MEHFIL

MEHFIL 

The magazine for today’s Indo-Canadian 

September/October 2009 $4.95 

INSIDE 

Whitecaps’ Bob 

Lenarduzzi 

Beyond the 

Beautiful Game 

Campus Talk 

by Students 

for Students 

Dynamic Duo 

Gurnam & 

Harminder 

Sanghera 

Perspective: 

Weddings 

More Bling 

than Bliss? 

www.mehfilmagazine.com 

Mind Power 

Tulshi Sen 

Reveals Ancient 

Success Secrets 

Diwali 

Celebrating 

the Festival 

of Lights 

Brewing 

Success 

Manjit 

Minhas 

The Building of 

a Beer Brand

Aap deewaney 

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Mehfil 

D e pa r t m e n t s 

8 

10 

12 

16 

78 

4 Mehfil September/October 2009 

COVER STORY 

Manjit Minhas. .............38 

The daughter of liquor-store owners, Manjit Minhas has always 

had a knack for the beverage business. She began honing her 

entrepreneurial skills early, trouncing the neighbourhood 

competition with her lemonade stand when she was a kid. Today, 

along with her brother and business partner Ravinder, she owns 

Minhas Craft Brewery, which does about $100 million in business 

annually and employs a staff of 200 worldwide. She tells the tale of 

their business trajectory in a book called Brewing Up a Damn Good 

Story — and so it is. 

Features 

Tulshi Sen............... 28 

Motivational author and speaker Tulshi Sen 

says you can change your life by changing 

your thoughts. It’s not a new idea — 

many books on the subject have become 

bestsellers — but the trick is being able to 

master those thoughts consistently, says Sen, 

who shares the “ancient secrets” that are the 

basis of his book and his seminars. 

Celebrating Diwali. ..................... 44 

In addition to joining family and friends for traditional 

celebrations, this year’s options for marking Diwali include a 

day of entertainment by outstanding performers at Vancouver 

Celebrates Diwali’s Diwali Downtown event and VCD’s new 

Moving Landscape, a series of performances by South Asian dance 

companies from across North America. 

Meanwhile, SFU’s second annual Diwali 

Gala will deliver great food and entertainment, 

with proceeds benefiting the university’s 

student programs and partnerships 

with the South Asian community. 

38 

28 

44 

Cover Photo by James Mah 

September/October 2009 

Publishers’ Note.............7 

Guest Column.............. 8 

Stellar Student............ 10 

Power Player. ............ 12 

Campus Talk...............14 

Unsung Hero.............. 16 

Life Lessons ...............18 

Scene & Society. .......... 20 

Fashion. ................ 50 

Beauty ...................58 

Weddings................ 60 

Auto Reviews ..............70 

Local Artist................75 

Reflections............... 78 

Columns 

22 

The Inspired Sufi 

by Azim Jamal 

24 

Politics 

by Andy Radia 

26 

Perspectives 

by Divinder Purewal 

64 

Horoscope 

by Georgia Nicols 

66 

Cuisine 

by Gurj Dhaliwal 

68 

Health & Fitness 

by Shefali Raja 

76 

Movie Reviews 

by Ron Ahluwalia

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Mehfil 

September/October 2009 VOLUME 13 ISSUE 5 

Editor 

Minto Vig 

Contributing Editor 

Hardip Vig 

Contributing Writers 

Robin Roberts, Rajinder Sandhu, 

Azim Jamal, Shefali Raja, 

Georgia Nicols, Gurj Dhaliwal 

Andy Radia, Anita Sangha, 

Alisha Randhawa, Jaspreet Singh Mangat 

Photography, Illustrations 

Ron Sangha, Sunny Photo Images, 

James Mah, Jorge Posada, Chandra Bodalia 

Production & Design 

Spice Graphics 

Sales & Marketing 

Rupa Vig 

Mehfil Magazine is published by 

Mehfil Holdings Inc. 

Publishers 

Rana Vig, Minto Vig 

Mailing Address: 

PO Box 338 - 552A Clarke Road, 

Coquitlam, BC V3J 0A3 

604-588-4660 • Fax 604-588-4665 

http://www.mehfilmagazine.com 

email: info@mehfilmagazine.com 

Mehfil Magazine is published six times a year by Mehfil Holdings 

Inc. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine 

may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. 

Unsolicited editorial material of any kind will not be returned unless 

accompanied by a stamped, addressed envelope. Publisher assumes 

no responsibility for such material. Mehfil is protected through 

trademark registration in Canada. Subscriptions: 6 issues $20.00 

(plus G.S.T.) 12 issues $30.00 (plus G.S.T.). Single copies $4.95 

plus G.S.T. United States subscriptions: 6 issues $45.00 (U.S. Funds, 

G.S.T. included) 12 issues $68.00 (U.S. Funds, G.S.T. included). 

The opinions expressed by writers do not necessarily reflect 

the views of the publisher. Information presented is compiled from 

sources believed to be accurate, however, the publisher assumes no 

responsibility for error or omissions. Publication sales agreement 

number 40822579. 

Printed in Canada. 

Postmaster: if undeliverable please return to 

#338 - 552A Clarke Road, 

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6 Mehfil September/October 2009

Publishers’ Note 

Inspiration comes in many forms. Through the 

stories we share with our readers, we hope that 

Mehfil Magazine is one of them — whether it’s 

inspiring ambitious young people setting career 

goals, entrepreneurs blazing a trail in business or 

industry, or those whose time and talent can make 

a difference to the community. 

Manjit Minhas, the subject of this issue’s 

cover story, was inspired by the example of her 

entrepreneur parents to launch a business of her 

own in the same industry. 

Harminder and Gurnam Sanghera, who are 

this issue’s Unsung Heroes, were inspired by their 

own struggles as new immigrants in England to 

volunteer their time and efforts to improve the lives 

of other immigrants. 

Motivational speaker and author Tulshi Sen, 

who is featured in this issue’s Spotlight, was 

inspired by the teachings of some of the greatest 

philosophers and spiritual masters of the East 

and West to spread the message that any goal is 

attainable if you truly believe it can be attained. 

We asked Sen to share with Mehfil readers several 

of the “ancient secrets” of success that he believes 

have the power to transform people’s lives. 

Also, in this issue, we introduce Campus Talk, 

a new section devoted to information and insights 

from students for students. We invite students to be 

part of the discussion online through our Facebook 

group, Campus Talk on Mehfil Magazine, and at 

www.mehfilmagazine.com. 

As this issue was going to press, we were in the 

midst of preparing for the first annual RBC Mehfil 

Magazine Awards for Excellence Gala to recognize 

individuals from the Indo-Canadian community 

who have made outstanding contributions in 

community service, philanthropy, business, the arts, 

education, technology. 

In the next issue of Mehfil Magazine, we’ll share 

the names of the winners as well as details of what 

promises to be an unforgettable event. 

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Mehfil September/October 2009 7

Guest Column 

by Bob Lenarduzzi 

Beyond the Beautiful Game 

When I made my debut for the 

Vancouver Whitecaps against the 

San Jose Earthquakes at Empire Stadium 

on May 5, 1974, little did I imagine 

where my experiences as a professional 

soccer player and playing for my hometown 

club would take me. 

There have been many great moments 

during my career in Vancouver. Winning 

the 1979 Soccer Bowl championship will 

always be a special memory, while claiming 

four straight Canadian Soccer League 

titles as Vancouver 86ers head coach is 

an achievement that I’m also very proud 

of. Even the recent success of winning 

two United Soccer Leagues First Division 

titles in 2006 and 2008 brought great joy 

to me as Whitecaps president. 

Though striving for success on the 

pitch has always been a passion of mine, 

there have been many things that I have 

taken from my time in professional soccer. 

Like many other professional athletes, 

the benefits of discipline, leadership, and 

teamwork have allowed me to transition 

from a player to roles as both a coach and 

an executive in the game. 

Though I am biased, I believe that 

soccer exceeds all other sports for its global 

popularity and inclusiveness. Soccer 

(or association football, as it is formally 

known) has no real barriers. It is gender 

neutral, requires minimal equipment, 

and can be played in any open space that 

is available. The simplicity of soccer’s 

rules makes it easy for all who play or 

watch from the sidelines to understand. 

It’s no wonder that soccer is the No. 1 

sport in the world. 

My time in professional soccer has 

allowed me to work with and meet some 

great people, both within the game and 

outside of it. One individual that I was 

privileged to meet was former Vancouver 

Canucks general manager Brian Burke. 

Not only has Brian proved to be an astute 

hockey executive, I always admired his 

candidness when he spoke to the media 

and in public. I also admired his commitment 

to the community, as he made 

it a policy at the Canucks to have the 

team reach out to all of its fans across the 


Lower Mainland and British Columbia. 

Being a significant community asset is 

something that we’ve adopted in our 

mission statement at the Whitecaps and 

always look to strive towards with all 

aspects of our programming. 

One of the best aspects of my time 

with the Whitecaps has been meeting 

our many fans over the years. Their 

long-standing support has contributed 

greatly to the success that professional 

soccer has enjoyed in Vancouver. I look 

back to last season and the influence our 

supporters had during our triumphant 

playoff run. The atmosphere at Swangard 

Stadium in the USL-1 Championship 

Final against the Puerto Rico Islanders 

last Thanksgiving was particularly memorable. 

Yet one of the most exciting things 

that I’ve seen is how soccer has allowed 

people of all ages to get involved in the 

sport in various capacities. Each year, 

thousands of kids participate in our many 

community clinics and camps that we 

hold across the province. It is also interesting 

to see the more senior generation 

still playing the game at the “Masters” 

level. Whether a player is three years old 

or over 60 years of age, it’s terrific to think 

that the passion I have for soccer is being 

shared by a wide and varied segment of 

the population. 

What has also been fascinating is 

seeing a wider diversity of people get 

involved in soccer in recent years. Back 

in the North American Soccer League 

days, most of our fans were of European 

descent. Yet, if you attend a Whitecaps 

game these days, you will see people 

from all corners of the globe supporting 

our club and the game. We’ve even 

seen that impact in the number of young 

Indo-Canadians who have been part of 

our club’s programs in the last couple of 

years. For example, Gagandeep Dosanjh, 

Bhupinder (Bobby) Jhutty, and Sahil 

Sandhu have all developed as players in 

our full-time Whitecaps Residency program, 

with Dosanjh and Sandhu recently 

joining German club FC Energie Cottbus 

on loan. Our Whitecaps Prospects men’s 

team includes youngsters Harry Lakhan 

and Avindeep Sidhu, with both players 

having recently represented British 

Columbia at the 2009 Canada Games in 

Prince Edward Island. 

I’ve always been proud of the 

Whitecaps’ efforts to reach out to communities 

like the Indo-Canadian community, 

with whom we have had an active 

engagement for some time. I remember 

the excitement we generated during the 

2005 season when Indian recording artist 

Gurdas Maan performed the ceremonial 

kickoff before a men’s team match, while 

in 2006, the participation of the Indian 

national team in our four-team Whitecaps 

Nations Cup tournament generated the 

greatest support for a visiting team to 

Swangard. Off the pitch, the Whitecaps 

have also been a proud supporter of the 

CORSA Foundation (Central Organizing 

Resource for South Asians). 

This type of inclusiveness is only a 

small part of how soccer has united 

people around the world. For me, soccer 

is the only sport that has proven to 

mend fences between nations and people 

in ways that no other sport has been able 

to achieve. I remember the 1998 FIFA 

World Cup match between Iran and 

the United States in France. Before that 

game, both teams showed their solidarity 

as sportsmen by coming together as one 

group of players for a photo. It was a huge 

symbol of unity between two nations that 

had been at odds with each other on a 

political and diplomatic front for many 

years. 

The Whitecaps remain committed to 

making soccer inclusive for all. It is only 

by being open and inclusive that we will 

attract the best people to the sport and 

ensure that soccer continues to be “the 

Beautiful Game.” p 

Bob Lenarduzzi is the president of the Vancouver 

Whitecaps. He has been inducted into the North 

American Soccer Hall of Fame, the Canadian 

Soccer Hall of Fame, the British Columbian 

Sports Hall of Fame and the United Soccer 

Leagues Hall of Fame. In 2005, he received the 

Order of British Columbia for his contributions 

to the sport of soccer.

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S tellar Student 

Gagandeep Arora 

Age: 18 Hometown: Richmond, B.C. 

Academic awards: UBC President’s 

Entrance Scholarship, St. George’s 

School Diamond Jubilee Award, 

St. George’s School Headmaster’s 

Leadership Award, College Board AP 

Scholar With Honor. 

Area of study: Faculty of Science 

at UBC. 

Volunteer work: World Vision 

30-Hour Famine, St. George’s School 

Hamper Drive, Surrey Vaisakhi Parade. 

Advice for students: Keep your social 

life and school life planned out, know 

when to play and when to study. Having 

a well-organized schedule that dedicates 

enough time towards both will only benefit 

you in the long run. 

Your favourite confidence-building 

tips: Don’t take offence to constructive 

criticism; you don’t have to agree with 

everything others say to you. 

Success strategies: I can’t stress 

enough the importance of organization 

when it comes to school. Not only will it 

help you decide how much time to dedicate 

to school, but it will also prevent 

the build-up of unnecessary stress that 

results from not knowing what’s happening 

in your surroundings. 

How do you de-stress when school 

gets intense? I usually turn to sports 

when I need time to relax and focus on 

something other than academics. I find 

that focusing on something such as 

sports allows me to keep my mind at 

ease so that when I do need to dedicate 

numerous hours to school, it’s not as 

strenuous. 

What do you do in your spare 

time? I like to engage myself in various 

sports, both competitive and recreational, 

to stay active, which I believe is vital 

in maintaining a healthy mind. I particularly 

enjoy playing ball hockey when the 

weather in Vancouver permits it. 

What role has your family played 

in your academic career? My family 

has provided me with the unconditional 

support that I have looked for when 

times have gotten tough at school, 

whether it’s been with exams or busy 

schedules. My dad particularly has been 

a demonstration of hard work and perseverance, 

and I look to him especially 

when times get tough. I believe I am a 

direct product of the amount of time and 

effort that my family has invested in me 

during my academic career. 

A quote that inspires you: “That 

which does not kill us makes us 

stronger.” 

– Friedrich Nietzsche 

Photo by RON SANGHA 


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Power Player 

Sunny Dhinsa 

Age: 16 Hometown: Abbotsford, B.C 

Sport: Wrestling 

Team: Guru Gobind Singh 

Wrestling Club 

When did you become active in 

your sport? I started wrestling at the 

age of six. 

Most memorable accomplishments: 

Getting trained by Amandeep 

Sondhi. Getting nationally ranked 

athlete of the year at my school. 

Representing Team B.C and Team 

Canada. 

Sports career highlights: Winning 

Pan Am Championships; winning 

Canada Cup Jr. International two 

times; Victory Cup International Bronze 

Medalist; two-time National Champion 

and one time out standing wrestler in 

Canada; Canada Games gold medal; 

three-time Western Canada Champion; 

2009 Canada Bal Kesri. 

What do you love most about your 

sport? The fact that it is a one-man 

sport, and if I lose I have no one to 

blame but myself. 

How do you balance your school 

life with your sports life? I consider 

school first then wrestling. When I 

come home from school I finish my 

homework then train for wrestling. 

How has this sport influenced 

your life in other ways? This sport 

has given me a lot of respect in my 

community and in other communities. 

Who do you consider your support 

team outside your sport? 

Boota Singh Dhinsa, my dad and 

coach. Avtar Singh Dhinsa, my uncle 

and coach. Amandeep Sondhi, my 

cousin and trainer. Nav Dulat, my training 

partner. Rashpal K. Dhinsa, my 

mom. 

Advice for aspiring athletes: Keep 

your hopes high and keep your eyes 

on the prize and keep trying hard to 

achieve it. 

Career goals: Representing Canada 

on the international stage. 


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Campus Talk 

Engage 

or be Disengaged 

My first day of classes at UBC was the culmination of years 

of nervous anticipation. I was poised to learn about 

literature and concepts that I felt really mattered. So, when 

I shakily made my way onto the campus that wet fall day, I 

was so concerned with the subject matter of my classes that I 

overestimated my formerly innate ability to walk and read at 

the same time. Walking down a hill, I misjudged the decline 

of the ground and twisted my ankle. Half limping toward the 

door of my lecture hall, I overlooked the ‘A’ preceeding the 

room number, and unknowingly walked into a faculty meeting. 

Head down, all too conscious of being late, I rushed into 

the nearest available seat. When I finally looked up, I found 

what seemed to be the only first-year Political Science class 

filled entirely with mature students. I could feel every pair of 

eyes on me, as the room suddenly grew quiet. “You mean this 

isn’t Poli Sci 100?” 

Certainly, my first experience at UBC was particularly 

awkward. But while I may have started off, quite literally, on 

the wrong foot, I did manage to eventually find my place at 

university. However, many students find it difficult to forge a 

personal connection with their school. 

The typical university or college lecture hall serves as a metaphor 

for campus life. It’s equal parts intimidating and safe. It 

provides a challenging forum for students to voice their unique 

perspectives, but it also allows them to disappear into the background 

as one number among many. Large classes, which are 

common for the average first or second year, are overwhelming. 

If you are disconnected from your classes, your professors 

and from the campus experience, you are more likely to do the 

bare minimum — or drop out from your studies altogether. 

It is largely up to us to become actively involved in class 

discussions, campus clubs and events, and to initiate dialogues 

with our professors before or after class, or during their office 

hours. It is easy to feel alienated in such an intensely competitive 

environment if you do not make a concerted effort. 

Universities offer a variety of channels through which students 

can get involved. Many have allocated funding for students 

who want to create their own group or club if they feel 

a certain cause or interest is not being represented. Some even 

allow students to develop their own seminar class, approved by 

their department and under the guidance of a faculty sponsor. 

UBC, for example, has a Student Directed Seminars Advisory 

Committee that considers proposed course outlines from 

upper level students who want to run and develop their own 

eight- to 15-person seminar. 

The opportunities for achieving a sense of inclusion are 

endless; you simply need to identify your personal goals and 

interests and find out whatever university outlet supports 

these. Sometimes all it really takes is to 

attend a meeting, join a society or something 

as seemingly mundane as striking up 

a conversation with a favourite professor. 

Then again, stumbling into the wrong room 

is also effective. 

– Alisha Randhawa, 

UBC, Senior, Political Science and English 

Student Life 

For the launch of a new section aimed at giving 

post-secondary students a forum in which to share 

information and address issues that affect them, we 

asked students from Simon Fraser University and the 

University of British Columbia to offer advice to new 

students on everything from the best places to study 

to how to stay fit to where to get academic help. 

