It was early December. A Monday and I was frantically working on a presentation for the following day. I was defending my thesis (no big deal).

And then I received a text message from my friend, “Mindy is going to be at Brattle Street Theater, FYI”. Now I perhaps may not have normally paid attention to this text, especially since I had barely started my defense presentation, but this text really got me excited. Just the night before, I had been speaking with our wonderful editor, Aditi, about doing a review of Mindy Kaling’s new book. How rad would it be if I could get an interview with her to go along side this?

That’s when I swept into action. The event itself was completely sold out so I called the bookstore that was hosting the event. They kept me on hold for awhile and then, after telling them about Brown Girl Magazine and how we basically were Mindy’s demographic, I begged them to give me a press pass. Or at least a standing pass, something, anything.

To no avail. They were really sold out and the marketing rep for the bookstore was kind enough to tell me that, if I got there early enough perhaps I could get a standby ticket.

Standby I thought? Oh, I’ll for sure standby for this!

And so I went to the Brattle Street Theater. Computer in hand, outfit set, at exactly 3.23pm. Mindy was not sent to take stage until 6pm, and the doors would open around 5. I sat, in the cold, working on my presentation for two hours before other people began to gather for the show. I’m going to spare you the details of how cold it was in Boston, but safe to say, it was cold. At around 5.50pm, things were not looking good for me. Anyone who had a ticket for the show was going in and no one was going to give up that coveted spot.

Around 6.05pm, the marketing rep came to the standby line and informed us that there would be no standby tickets sold, since well, the event was more than at capacity.

Undeterred by this happening, I along with two other girls decided to wait it out. Maybe we could just get in to have Mindy sign our books I asked the marketing rep?

Probably not she said. Mindy was there with family and had to jet off after.

The three of us still waited. Clutching our books, holding pens, hoping to get a glimpse of Mindy as she left, begging her to sign out books.

It was now 7.15pm. Mindy was starting to sign books, and our friends via twitter were telling us that the line was long, really, really long. Our hearts were growing wary, perhaps they were actually freezing especially since I had been waiting for almost 4 hours at this point.

And then there was a light at the end of the tunnel. One of the mangers, taking pity on us cold, poor, unfortunate souls, ran upstairs to check on the line. She came down a few minutes later and ushered us in, letting us into the warmth that is, the Brattle Street Theater.

After waiting in line for another 35 minutes, we could see her. A beautifully decked out Mindy Kaling wearing some amazing Theory boots. We were inches away, and then it happened. It was my turn to have Mindy sign my books.

“HiIworkforBrownGirlMagazineandIwaited3hourstohaveyousignmybook.”-I said to Mindy has she signed two copies of her book.

“For real?” she said.

At this point I was actually shocked she responded. After all, this is Mindy Kaling. She directed Will Ferrell for god sake! I nodded my head My new friends and I timidly asked her if she would take a photo with the three of us, which she much obliged. It was there where she said these words, which will forever be engrained in my heart:

“I really like your dress.”

Yes, that’s right. Mindy Kaling liked my dress (which, incidentally was a kurta top I had picked up in India). After we snapped the photo, we said our goodbyes, but I couldn’t believe it. Mindy Kaling liked my outfit.

And that my fellow Brown Girls, is the story of how I met Mindy Kaling and she came to know about a little (awesome) thing called Brown Girl Magazine. I like to think she checks it all the time for our latest words of wisdom!

See my next article for a review of her book!

Picture copywrite, Smita Jacob (my new friend and fellow Brown Girl) via http://www.hoggerandco.com/.

A new year means new beginnings and new beginnings often mean, resolutions. Resolutions are so easy to make, but the trick is learning how to keep them. Here are five simple tools that I use to help keep my resolutions, and make them a part of my daily life.

