“People are usually pleasantly surprised when they hear my jokes.  I like surprising people.  Nobody expects me to say the things that I say – I love that!”

“I don’t think it’s funny to hurt someone,” she clarifies and adds, “I believe I take reality and bring it to the stage. If the experience is truly relatable, then people will find it funny even if it is a little offensive.”

Canadian comedian Crystal Ferrier is young, vivacious, multi-talented and rising comedian. She graduated from York University and obtained a degree in Sociology as well as Theatre Studies. Crystal Ferrier packs all the traits of an actress, comedian, model, writer and producer. She has established herself as a successful comedian, overcoming all the obstacles that come her way. Crystal Ferrier shares her experience and her passion with Generation Next.

This talented actor finds her fodder for humour from everyday life, like being around her family and growing up as an Indian female in Toronto. In particular, her mother is a major inspiration for her. And so far, people have responded encouragingly to her wisecracks. “People are usually pleasantly surprised when they hear my jokes.  I like surprising people.  Nobody expects me to say the things that I say – I love that!” she says exuberantly.

As someone of South Asian descent, how easy or difficult is it for her to straddle two different cultures? Especially given the perception of the members of the parental generation that their children aren’t rooted to their cultures. Crystal acknowledges that it’s tough for the youth who grow up in Canada. Complying with South Asian cultural standards, while trying to get accepted by the general public, is an act of fine balance and not always the easiest thing to do. Like in most South Asian families, her parents too wanted her to become a doctor or a lawyer. She chuckles, “I guess the joke is on them. I am lucky that my family sees comedy as my calling and supports me.”

The line between humour and insult can sometimes be a thin one. How does Crystal manage being funny without being offensive?

“I don’t think it’s funny to hurt someone,” she clarifies and adds, “I believe I take reality and bring it to the stage. If the experience is truly relatable, then people will find it funny even if it is a little offensive.”

Having found her way to the stage through many a hurdle, Crystal is convinced that following the heart can lead one to his or her dreams. In fact, she likens it to childbirth. “I would tell others who want to pursue a career in comedy to stay focused and keep pushing! That sounds like childbirth, but you know what I mean!” she exclaims.

Young people looking to chart a different path than the oft-trodden ones can find reassurance in the attitude of this comedian. She advises them to not let others create their dreams, but to be a leader instead.

By Saurabh Agarwal

“Politicians of every party and every stripe know that Canada doesn’t work without immigration. So whereas one government may try to tighten up restrictions on false refugee claimants, the basic thrust has always been a pro-immigration policy for the last forty years in Canada.”

“There are a lot of opportunities (in India), and I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a trade mission from Calgary going to India in the medium term.”

Calgary’s fairly new and dynamic mayor is still an eligible bachelor. As South Asian Generation Next catches up with him at Mississauga Summit at University of Toronto, Mississauga campus, we wonder how 39-year-old Naheed Nenshy continues to be a bachelor, despite his South Asian descent.

Isn’t his mother hunting for a suitable daughter-in-law? The question takes him by surprise and elicits a roaring bout of laughter at the same time. “Oh, my God! Of course, she is! She’s been at it for twenty-one years, I think. She loves it when I travel across the country, because she figures there may be more prospects,” explains Mr. Nenshy.

How does Mr. Nenshy respond to the sensation that he created by becoming the first Muslim to be elected the mayor of a major Canadian city? While he does admit that his election gained a lot of national and international recognition, mostly because of his faith and in some measure because of his ethnic background, he says that only happened after the election. “During the election, in Calgary, the issue of my ethnicity never came up,” he maintains, adding, “Calgary has always been a remarkably meritocratic society, and spreading the word about how well diversity works in a place like Calgary is a really important role for me.” He goes on to say that this is true of all Canada, and Calgary is the ultimate expression of Canadian pluralism.

That’s a refrain we have heard many times before from politicians—how rich and flourishing Canada’s multiculturalism is. Why, then, every time any immigrant friendly policy comes up at any level of the government, there seems to be stiff resistance to it?

In the Mayor’s view, this has more to do with the pettiness of a few small-minded and intolerant individuals and less to do with Canada’s overall endorsement of plurality. He says, “Politicians of every party and every stripe know that Canada doesn’t work without immigration. So whereas one government may try to tighten up restrictions on false refugee claimants, the basic thrust has always been a pro-immigration policy for the last forty years in Canada.”

