Linking words

There are roughly speaking five categories of linking words. I have given examples of each category.


Giving examples
For example /For instance /Namely

Adding information
And /In addition / As well as /Also/ Too /Furthermore / Moreover / Apart from /
In addition to / Besides

Summarising
In short / In brief / In summary / To summarise / In a nutshell / To conclude
In conclusion

Sequencing ideas
The former, … /the latter /Firstly, / secondly, / finally /The first point is
Lastly/ The following

Giving a reason
Due to / due to the fact that /Owing to / owing to the fact that /Because /Because of Since /As

Giving a result
Therefore /So /Consequently/ This means that/ As a result

Contrasting ideas
But/ However /Although / even though /Despite / despite the fact that /In spite of / in spite of the fact that /Nevertheless/ Nonetheless /While/ Whereas /Unlike /In theory… /in practice…

A thousand humble apologies . . .

. . . for those random readers who actually bother to visit this blog. Got some complaints lately regarding the radio silence. No particular reason, just been very busy. Anyway, new post, new picture. This new profile photo of yours truly was taken by Dutch senator Anja Meulenbelt who actually came by to check out Oba Live herself. She was pleasantly surprised and came back a second time and wrote two detailed reports. To go to one of them, click here. And it's thumbs up for Oba Live, even though I am as inexperienced as can be.

For those of you interested in India and living in the Netherlands, Oba Live will be doing an India special on Tuesday 9 June. The first reason being the parliamentary elections in India and how the results will affect the position of India's 140 million Muslims.

The second reason is the commemoration of the 136th anniversary of the Indian arrival in Surinam. In the 19th and early part of the 20th centuries over one and a half million Indians went overseas, to exotic places like Burma, Malaya, Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific islands. They went to earn a living as indentured workers on the many sugar cane plantations. Over 34.000 ended up in Surinam, including my great grandfather.

Hope to go back to Surinam this August to find out more about my Indian lineage. I know my great grandfather came from Kamanpur, some village or small city in the Indian state of Andra Pradesh. That in itself is quite remarkable, because most Indian immigrants came from Northern India. Not my ancestors, so it seems.

But how about my great grandmother? The good news is that I actually met her in 1971. That said, I was only six years old and hardly remember anything about this meet and greet. It was my first time ever in Surinam. I even have a picture of her taken by one of my uncles (oom Henk). Her name: Subhagia Ramzan.

I have her DNA, but what do I know about her? Where did she come from? From the north, the middle, the south? What is her story? Did she come of her own free will or was she tricked into boarding that ship? How old was she when she left India? On which plantation did she work? More answers than questions, hence my second trip to the Caribbean, to Surinam.

P.S. I did find out though that Kamanpur is about 200 kilometers from Hyderabad, the very beautiful capital of Andra Pradesh. Hope Hyderabad has a decent night life... ;-)

Phir wohi Raaste

Just a very meagre post this time and it is about the first track of my present playlist: Phir Wohi Raastey. It is from the film Ramchand Pakistani (see an earlier post on my blog), starring one of my favourite actresses Nandita Das.

It so happens that as part of the Amnesty International Film Festival 2009 they are screening two of her films: Ramchand Pakistani and Firaaq. That's the good news. The bad news: it is already sold out.

From India to Surinam to Holland

Some hundred years ago a tiny Indian man of only 19 years old left his village Kamanpur in the Indian state of Andra Pradesh. He was almost certainly recruited by the Dutch colonial government to work on one of the plantations in some far away country in South America.

Ramran Ali Mohamed Jousief boarded the SS Indus III in Calcutta on 27th October 1908, heading for a new future in a new country. On 5th December of that same year he set foot on Surinamese soil.

He started working on the plantation Meerzorg. Somehow Surinam did not work for him, even though he married and got one son. So, one morning on 5th March 1920 – he was in his early thirties by then - he called it quits and returned to the Motherland India, leaving behind his wife and child.













That’s where most of the information as found in the Historical Database Suriname, stops and where Ramran’s family left behind in Surinam, takes over. As said, Ramran had only one son: Rafiek Mohamedjoesoef, the very man who would later become my grandfather from my mum’s side of the family.

