Category Archives: Nri’s / Pio’s

SHOWBIZ: The best of Asean

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's, Uncategorized, World Opinion

A festival that celebrates the diversity of Southeast Asian music illuminated Istana Budaya for two days, writes Dennis Chua

 MK delivering a powerful Tamil number

The  last day of February 2012 will go down in Southeast Asian history as one where the region got together for reportedly its biggest celebration of music in Kuala Lumpur’s splendid Palace Of Culture, Istana Budaya.

Musicians from the Association Of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member countries — Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and this country — brought joy to and garnered applause from the national theatre’s 1,000-odd audience at the Asean Musical Extravaganza 2012 on Feb 29 and March 1.

The extravaganza, organised by the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry, was attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

It was organised in conjunction with the 11th annual Asean Ministers Responsible For Information (AMRI) Conference 2012 in KL.

The member countries introduced their performers in alphabetical order, beginning with Brunei and ending with Vietnam.

As host, Malaysia showcased three popular singers representing the country’s three major communities.

They were One In A Million 1 champion Suki Low, popular Tamil singer MK and the country’s pop king Jamal Abdillah.

Dressed in elegant purple, Suki delivered an outstanding rendition of  the Chinese song Beauty Within.

Sporting a new, short hairdo reminiscent of Jaclyn Victor, the singer from Seremban showed fans across the region that she was “growing with her music”.

Not only did she shine in her Chinese number, Suki also delivered a perfect rendition of Joget 1Malaysia, a remake of the 1960s hit Joget Malaysia made popular by Tan Sri P. Ramlee and his wife Puan Sri Saloma.

And she had the perfect singing partner in Jamal, who with MK nicely complemented Suki as the male voices of the patriotic joget.

Jamal received a standing ovation for his spiritual song, Samrah Mentari, dressed in a golden baju Melayu and sporting a moustache.

His deep, caressing voice was as good as ever, and the 26 backup dancers from the theatre’s troupe were stunning in their whirly footwork and stylish in their green, gold and red Egyptian-style dresses.

MK did not disappoint either. He delivered a powerful Tamil number, Ravanah Veera, which was an ode to heroism and the victory of good over evil.

Brunei’s 11-man traditional music group Senandung Darussalam, with six kompang players, a guitarist and four dancers, performed some spiritual Hadrah songs. Their performance was a combination of modern popular music and traditional religious hymns.

The group was formed in 1985, a year after Brunei’s independence.

Cambodia’s King Music Band, with two vocalists, two guitarists, two xylophonists, a keyboardist and a drummer, delivered two melodious songs that are hugely popular back home.

They were Dancing At Angkor, which celebrated the country’s most iconic temple Angkor Wat, and Phnom Penh, an ode to the Cambodian capital city composed by the country’s former monarch King Norodom Sihanouk.

Indonesia thought out of the box by introducing a Minangkabau dance titled Sabalah. Performed by seven female dancers of 30-year-old cultural troupe Krida Budaya, it told the story of black mushrooms and their growing process in the tropical rainforest.

The ladies were elegant in green and gold blouses, colours that reflected the rainforest and sun. And they also wore large black skirts that reflected the mushrooms’ umbrella-like formations.

Laos chose a straightforward performance with the KL-12 Lao Pop Stars, a special musical project for the festival that combined the talents of the country’s best musicians and vocalists.

KL-12 had a sweet-sounding vocal quartet, backed by a guitarist and drummer with gusto. The group performed two Laotian songs about human values, Ban Mea Hao and Ban Kird Hao.

Myanmar proved the most entertaining guest that evening by presenting the traditional Myanmar opera U Shwe Yoe And Daw Moe.

Bearing an uncanny resemblance to our own dondang sayang, makyong and Chinese opera, this performance focused on a middle-aged man and his no-holds-barred wife.

The dancers’ acrobatic yet graceful movements delighted the audiences, as did the four musicians who complemented them with three traditional drums and a traditional flute.

Myanmar also presented the Kayin Doan Dance, a traditional dance by the country’s Kayin community from the east.

The Philippines gave audiences a performance out of the ordinary by the Diwa De Leon group, Hegalong Project.

De Leon, a gifted and popular folk musician, is the country’s master of the hegalong, a home-grown lute.

His group comprising percussionists Frances Escape and J P Hernandez and vocalists Abe Dalena and Zob Reyes delivered two haunting songs, Moon Rise and the instrumental Stormy Night.

Fans loved the Hegalong Project, for it showed a whole new side of Philippine popular music, one that was rooted in the hills, mountains, countryside and tradition.