Rupeela Gill, Alumna, UBC Political Science 

Study spots: Main Library, Life Sciences, Wood 

library and during the nice weather take advantage 

of UBC’s plentiful beautiful green spaces. 

Keep fit: Go to class, participate in UBC Rec 

activities such as Day of the Longboat, intramurals, 

or the infamous Storm the Wall, walk to the nearby 

beach, or take a dip in aquatic centre pool (its free 

at times). 

Get involved: Join a club, a sport, or any oncampus 

activities to get the FULL campus experience, university life is 

incomplete without it; Clubs Days take place at the end of Sept with clubs 

for everything imaginable - from the UBC Bhangra Club or Sikh Students 

Association to academic-oriented clubs. 

Bikramjit Singh, Senior, UBC International 

Relations 

Keep fit: Check out the Student Recreation Centre 

which has 3 full-sized gyms in which drop-in 

sports as well as intramurals are held. 

Get involved: Join the UBC Bhangra Club which 

is a great way to get involved and interact with the 

Indo – Canadian community. 

Student resources: UBC offers many academic 

services on campus, simply login at www.leap.ubc.ca to check out all 

the services. 

Mandy Mann, Alumna, SFU 

Study spots: The library and around Images 

Theatre. 

Keep fit: Intramurals are a great way to keep fit 

and meet people. 

Get involved: Attend club events and check 

out Student Central see what’s happening around 

campus. 

Amrinder Sidhu, Senior, SFU Biochemistry & 

Business Administration 

Study spots: Library 4th, 5th and 6th floor; 

Academic Quadrangle; Physics, Chemistry and 

Biology lounges and Applied Science building. 

Keep fit: On-campus gym, swimming pool, track 

and field are open to all students. 

Get involved: SFU has student clubs of all types: 

academic, sports, recreational, informational, musical, 

fund-raiser and cultural. Students can join as 

many clubs as they like. They can also participate in mentorship and 

orientation leadership programs. 


Harmit Sarai, Junior, UBC Psychology 

Study spots: If you need a quiet place to study 

and want to be MIA for a while, especially during 

exam period, then the library inside the Neville 

Scarfe building is, by far, the best library to study 

at. You’ll have fewer distractions, because most 

of your friends will probably be “studying” at the 

Irving library. 

Get involved: You can get involved on campus, 

by volunteering with different student organizations/foundations. 

Also, there is an endless 

list of clubs you can join at UBC, from the Giddha Dance Club to the 

Motorcycling or Sailing Club, I’m sure there is something for everyone. 

Student resources: The free AMS tutoring sessions is one of many 

academic services offered at UBC and this is especially valuable for those 

students who may want extra help achieving their course goals. 

Hira Gill, Junior, UBC General Sciences 

Study spots: The Irving K. Barber Learning Centre is great for studying. 

You can sit in the open area and talk things 

over with friends or find yourself a seat in the 

stacks and study in a quieter environment. 

Keep fit: UBC Rec offers a variety of programs 

for all students. You can sign up a team 

for intramural soccer or rejuvenate yourself in 

a yoga class. 

Student resources: If you need help, don’t 

wait until it’s too late. Go to your professor’s or 

TA’s office hours and ask them to clarify any 

unclear concepts. They’re more than willing to 

help students who take the initiative to seek extra help. 

Ashish Gurung: Senior, SFU Business 

Study spots: Food, quiet space and convenience 

are all located at SFU Surrey, most notably 

the 4th and 5th floors. 

Keep fit: The pass to the gym facilities is 

included in the SFU tuition - use it! 

Get involved: There are many clubs/competitions 

on campus - sign up and don’t be afraid to 

take the lead. 

Student resources: The Student Learning 

Commons (SLC) is great place to receive help and improve your academic 

standing 

Andrew Kumar, Senior, SFU Management Systems 

and Interactive Design 

Study spots: The break out rooms at SFU 

Surrey are great places to study as they have 

whiteboards (great for organizing or getting creative) 

and ample power outlets for laptops and 

cell phone chargers as well as a mall downstairs 

to grab a quick snack. 

Get involved: Walk around Clubs Days and 

Week of Welcome and sign up for as many clubs 

that interest you as you can; they’ll all email you and then you can pick 

and choose which club/organization on campus to volunteer with. 

Student resources: Yosef Wosk Learning Commons is a good 

academic resource at SFU Surrey that provides tutors and academic 

assistance. 

Share your tips and experiences at www.mehfilmagazine.com 

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take your game to the next level 

with scholarships and bursaries 

Assignments, provincial exams, part-time work and sports: a 

student’s life in high school can be a rollercoaster of social 

events, volunteer activities, intense exams and tight deadlines. 

How do you make time for it all despite juggling time for friends, 

family, relationships and school? Most importantly, how can you 

get recognized for the amazing work that you do inside and outside 

the classroom? I still remember the horrible advice my high 

school counsellor gave me when I first started thinking about 

scholarships and bursaries, “Well, you gotta work hard” he said. 

That meant very little to me; I wanted the juice: What are 

scholarship committees looking for? What types of activities 

should I get involved in? Who can I go to for advice and how do 

I present myself in the essays? 

Applying for scholarships is more than performing well in 

exams or volunteering at charity events, it means being ready to 

step out of your comfort zone, overcoming unique challenges, 

genuinely advocating for positive change, and caring for the 

well-being of others. Passion takes preference over performance 

in many scholarships, and committees frequently hunt for outstanding 

applicants who show potential to be great leaders of 

tomorrow. 

Sure, marks are important, but they’re not enough if not 

backed by an extensive background in service, dialogue, and 

athletics. Being well-rounded also means getting involved at different 

levels locally, nationally and on a global scale. 

Bursaries vs. Scholarships 

Bursaries are financial-need-based awards, which essentially 

means that a student is given money if he or she can demonstrate 

strong academic motivation as a high school student and would 

like financial assistance to pursue higher education. Applying for 

a bursary doesn’t mean that you are poor or anything, but it is a 

great opportunity for students to seek financial assistance if they 

need it. Many families have recently immigrated to Canada, for 

example, and may seek assistance to finance their child’s education 

while they find suitable work. Some families have a disabled 

member such as a sibling, child, parent or extended family member, 

while other families may have a parent who is unemployed. 

The beauty of bursaries is that they aren’t based on high marks or 

extracurricular activities; they only require that you demonstrate 

a need for money. 

Scholarships, on the other hand, really have little to do with 

a need for money. Although most students applying for scholarships 

sincerely need financial assistance, scholarships require that 

you excel in academics, community service, athletics and other 

extracurricular activities (music, drama, sports, book clubs, tutoring, 

etc.). In the next issue of the magazine, we will go in-depth 

as to how to apply for bursaries and scholarships, the personal 

qualities of outstanding students, and the types of projects that 

make great applications. 

– Jaspreet Singh Mangat, 

UBC, Senior, Honours Behavioural 

Neuroscience & Neurophysiology 

Please join in on the discussion online through 

our Facebook group, “Campus Talk on Mehfil 

Magazine” and at www.mehfilmagazine.com. 

For project ideas and ways to get involved in your 

community, email jaspreetsingh@nasaghc.com. 


Unsung Heroes 

Harminder and 

Gurnam Sanghera 

Dynamic Duo 

Harminder Sanghera gives virtually 

all of her free time to several causes 

close to her heart. In some homes 

that kind of commitment to volunteer work, 

while laudable, could cause friction, but not 

in the Sanghera household. That’s because 

Harminder’s husband, Gurnam, has the 

same passion for donating his time to worthy 

causes. 

Both say their interest in community 

work can be traced back to their childhoods 

in Punjab. 

“My father was very active in his village 

for the welfare of the people,” says 

Harminder. “He always encouraged us to 

work for the community.” 

“My father fought for India’s independence 

at the local level,” says Gurnam. 

“I imbibed that spirit of wanting to help 

people.” 

After marrying and moving from India to 

England in 1962, the couple became active 

in the struggle against racial discrimination. 

“We faced racism everywhere,” says Gurnam. 

“When it came to buying a house, finding a 

job, meeting other people . . . we faced discrimination 

at every step. That’s how I got 

involved more actively in community affairs. 

I met other activists, and with the Indian 

Workers Association of Great Britain, we 

were instrumental in bringing about the first 

race relations act in Britain in 1965.” 

Although both Gurnam and Harminder 

got their teaching certification in England 

and were working as teachers, they decided 

in the late 1970s to move to Canada. “We 

thought the future was not so bright in 

Britain so moved to Canada, which we 

thought of as a country of immigrants,” says 

Gurnam. 

From the time that they settled in 

Vancouver in 1979, they have affiliated 

themselves with several community causes. 

Following are just a few of the tireless 

couple’s contributions: 

In 1980, Harminder joined the India 

Mahila Association, a volunteer organization 

that provides referral and emotional 

support to South Asian women 

in crisis. She’s still on the board today. 

Twelve years ago, she was instrumental 

in establishing the South 

Burnaby Neighbourhood House, 

where she continues to serve on 

Photo by RON SANGHA 


the board. It was one of many examples of 

Harminder going into action after seeing a 

gap in community services. 

“Before I began working for the Burnaby 

School District as a multicultural liaison 

worker, I was a settlement worker at the 

South Vancouver Neighbourhood House,” 

she explains. “When I came to Burnaby, 

I saw that there was no neighbourhood 

house. Eventually, I got together with several 

other people and we formed one. Today, 

we have a budget of $2 million.” 

Since retiring from her job with the 

Burnaby School District, Harminder has 

made an even greater commitment to volunteer 

work. Today, in addition to giving 

her time to the Mahila Association and the 

South Burnaby Neighbourhood House, she 

is on the Red Cross’s South Asian Advisory 

Committee, which is currently focused on 

educating seniors about disaster preparedness. 

“We have reached a thousand seniors in 

the Lower Mainland through the program,” 

she says. 

Meanwhile, Gurnam, who retired from 

his job as a social worker in 2000, has focused 

on promoting social and religious tolerance. 

Over the years, he has been involved 

with the Association of Sikh Gurdwaras of 

North America and the Hindu-Sikh Forum 

of North America. His work with the latter 

includes helping to organize an India Day 

celebration this past August on the grounds 

of the Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Surrey. 

The event attracted thousands, as well as 

politicians and other dignitaries. 

“It was a celebration promoting the 

message that as Canadians we should unite 

here and live as good neighbours with other 

Canadians,” says Gurnam. 

In December, he will attend the World 

Parliament of Religions in Melbourne, 

Australia, to give a speech on interfaith 

relations. (He earned his PhD in interfaith 

relations from Punjabi University.) 

Husband and wife credit each other for 

providing the support and encouragement 

that allows each of them to share their time 

and energy with others. 

Speaking for them both, Harminder 

says: “You can only work if your partner 

supports you in whatever you do.” 

She adds that she and her husband are 

both inspired by the sheer enormity of what 

volunteers can accomplish. 

“This world is so beautiful, and the people 

who have made it what it is today were 

not people who simply earned their living 

and then went home,” she says. “Billions 

of dollars worth of work is done by volunteers. 

We’re just two of those contributing 

our part.” p 

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Unemployment Blues? 

Although we are facing a recession, it is still 

possible to obtain the job you are looking for. However, 

you have to be prepared to go that extra mile 

to get the job you really want. Here are five tips to 

assist you. 

Resume revamp: Many of us take our old resume 

and quickly update it with our latest work 

experience to apply for a new position. In today’s 

market, this won’t help you stand out. Review your 

entire resume with a fresh perspective. Are you 

missing any key work or volunteer experiences 

that would showcase to employers your enhanced 

skill set? 

Accomplishment statements: Does your resume 

include all your key accomplishments? For 

example, if you increased productivity at work by 

introducing a new concept, state this on your resume. 

If you are able to quantify the increase in 

productivity, then do so. 

604-588-4665 

Cover letter: Be strategic. Do not include a 

laundry list of accomplishment statements on 

your cover letter. Your cover letter should have an 

overall theme with each paragraph having a focus. 

Include a relevant accomplishment statement for 

each paragraph, when possible. 

Informational interviews.. An informational 

interview is not an opportunity for you to ask for 

a job, but for you to learn more about the occupation, 

the company, the industry, etc. Ultimately, the 

informational interview allows you to collect information 

not possible through other sources and increases 

your connections. To enhance your ability 

to obtain a job in this recession, target employers 

who are in industries that are recession-proof (i.e. 

logistics companies). 

Networking: Applying to newspaper ads and 

online job postings is not going to cut it these days! 

Networking with professionals in your industry is 

the key to jump starting your job search and obtaining 

the job that you want! Did you know that 

80 per cent of jobs are not advertised? Become a 

member of your industry association and locate 

the events calendar by visiting the association’s 

website. Also, think of other means to network with 

professionals. For example, if you are a business 

professional looking for work, attending events 

of the Vancouver Board of Trade, Delta Chamber 

of Commerce, etc. would be useful. Remember 

that networking has a long-run payoff, so continue 

to network even when you have your new 

position. p 

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Scene & Society 

1 

1 

2 

2 

3 

Grandma’s Gala 

in memory of Gurmej K. Dhanda 

(benefitting Scleroderma BC) 

1. Dr Dhar Dhanda with his wife Harv and 

daughter Kiran. 

2. Saraya, Asha, Sarina, Anaya and Kiran 

enjoy face-painting. 

4 

MLA Harry Bains with sufi-sensation Kailash 

Kher, MLA Raj Chohan and promoter Kamal 

Sharma at a dinner to honour the singer. 

(from left) Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s Simone Le 

Blanc and SPARK Foundation president Amarjit Samra 

accept a $10,000 donation from Bud Patel, CORSA 

Foundation director. Also pictured (far right) is Kwantlen 

Polytechnic University Chancellor Arvinder Bubber. 

5 

First Annual South Asian 

Business Association of 

BC’s Golf Tournament 6 

1. Founding members 

2. Indra Bhan and Dr. Gulzar Cheema 

3. Tochi Sandhu, Barry Christiansen, 

Tim Mackie, Rajdeep S. Deol 

4. Kashif Mian, Daljit Dehal and 

Ranjit Sandhu 

5. Kal Bachra and Mike Buttar 

6. Justin Dhaliwal, Gurveer Pattar, 

and S.S. Teja 

7. Pravin Narotam and Surrey Board 

of Trade CEO Anita Huberman 

7 


Guru Gobind Singh 

Children’s Foundation’s 

Children’s Run Across 

Canada 

1 

1 & 2. Runners make their 

way across the country. 

3. Mission accomplished! 

The children completed the 

final section of the run at 

Stanley Park in Vancouver. 

The 7000-kilometre crosscountry 

relay raised funds for 

children’s hospitals across 

Canada. 

2 

1 2 

3 

3 

4 

2010 Commonwealth 

Games Fundraiser 

hosted by Avtar Bains 

and Monika Deol 

Abbotsford Mayor George Peary with Punjabi Patrika 

publishers Andy and Pritam Sidhu at the lauch of the 

weekly edition. The couple raised more than $10,000 

for the Abbotsford Police Foundation by selling the first 

edition of the paper for $100 each. 

1. Hosts Avtar Bains and 

Monika Deol 

2. Robin Dhir, Gary Lunn (Minister of State for Sport) 

and Thomas Jones (Chief Executive Officer of 

Commonwealth Games Canada) 

3. Former Vancouver mayoral candidate Peter Ladner 

and Wally Oppal 

4. Olympic weightlifter Jasvir Singh and Olympic 

badminton player and Canadian national champion 

Anna Rice 


The Inspired Sufi 

By Azim Jamal 

Life Is Not a Race 

Life is not a race to be won but a 

journey to be savoured. We forget 

that the path has no value when 

you arrive. It is the journey that counts. 

When we enjoy the ride and we are 

relaxed, we see the signs around us. In 

the frenzy of life we miss the signs. Also, 

when you are relaxed you get insightful 

ideas from within. 

I used to drop my children at school 

every morning. It was a big job getting 

them both aboard and in time for school. 

It was a struggle and stressful. Driving fast 

in the rush hour was not the best way to 

start the morning for me or the kids. It 

was humbling, especially for a guy who 

teaches others how to be calm and collected 

under pressure. 

I decided that I would do my best to 

get the kids in the car and once we were 

in the car, I would not look at the watch. 

Instead, we would start our journey by 

saying our morning prayers together followed 

by a game I played with my son, 

who is the younger of my two children. 

The game included teaching him quotes 

from different philosophers and authors 

ranging from Shakespeare to Rumi. The 

number of quotes we would learn or discuss 

would coincide with the date of the 

month. Today, at age 14 my son knows at 

least 50 quotes by heart and now comes 

up with his own quotes at will. While 

praying and playing en route to school, I 

had no time to change lanes or compete 

with fellow drivers. In fact, I was gentle 

enough to let others overtake me at will. 

Guess what? 

We were hardly ever late to school 

and even if we were late the odd time we 

enjoyed the ride and had a great start to 

the morning! 

Being attentive and focused makes 

you connect to your deep power, which 

gives you signs that you follow sometimes 

unconsciously! 

When JK Rowling first had a sudden 

idea about Harry and the wizard school, 

she was so excited and sure from within 

that she never let that idea slip away 

despite going though abuse, miscarriage, 

the death of her mother, divorce, being 

fired from her occupation — all after 

she began writing her book. She kept the 

What you give attention and 

energy to, you invite in your 

life. If you put your attention 

towards things you want, you 

invite “signs” that lead you 

to what you want. If you put 

your attention toward energy 

to things you do not want, you 

invite “signs” that lead you to 

what you do not want. 

idea and never let go of it even though 

it took her four years plus to complete 

her first book. Today, she is the second 

richest woman in the world. She followed 

and acted upon the sign that came from 

within! 

In the corporate setting, employees are 

most alert when they are wholly present. 

They provide the best service when present. 

You are more tuned to all your faculties 

when you are fully present. Being 100 

per cent focused gets you the best results. 

Think of a basketball player going for a 

three pointer with a second left on the 

buzzer. The crowd is shouting, the players 

are shouting, the coach is shouting. 

What is the basketball player going to 

do? Think of dinner at night? Or what 

his spouse said three years ago? Of course 

not. His mind, body, and soul are all 

going to be 100 per cent present for him 

to get the three points to win the game. 

Imagine being present like the basketball 

player with your body, mind and spirit 

completely attentive. Can you imagine 

the power we can create with that kind of 

attention and energy? Most people have 

their thoughts engrossed with the past 

and future thus scattering energy and losing 

focus and power. 