1. Make an achievable goal. When creating goals for yourself, it is important that they are achievable. This means, something you can realistically finish, complete, or integrate into your daily life. For instance, if you want to become more active and you set the goal of going to the gym seven days a week, you are bound to fail. Seven days a week is a wonderful goal, but is it achievable for you with your work and school schedule? Making the goal of going to the gym three days a week is more achievable, and will help you to feel good about sticking to your resolution. Once you feel good about achieving your goal, you are more likely to stick with it!
2. Write it down. In the age of digital, we often forget the importance of writing down our goals. Writing down our goals, whether in a personal journal or on a piece of paper, is an important step in actualizing our goals. When we write something down, it becomes physical, permanent, and actionable. These are important facets in ensuring that our goals become daily habits.
3. Be accountable. This is one of the hardest tasks in keeping a resolution. You have to keep track, and be accountable when you fail to stay on track. One of the easiest ways to stay on track for your resolutions is to find a partner who will help you keep your resolutions. This partner can be a classmate, roommate, or in my case my husband. We keep each other in check by making sure we keep track of each other’s resolutions, and encourage each other when the going seems tough!
4. Reward yourself. When you meet your goal, reward yourself! Having a reward at the end of the tunnel is a great way to stay focused and work hard towards keeping your resolution. The goals can be tailored to fit your budget and your goal.
5. Do your best and leave the rest. This is one of my life mantras, taken from Swami Chinmayananda founder of Chinmaya Mission. While having a goal and working towards accomplishing it is important, sometimes things are just not meant to be. And for that, we cannot beat ourselves up just because we did not run a marathon, wake-up early, or eat healthier. Incorporating these habits into our life is important, but in the end we must not place our happiness in the results of the end goal. After all, it is through the journey of achieving our goals that we learn about ourselves!

So there you have it Brown Girls, five ways to help you stay on track to keep your resolutions for 2012. Good luck in achieving your goals!

Washington, DC—We hurdled over tattered sweatshirts, jogging pants, hats, and gloves, remnants of discarded layers from overheated runners, strewn across the course beyond the start line. We darted past the stench of urine of men relieving themselves in bushes along the road, while women waited in what seemed like mile-long porta-potty lines. The participants came in all shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds, and levels of experience. There were over 20,000 people nationwide taking part in the race.

For my mom and I, it all began with a grueling 8-week training program. We were novices preparing for our first marathon–the 36th Annual Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC on Sunday, October 30, 2011. My mom, Ish Grover, was the motivating force that impelled me through the excruciating and time-consuming Sunday runs around the meandering, peaceful roads of Shady Side, Maryland. I typically hated those torturous runs (because they caused my legs to throb) yet simultaneously loved them because I had a chance to share those days with my mom, though I often trailed at least 500 feet behind her. She was my source of inspiration and encouragement along the way when all I wanted to do was quit during our coconut water breaks.

My mom works harder than anyone I know. She is dedicated and revels in the thrill of running. She has been running for over 20 years and never would have imagined that she would be able to run a marathon. The most she had ever run prior to our training was 10 miles. Running a marathon—26.2 miles—was something that she could only dream of, she told me. However, last Sunday, my mom made her dream a reality, and mine as well. I wanted the meaningful experience of running this race with my mom.

Together, we embarked onto the Marine Corps Marathon course and set off for our first marathon, bundled in our polar fleeces to protect us from the chilly October elements, slathered in tiger balm to alleviate the pain, and wrapped in ankle and knee supports to prevent further injury. It was particularly special that I had the opportunity to share such an important goal and accomplishment with my mother because she has always been a source of strength and support to me. The race exemplified the commitment and drive that we each shared. My mom guided me though our multiple long runs leading up to the 26.2-mile race and even more so on the day itself.

We did it. We finished. We tackled our first marathon together as a mother/daughter team. I admire my mom for doing this for herself because she is so selfless. She has a tendency to “do” for others rather than “do” for herself. I am proud of every step she took. She managed to power through the cramps, the aching knees, and sore ankles. She was a true competitor. The journey was painful but it was ours, my moms and mine, together. And that is a bond we share—something that no one can take away—and we have big, heavy medallions to prove it!

If you asked my opinion about Greek organizations four years ago, I wasn’t sure what the big deal was and why students would decide to become a brother or sister. And I most definitely never imagined myself as a “sister.” Every organization resembled what I had left behind, high school cliques. I thought to myself, I am a unique individual who has enough best friends worthy enough to be called my sisters.

But after my freshman year, I decided my college career wasn’t going to be about staying confined to my comfort zone. I took the big step and “rushed” for a few sororities. To rush an organization means to attend events hosted by specific Greek organizations inviting you to become a potential member. Even though I was on the board for the South Asian Student Alliance, and was pursing my passion for writing through the school newspaper, becoming a sister seemed intriguing.

