“The public sees us as portrayed through the media as people who do the heavy lifting and actually get the work done. A good part of the educated public really cares about where the donor dollars are going and after researching they realize that we don’t have any administrative fees, we’re just about getting work done.”

“They’ve [the Canadian government] got some concerns and they have a pattern of the way they program tax payers’ dollars and we challenge that norm. We think that doing your projects with larger agencies is not necessarily the answer, which is the way the Canadian government wants to spend its money. The government wants to have accountability and we understand that, but we are trying to show them that there are other ways to have the same accountability and deliver more aid with the same amount of money. We try to explain from our side of it. Can they be more supportive? Absolutely.”

Tis’ the season of holly jolly. But in this season of holly jolly and cutting budgets, let’s not forget organizations that help and service the poor across the globe that are hit by natural disasters.

One such organization completely run by a team of volunteers is Global Medic. Originally called Mecant-Gibson Foundation, Rahul Singh, Toronto based paramedic, started the organization in honour of his friend’s memory.

Global Medic has done a lot of work in places like Sri Lanka, the Solomon Islands, Turkey, Pakistan, Somalia and Kenya.  Its volunteers are first responders, the paramedics, the police officers, the firefighters, the doctors and the nurses. Global Medic has had over 1,000 volunteers. In the last few years, it has put about 154 folks into the international operations. In 2010, Global Medic deployed over 5 field hospitals that treated 37,000 patients. Global Medic’s volunteers had installed 100 water units that purified and distributed over 20 million litres of clean drinking water in disaster affected areas.

No wonder Global Medic’s work has been recognized internationally. Its Founder has been one of the Time magazine’s most influential personalities of the year, joining President Obama, talk show queen Oprah and Apple’s boss Steve Jobs.

Sharing his experiences working in different countries, Rahul told Generation Next “Some of the countries you’re dealing with are customarily dealing with disasters. Most often you’ll get a country like Pakistan. Bureaucratically it’s accustomed to accepting and asking for foreign aid, making processes easier. So they let agencies come in and some international airlines even bring in free aid on behalf of our agencies. .. You can look at Burma; it’s an isolationist regime and doesn’t necessarily want foreigners coming in a helping role.”

As an organization that provides emergency relief services, Rahul and Rahul’s team goes through trauma of their own when they witness a life lost. However, Rahul says “..it’s the next 6 or 7 that come in through the door that you actually manage to save – who would have died – that you see the difference that your work makes.”

As a non-for-profit organization, Global Medic is constantly looking for innovative ideas to raise funds Unlike many non-for-profit organizations, Global Medic’s admin costs are zero. Funded by public, Global Medic raises funds through dinners, selling T-shirts and asking public for donations.

Rahul noted “the public sees us as portrayed through the media as people who do the heavy lifting and actually get the work done. A good part of the educated public really cares about where the donor dollars are going and after researching they realize that we don’t have any administrative fees, we’re just about getting work done.”

The local South Asian community has been generous. However, Rahul feels much more needs to be done. “They’ve [South Asian community in Canada] funded us and helped us in the past; we’ve got to do a better job of coming in front of them and explaining the work capacities we have and what we can do. The drawback is that we are a group of doers; we want to do the work and not talk about the work, so we don’t necessarily have a group of talkers that go out and say to the community that we need your help and this is why you need to support us.”

With recession rumours gaining momentum, are people inclined not to donate?

“We’ve grown in terms of our charitable numbers every year but I think that’s more to do with the fact that there are more disasters that have grown in a big scale. Everybody’s feeling the pinch in Canada and around the world,” responded the founder of Global Medic.

Global Medic partners with other organizations to discuss and develop strategies to help those who are in desperate need of emergency relief.

As an organization, Rahul believes that the Canadian government’s response to floods in Pakistan was encouraging. Nonetheless, he feels “We need to do a better job of getting it to the government’s ear and also more about the good things we’re doing and how they work and why they should be funding us.”

