Dear Seema Aunty, I want I get on birth control for horrible cramps, but my mom thinks birth control is a huge, no-no. She still has an old-fashioned view of them and is worried it might turn me into a ‘promiscuous’ woman! Should I tell her I’m going to start the pill or start taking...

By Komal Thakkar – George Washington University I’ll be honest, I’m a tough critic when it comes to dance. The word fusion and I have a rather strange relationship. When the words modern, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, or ballet are used in conjunction with Bollywood, Bharatnatyam, Kathak, or...

by Priya Mukhopadhyay – Stony Brook University Have you ever felt as if you were in a tug of war between two worlds?  Or even questioned traditions and customs that you at first grew to accept without really enquiring whether there is any validity behind them?  Maybe you worked your hardest to...

Guest contributor Rani Hayden – www.ranihayden.com Show of hands of who has had their mendhi done before? Mendhi or Henna Parties are a part of the many festivities for South Asian weddings. Typically for the ladies side of the family (however that has since changed and the woman on the men’s...

by Simerjeet Sahota – Ohio State Graduate …If I don’t talk about this. First off: I don’t really know who “they” are.  I’m really just referring to a general sense of paranoia (cause that’s basically how I roll). Second  off: the “Indian-card” thing?...

by Megha Hamal I love weddings, of all shapes and sizes, all colors and patterns. Weddings make me happy. And, South Asian weddings are definitely my favorite. Personally, there are various reasons why I love them, apart from just being a South Asian myself. Everything from the decors, the festivity,...

By Sailaja Joshi – Harvard University Wheatish. Fair. Golden. These terms used to stand for simply ways describe a perspective bride’s skin color. Today, they have come to stand for so much more. Wrought with these words is the stigma behind being dark and how it has become entrenched in...

by Komal Thakkar – George Washington University – Star Contributor I’m back for my last BG post from the United States until December! I’ll be studying abroad in Ghana this semester, but before I leave I had to gush a little bit about Clarice and Robert’s Bollywood performance on Wednesday...

by Komal Thakkar - George Washington University – Star Contributor   Every Thursday night is the dreaded So You Think You Can Dance results show which begins with a group routine with all of the dancers. On Thursday, July 7th, the top 14 dancers of Season 8 performed an INCREDIBLE Bollywood routine...

By Megha Hamal Last week, I was at my dentist’s office getting my regular teeth cleaning. As I was getting ready to leave, my dentist asked me, “Have you ever thought about using Invisalign braces for your teeth? You know, it will make your teeth look perfect.” It wasn’t so much the idea of wearing...