Transit talks

First heard about Broken City back in July…and simply love what they’re doing. They’re a group of artists hell-bent on creating ways for people to interact on public transit. Why are we so defensive on the subway/bus/train? We isolate ourselves with earbuds or headphones…or use cellphones as armour…all in an attempt to prove we don’t need anyone. Yet what do we do when driving solo? Call or text. But when surrounded by people –humans– we shun interaction. Broken City examines this behaviour and aims to break down the walls.

Parkette

Under construction

Bold beauties go after world title

Mississauga, Ont. -- Seven South Asian finalists channeled their inner Tyra Banks, smiling with their eyes at a photo-shoot today, gearing up for the 7th annual Miss Pakistan World pageant next weekend.

“Compared to Toronto pageants, I’m pretty sure we have the most well-known pageant, only because of the negativity or the controversy,” says president Sonia Ahmed. For many conservatives, “Muslim model” is an oxymoron.

The swimsuit component of Miss Pakistan World has been replaced with a pool-side photo shoot in tank tops and shorts. “There are people who don’t like it,” Ahmed says. Contestants wear a traditional bridal gown and two evening gowns, and showcase their talent.

Since the early ’90s, Canadian supermodel Yasmeen Ghauri has made headlines, turning heads on the conventional runway and as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Her father is a Muslim cleric from Pakistan.

“It’s a very male-dominated country,” says Ahmed. “These women are one of the few that are coming out and opening up society for Pakistani communities here in North America and Europe.”

Women from as far away as Scotland are competing, while others living in the Greater Toronto Area are also drawn in. Tahmena Bokhari, 29, the oldest contestant, is a social worker from Vaughan.

“I identify as a Muslim-Pakistani woman,” she says. “I’m a woman of colour in the Canadian context.” Bohkari hopes to use the competition as a platform for global awareness. On her to-do list: addressing violence against women and opening doors for women to become economically self-sufficient. She has the full support of her family, who will be there cheering her on.

Yusra Mumtaz, an 18-year-old student from Sugar Land, Texas, is excited about dancing to Pakistani music on-stage. “Ever since I was little, I’ve always wanted to do something like this,” says the youngest contestant. Her parents are also giving her the green light to compete. “They support me 100 per cent. They’re my little backbones,” Mumtaz says.

String bikini or not, there’s more focus on brains in this pageant. And that has one contestant applauding. “We’re so diverse,” Bokhari says. “I’m so proud to be part of this group of seven. Everybody’s so smart.”

Miss Pakistan World is on Saturday, June 27 in Mississauga.

[Article published in South Asian Outlook]

Beauty pageant

Putting down the rye bread

In the last month, I’ve yanked four grey hairs. One for each week, it seems. So when my dad extended an invitation to a lecture on How to Overcome Stress, the fascinating silver strand being examined between my thumb and index finger provided the answer.

Dada J.P. Vaswani, a renowned humanitarian and non-sectarian spiritual leader, packed the stunning BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto yesterday.

A brief promotional video, then out he came. Dada’s motto: to be happy, make others happy.

Engaging and lively for a man 90 years young, his keys to success are neither costly nor time consuming. Dada listed five major points, but my overworked memory only retains three: smile; laugh; your attitude is everything.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? It’s so much easier said than done, though. Especially if you’re a journalist who can’t resist booting up the laptop with her morning chai instead of practicing asanas.

It seems Dada read my mind. Instead of heading straight into the kitchen for breakfast, he suggests two changes. Smile as soon as you wake up, and while still under the covers, ask, “Lord, help me smile all day.”

Easy as chai.

This morning, I smiled at the alarm clock on the dresser, but forgot to ask for a lovely Sunday. So I did what he suggested, putting down the rye bread and heading back to the bedroom. I laid back down and made a simple plea. “Lord, help me smile all day.” Then I booted up the laptop and sipped the chai.

The quest for a Sunday filled with shanti was seamless. One breath at a time, mindful reflection is a beautiful thing. For the sake of my twenty-something head of hair, let’s hope it becomes a habit.

Employment Insurance takes centre stage

TORONTO — Over two thousand workers spent the afternoon marching from Metro Hall to the Delta Chelsea hotel today, chanting, “Fix E-I now.”

Jessica Farias, a community worker from Scarborough, showed up with her husband and baby today — her 32nd birthday.

