Events:

1000 Lights For Peace-Oct. 1, 2006
Houston paid homage to the life of Mahatma Gandhi with a candle light vigil in the heart of
Downtown Houston. Thousands showed, including dignitaries such as Mayor Bill White and
Sheila Jackson Lee.  It was a true testament to the life and message that he conveyed.
"In the midst of darkness, light persists"---Gandhi




AADA- Masquerade Ball
S2Productions Mission DVD
This event is AADA's annual fundraiser to support Asian women in the community that are victims
of domestic violence.  We were there for the presentation of a DVD that S2Productions put
together outlining the organizations mission and its services.


International Festival in Houston, TX  April 2006
Even though this year's festival was focused on Jamaica, the Indian vibe continued from last year.  
An Indian cultural zone consisted of food, dances, fashion shows, and local organizations
representing the Indian community.


Daya "Hope Through Harmony"--February 25th, 2006
Celebrating Daya's 10 year anniversary, the organization hosted their annual fund raiser featuring
music by Penn Masala.  It was a packed house, as people enjoyed the evening and helped to raise funds and awareness for the cause.

Daya was created in 1996 to serve South Asian families in crisis.  The mission is to increase
awareness through education and outreach, as well as serve as a hub for women seeking help
through their helpline. They serve women that have been victims of domestic violence, sexual
assault, and other issues.  South Asian women feel more comfortable dealing with Daya, as there
are many cultural and language barriers involved. One of the most important goals of the
organization is to establish a shelter for those in emergency crisis situations and to make others
aware through programs and seminars.

Support of Daya will continue to make a difference in the lives of South Asian women affected and
their families. www.dayahouston.org


International Festival of Houston-April 2005
In the 32 years that Houston has hosted Ifest, this was the premier year for India to be spotlighted.
The event was one of the top ten in attendance and featured food, traditional artifacts, fashions, as
well as Bollywood dances and fashion shows

We were there to get feedback from the crowd and business owners, as well as soak up a little
India in the heart of Downtown Houston.



The Dalai Lama visits the University of Texas, Austin-September 2005
His holiness, The Dalai Lama,  visited UT Austin on September 20, 2005.   The spiritual leader of
Tibetan Buddhism spoke on "The Meaning of Compassion in Everyday Life" and on "Tolerance
and Universal Responsibility."  His visit was very much welcomed during these troubled times.


"Race for Cure"

The Susan G. Komen "Race for Cure" took place on Saturday, October 4th at Sam Houston Park Downtown. The event is held every year to bring together thousands affected by cancer. There are those that are survivors or those of us that have loved ones dealing with cancer. 

The race is also to continue to build awareness through continued research and grants. We try to make it every year.  Was a great turnout.Come and join the fun next year for an amazing cause and feel great!See ya there. Get ready, set...go..

www.Komen-Houston.org

IHOP Pancake Day 

 Shriners Hospital for Children and IHOP are planning an exciting event to celebrate National Pancake Day, Tuesday February 24th at  7:00a.m - 10 p.m at surrounding IHOP establishments.  Patrons will receive a free shortstack, in turn donating to the children's  hospital. IHOP and its patrons have raised thousands of dollars to help Shriners. They are the premier sponsor of this event.

 Eric Winston from the Texans will be on hand as the celebrity "pancake flipper" from 11:00 a.m -1:00 p.m at the IHOP off of I-59 and Kirby, 2515 SW Freeway in Houston Texas. 

 Proceeds of this event will be donated to Shriners Hospital for Children. This will help to continue to provide state of the art specialty pediatric care to children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate. The children receive care at no cost to them and their families, regardless of financial need.

 We are counting on your support for this important and fun event for Shriners. We truly appreciate your support of Shriners, where we are helping children defy the odds. So, come on out to support a great cause and enjoy a  shortstack at the same time. What a fun and easy way to do your part!

Cinco De Mayo at Shriners Hospital for Children

  The kids at Shriners Hospitals for Children got a rare treat for Cinco De Mayo, May 5th at Shriners Houston hospital. Lead singer of Santana, Andy Vargas stopped by the hospital to sing for the patients, parents and the staff.  A great time was had by all and it was such a nice release for the kids who were occassionally seen dancing, not to mention the staff as well. Channel 11 and the Houston Chronicle came out to cover the event. Here's a link to the clip:

http://www.khou.com/video/raw-index.html?nvid=358531&shu=1

Outstanding UHV Student: Article

So, I was recently contacted by a freelance writer at my university that said that she was interested in knowing more about my background and career.  Turns out, she wanted to write a feature article about me, my job and experiences.  Here's the link, check it out under UHV Outstanding  Student: http://www.uhv.edu/car/newswire/release.asp?id=664

News:Our World Today 

 Racial Profiling: No Rose Colored Glasses

Actor Shah Rukh Khan, was detained and questioned at a New Jersey airport on August 15th, 2009. Even though the public is assuming that the publicity comes upon the heels of the actor's movie which deals with racial profiling, this is still a prevalent issue in our society today. Racial profiling is alive and well in this day and age, particularly affecting us as South Asians. Question is, what do we do to address these issues and help to prevent discrimination in our community?

Slumdog Sweeps the Oscars!

  The movie Slumdog Millionaire racked up the Oscars at the awards show held on Sunday, February 23rd in Los Angeles. The movie won eight awards, including best adapted screenplay, best director, best cinematography best score and song by A.R Rahman.  Everyone in the community is so proud and the local reaction has been great!