As an example of Canada’s multicultural engagement, he mentions the debates regarding the naqaab (veil used by some religious communities) or the kirpan. This is an issue Mr. Nenshy feels strongly about, as is clear when he says,

“It’s okay to have these debates—it means we live in a free and open society. But at the same time, we have to reject the small-minded and the intolerance who try to make these into cleavages in our community. The kripan is a good example. Are there spates of kripan-related violence that I am unaware of because it went unreported? Of course, not! But it’s important for us to be able to say to folks who say ‘Let’s ban the kripan in public spaces’—what on earth are you talking about?”

How then, does he respond to instances when the media refers to the murder of young South Asian women in the country as “honour killings?” Once again, he says with conviction, “As a community, we can speak out whether we’re mainstream or minority against things like honour killings…Those things need to be stopped in their tracks.”

Contrary to Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, Mayor Nenshi is investing dollars in libraries and community centres. How significant are these initiatives?

“Incredibly crucial,” is his prompt response.

His personal life apart, the mayor of Calgary seems to mean business, even as his popularity ratings keep soaring. Having worn a number of hats—corporate professional, academic (he was a professor of nonprofit management) and now politician—he intends to integrate his learning from all these sectors into his vision for a better, more citizen and visitor friendly Calgary. “What’s really been common across all of that (the different vocations) is that my role has always been to try and encourage the success of others. I was a management consultant trying to build businesses to be more successful, I was a professor, trying to make my students more successful and now I get the chance to try and make the whole community more successful,” he says. He also believes his corporate career enabled him to ask tough questions and critically analyze data—skills that are proving vital to the effective discharge of his current role.

As a young politician, who has been compared to Obama, Mr. Nenshy has received praise for his engagement with the youth. According to him, politicians should endeavour to reach out to every member of the community. Contrary to popular feeling, he opines that far from being apathetic to politics, young people such as the ones participating in the “Occupy” movements across the world “deeply care about their future, but they just don’t think that institutions like government can have anything to do with them.” This is where he feels politicians need to do a better job of convincing people of their intent to serve the community. He does have a problem with some of the “Occupy” movement labels though. “I understand Occupy Wall Street, I even understand Occupy Bay Street,” he says, “but when people say Occupy Toronto, or Occupy Calgary or Occupy Edmonton, I think to myself, why do you need to occupy? It’s your community—you live here. Take some action in making your community better, rather than occupying it as though it’s alienated from you.”

Optimistic about Canada’s economy and appreciative of how the country fared during the 2008 and 2009 recessions, the Calgary mayor has some ideas for attracting and retaining young professionals to his city. “Cities need to cut red tape, they need to make it easier to obtain business permits, they need to make it easier for people to start businesses. In addition to that, we also need to create attractive spaces,” he feels and adds, “in Calgary in particular, we’re really investing in what I call the urban fabric, making sure we have attractive neighbourhoods, where young people want to live? That there’s arts and culture and sports and recreation, even great public transit. These things aren’t just good in and about themselves; they are. But they are also really important economic strategies.”

The mayor’s interest in interacting with fellow city dwellers may well be a reason for his soaring popularity graph. Whenever he can, he makes the effort to reach out to people, be it by walking down the road or riding trains and asking commuters about their journey and what can be done to improve public transit.

Despite growing up in Canada, Mr. Nenshy is deeply interested in the region of his origin—South Asia. The only country in the area he has visited so far is Pakistan, where he went in 2001 in connection with an NGO. He still hasn’t been to India, a country he wants to visit. “There are a lot of opportunities (in India), and I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a trade mission from Calgary going to India in the medium term.”

Given his depth of experience across different sectors and his vision for the future, there’s a lot to expect from Mayor Nenshi in the days ahead.

And the hope that he will live up to those expectations.

By Bhaswati Ghosh

Unlike many South Asian parents, Anusha Sivalingam’s parents were quick to recognize her talent in music. They encouraged her to train. So she started learning South Indian classical music (Carnatic music) at the age of three for approximately seventeen years and went on to learn North Indian classical music (Hindustani) for three years.

Performing since the age of four, Anusha has recorded songs for approximately eight albums and three local movies. She has performed in the GTA, Montreal, many states in the United States, Germany, England, Malaysia and Singapore. She can sing in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannadam, and has learned about the intricacies and techniques of singing different styles of South Asian music. She has lively presence on stage. This summer she performed on the stage of Masala, Mehndi, Masti. Performing on Hindi songs in Tamil hyped up the crowd.