Singapore’s instrumental quintet Five Elements was a show-stealer too. Comprising conductor-cum-flutist Ghanavenothan Retnam, accordion player Ismahairie, pipa player Chin Yen Chien, erhu player Shunta Goh and percussionist Sai Akhilshwar, it performed the souful songs Ode To Joy, Fast Forward and Shanti, and the upbeat Joget.

Thailand paid homage to its King with the Royal Dance Troupe. Its nine members performed a traditional dance drama Lakhon and a traditional mask play Khon.

The troupe also performed the song  Falling Rain, a composition by King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Vietnam’s National Academy, with 10 musicians on the traditional Trung, flute, zither and monochord, belted out traditional tunes that reflected the country’s beautiful landscapes.

The group’s vocalist also sang a moving Ode To The Missing Loves, which is a United Nations Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organisation (Unesco) heritage of the country.

Throughout the two-hour showcase which began at 8.30pm, the Malaysian Traditional Orchestra’s 86 members did a splendid job backing up every performance. Likewise the Istana Budaya dancers who opened the showcase with a traditional joget.

Last but not least, every performer got together at the grand finale to sing the Asean anthem Under The Asean Sky to roaring applause from the VIPs and fellow guests.

Showcase of diversity

THE Asean Musical Extravaganza 2012 is the first celebration of music from all 10 member countries of the Association Of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Malaysia.

It is the brainchild of Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and organised by the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture in Istana Budaya, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.

Held in conjunction with the annual Asean Ministers Responsible For Information (AMRI) Conference 2012, it is aimed at showcasing the diversity of musical traditions from Asean member countries Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

And for host country Malaysia, it introduces music lovers to the budding musical and dance talents from fellow Asean countrie

source: http://www.nst.com.my / New Straits Times / Sunday Life & Time / by Dennis Chua,   dchua@nst.com.my / March 04th, 2012

Tampa Tamil Association of USA – 5th Annual Children’s Day Competitions

Nri's / Pio's

5TH CHILDREN’S DAY COMPETITIONS;   organized by Tampa Tamil Association of USA.
at Benito Middle, Tampa, FL

Saturday March 03rd, 09ooam to 2100 hours

Price: $10 per competition. Discounts available for association members.
Phone: (813) 994-3707
Age Suitability: Kids and up

Vocal Classical/Cinematic Music, Quiz, Coloring, Drawing, Fancy dress and story writing will be on March 3 at Benito Middle, 10101 Cross Creek Blvd., Tampa 33624;

Register at http://tamausa.dyndns.org/ChildrensDayRegn.aspx ;

call Maha Ramesh at 813-994-3707, Sheila Narayanan at 813-961-6120 tamausachildrensday@yahoo.com

OPEN TO ALL.
Advanced Registeration Required.

More information, click on the link below:

http://events.tboextra.com/tampa-fl/events/show/242658604-tampa-tamil-association-of-usa-5th-annual-childrens-day-competitions

 

Indians Living in Singapore Lured to Property Back Home by Rupee’s Decline

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's

Vivek Sharma, like many Indians who came to Singapore for work, failed to jump into the island state’s booming property market before the government imposed taxes to deter foreign buyers.

Now, he is joining thousands of his compatriots who are taking advantage of the drop in the rupee to a record low in December and seeking to buy property back home — for rental investments, homes for left-behind family members, retirement properties and residences for their own eventual returns.

“I missed the opportunity to buy property in Singapore when I moved here 2 1/2 years back,” said Sharma, 38, a medical-device manufacturing executive who was among 3,300 attendees at a two-day home fair in January where 53 Indian developers were showcasing their properties and discounting them to boost sales. “Now, prices have risen a lot, and with the new taxes, it makes better sense to invest back home.”

India’s property market may attract $3 billion from overseas buyers this year, almost double last year’s $1.6 billion, Shobhit Agarwal, joint managing director at the Indian unit of Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. (JLL), the world’s second-biggest, publicly traded commercial-property broker, said in an interview in Mumbai in December. About one-third typically comes from individuals like Sharma and two-thirds from investors, he said.

Housing Development Finance Corp. (HDFC), India’s largest mortgage lender and the organizer of the annual Singapore home fair, said the number of developers participating rose 26 percent over last year, while there were 27 percent more attendees. Among those taking part were DLF Ltd. (DLFU), Unitech Ltd. (UT) and Emaar MGF Land Ltd (EMGF). HDFC conducts similar fairs in Kuwait, Dubai — where the next is scheduled for April — and in London.