“They’ve [the Canadian government] got some concerns and they have a pattern of the way they program tax payers’ dollars and we challenge that norm. We think that doing your projects with larger agencies is not necessarily the answer, which is the way the Canadian government wants to spend its money. The government wants to have accountability and we understand that, but we are trying to show them that there are other ways to have the same accountability and deliver more aid with the same amount of money. We try to explain from our side of it. Can they be more supportive? Absolutely,” he adds.

As a South Asian paramedic, Rahul feels that “the South Asian South Asian community has overlooked this field [emergency response], and they should take a second hard look” at their career choices.

Are there enough jobs for youth in paramedics’ field?

“I think we’re coming into a transition in the City of Toronto. For example, in the next 5 years, we’re going to lose a solid 20% of our workforce, so there will be opportunities for younger people to get in and become paramedics so it is a good filed to be studying right now. There are not enough jobs for people coming out of the colleges now because it’s such a specialty profession, but in a couple of more years, that will completely spin the other way and there will be too many jobs and not enough folks to come in,” stated the son of a father who is from Rajasthan, India and a mother who is from Quetta, Pakistan.

As far as the equal representation of visible minorities in Canada goes, Rahul feels “You can’t ask for someone to come into a job of power if you’re not willing to populate that industry to move all the way up..For example in the police force today in Toronto you will see a few Indian officers and South Asian paramedics but in 10-20 years from now when those people climb through the ranks, will you get a South Asian chief? I’d like to think so. So I think the country has opened up the opportunity and it’s up to us to take the advantage of that and rather than making the excuse that the system isn’t good enough..”

For Global Medic, Rahul’s ambition for next ten years is “to see us a bigger agency with a more stable funding base that is recognized by Canada as the primary agency of choice to give money in a disaster. More importantly I’d like to see us as the gritty frontline emergency workers agency that goes in and focuses on doing the work.”

Ali Hassan is a man of many talents. Two of the most shining ones are his expertise in cooking and acting. While the two may seem worlds apart, but for this talented individual, co-existing in these two worlds is a walk in the park. As the son of parents who both worked in college, Ali grew up in an atmosphere much different from the one he puts life into while performing his comedy acts. “My dad was actually an English teacher, so for most of my life, using words like ‘Ain’t’ and ending sentences with a preposition were frowned upon (that one on purpose!).”

Comedy, especially the stand-up variety, runs the risk of slipping into vulgarity. To put a check on such elements creeping into his own acts, Hassan consciously tries to keep vulgarity off the stage. “It’s more of a challenge to get laughter without appealing to the lowest common denominator,” he says. Besides, he has a personal reason to maintain civility in his performances. “My daughters keep scouring the internet every day, looking for my clips,” he quips.

In recent times, Hassan has grown in popularity because of his movies. He enjoys mixing up the fare with different kinds of roles. He tells Generation Next that, “In Breakaway, I play the team’s enforcer or goon, but in French Immersion, I play a grovelling husband who tries to win back the heart of his wife.”

We ask him if he feels the roles given to South Asian actors in mainstream shows continue to be stereotypical. “As long as I don’t have to wave a missile launcher in the air and chant God’s name, I’m still encouraged by a number of the roles I see on television for South Asians lately,” he says.

Flipping the side of Hassan’s talent coin, we bring the focus to food. Even as today’s fast-paced, microwave age doesn’t offer much room for elaborate cooking, Hassan remains passionate about it. The reason is as much emotional association as anything else. “I try to remind people all the time – those dishes that your mother or grandmother or father made, that you loved so much. Those recipes will pass away when they pass away too, unless you do something about learning them.  I know we live in a busy society, but there’s no reason you can’t make your own meals at least a few days a week.”

Hassan has a mixed feeling about the cooking shows on TV. He feels Hell’s Kitchen is a “great experience for chefs who have no respect for themselves and want to be treated like a piece of turd.” He also finds Master Chef and Iron Chef supremely entertaining. However, he doesn’t watch too many cooking shows anymore as he starts feeling frustrated about how bland some of the hosts are. One of his favourite shows is Heat Seekers, and would mind even being on that show.

Does his Muslim background help his acting in any way? He sure feels he is bringing something new to the table. That’s because, he notes, the lack of many Muslim comedians or actors in Canada. He goes on to say, “Personally I’m able to play different roles because of my look – Lebanese, Moroccan, Pakistani, Indian – but my background (religious, cultural, educational) helps me understand different subtleties about those characters too.”

