So, I was at Bell Square mall y'day with a caucasian friend. She's a new mom, harried like all new parents are, and looves to shop for herself and give me advice on "what not to wear"- like I, of all people, need it, but bcoz I see her having 3.25 hrs of sleep each night ever since her baby arrived 8 months ago, I see her coo-coo-kachoo state of mind, and give into her. I pretend I am "so totally" listening to her (often ludicrous) advice, and generally enjoy her sweet, slightly bossy, but well meaning craziness.

So, on we went from one store to another, Express first, where she picked out a lovely necklace and a blouse for me, and where the sales clerk forget to remove the hard tag on it, making me beep like ^%$R# upon entering every single store after that! Can you imagine what that might do to you mental/emotional strength, your sense of security, your sense of "belonging" in town, being in a racial minority and all that? What saved me from total dissolution was that there were a lot of people entering and exiting the stores with me, so no one knew it was I who was beeping. So, trying to solve the beep mystery, we walked into J. Crew and Martin+Osa, and instantly, this racial divide was on display so evidently, it amazed even me and my pretty hardcore, no BS, Journalistic sensibility.

Every single sales person at both stores would only look at my friend and ask, "Can I help you find anything today?" Like I wasn't even there! This, while "I" was the one wearing their clothes, "looking expensive". My dear pal in her "mommy jeans", baby slung out in the snuggly, was surprised at this too.

I remember getting surprised, (deriding even) when I first moved to America 9 yrs ago, to see light skinned Indian women wearing blue contacts, and dyeing their hair light to fit in with the caucasian crowd. But after yday's experience feeling like I wasn't good enough for these sales people just bcoz my skin is darker than theirs, I can see why people would just want to fit in and not get labelled "Asian or Indian".

Dumb. I can't understand why America- the one country founded by immigrants, that everyone flocks to, the "innovation nation"- can be so primitive and tribal? This isn't Alabama or Texas- it's Bellevue! There are 50,000 Indians in town now, mostly on the Eastside, and this is how we get treated! Bravo! I wonder if diversity councils in town are even doing anything to build communication or are just on a vacation on tax payers' expense.

It just ties in soo well with my earlier post on What's Wrong With America's Heart. Lack of Dignity. That's what's wrong with it.

A stranger walked up to me in the Bellevue downtown park today, and told me that he saw me on CNN recently. That reminded me to share the news with you all. I was on CNN 2 weeks back, talking about my forthcoming series on human migrations and the economies of India and America. The reporter had a tight deadline, and since I am a Journalist, I could totally understand his pain. What added to the mix was my extraordinarily casual appearance when he called my cell. I was out and about, glasses, faded blue jeans, Old Navy pink shirt that I sometimes wear to bed, over a 7 yr old lilac sweater. I slam rushed home, mentally preparing notes on this extensive subject over I-90 traffic which I was to traverse again in 35 mins to go to the studio with the remote linkup since the reporter was on the East coast. My immd task was preparing an outfit that'd look ok on TV (hehe, not an easy task, but not too tough either considering my clotheshorse wardrobe, courtesy hubby's patience), and putting my heels on (seeing me in heels, people, is always such a wonder to behold, I sway, I wobble, but I am a Strong, Modern woman, and I CHUG ON. Kinda like Sandra B. in Miss C).

I also did a story recently on makeup for Indian skin tones in America for the PI, and that story had taken me to all the cool salons of town, where ace make up artists gave my face their best shots! So, armed with all that info, and kicky products, I was all ready to rock it, when my eyes stopped on my brows! Overgrown as hell since my regular non-English speaking brow waxer girl had vanished 3 weeks ago without any info on where I could stalk her at this hour! Man, was I stressed for a sec! Then I put all of my meditative power into making the scene better, and got my tweezers out for a die hard 4 mins of pulling action. Oh how I missed my sister, who I've left in India, to both, laugh with me, and complement me on my agility, strength and resourcefulness, going through my mental notes on the subject in between each pull of a brow hair and the second long gap between OUCH! THAT HURT! and Wow, Glad It's Over!