I was in Surinam recently when I decided to visit my mum’s birthplace. First, we drove through Pad van Wanica. Then we took a left entering the Tout Lui Fautweg. After about 15 minutes or so, we hit a sandy road full of potholes. We had finally arrived at Bergers Hoop, an out of the way place that was once the heartland of many British Indian immigrants. That’s where mum was born, nearly seventy years ago.

To be continued...

De Nederlands-Arabische Kring (NAK) Amsterdam presenteert

zondag 29 maart om 14.00 uur in de levante, Amsterdam

Marokko vandaag en morgen

Een lezing door Paolo de Mas

Marokko. De samenleving gist, bruist en uiteenlopende opvattingen en sociale categorieën schuren of botsen tegen elkaar. Hoewel er onmiskenbaar veranderingen ten goede plaatsvinden, zorgen toenemende tegenstellingen in leefstijl, welvaart en gekoesterde normen en waarden voor sociale spanningen.

Paolo de Mas, voorzitter van de Nederlands-Arabische Kring, is terug in Nederland, na bijna drie jaar leiding te hebben gegeven aan het Nederlands Instituut in Marokko (NIMAR). Dit is zijn derde langduriger verblijf sinds hij in 1974 voor de eerste keer in dat land kwam om de effecten te onderzoeken van wat toen nog gastarbeid werd genoemd. Zijn onderzoekservaring en bemoeienis strekt zich uit over meer dan drie decennia, en zijn bevindingen zijn vastgelegd in een groot aantal publicaties over het land.

In de lezing zal vooral aandacht worden geschonken aan de huidige situatie in Marokko, die zich kenmerkt door buitengewoon contrasterende en boeiende ontwikkelingen en contrasten van politieke en sociale aard.

Locatie
De Levante, Hobbemastraat 28, 1071 ZC Amsterdam

Datum / tijd
zondagmiddag 29 maart 2009 / van 14.00 tot 16.00 uur.
Entree EUR 2.50, NAK-leden gratis op vertoon van lidmaatschapkaart

Bereikbaarheid
De Levante is te bereiken via trams 2 en 5, halte Hobbemastraat, langs het Rijksmuseum tot het water (Hobbemakade), op de hoek rechts naast het Zuiderbad.
Reserveren verplicht i.v.m. de beperkte ruimte.

Reservering verplicht
sharida mohamedjoesoef / s.mohamedjoesoef@planet.nl -
de levante info@delevante.org / 020 - 671 5485 – http://www.delevante.org/

'Slumdog' bags 8 Oscars

Slumdog Millionaire has turned out to be the big winner at the 81st Academy Awards, with the Mozart of Madras, AR Rahman, bringing home two awards with his Jai Ho... composition. The film won in the following categories

- Best Adapted Screenplay

- Best cinematography

- Best Sound mixing

- Best Film Editing

- Best Original Score

- Best Original Song

- Best Direction

- Best Motion Picture.

The best part is that the little ones were also there to share in the fame, including my absolute favourite: adorable Ayush. Now that's a far cry from that squat toilet scene. The boy is such a sweet sight for sore eyes.

I say Mr Bachan, eat your heart out.

Photo credits: AP

Real 'Slumdog' heroes off to Hollywood

As two children from the Indian slums of Mumbai - Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail - who shot to fame in the film Slumdog Millionaire are on their way to the Oscars ceremony in the US, controvery surrounding their pay grows stronger.

Living legend Amitabh Bachan criticised the film on his blog, but now claims the remarks were only meant to stir a debate. Right ... Fortunately, another Bollywood legend Shah Rukh Khan lashed out at his fellow countrymen and feels 'Slumdog' does portray India in an appealing way.

And then there is the controversy regarding the wages. Azaharuddin's parents feel their son - who plays the youngest version of Salim - was exploited and claim they know nothing about any trust fund. Azaruddin's father said he has already all the money. Reports about what these kids earned vary. In the BBC video Azhar's dad says that all the money they were given has already been used up. And they want more.

Rubina Ali, who plays the youngest version of Latika, and her family seem more content. The two kids are said to visit Disneyland after rubbing shoulders on the red carpet with the posh and pampered of Tinseltown.

Oh well, probably a story to be continued.

Do see the BBC videoclip which shows where these two gorgeous kids live.