What you give attention and energy 

to, you invite in your life. If you put your 

attention towards things you want, you 

invite “signs” that lead you to what you 

want. If you put your attention toward 

things you do not want, you invite “signs” 

that lead you to what you do not want. 

To invite positive results and get the 

“signs” that lead you to these results, 

focus on what you want. The less the 

doubt, the quicker the results! 

There are 24 hours in a day for all of 

us and in a way a level playing field for all 

of us. You can probably do anything in 

life, but not everything! Try preparing an 

ideal budget of 168 hours for one week. 

Record where your time goes and evaluate 

your productivity from a quantitative and 

qualitative standpoint. Do this once every 

three or four months. This will be very 

helpful in making important adjustments 

to how you manage your time. 

Life is not a race. It is the quality of 

time that matters, not quantity! p 

Azim Jamal is the No. 1 Amazon Bestselling Co-Author 

of The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us 

All (published by Penguin). Now available on Amazon 

and at major bookstores. 


introducing the 

Mehfil 

M a g a z i n e 

Awards 

for Excellence 

M 

is power.” 

“I strongly believe that knowledge 

is power and I am passionate about 

life-long learning. As an educator I 

consider it my social responsibility to 

share knowledge not only with my 

young and eager learners, but also 

with the community at large.” 

Dr. Gira Bhatt 

Faculty of Arts: 

Psychology Faculty Member 

Principle Investigator and Project 

Director for CURA at Kwantlen. The 

team was awarded a $1-million federal 

research grant for innovative research 

into youth involvement in gangs. 

Kwantlen is B.C.’s 

Polytechnic University. 

Recognizing Outstanding Achievement 

in the Indo-Canadian Community 

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9/22/2009 12:38:16 PM 

It’s About Quality, It’s About Time… 

BC Regional 

Innovation Chair 

at UFV 

Gagan 

Foods International

Politics 

by Andy Radia 

Governments Addicted 

to Gambling Revenues 

Casinos, lotteries, slot machines, race 

tracks, online poker – Canadians are 

inundated with gambling opportunities. 

Recent studies suggest that we are now 

spending five times more money on these 

games of chance than we did in the early 

1990s. 

While most of us are able to limit ourselves 

to a weekly purchase of a lottery 

ticket or a monthly visit to a casino, there 

is a growing number of Canadians who 

are becoming problem gamblers. According 

to the Canadian Center on Substance 

Abuse, between 3 per cent and 5 per cent 

now have gambling addictions. In other 

words, between 600,000 and one million 

Canadians are grappling with the financial 

and social problems related to gambling. 

A 2004 University of Chicago study 

outlined the consequences of “pathological” 

or problem gambling. The researchers 

isolated the problem of gambling (from 

drug use, alcoholism, mental health issues, 

etc..) and found that pathological 

gamblers compared to non-gamblers were 

5.3 times more likely to lose their jobs 

in the next year, 4.5 times more likely 

to file for bankruptcy in their lifetime, 

seven times more likely to be arrested, 

three times more likely to be divorced, 

and almost twice as likely to suffer mental 

health issues. Moreover, the Canada Safety 

Council suggests that every year 200 

people in Canada commit suicide because 

of problems resulting from compulsive 

gambling. 

So what are legislators across Canada 

doing about this emerging social malady? 

Very little. In fact, the governments are 

filling their coffers from gambling. 

Gambling regulation across Canada 

is under the authority of the provincial 

governments. For these governments, 

gambling has become big business. Today 

there are four times as many governmentsanctioned 

gambling venues across the 

country than there were in 1992. Canadians 

can now choose to gamble at one of 

87,000 gambling machines (slot machines 

and video lottery terminals), 33,000 lottery 

ticket centres, 60 permanent casinos, 

250 race tracks and tele-theatres. There 

are also 25,000 licenses granted to run 

various bingos, temporary casinos, raffles, 

pull tickets and other activities. 

Provincial governments now earn in 

excess of $13 billion a year from operating 

(or facilitating) gambling establishments. 

In other words, 3.8 per cent of all 

revenue raised by the provinces is derived 

from gambling sources. It’s no wonder 

that governments are addicted to gambling 

revenues. 

Provincial governments 

now earn in excess of 

$13 billion a year from 

operating (or facilitating) 

gambling establishments. 

In other words, 3.8 per 

cent of all revenue raised 

by the provinces is 

derived from gambling 

sources. It’s no wonder that 

governments are addicted 

to gambling revenues. 

For the most part, the specific allocation 

of gambling revenues is at the discretion 

of governments. For some provinces 

there can be commitments to spend a certain 

percentage of these revenues in specific 

areas such as health care, municipal 

infrastructure or the arts. All provinces 

also spend a portion, albeit a diminutive 

portion, of these revenues for gambling 

addiction services. The province of Ontario, 

for example, spends $36 million a 

year – but $36 million a year doesn’t come 

close to making up for the social costs of 

gambling. 

Online gambling websites are an 

emerging competitor segment to government-sanctioned 

venues. Canadians 

have taken a liking to online gambling; 

it’s estimated that we account for 10 per 

cent of all international online gambling 

revenues. 

But instead of finding ways to combat 

online gambling, governments in this 

country have chosen to profit from it. 

Provincial governments are now expanding 

their own online gambling programs. 

The British Columbia Lottery 

Corporation, for example, recently said 

that it will raise the weekly gambling 

limit on its website from $120/person to 

$10,000/person. In its press release, the 

government shamelessly announced that 

it wanted to get its hands on the $87 million 

that B.C. residents spend annually on 

offshore gambling websites. 

Mass expansion of government-sponsored 

gambling has unequivocally created 

substantial numbers of new problem 

gamblers. The British Columbia government 

operates a Problem Gambling helpline 

service that individuals who need 

help with their gambling addictions can 

call for counselling and prevention services. 

In 2001 the helpline received 1,340 

calls; in 2008 they received 5,656 calls. 

The British Columbia government’s own 

Responsible Gambling website references 

a study that admits “increased availability 

leads to more gambling and problem 

gambling.” 

As the predominant provider of gambling 

venues in Canada, the provincial 

governments are therefore directly culpable 

for the increasing societal and financial 

repercussions of problem gambling. 

The easy revenues were just too hard 

for our elected officials to resist. It’s a classic 

case of let’s make the money now and 

deal with the problems later. p 

Andy Radia is political columnist based in Vancouver, 

B.C. His articles have been published in the Vancouver 

Sun, Winnipeg Free Press and Vancouver Metro. He 

can be contacted through his website at www.radia.ca 


Study in India! 

Get B.C. business credits at UFV’s 

satellite campus in Chandigarh 

Since 2006, the University of the Fraser Valley has delivered its internationally 

recognized, highly practical Bachelor of Business Administration degree — in 

collaboration with Sanatan Dharma College (SDCC) — in Chandigarh, India. 

The partnership allows students from Canada to obtain UFV business credits, or to 

complete a semester or more abroad. Interactive teaching provides students with 

practical opportunities to apply their skills in case studies and industry projects. 

Registration open for 2010! 

ufv.india@ufv.ca 

www.ufv.ca/chandigarh 

Delivered since 2006 through a special partnership with Sanatan Dharma College 

Chandigarh (SDCC) in Sector 32C, a post-graduate affiliate of Panjab University 

UFV academic advisors will help you to 

determine the course plan that is right for you, 

and will assist you in preparation for your 

international experience. Before your departure, 

UFV will also provide you with the opportunity 

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completed at least one year at the Chandigarh 

campus before transferring to UFV in Canada. 

Please note, not all BBA subjects are offered at all times in Chandigarh.

P erspectives 

by Divinder Purewal 

Runaway pride 

Whenever I see the familiar sight of a 

wedding car, I smile because it reminds 

me that despite all the things that 

have changed in the world, people still 

want to get married. 

For most people, getting married is 

probably the biggest day of their lives. It’s 

something that they dream about. Over 

the years I have spoken to hundreds of 

female friends and relatives who have 

shared every aspect of their dream wedding 

like it was a military exercise! They 

have gone into incredibly minute (and often 

boring) detail about everything from 

the lengha they’ll wear and the colour of 

their groom’s turban to what song would 

play for their first dance. 

I’ve had to be the voice of reason during 

these fantasies and remind them that 

they need to find someone willing to marry 

them first! 

As a realist and an old-fashioned romantic 

at heart, I appreciate that times 

have changed and weddings have, too. 

Nowadays it seems that a growing number 

of couples want their very own Dream 

Bollywood Wedding or DBW. 

Ker-ching! 

The DBW often costs more money 

than most people’s first house a generation 

ago! Often-times it’s the parents’ desire to 

show that they’ve “made it” that pushes 

the elaborate wedding plans along. 

In 2009 the average Indian wedding 

costs something in the region of $30,000 

to $40,000. The DBW, on the other 

hand, can cost hundreds of thousands of 

dollars that you’ll never see again. Why 

does it cost so much? Well, I’ll tell you. 

The DBW involves a cast of hundreds of 

extras. 

Gone are the days when well-meaning 

auntyjis spent the days before the wedding 

cooking huge pots of sholay, aloo 

gobi and chicken curry over a lethal-looking 

gas canister for the big day. Back then, 

when that day arrived the reception took 

place in a rented hall that, if you were 

“fancy,” had a balloon arch and a used 

“congratulations” banner draped across 

the paper tablecloth on the head table. 

The food would be served in overflowing 

metal thalis by male relatives who seemed 

to take great delight in splashing some of 

the dishes on guests’ clothes. 

Now the food at a DBW is catered by 

top Indian chefs, and the meals are served 

by elegant waiting staff and the evening 

includes live performances from professional 

artists like Gurdas Mann. 

Here comes the bride and vroom! 

We seem to have embraced a bigger is 

better mentality. For instance, the bride 

and groom wear outfits that cost a small 

fortune. Even the wedding car, which in 

the past was the Mercedes owned by some 

distant uncle, has been replaced by not 

one, but a fleet of limousines or high-end 

sports cars. In the pursuit of outdoing one 

another, couples are adopting ever more 

elaborate ways of making their grandest 

of grand entrances. I have even heard of 

weddings where the bride and groom have 

arrived at the hall in a helicopter or a hotair 

balloon or on the back of an elephant. 

What happened to doing things in an 

understated way? When I’m at a lavish 

wedding reception I feel like I’m Shrek at 

the royal court! I look around and all I see 

is a sea of waxed eyebrows, pristine facials, 

immaculately made-up faces . . . and the 

women look good, too! 

So, am I advocating that we go back to 

the auntyjis’ home-cooked food served in 

thalis? Hell no — not even for a minute. 

What I’m really saying is let’s think about 

our kids’ financial futures and maybe scale 

down the wedding in return for a nice deposit 

on a house or to pay off education 

fees. 

My wife and I are trying to convince 

our kids that the Chapel of Love in Las Vegas 

or an intimate Caribbean beach wedding 

is the way to go. Wish us luck! p 

Divinder Singh Purewal, 40, is a human 

resources professional in Surrey, B.C. 

What’s your perspective? 

“I completely believe that people 

feel pressure to have a lavish 

wedding. The most memorable 

example to me isn't something 

completely over the top like 

flamingos or live peacocks being 

at a wedding reception as decor 

but more serious things like the 

amount of gold that is given to 

relatives. One wedding in Singapore had 

18 milnis and each person was given gold 

rings. I am not joking when I say that the 

father of the bride had a heart attack (literally) 

while the milnis were going on! 

“I would rather live within my means 

and I don't care about what other people 

think, so I personally am not influenced by 

the "bigger is better" trend. However, if I 

marry into a family that is influenced by this 

trend, then things could get a bit complicated. 

I hope that whoever I find to become 

my partner in life will be respectful of my 

wishes and my financial situation because 

the real point of a wedding is the joining of 

two families, not how grand your reception 

was.” 

— Sharin Randhawa, student/co-host of 

Punjabi Vibes, Surrey, B.C. 

“Based on my observations as in 

'insider' in the wedding industry, 

it's very evident that the pressure 

to have a lavish wedding is sky 

high. In our culture, this pressure used to 

traditionally come from the desire/need to 

please the groom's family. As Canadians, 

we've seen this element diminish over time 

and become overtaken by the desire for 

families to compete within their own family 

circles. And still further pressure is sometimes 

from the bride and groom themselves 

who aim to match or exceed lavish weddings 

displayed by their peers. 

“I was shown the actual bill for a $3000 

wedding cake and that literally 'takes the 

cake'. Sadly, however, I didn't get a slice! 

“All that being said, higher costs definitely 

have some correlation with having a 

high number of guests which will likely be 

the case for my wedding. However, I hope 

the groom and I are able to build a reasonable 

budget, manage the competitive pressure, 

and put the rest of our money towards 

our future.” 

— JJ Kaur, Professional Makeup Artist 

& Hairstylist Surrey, BC 


“I work in the wedding industry 

and I have noticed that families are 

increasingly sparing no expense 

when it comes to wedding celebrations. 

I do understand that these are 

happy times for families and they do want to 

express and share that celebration with those 

people close to them, but it is getting excessive. 

“I know of one girl spending $15,000 on a 

bridal lengha. 

“She also flew my partner and I (we own 

a makeup/hair company) out to her city to do 

her wedding hair and makeup, paid for our 

airfare, hotel, and meal allowances on top of 

our service fees. This bride’s fiance was going 

abroad to school. She had not discussed her 

living arrangements after marriage. She had 

no plans on joining her husband while he was 

attending school, and she did not want to live 

with her inlaws without him. So here is this 

couple about to be married, and they had not 

discussed her living arrangements after marriage. 

I could see the potential hornets nest of 

problems for this couple. 

“My sister married into a Catholic family, 

and I discovered that the church requires 

couples that are entering into marriage to go 

to couples counseling before marriage so that 

they both enter into the union with realistic 

expectations of each other. I believe that all 

couples regardless of faith need to enter into 

this practice. I have been married for eight 

years, and it is not like ‘filmi’ romances, it’s 

hard work, and marriage requires two people to 

treat each other as equals and to work towards 

the same goals.” 

— Shannon Mann, Delta, B.C. 

“I think that couples are under pressure 

to have a lavish wedding from 

parents and relatives. Some perhaps 

even from friends who had lavish 

weddings so they feel the need to do the same 

to maintain the same social standard. 

“Most over-the-top? I think it was an out 

door wedding where we had to blow bubbles 

for the couple after the ceremony and then they 

had white doves to fly away. 

“If I were getting married, I don’t think I 

would be influenced by the idea that bigger 

is better as I just want people whom I know 

personally to be part of my special day. A 

wedding to me is a personal commitment of my 

love to the man of my dreams and to have close 

friends there to witness as we honour our serious 

commitment to each other.” 

— Rajela Singh, Burnaby 

Share your comments at 

www.facebook.com/mehfilmagazine or email 

us at opinions@mehfilmagazine.com 

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Mehfil September/October 2009 27 

6

Feature 

Tulshi Sen 

Mastering 

The 

Mind 

Getting him to agree to an interview is 

easy — he wants to share his knowledge with 

as many people as possible. Getting him to 

talk about himself? That’s another story. He 

responds to each question about his life with 

a parable. 

“Who was your master?” we asked. 

“I had many masters,” he says. When 

asked for their names he smiles and says the 

true teachers keep as low a profile as possible 

and relates a story: 

“A man was travelling to Calcutta. When 

he was halfway there he ran into a couple and 

asked, ‘Is this the way to Calcutta?’ 

“‘Yes,’ they said, ‘but there’s a better, way. 

Go back and take the other road.’ 

“The man went back to the beginning 

and started down the other road. Half way to 

Calcutta he ran into another man and asked 

him, ‘Is this the way to Calcutta?’ 

“‘Yes’ the other man replied. ‘But there 

is a faster way. Go back and take the third 

route.’ So the man went back to the beginning 

and starts down the third route. Half 

way to Calcutta, he ran into an elderly 

couple...” 

You can guess the rest of the story. The 

man keeps going back to the beginning and 

by Rajinder Sandhu 

Tulshi Sen doesn’t want to talk about himself. Except, that is, to relate 

personal experiences to help his students learn. Insisting he is simply 

a messenger delivering age-old secrets of success, he shies away from the 

limelight. “I’m not here to become famous,” he says while waiting to start a 

workshop on success. “I’ve come here to spread a teaching that I love.” 

never makes it to Calcutta. 

There are many paths to the truth, says 

Sen, and a true master will not accept wouldbe 

disciples who are already going down one 

path. Most people who are already following 

a path, or program, should stick with 

it rather than jump from one program to 

another. “Otherwise, you’ll never make it to 

Calcutta.” 

Promoting his teachings without drawing 

too much attention to himself is a bit of a 

paradox, he admits, but he emphasizes that 

too many people put the messenger on a 

pedestal and it’s too easy for the messenger 

to let his ego get the best of him. 

“When the light bulb thinks it is the light, 

that’s ego,” he says, adding that eventually 

the bulb will burn out, but the energy, the 

root of the light, will still be there to shine 

through the next light bulb. The bulb is just 

a messenger. 

Born in undivided India in Dhaka in 

1944, Sen, who describes himself as a barefoot 

boy from Calcutta, worked for the East 

India Hotel company before joining Bata 

Shoes, which transferred him to Canada in 

1972 at the age of 28. 

“I wanted to get some overseas experience 


Photo by Jorge Pasada 


“I realized that when I was showing people business that the greatest 

thing they needed, more than learning business, was to learn to develop 

the mental muscle to build a business. To set visions and goals” 

— Tulshi Sen 

and I was intrigued by Canada because 

people said there were a lot of opportunities,” 

he says. 

“I became a training director and 

labour negotiator for Bata Shoes. It was 

a fantastic experience. At that time they 

had 106 companies in 96 countries,” 

says Sen. “I got the full spectrum of how 

international business worked.” 

Although he could see a great career 

ahead of him as a company man, Sen 

wanted to be independent, so in 1974 he 

started an import/export business. 

“One of the products was a headlight 

reminder,” he recalls, recounting the 

problem of drained car batteries caused 

by headlights being left on. 

“Anyone could install this device easily 

in their car and if you left your headlights 

on, a buzzer would sound when you took 

the keys out of the ignition,” he recalls, 

adding that the product sold throughout 

North America. 

His success in his direct marketing 

mail order business prompted family and 

friends to ask for help in establishing 

businesses of their own. 

“People used to come to me, especially 

friends, and say, ‘Show me how to do 

business.’ So I would give them ideas and 

spend hours and hours of my time with 

them,” he says. “Then after a while they 

didn’t do a thing.” 