Ali Hassan has already acted in three films this year. These include the hit hockey movie, Breakaway, bilingual comedy, French Immersion, and Goon, a film that premiered during TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), but will hit movie theatres in 2012. He can also be seen on www.BlandIsBoring.com, where he cooks up dishes. He also does several shows every month. When in Toronto, he can be found at a club called Absolute Comedy at Younge and Eglinton. Going by his success, this juggler seems to have mastered all three trades.

“The main focus of Impact is about getting young people excited about entrepreneurship through a series of programs and campaigns. I’ve learned first hand the benefits of beginning and starting a business. It’s not always easy. However, there’s a big opportunity today to learn and to try new things out when you’re young, especially when you surround yourself with like-minded peers.”

“…For any achievement, it’s about direction and bringing the right people around the room and going at it.”

Whether it’s the latest iphone, Blackberry or an Android device, the craze surrounding smart phone technology has made consumers restless to accessorize their purses and back pockets with the next hot gadget. For Polar Mobile, a company specializing in cellular application (App) technology, the current rising mobile market reflects a strong and promising future for their industry.

Kunal Gupta, CEO of Polar Mobile, reflects upon the expanding niche he discovered in the market four years ago while launching his company from University of Waterloo campus.

“We saw an opportunity to help the media companies figure out how to distribute their content to all these connected devices and also how to monetize it.”  Mr. Gupta, a Waterloo alumni in software engineering, found a market he would one day thrive upon. He knew that working in a fast-paced and demanding industry was only going to be possible with the right tools.

Even as Mr. Gupta believes that market timing was an important factor in his success, he also acknowledges the vital role his academic background has played in achieving his current position. He tells Generation Next’s readers that, “the engineering degree, especially at Waterloo, you’re learning critical skills and problem solving skills. So what I got from my degree were the skills and the understanding of how technology works and how software works on a high level.”

As the recipient of the Alumnus of the Year, and the 2011 finalist for Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Kunal Gupta’s success story in globalizing App technology has already begun to stir interest from seasoned colleagues within the world of technology. “I have a lot of respect for visionaries like Steve Jobs in terms of introducing new technology, new innovations and the new way of thinking and really challenging the industry and making the norm,” says Mr. Gupta, expressing his admiration of other industry gurus.

Challenging the industry standards is nothing new to Mr. Gupta as he himself has shown a knack for creating norms as well. “We started this company four years ago. At that time, the concept of mobile Apps did not exist, although we were launching those. I totally focused on using technology and software to help change an industry.” By capitalizing on the changing tides within the mobile technology business, Polar Mobile was able to branding in making Apps the next hot accessory for any smart phone.

As Polar Mobile paves the way in App technology and service, the company is well aware of the changing industry demands as well as the need to maintain one foot ahead of their competitors. Mr. Gupta expresses his confidence of keeping the edge they’ve attained. “It’s all about the team, he says and adds, “The team has been very focused on our goals, and we’ve been pretty successful at achieving those goals. For any achievement, it’s about direction and bringing the right people around the room and going at it.”

Mr. Gupta commented that despite the recent difficulties RIM has faced, “it does not affect us at Polar Mobile directly. I think the bigger effect is on the company RIM.”

As Mr. Gupta focuses on taking Polar Mobile to the next level, he has already expressed his need to give back to other young entrepreneurs.

As the founder and Chair on the Board of Directors for the “Impact Entrepreneurship Group”, Mr. Gupta was excited to describe his goal in starting Impact. “The main focus of Impact is about getting young people excited about entrepreneurship through a series of programs and campaigns. I’ve learned first hand the benefits of beginning and starting a business. It’s not always easy. However, there’s a big opportunity today to learn and to try new things out when you’re young, especially when you surround yourself with like-minded peers.”

As Polar Mobile looks ahead to make it big on a global level, App fans can expect to see a number of changes in the technology industry too.

According to Kunal Gupta, there are currently a variety of projects underway. “It’s an exciting space with a lot of things happening. Look at the industry and what’s happening with the new iphone that came out, and we are going to see more innovations and changes with tablets in the next year.”

