At the time when most immigrant doctors from India are struggling to get their degrees recognized by Canada in one of the most popular Canadian cities, Toronto, here is the news that would make all Indians feel proud, as well as inspire medicos to make it big in foreign land. The founder of BSA Diagnostic Medical Imaging Center, who hails from Amritsar, Punjab in India has made it big in the Canadian land. The center happens to be one of the largest medical facilities in Canada. A graduate from the Amritsar Medical College, Birinder Ahluwalia is a famous figure in Canada, thanks to not only his professional achievements, but also for his contributions to the cultural aspect.

Physician Ahluwalia immigrated to Toronto in the year 1985. He started off his career in the Canadian city as a courier boy. However, he did not wait much time, as soon after he joined the chief of the RDS Diagnostics as his assistant. Alongside, he was training as a diagnostic imaging specialist. He just took the right move at the time. Diagnostic imaging was just taking off, where there were lots of opportunities in the field at that time.

He then opened the BSA Diagnostic Imaging Center in the year 1989- the vehicle for his successful journey! In 2009, the center handled a total of seventy thousand cases. According to Mr. Ahluwalia, his center expects to treat even more patients this year. It was his achievement which earned him the one of the top 25 slots for the immigrant achievers in Canada. He accompanied the Canadian PM Stephen Harper to India in 2009.

Birinder Ahluwalia’s achievements are not restricted to only his profession. He is one of the founders of the Toronto’s Spinning Wheel Film Festival. Mr. Ahluwalia is the perfect example of a promising immigrant who holds the determination to make something remarkable in foreign land. He, especially, is a role model to immigrant doctors in Toronto, where one can find the highest number of immigrant physicians who are earning their livelihood as taxi drivers, due to the non-recognition of their degrees.

It seems that an outrage has come about amongst the Canadians with reference to the refugees entering the nation through boats. They have been told to be more compassionate with these people. As per reports, the 490 passengers who arrived at the West Coast seem to have paid $10,000 to $50,000 for this particular journey. Some of the passengers have paid for themselves while the others would have their family residing in Canada pay for this trip. The worst of the lot would have to work to pay the debts as modern day slaves who are bound by contract.

The cargo ship known as the MV Sun Sea wasn’t made to carry people. There were reports that some of the people succumbed to illness like tuberculosis. At the same time, one passenger also died and he had to be buried in the sea.

With such cases in place where in people are putting everything at stake to come to Canada, compassion does not exactly seem to be the right approach. Who knows, another boat might soon land and more after that. Compassion would simply a behavior that is encouraging for an activity which is against the law and put lives at stake including those of children.

The present Harper government seems to have taken this ship as a test run which does not seem to be the apt approach. The last such test run was in October which was a big failure. Initially, all the passengers were detained to check whether they belonged to the Tamil Tigers but then were freed at a later stage.

Keeping the above in mind, the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said that the nation would change its laws making it more restrictive to secure its borders. However, in order to change these policies pertaining to immigration, the Prime Minister would require the backing from the opposition parties as well. Above all, something more constructive needs to be done which would bring about a change in the current scenario.

I have caught many people, especially not-so-happy-from-inside fellows saying that they are comfortable with their skin, rather happy with the way they look and all they need is to be fit! To what extent this statement is true? Do you think these girls (ladies) really mean what they say? According to me, there are some people (not talking about boys) who are frustrated about their bodies and fake around that they just love the way they are. I don’t intend to criticize people here, but my question to them is that why do you need to lie when you are not comfortable with your look, rather your body?

No matter how much people (fat ones) say that they’re happy with their bodies, deep inside all of them desire for a perfect body. And they are the ones who envy their neighbor/colleague/friend who is blessed with a barbie-doll figure. It is not their fault though. God has made some people so perfect that they become an object of jealous. Have you ever caught your colleagues talking about that colleague of yours with a great body? They might talk that the later is too slim and she looks unhealthy. You may find your views contradict with theirs. So, what’s that? Of course, this implies a sense of envy! Why envy others, make out some time to get a good figure for yourself and be the center of attraction!

