Editorial August 2011

August 2011

Dear Readers,

On behalf of the entire Desh-Videsh team, I would like to wish everyone a Happy, and more importantly, a Healthy New Year.

India, one of my most favorite places to visit, is the cover story for this issue. Though we have published several articles on travel to India in the past, our writers always manage to come up with new and exciting places to explore in India. In this issue, Ms. Raghavan has done an excellent job discussing some unusual places in India as well as some unusual things to do while in the country.

India is changing rapidly. I usually go to India every year, and over the years, I have noticed many good changes. It is important that we pay attention to these good changes. At parties, I often engage in conversation with fellow Indian friends, and they typically point out the bad things in India, such as noise and air pollution and dirty streets. I am usually the lone ranger, as I do not see as many bad things as others do. Yes there is noise and air pollution and dirty streets as compared to Florida, but when I compare the changes against my last trip to India, I see a lot less of those bad things. So I humbly request readers who are going to visit India in the near future to stop comparing India with the USA, but instead with what you saw before. I am sure you will see the good changes that I see. If you start noticing the positive aspects of India, your children will start noticing the positives of India also. And to all of you young visitors going to India for the first time or after a long time, go to India with an open mind.

The rapid growth in India has attracted a lot of business, and in this issue, Rina Shah, from The Arpan Group, discusses the ways in which Qatar Airways expanded its reach to India and has now added a flight to Kolkata. Personally, I am a fan of Qatar Airways, because they offer a connection to my hometown, Ahmedabad. The opportunity to avoid busy airports such Mumbai and Delhi is invaluable!

At Desh, we always enjoy sharing about how Indians make a name in a variety of fields. In this issue, we talk about Chef Loyd Cardoz, an illustrious and award-winning chef who specializes in modern Indian cuisine, who is the first-ever Indian to win the exclusive title of Top Chef Master.

After taking some time off, our own young writer Katyani Zaveri (now a college freshman!) is back, and she explains how she is combing the best of the worlds, Indian culture and the American life style.

And last but not least, in our MyShadi Bridal Expo article, we point out several important reasons why you should not miss this even on September 18, 2011. We hope you will join us there!

Raj Shah
Managing Editor
Desh-Videsh