Her touch to the culture dates back to her infancy. Although never been back home, Anusha is literate in Tamil. “My mother tongue is Tamil, and my grandmother taught me how to read, write and speak the language, despite the fact that I had never been back home,” she tells Generation Next. “Music has no boundaries, as it is a universal language,” she says.

The highlights of her career have been to perform with many leading Indian playback singers including Shankar Mahadevan, Srinivas, Naresh Iyer, Sujatha, Chinmayi, Krish, Mano, Suchitra, Vijay Jesudas, etc.

“Being able to perform with such big names in the industry is always very humbling. All of the experiences I have had are memories that I will always cherish,” says Anusha.

However, Anusha has an Honours degree in Accounting from York University. Talking about her academic experience, Anusha says “As much as I love singing, I was very competitive in school and was always a straight-A student, receiving numerous academic awards. When I look back to my university years, I wonder how I did it – full-time classes, accounting association meetings on weekday evenings, and summer internships!”

Not only this, she is also a host of  a weekly television show in Tamil about Hinduism for a local Durka temple.

Anusha is also involved with organizations such as the Canadian Cancer Society and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

“In addition to doing various charity performances across the GTA, I also participated in a 24-hour non-stop concert to raise funds for the Scarborough Rouge Valley Centenary Hospital.  There is nothing more humbling than helping those in need and I am fortunate enough to be able to use my talent to help raise funds for worthy causes. In 2010, I was presented with an Ontario Volunteer Service Award by the Government of Ontario for my volunteer contributions within the community,” shares Anusha.

So, what’s her secret of success?

“My recipe for success is simple – stay grounded, strive for success, and stay optimistic. I am a perfectionist and I always push myself to work harder. As long as you’re open to keep learning, there’s no end to where you can go!”

Aman Chadda, Chairman of EEPC, Photo By www.nicevideophoto.com

“We always say that if you want 10 million plastic buckets, go to China. You want a good engineering product which will fit into your aircraft or vehicle; come to India where the quantity is also low and you get high-class manufactured products.”

“There is no Indian bureaucracy. There are no trade barriers. India welcomes foreign partners. That’s why we are here. We’ll facilitate foreign business..we’ll put them in touch with the right people. India is different India than it was 20, 30 years ago.”

The Indian “mela” of engineering and manufacturing industries took place between October 17^th and October 19^th at Direct Energy Centre. More than 154 Indian companies were in town to impress the Canadian market with Indian “Indo-vation” and value added products.

Generation Next got an opportunity to chat with Mr. Aman Chadda, Chairman of EEPC. EPPC is  an organization that represents more than 12,000 engineering manufacturing companies of India.

While we expected Mr. Chadda to be lackluster, he turned out to be a very ji dar kind of Punjabi gentleman. In his lively, yet frank manner, he responded to our blunt questions.

The purpose of having 154 companies come at one time is to “to draw attention..people do stand up to see you when you are in a large group..we want to make noise, so that people know that India is here..they may not do a lot of business today..but we are looking at long term business,” stated Mr. Chadda as he leaned forward on his sofa at the lobby of King Edward Hotel in Toronto.

The Indian engineering market’s strength is such that “We are at roughly $39 billion,” said Mr. Chadha. “Last year we did $60 billion in exports, that’s about 25 percent of the total exports of the country that came from engineering. We should close the year close to $80 billion, that’s still a 20 percent plus growth.”

While there is a lot of talk in town about Canada India free trade agreement, expected to be signed between the two countries in 2013, there is also a recognition that trade between the two countries is “very very minimal,” noted Mr. Chadda. Within engineering sector, this trade stands at $265 million only. India exports nearly 40 per cent of its engineering goods to Europe.

EEPC’s expectation; however is to triple the trade in engineering sector within three years’ time. “Wherever we go, we double the figure in under three or four years’ time,” said Mr. Chadda proudly.

Canadian Minister of International trade Minister Ed Fast has noted that the Canadian government is also looking into parallel agreements on human rights and environment with India. What does India think about it?

Mr. Chadda’s prompt response was “I am sure that’s what the government wants. The government doesn’t want..child labour in factories. Someone does that down the lane. There is a penalty cause for that..The government doesn’t want to do it, people do it…and we do clamp down on it. You can’t hold the government responsible…I’m sure in Canadian factories, there are also issues of..visa violations etc.”