Sales Declines

The volume of property sales has declined in India’s biggest cities, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Bangalore, after the nation’s central bank raised borrowing costs by a record 375 basis points since March 2010. The bank is seeking to curb inflation, although property prices remain at or close to record highs.

At the same time, the rupee fell 16 percent against the U.S. dollar in 2011, the worst performer among Asian currencies. The currency has since recouped some of its losses, climbing 7.7 percent to 49.45 to the U.S. dollar last month. It is forecast to fall to 52.25 in the quarter ending in March, according to the median estimate in a Bloomberg survey.

India’s record trade deficit may turn developing Asia’s best-performing currency in January into its biggest loser from now until the year-end, strategists forecast. The rupee will drop 1.2 percent in the rest of 2012, based on the median prediction of 22 analysts in a Bloomberg survey. That is the worst outlook among the region’s 10 most-traded currencies excluding the Japanese yen.

Agarwal at Jones Lang LaSalle said India’s property prices may decline 10 percent this year, and that with a potential 20 percent loss in the currency, property purchases will become even more attractive to overseas Indians.

“They get a net 30 percent discount, so they will be ready to write the check,” Agarwal said.

Cutting Prices

In Mumbai, where Sharma hopes to buy property as an investment and ultimately for retirement, residential home sales dropped 17 percent to a three-year low in the final quarter of last year compared with the previous quarter, according to Mumbai-based Liases Foras Real Estate Rating & Research Pvt. The dismal sales will spur developers to cut prices to boost volumes,Pankaj Kapoor, founder of Liases Foras, said.

In Singapore’s prime districts such as Orchard Road, a typical three-bedroom apartment would sell for about $2,000 a square foot, or around $4 million. A similar-sized apartment in Mumbai’s posh Malabar Hill would sell for about 25 percent less. Home prices in Singapore soared 55 percent from June 2009 through December 2011, while in Mumbai they nearly doubled in the same period.

Once-in-Lifetime

“Indians living abroad feel the rupee depreciation is a temporary phenomenon because the Indian economy is far stronger than most of the global economies,” J.C. Sharma, Managing director at Bangalore-based Sobha Developers Ltd. (SOBHA) said in an interview in Chennai. “They feel this as a once-in-lifetime kind of opportunity to convert their savings from dollars and other foreign currencies to an Indian asset which they think has a much better future in the times to come.”

India’s economy expanded 6.9 percent in the quarter that ended in September, the weakest pace since 2009. The government Central Statistical Office on Feb. 7 cut India’s growth forecast to 6.9 percent for the year ending in March from 7.6 percent predicted in October. Growth in Asia’s third-largest economy has slowed in the current financial year as Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis hampers global expansion.

Foreigners accounted for 31 percent of home buyers in Singapore before the government imposed an additional 10 percent stamp duty on them in December, according to government data. Before the new tax, the government levy on foreigners was 1 percent on the first S$180,000 ($139,000) of the purchase price, an additional 2 percent on the next S$180,000 and 3 percent on the remainder.

Reining in Prices

Sales of Singapore private homes dropped in December to 632 units, the lowest in two years. Singapore has been attempting to rein in prices since 2009, when the government barred interest- only loans for some housing projects and stopped allowing developers to absorb interest payments for apartments still being built.

“We have been far more aggressive in the Singapore market now as we have been getting a better response from this market,” said Surendra Hiranandani, founder of Mumbai-based House of Hiranandani, which showed its Chennai and Bangalore developments at the Singapore home fair.

“Over the past two years when markets in the West and Middle East crashed and hopes of a major revival seem bleak, interest in the Indian market has increased,” he said, adding that Singapore-based buyers have doubled to 10 percent of international purchasers from two years ago. “Other places like China and Australia are quite saturated as they are overbuilt, whereas India is still an undersupplied market. Definitely, the rupee is a stimulating factor.”

Higher Mortgage Rates

Even though property prices are lower in India, mortgage rates are 10 times higher at about 11 percent compared with between 1 percent and 2 percent in Singapore.

Mumbai-based Lodha Group offered its Singapore customers a chance to freeze the exchange rate at the home fair at 51.6 rupees to the dollar by hedging the currency on behalf of buyers.

For Manoj Mundra, a software professional employed with Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (CTSH) in Singapore, such offers and discounts from builders will aid his decision to purchase a property in India.

“It’s a good time to invest in India as you are getting more bang for your buck with the rupee depreciation,” Mundra, 41, said. Having lived in Singapore for six years, he is looking to purchase a home in Gurgaon, a suburb near New Delhi, the nation’s capital.