Somehow I made my way to the studio, walking hard in my heels, and resulting from how my phone hasn't stopped ringing ever since the story aired that evening with calls from all over the country, India and Europe, I'm thinking my brows really didn't distract from the subject at hand. Maybe I should even give classes to women on how to maximize productivity under duress. But first I must find another reliable brow waxer in Bellevue.

Heart disease is the number 1 killer disease in America today. I have been observing, for years now, the way people live in India vs. America and how, apart from diet, spiritual (or lack of) behaviors that affect the heart. I've been teaching free classes on living spiritually for the last 9 yrs in Seattle and here are some of my gleanings on what I see is wrong with America's heart today and how to heal and nourish your heart. Indian and other global ancient spiritual traditions teach us that there are 7 chakras (energy centers) inside each human being and 3 channels (governing our past, present and future) that work the same way in every human body, regardless of age, sex or race, or any other man made classifications.

Because we are hardly ever, "in the moment", we are always swinging between thoughts of the past and the future, building stress on our systems constantly at work, on the road, at school, and playing all that out in our family and personal lives. When these stresses get too much to handle, our physical and mental systems start giving out, manifesting in stress induced ailments like anger, emotional imbalances, lack of focus, and many others including diseases that arise from feeling insecure and fearful.

Fear, as we all know, is a direct assault on the heart chakra, driving your sense of security out, and replacing that with insecurity. Take the example of how when we fight in front of our kids, we replace their sense of security with fear and insecurity, weakening their heart chakra right from the childhood.

Another big thing that makes our heart weak is fear of consequences when we do something wrong. In India, it is believed that violating your "Dharma"- cosmic rules of behavior, straying from the straight and narrow, makes the heart chakra weak. That may include being dishonest financially speaking, being dishonest in relationships, violating your duties as a father, as a brother, as sister, or a mom, or a child. You're taught to always be introspective in Indian culture, so you stay balanced, and not go begging for good karma later in life as many do today around us. It also helps that ancient societies have these rules pretty well established in their way of life, and American culture, still looking for moorings in diet pop, crispy kremes, and "Family Guy" or the "Transformers", has yet to find tangible, sustainable role models in pop culture and otherwise, that will help it anchor its rich, hardworking, love starved brain power.

So, coming back to voluntarily dishonest people: How can such people enjoy a sense of security in their lives, knowing well that their dishonesty has caused a strain on their conscience, diminishing their personal productivity, their fortitude, which then affects their relationships, ruining marriages, and ultimately, harming their kids? In the last that 9 yrs I've lived here, I have been hit on a few times by spouses of my married friends, and you'll be surprised to know that these are "good" Church going people and atheists alike! This violation of their chastity always leaves me speechless! How these people who, on the surface, seem to lead well adjusted lives sitting pretty in their manicured lawns; getting an IIT/Ivy league education for themselves and their tots, vacations abroad every summer, and marrying their partners after dating them for years- are so weak in the moral sense! Have they not learned to have self respect? No respect for their sense of commitment, their own bodies, and their chastity? They are just ruled by their ego while their self esteems are precariously low. How pathetic that even after going to all these top schools, we haven't learned basics of sustainable, nourishing behavior patterns?! And, you guessed it, this straightaway negatively affects their heart chakras.

I know of people in their 30s who cheated on their spouses, got divorced, married their mistresses and now can't leave their homes without their hands and bodies shaking every time they go anywhere, without their blood pressures sky rocketing, without their faces going pale every time their ex-spouses are mentioned. They may continue to justify it as anything, but this is a revolt of their heart chakra, against their own selves, against their own actions. But still, redemption is not only possible for them, it is even critically needed, and readily available! (Contact my class for details).

Another factor that affects the heart chakra, and this may surprise you, is overwork. Both physically and mentally speaking. Also, showing off your body, using it as a way to attract attention, be that in running marathons, running shirtless in a park, or at a party, cleavage popping in your Prada gown, trying to wrangle a partner, are equally harmful to your heart. Reducing the body to a performance circus takes away from its dignity. It reduces you to judge other people as evaluating you critically, and then, guided amply by your ego, you start evaluating them, and then starts of this cycle of judging others and being judged and not forgiving either them or your own self! Then you take it a step further, you brag about your organic shopping but get botox in your face, you get hair extensions, then you get a Hummer, and what you never get, is pure love! That love which doesn't want anything from you, it just wants to heal and nourish you. How many people do you give that kind of love to? Do you give that to yourself? Of course it is so hard to give such love if you have never had that kind of love yourself. (It's hard but not impossible! Contact my class.)

