Mehfil

The magazine for today’s Indo-Canadian 

November/ 

December 

2004 

INSIDE 

Kids’ CBC’s 

Kush 

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MEHFIL 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 

9 

11 

20 

20 

DEPARTMENTS 

Publishers’ Note . . . . . . 7 

Opening Notes . . . . . . . 8 

Stellar Students . . . . . . 9 

Power Players . . . . . . . 11 

Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . 12 

My Mom, My Hero . . . . 19 

Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . 40 

Weddings. . . . . . . . . . . 64 

Beauty. . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 

Cuisine. . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 

Reflections . . . . . . . . . 86 

COVER PHOTO BY RON SANGHA 

12 

19 

Cover: Choosing My Religion . . . . . . . . . . . 20 

BY ROBIN ROBERTS 

Are young people today drawing to or away from religion and spirituality? 

Depending on what you read and hear, it’s either and it’s both. Studies and 

polls aside, we spoke to three devoted yet divergent young people who share 

their feelings on faith. 

Feature: Crackdown 

On Immigrant Sponsors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Gone are the days when the provincial government would politely remind 

immigrant sponsors whose relatives ended up on welfare that they were 

responsible for repaying the money. The B.C. 

government’s aggressive new approach, which 

includes demanding repayment within 30 days of 

notification, is getting more results — and has 

prompted a lawsuit. 

COLUMNS 

15 

Flipside 

BY R. DHALIWAL 

17 

The Inspired Sufi 

BY AZIM JAMAL 

74 

Health & Fitness 

BY SHEFALI RAJA 

83 

Entertainment 

BY KAMAL SHARMA 

86 

4 MEHFIL November/December 2004 

Biography: Yogi Bhajan . . . 84 

Teacher and entrepreneur Yogi Bhajan, who died 

last month at the age of 75, was a leader of both 

the spiritual and material worlds. 

84 83

The Magazine For Today’s Indo-Canadian 

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MEHFIL 

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2004 VOLUME 8 ISSUE 3 

Editor 

Minto Vig 

Contributing Writers 

Robin Roberts, Suntanu Dalal, 

K.M. Sandhu, Veeno Dewan, 

Azim Jamal, Shefali Raja, 

R. Dhaliwal,Kamal Sharma 

Photography, Illustrations 

Ron Sangha, Nu-Look Foto, Alistair Eagle 

Mehfil Magazine is published by 

VIG PUBLICATIONS INC. 

Publishers 

Rana Vig, Minto Vig 

Advertising 

Bobby Moore 

mailing address: 

#338 - 329 North Road, 

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604-507-4736 • Fax 604-599-4713 

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Celebrating 11 years in business 

Mehfil Magazine is published nine times a year by VIG Publications 

Inc. Copyright 2004. 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 

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no responsibility for such material. Mehfil is protected through 

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(plus G.S.T.) 18 issues $50.00 (plus G.S.T.). Single copies $4.25 plus 

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The opinions expressed by writers do not necessarily reflect the 

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m a g a z i n e 

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1994 

$3.25MEHFIL 

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TMRogers, Mobius design, Rogers Wireless are trademarks of Rogers Communications Inc. Used under license. 

6 MEHFIL November/December 2004

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE 

VERTLIEB DOSANJH 

BARRISTERS & SOLICITORS 

For two little boys with little turbans 

growing up in 1970s Vancouver, western 

culture was something to be loved one 

minute and loathed the next. We envied 

the freedom and independence of many 

white children and adults and dreaded the 

intolerance of others. 

These two emotions would certainly 

have paved the way to a complete lack of 

self worth had it not been for our parents’ 

insistence that we attend and participate 

regularly in religious functions. 

Religion means different things to different 

people. For some, their faith holds 

the answers and keys to the universe, for 

others it helps provide a moral compass to 

guide their lives. 

For us the lessons we learned, like tolerance 

and acceptance, and the camaraderie 

we experienced with other Sikh 

children (not to mention the games and 

food!) at religious functions contributed to 

a sense of belonging that couldn’t be found 

elsewhere. 

What individual hasn’t questioned 

where they’ve come from, why they’re here 

and where they’re going? While religion 

may not have all the answers, it certainly 

isn’t a bad place to begin the search. 

In our cover story, three people — a 

Sikh, an Ismaili Muslim and a Hindu — 

tell us how religion has affected their lives. 

Also in this issue, we introduce the regular 

feature Biography, devoted to the lives 

of accomplished Indians from around the 

world. We begin with Yogi Bhajan, who 

died in October at the age of 75 after 

spending the last 35 years spreading the 

message of Sikhism in the West. A wellknown 

spiritual leader, Yogi Bhajan was 

also a highly successful entrepreneur. His is 

an unusual story in many ways but as an 

immigrant who began life in North 

America with modest means and created 

his own path to success, he is also someone 

to whom many in the Indo-Canadian 

community can relate. 

Pavel and Aseem Dosanjh are proud to announce the formation of 

Vertlieb Dosanjh and welcome Art Vertlieb Q.C. as their Partner. 

Mr. Vertlieb brings with him over 30 years of experience practicing 

as one of the pre-eminent trial lawyers in the Province of British 

Columbia. Vertlieb Dosanjh - Continuing the tradition of 

providing excellent solutions to your legal problems. 

clockwise from left: 

Aseem Dosanjh, 

Pavel Dosanjh, 

Art Vertlieb Q.C., 

Bandna Ubhi 

ICBC • Criminal • All Civil Matters 

Immigration • Family 

302 - 4088 Cambie St., Vancouver 

Ph: 604-327-6381 • Fax: 604-327-2923 

1-877-DOSANJH 

(toll-free in North America) 

MEHFIL November/December 2004 7

OPENING NOTES 

2005 Home Trends 

Colour can have a profound effect on our emotions, and provoke a variety of 

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Actual colours may not appear exactly as shown. Colour accuracy is ensured only when tinted in quality Benjamin Moore paints. 

Political Pioneer 

F 

or only the second time in history, an 

American of Indian descent has 

been elected to the U.S. House of 

Representatives. Bobby Jindal, a 

Republican, won the congressional seat 

from Louisiana, where he was born and 

raised. 

By winning his seat with 78 per cent 

of the vote, Jindal confirmed his place as 

a rising star of President George W. Bush’s 

Republican party. 

The son of immigrants who moved to 

the U.S. from Punjab in the 1960s, 

Jindal, 33, graduated from Oxford 

University as a Rhodes scholar when he 

was 23. He was accepted to medical 

school and law school at Harvard and 

Yale but chose a career in politics instead. 

Last year, he ran for governor and lost 

by a narrow margin. Jindal is following in 

the footsteps of the late Dalip Singh 

Saund, a Californian who became the 

first Indian-American elected to the US 

Congress in 1956 and went on to serve 

three terms. 

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Weddings 

If you’re recently married and would like to share 

your story, send a photo and contact information to: 

feature@mehfilmagazine.com 

Reflections 

If you’re a senior over the age of 60 who was born 

or grew up in Canada and would like to share your 

memories, call 604-507-4736 or write to 

Reflections, Mehfil Magazine, 

#338-329 North Road, Coquitlam, B.C. V3K 6Z8. 


SHAHANA NATHWANI 

Age:19 Hometown: Abbotsford, B.C. 

Awards include: Premier’s Excellence 

Award Scholarship and Medal; Governor 

General’s Medal; Student of the Year (Yale 

Secondary); Rotary Club of Abbotsford Award 

and Scholarship; Provincial Scholarship; 

Member of the Golden Key Club Chapter at 

UBC. 

Currently studying: Human Kinetics 

(Exercise Science) at the University of British 

Columbia 

S 

TELLAR STUDENTS 

Career goals: After completing my BHK, I 

plan to apply to medical school and hopefully 

specialize in sports medicine. 

Advice to students heading to 

university: University provides you with an 

overwhelming dose of freedom, not only 

social but academic. The notion that you are 

finally able to study what appeals to you is 

both liberating and intimidating. Look at your 

interests and begin thinking about your passion 

and how this can somehow lead into 

your future career goal. This is not always an 

easy question to answer, but can be accomplished 

through speaking to experienced people 

in your field of interest or even job shadowing 

at a particular location. Be open-minded 

and do not restrict yourself to a subject 

that you happened to excel at in high school. 

When you’ve found something that you 

wouldn’t mind spending over four years at 

university studying, you know you’ve made 

the right decision! 

PHOTO BY NU LOOK FOTO 

Success strategies for school: 

■ Balance: I could not have survived high 

school without what my parents term “bodymind-soul” 

balance. For me, it meant going 

to the gym regularly, keeping up with my 

studies and, as I am Ismaili Muslim, being 

actively involved at my jamat khana in 

Abbotsford. Each component, whether it be 

body, mind or spirit, contributes significantly 

to the other and together will help keep your 

life in perspective. 

■ Commitment: There is a fine balance 

between getting involved in your high school 

and over-committing yourself to too many 

activities. Whenever you find that your “afterschool” 

activities are taking away from the 

grades you know you’re capable of getting, be 

sure to readjust your priorities. 

■ Diversify: Use your electives in high 

school to try out courses that might not regularly 

fit within your subject area. For example, 

in high school I took a media arts course and 

discovered an interest in photography I never 

knew existed. 


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PAUL BAHIA 

Age: 21 Hometown: North Delta, B.C. 

Plays for: UBC Varsity Thunderbirds, 

Sikh Temple VMSL 

Career Highlights: Captain of Surrey 

United Metro, where we won three 

league titles, as well as three provincial 

cups, and also competed in National 

Finals in Newfoundland. I was also 

captain of the B.C. Provincial team, 

which played in numerous tournaments 

in the U.S., namely San Diego Surf 

Cup. Named Most Valuable Player at 

North Delta Senior Secondary. Recently 

received a full scholarship in Tennessee 

worth over $60,000 US per year. 

Recently I was hired by EA Sports to 

put my moves into a new Playstation 2 

and X-BOX video game coming out in 

the spring called FIFA Freestlye 2005. 

Most Memorable Moments: 

Winning 36 games straight on the way 

to the Provincial Cup, then on to a spot 

in the National Tournament, where we 

played Leeds United JR. and beat them 

2-1. Also playing Czech Republic 

Under-21 National team and only losing 

in penalty shots. 

At School: Balancing School and 

soccer is tough but with the right 

friends and an awesome family, anything 

is possible. You just have to 

know your priorities, listen to your parents 

and take advice from people who 

have been in the same position as you. 

Nothing in life is easy. 

At Home: My parents and my brothers 

have had a huge impact on my career 

thus far and are still the number one 

reason for my success. I owe everything 

to them. My dad has been my 

coach all my life and my mom and 

brothers have been my support and 

inspiration. 

Advice to aspiring athletes: Just 

get involved in sports. You will create a 

huge network of friends from kids to 

adults. Through soccer alone I have 

friends from age 15 to age 45, and at 

the end of the day these teammates 

become family. Nothing feels better 

than succeeding at playing the sport 

you love while doing proud the family 

and friends you love. 

OWER PLAYERS 


S POTLIGHT 

KUSH UPPAL’S 

Kid 

Capers 

There aren’t too many 

people who have a job 

they love by the time 

they’re 20 years old. Kush 

Uppal is among the lucky 

few who’s doing just what 

she dreamed of when she 

was a child and would pretend 

she was on TV. As one 

of the hosts of Kids’ CBC, 

Uppal is also following in the 

footsteps of her childhood 

idol. 

“I absolutely adored watching 

Mr. Dressup,” says Uppal, who 

grew up in North Delta, where she 

still lives with her family. “I always 

wanted to just jump right in there 

and do all the neat things he would 

do on TV.” 

Uppal landed the Kids’ CBC job 

after producers saw her work in a 

pilot for a children’s series. She 

doesn’t see her daytime-TV gig as a 

mere stepping stone to prime time. 

In fact, like Mr. Dressup himself, 



Uppal would love to make a lifelong 

career out of entertaining children. 

“Ideally I would continue on with 

children’s television forever and ever,” 

she says. “I feel that we should give positive 

messages to children at an early age 

so they grow up with great self-esteem 

and confidence.” 

Uppal, who at one time considered 

becoming a preschool teacher, is always 

thrilled to meet one of her pint-sized 

fans. 

“The best is when I’m out and about 

and I see a little one whispering to their 

mom or dad, ‘I think that’s Kush!’ with 

big smiles on their faces. And right now 

with the Kids’ CBC cross-Canada tour, I 

get to meet more and more of the kids 

as we take the tour to different cities. 

“One of the highlights of my week is 

opening kids’ mail at work. They send 

all sorts of sweet things — artwork ‘for 

Kush,’ birthday stars (we announce 

birthdays every morning), photographs, 

and once a little girl sent me some pompoms 

in the mail! We get loads of mail 

from kids from all over Canada and 

even the States, from those watching via 

satellite.” 

Two people who never miss an 

episode are her parents. “My mother 

watches every single morning and 

records all of my segments to show my 

dad at the end of the day,” says Uppal. 

“When I landed the Kids’ CBC gig they 

were extremely happy, but thought it 

was ‘just a phase’ and didn’t think that I 

would want to pursue television as a 

career. But when I continued training 

with acting, they told me they would 

support me a hundred per cent — and 

they have.” 

Uppal’s acting credits include several 

student productions as well as CBC’s 

radio-play adaptation of Rohinton 

Mistry’s critically acclaimed novel A 

Fine Balance. 

“I had the pleasure of working with 

over 30 extremely talented Indo- 

Canadian actors,” says Uppal, who 

played one of the lead characters, 

Dinah, as a young girl. 

Uppal spends two days a week 

preparing and shooting her segments 

for Kids’ CBC, which airs from 7 a.m. to 

noon on weekdays. She’s also taking 

broadcast journalism classes at BCIT. It 

all adds up to a pretty hectic schedule 

but that’s the way she likes it. 

“I’m sometimes running from work 

straight to school and that keeps me on 

my toes, which is good because I’m a 

workaholic.” ❐ 

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Mean Girls Aren’t 

Funny in Real Life 

If you’re a teenage girl, or the mom or 

sister of a teenage girl, there’s a good 

chance you’ve seen the film Mean 

Girls. If you haven’t seen it, it’s easy 

enough to sum up the plot for you: Nice 

girl sets out to teach snobby “mean” girls 

a lesson but instead ends up becoming 

one herself until she comes to her senses. 

