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i t s fr ee january 2012 social cause business women dont miss interviews buddhism t he other indian religion world s largest stone dome in mumbai sneha shetty beauty health tips bollywood hot gossips couples issue cross culture

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hong kong first lifestyle magazine for south asians index page 7 12 festivals makar sankranti in india places pagoda temple world s largest pillar-less dome in mumbai india sai wan village an easy hike to a nice quite beach in hk 60 16 24 28 32 36 42 48 54 56 60 62 63 64 68 70 72 religion buddhism interviews sheela samtani social worker mother a working professional poonam nanda from nanda travels featured cross culture marriages events to remember diwali celebration at disneyland by gujarati samaj dfc cricket sixes astrology astrology for 3 months bollywood hot or not bollywood hot moms news beauty health top 10 beauty secrets what s going on 10 28 love life how to define happiness in today s world sukh dukh corner with bublee aunty mano ya na mano gems of an idea your lucky jewel stone feng shui for your home and office model of the month sneha shetty style what to wear this winter season recipes daal makhani galouti kebab goan fish curry kids zone cooking riddles poem hinglish photos south asians in hk property residential property prices in hk fun zone crosswords poems hassi ke phuware!

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dear readers we at adesiflava wish you a very happy full of fun frolic and a prosperous brand new 2012 we would take this opportunity to thank all our readers for a wealth of overwhelming and suggestive responses to our first edition of adesi flava in october 2011 this gave us enough of substance to ponder and present a far improved edition this time not that we have reached where we intend to but yes it feels great to take these baby steps with your peerless support and patronage during this time of the year most of us end up setting worthy new year resolutions-be it burning calories reading a new book every week or reaching office ahead of boss but the best thing which one loves is the adrenaline rush to break all our vows to do so isn t it however the only one thing which remains constant is the fact that we all move ahead some with more stimulus than others our special thanks to vineet trikha for being extremely helpful and providing us with his invaluable inputs as a guest editor for this edition this time we announce a small gift for kids by presenting an exclusive section for them titled kids zone go for a small tour with us to sai wan village in hong kong vatsal thakkar shares his tryst to a buddhist temple pagoda `world s tallest pillar less dome and an exclusive center for meditation in `aamchi mumbai do cross-cultural marriages cross their limits or do they assimilate each other s cultures vatsal thakkar delves into the lives of three south asian couples k not-ted in such setups read what poonam nanda in her rendezvous with the team of adesi flava shares about the nanda empire and nanda travels in particular how do south asians maintain their culture especially while away from their homeland most of you must have been a part of deepawali celebrations organized by the gujarat samaj in hong kong sana fong brings you the details cricket mania another form religion in india and the sub-continent brought all the south asians to a common platform at dfc cricket sixes bollywood cannot be far behind check out the `bolly news along with some beauty and health tips sanjay and jhirna jumaani share with us how to remove or avoid various pitfalls in our life and suggest us the remedial `gem for the same check out what s your rashi has in store for you for the next 3 months to digest the bitter truths of life after reading your fortune you can easily flip to hussi ke phuware we have especially roped in for you guys bubblee aunty from india with glut of experience she is one of the most revered people in her small group of coterie she has agreed to listen to the woes of our readers and promised to give the best possible mantras to resolve them once again we would like to thank each one of you for reading our first issue and a special thanks to those who gave us their valuable and helpful insights feel free to connect with us on adesiflava gmail.com we will be happy to include you as a reader writer contributor or a consultant you can also subscribe for the magazine annually adesiflava team hk ing d by e?

