Biba Singh combines two worlds – medicine and music. Yes, this Punjabi pop singer is also a doctor! The daughter of a physician, Biba, who lives in New York, has been singing since the age of 7, and first started out singing shabad in the gurudwara. She has two albums of popular music and is hugely popular. Here she talks to Monica Marwah for the Single Desi blog on pop music, careers, and the single life.
Guest Blog
Author: Monica Marwah
Monica Marwah
is a school psychologist who works in the Philadelphia area. For fun she enjoys dancing, Pilates, yoga, reading and traveling.
“We all remember what it was like to be in our teenage years and 20’s, right? The thrill and excitement of trying everything for the first time; the hormones, the rage, the experience; we all remember our first crushes and our first loves, right?
How difficult was it to hold everything together as a young person, school, work, friends, boyfriend, family obligations, and culture. The overreaction when something didn’t go our way; the amount of push into something that was not working out; the lack of understanding when things weren’t working. You remember, right?”
It is that time of year again: Christmas and New Year are around the corner. Everyone is busy with decorations, trees, hot chocolate, wreaths, presents, New Year’s Eve parties, Toys for Tots, and other holiday must-dos. The holiday season brings so much warmth and laughter. Gifts are so much fun to give and get. Here are The Desi Single’s top five gift ideas for making it a huggable, memorable holiday season. Guest Blog – The Single Desi. Photo by Carbonated.
“Those of you who know me know that I cherish my freedom and value my independence. While writing this blog, I hope to give people encouragement and gratitude that they are single and letting life unravel and find out what is yet to come.
The holidays can be dreaded by some women, but it can also be a time where you can cherish yourself and here is why.” Guest Blog – The Single Desi
“Anyone that knows the desi culture knows that it is primarily male dominated…men control the household, make the decisions, and decide on the direction of the family. Does that formula still apply to a woman in her mid-thirties, who has exited her past and created a whole new personality to gel with her environment?
A woman who has lived independently for a few decades and experienced life in the way she sees fit. She has gone to the bars and clubs, enjoyed the music, watched the latest movies, experienced different fashion statements, and met a variety of people. All in all, she has self healed her wounds, picked herself up and moved on repeatedly.”
Guest Blog – The Single Desi (Photo: alvarotapia hidalgo)
“I have to say that I was very blessed as a child as I grew up in a family that was blessed with great cooks! My dad is amazing at making meat based dishes, my mother – I think she should be called the Vegetable Whisperer – has a delightful way with vegetables and pretty much my entire extended family either cooks well or knows where to take you for a great meal!
My fondest memory as a child is sitting in the kitchen with my dad and watching him cook his legendary butter chicken. Not only did I know the dish would turn out amazing (it always did) but it was a time for us to connect and talk about his world travels. I adored listening to his stories and was thrilled whenever he would make this dish as it meant he would be in a mood (and have time) to talk!”
Monica Bhide chats with the Single Desi on Food, Family – and recipes for the perfect date!
The Single Desi on the hot new TV shows including ‘The Mindy Project’ starring Mindy Kaling:
“Although she accomplished her career goals (she is a physician on the show), her romantic goals were way off the traditional time line. She struggled with issues that all smart, goal-oriented desis struggle with.
The one thing I love about Kaling is that she is not afraid to be herself. She is not residing in America and mentally living in India and trying to be traditional in a nontraditional world.”
Guest Blog: The Single Desi
“Judgey Indians and judgey people make my blood boil. And judgey people are everywhere. But I find comfort in the fact that I live in a city where anything goes. Black. White. Purple. (And I’m just talking about hair color.) All ethnicities. All types.
If you want to get married 8 times or 2 times, you can. If you are 60 and want to date someone who is 20, you can. I love that I can have a conversation with someone about the merits of drinking a 2007 cabernet sauvignon or something banal such as the overload of traffic once the stadium goes up in Brooklyn.”
Joya Dass talks to Monica Marwah on ‘The Single Desi’ – Guest Blog
“With the impending divorce of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, I began to think a lot about Scientology. Sources say that Scientology has played a part in their unhappily ever after.
It is reported that Katie wants primary residential custody and primary legal custody of Suri (the couple’s six year old daughter) due to differing parenting styles. Katie is a Catholic girl and would like Suri to be raised Catholic; and Tom is a devout Scientologist and wants Suri to become a Scientologist like his other two children.