It’s a fun, flimsy, forgettable movie but 

there’s one scene that’s bound to be memorable 

for any girl or woman simply 

because it rings so true. A teacher asks a 

group of girls to raise a hand if they’ve 

ever been the target of 

mean gossip. All the 

girls put up their hand. 

Then she asks them to 

raise a hand if they’ve 

ever said something 

mean about a girl 

behind her back. Again, 

though this time it’s 

done reluctantly, they 

all raise a hand. There 

probably aren’t too 

many teenage girls out 

there who can’t personally 

relate to that scene. 

The movie puts a comic 

spin on “mean girls,” gossip and 

rumours, but there’s nothing funny about 

it all in real life. 

Girls will be girls . . . no big deal, 

right? Actually, it is. I remember the 

worst school year of my life was Grade 7, 

when my class included a trio of girls who 

would single out one girl after another for 

teasing and exclusion. For the girl who 

was chosen to be “it” for the day (or week 

or month) it meant sitting alone at lunch 

because no one dared defy the ruling 

trio’s orders to ignore her. To disobey 

meant being the next target. Even for 

those of us who were never actually 

picked as the victim, there was always the 

dread of knowing we could be next. 

“The old saying that sticks and stones 

can break my bones but words can never 

hurt me is wrong,” says Dr. Marlene 

The same girls who wouldn’t 

dream of hitting or kicking 

another girl often think nothing 

of indulging in a verbal 

assault — and sometimes 

it’s directed at a friend. We all 

know that the right thing to 

do when gossip gets ugly 

is to walk away but why 

is that so tough to do? 

Moretti, professor of psychology at 

Simon Fraser University. “It should be 

sticks and stones can break my bones and 

words hurt just as much. It’s one thing to 

be pushed or shoved; it is another to have 

one’s sense of oneself trashed socially – to 

be ostracized from a group or ridiculed.” 

The same girls who wouldn’t dream of 

hitting or kicking another girl often think 

nothing of indulging in a verbal assault 

— and sometimes it’s directed at a friend. 

We all know that the right thing to do 

when gossip gets ugly is to walk away but 

why is that so tough to 

do? It’s all about the 

need to belong, says 

Moretti. 

“Girls may be lured 

into gossip because it 

lends a sense of social 

inclusion and social status,” 

she explains. “Just 

as it’s difficult for boys 

to walk away from a 

fight and not watch, it 

is also very difficult for 

girls to decline or step 

away when others are 

gossiping, even when 

it’s about their best friend.” 

Moms, big sisters, aunts, teachers and 

other role models can help the girls who 

look up to them from joining the “mean 

girls” club. The first step is to acknowledge 

that gossip, taunts, rumours, etc. are 

not harmless. 

“Many parents and teachers will say, 

‘Oh, that’s what girls do’ as if it were of 

no consequence,” says Moretti. “Research 

shows that relational aggression causes 

serious psychological harm in victims, 

such as feelings of depression, anxiety and 

low self-esteem.” 

And if you’re one of the girls who does 

the gossiping and rumour-mongering, 

keep in mind that the minute you walk 

away from the group that you’ve been 

gossiping with, you probably become the 

new topic of not-so-nice conversation. ❐ 


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T HE INSPIRED SUFI 

by Azim Jamal 

If words come out of the heart, they will enter the heart, but if they 

come from the tongue, they will not pass beyond the ears. 

— Al Suhrawardi 

Communicate Effectively 

Communication can make or break a 

relationship. We have all seen many 

examples of broken relationships 

arising out of misunderstandings caused by 

the lack of effective communication. We 

have also witnessed strong relationships 

where deep bonds are forged through clear, 

honest and trusting communication. 

Effective communication is a pre-requisite 

to happy and fulfilling relationships. 

This entails open, sincere and respectful 

dialogue and keeping our minds clear of 

bias and presumptions. Effective communication 

is more than just words; our actions 

and body language often communicate far 

more than our words do. 

REAL LISTENING IS VITAL 

FOR GOOD COMMUNICATION 

The quality of our listening is an integral 

part of effective communication. 

Without active listening, communication is 

incomplete. When we listen actively, we listen 

with the sole purpose of understanding 

the other person; we listen with our heart, 

eyes, ears and undivided attention. This 

requires a steady focus and genuine interest 

in what is being said and in the person who 

is speaking. Active listening is about giving 

the other person the space to speak and be 

heard — to simply receive his or her words 

before interpreting or evaluating them in 

some way. It requires a calm and patient 

attitude on the listener’s part, a putting 

aside of our own busy thoughts to really 

hear what the other person is trying to say. 

When we listen well, we understand. 

When we understand, we in turn speak 

effectively. Stephen Covey in his book The 

Seven Habits of Highly Effective People says, 

“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” 

When we first take time to listen 

and understand, there is a good chance that 

the other person, seeing our genuine interest, 

will also do the same when it is our turn 

to speak, and will give us a chance to put 

our point across. 

COMMUNICATION NEEDS TO BE 

REGULAR TO BE EFFECTIVE 

Effective communication requires a 

commitment of time on a regular basis. The 

most important gift we can give our loved 

ones is our time. If we do not schedule time 

for them, there will be no opportunity to 

nurture and develop the quality of our 

communication — and thus the quality of 

our relationships with the people most 

important to us. Often, our failure to communicate 

in close relationships is not 

through lack of desire, but through too 

many commitments that get in the way. 

A family I know has committed to 

spending time with one another in an effort 

to improve their communication. Once a 

month, Chris and Sandra and their two 

children, Jason and Sarah, have an evaluation 

session where the entire family gets 

together in their recreation room. Using a 

flip chart and different-colored markers, 

they take turns to talk about the following: 

Three things that they like about each 

family member with specific reference to 

events that occurred in the previous month 

and one thing that they dislike about each 

family member, again with specific reference 

to the past month’s events 

They further suggest what they had 

expected from the family member in a particular 

instance. This exercise gives them 

valuable feedback that helps them to understand 

each other and gain new insights into 

what their close ones like and dislike about 

them. 

COMMUNICATION MEANS SHARING 

OURSELVES CLOSELY WITH OTHER PEOPLE 

Along with scheduling time with our 

family and friends in order to foster and 

build the quality of our communication, we 

need to find ways of sharing our interests, 

motivations, desires, frustrations, goals and 

dreams. Our neighbor Lynn and her partner, 

Mike, have scheduled a daily twentyminute 

walk together, during which time 

they have agreed to talk about the day’s 

events, pour out their frustrations if necessary, 

and share a few laughs if possible. It is 

an all-round win-win approach where they 

get their daily exercise, close time with each 

other and a chance to unwind. 

CLOSE COMMUNICATION REQUIRES 

A WILLINGNESS TO BE VULNERABLE 

When we are open with others we speak 

from the heart, which makes us vulnerable 

because we may expose things about ourselves 

that are embarrassing or shameful to 

admit — even to our close ones. When we 

speak from the heart, we reveal our innermost 

thoughts and feelings, and when we 

are able to do this without fear of censure or 

rejection, we begin to experience true intimacy, 

love and understanding in our closest 

relationships. 

Peter found it very hard to share with his 

wife, Jackie, his attraction to slim women, 

but felt he needed to do so if he wanted 

Jackie to understand and accept him. After 

plucking up courage, he finally shared with 

her his attraction. At first, Jackie was hurt 

and angry as she took Peter’s admission as a 

personal affront to her appearance. Peter 

felt vulnerable, exposed and uncomfortable 

for a while, but when Jackie decided to 

share her own weaknesses with Peter, their 

understanding of each other grew and they 

achieved a higher level of intimacy. 

EMPATHY IS THE KEY TO COMMUNICATION 

Effective communication involves 

empathizing with those around you. 

Empathy means going into another person’s 

situation and living and feeling it in every 

way. Empathy brings about deeper understanding, 

and understanding leads to an 

appreciation of others. As we appreciate 

people around us, we create harmony and 

happiness in our lives. 

Once, while I was meeting with a client, 

she broke down crying while talking about 

her child. Her child had been severely 

handicapped since birth, and my client had 

experienced much heartache rearing the 

child. When she shared her financial hardship 

and the sacrifices and insults she had to 

bear, I started crying myself. Then she told 

me how much she loves her child—and I 

felt every bit of that emotion. For the first 

time in my life, I felt and understood the 

meaning of empathy. Needless to say, my 

client felt and appreciated my genuine 

caring. ❐ 

Azim Jamal is an International Inspirational 

Speaker and author of several books, including 

The Corporate Sufi and the best seller Seven 

Steps to Lasting Happiness. Over 1,000,000 

people worldwide have heard his uplifting message. 

His new book, Life Balance is a Choice 

co-authored with Nido Qubein will be released 

Christmas 2004. You can get more information 

about Azim at www.azimjamal.com. 


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H EROES 


My mom, my hero 

My heart pounded as the glass shattered 

into tiny pieces. Mom and I 

were sharing a midnight snack 

after a great mother-daughter night out 

and with one careless move, I’d ruined the 

evening. Not so. Mom just cleaned up the 

mess. No lecture, no anger, not even a hint 

of frustration or annoyance. I don’t know 

why I would have expected anything else. 

She’s always taken everything in stride and 

never sweated the small stuff. It’s one of 

the qualities I most admire about her. 

Growing up, I’ve had the privilege of 

observing her philosophy on life. I say 

observing because she’s always had the 

courage to live her life according to her 

convictions. She doesn’t preach equality, 

tolerance and empathy for others; rather, 

all these things are evident in her everyday 

actions. 

I know my mom thinks I look up to her 

because she volunteered at my school 

field trips, drove me to hundreds of afterschool 

activities and provided me with 

never ending support to pursue any and 

all of my dreams. I’m grateful for all of 

that, but it’s more than what she does for 

me, it’s how she taught me how to be. I 

appreciate her for putting me in swimming 

lessons, but I gained even more by watching 

her take lessons herself as an adult 

and seeing her swim laps each week at the 

local rec centre. 

I guess what I’m trying to say is that 

Vinod Bala Kanwal, this strong independent 

woman, is not just my mother, she’s 

my best friend, she’s my mentor, she’s 

my hero. 

— Anita Kanwal 

Is your mother or father your hero? Tell us why in 

approximately 300 words. Email your story to 

heroes@mehfilmagazine.com or mail it to 

#338 - 329 North Road, Coquitlam, BC, V3K 6Z8. 


C OVER 

Choosing My 

RELIGION 

“Though we may know Him by a thousand 

names, He is one and the same to us all.” 

— Mahatma Gandhi 

by Robin Roberts 

Mahatma Gandhi could always be counted on 

for words of wisdom, and in a time of religious 

division of such tragic proportions the 

world over, those words merit renewed 

emphasis. Since too many of us are stubbornly set in 

our ways, however, it may take the next generation to 

champion the true ideals of inclusion, tolerance and 

acceptance. 

Unfortunately, “He” is not one and the same to many 

youths these days, either. If you were to believe the 

reports of young people everywhere sitting slack-jawed, 

eyes fixated on their video screen, fingers flying over 

the controls as they cut down one more enemy on 

Mortal Kombat, you’d believe all kids worship at the 

knee of Xbox. 

While it’s true you’d be hard-pressed to find many households 

without at least one kid glued to a computer or TV screen playing 

their favourite game, not all of today’s youth are eager to be 

blessed by the video gods. Many look to a higher, non-electronic 

being for inner peace and self-worth, despite a growing number 

of Canadians — 16 per cent, according to the latest census — 

who claimed to have no religion (up from 12 per cent a decade 


PHOTO BY RON SANGHA 


C OVER 

ago). Those figures apply to Canadians 

who identified themselves as Catholic or 

Protestant, and almost 40 per cent of 

them were 24 and under. 

For those of the Hindu, Sikh and 

Buddhist faiths, the numbers are increasing 

— substantially — largely due to 

immigration. Of the 1.8 million immigrants 

who came to Canada between 

1991 and 2001, only one-fifth reported 

they had no religion. 

That could change with their offspring. 

There’s a long-held theory that 

claims the more societies become industrialized 

and crowded, the less of an influence 

religion has on that society. And as 

kids born of immigrants become more 

integrated than their parents, mostly 

because of school and the broader mix of 

people and attitudes they’re exposed to, 

the less inclined they may be to turn to 

religion for comfort, peace, direction and 

answers to life’s age-old questions like 

“Who am I?” and “What’s it all about?” 

“There are a lot of distractions for 

young people today and it’s a great challenge 

to make faith meaningful,” Father 

Pat O’Dea, executive director and pastor 

at the Newman Centre Catholic Mission 

at the University of Toronto, has said. 

Distractions like Xbox, perhaps? Possibly, 

not to mention other forms of mass 

media like television and movies. 

Traditionally, people with a strong 

sense of faith have been older. For those 

who let their religion lapse, then returned 

As kids born of immigrants become more integrated 

than their parents . . . the less inclined they may 

be to turn to religion for comfort, peace, direction 

and answers to life’s age-old questions. 

to it, there seems to be a direct tie “with 

getting older, having children and needing 

the rites of passage carried out,” 

according to Reginald Bibby, a professor 

of sociology at the University of 

Lethbridge and author of Restless Gods: 

The Renaissance of Religion in Canada. 

An American study conducted by 

Lynn Schofield Clark, an assistant 

research professor at the University of 

Colorado’s School of Journalism and 

Mass Communication, and detailed in 

her book From Angels to Aliens: Teenagers, 

the Media and the Supernatural, suggests 

that the more religious pluralism, the 

more pop culture in a society, the more 

options people, in this case youth, have to 

influence them about spiritual matters. 

Just imagine the pull between Harry 

Potter and the temple. 

But Douglas Todd, religion writer for 

The Vancouver Sun, sees it differently. 

“Many people think young people are 

turning away from faith,” he says. “And it 

may be true that many are rejecting regular 

attendance at an institutional religion. 

But polls continue to show that teenagers 

have deep spiritual feelings, just as 

strongly as adults.” 

