Sanjay Sabnani is an executive at a publicly traded healthcare technology company that has developed proprietary treatments for treating addictions to alcohol, cocaine, and methamphetamine. “My title is Senior Vice President Strategic Development which means that I get paid to think of the future and what direction we should take.  I focus quite a bit on the science of the brain and the applications of our technology to other diseases.” In addition to all that, he is also responsible for communicating scientific and financial concepts to the company’s shareholders and industry analysts.

Sanjay also plays a big role in the Internet world – he is the co-owner of a very popular online community called General [M]ayhem; www.genmay.com.  It’s the 14^th busiest community on the internet and it’s growing every day.  ”The site is mainly for fun, but it generates some pocket money for me and my partner as well as provides us with hundreds of internet friends all over the world.  I had a party at my home recently for members of this community and we had over 100 guests, 12 of them were from overseas.”   This year Sanjay intends to focus on the site a bit more and perhaps develop some form of strategy to promote it further.  “The concept I have in mind is based upon my slogan ‘the audience is the entertainment’- think of it as reality entertainment in a message board format.”

Additionally, he is very active in the South Asian committee in Los Angeles. He is Chairman of the Board for a non-profit arts organization called Artwallah, and recently completed service as Chairman and President of TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Southern California.  “At the age of 35, I feel like I am in an ‘in between’ generation, the other senior members of TiE were at least 10 to 20 years my senior and Artwallah is made up of 20 somethings.”

How did you get into this field? To tell you the truth I don’t really know how to describe the path that I have taken.  I have no formal background in either finance or technology, but I have always had a passion for science and the stock market- by working at public technology companies I am able to combine both passions.

My degree is a BA in English Literature from UCLA and I started out working as a stockbroker after college – I just sort of talked and networked my way into my current vocation.  Learning about the capital markets and finance was a key factor in my development.  I was also lucky enough to work directly with some really high level executives who mentored me and allowed me to watch them in action.  Being a Bhaiband Sindhi born in Hong Kong also creates a tremendous internal expectation that I must live up to.

What education have you had that helped you in this field? It is not what you learn, but who you learn it from.  I learned to be silent and wise from my father, I learned to be generous and positive from my mother.  From my uncles I learned the meaning of family and the importance of belonging to a tribe.  From books I learned that the only limitation was your desire to learn.  When you have access to books and the internet there are no limits to your education.

How did you get started in this field… who or what inspired you? My inspirations have been Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, and Bill Gates.  I love to learn and teach people about things- the more complex the better.

What has been the ups & downs of your job/career? The big breaks? I did not have the benefit of coming from wealth, but I was given everything I needed to succeed by my parents.  I do not believe in luck or blame- I believe in working hard and staying focused.

What qualities do you believe a person should have to succeed in life? You should look at a problem from all angles until you come up with a solution.  Persistence and a desire to learn will take you anywhere you want to go.

What books have you read that taught you what you needed to know to reach where you are today? My family will verify for you that I have read thousands of books so asking me to pick a few is not easy.  That said, I do recommend the following:

The Prophet, The Goal, The 48 Laws of Power, Think and Grow Rich, Bhagavad  Gita, and as many biographies of great people as you can get your hands on.

How did you go about setting up your business/company? What’s the process?

I currently serve as an executive at a public company, but I named my first business ‘Typhoon Capital’ and I still use it for transactions till this day.  I had a relative who said that when I came into the room it was like a ‘toofan’.  I kind of liked being described as a force of nature so I built a business around it.

What was your branding strategy… what steps did you take to bring your brand to where it is today? I am my own brand and my main product.  I sell my brain which is a limited commodity at best, but I work hard and I have helped many businesses succeed so the word gets out.

How are the paychecks treating you? Like a queen/king? Satisfactory enough? Still a long way to go? I live like a king and I get a lot of love – the paycheck is irrelevant.  I would like to have made enough someday so that I can go back to graduate school and lose myself in science.  I am sure that day will come.

What was the first thing you ever wanted to be? A pilot? A driver? A McDonalds cook? I am pretty easy – if I watch a movie I want to be whatever the main character is.  When I was a kid there is no doubt that I wanted to be a scientist.  My mom bought me a chemistry set with test tubes and I almost burned my friend’s apartment down.

The most embarrassing incident that happened to you at work? I was once talking negatively about a customer thinking I had pushed the hold button.  Oops.

What were your parents’ feelings when you chose this path for yourself? I was a weird, angry kid when I was little – they were probably happy that I got married to a hot Indian wife and supported myself.

Describe your childhood in three words… Naughty, nerdy, chaotic

What was the most difficult challenge you faced, and how did you overcome it? The hardest thing in my life has been having my dad die on his 60^th birthday.  I was 31 and put in charge of two households – my wife and three kids in the US as well as my mom and sister in H.K.  It made me realize that I may only have 30 years left so I’d better get off my ass and make things happen now.  I would have liked to have my dad enjoy his later years, but things happen.  His passing also made me spiritual – it’s hard to explain because I am a cynic, but I read an English translation of the Gita after his death and all of a sudden it made sense to me.  You see my dad was religious and I was not.  My dad was named Arjan and the central character in the Gita is Arjun.  In fact, the whole Gita is about Arjun talking to and learning from Krishna.  My whole life has been about watching my dad live with God.  Where this becomes really spooky (and interesting) is that the entire Gita is being recounted live by a guy named…Sanjay.  That’s how I look at my life now – I am the watcher, the observer, the knower.  It makes me feel something that helps me out in life.