I have studied Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Kabbalah and Scientology. I think religion and culture gives us something to depend on and think about. It gives us our belief system and lets us believe that we operate as part of a system.” Guest Blog – The Single Desi. Photo – Harpreet Thinking
Marriage…till death do us part? Really? Hmm…in a new study, a high number of 20 something’s are tying the knot with the wrong man. Mistake? Illusion? Why are so many young women between the ages of 20 and 25 headed for unhappily wedded bliss? 40 percent of young brides between the ages of 20 to 25, as opposed to 27 percent of older brides.
It seems as if more and more of smart, beautiful and talented women seem to be driven to find a man and marry him. Mainly because they just want to have it all. Unfortunately, their desire to have it all backfires. Guest Blog: The Single Desi. (Photo: NYHenna)
“Do you take responsibility for the emotional pain that others have inflicted on you? Do you feel excessively bad? Do you blame yourself for not being good enough to please this person? Do you walk away? Do you not care?
Some of us take life very seriously; some of us don’t take life seriously enough. Some of us are in between. No matter what category you fall into, you can be damaged by other people’s emotional outbursts or nasty actions. As a psychologist, I cannot stress enough the importance of moving on and letting go.”
Guest Blog: The Single Desi. Photo: Harpreet Thinking
“This next blog is dedicated to all you single 20-something’s, who aren’t sure about where life is headed and turning 30 seems to be a scary prospect. Sit back, relax and enjoy yourself, because I am about to share with you some thirty-something secrets that will surely give you plenty to look forward to: yy thirty you should own your own furniture, your own style sense, your own sense of taste – and one great romantic memory.” Guest Blog – The Single Desi
Being single has its benefits. You are free; you are open to new experiences. You go wherever the world takes you and you have all that money and time to yourself.
However there is some negativity attached to being single. For example, there is no socialization security. You limit yourself to whoever is open to you. You go out, put on a nice dress and attract whatever the universe sends in your direction.
More and more of us are searching for opportunities to help improve our daily lives. We want to find the best out there and we strive to achieve it. Unfortunately, we don’t always work with a clear mind. There is so much distraction in our environment and in our own heads.
Some of us have constant chatter and noise inside our own minds. We often try to dispel myths that we grew up with and hope that we can outgrow upsetting experiences that have brought us down in the past. GUEST BLOG
“Well, it is almost here. An age range I never thought I would get to- Mid Thirties. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about myself. Am I at the right place developmentally? Am I living life on my terms? Am I happy?” In her blog Sex and the Single Desi, Monica Marwah indulges in some navel-gazing but also maps out a path for other desi singles.
When is social media too much? When can we call it enough? When does social media become invasive and when do we start de-friending people? Are we just violating each other’s privacy or are we getting what we always secretly wanted – an insight into other people’s lives?
On the blog Sex and the Single Desi, Monica Marwah looks at the good, the bad and the ugly aspects of social media.
(Photo – Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com)
“The fashion, the best dressed, the worst dressed, the wardrobe malfunctions, the hits, the misses…. I love the movies!
Old Hollywood, New Hollywood, the glitz, the glamour, the prestige, the paparazzi, the fashion, the hair, the makeup, the products.
The diamonds, the designers, the dresses, the free swag, the red carpet, and everything that leads me to believe that being a movie star is everything it is cracked up to be and more,” says the Single Desi, summing up Oscar Night
‘Drink plenty of water and stay out of the sun!’ says makeup wiz Karuna Chani who has made up countless brides and brightened international magazines. Here she talks with Monica Marwah of Sex and the Single Desi on beauty, Priyanka Chopra, makeup tips and her take on the single desi scene.
Guest blog: Sex and the Single Desi
In Sex and the Single Desi, Sarina Jain talks about Masala Bhangra – a popular fitness program which she started 12 years ago from her garage. This single woman talks with Monica Marwah about health and fitness and succeeding at what you do. She says, “It is about good nutrition but its also about working out. Lifting weights as well. Building that strength.” She shares quick tips for exercising while commuting and food items she’s never without.
“Time flies when you are having fun. It has been a little over a year since I started blogging for Lassi with Lavina and I am absolutely amazed by all the positive feedback.
We’ve conversed about so many important topics. I enjoyed sharing my take on dating, relationships, love, heartbreak, depression, spirituality, emotionally unavailability, positive thinking, marriage, addiction, Kim Kardashian, social media etc, etc…”
Monica Marwah – Sex and the Single Desi