As mobile technology continues to alter the way we communicate on a daily basis, the expectation of change has become a norm within the industry, especially for companies like Polar Mobile who have made a name for themselves by thriving on these changing trends.

By Anna Katryan

Anu Srivastava has become a cultural specialist in the City of Brampton initiating and collaborating a number of different South Asian cultural events.

Anu Srivastava was born in Kanpur, India. As someone who boasts an excellent academic record, she studied in St. Mary’s Convent and earned twin Master’s degrees in Commerce and Business Administration. Kanpur University recognized her merit and the ranking of first position in the university by rewarding her with a gold medal.

It was Ahmedabad where Anu went as a married woman at the age of 18.

Married at the age of 18! Don’t Canadians tell her that is was barbaric?

They do but I say yes I did, but marriage was one of the things that in India you have to do,” responds Anu quite “frankly.

Anu immigrated to Canada in 1987 to the Greater Toronto Area.

She started her financial career with Princess Margaret Hospital and worked in the hospital sector for 10 years. During that tenure, Anu was part of the amalgamation team for Peel Memorial Hospital, Etobicoke Hospital and Georgetown Hospital, which later became William Osler Health Centre.

In 2001, Anu joined the City of Brampton as Financial Analyst and quickly moved up to a supervisory position in Financial Services.

When asked how diverse the City of Brampton’s labour force was when she first joined it, Anu’s response isn’t too encouraging.

“I was probably one of the first South Asians to be hired in a corporate job at city hall. Usually they hired South Asians in recreational facilities, like frontline staff. I was the first analyst who was hired in corporate leadership,” she says.

Presently, she is the Financial Controller, Rose Theatre Brampton, where she has been instrumental in promoting the South Asian cultural heritage while also creating a global profile and international exposure for the City of Brampton. It is interesting that all her community services initiatives for the South Asian community began after she started working for the Community Services Department in the City of Brampton. She applauds Mr. Jamie Lowery, Commissioner of Community Services in the City of Brampton for his efforts to spearhead South Asian engagement in Brampton cultural scene.

2011 was the “Year of India in Canada”, and Anu liaised with the Consular General of India and subsequently Rose Theatre Brampton became the official supporter of the “Year of India in Canada”.  Anu Srivastava’s timely secondment to the Rose Theatre, City of Brampton, assisted her to bring the literary play “Ismat Apa Ke Naam” performed by Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak, followed by other shows such as Nrityagram Dance Ensemble and Mahim Junction.

The most successful accomplishment of Anu Srivastava for the year has been the international event of IIFA in Brampton where she was the staff lead to program, implement and deliver the world-class IIFA event.

No sooner than the IIFA finished that the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) came! Anu organized the first ever TIFF launch party outside Toronto for the movie Breakaway in Chingacousy Park, Brampton with superstars Akshay Kumar, Russell Peters and the whole star cast.

In 2001, following an earthquake in Gujarat, India, Anu coordinated the medical supplies from Peel Memorial Hospital through a sea container to reach India with a view to helping the earthquake victims. She raised funds in the GTA and facilitated the opening of a physiotherapy centre for relief of the earthquake victims in Kutch, which continues to operate to this day.

Anu started her volunteer career at the Trillium Hospital in 2004. This was her way of appreciating and giving back to the community. The committee which she has been part of has raised millions of dollars for the Trillium Hospital. She continues to be a committee team member and Chair of Silent Auction for the Trillium Diwali Gala Fundraiser. “Om Fracture Clinic” in Trillium Hospital was built through these funds in 2007, while the current fundraising initiative is for the Endoscopy equipment which is much needed in the Hospital.

With still a young family to take care of along with her budding career, Anu further entrenched herself to serve the South Asian community and became an executive member of the community organization, KC Group, in 2005. Here she helped integrate the new immigrants and members of the South Asian community and initiated cultural events such as Diwali and Holi for community members of Indo Canadian origin; giving our children the opportunity to know South Asian culture and be proud of their heritage. She initiated several philanthropic activities for the organization.