Another wide spread malaise that is pure poison for the heart chakra are the balloons of your ego and superego. The ego doesn't let you forgive other people who have wronged you, while the superego doesn't let you forgive yourself for the mistakes you have made. So, if you don't truly forgive yourself, how is redemption to be had? Pure love has to happen for others and your ownself equally!

America has a very very long road ahead if it wants to evolve spiritually. I expect it to be so, since it's a young country and has lots to learn. I think its fixation with carnal pleasure would be a resounding step in the right direction for its heart chakra to start healing.

So, if your whole body is always "tight", wired like a violin wire, your temper is volcanic, your own kids don't want to be with you, and you blame it all on insecurity, pls wake up and smell the green tea. If you gave love, you'd get love. Pls give some honest thought on how you treat others, how many times you face yourselves, how do you love yourself (not by buying expensive clothes and jewelry for your physical body, but loving it enough so it doesn't harm itself in drugs and a-dharmic behavior), it would solve many many problems in your relationships.

If you'd like to learn to heal from your past, how to become strong, secure and joyful, pls attend my free meditation classes.

Hey all, I am doing a series of stories on human migrations for NPR, KUOW. I am looking to interview people who have come to Seattle from other countries, now are working at Microsoft, REI, Amazon etc etc, and are shaping Seattle and its suburbs of Bellevue and Redmond. People with H1Bs, other visas and Green cards are all equally welcome to share their stories with me.

People from India, esp from smaller cities, are also heartily invited. If you know any such people, I'd very much like an introduction. Thanks for your help in advance.

My deadline is Friday, April 25th.

Priyanka Joshi
quantumjourno@gmail.com

Hello all! Take a look at a community building event, done India style?
I did an event in March in Los Angeles to help bridge the boundaries of racial divides, geographical divides, age and gender barriers. The event was centered around an ancient Indian festival called, "Holi". Holi is a spring festival, started by Shri Krishna, to awaken the kundalini energies of the people of Vraj, and to give them an appreciation of each other, of nature, music, wildlife, singing and dancing. Today, people all over India get together with friends and family to celebrate food, music, nature and color. Flower petals and colored powders are thrown liberally on friends and family in a day long fest.

People eat traditional Indian sweets such as Roshogolla, Gujhiya, Jalebi, Kalakand, Pakoras, (yellow rice in some parts of India to celebrate Spring), and at the end of the day, you can't tell your children from mine, a North Indian (traditionally fair skinned) from a South Indian (traditionally darker complexioned), because everyone is pink, yellow, blue, red, covered in flowers and laughing. This is also the day we "forgive and forget" and celebrate and renew friendships.

My event in LA attracted people from South Africa, Slovenia, Austria, Iran, China, India and of course, home grown Americans. We played Holi all day long, and by the end of the day you couldn't tell from the pictures that there were people from 3 races and 7 countries there. We all looked the same, WE WERE ONE!

Holi is a great way to bring the community together. The investment is just a few dollars for sweets and colors (organic dyes), and this event can be celebrated anywhere in the country to combat racialism and to inject beauty and joy in your day.

I think in my house, Legos are reproducing overnight. I see five new ones where two had been sitting a bit ago, they are in my pillows, in my sink, in the bathroom tub, even in my hair! They are tiny at first, then they go missing and turn up huge next week, like some rebel adolescents on a high calorie diet! But when I see the sheer complexity of my 4 yr old's Lego model battleships, they are totally worth the pain :) .
This morning I saw another one of those Lego beauties he was building and I exclaimed, "Baby, I don't know how you make them, but they are beautiful!" And immediately, he goes, "They're not beautiful mom, they're COOL!" Ya, cool, absolument!