Photo credits
Azaruddin Ismail, from movies.indiatimes.com
Rubina Ali, by Gautam Singh, AP

And the winner is ...

Ayush Mahesh Khedekar, the adorable eight-year-old boy who plays the youngest version of Jamal Malik in Slumdog Millionaire and who jumps into a latrine - filled with shit - just to get an autograph of his idol Indian actor Amitabh Bachan. Of course, it was chocolate they made Ayush jump into ;-)

Rewind. Just got back from Rotterdam where I saw the film Slumdog Millionaire. For what it's worth, this film rocks from beginning to end. The fabulous musical score. The story line which in itself is practically a fairy tale. The vibrant colours - whether from the awesome Taj Mahal or the unspeakable squalor of the slums - bringing to life the magic of India.

Much of Slumdog's sparkle must be credited to Ayush Mahesh Khedekar (youngest Jamal), Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail (youngest Salim) and Rubina Ali (yougest Latika). And they are good!!! No acting experience whatsoever. The latter two are simply two kids from the slums of Mumbai. No worries. These lovelies have now been put into schools and a trust fund was set up for them so that when they finish school they can pursue their studies and hopefully thus ensure a better life. In my humble opinion, a far better investment than simply giving the parents a lump sum of money.

True, not everyone is happy with Slumdog. For one thing, legendary superstar Amitabh Bachchan has criticised Slumdog Millionaire for portraying India as a “Third World dirty underbelly developing nation”.

If you are really desperate for some Bollywood song and dance... well, then you had better wait until the closing credits, for the best is saved for last.

Photo credits

courtesy Imdb.com and Goldderby LA Times

Update back and forth

14 February 1989: fatwa for Salman Rushdie due to the Satanic Verses
14 February 2005: the killing of former Lebanese PM Rafiq Hariri
14 February 2009: Valentine's Day

So sorry for the radio silence, the reason being that Sharida got tricked into presenting a two hour LIVE radio talk show called Oba Live (major gulp)!

I have been doing this since January and believe you me, the first time I was so incredibly nervous, I hardly took in anything the guests were saying. The jitters are getting less, but still...

Oba Live is broadcast every Tuesday evening from 19.00 to 21.00 hrs by NMO/NIO (Radio 5). And if you thought this was radio, well think again mates, because you can actually watch this live on the net. What's worse, the internet streams remain available for eternity. So if you can't wait to see me stammering away through the programme, simply go to NMO.nl.

Anyway, back to my favourite topic: my teenage students at Het Baken. Saw most of my lovelies last Thursday and felt utterly happy afterwards.

And the happiness continues. First, I finished reading the Dutch translation of a wonderful book called Dewey - The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched The World. This is the story about Dewey, an abandoned kitten from Spencer, Iowa, who transforms a sleepy library, inspires a classic American town, and captures the hearts of animal lovers everywhere.

Unfortunately, Dewey died a couple of years ago, but he's got his own website if you want to know more about this cute ginger cat.

And from Dewey to Slumdog Millionaire, the film I am finally going to see tomorrow. Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British drama film directed by Danny Boyle, co-directed by Loveleen Tandan, and written by Simon Beaufoy. It is an adaptation of the Boeke Prize-winning novel Q & A (2005) by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup.

Set and filmed in India, Slumdog Millionaire tells the story of a young man from the slums of Mumbai who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (Kaun Banega Crorepati, mentioned in the Hindi version) and exceeds people's expectations, arousing the suspicions of the game show host and of law enforcement officials.

Slumdog Millionaire won five Critics' Choice Awards, four Golden Globes and seven BAFTA Awards, including Best Film, and has been nominated for ten Academy Awards. The film is also the subject of controversy concerning its portrayal of India and Hinduism as well as the treatment of its child actors.

Source: Wikipedia

Happy New Year . . .

. . . to all those faithful readers who kept track of my silly posts and thus know that Sharida's 2008 was mostly the year of job switches.

A recap. Let's see, after about one and a half year I decided to call it quits at Dagblad De Pers and take up a post as a teacher at a secondary school in Almere to teach the Queen's English. Did that for barely four months. Yet due to all kinds of question marks (read: my own uncertainties such as will I manage to do this fulltime?) I let my doubts get the better of me.

I went back to the employer that introduced me to journalism in the first place, the Dutch Muslim Broadcasting Corporation.