Interestingly, other research (this one 

from the University of Nebraska) reports 

that many young people who embrace 

faith are more likely to be over-achievers, 

less inclined to mischief, to smoke, take 

drugs or have sex. Still others are more 

attracted to philosophy, anthropology 

and consider themselves spiritual without 

necessarily being religious, believing you 

can be one without the other. It’s more a 

feeling of connectedness to a higher 

power, whatever that may be, and achieving 

that through less structured, non-traditional 

channels. 

Then there’s the theory posed in the 

recently published book The God Gene: 

How Faith Is Hardwired into Our Genes 

by molecular biologist Dean Hamer and 

explored in the October 25th cover story 

of Time Magazine. Sure, he believes faith 

is adaptive, but the chief of gene structure 

at the U.S. National Cancer Institute also 

claims he’s located one of the genes 

responsible for spirituality. It’s the same 

gene that produces the neurotransmitters 

that control our moods. “I’m a believer 

that every thought we think and every 

feeling we feel is the result of activity in 

the brain,” Hamer told Time. “I think we 

follow the basic law of nature, which is 

that we’re a bunch of chemical reactions 

The Age of 

Religion in Canada 

Religion Total Under 15 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65 & over 

Catholic 12,936,910 2,447,370 1,712,565 1,685,350 2,281,545 1,940,940 1,305,595 1,563,550 

Protestant 8,654,845 1,463,840 1,005,025 935,230 1,374,470 1,385,190 997,930 1,493,160 

Christian Orthodox 479,615 75,610 57,745 78,360 82,940 65,660 50,055 69,250 

Christian, n.i.e. 780,450 193,260 133,210 123,320 141,960 101,000 45,225 42,480 

Muslim 579,645 168,120 94,485 101,695 100,830 63,265 30,020 21,225 

Jewish 329,995 61,085 41,775 35,450 43,575 55,740 33,970 58,410 

Buddhist 300,345 46,615 42,760 44,505 59,360 51,190 24,185 31,730 

Hindu 297,200 69,955 42,825 54,060 52,850 37,600 23,195 16,715 

Sikh 278,410 71,710 42,750 52,240 40,330 29,495 22,300 19,585 

Eastern religions 37,545 6,185 5,795 5,285 6,575 7,350 3,200 3,145 

Other religions 63,975 13,670 11,550 12,040 12,070 9,150 3,545 1,945 

No affiliation 4,900,090 1,120,255 797,710 845,545 877,580 646,600 308,740 303,660 

Total 29,639,030 5,737,670 3,988,200 3,973,085 5,074,090 4,393,180 2,847,955 3,624,845 


Source: Statistics Canada

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C OVER 

running around in a bag.” 

You have to be in the mood for religion? 

It’s a simplified summation of a 

voluminous work, of course, that is 

too detailed to get into here, but 

Hamer concludes, “Spirituality is 

intensely personal; religion is institutional.” 

Which brings us back to the question 

of whether young people today 

are drawing to or away from religion 

and/or spirituality. Depending on 

what you hear and read, it’s either and 

it’s both. It’s also people finding their 

own path and interpretation that 

works uniquely for them. Studies, 

reports and polls aside, following are 

varying viewpoints from three divergent 

yet devoted young people. All 

three were born in B.C., and, interestingly, 

all three are in the medical field. 

Navneet Kaur Kainth is a Sikh; Dr. 

Farrah Jiwa an Ismaili Muslim; and 

Dr. Amit Arya, a Hindu. All of them 

agree faith is personal and all of them 

are tolerant and accepting of others’ 

beliefs. Good thing; they’re the next 

generation. ❐ 

Navneet Kaur Kainth, who says she was 

born into a religious family, came seriously 

to her Sikh faith only a year ago, when she 

was baptised. Like all children of immigrants, 

she was torn between her parents’ beliefs and 

lifestyle and the dizzying array of temptations 

and possibilities of the western culture. 

“When I was younger, I never thought I’d 

want to take that step [of being baptised],” 

says Kainth, 19, a Douglas College nursing 

student. “I used to think, ‘Just because my 

parents are religious, why should I?’ My generation 

has a very negative image of religion. 

You see all this young and hip stuff and you’re 

more interested in that. A lot of people think of 

religion as something for a slower-paced life, 

maybe when you’re much older. But I was very 

blessed with the group of people I found in my 

life who became my friends. I was truly 

inspired by them. We have these programs 

every Saturday night where we get together for 

three or four hours and sing religious hymns.” 

Kainth says her older brother has chosen a 

different path from her and her parents. “He 

doesn’t even have a path right now,” she says. 

“But my parents are really good about it. I’ve 

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seen other households where it’s caused conflict, 

but my parents give me and him the exact 

same love. It wasn’t in his destiny. Maybe not 

right now, maybe later, or in another life.” 

Even if never, that wouldn’t bother Kainth, 

since she’s adopted perhaps the purest tenet 

of any religion: acceptance. “I’m not only 

going to have Sikh friends or people who 

practice the same as me. I have friends who 

practice Christianity or Islam. And you do see 

similarities [in the different faiths]. As a 

metaphor, if you look at rivers, they all flow 

into the same ocean, and the ocean’s all the 

same and you can’t tell which river’s which.” 

As a child, Kainth lacked confidence simply 

because she looked different — she did, 

and still does, wear a turban — and like all 

kids, desperately wanted to fit in. “I always 

wondered ‘Why me? Why can’t I just blend in, 

be like everybody else?’ But when you read the 

history of what that turban stands for, it gives 

you such a sense of pride that turns into confidence, 

there are no insecurities,” she says. 

“If you’re secure in yourself, you’re no longer 

looking for that approval.” 

She also looks to her faith to keep her 

strong in the face of tragedy. That was tested 

recently when three of her close friends were 

killed in a car accident on their way to 

Edmonton. One of them, Parminder Singh, 

was a huge inspiration to her. He established 

the Guru Nanak Academy in Surrey, which 

teaches religious music called Kirtan, classes 

she attended as a child. Because of 

Parminder, Kainth herself began teaching last 

year. “Honestly, you meet some people and 

they don’t even have to say anything. Just the 

way they lead their lives is so inspiring. His 

dream was to educate the youth here, and that 

motivated me to learn more and try harder.” 

Upon his death she turned to her faith for 

strength. “If I didn’t have religion in my life I 

don’t know where’d I be,” she says quietly. “I 

would have just been a mess.” 

Now Kainth hopes she’s an inspiration to 

others, and is optimistic other young people 

will find what she’s found as a practising Sikh. 

Now that the Gurdwara is beginning to use 

English to communicate with the younger 

generation who may only speak English, she’s 

hopeful more will check it out. She’s also 

hopeful that others on no path, like her brother, 

will one day find their way to a temple. 

“You try to fulfill yourself in every which way 

but then you realize there’s something missing,” 

she says. “It’s not going to be fulfilled by 

material things, and that’s when a lot of peo- 


“I always wondered, 

‘Why me? Why can’t I 

just blend in, be like 

everybody else?’ But 

when you read the 

history of what that 

turban stands for, it 

gives you a sense of 

pride that turns into 

confidence.” 

— Navneet Kaur Kainth — 



C OVER 

ple turn to religion. There’s so much going on 

in this world and you wonder what’s the whole 

meaning of it. But a lot of it is not necessarily 

about figuring it out. It’s more about accepting 

it for what it is, living in the moment, in a single 

breath.” 

FARRAH JIWA 

Dr. Farrah Jiwa never passes up an opportunity 

to talk about life as an Ismaili Muslim, and 

talk she does. The words tumble out of her 

with a breathless enthusiasm that reflects her 

love and pride in her faith, and she jumps 

right into what it means to her. 

“There’s this very popular saying that 

Islam is a way of life, that we live, move and 

have our being in Allah,” explains Jiwa, a 

Vancouver chiropractor who specializes in 

sports injury rehabilitation. “So when you use 

that as your premise, it becomes like a guiding 

light or anchor. The concepts that Islam 

teaches are very similar to monotheistic faiths 

like Judaism and Christianity, the concept of 

values and ethics, kindness, generosity, taking 

care of the sick, the poor, the elderly, 

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respect for your parents, even respect for 

mankind. For me, Islam has always been and 

always will be that guiding light. It creates that 

foundation to build my entire life with. 

“As I was growing up,” she continues, “I 

was always taught those value systems. We’re 

in a multicultural society, people have various 

backgrounds, we’re not the same coloured 

skin. It gives you a sense of purpose, meaning, 

fulfillment, peace, and balance. That’s 

really key, that balance. It’s not just a material 

world where we’re just go-go-go, earning 

money for the sake of earning money, and 

that’s it. It’s more about, what you have in 

excess, give it. Give it with your heart. The 

concept of charity. I really embody that, I don’t 

just say it. I believe you have to put things into 

action.” 

She personally puts things into action as a 

volunteer at religious education classes called 

Baitul Ilm, as well as helping to raise money 

for third world development, and various 

activities within the greater community 

because, as she says, “I believe we’re a global 

brotherhood.” 

Although the Ismaili Muslim brotherhood 

is comparatively small — she estimates 

about 70,000 in Canada, with approximately 

15,000 in B.C. — Jiwa believes those numbers 

will increase, simply because of the 

times in which we live. “A lot of people seek 

answers from their faith because the world is 

becoming so chaotic. How do you make 

sense of chaos? By creating that sense of 

peace and tranquility, [embracing] the concept 

of there being something bigger and better 

out there. And that’s when people start 

internalizing and going back to faith for 

answers. That’s what provides me meaning. 

I’m not here just for myself; it’s about the 

world, it’s about my family, not just my immediate 

family, but the global family. I hate to 

quote Michael Jackson, but his [song] Man in 

the Mirror [is a good example of], how do you 

change the world until you change yourself? 

That’s the concept of empowerment, of free 

will, that we’ve been given an intellect, that we 

make choices, that we’re responsible for our 

lives.” 

Jiwa, 30, says Islam was grossly misrepresented 

after September 11, 2001, but rather 

than defend, she chose to enlighten. “As an 

Ismaili Muslim, I was suffering because my 

identity was being challenged. It was sad for 

us because we saw our faith being misrepresented. 

It was wrong. But I took it as an 

opportunity to express who I was. You can’t 

create understanding if you’re defensive. You 

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“How do you make 

sense of chaos? By 

creating that sense 

of peace and tranquility, 

[embracing] 

the concept of 

there being something 

bigger and 

better out there. 

And that’s when 

people start . . . 

going back to faith 

for answers.” 

— Farrah Jiwa — 


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C OVER 

create understanding and respect through dialogue.” 

And Jiwa continues that dialogue with the 

patients she comes into contact with every 

day, who are from all walks of life. “Whether 

they’re First Nations, Oriental or East Indian, I 

treat each patient equally. I respect everyone. 

Doesn’t matter what faith you’re from. I always 

describe it like a rainbow. When I see a rainbow, 

I see different colors and that’s what 

makes it so beautiful — diversity and 

strength.” 

AMIT ARYA 

Amit Arya is perhaps the least fervent of 

the three. He approaches his Hindu faith 

casually, philosophically, objectively. In 

fact, when asked to confirm he is a practising 

Hindu, he takes a long pause before answering, 

“Uh, yeah, sort of.” 

Arya, who’s back in his hometown of 

Vancouver for a few months before returning 

to Edmonton where he’s completing his residency 

as a family physician, is quick to 

explain. “Hinduism is very different from other 

religions. In other religions you have to do 

something to become religious. You have to 

believe in something particular. For instance, 

if I don’t believe in Christ I can’t be Christian. 

By definition, there’s no way I could ever be 

called a Christian because that’s the definition, 

right? But in Hinduism, there’s nothing I really 

have to do to become a Hindu and there’s 

nothing I can do to undo that. There’s nothing 

to leave and there’s nothing I’ve joined. This is 

what I think.” 

His broad views come courtesy of his parents, 

who he says exposed him to many different 

beliefs and perspectives when he was 

growing up. “One of their main philosophies 

is that we shouldn’t impose our beliefs on anybody; 

we should respect everybody’s beliefs 

as being equal.” 

Arya, 26, attends temple only occasionally, 

mainly because he gets so little out of it, which 

he suspects is also the reason attendance is 

not huge among other young people. 

“Temples are almost all run by elderly people,” 

he explains. “And they’re complete hot spots 

for politics in one way or another. You have to 

talk to a 15-year-old or 20-year-old who was 

born and raised in Canada differently than how 

you talk to someone of my parents’ or grandparents’ 

generation. Their talk is focused very 

much on elderly people, basically. And that’s 

an unfortunate thing. Many places of worship, 

unfortunately, turn into more political-type 

(continued on page 63)


“Many places of worship, 

unfortunately, 

turn into more 

political-type 

institutions. Once it 

becomes political, 

not only young 

people but a lot of 

people get turned 

off. Fighting should 

be the last thing people 

do in temples.” 

— Amit Arya — 


F EATURE 

CRACKDOWN 

On Immigrant Sponsors 

By Suntanu Dalal 

Bobby Sandhu has been on both sides of the immigrant 

sponsorship fence. He came to Canada in 1987 after being 

sponsored by his first wife. After his marriage ended in 

divorce in 1995, he divided his time between Canada and 

his homeland of Singapore, where he met his second wife, Daljit. In 

the summer of 2003 he began the process of sponsoring her from 

Singapore. It was only at the end of October that they received a letter 

from Citizenship and Immigration Canada saying Daljit’s immigration 

visa has been approved. 

While he’s happy they were successful, Sandhu (who asked that his real 

name not be used) wasn’t so happy with how long the process took and that 

it was so complicated that he had to hire an immigration consultant to help 

him through it. But one thing Sandhu has no issue with is the undertaking 

he signed with the government of Canada in which he promised, as his 

wife’s sponsor, to support her for the next three years. Although he is himself 

a sponsor, Sandhu has no sympathy for immigrant sponsors who have 

launched a class-action lawsuit in which they are seeking damages against 

the provincial government for enforcing its right to collect welfare repayments. 

“It’s actually good that they’re doing that to these [immigrant sponsors],” 

he says. “Some people just do it on purpose – it’s like a scam for 

them.” 

