November 18, 2022

photo: Jon and Noreen in the Thar Desert

Looks like we were beaten to the Thar Desert by one of our very own flock, Dr. Jon B. Wang. Jon was kind enough to send us this picture of himself with his wife Noreen. For our newer flockers who are unaware that Jon was featured, please see below to catch up on where we've been.

We featured Dr. Jon B. Wang as our local spotlight in our June 23, 2022 and July 1, 2022 newsletters.

I've been the queen of national parks for a long time. In the 70's I did a camping tour of the national parks here in the USA. Now, each time I travel to a new land, I try to visit their parks. When I can't go, I still try to visit them online. We plan to continue to reach high in both hemispheres and explore the flora, fauna and views that come with high altitudes. In future issues, we'll look at snow leopards, blue sheep, the Andean bear and the other denizens of the high Mountains.

From: Exodus Travels

The national parks of India are treasure troves for nature lovers, containing a wide range of geographical and climatic diversity. Within India’s boundaries you can find the soaring Himalayan mountain range, the lush rainforests of the Western Ghats, the arid Thar Desert, and 4,600 miles of coastline. Though the forest cover in India is only at about 22%, the subcontinent is home to about 10% of the world’s species.

This is a preview of Tucson’s very own high priestess of Indian Fashion. We’ll be hearing more from Neelam next week in our final November tribute to India.

From: Caleidoscope, By: Rupsha Sen

In many aspects, India is all about different cultures, such as climate, people, rituals and, of course, attire! People sew, embroider or embellish it in various designs so that it looks unique, charming and individual to itself, expressing the areas it belongs to. India’s costumes vary from one location to another and depend on many ethnic, geographical, climatic and cultural influences. Let’s take a look at some of the amazing traditional dresses of India.

From: India TV, By: Lifestyle Desk, December 16, 2019

The apparel industry in India is booming at the moment courtesy the stunning outfits designed by the industry's best designers and celebrities sporting them. Designers are the ones who dictate the who's and whereabouts of Bollywood's glamour and what is going to in trend. From veterans like Ritu Kumar to the gen-next designers like Masaba, the Indian design scene is growing at an enormous rate and will soon be in sync with the best in the game.

Craig Lovell

As you know India is a land of many religions. The most prominent of those is Hinduism. Meditation and introspection encourage acceptance and tolerance and Hinduism is known for its tolerance.

From: History.com, By: Editors, Septermber 30, 2019

Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India. Because the religion has no specific founder, it’s difficult to trace its origins and history. Hinduism is unique in that it’s not a single religion but a compilation of many traditions and philosophies.

From: Detechter, By: Surabhi Kandpal

Compared to other religions across the world, Hinduism is said to be the most tolerant one. The trademark of Hinduism is "Tolerance in abundance". It's because Hinduism preaches "acceptance of all faiths". There will only be intolerance if there is a conflict in views. Hindus are known to be the follower of Sanatana-dharma. Sanatana refers to "Eternal moral order" while Dharma refers to "righteousness". So confiding to Sanatana dharma will take one to "eternal bliss and the right path to self-realization."

Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in Guwahati, India, on Nov. 13, 2018. (Biju Boro/AFP/Getty Images)

From: Pew Research Center, By: Stephanie Kramer, September 21, 2021

Religious pluralism has long been a core value in India, which has a large majority of Hindus and smaller shares of Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and other groups. In recent years, the size of these communities and their future growth have been topics of great interest to the Indian public.

The to die for professional sport in India is Cricket. The sport has become more popular in India than anywhere else in the world. Anyone who had high aspirations as a kid can relate to this authors story. You may not want to miss this one as you pick and choose which links to follow.

From: Playo, By: Sheryl Thomas, November 3, 2017

I would be blatantly lying if I were to deny the fact that I never ever dreamt of being a Cricketer some day. It is just in the blood of every Indian, am I right? I could be even wrong but most of us would have gone through this phase where the first gift we ever wanted was a cricket bat and we wanted to have our own team to play evening-gully cricket every day. That was one activity that kept every child going and almost all gullies, streets and grounds would be occupied by kids trying to play Cricket. This is just a common sight in India.

From: Culture Trip, By: Richa Jain, April 20, 2018

Like the culture and traditions of India, the system of education also has a rich history of its own. Majorly influenced by the Hindu religion, the knowledge acquired by people of ancient times was passed on from one generation to another and is reflected even in the teachings of today. Here’s a brief take on what the system of education was like during the early days of the Indian civilization.

Spice options are generally shared amongst the religious peoples of India. Of course, different groups and regions have their own preferences and spice names. The link below will help you to follow regional recipes, where the names used may be less familiar than the actual spices.

From: Dassana's Veg Recipes, By: Dassana Amit, June 13, 2021

Spices are the backbone of Indian cuisine. Indian food relies on the addition of a few spices or many spices. These are added sparingly to the food while cooking. Below you will find a list or glossary of spices with their English names and in some more Indian languages.

Pumpkin biryani by Anupy Singla.Photo by Luna Light Media

From: NBC News, By: Lakshmi Gandhi, November 16, 2017

Because Thanksgiving is often regarded as the quintessential American holiday, the celebration's traditional fare has sometimes been a struggle for first and second generation cooks unfamiliar with turkey, cranberries, or the intricacies of stuffing.

From: Simmer to Slimmer, By: Anushree Shetty, April 22, 2022

Looking for something new to make this Thanksgiving? Try this interesting mix of South – Asian Inspired dishes as well as some classics for your dinner this year.

From: Nish Kitchen

Indian spiced turkey. Bring an instant wow to your Thanksgiving table with this Indian inspired roast turkey recipe. A perfect balance of aromatic spices, beautiful citrus and rosemary transforms your favorite holiday roast into a delicious centerpiece.

Indian Spiced Turkey

The wandering Beth made a trip to Vermont this last week and was able to re-connect with longtime friend and prolific writer Tania Aebi. At a young age this adventurer heard the sea calling and her heart telling her to go explore! That set her off to became the youngest woman to sail around the world alone.

From: Discover Boating, By: Tania Aebi

At 21, she was the youngest woman to sail around the world alone, and her inspirational book about this odyssey, Maiden Voyage — co-authored with BoatU.S. consulting editor Bernadette Bernon — went on to become an international best-seller, and selected in 1990 as a “Best Book For Young Adults” by the American Library Association.

Now, more than 20 years later, living in Vermont, Tania Aebi is a divorced mother of two teenagers, hoping to give her boys a taste of something other than the video-games and paint-ball sessions that were their favorite pastimes. So the trio set sail for a year – the boys a little shell-shocked at first -- and made it all the way to the South Pacific together. The one-year adventure was an extraordinary challenge and responsibility for this mother, and the course was sometimes boisterous, but in the end she gave her kids precious gifts – family time together, a world view, and a sense of responsibility.

Tania Aebi, solo sailor, storyteller, inspirational speaker

The Young Concert Artists final auditions were held on November 13. Please note the talented winners below.

Congratulations these four exceptional artists who will join the YCA roster!

Erin Wagner, mezzo-soprano

Joseph Parrish, bass-baritone

Chaeyoung Park, piano

Chelsea Guo, soprano & piano

With gratitude we show recognition, acknowledgement, and appreciation. It's simple to do - just say thank you.

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

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