That's where I am now, physically that is, for mentally I never actually left those 240 lovelies a.k.a. students. They gave me the time of my life and eventually made me realise where my true calling lies. I owe them so much!

And let's not forget about my teacher colleagues at the English department, the ones who patiently put up with my love for the ultimate classic Clarks desert boots created in 1950 by Nathan Clark who got the idea from crepe-soled, rough suede boots which officers in the Eighth Army were in the habit of getting made in the Bazaar at Cairo.

Those very colleagues allowed me to go on about Paddington Bear, especially the gorgeous illustrations by R.W. Alley with Paddington wearing his famous blue duffle coat. A British institution if ever you saw one, as are the classic whodunnits such as Poirots, Inspector Morse, The Saint, Sherlock Holmes, Midsomer Murders, Miss Marple, Inspector Lynley, Silent Witness and so on and so forth.

Who knows what 2009 has in store for me, but if I might make a wild guess - pause whilst I locate my mug of steaming cocoa - my final destination could very well be related to - drum roll please - Teaching, perhaps even in combination with a touch of journalism. For all I know, India might also be in the cards for me...

2009 will also be the moment of truth for many of my A-level students who will have to take their final exams this year before embarking on new paths of education. You will succeed, my dears. You will. God speed.

P.S.
Who knows, with a bit of luck we shall be spending some last quality time in London right after your exams.


Picture credit: Nelson Figueredo

‘I wish I could remember all their names. My 20,000 ghosts. They all had names. Beautiful African names. We were apes, they were human.’

Gripping words from an equally gripping film called Amazing Grace (2006). Went to see it last night and was completely taken in by Albert Finney’s superb performance of John Newton, the very man whom I quoted above and also the same man who composed the world famous song ‘Amazing Grace’.

The song was inspired by Newton’s repentence as a former slave ship captain. Newton in turn inspired someone else: William Wilberforce. And it was this very Wilberforce consumed by his conviction of inhumanity of slavery, who eventually managed to abolish slavery. That was in 1807. The US followed suit in 1808. It took the Dutch until 1863 to do the same.

Wilberforce spent his lifetime trying to get slavery abolished, but the British parliament would not hear of it. After all, why end such an incredibly lucrative trade that had been integral to the West Indies sugar cane plantations filling the bank accounts of British merchants and literally pouring sugar into millions of cups of so-called English tea.

Wilberforce received support from men like the PM William Pitt and Josiah Wedgewood. Yes, the founding father of the famous Wedgewood pottery. It was Wedgwood who copied the original medallion design by the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade as a cameo in black and white.

The inscription 'Am I Not a Man and a Brother? ' became the catchphrase of British and American abolitionists. Medallions were even sent in 1788 to Benjamin Franklin who was then president of the Pennsylvania Abolition Society.

‘Amazing Grace’

Amazing grace, how sweet the sound

That sav’d a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,

And grace my fears reliev’d;

How precious did that grace appear,

The hour I first believ’d!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,

I have already come;

’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis’d good to me,

His word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be,

As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,

And mortal life shall cease;

I shall possess, within the veil,

A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,

The sun forbear to shine;

But God, who call’d me here below,

Will be forever mine.

By John Newton, Olney Hymns (London: W. Oliver, 1779)

Picture: the Offical Medallion of the British Anti-Slavery Society, 1795 Josiah Wedgwood

Bombay Jazz

'invented by the devil for the torture of saints'

In the Motherland it premiered under the title Jazz. That was last year. In Amsterdam it was dubbed Bombay Jazz. And I went to see it two days ago. The play - which is more than a musical - pays hommage to Indian jazz musicians from Goa who ended up playing a vital part in creating Hindi film music. They needed to, because the pay was much better than what they earned doing gigs at for instance the Taj Mahal Palace. Yes, the same prestigious hotel that was under attack two days ago, as Mumbai fell prey to fierce terrorist attacks.

Confession coming up: I am not really a lover of theatre, nor of jazz. So why then go to this stage production? For starters, because the Dutch organiser Marijke de Vos is a friend of mine. In fact, she made it possible for me to interview Naseeruddin Shah last year. The other reason for going is because I was mesmerised by the magic title Bombay Jazz. For what it's worth, I am so glad I went.

