Here in Toronto, we’ve been hit by a snow storm, and I think it’s the first time in a very long time that all of Canada will be covered with snow on December 25^th. People just assumed that because we are in Canada, we are walking knee deep in snow everyday. No way! Heck, we don’t know what to do when it snows like this!

The good thing is that we get a long weekend this year, and I am looking forward to that. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday, good food, happy times, and lots of fun.

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Sometimes, people will be sitting with their hat or a cup extended out, asking for change. People walk by and every now and then I hear the occasional “why don’t they just get a job” from people passing by. Well, if it were that easy to get a job, have a nice little place to live that was warm in the winter and cool in the summer, wouldn’t that be great?

But the reality is that we do have poverty in Toronto. Yes, we do. It is also in the GTA and guess what…it’s all over Canada! Shocked? Really now, you didn’t think that just because you might not see poverty smack in front of your face that it didn’t exist?! Well, if you’re one of those people then I guess the lawmakers and corporations have succeeded in convincing people that poverty is not a major issue in Canada. Heck, they would love to have you think it doesn’t even exist! I must say they are darn good at it, because so many people these days have an “I don’t care about anyone except myself” attitude that it is getting easier to make everyone live in their own bubble, oblivious to what is going on around them.

Here begins the project to hiding homelessness. What…? Hiding homelessness? Poverty? What does all of this mean? In a ‘developed country’ we love to think that these problems don’t exist. They do exist. Yes, right here, in our very own city and throughout the rest of our country.

I must have shocked a few of you. This might be a bit difficult for some people to swallow. No, I am not being sarcastic. Seriously. But what was the point of writing this blog post giving a mention to homeless people and poverty?

Well for starters, I didn’t want to shock you with the bare facts right away about the socio-economic conditions of the poor in Canada. That might make your heart sink or put you in denial.

How does this blog post make you feel? What do you think about poverty and the homeless in Canada? How do you feel when you see a person sleeping on the street? Let’s start with that…just think about how it makes you feel. Do you feel bad, good, or indifferent? Why do you feel whatever particular way you do?

I’ll post more on a later date, and slowly start broaching the issues of poverty and homelessness, but for now I just wanted to open up the topic so we can all start thinking about it.

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Take some fresh ginger (about a 3cm cube) and crush it slightly, so that it comes apart a little bit. In about 6 to 7 cups of water add the ginger, a stick of cinnamon, and about 3-4 cardamon pods (ilaichi). Let that concoction boil until the water turns a yukky yellow colour.

There you have it! That is adrak ka pani or ‘ginger water’ which will work wonders for the cough or congestion you have. You can add honey to disguise the taste. It seriously works!

You can add ginger to tea as well, but I find when it is made as a herbal tea (just with the water, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamon) it works much better.

Hope this little desi totka (remedy) works for you. Hopefully you won’t have to use it.

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I always wonder why people are scared of wearing bright and bold colours. Is it the need to conform, or does it reflect an inhibited personality? Well, I’m not sure of the answer. It’s one of those things that always puzzles me.

This flower really attracted me because of its beautiful and bright hue.

If nature brings colour all around us, why are we so scared to wear it? If you can’t wear cheerful colours then eventually you’ll feel downright drab from inside. Live a little and put a little colour on. Ladies, don’t be afraid to wear that bright red top, and gentlemen those neat shades of purple, green, and red look great on!

Nature shows and tells us a lot. We should learn from it. Colour is all around us. Open your eyes…absorb and enjoy the colours. Don’t be afraid to express yourself through colour…it’s just as beautiful and natural as the flower in the picture.

Have a fantastic and happy week!

Cheers!

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Films can have a lot of frightening or inappropriate scenes for young viewing eyes. Movies have a rating for a reason! Common sense might go a long way as well…use it.

Whenever I go to see a Bollywood film at the local desi cinema, it astounds me at the number of young children are at films that are inappropriate for impressionable eyes. On top of that, if the kids are not glued watching the screen, parents seem to think it is okay to give their kids a free reign of the theatre so that they can disturb other people. Kids are tearing down the aisles running back and forth, and creating an additional soundtrack to the movie.

It is not okay to bring kids to the theatre if the movie is not appropriate. If the movie is appropriate then parents should be prepared take care of their children and not let them create havoc in the theatre. But thinking rationally, do parents out there really think it is reasonable to take kids to a 3 hour Bollywood movie?

Here are a few points desi parents should keep in mind:

1. Make sure the movie is suitable for young eyes. If not, hire a baby sitter and go and watch the film yourselves. You cannot take your children to movies that have violence and explicit scenes;
2. If the movie is appropriate then check the length of the film to make sure your kids will be able to sit through it comfortably; and
3. Respect that other people are in the theater to enjoy the movie.

At the end of the day, it is your kids that will suffer if you take them to an inappropriate movie. Young kids are impressionable and if you deliberately expose them to films that are not for their age group, then that is being very irresponsible.

Think about it.

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The duo calls themselves “Dynamic” which is a very befitting name because they are definitely versatile, talented, and full of surprises.

Check out their audition dance – You will LOVE it!!! Goes to show you what two ordinary people with a dream can achieve.

Dynamic went on to win second place in Britain’s Got Talent beating out some very stiff competition.

Enjoy the video

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My observations this past week:

1. More men sleep/take a nap on the subway than women;
2. More women stare at other people than men do;
3. Most people don’t smile, especially if they are listening to their iPod;
4. Men wearing suits always look embarrassed if they are carrying a lunch bag;
5. More women than men attend to personal hygiene while riding the bus/subway. For example, plucking their eyebrows, (as I witnessed today).

These are some of my TTC observations. I am sure you all will have more to add to this list, and I’m sure I cn come up with a lot more.

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It’s Monday and another week has started. Some of you are already at work and on your second cup of coffee, quietly wishing that it was still the weekend.

Others are off from school and enjoying summer holidays and are sleeping in. So you won’t read this post until the afternoon. Or there are people like me who are sitting with a cup of chai and are getting ready to work on their resume.

Well whatever it is that you’re doing, Monday’s are always a bit groggy and not fun, so I thought I’d post a picture I took, for some beginning of the week inspiration. I hope you like it.

Sometimes there is beauty all around us, but we are to busy to notice or appreciate it. Here’s to the simple pleasures of life. Cheers!

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“Khaadi” is really in right now. It’s a cotton material and is coming in a neat stripe pattern. Bright colours are dominant and are worn with confidence. What’s cool is that guys are not shy of wearing the vibrant palettes. No more ‘that is a girl’s colour’. It’s all game.

Also, in fancy suiting, party wear just doesn’t have to be worn with a plain white, cream, or black shalwar. That rage is to match the shalwar with the embroidery in the kameez. So if the embroidery is maroon, then the shalwar is maroon instead of cream. The men’s clothing stores have every colour available.

It’s good to see that men’s fashion in the desi scene is getting more elaborate and things are spicing up. The down side is that us girls have to work a little bit harder to look better…the competition is no longer from females only.

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