Happy Cranberry-Colored Holidays

Cranberry harvest. (British Columbia Cranberry Growers Association.)

As a fruit indigenous to North America, the cranberry was around long before Thanksgiving. It’s a berry that adds color and flavor to some of the holiday’s traditional foods. And to some not-so-traditional foods. My mother has been known to stockpile bags of the berries in the freezer this time of year in order to create some colorful dishes like her cranberry take on pulihara. (It was tangy enough to compete with the likes of gongura, in my opinion.)

You may already know about the many health benefits of the tiny berries “rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients. Research indicates they may reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, urinary tract infections, gum disease and ulcers. They’re also high in vitamins A and C and in potassium.” (NPR.)

Further research into the “health-giving” properties of the cranberry will be made possible by a $2 million gift to the University of British Columbia from the heirs of cranberry farmer Rashpal Dhillon (half of the gift will be used to fund research into pulmonary fibrosis, the fatal lung disease he died of). Dhillon was B.C.’s first Sikh police officer in 1954 and pursued cranberry farming before Ocean Spray became a household name.

More information: The Vancouver Sun

India on the Verge of Epidemic

The numbers are sobering.

According to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 400,000 people in India die of AIDS each year. An estimated 5.7 million are carriers of the HIV virus.

That’s more than any other country in the world.

In a Reuter’s report published earlier today, Ashok Alexander, head of the Foundation’s $258-million Indian HIV-prevention project, says the situation is serious: “The huge challenge is scaling up prevention efforts. 2007 is when we need to have this done by.”

If not, the predictions are dire, with estimates suggesting the HIV virus could infect as many as 30 million people in India within the next ten years.

Last week Bill Gates made headlines with his pledge of $23 million to help the Indian government with its prevention and treatment efforts.

Visit the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to learn more.

Rickshaw Wallah, Rickshaw Wallah, Kahan Jayega?

Hop on a rickshaw in Kerala and get off in Darjeeling.

Do you have exciting plans for the winter holidays? Skiing in Aspen? Christmas in the Alps? New Year’s Eve in Rio?

Yawn.

According to the UK-based Institute of Adventure Research, the most exciting place you can be this December and January is India.

In a rickshaw.

For 2,000 miles.

On the first-ever Rickshaw Run.

“What better way to enjoy the Christmas holidays than two weeks of mountains, mud tracks, tropical heat, gin and tonics, cricket and that most noble of vehicular genius, the three-wheeled motorized rickshaw?” asks the Institute. “The Rickshaw Run is pretty simple. With no preparation and less luggage, one flies to the Indian Subcontinent and does one’s damndest to force 150cc of crap Indian engineering over 2,000 miles of questionable terrain in two weeks.”

The run, which starts in Kerala and ends in Darjeeling (“for a spot of tea”), is not for the sake of adventure alone. It’s “all about raising huge amounts of wedge … for a great charity.” [“Wedge” is Brit-speak for “cheese” or “cheddar,” which is, you know, “urban”-speak for money, as in Jay-Z’s “I check cheddar like a food inspector”—OK, so I just wanted an excuse to reference Jigga.]

Anyone can participate by creating a team (of 1? 2? 22? It doesn’t matter, sayeth the Institute—though members have to, you know, fit into the rickshaw)—each team just has to make a £650 donation to cover the rickshaw cost. “At the end of the run, their rickshaws will be handed to an NGO working in Siligury, monitored by Mercy Corps, who will distribute them to the most needy cases.” Of course, teams can raise additional funds for the charities of their choice, as well.

Who needs a rickshaw, you ask? According to the Institute, “Many autorickshaw taxi drivers are forced to live in a state of poverty because they don’t have the money to buy their rickshaw. They borrow the money or rent the rickshaw often at extortionate rates. It means that while they can earn a living from the taxi fares, a large amount of it, often more than half, goes to pay of the debt or pay the rent for the vehicle. Giving a rickshaw to a poor family is huge life changing gift that enables them to earn a living without the burden of in impossible debt.”

Institute-described “ninnies” need not apply: “Support? Of course we don’t provide any support. The Rickshaw Run is supposed to be an adventure. What sort of adventure would you have if we were following you in a truck with spare parts and a comfy bed? No, we must get out there into the world and get stuck in it. When you’re stuck, lost, and up $hit creek without a rowing implement is when you start to have fun and the last thing we want to do is stop you having fun!” And while there will be checkpoints across the country for rickshaw runners to check in and share war stories, there’s no set route: “You plan your route to your own particular taste. If you want deserts and mountains, it’s yours. If you want jungle, it’s yours, too.”

Americans are hoping for Good Korma

Many teams have already joined in the mad dash of adventure for a good cause, and they’ve adopted clever names to boot: She’s a Goa, Curry on Rickshaw, and my personal favorite, the American Good Korma.

Are you up for the challenge? Form your own team and set off for the Subcontinent. Sputtering across India in a rickshaw not your idea of fun? Support your favorite runners as they pursue a most worthy lovechild: adventure and a noble cause. Because, as the Institute puts it, “adventure can be a little elusive these days. Without the finances for space exploration, those of us of more reasonable means have to search that little bit further.”

The Little Black Dress That Helps India

Natalie Portman in the famous frock.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one my favorite movies of all-time. Total chic, fantastic parties, a little romance, mayhem involving five-and-dimes, getting the weather report at Sing Sing and the pleasure of watching Audrey Hepburn as Holly GoLightly. The little Givenchy black dress she wore while enjoying her croissant and coffee and peering into the windows of the Tiffany & Co. flagship will go on sale at Christie’s in London on December 5th. The dress is expected to go for around $130,000 and the proceeds from the sale will go to the City of Joy Aid charity to benefit the under-privileged in India.

Audrey Hepburn dedicated her life after her final film role to helping impoverished children in countries like Somalia, Venezuela, Bangladesh and Vietnam. Known for her dedication and involvement with UNICEF, Hepburn helped raise awareness of poverty in far-reaching areas of the world.

To continue Hepburn’s work, Hubert de Givenchy has raised money since her death in 1993 by auctioning various pieces from his collection to help benefit underprivileged children around the world. Three identical copies of the iconic black dress were made for the filming of Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Givenchy. One is on display in the Museum of Costume in Madrid, one other is in Givenchy’s archive. According to Harper’s Bazaar, it was a recent meeting with the director of City of Joy Aid that made Givenchy decide to do this auction of the last black dress.

So fitting. Such a fantastic cause.

An Appeal for ArtWallah’s Sake

(ArtWallah.org)

ArtWallah’s mission is to “foster and promote artistic expressions of the South Asian diasporic experience, and to create channels of communication between artists and diverse communities.” Nirali’s debut issue covered the ArtWallah Festival, the largest annual South Asian diasporic arts festival in the U.S. Later issues have also featured artists, writers, and other performers connected to this yearly event based in Los Angeles.

Now at the end of its first decade of existence, ArtWallah is going through a critical period when “every penny means the continuance or the closing of this important community service.” A recent newsletter provides more details about the situation and how you can contribute to help keep ArtWallah up and running. If, like me, you believe ArtWallah’s mission is a worthwhile one, consider making a contribution towards its work and help it through this critical period. Those of you in the Los Angeles area can make a donation in person at a Sunday October 8 fundraiser featuring musical artists Ananda Sen and Chee Malabar.