All Blog Posts (31)

Are You Overweight By South Asian Standards? You May Not Like The Answer!

South Asians may not appear to be as overweight as other ethnic groups. However, they may have inherited a gene that makes their bodies store more fat around their stomach, a condition known as central obesity. This type of body fat is linked to a higher rate of diabetes and heart attacks. The typical body shape of a South Asian who is at a high risk for these conditions involves a large stomach with relatively slender arms and legs. Standard body mass index (BMI) criteria for non-South Asians d… Continue

Added by Ronesh Sinha on January 13, 2010 at 4:00pm — No Comments

Understanding Cholesterol in South Asians

In my experience taking care of and consulting on thousands of South Asians, the most common heart disease risk factor I see is an abnormal cholesterol. The vast majority of South Asians have some form of cholesterol disorder which is a result of genetics and lifestyle. The first step in improving this important risk factor is to know how to interpret your cholesterol results. Do not assume your doctor will do this accurately for you. South Asians have some very unique features to their c… Continue

Added by Ronesh Sinha on January 13, 2010 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Without Story

"Without stories, our universe is merely rocks and clouds and lava and blackness." (From: "Generation A" By Douglas Coupland, Source Newyork Times Books) Continue

Added by Ahsan Butt on January 11, 2010 at 5:50pm — No Comments

8 months.... have past..

Lets see, now 8 months and 2 days have past and I somehow seem to have not moved on even though everything around me has changed and moved on somehow; its as if another person is gone, but the world and everybodys life just goes on.. it makes me wonder, how much value our life really has when we exist, and the second we die, its as if we never really existed, all thats gets left behind is memories, which I feel I will forget with passing time... the last day i cannot forget, but i cant remember… Continue

Added by Gurmanjot Kaur Bhullar on November 14, 2009 at 9:21pm — No Comments

The Indian Diaspora

I’m currently reading ‘Leaving India’ by Minal Hajratwala, interesting facts about The Indian Diaspora… My great great grandfather arrived in Trinidad from India in 1896, and now my brother over 100 years later is living in India. 1900 Estimated size of the Indian Diaspora: 373,609 Countries with more than 10,000 people of Indian origin: 6 1. British Guiana 2. Trinidad and Tobago 3. Mauritius 4. Natal 5. Jamaica 6. Fiji 1945 Estimated size of the Indian Diaspora: 1,157,728 Countries with mor… Continue

Added by Naveda Abdool on September 1, 2009 at 8:46am — No Comments

25th High School Reunion

I won't be able to go to my 25th high school reunion this weekend in Connecticut (my wife and I are due to have our second child any day now)... it seems like it was only yesterday as we tossed up our caps at the end of the graduation ceremony. I remember how in the midst of goodbyes, a few of us laughed that we'd go our separate ways and we'd next see each other again at our 25th reunion, and how we'll likely be married by then with kids, hair graying and many pounds heavier... we were prophets… Continue

Added by Anjul Nigam on August 8, 2009 at 9:39am — 1 Comment

my school life in india

india is a cool place wher everythin happens a place full of culture , tradition, places to go about,hang out with friends in malls just like the way american teenagers do .well i grew up in bangalore my entire life with advancement in technology n many stuff leavin behind all dis i am a stupid to say dat i would be goin to a place called boston for my future studies which sounds so stpid for my friends.they r grest colleges in india the iim's, iit's wher students give der entire yaer of hard wo… Continue

Added by archana k on July 30, 2009 at 1:31am — No Comments

Videos

I have many of hours of archival video footage over 26 years...not all of it in the USA. (The past 14 years in the USA.) I'm wondering if these videos taken back in India would be of any interest to this community that is looking at the Indian diaspora in the USA. Continue

Added by Harriet Vidyasagar on July 22, 2009 at 1:14pm — No Comments

3 months have past...

More than 3 months have past since march 12th, and it feels like I lost my dad yesterday, but then it also feels like its been a while since i last saw him. It's too painful to remember so many things about him because thats just makes me miss him more.. but then sometimes i wonder if i will forget things about him, or the stories that he told me.. because so often my dad would tell me so many different types of stories, with different names and I would always manage to somehow get lost in his s… Continue

Added by Gurmanjot Kaur Bhullar on June 16, 2009 at 11:32pm — 1 Comment

An Exile All His Life

(Remembrances of things past present a bouquet as Father’s Day approaches – Author’s Note) “Fire! Fire! Come out. Hurry. Out of the shop!” A group of young men rushed into the store, belted out the warning and dashed out to alert the other store owners on G.S. Road. We ran out, my father, my brother and I. Panic and confusion ruled the street. We were bumped by people running in all directions. The vision that met me remains etched on my mind: sharp tongues of fire licking the wooden frame of… Continue

