Brash, young, and restless?

Poingnant and humourous, these stories describe the anxieties of ambitious young South Asians as they hustle for status, love, careers and personal fulfillment in a new world.

In "Piece of Cake," Raj, transplanted from Houston to New York, and dating a European photographer, is forced to confront Neha, his ex-girlfriend. In "Spick and Span", Shilpa doubts the path she has taken when asked to matchmake at a marriage convetion in New Jersey. "Potatoes and Punjabis are Everywhere" follows Happy, a college student, during his first days in Toronto, as he considers whether to cut or keep his unshorn hair. In "Woh Auntie Hai Yahan (The Auntie Has Arrived)", Kusum, a recently widowed real estate agent in the Toronto suburbs, struggles to repair her life, finding inspiration from Bollywood.In Nitin Deckha” short story — 900 Hey Baby,?part of his collection Shopping for Sabzi, a call screener at a phone dating service chases his ambition to become a chef and is manipulated by a sleazy talent scout. In “pick and Span,?an unmarried New York social worker is forced to confront her insecurities about being over 25 and single, while organizing a Gujarati marriage convention. All of the characters in Dekha” collection have one thing in common: they—e shopping for sabzi.?hopping for sabzi literally means shopping for vegetables,?says Deckha, an anthropologist who teaches social sciences in Toronto. “ike when you are looking for an apple, you pick it up, examine it and put it back. The same kind of idea applies to people” lives and their quest for personal fulfilment.?-18

Nitin Deckha's profile page

Nithin Deckha was born in London, England and raised in Toronto. His tories have appeared in Existere, Anokhi, and at www.sulekha.com. Deckha chold a PhD in Antropology form Rice University, Houston, and teaches social sicences in Toronto. His journalism occasionally appears in Desi Life, a Toronto Star magazine.

From Fast Forward Weekly

Though shopping for sabzi is an accusation levelled at young people in the title story, Deckha believes the habit is not limited to the young and the restless. — think shopping for sabzi is something we—e all doing. I think it” part of the zeitgeist. We—e all reinventing ourselves to get what we want,?he explains.

Rich in sarcasm and dryly humorous, Deckha” collection of short stories offers a series of relatively light hearted glimpses into the middle-class struggle for personal fulfilment. Many of the tales surround the privileged, but often wayward, lives of thirty somethings as they search for success in its many forms. Whether they are struggling to advance their careers to greater heights, find love or simply get laid, the occasionally selfish characters are beset by a feeling of dissatisfaction with their current situation, dogged by a persistent feeling of doubt, or a desire for something better.

However, these are not stories of heavy personal crises and broken dreams, and the subject matter never gets too dark. The characters—inner struggles are instead fleshed out from simple events in their lives. Sometimes these struggles seem banal, but Deckha has a way of writing about these mundane situations that creates the feeling you are looking at a poignant snapshot of life in motion.

The stories mostly follow the lives of young, white-collar South Asians, but exploration of their ethnic identity is done sparingly, or left out entirely. “heir South Asian identity is a part of it, but that is sort of the anchor rather than the foundation,?explains Deckha. “nd their stories are maybe not universal, but certainly cross-cultural. I think it reflects an emerging time in Canadian literature where writers are more comfortable venturing beyond the familiar motifs.?p>Deckha drew his characters from his experiences doing field work in London and from his brief stint in advertising in New York. This is his first book, but he is currently working on a novel that he says will expand on the themes he established in Shopping for Sabzi.

?Steve MagusiakIf you—e looking for an enjoyable read after the holidays, order a copy of Nitin Deckha” Shopping for Sabzi.A collection of humorous, well crafted short stories, Shopping for Sabzi embodies many of the concerns and questions young South Asians face in the Western world. Each story has a subtle leitmotif - an idea or image that strings the narrative together, and makes the stories more nuanced and fascinating to read. “nterprising Widow—tells the story of a young South Asian man dating outside his culture, and how his girlfriend and his mother develop a friendship. “etchup—enters the mindset of a young father, and his memories of being a rebel and activist in university. “pick and Span—is a hilarious look at the dating scene in the South Asian community, from the perspective of a single South Asian woman.Deckha” strength lies in his ability to describe images with precision and detail. For example, “amala was near statuesque in a cream and soft pink sari, save for her slightly protruding caramel belly.?Deckha weaves humor and sarcasm in the text, and his characters are people we recognize in our own lives: the young activist fighting for community projects, the friendly waitress with bigger dreams, the self conscious young man who fears his own mother, the newly arrived immigrant.?Sheniz Janmohamed, City Masala