Gupta Declining Surgeon General

 Barack Obama had nominated Cnn's Sanjay Gupta to be surgeon general. He was seriously considering taking the offer,but declined much to everyone's chagrin.He reportedly makes anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 in special appearances alone and that is not counting his stint as neurosurgeon at Emory University. He reports with CNN  as their chief medical correspondant, while also being known as the "sexiest man alive," with People magazine. 

 Obama -Rama

Congrats to our new President-Elect, Barack Obama! We look forward to a vibrant, fresh approach in dealing with matters at home and overseas in this historic, changing move to the oval office. 

Terror in Mumbai

Terror unfolded in India as armed gunmen held hotel guests and staff hostage in Mumbai. The guests were staying or dining at the Taj Hotel, Hotel Oberoi. There are at least 119 dead and the numbers will be escalating. Also, A Jewish center was bombed.

The Gunmen were adamant about wanting to know which guests held US/UK passports.President Singh said that the Indian government, "will find who is responsible and condemn them for the attacks."  The attacks are definitely making for some interesting discussions and thoughts of all South Asians in the US and around the globe.

Eye of Ike

We witnessed the eye of Hurricane Ike firsthand as he hovered above the texas coast in Galveston and Houston. People loaded up on supplies like food, water, filled up their gas tanks and sheltered in place when in low-lying areas. It was a terrifying experience as we heard the howling of the wind and shaking of the windows. I thought to myself, "this is it, we're in serious trouble." We were lucky, but everyone's assessment is different. Galveston is hit hard, not since a century ago.  FEMA supplies have not yet been able to reach victims of the storm and Mayor White is not happy with the level of FEMA's assistance to the victims. We had always been lucky and dodged the bullet so many times before. Weird thing is, hurricane season is far from over... 
 

 Massive Earthquake Strikes China

A magnitude of 7.8, a powerful earthquake struck China on monday affecting all of Southeast Asia with the tremor affecting Vietnam and Thailand. Nearly 9,000 have been killed and these numbers are expected to increase. The quake struck close to the Sichuan Province and capital of Chengdu, killing thousands of people and students and flattening schools along the way.  Many  people are buried below the rubble of the many collapsed buildings. President Bush offered his condolences to the chinese government and said that the US stands "ready to help." 

Please log on to the Red cross/Unicef sites listed below to see how you can continue to help.

Myanmar Cyclone Emergency

Cyclone Nargis created havoc as mother nature slammed into Myanmar over the weekend. Thousands were killed, the death toll may hit approximately 100,000, according to the top U.S Diplomat. UN says that these numbers will continue to rise significantly. Approximately 10,000 people are homeless. "The situation is increasingly horrendous and there is a shortage of food and water in the region", said Shari Villarosa, head of US Embassy.  Immediate needs include water purification tablets, plastic sheeting sets, emergency health kits and food.  Unicef's Myanmar office has already delivered essential suppplies including first aid kits and oral dehydration salts to Laputta township, the hardest hit. Teams are now being deployed to Yangon and Irrawaddy. Foreign aid flights and Unicef workers are still not being let in by the Myanmar Junta, as they are forbidding any entry which would consist of delivery and managing operations. However, at this time they are allowing in one single US Military cargo airplane with supplies for victims, according to the Bush administration.  There are great concerns that supplies, food and water will not reach the people that are suffering. Supplies and help are greatly needed. Children are always the most vulnerable in these times of disaster and susceptible to disease. Please log on today to see what you can continue to do to help the children and people of Myanmar.

unicefusa.org

www.redcross.org

AIDS crisis in India
Epidemic reaching epic proportions in India.  Estimated that between 20 to 25 million people will be infected with HIV by 2010, one in six people. The key to prevention lies in education. Get involved...this effects all of us!   
www.gerefoundation.org
www.healingthedivide.org  
www.pedaids.org

Discussion/Topics: Travels

We returned this summer from London and Europe where we visited family and took in the sights. It was an amazing reunion of family and fun. Then off we(my sis Rakhee and I) went to Paris with a couple of friends. There was only one incident that I had with a very rude waiter. I think he got the picture that I was not taking his attitude, along with his lousy service and I guess I hit my boiling point. My sister was a little surprised by my reaction. Why should we entertain the idea of paying for less than decent service? As consumers and customers in this economy, we want to feel that we are making good, economical choices for travel and life.  So, are the French all rude? That is the generalization, however we had a great time and made some great friends along the way. So, not all are rude and inconsiderate and I refused to let one Parisian ruin Paris for me. Would I return to Paris? The Eiffel Tower and city are so breathtaking in person. So, the answer would definitely be Oui. Next year, Tuscany, Italy awaits. Ciao..

Randy Pausch:

 We lost the brilliant and inspiring professor, Randy Pausch to pancreatic cancer. He tried to live his life to the fullest. His "Last Lectures" have become famous as he often spoke at Carnegie Mellon on his outlook on life and the legacy that he would leave behind for his wife and children. His book, "The Last Lecture" is one of my favorites and he was truly an inspiration to his students and everyone that he touched through his courage, diagnosis and life story. Here is my favorite quote by him: "It's not about how to achieve your dreams. It's about how to lead your life. If you lead your life the right way, the karma will take care of itself"-Randy Pausch

 Child Advocacy

 I have been involved with Child Advocacy for more than four years, working with abused and neglected children and their rights. It has always been a rewarding, yet heartbreaking experience for me and I wouldn't trade it for anything. It will always be close to my heart and it truly inspired me. For more info on how you can make a difference in the life of a child, please log on to  www.Childadvocates.org

Here at S2, we look forward to continuing our role in raising global awareness within the community, world and media.  Make sure to stay tuned for more to come!