And who would have guessed that after a year into my college career at Stony Brook University, I would be chanting a sorority song off the top of my lungs special to my new sisterhood. The three Greek letters stitched on the front of my shirt began to represent more than just another school activity listed on my resume.

Sigma Delta Tau was established in 1917, as a national Jewish organization at Cornell University, and became my home away from home. I was initiated fall of 2008 with ten beautiful girls. Of those ten, four were Pakistani-Muslim Americans, also my best friends from freshman year. Crossing was a monumental stepping-stone for all of us because we became the first South Asian sisters at the Beta Phi Chapter at Stony Brook. I not only crossed an organization, but also transcended a barrier of color and ethnic differences.

Jumping forbidden lines of color and ethnicity wasn’t easy, and looking back as a graduate student pursuing my master’s in Public Policy, I am proud of myself for fighting through. Most of us automatically cling to our “own” kind, not realizing the strong ethnic walls we subconsciously create. I felt overwhelmingly lost at first because I fell into a sudden culture shock within both worlds, my old and new. I was too “ethnic” for my sorority, and felt a backlash from the small-knit South Asian community because I became a part of the unknown. My parents were apprehensive at first, and couldn’t understand what a sorority was and how it would be benefit my college career. The whole process of becoming a sister was surely a peculiar combination of excitement, ambiguity and happiness.

I slowly did learn how to adapt into both worlds. As I began to build closer ties within my sisterhood, it became easier to blend my old friendships with my new, while staying true to myself. Sisters, who had never heard about Indian culture were intrigued by our past, clothes, food and traditions. And the South Asian Student Alliance, which was always confined to themselves, broke its shell and is proud to currently have two- members on their E-board from a Latina and African Greek organization. I now stand within the epitome of a melting pot, which wasn’t true only 3 years ago.

I never let my letters jeopardize my individuality; instead I allowed them to help me to grow into a stronger individual. Now, color seems to be a blurred line we have all crossed. It’s become ingrained to never look at color as a difference, but as an opportunity to learn something I never would have.

After spending a little time in an university that is known for the massive amount of South Asian students who attend, you learn to pick up on certain trends and soon realize that being in the “brown crowd” in college can end up being a stressful environment for many.

Fear not however, because after the initial period where you test the waters with the South Asian community, you realize there are ways to avoid the conflict and settle in with a group of friends.

The first word that comes to mind to most college goers when hearing the word “brown” is “drama.”  Every gathering or party (which there are a TON of) needs to have some sort of source of “drama” or else the night would be lackluster.  Observing “drama” serves to be enjoyable to some but once you get a first hand taste of it, many individuals get turned off of it for life.

Why is there so much “drama” in the brown world?  Perhaps it is because of the millions of connections that the South Asian community has with each other.  There are people in college that you know from church, or temple, from dance/music class, relatives, exes of cousins and friends and relatives, the connections are honestly endless.  This results in the familiar “Oh wait, I think I know you from somewhere!” upon meeting someone for the first time.

Unfortunately, the number of connections you have is directly proportional to the chances of getting involved in “drama” in the brown community.  This makes sense because any little occurrence or rumor that you encounter can spread like wildfire through the numerous acquaintances you have.  This gives the facebook family tree a run for its money!

Facebook is another means of spreading things and amplifying drama.  Seeing the list of mutual friends when accepting a friend request for the first time confirms the previous statement of the six degrees of separation especially in the South Asian community.  Often, this connection is the basis of various relationships which is exemplified by the common, ‘meet at a party once, friend request the next day, never make eye contact or talk ever again.’  Just because of this, the potential for drama is enhanced because more people know about your life.

What is considered to be drama in the South Asian community is not in other communities or cultures.  The fear that someone will find out about something trivial to a college student but ludicrous to the older generation and word will spread to family is a fear that many South Asian live with.  This causes even the simplest things that most other college goers would dismiss as commonplace to be amplified and cause unnecessary stress.

It is inevitable to encounter drama in any community in college but it is the way you handle it that makes all the difference.  The most important thing about drama that is often overlooked is the fact that it is temporary above all else.  Even if you do catch yourself being victim of a situation, know that soon, whatever is seemingly horrible at the time will blow over soon enough only to have some other poor individual stress over the same thing.