Have you seen this delightful little movie? A British friend was staying with me for the last 3 days, raving about Jane Austen and all, and just for kicks, we went to see this flick yesterday. It was funny, heartwarming, and sweet. Every one shined in their roles, director was Indian. I am now waiting to see this new Tina Fey-Amy Poehler flick on mommyhood that comes out in the summer. Both of those gals are wicked funny. Esp Poehler. She's just outta control!

So sorry to not write for the last month folks, I've been away to California to work on a story. Just got back in town. Got lots of yummy things to share with y'all :). BTW, was everyone on the straight and narrow? Well, what else can we do with our lousy weather. Right? Anyway, I am watching Blade Trinity right now, ya, I know, it's the world class cinema hour on TNT. Welcome to Seattle baby!

I am doing a story on gasoline maybe touching $4/gallon pretty soon, and how it's affecting people's commutes nationwide and you're invited to contribute! Have you had to make adjustments (family wise, and individually) in the last 6 months due to this? Did some of you didn't do the yearly drive to see snow/visit grandparents in your neighboring state? What's on your wish list commuting wise, in your respective cities? What would make your commutes better? What would make your commutes awesome?

Pls email me with your full name, age, and info on what you do for a living, with answers as short or as long as you like, ideally by tomorrow, Sunday night, please. You can also send me your hi resolution digital pictures if you'd like.

quantumjourno@gmail.com

Tks!

Om Puri, one of my favorite all time actors was asked 10 questions by Outlook India recently. I particularly liked his response to success vs humility.

Link to story:

http://www.outlookindia.com/full.asp?fodname=20071029&fname=ATen+Questions&sid=1

So, in keeping with our annual Valentines tradition, this year also hubby and I were on the hunt for a gritty mafia film to watch. Last year we saw, "The Departed" and year before we just re-watched Micheal Mann's "Heat".

So, naturally, Daniel Day Lewis in "There Will Be Blood" was a sure draw, since we'd already seen our other huge favorite, "Eastern Promises" (what a film folks. Stupendous!) The lunacy of Lewis, going from being a decrepit silver miner to a oil magnate, was such a terrible unhappy film, his character soo obnoxious, he'd turned almost loopy in direct proportion to the money coming in...

Sort of made me wonder about those rich, fierce looking people living alone in mansions, friends of my grandfather, coming home to seek political advice from him when I was a little girl... How my older cousins would talk about their eccentricities, scared of their tempers, and I, standing in his vegetable garden among squash blossoms and sugarcanes, would just wonder why would anyone be so crazy after they'd been blessed with such riches...

Anyway, the movie is sure to suck out any cheer out of you for the day. We had to try out exotic meats to get back to reality, and for our Valentines, wild boar it was for me at Zoe, and hubby dearest had spiced grilled Octopus and for his entree, a lamb loin. Their cucumber infused non alcoholic "Clear conscious" was the drink of the evening. We were the only Indian people there, though. Hubby doesn't look very "Indian" with his light eyes and fair skin, so I had to wield the verbally unsaid, but body language suggested race queries, "Ohh, Indian girl. What is she doing here?"

I sure wish Bellevue would get some fun eateries too. I end up going to Z'Tejas all the time! And I do like their food, but how many times can you eat seared tuna, corn bread and the NY strip steak? On the other hand, they are soo used to serving Indian folks, we all feel right at home with their service. Maybe a marriage of the Seattle food and Bellevue service scene? Amen!

I have been going to India Gate in Eastgate, right off I-90, off and on, whenever I craved Indian food but was too strapped for time to cook myself. It sure helped that the owners are as Punjabi as they come, and I feel I should accede to their request and put their info on this blog now.

So folks, as long as I specified "authentic Punjabi style", they'd dish up this homestyle kinda food. But man, has their food flown a few notches up or what?! We went there after a long time last month, and their malai koftas were better than I've had anywhere else in town. Even my gourmet, meat lover, closet chef hubby had not one bad thing to say about his Tandoori platter. But then he never was the criticizing type. Our son really liked the Kashmiri naans, fragrant, filled with raisins and nuts. I also liked their saag paneer. The order took some time to arrive and Inder, the manager, told us it is because they make everything fresh, and not just "assemble" curries.

So, if you're in the mood for some good Indian food, I'd suggest heading over to India Gate. And make sure you tell them you want the authentic Punjabi food, not the drowning-in-cream entrees most Indian places dish out.