Sen decided that maybe if he charged 

them a fee they would take his advice more 

seriously. He was right. After becoming 

a professional business consultant, Sen 

decided to go from one-on-one training 

to group seminars. 

“I thought this could be a part of 

another business model and create a 

whole network of entrepreneurs and business 

people all around the world,” says 

Sen. “That’s what prompted me to do 

seminars.” 

Sen also wrote a manual, Fast Track 

into Import/Export in Direct Marketing 

half of which, he explains, was focused on 

empowering the heart and mind. 

“I realized that when I was showing 

people business that the greatest thing 

they needed, more than learning business, 

was to learn to develop the mental muscle 

to build a business. To set visions and 

goals” says Sen. 

Neil Thompson, a chartered accountant 

with KPMG at the time, heard Sen 

on a talk show about money in 1988. 

“He [Sen] talked about how you can 

start your own import export business 

from home. He was so engaging and 

knowledgeable I found out when he was 

going to be in Vancouver and attended 

his weekend seminar that same month,” 

says Thompson. 

“I had never heard or met someone 

with such depth of knowledge in business 

and life. Not only was he teaching the 

concepts of business that were street 

smart and practical but the mindset you 

needed to have to be successful in business. 

I learnt more in that one weekend 

about actual business and life than I did 

in all my years at university,” he says. 

Thompson became Sen’s student and 

travelled with him on a trade mission 

to the far east. With the knowledge he 

gained and skills he learned, Thompson 

says he started his own business and 

about a year later left his position at 

KPMG to be a full time entrepreneur. 

Today, Thompson is not only a student of 

Sen’s but helps arrange and promote Sen’s 

seminars on success. 

“Tulshi Sen is one of those rare individuals 

you meet in life and immediately 

know you want to have them as your 

mentor. He is tireless in his pursuit to 

show others how to be successful in life,” 

says Thompson. 

In 1997, while Sen was speaking at 

an import/export seminar at the Calgary 

Saddledome, an aboriginal gentleman 

approached him. “He said, ‘I’m a politician 

and I would like you to come and 

help our people,’” says Sen. That man 

turned out to be the chief of one of 

the largest first nation communities in 

Canada: the Blood Reserve. “He told me 

the unemployment rate is so high, suicide 

rate is so high,” says Sen, who decided to 

take a break from his other work to focus 

on teaching life and business skills to the 

people of the Blood Reserve and other 

First Nations people across Canada. 

Over the next eight years Sen took 

eight First Nations trade delegations overseas 

and helped them establish relationships 

and partnerships with businesses in 

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan. 

In 2005 Sen decided it was time to put 

his teachings in the book Ancient Secrets 

of Success for Today’s World and today the 

Toronto resident is busy sharing mindmastering 

secrets from his book at workshops 

and through online material. 

At a recent workshop in Vancouver, 

Sen is introduced as an author, entrepreneur 

and business trainer who has been 

teaching people the principles of success 

for more than 20 years. 

He begins the day-long session with 

a simple statement: “I am not the hero 

here. You are the hero. Get the teachings. 

Forget the teacher.” 

He goes on to explain that the workshop 

will not be about breaking bricks 

with one’s head — rather it will be about 

controlling one’s thoughts to break free 

from the shackles of the mind and learn 

how to get what you want out of life. 

The charismatic and eloquent Sen, who 

can be described as equal parts romantic, 

philosopher and entrepreneur, uses poetry, 

parables and lessons in etymology to 

impart the wisdom of a lifetime of study 

and practice to his students. At times he 

sounds more like a theologian, reciting 

passages from the Bible in Hebraic and 

the equivalent lessons from the Bhagavad 

Gita in Sanskrit. All his teachings, he 

says, can be found in the major religious 

texts of the world and were taught by all 

the great philosophers of the west – he 

quotes Plato, Hippocrates, Pythagorous, 

Hermes, Euclid to name a few – and the 

masters of the east, including Buddha and 

Pritanjali. 

Everything we touch, taste, smell, 

hear and feel, says Sen was created by 

consciousness. Our very lives and the 

circumstances that surround us were created 

by our own consciousness. It’s not 

a simple concept to grasp and is a bitter 

pill to swallow for some, he says, but it is 

the truth. The good news is that you can 

change your circumstances by changing 

your thinking, he says. 

It’s not a new message. Hundreds of 

authors, motivational speakers and success 

gurus have written and talked about 

the power of the mind. From Napoleon 


Feature 

Freeing Your Mind 

(excerpted from Ancient Secrets of Success 

for Today’s World by Tulshi Sen 

Achieving the ability to set goals 

from the Absolute is the purpose of Ancient 

Secrets of Success. These secrets 

reveal how you can develop the capacity 

to set goals and visions from the heart, 

from the Unconditioned, from outside 

the box. Till we are able to achieve this 

state of mind all our goals are being set 

by us on the basis of our past experiences 

and present conditions. In the 

Ancient Vedic texts this is described as 

being trapped in Karma. Karma simply 

means action, and being trapped in 

Karma means that all our actions are a 

ripple effect of our previous actions. It is 

an endless chain of the same conditions 

and it appears there is no escape from 

its iron grip. 

It is the ultimate desire of life to go 

where you have never gone before but 

unless we break free from this karmic 

entrapment it is not achievable. To break 

free this dependency on the past and 

build a brand new future is the purpose 

of the teachings of the ancient masters. 

The ancient secrets give us the 

knowledge and understanding that all visions 

are real. The manifestation of these 

visions are only reflections in the plane 

of existence. These visions are molds 

with an irresistible power of attraction 

to draw and be filled with the cosmic 

substance; the stuff with which the entire 

universe is made. Everything. Stars, 

galaxies, grains of sand, and the human 

body are all made with this one thing by 

adaptation. 

This one thing, this cosmic substance 

with which the entire universe 

is made, is consciousness. Science 

calls this force energy, and the ancient 

teachings call it consciousness. The new 

physics declares consciousness creates 

reality. The Vedas and the Bible affirmed 

millenniums ago that consciousness 

creates reality, 

Consciousness is the creator 

- Rg Veda, Aitareya Upanishad 3.3 

“What good is it for us to know all the laws of 

success if we cannot control our thoughts?” 

— Tulshi Sen 

Hill, in his classic Think and Grow Rich, 

to the more recent bestseller The Secret, 

the promise is similar; they’ll show you 

how to attract the money, spouse, house, 

car – or whatever – into your life. But do 

they work? 

Yes, says Sen, to a degree people may 

be able to slip in a few thoughts of success 

and see some results, but there is no 

certainty — and what people need is to 

know they can create the life they want. 

“We know that the world operates on 

the law of cause and effect. The thought 

is the cause and the thing is the effect,” 

he says. 

First Proclamation: 

Consciousness is the creator. 

Second Proclamation: 

That thou art. 

Third Proclamation: 

My consciousness is the creator. 

Fourth Proclamation: 

I am the creator. 

It’s great information, says Sen. 

Important information. They are indeed 

the laws of success. 

“But what good is it for us to know all 

the laws of success if we cannot control 

our thoughts?” he asks. 

Thought is the creative force, he says, 

not the mind. The mind is the tool 

through which our thoughts are processed 

and, according to Sen, the mind 

thinks it is in control. 

He illustrates with one of his favourite 

examples: “If I give you a Ferrari for free, 

you would say ‘great!’ But if I told you it 

had no brakes you wouldn’t want to drive 

it. Without being able to control it the 

Ferrari would be dangerous to drive.” 

Most people’s minds, says Sen, are 

like Ferraris without brakes. People are 

unhappy, unsuccessful, and stressed out 

for one simple reason, he says: They have 

no control over their thoughts. 

He goes on to explain further that for 

most people, their minds dictate what 

their consciousness should be conscious 

about. In other words, “the mind decides 

what thoughts it wants to think” rather 

than the individual being in control. 

“The ancients understood this … and 

they formulated a system to enable their 

students to have total control over their 

minds,” he says. 

“The sages of the Vedic period in 

India formulated the four proclamations 

— meditating upon these, the mind is 

brought under our control to think the 

thoughts that we want to think regardless 

of our circumstances. This is the key 

to success. And this can only be done 

through meditation,” explains Sen. 

“The mind is like a dog,” he reiterates 

with another favourite analogy. “It is restless. 

It sniffs every post.” 

To create the life you want you must 

put a leash on that dog so that you can 

“think the thoughts that you want to 

think and not the thoughts that you don’t 

want to think.” 

So what does it take to “leash the 

mind?” There are two phases, says Sen. 

The first phase is the theory that prepares 

the mind to understand its capacity and 

its role, and to convince it that it can rely 

on consciousness. 

The second phase is the meditation on 

the four proclamations, which trains the 

mind to have complete union with consciousness, 

which is yoga, says Sen. 

Once you learn to control your mind, 

says Sen, you can use your imagination 

to create a vision of your life and turn 

that vision into reality. It takes persistent 

practice and patience, but it can be done, 

he says, and his book, Ancient Secrets of 

Success for Today’s World, can show you 

how. 

Sen may be trying to keep a lowish 

profile, but judging from the lineup of 

students waiting patiently for the opportunity 

to thank him personally at the 

conclusion of the workshop, he may not 

be able to keep his message and teachings 

under the radar for long. This messenger 

clearly has a knack for delivering the message 

— and we won’t be surprised at all to 

find the limelight seeking him out. 

But on a parting note, as if on cue, Sen 

reminds us gently: “Take the message. 

Forget the messenger. It’s the message 

that’s important.” p 


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Feature 

“[Parents] need to learn to 

inspire. Just like they work 

hard to feed us, clothe us and 

shelter us, they also must work 

harder to know how to build us 

up, to not be afraid and to be 

brave and successful.” 

Q&A 

with 

Tulshi Sen 

Photo by Jorge Pasada 

Q: What is the single biggest obstacle 

that prevents people from achieving 

success? 

A: Belief level. We are what we believe. We 

don’t get what we want, we get what we are. 

We are what we believe in. Success is not 

setting goals and achieving goals. We do that 

every day. Success is raising our belief level 

to heights unknown to us. To answer your 

question: The obstacle is our mind, which has 

to be controlled by our consciousness. Now 

our mind tells us what we can have and what 

we cannot have. 

Q: There are many people who read 

book after book and attend seminar 

after seminar but still can’t seem to 

change their lives. What are they doing 

wrong? 

A: In my book I mention that most of us are 

like donkeys with a load of books. Knowledge 

limits. Throughout the history of the world all 

the teachers and masters of both the east and 

the west have vehemently told us that we have 

to listen to our heart, our consciousness, and 

follow our bliss. Knowledge is our memory. 

We have to reach the depths of our being that 

creates our memory. That is what my book is 

all about. We have to transcend the mind. 

Q: Even before the global economic 

crisis it seemed that people were more 

stressed than ever. Why are so many 

people so stressed? 

A: Stress comes out of uncertainty. My book, 

Ancient Secrets of Success, is about creating 

a life without any uncertainty, to become the 

master of our world according to the teachings 

of the east and the west. To quote one of the 

greatest poets of our times, Walt Whitman, who 

said: “No one has begun to think how divine he 


himself is and how certain the future is.” 

Q: What can people do to reduce the 

stress in their lives? 

A: Only one thing, one thing alone and no 

reading and any other knowledge can help 

them. Meditate on the four proclamations. 

And that is not my answer, that is the answer 

of all the masters of the world. These four 

proclamations are the very foundation of all 

the teachings of all the ages of both the east 

and the west. These four proclamations are the 

basis of building lives for fulfillment. 

Q: You talk about circumstances being 

created by our consciousness. Is the 

global economic meltdown an event 

created by someone’s — or a group’s 

— consciousness? 

A: Yes you are right. Our world represents 

our race consciousness. Our consciousness 

creates our reality. A true leader of today must 

change the consciousness of their nation. 

Q: You talk of the limitations we impose 

on ourselves and that these limitations 

are passed on to us in childhood from 

parents. What can parents do to avoid 

instilling limitations in their children? 

A: Parents are our first teachers. According 

to the ancient teachings, the first masters of 

our lives are our parents. They mould and 

shape us. Parents have a great responsibility, 

more than just taking care of us physically. 

They need to learn to inspire. Just like they 

work hard to feed us, clothe us and shelter us, 

they also must work harder to know how to 

build us up, to not be afraid and to be brave 

and successful. They have to realize that they 

don’t own us; they are our custodians for the 

universe. 

Q: You also say that the mind will 

resist. What can people do to overcome 

frustration and the urge to give up and 

go back to life as usual? 

A: We have come to quench our thirst. 

We have to remember our longing, our 

expectations and our thirst. The pain of not 

having what we want is the thirst. We have 

to know what we want. We have to learn to 

believe that we can have anything we want. 

Q: What is the most difficult step for 

people to overcome in developing a 

success consciousness? 

A: Raising their belief level and not following 

others who have given up living a life of 

designed destiny. To remove themselves from 

the herd mentality. 

Q: What kind of changes take place 

in people as their understanding of 

consciousness increases? 

A: They feel a sense of liberation from the 

opinion of others. They do not seek approval 

for their vision of their life. They believe that 

they know what they want. 

Q: Why do you think some people are 

skeptical of programs like yours? 

A: Skeptics are people who are seeking 

clarifications and have not yet been able to 

formulate their questions. Every question has 

the answer built in it. 

Q: What is the first, most important step 

a person should take to change their 

lives for the better? 

A: To set a vision for their lives and know 

how they want to be remembered when they 

leave this plane. p

2009 

Success 

Promotional Feature 

Profiles 

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A Night of Miracles 

On Saturday, October 24, 2009, esteemed members of the South Asian 

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BC Children’s Hospital Foundation 

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Email: asanderson@bcchf.ca 

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At BC Children’s Hospital, the province’s only fullservice 

pediatric acute-care hospital, a single piece 

of equipment with a complex name performs the 

vital role of sustaining life when the heart or lungs 

would otherwise fail. The Extra Corporeal 

Membrane Oxygenation machine, referred to at the 

hospital as ECMO, is often the only thing that 

stands between life and death for infants and 

children experiencing cardio-respiratory failure. 

This serious condition claims many lives each year. 

The ECMO machine, however, can act as a child’s 

heart and lungs for several weeks while those vital 

organs recover. Simply put, ECMO saves lives. 

Four-year-old Aamir (below) remembers nothing of 

the 11 days he spent on the ECMO machine as he 

recovered from lifesaving cardiac surgery when we 

was just a few months old. His parents, on the other 

hand, will never forget the role BC Children’s 

Hospital, its staff and even this complex piece of 

machinery played in allowing their son to become 

the healthy child he is today. 

On Saturday, October 24, members of BC’s South 

Asian community will gather at the Vancouver 

Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel to ensure BC 

Children’s Hospital can continue to save lives. An 

exclusive black-tie charity gala – A Night of Miracles 

– emceed by Global BC’s Robin Gill, will be an 

exclusive celebration of South Asian culture, 

acknowledging the community’s tremendous 

generosity and concern for child health, while 

raising much-needed funds toward the purchase of 

a new ECMO machine for BC Children’s Hospital. 

The South Asian community has raised more than 

$2.5 million in support of child health over the past 

decade, helping to fund programs, training and 

equipment purchases at BC Children’s Hospital, 

Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children and the Child 

& Family Research Institute. 

Inspired by this trend of excellence, long-time 

volunteers identified a new opportunity to engage 

BC’s South Asian community. A Night of Miracles is 

anticipated to attract more than 300 influential 

community and business leaders. With support 

from key members in the community, the event and 

BC’s South Asian community are poised to make 

miracles happen for BC’s kids. 

A Night of Miracles Gala Dinner Committee 

Robin Dhir, vice president of Business 

Development at Twin Brook Developments Ltd., is 

chairing this year’s event planning committee. 

Other notable community figures on the gala’s 

advisory council include Belle Puri, Dr. D. P. Goel, 

Jack Uppal, Herb Dhaliwal, Lucky Janda, Naeem 

(Nick) Noorani, Praveen Varshney, Ratana 

Stephens and Shushma Datt. 

For more information, please contact Aaron 

Sanderson from BC Children’s Hospital Foundation 

at asanderson@bcchf.ca or 604-875-2511.

Cover 

Manjit Minhas 

Toast oF 

The Town 

Photo by James Mah 

by Robin Roberts 

Manjit and Ravinder Minhas launched their first successful 

beverage business when they were just eight and seven years 

old, respectively. Sure, it was a lemonade stand in their suburban 

Calgary neighbourhood, but the experience of running that stand 

would serve the savvy brother-and-sister team well for bigger things 

to come. The budding entrepreneurs learned to put their product in 

front of their customers (they routinely moved their stand to take 

advantage of traffic) and to make a better brew at a competitive 

price than any of the other neighbourhood kids’ stands. Years later, 

they honed their business sense working summers for their parents, 

Moni and Rani, who owned OK Liquor Stores, a mini-chain 

of very successful liquor stores in Calgary. 

“My dad always let us in on the dealings at the liquor stores,” 

says Manjit. “We were always privy to money issues and how business 

worked.” 

The elder Minhas, however, was no strict disciplinarian who demanded his children 

carry on the family business. His advice to them was, “Do what you love, and 

if you’re successful at it, what more can you ask?” He and Rani also ensured they 

had a broader understanding of the world and the importance of relationships. “We 

always did things with our kids, took them out to dinner every fourth or fifth day, 

and we discussed important things in life,” says Moni, an engineer by trade, who, 

like his wife, emigrated from Punjab. “Not just business but education and family. 

I’ve been in Calgary 30-some years now and I’ve seen people come and go with the 

booms and the busts. I always told my kids, there are lots of people who will loan 



Cover 

“Naturally, being a woman, being young 

and being Indian is interesting when you’re 

dealing with old, white gentlemen... At the 

beginning it was hard to get respect.” 

— Manjit Minhas 

With $10,000 in cash, Manjit and 

Ravinder Minhas started a company called 

Mountain Crest Liquors Inc., and began 

developing liquor at discount prices. 

The Minhas siblings wrote the book 

Brewing Up a Damn Good Story, which 

tells the story of their company. 

you money, but they are not doing you 

any favours. They are doing themselves a 

favour. They are going to take interest and 

fees from you. Be very careful before you 

dance with the banker.” 

Manjit and Ravinder not only followed 

their father’s advice, they followed in his 

footsteps — which turned out to leave 

many imprints. First, they enrolled in engineering 

school at the University of Calgary. 

After graduating, Ravinder worked 

for Husky Energy, Manjit for Marathon 

Oil Company. But booze was in their 

blood, and just one year into Manjit’s engineering 

degree and while Ravinder was 

still in high school, they began dreaming 

about their own venture. Heeding their 

dad’s words of wisdom about borrowing 

money, the siblings scraped together their 

own seed capital. 

