to strengthen the web. We
should look forward to new young
entrant in this process of strengthening
this web.
Shanghai Marathi Family.
Indradhanush
2014
31
Shanghai
Adda
Paribar
- By Kunal Sinha
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Indradhanush
2014
SHANGHAI ADDA
Flag bearers of Indian Culture in China
Continuing a tradition started several years ago, Shanghai
Adda brought yet another group of extremely talented musicians to the city this year. Chaiti – the Festival of Spring,
was organized at the Shanghai Center, featuring Murad Ali,
a sixth-generation sarangi player who has performed with
legendary musician Pandit Ravi Shankar. His brother Fateh
Ali won over the crowd with his innovative skills on the
sitar. They were joined on the stage by vocalist Deborshee
Bhattacharjee who enthralled the audience with his gayaki,
and Abdul Rehman and Ashoke Mukherjee on the tabla.
This devoted crop of musicians have kept the tradition alive,
drawing in both the purists and a livelier young audience
with their innovations. Not all have managed to charm
their way into the hearts, but a few who did retain a faithful
following – which they managed to build on in Shanghai. It
was remarkable to see how many Chinese people enjoyed
the show.
We celebrated Durgotsav for the eighth year in a row. Word
about Durga Puja has now travelled across China, and we
were joined by Bengali families from Beijing, Suzhou and
Ningbo – who travelled all the way to Shanghai, to be part
of the celebration. The usual dhak and dhunuchi naach
were complemented by a cultural program featuring families from different parts of India, who sang devotional and
popular songs, recited poetry, danced the Bihu and Bollywood numbers.
We also bid farewell this year to several very active members, including Ranjan and Rupa Mukherjee, who left after
more than a decade, and welcomed several new families
to Shanghai.
Indradhanush
2014
33
ARTICLE
A Journey to Manas sarovar & Kailash Parvat
- Geeta Canpadee
I haven’t travelled so much the past three decades as
much as I have in the past three years of my stay in
Shanghai.Like India, China has so much diversity and
Nature to offer to an avid traveler.From the ice festival in Harbin to cruising down the Three Gorges,from
the glitz of Macau to the karast hills of Guilin,its been
one hell of a roller coaster ride.However, this journey
beat it all-the journey to Manasa Sarovara and Kailash
Parvat.
According to Hindu mythology undertaking a yatra to
Kailash Parvat is considered to be the ultimate journey
for mankind.This is where Lord Shiva is supposed to
reside and where humans finally go to attain salvation
or mukthi.Several hundred years ago people walked
thousands of miles to reach this holy mountain and
there was no guarantee of their return.So,ironically going to Kailash meant going to Heavan or going to meet
Death.However things are not that bad these days and
thanks to the superb roads in the whole of Tibet province, the journey is made much easier and faster.Nevertheless my journey didn’t start from Tibet but began
in Katmandu, Nepal.This is the regular route which
most tourists from India prefer to take.The support
system is much better in terms of help offered by the
Sherpas who accompany you all through the journey
plus cook hot and nutritious food which otherwise is
hard to find enroute.
From Katmandu you drive to a small town called Kodari which is bordering China, before crossing the
Friendship Bridge.However, in my case due to a sudden landslide,the road to Kodari was cut off and the
only option left was to hike up and down a slushy hill,
treading over a slippery terrain for almost seven hours
to reach the town of Kodari.There was no electricity
in the small town and my duffel bag(clothes and supplies are carried in duffel bags and not suitcases) did
not arrive.That night I had to make do with whatever I
was wearing though it was all drenched and wet from
the strenuous trek and move around with the help of
a torch light.
[One lesson learnt:- Nothing is predictable in this
journey-anything can happen anytime and we need to
be prepared and ready to face the unexpected.]
From Kodari you cross the Sino-Nepal Friendship
bridge, pass through the immigration office to reach
the town of Zhangmu.This is the starting point for the
drive across Tibet.The drive from Zhangmu to Saga is
when you head towards the high altitude zone.Its almost an eight hour drive through some of the most picturesque part of the journey- diverse terrains of tropical forests with waterfalls to the rugged stretches of
the Tibetan plateau.The altitude sickness also hits you
hard and midway you are asked to get down from your
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2014
vehicle and swirl around gently to combat the nausea.
Fortunately if you are part of a well organized group,you
have good doctors accompanying you and ample oxygen cylinders as and when required.Saga can be considered as the base camp for the trek to Kailash Parvat.
It is almost 8000ft above sea level.It is also the origin of
river Bhrahmaputra.The last minute supplies have to be
bought at Saga before embarking on a drive to Manasa
Sarovara.Its a six-seven hour drive,gaining a height of
12,000ft above sea level.
The first glimpse of this heavenly lake is simply breath
taking.I couldn’t take my eyes of it for minutes on end
and since the day was clear and sunny could even spot
Kailash at a distance.According to mythology it is said
that Parvati resided at Manasa Sarovara along with her
sons Ganesha and Karthikeya while Shiva preferred living at Kailash Parvat.
It was the first time I experienced camping. There were
tents set up on the banks of the celestial lake and crawling in and out of it with headlight and torches was quite
an experience.However the weather can be highly unpredictable-bright and sunny one moment and raining
the very next minute.It gets to freezing point at nights
and better to be well equipped with warm jackets and
thick socks and comfortable sleeping bags.Plus a rain
jacket or umbrella will come handy at all times.
From Manasa Sarovara it’s a two hour drive to a place
called Darchen or Yama Dwar.Here you get down from
your vehicle and start the trek to Kailash Parvat.Walking up to reach a height of almost 15,000feet,it’s a seven to eight hour trek through one of the driest regions
of the plateau.The oxygen level decreases and you
are advised to walk as slowly as possible to combat
the increasing altitude.Ponies are available too but its
equally challenging.The weather is so strange that it is
cold and windy and blazing,all at the same time.Need
to keep yourself covered as much as possible to protect
from the uv rays and get smeared with sunscreen lotion
to prevent hard tanning of the skin.
Nevertheless after all the huffs and puffs, when I finally
came face to face with the magnificient mountain, I
stood mesmerized.The huge mound of black granite
emerging magestically from between the Himalayan
range is beyond description. All the pain and exhaustion experienced for the past one week vanished in
seconds and I had tears of joy rolling down my eyes.
I felt so small infront of this wonderful creation of God.
Probably that is why this journey is called the ultimate
piligrimage.You start the yatra with so much arrogance
and ego and end of it, all comes down like a pack of
cards.
It was a memorable journey, a journey of a lifetime.I
returned,having fallen in love with Kailash.I returned,
having rediscovered myself.
A resounding Yes!!This was my answer when my husband asked
me three years back whether I was willing to move to the hustling bustling city of amazing skyscrapers, intriguing gastronomical delights and bewildering sights… the city of Shanghai, as
he was given the opportunity to manage Baxter’s China Business. We had been living in the vibrant, multicultural city-state
of Singapore for over 10 years and even though life was good
with tons of friends and a great job, being an Indian, I was indeed craving for more spice in life.
Singapore is a place where NOTHING ever goes wrong…ever.
It’s beautiful city with well-manicured landscapes, clean and
safe, with a vast variety of scrumptious food for your curious
palate, a shopping paradise, immense opportunities professionally and innumerable activities for the entire family. This vibrant
multicultural country is maintained so well and the rules are so
strict, that friends visiting, often have a picture of being pinned
down by police officers if they chewed gum or throw litter on
the floor! I remember a few years back, there was a power failure for just 2 hours, and it created such hype in Singapore, that
it was treated almost like a terrorist attack. It was the headlines
in newspapers for months and was discussed in depth, until
they found out the cause and got the trouble shooting protocol
in place.
I had visited Shanghai twice, and had fallen in love with the
place. I thought it had the metropolitan feel of Singapore, as
well the spice and charm of Mumbai. With exotic street food,
and so many astonishing sights for the eyes, compared to the
concrete jungle of Singapore, Shanghai was a vibrant and vivacious change of scene.
I was born & bred in Kerala , got married and lived in Bangalore
and Mumbai before moving to Singapore , so I loved the cultural variety in food & festivities of different parts in India . When
we moved to Singapore, I was indeed thrilled and enjoyed my
time there with tons of friends and exploring the length and
breadth of the little red dot. Even though I was leaving behind
family and friends, it was a mixture of feelings I had when I left
Singapore; feelings of sadness coupled with the excitement of
change and uncertainty about what the unseen future withheld.
After a week of school and house hunting, we settled for Gubei
area, as it was easily accessible from school and work. The kids
settled in pretty quickly, making new friends and enjoying the
beautiful weather. Moving from an apartment living to a villa
life was exciting for them, especially when we decided to get a
dog, which later on became a big part of the family.
Initially my daughters were quite frustrated when they were suddenly stopped in their tracks to be photographed with Zhongguó
rén. They complained that they were being treated like animals
in a zoo, but gradually they learnt to manage themselves as
they were quite good in mandarin. During the early days, sign
language helped a lot in communicating, later on I took mandarin lessons, which helped me during shopping and getting my
way around in public transportation.
Schooling took off in a fantastic mode, putting me at ease. I was
very pleased with the number of opportunities the kids got, taking up classes in which they were passionate about, and how
much they were challenged in terms of time management, excellence and creativity. In Singapore they were moving around
in very safe environment, and here I loved the fact that they had
IA
ARTICLE
WELCOME to China...Namaste - Neetha Sanjay
to always think on their feet, be aware of their surroundings and learn so
many new things in the process.
We did have our share of culture shock, even though I firmly believed
that once you have lived in India, nothing would shock you anymore,
because you develop a sort of a thick skin to withstand any uncertainty
and cope with any situation. But China proved me wrong. What with
plastic eggs and fish meat, antibiotic chicken, waxed fruits, food cooked
in gutter oil and kids roaming around in half open bottoms, I was quite
concerned about food safety. Soap for cleaning vegetables? Gosh, that
was new. Friends converting to vegetarians? Hmm… That’s when we decided that there was no use in being paranoid, just take it as it comes. We
try to be as careful as possible, the rest we just have leave it to God. And
we should be thankful that at least we have supermarkets like Carrefour
and City shop for our basic grocery needs. Just imagine life ten years back
without these supermarkets. It’s indeed amazing to see the rate at which
economic development has progressed with major proliferation of many
amenities and retail, tailored especially for expats.
After that whenever we faced such situations we started defining it as a
classic “Welcome to China!” moment. There were also “Mr Bean moments“, which happened quite often when the maintanence workers forgot to bring a ladder to change bulb on a high ceiling, and forgetting to
bring the bulb when he returned with the ladder! We just learnt to breathe
calmly and not get overtly worked up or frustrated during such scenarios.
Someone had quoted quite correctly about Indians being thinkers and
Chinese being do’ers.
Shanghai has so much to offer for everyone; innumerous shopping centers, community centers with tons of activities, sports centers, photography classes, museums, art villages, water villages, and so on and so
forth . There’s always a variety of events happening year around catering
to all types of tastes. I was able to get in touch with my artistic side and
had fun experimenting with oil paints. And I’m sometimes amazed at the
variety of shopping places from Nanjing lu branded items to knick-knacks
from Yu market to the vastness of Cao An lu shopping centers and fake
markets.
The one thing I love about Shanghai is the cool, colorful autumn season
when you are surrounded by changing beautiful foliage before it gets
into cold harsh winters. During the first year, the kids were excited at the
prospect of playing with snow. It was a delightful change for us coming
from a year round hot and humid weather, to experience the four seasons, spring and autumn being the best of it all. And the most memorable
moment, was making a trip to the Feixing district, to see the golden bed of
yellow flowers. We definitely had a Dilwale Dulhania moment!
But of course, there is still the most dreaded thing about Shanghai. Its pollution. I was shocked when the high index was treated lightly, even when
it flew off the charts! God knows what kind of long-term effects our poor
lungs might endure, but this is life. How I wish I could bring back tons of
bottled fresh air from US or Europe during our summer vacations!
Very similar to the Hindi dialogue “Mere pass ma hai”, how would
we survive without Jack Ma’s tabao, the most amazing online shopping
wonder! As my siji is very tech savvy, my online shopping is done in three
simple steps! Choose an item, email the link to him and within a day or
two, the product is at my doorstep! Isn’t it amazing? Especially buying
English books is so easy! We were very thrilled to learn about this, as the
one thing we miss in Shanghai is the joy of going to a good book store,
Indradhanush
2014
35
and getting transported into the world of mystery and fiction. So,
Taobao indeed is a lifesaver! So move over Amazon, “Humaare
paas bhi Ma hai!”.
China, the land of so many breathtaking locales. Like all expats
we also explored the mountains of Guilin, posed with a 20 RMB
note, stood bravely between the terracotta warriors and enjoyed
long walks near West Lake. However, there are so many heavenly
places yet to explore like the Kunming belt, cruising around Yangtze etc. I feel the beauty of some places are even comparable to
the western locales, if you are able to block out the thousands of
people moving in a robotic motion shoulder to shoulder,especially
during holiday season or even do a Keanu Reeves “matrix” act,
ducking the phlegmy spit missile from all directions!
The one thing which adds laughter to our lives here are the bloopers created because of our language barriers. My friends and I often
exchange some hilarious stories, which throws us all into endless
fits of laughter! There was this case of a siji coming back from
shopping with 40 bulbs, when he was actually asked to buy a 40
watt bulb! Another scenario when my friend almost died trying to
control her laughter, was when the siji announced that he had
bought underwear for the “Lao Ban” and knew his correct size,
when he was actually referring to thermal inner wear!! I’m sure
they must be having their own “Lao Ban” bloopers as well too! My
kids often burst into laughter whenever I struggle to give instructions to our Ayi .
Festivities, the one thing that unites the 4000 Indians living in Shanghai. I’m often amazed at the effort and creativity put into bringing
us all under one roof during festive seasons. Be it Ganeshostav,
Durgostav, the Simply South program, Dandiya night or the biggest
event of the year, Diwali, when the Indian Association takes every
effort to entertain us by bringing celebrities ,everyone participates
and is ever ready to show off their moves and have fun. We Indians …
do we even need a reason to put on our dancing shoes! I love the fact
that inspite of having such a diverse background, we all join together
and have fun, no matter what the event is or whichever region we are
originally from. And even though there are no Indian temples here, I
get my peace and calm by visiting the Long Hua temple. It has a sort of
calmness and serenity unlike the gaudy Jing An, or touristy Jade Buddha temple.
The pace of life here is much slower than Singapore and I sort of enjoy
the hypothetical extra time I get. I feel that this China stint has brought
the family even more closer, especially with my kids in their teens. I
firmly believe that we have to embrace change and when families go
through that phase of experiencing new things and learning from their
challenges , it brings them more closer, and the ties even stronger. I
often realize that some of my friends overseas have no clue about life
in China apart from some facts that China exports are fantastic and economical and the food items cannot be guaranteed. Most of the expats
here either hate it or learn to enjoy living here.
Compared to living in the cities of US or Europe, an expat life here
always has its perks with housing allowance, Ayis and drivers , low cost
of living and great massages and hair salons. But of course, all at the
cost of breathing in polluted air and consuming adulterated food. Is it
truly worth it? ?...I’m not so sure .
