Author: Lavina Melwani

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!

Intercultural Marriages are Becoming More Common – “I think the combination of two different backgrounds offers a unique insight in life, the hard working immigrant story mixed with the confidence of belonging.   I also think intercultural children are generally better looking!”

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Don’t you just love love stories and happy endings? When I first did the story with chocolatiers on their own sweet romances, it was a popular post. This year I thought I’d go back and see if there were any romantic updates. Yes, there were – including an adorable baby!

Shefalee Patel, our only chocolatier who was single had found true love and Aarti Mahtani Raman who had just got married now has a baby boy!
So here is a Valentine’s Day Treat – true love stories!

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India runs on spice! A billion plus people can’t be wrong – they swear by the tangy, sour-sweet spicy street foods of India. Indeed, there is something homey and comforting about street foods, almost like the hug of a mother. Not surprisingly many of these street treats go back to ancient times and have been a part of Indian tradition and memory.

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Happy peaceful Diwali to all from our over-crowded Hindu universe – Lakshmi for prosperity, Ganesha for wisdom, Krishna for joy and the Sindhi Jhule Lal for getting the boat to shore!

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Our Communities: India’s 75th Independence Day  – and Indian-Americans are celebrating [dropcap] T[/dropcap]hey may be far, far away from India but their hearts are in India – especially on August 15, the historic day that India became a free nation, and the tri-color flag flew over the country.  It is India’s milestone 75th birthday and Indian-Americans are celebrating with music, dance, gatherings and video tributes. The scale of the celebrations is low-key and muted due to the pandemic but the enthusiasm is there. President Biden greeted India and in his remarks noted, “Over the decades, the ties between our people, including…

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New York Stories – The Sound of Silence Lassi with Lavina  – Photo of the Day It’s a day and night difference. During the day, it’s a kid-centric universe in the playground with children sprouting everywhere – delighted screams and squeals, flying sky-high on the swings, sliding down the chutes at break-neck speed. Kids streaming into the park with parents, care-givers and dogs. Kids gathering in the sandpits with sandpail strategies as if they are taking over the world. Kids running, jumping and chasing each other. Kids on scooters, kids cycling madly, kids huddling arm in arm.…

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Her transformation from an “It” Style Girl to a Buddhist nun is so complete that people who knew her earlier do a double-take. She admits, “It was hard at first because your sense of identity is tied to how you look and your look determines your self-worth. As a renunciate you shave your head, use no makeup, perfume or high heels – but the beauty of wisdom that adorns you is far more beautiful than any couture dress.”

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