They sold the purple Rav 4 car (“she 

picked the colour,” insists Ravinder) they 

co-owned, and added it to the bit of savings 

Manjit had. With $10,000 in cash, 

they started a company called Mountain 

Crest Liquors Inc., and began developing 

premium hard liquor at discount prices. 

“Our initial idea was to bring a private 

brand to my parents’ stores,” says 

Manjit, now 29. “Just as Superstore has 

President’s Choice, Safeway has Select, 

we thought we’d bring Mountain Crest 

to OK Liquor Stores. So we did a bunch 

of research, met a lot of people, went to 

a lot of trade shows. Then I developed a 

line of spirits that included rum, rye, gin, 

brandy, scotch and tequila. All the recipes 

and names were mine. We brought them 

into my parents’ stores and they did very 

well. After the first year we got a lot of 

other independent liquor stores wanting 

to buy this stuff.” 

Getting the product into the big chain 

stores was another story, however, and 

Manjit admits there was resistance. “Naturally, 

being a woman, being young and 

being Indian is interesting when you’re 

dealing with old, white gentlemen,” she 

says. 

“At the beginning it was hard to get 

respect; people don’t take you seriously. 

People don’t even want to meet you, and 

if they do they don’t think you have anything 

worth saying or that you could accomplish 

anything. You just have to keep 

knocking on doors. You can’t take it personally. 

You have to build a reputation 

for yourself and your company, and that 

comes on its own.” 

Things turned around for the pair 

when they secured a tequila supplier in 

Kentucky just as a blue agave shortage hit 

Mexico. They locked in at a bargain price 

and began producing premium tequila at 

low cost. Sales spiked, and in a matter of 

months they controlled a sizable portion 

of the tequila supply in Alberta. Still, with 

90 brands of spirits, wines and cordials in 

their inventory, they were not content. 

“We were doing well, expanding our 

hard liquor category, and thought, why 

not beer,” says Manjit. The price of beer 

had been rising steadily, and Manjit and 

Ravinder wanted to offer a cheaper alternative 

for their fellow Albertans. So, in 

2002, the siblings unveiled their Mountain 

Crest Classic Lager, brewed at the 

Minnesota Brewing Company in Minneapolis, 

for about a buck a beer. Sales of 

their suds immediately took off — and 

took over their time. 

“We came to that crossroad where we 

had to ask, ‘Do you want to be in oil and 

gas or do you want to be in beer?’” says 

Ravinder. “It was a really easy decision, 

because beer is a lot more fun.” 

The brother and sister quit their petroleum 

engineering jobs and poured 

their energies into expanding their product, 

soon introducing nine more brands, 

including light beer, ice beer, lime beer, 

Pilseners and coolers. They spilled into 

Manitoba in 2004 and Saskatchewan 

soon after, capturing 15 per cent of the 

beer business in the three western provinces 

alone. When the Minnesota Brewery 

went bankrupt in 2002, Ravinder moved 

production briefly first to Stephens Point, 

Wisconsin, then LaCrosse, Wisconsin. A 

year later, they began producing their beer 

at the historic Joseph Huber Brewery in 

Monroe, Wisconsin, built in 1845 and the 


oldest brewery in the Midwest. In 2006, 

they bought the brewery and became the 

world’s youngest brewery owners (they 

would have preferred to purchase a Canadian 

brewery, but there are so few, and 

they’re rarely for sale). 

They put $5 million in upgrades into 

the facility and changed the name to the 

Minhas Craft Brewery. In addition to 

making all their beers, the brewery now 

produces energy drinks, old-fashioned 

sodas and coolers for export to four provinces 

in Canada, 15 states in the U.S., 

as well as to Japan and Korea. They have 

their eye on India next, and already have 

a head start with Rani Lager (named after 

their mom), a beer they began producing 

about five years ago for sale primarily in 

restaurants. 

“Beer is not very prevalent in the Indian 

community,” says Manjit, who travels 

with her brother to India every few years 

to visit family in Chandigarh. “But in 

India, there’s a big youth population that 

is into watching American TV. They’re 

starting to get into beer, not just the hard 

stuff as it used to be in their parents’ generation.” 

Today, the Minhas siblings do about 

$100 million in business annually and 

employ a staff of 200 worldwide. Looking 

back, as they celebrate the 10th anniversary 

of their venture together, Ravinder 

and Manjit still maintain a cool, confident 

attitude toward their business. 

“When we started we didn’t feel that 

there was much to lose,” says Manjit. “We 

thought, ‘Oh well, if it didn’t work, mom 

and dad will get rid of it.’ But we didn’t 

want their help; we didn’t take their money, 

we didn’t want a loan. So we slowly 

grew within our own means, we always 

reinvested profits. We have some money 

now, so my brother and I are able to do 

our own thing, spend on ourselves, but 

not extravagantly. We don’t keep high 

overhead, we don’t have big fancy offices, 

private jets and all that stuff. We still fly 

commercial airlines and drive ourselves 

around. Sure, they’re fancy cars and we 

have a vacation home in Barbados — 

there has to be some perks, we’re still 

young!” 

The duo, who have won many entrepreneurial 

and marketing awards, agree 

the steepest learning curve for them both 

was government bureaucracy and red 

tape. Their beer is still not sold in most 

provinces (B.C. gives them the biggest 

headaches), and it took them five years 

of battling Ontario before they broke 

through to be able to start selling their 

beer there this fall. 

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“In the beer industry, there’s lots of 

high-powered competition, big companies 

that have been around since the dawn of 

time, like Molson and Labatt,” says Manjit 

of their brouhaha with the big boys. 

“And they’ve got a lot more money than 

we do, so it’s always interesting trying to 

fight against these big powerhouses. But 

we’re doing very well, we’re happy with 

what we’ve been able to achieve. There 

hasn’t been a new beer company that has 

been successful in Canada in over a decade, 

and so we can say we are one of the 

few beer companies that actually survive 

and make money. We’re the fourth largest 

one in Canada, and still growing.” 

Adds Ravinder, “We always said once 

we launch Ontario, B.C. is next. I think 

we have the proof our product should be 

in their stores. We sell over 500 million 

cans. We suspect they’ll now be open to 

the idea of us in their territory.” 

Even if they become an empire the size 

of Molson or Labatt, Ravinder and Manjit 

will still be the face of their company. 

“Nobody can tell you who the president 

or the owner of Molson or Labatt is,” says 

Manjit, who last year followed in her father’s 

footsteps once again by co-writing a 

book about their company and the history 

of their brewery with Ravinder, called 

Brewing Up a Damn Good Story, taken 

from their company’s slogan, “Damn 

Good Beer.” (Moni had written a book 

called The Sikh Canadians, about the history 

of Sikhs in Canada, in 1994.) “My 

brother and I are always in our commercials 

and in our marketing. We try to be 

the face of our company, not just a faceless 

company. That’s important for our 

marketing strategy.” 

The first new face of the Minhas Brewing 

Company could be Manjit’s pintsized 

daughter, who’s barely two months 

old. “We joke that she’s going to run the 

empire with her cousins and brothers 

and sisters,” says Ravinder, 27. “When 

she gazes up at the ceiling we figure she’s 

thinking about how she’s going to run her 

empire.” 

Ravinder and Manjit vow they will 

never sell their company, will never offer 

shares. “We’re always asked when we’re 

going public,” says Manjit. “We don’t 

need or want the money, and we wouldn’t 

want to be answering to other people. If 

you can do it by your own means, that’s 

the way.” 

It’s the advice passed on to them from 

their parents all those years ago, and they 

clearly heeded it to their benefit. “They’ve 

always tried to make us wiser than our 

years because we’re often dealing with 

1-877-369-8621 


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people double our age,” says Manjit of 

her parents, now retired. “We did have to 

mature quite a bit faster than most people 

our age because we have a lot more 

We Can Help! 

responsibilities.” 

Moni marvels at how level-headed 

his kids are. “They didn’t sit around the 

dining room table saying, ‘I’m going to 

be this or that.’ I think they just figured 

if you can jump you can swim. They are 

also very careful, which I find very fascinating. 

They don’t act like playboys or 

rich kids. They don’t spend and risk money 

unduly. They seem to have the combination 

of playing it safe with calculated, 

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who they are.” 


They’re also typical siblings, despite 

their blended business sense. “I throw 


“Helping You Become “Helping Debt You Become Free” Debt Free” 

things,” admits Manjit sheepishly. “When 

“Helping You Become Debt Free” 

We Can Reduce Your 

kI quhwfw vwl-vwl krzy ivc fuibAw hoieAw hY? 

kI quhwfw vwl-vwl krzy ivc fuibAw hoieAw hY? 

it comes to business We we Can don’t Reduce often Your disagree, 

but when it Debt 

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Stop Interest On kI The Balance quhwfy swry krYift kI quhwfI kwrf rwqW Bry dI nINd hoey Aqy hn? idn dw cYn hrwm hY? 

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once in a while you’ll And Convert see things That Into Interest flying 


Free Payments Up to Years We Can Reduce Your 


We also Help kI in Bankruptcies quhwnMU fr hY ik kI ikqy quhwfw sB vwl-vwl kuJ ivk krzy nw jwvy? ivc fuibAw hoieAw hY? 

around our homes. Free But Payments business Up decisions 

to 5 Years For appointment 

kI quhwfI smJ ivc nhI Aw irhw ik kI kIqw jwvy? 

Debt by More Than kI call : quhwfI 50% smJ ivc kI nhI quhwfy Aw qW swry irhw GbrwE krYift ik kI kwrf nhI kIqw Bry jwvy? hoey hn? 

Arvinder S. Kalsey (Kalsey@bscc.ca) or 

are much more rational. It’s been a Stop long 

AsI quhwfw A`Dy qoN ijAwdw krzw muAwP krvw skdy 

Interest Avineet On The S. Kalsey Balance (akalsey@bscc.ca) kI quhwfI rwqW dI nINd Aqy idn dw cYn hrwm hY? 

We also Help hW Aqy bkwieAw rkm CotIAW-CotIAW Interest Free 

time since we’ve had Bankruptcies 



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Free Payments Up to 5 Years 

For appointment call : 

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so close we already Arvinder know 

Arvinder 

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Kalsey the 

Kalsey 

(Kalsey@bscc.ca) other Free 

(Kalsey@bscc.ca) 

or & Confidential 

or AsI quhwfw A`Dy qoN Creditor ijAwdw h`Q krzw nhI pwvygw[ muAwP krvw skdy 

Avineet 

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S. 

S. 

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Kalsey 

(akalsey@bscc.ca) 

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(akalsey@bscc.ca) We also Help Toronto in Office Bankruptcies 

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CotIAW-CotIAW 

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Free 

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For appointment 

Unit #43, 

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8500 

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Torbram Rd. 

Suite #205, 12033 92A Ave. 

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Surrey, BC V3V 4B8 

Calgary, Alberta T1Y 6Z1 

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Fax: 403-714-8983 

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we don’t and it’s cause 905-789-8984 for good debate Toronto Office (Head Office) 604-951-8984 Surrey Office 403-714-8984 

905-789-8984 

604-951-8984 

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Fax: 416-898-9367 Unit #43, 8500 Torbram Fax: Rd. 604-951-8983 Suite #205, 12033 92A Ave. Fax: 403-714-8983 Suite #212, 3132 26th St. NE 

and argument. We come Fax: back 416-898-9367 and settle 

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it out. There is nothing like working 905-789-8984 

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604-951-8984 

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Toll 

with 

Free: Fax: 416-898-9367 1-866-790-8984 www.bscc.ca 

Fax: 604-951-8983 

Fax: 403-714-8983 

Toll Free: 1-866-790-8984 www.bscc.ca 

family, in my opinion. I wouldn’t trade it 

for the world. You have an inherent trust 

in the person; you know there’s always 

somebody you can fall back on. When 

you are successful you have somebody 

to share it with and when things fail you 

have somebody to blame (laughs).” 

Ravinder concurs. “There are some 

things I’m notorious for that Manjit and 

I disagree on,” he says. “I’m definitely 

more of a spendthrift than she is. Can I 

say I win all those arguments? No. But I 

can’t say I lose them all either. The truth 

of it is, you get heated, you get annoyed at 

each other for 10 minutes, but we come 

back 15 minutes later and we’re laughing 

about it. We’ll go at it tooth and nail, call 

a time out for five minutes, come back 

and laugh about it and move forward. 

There’s a bond that will keep us together 

forever. We get asked all the time, is 

there sibling rivalry? I go, what the hell is 

that? I’d rather see her succeed over me, 

because at the end of the day, if she succeeds, 

so do I.” 

Spoken like a damn fine partner. 

Cheers. p 

Mann 

Your Trusted Realtor Since 1991 

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We Can Reduce Your Debt 

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Into Interest Free Payments Up to 5 years 

We also Help in Bankruptcies 

For appointment call: 

Arvinder S. Kalsey (Kalsey@bscc.ca) or 

Avineet S. Kalsey (akalsey@bscc.ca) 

First Consultation is 

FREE & CONFIDENTIAL 

Toronto Office (Head Office) 

Unit #43, 8500 Torbram Rd. 


905-789-8984 

Fax: 416-898-9367 

Surrey Office 

Suite #205, 12033 92A Ave 


604-951-8984 

Fax: 604-951-8983 


Suite #210, 3132 26th St. NE 


403-714-8984 

Fax: 403-714-8983 

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Feature 

Diwali 2009 

Delicious food. Sweet treats. 

An opportunity to gather 

with family and friends for 

festivities. Those are the things 

that most people mention when 

talking about their fondest 

memories of Diwali. 

Known as the Festival of 

Lights, Diwali is a celebration 

of universal themes of progress. 

Diwali is an opportunity to 

rejoice in the victory of light 

over darkness, good over evil 

and knowledge over ignorance. 

People of different faiths acknowledge 

a different legend as the origin of Diwali, 

but all these narratives share a common 

message: that a pure heart and good 

intentions have the power to triumph 

over oppression and injustice. 

For Hindus, Diwali represents 

Lord Rama’s return to the kingdom of 

Ayodhya after rescuing his wife Sita 

from the demon Ravana. The subjects of 

Shan-E-Punjab kids bhangra group performing at Vancouver Celebrates Diwali 2008. 

Celebrating Diwali 

Paromita Naidu has loved Diwali as far 

back as she can remember. 

“I had always been involved in Diwali 

celebrations in my childhood and knew it 

to be a wonderful and meaningful time 

in the Indian calendar,” says the University 

of British Columbia 

healthcare project manager 

and mother of two. “Vivid 

memories of performing, 

visiting, celebrating, eating 

and listening would always 

flood my memory during 

Diwali.” 

For the past five years, as 

a member of the Vancouver 

Celebrates Diwali Steering 

Committee — she’s been 

chair for the past four years 

— Naidu has been helping 

others learn about the significance 

of Diwali and form 

memories of their own. 

Naidu says she got involved after the 

first year of the event to help give it some 

guidance and direction both as a performing 

artist (she’s a professional dancer) and 

as a community member. 

This year marks the sixth anniversary of 

Vancouver Celebrates Diwali (VCD). The 

celebrations will get under way on October 

8 and will continue until the 18th. 

The idea for the festival came about 

when the steering committee was initially 

created by the South Asian Family Association 

in association with South Vancouver 

Neighbourhood House, the City 

of Vancouver, various community centres 

and a group of dedicated community volunteers, 

explains Naidu. 

“The aim was two-fold: to make the 

celebration of Diwali more visible in Vancouver 

and to communicate its deep and 

profound messages through a showcase of 

the arts.” 

The essential principles 

of Diwali — light over darkness, 

the triumph of good 

over evil and knowledge 

over ignorance — make 

this festival truly universal 

in nature and intended for 

all cultures and communities, 

she says. 

“Our mission is to gather 

people from all walks of life 

in celebration of the universal 

light that exists in everyone,” 

she explains. 

While there is a predominantly 

South Asian presence among the 

artists and audiences, the festival emphasizes 

multiculturalism and inclusiveness 

as one of its principal themes. There has 

been a growing involvement over the years 

from all of Vancouver’s diverse cultural 

communities. 

“The numbers [of non-Indians] are 

definitely increasing and media interest 

and word of mouth have really helped our 

festival’s profile,” says Naidu. 

The numbers overall have also been on 

the rise as the success of the festival, not to 

mention the celebration itself, has drawn 

an increasing larger audience. 

“In the first year, there was a small 

Paromita Naidu 


09 

DIWALI 

GALA 

the festival of lights 

Wednesday October 7th 2009 

Bollywood Banquet Hall 

Unit 201, 8166 128th Street, Surrey 

5.30pm – 9.00pm 

Join Simon Fraser University’s President, Dr. Michael Stevenson, 

as SFU celebrates Diwali with a gala dinner featuring the best of 

Indian dance, music and cuisine. 

Tickets: $50+gst each, $400+gst for a table of 8. Purchase online at www.surrey.sfu.ca/diwali

Feature 

Ayodhya helped guide Rama and Sita back to their rightful home 

by putting lamps outside their houses to create a path of light. 

Sikhs celebrate Diwali as the day when Guru Hargobind 

gained his freedom after being imprisoned by Emperor Jahangir 

in Gwalior Fort. Guru Hargobind won not only his own freedom, 

but that of 52 fellowing prisoners by finding a way to capitalize 

on the emperor’s agreement that the Guru could take with him as 

many prisoners as could hold on to his cloak. The Guru had a 

cloak made with 52 pieces of string so that each of the prisoners 

could hold on to one of the strings. 

People celebrated the freedom of Guru Hargobind by lighting 

lamps to illuminate the way to the Golden Temple. 

For members of the Jain community, Diwali marks the day 

when the prophet Bhagvaan Mahaveer, the founder of Jainism, 

attained Nirvana. 

Perhaps one of the most joyous aspects of Diwali is that, 

although the traditions and orijins of the celebration differ, it is 

an occasion that unites rather than divides the communities that 

celebrate it. And since the underlying theme is a celebration of 

goodness, who can resist the standing invitation to join in the 

celebration? 

Happy 

Diwali 

From the 

Surrey Board of Trade 

James Stewart, President, Anita Huberman, CEO 

Supporting Surrey business through: 

A vital and growing membership 

Business Benefit programs for members 

Many networking and Marketing events 

Advocacy on issues affecting the business 

community 

We represent over 3600 business contacts 

www.businessinsurrey.com 

show held in the Roundhouse, 

with a handful of performers, a 

few hundred people in attendance 

and very little media attention,” 

says Naidu. 