But as my better half climbs up the corporate ladder, I’m going to enjoy each and every moment here, soaking up the variety and spice of
glorious sights of this land of skyscrapers, pajama culture and myriad
of cuisines, where everyday life unfolds a bewildering string of adventures and beaming with pride whenever a Chinese sings “Awara hoon (
Awalagoo…oh oh oh ,Awalagoo…ooh ohhh ohh).
Welcome To China....Namaste!
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Indradhanush
2014
ARTICLE
AATrip
TripTo
toTibet
the Roof of the world (TIBET)
- Ravi
- RaviYellajosula
Yellajosula
A trip to Tibet is always in my go to list in China. In last 7 yrs of
my stay in China it never happened, until this May 2014, where
my brother, Syam, came all the way from New york only to visit
Tibet.
It was one of the most memorable trips in my life with such a
natural beauty, that I never felt so close to the nature.
Potala Palace, Lhasa
On a five day trip to Tibet, we covered, Lhasa, where we have
seen Potala place, Jokhang temple, Barkhor street, we had a 600
Km drive along Nyang river, one of the most beautiful drives that
I ever had, where I felt every inch is like a Microsoft wallpaper.
We also visited one of the most beautiful icy mountain rages of
Himalayas, and also the Lake Nam one the very high altitude
lake, so naturally beautiful that I never felt like come back to
concrete jungle of towns again. I could touch my inner peace at
that these places.
I was told that Potala Palace was built in 1645, The building
measures 400 meters east-west and 350 meters north-south,
with sloping stone walls averaging 3 m. thick. Thirteen stories of
buildings – containing over 1,000 rooms, 10,000 shrines and
about 200,000 statues – soar 117 meters (384 ft) on top of, the
"Red Hill", rising more than 300 m (about 1,000 ft) in total above
the valley floor, one of great constructions I have ever visted.
Nyang River
The hotel I stayed in Lhasa very next to Jokhang Temple, This is
one of the holiest places for Tibet people, like Tirupathi or
Varanasi for Indians I was told that this temple was constructed
in probably in 642, the moment I clear the security and enter the
temple, there comes divine feeling and the atmosphere there is
so holy.
Himalayas
We had a 600 Kms drive, majority of the that along Nyang River ,
which originates at 5,000 meters above the sea level. May be
one of the high altitude rivers, the scenery around the river
reminded me wall papers that I download from internet to save
as a background of my computer.
Last day before I return to Shanghai, We visited Namtso or Lake
Nam I was told that it was born in the Paleogene age, as a result
of Himalayan tectonic plate movements. The lake lies at an
elevation of 4,718 m (15,479 ft), and has a surface area of
1,920 km2 . This salt lake. One of the holiest lakes for the
Buddhists,
Jokhang Temple
Priligrims @ Jokhang
Namtso Lake
Indradhanush
Yak @ Tibet 2014
37
Tibet couple
ARTICLE
The Chinese Calender
- Geeta Canpadee
One thing that is brand new every year is the Calendar.
Worldwide it is the Gregorian calendar which is commonly
adopted.However in most Asian countries including China
and India, there are two types of calendars followed simultaneously.Gregorian calendar wherein the new year begins
on Jan1st & ends on 31stDec is mainly used for official and
business purposes and the traditional calendars which are
based on the position of stars and contellations are used to
define the dates of festivals,horoscopes, astrological predictions etc.
The Chinese calendar is a twelve year cycle, predominantely based on the twelve zodiac signs represented by
animals like the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse,
goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.Number 12 was taken as
a standard mode of calculation, based on the fact that there
are 12 full moons within one year & hence like the Islamic
calendar,Chinese calendar is also Lunar calendar.
Accordingly,each time the moon moves into line with the
earth and the sun, a new month begins.The longest day of a
year(Summer Solstice)falls on 21st or 22nd of June, and the
shortest day(Winter Solstice)falls on December 21 or 22nd.
Both these days are very auspicious for the Chinese, based
on which they decide what to eat and drink so as to remain
healthy and face the hot & cold months without falling sick.
The beginning of Spring(between Jan 30-Feb20th) is called
the Spring Festival and is celebrated as Chinese New year.It
is the first month in the Chinese lunar calendar.So, following the 12 zodiac signs,each year is attributed to a particular animal.
There are several stories behind the selection of the particular 12 animals to represent the Chinese zodiac-the famous
one being that when God summoned all the animals of the
earth to arrive before him,these were the first ones to appear
& thus considered the fastest, the fittest & the most loyal.
The qualities unique to these twelve animals were taken
into account while grouping humans similar in nature,thus
developing a special relationship between man and animals.Another story has it that before departing from the
Earth,Lord Buddha summoned all animals to come to him
but only 12 came to bid him farewell and as a reward, he
named a year after each one in the order they arrived.The
first to arrive was the rat followed by ox,tiger,rabbit,dragon,s
nake,horse,goat,monkey,rooster,dog & the very last- pig.
The Chinese strongly believe the animal ruling the year in
which a person is born has a profound influence on his personality.And hence the popular saying “This is the animal
that hides in your heart”
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Indradhanush
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Here’s a brief on the characteristics of people born under the 12
zodiac signs known in Chinese as Shengxiao:-[taking into consideration the years between 1900 to the current 2014]
Rat:-The first sign of the lunar calendar.People born in 1900,
1912,1924,1936,1948,1960,1972,1984,1996,2008 belong to the Rat Year.They are supposed to be innovative and
intelligent,hardworking & crafty(which makes them excel in
business),easily agitated but very active & ambitious.
Ox:-The second sign of the lunar calendar.Those born in
1901,1913,1925,1937,1949,1961,1973,1985,1997,2009,belong
to Ox year.Supposed to be calm,patient,hardworking,dependab
le and hence make very good employees.Inclined to long term
relationships.
Tiger:- The third sign of the lunar calendar.Those born in the
years 1902,1914,1926,1938,1950,1962,1974,1986,1998,2010
, belong to the Tiger year and supposed to have the characteristic features of the particular animal.Hence they are powerful &
daring,charismatic & easily command respect.Highly egoistic &
sharp tongued which can lead to their downfall.
Rabbit:- The fourth sign & those born in the years
1903,1915,1927,1939,1951,1963,1975,1987,1999,2011,belong
to the Rabbit year.Supposed to be lovable ,kind & elegant.Fortunate guys, artistic in nature but lucky in business field.
Dragon:- The fifth sign of the lunar calendar and the most
powerful.Its the only mythical creature on the calendar & hence
regarded with great respect.Dragoners are the ones born in 1904
,1916,1928,1940,1952,1964,1976,1988,2000,2012.Very strong,
egoistical,opinionated,whimsical & demanding.Not very romantic but friendly especially with family members.Very positive in
nature but not a good listener which can be the downfall.
Snake:- Also called ‘Little Dragon’is
the 6th sign.Those born in the years
1905,1917,1929,1941,1953,1965,1977,1989,2001,2013,belong
to this zodiac.Snake people are deep thinkers,judgemental,unr
elenting,vicious,wise & endowned with a beautiful & graceful
personality.They make great political wizards & theologists.
Horse:-The 7th in order & the second most popular sign after the Dragon.Those born in 1906,1918,1930,1942,1954,1
966,1978,1990,2002,2014 are horse people.Supposed to be
headstrong,unpredictable,very intelligent,charming &full of life &
vigour.Make great sportsmen & explorers.
Goat/Sheep:- Comes 8th in line and is considered Nature’s special gift.Those born in
1907,1919,1931,1943,1955,1967,1979,1991,2003,belong to
this zodiac.They are basically gentle & compassionate,very graceful
& artistic,pessimistic at times.Most creative wonders in the world
are Goat/Sheep people.
Monkey:-9th sign of the lunar calendar.People born in 1908,1920,1
932,1944,1956,1968,1980,1992,2004 belong to this category.Supposed to be quick witted,adaptable,adventurous & a fast learner.
High superiority complex & selfish attitude might lead to downfall.
Very sociable & factual.Make great travelers & innovators.
Rooster:-The 10th sign & the only bird in the zodiac table.The
Rooster years are 1909,1921,1933,1945,1957,1969,1981,1993,2
005 & the rooster people are supposed to be perfectionists & task
masters.Highly dedicated,conservative,neat & organized.Make
great adminstrators.
Dog:- The eleventh sign of the lunar calendar.Those born in 1910
,1922,1934,1946,1958,1970,1982,1994,2006 belong to the Dog
year.Supposed to be the most likeable of all the zodiac symbols
because of their loyalty,honesty &selfless nature.Unassuming &
attractive,intelligent & not too demanding,they make trusted employee force & perfect companions for lasting relationships.
Pig:-The 12th & the last sign.Those born in 1911,1923,1935,1947
,1959,1971,1983,1995,2007 belong to the year of the pig.Considered a lucky animal & hence most houses in rural China tend to
have a sty just like the cowsheds in rural India.Pig people are supposed to be simple & affectionate,rough on the outside but genuine
from within.They sometimes possess dual nature-can be a saint & a
sinner at the same time.Introvert in nature but make friends easily.
They have all the lucky stars vouching for them & are fortunate
when it comes to health & wealth.They can do well by themselves
in most of the occupations.
According to the Chinese calendar, 2014 is the year of the Horse
and 2015 will be the year of the Goat or Sheep. So, anything
related to the festival like cards, motifs on lanterns,fireworks,sweet
boxes,streamers etc will be representing these animals.Every street
&shopping mall will have a huge model of the animal set in decoration just like the Xmas tree & in some gardens even bushes are
trimmed to resemble the particular animal.Houses & apartments
will have papercut stickers of these animals stuck on windows and
doors, supposed to be a good omen.Such is the importance given
to the zodiac signs.
You can visit the Yuyuan Gardens during Lantern festival, to experience the zodiac signs portrayed beautifully. It was the ‘Dragon’,
spitting fire in 2012, the ‘Snake’, hissing in 2013, the ‘Horse’, galloping in 2014 and probably the ‘Goat or Sheep’, bleating in 2015.
Four more months to go for the Xin Nian(new year) & already
people are getting into the festive mood.
This time I think, I’m going by the Chinese calendar & celebrating
the new year on February 19th instead. And yes,looking up for my
zodiac sign and living it up accordingly.Hope you all enjoy doing
the same aswell.
Indradhanush
2014
39
ARTICLE
The Chopstick Eater
- Harmeet Kaur
As somebody born and brought up in Delhi, it used to be really
thrilling for me to spot a Punjabi restaurant anywhere else in India.
“Look! That’s a Punju restaurant!” I would say while travelling in
Chennai. Or even Calcutta. Mere spotting them was a feel good
sort of thing – More often than not, I did not visit them because
I would rather experience the local cuisine. When I started travelling abroad, the curiosity to experience the “foreign” cuisines
heightened. But so did the craving for the comforting dal-chawal
or roti-sabzi, with aam-ka-achar. Now, finding an Indian joint in a
foreign land is another level of excitement – But getting an Indian
staff member to serve you food in that Gurgaon-Haryanvi accented
Hindi, oh my god, is ecstatic!
Being an ardent food lover, a lover of fine dining experiences and
most importantly – somebody who knew how to eat with chopsticks effortlessly – I thought I knew it all before I moved to Shanghai. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It was not about Chicken
Manchurian any more – in fact, I was almost shattered to know that
it’s not even a “Chinese” dish – it’s entirely a creation of Chinese
restaurants in India. And so was my favourite Chicken Manchow
soup. Even Chop Suey – it’s not a Chinese dish but an American
take on it. I expected to see Momos being sold here in vans just
like they sell in Delhi – But no, firstly momos are called “wontons”
here – and secondly, they are not just a street food... they are a Michelin star material. Kimchi Salad too, wan’t Chinese – it’s Korean.
And “Shezwan” sauce – as they pronounced it back in Delhi – was
not just a mixture of chilli and tomatoes, but a very sophisticated,
bold, and pungent sauce made with garlic and the hottest Sichuan
chillies. My list of gastronomic surprises has no end here.
There are 8 major cuisines of China - Anhui, Cantonese, Fujian,
Hunan, Jiangsu, Shandong, Szechuan, and Zhejiang. The essential
factors that establish the form of a genre are quite complex and include history, cooking features, geography, climate, resources and
lifestyle. Somewhere it’s just like India – where a Bengali palate will
be starkly different from a South Indian One, which will be starkly
different from a Punjabi or a Gujarati one. Shanghai cuisine is a
subset of this elaborate Chinese Cuisine, and is also known as Hu
Cai. It includes two styles - Benbang Cuisine and Haipai Cuisine.
Benbang Cuisine, literally meaning ‘local cuisine’, is the traditional
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family style cuisine that appeared in Shanghai over 100 years
ago. Using fresh fish, chicken, pork and various vegetables as
the main ingredients, it has a great flavour and a bright colour
derived from a liberal use of oil and soya sauce. Benbang food
tastes fresh, mellow and sweet.
Haipai Cuisine, literally meaning ‘all-embracing cuisine’ is derived from the cosmopolitan culture formed in Shanghai in the
end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It absorbs the advantages of many foods from other regions of China and even western food, and then adapts them to suit local tastes. Fresh fish,
shrimps and crabs are the main ingredients of Haipai Cuisine.
The appearance, flavours and cooking techniques of the Haipai
dishes have many variations.
Benbang Cuisine and Haipai Cuisine have many things in common: First, they make great use of fresh meat, chicken, vegetables and sea food such as fish, shrimps and crabs. Secondly, a
wide range of cooking techniques have been adopted and include steaming, braising, stewing, stir-frying, quick-frying, deepfrying, boiling, marinating, smoking and roasting. Thirdly, most
of the dishes taste fresh, clear, mellow, sweet or subtly spicy, and
never super spicy.
As I write this, I am already contemplating going on a gastronomical holiday to Chengdu – in the south-western province of
China, considered the home of the country’s most sophisticated
food, and also the famous “Sichuan” sauce. In 2011, Chengdu
was given a UNESCO “City of Gastronomy” designation, the first
in Asia. No other cuisine makes such liberal use of chillies while
at the same time achieving such complexity and balance!
I’ve put together a list of 15 must try foods while in Shanghai:
1. Xun yu (smoked fish) – Deep-fried, then boiled in soy sauce,
this fish is fried until the outer skin is golden brown and crispy,
while the inside remains snow-white, and tastes incredibly tender and succulent.
2. Sheng Jian (fried bun) – Just like steam dumplings, but fried
at the bottom and garnished with fresh spring onion and toasted
sesame.
3. Niu rou bing (beef pancake) - Known for its crispy dough exterior and
ground beef stuffing, which is marinated in Sichuan peppercorns. A small
bite leaves the tongue tingling!
4. Hairy Crab – Considered a delicacy, the season is around October. Best
paired with Chinese house wine
5. Egg Tarts – Available in many flavours, almost all the local bakeries would
stock these Portuguese-style egg tarts with soft, flaky crusts and a filling just
like crême brûlée.
6. Rou jia mo (Shaanxi-style sandwich) – Steamed buns, split open, then
stuffed with succulent meat and veggies along with cilantro, lettuce, and
plenty of chilli sauce.