The lawsuit, which claims the government’s Sponsorship Default 

Recovery Project is “unlawful, malicious and unfair,” argues that the 

“income assistance received by the sponsorees was a benevolent act or gift 

granted by the province and not debts.” 

Andrew Wlodyka, a veteran immigration lawyer with Vancouver’s Lowe 


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F EATURE 

and Company law firm, doesn’t shed tears 

for those who are protesting B.C.’s crackdown 

on sponsors whose family members 

are collecting social assistance. “If they 

don’t want to take the responsibility on 

with all the consequences — don’t sponsor,” 

says Wlodyka, who has served as 

assistant deputy chair of the immigration 

appeal division of the Immigration and 

Refugee Board of Canada. In his opinion, 

the lawsuit is “preposterous” because 

sponsors are saying the Canadian taxpayer 

should assume responsibility for their 

family member. “I have no sympathy, and 

I expect the class-action lawsuit on the 

sponsorship will be thrown out.” 

If it were to succeed, Wlodyka would 

expect the provinces to put pressure on 

the federal government to do away with 

some categories of sponsorship, or perhaps 

even make people post bond. 

For most family members, the current 

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act 

(IRPA), which replaced the Immigration 

Act in June 2002, requires the sponsor to 

provide an unconditional promise of 

support for 10 years from the date the 

family member becomes a permanent 

resident. In recognition of the fact that 

relationships between partners do break 

down, the duration of financial support 

for a spouse, common-law partner or 

conjugal partner has been decreased from 

the former Immigration Act’s 10 years to 

just three. In addition, a sponsor’s or 

sponsored partner’s dependent child 22 

years of age or older must be given financial 

support for only three years, again 

down from 10 years. However, a child 

who is less than 22 years of age must be 

supported for 10 years, or until the child 

turns 25 of age, whichever comes first. 

It should be noted that the federal 

government is responsible for the selection 

and admission of immigrants to 

Canada, while the provinces are largely 

responsible for the settlement process. Of 

all the provinces, only Quebec has a role 

in determining sponsorship eligibility for 

its residents, and the sponsorship undertaking 

is actually signed with the 

province and not Canada. However, the 

Quebec portion of the process begins 

only after Citizenship and Immigration 

Canada (CIC) has finished its assessment 

of a sponsor’s ability to meet Canada’s 

sponsorship requirements. 

Ninety per cent of sponsors live up to 

their sponsorship commitment, says 

Maria Iadinardi, spokeswoman for CIC. 

Until recently, the remaining 10 per cent 

were able to avoid repaying their sponsorship 

debts because provincial governments, 

which are responsible for providing 

social assistance, weren’t able to 

enforce them. 

It wasn’t until 1997 that regulatory 

changes were made under the former 

Immigration Act to family class sponsorship 

criteria to make sponsors more 

accountable, says Iadinardi. Canadian citizens 

and permanent residents who were 

incarcerated, bankrupt or in default of a 

previous sponsorship agreement were no 

longer able to sponsor a relative. Also, 

provinces were given the authority to 

recover money from sponsors if there was 

a breech of the sponsorship agreement. 

“Our goal is to make sure that sponsorship 

is respected as a serious commitment, 

and that sponsors comply with the 

terms of their undertaking,” says 

Iadinardi. “Sponsors who have defaulted 

on previous sponsorships are prevented 

from sponsoring again. Our department 

will continue to explore further measures 

to deter sponsorship default, including 

new sponsorship bars and collection 

mechanisms.” 

Regardless of the circumstances of a 

breakdown in a relationship — even if 

the sponsored spouse or partner manipulated 

the sponsor to immigrate to Canada 

and then ends the relationship once here 

— Wlodyka thinks it’s fair that sponsors 

have to pay up before they can sponsor 

A NEW ACT 

ancouver immigration lawyer Andrew 

VWlodyka feels the current sponsorship 

process is as good as it has been in the 26 

years he has been in practice. 

“In many respects it’s much broader and 

much easier to sponsor close family members 

than it was before,” says Wlodyka. “Plus 

there’s accountability for the sponsors, which 

wasn’t the case 20 or 30 

years ago.” 

The Immigration and 

Refugee Protection Act 

(IRPA), which took effect 

in June 2002, is different 

from the previous 

Immigration Act in that it 

provides a framework of 

broad parameters and 

principles for immigration, 

while related regulations control implementation. 

Rather than having all the rules 

embedded in the act itself, where amendments 

can only be made by Parliament, IRPA 

gives the government more flexibility in 

making changes to immigration rules at any 

time. IRPA also allows faster processing of 

family class sponsorship because documentation 

of items such as proof of adequate 

income has been streamlined. 

IRPA has made it easier for more types of 

people to come to Canada as family class 

immigrants, says Maria Iadinardi, 

Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s (CIC) 

spokeswoman. In particular, the definition of 

“(Reuniting spouses) is 

much faster than it was 

before — it’s a high priority. 

Sponsoring parents 

is not a high priority.” 

— Andrew Wlodyka 

Immigration lawyer 

a relationship has been extended beyond the 

traditional marriage between spouses to 

include the recognition of common-law partners 

and conjugal partners, which in turn 

allows for the recognition of same-sex relationships. 

In addition, if a foreign national meets 

someone in Canada and they form a relationship, 

they no longer have 

to return to their home 

country to be sponsored 

— they can apply from 

within Canada. “We’re 

starting to recognize 

more and more relationships 

because that’s what 

it’s really all about. It’s 

about building a relationship,” 

says Iadinardi. 

“Having a marriage certificate doesn’t even 

mean that the person is really in a relationship.” 

Wlodyka says CIC gives high priority to 

reuniting spouses and partners, with the processing 

time ranging between six and nine 

months. “That’s much faster than it was 

before — it’s a high priority. Sponsoring 

parents is not a high priority.” 

He suspects the sponsorship of parents 

may come to an end one day because of the 

higher costs associated with their support 

and a rapidly expanding population of 

Canadian seniors. “No one will admit it now, 

but sooner or later it’s going to happen.” ❐ 


“Ninety per cent 

of sponsors live up to 

their sponsorship commitment. 

Until recently, the 

remaining 10 per cent were 

able to avoid repaying 

sponsorship debts. 

someone else. “I don’t see a problem with 

that. You sign a commitment with your 

eyes open.” 

He also notes there is greater protection 

for women in the current immigration 

law. For example, a sponsor convicted 

of assaulting his spouse will usually 

not be allowed to sponsor someone else, 

potentially keeping a new, unwary wife 

from facing the same cycle of violence 

experienced by the former spouse. 

According to Richard Chambers, 

director of communications for the 

British Columbia Ministry of Human 

Resources, the province has been pursuing 

sponsorship default since April 1999. 

However the province’s approach until 

November 2003 was rather benign – it 

would contact the sponsor and let them 

know they were in default, what was 

owed, and invite the sponsor to repay the 

amount owing. After this notification, it 

was up to the sponsor to make contact 

and initiate repayment. “This approach 

did not generate a high return of repayment,” 

Chambers admits. 

The province then decided on a more 

aggressive approach, sending out letters in 

November 2003 to 3,200 sponsors who 

had defaulted, indicating that if they did 

not begin repayment within 30 days, it 

would take active steps to seek settlement 

– including referring them to the Loans 

and Collection Branch of Provincial 

Revenue and charging interest on unpaid 

debt after 30 days. 

“This approach is showing results— 

with some debts being repaid in full and 

other debts being repaid over time,” says 

Chambers. From November 2003 to 

September 15 of this year, the B.C. government 

has collected $4.6 million from 

delinquent sponsors. 

Both the province’s Chambers and 

CIC’s Iadinardi say they cannot answer 

specific questions on behalf of their 

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F EATURE 

respective governments about the classaction 

lawsuit filed in B.C. because the 

case is now before the courts. 

However, Iadinardi made it clear that 

sponsors have always been made aware of 

the sponsorship rules and penalties for 

defaulting. “It’s always been a key component 

of the family class that sponsors 

sign an undertaking to provide for the 

necessary support of their sponsored relative 

so that they don’t require assistance 

from federal and provincial assistance 

programs,” she says. “The undertaking 

also explains the consequences of defaulting. 

They’re very well aware of the steps 

that can be taken for the recovery of any 

debt resulting from the undertaking 

default. The intent of the undertaking 

has not changed significantly [over the 

years] — only the extent of the wording.” 

Chambers says other provinces are 

looking to B.C. for leadership on the 

issue. Since provinces bear the brunt of 

costs associated with administering 

health care, education and social assistance, 

they have the right, under IRPA, to 

sign bilateral agreements with the federal 

government that further define the 

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Since November 2003 

the B.C. government has 

collected $4.6 million 

from delinquent sponsors 

Canada and each province related to 

immigrants and temporary residents who 

want to come to a province. 

The Agreement for Canada-British 

Columbia Cooperation on Immigration 

signed in April 2004 establishes a framework 

for the governments of Canada and 

B.C. to develop new initiatives such as 

meeting regional immigration needs, 

improving the integration of immigrants, 

encouraging foreign students to choose 

B.C., and addressing barriers to the 

recognition of foreign credentials. 

And the agreement is the basis upon 

which collection of sponsorship default 

debt is assigned to a province, says 

Chambers. He points out that Annex E 

of the agreement deals specifically with 

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sponsorship of family class immigrants 

and recognizes the joint commitment of 

Canada and B.C. to reducing sponsorship 

default. Annex G is a memorandum 

of agreement that outlines personal 

information about sponsors and their 

sponsored family members that can be 

exchanged between the province and 

CIC to aid in enforcing sponsorship 

rules. 

Even with stronger enforcement tools 

now at the province’s disposal, there is 

still $44.6 million of enforceable debt 

outstanding from 1999 to Sept. 15, 

2004, and 3,614 active sponsorship 

default accounts in B.C. The province 

can’t collect from sponsors who defaulted 

on $47 million before 1999; however, 

Chambers says the B.C. government is 

well aware the debt exists, and though it 

can’t go after these defaulters, they can 

still be punished by other means. 

“The debt is a very real debt,” says 

Chambers. “Should they wish to sponsor 

another family member and there is a 

debt outstanding — enforceable or unenforceable 

— that must be paid back 

before they can sponsor another family 

member.” ❐ 

Munir Riasat 

Immigration Counsel 

Immigration Practitioner (UBC) 

Member CSIC 


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In Business 

Promotional Feature 

Business 

Cellular Sales 

Year Started 

2000 

Key Personnel 

Tony Ahluwalia, 

Founder & CEO 

Keys to Success 

“You’ve got to know your 

product, deliver it quickly 

and back it with exceptional 

customer service.” 

Contact 

2593 Kingsway, 

Vancouver 

604-438-7272 

Congratulations to 

Walia Communications 

on 4 years of success from 

Hand Car Wash & Detail Centre 

7258 - 132nd Street, Surrey 

604-543-7767 

Congratulations 


on your 

4th anniversary from 

The Cell Advantage 

Tony Ahluwalia has what he considers 

a dream job. As owner of Walia 

Communications, which is celebrating 

its fourth anniversary, Tony gets to 

indulge his passion for high-tech toys and 

also to work with people. 

“I’ve always loved gadgets,” says the 

self-described technophile. 

That means clients who visit his store 

can be sure that they will not only see the 

latest products, but also get information 

about new and upcoming technology. 

Tony opened his retail outlet four 

years ago after he noticed that the cellular 

market was becoming more product 

focused and less customer oriented. 

“Some people do their homework and 

know exactly what they’re looking for, 

but most people have questions and 

expect some level of customer service,” 

he says. 

And customer service is something 

Walia Communications prides itself on, 

he adds. “Selling a phone or a pager is 

only the beginning of the relationship for 

me,” says Tony. “Our customers go away 

knowing that we’re available to answer 

questions or to provide service. I’m interested 

in establishing ongoing relationships 

with my clients so I make sure I 

understand what they’re looking for.” 

Cellular is one of the most exciting 

and important technologies to have been 

developed, says Tony. But it also can be 

one of the most confusing. “For many 

people in business a basic cellphone is 

good, but one that is internet-capable or 

has a built-in personal organizer can 

really boost productivity. In most cases 

the benefits greatly outweigh the cost.” 

The Blackberry, one of the hottest selling 

devices today, is another example of 

technology that can make people more 

efficient and Tony encourages anyone 

who hasn’t seen it to learn more about 

how it can benefit them. 

Whether it’s a parent looking for a cellular 

family package or a businessperson 

concerned about keeping their messages 

confidential, Tony works personally with 

clients to help them find the best product 

for their specific needs. 

Tony also believes in making time for 

community causes, including sponsoring 

events and fundraisers. “It’s not all about 

the bottom line,” he says. “I believe in 

giving back to the community that has 

contributed to my success.” 

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“I would like to thank 


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on 4 Years of Success from 

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2004 SUCCESS 

PROMOTIONAL FEATURE 

PROFILES 

OF 

Community Care 

When Nafisa Merali and Hanif Makhani 

opened Naz’s Pharmacy nine years ago, their 

goal was to provide the Indo-Canadian population 

with quality care in a culturally sensitive 

environment. 

“We ourselves are Indo-Canadian health professionals. 

This puts us in a unique position to 

understand and overcome cultural and language 

barriers to providing quality care, allowing 

our patients to develop a trusting relationship 

in which they feel secure,” says Nafisa. 

Nafisa’s brother Zahid also decided to join the 

profession recently. 

“We both personally ensure that each one of 

our patients is provided the best possible care 

and receives the information they need to manage 

their own health,” says Zahid. 

Nafisa, Zahid and their staff, who are fluent 

in Punjabi, Hindi and Gujrati as well as 

English, are committed to ensuring their clients 

receive the greatest possible benefits from their 

medications. 

“Medicines today have great power to heal 

and to improve the quality of life for so many 

people and since a pharmacist is often the most 

accessible and trusted health care professional, 

we’re in an ideal position to provide valuable 

information,” says Nafisa. “Our pharmacy 

takes personal pride in counseling patients and 

providing specialized services such as custom 

compounding, compliance packaging and diabetes 

management.” 

As part of her commitment to raise awareness 

about the medical conditions that pose a 

particular risk to Indo-Canadians, Naz’s 

Pharmacy offers regular health clinics on topics 

such as diabetes and cholesterol management. 

