Alright, well she doesn’t completely ‘go Desi,’ but she did rock an exclusive, one-of-a-kind strapless dress by Indian-born designer, Naeem Khan. The dress Mrs. Obama wore to the White House’s first State Dinner (with India) was a classic floor-length cut in a subdued gold fabric and paired it with a light shawl. Her makeup was effortless, and her hair was perfected into an updo. Simply put, the entire ensemble seemed traditionally feminine and sophisticated, reminiscent of the first lady’s more conservative predecessors. But knowing Mrs. Obama, there had to be some flair into her outfit. She had a lovely and elaborate pair of chandelier earrings and Desi glittering gold-and-diamond bangles piled high on her left arm. This might have been a big night for the Obamas and Singhs, but it was also a big night for designer Naeem Khan. Though he’s styled many superstars, styling the First Lady is an honor all in it’s own!

Today is a very special day for every Indian person in the US who celebrates Diwali. Although it was the Bush administration who began celebrating Diwali in 2003, President Barack Obama was the first President to personally grace the ceremony. It was a brief, yet pleasant program, which began with acclaimed Hindi a-capella group Penn Masala and ended with a Sanskrit invocation by a priest from the local Siva-Vishnu temple.

President Obama stated, ”This coming Saturday, Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists, here in America and around the world, will celebrate this holiday by lighting Diyas, or lamps, which symbolize the victory of light over darkness, and knowledge over ignorance,” then adding, “and while this is a time of rejoicing, it’s also a time for reflection, when we remember those who are less fortunate and renew our commitment to reach out to those in need.”

“Find the piece of the world that you, and only you, stand on. Write from there.”—Shailja Patel

Only a truly dedicated person would make such a statement and Shalija Patel is one to stand by her word. This devoted young woman lives and breathes about writing. And I am not kidding when I say that, the lovely Miss Patel has been considered to be equivalent to famous Indian writer, Arundhati Roy. I have only one word to describe that comparison…WOW! Just recently I had the opportunity to sit down and have a heart to heart with her and the things that she has accomplished are indeed incredible!! Don’t believe me? See it for yourselves, straight out of the mouth of one of the most talented poets herself!

Was writing and the theater something which you were always interested in or was there a moment in your life when you said, ‘Wow, this is what I need to be doing’?
I knew from a very young age that I wanted to tell stories.  I came to performing later in life, when I discovered the slam poetry scene.

What is your driving motivation for your poetry?
Poetry cuts through the defenses put up by the intellect and goes straight to the gut and the heart. It opens us to feeling and seeing the truth.

How did you first find out that you had such a wonderful gift with words?
I can’t remember a single defining moment – but I was making up poems as soon as I could put a sentence together!

Beautiful Bollywood actress, Shilpa Shetty, will be gracing the 63rd annual India Day Parade hosted by FIA.

Sex sells.

There’s no lie about that.

Advertising and sex have been tied together since advertising became a big business. The use of sexually suggestive images to sell just about everything really emphasizes the point that sex is a merchandiser’s best friend.

One of the most popular ways of advertising is through magazines. Famous clothing companies and makeup companies use magazines as a perfect way to sell their products. However, advertisements are getting more and more erotic. Nowadays it is getting near impossible to find an advertisement that does not have a double meaning.

Now when it comes to using sex to sell, Victoria’s Secret is #1 at marketing and branding their merchandise because of sex. I don’t think we even need to prove that with an image, but just for all you guys out there, this is what their normal catalog covers look like – yes, you’d be incline to buy something from there for your girl, hoping, that she’ll look at sexy as the cover model…Hmmm….

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This year was my first discovery to the world of Non Bollywood Indian Film Festivals in two major cities on the East Coast in November 2008.

New York City’s 8th Annual Indo American Film Festival

http://www.iaac.us/MIAAC2008/home.htm

Washington, DC had two festivals -

Indian Visions

This is a festival under the banner of Filmfest in DC and is showcases the best of indian cinema from all over the world.

http://www.indianvisions.org/

SALTAF – South Asian Literary and Theater Arts Festival

http://www.saltaf.org/saltaf2008/saltaf_home.html

One of my favorite movies from the 2 festivals I sampled in DC

Little Zizou

http://www.littlezizouthemovie.com/littlezizou1.html

Once summer is in the air, everyone’s calendars will start booking up with Evites or Cards for Reunions, Bridal showers, Baby showers, Birthdays and last but not least The BBQ’s.

BBQ’s are the best way to feed everyone with a variety of items that can be premade and stored a couple of days ahead. It’s also a great way to have a quick dinner or to entertain when an unexpected visitor drops by.

Everyone needs to be able to share their stories with others, whether good or bad, and we do this because it’s a learning experience to others. If I could speak for the Desi woman, her life would be something like this…

“You’ll never catch me on Shaadi.com,” I always used to tell my friends. That was a lie.

I figured that there was really no risk in it because everyone always says that putting yourself on Shaadi.com is a great idea. Personally, I’ve heard of good stories from people who used the site, and it’s been around for more than ten years, so I figured that it was really worth trying out. It was either that, or I’d have to listen to my mom and Masi in Bombay about setting up some meetings with guys and parents next time we visit India.

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The idea of outsourcing is popular to American corporations. When you call, for example, for computer assistance, you’re quickly connected to a representative in India. But who would have ever thought that one day India would become an outsourcing hub for people to have their baby. Yes, now more and more people are turning to India for surrogate mothers.