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publisher gaurav pardeshi publications head neha pathak editorials vineet trikha guest editor vatsal thakkar guest editor sana tracey fong creative design bhavna aswani contributors sangeeta shanker guest writer monica donegan guest writer pooja jain guest writer umang kataruka accounts ­adesiflava sneha shetty model actress ankur pinky sharma advertising support tammy sam guest writer sarah armstrong cambridge fitness krunali anandpara guest writer special thanks to kuldeep buttar buttar associates c.s.sharma coo ­ state bank of india hong kong vikram nanda director nanda travels herman brar brar group vikas rai ceo fcl group hbz finance executive director zameer alcom exchange harpreet sandhu khoobsurat beauty parlour sanjay thapa ekta travels alex stl logistics deep elite movers decorators pishu shamdasani italian wines unlimited haresh harsha nagarani dattar associates kirin suman primalani cambridge fitness mansi shah egglesscakes kamaljit singh la belleza ahmed hongkong cabs published by adesiflava b-11 roof floor eldex industrial building 21 mau tau wai road hung hom hk enquiries adesiflava@gmail.com printed by bynocks printing company rm l 8/f phase 2 kwun tong ind centre 460-470 kwun tong road kwun tong kln hong kong a big thanks to all our contributors vineet trikha vineet student of english literature flirted with the bpo industry for 10 years as a communication trainer he is an activist on children gender and sexuality and social issues after quitting the bpo s in january 2011 he moved to freelance writing and editing he has written for websites and his articles have also appeared in many indian newspapers vineet is a part of pandies theatre group in new delhi he is currently working on a theatre project on railway platform kids he is based in new delhi india he joins us as the guest editor for this edition disclaimer no part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without permission the publisher contributors their employees and partners are not responsible for the results of any actions errors or omissions taken on the basis of information contained in this publication and expressly disclaim all and any liability for any such action of any person the views expressed in a-desiflava are not necessarily those of the publisher editor or contributors the publisher and editor cannot be held responsible for differences of opinion or statements published in good faith the mention of specific companies or products in articles or advertisements does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by this magazine or its publisher in preference to others of a similar nature which are not mentioned or advertised vatsal thakkar vatsal thakkar is a science graduate and a professional in sales and marketing from gujarat india he is currently working in hong kong and works for the international sales division of the company he is working with he has also worked with an ngo in india and shared his knowledge of astronomy with school children he is an avid reader he has written articles on astronomy as well as general science for the times of india in ahmedabad gujarat he also joins us as a guest editor for this edition.

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sangeeta shanker born and brought up in england uk sangeeta is currently in her final year of studying literature at queen mary university of london a budding writer she enjoys reading be it the literary canons or the less intense pages of cosmopolitan magazine she loves to do globe-trotting and has travelled europe usa and far east wherein she found the different cultures traditions and ideas both inspiring and life changing pooja jain computer engineer by profession has worked in pune and mumbai she is currently a full-time homemaker she loves to write and share her thoughts she regularly contributes to various magazines and newspapers sarah armstrong cambridge weight plan hong kong is run by accredited counsellor sarah armstrong cambridge weight plan helps people lose weight in a safe and convenient way and ­ more importantly ­ to maintain a healthy weight and overall wellbeing by ensuring that they are getting the right nutrition a mother of three sarah has lived in hong kong for over 20 years and successfully lost 60 pounds while following the cambridge meal replacement program combined with guidance sessions inspired by her personal achievements last year she decided to set up cambridge weight plan hong kong in order to help others to achieve their individual goals and regain their zest for life sana tracey fong graduated at polyu sana fong is a freelance writer and a translator she takes a lot of interest in learning various languages and cultures she joined adesiflava as the editorial director sana would like to thank the readers hi lovely readers aapse milkar khushi hui happy reading bhavna aswani bhavna aswani is the chief designer of a-desiflava bhavna graduated from the university of technology sydney uts australia with masters in graphic design ever since she was young she has had a keen sense in design and has developed a strong passion towards it with a confident mindset she has grasped this opportunity to design for a-desiflava with an intention to challenge herself further monica thakur donegan she is a freelance writer based in gurgaon india she writes articles and blogs raj mirchandani leo raj is the founder/ceo of saimax properties one of the first indian retail estate agency with a retail outlet based in tsim sha tsui he is a graduate in commerce and holds an mba degree with a specialization in marketing he shares with us his expertise about the development of property market in hong kong hout permisnsible for the n contained ction of any ublisher edir differences ompanies or d or recomnature which tammy sam born and raised in los angeles tammy s love for food and culture has led her all around the world she is currently based in hong kong where she is working for a large international architectural firm in her spare time tammy keeps a blog to help her document her travels and that s how she was discovered by adesiflava jan 2012 a-desiflava 5