7. Mung bean pie – Most Shanghai locals prefer their snacks savoury over
sweet, but mung bean pie is one exception. Stuffed with slightly sweetened
mung bean paste, these pies ooze the fragrance of fresh mung beans.
8. Ci Fan (Rice Balls) – These glutinous rice balls are one of the most popular breakfast foods in Shanghai. Typical stuffing includes a you tiao (fried
dough stick), pickled vegetables, pork floss, white sugar and sometimes
eggs and ham.
9. Tofu flower soup - Made by curdling soy milk, this smooth tofu soup contains the subtle flavour of soybeans beneath a colorful mixed dressing of
dried shrimps, pickled radish, seaweed, scallion, soy sauce and chilli oil.
10. Shuang dang or dan dang soup - A bowl of dan dang soup includes a
pork-stuffed tofu-skin wrap and a diced-shaped fried tofu nub also filled
with minced pork, and sometimes a handful of glass noodles. When served
with double portion of wraps and tofu pieces, the snack becomes shuang
dang.
11. Chinese fried chicken – Chicken fillet fried in a wok with chopped
dried chilies, scallions, ginger and garlic, then sprinkled with sesame and
five-spice powder.
12. Pai gu nian gao (pork chop with rice cakes) - The best part of this Shanghainese dish is neither the deep-fried pork chop nor the sweet-soy sauce
glaze, it’s the nian gao. Made of glutinous rice flour, nian gao has a compact texture that seals the subtle, fragrant taste of sticky rice from any heavy
sauce.
13. Hong shan yu (baked sweet potato) - Sweet, fluffy, and fibrous, these
baked sweet potatoes are usually sold out of a pushcart, they are one of the
healthiest snacks in town
14. Ma qiu (sesame ball) – The glutinous dough balls are filled with sweet
red bean paste and coated with white sesame, and then deep-fried until
golden brown.
15. Qiang bing (puffy pancake) – Usually eaten at breakfast, it’s made of
lightly salted dough and chopped spring onions, and then cooked in a flat
pan until it’s puffy and golden brown.
Indradhanush
2014
41
ARTICLE
Celebrating Festivities & Reviving Traditions
- Prajakta Diwanji
ILeaving behind your country and hometown for
the first time, is quite challenging! When I left
home for the first time, I was so aware that I would
miss family , friends, work and loads more! Little
did I realize, that an occasional visit to the temple,
or a devotional song playing on radio, or being a
part of smallest of our festivals, would be amongst
other things that I would so miss! But moving to
Shanghai (China) of all places, expecting all these
was certainly nowhere on the charts !
Even before we stopped admiring this
grand event, a warm invite from a friend to celebrate
Navratri (Golu) with about a 50 other Indian families here, took me by surprise! All of the hundred
odd traditional dolls beautifully sitting against a
stepped ethnic backdrop certainly held me in awe!
The colourful bright decorations subtly highlighting
the Latitha Poojan was a sight I had certainly never
seen, even back in my hometown !! Made me ponder . . .
However, I was indeed in, for the most
pleasant surprise of a lifetime! Here, in one of the
most hi- tech, fast cities of the world, we have actually set up, what we call “ a Mini - India”. Here
of all places, we are purely Indians. How we thoroughly enjoy celebrating every festival from North
to South!
Back home, we followed our own domestic
traditions, celebrated our own local festivals.... we
were so culturally bound by our own regional festivities. It was only after we set afoot foreign soils, that
we realized the true essence of being Indians.
This is because, here in foreign lands, we not only
celebrate our own regional festivals, but are warmly
invited to be a part of all celebrations from all over
India. Here we dance to the tunes of Garba, chime
in with the melodious songs at Durga pooja . .. bow
humbly at Mata ki chowki . . . sing Aarti’s at every
pooja, solemnly fast at Karvachout, have our kids
earnestly perform at Bal Diwas! It’s year round celebrations!! Hats off to the IA team for their untiring efforts in organizing such wonderful traditional
events and providing platforms for local talents to
shine! Be it the big events, or small homely gatherings, the warmth of friendship thoroughly fills in as
a ‘new family’.
The National flag hoisting on our Independence day was one of the first social gathering I
attended. All through years of school and college, I
do not remember having such feeling of utter pride
for being an Indian...a morning that unknowingly
rekindled to fullest, and taught all over again, the
true meaning of ‘Patriotism’.
Being born and brought up in Maharashtra, we came here thinking that the huge scale
festivities for Ganpati Utsav, were the very first
amongst festivals we would thoroughly miss.
Yet again, I could not be proved more wrong! The
preparations for the Shanghai Ganpati Utsav began even before we could anticipate. Our very
own Shanghai Marathi group so wonderfully kick
started a series of what I call ‘mini celebrations’ in
the very process of planning for D-day. Suddenly, it
was all happening. . .the melodies back home were
transported through the most melodious voices .
. our own talents on instruments were captivating
. . . dance performances were taking shape, right
from the tiny tots to the lovely ladies, . . . skits were
being skillfully directed, a grand venue selected
and a scrumptious menu put together.
The day we did our final rehearsal of the Program,
complete to the detail, with an impressive anchoring and most remarkable tech support highlighting
the screen..... we all had no doubts that the final
event would certainly carve a niche in hearts of
every invitee . . Indian or otherwise!
Needless to say, . . so it was, an enormous success
. . a Grand event, just as every year with brilliant
performances by all communities from north to
south . . . melodious music knit finely by talented
artists,. . all in all .. a Pinnacle of all the hard work
and organization so wonderfully unfolded!
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Indradhanush
2014
As though in continuation of my awe, I was
amazed to receive a warm invite from a friend to be
part of Ramnavratri celebrations!! Our dear friends
had come up with a remarkable idea of “Kirtana”
(musical narration of mythological stories) on the pious occasion of Ram Navmi !
Being part of a Maharashtrian family, I grew
up listening to Abhangas and rare Kirtanas on radio.
Albeit being conversant with the concept, little did
I know, that I was about to experience one of the
most enchanting evenings to remember ! Our very
own friend stood before us dressed up as an authentic Kirtankaar (narrator) and set us off to an unforeseen melodic journey to ancient times.
From that moment on, till the very end of the performance, expressing is truly beyond words!! The riveting narration took us into an unknown world! The
Kirtana, melted us from reality into a sublime pious
ambiance ,a truly rare experience! .
It made us glide with the flow of rhythm,
as we keenly absorbed the words with much interest, participated with whole heart . . .and as the
melodious narration peaked , . . . . a few of us were
unknowingly left with a tear in the eye. We were all
Indradhanush
2014
43
so hooked on, that even when it was over, our minds still lingered on . . . hard to detach from the spellbinding performance that we had
just experienced!
This “rare gem” of an experience, had made us entirely forget we were in Shanghai! I have no face to complain, crib or even say “Miss
home” anymore . . .I could never have had this experience even back home!
Who could imagine . . here In Shanghai, after celebrating Ganpati & Diwali in much the same way; we also got to be a part of
Sankranti, Holi, Gudi Padwa, and now Ram Navratri, I had to admit , I’ve forgotten about missing our festivities back home. I have also
realized that, here in a foreign land, amongst so very foreign people, we don’t just celebrate festivals, but acquire a very new meaning
and outlook to each of our smallest festive trends and traditions !!
Though, we are all utterly busy in these times, such gatherings give us a chance to have a peek into our religious side deep
down. . . .and discover an affection for our strong traditional values, and our suppressed spiritual sides! At such occasions, as we mingle
amongst friends, and make new ones, little do we realize that our topic of discussions unknowingly change from the “daily events , office
and kids “ to completely unusual conversations...an unexpected exchange of spiritual thoughts and traditional beliefs.
The events are also an eye opener on the hidden talent that exists within small groups in a foreign country. It is indeed heartwarming to see these fine friends earnestly seek their passions & skills , and develop upon them sincerely & consistently, despite of their
hectic schedules. Each event truly brings an amazing array of finest skills, teamwork ,co ordination, culinary skills and the sheer joy and
enjoyment of its process, that lead every single time, to extraordinary gatherings. These are what that we can truly term as “Paradigms of
Tradition”!
In ways so Unique...it is here, away from home, that we are purely and solely INDIANS !
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Indradhanush
2014
If you ask most people what they would call being trapped in
the middle of the woods without internet connection, cell phone
signal and running hot water they would probably say “a nightmare” or “worst case scenario after your car runs out of gas” or
something, but no- no. My parents refer to it as camping.
This isn’t even normal camp, like the kind you go with your
friends in the summer. It’s not even the kind where you camp in
a tent and watch the stars. No, this is the worst possible place
you could be. Family camp.
My name is Audrey Brown and I’m stuck in a living hell for the
next 2 weeks. Every year, my family decides to go on a pointless
two weeks of torture known as family camp, and they decide to
drag me along with them. I don’t even know why they want to
come here, my dad refers to it as a “time for simplified relaxation” and my mom says that it “allows us to have some quality
family bonding time”, whatever that means.
Basically, all there is here is a bunch of bored families full of
geeks and misfits- and my parents expect me to talk to them. I
mean what is their problem? I could be at home with my friends,
the beach, and the mall, but no. The closest mall from here is
a full 30 miles away! Whatever happened to my weekly manicures! And on top of that, no contact with the outside world
whatsoever! No cellphones, no texting, no wechat, no snapchat,
no tumblr, no twitter- we don’t even have wifi. It’s like the medieval ages.
As our car made a turn along the dirt road my mom said, “Get
ready kids, we’re almost there!”
I groaned as I pulled my earphones out and prepared myself for
what was about to happen. Max and Abby, my younger siblings,
squealed in excitement. The tires crunched against the gravel as
our car came to a complete stop. I sighed and slowly opened the
car door and stepped outside on the dusty road into the Arizona
heat. I stood with my hands on my hips and scoffed at the view
before me. A huge expanse of grass, dotted with cabins, a campfire, canteen, and activity centers. Right next to the camp office
was a brown colored table with a bunch of cookies and lemonade, with a sign that said “refreshments” on it. This. Couldn’t.
Get. Any. Worse. The sun was already scorching overhead, dust
fleas were biting my ankles, and this was just the beginning.
Before we could even get our bags out of the car, a bunch of
camp directors came over and greeted us.
“Hey there! How you guys doin’?” they said a bit too cheerfully.
“Great to have you guys back!” said a man dressed in tan shorts
and a t-shirt that said Holly Hill Groves Family Camp on it.
“You guys are the Browns?” asked a lady. “Yes, that’s us!” my dad
replied.
“Now, you guys are in cabin 7, right over there”, she said pointing to a rectangular looking hut on the far end of the field, “You
guys get settled in and join us at the center campfire in about 20
minutes for the start-of-camp meeting! How’s that sound?”
“Great!” my mom said, “See you there!”
“Oh, I almost forgot, right after, we are gonna’ have the annual
family challenge marathon! So get your game on!” the lady said
chuckling, as she walked away.
“More like get your lame on,” I scoffed, under my breath. “Audrey!” my mom said sharply, “Be nice!”
“Whatever,” I said.
We got our bags out of the car and started walking towards cabin
7. I trudged along the path, dragging my duffel behind me.
“Well this is it!” Dad said, as if it was any different from the past
years, and opened the door.
Same old cabin, every darn year. It had gray floors, bunk beds
ARTICLE
An Untitled Shory Story
- By Meher Arora (Grade 9, SAS)
with a dresser, a mirror, a shoe rack, closets, and a door leading
to the nastiest bathroom ever.
“Okay you three,” my dad said to us, “Get your stuff unpacked
and settled, wash up, and get ready for some family fun!”
Max and Abby yelped in joy and ran towards their bunks. I
raised an eyebrow. It was impossible how enthusiastic my family
could be at times.
I brought my bag over to my bunk and started unpacking. I
opened up one of the drawers in the dressers to set my clothes in
but instead, found it covered with dust.
“Ew!” I cried, “Mom! Dad! The drawers are so dirty I can’t even
unpack!” “Honey, don’t be such a girly girl, just wipe it up and
get on with it!” My dad said. “Ugh, fine,” I replied.
I shoved my hand down my backpack and dug for my wet
wipes. I took out a
piece and covered it in hand sanitizer and cleaned my dresser
and then another for my bed, because I wouldn’t want to risk
getting salmonella or something. Who knew what had touched
that stuff. I carefully settled my clothes in the drawers and set out
my sunscreen, perfume, makeup, and magazines on top.
“Okay!” Dad said, “family meeting in the middle of the room!”
Family meeting? Really? Who even says that. I groaned loudly.
Mom shot me a look. We all gathered in the center of the cabin
and sat in a circle.
“Okay guys,” said dad, “So we’ve gotta’ head out to the camp
meeting in about five minutes. I think around 15 other families
are here also, so we have to be on our extra good behavior when
we meet them right?” He said, eyeing us kids.
“After the meeting there’s gonna’ be a family challenge marathon, you remember right?” Mom said to Max and Abby.
“Yeah, I do! I do!” Abby said excitedly. “It’s when we do all those
fun stuffs together and see which family gets the most points,
right?”
“Those fun activities, Abby, activities, not stuffs” I said. “And
they’re not even fun,” I said, “They’re boring, just like everything
at this stupid camp!”
“That’s it Audrey! I’ve had it with your snooty remarks and
scowls.” said mom. “You know this is a family tradition, we do it
every summer! We’ve been here for less
than an hour and you’re already complaining. We are going to
be here for two weeks, we are going to do stuff as a family and
bond, yes Audrey bond. You will have to do things you may not
want to, but you will have to, and you will do it with a smile on
your face, because we’re here to have fun, aren’t we?”
“Yeah!!!” Max and Abby cheered.
“But mom...” I whined, “There’s nothing to do. It’s just lame family activities and there’s no one to hang out with.”
“Audrey, it’s family camp. Not sit-alone-in-the-cabin camp. The
point is to meet other families and bond with your own.”
“But mom!” I said.
“No buts,” mom said, “one more word out of your mouth and
your ipod’s gone.” So I scowled and kept quiet.
We walked outside to the center of the grassy field. There was a
big campfire pit in the center and around 20 log benches around
Indradhanush
2014
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it. We all sat down on a bench and waited for all the other families
to arrive.
When the meeting started, the main camp director came on and
started to speak. She was a woman around her late 30s, she had
medium length brown hair tied up in a pony, she was wearing
cargo shorts and the same Holly Hill Groves Family Camp t- shirt,
she had a whistle around her neck, holding a clipboard and a pen.
“Hello all Holly Hill Grove Family Campers!” she said. A chorus
of “hellos” and “heys” replied. “Welcome to the Holly Hill Grove
Family Camp Session 2010! Our camp was founded almost 50
years ago, and we’ve been hosting hundreds of happy campers
since! Are you ready to enjoy a fun-filled, nature-immersed two
weeks!?”
Ew. Ew. Ew. Fun-filled? Nature immersed? Family bonding?
Actually...I’d rather die. I’m so not built for this outdoor stuff, I
thought, looking down at my manicure. Holy crap, I just chipped a
nail.