Anu is affectionately supported by her husband, Arun Srivastava, a businessman and pioneer in bringing checque processing and digital imaging to Canada’s banking industry. She is a devoted mother to her children Rahul and Richa and is fortunate to have the blessings of her parents who are a source of inner strength and have taught her service above self. Anu Srivastava diligently balances her work and family life, and her quest to serve the South Asian community continues unabated.

Successful professional, wife, mother of two—what more would Anu like to aim for in the days ahead?

“We wanted to come to Canada and prove to everybody that we are not spoilt brats, and we can work hard and be successful and we can make it big. So that’s what I think we wanted to do and I have accomplished it quite a bit..when we came here, nobody knew us, small houses and what not… and I used to wonder when will the people know us like they used to in India?,” says this contented and accomplished young woman.

By Staff Writer

Photos by www.nicevideophoto.com

“I realized that being a reporter is not always the easiest thing to do but being a business reporter reporting for a number of different publications or TV stations is a lot better for me.”

“..We need a change in our society, we need more access to better jobs, we need more people working, period..”

By her own admission, Rubina Ahmed-Haq has her fingers in “all different types of media.” This young and spirited South Asian journalist is a regular contributor on CBC Steven and Chris, writes a weekly column on RateSupermarket.ca, is a much-loved appearance on Roger’s South Asian Focus TV as a financial expert, and is the finance editor at CondoLife Magazine in Toronto. She also boasts a sterling career background in her ten years of journalism. ABC, CBC, and even BBC World Service—she’s been there and done that all. She shares the experience with Generation Next.

Following her education in sociology at York University, Rubina got a PG Diploma in journalism from Humber College to improve her job prospects in the field and joined a station that is now Omni. Her deep interest in international and particularly South Asian politics led her to work for ABC News in Pakistan.

“That experience was great because I met a lot of people working in that part of the world that I would never have access to,” she says.

Following ABC, she returned to Canada and joined back the station she was previously working with, but the longing to work outside Canada still remained. She joined BBC World Service, rubbing shoulders with some of the best journalists in the world.

Rubina curiously explains the different experiences of working in Pakistan and the UK. Whereas her stint in Pakistan had all the demands that are made of journalists associated with any Western media, it came with some issues peculiar to the particular culture.

“Because I am a Pakistani, people sometimes did not take me seriously. I found that really frustrating because working in Canada I never had that problem. When I tried to interview politicians or somebody who was important in a company, they did not take you seriously because there was more of a feeling that a woman shouldn’t be asking these questions,” says Rubina.

In England she faced the opposite scenario. People were eager to help her out as she was a guest in that country.

As exciting as her experience might have been in Pakistan and England, Rubina’s switch to financial journalism was a sweet marriage of luck and circumstances. She had been working for CBC for some years since her return from England when she switched to CP24. And in the very first year of her tenure at the channel there was a huge market crash. As it would happen, the person handling this area for the channel quit abruptly. Rubina seized the opportunity and offered to fill in the role.

“That catapulted me into business and I never turned back,” she says with joy.

She started doing business reporting exclusively and later eased into a freelance role, which she tremendously enjoys. “I realized that being a reporter is not always the easiest thing to do but being a business reporter reporting for a number of different publications or TV stations is a lot better for me,” she says.

Rubina’s love of television has as much to do with the excitement and dynamism of the medium as with her vibrant, outgoing personality. She loves being in front of the camera, connecting to viewers and sharing her personality, which might not come across in print. Moreover, print presents other problems—writer’s block or finding an interesting enough peg to present a story—that TV doesn’t.

She also feels that her ordinary, middle-class background makes her more accessible to and popular with viewers. “I don’t come with a lot of money, had a very normal middle-class upbringing and have a middle-class life right now. I think people like to hear stories from people that are just like them,” she says. The fact that a lot of South Asian women interested in finance and economy can approach her gives her much satisfaction.

Her observation of the Canadian media makes Rubina hopeful for potential South Asian journalists. “There are more South Asians on television than ever before,” she says and feels this is so because of the community’s natural draw towards journalism, telling stories and going into the heart of the matter. The one important advice she has for young aspiring South Asian journalist is for them to find out someone whom they admire, get in touch with them (through email, phone) and seek their advice. She herself receives lots of calls from people asking for guidance and is always willing to offer her advice.