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awarded the best sme partner award by hsbc hang seng and standard chartered bank awarded `caring company by hong kong council of social service www.indiancpa.hk reliable professional services in hong kong and china company formation in hong kong china offshore jurisdictions best choice of companies in stock accounting audit arrangements taxation services in hong kong china handling of commercial papers e.g banking and shipping documents in hong kong hong kong immigration services employment investment and quality migrant trade mark registration in hong kong china market entry solutions call us now 81000 711 first floor mau lam commercial building 16-18 mau lam street jordan kowloon hong kong tel 852 2312 0148 fax 852 2375 6513 email info@buttar.hk

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makara sankranti festivals mithe gud me mil gaya til udi patang aur khil gaye dil jeevan me bani rahe sukh aur shanti mubarak ho aap ko makarsankranti a hearing of this sweet folk song announces the beginning of a colorful joyful and most enjoyable festival of makarsankranti or makarasankranthi in india it marks the transition sankranti of sun into makara rashi capricorn on its celestial path but traditionally it is one of many harvest days in india it is the only traditional hindu festival celebrated on the date according to the gregorian calendar solar calendar instead of hindu calendar saka or vikram samvat ­ lunar positions calendar hindus are inheritors of a culture which integrated spirituality and science with great pageantry all forms are expression of the divine divya each representing and showcasing one or many aspects of the divine qualities this is the core philosophy of the multi-faceted vedic hinduism hindu customs traditions and very way of life is to help the individual coexist with family harmoniously and realize the final goal in every step of the journey of life celebratory events are in synch with the cycle of nature and aimed at developing nurturing healthy relationships with family friends and neighbors hindus celebrate major cosmic changes such as transmigration of the sun from one zodiac to other as sankranti of the twelve sankrantis makara sankranti on january 14th is the most significant the sun passes through the winter solstice from the tropic of cancer to the tropic of capricorn makar it is also known as uttarayana literally meaning journey towards north because the sun starts its northward journey from this day onwards makar sankranti apart from a harvest festival is also regarded as the beginning of auspicious phase in indian culture it is said as `holy phase of transition it marks the end of an inauspicious phase of fifteen days it is believed that any auspicious and sacred ritual can be sanctified from this day onwards climatically this day marks longer and warmer days it marks the termination of winter and beginning of new harvest or spring season the importance of uttarayana described in sacred book `bhagvad gita as agnir jyotir aha ukla a másá uttaráyaam tatra prayátá gacchanti brahma brahma-vido janá [persons knowledgeable of the ultimate truth who pass from this world by agnih the demigod of fire by jyotih the demigod of light the ahah the demigod of daytime by shukla the demigod of the waxing moon and uttarayanam the presiding demigod for the six months of the suns progression between winter jan 2012 a-desiflava 7 ng kong