My favorite part of the Gita is the following:

raso ‘ham apsu kaunteya
prabhasmi sasi-suryayoh
pranavah sarva-vedesu
shabdah khe paurusam nrsu

Translated it means:

O son of Kunti, I am the taste of water,

The light of the sun and the moon,

The syllable om in the Vedic mantras;

I am the sound in ether and manliness in men.

When I read that passage I realized that Krishna was explaining to Arjun that he was actually human consciousness or the brain.  It is the brain that can taste or see or hear.  All of a sudden I felt like my world of science had been reconciled with my father’s world of religion.  Weird, but true.

To what would you attribute your current success to? I would give all the credit for my success to two things- having a strong family that inspired me to succeed, and my love of reading.  Growing up I could not relate to import/export and trading- I was always a bookworm and my first love was knowledge.  Working with technology companies as an executive or advisor allows me to learn about new things and then apply what I know about business principles to all of these different things.

Avisha Daryanani,

Avisha, in her own words, answers BSM’s queries about the inspiration that led to her career choice, what being a speech pathologist is all about (and the pros and cons of it), and how it has changed her life as a woman…

Dr. Karuna Sabnani, NMD, is a graduate of Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine, an accredited four-year naturopathic medical college in Arizona. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and English Literature from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts. Deciding that she wanted to help people and start her own venture, Dr. Karuna Sabnani moved to New York City to run her own naturopathic healthcare practice for two years, before moving back to Berkeley, California. A short time later she became licensed as a Naturopathic Doctor in the State of California and is currently a member of the California Association of Naturopathic Doctors. She enjoys long walks in nature, dancing, meditating, reading, practicing yoga and spending time with loved ones.

Dr. Karuna Sabnani, NMD, speaks to BSM about the incident that led to her newfound interest in naturopathic medicine, how she set up her private practice, and much more…

Dr. Gitu Bhatia, 48, was born and raised in Delhi until the age of 21, when she completed her undergraduate studies with a Bachelor of Sciences in Child Development and Education from Lady Irwin College. In the pursuit of further studies, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue higher studies and acquired a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from California State University in 1985. Dr. Gitu then worked as a family mediator for the courts, helping parents who were going through divorce work out custody and visitation arrangements best suited for their kids. After she got married and had children, Dr. Gitu returned to school at Pepperdine University to work on her doctoral degree – her area of specialization was Cross Cultural Psychology. In addition to teaching and volunteering her time in professional organizations that support standardized ethical practices, Dr. Gitu also established a private practice in Los Angeles to offer her services as a licensed clinical psychologist. When she has free time, in addition to cherishing relationships with family and friends, she also loves to read, watch movies, hike, do yoga and constantly challenge herself physically, especially for charity walkathons.

Dr. Gitu Bhatia answers to BSM’s queries about her life as a clinical psychologist, the process of starting a private practice, and the advantages of being a woman in this field…

Karishma Daswani, 27, was born in Jaipur, India, and brought up in a number of places namely Berlin, Mumbai and New Delhi. Right from school, she was geared towards a future in academics when she topped her class for 9 consecutive years and was the recipient of the Mahindra Scholarship for Academic Excellence three years in a row. As Karishma graduated from University of Delhi with a Bachelors degree in Information Technology (BIT) and a Masters degree in Human Resource Management (CIPD) from Middlesex University Business School, London, she also received a regional scholarship worth 1,000 Pounds for her dedication. After a few unsatisfactory jobs working for other companies, Karishma felt that she would benefit herself and those around her better by starting her own company – she now works as an independent Human Resources consultant in New Delhi, India. In her free time, she also nurtures an educational website for students and people interested in the subject of Human Resource Management. When Karishma is not working, she enjoys reading, swimming, Yoga, listening to Jazz, travelling, hanging around in shopping malls and being with the people she loves.

Karishma Daswani ruminates to BSM on the inspiration that led to her career in Human Resources, her website and how it has helped others, and the importance of education and financial independence…

Rashmi Vaswani, 27, went to Christ College for her undergraduate and acquired a Bachelors degree in Business Management. After receiving a Masters degree in International Business at the International Management Institute in New Delhi, she did a certificate course on Small and Medium Scale Industries at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahemdabad. Rashmi then came back to Bangalore to work and stay with her family. After a stint in the corporate world, Rashmi realized that she was not a fan of the 9-to-5 job routine. One day three years ago, while indulging her favorite hobby of making chocolates, she sent out some of her home-made chocolates as Diwali gifts. They were very well-received and people requested her chocolates to send out as gifts. This was when the concept of Rage Chocolatier was born – today, she is the founder and director of a company that manufactures premium, made-to-order chocolates for corporate and personal gifting, and currently employs two chefs and a team of eight people for packaging. Rashmi’s favorite chocolate is Rage Hazelnut cream truffles.