An entrepreneur and not the engineer himself, Mr. Chadda does tire business in India. Among many engineering sectors, India’s automotive and agricultural sector is known for its high quality products, stated Mr. Chadda.

Green Energy technology, said the Chairman of EEPC can be hugely beneficial to India. Using analogies from his business sphere, he said green technologies are crucial, especially when the governments are “tightening the screws on pollution.”

The highlight of the India Show at the Canadian Manufacturing Show is $3,500 TATA Nano car, Reva’s electric car and electronic ballot machine that is used by nearly 700 million Indians to have their say in the democratic process.

In his opinion, electric car can gain traction in the Canadian market. Mr. Chadda was quite surprised at how the lights of buildings in Toronto are left turned on when there is no one there at nights.

When told that Ontario actually gives away its electricity to Quebec and New York for less than the cost that Ontarians pay, Mr. Chadda was appalled.

“Wow!” was his prompt reaction. “Why don’t they export it to India?”

This is something that, perhaps, Premier of Ontario should ponder over and work with an Indian company to develop technology to export Made in Ontario electricity to India.

Are products like TATA NANO car and $35 Aakahsh tablet PC sustainable and reliable?

In his response Mr. Chadda noted that Aakash tablet was designed by a Montreal based company called DataWind and manufactured at low cost in India. The designing of the product in North American and European markets may enhance acceptability of Indian products in North America and Europe.

Why, then, there is this impression that good products are not manufactured in India?

“We are into value-added products, we’re into high-engineering products,” he responded as if he was expecting the question. “We always say that if you want 10 million plastic buckets, go to China. You want a good engineering product which will fit into your aircraft or vehicle; come to India where the quantity is also low and you get high-class manufactured products.”

In 2009-2010, Indian engineering exports declined. Why?

“Global meltdown. Everyone had the problem,” he said as if it was obvious. “But we came the tops with 110 per cent growth rate,” added Mr. Chadda proudly.

We asked Mr. Chadda what he thinks about protest like “Occupy Wall Street” and “Occupy Bay Street.”

“It’s the problem that is affecting the whole world..We have to help the global economies,” he said.

“So you support the idea of bailouts,” we asked.

“Of course!” After a moment’s thought he added “..to certain extent..but if there’s a bailout after another bailout after another bailout then it should be amputated out,” he responded.

“Greece should be amputated out then,” we asked.

“Yes. There’s no other option. I foresee that happening.”

How will Indian markets be affected if there is another recession?

“We have heard of double dip and all the other sets of alphabets. We foresee the next six months to be tough. Our main market is European Union. We are diversifying. Not aggressively but we are promoting Brand India,” he said.

The message to Canadian businesses is that “We are diversifying, that’s one of the main reasons we are here in Canada promoting our ‘Brand India,’ promoting our luxury goods, letting the people know that we are capable of what they have not seen, said turban wearing Chairman of EEPC. “Many times they don’t even know that India is capable of producing, manufacturing these products.”

What is EEPC members’ trade like with SAARC countries?

“We hardly do any trade with them [Pakistan] because of the political situation..lots of trouble with economy..terrorism,” said Mr. Chadda somewhat reluctantly. “Bangladesh is a good market. Sri Lanka is developing…many Indian tire companies have manufacturing bases in Sri Lanka.. because rubber is available there,” he added. With Thailand, India does about 15 – 20 per cent of the trade.

In his opinion, creating a uniform tax and custom duty system worldwide will “level the playing field for everybody.”

Mr. Chadda urges Canadians to think of Indians as partners.

“I would say, please, greet us with open arms, we are not here to take jobs,” he said. “We are here to work in cooperation. We need Canada because they have the technology..we are good at low-cost manufacturing,” he said pleadingly.

India has invited 50 Canadian companies in March 2012 “in good faith”, said R. Maita, Executive Director of EEPC. He added that India has also invited 15 Pakistani companies to visit India next year.

When asked how Indian Diaspora in Canada can help Canada-India bilateral trade, he laughingly answered, “I think they should start trading with Indian partners as soon as possible.”

But there is so much red tape and bureaucracy in India, we pointed out.

“There is no Indian bureaucracy. There are no trade barriers. India welcomes foreign partners. That’s why we are here. We’ll facilitate foreign business..we’ll put them in touch with the right people. India is different India than it was 20, 30 years ago,” he said emphatically.