One-Tenth the Cost

A product of India’s seven years of surging economic growth, Gurgaon and its gated communities for the burgeoning middle class have swallowed up farmland. Homes in the area range from two-bedroom apartments starting at 5.3 million rupees to five- bedroom units for more than 50 million rupees, averaging around S$151 a square foot — about one-tenth the cost of a similar- sized apartment in the comparable Tampines area of Singapore.

Indians in Singapore make up 9 percent of the country’s resident population, forming the third-largest ethnic group after the Chinese and Malays, according to government data. Foreigners in Singapore account for 37 percent of the population.

Indians accounted for 3.7 percent of Singapore’s total home purchases last year, according to data from the Urban Redevelopment Authority. The top foreign buyers in the final quarter of 2011 were Chinese, followed by Indonesians, Malaysians and Indians, according Yang Liang Chua, head of research for Southeast Asia at Jones Lang LaSalle.

“The trend will be that a lot of the Indian wealth that is overseas will start finding its way back to India,” said Agarwal. “This is a new window that is opening.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Pooja Thakur in Singapore at pthakur@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andreea Papuc at apapuc1@bloomberg.net

source: http://www.Bloomberg.com / News / by Pooja Thakur / February 09th, 2012

Nambikai! Come on Mr PM!

Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion

Malaysia:

It looks like the BN is learning from the opposition whose leaders have now become comfortable with the usage of Mandarin and Tamil in their speeches to the people in the quest for support.

The PM talks about ‘nambikai’ or trust in the Tamil language when he does his walkabouts to the Indian electorate a large majority of whom are of Tamil descent. The PM has got to first understand what he is talking about, he promises transformation in the policies of the country, if he is really a transformer, he should have initiated the transformation policies and made sure that the results reached the people.

But till today, we have a delivery system that does something else when the Chief Executive says another! It is as though the civil service has a mind of its own where old habits die hard and they just refuse to change eventhough the Chief Executive who is their ultimate boss says that he is the initiator of transformation.

Nambikai is a very serious word in Tamil, it entails trust from the people. One wonders for how long are we to give the nambikai to the BN led Federal government when all our request have been met with empty promises after promises. When money allocation is promised for Tamil schools, it doesn’t come or it comes in bits and pieces which will not be of any use to the receivers when they have infrastucture problems to address and land matters to overcome.

The PR government of Selangor had done what the Federal government and the previous BN led Selangor state governments have only been promising for all the years the Indian electorate had given them the nambikai and voted for them.

If the PM is really serious about his 1Malaysia propaganda, he should be the first to transform and start policies that advocate equality amongst the races that make up our population instead of pandering to the wants of the elite few who are afraid that their strangglehold of economy will come to naught if the transformation policies takes place.

The PM must be ready to face the people with the truth and the people will then see how best is it to assess what he has to say with the facts that they see in their daily lives. The basic problems facing the Indians in Malaysia is the lack of state attention shown on them despite the contribution that the Indians have put into the building of this nation.

The isolation policies of keeping the races apart by racial, religious, cultural and economies norms has created a vast space in between the state and the common man on the street as far as the Indians are concerned. The PM has to note that Indians had not only come to this country as indented labourers brought in by the British Raj  but had instead stamped their mark from time immemorial as the early conquerors and traders in this region.

If history is correctly told which the Sejarah Melayu or the Malay annals will say, the sultanate of Kedah which is the oldest of the sultanates in the country has its humble beginnings from Hinduism until the chosen Maharaja had decided to embrace Islam. The same is the case for the Malacca Sultanate whose founding prince was a Hindu from the neighbouring Island of Sumatra whose origins can be traced from the Chola Empire of Tamil Nadu.

Therefore to see Indians in a very pathetic state today asking for only equal rights like what the majority enjoys should sadden any Malay leader who appreciates history and is worthy of the leadership that he professes to the people.

Allocation of land with title grants for places of worship, Tamil schools, crematoruims, and adequate places in all our public institutions of higher learning should be the transformation that the PM should show his leadership in instead of asking for nambikai to be placed in the BN government which has failed in its 55 years of administration.

A BN government which the Indians can have a nambikai on would not have allowed thousands of Indians from the lower strata of society to lived for generations without proper identification documents like a proper birth certificate and identification cards.

A BN government that the Indians can have a nambikai on would not have allowed, Indians to be converted to Islam unless they have understood what they are doing and have proven that they have embraced Islam on their own free will instead of being imposed on them by the State.
A BN government that the Indians can have a nambikai on would not allow the Indian dead to be a subject of a tussle between the Islamic religious authorities and their families because their faith cannot be proven. Therefore to simply tell the Indians to place their nambikai on the BN government is just not going to do the trick anymore.