Rashmi Vaswani speaks to BSM about the inspiration behind her chocolatier, its humble beginnings and the edge it has over other chocolate companies, and the challenges they faced along the way…

Roshni Mansukhani-Gurnani, 25, was born and raised in Canada and is a chef by profession. She started her restaurant life at the age of 13 working initially as a bus person, a prep cook then a line cook at a local diner. She acquired a Bachelors of Business Administration as well as a degree in Culinary Management from the Culinary Institute of Canada, PEI Canada. After graduation, she worked in New York, London, and Goa before moving back home to Toronto to work as Executive Sous Chef at the Clublink Country. Shortly before her marriage, Roshni was chosen as one of the 4 chefs to compete for $10,000 on a popular cooking show called “Chopped: Pride on the Plate” on the Food Network channel in the United States. After few nail-biting episodes, the other three male chefs were ‘chopped’ from the show and Roshni won the grand prize as best chef. When Roshni got married to her husband and moved to Boston, she was determined to stay in this field. Upon a friend’s encouragement to look into a particular company in Boston that was building a new campus dining facility, Roshni was chosen for her new vocation as Executive chef at Merrimack University. When she is not cooking for five thousand people, she loves to watch a lot of movies and of course, the Food Network. She also loves to travel and learn about different cultures, especially with her husband Prem.

Roshni Mansukhani-Gurnani talks to BSM about her victory on the popular American TV show “Chopped: Pride on a Plate”, her love of cooking from a young age, and the pride felt in being a Sindhi chef…

Priya Nagrani, a Vice President of The Bank of New York Mellon, stands tall in the Company’s hierarchy of women bankers, taking her place on the Company’s team to be recognized by US Banker as one of the top three women banking teams in 2009.  Not surprising, as this is in line with her receipt of a 2008 Rising Star Award by the Women’s Bond Club of New York.

Banking and bankers are highly topical subjects in the current climate of economic and financial recovery from what appeared to be imminent collapse in the recent downturn.  Priya pinpoints the definitive role that women can play as the industry climbs back to its former prime position of institutional priority in the world of finance and economics.

Says Priya, “I didn’t find any difference in being male or female — at least at The Bank of New York Mellon, I was never at a disadvantage because I was a woman.  On the contrary, the Company is committed to diversity and inclusiveness, and this is demonstrated through one of our affinity groups, the Women’s Initiatives Network (WIN). The mission of WIN is to act as a global resource for the professional development and advancement of women at The Bank of New York Mellon.  I am a member of the Steering Committee and work with the most senior women across the Company to advance WIN’s mission and objectives.  WIN also has a strong mentoring program, and I was fortunate enough to participate in that program last year – with the most senior ranking woman in the Company (and one of US Banker’s 25 Most Powerful Women in Banking) as my mentor.”

Born in Mumbai, but moved to the U.S.A. at the age of five, Priya Nagrani stumbled into a career in finance. She studied international economics, political science and history at two prestigious Ivy League universities – earning a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and a graduate degree from Columbia University.  

After college, she was recruited by JP Morgan and after graduate school by The Bank of New York Mellon.

She is now a Vice President within The Bank of New York Mellon’s Strategy, Development and Investment group, a part of the Company’s Financial Markets & Treasury Services sector.

Along the way up the Company’s corporate ladder, she has acquired experience in varied areas: evaluation of potential mergers and acquisitions, strategic initiatives in the Developing Markets and Risk Management.

Priya Nagrani, Vice President, Strategy, Development and Investment Group, BNY Mellon, gives candid and informative responses to Rachana Mirpuri’s queries at an interview…

To read the complete interviews of the above women, please subscribe to Beyond Sindh Magazine.

Priyanka Gianchandani, born August 23, 1990, is an American-born, Sindhi model whose biggest aspiration is to become a Bollywood actress. Currently she is a student at Rutgers University, one of the most Desi-populated colleges on the East Coast and is a Biochemistry/Pre-Med major with a minor in Theatre Arts.

Gianchandani was born to Deepak and Sunita Gianchandani. Her father, Deepak, works in Computer Sales, while her mother, Sunita, is a well-respected immigration lawyer. Gianchandani also has a younger sister, Madhuri, who’s an aspiring model as well.

Gianchandani graduated South Brunswick High School in June of 2008 and it was during her time in high school that Gianchandani realized that the fashion industry was something she wanted to become part of and that modeling was her way of attaining this success. She signed to the Barbizon Modeling School, which was founded on 5^th Avenue, the home of Fashion, in New York City. Over the years, they helped Gianchandani to mature as a runway model; she has attained training of the highest quality in the areas of modeling and personal development, which set her apart from other Indian models in America.

However, the most amazing fact about Gianchandani’s career as a model is that throughout the entire process she’s able to embrace both her American, as well as, Indian culture – never forgetting her roots and where she’s come from. In between preparing for a runway show for New York & Company, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Priyanka about balancing college and a modeling career, her Bollywood dreams, and much more!

Tirusha: For those unfamiliar with whom you are and what you do, give us a quick one-liner?

Priyanka: I am a petite runway model, and I’ve done shows for New York & Company, Gap, Cashè, Banana Republic, and others.

How long have you been modeling?

I started my freshman year of high school (2004), so it has been 4 years.

How supportive has your family been throughout your modeling career?

My family has been highly supportive. If they felt there were other opportunities I was able to get, they would be the first to take me there and to encourage me to do it. Four years ago, I was only 14 years old and to be in a magazine or to do a photo shoot, I needed parental consent. However, because I was young, my parents felt that they did not want me to do print shoots just yet and I understood that. Only they would know what is best for me. Now that I am 18, they are considering that I could do print work. I understand their perspective, and they know how passionate I am towards modeling; we make sure we come to an agreeable conclusion.

