Dear ABCDlady Readers,

I always look at the winter as a time to catch up on indoor activities that I don’t seem to make time for once the nice weather comes around. With this exceptionally cold winter, what better time to enjoy a few good movies and books, and cook in the comfort of your home. In this month’s issue, we review two Desi movies, speak with financial expert and author Manisha Thakor and swap your kitchen with Mom’s by implementing a few changes to your family’s cooking approach.

First, we took a look at two movies that got the community talking. We reviewed Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s film Like Stars On Earth (Taare Zameen Par), which came out on DVD last month. The award-winning film was selected to be India's official submission to the 2009 Academy Awards.

Next, we go behind the scenes of Sita Sings the Blues, a story based on the Ramayana. Released in 2008 and recently shown on the big screen in New York, this movie has received both praise and criticism for its portrayal of the Ramayana. We chat with the film’s creator and learn her motivation for creating the film.

This month, we also meet financial expert Manisha Thakor, co-author of just-released Get Financially Naked: How To Talk Money With Your Honey. In addition to coauthoring two financial books, Thakor is a regular on NPR, ABC News and The Huffington Post. In our interview, Thakor, a promoter of women’s empowerment, discusses the importance of South Asian women being able to handle their own finances. She also talks about how women in the workplace often shortchange themselves by letting their insecurities affect their self-confidence.

Tired of take-out and too busy to cook a real meal? This month, we provide some tips to overcome your hang-ups in the kitchen. And speaking of cooking, we have an excellent spread of homemade South Asian Super Bowl snacks—easy to create and sure to make your food as talked about as the game!

Daunted by the thought of planning a birthday party? Our Parenting expert gives a personal account of her birthday parties as a child and discusses how to make your child’s birthday special, without an over-the-top party.

Also, our Desi Diva investigates organic beauty products and provides some product recommendations, while our Love and Sex experts talk to a maid of honor dealing with bridezilla and a woman having trouble meeting someone in the dating scene at 38.

We also explore the beauty of South Asian languages, and how meaning is often lost in translation, in a first-person piece written by a Canadian-born Desi who moved to India to become a professional tabla player.

Sincerely,

Navdeep Kathuria
Editor-in-Chief, ABCDlady