By Asma Amanat

Two years back, a few months into my marriage, my husband and I celebrated our first Diwali as a couple. As we lit the diyas or earthen lamps in our Hyderabad apartment, little did I know that would be my last Diwali in India. Shortly after the festival, my husband landed a new job and the two of us in California, USA.

Growing up in Delhi, India’s capital meant that my Diwali began days before its actual date.  Crackers of all shapes, sizes, luminosities and decibels flooded the markets, along with idols of Ganesha, the god of good fortune and Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. What tempted me more were the variety of sweetmeats on display—pethhas, laddus, batashas galore. This was one occasion on which parents didn’t mind giving in to their kids’ demands and pampered them with crackers, sweets and new clothes. And the results were heard on the streets. Literally. Crackers boomed from playgrounds, alleyways, and even from some main thoroughfares at times.

The day of Diwali, however, took the celebrations to unprecedented heights. As the evening sky darkened without a trace of the moon (Diwali being celebrated on a moonless night), the earth lit up with a thousand lights, shining off houses decked with diyas, candles and electric lights.

As a child it was my delight to assist my mother in lighting the candles that were stuck on our boundary walls. Then, we would take our booty of crackers and join neighbourhood friends to burst them.

From the glittering sparkles of the phuljhari to the fountain-like fire show of the anaar to the circling whizz of the charkhari and the straight or crooked flights of the rocket—the crackers held us spellbound for the time we burnt them. This was, of course, followed by delicious food—gujiyas and jalebis, laddus and kaju barfis.

For me, this festival marked a two-way celebration. As Bengalis, our family observed Kali puja or the worship of goddess Kali on this day. The celebratory aspect remained the same as the North Indian Diwali—lighting of lamps, preparing sweets and other treats, bursting crackers and singing songs.

So last year, when I reached the shores of North America from North India, I had reasons to be concerned. Festivals, just like language and cuisine, are what lend distinctiveness to cultures. Now, in a country and culture so different than my own, I wondered if I would feel that burst of joy pulsating through me when a festival like Holi or Diwali came nearer. To know the answer I would have to wait for a few months.

I wasn’t disappointed. California’s Bay Area (where we were), being a hub if IT professionals, was home to a large South Asian community. All major festivals—from Holi to Durga Puja and Diwali to Eid—were celebrated with sincere devotion and typical enthusiasm. Close to our home, there were at least three Hindu temples and four to five gurdwaras.

Like in India, my first North American Diwali too started days ahead of the actual festival. We received invitations to potluck dinners from several friends. Though new for me, this seemed a good way to celebrate an occasion—meeting friends and their families, relishing and cooking home-made food, playing silly games and singing songs late into the night. Sometimes, friends with dancing talent added extra spark to these get-togethers. Children too rejoiced with the adults and didn’t shy away from displaying their singing, acting, dancing or even storytelling talents.

On the day of Diwali, we visited a Hindu temple to join the festivities. It was here that the community facet of the festival shone in its full glory. Throngs of devotees gathered at the temple, which was beautifully decorated. Rangolis, designs made of colored, powdered rice flour dotted the temple floors, while diyas and candles were lit all around the temple.

Children fluttered about in traditional outfits like ghagra-choli and kurta pyjama and were matched by the grown-ups in dazzling saris, salwar kurtas and sherwanis.

The temple priest carried out the puja or worship ceremony with noticeable devotion. Outside the main temple halls, a mela or fair of sorts had sprung up—with several stalls displaying jewelry, mehendi or heena, traditional arts and crafts, games and a whole variety of foods.

As I look back at last year’s Diwali, I remember missing the joy of burning crackers. But I didn’t miss any of the fun or festive spirit associated with Diwali. This year, having moved yet again, this time to Greater Toronto Area (GTA), I await the brilliance of the festival of lights with eager anticipation.

By Bhaswati Ghosh

Mississauga

Jagmeet Singh is the first Sikh Canadian to represent Ontario’s New Democrats from Region of Peel in the Ontario legislature.

His first thoughts after winning October 6^th’s election are “I am so overwhelmed, so excited and honoured.”

What he really wants to do in his riding of Bramalea-Gore-Malton as an MPP is to find innovative ideas to engage the community. He wants to hold regular discussions and town hall meetings to ensure that youth and the community at large are engaged in the political process. He wants to hear people’s concerns on regular basis and take them to his party as well as to the government.