As the lady droned on and on about the “great experiences” we
would have here, I scanned the benches. Most families looked
average- two middle-aged parents and a few kids mostly younger
than me. After a thorough search of everyone, I concluded that
there were only four people about my age, all of which I knew from
previous years. Becky, a geeky year old girl who had been coming
to family camp just as long as I had. Matt, an awkward little year
old boy who looked half his age. Jen, she started camp last year
but she seemed really depressed so I never really talked to her. And
then there was Travis. I had had known him for 5 years. Since we
were kids, he’s had a crush on me. I wondered if things would be
different this year. Maybe he wasn’t all that geeky anymore, at least
he didn’t look as bad.
When the camp meeting was finally over, all the families started
mingling and doing the awkward “get to know each other” introductions. Honestly, every single kid I’ve seen here is either geeky,
overly nerdy, or just weird. I mean I saw that Matt guy picking up
different types of bugs from the ground- yes bugs- and giving science lectures on them. That kid needs some serious help.
I wandered off and started walking around the edge of the campground. As I was walking, I looked up and a familiar face stood
staring back at me, it was Travis.
“Hey Audrey!” he said.
“Uh...hi,” I replied. I studied his face, he was about 5’8, had light
brown hair, green eyes, and big glasses.
“How’s it going?” he asked. “Good, how bout’ you?” I replied.
“Great! Ya’ likin’ it here?” he asked.
“What do you mean ‘am I likin’ it here?’ It’s been the same forever,
we both know it sucks.” I replied.
“Ya’ think so? I don’t. I mean personally, I enjoy being out here. It’s
like my summer home.” said Travis.
“Yeah yeah.” I answered. “That’s great for you.” “So what’s new?” he
asked.
“Same old stuff,” I replied. “This place is still no fun.” “C’mon, it’s
not THAT bad,” Travis said.
I raised an eyebrow.
There was an awkward silence.
“So Audrey, uh...you wanna’ come... uh...searchin’ for berries with
me?” Travis asked, stuttering.
“Uh, what?” I replied.
“Berries. Berry picking?” said Travis. “You serious?” I asked.
“Sorry, haha,” he said nervously. “I didn’t know what to say.” “It’s
okay,” I said smiling.
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“So I’ll see you around?” he said. I nodded and walked away.
Once we got back to the cabin after dinner, the cabin was filled
with mosquitos. Apparently Max and Abby had forgot to close
the door on their way out, so thanks to them, I was about to
get eaten alive. As if that weren’t enough, the bathroom was
manifested with bugs and the tap water tasted like metal. With
the mosquitos buzzing in my ear, the itchy sheets, and the heat,
it took me forever to fall asleep.
I woke up the next morning with a crick in my neck and a
backache. There was no fan, air conditioning, ventilation in the
room. I got up out of bed and felt the heat prick my skin. My
family was already getting ready for breakfast.
“Just bring me back some will you?” I groaned as I flopped back
on my bed and tried to catch a bit more shut-eye.
After 20 minutes of tossing, turning, moaning, groaning, and
grumbling to myself, I finally managed to pull myself out of
bed. It was hot- too hot to do anything- except for one thingand that was sun tan.
I quickly slipped on my bathing suit and slathered myself in
suntan lotion. I grabbed my ipod, magazine, sunglasses, and a
towel and was just about to leave the cabin when the rest of my
family walked in.
“Audrey, just where do you think you’re going?” my Mom
asked. “To tan. Duh.” I said, gesturing to my bathing suit and
suntan lotion.
“No, no, no, no, no sweetie. You’re not. We’re all going on a
nature hike!” said mom cheerfully.
I lowered my sunglasses and looked mom in the eye, “What.
Are you talking about.” I said.
“Yeah! A few of the families wanted to go on a hike to find a
rare species of plants- you’re coming!” Mom said.
“No I’m not” I shot back. “Yes you are” she said. “Am not.” I
said.
“Are too” she said. “Am not” I growled.
“Audrey! We’re doing this as a family! And you’re coming! End
of discussion.” she snapped.
I swore under my breath and walked over to my dresser to put
my things back. “Oh and honey,” said mom, “Don’t forget to
wear something comfortable, it’s
going to be a long walk.”
I gave a weak moan and sunk onto my bed. Finally, I find something I want to do, and I have to leave for a stupid hike. Great.
Just wonderful.
I pulled on some high-waisted shorts and a crop top, along with
some flip flops. I grabbed my sunglasses and ipod and went to
meet my family outside.
“What on earth are you wearing?” mom said. “Clothes.” I
replied sharply.
“Sweetie,” dad said, “We’re going on a hike, not to a party, I
don’t think they’re the best option.”
“Actually, I’m fine like this.” I said. “Suit yourself,” dad said,
shrugging.
We walked towards the front of the camp to meet the others by
the bus. Berry-picking Travis was there, this was going to be an
interesting day.
ARTICLE
Beauty - An essence
- Nidhi Sharma
I read once, “ There is nothing more rare,nor more beautiful,than a woman
being unapologetically herself;comfortable in her perfect imperfection.
To me,that is the true essence of beauty”
Steve Maraboli.
Since my teenage, I have been listening, ‘BEAUTY LIES IN THE EYES OF BEHOLDERS’. ‘ Personally, I am very fascinated by this word or in other words, being a
woman, this word plays an indispensible part in my life. Generally speaking,
beauty is a synonym of appearance, personality, elegance, comeliness, gracefulness and style. Beauty is a soul. It’s not that it is confined to physical appearance only; rather beauty of inner soul is stronger than outer appearance.
This word ‘BEAUTY’ has many definitions .This character is gifted to all creations
in varied forms. Let’s see how the insight of beauty varies. When a baby is born,
for him the idea of beauty is his mother’s lap .Beauty can also be sunrise and
sunset. For the nature lovers, waking up before dawn to capture the sunrise is
their perception of beauty. For many, doing yoga and meditation sitting on the
wet grass, in the presence of morning sun is their thought of beauty. A farmer
who is soaked in sweat finds beauty in the soil. It’s there he finds his solace . For
a child, seeing s colorful butterfly sitting on the flower can be the expression of
beauty where she can run after it to catch it. Not to miss an artist,who can find
beauty in a small leaf which is left unnoticed by many. So,we can say that the
idea of beauty can be self-opinionated.
As we all are the amalgamation of inner and outer beauty, lets ponder which
one is more important and why?Outer beauty,is a genetic inheritance.It is a
physical attraction that a man or woman holds.It has its own advantages,as
it makes one more confident person enabling to interact with people well.
We hardly can change out characteristics which we inherit.But certainly inner
beauty is very much in our hand.Inner beauty is the person’s character ,far beyond just physical appearance.It is a concept that is related to intellect or other
factors that pleases other people.
We can alter the ratio of Inner beauty as per our will. The relation between
outer and inner beauty is magical. For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.
For lovely eyes,seek out the good in people. For a beautiful figure,share the
food with hungry.Thus if the combination of inner and outer beauty is done
perfectly,,the world becomes a beautiful place.
Is beauty really lies in the eyes of the beholders?
Personally,beauty isn’t in the eye of the beholder. It is within ourselves. When
our thoughts are filled with positive energy and inner beauty,we appreciate the
things around us whether it be animate or inanimate.If we feel beautiful,our inner beauty will reflect the same idea ,inturn making the outer beauty more
stronger.
Its important to note that the concept of beauty has evolved enormously over
the years. In this day and age,perception of beauty changes almost everyday.
With people becoming obsessed with some unrealistic image of beauty and
succumbing to unnatural ways to achieve it ,,inner beauty is getting overlooked. Because of this rapid change ,we often alter our appearances to satisfy the rest of the society.It’s the need of an hour to understand that Inner
beauty helps to appreciate Outer beauty.If we love ,appreciate and feel good
about ourselves, the inner beauty will overflow within us ,therby enchancing
our outer beauty as well.We don’t need validation for our looks from others ,if
we feel beautiful from within .
Indradhanush
2014
47
ARTICLE
Natural Remedies ~ Curing Mom’s Way
- Rajshree Sehgal
IYour food shall be your medicine,’ said Hippocrates, the Father of modern medicine. He knew
what he was talking about way back in 424 BC! Choose the food that suits your needs from this
guide...
Diabetes
Drink the juice of 4-5 bitter gourds on an empty stomach every morning.
Add a teaspoon of dried and powdered jamun seeds to a cup of milk, and drink it first thing in the
morning.
Swallow dry methi seeds (fenugreek) whole, or soaked overnight in water. Depending on the
severity, you can have 25-100gm of the seeds.
Menopause
Drink beetroot juice regularly. Take it in small quantities (around 30gm), three times a day.
High Blood Pressure
Eat garlic in any form.
Have watermelon seeds regularly, dried and roasted.
Eat avocados as they are a good source of vitamins and dietary fibre.
Heart Disease
Have lots of grapes - they tone up the heart muscles and reduce symptoms such as palpitation.
Take a spoonful of asparagus juice mixed with honey (in a 2:1 ratio) three times a day if you have an
enlarged
heart or any other heart ailment.
Insomnia
Have a glassful of lettuce juice daily before bedtime for sound sleep. Lettuce contains lectucarium,
which
helps induce sleep.
Drink a glass of warm milk with honey at bedtime to relax yourself.
Constipation
Soak 4-5 dried figs in half a glass of water before you go to bed, and eat the fruit first thing in the
morning
to get rid of stomach problems.
Eat papaya at breakfast - it is a natural laxative.
Toothache
Gently bite into a clove of garlic smeared with salt, letting the juice seep into your tooth.
Apply clove oil on the affected tooth for instant relief.
Dysentery
Have half a teaspoon of Isabgol, mixed in a bowl of curd, about three times a day.
Boil pomegranate rind in about two cups of milk, reduce to half the quantity. Divide it into three parts
and have throughout the day.
Cough
Make a teaspoon of onion juice mixed with honey 2-3 times a day.
Have haldi (turmeric) powder mixed with hot milk (half a teaspoon mixed with half cup milk) three
times through the day.
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Indradhanush
2014
ARTICLE
My Book Buddies
- Anupama Sharma
I feel in Shanghai most of us live like ‘taitai’. The perfect madams looking to spend
their time, between kids, social activities and friends. Most of the activities are
planned and generally formal. Some of us have been thinking about starting a
book club for some time. After some mistrials it got going last Spring. Six really
excited and chirpy women first met at a friend’s house for an hour to understand
and agree on the modalities of our group. Can you believe it, all of us with our
favorite list of books, ideas and full of enthusiasm, our animated discussion went
on & on & on & on….
Quickly a ‘whatsapp’ group was formed and the discussion continued even after
our first meeting to decide which was the first book we were going to read. Finally we decided on a recently published book by Amy Tan called “The Valley of
Amazement”. It is a novel based in Shanghai in the early 1920s, a period associated with the development of French concession and the flavor of those times.
The review session was simply hilarious. Our vocabulary about our body parts
and its functions was enhanced during that session, thanks to Amy Tan. A certain
evocative aspect of the Chinese elite living and their ways and relationship with
foreigners added to the enriching experience.
After China we moved our attention to India and decided to read “Low lands”
by Jhumpa Lahiri. It is a poignant tale of the trials and travails of a family during the students’ communist movement in West Bengal in the 1970s. We were
overwhelmed by the history of those turbulent times and its impact on ordinary
people engulfed in the flood of events that followed.
The next book was a set of short stories by a lady Nobel Laureate Alice Munro.
The stories had similar themes of women’s freedom of an unprecedented kind.
We didn’t really enjoy reading this book. We are still wondering what made her
books worthy of a Nobel Prize.
“The end of an affair” by Graham Green was the next one and a classic. How much
did it say in those 105 pages. How many questions and emotions it helped us to
understand and to reflect upon. Religion, morality, love, marriage , friendship ,
beliefs etc. It prompted some of us to look into the biography of the author as
well, and how the author’s own situation prompted him to pen down this fiction
, and therefore the question how much of a fiction is really a fiction.
Then came “Good Lord Bird” by James McBride. A book based on the famous tragic story of John Brown’s failed slave rebellion at Harper’s ferry in 1859. It’s a laugh
out loud, funny and filled with wonderful bizarre images. Also the benefit came
from an enhanced history lesson of the very iconic incident in the abolitionist
movement in the USA.
Our joy knew no bound when we came to know that Rosie Project, the book we
were reading next is the only fiction recommended by Bill Gates. He thinks Rosie
Project is one of the 9 books everyone should read. The only fiction in his list of
books on business, social change, earth, material, extinction, human history, agriculture and journalism.
This book club of ours may not be running on the conventional principles of such
clubs or styles. All of us may not be reading the books in their entirety, yet each
one of us is meaningfully attached and look forward to reading the next book.
Let’s move on to our next book……
Indradhanush
2014
49
ARTICLE
Demystifying the mystery diets
- Shivika Tarika
Food diets like detox, paleo, vegan and gluten-free were added to my vocabulary only a few months back. Till then the word “diet” meant an unbeatable way
to quickly drop a jeans size to me. It took a little googling and a lot of questioning to understand that following a diet is not about eating less. It’s about
choosing what you eat. It’s about how you feel when you include or exclude
certain foods. And about following a specific regime.
You can tailor your diet according to your individual needs, goals, body types
and sensitivities. Here is a sneak peak in to some diets whose popularity has
skyrocketed over the past couple of years.
Gluten-free
What’s the deal?
The rise in cases of people being diagnosed with celiac disease has put gluten
firmly in the spotlight. But what exactly is gluten?
Derived from the Latin for glue and present in grains such as wheat, barley
and rye, gluten is a protein that gives elasticity to foods like roti, pasta and
bread, but also non-edible products, for example cosmetics. Problems occur
when people who are sensitive to gluten – known as celiac – consume it, as
it causes swelling of the lower intestine which can trigger serious long-term
health conditions.
So what can I and what can’t I eat?
If you’ve been diagnosed as gluten intolerant, it’s essential to avoid anything
wheat or grain based. For example roti, bread, pasta, cakes, pastries, beer and
cereal. Always check labels and packaging carefully to make sure.
On the bright side meat, rice, beans, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts and the majority of dairy products are absolutely fine, meaning it’s still possible to enjoy
a full and balanced diet.
What’s more, with as much as 1% of the world’s population believed to be
gluten intolerant, more and more companies are coming up with gluten-free
products in a bid to address growing demand. Today many international supermarkets in Shanghai and online grocery stores like Fields stock a number
of gluten-free breads, cake & pizza mixes, jams, chips, milk etc. It’s never been
easier to go gluten-free!
Detox
Is it only about shedding a few pounds?
Detox has gained huge popularity in recent times, with everything from fasting to juice diets claiming to be the next invincible way of shedding a few
pounds.
But ask any nutritionist, and they’ll tell you that weight loss should in fact not
be the primary reason for detoxing. Perhaps a dictionary-type definition describes it best: detox or detoxification is what your body does naturally to neutralize, transform or get rid of unwanted materials or toxins.
So the modern incarnation of the trend we know as detoxing is actually something that the body does itself, namely the liver, kidneys and intestinal tract to
improve bodily function.
Why should I detox?
Whether we choose to or not, it’s a fact that as humans we tend to ingest quite
a lot of toxins and modern research shows that these toxins may secrete themselves in the fat cells of our bodies.
These toxins come from all kinds of places - pesticides, antibiotics and hor-
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POETRY
Indradhanush
2014
51
mones in food, chemicals from food packaging, household cleaners,
detergents, food additives, heavy metals, pollution, drugs, and cigarette smoke. And can cause our immune system to temporarily weaken, which can in turn make us sick.