When you first started modeling, were you excited to go and tell everyone you knew?

No. I did not want to tell a lot of people about my modeling career when I first started, because I am a strong believer in the “evil-eye” casting. I wanted to have a successful start with more opportunities, and then be able to say, “I am a model.” I felt I could tell people once I knew it would be successful for me, and that this was what I truly wanted to do.

When did you get your first “break”?

I will always remember this date: It was in October of 2004. It was my first show and I walked for Banana Republic.

Wow! That’s amazing! How did you link up with Banana Republic? Were you nervous about the show?

I work with Barbizon Modeling Agency, and they told me about this event. My first show was so amazing, and it was then that I knew I belonged in the industry. I was pretty confident that I would be able to go on stage and show off the outfit. I feel very strong that as a model, since it is more about the clothes than me physically. I knew I would do fine, because I have been dancing for five years and am quite used to being on stage. I mean, of course I was nervous in general (since it was my first time walking the runway), but I was truly excited, because I wanted to show off the outfit I was wearing in front of the audience.

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An Interview with Amisha Patel

by Rachana Mirpuri

On Christmas Day, my sister Sunita and I were waiting outside the auditorium at the Bollywood show “Chandni Chowk to Hong Kong” when a big burly security guard dressed in black and wearing a stern expression on his face motioned towards us.

“Amisha Patel is still getting dressed but you can go in and wait outside her dressing room,” he instructed.

He roped us in and we walked in until we came to a big empty space flanked by the stage and a series of make-shift rooms with thin wood boards constructed in between and separate doors to ensure privacy. Signs with names were tacked on each door to signify its guest – Vyas Brothers, Riya Sen, Bipasha Basu, Aarti Chabbaria, Amisha Patel, Akshay Kumar, Priyanka Chopra, Himesh Reshamiya and several others.

As we waited, making conversation with the Vyas Brothers, loud music from the auditorium indicated the start of the show and we could hear Sajed Khan’s voice carrying backstage as he opened with a few jokes. Riya Sen came out of her room, visibly nervous and fully donned in a beautiful black show costume. After horsing around and laughing with her friend, she started rehearsing her dance routine to make sure her steps were not forgotten. Aarti Chabbaria got dressed and came out in a glittery miniskirt and velvet blouse outfit and joined a small group of event volunteers to watch the ongoing show on the TV they had backstage for us. Meanwhile Akshay Kumar, deep in conversation on his cell phone, walked around until he ended up standing with us (or rather, towering over us) and pocketed his phone. After my sister and I casually took a couple pictures with the celebrities acting like it’s a normal thing we do every day, the door to Amisha Patel’s room opened and her make-up artist waved us in to interview this beautiful and talented half-Sindhi Bollywood actress.

She’s a fusion of some of India’s best – her mother’s a Sindhi, her father’s a Gujrati and her grandmother, who she loves to visit regularly in Pune, is Maharashtrian. Born on June 9, 1976 in Bombay, India, Amisha is the granddaughter of Indian freedom fighter Rajni Patel. She attended John Connon High School in Bombay as an outstanding student and proceeded to study economics at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. After graduating from the school in 1997 with distinction, her outstanding qualifications led her job-searching to be a walk in the park – she was offered a job and worked at Morgan Stanley, one of the world’s largest investment banks, for a while before she flew back to Mumbai to explore her creative side. “If I wasn’t an actress, I’d be a boring investment banker, probably married with two kids by now,” Amisha laughed.

Upon arriving in Mumbai, she had the urge to join a local theater troupe to indulge her creative side. Even though she was having a great time acting, she never considered making it a career until Rakesh Roshan, a prominent Bollywood producer and a dear family friend, approached her in 2000 for a role in his new movie. Rakesh wanted Amisha to star opposite his son Hrithik Roshan in a film that would introduce them both to the industry and she unhesitatingly agreed. That film, Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai, went on to become a successful hit and since then Amisha has had nowhere to go but up with new movie deals.

She was being signed for starring roles in movies such as Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, Badri, Yeh Zindagi Ka Safar, Kranti, Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai, Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Humraaz among several others.  “All of the movies that I’ve worked on have been really close to me – I’ve learned and grown from each of them.  Humraaz was very special to me as it was the first time I played a negative character. My latest film, Thora Pyar Thora Magic was also a very different character.  I loved doing Honeymoon because playing a dimwit, and doing it convincingly, is quite a challenge. As for Gadar, that took a lot of study.” Her studying, hard work and dedication paid off – most of her movies have turned into big hits.

Not only did Amisha find herself…

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He can carry a conversation solely in numbers with his wife, especially when they’re in public and don’t want people to understand. He can memorize a 400-digit binary number and entirely recall it, forwards and backwards. He can even solve a Rubik’s cube in less than 90 seconds, and memorize the sequence of a deck of playing cards. The best part is, with his techniques and training, anyone can have an amazing memory too.  Meet Singapore-based Nishant Kasibhatla – proud holder of official title “Grand Master of Memory”.

It was in the year of 1996 when Nishant‘s father came home and showed him and his younger brother Anand a very interesting memory demonstration. He impressed his sons by memorizing a list of 30 words in a very short time. His father then taught them a few simple techniques (which he had read in a book) and after studying and practicing memory techniques, the Kasibhatla sons became proficient and started entering competitions.