The celebration began as a designated week in 1977. In 1992, the official designation of May as Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month was signed into law by President George H.W. Bush.

The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. The majority of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

Brown Girl Magazine will be honoring South Asians who have made significant contributions to American society this month.

Once upon a time: My name is Alisha Ebrahimji, and I’m 21 years young. I was born in Baltimore, Maryland but raised in Dallas, Texas. (Plano, represent.)

And now: I’m pursuing a degree in journalism and sociology at Texas State University. I’m so busy that I run around like a chicken with my head cut off but I love it. The newspaper has opened my eyes to the world of journalism and I can’t wait to become more immersed in this fabulous atmosphere. Aside from writing and reporting I’m also a gymnast, music enthusiast and dancer. I love Bollywood movies and music and I promise, one day, I will dance in one. I’m incredibly close to my mum and brother. They’ve been my rocks throughout every obstacle I’ve encountered in life thus far and I don’t know where I’d be without them. I try to view the glass as half-full but let’s face it, everyone could use a little more optimism in their life. My iTunes library is full of the most random combination of music, but somehow describes my every mood. I know almost all the words to every Lil Wayne and Atif Aslam song. What a combination, huh? I consider myself to be very independent and persistent. Knowledge is power. I love a good challenge and I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Yes, I have one of those cliché lists of “places to visit before I die” and I am confidant it will be accomplished.

When I grow up: I want to be famous. Just kidding, but not really. I aspire to be a broadcast journalist one day. My goal is to provide the world with fair and efficient news because I believe everyone has a right to know what’s going on, when it’s going on. I hope that I can inspire at least one person in this lifetime and I wish to be a positive influence on those around me.

Alisha’s own blog can be found at http://alishae.wordpress.com/.

Half written sentences with potentially witty things wait impatiently on a crumpled piece of paper with more scratch marks than my cat’s favorite shoe.  Squinting one eye, then the next, I try to make words materialize in a cohesive order by simply thinking really hard. Fail.

For the past few months I have been trying to figure out what you, lovely and devoted readers, would want to know about me. I am at a loss. Since I am not a big fan of labels, I shall give you all the necessary tidbits about me, beginning with the most general things and getting more private, so you can paint your very own portrait. After all, we all have the right to view the world differently, right?

The canvas: I was born in East London and raised whilst ping ponging across the Atlantic between there and good ol’ Sugar Land, TX. Yes, that does mean I say ‘mum’ instead of ‘mom’, ‘crisps’ instead of ‘chips’ and ‘bloody hell’ at regular intervals. Being from England, I gobbled up all the history, fashion, writing, etc. I could get my hands on. Enter William Shakespeare. I read Shakespeare my freshman year and was asked to compose a sonnet of my own; that sonnet single-handedly changed my life. I have been writing poetry since then, and it’s that love for poetry which pushed me to go and apply for a position in my high school’s newspaper staff.  When I realized people actually enjoyed what I had to say, I started my own blog whilst immersed in the worlds of my political science and French majors at Houston Baptist University. Then, one fateful day, I came across BG on Facebook and took giant Grand Canyon leap of faith and applied to write for them. Et viola!

Let’s move on to the paint: I absolutely adore the sound of laughter and therefore am constantly saying and doing things to make people laugh. I am very close to my family, and my 12 year old brother is the light of my life and my very best friend. I would shrivel up and cease to exist without my fix of Häagen-Dazs Caramel Cone ice cream every day. I thoroughly enjoy challenges and working in real estate gives me the opportunity to emotionally terrorize clients into buying homes that they’re not sure they want, but would be lost without. Inanimate objects have a bad habit of getting in my way. My love for India, my culture, and Bollywood burns brightly in my heart like an eternal Diwali.

The portrait: This is me. Uncensored, raw, and real.

My time is precious, I don’t have hours to organize and reorganize, bookmark and sort, divide and tab information every time. Here are some tips for organizing your digital life:

1. DropBox

DropBox allows you to have a folder on your desktop that is accessible from all of your computers. If you have multiple computers and hate attaching files in your email then updating and resending them the you need DropBox. You can also send a public file to someone that contains multiple files, docs, pictures, etc rather than zipping or attaching them. You can also sync it to back up any folders you like.