VCD has since grown to include 

two main events and workshops 

held at multiple locations. 

One of last year’s main events, 

Diwali Downtown, showcased 

both professional and amateur 

artists, focusing on traditional 

and folk arts with 3,500 people 

in attendance. The other main 

event, Chai-house, which showcased 

contemporary and fusion arts, had approximately 

400 people in attendance. 

“Our mini-festival workshops spanned 

the city, were held in community centres 

and were always well attended,” adds 

Naidu. 

Some of the hottest acts last year included 

Shan-E-Punjaab kids bhangra group, 

musician Dal Dil Vog, and UBC Girlz 

bhangra group. Classical standouts were 

carnatic musician Vidyasagar Vankayala, Indo-Persian 

band Sangha and 14-year old dancer Malavika Santosh. 

Chai-House sensations included musician Chin Injeti, comedian 

Sunee Dhaliwal, human beatbox artist Shamik Bilgi, 

Pakistani band Naqsh, and dancehall crew Bucky Top. “Audiences 

were literally blown away by the quality, caliber and 

diversity of the talent we showcased — both professional and 

amateur,” says Naidu. 

This year, Diwali Downtown and Chai-House have been 

combined into a huge one-day free event on October 18 at 

the Roundhouse Community Centre. The event will feature 

the hottest acts from last year and a new crop of fresh talent 

from all genres. VCD has also created Moving Landscape 

(October 8 to 10 at the Scotiabank Dance Centre; tickets 

are $17 at the door), a new event to showcase the unique 

movements in South Asian dance by artists from across the 

continent. “VCD’s goal was to present world-renowned 

South Asian dance companies from across North America, 

whose groundbreaking performances are forming the bridge 

between the classical and the contemporary. And as music 

inspires dance into movement, this evening will be accentuated 

with performances from some of Vancouver’s bestknown 

contemporary South Asian musicians,” says Naidu, 

adding that it’s something that has never happened in Vancouver 

on this scale before. 

Indeed, VCD is a unique Canadian festival that encourages 

participation and provides opportunities for South 

Asian artists to develop new audiences and break cultural 

barriers. 

“So far, we have been fortunate enough to present arts 

programming that has never been seen before,” says Naidu. 

“Our challenges remain to stay afloat financially (every year 

is a struggle), and to continue to be imaginative and creative 

while ensuring the essential principles of Diwali are communicated 

and preserved.” p 

Those interested in attending or volunteering at Vancouver 

Celebrates Diwali can find a complete schedule of events as well 

as other information at www.vandiwali.ca 


ਤੁਹਾਨੂ 

ੰ ੰ ਸੱ ਭ ਨੂ ੰ ੰ ਿਵਸਾਖੀ ਦੀ 

HAPPY ਲੱ ਖ ਲੱ ਖ DIWALI 

ਵਧਾਈ 

TO YOU ALL 

VAISAKHI GREETINGS TO YOU ALL 

Wishing everyone 

a Happy Diwali 

Hon. Ujjal Dosanjh, P.C., Q.C., M.P. 

Member of Parliament for Vancouver South 

ਜਲ ਦੋਸਝ ਤੁਹਾਨੂ ੰ ਸੱ ਭ ਨੂ ੰ ਿਵਸਾਖੀ ਦੀ 

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ਮਬਰ ਮਬਰ ਪਾਰਲੀਮਟ Email: ਔਫ ਪਾਰਲੀਮਟ Dosanu1a@parl.gc.ca 

VAISAKHI ਵੈਨਕੂਵਰ GREETINGS ਸਾਊਥ TO YOU ALL 

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775-5323, 

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F: 

(604) 

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www.ujjaldosanjh.ca 


Jas Janda-Wiseman 

Regional Sales Manager 

604.908.3238 | jas.janda-wiseman@td.com 

Hon. Ujjal Dosanjh, P.C., Q.C., M.P. 

Member of Parliament for Vancouver South 

ਜਲ ਦੋਸਝ 

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*Offer a 

logo an

Feature 

Gala for a Good Cause 

It’s only fitting that Diwali, a celebration 

of knowledge, prosperity and all 

that is good, is serving as the inspiration 

behind an event to raise funds to assist 

students, facilitate business connections 

and promote collaboration. 

Those who attend Simon Fraser University’s 

second annual Diwali Gala, 

which takes place October 7 at the Bollywood 

Banquet 

Hall, will enjoy 

Sapno ki rani jab 

Indian dance, Curry, executive director, SFU Surrey. 

music and cuisine. 

Guests to connect with the rise of the Indian 

“The SFU India Strategy was designed 

dikh 

and organizers 

jaye. 

economy but 

You: 

also to connect with the 

will have the local South Asian community,” she says. 

added satisfaction 

of knowing 

that their 

SFU’s India student mobility programs, 

language and culture initiatives and partnerships 

with the South Asian community. 

“SFU recognizes the need to create 

awareness about South Asian art and culture,” 

says Nav Chima, who is manager 

of SFU’s India Country Strategy. “The 

gala serves to promote this rich heritage. 

As an Indo-Canadian, I value my traditions 

and cultural roots and Diwali is an 

important celebration. And the message 

of light and prosperity is applicable to 

people from all walks of life.” 

The gala is among many examples of 

SFU’s ever-strengthening ties with the 

Indo-Canadian community, says Joanne 

“The creation of the SFU Surrey campus 

added fuel to our efforts and immediately 

became the secretariat for many initiatives 

given the large Indo-Canadian community 

in the South Fraser.” 

participation 

I.M. best friend 

will benefit 

Last year’s gala included presentations 

by students who benefited from the funds 

raised by the community and matched by 

Email picture SFU’s president, Michael to Mummy Stevenson. ji 

“We had a moving speech by the three 

Indian students who have come to study 

at SFU and by the SFU students who 

went to India to work. These experiences 

are life-changing and all of the students 

were wonderful ambassadors of India and 

Canada,” says Curry. 

This year’s event, she says, will put 

more focus on students and give more 

time for networking. 

“Of course, we will keep the high 

quality entertainment and food, which is 

a hallmark of all successful Indo-Canadian 

events!” p 

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Meena Betra from Atlanta, Georgia 

Suman Kollipara from Vancouver, B.C. 

Meena Betra and Suman 

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between their first meeting and 

their wedding. 

They were introduced while 

Suman was visiting his brother, 

Prashant, in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Suspecting that Meena, who had 

become a family friend, and Suman 

would hit it off, Prashant invited 

her to join the family for dinner. 

“When I first saw her in person 

at my brother’s place, it felt as if the 

whole roller coaster ride of finding 

the right partner ended in this 

beautiful silence,” recalls Suman. 

“It was very instant and natural. 

There were no questions, no 

judgments, no analysis further.” 

Meena was just as sure she’d 

found the perfect match. “I felt 

complete,” she says of her 

reaction. 

It was obvious to both of them 

that their feelings were mutual, and 

wedding plans were under way 

within a couple of days. Even the 

overwhelming task of arranging 

for relatives on both sides to fly 

into Atlanta from as far away as 

Africa and India in less than two 

August 

2009 

weeks wasn’t enough to diminish 

the sense of calm that they say 

descended on them from the 

moment they met. 

“I felt very easy and relaxed 

any time I was around her,” says 

Suman. “In her proximity there was 

this force that kept telling me that 

we belong to each other.” 

The fact that the wedding plans, 

which included arranging for 

multiple visas and airline tickets, 

went so smoothly came as no 

surprise to the happy couple. 

“I felt that we were made for 

each other and that everything was 

happening as per divine plan, that 

we were just playing our roles,” 

says Suman. “It would have 

been humanly impossible to see 

something like this happen in two 

weeks. I was very thankful to God.” 

The sense of well-being 

extended to everyone who attended 

the wedding, which was a Hindu 

ceremony with about 30 guests 

from each side. “Each person 

brought a lot of positive energy and 

blessings and I could feel it every 

moment,” says Meena. “That was 

very inspiring and created a very 

solid sense that this marriage is 

blessed by heaven.” 

The honeymoon wasn’t idyllic 

but it did turn out to provide yet 

more proof of their compatibility. 

“It was a very hectic trip,” says 

Suman. “The most we remember 

is how we both actually cared 

for each other because we were 

still suffering from jet lag from 

flying into India and also we were 

knocked down by cold, cough 

and frequent headaches from the 

hot weather. It was not the typical 

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allowed 

us to see the reality of life and 

how important it is to respect the 

other’s space and reach out to each 

other in tough times.” 

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nine when you’ve got that kind of 

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Sandy Sidhu from Mission, B.C. 

Sonny Janda from Richmond, B.C. 

It’s not easy getting a straight 

answer from Sandy and Sonny 

Janda when you ask them about 

their engagement and wedding. 

It seems these two never miss a 

chance to make a wisecrack, but it’s 

obvious that their feelings for each 

other are no joke. 

Their first conversation was 

during a calculus class in fall 

2003. “It was the first couple 

of weeks of school and, being 

severely directionally challenged, I 

couldn’t find my economics class,” 

recalls Sandy. “I ended up missing 

the class and when I walked into 

calculus I realized that Sonny was 

also in my economics class so I 

asked him if I could borrow his 

notes. He admirably conceded.” 

Sandy got the notes and Sonny 

eventually got the girl. 

Although they were obviously 

headed for marriage, Sonny 

managed to surprise Sandy with a 

proposal. 

“He took me out to lunch near 

Stanley Park and he was definitely 

acting odd,” recalls Sandy. “Sonny 

is normally so confident and 

relaxed. But when the waitress 

brought our bill I could see that 

he was really nervous and I got 

so worried. He pulled out his brief 

case and said that he got a job 

July 

2009 

offer. I suddenly thought that he 

was going to move somewhere 

far away and I started to get teary 

eyed. Then he takes out a ring box 

and asks me if he should take the 

job. I couldn’t stop laughing. It was 

perfectly his style.” 

Sonny describes his arrival at 

the gurdwara on their wedding day 

with his characteristic flair. 

“I rode in on a white horse 

dressed in all Indian attire. The 

strut went well, all to plan, until 

the hoards of family and friends 

started to join behind me. The 

horse started to get a little rattled 

and was preparing to gallop across 

the parking lot. I decided at this 

time that maybe I shouldn’t be a 

hero, and I jumped off. Everybody 

thought it was part of the show but 

it was a desperate move to avoid 

bodily injury.” 

The groom made it safely 

into the gurdwara and was soon 

rewarded by the sight of his bride. 

“She was beautiful and elegant,” 

he says. “She put my silly, slanted 

turban to shame. Kodak moment.” 

The couple had something out 

of the ordinary in store for their 

guests at the reception. 

“Sonny and I decided to surprise 

our family and do the rumba for 

our first dance,” says Sandy. 

“Sonny is very co-ordinated, so it 

went off without a hitch! Our family 

and friends loved it.” 

The newlyweds honeymooned 

in Costa Rica — complete with 

“thunderstorms and crazy taxi 

drivers” — and are living (and 

laughing) in Richmond. 

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Weddings 

Meena Loretta Violet Duhra from Surrey, B.C. 

Aaron Brent Neibel from Port Moody, B.C. 

“ It was love at first laugh!” 

That’s how Meena and Aaron 

describe their first meeting. They 

were both students at Douglas 

College when a mutual friend took 

Meena along to see Aaron perform 

a funny routine during a small 

gathering. 

“He made me laugh and I 

thought he had the nicest eyes,” 

Meena recalls. “After our first 

introduction I walked away telling 

my friend that I wanted to marry 

him.” 

Aaron was smitten, too. 

May 

2009 

“This sounds a little corny, but 

the moment I laid eyes on her I was 

done!” he says. “I believe there 

were four or five girls there that day 

that I was supposed to be funny for, 

but the minute I saw Meena I knew 

this beautiful woman was going to 

be mine. No one else existed for 

that 10 minutes; it was just me and 

her! I spent the next month trying 

to get closer and closer to her, any 

opportunity we had to be together 

I was there. Every moment was so 

precious and always too short.” 

“We were basically inseparable 

from that moment on,” adds Meena. 

“He has a way of making me feel 

like I am the only one in the room 

and the most beautiful girl ever. He 

accepts all of my faults and has a 

way to make me laugh no matter 

how I’m feeling.” 

Any reservations on the part of 

Meena’s family — she’s an only 

child whose father assumed she’d 

bring home an Indian boy — were 

quickly overcome when they saw 

how deeply in love the couple were. 

Aaron came up with a 

characteristically unique way to 

propose, enlisting a little help from 

Santa Claus at his family’s annual 

Christmas get together. 

“All the kids in the 

neighbourhood and all of our close 

family and friends come over for a 

special Santa appearance,” explains 

Aaron. “We do crafts, sing carols, 

eat and drink and, of course, Santa 

shows up with his helpers and 

gives all the kids presents. Meena 

and I along with my sister and her 

boyfriend all play Santa’s helpers 

and hand out the gifts. Santa was 

the only other person who knew that 

I was going to propose so he helped 

me with the lead up. After handing 

out the last gift from Santa’s sack I 

reached in and pretended as though 

the sack was stuck on my head. I 

asked if one of the elves could help 

me out and Meena came over and 

pulled the bag off my head. Then 

I bent down on one knee and told 

her how much I loved her and how 

I wanted to spend the rest of my 

life together. She started to cry and 

eventually said yes.” 

“We were surrounded by 

family and friends, not to mention 

Santa, so it made the moment 

unforgettable,” adds Meena. 

The couple were married at 

Swan-e-Set Country Club in an 

outdoor Christian ceremony where 

the bride, wearing an ivory wedding 

gown, walked down the aisle with 

her father to the strains of the 

wedding march to join her groom, 

who was wearing a black tuxedo. 

But the couple and their families 

also had a chance to celebrate 

Indian style at an engagement party 

leading up to the wedding. 

“ I wanted to wear traditional 

Indian bridal attire so with the 

help of my friends I picked out 

the perfect red lengha,” says 

Meena. “Aaron is always up to new 

experiences and will do anything to 

make me happy so he wore a gold 

echken. The night was perfect. All 

of my family and friends were able 

to come from near and far. We had 

a bhangra team perform, we did 

juggo and danced the night away. 

Everyone had a blast and it was a 

night I will never forget.” 

The couple honeymooned in 

Montego Bay, Jamaica, where 

they recuperated from the wedding 

festivities by lounging on the beach, 

swimming with dolphins and 

shopping 

Today, the newlyweds are living 

blissfully in a newly renovated 

home in Vancouver. 

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Horoscope 

by Georgia Nicols 

October 2009 

Aries (March 21-April 19) 

This month the Sun is as far 

away from you as it gets all year. 

Since the Sun is the source of energy, 

you feel more tired than usual. 

However, this low energy could 

lead to feeling discouraged. (Bummer.) 

Don’t take this seriously. It 

will pass. Meanwhile, things in 

your life are coming to a head now. 

Some are successes and others 

are not! This means you have to 

regroup, and organize your life so 

that you can move forward. What 

can you learn now about your oneto-one 

encounters with others? 

Taurus (April 20-May 20) 

You’re keen to get organized! 

We’re talking about the real deal 

-- clean fridge, clean closets (well, 

maybe not the bedroom -- let’s be 

realistic.) You want to feel that in 

every aspect of your life, you can 

reach out and put your hand on 

exactly what you’re looking for, 

whether it’s a file, a tool or a $100 

bill. Give yourself the right tools 

-- cleaning supplies, file folders, 

shelves, whatever, to do a great, 

bang-up job. Afterward, you’ll feel 

satisfied, and rewarded. “I love 

me!” 

Gemini (May 21-June 20) 

It’s party time! Once a year, each 

sign gets a boost when it comes to 

seeking out pleasure, fun, romance 

and love affairs. This also applies 

to vacations, sports, and playful activities 

with children. Guess what? 

It’s your turn! Creative efforts can 

flourish because you’re in touch 

with your muse. Romance will be 

breathless. Social occasions are 

scintillating and stimulating. This 

is also a great time to entertain at 

home. Invite the gang over! 

Cancer (June 21-July 22) 

This month, your focus shifts to 

home, family, and domestic matters. 

You might be more involved 

with family events, or relatives 

might be visiting. (Still?) Discussions 

with family members, especially 

parents, will be significant. 

In part, this could be because 

childhood memories are bubbling 

to the surface of your mind. Even if 

you’re caught up in a swirl of activities 

at home, you’ll want some 

time alone. (Oh, yeah.) You need 

a little window of opportunity to 

cogitate, ruminate, meditate, and 

think about stuff. 

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) 

A celestial shift now accelerates 

the pace of your days. You’re busy! 

Short trips, increased errands, extra 

jobs, conversations with everyone 

plus mucho reading, writing 

and studying, keep you on the go 

at a mildly hysterical pace. (“My 

hair’s on fire!”) However, all this 

busyness will help you to notice 

more about your style of communicating 

with others. Now is the 

time to express your real thoughts 

and intentions about something. 

Should you tell it like it is? (Well, 

it’s one thing to shoot yourself in 

the foot; but don’t do it with your 

foot in your mouth!) 

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) 

This month, you’re preoccupied 

with financial matters, money 

deals, and cash flow. You might 

also be thinking about your earnings, 

especially how to boost your 

wealth, or get a different job, or 

make some money on the side. 

”What can I do that’s fun and really 

going to make me happy?” 

However, this is also a good time 

to take stock of your possessions. 

Be mindful of taking care what 

you already have. The bottom line 

is: What do you really want? Take 

some time to answer that question. 

Surprisingly, very few do. 

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) 

The Sun is back in your sign for 

the next four weeks, boosting your 

energy, and attracting powerful 

people and opportunities to you. 

Make the most of this time. Demand 

the advantage! (Because you 

certainly have it.) Why? Because 

you can project your energy out to 

others more than usual. Mind you, 

others will notice you have a more 

subjective viewpoint. So what? 

This is the beginning of your new 

personal year (birthday to birthday). 

It’s also the most powerful 

birthday you’ve had in 30 years! 

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) 

Because your birthday is just a 

month away, this is your turn to 

play it cool, lie low, and work alone 

or behind the scenes. You need 

this down time to be able to strategize 

and plan what you want your 

new year to be all about. If you do 

nothing, then you’ll probably just 

respond to whatever happens. 

(Management by crisis.) Alternatively, 

you could set some broad 

goals that you want to achieve this 

year. These goals are not intended 

to restrict or hamper you, au contraire! 

They can help you focus on 

getting what you want. 

