Letter from the Editor

Dear ABCDlady Readers,

Remember those carefree days of high school and college, when summer vacation came around? Your entire summer was dedicated to barbecues, lazy afternoons at the pool and perhaps a low-responsibility summer job in between all that. To commemorate the good old days, ABCDlady decided to make this month our summer issue, where we fill you in on current events, share a must-read for the poolside and discuss some good eats!

First, we bring you a compelling story that the mainstream media has largely ignored, though it is too important to overlook. The story begins with an advertisement in an Indian newspaper looking for workers to help rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina—and takes a dark turn from there. Approximately 500 Indian workers arrived in the United States to learn that the lofty promises of a green card and high-paying salary were nothing more than a scam, resulting in treatment no better than modern-day indentured servitude. These Indian workers have taken their fight to our nation’s capital, yet are still receiving limited news coverage. Read their story, and learn what you can do to help!

This month, we also meet Global Goddess, Shalini Vadhera. If you haven’t seen Vadhera’s Sephora makeup line designed for Desi skin tones, you surely should have caught her regular appearances on CBS’s Early Morning Show or the Home Shopping Network. Vadhera’s talents in makeup have also earned her a long list of celebrity clients, including cast members of The Tonight Show and Dancing with the Stars. Best of all, Vadhera loves what she does. Learn why we selected Vadhera as this month’s Desi Making Waves.

With pool season officially underway, we bring you a piece on the ins and outs of laser hair removal. And if you’re trying to decide what to read at the pool, check out our review of Salman Rushdie’s new book, The Enchantress of Florence.

Going abroad this summer? Read one Desi’s perception of how she was viewed as both an Indian and an American during her stay in Austria.

With wedding season going hand-in-hand with the summer months, our Love and Sex expert helps one reader sort through her surprisingly negative reaction to her friends’ major milestones, despite the fact that she has deliberately chosen her career over a family.

Looking for some variety in your cooking repertoire this summer? If you’re craving a quick and fun South Asian meal, try our summer martini and pizza with a Desi twist. With all the fresh new fruits and vegetables in season, we also discuss the benefits of organic food to help you decide if you should be giving it to your children!

And finally, we bring you an article on overcoming your fear of public speaking. This has fantastic advice for all types of public speaking events, from wedding toasts to work presentations. Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Navdeep Kathuria
Editor-in-Chief, ABCDlady

P.S. Have you joined ABCDlady’s Facebook group yet?

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