More successful, Nishant was the first Indian to compete in the 1999 World Memory Championships (WMC) held in London. He holds Indian records for having memorized a 1,944-digit number and a 705-digit binary code. In addition, he received the honor of holding a World Record for his forwards and backwards recall of a 400-digit binary number in addition to memorizing random words, poems, and so on. The highlight, though, is when Nishant was awarded the lifetime title “Grand Master of Memory” in 2003 by Tony Buzan, the inventor of “Mind Maps” and organizer of the WMC. This honor was given for memorizing the sequence of eight decks of playing cards in sixty minutes; remembering a number consisting of 800 digits in an hour; and narrating the sequence of a single deck in one minute, 51 seconds.

On a recent trip to Hong Kong with his wife Rakhi, Nishant Kasibhatla caught up with Rachana Mirpuri and discussed memory techniques, his training workshops and his goals for the future.

BSM: How did you train yourself and how long did it take to develop your skill?

NK: I trained myself by using the techniques of visualization and association. These are essential skills to train ones memory. As mentioned, it only took me a couple of days to start seeing positive difference in the way I memorised information. However, it took me more than 3 years to get my “Grand Master of Memory” title.

BSM: What practical applications does this have?

NK: To be able to remember things for a long time is an asset for people from all walks of life. A student can remember his text books. Many students who have learnt these techniques from me have topped their schools.

A businessman can remember the names and faces of his clients and also important statistical data. Others can save a lot of time and energy by remembering where they placed their belongings (like mobile phone, watch, wallet, documents etc).

The ability to remember better also helps companies. I have conducted several training programs for corporate houses. After the training, the participants improved their memory phenomenally in areas such as remembering names and faces, speeches and presentations, statistical data, key business facts, product details, rules, procedures, policies etc. As you can see, this helps them to save time and improve their productivity.

BSM: How do you upload so much memory in such a short time?

NK: Research indicates that the human brain has an unlimited capacity to memorise information.  By trying to understand how the human brain works and how it stores information…

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by Rachana Mirpuri

Main Entry: hap·pi·ness

Pronunciation: ˈha-pē-nəs

Function: noun

Date: 15th century

1] obsolete : good fortune : prosperity

2] a: a state of well-being and contentment : joy. b: a pleasurable or satisfying experience

3] felicity , aptness

With all the differences in age, race and personality, what is the one common thread between every human being in this world? We all want to be happy. ‘Happiness’ is mostly classified as an emotion: pleasurable feelings from nurturing relationships; partaking in activities we enjoy; feelings of contentment with our past & present and so on. However, in the olden ages philosophers and religious thinkers had often termed ‘happiness’ to describe one’s quality of life. Aristotle, a renowned philosopher, viewed ‘happiness’ as a result of living one’s life virtuously through activities rather than simply a ‘feeling’ – this was also used to translate the Greek term of ‘Eudaimonia’.

Whether it’s a state of being or a feeling, people the world over have been in pursuit of happiness since the beginning of time. Today there are Happiness clubs where members meet up on a regular basis and learn techniques to help them – its popularity have increased in the past several years, having been opened and maintained in cities from Los Angeles to Dubai. The very first Happiness Club, founded by Lionel Ketchian, was created in January 2000 in a small town called Fairfield in Connecticut after Lionel had given a class at a University focusing on acquired happiness skills. When the class graduated, they wanted to continue the meetings to keep up the effective practice of happiness skills and so the trend started.

The Fairfield club continued to meet once a month since that date, and the word spread across the USA and the world through social networking sites, news releases and so on. Currently there are 38 Happiness clubs around the world with six in countries outside of the States – they are started by ambassadors of happiness; people who are motivated and committed to connecting with others and helping them lead better, happier lives.

One such ambassador is BSM’s very own – Dina Sabnani, who just started the Happiness Club of Dubai.

Having grown up in Hong Kong, she was constantly surrounded by people as a part of a very close-knit Sindhi community. Her father, who passed away several years ago, was the local head speaker of a spiritual group called Nirankhar that met every week at her house, enveloping Dina in a positive cocoon she learned to thrive in.  After graduating from college in the States, she went on to work in the corporate world in New York, Hong Kong, and Dubai where she always felt something was missing… it wasn’t enough for her.

While surfing on Facebook one day, Dina randomly got in touch with Eva Gregory, a Law of Attraction coach in the States. Eva was part of a group of people who were working on making ‘International Happiness Day’ on July 10 an official day, and her mission just clicked with Dina. One thing led to another and soon enough, Dina quit her job as a marketing director, became a prosperity consultant, and found herself in front of a group of 40-50 people in Zen restaurant in Dubai, presiding over the new Happiness Club of the U.A.E.

BSM: What is the Happiness Club and how did you first hear of it?

DS: On the Happiness Club website, it describes itself as “an organization with the mission to promote the benefits of being happy through meetings, newsletters, and an informative web site – to the people in a community, and around the world.” I had heard about it on Facebook as I was connecting to different people.

BSM:  What inspired or enabled you to start the first ever Happiness Club in Dubai and become its ambassador?