Giving our body time to cleanse these toxins, and a helping hand
through a sensible and balanced diet full of nutritional and antioxidant-rich foods can help give a boost to our immune system, especially
after periods where we may have, say, overindulged.
It’s true that a lifestyle such as this can often be accompanied by weight
loss, but this is not a guarantee and differs from person to person. One
thing that remains constant however, is that regularly taking the time
to detoxify the body has been linked to a number of health benefits,
everything from improving bad breath to correcting hormone imbalances.
Choosing a detox diet method
There are many different types of detox diets that you can adopt. Some
involve fasting, or just drinking liquids or juices for a period of time.
Others allow some foods, like fruits and vegetables. Popular detox
foods include apples, kale, cucumbers, lime, coconut water, ginger,
garlic, pomegranate, arugula, lemon, cabbage, quinoa, almonds, avocados, blueberries, cauliflower, parsley, beets, green tea, flaxseeds and
fennel.
In addition, many foods are restricted during the detox period such as
dairy, wheat, gluten-containing products, fried and processed foods.
Certain foods and drinks such as coffee and sugar are typically phased
out before starting the diet in order to avoid headaches and other reactions.
Although meals can be made from any of the allowed detox foods, it
always helps to have a sample menu plan to give you some direction.
There are many available on the internet.
A detox diet is mostly short-term. Depending on the plan you choose,
it can last between 7 to 20 days. If it is continued for a long time, it may
result in some nutrient deficiencies.
Detox is a trend that shows no sign of slowing down, and while you
may be skeptical about the legitimacy of diets such as these, when
done properly there really doesn’t seem to be a downside. So maybe
now’s the time to give it a go.
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Indradhanush
2014
Paleo diet
What is it?
Paleo diet is one more diet that has gained a huge following lately and
as a result it is often misrepresented and misunderstood. It is based on
the notion that for optimal health, we should go back to eating real,
whole, unprocessed foods.
This approach emphasizes on returning to a more “ancestral” approach
to eating. Like eating nutrient-rich and nourishing foods like grass-fed
and pastured meats and eggs, wild-caught seafood, fruits and vegetables. It also recommends enjoying nuts and seeds, but in moderation.
The diet also includes plenty of healthy-fat containing foods like olive
oil, macadamia oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, avocados, butter and
ghee. Several studies have shown that such diets that are rich in monounsaturated and omega-3 fats dramatically reduce the instances of
obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and cognitive decline.
In addition, the approach advocates abstaining from gluten-containing grains, legumes, sugar, and any packaged or processed foods. It
claims that such foods derail our natural metabolic processes and may
wreck our guts.
A Paleo lifestyle prescribes 8 hours of sleep daily, an active life with lots
of walking or playing in the sun, socializing with friends and travelling
from place to place.
To conclude, I would say that there is no “one-size-fits-all” diet. Like mentioned before, all diets are a choice and regime that can be adjusted to
your individual needs, goals, body types and sensitivities. Whether you
adopt any of the above-mentioned diets or stick to your existing one,
the ultimate aim should be a healthy, happy body and soul!
Contributed by Shivika Tarika.
Shivika, a doting mother and an average cook, discovered many new
fascinating foods and diets when she started working at FIELDS China,
an online grocery store in Shanghai. For any questions regarding the
article or more, you can reach her at shivika.tarika@fieldschina.com.
ARTICLE
Vegetarianism
- Rajshree Sehgal
Vegetarian Cooking - A healthier option
~~~~~
It is often considered that vegan diet is starved off essential nutrients that a human body
requires, but in reality its a myth. Vegetables like Spinach has very high iron content, Pulses and
milk are excellent source of protein, while foods like kidney beans are excellent source of fibre
thus giving the right amount of essential nutrients, while keeping a check on cholesterol
intensively .Vegetable foods like soya are an excellent source of rich protein and can also be
shaped to look like popular non vegetarian dishes, thus maintaining health with a pinch of fun!
Vitamins are an essential daily nutrients which are found in Dry apricots, Dry fruits, Green
Lettuce, Mushrooms, Yougurt and beans
Vegetarian baking and cooking is considered a practice of high order. Substitutes such as baking
powder, egg replacer are used in place of eggs for efficient and green baking.
Many homemakers are now shifting from a Red to Green diet owning to better health prospects,
replacing cholesterol rich foods with fibre intensive ones like Broccoli, green beans, coriander.
Here are some quick recipies of the wellknown dishes and desserts made with Vegetarian
ingrediants
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„› Rajshree Sehgal
Indradhanush
2014
53
INFO ARTICLE
KNOW YOUR CITY
By: Puja Khiatani
KNOW YOUR CITY:
Is An Endeavour By The Indians, For The Indians.
Written and compiled by: Puja Khiatani
Dear Readers,
Thank You for your encouragement and positive response on E1 of
KYC. This is a simple effort by group of helpful people, willing to
share knowledge about this Big city’s small little nooks and corners
which could never be found in any books, websites, etc.
Here we are with next edition of KYC.Please read further to unfold
some more aspects of Shanghai.
I’m hopeful with information listed herein , the newbies can manoeuvre their daily living in Shanghai, confidently and with much
more ease.
So let’s Keep sharing & enjoy reading KYC......
Starting with list of home run enterprises by Indian people in living Shanghai. They continue their efforts , to showcase our culture
through various modes. Be it through popular Bollywood Dance
classes or Hindi language classes , or through Yoga and Pranic
healing , not to forgot our gorgeous Indian designer wear and
handicrafts.
We are a without a doubt a strong , ever growing Indian community here, no matter where we live, we will remain truly Indian
from hearts and create our own lovely world , which as you can see
is absolutely reflected through these ......
Here is the list of Indian people who have undertaken this
incredible task to promote our diverse culture:
Hindi language learning:
Deepika Chugani :13661944131
Indian Bollywood Dance classes :
Bhavisha :13661944131
Priti : HYPERLINK “mailto:pritighatlia@hotmail.com” pritighatlia@
hotmail.com
Indian Classical /Semi Classical/ Light Vocal :
Devarti Ghosh : 13062770217
Art classes
Mosaic classes : Aparna 13918228392
Painting classes : Puja 15000557200
Yoga classes :
Akshata Redkar 15902193840
Ganesh :13916874721/ HYPERLINK “mailto:ganeshyoga@hotmail.
com” ganeshyoga@hotmail.com
Kids Character development class / Yoga & Meditation:
Contact Shiru : 13621900316
Indian cooking class :
Neeta Somani :Neetasomani40@gmail.com
Designer Indian & Western clothes:
Ms Arti Mittra : HYPERLINK “mailto:13764324041/artimittra@
yahoo.com” 13764324041/artimittra@yahoo.com Indian handicrafts, Jewelry
Ms. Monica : 13916053891/ HYPERLINK “mailto:monicbharat@
54
Indradhanush
2014
hotmail.com” monicbharat@hotmail.com
Tarot Card Reading / Aura cleansing/ Pranic healing
Shiru: 13621900316
Indian sweets and snacks , made to order:
Ms Dimple Pahiljani: 15821564101
South Indian dishes: dosa/ idli / chutney :
Contact Ms Jharna :13816234670
Homemade food for parties:
Moonmoon: 18817405314 / Jayita :1377449365
HYPERLINK “mailto:Email:parties.delicious@gmail.com”
Email:parties.delicious@gmail.com
Eggless Cakes:
Sonya : +86 159-0052-4803
Professional photography work:
Sanjay Kothari : 86 138-1622-4873
Taobao Shopping:
Ashmeet : 137-64550785
Indian TV and various entertainment channel:
Mrs Lajoo Punjabi: HYPERLINK “mailto:13761791744/laju22@
yahoo.com” 13761791744/laju22@yahoo.com
It carries over 100 Hindi, English and regional channels
Homeopathy doctor
Dr Jaya : +86 159-0162-5109
Astrology:
Beenaji: 1788992671
Hindu Pooja / Havan / Spritual discourses:
Atulji: 13127624068
-----------------------//----------------------------------------------Other Services / Useful information shared by Indians:
The following list is not an advertisement, it is based friendly
recommendations:
Art of Living , Shanghai :
Contact Ms Myra : 13801994862 Enrollment Hotline :
15800750982
Chinese Language Tutor:
US trained college graduate: Teaching Chinese to adults and kids :
HYPERLINK “mailto:verozhong@yahoo.com” verozhong@yahoo.
com
Kids Activities/ Club:
1)Awesome Kids Club : HYPERLINK “http://www.awesomekidsclub.com.cn/” http://www.awesomekidsclub.com.cn/
2)Sports World China :13918334841
3)Kudos Education centre
Party Planner:
1)Young yang : 13524893365
2)Ana Louisa Solis : party designer : 13611701063
3)Party Box: HYPERLINK “http://www.partyboxcn.com/” http://
www.partyboxcn.com/
4)James Kids Party : 18616101610
5)Mr William Kids party :
6)Claudia : 13916658339
Indradhanush
2014
55
Birthday Party venues:
1)Swirlies : Room 201, Bldg. 3, Lane 259
，Jiashan Lu HYPERLINK “http://swirlies-sh.
com/” http://swirlies-sh.com/
2)Patafun :PATAFUN : HYPERLINK
“mailto:info@patafun.com” info@patafun.com
426 Dagu Road near Shimen Yi road
Contact +86 150 2693 1989 /
3)Melange Oasis: No, 37, Bldg. D, Jiashan
Market, Lane 550 Shaanxi Nan Lu
Organic Vegetable / Online Groceries
1)HELEKANG : HYPERLINK “http://www.
helekang.com/english/%E2%80%8E” www.
helekang.com/english/
2)FIELDS : HYPERLINK “http://www.fieldschina.com” www.fieldschina.com
3)BIOFARM: HYPERLINK “http://www.
biofarm.cn” www.biofarm.cn
4)Yihaodian:: HYPERLINK “http://www.
yihaodian.com” www.yihaodian.com
Ayi agencies
1)Phone:13564880039 / 2206-3739
Website: HYPERLINK “http://www.md-shanghai.com/” http://www.md-shanghai.com/
HYPERLINK “mailto:Email:amanda@mdshanghai.com” Email:amanda@md-shanghai.
com
2)Jin Guo Jia Zheng ,Phone: 6466-1616
1/F Jin Guo Gardens, 245 Tianping Lu (near
Hengshan Lu)
Organic Meat / Fish / poultry
1)French catherer :Thierry HYPERLINK
“http://www.thierrytraiteurshanghai.com”
www.thierrytraiteurshanghai.com)
2)French butcher :Les garcons bouchers
but there you have to order it one day in
advance.
3)Organic Meat/Poultry :www.organicshanghai.com
they have chicken and organic meat from
Argentina
3) Maggie: 18221866535
4)Hao Guan Jia Bao Jie , Tel: 6148-8887, is an
excellent alternative if you’re just looking for
one-time cleaning assistance.
Second hand book store
550 Dalian west road / 65311900-2913
Shanghai travel guide:
HYPERLINK “http://www.travelchinaguide.
com” www.travelchinaguide.com
Shows/ events / concert in shanghai :
HYPERLINK “http://www.culture.sh.cn/english” www.culture.sh.cn/english
Beauty Service:
1)Facials
Helen : 15921374540
Skin City Facials: 021-63401235
Delicious facials: Olya/13818120392
2)Eyebrow threading
Chinese salon :187-0185-4744
Marie 136-8179-3731
3)Waxing
Casey :13148135801
Susan : 13524760137
Simona: 13661720906
4)Pedicure/Manicure
American Style Nail : 130 2013 0798
Kelly : 13817936636
5)Make up / hair style : 13761552388 /
13122593262
Indian grocery :
1)Shenzhen, Mr khan :13556841260
2)Pudong , Ms Wendy 13621808862
Health store:
World Health Storeis a premium one stop
shop health store : Phone: 6289 8511
Boutique Wines :
1)Silvia : 182-2162-1372 Argentinian who
sells very special boutique wines.
2)Boutique Wines: HYPERLINK “http://
boutiquewines-asia.com” http://boutiquewines-asia.com
CAKES:
1)Magic Cupcakes: VIANA DAMANY
15801831754
2)Jill : HYPERLINK “mailto:jill@candycouturedisplays.com” jill@candycouturedisplays.com
3)Ceci bakery: HYPERLINK
“mailto:c4arana@hotmail.com” c4arana@
hotmail.com
4)New Age Veggie: 54033980 / 988
Huaihai Zhong road
5)Sweet Ever After : Mob: 18917375722
Lane 14 Yuyao Road, near Xikang Road,
Building 20, Room 104, Jing’an
Gym instructor / Trainer :
1)Enso temple shanghai : 18721803745/
54591259
2)Alive Shanghai : HYPERLINK
“mailto:info@alive-sh.com” info@alive-sh.
com
3)Personal Fitness Trainer: Jon:
13918044705
4))Prime gym : 18621277322
Indradhanush
2014
Relocation/ Movers/ Packers:
1)Henry: 13916181071
2)Full Home China Relocation :Rose
Huang 13818192408
Lawyer/ Commercial Law/ Real Estate
law:
John Tsang: 18018655266
Investment Consultant:
Konosko Investment Consulting service:
Adriano : 62110134/6211
Family Photographer
1)Pauline cudna: 13262267137
2)Barefoot Potrait :www.barefootportraits.
otg
3)Perfect Album: HYPERLINK “http://
www.perfectalbum.com” www.perfectalbum.com
4) Axlundphotography: HYPERLINK
“http://www.axlundphotography.
com” www.axlundphotography.com
/13918210243
5)Bernard Zhou : 13818790552
Logo Designer/ Brand Image Designer:
Zhou: 13817305669
Photoshop & Grapic designer:
1)Cherrio Wang :professional graphic
design 134-7269-2405
2)Leo :he’s a viz at retouching and photoshop134-7286-7465
3)Walid Soulard : 18616714340
Pest control:64785669 /13524078877
English satellite TV : 13761168357
Upholstery :
Master Furniture will reupholster or make
slipcovers very reasonably. They will
come and pick it up. 1030 Tongpu Lu
Block 4, level 2, west side .telephone:
5270-1278
Made to Order Costumes: 18721060827.
Ruili Indian clothes tailor:18939792115
Made to Order Linen & many more
items:
Mrs. Simona Obialero :18516046518
Chiropractor : Dr Alex 60833957
Reiki therapist: Linda 18321278576
56
Real Estate:
1)Asia pacific Properties: 62797111
2)Mingchi Real Estate : Kenny:
13818887792
Furniture : Chinese and Antique
1)Han Yu Antique Furniture Ltd.
Pu Xi district shop add: No.55, Liu He
Kou rd.
Factory add: No.1197, Hua Xiang rd.
MinHang district
2)Mr. Wang: 13661757007
3)Mary Antique Furniture:
239 Huaxiang Road, Mb: 13917871851
4)Antique furniture : Wan Yi :
13671698107
1568 , huqingping road
5)Chinese furniture : Tan Yu sheng
13122859402
Chinese Statues / Aritifacts
China Folk Carving Technolgy Factory
Manager: Chu Zhi Jun
Tel: 13122573443 13661569409
Add: Room 42. 1F, YueBin Building
,No.69 Jiu Xiao Chang rd.