There are other people who just enjoy the beauty of a sexy waistline, not only men, women as well, but they find it hard to make it happen for themselves. You will also get one or two compliments for your suave waistline and they will praise you for that so much that you will have a feel that they really are determined to get a waistline like yours. But, they would never try to get one.

Everyone has dreamt of a perfect waistline/body. I know, you too have higher desire of getting a beautiful body that would make other women jealous. Well, I consider that the cost of health maintenance is too high these days. But, why not take refuge of some simple activities that are completely free of cost. Over the time I have realized that to maintain a perfect body one needs to be active as much as possible and requires to do 2-3 regular activities by her own, along with maintaining healthy eating habits. When you keep yourself active and do your stuff by your own, the importance of following healthy food habits takes a backseat actually. I mean, when you are active you keep your metabolism healthy and as a result you are able to burn the calories you consume more. Well, this works for me, but, don’t blindly apply this on you. First, check out what you consume. If you consume junk and fatty food mostly, then of course, you have to control your consumption. While these kinds of food can hinders your journey to achieve a perfect figure, at the same time these are not meant for daily consumption.

If you do care for your health and want to get a beautiful body, you have to sacrifice a few things, like the luxury of spending the whole day in your bed; eating your heart out and gorge into those cheese filled junk delicacies and sticking to the television for 24×7. Hmm…so, a Bodylicious figure comes with a lot of sacrifices. But, it is worth to make these sacrifices if at the end you achieve your dream body!

There was this teacher in my dancing school who always used to tell me that ‘you become what you believe’ and this was his favorite line. Whenever some student used to say that I don’t think so that I will be able to do this or that, he only used to say that if you believe that you can’t then you really can’t and if you believe that you can, then you can.

To be very honest, I really do not like somebody preaching me with philosophical statements to make me feel good and positive when I am feeling like a failure. And that’s what I used to feel that these words of my teacher are only for encouragement but this does not apply in every situation especially when it comes to mine. But I am slowly proving myself wrong and start understanding that the power of faith is infinite and it can do wonders in every ones life.

Well, I might be sounding like another promoter of God for many atheists who are reading this article. But it’s not just about having faith in God or some deity but it’s about faith in everything. Faith can be on anything, be it in our lives, relationships, and people around us and of course not to forget faith in ourselves.

When we show our faith in something, then things turn up in a much more positive way. Faith is that powerful force which has the potential to change anything and everything in our life. Our scriptures and holy texts have always talked about having faith in God and the miracles it can bring in our lives. Faith can help in taking out the full potential within us.

In fact, there have been so many critical cases in medical history when doctors gave up on patients but the faith of patient has proved them wrong. When we are not able to keep faith, then we tend to get more anxious about things happening in our lives. Each and every individual on this earth possess infinite potential which he can manifest in his life but for that it is the power of faith which is required.

There are so many living examples in front of us who started their journey of their dreams based on faith only and they finally achieved what they wanted to achieve. When man thought of going to the moon, that time his faith must have been his greatest strength to keep on moving towards his dreams. And there is no place for doubts and words like ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ in the world of faith. Life becomes easy for those people who are able to keep faith in their lives and in themselves in comparison to those who always live this life under fears and insecurities.

As said by Oscar Wilde, “Anybody can sympathise with the sufferings of a friend, but it requires a very fine nature to sympathise with a friend’s success.” I am sure just like me; there are many out there searching for friendship quotes at this point of time. After all, its Friendships Day tomorrow which would be celebrated with all the fun and frolic around!

So, guys it’s that time of the year when you are with your BFF or Best Friends Forever…right from exchanging those friendship bands in those good old school days to giving this term a new meaning altogether in college all the way to finding your friends for life…this day signifies it all!

I still remember gifting those small bands to my friends and there used to be a few of them who used to make those sweet friendship bands all by themselves. I remember their eyes being all red and puffed up only because they were making those bands putting all their creative inputs the previous night. That one sleepless night in the year is the most important only to see a smile on our faces the next day! Life definitely was much simpler then…

We all dream about making big bucks and enjoying our lives in plush cars and big homes but we tend to forget those sweet memories. It is those simple pleasures in life which is what makes our life happy. Not to forget, our mates are our souls to walk along with us in this tedious journey called life. They are the most important aspect of our daily life. We don’t have to think twice before calling them at 3 A.M. in the morning and blabber without a pause. They are the ones to share our joys and tears with and eat their heads whenever we want to. And so, how best this emotion could be celebrated than dedicating a day to it!