DS: It’s quite an interesting story actually, about how the Universe works when you’re in alignment with your energy.  I connected to…

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In Manila a woman runs out of the house, shouting at the helper because she is stressed and late for a baby shower. When she comes home later, her husband will be out watching the soccer game with his pals and her sons will be playing X-Box live. Instead of spending time, she will go into her bedroom to watch downloaded American TV shows.  In Dubai a man will come home at 10 pm, relentlessly stressed about the money he has lost due to global recession. Instead of releasing that tension by being in the moment and connecting with his wife and daughters before they sleep, he will bury himself in his files and sit in front of his laptop instead.

Let’s face it – we are in real danger of losing that soul connection with our families, our neighbors and our friends. The advances in technology have been paradoxical – it has made communication easier, yet harder too.  These days you meet more people with their walls up than those with their hearts open. Adults are caught up in the rat race of money-making; glued to their Blackberries, they don’t have time for fun. Teenagers distract themselves with a number of entertainment options – Xbox 460, Archos mp4 players, DS-Lites, and the Internet. Life was simpler when we were young; hanging out in the gardens with our neighbors, climbing trees, playing games and giggling until the sun set. Our imaginations were vivid and interminable – it didn’t matter if we were Superman or a teacher, we just knew how to have fun with each other. We spent quality time with our parents and siblings, listening to their stories and laughing.

Bottom line is – are the good times and laughter with your loved ones, or the service you give to those who needs you, occurring often enough so that you won’t regret when it’s too late?  This is what Anand Chulani is trying to prevent.

“People killing, people dying, children hurt, you hear them crying, do you practice what you preach, would you turn the other cheek? Father, father, father help us, send some guidance from above…”

The band croons out the lyrics and bangs on the drums to Black Eyed Peas’ most popular song and Anand sings along passionately, dancing as if no one is watching. He knows he’s rhythmically-challenged but that doesn’t matter; to have a live music experience, being in the moment, bonding with those around him is one of his favorite ways to pass time. We sat down to begin our interview and within a few minutes, we were laughing. I’m not one to open up or let down my guard easily especially when meeting a person for the first time, but he deducted what my heart was about and got through. Generating laughter with people is his talent; creating that connection with us is his gift.

As a long-time successful standup comedian, a comedy sitcom writer in LA and a certified Anthony Robbins life coach, nobody else would have had the qualifications that Anand did to become the founding director of Laugh Out Loud (LOL) – Embracing the Power of Laughter. He has been hard at work touring schools and companies in major US cities and overseas to introduce the LOL method, teaching children and adults alike to make laughter their way of life. “When kids meet people now, the biggest fear is what others will think of them. But if you can learn to laugh at yourself, then who cares?”

The reason Anand is motivated to work with children – believing in their hearts, intelligence and creativity – and having a real desire of bringing out the best in them, stems from an experience he had in boarding school in England. He was just 12 years old when his teachers and peers voted him the least likely to succeed. Imagine that! Because of that environment, it was no wonder Anand found himself in the lowest classes, the lowest divisions, and was rejected from every university in England. But luckily, because he persevered, he got accepted at Georgetown University and graduated with honors four years later with a double degree in History & English. This time, he was voted one of the 15 Most Prominent students at his University. “It’s not like I suddenly got more brain cells; I thrived in an environment that brought out the best in me. So I want to do the same for the kids I come across.”

Anand and his brother spent most of their lives in boarding school in England as their father worked in Africa and their mother went back and forth. He spent a couple years in Hong Kong when he was very young and has continued to visit his grandmother and cousins over the years. “I’ve always had a soft spot for Hong Kong, there’s something about the people here and the city itself that makes me feel like home. I do stand-up here sometimes too.”

I had attended his standup show recently in Hong Kong at the Take Out comedy which I have to say was a success; Anand had the audience rolling in laughter from the moment he entered, donned in a pink pashmina shawl and gyrating his hips to ‘Chaiya Chaiya’, to the very end when he poked good-natured fun at an American heckler, calling him ‘Uncle’.  He has trained in comedy improvisation at the Groundlings in LA and Second City in Chicago, and opened for famous comedians Tom Jones, Martin Lawrence, Russell Peters and Borat.

In addition, this versatile persona’s list of accomplishments as a writer runs long – he has written for sitcoms on BBC such as Goodness Gracious Me, The Kumars at 42, the Simpsons and was the first Indian to write for an American TV show on FOX called ‘Life on a Stick’. It was an entertaining show with good ratings but it got canceled after one season much to Anand’s disappointment.

But they say things happen for the best, that God works in mysterious ways. When one door closes, another one opens. Lucky for Anand, and all these people he would soon reach out to, he opened himself to what the Universe would bring next for him. Here is when the story of his empowering role in the ingenious conception of Laugh Out Loud begins…

To read more of this article in print, please subscribe to Beyond Sindh magazine

You can read more about Laugh Out Loud at www.lolworld.net

By Amit Jethani

Though only  in her twenties, Meena Makhijani is a world-class, all-rounder Sindhi chica. She has studied Bharata Natyam dance as well as drums, piano, violin and drums. She plays the tabla for the Asian Crisis band in America, and has studied under the legendary Zakir Hussain. Born and raised in New York and California where she attended UC Berkeley College, she’s the daughter of Nalini and Suresh Makhijani and has two younger brothers, Vikram and Sanjay. She worked as an engineer in Silicon Valley for a few years before ending  up as a third-year student in medical school in Miami. Meena’s interests lies in music, dance, spending time with family and friends, Sindhi culture, travel, human rights and poverty.