“I’m a mother on maternity leave currently getting EI, and not really having enough money to pay for the bills,” she said, adding it took almost six weeks for her first cheque to arrive.

Workers rallied for a reduction in the qualifying hours to 360 hours nationwide -right now it varies from province to province- and calculated pay based on the best 12 weeks worked during the previous six months.

The unemployment rate in Toronto is 9.1 per cent. The Human Resources and Social Development Canada website says they currently need 560 hours of work in the previous 25 weeks to qualify for regular benefits. Farias also expresses concern about ineligibility for many workers.

“I really believe that there needs to be changes in the eligibility, guidelines that will make workers more accessible, make benefits longer, and get rid of the two-week waiting period,” she said.

Those who are employed temporarily, part-time, self-employed, or under contract are primarily affected. “People pay into the system, and it is there to protect workers when you need it, and workers need it now,” said Farias.

Some were there to support old-age pension protection, and stronger public services. New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton addressed the crowd –mostly baby boomers– many of whom are concerned about their pensions.

“The people who run that pension plan on Bay Street have lost 24 billion dollars gambling your money on the stock exchange…they should be ashamed of themselves,” Layton said.

It wasn’t all about the boomers. Retirees concerned about the recession, such as Dominic Amoroso, who spent 30 years on the assembly line at General Motors, showed up as well.

“Everybody needs to be living with dignity,” he said. “There’s so many people, they suffer, they have empty stomachs. It’s a shame.”

The Harper government is promising improvements to the program this fall.

[Article published in Indo-Canada Outlook]

Drafted?

Local MP says no time for jubilee

[XAVIER FAMILY PHOTO] Mary Xavier-Pierce (left) grew up in Sri Lanka. “We had to flee so suddenly, we didn’t really pack much but grabbed what we needed and left overnight,” she says.

The alleged collapse of the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka yesterday has members of the Sinhalese community celebrating. “There was a sense of great relief because 20 million citizens of Sri Lanka had been going through a real nightmare of not knowing when they would be struck down,” says Mahinda Gunasekera, honorary president of the Sri Lanka United National Association of Canada.

He is all too familiar with the civil war –pitting north against south, government versus rebels, Sinhalese opposite Tamils-that has plagued the island for over 25 years, killing around 70,000 people.

“This is not a time for happiness,” says Scarborough-Agincourt Member of Parliament Jim Karygiannis, who estimates 3,000 Tamils are living in his riding.

Karygiannis visited the island in 2005. He says he was impressed by the work being done by the Tigers to rebuild. “They were moving very quickly to overcome the tsunami. In the government-controlled territory, little was being done.”

The Liberal MP isn’t afraid to throw around ‘the G word.’ “I wouldn’t hesitate to say it’s genocide in the making, but both sides are at fault here.”

Mary Xavier-Pierce, 28, grew up in Kayts, north of Sri Lanka.  “It was sad we lived in fear of the country we were born in,” she says, adding she didn’t understand why people were fighting to separate the nation. Her family fled to Colombo, then fled again to Canada in 1992, eventually settling in Scarborough. “I am saddened for all the blood that has been shed but I am also glad it has come to an end.”

Karygiannis is critical of the Conservative Canadian government “sitting on its laurels” and says international intervention is overdue. “We’re heading down to Washington, D.C. to see if we can do a little bit of persuasion.”

Moving forward, he has a few other items on his agenda, including fast-tracking sponsorship applications and fund-raising. Sending money back home is a priority for many Sri Lankans in Canada, who would like to see family members rehabilitated and resettled.

But there are skeptics who say the money never makes it to their relatives. “It goes to the government and they use it for the Sinhalese, and the Tamil people aren’t getting anything,” says Birdy Thanabalasingam, a 14-year-old student at Gordon Graydon Secondary School in Mississauga. Gunasekera disagrees, and says his organization has sent food, medicine, clothing and other essential items. “It gets to the Tamil civilians who have been displaced.”

Karygiannis says he would like to see willingness from Tamils and Sinhalese to get together, but acknowledges it may take awhile. “It’s not an easy time.” There is hope for amicable relations between the two communities in Canada, but not Sri Lanka, Thanabalasingam says. “People get along way better here.” The student has one wish for relations between the two groups in Sri Lanka. “I think they should become equal and share.”

[Article published in South-Asian Outlook, click here to read.]