So, start designing your own bands or buy a different band for each of your buddy and gift them tomorrow as a symbol of your friendship but more so, that you care. It’s time to rekindle that old bond!

Now for some Gyaan: The Friendships Day celebrations were initially stated by the United States Congress in 1935. The first Sunday of August was proclaimed as the National Friendship Day which became an annual event then.

But who cares where it all came from as far as the spirit keeps going on! So, what are you waiting for guys? It’s time to bring out that hidden creativity of yours and start designing bands. Start selecting gifts for each of your friends and surprise them with their favourite goodies. Above all, friends are the colours in our life!

HAPPY FRIENDSHIPS DAY!!!

Sometimes I really wonder that why so many philosophers keep writing about life that ‘life is this or life is that’ when ultimately what matters is that, we live this life? Why we keep talking about life and discuss its various aspects as many of us fail to live it fully? Everyone is gifted with just one life and let’s make the most of it. Isn’t it?

Let us see what all things we can do to make it interesting.

• Friends: After family, its friends who are the brightest colors on the canvas of our life. Without friends, life seems boring and limited but friends expand our social network. Human being is a social animal and can not live alone in isolation, in this context friends play a significant role in our community.
• Health : There is a famous saying which says that ‘health is wealth’ and it has not been said just like that. It really means a lot because a healthy body with healthy mind can enjoy this life more nicely in comparison to an ill or unhealthy body. A fit body is more active and so can perform multiple tasks without any difficulty. In fact, we must have noticed in our everyday life also, that whenever we become ill, our mind gets occupied with our illness and this takes away our lot of energy which could have been used otherwise. To remain fit, one can include any form of physical exercise such as yoga, dance, running or even cleaning home as part of our daily activity. But one must not forget that diet is another factor which largely determines our level of fitness.
• Work: Many of us select our profession on the basis of one thing and that is ‘money’. Today, most of the youngsters run after pursuing those courses which would provide them with well-paid jobs with which they can buy all the comforts and luxuries for themselves. If we do not enjoy what we do, then I guess, our work would become a burden for us. Hence, our choice of career must be based on our interest and of course money as well. Those who enjoy their work and do it passionately, they always look more happy and contended with their life.
• Vacations: When I was a child, I always used to look forward for my summer vacations because those were the most beautiful and carefree days of my life. Going out on vacations with family and relatives was always a different experience. And I am sure the fondest memories of our lives are formed on such vacations and outings only. It helps in breaking the monotony of everyday routine life, in which we perform almost the same tasks daily.
• Habit:  If we have this habit of taking out some time for ourselves and do ‘our’ during that time, this would always keep us in good mood. It’s good to pursue some hobby on the regular basis like watching movies, reading, dancing or even cooking. This is one way to make everyday interesting.

It’s easy to crib about life that it’s boring and has nothing interesting to offer but its difficult to take the responsibility of our own life and make efforts to break its monotony Nothing happens on its own,  and unless we do not get  involve with our life , it will remain the same for us. So, friends do not sit and wait for things to happen for you because it’s ultimately your journey and you way. Good Luck!

We all wait for a reason to be happy not realizing that the feeling comes from within. Most of us do not realize that being happy is not a feeling but a state of mind which an individual trains himself to be in. There are many pre-conceived notions when it comes to the concept of happiness. The biggest of all is to wait for an occasion or a moment to bring about this state which in turn leaves us with even more sorrow.

The main problem with such an attitude is that the small pleasures or the little happy instances in your life would seem worthless. But then, these are the ones which build the happy life that we have. Our levels of satisfaction are so high that we have literally forgotten how to be happy. More so, our focus is always on something that is much better and at times, difficult to achieve or out of our reach.