What is Bombay Jazz about? The following synopsis was taken from their own promotional leaflet:

There's jazz, there's rock n roll.

There's sax, there's violins.

Slipping in slivers of Dixieland stomp,

Portuguese Fados, Ellingtonesque doodles,

cha cha cha, Mozart and Bach themes.

There's Mumbai, Bombay, India.

There's egos, failed futures, alcoholism.

There's love, passion, bounced cheques.

There's show-biz, razzmatazz.

And some of the biggest names

in popular culture from C Ramachander to

Laxmikant Pyarelal to Shankar Jaikishen to RD Burman.

In layman terms, the play is about a jazz music teacher and his student. In a smoky, raw voice the teacher tells his student about yesteryear's jazz and how he and his jazz mates from Goa bastardized their love by taking up regular jobs in Hindi cinema in Bombay, simply to make a living. Althought the lines are witty, the subtext is definitely melancholic.

Since I am no expert on either theater or jazz, I decided to leave the glowing reviews to others

“The play weaves the past into the present with gravelly-voiced Bugs Bhargava Krishna embodying the bitter-sweet stories of the musicians, actors on video playing their friends, fellow-musicians and wives, and Rhys Dsouza, grandson of Sebastian Dsouza, showing us what the saxophone can do.”- Shanta Gokhale, MUMBAI MIRROR"

Bugs Bhargava Krishna has you bewitched, bothered and bewildered and having hit the right note never goes off it... [He] delivers a performance that would make ‘em say, he’s got chops."- Pragya Tiwari, MUMBAI MIRROR

"A play so scathing and mercilessly funny in its indictment of Bollywood.Ramu’s script – with its iambic rhythms and cunning rhymes – is well exploited by Bugs Bhargava Krishna. His sense of timing and exuberant delivery brings to mind the frenzied, swinging beats of classic Jazz… Heaps of intelligent humour call for a memorable theatre experience. "- Ankit Soni, mumbaitheatreguide.com

BTW, Marijke did tell me they are considering to organise a tour. Wah wah.

Photo credits: promotional picture from Stagesmith Productions.

India: 80 percent Hindus and 14 percent Muslims

'A very large minority that cannot be ethnically
cleansed without provoking a wider conflict.'

The above was taken from an article by historian and novelist Tariq Ali about the recent Mumbai attacks. It was published in the American political newsletter Counterpunch. Ali explains why India should look closer to home when it comes to finding the people behind the assault on Mumbai.

In Ali's opinion Pakistan may not play a role at all, since the Lashkar-e-Taiba, 'not usually shy of claiming its hits, has strongly denied any involvement with the Mumbai attacks.'

He continues by saying:

'Why should it be such a surprise if the perpetrators are themselves Indian Muslims? Its hardly a secret that there has been much anger within the poorest sections of the Muslim community against the systematic discrimination and acts of violence carried out against them of which the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in shining Gujarat was only the most blatant and the most investigated episode, supported by the Chief Minister of the State and the local state apparatuses. Add to this the continuing sore of Kashmir which has for decades been treated as a colony by Indian troops with random arrests, torture and rape of Kashmiris an everyday occurrence. Conditions have been much worse than in Tibet, but have aroused little sympathy in the West where the defense of human rights is heavily instrumentalised.'

Those who think Ali is justifying terrorist attacks ...?

'None of this justifies terrorism, but it should, at the very least, force
India’s rulers to direct their gaze on their own country and the conditions that
prevail. Economic disparities are profound. The absurd notion that the
trickle-down effects of global capitalism would solve most problems can now be
seen for what it always was: a fig leaf to conceal new modes of exploitation.'

About Tariq Ali
Tariq Ali was born in Lahore in 1943. He was educated in Pakistan and later at Oxford. His opposition to the military dictatorship in Pakistan prevented his return to his own country and he became an unwilling exile in Britain. No, he is not a Muslim, but an atheist and has declared this at many a public occasion.

Tariq Ali has his own website: http://www.tariqali.org/.
Photo credits: Steven Siewert

Kiran's magic

A snowstorm was raging outside. Inside the church, over a hundred visitors witnessed an awesome performance by Ms Kiran Ahluwalia. Want to experience this fabulous eargasm yourself, then check out the first three tracks of my playlist.

