Why is it that weekends fly so fast and weekdays seem to last forever? To stay upbeat through a long work week, I often like to indulge in something that's just for me - whether it's rocking out at my Bollywood dance class, zen-ing out at yoga, or starting my day off right at my favorite coffee shop...
I get inexplicable joy out of the simple act of enjoying a wholesome cup of coffee paired with some carbs - whether it's a bagel, croissant, scone, muffin, or cupcake (I think I get it from my mother)! Today, with a sinfully soft apricot-thyme scone and a frothy cappuccino in hand, I could do no wrong. Hey, it's the little things that get you through the day, right? Thank you, Stumptown Coffee!
Readers, what are things you like to do to get through the week?
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Recently, a friend suggested that we stop for some paan in the “Curry Hill” neighborhood after dinner. Quite honestly, I hadn’t eaten paan in a long time and realized it was time for my palate to revisit, what I like to call, the Indian-style mint. As we watched the man behind the counter readily prepare our treat, I thought to myself how odd this must look to someone not familiar with the concept of paan. Well, it’s really just a green betel leaf rolled up with cloves, cardamom, peppermint, sometimes tobacco, and other ingredients that provide a sweet and aromatic taste. Gobbling up paan quickly won’t do anything for you - you’ll feel like you just ate grass. The point is to slowly chew and savor it so that the combined flavors of the leaf and other fillings may slowly be released to your taste buds. Also, be prepared for the distinct red staining of the lips caused by the betel leaf, which leads me to my next point…
Aah, paan…it really gets a bad rep, doesn’t it? Equated to such things as being the poor man’s chewing gum, an unsophisticated habit of supposedly uneducated folks, the cause of unsightly streaks of red on your clothing, of stains on your teeth, and of streetside filth in India…it’s no wonder most people outside of the South Asian subcontinent have never heard of it. Well, I for one, like to see the other side of paan, the one of Bollywood fame.
The popularity of paan-eating was aptly captured by the iconic song from the 1970s movie Donwhere Amitabh Bachchan played a streetside wanderer singing “Khaike paan banaras wala”. The gist of the song is that “by eating paan from Banares, you unlock your senses. Then what a miracle you will see, for it will straighten you out” (These translations always sound so awkward!).
My personal favorite paan song is “Paan khaye saiyaan hamaaro” from the 1960s movie Teesri Kasam. The song always makes me smile as the ethereal Waheeda Rehman dances to lyrics that go something like, “My beau eats paan. With his wheatish complexion and reddened lips, there are streaks of red on his white button-down tunic…” (Again, I never claimed to be an expert song translator!)
As I headed home from the paan shop that night with teeth stained red, I thought of how paan tastes just like its persona in Indian culture…a satisfying treat that is a conflict of sweet and bitter flavors all rolled into one.
I recently took a dance/fitness class in DC, where the instructor led us through a choreographed set of high-energy moves to bhangra music. What made the class so much fun was the high-octane music that really got me shaking my bootay! Bhangra music never fails to get me pumped up and excited, even on a bad day.
For the non-desis out there who don’t know what I’m talking about, bhangra is a highly energetic form of dance that originates from the north Indian state of Punjab. It’s gotten a fair amount of exposure in the West in recent times with hip-hop artists like Jay-Z performing to Punjabi MC remixes. After a particularly beat-bouncing dance class recently, I started thinking about which bhangra songs are my favorite. So here is my list of top, hip-shaking bhangra songs which I wanted to share. Who knows – you might discover a new favorite song from this list or, if you’re a newbie, get educated on the power of bhangra! So here goes…
7) Sadi Galli (Lehmber Hussainpuri)
The beat of this song is undeniable and can make any person want to dance. My dance instructor from Dhoonya Dance, a Bollywood-inspired dance school, taught us such great moves to this song that I can’t help but break into a dance whenever I hear this song at a wedding or bhangra party!
6) Aaja Nachle (Bally Sagoo)
This song makes me reminisce of my early college days and reminds me of the wedding scene in Monsoon Wedding when everyone goes crazy on the dance floor. This has got to be one of Bally Sagoo’s best!
5) Aashiq (Punjabi By Nature and Miss Pooja)
The music video may not be amazing, but the lyrics are certainly interesting. Lines from the song, such as “I am more beautiful than angels, no one is like me and everyone is in love with my mischievous eyes”, can definitely boost your ego, if your ego is easily boosted…
4) Door Ne Khulni (Manni Sandhu)
I love this song as it picturizes the quintessential chill-with-friends-at-a-house-party, followed by the character’s plight when his mom doesn’t open the door when he gets home. Watch what happens in the video!
3) Na Na Na Re (Daler Mehndi)
No bhangra list is complete without a throwback Deler Mehndi song! This ‘90s song still manages to get me going on the dance floor.
2) Morni (Punjabi MC)
The girl in this song has some mad accessorizing skills and the song ain’t bad either! Punjabi MC has to be in this list after my friends and I saw him live in an exclusive (100 people only) concert. We mixed and mingled with him, and subsequently gave him our numbers since he wanted to come party with us later!
1)Amplifier (Imran Khan)
Imran Khan reigns number one on my bhangra list! While Amplifier is his most famous song, his other songs, such as Hey Girl, Bounce Billo, and Ni Nachle, all vied for the number one spot.
Imran Khan is also an amazing live performer. Check out this picture I took at his concert!
So that wraps up my top Bhangra dance songs! What would you add or remove from this list?
For DC peeps who are interested in coming out to dance parties, check out the United States Department of Bhangra (USDB) parties, held every month at the Black Cat! Or join me in one of the Dhoonya Dance bhangra classes. I might just see you there next time!
