DASTAAR

A Dastaar (also known as Pagri or Pagg) is a turban worn by South Asian men whose faith is Sikhism.  Wearing a Sikh turban is mandatory for all Amritdhari (baptized) Sikh, both genders.  And I saw a lot of men, a few ladies wearing a Dastaar during the Vaisakhi parades in Vancouver and Surrey, British Columbia April this year (2015).

Among the Sikhs, the Dastaar is an article of faith that represents honor, self-respect, courage, spirituality, and piety.   Sikh men and women wear the turban partly to cover their long, uncut hair.

Guru Gobind Singh, the last human Sikh Guru, wrote:

Kangha dono vaqt kar, paag chune kar bandhai.  "Comb your hair twice a day and tie your turban carefully, turn by turn."

During Vaisakhi, there is a stage where any boy or man can step up and have their Dastaars done on them regardless of race or personal faith.  Mandeep  did my Dastaar using an orange cotton fabric 16 feet long and 3 feet wide  - similar to the white strip in the above image that two men are stretching taut.  You can take your pick of colors: orange, blue, or white.  In general there are no rules on color or design or pattern.  One often coordinates their Dastaar with an outfit or vice versa.  See post on Kurta Pazam.

I thought wearing sunglasses would hide the fact that I am not South Asian.  But people noticed and some even asked for a photo op with me.   A lady told me my skin color gave me away.

There are many styles of Dastaar.  See http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sikhs-punjab-pagris-dastaar-pagri-turban-karan-singh-chhabra/1/201561.html.  Some styles are called dhamalla or damalla – hence the turban can be referred to as such.  On how to tie one, http://www.sikhnet.com/pages/tyingturbans

I wore my Dastaar from early afternoon till late evening: during Vaisakhi, a dinner at Surrey Pentecostal Church, and the hour-long home commute on the train and the bus.  How did it feel?

I thought it was too tight at first – then as I moved about, the turban loosened up a bit and felt less secure.

Walking around, talking with others, and driving, my Dastaar, which covered my ears, did not really affect my hearing.  Warm at first, I knew I would get used to it like wearing a shirt.

I did not notice anyone batting an eye when I took public transit.

Canadian journalist Harpreet Singh wrote that the Dastaar symbolizes a faith that “challenged the divisions in the society on the basis of caste and color” and seeks to “eliminate the concept of high and low.”

Now, when I see a man or woman wearing a Dastaar, I see a person who has the qualities of fairness and integrity.

KURTA PAZAM at VAISAKHI

At the 2015 Surrey Vaisakhi Parade attended by around 300,000 – the largest Vaisakhi outside India, I saw many men wearing an outfit that I picture any man, regardless of nationality, could wear in cities like New York, Manila, or London and be regarded as common elegant wear, not just for cultural occasions.

Called Kurta Pazam, it is so stylish, practical and comfortable.  Kurta pazam is a South Asian outfit for men: a loose fitting, simple cut with or without buttons, shirt that falls beyond the knees, with matching trouser or as younger guys do so in a very modern take, with a pair of jeans.

The Kurta Pazam also known as Kurta-Pajama comes in a wide range of fabrics like silk, cotton, linen, dupion, brocade, jacquard, and many more.  But the linen version comes out downright sharp.

Some guys wear the Kurta Pazam with a  Nehru jacket - a hip-length tailored coat with a mandarin collar – more like a vest – which makes the whole ensemble so manly man, so Cary Grant.   Ironically, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1964 rarely wore the jacket named after him, preferring the more traditional sherwani or achkan or an American style jacket.

Draping with a shawl gives a very chic look.

And if you really want to look special in a party, wear a pair of Aladdin-like Mojari or Khussa shoes, Rajasthani style - a man's closed shoe with an extended curled toe and no left-right distinctions between them.

The more observant of the Sikh men wear a dastaar or turban – see separate article Dastaar.

SMS

No it’s not a code.

There are two Vaisakhi Parades in British Columbia.  One is in Vancouver and the much larger one in Surrey.

On April 11^th’s Vancouver’s Vaisakhi Parade, many homes had tents pitched in their front lawn and giving away (yes for free) food and drinks to anyone.  I chanced upon a house which was handing out vegetarian sandwiches (#348 at an avenue corner Fraser Street).

The sandwich had no name but when asked – they dubbed it as SMS (probably the initials for the 3 ladies making it).   Well SMS it is, and it was good from an unexpected set of fillings.