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festivals solstice and summer solstice they attain the ultimate truth the day is celebrated throughout the country with great fanfare however you may come across different names for the day from north to south east to west even the customs rituals and methods of worships could be different from one culture to another culture across the country lohri or maghi as it is known in punjab and surrounding region signifies the harvesting of the rabi crops harvested fields and front yards are lit-up with flames of bonfires around which people gather to meet friends and relatives and throw sweets puffed rice and popcorn into flames sing folk songs exchange greetings for punjabis this is more than just a festival it is also an example of their love for celebrations children demanding lohri loot in the form of money or eatables like sesame til peanuts jaggery gud sweets like gajak rewaris sing in praise of house owner ­ dabba bharaya leera da ai ghar ameera da hulle nee maiyee hulle do beri patte jhulle and mukai do dana aana lei ke jana are popular lohri songs on which they perform bhangda and giddha dances since makarsankranti is most auspicious day for hindus it is celebrated with great devotion at ganga sagar the point where the holy river ganges meets the bay of bengal and prayagraj millions of people take dip into the holy water and pray sun god surya kite flying is inevitable part of this festival in uttarpradesh bihar people take great pleasure fighting with each others kites in the open sky people of bareli kanpur etc are known for preparing best manja the thread specially cured with glass powder to make it sharp like blade the essential part to win over others flying kites by cutting them the festival is not complete without til sesame seeds peanuts jaggery and sweets made out of it such as tilkut tilwa muska 8 a-desiflava jan 2012 etc people also relish special khichari dal-rice replete with cauliflower peas and potatoes that is why this festival is also known as khichari sankranti or til sankranti in these cultures the makar sankranti is known as poush sankranti in west bengal poush parbon ­ the harvest festival is celebrated during the three day celebration of sankranti traditional bengali sweets are made with rice flour coconut milk and khajurer gur date palm jaggery lord laxmi is worshiped on the day of sankranti during this festival it is also known as magey sankranti in himalayan region near darjeeling it is distinctly associated with the worship of lord shiva people take bath before sunrise and then commence their puja on this day the food mainly consists of sweet potatoes and yams assam has a long tradition of celebrating makar sankranti festival it is known as bhogali bihu or magh bihu in assam young men build a makeshift cottage called bhelaghar meji bonfire in the open place near river with hay of the harvest field there is a community feasting on that night they spend almost whole night singing bihu songs and dancing around meji next morning they burn the main meji after taking bath and throw pithas rice cakes and betel nuts into it they pray to the `god of fire and spend the whole day playing different traditional games oriya people prepare `makar chaula from newly harvested rice banana coconut jaggery sesame ras agola khoi and chhena puddings for naivedya offering to gods and goddesses there are makar-mela observed in many parts of orissa like cuttak puri balasore etc the sankranti or uttarayani day is also known as ghughuti in western himalayan region kumaon the migratory birds start returning to the mountains from this day they celebrates `kale kauva literally meaning ­ black crow festival on this day they prepare necklaces of sweetmeats made out of sweetened flour shaped in the forms of drums pomegranates knives etc and deep fried in ghee children wearing these necklaces early in the morning sing kala kauva song kale kale ghughuti mala khale le kauva bara mai ke de sunu ghara le kauva dhal mai ke de sunu thal to attract crows and other birds offering them portions of these necklaces as a token of welcome of migratory birds maharashtrian people exchange multi-colored halwa and til-gul sesame seeds jaggery laddoos on this day gul-polis are offered for lunch it is a tradition to greet eachothers by words til-gul gya god god bola while exchanging til-gul laddoos it is a special day for maharashtrian women when married women are invited for the `haldikunku celebration gujarati makarasankranti lasts for two days uttarayan and a vasiuttarayan stale uttarayan gujarati people spend both days and nights on roof tops flying kites which is actually kite-fighting they also invite their friends and family