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) 

The next several weeks will be 

extremely popular. Everyone wants 

to see your face. This is the time to 

join groups, clubs, organizations, 

and committees. You might also 

join a class. Friends will be glad 

to see you; and you’ll be glad to 

see them. This is an excellent time 

to share your dreams and goals for 

the future with others because their 

feedback will help you. 

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) 

Confessions may be good for 

the soul but they’re bad for the 

reputation. The next month you’ll 

be involved with bosses, parents, 

teachers, VIPS, and the police. Relax. 

It all looks good. Nevertheless, 

when you are around people who 

have power over you, always be 

honest, and always edit whatever 

you say. (Like duh?) Actually, one 

of the reasons authority types will 

buttonhole you is simply this: They 

notice you! Because the Sun is at 

high noon in your chart, it acts like 

a spotlight on you. “What seems to 

be the problem, Officer?” 

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) 

You want to break free of your 

chains! You want to explore new 

and different ideas. During the 

next six weeks, if you can get out 

of Dodge, do so. You’re hungry 

to learn something new, plus you 

want more adventure in your life. 

An increased focus on publishing, 

higher education, medicine and 

the law, are also likely. You’re very 

work driven right now because 

you want to accomplish a lot. This 

ambition will help you to study or 

learn new things as well 

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) 

This month, you’ll feel unusually 

passionate. You might meet 

somebody who provokes some 

deep soul-searching within you. 

Or perhaps someone challenges 

your values or your beliefs? You 

might also feel strongly sexually 

attracted to someone. This is also 

a time when many of you will be 

more involved with the earnings, 

or lack of earnings of your partner. 

In fact, many issues related 

to shared possessions and jointly 

held property require your attention. 

(It’s not easy being in hot water, 

but it keeps you clean.) p 


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Cuisine 

by Gurj Dhaliwal 

School’s In! 

brown bag lunch is only healthy if your little 

A one eats it. The lunches (and snacks) here are 

packed with the flavours kids love, and the critical protein, 

whole grains and fibre they need. A healthy alternative to the 

typical sandwich is a whole wheat wrap. Feel free to throw in as 

many veggies as you like and change it up with different ingredients 

every day of the week. Recess and afternoon snacks are 

just as important. To boost brain power, tuck a Trail Mix Rice 

Treat, which includes nuts and dried fruit, into their backpacks. 

Each one provides a bit of sweetness, but without all the empty 

calories found in many sweet treats. 

2 cups marshmallows 

¼ cup unsalted butter 

¼ cup golden syrup 

3 cups rice cereal 

¼ cup dry oats 

3 tbsp. flax seeds 

¼ cup dried cranberries 

¼ cup chopped dried 

apricots 

¼ cup pecans, finely 

chopped 

Trail Mix Rice Treats 

1. Melt together in a pot the 

marshmallows, butter and syrup. 

2. In a large bowl mix together the 

rice cereal, cranberries, dried 

apricots, flax seeds and pecans. 

3. Stir the warm butter mixture into 

the dry ingredients. 

4. Line a fairly shallow 8-inch 

square baking tin. Spoon the 

mixture into the pan and level 

the surface. 

5. Place in the fridge to set. 

Grilled Chicken & Apple 

Chutney Snack Wrap 

Ingredients: 

1 whole wheat wrap 

1 skinless, boneless 

chicken breast grilled 

¼ yellow bell pepper, 

cut into strips 

¼ red onion, thinly sliced 

½ cup spinach chopped 

1 tbsp. apple chutney 

(recipe follows) 

1 tbsp. low fat mayonnaise 

salt and pepper to taste 


Method: 

1. Spread the mayonnaise 

& chutney on the 

tortilla. 

2. In a large bowl combine 

the chicken, bell 

peppers, red onions, 

spinach and mix well. 

3. Place on tortilla shell 

and roll up. 

Apple Chutney 

Ingredients: 

4 granny smith apples, peeled & 

diced 

1 cup apple cider vinegar 

¼ cup golden raisins 

1 cup brown sugar 

2 tsp. ground cinnamon 

Method: 

Place all of the ingredients into a 

pot and cook over medium heat 

for 30 minutes until the chutney 

has become soft and thick. 

Smokey Almonds 

Ingredients: 

2 cup almonds 

2 tbsp. olive oil 

1 tsp. paprika 

1 tsp. smoked paprika 

salt & pepper to taste 

Method: 

1. Toast the almonds at 300°F for 15 

minutes until golden brown. 

2. In a frying pan heat oil, add in 

toasted almonds and mix in the 

paprika. 

3. Cool down and serve.

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West Vancouver’s Hidden Jewel

Health & Fitness 

by Shefali Raja, BSc., RD Community Nutritionist 

Overcoming Common Barriers to 

Physical Activity 

Physical activity offers many health benefits no matter what 

age you are. For children, regular physical activity is essential 

for healthy growth and development. For adults, it allows daily 

tasks to be accomplished with greater ease and comfort and 

with less fatigue. For seniors, weight-bearing physical activity 

reduces the rate of bone loss associated with osteoporosis 

and also maintains strength and flexibility, balance and coordination, 

which can help reduce the risk of falls. 

Being physically active not only 

strengthens your body, it also makes you 

feel good about yourself. It reduces stress, 

strengthens the heart and lungs, increases 

energy levels, helps maintain and achieve a 

healthy body weight and decreases the risk 

of chronic disease and disability. 

However, despite awareness of the need 

to exercise regularly, many people find it 

hard to get started. In fact, 58 per cent of 

the Canadian population is inactive. Think 

about how many times you’ve started a 

workout program and eventually let it 

lapse as other priorities came up. 

Keep in mind that starting an exercise 

routine doesn’t always have to fall after 

New Year’s Day as a resolution. Today is as 

good a time as any. Following are common 

barriers to exercise how to get past them. 

“I don’t like exercising” 

The key to success when it comes to 

exercising is doing activities you enjoy. If 

you hate running, you don’t have to do it. 

Find activities that suit your personality. 

If you love the outdoors, go hiking or 

biking. If you like simplicity, stick with 

walking. Activities of daily living, such 

as housework, gardening and playing tag 

with the kids, all count. Aim for at least 30 

minutes in total – it can’t get easier than 

that! 

“I can’t seem to commit to an exercise 

routine. I start and then quit” 

When you look at exercise in the 

long term (i.e. that you have to exercise 

on a regular basis FOREVER), it can be 

overwhelming. However, you don’t have to 

change your life overnight. 

Start with small, realistic goals, such 

as to be more active every day by taking 

the stairs and moving around more. Don’t 

promise yourself you’re going to work out 

for an hour every day, and then get down 

on yourself when you fall short. Start with 

where you are, not where you want to be. 

Decide you’ll get up 10 minutes early 

to walk or lift weights. Over time, you can 

increase your workout time and try new 

things. For now, just worry about making 

it a daily habit. 

Schedule your exercise time in your 

calendar like any other appointment. 

When you write it down it becomes 

a commitment that must be fulfilled; 

make sure your friends and family are 

aware of your commitment. Ask for their 

encouragement and support. 

Keep track of your daily activity 

on a calendar or tack your steps using 

a pedometer. This will help you move 

forward and get inspired. 

If you’re tired, stressed or bored with 

your workouts, it’s hard to keep going. 

Change your routine every four to six weeks 

by trying something new or changing your 

intensity or time. 

Sign up for an event such as a walk 

or a run to help you stay focused and 

motivated. There are so many such events 

in our communities. Choose one for each 

season – you’ll soon be addicted! 

Find a partner to work out with as 

this will make you accountable to each 

other and encourage you to stick to your 

commitment. 

Be gentle with yourself as some days 

you might not want to do as much; do 

more another day. 

“I can’t afford a gym membership” 

There’s no reason you have to join a gym 

to exercise. 

Dumbbells, skipping ropes and 

resistance bands are cheap and can be used 

for a variety of exercises. 

Borrow an exercise DVD or one on 

dance aerobics, cardio-kickboxing, yoga, 

tai chi, etc. from the library. 

Start a walking group. Round up friends, 

neighbours or co-workers for regular 

group walks. Plan routes through your 

neighbourhood or near your workplace, 

along local parks and trails, or in a nearby 

shopping mall. 

“I am not noticing any changes in my 

body” 

Not losing weight fast enough? You 

don’t put weight on overnight and it won’t 

come off that quickly either. Once you 

start exercising, give your body time to 

react and build muscle. It could take up 

to 12 weeks before you start seeing some 

real changes in your body. As long as you 

burn more calories than you consume, 

the weight will come off. Mix up your 


outine: Do three days of cardio and two 

days of strength training. Make sure you 

are exercising at least 30 minutes a day at 

a moderate intensity. If you are not seeing 

results you may have to increase your 

intensity or exercise duration. Males tend 

to have more muscle mass and will notice 

changes sooner. 

“I don’t have time!” 

Physically inactive people have just as 

much free time as exercisers, so you can 

throw this excuse out! Here’s how to get 

past a busy schedule: 

If you can’t find a full 30 minutes 

during your day, break it up into 10- or 

15-minute segments. 

Get up a few minutes early and take a 

brisk walk. Use 15 minutes of your lunch 

hour to walk the stairs and walk the dog or 

lift weights after work. 

Rethink your rituals. Your weekly 

Saturday matinee with the kids or your 

best friend could be reborn as your weekly 

Saturday bike ride, rock-climbing lesson or 

trip to the pool. 

Be prepared by always having your 

workout gear in the car and capture the 

many opportunities that arise, such as 

when the kids are at a practice or you end 

up having to wait longer somewhere. 

“I am not sure what to eat before, 

during and after a workout” 

To get the most from your workout: 

Eat a healthy breakfast. Most of the energy 

you got from dinner last night is used up 

by morning. Your blood sugar may be low. 

If you don’t eat, you may feel sluggish or 

lightheaded while exercising. If you plan 

to exercise within an hour after breakfast, 

eat a smaller breakfast or drink something 

to raise your blood sugar, such as a sports 

drink. 

Time your meals based on their size. 

Large meals may be eaten at least three to 

four hours before exercising; small meals 

two to three hours before exercising. 

1-1.5 hours before a workout 

A mini-meal/snack consisting of lean 

protein, complex carbohydrates and 

healthy fat, and about two to three cups 

of water. 

1 serving of whole grain cereal with 

skim or 1% milk 

4-6 graham crackers and peanut butter 

¾ cup of low-fat yogurt and a banana 

granola bar and a decaf latte 

string cheese and an apple 

30 minutes before a workout 

a fruit, ½ to one cup of water 

During the workout 

Depending on the length of the workout 

– water is adequate for the first hour and 

for longer and more intense workouts 

sports drinks, gels would be appropriate 

for providing energy as well as replenishing 

the electrolytes such as salts that are lost 

with perspiration 

One of the things that motivated 

me this past year was committing to the 

Vancouver Sun Run. I had been thinking 

about doing such a run for a number of 

years but with having a young family, a 

busy work and home life, I was always 

reluctant to commit to it, let alone running 

the 10 K. Although I was not able to sign 

up for formal training to help me, I started 

with small runs when I had time and the 

fact that there was an end date made me 

push myself to fit small runs in wherever 

and whenever I could. The day of the run 

was incredible. Seeing the sea of people 

participating instantly elevates your energy 

level up a notch. I thoroughly enjoyed 

it and would encourage you to really 

consider registering for such opportunities. 

It’s a win-win for you and for the charities 

that receive the registration money. I am 

hooked and hope to take part again next 

year. See you out there. p 

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Shifting Gears 

by Veeno Dewan 

2009 Mazda RX8-R3 

Something Special 

For 2009 the RX-8 R3 is a special 

version of the unique Mazda RX-8, a 

Wankel rotary-engined spots car with four 

doors and now undergoing a revamp since 

its introduction five years ago. Nothing 

too radical, comprising a new front fascia 

with a wider grille and a revised rear 

fascia. However it is enough for one to 

notice the sleeker, cleaner look. Interior 

wise, the centre dash console is restyled 

and features amenities such as Bluetooth 

connectivity; an auxiliary audio jack and 

a new touch-screen navigation system are 

now offered. No four- cylinder V6 or V8 

engine under the hood. The RX-8’s rotary 

Wankel engine is a one of a kind engine 

with less moving parts. Mazda is now the 

only automaker to use a rotary engine in 

a mass-produced car. Key advantages of 

the Wankel engine are its compact size, 

lighter weight and more power with a 

lower displacement, allowing the 1.3-litre 

engine to rev up to 9,000 rpm in the sixspeed 

manual version. 

Other special technical features on 

the special R-3 version we tested include 

Recaro seats, and a front strut cross 

member brace. Models with the six-speed 

automatic (with paddle shifters) produce 

212 hp and redline at 7,500 rpm. The 

six-speed manual version develops 232 

hp. The R3 model essentially takes an 

RX-8 Touring model and adds revised 

tuned suspension, very nice looking black 

finished 19-inch alloy wheels, a rear wing 

spoiler, a special front fascia, front sport 

seats, keyless ignition/entry, Bluetooth 

and the upgraded Bose stereo. Our R3 had 

the Mazdaspeed logo on the B-pillar side 

skirts, badging and some extra bling and 

elicited many envious looks. Also special 

to the R3 are the unique front bumper, 

deep side sills and skirts that make this 

car look longer, lower and wider and 

sportier. Xenon headlights and Bilstein 

performance suspension dampers are the 

functional extras. 

ON THE ROAD 

The R3 offers scintillating performance 

in the form of a tight, grippy ride and 

solid responsive steering and handling. 

The rotary engine is really in its element at 

high engine revs, making use of that long 

power band, and it’s a smooth, vibrationfree 

experience. The whirring, whooshing 

engine noise is unusual, but characteristic 

of this power plant, although the exhaust 

note on this R3 model was nice and loud. 

The more aggressively tuned suspension 

on the R3 also means a tighter, more 

grip-enhanced ride and somewhat 

sharper reflexes so fast corners become a 

welcome sight in this quick handling car. 

Otherwise, this RX-8 is a very tight, welldefined 

sports car. The major controls — 

steering, shifter, and brakes — are all very 

well calibrated for sporty driving. 

The steering is very responsive to the 

driver inputs — you don’t have to give 

it too much turning off the centre to go 

where you need. The brakes are strong, 

and they bite early. The gear shifter is 

excellent, with the lever right where you 

want it to be, and it moves through the 

gearbox gate with short throws and the 

gears engage positively, 

The RX-8 look like nothing else on the 

planet, offers four seats and four doors as 

well as a usable trunk, therefore making 

it an overall practical user-friendly sports 

car, The R3 version remains an attractive, 

rare and good looking buy. 

2009 Mazda RX- 8 R9 Priced from 

$40,780. 


Pilot can take you, your assistant coach, two wingers, 

two defencemen, a goalie, and one hockey Mom 

to a Giants’ game. 

Pilot Touring 

model YF4899KN 

Starting from 

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Includes freight & PDI 

With seating for eight, Pilot also has second and third row split-folding 60/40 seats 

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• Front Active Head Restraints 

• Bluetooth HandsFreeLink ® Wireless * 

• Power Tailgate with Flip-up Glass * 

• Integrated Tow Hitch with Pre-Wiring 

• 6 Airbags and ACE Body Structure 

• Bilingual Voice Recognition Navigation System * 

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Touring, model YF4899KN shown is $52,010. Retailer may sell for less. See your dealer for details.

Shifting Gears 

2009 Nissan Cube 

Novelty Squared 

The 2009 Nissan Cube is not in fact 

a new vehicle and has actually been 

on sale in Japan for a number of years. 

2009, however, becomes the debut year in 

Canada for this boxy, interesting looking 

four-door hatchback vehicle. Note the 

Cube does have curves to round out and 

soften the design, but still remains square, 

tall and high sided. Key stand-out styling 

features include the wrap-around rear 

window that extends across the side of the 

vehicle into the C-pillar, giving the Cube 

a unique looking aspect and is the major 

styling focal point for Nissan’s newest 

Canadian vehicle. 

The interior is equally novel, featuring 

a roof headliner, speakers and cup holders 

that have a pond ripple-like motif. I 

attended the media launch of the Cube 

in Toronto and according to Nissan’s Ian 

Forsyth: “The Nissan Cube has a face 

designed to look like a bulldog wearing 

sunglasses!” One thing is for sure: the 

Cube looks unlike anything else on the 

road. Even the marketing and advertising 

campaign for the Cube’s Canadian launch 

was unconventional. Nissan used social 

media networking sites such as Twitter and 

Facebook to reach a younger demographic 

and gave away 50 Cubes in a national 

competition across Canada, attracting 

the young, hip, edgy buyers Nissan is 

aiming at. 

The Cube is based on the popular 

Nissan Versa small car platform but is 

priced higher due to its specification and 

design — starting at a price of $16,998 

for the 1.8- litre engined four-door model 

with a six-speed manual transmission; 

add the CVT (Continuously Variable 

Transmission) and the price rises to around 

$18,298 for a well-equipped, fully loaded 

model. Interior wise the Cube arrives 

with a plethora of as standard comforts 

including power windows, door locks and 

mirrors, air conditioning and CD audio 

system. In addition there are a number of 

personalization options available such as: 

movable multi-hooks which hold bags and 

accessories throughout the vehicle, interior 

mood lighting, elastic bungee door bands 

for holding objects, colour coded vent and 

switch plate covers, dash-top accent mat 

(or shag carpeting for your car), aluminum 

pedal covers, 16-inch alloy wheels in silver 

or gun metal, as well as an available aero kit 

with front chin spoiler, rear under spoiler, 

rear roof spoiler and side body sills. 

I do like the interior of the Cube. Not 

only is it spacious with excellent headroom, 

many will appreciate the fact that you step 

into the Cube thanks to the low floor 

height and sit nice and high with excellent 

visibility. The rear seats are also roomy and 

recline and fold, offering decent enough 

legroom. 

On the road the Cube proves to be a fun 

to drive little four-door with overall good 

handling and ride, but I found the Cube 

was a bit slow in acceleration and could 

do with an injection of extra horsepower 

for more spirited driving. The Cube’s little 

engine is buzzy on the highways and takes 

its time to get up to speed as the engine’s 

122 horses and 127 lb-ft of torque seem 

more at home in the cut and thrust of the 

urban grind 

I would opt for the six speed manual 

transmission for more driving fun and 

responsiveness. 

Fuel economy for the Cube is average 

for its class with the six-speed rated at 8.3 

L/100 km in the city and 6.6 on the highway 

while the automatic CVT transmission is 

rated at 7.3 L/100 km in the city and 6.5 

L/100 km on the highway. 

To sum up: The Cube offers a unique 

unconventional interior and exterior 

design. There are some strong alternatives 

in this sector, but few can approach the 

unique looks and panache of the Cube. It 

is new and distinct and may strike a chord 

with buyers looking for out-of-the-box 

styling. 