As a young journalist, Rubina is only too aware of the role of social media in disseminating news. “If you’re not connected as a journalist in social media, you are doing yourself a disservice because when something happens around the world, Twitter is the number one place where I go.” She acknowledges the role of newspapers and the traditional television news telecast, but encourages everyone to be on every social channel possible and to actually be actively available on it so others can reach them.

It was perhaps her love of social media that took Rubina to work in the social media department of TD Bank. The short stint that she spent there helped deepen her understanding of the banking sector. However, the corporate world wasn’t the most attractive of fields to be in for her.

“I didn’t like the corporate world. As a journalist you will probably agree, there is a need for me to always speak my mind and be as honest to what I feel about issues.”

Closely linked to her liking of social media is her commitment to blogging. She blogs regularly and uses the blog as her landing page, where people interested in her work can find out more about her, her publications and schedule. She allocates a chunk of time every day to update her blog so that it stays current.

Rubina considers herself a liberal journalist and empathises strongly with the young Occupy Movement protestors across the world. She also feels some of the youth participating in these movements is misrepresented because of a few bad elements.

She says, “The core of what they’re trying to do is what we need. We need a change in our society, we need more access to better jobs, we need more people working, period. I wouldn’t say I’d go down and sit with them to support them, but I absolutely understand their frustration and do feel they have a right to voice their opinion for as long as it takes to bring change for good.”

Regarding the movement’s relevance in Canada, she feels the movement in this country is validated by the growing disparities between the super-rich and the middle class. Besides that, some Canadian banks too participated in the US housing crisis and as such people have the right to demand answers of them, she thinks.

Being in the thick of financial journalism, Rubina feels that the Canadian government is taking some steps to keep the economy on track. She mentions measures like raising the interest rates slightly, revising the mortgage rules that would help ensure that people who can actually afford a home get it. At the same time, she observes, like in any capitalist economy, it’s not the government, but big corporations, that eventually control the prices.

What is her view of the constant war between conservative and liberal media outlets?

She feels it is actually a reflection of how people feel in society. “Depending on how you raise your voice, you are put in the conservative or liberal camps and the same goes for the media,” she says.

Although she considers herself liberal, she isn’t closed to writing for a conservative magazine as she feels there is greater need to share ideas and understand different viewpoints. The gap between the two sides is widening, she thinks, because of growing frustration in the society.

At the same time, she advises readers and viewers to not blindly follow or believe any particular publication or media outlet, but to access as many avenues as they can to arrive at an informed judgment.

The fact that Rubina Ahmed-Haq really enjoys her current profile is proven when one hears about her future plans. She wants to continue writing on business and personal finance.

Her next big goal?

“To publish my book that talks about easy ways for people to save money.”

By Bhaswati Ghosh

“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

Desi Dreams Adds Colour to South Asian Speed-Dating Scene

By Staff Writer

With the universe of young people the world over coalescing into a mesh of virtual spaces, more and more people are finding their love online. This explains the increasing popularity of dating and matrimonial sites. Things are no different for South Asians living in Canada. To help members of different South Asian communities find the person of their dreams, a number of websites and agencies catering particularly to these communities have come up in the GTA. Desi Dreams is one such company, and Generation Next caught up with Nimisha Garg, the company’s founder.

A new entrant on the dating scene, Desi Dreams is already gaining popularity with young daters. “We started as a meet-up group in April 2011 on www.meetup.com and have grown to about 170 members,” Nimisha says. She also informs that the company has so far organized three successful events with the intent of creating awareness among people that “Dating in the virtual world is not as beneficial as coming out and meeting in person.” The reason? It’s much safer to meet people in a larger group than meeting just one person.

Convenient though it may be, the online medium has its own demerits. Behind the cover of anonymity that the virtual world provides, one can always hide crucial information and even present incorrect details. Nimisha debunks the notion of the convenience factor when she says, “It’s a false perception about the internet being a comfortable tool for people who aren’t too good in face-to-face interactions. Professional people have very busy schedules and it’s easier to meet online first. After that, the couple can pursue the relationship in the real world.”