Bon Appetito!

We all know how much India has changed thanks to foreign investments pouring in, profit hungry corporates laying off people in America to hire Indians at a fraction of the cost. But what about the American worker? How many have been laid off and what are they doing now?

I am Indian-American, and obviously, I am not against empowering economies of developing countries, but not at the cost of another country. I'm wondering what is the "right", balanced, "dharmic" way of creating wealth, distributing it equally, empowering countries and the people, being sustainable, being ethical, dignified, and yet making a profit? Any economists/historians/philosophers/businesspeople/dreamers who read my blog?

Global world, global questions, global answers. Do you have them? Share with us!

Ya, I was at Key Arena on Friday, 10.30 am, freezing rain, wind in my face, standing in line to see Barak Obama. I didn't exercise my press credentials because I wasn't covering the Obamamania. So there I stood with the wind blowing my hair everywhere, watching the little girls pulled out of class by their parents, some even bringing their babies, people of all races together talking freely about Obamamania...

Hillary polarizes people, while Obama brings them together, even motivating me- all Indian young people have this apathy, anger, if not hatred, for the politicians- to come see him in person. I prefer him over Hillary but I am not thrilled with him, yet. I remember hearing on the radio last year that Hillary once made upwards of a $100,000 after getting an insider trading tip. Totally unethical and she's not even apologized for it! I also think that years spent with a philandering husband, and buying the silence of his "other women" has got to leave any sane person quite deeply damaged. To be honest, I think the Clintons are a package of spin, and their powerful friends keep them fed on this "But, YOU are fabulous, who else but YOU to lead us?" lobster fiesta. Hillary is too "packaged" for me.

Last summer, in a chat with a San Fran Obama groupie, I'd shared that as journalists, our job was to report the facts completely, and truly. It's not for us to take sides and skew public opinion based on assumptions. I told her that it was my opinion, that Americans wanted change, over "experience" and a rehash of the same old political games.

Lo and behold, in no time, this is what the first voter results started saying too, and it took no time for the candidates to start saying they were the ones with "real change" on their minds.

But, what ARE those new ideas? Where are they? Are they too afraid to be shot down? Are these candidates' offices full of spin doctors, and poll pundits? Why do they not employ think tanks to come up with solutions to global problems? What is their answer to Outsourcing? To the war? To Pakistan? To education? We're hearing, "Ya, we've gonna do great things", but have no idea what they may be?!? How can they convince a whole country to vote them into power without concretely sharing their ideas? Isn't that absurd?

The following comes from a Catholic elementary school test kids were asked questions about the Old and New Testaments. The following statements about the Bible were written by children. They have not been retouched or corrected. Incorrect spelling has been left in.

1. In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis. God got tired of creating the world so he took the Sabbath off.

2. Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. Noah's wife was Joan of Ark. Noah built and ark and the animals came on in pears.

3. Lots wife was a pillar of salt during the day, but a ball of fire during the night.

4. The Jews were a proud people and throughout history they had trouble with
unsympathetic genitals.

5. Sampson was a strongman who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah.

6. Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the apostles.

7. Moses led the Jews to the Red Sea where they made unleavened bread, which is bread without any ingredients

8. The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards, Moses went up to Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Commandments.

9. The first commandments was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.

10. The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.

11. Moses died before he ever reached Canada then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.

12. The greatest miricle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him.

13. David was a Hebrew king who was skilled at playing the liar. He fought the Finkelsteins, a race of people who lived in biblical times.

14. Solomon, one of Davids sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.

15. When Mary heard she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the magna Carta.

16. When the three wise guys from the east side arrived they found Jesus in the manager.

17. Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.

18. St. John the blacksmith dumped water on his head.

19. Jesus enunciated the golden rule, which says to do unto others before they do one to you. He also explained a man doth not live by sweat alone.

20. It was a miricle when Jesus rose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance.

21. The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.

22. The epistels were the wives of the apostles.

23. One of the oppossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan.

24 St. Paul cavorted to Christianity, he preached holy acrimony which is another name for marriage.

25. Christians have only one spouse. This is called monotony.