MARKETS IN Shanghai
1)Light Market
135 Liuying Lu,
near Beibaoxing Lu
2)Shanghai Kitchen Market
QiLong Jiu Dian Yong Pin Shi Chang
185 Tong Chuan Lu, near Lan Gao Lu
3)Hongqiao Flower Market:Add: No.718
HongJin rd
Bakery stuff at flower market : Parroom Ltd/ Mobile: 13524068065
13816318359 / Tableware at flower
market : Aileen: 1901907957 / E38, No
718 HongJing Road,
4)Cao Jia du Flower Market:
1148 Changshou Lu,
near Wanhangdu Lu
5)Clothing Market :
168 Dongmen Lu,
near Zhongshan Dong Er Lu
road , Chuansha County. Pudong
10)Painters Street
Shang Hai Tian Di Art Gallery
HYPERLINK “Tel:13681784808”
Tel:13681784808
Add: No.C8, The painter street, No.212 Wen
Ding rd.
WHOLESALE MARKETS IN SHANGHAI
Imported Wholesale Foods
1255 Lianhua Rd, Minghang District
Mix of Imported and local foods including;
dairy products (butter, cheese, etc), baking
ingredients, all nuts, spices, condiments, flours,
canned goods, sugars, chocolates, etc. This is
the place to go. The imported American, European, Indian, and other goods mainly on the
south end of the market.
HEC - Hotel & Restaurant Supply
345 Aomen Lu, Putuo District
HYPERLINK “http://group.heconline.com.cn/”
http://group.heconline.com.cn/
Hotel & restaurant supplies. Popular and well
known in the expat community for its selection
and clean and professional shopping environment. Take note of the other wholesale shops off
the street directly to the east of this place.
Caoyang Wholesale Fruit Market
1366 Caoyang Rd, Putuo District
Largest (its HUGE) wholesale fruit market in
Puxi, both Chinese and Imported fruits
Tongchuan Marine Market
800 Tongchuan Rd, Putuo District
Anything that lives in the water (watch out for
the eel aisle). There is a small hotel supply and
dry goods market on the west side and set back
in on the north end.
Huanghai Frozen Foods Market
38 Beishi Rd, Putuo District
416 Changhe Rd (the block north west of
Zhennan Rd and Changhe Rd)
Mainly has parts, supplies, and accessories
for all types of bikes (bicycle, electric, motor). Baoshan
Imported and Chinese meats: beef, pork, poultry
(turkeys), fish, etc.
6)Kids Market:
10 Pu’an Lu
near Jinling Lu
Jiuxing Comprehensive Market
Minhang District
Southeast block of Caobao Lu and Hongshen
7)Upholsery / Bedding / Curtains/ House- Lu, Minhang District
HYPERLINK “http://www.jiuxing.com.cn/”
hold Market :
http://www.jiuxing.com.cn/
1618 Cao’an Road
Building materials, hardware, kitchen, bed &
bath, furniture, hotel & restaurant supplies, fire
8)Antique market :
& security, office supplies, signs, other. This
Dongtai Lu, enter from Xizang Lu into
place is huge and has its own internal road
Liuhe Lu
names with traffic lights and everything. You can
find just about anything related to the above
9)Candle factory:
categories. Everything here is wholesale.
Christ lu :13701709806 / 251 Lanxue
New Century Automobile Parts City
Indradhanush
2014
57
ARTICLE
Summer in Switzerland
- Dhruv Bhagwani
58
Indradhanush
2014
Switzerland is a place of beauty and magnificence,
from the snow covered mountains to the unknown
wilderness. I was extremely fortunate to be able to
spend a portion of my summer in a camp there. In
addition to being able to stare at the awing sight and
taking in deep breaths of the fresh, clean air, I experienced new activities. For example, everyday I had
a French class, I was learning and exploring a subject
that was unknown to me. I even spent a whole day
and night exploring the mountains of the country.
We began with climbing up the mountain with steel
ladders that looked as if they were about to break
at any second. After every set of ladders we had to
unhook the hook that was attached to a rope and
reattach the hook to the next rope. Obviously, hiking on mountain and climbing a mountain is difficult
and tiring, but we managed after the hard work and
effort everyday put in to reach our destination. My
favourite part of our trip in the mountains was during
dinner when I had the chance to taste the exquisite
swiss cheese. The local food was excellent, but to be
fair, there was not much in variety. My meals mostly
consisted of salmon, pasta, pizza, and salad. Certain
areas of the mountains were covered in snow, even
though it was during the middle of summer. One of
the best part of the trip was going down the mountain.
There was only one way down, which was zip-lining
down. The zip-line was right next to some branches
that looked like it would be painful for someone if he
or she were to crash into the branches, which was very
much possible. After watching several people being
pushed down and hearing each and everyone of them
scream, it was finally my turn. I sat on the edge of the
cliff, closed my eyes and braced myself. I did not have
much time before the instructor gave me a push. I had
mixed feelings about the experience. The wind going
against my face and the feeling of sliding down at a
quick speed was all very marvellous, but I was spinning
in circles while I was on the zip-line for some reason,
which I was absolutely not very fond of. My scream
did not burst out of my mouth until my feet touched
the ground. I am glad that I was able to visit and experience the country. The activities I did there and the
things I have seen there, I may be unable to experience
elsewhere. Indradhanush
2014
59
ARTICLE
Traquil Tai Hu
- Renuka Inamdar
60
Indradhanush
2014
China’s third largest lake lies right on Shanghai’s doorstep,
providing a wonderful option for a refreshing family escape
from the city.
It was spring and our weekend was off to a good start...
They say China looks like a big rooster .If you look at a map
of Tai Hu; it looks like a crazy rabbit jumping up and clicking his heels. The city of Wuxi lies between the ears and the
island of Xishan is caught between the left arm and a back
paw.Dongshan is the peninsula just east of Xishan between
rabbit’s legs.
The roads were full of cars and after a two hours journey
we were at the bank of Tai Hu lake. Located in the southern
part of the Yangtze river delta, it is a famous scenic spot in
China and is famed for its lake, hills and splendid manmade
scenery. We purchased our entrance tickets and headed towards the lake. As always seen in China, the bank was overcrouded.The people were eating, playing, enjoying or resting
in the small tents.
As we moved forward we saw a very large beautiful Ferries
Wheel. The kids were so excited, they ran towards it. And we
had a very long photo session there. The star of Lake Tai, the
Ferries wheel, is a 115 meter tall on the shoreline of the lake.
It is said that it takes 18 minutes to complete one revolution.
The attraction on the lake was a long wooden platform build
at the water level still having a safe fencing. We walked on it.
At one point we saw many people standing in a que.We too
joined them .It was for a speedboat ride. After a long time waiting we were in the speedboat wearing the safety jackets.
As soon as the boat started we were so thrilled. Actually it was
not our first boat ride but the way the boat was going on the
water, no no it was running in the air. In few minutes we were
back on the ground breathless!!
It was late afternoon but we still had time to climb to the top of
the Piaomiao peaks for the sunset. The driver ran us up as far as
he could and we bound out for the final ascent.Luckily, these
old peaks are not very high but they offered us a fantastic view
over Tai Hu with the setting sun in the south west.
We held out against the rapidly growing chill until the sun
winked out over the horizon and we were back in the warmth of
the car, where the kids quickly fell asleep on our drive home.
Safely home, we shepherded them off to bed and soon followed
ourselves; all of us counting rabbits jumping over islands!!
Indradhanush
2014
61
KIDS CORNER
Poems by Leela (9 years) and Rhea (6 years)
Holi Hai!
It’s Holi! It’s Holi come and play!
IIt’s Holi! It’s Holi it’s not everyday!
It’s Holi! It’s Holi don’t be coy!
It’s Holi! It’s Holi spray and enjoy!
Come to Shanghai
Come to Shanghai,” I’ll tell you why”,
There would be so much to do entertainment too
There would be rivers and lakes, and what about a green tea shake?
When Holi comes we will jump & dance
shake and sing also make a play,
Cause it’s special and not everyday!
So put up your hands and say Holi Hai!
Come to Shanghai,” I’ll tell you why”
There would be so much to see ...with Rhea and me
Can I tell you something cool, we go to the BISS school
Come to Shanghai,” I’ll tell you why”
No garbage, no dogs, no cows on the street
What I’m talking about is India with a little bit of sweetness...
But China also has its own weakness,
Hazy air mostly everywhere
but still...
Come to Shanghai
(p.s. This time I won’t tell you why)
62
Indradhanush
2014
All you need to know
about Japan
Japan is a country with a lot of joy
they also use a lot of soy
Japan is a place you should be
it has yummy stuff called “onigiri”
Tokyo’s buildings are quite tall
and every tree looks amazing in fall
Japan’s toilets are an awesome tool
they have buttons you can press, it is way too
cool!
The kimonos they wear are so bright
they make you feel special like you’re standing in
the spotlight
“Japan is a place you should be
it will make you feel very happy”.
Leela - 9
Summer
The birds are out
And the bees are buzzing
get ready because
summer is coming
The butterflies are
on the way to get nectar
so come and have
some fun
when summer comes.
Rhea-6
Indradhanush
2014
63
64
Indradhanush
2014
KIDS CORNER
Simply SOUTH
KIDS CORNER
MAHABHARATA
- Parth Kaustaubh Sharma
I have seen more than 150 episodes of Mahabharata in my holidays. Mahabharata is a really a great epic .It has many things we
can learn from. One of my favorite things about Mahabharata is
the style and personalities of the characters. My favorite character
is Krishna who is the wisest person shown in the epic of Mahabharata. Lord Krishna’s main role is to help Arjun, the most powerful
son of the king Pandu, to win in the war of kurukshetra also known
as Dharamshetra. The whole epic is also trying to show that one
who is determined and focused is victorious.
Draupadi is the one character in the epic of Mahabharata who is
brave and intelligent. Draupadi’s speciality is her firmness. Draupadi encourages her husbands not to pity the kauravas and take revenge. Krishna also supports Draupadi. When Yudhistira becomes
the king of Hastinapur at the end of the war, Draupadi (again) becomes the queen of Indraprastha. She is also variously referred to
as Panchali (meaning one from the kingdom of Panchala), Yajnaseni
(meaning one born from a Yajna or fire-sacrifice), Mahabhaaratii
(great wife of the five descendents of Bharata). She had five sons,
one by each of thePandavas:Prativindhya from Yudhistira, Sutasoma
from Bhim, Srutakirti from Arjun, Satanika from Nakul, and Srutakarma from sahadev. Asvathama was the one to kill Draupadi’s five
sons after the war in anger to his defeat. Asvathama was the son of
Dhronacharya (Guru of Arjun). Asvathama in his teenage became a
friend of Dhuruyodan in gurukul and from then became evil to the
pandavas and the people that favored the pandavas. . Aswatthama
was born with a gem in his forehead which gives him power over
all living beings lower than humans. This gem is supposed to protect him from attacks by ghosts, demons, poisonous insects, snakes,
animals etc. Dronacharya loved him very dearly. The rumors about
his death in the Kurukshetra war led to the death of Drona at the
hands of Prince Dhrishtadhyumna (brother of Draupadi and son
of Dhrupad). Shakuni the Mama Sri of Dhuryodan and the brother
of the present queen was known as the most evil-hearted person
in the whole Mahabharata epic. He was the person who changed
Dhuruyodan and his 99 brother’s pleasant heart into a evil dark
heart.. Shakuni is known as the master mind behind the kuruk-
shetra war. Shakuni was always in anger that his sister Gandhari
the queen was married to a blind man. Then she herself did a
Bhisma pratigya: since her husband was blind and could not see
anything.She also decided to have the same pain and disappointment in life. So on the day of Gandhari’s marriage, she blindfolded herself forever although that Gadara’s biggest fear was actually the dark. Shakuni in anger tried to take revenge on Bhisma
because he was the one that brought the proposal for Gandhari to
marry Dhritarashtra. Expert of the dice was the Queen’s brother,
Shakuni. Duryodhan was the nephew of Shakuni. Dhuryodan
was the eldest of the hundred sons of blind king Dhritrashtra and
Queen Gandhari. He was the one that had endless evil strategies
to kill the Pandavas. Bheem was the one to kill the evil hearted
Duryodhan. Thankfully Yudhisthira was the one that got the throne
of Hastinapura. Yudhisthira believed in saying the truth and was
a maha Gyani of Dharma. He was the biggest brother of the five
Pandavas. Yudhistira’s name referred to” steady in war “from yudh
meaning war and from sthira meaning steady. Yudhistira was the
king of Indraprastha and after the kurukshetra war was the king
of Hastinapur. After the war, the five brothers leaving the throne
to Arjuna’s grandson Parixit. Giving up all their belongings and
ties, accompanied by a dog made their final journey of pilgrimage to the Himalayas. While climbing the peaks, Draupadi and
the five Pandavas fell to their death dragged down by the weight
of their guilt for their sins. Yudhistira was the only one to reach
the peak of the mountain because he was not guilty of a sin or
untruth. On reaching the top, Indra asked him to abandon the dog
before entering the Heaven. Yudhistira refused to do so because
of the strong loyalty of the dog. It turned out that the dog was
Dharma. The incident symbolizes that dharma follows you till the
end. These were the main characters and pints of the Mahabharata
epic. I hope I gave
you more information about Mahabharata
and inspired you to watch it. In the end, it’s not going to matter
how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your
breath away. So be happy in life and always follow Dharma.
Indradhanush
2014
65
KIDS CORNER
EAR BUD PAINTING
Jishnu Poojith Ganapa , 8 years (SSIS)
WATER COLOR PAINTING
Rishav Ghosh, 9 years
(Dulwich College)
Indradhanush
66
2014
Reading is a very good habit because when we read a
book, we feel someone is with us!
Reading is a way to show others our creativity. Reading books improves our
knowledge. The best part of reading is it makes our vocabulary vivid. When
we read a book it provides us lot of ideas to improve our self. Example when
I read Charlotte’s web, it made me improve my care towards animals. When
I read Percy Jackson series, it helped me to gain knowledge of new words to
be more descriptive while writing. Reading keeps us busy and entertained
with new adventures in the book. However, we should have a balance of
how many fictions, non-fictions, science-fictions and comics we are reading. Fiction books are unreal stories or novels. Fiction books still help us to
gain our Imagination to write something that is not actually happening. We
should read at least 75 fiction books in a year. Non-fiction books are books
which cover interesting facts of many topics. Non-fiction books help gain our
knowledge about many things such as animals, cars, reptiles, vultures and
news. An encyclopedia(non-fiction) is an extremely long book which covers
almost every single fact of the world. The Guinness book of world records is
also an interesting non-fiction book. It gives us information of what strange
things people are doing such as being extremely extraordinary in a sports
like baseball, cricket, soccer, Basketball etc. We should read at least 35-40
non-fiction books in a year. Science fiction books are books that tell about
microscopic creatures, planets, new fascinating technology and about new
fossils. Science fiction topic involves many experts like scientist, archeologist
biologist etc. We should read at least 20-25 science fiction books in a year.