One solution Desi Dreams offers is in the form of unique events which allows people to “get to know each other beyond their constraints. One of our future events is cooking and dating, which is very different than traditional speed dating. Cooking classes create a relaxed atmosphere, allowing people to be involved in some action while they get to talk to each other. I’m trying to create an atmosphere that is as natural as possible.”

When it comes to South Asians, members belonging to the parents’ generation often carry a different set of values than their children. So how do parents react to such speed dating services? According to Nimisha, the reaction is a lot more positive these days. “Some parents are opening up to the idea of dating overall. They themselves have started setting up the profiles of their children on matrimonial sites,” she says.

This young dating agency seems to be hitting a positive chord with its members. “We have got really good reviews from people,” says Nimisha excitedly. On its part, the Desi Dreams doesn’t share any personal information of its clients until there is a match. In the event of a match, only the emails of the two clients are exchanged.

South Asians of all stripes can benefit from this service. That’s because very soon, the company will start organizing events based on community, religion, and divorce. Nimisha mentions that services such as the ones provided by Desi Dreams are used both by singles as well as divorcees.

What words of advice does Nimisha have for South Asians looking for that perfect partner? Her honest observation is that there is no Mr. or Mrs. Perfect. “The idea behind speed dating is to find a true match for you in spite of his or her imperfections.”

Based on the responses of members using Desi Dreams, Nimisha informs that a lot of times people don’t want to make the effort of meeting someone in person and would rather just sit online and look for matches. She also rues the fact that a lot of people “don’t give the other person the benefit of doubt, just because they don’t fulfill the criteria on their list.”

And finally, what is it that distinguishes Desi Dreams from its competitors? To begin with, the prices are reasonable (anywhere between $25-$55, depending on the nature of the event), informs Nimisha. She also adds, “My company is truly innovative, and I am always looking for creative ways to provide unique experiences to the event attendees. My overall objective is not just for people to have a good time, but also to help them open up more and connect with other singles.”

“My objective is to bring people out and think of long, not short term,” she says. And what better than a speed-dating meeting that leads to a long-term relationship with a likeminded person?

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

Uttara Chauhan

“There is an eternal fascination with royalty, not just in India, but worldwide. The recent visit to Canada of Kate and William is a case in point”

Uttara Chauhan

A refreshing collection of short stories, Blue Blood gives us insight into the world of Royal Families of Post-Independence India, where some struggle to hold on to their rich history while some are busy creating a new history by adapting themselves to the ever changing lifestyle of the modern hustle bustle.

The Indian Royals have a very vast history. We have the Hindu Maharajas, Muslim Nawabs and the Portuguese Royal descendants all captured in a different light in this book.  Pre-Indian Independence, the Princely sates were offered  ‘Privy of Purse.’ This was a payment to the Royal families of these Princely states as a part of their agreement to integrate with India in 1947, and in 1949 to merge their Princely states with the states of India, and losing their right to rule their states. In 1971 with the 26th Amendment to the Constitution of India, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi abolished this allowance completely.

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Here are some excerpts from the conversation with Author, Uttara Chauhan:

• Congratulations on your nomination to the Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award. How does it feel to be recognized for your work?

It is a very nice feeling, and the news came as a wonderful surprise.

• · Tell us about yourself. Which part of India did your parents come from, some special moments during the making of your novels that you’d like to share.

My parents are from North India. I arrived in Canada as a baby and grew up in Saskatchewan. My family and I moved back to India when I was a teenager and I spent many years there before relocating back to Canada as an adult. Quite naturally then, I am very interested in both countries; both societies. Currently, India and the Indian diaspora in Canada are of great interest as subjects of my writing. History, social change and identity are other themes that recur in my work.

• · What motivated an Architect or a Planning Consultant to try her hand at writing?

I have always loved to write. However, as I went through high school and university, creative writing got pushed further and further aside, because I was expected to pursue science and take up a profession. I became an architect and an urban planner, and worked as an architectural journalist and a planning consultant, but all the while my love of fiction grew, especially the work of the new crop of Indian writers in the early 90s. Those were the first moments of my writing.

