SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFTS : an immigrant"s Christmas , Eid and Diwali

SPECIAL CHRISTMAS GIFTS" an immigrant" s Christmas , Eid and Diwali After reading an article in the New York Times I was greatly moved by the love shared by immigrants for their family members back home. It tells the story of immigrants living on Roosevelt Ave in Queens , New York .This area compromises of a large immigrant population :chinese, Koreans,Ukranians, Indians, Pakistanis, Bengalis, Mexicans, Malaysians and immigrants from various African Countries live in this area. It is believed that about 1200 different languages are spoken here .They save money all year round by doing two or three odd jobs everyday then during their respective religious holiday season send gifts back home for family and friends . The post offices and UPS stations are quite busy in late November when these immigrants bring boxes filled with hand me down clothes, toys , coffee boxes, cookie packs, soaps , sweaters and blankets to be shipped to their families for Christmas.These may be ordinary everyday items for an average US citizen but a " luxury gift " for a person living in a small town of Uganda or a millworker in Bangladesh . Some of these immigrants have not visited their families for 10 or 15 years and these gifts and the weekly telephone calls are the only source of connection among them. My 50 year old cleaning lady Olga barely speaks English but enjoys collecting decorative cookie boxes ,old sweaters and gently used toys all year. "I mail everything to my grandchildren in Yugoslavia on dec 1 st every year "she told me. She saved $100 to send a new overcoat for her daughter . I can never forget the smile on her face when she showed me the overcoat " my daughter is 28 years old , she does not have enough money to buy an overcoat", Olga said . How life can be so tough for some families. When I asked the clerk at a post office in Dearborn,MI about local immigrants bringing holiday gifts to be mailed back home . He informed me that the busiest times are during Ramadan when Arab Americans send Eid gifts and Christmas when Chaldeans send gifts to families in various Arab Countries. "They send everything from dried food items like pasta, dried fruits to soaps to electronic items ", informed the clerk. Among these struggling immigrant families the ritual of gift-giving may have a special meaning ........ Tis the season .........

GUMBO : CUISINE TRANSFORMED BY CULTURES AND TRADITIONS

GUMBO : CUISINE TRANSFORMED BY CULTURES AND TRADITIONS Louisiana is world famous for its " seafood gumbo "and claims itself as the as the Gumbo Capital of the world .Gumbo can be termed as an "economical dish" which can feed a large number of people with a small amount of meat or seafood. With this dish, cooks can use up small portions of various ingredients that were not sufficient for an individual meal. Gumbo is sort of a thick seafood and vegetable soup which is rich in spices . It is made of a thick stock and served with rice. It combines the culinary practices of French, Spanish, African slaves, Italians and Germans . In the 18th and 19th centuries, people from these cultures lived together in Louisiana. They all added their special flavors to the " gumbo", it is believed that French settlers and native tribes prepared soups with vegetables like onions , bell peppers and corn.Slave Ships started arriving in early 1700s bringing rice and African slaves who could cultivate rice . They added rice and okra in the gumbo . German settlers added meats while the Spanish settlers were mostly fishermen they introduced fishing of shrimps , oysters and crawfish. They started making the gumbo soup with seafood. A large number of people from Canary Islands move to NewOrleans in that time they spiced up the gumbo with hot peppers and cayenne peppers . Louisiana was purchased by United States in 1803 , after which tomatoes were also added to the "gumbo". Since the 19th century, gumbo has often been served at social gatherings or on other special occasions .In rural Acadiana in southern Louisiana, gumbo is a central feature of Mardi Gras celebrations. On Mardi Gras, local men wander from house to house asking for gumbo ingredients. Members of the local community then gather in a central location while the men cook the gumbo. When it is ready, the group eats and dances until midnight, when Lent begins. Hundreds of restaurants around the French Quarters area in downtown New Orleans serve the finest quality gumbo . It is the official cuisine of the state of Louisiana .