This state can be partly blamed on the fast paced lifestyles where in people do not exactly have time to spend with their loved ones. The demands of a hectic work schedule in a high pressure job make an individual to push boundaries. In the process, we believe that by achieving this rather difficult task would lead us to peace. But this is not how it works!

But we all know that being humans, our levels of satisfaction are far from being attainable. So, it is up to us to decide whether or not to control the strings of our life and be happy in the worst of circumstances. And this is how you can do it:

• Being grateful and having a feeling of gratitude is one of the biggest strengths that an individual can possess. The moment you start practicing this concept, the transformation would automatically come to the surface. The feel good factor tends to walk in to your life unexpectedly. You tend to appreciate the things that you have in your life rather than those that you do not have. Here, the tiny little aspects start counting which adds to your feeling of contentment. Hence, you would worry less and your mind would be in a state of happiness.
• Take everything as it comes…more so, take it in your stride. After all, life is known to be a journey for a reason. Don’t be scared of making mistakes, it’s a part of your constant growth and evolution. At the same time, do not hook yourself to a goal which is far-fledged and very vague. Live in the present and be happy. It is more important to enjoy the process of reaching towards that goal. That is what which makes it fruitful. Make it a point to find joy in each and every moment…think of instances which have made you smile and cherish those memories. With those other goals, this should be your most important goal. It is important to get the feeling of accomplishment. You would definitely want to savor the consequence of the entire process.
• It is never too late or too less a time for yourself. It would be difficult to be happy when you are always in a rush. So, it is important that you take out time to relax and succumb to those small pleasures which takes us to that surreal world. For a start, find out the activities that you love doing the most. This could be anything from watching movies to eating your favorite food or going on a vacation and so on.

Above all, the choice lies with us. Whatever road we decide to walk on, it is our decision and so, we should not have any regrets. There would definitely be many road blocks but do not let that bring you down. Obviously, we do not know what the future is. So do not let those little thorns prick you. Instead, embrace happiness wholeheartedly!

There are few pop stars that have been the role models of millions of youngsters around the world alike. Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, and few other names belong to this category. But when one talks about a most recent addition to this list, the name Madonna instantly comes to the mind.

As someone crazy about music, Madonna has never been my favorite. But there is something about her which has always made me dig deeper about this celebrity. Even at this stage when she is above the age of 50 years, she continues to be a favorite of the old and the young. She has donned many hats which include that of a recording artist, an actress, an author as well as entrepreneur. With a career prospering for more than two decades and is still on, she has been an icon to many.

Madonna was born in 16th August 1958 as Madonna Louise Ciccone in Bay City in Michigan. Her mother died at the age of 30 due to cancer which led Madonna to take care of herself and her siblings. In 1977, she moved to New York City to seek a career in modern dance. She finally released her debut album in 1983 which was then followed with many records making her quite popular. Her boldness to experiment with lyrics as well as the video portrayal in mainstream pop music led to her music finding a permanent place on MTV. She received critical acclaim for her diverse work in music which explored many different themes such as those of sex as well as religious symbolism. At the same time, her music fell prey to controversy especially with many religious leaders despising her work.

But then just like those few favorite celebrities, she has always been in the news which gave her the apt platform to promote herself. In her long career, she has released eleven albums as a singer. Most of her songs have been on the top spot in the record charts. These include 4 Minutes, Like a Virgin, Frozen, Music, Papa Don’t Preach, Vogue and many more. Apart from the eleven albums, she has featured and sung for many albums for other artists as well. She is known to constantly evolve and reinvent herself through her music. Along with this, her public image led to the creation of autonomy as well as redefining the standards in the industry.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Madonna is the top selling female recording artist of all time in the world. She was named as the best-selling female rock artist of the twentieth century by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The RIAA also listed her as the second top-selling female artist with sixty four million certified albums in the United States. The list is simply endless with many other associations and magazines such as the Billboard as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame giving credentials to her work and career as a singer and recording artist.

But it does not end here. As an actress, she was highly acclaimed for her role of Eva Peron in Evita. She had even won a Golden Globe award for the same. Her other movies include Dick Tracy, A league of Their Own, Body of Evidence, Desperately Seeking Susan and so on.