Our music columnist Amit Jethani stepped down from his turntable and headphones long enough to interview Meena Makhijani for readers of Beyond Sindh magazine.

Since I was born, music has been part of my life. I had an innate love of drums and percussion – I just really connect with them. I played drums in every band and ensemble my school offered, and I even played snare drum on the drumline of the UC Berkeley marching band. In high school though, I realized what an amazing instrument the tabla is so when I tried my hand at it, I fell in love with it.

My first teacher was my father, Suresh Makhijani, who is an incredible musician . He was a child prodigy, has trained extensively since childhood, and used to sing on All-India Radio. In 2001, my father was commissioned by the organizers of the Los Angeles Sindhi Samellan to write a Sindhi National Anthem. A poet wrote the lyrics, and my dad composed the song, sang it, and recorded it on CD. He then performed its world premiere at the Samellan and the Anthem, “Sindh Ke Salaam,” has been sung at the Samellans ever since. Though he is primarily a vocalist, he can play any and every instrument, including tabla. Eventually he said it was time for me to go on to another teacher. At that point, I went on to learn from Ustad Zakir Hussain, recognized as the greatest tabla player in the world, and I have studied under him for years. I also spent quite some time studying tabla in India at Zakirji’s legendary father’s school, the Ustad Allarakah Institute of Music in Bombay.

When I was six years old, my parents put me in Bharata Natyam (South Indian Classical dance) classes. I hated it. I think they just wanted to make sure I had something Indian in my life so I wouldn’t lose it and become just another bratty American kid. I continued dancing until I moved away for college. However, in my second year, I began to miss it and finally understood the immense beauty behind the dance form. I started out as a back-up dancer with my original teacher, Katherine Kunhiraman. She had trained in Madras at the premier institute of Bharata Natyam, Kalakshetra, where my aunt Pushpa (Makhijani) Shankar was one of the original teachers there and is one of the finest Bharata Natyam dancers today. Very few Sindhis continue studying and performing Bharata Natyam, so it’s great to count her as our own. Not long after I re-started grueling training, I had my Arangetram (solo dance debut) which was a big deal! It is like the graduation of Bharata Natyam, and if one continues dancing after that, they are considered a professional. I’ve continued to dance, and find that I appreciate it more and more with time. I was also invited to perform Bharata Natyam at the Sindhi Samellan in Los Angeles. I opened with an invocation piece, and on second day, I did a piece that my teacher choreographed for me in the style of Bharata Natyam, while for music my dad sang a Sindhi song live.

Unbelievable! It’s the most incredible honor for me to be able to learn from him. I sometimes get terribly intimidated because his skill is really beyond comprehension. He is so laid back though. He has such an amazing personality which puts people at ease. I would highly recommend everyone seeing him perform at least once – it’s truly magical.

I’ve been with the band since 1999 and it is one of the most important things in my life. I love being part of it. The band was formed to create a voice for Asian Americans. Here in the U.S., there is barely any music or much noted expression representing Asian Americans. This is our attempt at expressing our unique experiences as people descending from Asia, yet Americans. We have a political bent to our work too.

My bandmates are guys of Filipino, Japanese, Chinese, Korean descent, and all of them are accomplished musicians who have studied traditional music in their respective countries of origin. The founding members had this vision of what they wanted to accomplish, started jamming, and so the band was born out of Oakland, California. A year after they started it, they wanted to add tabla to their sound. They heard about me and asked me to join them, and I’ve been so happy since.

Many of the pieces on this CD existed, at least in a skeletal form by the time I joined the band. Once I joined, I sat down and fit myself into the songs, trying to enhance them, rather than change the flavor of the piece. Certain songs were still unfinished, so I would offer input on how to shape them. We try writing in different rhythmic cycles such as 5 or 7 beat patterns, rather than just the standard 4 that most Western music is in. I was credited with co-writing one of the songs in which tabla is more prominent. All our pieces are completely team efforts. It’s interesting to bring all these instruments together because most of them traditionally would never be found on the same stage. We also have Korean percussion, and Japanese Taiko. Since we are jazz-based, there is a lot of fluidity to our pieces, and the same number will never be the same from one performance to the next. This makes it a continually evolving creative process, so it’s always a good challenge.  My favorite tracks are Spiritual; Ditagaonan, with a Southern Philippines feel; and Shimauta, based on a Japanese theme.  Some of our newer pieces, not on the CD include Thai and Lao melodies, and a Karnatic (South Indian) based piece I came up with. I am working on a Sindhi-flavored piece, so stay tuned for that!

I just finished working with one of my favorite artists. I was in Puerto Rico because I was asked to record tabla with Deevani’s new album. She is known for her song “Mirame” with Daddy Yankee – the reggaeton hit in Hindi and Spanish. I’m a big fan of hers so it was a thrill for me to get to work with her. The tracks will be produced by Luny Tunes – the biggest producers in Reggaeton. Some of my tracks will also be used for the upcoming Bhangraton album, produced by Luny Tunes, and featuring Jay Sean and Juggy D.

Since I listen to so many different genres, I really enjoy collaborating with people from across the board. I’ve worked with Karmacy (hip hop), the Pakistani rocker Tee-M, and this weekend will be performing with an American kirtan singer. Cheb i Sabbah, the world-renowned DJ/producer, had asked me to perform with him last year at a YSA retreat so that was a great chance for me to play with someone I had admired for so long, as well as to play for my Sindhi bhaure ann bhenuroon.