2009 Nissan Cube priced from $16,998 

- $18,298 


An achievement in overachievement. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The All-New 2010 E-Class 4MATIC. 

Starting from $62,900.

CYAN 

MAGENTA 

YELLOW 

BLACK 

Trim Size: 27" x 39" 

Colours: CMYK 

Date: August 7, 2008 

Client: 

Mazda 

Mac Operator: DB 

Job Ticket: 87-75000-183 

Version: 1 

Media: Showroom Poster – M6 (Version 2) 

If any problems contact Doner media at (416) 485-9901 

CYAN MAG YEL BLK 

IT’S HERE 

THE HOWEVER ALL-NEW 

YOU MOVE, 

THERE’S A MAZDA FOR YOU. 

2010 0% 

MAZDA 

PURCHASE FINANCING FOR 

3 

UP TO 60 MONTHS 

ON SELECT MODELS† 

Al Khalifa 

Sales & Leasing Professional 

604-868-4392 

Shane Nakai 


M{zd{ 6 

604-313-5776 

Don't miss the vehicle sales event of the year as we 

celebrate our 1st birthday with a month long sale this May! 

As Surrey's newest Mazda dealership we've got state-ofthe-art 

facilities, a bright, high-tech showroom and a team 

that sets a new standard for professionalism. Visit Surrey 

Mazda during the month of May and you'll find the hottest 

vehicles in the market at the hottest prices and backed with the 

best customer service in the industry. 

GT model shown 



Shank Inamdar 

2008.5 MAZDA3 

WITH AIR CONDITIONING 


WELL EQUIPPED FROM $19,270** 

2.0 litre engine 148HP, Anti-lock brakes with 

Electronic Brake Force Distribution, Dual front 

airbags, Side air bags, Side curtain air bags, 

Engine immobilizer theft deterrent system, Tilt & 

Telescopic steering wheel, AM/FM CD player 

with Auxiliary Input, 4 speakers, Sport exhaust. 

the tot{lly, completely, 100% new M{zd{ 6 

zoo}-zoo} 

778-896-8486 

2008.5 MAZDA3 SPORT 

WITH AIR CONDITIONING 


2.0 litre DOHC in-line 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, 

148HP, Anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake 

Force Distribution, Dual front airbags, Side air 

bags, Side curtain air bags, Engine immobilizer 

theft-deterrent system, Tilt & Telescopic steering 

wheel, AM/FM CD player with Auxiliary Input, 4 

speakers, Exterior temperature gauge. 

2008 MAZDA5 

2005 

CANADA’S MOST FUEL EFFICIENT 

VEHICLE IN ITS CLASS 


6 passenger seating, Anti lock brakes with Electronic 

Brake Force Distribution, Dual front air bags, side 

airbags & curtain airbags, Keyless entry, Engine 

immobilizer theft deterrent system, Power windows, 

locks & mirrors, Steering wheel mounted audio 

controls, Rain-sensing front wipers. 

L/100 km: City 8.4 – Hwy 6.1 

MPG: City 33.6 – Hwy 46.3 

L/100 km: City 8.4 – Hwy 6.1 

MPG: City 33.6 – Hwy 46.3 

SPORT 

2008 ecoENERGY 

VEHICLE AWARD 

L/100 km: City 9.6 – Hwy 7.1 

MPG: City 29 – Hwy 40 

2006 


2008 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA 


2.0L DOHC in-line 16-valve 4-cylinder engine, 

166HP, Anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake Force 

Distribution, Front and rear stabilizer bars, Steering 

wheel mounted audio and cruise controls, Power 

lock, windows and door mirrors, Engine immobilizer 

theft-deterrent system. 

L/100 km: City 9.5 – Hwy 7.3 

MPG: City 30 – Hwy 39 

15420 - 104th Ave, 

EXPERIENCE 

Surrey, 

EMOTION IN 

BC 

MOTION 

604-583-7121 

Doner Canada Inc. File Name: 87-75000-183_M6_ShowroomPoster_2 NEW MATERIAL 

www.freewaymazda.ca 

AT YOUR BRITISH COLUMBIA MAZDA DEALER. 

DING COMPREHENSIVE AND POWERTRAIN WARRANTY COVERAGE. BOOK YOUR TEST-DRIVE ONLINE AT WWW.MAZDA.CA. 

GRADUATES GET AN ADDITIONAL CASH AWARD OF UP TO $1,000 TOWARDS A PURCHASE OR LEASE. † 0% Purchase financing not available on select Mazda3 models, Mazda6 and Mazda5 models. 

At 0% purchase financing, a financed amount of $20,000/35,000 the monthly payment is $334/584 per month for 60 months, the cost of borrowing is $0, and the total obligation is $20,000/35,000. Taxes, $46 max. PPSA extra. **Starting price 

for 2008.5 Mazda3 Sedan GX (D4XS58BA05)/2008.5 Mazda3 Sport GX (D5XS58BB05)/2008 Mazda5 GS (E6SD58AA00)/2008 MX-5 Miata GX (L2XS58AA00) is $19,270/$20,270/$22,185/$29,388. Total price, lease and cash purchase offers 

include freight and P.D.E. of $1,275/$1,390 for Mazda3, Mazda3 Sport, MX-5/Mazda5. Licence, insurance, taxes and other dealer charges extra. Dealer may sell/lease for less. Limited quantities available. Dealer order or trade may be necessary 

on certain vehicles. Offers available for a limited *$7000 time. Lease rebate and Finance applies on approved to 2007 credit for Mazda qualified customers 6 Speed only. See your dealer for details. Based on 2008 fuel consumption ratings published by Natural Resources Canada.

Local Artist 

Moninder Bubber’s 

Creative 

Expression 

Looking at artist Moninder Bubber’s drawing entitled 

“First Born,” the old saying that a picture is worth a 

thousand words comes to mind. The image is a moving 

depiction of the profound connection between mother and 

infant. It’s easy to see why Bubber names it as one of her 

favourite creations. 

“I have painted the idea of 

‘mother and child’ for many 

years in drawings, in watercolors 

and acrylics,” says Bubber. 

“I enjoy expressing human 

emotions as well as concepts 

such as spirituality.” 

Bubber’s passion for drawing 

and painting can be traced 

back to her youth. 

“My high school art teacher, 

Mr. Kolysher, gave us a 

weekly homework assignment 

to do three sketches from life. 

I remember drawing ballet 

dancers from watching them 

on TV and making my mom 

sit so I could have a model,” 

she says, adding that her parents 

encouraged her to develop 

her talent. 

“My parents always supported 

my interest and 

bought me paints and other 

supplies,” she says. “I still 

have the bamboo brush that I 

got from them in high school. 

Because I did well in every 

subject they guided me to go 

into medicine, but after one 

year I followed my heart and 

switched to fine arts. Later, I 

did a Masters of Library Science 

degree to make a living as 

a librarian. I had decided early 

on that I didn’t want the pressure 

of making a living from 

the art because, at least for 

me, the joy would go out of 

it. My priorities have always 

been very clear: my family, my 

work and then my art.” 

Hence her long break from 

art between 1976, when she 

showed her work at her Bachelor 

of Fine Arts Exhibit at the 

University of Saskatchewan, 

and her one-person show in 

2001 at The Tech Gallery at 

Simon Fraser University at 

Harbour Centre. 

“It was a proud moment, 

an affirmation that if I put in 

some time and energy I could 

really develop as an artist,” she 

says of the exhibit. 

Since then, Bubber has 

had another one-person show, 

at SFU’s Bennett Library Gallery 

in 2005, and recently had 

a group exhibit at the Cornerstone 

Building at SFU’s Burnaby 

campus. In late September, 

she’ll have a one-person 

exhibit in the same space. 

“With my children all 

grown up, I have the time to 

devote to my art,” she says, 

adding she always knew she’d 

reconnect with painting at 

some point. “There was never 

any doubt in my mind . . . I 

love the process, the uncertainty, 

the working though 

and resolving of the problems 

faced on the canvas, and the 

surprises that come up. It’s 

like taking a journey into the 

unknown. There is no getting 

around practising the craft, 

First Born 

just like a pianist has to practise 

for hours. But once we get 

past the mastery of the craft 

part and become proficient to 

a certain degree, there is such 

joy in being inventive.” 

But you don’t have to be a 

professional artist to benefit 

from discovering and expressing 

your creativity, she says. 

“We can be creative through 

everyday things like cooking, 

working on a project, putting 

together an outfit, telling a story, 

writing, etc. It doesn’t have 

to be painting, music, dance, 

or theatre.” 

Blue Madaonna 

Artist Moninder Bubber 

When Bubber comes across 

people who are interested in art 

but feel they can’t even draw a 

straight line, she encourages 

them to stop thinking and 

start creating. 

“Just do it,” she says. “Maybe 

start with a small sketchbook 

that you keep with you all the 

time. Scribble. Put down your 

thoughts and feelings. Nurture 

your creativity because 

that nurtures your soul. 

“Discover what being creative 

is for you, and then don’t 

let anyone extinguish your 

flame.” p 


Movie reviews 

By Ron Ahluwalia 

Love Aaj Kal 

Now this a love story for the 

21st century. Love Aaj Kal 

dares to accept that relationships 

and love no longer need to work 

like they used to — and that it’s 

OK. Saif Ali Khan’s first movie as a 

producer is a winner. 

This up-to-date romance tells 

the story of Jai (Saif Ali Khan) 

and Meera (Deepika Padukone), 

two Londoners who meet at a 

bar, date for two years and live 

fulfilling lives. When Meera 

decides to move to India to further 

her career in art restoration, they 

amicably split up. They stay in 

touch, even though they move on 

to new lovers. But have they really 

moved on? All the while, Veer 

Singh (Rishi Kapoor) recounts 

his love story, a track that runs 

parallel to the main story; Khan as 

a sardar plays the young Kapoor 

and Giselle Monteiro is his love 

interest. 

Director Imtiaz Ali’s latest gets 

off to a perfect start and maintains 

its pace for the duration of the 

film. The plot moves seamlessly 

between eras and the mature but 

light-hearted nature of the scenes 

is not lost on the viewer. Pritam’s 

soundtrack is much better than 

his recent efforts. Delhi, London, 

and San Francisco are beautifully 

photographed. 

Saif Ali Khan is the master 

of the romantic comedy in 

Bollywood. Since Hum Tum 

(and with a few exceptions), he 

continues to challenge himself 

while entertaining the masses. 

His portrayal of a young sardar is 

bang on. Deepika Padukone finally 

gives a performance that makes 

her seem worthy of her fame. She 

shares great chemistry with Khan. 

Rishi Kapoor gives a sold performance. 

Rahul Khanna is royally 

wasted and should take a leave 

from films until he find a role of 

substance. Giselle Monteiro does 

well in a small role. 

Love Aaj Kal is a must-see so 

if you missed it this summer, get 

the DVD aaj and not kal. 

Kambakht Ishq 

Remember the exquisite song, 

Kambakht Ishq in Ram Gopal 

Verma’s adaptation of Fatal 

Attraction, Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya? It 

was arguably the best song of that 

year. The movie by the same name 

falls flat on almost all fronts. 

Lucky and Kamini (Aftab 

Shivdasani, Armita Arora) are 

in love and get married. Lucky’s 

brother, Viraj (Akshay Kumar), is 

against the marriage because he 

believes that commitment is nothing 

but trouble because girls are 

out to emasculate men. Kamini’s 

best friend Sim (Kareena Kapoor) 

thinks all men are dogs and thus 

opposes marriage. She also disapproves 

of the marriage because 

Lucky is a stunt-double in movies. 

Viraj is also a stunt-double and 

takes offence to Sim’s elitism. This 

sparks a war between Sim and 

Viraj. The rest is predictable. 

Commitment-phobes, fighters 

who become lovers, and bad 

comedic subplots are generic 

Bollywood plots, all of which make 

Kambakht Ishq a case of old 

wine in a new bottle. Sabbir Khan 

doesn’t tell the story well — the 

songs do not move the story forward 

(and they’re really bad) and 

the Javed Jaffery plot is useless. 

The comedy is pedestrian. 

Akshay Kumar repeats the 

same performances he gave in his 

last ten movies. And those were 

bad performances. Enough said. 

Kareena Kapoor does better than 

Kumar but goes overboard in a few 

scenes. Amrita Arora manages a 

performance that does not make 

you squirm, which shows that she 

is improving. Aftab Shivdasani 

is in a big-name movie after a 

long time but doesn’t get any 

scope to perform; the man is a 

good actor (see Kasoor, Ankahee, 

and Darwaaza Bandh Rakho as 

reminders) but is not getting the 

roles he needs to showcase his 

talent. Bowman Irani and Kirron 

Kher don’t stand out like they 

usually do. Brandon Routh plays 

second fiddle to Kumar. Why? 

Superman would be Khiladi any 

day. Sylvester Stallone is very 

awkward, while the plot makes 

Denise Richards an antagonist for 

no reason. 

The only thing more kambakht 

than ishq is this movie. So don’t 

watch it. 

Chintuji 

Harbahedi is a small village 

under the shadow of an 

allegedly corrupt larger village by 

the name of Tirphila. The villagers 

of Harbahedi gather to contemplate 

ways to increase the village’s profile. 

Soon they realize that famous 

Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor, aka 

“Chintuji,” is also from their village 

and they invite him to visit in 

the hopes that his appearance will 

generate press, extended electricity 

and development. Rishi (played 

by himself) is on the verge of a 

political career and his publicist, 

Devika (Kulraj Randhawa), suggests 

Harbahedi as the perfect 

launch platform. 

In Harbahedi, Devika falls 

for local newspaper editor Arun 

(Priyanshu Chatterjee) and Rishi 

boards with a local family (headed 

by Grusha Kapoor of TV fame). 

His behaviour towards the locals 

is outright deplorable despite their 

hospitality. Of course, there are 

skeletons in characters’ closets 

and ever-imminent threat of sabotage 

by the people of Tirphila. 

Director Ranjit Kapoor’s venture 

is highly reminiscent of Shyam 

Benegal’s Welcome to Sajjanpur 

and the comedic village look 

seems uninspired. But his ability 

to focus on a major plotline with 

relevant subplots makes this an 

interesting film. 

In the title role, Rishi Kapoor 

takes a big risk in portraying his 

real-life self as an arrogant and 

insufferable buffoon. He toys with 

going over-the-top but manages to 

deliver a commendable performance. 

Kulraj Randhawa, who made 

a splash on the TV show Kareena 

Kareena, is solid. Priyanshu 

Chatterjee does well. Grusha 

Kapoor plays her stock character 

very well. Shaurabh Sukhla, as 

always, hits the mark. 

Chintuji is good movie, but 

nothing spectacular or novel. Give 

it a shot to pass a rainy day. 


Reflections 

Manjit Dhillon has a knack for remembering 

dates. For example, he 

left India with his father on June 2, 1948, 

and after stops in Hong Kong, San Francisco 

and Yuba City, California, he arrived 

in White Rock, British Columbia, on July 

3, 1948. 

The 18-year-old didn’t have any leisure 

time in which to form an impression of 

his new country. 

“My father, who had first moved to 

Canada in 1931, had very good connections 

with Kapoor Lumber Company 

in North Vancouver. He phoned there 

looking for a chance to work. They said 

we have work for two people. My father 

and I started working there on July 5. My 

father said to improve your English you 

should go to night school. So I worked 

eight hours in the mill, then I would go 

to night school in North Burnaby for two 

hours. I would come home at 11 o’clock, 

then go to work again in the morning. 

This went on until the spring of 1949. 

Then there was a wood shortage in that 

mill and I moved to Victoria to work.” 

For a year, Dhillon worked during the 

week at a mill and then helped his uncle 

make deliveries on the weekends. 

“My uncle had a wood and sawdust 

business and on the weekend we would 

haul sawdust. In those days, the main fuel 

The India Grass Hockey Club, with goalie Manjit Dhillon, beat five other Lower Mainland 

teams to win a championship trophy in 1954. “My teammates were (back row) Bachan Gill, 

Jeet Singh, Jian Rai, Pandat Rai, Lashman Gill, Herby, Chumkour Singh. And (front row) Avtar 

Singh, Mager Rai, Karnail Johal, Manjit Dhillon, Harbans Singh,” recalls Dhillon. 

Manjit Dhillon 

was wood and sawdust and we would haul 

sacks of wood on our back and go door to 

door to make extra money.” 

Dhillon then moved to Mesachie Lake, 

where he lived in a bunkhouse along with 

about 60 mill co-workers for two years. 

“We would work eight hours a day, then 

in the evening we would have lots of time 

to do exercise, play volleyball and soccer,” 

recalls Dhillon.” 

Next came a six-week stint working at 

a mill in Kamloops before Dhillon and his 

father moved back to Vancouver in 1952. 

“I started going to night school for 

lumber grading and lumber tallying,” recalls 

Dhillon. “After I finished those two 

courses, I could work anywhere I wanted 

because lumber graders were in big demand.” 

In 1954, he landed a job at the Burke 

Lumber Company. That same year, 

Dhillon helped the India Grass Hockey 

Club win a championship over five other 

Lower Mainland teams. He has vivid 

memories of the deciding game, which 

was against a team from North Vancouver. 

“We started playing on a Saturday, 

and we had three overtimes without a 

goal. We decided we weren’t going to quit 

until the game was decided. The following 

week, we played again in Stanley Park. 

I was playing goalie, and I must have been 

a good goalie because we won 3-nothing. 

Out of those 12 players, only three of us 

are still living.” 

In 1955, Dhillon married Harjit Kaur, 

the daughter of a close friend of his grandfather’s. 

“When I came from India, I had told 

my grandfather he could choose my bride. 

In 1954 he wrote me and said he’d found 

a good match for me. My grandfather and 

Harjit’s father had both been freedom 

fighters and were good friends. 

“Harjit came from India on July 9, 

1955. She came to our home and then we 

got married on July 16, 1955.” 

In 1964, the family, which by then 

included Manjit and Harjit’s three small 

children, moved into the house in which 

the couple still live today. “We bought it 

brand new and moved in on October 24,” 

recalls Dhillon. “The price was $19,000 

but I told the builder I would buy it only 

if he finished the basement. I gave him 

another $1,500 to complete the basement 

so we would have three bedrooms upstairs 

and three bedrooms downstairs. 

“We thought about moving at one 

point, but my wife said this house has a 

big history. Many freedom fighters would 

come to visit my grandfather here when 

he lived here. We decided we will never 

move.” p 


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