The Indians have awoken and have formed the Hindraf to defend themselves from the years of nambikai that they have given to the BN government which has only been replied with empty promises.

The PM should not have backed out from the policy of teaching Maths and Science in English, which would have transformed Malaysian education in  a way that we can never imagine and would have been a catalyst for the Malays to embrace English and not fear the fact that by learning and mastering English they would loose their Malay identity by not knowing their mother tongue and National language.

This policy would have helped the Chinese and the Indians as well, as the command of the English language would have improved besides having a choice to study in their mother tongue. Therefore nambikai can only come when it is earned and for that nambikai to come now, the only way forward will be to have samma urumai (equal rights), is the BN led federal government prepared to transform and give all Malaysians equal rights?

The Opposition is not great but atleast they are making a start in the right direction which one day may see Indian and Chinese leaders leading political parties with majority Malay membership and support!

So Mr PM, you will never get the Nambikai that you want from the Indians unless and until you earn it from us by transforming the country with your policies. Please remember Mr PM that 1Malaysia means everyone is One and the same so it must be equal rights for everyone under the Malaysian sun.

Can we trust you?

source: http://www.FreeMalaysiaToday.com / FMT LETTER/ From P.Dev Anand Pillai / Wednesday, February 01st, 2012

 

New ChennaiDosa Indian restaurant to open in Stretford Mall, Trafford

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's

TWENTY-FIVE new jobs will be created when Britain’s fastest growing chain of Indian restaurants opens in Stretford Mall.

The two floor, 125 cover restaurant, at the front of the mall on Chester Road will bring South Indian cuisine to the busy shopping centre.

Known as ChennaiDosa, the company opened its first restaurant in London in 2003 and this will be its 11th.

General Manager Suresh Baskar and Stretford Mall Operations Manager Mike Russell 

General Manager and chef, Suresh Baskar, said: “We looked at venues all over Manchester, including the city centre, but we felt the Stretford Mall had the right location for us because it has a good car park for our customers and it gives us the opportunity to bring something very new to Stretford with no other restaurants like us nearby. We liked the idea of being in with a community rather than in the very crowded environment of the city centre.

“We are already a very well established brand and people know and love our food so trust me when I say that people will visit from all over to come to our restaurant so it will be a great addition for Stretford.”

Colin McCrory, Stretford Mall manager, said the opening of ChennaiDosa was a very exciting new development and would offer a terrific new restaurant for the whole community.

He said: “ChennaiDosa is going to offer another very good reason to come to the Stretford Mall and offer the community a chance to sample some wonderful cultural cookery.

“It will create a substantial amount of new jobs for the area to add to more than 750 jobs which the mall and its retailers already provide.

“I think it will be a tremendous draw for new and existing customers and reflects the positive developments which are happening at Stretford Mall all as we move into 2012.”

The restaurant chain has a menu heavily influenced by the staple food and flavours of South India, where Suresh is from and learnt his skills as a chef.

One of the main dishes on the menu is dosa, a thin, spicy pancake made from fermented rice and lentils which can be served plain with chutneys or with different types of curry. Customers will also find idly which are small, round steamed rice cakes also particular to the Southern region of India.

Suresh has spent 25 years in the hotel and restaurant industry and trained as a chef while working for the Sheraton hotel group.

Originally from Chennai, the capital city of the Southern Indian state of Tamilnadu, Suresh has worked tirelessly over the last eight years to help build up the business and bring the culinary delights of his homeland to his customers.

He said: “People rely on us for our quality, the wonderful taste of our food and our service and that is why we have been successful and what we are seeking to bring to Stretford.

“For those who already know the type of food we cook, they say it is a chance to taste the flavours of home which makes them very happy.

“But it is also a chance for others to try a different type of Indian food and the feedback we get is amazing.”

source: http://www.messengernewspapers.co.uk / News / Monday, January 30th, 2012

Our local Dragons

Nri's / Pio's

Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, 48, entrepreneur and CEO of AirAsia

BORN in Kuala Lumpur in April 1964, Fernandes founded Tune Air Sdn Bhd which introduced the first budget no-frills airline, AirAsia, to Malaysians and subsequently the world, with the tagline, “Now Everyone Can Fly”.

He rose to prominence by turning AirAsia, a failing government-linked commercial airline, into a highly successful budget airline and a public listed company.

In 2007, he started a no-frills concept hotel chain under Tune Hotels. He is the team principal of the Caterham F1 Formula One team, which began racing in 2010 as Lotus Racing, and raced in 2011 as Team Lotus.