Comic books are to relax your mind from studies or light up your mood when
you are sad or bored. They have beautiful illustrations which also develops
an interest of drawing in your mind. We should read not more than 30 comic
books in a year. Reading requires using your brain. While reading you will
be forced to reason out many thing which you are unfamiliar with. Reading
improves your focus and concentration. When you read, you gain knowledge, when you gain knowledge you become more confident. With reading
our memory becomes stronger. Reading is an active mental process. Unlike
sitting in front of the idiot box (TV).Reading gives you a glimpse into other
cultures and places of the world. Like a tree without leafs, life is incomplete
without reading!!!!
KIDS CORNER
Reading Habits
- Parth Kaustaubh Sharma
Vocabulary
Focus
Concentration
Creativity
Knowledge
Memory
Indradhanush
2014
67
IA Members List
A S Narayan 18019275561
Amit Tandon 18501591382
Anubhuti Bhargava 15601700596
Aaishini Shah 18221876280
Amit Waikar 13918228393
Anuj Jain 13003199085
Aakanksha Khekale 13621959640
Amitesh Singh 15618377252
Anuja Dorle 15221429728
Abhijeet Khekale 18657222055
Anand Diwanji 18516085585
Anup Kothari 14782744265
Abhijit Mallick 18761973583
Anand Khot 13817452932
Anurag Jain 13764653427
Abhilash Thulasi 13816056498
Anant G. Wadkar 021-22160322
Anurag Joshi 13122160967
Abhinav Kumar 18501682242
Anant Saraogi 18621695970
Aparajita Mohanty 15121065913
Abhishek Golecha 13585500388
Anchit Goel 13916074003
Aparna Agarwal 18602169367
Abhishek Modi 13817918676
Angela Nawani 13817814266
Aparna Waikar 13918228392
Abhishek Verma 15921165497
Anil Bharadiya 18616255353
Archana Bhargava 13661594137
Abraham Jagan 18702171370
Anil Purankar 13810115734
Arjun Chauhan 18501796931
Achena Laha 13585692386
Anil Soni 18621137198
Arti Agarwal 13681642230
Achyut Kasireddy 13916892870
Anilkumar Patil 18616533751
Arti Mittra 13764324041
Aditya Ganti 13641611961
Animesh Narain 13601679101
Arul Mathew 18616933845
Ahuja Dinesh L 13777925800
Anindita Sanger 13661846572
Arun Bahirwani 13916585854
Ajay Kumar Bansal 13641692877
Anish Hegde 15026711779
Arun Bhardwaj 15618772523
Ajit Mishra 15901733786
Anitha Baskaran 13524436140
Arun Mohan 13816800093
Akshata Redkar 15902193840
Anjan Ghosh 021-22160205
Arvind Singh 13818517499
Akshaya Rai 13818387570
Anjou Parekh 18616806261
Ashima Sahgal 13917133799
Alex Dantas 18616750211
Ankita Neil Sonawala 15900479009
Ashish Dobhal 18616230066
Alka Raut 13641958919
Anna Sethi 15026663598
Ashish Gautam 13611972912
Ameet Gill 15021247434
Anshu Soni 13122180617
Ashish Kabra 13816114145
Amit Bahirwani 13916145024
Ansuman Panda 18217706953
Ashish Puri 13472894416
Amit Jejani 13636568754
Anthony Fernandes 13917371673
Ashok Sethi 13816803964
Amit Khiatani 13818337365
Anu Kolluri 13611938345
Ashok Singh 18221036075
Amit Master 15902107182
Anu Shaveta Bansal 13795264427
Ashok Srinivasan 18616511175
Amit Mehta 13764681600
Anu Singh 13917633524
Ashwin Bondal 13818506063
Anubhav Agarwal 13818612354
Atit Shah 18717901954
68
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IA Members List
Atul Agarwal 13681642230
Dayananda Malali 13764539209
Gagan Bhargava 13661641959
Atul Deshpande 18616742200
Deepa Dutt 15276182172
Ganesan Veerabadran 13916380080
Avinash Kale 18251133730
Deepak (Don) Daryanani 13601929850
Ganesh Rajagopalan 18502162256
Ayuss Kumar 18621302825 Deepak Chaudhary 18621631082
Ganesh Singh 13916874721
Deepak Dharamdasani 13701853757
Gaurav Mittal 18221397063
Balaji R. Krishnamurthi 13918532213
Deepak Jain 13829740569
Gaurav Sikaria 18621804701
Balween Kaur 14721116800
Deepak Rastogi 15901672169
Gayatri Mohanty 13701941120
Basant Bhansali 13764319315
Deepak Thaker 13916300535
Geeta Sharma 15801959320
Beena Waghela 13788992671
Devang Shah 13817540683
Geetha Nagaraj 13761767055
Bhabani Pandey 021-62891072
Devansh Gupta 15618047507
George Kazantzis 13601917707
Bharat Bharadhwaj 021-28931261
Devarti Ghosh 13062770217
Girija Ramanunni 14781987938
Bharat Goel 13764316264
Devkishan Khanchandani 13094619925
Girish Advani 13818805220
Bharti Thukral 13917077795
Devyani (Ita) Das 13671922302
Girish Kshirsagar 18857605581
Bhavisha Kanani 13661944131
Dhawal Doshi 13817377710
Gopal Krishan Sachdeva 15800772733
Bhayva Bahl 15900496150
Dhruv Jain 13248160874
Gopal Subramanyam 13003133382
Bimal Parikh 13818390619
Dimpy Ranjan 15800772688
Gunjan Tarika 13761804140
Bindi Shah 13924644786
Dinesh Pissurlenkar 18721875976
Gunvant Patel 13817805200
Birju Vasani 18616533752
Dinesh Sharma 18616777373
Gurmeett Singh Sethii 13816957865
Biswajit Patnaik 18501663401
Divyang G. Kanani 13764310309
Gurnoor Smagh 13671738899
Brijendra Verma 13818371628
Dr. Jaya Gupta Rajesh 18616286657
Gursharan Singh 13601740656
C Jaganathan 021-52387990
Dr. Sanjeev Choubey 13020162531
Gurunath Joshi 18221813705
Capt Gulvinder Singh Gill 15021227334 /
18721644658
Dr. Vartikka Raathi 15601705006
Hardik Doshi 13311827145
E B Rajesh 13817835175
Hari Annadi 18523342741
Eisha Chordia 18621628249
Harit Rawal 13916933162
Ekta Mehrotra 15216737503
Harmeet Kaur 15618047563
Esha Advani 13817838924
Harshita Mandhania 13072197410
Esmy Jagan 18930571283
Heena Dharamdasani 13917992404
Chamu Annadi 18621007243
Chandrika Chunilal 13816803524
Charmaine Shenoy 18821290372
Chawla Vikesh 18217487235
Chery Mehta 13916575585
Chirag Bijlani 13816031460
Indradhanush
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IA Members List
Hemant Thombre 15221944931
Johnny Chotrani 13816505780
M M Thomas 13818371628
Hemav Mahanta 18602122595
K B Kumar 57186404071
Ma Lan 13002151877
Hiral Ahuja 13636474690
K Subramaniam 13816747774
Madhav Sharma 13817835175
Hitendra Dattani 13651910779
K. Soundhar Rajhan 15006257148
Madhuri Sehgal 15021009024
Hitesh Thakkar 15921829837
Kajal Jaiswal 15618750169
Mahadev Birajdar 18616839402
Ilesh Parekh 13816131534
Kalpesh Parmar 13916324631
Mahendra Chordia 18621179595
Inderdeep Singh Bahra 13701941704
Kamal Sangtani 15900457111
Mahendra Vyavhare 15121143649
Indira Ravindran 15900735667
Kandadai Seetharaman
Mahesh Diyora 18621821012
Indu Nawani 13472480350
Ramsubramanian 18017237917
Mahesh Kumar Gulrajani 13764108386
Ishita Shah 13681641633
Kannan Karunanithi 15021159564
Makarand Deshpande 13918782663
Ishwar Chandiramani 13916364746
Karthik Swaminath 13774416055
Makarand Palamwar 13916424447
J. P. Singh 021-54190436
Kavinder Karan Singh 15900583503
Malav Shah 15021475123
Jacob George 13661776817
Kavita Malkani 13816688740
Malkit Kaur Bahra 18717707125
Jagdish Punjabi 13764668886
Kiran Bahirwani 13816414833
Mamta Kapur 13127771075
Jaishri Sivaraman 15800777388
Kiran Gokhale 18217660021
Manasi Joshi 18217218773
Janvi Chatlani 15800537242
Kirit Velani 18616614772
Mandar Joshi 13816837542
Jaya Srikrishnan 18502118474
Kratu Desai 15800772705
Mandar Ponkshe 15900779178
Jayanti Das 13681724353
Krina Shah 15366245834
Mandeep Gill 18721644658
Jayashree Rangarajan 021-50304732
Kripa Ranjan 15800772716
Manish Jain 13916099673
Jayasuryan Prabhakaran 13816337655
Krishnakumar Srinivasan 18918680992
Manisha Bahirwani 13636470349
Jayesh Thakkar 18321477313
Krishnaprakash Iyer 18217662706
Manisha Sriram 18701725434
Jaywant Malkani 13651830748
Kshama Thaker 15821701330
Manju Bhansali 13764319315
Jean Parekh 021-50308533
Kuldeep Kumar Sharma 13044694407
Manoj Kulkarni 13621679050
Jebason Gunasingh 13681670701
Kunal Bahl 13564817435
Manoj Mehta 13611925424
Jetender Ahuja 15900501603
Kunal Jain 15958203574
Manoj Mittra 15021227307
Jigna Joshi 13917131135
Kundan Singh Bajetha 15062431336
Manoj Ramchandani 13817323572
Jignasha Upadhyaya 13681790244
Laju Punjabi 13761791744
Manojit Dhar 13816795729
Jinendra Kumar Jain 13524294181
Lekshmi Abhilash 18217669093
Manoranjan Misra 13681838908
Lipica Kapur 13501768414
Maria Kazantzis 13501701233
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IA Members List
Maulik Zaveri 15901822269
Naresh Ghatlia 18101883009
Maya Agharkar 13621767703
Naresh Gupta 13764072403
Mayuri Bagde 13601804454
Naresh Pahilajani 13817166278
Meena Senthilkumar 13162148061
Natasha Ramchandani 13917390074
Meenakshi Singh 13611790692
Navin Chunilal 13816803534
Meetu Khansili 18602114041
Navneet Khandelwal 18616625612
Megh Kalyanasundaram 13816848096
Neeraj Bhargava 15921937290
Menka Lilaramani 13764304940
Neeraj Soma 13918430928
Milind Pant 18516114535
Neeta Somani 13636565341
Minal Rayarela 18601743473
Neetha Sanjay 18616824817
Mitesh T Vadgama 15800772759
Neha Bhansali 15921673674
Mohit Bhalla 13564212808
Neil Madhukar Sonawala 13611808497
Monal Shah 13124892005
Nidhi Sharma 15214389141
Monica Bharadhwaj 13916053891
Niharika Vadgama 13524642501
Moonmoon Mukherjee 18817405314
Nikhil Chandra 18657120353
Mridula Paul 13661447365
Nikhil Makhijani 13817196149
Mrinali Chunilal 13918570700
Nikhil Porwal 15901661617
Mrityunjay Dhawal 13501807407
Nilesh Mhatre 13681749006
Mrs. Nesel Parekh 15021330219
Nilesh Parmar 13817361121
Mukesh Sharma 13816113930
Nilima Ponkshe 13524985715
Munmun Dhawan Rawal 18516100144
Nipun Mehrotra 14782199656
Murali Sivaraman 15001876833
Nipun Talwar 18101883082
Muthu Kumaran
Niru Parekh 15901955895
Jeevanantham 15221966272
Nishit Bothra 13761478603
Nagendra Hebbar !5052257091
Nishit Shah 18621184004
Nagpal Samir 13917286069
Nishtha Mehta 13818985605
Nahid Attarwala 18717950287
Nitin Khansili 15269297723
Nandkumar Dhekne 15921666900
Nitin Soni 13611731787
Nupur Modi 15502122580
Nuri Chandru Melwani 13482442131
Pankaj Garg 18621799952
Pankaj Joshi 18930806005
Pankaj V Raut 13641905586
Parag Sachdeva 13788980966
Parameswaran
Madhusudanan 18616541010
Paras Khushalani 13916722604
Parkash Mohinani 13701887147
Parminder Singh Arora 18901573781
Parminder Singh Arora 18901573781
Parvathi Sunderkrishnan 13003133382
Payal Pandya 15821365064
Payal Thakurani 15618979440
Pinky Arun 13761175414
Pooja Agarwal 13636568754
Pooja Basu Thakur 138117270169
Pooja Garg 18602140514
Pooja Jain 13681775571
Pooja Mehbubani 13818126084
Poonam Bharadiya 186213903991
Poorvi Varaiya 15000280270
Prabhu Manyem 13062899205
Prabhu Ramkumar 18516005312
Pradeep Jaiswal 18701755603
Pradeep Kumar 13918181173
Pradeep Nawani 18601617588
Niyant Shah 13262234093
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IA Members List
Pradeep Rao 13916852554
Rahul Bipin Varaiya 13424309727
Ratan Malli 18601790019
Pradeep Singh 18616017733
Rahul Deshmukh 15900896933
Ratna Thakar 13918617305
Pradhyumna Ingle 021-22066513
Rahul Kapoor 13681983083
Ratnakumar Ehambaram 13003279475
Pragna Koramati 13003226989
Rahul Madassery 13916793862
Ravi Gokhake 13818389550
Prajakta Diwanji 15021975912
Rahul N Bagde 18616609944
Ravi Karne 18621387397
Prakash Chatlani 15800494662
Raj Kishore (Arun) Sahu 13942044268
Ravi Shah 15900901510
Prakash Kolluri 13611938345
Raj Kumar Khosa 021-61010262
Ravindra Inamdar 13967321685
Prakash Menon 18621585250
Rajagopalan Narasimhan 18702181790
Ravneet Khokhar 18616772599
Prakash Parekh 13918917739
Rajasree Kumar 18221001074
Reecha Goyal 13472762755
Pranav Bhatt 13818305053
Rajeev Aggarwal 13917738956
Rekha Menon 13641991004
Prashant Kharwadkar 18019022111
Rajeev Babel 15216790237
Renjith Mylate 13611814181
Prashant Rai 18516147504
Rajeev Mathur 18516186030
Renu Khurana 13917016274
Pratik Sabherwal 15000735532
Rajendra Patil +919231626921
Ria Sangtani 13564539571
Prem Lional Daniel 13816837442
Rajesh Dasgupta 021-38920667
Rishi Jha 13371975617
Primila Lalwani +85290534358
Rajesh Joshi 13818365926
Rita Kumar 13817826357
Priti Ghatlia 15618324861
Rajesh Kakkanattu Pushpan 18601607882
Ritika Singh Kumar 18516005312
Priti Parikh 2132093150
Rajesh Rao 13817753942
Rohan Menon 15900872490
Priya Amit Master 13764663205
Rajesh Sukhwani 15502138866
Rohit Nair 13817713226
Priya Babel 15601701640
Rajiv Ranjan Sinha 13816472110
Roselyn Hong 13801828416
Priya Karthik 18321546290
Rajnish Puri 15821105756
Rozy Pal 15202172384
Priya Narayan 18019275561
Rakesh Makhija 021-23212580
Ruchi Upadhyaya 13916981655