Sample Uses: Storing your resume for easy updating capabilities, storing school/work assignments that you need to update periodically, sharing large picture galleries to a friend

2. Evernote

Evernote is a virtual inspiration board. Generally if I see something I like I snap a pic with my cell, drag the image to a folder or make a note of it somewhere I’ll never look again. The idea with Evernote is to take things you see on the internet (pictures, articles, books, listings, etc) and put them in a virtual file that you can organize.

Sample Uses: Storing images off your favorite fashion blogger, marking a book that sounds interesting, saving that perfect brownie recipe for the next time you bake

3. Skype

Skype allows you to instant message, video chat, and send files to your online contact. Most people use skype to keep in touch with long distance family members and friends, but it’s becoming more main stream for professionals to use video chat for meetings. (Yesterday I worked from home for 7 hours and just Skype chatted my boss the whole day — whenever we needed to discuss something we’d video chat!)

Sample uses: Chatting with friends while surfing the internet, job interviews that are out of state, large file transfers, keeping in touch with your parents while you’re away at college

4. Google Docs

Google Docs allows you to store and edit word documents, excel spreadsheets, powerpoints and PDFs from your gmail account. It allows you to do the same things as a drop box, but you need to log into access the documents and they auto save while you work on them. It’s also better to send people a Google Docs file to view when working on a large project.

Sample Uses: Storing timesheet for work or school, allowing multiple people to view a single document, Ssoring documents that you aren’t using but would like to keep in your database (old school documents)

5. Google Reader

Google Reader allows you to follow all of your favorite blogs in one local place at your own convenience. If you don’t want to have an RSS feed then Reader is perfect for you. Reader organizes your blogs and live updates as the blogs do so you don’t have to check if they put up a new video, a new article or a new outfit of the day.

Sample Uses: Following your favorite fashion, political, beauty, family, friends, design, comedy blogs in one place



• At the Rodeo

   

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• The View from Up Top

   

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• The Fair

   

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• With Some Cowboys

   

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• Farah and some Corn

   

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• Rodeo Time!

   

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• Show Time!

   

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• The Calf Scramble

   

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Dressed up with my plaid dress, brown combat boots, my favorite jean jacket, and of course the cowgirl hat, I was ready for the Houston Livestock Rodeo 2011.  This time of year is the greatest for a Texan.  BBQ brisket, wagon racing, bull riding, and country music, how can you go wrong?

I think this will be about my 8^th year in a row going to the rodeo.  So far I have seen Destiny’s Child, Enrique, John Mayer, Reba McEntire, Fergie, Black Eyed Peas, Gary Allen, Rascal Flatts, and Brad Paisley. Seems like I become more country every year, but from sections 100-600, including the Press box, it has always been a blast!

Houston Livestock Rodeo is usually in March every year at the Reliant Arena, with the carnival outdoors and show indoors.  Of course we always start off at the carnival!  I make sure to get my corn on cob every year with all the free fix-ins, mayo, butter, lemon pepper, parmesan cheese, hot sauce and so much more.  Yummy goodness, I say!  Oh, and you can’t forget all the fried stuff: funnel cakes, moon pies, twinkies and oreos.  Good thing the walk up the stairs is a good work out.

But the eating never really ends, because the food indoors is tempting as well. How can anyone say no to a BBQ brisket sandwich and a stack of curly fries with all the toppings. I know. I’m a foodie.  I could talk about food all day, but there is more to the Rodeo than just the amazing food.  I’m sure you get the point, so I’ll move on.

As soon as you enter the stadium and take your seat, the games begin! It is so exciting watching the Texan sports, bareback riding, calf scramble, mutton’ bustin’, wagon racing, and so much more.  Even though I have no idea what the rules are for any of the games, it still is a great experience. My favorite is the mutton’ bustin’, where the little kids try to stay on a running lamb as long as they can.  One kid said he practices in his backyard.  He was asked, “How, do you have a mutton?” The kid replied, “Nope, I have a dog!”  How cute.

Finally, it is time for the show to start. The lights go down, fireworks explode, and the countdown begins! People start dancing and singing along with the singer. Every year, I enjoy every moment of it and soak in all the Rodeo goodness, hope for it to last until the next year.  Ah, the perks of being a Texan.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is the largest Rodeo in the world and occurs every March! If you’re ever in the area, make it your pit stop!