In August 2011, he was unveiled as the majority shareholder of Queens Park Rangers and was named chairman of QPR Holdings Ltd.

Tan Sri Vincent Tan, 60, entrepreneur and founder of Berjaya Corporation group

Born in Johor in February 1952, Tan is the founder and chairman of Berjaya Corporation group of companies which control a wide array of businesses ranging from golfing to property, resorts and gambling.

Tan started out as a clerk and insurance agent before going into business in the 1980s.

He is ranked 828th on the Forbes 2010 World Billionaire list with a net worth of US$1.1bil (RM3.44bil).

In February 2011, Tan announced that he joined “The Giving Pledge” that was initiated by Bill Gates, his wife Melinda and Warren Buffet, and to kickstart his plans, he will donate RM20mil to various charities.

Mavin Khoo, 36, dancer

Born in Kuala Lumpur in April 1976, Khoo is the youngest son of historian Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim. Khoo was trained in the Indian classical dance form, bharatanatyam, under Vatsala Sivadas and Vasuki Sivanesan at the Temple of Fine Arts in Kuala Lumpur. He also studied Odissi and bharatanatyam under the legendary Ramli Ibrahim and classical ballet with Lee Yu Pin.

His main dance education was under the renowned dance maestro Padma Shri Adyar K. Lakshman in Chennai, India.

Khoo also trained at the Cunningham Studios in New York and furthered his ballet training with Michael Beare, Marian St Claire, Nancy Kilgour and Ayumi Hikasa in London.

Khoo is acclaimed as one of the world’s leading bharatanatyam performers.

Reshmonu (Hiresh Haridas), 36, singer/songwriter

Born in Malacca in March 1976, Reshmonu is known for his songs such as Walk Away, Cintaku Pergi, Hey Waley and Superfine, as well as his signature dreadlocks. His debut album in 2003,Monumental under Dhanish Records, earned him seven AIM nominations in 2004, for which he won Best Male Vocals, Best English language Artiste and Best Engineering for an album. In early 2009, he launched his first Malay album, Harapan,and in 2010, he released his first Tamil language singles, Theendathey.

Teresa Kok, 48, politician

Born in Kuala Lumpur in March 1964, Kok is a Member of Parliament from the Democratic Action Party (DAP). She became the first female to hold the position as political secretary to parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang from 1990 to 1995.

In the 1999 General Election, Kok won the parliamentary seat of Seputeh in Kuala Lumpur with a majority of 5,200 and was re-elected in 2004 with a majority of 12,895, the largest winning margin among the 13 elected DAP MPs.

In the 2008 General Election, Kok retained her parliamentary seat of Seputeh with a majority of 36,492, the largest majority in any constituency. She is currently the DAP national organising secretary, DAP Selangor chairman, and national secretary for DAP Women.

Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, 60, politician

Born in Kedah in December 1952, Wan Azizah is wife of Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. She was the Opposition leader in the Dewan Rakyat from March 2008 to July 2008. On July 31, 2008, she resigned her parliamentary seat to make way for her husband, who won the subsequent by-election on Aug 26, 2008.

She was educated at Tunku Kurshiah College and went on to study medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. She served as a government doctor for 14 years before deciding on volunteer work when her husband was appointed Deputy Prime Minister in 1993.

Karpal Singh, 72, lawyer/politician

Born in Penang in June 1940, Karpal has been Member of Parliament for Bukit Gelugor in Penang since 2004.

Currently, he is the national chairman of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a position he assumed in 2004. His reputation as a lawyer and opposition politician has earned him the nickname of “the tiger of Jelutong”.

Karpal’s political career began in 1970 when he joined the DAP. In 1974, he won a seat in the Kedah state legislative assembly. He was first elected to Parliament in 1978 as the representative for Jelutong, Penang, and held the seat for more than 20 years before losing it in 1999.

In the next general elections, Karpal returned to Parliament and led the DAP to its strongest ever performance in the 2008 general elections.

Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, 48, politician

Born in November 1964, Mukhriz is the third son and fifth child of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He is a Member of Parliament for Jerlun, Kedah, and is also an appointed Malaysian member to the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Assembly.

Currently he is Deputy Minister of the International Trade and Industry Ministry. – Compiled by Sandra Low

source: http://www.TheStar.com.my / The Star Online / Home> LifeStyle> Focus / Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Jain Temple to Host ‘Pongal Thiruvizha 2012’ Celebration Saturday

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's

 The nonprofit association Bay Area Tamil Manram will host a large Pongal-themed celebration at Jain Temple in Milpitas Saturday. The event is open to the public.

