Well we’re finally here – 2012!  Feel different? Excited? Exhilarated? I do! With the New Year, we also have the president election coming up. In my mind this is one of the most controversial presidential elections that the entire United States will be involved in.  The slander and sorry “campaigns” have already started against the candidates, and they are starting to make their rounds from state to state. Facebook/Twitter…Social media in general is going to light up with the amount of involvement and personal opinion that will be circling this election. This is the first election after the Bush administration. We all know the presidency as it was in the control of Bush Jr., Any president elect following the Bush Administration was going to be under surveillance 24/7, and regardless of what he/she did would be reviewed by everyone. A lot of people have scrutinized president Obama on how he has handled the Nation and regardless of who is president, I doubt 4 years would have been sufficient time to restore an economy that took us 8+ years to run into the ground. I don’t think Obama has accomplished everything that he proposed, but the economy has gotten better. Has it been him? Or has it been all of us? I don’t ever think it would be just one portion of this nation that will be doing all the work. Together, I think we have helped each other and the nation get back to its feet. Let’s keep the momentum going. Everyone knows it’s a lot easier to break something than to build it…and we’ve broken it pretty good.

Thank you again for another great year, and let’s look forward to another year of activities and community events to keep this community involved and growing. The next generation is coming, the more and more events we cover, the more that is very clear.  Happy Lohri and happy first lohri to any couple or new born kids! May the years ahead be filled with happiness and success! I attended India Night this past month, and would like to congratulate the new team of India Association on a job well done. The performances were well put together so a big congratulations to the dance directors and the special performers. These events are always crowded and one thing that stands out to me is the parents of every kid that has a performance, have lined up at the stage with what seems like an entire audio/video setup. It’s like a blockade almost, the first two rows are definitely a “no stand” and a “no talk” zone or you will get death stares. Trust me….I know. It definitely makes me happy though and puts a smile on my face and I’m glad for the kids and happy for the parents as well. It’s very nice to see and I’m being 100% honest.  Being involved in your kids’ activities and showing passion and genuine caring is amazing! Just cut some of us news people some slack.

Happy New Year to All! The Team of Asia Today Arizona would like wish everyone a happy new year! Thank you to everyone for your continued support.

Raja Walia
Publisher, Asia Today
publisher@asiatodayaz.com

What a year 2011 was! As most of you may or may not know, I love learning. I think that’s one thing that will never stop.  This year I’ve learned a lot, more than probably any other year in the past five or so years.  There are moments or key moments that I remember that brought me here to 2012. The transition from a child to teenager is a key moment; high school is a key moment; college is a key moment; your first job is a key moment.

In 2011, a lot of things happened, both in my business and personal life.  Some may call them bad, some may call them learning experiences, some call them good, really depends on how you look at it. I like call them other things……we’ll leave it at that.  All joking aside, I’m really glad that everything happened. The current place I am in is where I want to be in, and I can truly say that I am happy. My family, the friends that know and supported me all the way, and my goals in my professional career, that are coming closer and closer to my dreams. I don’t have dreams of grandeur, but sometimes it’s good to day dream just a little.  I met plenty of people this year too, some are now very close friends who are more family now then friends – very easy to hang out with them and fall asleep on their couch.  However, there are a few people I wish that I think should have still stayed. My mom always says “people who need to be in your life, will be there, people who don’t will go.”

I believe that in most situations and ideally it makes sense. If you don’t get along or maybe there are some people that just have opposite goals or paths or even thoughts or maybe you just don’t like them….but sometimes you run into people that are similar in every way but still you have a choice between two things. The forked road every person brought into the world must face. A crossroad. Whichever path we choose, we lose something and gain something. But are there really only two paths to a forked road? Or are there infinite paths we should look for, paths that we should take. At some point those paths will meet again, and on that day we’ll once again be faced with the same decision.

So back to business! Can you believe it’s almost been give years since Asia Today first hit the streets of Arizona?!! I can’t. We’re approaching our 5 year anniversary this year, and plenty of changes are taking place. Asia Today is the only newspaper to hit outside the major metropolitan area. Our spider-reach through our internet marketing and Facebook marketing campaigns have brought us to mostly ever corner in the United States. We have over 1000+ page views a month with a facebook reach of 700+ on every post, every album, and every event we cover. That is just some small statistics to digest. I get really hesitant sometimes when I use the phrase “Asia Today is the only” or “we are the only,”, etc.  In the niche market of the South Asian community, we definitely have covered every corner that we can.  Thank you everyone for your support, dedication, and time. This truly is a newspaper that this community is helping and is involved in every way.  Continue to look out for more local coverage with the growing South Asian community in Arizona.

Raja Walia
Publisher, Asia Today
publisher@asiatodayaz.com

The End or The Beginning?

Do you have your new year’s resolution ready? I have mine, it’s going to be………..well sorry I can’t really say! It’s personal!  I like this time of year because a lot of change happens at the end of the year, or Q4 in business lingo. I know what most people say “well we shouldn’t wait until the end of the year”…. I think we should! It really gives us a chance to reflect. It’s hard to know what the wrong or right answer is or what we should have done or shouldn’t have. It takes time for us to realize that. That’s why I think that the time of change is really the end of the year. I always think about the year, the people I met. Some I still talk to, some just weren’t meant to be. Certain people I would have prefer to stay but looking at it now, I think it’s better that they didn’t. Nothing against anyone, but I think it’s always beneficial to surround yourself with people that help you move forward and fit with what you’re trying to do. Ideas / thoughts can be different but as long as we are all moving forward and improving not only ourselves but the people around us, that’s what we should be doing. Moving forward just like the year is.

It was a bad year, it was a good year…it doesn’t matter let’s make the next year even better! I am a little hesitant about 2012 though on a personal note…2012 is approaching and I can’t help to think about what’s going to happen next year. This year we lost many great visionaries and individuals who will surely be missed.  Who is next? Who will be the one to take their spot? What’s the next big invention that is going to make our life easier or maybe more difficult? If the Mayan calendar is correct and let’s say I am an avid believer, then after December 2012 we might not be here.  As rational as I am and as much belief as I have in all these “end of the world”, “doomsday” theories, the Mayan calendar for some reason doesn’t leave my head.  The Calendar is not a calendar as we know it today; it’s actually a prophetic table of events both a past and present.  Imagine if you will, something that has been around since 5^th century BC will no longer be around anymore.  The idea is of course “we’re all going to die”. I am not saying I believe it’s going to be the end of the world or anything, I think if the universe was going to pick a day to end, I would hope it wouldn’t be near Christmas. In fact I would hope that the end of the world comes right before Tax Season .  However, out of all the other crazy talk about Y2K and the other world ending events that I have ignored, I am very curious about what will happen on December 21st, 2012.

Thank you everyone for your support this year. I would like to say that this year was the year for our culture to shine in Arizona. There were so many events and so much involvement with the community that it definitely kept us busy.  Asia today is getting older and our reach is getting farther and farther every year. Congratulations to India Association for putting together the 10^th annual Discover India.  The event had an amazing turnout. The performances were amazing and the food was out of the world. Thank you to the vendors, the organizers, the volunteers and everyone that helped put together this event.  A lot of changes are coming to Asia Today in 2012, so be on the lookout! Happy New Year to Everyone, I know it’s early but my next note will be in 2012.

Raja Walia
Publisher, Asia Today
publisher@asiatodayaz.com