Soon she added another feather to her hat in the form of a children’s writer. In 2003, she released a series of books for children. With this, she started Maverick Corporation, a recording company which is a joint venture with Time Warner. She signed a US$120 million contract with Live Nation in 2007.

Apart from the above, she is also a fashion designer, a producer as well as a director. Keeping all these credentials aside, she has always been known to be a trendsetter as well as for her sense of style. From the notorious kid who was unfortunate to see her mother die at a very young age to the diva that she is today, it has been a long journey for this woman. And so, the aura still continues!

Indians are earning names for themselves abroad bringing pride and glory to the nation. There are many Indian professionals settled abroad who are creating wonders by achieving excellence in their fields. But nothing comes easy in life and behind their great achievements have had their challenging journey which they have tread.

There are many professional like doctors who go to abroad for better opportunities and end up working as taxi drivers or delivery boys with few only managing to earn a name for themselves.

Amritsar-born Birinder Ahluwalia is one of those lucky ones who didn’t let anything crush his overseas dreams. He is a physician and his BSA Diagnostic Medical Imaging Centre in Canada is amongst the top-rated Healthcare Institute of the country.

Ahluwalia‘s centre treated around seventy thousand patients which is a record in itself and they are expecting to have more patients this year. He further claims that there must be hardly any other medical centre which handles so many patients. He has also started a festival called Spinning Wheel Film Festival in the city. For his contribution in his field and culture promotion, he has secured a place for himself amongst the top twenty-five immigrant achievers. He has also been invited by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to accompany him for his trip to India last year.

But it’s not been a smooth sailing for Ahluwalia who has had his share of ups and downs in his journey. He started his life from the bottom slowly reaching to the top by taking one step at a time. Ahluwalia arrived in Canada with his doctorate degree from India but he started working as courier boy. But his gloomy days didn’t last long because he made quick moves and from a courier boy, he became the Assistant to the Chief of the RDS Diagnostics and then later got trained as a Diagnostic Imaging Specialist.

Later, he opened a small clinic and named it as BSA Diagnostic Imaging Centre in the 1989. Since then, he only moved forward and never looked back. Toronto is slowly gaining a reputation of having more numbers of immigrant doctors working as taxi drivers which speaks aloud about the plight of overseas professionals in Canada.

This is a small story of Amritsar born physician who made it happen despite having many difficulties in his way. But his story is an eye opener for many young professionals who have a rosy-picture about working in a foreign country where they would be offered everything from money to house in a platter. But that’s not the way things are in reality! And one must really prepare and work hard before planning to settle abroad because their might be many challenges awaiting for you there.

A recent study has indicated strong measures to be taken towards issues pertaining to domestic violence which involves honor killings. This is especially true for women in India and other South Asian communities in Canada. These measures should include counseling sessions being conducted by the Canadian Missions for Women residing in their nation of origin such as India and Pakistan prior to their wedding.

The study was conducted by an Indo-Canadian Aruna Papp and is known as “Culturally Driven Violence Against Women”. As per Papp, the highest rate of domestic violence in Canada happens in this rapidly growing Asian community in Canada.

According to her, most of these spouses come from India and Pakistan who bear the brunt of this violence and as these women are sponsored, they should be counseled appropriately before they set off on their journey to Canada. The main purpose behind conducting these sessions is to educate such women regarding their rights as well as the culture and values in Canada. It would also equip these women on how to access the Canadian help centers in times of need.

With the above, recommendations were also brought about for compulsory orientation for men as well (those sponsoring their spouses) to educate their spouses regarding the details of rules and regulations regarding the sponsorship. Gender equality is another aspect of concern where in men need to be educated.

On the other hand, with the number of fake marriages on the rise, applications submitted by men should be investigated thoroughly to check whether or not they have been married before. And if yes, the number of times that they were in the wedlock previously should be found out. Simultaneously, the pattern for these applications filed should also be traced.

Another important aspect is cultural training and competency of Canadian immigration officers which would equip them to catch such individuals. This would help in easing out the process of immigration.

There were other similar measures which have recommended by Papp in her study such the removal of fake consultants and so on.