Lavina Melwani is a New York-based journalist who writes for several international publications. Twitter@lavinamelwani & @lassiwithlavina Sign up for the free newsletter to get your dose of Lassi!
“As many of you will come to know in the weeks and months ahead, the door to my office has a sign for all to see every time they walk through my doorway. The sign says, ‘Can’t Is Not an Option.’
These are the words of Nikki Haley, nee Nimrata Randhawa, the feisty new Governor of South Carolina, the Indian-American daughter of Punjabi immigrants. Haley, 38, has gone from being an obscure Southern legislator to a nationally known rising star on the Republican circuit.
Two dads and a daughter make for a very special love story
Foodie Paradise – Indian corn on the cob – take a bite!
Poona Diary – Republic Day in the Homeland – a song of saffron, green and white!
The three hour journey from Abu Dhabi to Delhi is made more satisfying with wine, nuts and food for someone slogging at blogging.
Over 300,000 Indian seniors long for their cultural roots in their sunset years.
Will they find them in a changing America?
a visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a must – it is a testament to faith and reverence for the Almighty, and tolerance for all humanity. This majestic building set on Abu Dhabi Island has 82 domes of various sizes and the largest is located in the centre of the main prayer hall.
On New Year’s Eve I am in Dubai, doing something I’ve never done before – hot air ballooning!
May we all soar this year with our families, our hopes and aspirations! Read about my discovery of sunrise and the adventures of take-off and landing -sideways
Safe flights and happy 2023, full of hope and possibilities.
Dubai Diary: A Ringside Seat to the Burj Khalifa Merry Christmas from glittering Dubai where I’m with the family. A memorable first day having a ringside seat to the fabulous light and music show of the Burj Khalifa from our hotel.
It’s a short ride but you get glimpses of city side streets and the beautiful East River as the cable car descends to the other side, and commuters with babies and bicycles and families click photos. At night the view is dramatic, like a foreign country. and the city goes from prosaic to glamorous.
Asia Week New York 2023 Predicts a Colorful Spring The Flowering of Asian Art in New York Photos: Lavina Melwani [dropcap]W[/dropcap]ith winter, snow and blizzards in the forecast for New York in the coming months, it is happy news to know that you can look forward to the warmth and beauty of art and schedule it on your calendar with the celebration of Asia Week New York 2023. There will be wonderful art from all parts of Asia, and this is a spring ritual since 14 years, with art lovers congregating in New York for an endless feast…
Christmas in Pune is special, says caricaturist Vikram Nandwani, because in his neighborhood people from all faiths join in on the celebrations, giving it a very local twist. “All Parsi Biryani joints go full house on Christmas Eve, People make Karanjis – a favorite Maharashtrian sweet made during Diwali – at home, and everyone – I mean everyone – comes out to the main markets in the evening to see the lights. The festivities end with kids being dragged into midnight mass.”
Work from home or go to the workplace? Questions, questions for everybody as this year winds down and a new one begins! Meanwhile have a very merry holiday season and hope Santa’s elves are working over-time to bring you whatever your heart desires! Maybe Santa can take an Uber if the reindeer revolt and insist on working from home.😉
Every day at lunch break at the Convent of Jesus and Mary School in Delhi, India, hordes of ink-stained white-uniformed schoolgirls would surround me, salivating for a taste of my mom’s Sindhi home-made lunch: Green Mango Pickle Sandwiches!
Benjamin, the noted Indian-Jewish artist, left Bombay, now Mumbai, decades ago for America but the colors and ethos of India have become embedded into her art and her American life. Her unique works which are populated with blue figures reminiscent of the color of Krishna, the sky and water have been embraced by art collectors in America, Israel and India.
While Christmas is important to Indian Christians as a celebration of faith, many non-Christians enjoy it as a secular holiday in ways small and big. Indeed, Christmas is such a huge, high voltage commercialized event in America that few can escape its allure, be they Christians or not.
What can be better than going home for Christmas, especially if home happens to be warm and sunny Goa? Chris and Beverly D’Souza with their young son Luke visited Goa, their hometown, far away from the cold of New York. This story is a Christmas tradition on Lassi with Lavina!
How about Bombay Masala Puffs for your guests during the holiday season? Easy to put together with ingredients you probably have in your pantry.
For those who love design in the home and the world, the good news is that consumer trade shows and fairs which showcase the latest trends in interiors, furnishings and artifacts, are back with a bang.
Imagine blindfolding yourself and trying to do your daily chores in a dark world. Now imagine blindfolding yourself and managing to get a perfect SAT score, going on to Harvard and Stanford to get an MA, JD and a Ph D, becoming a lawyer in a topnotch law firm, a business professor in an Ivy League school, traveling all over the world, becoming an accomplished researcher and writing a critically acclaimed book.
All while blindfolded.
Impossible, you say? Well, between the two of them, Sheena and Jasmin Sethi have accomplished all this in spite of their blindness. Both of the sisters suffer from Retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease, but have not let that stop them from creating vibrant, successful lives and conquering the sighted world.