Fado + Ghazals = Kiran Ahluwalia

And I am going to meet this vocal gem from the Punjab ... tomorrow, in Amsterdam's Noorderkerk and in the precious company of dear dear friend Koosje and her daughter Roos.

Kiran will be touring a few other Dutch cities and then go back to New York.

"If yearning had a musical form it would be ghazals, the Indian and Pakistani sung poetry about unrequited love. If longing was a genre, it would be fado, the melancholic Portuguese song form also based in poetry. Singer Kiran Ahluwalia—a musical wanderer, who was born in India, raised in Canada, and now lives in New York City—unites the two on her latest recording, Wanderlust (Time Square Records/World Connection Records).
Source: Kiran Music

One of the first ghazals penned in Urdu in 15th century India appears on Wanderlust, “Tere Darsan,” written by Quli Qutub Shah. This sultan ruled over the city of Hyderabad, -- the place where Kiran received much of her ghazal training from one of the last living court musicians, Vithal Rao. “I’m constantly reading poetry in Urdu and Punjabi. That’s the way I live my life,”
Kiran explains.

Her passionate reading brought her to Qutub Shah’s words, crafted when Urdu was still emerging as a language. “The Urdu language of these ghazals is not the same dialect as we speak today, and so I felt a certain freedom to go further in my experimentation with other influences.

This feeling of freedom led Kiran to incorporate a bluesy feel and groove reminiscent of Saharan Africa, for another of Wanderlust’s serendipitous successes. It also marks the first time she has used the sounds of electric
guitar.

About Ghazals
The Indian sub-continent, now India and Pakistan, has given many things to the world's culture: Hinduism, Buddhism, the Taj Mahal, tea, to name but a few. The region has also given the world some of the most accomplished celebrations of human love. One of these is the Kama Sutra, an epic description of physical love, named after the Hindu god of love - Kama.

Another is the poetic song form known as the ghazal. Ghazals are like polished diamonds - a single stone with many facets. Each ghazal is a single poem containing within itself a myriad of passionate smaller poems. When held up to the light they offer insight into much about the human condition.

painting by Navneet Parikh on Exotic India Art

Ghazals came to the Indian sub-continent from Persia in the 14th century. Unlike the physical love depicted in Indian erotic art, ghazals operate on the plane of poetic imagery and metaphor. They explore the many moods of love, from the ecstatic to the despondent. Ghazals also use human love as a mask to address many other aspects of the human condition.

For over six hundred years the finest poets of what is now India and Pakistan turned their talents to writing them and the finest singers and musicians used all their skill and training to interpret them.

Source: Kiran Music.com

painting by Navneet Parikh on Exotic India Art

Longing ... and ... yearning

Were you there?

Did you sing? Did you dance? The Concertbouw normally filled with lovers of western classical music, was now seemingly shaking hands with the devil. Guess what. Full house, Indians, non-Indians all swept off their feet by Bharati the show. Missed it? Try your luck on the following dates:


20-21 November in Zoetermeer
22 November in Zwolle
26-27 November in Utrecht

Prefer Paris or London, check out their own site.

Want to get a sneak preview of what the show looks like? Then click here and don't forget to switch off the tracklist of my blog.

They came.

They saw.

And conquered!

Text as published in the Amsterdam Weekly

That pretty much sums up the success story of Mr and Mrs M.L. Gupta in a nutshell. In the early eighties they swapped New Delhi for the Dutch capital city, setting up various takeaway restaurants in the Netherlands, creating their own Indian version of the American dream, here, right in the heart of Amsterdam.

No one would have believed that behind the facade of their shabby-looking takeaway called Indian Express, unfolds an unexpected story. The story of Mr and Mrs Gupta. It was, in fact, the much feared culinary critic Johannes van Dam who, in 2005, shot their tiny little business to stardom.

'Did you know our cook initially refused Mr van Dam?,' laughs Mrs Gupta when reminiscing of that moment. 'He didn't recognise the man.'

Luckily for the Guptas, Mr van Dam eventually got in, was granted a look in the kitchen and ordered some of the dishes. Result: a glowing review in Het Parool.