 Jain Temple in Milpitas will host a Pongal celebration on Sat., Jan. 21. Credit Prabhu Venkatesh Subramanian

South Indians from all over the Bay Area will come together in Milpitas this Saturday for a large celebration known as  “Pongal Thiruvizha”.

The event will take place at the Jain Temple Auditorium,  722 S. Main St., beginning at 2 p.m. and is organized by the nonprofit association Bay Area Tamil Manram (BATM).

BATM was formed more than 30 years ago to promote the culture of Tamil Nadu, one of the 28 states of India, which lies in the southernmost part of the Indian peninsula. The region has been home to the Tamil people for thousands of years, dating back as far as 500 B.C.E., and is the birthplace of the Tamil language. The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a large population of Tamilians.

The festival this Saturday, Jan. 21, coincides with the traditional South Indian harvest festival known as “Pongal,” which marks the Winter Solstice.

Prabhu Venkatesh Subramanian, the current president of BATM, says this weekend’s festival will be a lively one, with friendly competitions and cultural events that will stretch into the evening.

The event is open to the public, and all are welcome.

For more information, visit  www.bayareatamilmanram.org

source: http://www.milpitas.patch.com / News> Arts> The Neighbourhood files> Local Connections / by Jennifer van der Kleut

You should get to know … Subbanna Varanas

Business & Economy, Nri's / Pio's, Uncategorized

Job description or business description: Massage Par Excellence. I give a deep tissue massage and specialize in Indian head massage.

Background: I was born in Madras (now Chennai), India, and went to university in Hyderabad. I have a bachelor’s degree in commerce, and later, while working in a hotel in the Sultanate of Oman, went to school and earned an advanced diploma in French and on my return to India in 2000 earned an advanced diploma in Spanish. From working as a health club manager in a hotel in Oman, as a journalist in Hyderabad, working on oil rigs in Ajman in the United Arab Emirates, bartending on Carnival Cruise Lines sailing in Mexico and the Caribbean and driving a cab in New York City, I probably did more than a dozen jobs. Besides giving massages at my clinic and doing translation, interpretation and voiceovers, I work in the BOS restaurant, in the Renaissance Savery Hotel downtown. After returning to the U.S. in 2007 I studied massage therapy and became a licensed massage therapist.

Notable achievements: I speak five languages fluently and meet and greet in another five. Becoming a citizen of the greatest country in the world was a long-cherished dream that became a reality in September.

Why I do what I do: I am a people person and love to know people wherever I travel and live. The very first year I arrived in Des Moines I sold corn Indian style, roasting them on hot coals and rubbing Indian spices on them, in the downtown farmers market. I realized Iowans are warm and friendly and quite a few of them encouraged me to start my own Indian restaurant. But since the time I started as a masseur in the Sheraton Hotel in Bombay back in 1980, I wanted to pursue massage as a profession. On my return to Des Moines from India in 2007, I went back to school and got my certificate and license and started Massage Par Excellence. There is absolutely nothing like helping people de-stress with a relaxing and rejuvenating massage. I educate people (especially women, who constitute 90 percent of my clientele) that as much as a manicure and pedicure is vital, massage does magic to stressed minds and bodies.

What I do to get away from work: I love to travel (I’ve been to 30 countries), and I believe travel does not have to be to other countries. My wife, Brenda, and I drive an hour from Des Moines and eat lunch in a small town and just totally unwind. I listen to music, and I try meeting new people and keep myself updated by talking to my friends around the world on Skype.

How I give back to the community: I volunteer, especially by participating in free chair massage clinics to aid food pantries and other worthy causes. I have been a tour guide at Terrace Hill. I actively participate in the Merle Hay Neighborhood Association activities. As stated on my website, on my massage clients’ request, a percentage of the massage fee is donated to the charity of their choice.

Words to live by: “Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.” — George Edward Woodberry.

Best business book I’ve read lately: “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson. The story of the charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution is truly gripping and inspiring.

The best place in central Iowa to entertain clients or colleagues: I visit quite often the India Star at 55th and Douglas Avenue. The close proximity to my home and clinic makes it easy for me to introduce Indian cuisine to my American friends and clients.

One thing I would change about the Des Moines area: I would like to see more shops and establishments on the street level in the downtown area. Except for the East Village (and that just in the past few years), the rest of the downtown is deserted during afternoons and simply a ghost town during evenings. The skywalk system may be a great boon for office workers to reach the food courts, but it has literally killed any chance of opening a business on the street level. More people would frequent the shops and restaurants at all times of the day if they spent time on the streets.