We’re Amil (Sindhi), so education was emphasized beyond all else when I was growing up. Since I was young I’ve wanted to go into medicine. Along the way I become really interested in math, physics, how things work, so I decided to study engineering in college. I always planned to continue on to medicine, but thought I’d take an alternate route. So I worked as a design engineer in medical devices for a few years, and did my thing with that. Then I spent a few months in India doing volunteer work, studying tabla, and yoga. Then I came to medical school.

I’m fascinated by Indian culture, in addition to the distinct Sindhi interest. I have always read on my own about religion, philosophy, language origin, art, history, literature. Minoring in South Asian Studies was a great way to tie all of this together.

My parents are incredibly supportive, and I’m so thankful for that. In terms of music, they encouraged it as a hobby when I was young. Later when they saw how serious I was getting about it, they were worried that it would interfere with my school work, so they tried to get me to limit my involvement. I could not keep away from it though, so they tried to understand. I know when I first picked up drums my mom asked me to switch to a “nicer instrument for girls, like the flute.” She never was able to convince me so my parents finally did buy me a drum set! Now they are my biggest fans. They come to most of my bands’ shows, and are right in the front row, and my dad always has his video camera going.

My father studied engineering, but when I decided to go into it, he encouraged me to look into something else since he felt the field was not the same as it used to be. He is really proud that I went ahead with it, that I’m the first female engineer in our family full of engineers, and that I graduated from one of the top engineering programs.

The reason I went into medicine is so that I could work for the less fortunate. I plan to work in impoverished areas in the US and abroad, and have done volunteer work in India and Jamaica in line with that. Even though my parents did not understand why I wanted to leave my comfortable lifestyle as an engineer, to go back to being a student for years to come; they understand my reasoning behind it, and therefore respect it.

I’ve always been intrigued by Sindhi heritage. I read as much as I can on it. Partition is what I think about most. I find the whole thing so horrific and mind-boggling, and have so much admiration for all of our elders who lived it and emerged so strong. Being Sindhi evokes a huge sense of pride for me. My parents tell me that when I was a very little chokri, I used to go around introducing myself as “Meena Makhijani Sindhi!” So the ties are strong.

My love for everything Sindhi allowed me and my brothers to convince our parents to take a family trip to Sindh some years ago. I was dying to see our homeland.  We went to Karachi; Hyderabad, where my family is originally from; and Mohenjodaro. An account of that trip could be its own article!

Ma Sindhi samji sanghanthi, para galan mein mukhe thori eindee ahe. I really regret that I’m not fluent. It’s such a lovely language, and so important for us. Most of the American-born and even Indian-born Sindhis that I know, cannot speak Sindhi. Dada Vaswani says that speaking Sindhi is the most crucial aspect to survival of our culture. I really hope that I will keep learning it, and that our generation will be able to pass it on to future ones.

In college at UC Berkeley, along with another classmate, I coordinated a Sindhi dance for the massive, very well-reputed annual Indian Cultural show. I thought it would be a great forum to put something Sindhi out there, since it had never been done before, and sadly, so many Indian people have no clue what Sindhi means, or where we originate from. The dance had a terrific response, and definitely increased awareness. Now don’t ask me what Sindhi dance is (besides “chejj”). Our point was to represent (even if we had to do some fabricating of dance steps).

I actually think about that issue a lot. I think this current generation is going to play a huge role in determining that, as in our lifetime we will lose anyone who actually came from Sindh. However, I definitely have hope for our future. As Sindhis have shown through time, we are able to migrate across the globe, study, trade, etc with the locals, in the local language, in the local manner, yet never blend to the point of losing our identity. This is incredible, and if it has sustained us for so long, I don’t see why it should fail us now.

We do have to make a conscious effort to maintain our heritage and connection. Certain avenues like Beyond Sindh Magazine and YSA are doing a terrific job of furthering this. Also the whole Sadhu Vaswani Mission and following is a large force that I think will really help to preserve a connection for us.

That is so unfortunate if parents or spouses squelch women’s ambition. It is a tough situation though because I’m sure our parents have hopes for how our lives will be, and we may not want to disappoint them by following the path we envision. Since our parents have worked so hard for our benefit though, I think they ultimately just want us to be happy. True happiness will follow from knowing we did our best to follow our dreams, whatever those may be, and how much of an “alternate” path they may be on. Even if at first it is difficult for our parents to understand, in the end hopefully they will come around. If that still doesn’t work, their parents can call my parents! All I can say is one should never give up on her goals. I know that’s easier said than done though.

In terms of marriage, I hope people don’t rush into it just because society dictates it. So many people get married young, and then feel trapped and robbed of opportunities they could have had. I think it’s better to take your time, develop yourself, and then go into marriage whenever you are really ready for it, whether that is when one is young or a little older.

Just from my personal experience, my parents did not always see eye-to-eye with me on my ambitions. I persevered, and kept trying to convince them to see my side, while respecting them. I would have always regretted if I had not gone after what I dreamt of. Even now they sometimes worry if I’m studying enough while flying here and there to play music. However, I have been able to prove to them that I can balance all of my interests, and now they are proud of what I’m doing.