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festivals for roof-top celebrations the sky is full of colorful kites and you may hear often shouting of ­ e kaaypo chhe hay i cut your kite undhiyu made of all green vegetables variety of yams potatoes and eggplants is the main dish for everybody for uttarayan til-ladoo singchiki tal-papdi are also offered as sweets they continue flying kites in the night too they tie paper lanterns fanas with the kite s thread the sky is full of such fanas on uttarayan night makar sakrat ­ as they call it in rajasthani language is one of the major festival in rajasthan this day is celebrated with sweets like till-patti gajak ghevar kheer etc kite flying is also a part of tradition on this day they also invite friends and family members on a special traditional festival meal called sakrat bhoj andhra pradesh celebrates the festival of makar sankranti for four days 1 bhogi 2 pedda panduga makara sankranti day 3 kanuma and 4 mukkanuma the first day i.e bhogi of festival is to get rid of old and derelict things and concentrate on new things people light a bonfire at dawn with logs of wood unused furniture and other such things second day ­pedda panduga­ literally means the big festival when everyone wears new cloths prays to god and make offerings of traditional food to ancestors next day is the day for animal kingdom young girls feed animals especially cows other animals birds and fishes as a symbol of sharing tamil nadu also observes this festival for four days 1st bhogi pandigai 2nd thai pongal 3rd 4th ­ mattu pongal kaanum pongal people throw away and destroy old things on bhogi pandigai by setting them on the fire making end of the old and emergence of new the second day ­ thai pongal or pongal ­ is celebrated by boiling rice with fresh milk and jaggery in new pots early in the morning they allow it to boil out of the vessel and shout ponggalo ponggal which gives pongal its name at the moment when rice boils over and bubbles out of vessel then blow the sangu conch tamilians also prepare savories and sweets such as vadai murukku payasam and visit each other to exchange greetings on the day of mattu pongal cattle are decorated with paint flowers and bells and are allowed to roam free and fed sweet rice and sugar cane jallikattu or taming the bull contest is the main event in many villages of tamil nadu on this day this festival is known as suggi or harvest festival for the farmers of kaveri basin in karnataka young female kids and teenagers wear new clothes to visit their family friends and neighbors they observe the ritual of ellu birodhu on this day with exchanging a sankranti offering on a plate containing ellu white sesame seeds mixed with fried groundnuts finely cut dried coconuts and neatly cut bella jaggery this mixture is called ellu bella the plate will also contain sakkare acchu with a piece of sugar cane and offer it with a saying ellu bella thindu olle maathadi kite flying and rangoli drawing in groups is also a tradition in north karnataka the ritual of kichchu haishodu is common in rural karnataka which is associated with display of cows in open field with decorated costumes kerala also observes makar sankranti as the biggest festival it is known as onam it is celebrated at sabarimala temple where makara jyoti is visible followed by the makara vilakku celebrations the 40 days anushthanam by devotees of lord ayappan ends on this day in sabarimala.

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places peace comes from within do not seek it without one of the greatest teachings of gautam buddha was vipassana sadhana or vipassana meditation this non-sectarian technique re-discovered by buddha 2,600 years ago aims for the total eradication of mental impurities and the resultant highest happiness of complete liberation healing not merely the curing of diseases but the essential healing of human suffering is its purpose the tradition was further revived to the modern world by burmese master ven sayagyi u ba khin however the tradition of vipassana meditation is age old in india and was being practiced by millions of people under guidance of monks since centuries samrat ashoka being the greatest disciple of buddhism helped spreading this spiritual philosophy within his empire and even beyond horizons of his empire he built numerous stupas pegodas vihara monasteries etc for buddhist monks and also inspired many emperors in india and around to do so global vipassana pagoda built in the outskirts of the mumbai is the latest string in this tradition it is not only one of the largest structures built for the spiritual teachings but it is the world s largest pillar-less dome made entirely from stone with a capacity to seat 8,000 meditators in it are also enshrined buddha s genuine relics thus becoming the first such pagoda in india after emperor ashoka s era in a beautiful and natural setting surrounded by sea on three sides and atop a hillock this architectural marvel announces the renewed possibility of learning vipassana meditation once again in the same pure and effective form as buddha taught it 2,600 years ago the pagoda radiates peace and harmony and encourages one and all to learn vipassana to transform oneself into a peaceful powerful and pure person based on the experience of millions around the world it is decorated with burmese facade to show gratitude to the burmese master ven sayagyi u ba khin who inspired vipassana revival in the world only a world that has peaceful individuals can be a peaceful place is the vipassana pagoda s message to the world the global pagoda is an ideal bridge for peace tolerance and harmony across all the communal and regional divides splintering india as well as the entire world today the global pagoda will be a vehicle for the spread of the buddha s true teaching that emphatically opposes any dogma based on sect cast and religion the global vipassana pagoda is a notable monument in mumbai india this monument was inaugurated by pratibha patil the president of india on february 8 2009 it is located in the north of mumbai in an area called gorai and is built on donated land on a peninsula between gorai creek and the arabian sea the global pagoda is built out of gratitude to the buddha his teaching and the community of monks practicing his teaching its traditional burmese design is an expression of gratitude towards the country of myanmar for preserving the practice of vipassana the shape of the pagoda is a copy of the shwedagon pagoda in yangon myanmar it is being built combining ancient indian and modern technology to enable it to last for at least 2000 years the center of the global pagoda contains the world s largest stone dome built without any supporting pillars the height of the building is 96.12 meters which is twice the size of the previously largest hollow stone monument in the world the gol gumbaz dome in bijapur india external diameter of the largest section of the dome is 97.46m and the shorter section is 94.82m internal diameter of the dome is 85.15m the inside of the pagoda is hollow and serves as a very large meditation hall with an area covering more than 6000 m2 65,000 ft2 the massive inner dome can accommodate over 8000 people enabling them to practice the non-sectarian vipassana meditation as taught by mr s n goenka and now being practiced in over 100 countries an inaugural one-day meditation course was held at the pagoda on december 21 2008 with mr s.n goenka in attendance as the teacher sp 10 a-desiflava jan 2012 15 of