Many South Asians came out and voted for Jagmeet Singh, the young lawyer, and not necessarily Jagmeet Singh, the  candidate from the NDP.

Has he heard this?

MPP Singh admits he has. Nonetheless he also believes that the NDP’s message of putting people first resonated strongly with constituents of Bramalea-Gore-Malton.

“We [the NDP] will put the needs of people before corporations and insurance companies,” he vowed yet again.

Ontarians have given Liberals a strong mandate, yet it’s not a majority government. Will there be one election after the other like the federal election in the last few years, we asked MPP Singh?

His response in an interview with Generation Next was “I can’t speculate what’s gonna happen,” he stated. “People want a government that works. People have put a minority government in place and we respect their decision. Our obligation and our duty is to make it work. We all have to work together..to meet the needs of Ontarians,” added the young lawyer turned legislator.

How will the NDP work with Liberals?

“I am prepared to work and support anyone who works to get results for people,” promised MPP Singh.

Residents of Bramalea-Gore-Malton have told Jagmeet that their top three concerns are high auto insurance premiums, uncertain employment climate and healthcare with long ER wait times.

And these are the areas he will be focusing on along with giving relief to families. He will also help people “whenever and wherever I could quickly and efficiently.”

Only about 49.1 per cent Ontarians voted on October 6^th. Was he disappointed that less than half of Ontarians decided not to engage in the political process?

MPP Singh says “ I was disappointed..but I wasn’t surprised.”

While many candidates scramble to find a team of volunteers, Jagmeet motivated an energetic young team of more than 200 volunteers to be part of his campaign. He is especially grateful to youth for their energy and hard work.

MPP Singh reassured his constituents that they have voted for and advocate and they will have a strong advocate in Ontario legislature for the next four years.

He also thanked the community for their strong support.

Droves of people headed toward Ontario Soccer Centre on Saturday evening to celebrate Navratri. ‘Navratri’ means ‘nine nights’. There are many legends attached to the conception of Navratri like all Indian festivals. All of them are related to Goddess Shakti (Hindu Mother Goddess) and her various forms.

Navratri holds special significance for Gujratis and Bengalis and one can see it in the zeal and fervor of the people with which they indulge in the festive activities of the season.

Dandiya and Garba Rass are the highlights of the festival. And no wonder mean and women alike carried dandyas as they walked into brightly lit soccer field.

Swar Sadhana Music Lovers Club put together this very colourful festival in Vaughan.

Gary Sethi has been one of those teenagers who was obese and made fun of. As a 250 lbs. obese teenager, he didn’t know how to cope with problems like obesity. His self esteem plummeted and he looked outward for help from so-called friends. Wearing a turban and striking a balance between the Eastern and the Western values was even more challenging for him as a sardar.

But through these challenges, he etched his identity as a South Asian Sardar1 Fitness trailblazer. His ambition is inspire every South Asian to be healthy and fit, while showcasing South Asian sardars in a positive light. Within that goal, Gary works to address physical, mental, emotional and spiritual elements of individual fitness programs.

Generation Next got to speak 27-year-old Gary Sethi who has gained maturity and experience as he grew up in life:

Body building…can it really be a serious profession?

..Bodybuilding and fitness modelling are two very different entities. Body building is a much more intense sport, similar to the career Arnold Schwarzenegger participated in prior to his acting career. I am not a body builder, but a fitness model, which is really muscle modeling..As a South Asian, who wears a turban, I want to represent our community – this is the way I know how.

These days women go after men with muscles etc. What has it been like with you?

I have no idea. Truthfully, I haven’t really noticed.

Do you believe there is acceptance for unique South Asians such as yourself in the mainstream?

Definitely..there is definite place for unique and interesting looks, and in the Western world, the turbaned look falls in that category.

What made you change and how did you find your path?

The inspiration was from my older sister, Sonia and her own healthy weight transformation. With her guidance, I found a passion for weight training and fitness..As I watched this transformation, I had an almost light-bulb moment and decided to follow her example. I began my own personal journey to transform my body; I ate the rights foods, and regained my connection to my cultural roots and family. It is almost as though, weight training enabled me to propel my South Asian Sardar identity, roots, and incorporate them into a total body functional training regimen.