“We believe in giving something back to the 

community both through our family pharmacy 

and through volunteering,” says Zahid. 

Nafisa volunteers with the Aga Khan Health 

Board on designing and implementing programs 

to better serve the needs of the aging population. 

“We need to create a community that is 

knowledgeable and armed with information to 

better tackle the issues that affect Indo- 

Canadians,” says Zahid. Both Nafisa and Zahid 

emphasize that the people who come in the door 

at Naz’s Pharmacy are much more than customers. 

“Our idea of customer service is to adopt a 

holistic approach when dealing with our patients, 

to treat our patients as human beings with 

unique exceptions and circumstances,” says 

Nafisa. “By paying attention to one individual, 

we affect their whole family and when we help the 

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In Business 

Promotional Feature 

Business 

Restaurant, Catering, 

Banquet Hall, Party Rentals 

Year Started 

1975 

Key Personnel 

Balwant Kainth, Founder 

Rajan Kainth, President 

Keys to Success 

“We look at our business as 

having two distinct aspects, food 

and service. Both have to be 

consistent and exceptional each 

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Locations 

Haweli Grill 

& Restaurant 

8220 - 120th St. 

Surrey, BC 

604-592-2503 

South Hall 

8273 Ross St. 

Vancouver, BC 

604-323-8273 

Moti Raja Catering 

8273 Ross St. 

Vancouver, BC 

604-325-5014 

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Vancouver, BC 

604-324-8779 

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8271 Ross St, 

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604-322-2489 

Haweli 

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A Creative 

Dish 

You may never have met Balwant 

Kainth, but if you’ve attended 

catered Indian functions around 

the Lower Mainland or experienced 

Curry in a Hurry at the PNE, chances are 

you’ve enjoyed his food. A 40-year veteran 

of the restaurant industry, Kainth is 

known as a pioneer when it comes to 

Indian cuisine in western Canada. 

“I’ve always enjoyed being creative 

and there’s no place better to do that 

than in a kitchen,” says Kainth, who 

spent several years running restaurants 

in five-star hotels in India before emigrating 

to Canada in 1970. 

“I knew It wasn’t going to be easy,” 

recalls Kainth. “Although I knew my 

way around every aspect of restaurants 

I had to start at the bottom.” 

That meant washing dishes and 

working his way up to waiter and eventually 

a fast food cook at a Mr. Mike’s 

restaurant in Vancouver. 

“You have to be willing to do just 

about anything in order to realize your 

goals,” he says. “And it helps to have 

someone there to support you.” 

For Kainth, that support came from 

his wife, Vipal, who he calls the secret 

to the streak of successful ventures his 

family has enjoyed beginning in 1975 

with Raja’s Tandoori Hut, a 28-seat 

restaurant outside of downtown 

Vancouver. Five years later the couple 

would open their second restaurant, 

Moti Mahal, and become one of the 

first to offer on-site catering for Indian 

weddings. 

“Catering gave us a chance to go 

out and serve people that may not have 

been to our restaurant and show them 

what we were capable of,” says

PHOTO BY NU-LOOK FOTO 

Balwant Kainth (right) and his son Rajan offer an authentic Indian dining experience at the newly opened Haweli Grill and Restaurant. 

Balwant. “And we always ended up getting 

more bookings at every event.” 

The Kainths’ catering concept 

became so popular, in fact, that in 1990 

they decided to leave the traditional 

restaurant business behind and dedicate 

themselves to event catering. Their new 

company, Moti Raja, provided everything 

from cocktails and buffet dinners to the 

most exquisite table service and the 

Kainths could hardly keep up with 

demand. 

“The community was growing and 

we were booked solid,” says Balwant, 

explaining they then decided to build 

South Hall, a banquet facility that quickly 

became renowned not only for its signature 

menus, but for its décor and service. 

The Kainths also created Curry In a 

Hurry, a product line carried by Costco 

and made popular at Vancouver’s annual 

Pacific National Exhibition. 

Most recently, the Kainths, along 

with their son, Rajan, who grew up in 

the food services industry, brought their 

natural flair for food back to the restaurant 

industry with the opening of Haweli 

Grill and Restaurant on Surrey’s 120th 

Street. 

With luxurious decor and a menu 

that includes traditional Indian dishes as 

well as a few special Kainth creations, 

Haweli is sure to make a lasting impression 

on restaurant goers. 

“Our goal is to bring traditional 

Indian dining to a whole new level,” says 

Rajan, adding that the restaurant seats 

150 people and has a private banquet 

facility for up to 350. “We want to have 

families enjoy an authentic Indian meal 

and feel like they’ve just visited India.”

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Cover: Choosing My Religion 

(continued from page 28) 

institutions. Once it becomes political, not 

only young people but a lot of people get 

turned off. Fighting should be the last thing 

people do in temples.” 

Arya believes getting rid of politics, focusing 

more on the cultural and social aspects of 

temple life, making it fun, with more youthoriented 

activities, would attract not only more 

young people but a broader range of people. 

A classical-music enthusiast who also 

sings, Arya enjoys that aspect of the temple, 

as well as its openness. “One of the big things 

is tolerance and universality. In other places of 

worship, sometimes they’re exclusive, where 

only people of that belief can go. Whereas in 

the temple, anybody can go there. Even 

though it’s supposed to be a place of 

Hinduism, we’ve had Muslim speakers, 

Christians speakers. It’s very open that way.” 

However, Arya feels there’s a downside to 

the virtue of tolerance. “Some people think the 

Hindu religion is superior because it’s the 

most tolerant. They say that openly, without 

seeing the paradox in that statement. 

Personally, I don’t really believe in a collective 

ego type of system where we think our way is 

the best, because that’s more political. And 

that’s unfortunately a big problem in Hinduism 

now as well.” 

Arya, who’s travelled to India more than a 

dozen times to visit his parents’ families, who 

live in and around New Delhi, is concerned 

about the many monuments to religion, in 

India and elsewhere. “We have so many temples 

in India and they are very beautiful structures. 

But people are building and investing so 

much money in them while we have so much 

poverty and suffering in the world. Canada is a 

kind of heaven compared to other places, but 

if you look at what’s going on in Africa or 

India, there’s lots of poverty and discrimination. 

And people in the temples are talking all 

the time about helping people and eliminating 

poverty, but how much we do that practically 

and for what purpose is very debatable.” 

While a medical student, Arya did volunteer 

work in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, 

the poorest neighbourhood in the country, and 

plans to continue to do more once he’s finished 

his residency. In the meantime, he wants 

to add one last point about spirituality. “Rather 

than have everybody follow the same rules, 

you have to develop your own faith and your 

own personalized version of spirituality. You 

can have debates about it but I feel it’s very 

hard to express accurately in words. There are 

a lot of things we don’t need to discuss. There 

are things we just have to explore on our own 

journey.” ❐ 

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WEDDINGS 

July 

2004 

Kalbir Gandham,25 

From Richmond, B.C. 

Sarbjit Basran, 25 

From Lillooet, B.C. 

Don’t try to tell Kalbir Gandham and 

Sarbjit Basran that “love at first sight” 

is just for movies and novels. They fell 

for each other the moment they met at a 

group outing orchestrated by a matchmaking 

friend. 

“I still remember the day clearly,” 

recalls Sarb. “I was so nervous and so 

was Kal, but it was love at first sight. We 

exchanged numbers that night and started 

dating.“ 

“I knew we were meant to be on our 

first date,” says Kal. “When I told her my 

last name, she instantly recognized it 

because it’s not very common. She 

remembered a regular customer with the 

same last name who she helped when 

she worked at a clothing store. As we 

talked she described the lady, who turned 

out to be my mom. Two years earlier at 

the store she was so nice to my mom that 

my mom mentioned to Sarb that she has 

two sons at home if Sarb would be interested 

in one of them. After hearing that, it 

seemed like fate.” 

Sarb was “shocked and thrilled” when 

Kal surprised her with a traditional proposal 

made on bended knee. “I didn’t see 

it coming because Kal is so masculine 

and not a mushy guy too often but he 

came through when it counted,” 

she says. 

“I took her to a special spot overlooking 

the water and airport lights,” 

recalls Kal. “It was a clear night and as 

we were about to leave I said there was 

something on the ground. When she 

came over to where I was, I knelt down, 

grabbed her hand and told her how I felt 

about her and that I couldn’t see my life 

without her. She started crying right away 

so I knew she was very happy and wanted 

this as much as I did. I asked, she 

accepted and that was that.” 

In keeping with tradition, the couple 

didn’t see each other for two weeks before 

the ceremony so Kal couldn’t resist allowing 

himself a discreet glance at his bride 

when she sat down beside him — but 

then he found he couldn’t look away as 

quickly as he’d planned. “I was dying to 

see her so I tried my best to sneak a look 

at her. Then, when I finally saw her I 

couldn’t look away; I was in awe that this 

beautiful woman was going to be mine.” 

Sarb could see just how much the day 

meant to her new husband when she 

gazed into his eyes during their first 

dance. “Kal had a look on his face like he 

was overwhelmed with joy. That was the 

first time I saw that side of Kal and it was 

an unforgettable moment.” 

PHOTO BY BAL PANESAR 

Astrological sign: 

Occupation: 

Hobbies: 

Pet Peeves: 

What they say 

about each other: 

Key to a happy 

relationship 

Her 

Aries 

ESL teacher 

Movies, going to the gym 

and travelling 

Snotty people, cold weather 

“He’s caring, cute, a perfectionist, 

intelligent” 

Him 

Libra 

forklift operator 

Working on cars, playing Xbox 

and off-roading 

Ignorant people, traffic 

She’s sweet, pretty, devoted, 

selfless 

To be open and honest with each other and to compromise when needed 

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PHOTO BY JC IMAGES 

September 

2004 

Rita Gill, 22 

From Surrey, B.C. 

Harvey Badesha, 22 

From Surrey, B.C. 

arvey Badesha wanted his pro- 

to Rita Gill to be a Hposal 

romantic moment she’d remember 

forever. And Rita made sure he’d 

get it perfect. 

“She’s always dropped hints of 

how she wants a proposal; she 

never hesitated in showing me 

movie clips of romantic proposals 

or secretly going to her sisters to 

pass on messages,” says Harvey. 

They were walking on picturesque 

Ambleside Beach in 

North Vancouver on a stormy day 

when Harvey dropped down on 

one knee and asked Rita to marry 

him. “I was in complete shock and 

told him to quickly get up before 

he got sick — after saying yes, of 

course!” recalls Rita. 

On their wedding day, Rita 

Her 

Astrological sign: Libra 

Occupation: Nursing student 

Shopping, collecting 

Hobbies: Disney movies and taking 

care of my fish! 

Pet Peeves: People who lie 

What they say 


Keys to a happy 

relationship: 

“He is Handsome, devoted, 

compassionate, clumsy!” 

couldn’t wait until the ceremony to 

see her groom so she took a peek 

out a window during the milni. He 

took my breath away and I literally 

needed to sit and have some 

orange juice,” she says. “I kept 

thinking, ‘This can’t be happening,’ 

but it was and I had the time 

of my life. When I entered the gurdwara 

and sat down, I couldn’t 

help but tell him how handsome 

he was and how excited I was.” 

Harvey was not less impressed 

with his bride. “I was mesmerized 

by her beauty in that lengha . . . 

wow, Madhuri Dixit didn’t even 

pull it off the way Rita did. I told 

her how excited I was to spend 

every minute of every hour of 

every day together for the rest of 

our lives.” 

For their first dance, the newlyweds 

chose the song Everything I 

Do, I Do It for You. It had been 

Rita’s favourite song for a few 

years and when Harvey listened to 

the lyrics he discovered “it said 

everything in five minutes that I 

have felt for Rita in the four years 

since we met.” 

The newlyweds, who live in 

Surrey, are planning a belated 

honeymoon in Europe in the 

spring. 

Honesty & Laughter 

Him 

Sagittarius 

Marketing student 

Basketball, football, keeping active 

and staying healthy. 

Tardiness 

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July 

2004 

Girish Verma, 25 

From Chandigarh, India 

Sarbjit Kainth, 24 

From New Delhi, India 

When it comes to romantic proposals, 

Girish Verma is a tough act 

for any man to follow. Instead of 

surprising Sarbjit Kainth with flowers 

or chocolates on her 21 st birthday, 

he presented her with 21 

poems. “He was actually very nervous 

while I was reading the poems 

because he didn’t know how I 

would react to the last poem,” 

recalls Sarbjit. “The last poem’s 

last lines were “It’s amazing how 

strongly I feel for you. And I will do 

anything possible to make you feel 

the same way too. So I’m glad I 

told you and you finally see. Oh 

wait, one more question please: 

Will you marry me?” 

They first met in 1999, when 

they were both taking courses at 

BCIT, but it’s a wonder they didn’t 

Astrological sign: 

Occupation: 

Hobbies: 

Pet Peeves: 

What they say 


Her 

Virgo 

Project Manager 

Reading, shopping 

Untidiness, clutter 

“He is cute, shy, caring, 

intellectual.” 

meet much sooner. “What was 

funny was that once we got talking 

we realized that we graduated from 

the same high school, lived near by 

and I knew some of his friends and 

he knew some of mine but we never 

met each other prior to BCIT,” says 

Sarbjit. “We clicked immediately 

and became very good friends.” 

Friendship quickly led to 

romance, which led to Girish’s 

poetic proposal and eventually to 

their wedding day last July. 

He says he’ll never forget the 

moment that he first saw her in her 

wedding finery. “I had pictured 

how she would look as a bride 

when she would describe her lengha 

and her jewellery but, wow, she 

was beyond my imagination. 

Absolutely gorgeous!” 

For their first dance, the newlyweds 

chose the song Hum Dil de 

Chuke Sanam, from the first Hindi 

film they saw together. “We totally 

related to the words of the song,” 

says Girish. 

“It was everything I wanted to 

say to him,” says Sarbjit. 

The Vermas honeymooned in 

Montego Bay, Jamaica , and today 

live in Vancouver. 

Him 

Aquarius 

Network Administrator 

Music, cars 

Judging a book by its cover 

“She is beautiful, sweet, 

loving, smart.” 