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welcome to khoob surat a unique ladies beauty parlour specializing in waxing facials massages and eyebrow threading step through the door and you re transported into an authentic indian beauty parlour in the heart of kowloon hong kong an ideal place for teens and women just relax and rejuvenate yourself we take care of your comfort and provide quick and hygienic services facials bleach massage special promotions waxing hk$200 legs arms and underarms happy hour monday to saturday from 2 to 4pm threading eyebrows hk$15 and upperlip hk$10 15 off discount voucher on all beauty treatments please bring this page or cut-out voucher to avail this discount offer this offer is valid only till the end of november 2011 march 2012 contact us 1st floor shop no 25 mirador mansion tst kowloon hong tel 852 2367 7742 email konginfo@khoobsuratbeautyparlour.com website www.khoobsuratbeautyparlour.com timings 10.30am to 7.30pm sundays closed

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places pagoda complex the purpose value of global pagoda the buddha said that two qualities are rare among humans kataññu`ta that is gratitude and pubbakarita which is initiative to help others without expecting anything in return these two qualities are the true yardstick of measuring progress on the path of dhamma of any person devoted to dhamma gratitude is more important of the two qualities whenever we remember the help given to us by any saintly person and generate gratitude towards him we naturally feel inclined to give selfless service to live up to that ideal thus selfless service is strengthened gratitude and selfless service complement and support each other the global pagoda will be an expression of our gratitude towards the buddha who as the bodhisatva strived for incalculable aeons to fulfill his paramis to reach supreme enlightenment having done so he taught dhamma for the good of many for benefit of many out of compassion for all beings he aim of the pagoda complex is among others to express gratitude to gautama buddha for dispensing for what followers believe is a universal teaching for the eradication of suffering to educate the public about the life and teaching of the buddha and to provide a place for the practice of meditation 10-day vipassana meditation courses are held free of charge at the meditation centre that is part of the global honoring the buddha honoring the buddha following the last instructions of the enlightened one the genuine buddha relics will be enshrined at the centre of a large central hall in the pagoda getting advantage of the powerful vibrations emanating from the relics how to reach to the global pagoda global vipassana pagoda is locat ed at just 1½ hr drive from chhatrapati shivaji international air port of mumbai towards the famous tourist attraction esselworld personal vehicle you can take a western highway up to dahisar while coming from airpot take left turn at the junction where a large shivaji statue is situated look for the esselworld signboard and follow the same until the gates of esselworld ask security guard at the esselworld gates for way to global pagoda public transport from borivali you should reach up to the borivali station by local train network take a west exit on borivali station and catch bus no 294 to gori bus depot you can also take a 3-wheeler taxi from borivali station to gori bus depot take a ferry to esselworld from gori jetty adjacent to bus depot reach up to esselworld global pagoda is at 3 minutes walking distance from here from airport you can take a taxi cab from airport to global pagoda cab drivers are known to the place it costs approx rs 700 up to the global pagoda however you may reach to gori jetty by taxi cab and take a ferry service from there up to esselworld it is 3 minutes walk to global pagoda from esselworld 12 a-desiflava jan 2012

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