Another important moment in my life was when I learned that my father had three blocked arteries. It was a true wakeup call and why I believe, “charity starts at home.” I did research and the statistics were alarming and it left me with questions that needed to be answered. I began studying how South Asians in Canada are living – I included my own parents’ habits and began pinpointing the exact moments of that hinder the health of South Asians. I began training South Asians and teaching them the fundamentals of meal planning and fitness regimes. I also began attending health expos to ensure I had the latest information.

HEALS is a not for profit organization that aims to spread awareness of healthy eating and exercise to the South Asian community. We aim to help inspire and change the lives of the South Asian community.

What’s the best diet for South Asians who don’t want to give up meat and mithai?

Everything is about moderation..my goal is to put the pieces of the puzzle together with cardiovascular training, weight training, nutrition, and mental health.

Give our readers a few simple tricks to remain fit….nothing that has been already said…something unique and different.

• Aim for eating 4-5 small portions  every 3 hours. Make sure to include protein in every meal. Getting enough protein in your diet is a key ingredient for both weight loss success and muscle-building success. Protein boosts your metabolism while stabilizing blood sugar and insulin levels.
• Love butter on your roti? Try the butter spray from Becel and get all the flavor and zero calories.
• Don’t cook with butter or oil. Use PAM spray instead.

Definition of balanced life can be different for different people. What is it for you? Some may say that you have gone a little too far with body building yourself and are not fit to give advice. How do you counter that?

For me balance is addressing physical, mental, emotional and spiritual elements of my individual fitness programs and helping my family and close friends achieve those same goals.

How much do you believe in hard work and how much do you believe in fate?

I believe like many South Asians, my parents have instilled in me that anything in life results from hard work. As I get older, I believe this more and more.

With traditional Punjabi upbringing, Jas Dhanda says that “being an artist isn’t a job or career, it’s a mindset that you have to embrace, for better or for worse.” As a dancer, she feels kathak dance lays strong foundation, eventually allowing the dancer to cross over to other forms of dance.

The graduate from Wilfried Laurier University feels that “the entertainment industry is no longer this boring homogenous entity: it’s taking inspiration from every part of the globe.  Bollywood and Hollywood are more incestuous than ever..South Asian is hot and ethnic is in!”

Her impression of social media hits is “It’s not that social media has made one-hit wonders more common, it is just that their spread of a one hit wonder is that much more viral.”

As an artist, Jas feels that funding cuts to arts programs may save some bucks in the short term, but the long term consequences can be disastrous. “Funding cuts to artists is just symptomatic of greater social problems under the surface..Producing these works is healthy not only for the artists themselves, but for the community’s own self-esteem..While we might not see the effects immediately, a couple years down the line, I think the costs will far outweigh any short term fiscal savings cutting art programs can have,” she says.

With major in Political Science, Jas “follows the news locally and globally..In order to truly be politically informed, it is important to be familiar not only with domestic national politics but the international political environment as well.”

Can politics be theme of art?

“..Bob Dylan was an incredible musical genius and the vast majority of his corpus is socially and politically informed and motivated.  Art stands to make us more human and some of its stances may directly inspire political action,” says Jas.

As a young woman, she feels that “there is a lot of conflict between traditional values and modern expectations.” Nonetheless arranged marriages can be as blissful as love marriages. As an example she cites her parents’ and second generation Canadian cousins’ marriages.

As far as the issues like kirpan and hijab go, Jas’ opinion is “..the increasing prevalence of these practices seems less in response to some cultural conservatism and more as a stance against assimilation.  These issues, and the underlying identity issues, need a public forum to discuss and resolve.”

Jas Dhanda’s photos were taken by George Hatzipantelis / Danny Alleyne. They can be reached at  info@monochromemoments.ca

Festivals like Navratri are important for young professionals like Dr. Krishna B.

It’s a way to “recollect my Indian culture,” she tells us.

For her, Navratri is a cultural as well as religious festival where she gets an opportunity to make new friends and to know more people. She is not the only one who is interested in cultural festivals, her Canadian friends are equally curious about Indian traditional events. With Dr. Krishna’s goal set to become a midwife in Canada, she wants to deliver the best care to women.

Nishith Pandya, York University student agrees with Dr. Krishna.

For him “Navratri is just a prayer of god that we celebrate by dancing for god..It’s a way for us to keep our culture intact.”

In his experience a lot of young people and young professionals come out to celebrate Navratri festival. “It’s the young people who keep the culture going, and the religion going,” he says.

Celebrate Navratri with Swar Sadhana Music Lovers Club on October 1^st at Ontario Soccer Centre.