Added by Murli Melwani on June 1, 2009 at 4:39pm — No Comments

Mishra's Fusion

My parents would play classical Indian music during every car ride we ever took...ever. Before buckling up, my dad would carefully select from a well-organized box of cassette tapes, each of them neatly labeled with the names of classic Indian artists...."Lata Mangeshkar," "Hemant Kumar," etc. He would rap the steering wheel to the beat of a Bollywood tune, and even bust out a few n… Continue

Added by suneel gupta on May 30, 2009 at 11:41am — No Comments

New York via Beirut, Paris, London - July 1969

In reflecting on the life of my beloved father, Jatinder Nath Kapur, who passed away recently at age seventy-five, I decided to post excerpts of his memoir, which begins with his immigration to America. The decision to leave India was the most momentous of his life. My father had never seen the world outside India until the day he left for good in 1969. Below is his account of his voyage out at the age of thirty-five. My father loved parties, drinking Scotch and having a good time, so it's natur… Continue

Added by Parul Kapur Hinzen on May 10, 2009 at 7:30pm — 1 Comment

Nice meeting You last night Dr. Gupta

Awesome website, it is so much important to preserve all those stories of our parents and even ours for future generations. We are losing our identities and drifting away from our cultures, we need to slow down and take a moment to talk about those stories, ventures experiences and share them. Thank you Dr. sanjay Gupta for setting up a platform for us where we can share our life stories. So friends get on the website and start up loading videos , remember this is not Youtube only serious stuff. Continue

Added by Rubab on May 10, 2009 at 3:47pm — No Comments

Moving to Dallas: Of Tennis and Traumas

The game we played back in Taiwan was closer to baseball than to tennis. We served with the gay abandon of Roger Clements; it was by pure chance that the balls landed in the service box. Our swings would have made Barry Bonds proud; more often than not the balls homed into the fence or the net. Our rallies – when they occurred - were fierce but short. After two hours of doubles we would sit over a beer and try to solve the problems of the world. The time at the bar was as long as the time on th… Continue

Added by Murli Melwani on May 9, 2009 at 8:04am — No Comments

Here's a Popular One!

76Canyugis.doc Here's a popular poem that audiences seem to love-it hits the nail on the head, they tell me! Sheela. Continue

Added by SHEELA S. FREE on May 8, 2009 at 3:16pm — No Comments

MumBai Oh My Mumbai by Sheela S. Free

81My Mumbai Oh My Mumbai.doc Sorry folks-here is my poem Mumbai oh My Mumbai. Continue

Added by SHEELA S. FREE on May 8, 2009 at 3:10pm — No Comments

Of Fractured Clocks, Bones & Windshields by Sheela Sitaram Free

POETRY.pdf Hey folks, check out my recently published collection of poetry Of Fractured Clocks, Bones & Windshields, especially Mumbai Oh My Mumbai written on the night of the tragedy last November. My poetry captures the rich tales of our diaspora in the tradition of the Panchatantra stories but with a street performance twist to it. "Injoy". Continue

Added by SHEELA S. FREE on May 8, 2009 at 3:08pm — No Comments

Leaving India for Good

My father began writing his memoirs at my urging the summer before he turned seventy in 2003. He was, as I said in my earlier post, an engaging raconteur and I hoped he would preserve his stories in his own words without any intervention by me. He wrote four chapters before he strayed from the project, and they are a precise and picturesque portrait of his life in India. At some point he mailed these chapters to me, asking me to serve as his editor. I thought they were vividly written and though… Continue

Added by Parul Kapur Hinzen on May 6, 2009 at 6:30am — 3 Comments

SEEKING TRUTH

I've joined this group because I am seeking truth to information provided to me via TV, History Books, or other people's opinion. I am requesting from those on this site who may have first hand knowledge with regards to the information on this video. Please check out the video on my page, and give me your feedback on whether or not this information holds truth. The video is entitled "Black Indians An American Story. I am very sincere in my search for truth......Will you respond to this blog?… Continue

Added by Tawny on May 5, 2009 at 3:36pm — No Comments

How Did I End up in California?

Born in Kampala, Uganda Parents came to UK when Idi Amin kicked out the Indians Parents lost everything Had a very average middle class up bringing Was the first person in my family to go to University Graduated Became a Chartered Accountant Left the UK 10 years ago and have lived and worked in 7 countries Landed up in Switzerland and worked as European Finance Director for eBay Seconded to USA and now work for Google How is this possible for someone that came from a very under privile… Continue

Added by Dipak Joshi on May 3, 2009 at 5:31pm — No Comments