What Iowa can do to attract more people like me: I know that Iowa has been great to immigrants, and we need to keep on opening our doors to immigrants from around the world to continue to contribute to the colorful mosaic that is Iowa.

My mentor: My mother raised five kids and she started going to school when I, the last kid, was 15. She did teacher training and went on to get a Ph.D. She taught college until she retired. By her own example she taught me that learning has no age limit.

What I would do if I could do something else: I would love to write travel guides. I would like to describe not just the tourist sites and the restaurants and shopping but the people and their way of life and culture.

Contact information: Massage Par Excellence, 3839 Merle Hay Road, suite 210. (515) 450-7052  www.subbu.com

source: http://www.DesMoinesRegister.com / Business> Featured / by Subbanna Varanasi / January 16th, 2012

Anna University-BCT Kalam centre to enhance professional skills

Business & Economy, Education, Nri's / Pio's, Science & Technologies, Uncategorized

By A Staff Reporter – MUSCAT:

The Anna University and Bahwan CyberTek Kalam Centre of Excellence set up by Bahwan CyberTek in collaboration with the Ramanujan Computing Centre (RCC), Anna University, was inaugurated by the former President of India, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam in the university’s Chennai campus yesterday.
Also present at the inauguration were Hind Bahwan, Chairperson, Bahwan CyberTek Group, Durgaprasad, Director and CEO Bahwan CyberTek Group, Mannar Jawahar, Vice-chancellor of Anna University and Rhymend Uthariaraj, Director of RCC.
Bahwan CyberTek has set up the 40-seat state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence (CoE) with Bahwan CyberTek’s Cuecent BPMS Software Suite. Through the COE, Bahwan CyberTek will provide an opportunity to enhance the professional skills of the students and faculty of Anna University in BPM, SOA and emerging technologies. Bahwan CyberTek will also provide project sponsorships, research options and paper publications support to the students and faculty of the University.
Kalam at the launch set the vision for the joint AU-BCT Kalam Centre of Excellence initiative to research the convergence of Bio, Nano, IT and Ecology to build sustainable innovation and leadership in institutions to emerge out of India that will have a global impact.
Hind Suhail Bahwan, Chairperson, Bahwan CyberTek Group said “With innovation being the corporate philosophy, and with our strong commitment to contribute to the society we operate in, we have set up this CoE to serve the students and faculty of this esteemed university and also be a platform for ongoing innovations in IT.”
S Durgaprasad, Director and CEO, Bahwan CyberTek Group said “My association with my alma mater is a special one and I firmly believe that this coming together of the Industry and the Academia marks a true collaboration and commitment to bring about far-reaching technological innovations.”
Prof P Mannar Jawahar, Vice Chancellor – Anna University, said “The CoE that has been established at RCC is a world-class, shared-use educational and R&D facility serving the student and industry community.
“Bahwan CyberTek will conduct certification courses and aid in providing projects and consulting work for the faculty and students of Anna University. This collaboration holds tremendous potential for innovation and offers far-reaching benefits for students. The technologies formed by the partnership of RCC-AU and Bahwan CyberTek not only will enable and enhance further technology development and research, it will positively impact the knowledge of students of Anna University”.
Ramanujan Computing Centre (RCC) located in Anna University (AU), Chennai, is functioning as a technology provider to students, researchers and teaching community to fulfil their computational, technological and Internet requirements. The centre is truly state-of-art with the sophisticated Wi-Fi connectivity, Video Streaming Server to render Video Conference/Video-on-demand facility.
Bahwan CyberTek, established in 1999, is a global IT provider of innovative software products and services.

source: http://www.main.omanobserver. om / Oman Daily Observer / Sunday, January 15th, 2012

‘Nanban’ for the French

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nri's / Pio's

As we’re nearing Pongal, the excitement among eager fans has become multi-fold. The latest is that, ‘Nanban’ will be the first ever Tamil film which will be released with French subtitles in France!

The film releases big on January 12 and the booking start from January 8, four days prior to the release. The makers are hopeful of seeing a huge opening for this Pongal release and trade gurus are confident it will thanks to the star value, promising crew and a long festive weekend.

It is also said that since the film was certified by the censor board during the end of December 2011, the film will qualify for 2011 awards and not 2012.

The official remake of Bollywood blockbuster, ‘3 Idiots’, ‘Nanban’, stars Vijay, Jiiva, Srikanth and Ileana in the lead roles with music by Harris Jayaraj. It is indefinitely one of the most awaited and promising films of 2012.

source: http://www.IndiaGlitz.com / Saturday, January 07th, 2012