That was three years ago. The tiny place has not changed much since, it seems. There's the Indian flag hanging on the wall, and every now and then, when the kitchen door opens, you get to see the chefs at work, while popular Bollywood songs play in the background. And there's still the bronze elephant-head pegged on the wall, resembling Ganesha, the Hindu god of success.

The magic of Ganesha seems to have paid off indeed. For Indian Express enjoys an enormous clientele and it's chop chop for the bustling delivery boys. Yes, the Guptas clearly have what it takes to run a highly successful catering business. In fact, the Indian couple recently landed the order to do the catering for the Amsterdam India Festival. But despite their Midas touch, they have remained their humble self.

Congratulations. So what's on the menu at the festival launch?
Mr Gupta: I'm not going to give away everything, but this much I will tell you: we have to cater for roughly 250 guests. They are in for chicken tikka grilled on a tandoor--an Indian clay oven which you burn by charcoal--jazzed up with Indian spices. Lamb curry is also on the menu, as is fresh spinach and paneer--a type of Indian cheese. All of this is served with saffron basmati rice.

Who is doing all the cooking?
Mrs Gupta: We have hired help, but the cooking itself is done by our two cooks at the Indian Express. One is our senior cook. The other his assistant. All Indian restaurants, from India to the UK have two cooks. One specialises in tandoor and the other in curries. And don't forget our helpers. They do the cutting and grinding.

Cutting. Grinding. I thought you were an accountant?
Mr Gupta: [breaking into a laugh] That's right, I was working as an accountant in India, but in the catering business. Numbers are my thing, as is food. I guess it was only a matter of time before I would combine the two.

And when did that happen?
Mr Gupta: Not until 1991. When I first came to the Netherlands in 1981, I started working as a manager for one of the biggest Indian restaurants. We catered for KLM, the Indian embassy, other embassies, the Indian film festival and so on. But after some ten years, I had enough. I wanted to start my own business.

Why?
Mr Gupta: I had already made quite a name for myself. So, I knew I would have enough customers. I believed it was possible to offer good quality food at reasonable prices. I began various restaurants, in 's-Hertogenbosch, Hilversum and Amsterdam. We were even a regular supplier for Media Park in Hilversum. Yet due to my declining health, everything came to a standstill. Or so we thought. Then, some five years ago, we came across this appalling rundown place on the Pieter Langedijkstraat. My wife and I decided to fix it up and start a new takeaway. It heralded the birth of Indian Express.

No beef on the menu?
Mrs Gupta: Correct. We are Hindu, so no beef. We draw the line there. Muslims need not worry either. All our food is halal.

Indian cuisine has become quite popular over the years. Why is that?
Mrs Gupta: Here in Amsterdam, you have many British people who are used to Indian food. And lots of Dutch people have British colleagues, which is how they were introduced to Indian cuisine in the first place. Then they develop a taste for it.

What is the secret of Indian Express in particular?
Mr Gupta: What can I say? It's in our blood. We Indians are businessmen. I got myself two of the very best cooks from India and we use original Indian spices, not the imported stuff from countries like Indonesia and Sri Lanka. But our best ingredient is the love and care we have for our customers.

Mrs Gupta: My parents used to say, 'Jaisa khaye ann waisa hoye mann,' which is Hindi for 'your food influences your way of thinking'. I do believe that food does have influence on man's behaviour. Good food gives vitality, contentment, resulting in relaxation.
And last but not least, don't forget our portions. Ours are much bigger than the competition while prices are low.

Any chance of opening up another branch?
Mrs Gupta: Actually, we might. We are thinking of opening up another takeaway in Amstelveen, where we have a lot of fans as well.

http://www.indianexpress.nl/

Neither man. Nor woman. All Human

Photo credits: Firoze Shakir , http://hijdaeunuchblog.wordpress.com

Text as published in the Amsterdam Weekly

Laxminarayan Tripathi: once a social outcast, now the face of India's third-sex community.

'Laxmi' (28) travels around the globe, going out of her way to fight for the rights of hijras, a sexual minority on the Indian subcontinent with an own traditional infrastructure embedded in Indian history. She holds the credit of being the only transgender in the UN's Civil Society Task Force on HIV/AIDS. There are no exact numbers on how many hijras there are in India. Some say 50,000; others claim it is closer to two million.

