Author Archives: Ennis Singh Mutinywale

Pimping off-broadway theater, sight unseen

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Browntown is a satirical comedy that explores the issue of cultural stereotyping from the point of view of three brown-skinned actors at an audition for a less-than-original TV-movie, The Color of Terror. The actors, who are competing with one another to play the role of an Arab terrorist, grapple with their misgivings about the script. With only the help of casting directorÂ’s ridiculous advice, all three actors do their best to embody all the qualities of a truly vicious terrorist.

5 shows only, from Tuesday 8/24 to Saturday 8/28. For more information on tickets, etc, go to the show website. This is part of the Fringe NYC festival, “the largest multi-arts festival in North America, with more than 200 companies from all over the world performing for 16 days in more than 20 venues”. Let me know how it was if you happen to catch it …

The Beeb on “Sikhs and the City”

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The BBC is doing a show on Sikhs in the UK. Their press release starts with this little factoid: “There are enough Sikhs in Britain to fill the Royal Albert Hall one hundred times over.” I’ve never thought of counting groups’ population sizes that way before ….

The documentary is narrated by Kulvinder Ghir from “Goodness Gracious Me.” It will include interviews with Comedian Sody Singh Kahlon, nonagenarian marathon record holder Fauja Singh, and twin artists Amrit and Rabindra Kaur Singh, amongst others. (This is a painting by the twins, btw.)

Now we know how many Albert Halls it takes to sit Brit Sikhs … Nah. Tell Paul he doesn’t have to worry about his day job yet.

The town I live in

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The town I currently live in is so white that …

… the local bakery makes only white bread (no wheat) and the last sandwich shop I went to only made sandwiches with mayo — not one option had mustard!

… there is a chinese restaurant that bills itself as a “chop suey palace” (I’d take a photo but I’d rather not get arrested)

… the only kosher restaurant in town was a kosher irish place (it closed before I moved here in January, unfortunately). I can just see the menu — corned beef and latkes!

… there actually is a 7/11 that employs only white people. It’s like one of those mythical places you can only find by getting lost, and you can never get back there (none of the employees could read a map either)

But even out here they showed Harold and Kumar at the local multiplexes (both of them!)

Mizo Jews

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Israeli rabbis are soon to meet to determine whether the Jews of Mizoram / Bene Menashi are “really jewish” and therefore entitled to excercise claims under the law of return. No word on whether the genetic test for the Cohen gene has been performed, like with the Bene Israel of India or the Lemba of Southern Africa.

p.s. Mizoram is a state at the eastern edge of India, just to the south of Assam, sandwiched between Bangladesh and Burma. These are desis who claim to have been a “lost tribe” but whose claims are fairly recent. Continue reading →

Kathmandu blockaded by Maoist rebels

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Maoist rebels, inspired by the shining path, in a bid to overthrow the Nepalese monarchy, have launched an indefinite blockade of Kathmandu. An indigenous Maoist movement in this day and age? The basis of their support appears to be resentment by lower caste Nepalis “against the authority wielded by the higher castes.” Nor is the King very popular. (He came to power when the crown prince supposedly ran amok, high on drugs, and shot the previous King and Queen, leaving the King’s brother as the new King). I don’t have anything snarky or witty to say about this — both sides routinely violate human rights and neither is democratic. It’s a real Charlie Foxtrot.

Were Harold and Kumar smoking desi doobage?

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It seems that desis are a “model minority”, entrepreneurial in spirit, and drawn to excel in all spheres. Even criminal life.

In the past 13 years, police have reported 76 young men killed in the Vancouver area in gang-related violence. The authorities blame drug deals gone bad and local turf wars, mostly involving well-to-do young people of Indian descent.

The gangs deal mostly in marijuana, according to police, and specialize in a popular variety grown in the province called B.C. bud. “B.C. bud marijuana is highly sought after in the United States,” said constable Alex Borden of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

In Blaine, Wash., Joe Giuliano, assistant chief at the local U.S. Border Patrol office, said 23 Canadian smugglers have been arrested on the U.S. side of the border this year. “Virtually all marijuana smuggling in the past fiscal year is either directly or indirectly tied back to the Indo-Canadian community,” Giuliano said.

Somehow, I don’t think this is what was meant by swadeshi.

It’s not just republicans who can wrap themselves in the flag

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My favorite image from the DNC in Boston:

star spangled turban.jpg

This is delegate Harjit Singh from Hershey, PA. There’s actually been a Sikh delegate at the DNC for at least 12 years. When I was younger, I remember watching an older gentleman from the South in the televised coverage; he always got at least one closeup.

Sadly, there is no guaranteed patriotic prophylaxis against hate crime. Post 9/11, Surinder Singh Siddhu was badly beaten in his L.A. liquor store by hoodlums who accused him of being Bin Laden and hit him with metal poles. Siddhu was also similarly attired.

White girls in Brooklyn appropriate Saraswati

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The singular invocation they were chanting during their Brooklyn rehearsal began, “Oh lordy, please say it’s not broken, please say she was kidding,” before diverging into specifics: “And please send me a hot guy who’s young and athletic and not married or secretly gay.” “But lord, what do I have to do to get a new job and my credit card approved?” “Am I truly a bad person because I wish my upstairs neighbor would get hit by a truck or struck by lighting every now and then?”

from the New York Times

And you know what? I’m fine with that. I know it sounds strange to hear them and see them, but … Continue reading →