Key to a happy 

Communication 

relationship: 

Want to share your story? Email a photo along with your contact 

information to weddings@mehfilmagazine.com.

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BEAUTY 

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Traditional Indian Suits 

Custom Bridal Wear 

Trousseaus Made to Order 

Exclusive Designer Collections 

Mohinder Dhaliwal 

12121-59th Avenue, Surrey, BC 

604-543-7699 

RUBY 

BRAR 

Professional 

Make Up Artist 

Specializing in 

Bridal Make Up, Hair Styling 

& Consulting 

For All Occasions 

Please call for consultation 

Cell: 778-838-2960 

604-574-3076 

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HARINDER 

Make-up Artist 

specializing in hair & make-up 

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Threading • Waxing • Mehndi 

604-597-2375

CUISINE 

(From left) Chef Sukhjit Choly, Satinder Gosal and Paul Gosal provide a 

relaxed and comfortable atmosphere at Surrey’s Pardesi Restaurant. 

Paul Gosal believes that 

great food is only one of 

the essential ingredients that 

add up to a great restaurant. 

“Of course, great food is 

key but that’s one part of the 

dining experience. You also 

have to make people feel at 

home,” says Gosal, who 

opened Pardesi Restaurant 

earlier this year. “I’m a big 

believer in treating people 

right.” 

In fact, that’s how Pardesi 

came to be in the first place. 

Pardesi Restaurant 

“I went to a party and noticed 

that one of my friends was 

working there as a cook. His 

food was good but I noticed 

that the other staff members 

weren’t treating him very well. 

I told him he was a great cook 

and asked why he was letting 

these people walk all over 

him. He told me he had no 

choice, that he couldn’t afford 

to open his own business so he 

needed a job.” 

Gosal saw an opportunity 

to help both himself and his 

friend and Pardesi quickly 

progressed from concept to 

reality. 

The restaurant, which seats 

75 and is fully licensed, specializes 

in Western-style 

Indian food. “Two of our 

most popular dishes are dal 

makhani and chili chicken,” 

says Gosal. 

The menu has something 

for everyone, says Gosal, 

including many dishes that 

are only mildly spicy for those 

who want to enjoy the flavor 

and not just taste fiery hot 

spices. 

Pardesi offers a variety of 

seating options, from tables 

for larger groups to private 

booths for couples looking for 

a romantic setting. Families 

are also welcome, says Gosal. 

“We want people to feel 

this is a place where they can 

bring their kids,” he says. 

The restaurant will also 

soon be adding live music to 

enhance the ambiance, says 

Gosal, who has kept the 

prices, including alcoholic 

beverages, very reasonable. 

“Our goal is to make this a 

place where people can come 

and not only enjoy great food, 

but can relax in a comfortable 

and intimate environment.” 

Pardesi Restaurant 

9180 120th St., Surrey, B.C. 

604-930-5555 

Dal Makhani 

(serves 2 - 3) 

Ingredients 

1 cup black urad dal (whole) 

1/ 4 cup kidney beans 

1 teaspoons red chilli powder 

1/ 2 cup tomato puree 

2 medium onions 

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste 

1 teaspoon garam masala 

1 teaspoon cumin seed 

1/ 2 cup fresh cream 

4 teaspoons butter 

Salt to taste 

Coriander leaves 

Method 

Soak the dal and kidney beans 

overnight. Into the soaked dal and 

kidney beans, add salt, 1 tsp red 

chilli powder and water (the water 

should be at least 3 times the 

amount of dal). Cook till the dal is 

done. Melt 4 tsp butter in a pan, add 

onions and sauté till they turn pink. 

Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute 

till golden brown. 

Add finely chopped tomatoes and 

cook till pulpy. Add the jeera (cumin 

seeds) and saute for 1-2 minutes. 

Add the tomato puree and saute for 

another 2-3 minutes. 

Add the cooked dal into this 

masala. Then add the garam masala 

powder. Cover and cook over low 

heat for about 30 minutes. Add fresh 

cream. Garnish with fresh coriander 

leaves before serving. Serve with rice 

or roti. 

Serving Vancouver’s West Side with 

Fine Indian Cuisine 

Dining Room • Patio • Banquet Facilities 

Open 7 Days a Week 

Mahek 

RESTAURANT 

New Location! 

Now Open Daily for 

Lunch & Dinner 

1643 West Broadway, Vancouver • 604-742-0622 

Call for Off-Site Catering services for your special occasions 

Amarjeet & Jaspal S. Saini 

Eat In • Take Out • For Reservations Call 604-585-3331 

9470 - 120th Street, Surrey 


Just the taste will bring you back! 

“Excellent Food! Service!” 

— Zenat Aman 

First Indian Style Chinese Restaurant 

Eat In • Take Out • Catering 

Fully Licensed Premises 

Ample Free Parking 

Surrey 

#112 - 6350 120th St 

604-572-8677 

Open 

7 Days 

a Week 

“Come visit us for a 

dining experience that 

you’ll never forget.” 

— Winston Liang 

Vancouver 

1949 Kingsway 

604-876-9883 

Classy Indian food in a classy atmosphere 

THE CRITICS’ CHOICE 

There is only one... 

Original 

TANDOORI 

Kitchen 

SERVING THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1987 

689 East 65th Ave. (at Fraser) 

Vancouver • 327-8900 

110 - 3790 Canada Way, Burnaby 

604-430-1600 

7548 - 120th St., Surrey 

604-592-8900 

ORIGINAL TANDOORI & CHAT HOUSE 

7233 Fraser St., Vancouver 

604-327-8901 

TANDOORI GRILL 

201 - 4368 Main St., Whistler 

604-905-4900 

Sharnjit 

Chef/Owner 

Fully Licensed • Eat in • Take Out • Delivery • Catering • Open 7 Days a Week 

West Vancouver’s Hidden Jewel 

Enjoy our fine cuisine and a breath-taking view of Downtown Vancouver 

Fine Dining • Outdoor Patio • Private Parties 

Off-Site Private & Corporate Catering 

CUISINE OF INDIA 

1340 Marine Dr., 

West Vancouver 

604-925-5262 

www.handi.ca 

Chilli Kebob, Malai Kebob, Haryali Shish Kebob 

Curry in a Hurry-Goat, Lamb, Chicken 

Kulcha Chana, Karahi Paneer 

The finest selection of drinks! 

On site catering available for Birthdays, 

Anniversaries and Office Parties. 

#101 - 7577 King George Hwy, Surrey 

604-591-7979 

9526 120th St, Surrey, BC 

604-588-8508

HEALTH & FITNESS 

by Shefali Raja, B.Sc., RD Community Nutritionist 

DR. H.S. BHANGU 

Stay Healthy 

in the Holidays 

EYE EXAMS GLASSES CONTACTS 

SURREY 

8966-120TH ST. 

(NEAR PENNY’S PRODUCE) 

604-592-5480 604-588-3937 

ABBOTSFORD 

2845 CRUICKSHANK 

(NEXT TO DR. BHATTI/DR. LAIL) 

604-859-2800 

Why Should You Call Me 

for Your Mortgage? 

• My service is free to you 

• I represent you, the borrower, 

not the lender 

• I aggressively negotiate 

the best rate for you 

Gary Grewal 

The Mortgage Group 

604-617-2665 

Did you know that 95 per cent of 

all women don’t have the ideal 

body type portrayed by the 

media and up to 60 per cent of 

all women and girls eat in a dysfunctional 

fashion? 

Men and women both experience 

pressure to achieve an 

unrealistic physical ideal, while 

the $30-billion diet industry 

profits from our national preoccupation 

with size. This year, 

choose to focus on feeling positive. 

Accept and enjoy your 

remarkable body! 

STOP DIETING 

Instead of dieting, start eating normally. 

What’s normal eating? Eating when 

you’re hungry, listening to your body and 

stopping when you feel full. Dieting 

leaves you unsatisfied and frustrated. 

Instead, try eating regular meals (typically 

three) at the same time each day and 

snacking once or twice if you’re hungry. 

Realize that all foods can be part of a balanced 

diet; Canada’s food guide to 

Healthy Eating is a great place to begin. 

Trust in your body’s ability to tell you 

when it is out of tune. 

FOCUS ON THE TOTAL PERSON 

You are more than individual body parts. 

Instead of focusing on particular physical 

features, remember that you are a unique 

person with a range of special gifts and 

talents. Do you have a knack with computers? 

Do you enjoy singing in a choir? 

Find time for the activities that make you 

feel good about yourself. 

Enjoy Your Body 

The greatest lifestyle improvement is for 

sedentary people to become active. Treat 

your body well. Instead of exercising to 

reach a target weight, savor the joy of 

movement for its own sake. Spend a few 

minutes walking with a friend each day or 

look for small opportunities to become 

more active: take the stairs instead of the 

elevator or deliberately park as far as possible 

from the entrance to a store. Have 

fun being physical without worrying 

about weight. 

PRACTICE POSITIVE THINKING 

Positive thinking is an essential part of 

healthy living, directly affecting our physical 

and mental well being. Practice by 

complimenting yourself each day. Focus 

on your achievements, skills and lifestyle 

choices. Establish a support network of 

positive-thinkers, and avoid those who 

remain focused on physical appearances. 

Be proud of who you are. 

RESPECT OTHERS 

Respect all people, regardless of size; 

healthy bodies come in all shapes and 

sizes. Think positively about yourself, and 

remember to think positively about others. 

Compliment behaviour, ideas and 

character instead of appearance and 

develop more self-acceptance, self-appreciation 

and self-respect. 


HOLIDAY WEIGHT 

MANAGEMENT TIPS 

Holiday celebrations offer an array 

of temptations for partygoers to 

abandon healthy nutrition habits, 

while calorie-laden foods pose a special 

challenge for the many children 

and adults who are struggling with 

the proverbial “battle of the bulge.” 

The key to successfully navigating 

the holiday season is to plan ahead 

by outlining a practical weight management 

strategy that doesn’t leave 

you and your children feeling 

deprived, but will help kids and parents 

to avoid weight gain during this 

time period. 

The good news is that adults and 

children alike can enjoy the wonderful 

foods of the holiday season as long 

as they do so in moderation. Limiting 

portions, making sure that children 

are eating nutritious meals, and 

bringing something healthy to a holiday 

party are all ways to help to prevent 

weight gain over the holidays. 

Following are some tips on how to 

enjoy the holiday season and come 

out feeling good. 

1. Instead of putting family members on 

a diet, practice healthy eating before the 

holidays begin by changing the proportions 

of the foods you serve. Start out by 

helping children divide their plates into 

four imaginary sections: one for fruit, 

one for vegetables, one for starch and 

one for protein. Serve low or non-fat 

milk and/or water with meals. 

2. If going to a party, keep the rest of the 

day’s food selections healthier. Select 

foods like high fiber cereals, non-fat milk 

or yogurt, vegetable soups, cut-up veggies 

such as red, yellow and green peppers, 

baby carrots, small pieces of fruit 

such as apples, bananas or mandarins. 

These foods can provide bulk and a feeling 

of fullness that can help decrease the 

temptation to over-eat at the party. 

3. Avoid skipping meals. Starving yourself 

before a party or get-together 

increases the odds that you will overeat 

Pair of Colour 

Contacts from 

$60 

EUROVISION 

OPTICAL 

*Contact lenses, even if worn for cosmetic reasons, are medical devices that should be worn under the prescription, direction and supervision 

of an eye care professional. Serious eye health problems may occur as a result of sharing contact lenses. Eye exam may be 

required. Professional fees not included. Void where prohibited by law. C000115 6/03 copyright 2003 CIBA Vision 

choose from more than 200 styles 

10232 - 152 St, Surrey 

(across from Red Robin) 

604-581-8888 

1657 - 128 St, Surrey 

604-542-2933 

look for other fine furniture manufactured by Van Gogh Designs at your local furniture store 

or visit our website at www.vangoghdesigns.com 


Seems like the road 

just got stickier. 

The all-new 

Saab 

AWD 

Tenacious All Wheel Drive handling, road-blistering performance 

and 5-door versatility.To take a test drive, call 1 888 888-SAAB 

or visit saabcanada.com 

Starting from 

$ 

30,100 * MSRP 

The 

all-new Saab 

Aero model shown 

MSRP of $37,735 

AWD 

*MSRP of $30,100 for a 2005 Saab 9-2X Linear. PDI, license, insurance, administration fees, registration, fees associated with publication/filing at the movable property 

registry/PPSA, duties, taxes, security deposit (if required) and optional equipment extra. Offer applies to the purchase of new or demonstrator models and applies to 

qualified retail customers only. Retailer order or trade may be necessary. Retailers are free to set individual prices. Limited time offer which may not be combined 

with other offers. See Retailer, visit saabcanada.com or call 1 888 888-SAAB for conditions and details. 

Morrey Saab 4451 Lougheed Hwy, D9131 (604) 294-1831 Burnaby 

RIGHT TOUCH 

Autobody Ltd. 

your satisfaction is our motto 

Quality Body Work & Paint 

New base Coat Clear Coat 

Spray on Bedliners 

Unibody Repair • ICBC Repair 

Free Estimates • Free Courtesy Cars 

PPG Access Color Match System 

Rob Sidhu 

604-328-3566 

Gogi Sangha 

604-377-1852 

405 - 12507 80TH AVE, SURREY 

604-590-1449 

when the festivities begin as you will be 

too hungry to make good choices. 

4. There’s no reason that you have to 

skip dessert; you just don’t have to eat 

full-servings of each choice! If accompanying 

children to a party, supervise their 

choice by asking them what they really 

want out of what is available. 

5. Do a trade-off with exercise. Eating 

more during the holidays can be partially 

offset by a moderate and daily increase 

in physical exercise. Try 10- or 15- 

minute brisk walks twice a day with 

available family members or another 

form of activity that everyone enjoys. 

Plan active play dates instead of going to 

the movies, where you are basically sitting 

and eating high-calorie foods with 

very little nutritional value. 