• · Tell us a little about your first book A Model House, what is this novel about? How long did it take you to write it?

“A Model House” follows the journey of Alaknanda (Nanda), a young Indo-American woman in search of her Indian roots. Nanda falls in love with Raghu, an architect who becomes involved in a controversial reconstruction project in an Indian village torn apart by caste violence. She also discovers the diary of Raghu’s deceased brother Shiva, an unsung hero of the student-led Navnirman Movement of 1974. Watching Raghu’s struggle with manipulative NGO leaders and politicians, and reliving the heady moments of Shiva’s idealism through his diary entries, Nanda gains a unique insider-outsider perspective on the politics of change and development in India – and in the process, a better understanding of her own identity.

“A Model House” was written in bits and pieces over ten years.

• · Tell us a little about Blue Blood. How long did it take you to write it? How many days did you spend in India researching your book?

“Blue Blood” is a collection of 8 short stories on the theme of former royalty in India. It describes the personal triumphs and tragedies of former royals as they navigate the space between their past glory and the reality of the present. Through their stories, I explore universal emotions such as love and longing, betrayal and revenge, loss of status, and issues of identity.

Again, work on the book was spread out over several years, during which I was in and out of India. I did not make any special trips to India to do the research, nor did I conduct any formal interviews. My interactions with formal royals were informal, and more by chance, rather than by design. The manuscript was accepted by Penguin India in November 2009 and the book was launched in India in January 2011.

• · What made you write about Indian royalty?

Being trained as an architect, I suppose my fascination began with the erstwhile palaces, many of which have been converted into heritage hotels. I discovered that while there are a lot of books about Indian royalty, most of them are in the non-fiction category (memoirs, biographies, histories, etc.), and most of them focus on the pre-Independence era. Till now, no one had written a short story collection on post-Independence Indian royalty. So in that sense “Blue Blood” is unique.

• · What do Indian royals stand for in the eyes of modern-day Indians?

They mean different things to different people. Some royals continue to be very visible, especially those who have taken up politics and public service. Others have become successful hoteliers, while those from smaller states have slipped into middle-class professions or businesses. And some have slipped into complete oblivion.

There is an eternal fascination with royalty, not just in India, but worldwide. The recent visit to Canada of Kate and William is a case in point.

• · Your 8 short stories have tried to cover every aspect of the Indian royals’ lives, care to elaborate.

My intention in writing these stories was to describe the complete ordinariness of today’s royals, especially the ones from smaller, lesser-known princely states, in their struggle to adjust to modern times. I wanted to let readers inside the private lives of royal families, simply to demonstrate that despite their special history, they share the same human emotions as you and I: love, lust, loneliness, jealousy, betrayal, greed…and questions around identity, be it sexual identity or the royal vs. non-royal identity.

• · Your stories bear some similarities to some real life events such as Manvendra Singh Raghubir Singh, the Gay Prince of India and Raghavendra Rathore the first royal to become a fashion designer. What all scenarios did you explore before developing the 8 stories?

The opening story “The Birthday” is about a young prince who also happens to be a gay fashion designer, but the character takes no cues from either Manvendra or Raghavendra. In fact, I wrote that story in Ottawa and only after I finished did I find out that India has an openly gay prince – who has also been on the Oprah Winfrey show.

• · You seem to cover all your bases from Rajputana royals to an Indian-born descendant of the Portuguese royal family. How many types of royal families did you interview or research?

It was not my goal to cover all regions or communities of royal India. Most of the stories have Hindu Rajputs as characters, while one story focuses on a Muslim family and another on a Catholic Portuguese king. As one reviewer has observed, the stories have a North Indian bias, and that is because I wrote about characters and regions with which I have some familiarity.

• · What’s next in store for your readers?

I’ve finished a draft of my third book — another novel – and am waiting for comments from a reader. This book, set in India, Canada, the U.S, and Hong Kong, explores memory and mid-life issues and the new Indian urban middle class. I’ll be spending the next few months reworking and polishing the draft.

I’ve also started researching my fourth book.

ByDiksha Pal Narayan

Mississauga