Priya Venkatesh 18667375588
Ram Deshpande 13795314023
Ruchica Singh 18915669622
Priyanka 13621603414
Ramesh Salagrama 18221650942
Ruchika Arora 18915669622
Puja Khiatani 15000557209
Ranjan Mukherjee 13901825184
Sachin Kanetkar 13818990925
Puneet Bhansali 13761071922
Ranjit Menon 13817795338
Sachin Mandavkar 15618693470
Pushkin Nijhawan 15800546634
Ranna Bhatt 13472708210
Sachin Sehgal 15821007275
Rachna Sayal 13524108344
Rao Talasila 18621850861
Saikat Ghosh 18662249154
Radhika Sachdeva 15921552612
Rashi Birla 13611980140
Sailesh Kapur 15850337219
Rashi Gupta 13817043074
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IA Members List
Sakshi Vyas 13122663003
Saurabh Rawat 13681695397
Sneha Shah 15618180802
Sameer Kalia 13482444577
Senthil Kumar Veeraperumal
15800772713
Snehal Mandavkar 13040683137
Sandeep Abhichandani 15921803307
Sandeep Bahl 13911112282
Sandeep Sharma 13795347632
Sandeep Sureshkumar
Sharma 13817363966
Sandeep Vyas 13262236419
Sandhya Chandak 13816113682
Sandhya Kasireddy 13918565512
Sangeetha Basker 15711670572
Sangita Sharma 13817363966
Sangita Velani 18616614779
Sanjana Menon 18616923549
Sanjay Kulkarni 13816112007
Sanjay Kumar 18918106106
Sanjay Upadhyaya 13916981655
Sanjeebit Choudhury 15921779095
Sanjeev Sharma 13918317365
Santosh Sivarathri 15921137279
Sarabjit Singh Panesar 021-58795266
15900557827
Seshadri Chirayathumadam
Subramanian 13795460952
Shabana Gulrajani 15801791601
Shabbir Attarwala 021-50813753
Shachi Rai 13501654001
Shahid Saiyad 15982046132
Shaily Chaudhary 18621631842
Shaji Revindran 13788918493
Shalabh Chandra 13916200064
Shalini Gupta 13512154247
Shaqueel Taher 13761708295
Sharmili Dutta 13636514664
Shefali Kabra 13564454474
Shefali Kothari 15618680575
Shiba Sethi 15618810390
Shilpa Deshmukh 13761263068
Shipra Mittal 18221397082
Shirin Malkani 15921111687
Shivaji Bhattacharjee 13809050261
Saravana Kumar 13917939143
Shivika Tarika 13621889474
Sarika Chhawal Jain 15021701338
Shobha Nawani 15802196055
Sarika Kaushik 18501796822
Shonu Ganesh 18717847349
Sarita Jain 15821216045
Shruta Dadarkar 13262209761
Satish Deshpande 15801721162
Siddheshwar Bajpai 13524817366
Saumil Joshi 18017630977
Simmi Singh 13918324375
Saurabh Prakash 13512111301
Sivaraman Muthukumaran 15921609428
Soma Roy 18600650442
Somlika Datta 18516246941
Sonali Gosain 13611770571
Sonali Mathur 18621781243
Soumava Laha 15000243775
Sreejith Kannoth 13764301493
Sridevi Salagrama 18616104535
Sridhar Srinivasan 13761200174
Srinivasa Raju 15502128214
Sriram Phaneswar 15000311970
Sriram Rajangam 13661842370
Subir Banerjee 9874822202
Subramaniam Ramaswamy 18640367119
Subranil Dutta 18217416003
Sudhir Mittoo 13671590021
Sudhir Saseedharan 15026872722
Sudhir Shenoy 13761663823
Sudip Dahyalal Shah 13788901389
Sudipta Jana 15021802687
Suguna Senthil Kumar 13524525585
Sujatha Karne 13818971297
Sujit Sarkar 13816143033
Sujith R. Menon 13918441517
Suki Iyer 15800938509
Suma Menon 18717936102
Sumal Kumar 18221022789
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IA Members List
Sumeet Chander 18101795752
Tushar Bhanushali 13013819340
Vikas Laxman 13601756563
Sumit Singh 13817837220
Tushar Shah 18900616177
Vikas Mehta 13817863393
Sumita Sarkar 13918465590
Uday Redkar 13761761035
Vikram Ahuja 13601963474
Sunil Bangalore 13917403060
Umesh Thapliyal 18217652237
Vikram Gill 13788993935
Sunil Chhugani 13916604656
Uzzal Kumar Mudoi 13671943002
Vikram Saria 15901655338
Sunil Damani 15601705007
V. Senthil 15962468661
Vinay Dixit 13817815924
Sunil Dutt 15692182172
Vaibhav Jambhekar 021-51757782
Vinayak Talekar 13248118945
Sunil Gosain 18616868565
Vaibhav Krishnan 18721342249
Vineet Arora 13681773786
Sunil Mandhania 15800670218
Vaishali Shirsat 15026932094
Vinisha Daryanani 13601929851
Sunil Trehan 15000529751
Vaishali Vohra 13774236554
Vinod Abhichandani 13524640715
Sunita Mahajan 18621040959
Vandana Dhekne 15921666922
Vinod Agrawal 13816509294
Sunita Sharma 13816359805
Vandana Trehan 18301863108
Vinod Somani 13636524140
Surbhi Saraogi 18601785047
Vanisha Chandiramani 13916041804
Vishal Agrawal 18721899242
Suresh Babu 13661667865
Vardharajan Basker 13661609420
Vishal Mehrotra 18116375055
Susan George 13621954190
Varsha Mohinani 15921993847
Vishal Pandya 18217485387
Susen Dutta 13701644744
Varun Malpani 021-61130530
Vishal Rastogi 021-64152657
Sushant Kusnenwar 13816534925
Varun Raikhy 13917613577
Vishal Shirsat 18019029648
Sushil Singh Bajetha 15800772738
Vashist Kommunuri 13918151523
Vivek Gupta +13917009584
Sushma Pillay 15121067732
Veena Hegde 15026711779
Vivek Sharma 15901683990
Swaminathan Thavakumar 13651667220
Vellamore Rangarajan 021-58843020
Yashpreet Kaur Singh 13651727140
Swathi Nukavarapu 15001761513
Venkataraman Bharatwaj 13817149589
Yogendra Kulkarni 13817900855
Swetleena Mohapatra 13817724909
Venkatesh B 18667375588
Yukti Sikaria 18621814107
T P Sethumadhavan 13916032525
Vijay Desai 13002117639
Zaimah Saiyad 18601786764
Tapan Kumar Gadodia 021-33538385
Vijay Joshi 15000053722
Zenit Shah 15921390045
Tejinder Rajput 18317064175
Vijay Kumar Nadipineni 15000149014
Zubair Iqbal 13701875327 Thavakumar Swaminathan 13651667220
Vijay Mehbubani 13818126402
Timir Mohanty 13601807763
Vijayanand Sinha 15618992794
Ting Zhang 13122316425
Vijayanand Sinha 15901695716
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Emergency Contacts
Shanghai Emergency Contacts
Police: 110 , 63215380
Fire: 119 , 63213535
Ambulance: 120 , 63240898
Shanghai Call Center: 962288
Important number, they can handle pretty much any language and any situation.
Consumer Complaints: 12315
Telephone Enquiry:
114
Transport
Transportation: 96900
This number is very useful. Just dial this number and you will be instantly informed about the bus, taxi, train and metro services that will take you to your
destination.
Train Enquiry: 63179090/63543193
Airport Enquiry-Hongqiao (English Speaking) 626888999/62688918
Airport Enquiry-Pudong: 96081388
Taxi Booking Numbers
Dazhong Taxi: 96822
Qiangsheng Taxi:
021-6258 0000
Haibo Taxi: 61132800
Bashi Taxi:
96840
Jinjiang Taxi:
96961
Useful Info on taxi’s can be found at: http://live.shanghaidaily.com/guide_taxi.asp
Communication & Weather
Telephone Failure Complaint Line : 112
China Telecom : 10000
China Mobile : 10086
Post Office Information: 63936666
Weather Information - 12121
Utilities
Electricity Hotline: 021-95598
Gas Emergency:021- 962777
Water Problems:021-962626
Indradhanush
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Hospitals
HOSPITALS
Expat-Friendly Hospitals in Shanghai:
Puxi
United Family Healthcare
Shanghai United Family Hospital and
Clinics (SHU)
1139 Xian Xia Lu, Changning District,
Shanghai, CHINA 200336
Tel: (021) 2216-3900
For Emergencies: +86(21) 2216-3999
United Family Minhang Clinic (At the
Shanghai Racquet Club)
Shanghai Racquet Club, Ground Floor
Clubhouse
Lane 555, Jinfeng Lu, Huacao Town,
Minhang District, Shanghai
Tel: (021) 2201-0995
http://www.unitedfamilyhospitals.com/
en/sh
St.Michael Hospital
388 Hongbaoshi Road,
Changning District, 201103
Tel: +86 21 5155 1858
Contact: Dr.Arif:13482050805
http://www.stmichael-hospital.com/en/
index.asp
Parkway Health
24-hour Appointment Tel: 6445-5999
http://www.parkwayhealth.cn
Huashan Hospital
13/F, Foreign Guest Building
12 Wulumuqi Road Central (Ecke
Changle Road)
Tel.: 62483986/62489999
Ruijin Hospital
Medical Centre Shanghai
Guangci Hospital
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197 Ruijin Er Lu
Tel.: 64370045
Fax: 64333548
Shanghai Children’s Hospital,
Puxi. No. 24, Lane 1400 Beijing Xi Lu
Phone 6247 4880, extension
85631. Renai Hospital
Address:No.133, Cao Xi Xuhui District
Shanghai
Pudong
Tel: 54893781, 64688888-211
Afterhours Contact NumHuashan Pudong Hospital
ber:15021633821
International
Website: http://en.renai.cn
Division
(Managed by United Family
Gleneagles Medical and Surgical
Healthcare)
Center
525 Hongfeng Road, Pudong
Tomorrow Square,
District,
389 Nanjing Xi Rd., 4th Floor
Shanghai 201206
Shanghai 200003
Tel:(021)5030 9907
Tel: 6445 5999
Hong Qiao Medical Center
2258 Hong Qiao Rd.,
Shanghai 200336
Tel: 6445999
Mandarine City Women’s Health
Center
788 Hong Xu Rd., Suite 30
Shanghai 201103
Tel: 6445 5999
Shanghai Centre Medical and Dental
Centers
203-4 West Retail Plaza,
1376 Nanjing Xi Rd.,
Shanghai 200040
Tel: 6445 5999
Jin Qiao Medical and Dental
Center
51 Hongfeng Rd., Jin Qiao,
Pudong,
Shanghai 201206
Tel: 6445 5999
Shanghai JinMao Tower Medical Center
Podium Building, JinMao
Tower, J-LIFE,
88 Century Avenue, Pudong
New Area,
Shanghai 200120
Tel: 6445 5999
HYPERLINK “http://www.scmc.
com.cn/english/about.asp” \t
“_blank”Shanghai Children’s
Specialty and Inpatient Center (Luwan) Medical Center, Pudong
170 Danshui Rd., 2/3 Floor
168 Dongfang. Lu
Shanghai 200020
Phone 3862 6161, extension
Tel: 6445 5999
6007
Indradhanush
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Heartfelt thanks to our
SPONSORS
IA Board 2014
President: Amit Waikar
Financial Controller: Raj Khosa
General Secretary, Culture: Lavina Gadodia
General Secretary, Sports: Saikat Ghosh
General Secretary, Charity: Sachin Sehgal
General Secretary, Sponsorship: Mukesh Sharma
General Secretary, Communications and Membership: Jaywant Malkani
Rahul Bagde (From November 1, 2014)
Past President: Chandrika Chunilal
Past President and Founder Member: Vivek Arora
Past President and Founder Member: Prakash Menon
Indradhanush
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Indradhanush
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all the people who have made this a memorable event. Indian Association
events are made possible only by the tremendous drive, selfless work, dedication and talent of all
our Volunteers. The IA Board extends its deepest gratitude and appreciation to all our volunteers...
Diwali Nite 2014 TEAM
Indradhanush 2014 TEAM
Event Coordinator:
Lavina Gadodia
Design,Graphics and Layout:
Devarti Ghosh
Publicity (E-Flyer/E-Poster/Ticket)
Jaywant Malkani
Cover Design:
Jaywant Malkani
Indian Association AV:
Megh Kalyanasundaram
Coordinator:
Jaywant Malkani
Tickets: Rajshree Sehgal, Aparna Waikar, Lajoo Punjabi, Nilima Ponkshe, Ranu Golecha
Editorial Team:
Jaywant Malkani, Saikat Ghosh, Devarti Ghosh, Lavi
Gadodia
Master Of Ceremonies:
Megh Kalyanasundaram
Contributors:
Anupama Sharma, Dhruv Bhagwani, Geeta Canpadee, Harmeet Kaur, Jishnu Poojith Ganapa,
Kunal Sinha, Lavina Gadodia, Leela and Rhea, Mandar Ponshke, Mannat Ramchandani, Meher Arora, Neetha
Sanjay, Nidhi Sharma, Prajakta Diwanji, Puja Katiani, Parth Kaustaubh Sharma, Rajshree Sehgal, Ravi
Yellajosula, Renuka Inamdar, Rishav Ghosh, Sachin Sehgal, Shanghai Marathi Family, Shivika Tarika,
Vijay Bhatia, Consul (Information & Culture), Indian Consulate.
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Indian Association wishes you
all a Very Happy, Prosperous
and Joyous Diwali!
A very warm Thank You to our Lucky Draw
sponsors – we deeply appreciate your
generosity:
Diamond Prizes:
Thank You for being a part of
DIWALI NIGHT
2014.
Air India Ticket - Presented by Mrs. Kavita Malkani
Air India Ticket - Presented by Mrs. Kavita Malkani
Air India Ticket - Presented by Mrs. Kavita Malkani
THANK YOU!
Grand Prizes:
Iphone 6 - Parmar Family - Presented by Mrs. Deena Parmar
Iphone 6 - Parmar Family - Presented by Mrs. Bhavna
Parmar
Gold Coin - Jacky and Deepa Bhagwani - Presented by Mrs.
Deepa Bhagwani
Ipad Mini - Trinity International - Presented by
Kiran Bahirwani
Ipad Mini - Trinity International - Presented by Manisha
Bahirwani
Other Prizes:
Shanghai Marriott Hotel Parkview - 2 night stay
Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre - Weekend stay(one
night) with Sunday Brunch for 2
Shanghai Marriott Hotel Changfeng Park - 1 night Stay with
Breakfast for 2
Rempah Sari restaurant - Voucher for 1000 RMB
Mexo at the Bund - 600 RMB Voucher (3 of 200 each)
Kebabs on the Grill - 400 RMB Vouchers ( 2 of 200 each)
Gift From LightScenes worth RMB 500
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