6. If you are throwing the party, offer 

lots of vegetables and lighter options 

such as pretzels, baked chips, bite-size 

wraps, etc. Serve lower fat dips and fresh 

salsa. Explain to your guests in advance 

your resolve to make this a healthier holiday 

season and ask them to keep this in 

mind when preparing any dish they may 

be bringing. They will ultimately thank 

you for doing this! Send some of the leftovers 

home with your guests. 

7. Limit high-calorie beverages such as 

sodas, juices, smoothies and blended 

coffee drinks or skip them altogether if 

indulging in a dessert. There are nearly 

150 calories in one 12-ounce can of soda 

or juice. Smoothies and coffee drinks are 

often 250 to 500 calories, excluding the 

whipped cream. Enjoy alcohol in moderation 

and realize that there are many 

non-alcoholic beverage options as well. 

Drink light beer instead of regular; or 

drink a white wine spritzer instead a regular 

glass of wine. Sparkling water is a 

great substitute for alcoholic beverages at 

parties, especially if you’re driving 

8. During the holidays, make it your 

goal to maintain your weight — not to 

lose weight. 

9. Be positive. If you’re prepared and 

organized, you and not your cravings 

will be in charge. Make small changes 

this holiday season that you can adapt 

into a bigger health and weight management 

plan come New Year’s resolution 

time. 

10. Most of all, focus on the true meaning 

of the holidays. Holiday spirit is not 

defined by consuming massive quantities 

of food and drink, but by being thankful 

for the bounty that we are able to share 

with family and close friends. ❐ 


Shifting Gears 

by Veeno Dewan 

Chrysler 300C Hemi 

Million 

Dollar Looks 

at a fraction of the price 

The new Daimler-Chrysler 300 

series sedan is a surefire hit. Not 

only is there a waiting list as they 

fly out the showrooms, they elicit interested 

looks from drivers in more expensive 

vehicles and even from the cool teen 

crowd. The 300 boasts an almost 

“Bentleyesque” look, with long, low 

greenhouse, huge slab sides and that aweinspiring 

front grille and headlight visage. 

Not only is it elegant, it’s also sexy. And 

so is the price. Starting at $29,995, the 

Chrysler 300 has a four-speed automatic 

transmission, rear-wheel drive, remote 

keyless entry, fog lamps, power driver’s 

seat, air conditioning, power windows, 

CD sound system and 17-inch steel 

wheels as standard. Four trim levels are 

available. The Chrysler 300 Touring adds 

leather seating trim, leather-wrapped 

steering wheel and shift knob, and sevenspoke 

aluminum wheels. At $36,995, the 

Chrysler 300 Limited comes with more 

interior trim goodies and chromed 

wheels. The top-of-the-line $42,995 

Chrysler 300C features a version of the 

legendary 5.7-litre Hemi V8 engine making 

340 horsepower and 390 lb.-ft. of 

torque. This engine uses cylinder deactivation 

technology to transform its operation 

from a V8 to a V4 when functioning 

in limited load conditions such as highway 

cruising, which can result in fuel savings 

of up to 20 per cent. 

The 300C also includes 18-inch 

chrome wheels, dual exhaust, performance 

brakes, a higher specification suspension 

package, premium leather trim, 

power passenger seat and very attractive 

faux tortoise-shell accents on the steering 

wheel and interior door handles. A navigation 

system, rear proximity sensors, 

xenon headlamps and side-curtain 

airbags are optional. 

ON THE ROAD 

A neat, tidy dash with elegant pale 

green-blue lighting for the instruments 

greets the driver. A neat centre console 

has tactile and easy-to-use controls. On 

the 300C, cool metal-effect trim on the 

dash console and the door panels is a neat 

touch that adds to general ambience of a 

very luxurious cabin. Our tester’s pale 

cream leather seats were very well finished, 

comfortable and with the steering 

wheel adjustable for tilt and telescope (a 

standard feature throughout the range; 

although power-operated on the 300C) 

make for very pleasant driving. Rear-seat 

headroom and legroom is excellent, with 

lots of space to stretch out. A large, deep 

trunk is very convenient. It’s evident that 

A GREAT IDEA. MADE BETTER. 


Introducing the new 2005 Honda Odyssey. 

Redefining just how good a minivan can be. 

Engineered to drive like a European luxury sedan, the 255-horsepower Odyssey excels in ride 

quality, comfort and handling. The engine is packed with the latest innovative Honda engineering, 

so you get high power with efficiency, economy and lower emissions. New safety 

features include Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA ® ), a new brake-assist feature that enhances stability 

by detecting oversteer or understeer. The Odyssey’s highly adaptable interior includes a 

stowable 2nd-row PlusOne Seat that allows seating for eight (EX), and one-motion 60/40- 

split 3rd-row Magic Seat ® that makes cargo loading even easier. You can even entertain passengers 

with the Honda DVD Entertainment System with remote control, 9” screen, and personal 

surround sound headsets. And with the new Michelin ® PAX ® System on the Touring 

model, you can travel on a punctured tire at 80 km/h for up to 200 kilometres. Discover new 

levels of confidence while navigating through an uncertain world. 

15291 FRASER HWY, SURREY • 604-583-7421

a lot of attention has been paid to this car; 

quality of materials, fit and finish is 

superb. 

A very well sealed cabin and good 

damping provide for a very quiet ride; 

there were no rattles, squeaks or vibrations. 

The 300 was completely stable in 

high-speed or rapid manoeuvres, with little 

body roll and surprisingly lithe handling 

for such a large car. The four-wheel 

disc brakes with ABS stop the car quickly 

and without fuss. In normal driving conditions, 

the V8 was very impressive. Press 

the gas and the car accelerates with an 

amazing burst of power. It’s not hard in 

the Hemi to make the tires squeal away at 

the stop lights and one gets the feeling 

there are few, if any, cars in its class that 

could touch it acceleration wise. Mileage 

for the V8 is estimated at 13.8 L/100 km 

city and 9.4 highways, but the good news 

is the Hemi can take regular (87-octane) 

fuel. 

SUMMING UP 

The 300 Hemi is a simply awesome car 

both in the looks and power department. 

Down sides? There are only a few. The 

control stalks for the indicators is annoying 

in use and design; there is still too 

much daylight between the wheel arches 

and the tires; the gorgeous front fascia 

and grille is not matched by the rather 

plain rear fascia. But these are minor, 

rather subjective issues. In short, the 300 

is yet another masterpiece of styling and 

plainly trumps all the other cookie-cutter, 

boring generic cars in its class. Buy it in 

black or silver and just watch the looks on 

people’s faces. This car is already a classic. 

A big, affordable four-door sedan with 

European flair and a big honking all- 

American V8. What more could you ask 

for? 

2005 RX-8 

STARTING FROM 

$ 

36,599 

$ 

36,599 

The New 2004 Golf TDI 

Powerful, Smooth and Great on Fuel Economy. 

Performance 

P 

*Prices are net of all 

factory programs. 

15420 - 104TH AVE 

SURREY, BC 

604-583-7121 

www.freewaymazda.ca 

Al Khalifa 

Sales & Leasing 

Consultant 

cel: 604-868-4392 

2005 TRIBUTE 

STARTING FROM 

$ 

24,199 

$ 

24,199 

2004/5 BMW 745i SEDAN 

A CAR AHEAD 

OF ITS TIME 

The 2004/5 BMW 745i breaks 

and, indeed, creates new parameters 

for automobile technology. In 

fact it’s the only car for which I had to 

receive a five-minute lesson on the starting 

procedure. You see, the 745i comes 

not with a key but with a slim electronic 

fob that you push into a slot and depress. 

Then you must press a button that starts 

Design 

Value 

Saving fuel has always been the thing going for diesel engines. What’s always gone 

against them, though, is the unfriendly smell they emit and their somewhat sluggish 

performance. Well, it’s time to say Auf Wiedersehen to the old days. Here’s how you 

get the benefits of diesel without any trade-offs. By making air swirl as it enters the 

engine’s cylinders, air molecules mix more thoroughly with fuel — providing improved 

performance, better mileage, and reduced emissions. What’s more, instead of mixing 

air and fuel separately, the TDI injects fuel directly into the combustion chamber. 

(Quite unique.) The benefit is exceptional smoothness and power. Throw in the Turbo 

charger and you’re laughing between gas stations at either end of the country. 

call or visit: Parm Bharaj, Sales & Lease Consultant 

2092 - 152nd Street, Surrey, BC 

604-536-7212 

www.goldkey.ca 

Volkswagen 

Drivers wanted. ® 

D#11082 



by Veeno Dewan 

SEDONA 

starting from 

$26,995 

HIGHEST SAFETY 

RATING POSSIBLE †† 

Financing 

from 

0% 

Knighthill Kia Richmond 

11631 Bridgeport Rd, Richmond, B.C. 

604-273-1800 

“Spectra takes Kia to a higher 

level of refinement and added 

power while offering more to 

consumers.” – National Post 

SPECTRA 

starting from 

$15,995 

the car and yet another button operates 

the electro mechanical parking brake. 

And, guess what? No gearshift lever in 

the center console! Instead, there is little 

mini-paddle with only three positions — 

R-N-D — on the steering column. You 

flick this mini-paddle to select and it 

eerily springs back to the middle rest 

position. Also noticeable is the lack of 

clutter in the form of switches and knobs 

on the dash. There is a reason for this — 

most of the functions are now operated 

by a sleek little metal mouse type device 

located where the floor gearshift should 

be called the I-DRIVE. The I-DRIVE 

controller operates just like a mouse and 

all the setting functions are displayed on 

the deeply inset monitor screen in the 

dash. Intuitive? Not quite. As with all 

computer programs and interfaces there 

is a learning curve, a process that requires 

a little consultation with the manual. 

After you’ve had a chance to do a little 

navigating around the system, it soon 

becomes as easy as pie to operate. Forget 

the scare-mongering reports: If you can 

use a computer, you can use the I- 

DRIVE. 

VANCOUVER HONDA 

WESTERN CANADA’S LARGEST HONDA SHOWROOM 

Surjit Johal, Sales & Lease 

COME SEE THE NEW 

2005 ODYSSEY 

On Vancouver’s Auto Drive, 

South-West Marine Drive 

between Oak and Cambie. 

tel: 604.324.6666 

www.vancouverhonda.com 

SUMPTUOUS INTERIOR 

Every detail about the interior 

impresses, from the ergonomics of the 

dash and the seat to steering relationship, 

to the firm, positive action of all the 

knobs, switches and operation of the cup 

holders to the power glove-box lid and 

other features. It’s a top level BMW, so 

there just isn’t space to list all the creature 

comforts, but here are a few. Dual 

adjustable 14-way driver heated and 

cooled power seats in front, and 12-way 

for the passenger; heated steering wheel; 

even a massage feature for the driver. 


Sammy’s 

Truck & Trailer Services 

Unit E 10944 - 124th St, Surrey 

GENERAL REPAIRS 

FLEET MAINTENANCE 

MOTOR VEHICLE 

INSPECTIONS 

VIJAY SAMMY 

C.T. Licensed Mechanic 

604-580-1463 

Honda 

Buying 

Made 

Easy 

SUNNY 

GREWAL 

cel 604-339-7034 

bus 604-583-7421 

sales@surreyhonda.com 

15291 Fraser Hwy, Surrey 

SUDDEN IMPACT 

AUTOBODY & REPAIRS LTD. 

We specialize in: 

• Windshield Claims 

• ICBC Claims 

• Private Claims 

• Custom Painting 

• Courtesy Cars Available 

• Complete Collision Repair 

• Conditional Lifetime 

Guarantee on all Repairs 

Simmerjit (Simi) Samra 

12372-82A Ave, Surrey 

604-507-2247 

604-805-5501 

LOUIS SARGEANT 

Sales & Lease Consultant 

Majeed Velji 

cel: 604-816-3010 

MORREY INFINITI NISSAN OF COQUITLAM 

2710 Lougheed Hwy, Coquitlam, BC 

majeed@morreyinfiniti.com 

604-278-3185 

CELL: 604-506-3729 

Richmond Auto Mall 

13800 Smallwood Place, Richmond 

www.signaturemazda.com 

Robert S. Ram 

Sales & Leasing Representative 

Dams Ford Lincoln Sales Ltd. 

604-588-9921 

14530 104th Ave, Surrey, BC 

6 blocks West of Guildford on 104 Ave 

We specialize in BMW’s, 

Integra’s, Civic’s, 

Mercedes-Benz and custom 

JDM cars! 

The BEST prices 

on accessories 

Committed to Your Needs 

Bob Minhas 

Master Sales Club 

cel 604-318-0668 

off 604-433-7779 

Planning to buy a vehicle? 

Call me today at one 

of Canada’s largest 

GM Dealerships. 

Mercedes-Benz Grills 

Clear Corners • Door Sills • Emblems • Body Kits • Rims 

• Racing Seats • Lowering Springs • Coil over kits 

call 604 808 0668 or check us out 

on the web at www.autorice.com 

and 15291 www.dtmwerks.com 

Fraser Hwy, Surrey 

Metrotown Mazda 

5775 Kingsway, Burnaby, BC 

Kuldip S. Jhand 

Manager 

604-671-3363 

1090 Lougheed Hwy, 

Coquitlam, BC 

604-526-4566

ACURA RL 


There are also dual climate controls; a 

single CD player in the centre console 

and a six-disc changer in the passengerside 

dash; DVD navigation with voice 

operation; electric rear sunshade blinds 

and side passenger blinds; a self-closing 

remote operated trunk. Interior design 

and cabin ambience are extraordinary. 

The attention to detail makes the dash 

beyond comparison to anything else on 

the road. Only the highest quality materials 

seem to have been used in the cabin. 

Oak St. 

Oak St. Bridge 

THE ACURA EXPERTS. 

COME SEE THE ALL-NEW 2005 RL 

VANCOUVER’S FINEST CAR CORNER... 

BURRARD AT 7TH AVE 

TEL 604.736.8890 

WWW.BURRARDACURA.COM 

Shift Out of Neutral 

Challenge mediocrity. 

Outrun boredom. And most 

importantly, enjoy this journey 

called life. Borrowing a 

performance-oriented rear 

multi-link design from 

Maxima, Nissan’s four-door 

sports car, Quest features a 

car-like ride with quick 

response to steering input. 