Sliced cucumber in circles as thinly as you can

Tomatoes again sliced cross-wise as thinly as you can

Red onion in rings as thinly as you can

Spread Philadelphia light cream cheese (see bucket on picture above)  on both sides of the bread (they were using Dempster’s white)

Layer the cucumber,  tomato and red onion to your desire

Sprinkle with salt and pepper

Cut the sandwich into 4 squares

Unexpectedly appetizing. SMS

MANGO FLOAT for EASTER

What to do the Saturday before Easter Sunday if you are at home?

Shelley and Jaewin, sisters, showed me how to make the tasty Mango Float - a Filipino dessert.  And it was easy as ABC.  You can even just look at the images and know the ingredients, proportions and directions. But I will be more generous than that.

What you would need

1 can evaporated milk (the regular can)

1 condensed milk (the regular can)

2  small canned whipped cream (see image)

1 ripe Philippine mango, also Ataulfo

27 square Graham crackers

And a square dish

Mix the condensed milk and 2 cans of whipped cream in a bowl thoroughly which you will use to dress the graham cracker squares later

Soak the Graham crackers in evaporated milk for 2  to 3 seconds

Spoon the condensed milk/whipped cream for the every layer of graham crackers (you will have three layers including the final top)

Sprinkle the top with crushed graham crackers

Refrigerate at least an hour or overnight (with cling wrap cover) before serving.  Best with just plain cold water.

Estimated cost per dish CAD$10.00 or US$8.00 as of April 4^th, 2015

Shelley said she slightly modified the recipe from

http://kerlynb.hubpages.com/hub/Easy-Recipe-for-Making-the-Well-Liked-Filipino-Dessert-Mango-Float

Shelly, Jaewyn and I were brainstorming on how to upgrade the flavor or spin a variety.  Here are some of our ideas:

• Sprinkle the top with crushed cashew nuts ala Sans Rival dessert
• Used riped peaches or bananas or a mix with mangos

Any ideas from you?  Submit a comment.

Vancouver Chamber Choir’s Good Friday Concert

If there is one word that encapsulates my experience in attending the Good Friday Concert last April 3rd at the Orpheum Theatre – it would be “sublime”.  Billed as a Requiem, I had expectations of a very melancholic evening – but it turned out to be august.

The Vancouver Chamber Choir under the direction of founder Jon Washburn performed choral pieces in theme with the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the overall somber observance of Holy Week – considered by many in Christendom as far more theologically revealing on the deity of Jesus than the season of Advent.

The opening act was Heinrich Schütz oratorio Die sieben Worte Jesu Christi am Kreuz circa 1645 - a  musical setting  in German of The Seven Last Words of Christ.   Actually seven phrases, Jesus last human cries, were sang by baritone Steven Bélanger with an anguish that touched your soul.   Mr.  Bélanger came across at a lower range more resonant of a bass voice.  He distinctly intoned his lines, especially “Mein Gott, warum hast du mich verlassen?” “My God, why has thou forsaken me?”.   The pain was there but a tinge dry in Mr. Bélanger’s rendering of  lines where there should be tenderness -  when Jesus said, “Johannes , siehe, das ist deine Mutter”  “John, this is your mother”.

The second piece: Giacomo Carissimi’s Historia di Jephte in Latin was composed around the same time as Die sieben Worte.  Conductor Jon Washburn told the audience prior to the performance that if one would consider Die sieben Worte as a “gem”, then Historia di Jephte is the “necklace”.    The tragic Old Testament story of Jephte, a victorious military leader who rashly vowed to God prior to battle that if his army defeats the enemy, then when he returns, he will offer the life of whoever greets him first from his house. And that first was his only child, his daughter, not named in the Bible, but Carissimi calls Filia (Latin for daughter).   Tenor Carman Price as Jephte was at ease in his performance but lacked the delicate blend of bravura and sadness.  Soprano Catherine Laub was the opposite.  Ms. Laub captured the agony and helplessness of a daughter who knew her father must keep the vow.   But obviously additional effort was involved in sustaining those notes.

The piece de resistance of the night was Gabriel Fauré Requiem Opus 48, which was composed between 1887 and 1890.  For this final act, the Vancouver Chamber Choir was joined by the Pacifica Singers, Vancouver Youth Choir and a much larger ensemble of the Vancouver Chamber Orchestra.  The amalgamation was terrific - showcasing the conducting prowess of Jon Washburn.  Although Faure’s Requiem is more known for the central soprano aria Pie Jesu  (Pious Jesus), it was the seventh movement In Paradisum (Into Paradise) which was mesmerizing.

The Good Friday Concert was a superb acclamation of the human trait of grief; the continuum of lamentation does not end in torment but in solace and inexplicable rapture.