REVIVAL OF THE RICKSHAW gadgets and gizmos used by Movie Stars It's always a treat to look at the cool cars .......the Austin Martins and BMWs of James Bond 007 . His cool gadgets , his shinny cars, his catchphrases ......wow.....how a watch can turn into a parachute or a pen can convert into a sword . The master detective of all times Sherlock Holmes used his magnifying glass.He used a modern toxicology to detect poisons, and he analyzed shoe prints to determine a person's build , height and weight. Hollywood gave us old westerns with cowboys riding on horses and Japanese gave us Samurais fighting bad guys . Then there was Inspector Gadget the guard transformed into a electro cop with few cool gadgets . Well Bollywood gave us " shoo sha , dhishu , dhishu fights of the 80s" the Angry Youngman Amitabh killing 40 " gundas" in 10 minutes . Lolly wood had Maula Jat killing Noori Nat with a " gandasa " ......the macho hero of punjabi films Sultan Rahi killed bad guys by smashing them with his gandasa .I don't understand punjabi very well but enjoy the " cool fights". Bollywood is famous for producing some popular " fighting scenes ". The super powerful heros and few heroines have used all kind of weapons from swords to hammers. They jump from buildings, run on top of fast moving trains . They have used cool cars, high tech motor bikes and sailboats . The latest Bollywood blockbuster Dhoom 3 featured police walas fighting the bad guys on a " rickshaw " . It was fun to watch ACP Jai Dixit smashing the bad guys while sitting in his auto rickshaw . The amazing rickshaw could tear apart brick walls. Dhoom 3 maybe one of the priciest Indian movie ever made with latest roaring BMW bikes, police choppers and Broadway style musical entertainment . Yet the " flying rickshaw " was awesome . It was fun to look at a Desi Rickshaw in an American theatre . Seemed like the "revival of rickshaws " ......what next Police Walas on flying carpets ???

Desi-Paki-Brown Thanksgiving

A VERY DESI - PAKI - BROWN THANKSGIVING Thanksgiving is a day for us the ever expanding Paki Desis or what our children label as " brown people " ...to party . It is not just an event where we sit across the table and be thankful to God. It is somewhat one of our many yearly parties where we dress up in our glitzy " Desi outfits" , talk about politics ( Desi and Amreeki), talk about latest fashion trends , update each other about Desi dramas BUT the menu is not our traditional biryani, Karahi chicken or gajar ka halwa; it is a "turkey " cooked with Desi spices and a spicy masala stuffing . Apple pie or chocolate cake replaces Pumpkin pie as we Desis are not fond of eating Kaddoos ( pumpkin). Well we all are certainly grateful for everything and just another reason to have a dinner party .........

Car Chit Chat

CAR CHIT CHAT ......... The best time of my day is the " pick up " and " drop off" time when I pick up my kids from school and drive back home or when I drop them to school in the morning. I consider myself lucky that I got this oppourtunity that I could spend this time with my children.My car chit chat used to be very funny and crazy when my kids were younger I was the first one who got the latest info about school happenings , report card updates and most important of all was playing referee to their " continuous arguments". It was the best place to revise " spelling words " and " multiplication facts". As my children are getting older I don't get too many answers ; I am the one doing most of the talking . Kids tired after a long day simply answer " maybe " , " guess so", " ok".......on the other hand I keep bombarding them with questions like " how did your test go?", " how was lunch ?"............they are brief with their response yet get mad when I am busy answering phone calls ........"talk to us and not your friends" they say ..........Car Chit Chat time is so precious .......... everyone is sitting within few feets of one another rather relaxing / studying in their rooms at home .........

FIRST DAUGHTER TO MADAM AMBASSADOR

FROM FIRST DAUGHTER TO AMBASSADOR Caroline Kennedy the only surviving child of President John F Kennedy arrived in Japan today as the new US Ambassador . "I just was honoured to present my credentials to his majesty and I'm eager to begin my work as ambassador," she said. Kennedy's appointment, which comes days before the 50th anniversary on November 22nd of her father's assassination in Dallas, has drawn significant media attention in Japan, with several national TV networks providing live coverage of her arrival , people lined up across both sides of the street . Caroline Kennedy is a lawyer by profession and author of two books .She is the first female US ambassador appointed to Japan .

Heidelburg Project

HEIDELBURG PROJECT transforming a city through art and creativity The Heidelburg Project is an open air art gallery set in the heart of the city of Detroit ( eastern side). Tyree Guyton, founded the artistic wonderland almost 27 years back with brightly colored discarded objects to create a two block area full of vibrant colors and unique artistry. This project is a demonstration of creativity and a symbol of hope for a torn and tattered city . One could see brightly painted trash cans to unique door mats and one of a kind street signs along the area.