The multi-link layout separates 

rear shocks and 

springs, promising road-hugging 

benefits, while its longlegged 

wheelbase provides 

a solid, stable feel on the 

road. It all works to help 

you shift out of the ordinary. 

And bring some driving 

excitement to your journey. 

Cambie St. 

N 

DOWNTOWN 

VANCOUVER 

290 S.W. Marine Dr. 

Main St. 

SOUTHSIDE NISSAN 

Sales Associate Tavinder Randhawa & 

Sales Manager Darrell Northcott 

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SOUTH VANCOUVER 

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2005 Nissan 

QUEST 

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SUBLIME DRIVING 

It’s once you get behind the wheel 

and start driving that you really don’t 

want to get out of the car. Long drives 

become a welcome opportunity to relax 

as the 745i’s supple suspension soaks up 

rough roads with impunity. The active 

roll suspension keeps the car level at all 

times and it’s well nigh impossible to 

upset the car’s poise. The speed-sensitive 

steering provides good feedback and 

huge brakes are right up to the job of 

hauling the bulk of the 745i to controlled, 

safe stops. The car feels 

immensely agile and surefooted despite 

its size. Acceleration is muted and controlled 

without the dramatic antics of 

some of the sportier luxury sedans. The 

4.4-litre, 325-horsepower V8 engine is 

smooth and refined. The six-speed auto 

works well and shifts seamlessly. There is 

the option of manual control operated 

by steering-mounted buttons but I used 

the already excellent auto most of the 

time. This car behaves impeccably 

around town, but give it some gas on the 

highways and it has endless power. 

Comfort is high and noise is almost 

absent from the vault-like cabin. Interior 

room is simply limousine-like for rear 

passengers, who will feel well pampered. 

Technology and engineering gadgetry 

abound. 

The 745i is good — actually a bit too 

good, I think. With amazing build quality 

and reliability, whisper-smooth ride 

and brilliant attention to detail, it’s a car 

that has raised the bar when it comes to 

the driver’s interface with technology. Its 

composure and sophistication are evident. 

To sum up: impressive and imposing; 

sophisticated and a technological 

masterpiece. It’s a shame that its price 

puts the futuristic technology and driving 

experience out of the range of many 

people. Alas, I think it’s only for the wellheeled 

among us. 

BMW 745i — Luxury Sports Sedan 

From: $96,800. ❐ 


E NTERTAINMENT 

by Kamal Sharma 

Movie Season 

Bride and Prejudice 

The festive season will bring with it some of the year’s biggest 

films from India’s best known directors. Among the most anticipated 

video releases is Bride and Prejudice, from well-known 

British filmmaker Gurinder Chaddha, whose credits include the 

critically acclaimed Bhaji on the Beach and the much loved 

Bend it Like Beckam. In her latest production, Chaddha puts a 

Bollywood style twist on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice 

with a comedy starring Aishwarya Rai. Rai plays one of four 

sisters whose mother is determined 

to see them marry rich, 

suitable men. This musical features 

intriguing characters, 

gorgeous costumes, extravagant 

dance sequences and 

memorable music. There’s also 

a Hindi-dubbed version entitled 

Balle Balle Amritsar to L.A. 

Veer-Zara 

Yash Chopra is going all out to 

make sure this film is a success. 

He has released over 600 prints 

— something unheard of in the 

Indian film industry. Chopra’s 

tale of an Indian boy in love with 

a Pakistani girl features Lata’s 

melodious voice and the late 

Madan Mohan’s music. Add a 

cast that includes Shahrukh 

Khan, Hema Malini and Rani 

Mukherji in lead roles and you 

have the biggest attraction of 

the year. 

Veer-Zara 

Naach 

Ram Gopal Verma, whose credits 

include such diverse films as 

Bride & Prejudice 

Rangeela, Bhoot, Satya, 

Company, Eh Haseena Thi 

and Kaun?, is hoping his 

latest musical will hit the 

right note with filmgoers. 

And if rushes of Naach, starring 

Abhishek Bachhan and 

Verma’s new protege Antara 

Malli, are any indication, it 

will be among Verma’s 

biggest hits. 

Musafir 

Sanjay Gupta and Sanjay Dutt, 

who scored a hit with Kaante, 

team up again for 

this film starring Dutt 

(who does his own 

singing) along with 

Anil Kapoor and 

Sameera Reddy. 

Swades 

Ashutosh Gowariker, 

who made waves all 

over the world with Lagaan 

(nominated for an Oscar in the 

foreign film category), is the man 

behind the first Indian film to be 

shot at the Kennedy Space 

Center in Florida. The film stars 

Shahrukh Khan in the lead and 

features the music of A.R. 

Rehman. 

Mughal-E-Azam 

K. Asif’s classic has been 

revived in Technicolor, with 

music in Dolby surround 

sound. No wonder filmgoers 

are eager for this chance to 

see the late Madhu Bala, 

Prithviraj Kapoor and Dilip 

Kumar in this big-screen 

classic. 

The Rising 

Ketan Mehta directs this period 

film about India’s First War of 

Independence in 1857. With 

Amir Khan as Mangal Pandey 

and Amisha Patel as his lady 

Swades 

love, this Hindi-English bilingual 

release is due out early in the 

new year. 

Kisna 

Subhash Ghai’s latest release 

features Vivek Oberoi and 

Subhash in a musical love story 

set in 1940s India. 

Black 

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s credits 

include the much acclaimed 

Khamoshi, the visual stunner 

Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and 

India’s costliest movie ever, Dev 

Das. Now that he has teamed 

India’s greatest star ever Amitabh 

Bachhan, with India’s brightest 

actress, Rani Mukherji, all eyes 

are waiting for the result. 

Raincoat 

Raincoat 

Ritudaman Ghosh has brought 

India’s biggest stars, Ajay 

Devgun and Aishwarya Rai (a 

great team in Hum Dil De Chule 

Sanam), together again for this 

intriguing mystery. 

Ab Tumhare Hawale 

Watan Sathiyo 

Anil Sharma’s Gadar broke all 

box-office records while his The 

Hero (shot in Canada and supposedly 

India’s second most 

expensive movie ever after Dev 

Das) failed miserably. His newest 

release is Ab Tumhare Hawale 

Watan Sathiyo, a love and war 

saga starring Amitabh Bachhan 

as Sardarji, Akshay Kumar and 

Bobby Deol (in a double role). 

Ab Tumhare Hawale 

Watan Sathiyo 


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B IOGRAPHY Yogi Bhajan 

When Yogi Bhajan died of heart 

failure on October 6, numerous 

obituaries described him 

as both a spiritual leader and a highly successful 

entrepreneur. Bhajan was born in 

Gujrawala in what is now Pakistan and 

became a U.S. citizen in 1976. He died at 

his home in Espanola, New Mexico, at 

the age of 75. 

Gurinder Singh Mann, professor of 

Sikh studies at the University of 

California, Santa Barbara, described 

Bhajan as having “a special place in Sikh 

history” because he inspired so many people 

to embrace the religion. “For the first 

time in the religion’s five centuries we 

have non-Punjabi members,” Mann told 

the L.A. Times following Bhajan’s death. 

(1929 - 2004) 

“He also took an interest in [promoting] 

the religion. That is quite a departure. 

Sikhs are of a nonproselytizing tradition.” 

The son of a medical doctor, Bhajan 

was born Harbhajan Singh Puri on 

August 26, 1929. He began yogic training 

at age eight and his teacher proclaimed 

him a master of Kundalini Yoga 

eight years later, according to Sikh 

Dharma International. During partition 

Bhajan is said to have led his village of 

7,000 people, near what is now Lahore, 

Pakistan, 325 miles on foot to safety in 

New Delhi, where he arrived with only 

the clothes on his back. 

Bhajan graduated from Punjab 

University with an economics degree in 

the early 1950s, then worked as a cus- 

PHOTO BY GURUMUSTAK KHALSA - WWW.SIKHPHOTOS.COM 


toms official at what is today Indira 

Gandhi Airport in New Delhi before 

leaving India for Canada in 1968. 

Bhajan began introducing North 

Americans and Europeans to Sikhism 

after he moved to Toronto and then to 

Los Angeles to teach Kundalini yoga. As 

his reputation grew, he was invited to 

teach at colleges and universities, including 

UCLA, and in other cities. He also 

began attending interfaith conferences to 

help establish a Sikh presence. In 1969, 

he established 3HO (the happy, healthy, 

holy organization), a program that 

emphasizes yoga, meditation and community 

service. Shortly after, he moved to 

Espanola, where he founded Sikh 

Dharma, a community that is now home 

to about 500 families. 

Sikh Dharma was legally incorporated 

and officially recognized as a religion in 

the U.S. in 1971. That same year, the 

Akal Takhat, the Sikh seat of religious 

authority in Amritsar, gave Bhajan the 

responsibility of creating a Sikh ministry 

in the West. Three years later, the Akal 

Takhat acknowledged Bhajan’s work by 

giving him the title Bhai Sahib. 

A recent article in the New York Times 

described the Sikh Dharma community 

as “a place where admirers of Yogi Bhajan, 

a Sikh spiritual leader and yoga master, 

can live in harmony and follow their 

beliefs in vegetarianism, meditation and 

community service. Except for Bhajan, 

who was born in India and came to the 

United States in 1969, most members of 

the Sikh Dharma are American-born converts 

who moved here to pursue their 

lifestyle.” 

Bhajan helped Sikh Dharma members 

create several successful businesses, 

including Akal Security, one of the largest 

suppliers of security officers to U.S. government 

sites, including federal courthouse 

buildings, Army bases and airports. 

The company has 12,000 employees and 

over $1 billion in federal contracts 

“The whole point of all these ventures 

is not for an individual to get rich, but to 

perpetuate the mission of the community,” 

Avtar Hari Singh Khalsa, chief executive 

of the 3HO Foundation, told The 

New York Times. 

A press release from Sikh Dharma 

describes Bhajan, who is survived by his 

wife Inderjit, two sons, a daughter, and 

five grandchildren, as “an ardent advocate 

of world peace and religious unity who 

met with world leaders of all faiths to 

encourage dialogue, including Pope Paul 

VI, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, 

and two Archbishops of Canterbury.” ❐ 

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REFLECTIONS 

Kari and Suraj Gulati were married in New York City in 1968. 

KARI GULATI 

Kari Gulati’s fondest memories of 

growing up in Vancouver include 

frequent family picnics with her 

10 siblings. “Mother would make rotis 

and we would go to Stanley Park, where 

we would have a picnic, swim or play 

baseball,” recalls Gulati, who was born in 

Vancouver in 1933. “And my dad would 

often take us to a movie, which cost about 

five cents or three cents at the time, on 

Saturday afternoons.” 

Among Gulati’s less pleasant childhood 

experiences were witnessing the ill treatment 

of her Japanese peers during the 

Second World War and living in fear of an 

air raid. “My Japanese schoolmates were 

taken away to the Interior to internment 

camps and we never did see them again. I 

would ask my big sisters why we had to 

have our windows covered with tar paper 

every night and they explained we couldn’t 

have any light shining out. It was scary. 

Some of us would hide under the bed 

because we were so scared we were going 

to be bombed.” 

Gulati spent her early years in 

Kitsilano, where the family lived a block 

away from the Second Avenue Sikh 

Temple. The family’s roots in Vancouver 

go back to 1904, when her paternal 

grandfather settled in the city. Her father, 

Gurdas Singh Johal, immigrated to 

Vancouver from India in 1926 and her 

mother, Bhani Kaur, arrived in B.C. in 

1927. 

“My mom was one of the first ladies 

here from India and she would help the 

ladies who came later adjust to the 

Canadian way of living. She would show 

them how to go grocery shopping, how to 

use a wood stove and she’d take them to 

school so they could register their kids.” 

Gulati’s afternoons were sometimes 

spent attending Punjabi classes at the gurdwara. 

“The giani ji used to teach us children. 

That’s where I learned to read and 

write Punjabi, which helped me with my 

job later on when I worked as an interpreter 

for CP Air.” 

In 1968, she met and married Suraj 

Gulati, then a captain with the Shipping 

Corporation of India. “After our marriage 

we traveled to India on a cargo ship 

named the State of Punjab,” recalls Gulati. 

“We went to Savannah, Georgia, then to 

Mombasa, Africa, then to a port near 

Calcutta. Then we took a train across to 

Bombay, where the family was waiting to 

greet me. We stayed in India for seven 

months, then travelled to Malaysia, 

Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong.” 

Gulati spent two years traveling with 

her husband before the couple settled 

down in B.C. and he joined the Coast 

Guard. 

Kari Gulati, who has one son and two grandchildren, 

is retired and lives in Burnaby with 

her husband, a commanding officer with the 

Coast Guard. 


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Bringing You The 

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“Just because you come from a 

country that’s far away doesn’t mean 

you have to give up things you 

enjoyed in your homeland. At 

Fruiticana it’s our privilege to bring 

you the foods you love. That’s why 

each Fruiticana location is stocked 

with your favourite products even 

those hard to find products from 

countries like India, Pakistan, Fiji 

and many more. For us it’s more 

than just nostalgia for the place you 

left behind. It’s about enjoying the 

great taste of home.” 

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Founder & President 

Fruiticana 

FRUITS & VEGETABLES 

Head Office 

604-502-0005 

101 - 12758 - 80th Ave. 

www.fruiticana.com 

Surrey/Newton 

604-590-2080 

#17 - 13775 72nd Ave. 

Surrey 

604-585-6100 

13639 - 100th Ave. 

Surrey 

604-591-5032 

12047 - 80th Ave. 

Fleetwood 

604-588-0568 

9196 - 160th St. 

Surrey 

604-588-6620 

12855 - 96th Ave. 

Calgary 

604-502-0005 

101 - 12758 - 80th Ave. 

Abbotsford 

Port Coquitlam 

604-864-9193 1 MEHFIL August 2003 604-464-0822 

31831 S. Fraser Way 2807 Shaughnessy St. 

Richmond 

604-244-9520 

4121 No. 5 Road 

Burnaby 

604-430-8511 

3752 Canada Way 

Vancouver 

604-325-2444 

6529 Fraser St. 

Vancouver 

604-327-4911 

6684 Main St.

Mehfil

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