When interviewing her, one cannot help being completely mesmerised by those pitch-black eyes. Her sensual lips. Her nasal twang a la Fran Drescher. And that's only the outside. Diving beneath the surface is equally intriguing: she's witty, well-versed in religion, has an unmistakable flair for the dramatic, and is obviously a social butterfly who really cares.

Until 30 November, she is hostess of the Mumbai Direct Salon at Lloyd Hotel where she will address many aspects of Indian culture in India and the diaspora. In the evenings, there is live music played on traditional instruments and dance by a five-member dance troupe.

You are a hijra. What does that mean?
There is no exact word to describe the hijra community in India. But it all begins with the soul. One must have a hijra's soul, in other words, someone who is feminine but not a woman, masculine but not a man. You go beyond the boxes of man and woman and end up with the so-called Third Gender. That is the hijra.

Some define hijras as eunuchs.
Oh I know! [She gasps dramatically]. Here, look. [She holds out her passport] 'You see, it says eunuch. I told them this is a wrong word. You can be a castrated man and still be a man. You can be a non-castrated hijra and still be a hijra. In my passport I have three sexes: female, eunuch and transgender. I prefer the latter, because it is the closest English word to the term hijra.

Hijras have been part of Indian culture for centuries. How do you explain the stifling social climate nowadays?
Hijras are mentioned in various classic works, like the Manu Smriti--an ancient Hindu book of law. We rose to high positions in Mogul times. But when the era of the British Raj began, things took a turn for the worse. Laws were passed in which hijras were described as 'sodomites' engaging in 'homosexual offences'. And we have become more vulnerable ever since.

Aren't you protected by Indian law?
The Indian constitution stipulates that one cannot discriminate on the basis of sex, cast, creed, religion, blah, blah, blah. But what is in the books is one thing, what is practiced another. As a hijra you do not have many employment or education possibilities, and usually hardly any support from parents, siblings or friends. All you have is your hijra community to fall back on. There is this notion that since we cannot procreate, we serve no purpose in society. How silly, because we can be productive to society by our art, music, dance, our ethics.

How do you survive?
We have three possibilities. To begin with, we do blessings at births, weddings and other auspicious ceremonies. We sing, dance and clap. These are intended to bring good luck and fertility. The second possibility is to beg and then there is the third option, sex work. I only danced and clapped. No begging or soliciting for me. The third option in particular poses a problem for our community, as there is a lot of unsafe sex going around. HIV/AIDS is rampant amongst hijra sex workers.

Don't you ever tired of the discrimination and want to leave India?
Oh no, I could never ever think that. There is a huge stigma regarding our hijra community and my parents have always stood by me--and that took guts in such a conservative society. I may leave India after my parents are no more. But even then, there is still so much work to do and empower the hijra community.

Empowerment? Do tell.
I joined Dai Welfare Society, a Mumbai-based NGO, which works for the community, especially on HIV/AIDS awareness. That didn't do the trick for me, so I started Astitva, an organisation for the support and development of sexual minorities. And before long I was joined by many others. But it doesn't stop there, since we hijras are also to blame for the stigmas. We have to stop thinking along the lines of 'Can't do this. Shouldn't do that.' If that were the case, I would not be here in the Lloyds Hotel in Amsterdam. And why shouldn't I? Am I any less than you?


Info
Mumbai Direct Salon, until November, Lloyd Hotel: http://www.lloydhotel.com/indiafestival

Happy diwali

‘There’s no point in going into a movie like this without making an effort to make it different. To make it a seperate entity than the previous one.’ - Daniel Craig

Quantum of Solace

Only two more weeks before the worldwide release of the 22nd James Bond film: Quantum of Solace. The sequel to the 2006 film Casino Royale, it is directed by Marc Forster, and features Daniel Craig's second performance as James Bond.

In the film, Bond battles Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a member of the Quantum organisation posing as an environmentalist, who intends to stage a coup d'état in Bolivia to take control of its water supply. Bond seeks revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd, and is assisted by Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who also wants to kill Greene.

The title was chosen from a 1960 short story in Ian Fleming's For Your Eyes Only, though the film is not expected to contain any elements of the original story. Location filming took place in Panama, Chile, Italy (Sienna!) and Austria, while the sets were built at Pinewood Studios.

PS And what a great Bond track by Alicia Keys and Jack White.