by Krisha Chachra - published in the June 2008 issue of Bella Magazine

Are you in a relationship and need to kick it up a notch? We’ve all been there. You really like someone and they seem to like you. You spend time together, trade all your stories, remember each other’s details, watch movies and get along with the same friends. But your time together isn’t leading you anywhere and you feel like you’re on the verge of being relegated to that undesirable permanent friend’s zone. There is fire; maybe you’ve even experienced some once or twice. But the next day, your courtship resets to the cloudy conundrum full of questions and you can’t figure out why one of you doesn’t clear the confusion. So why do seemingly great relationships, where physical and emotional attraction are present, get stuck in a non-accelerating cycle of motion? Obviously it’s not a question of chemistry, but physics. Just ask Newton; he knows. Read the rest of this entry »

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By Krisha Chachra - published in the May 2008 issue of Bella Magazine

In a culture where almost half of our marriages break up, it is no wonder that our generation is waiting longer before taking the vow of “’til death do us part.” We hope that the wisdom of age might help us to pick a partner who is less likely to change on us, more likely to know what they want and hopefully likely to like us for who we are. But finding that person is a tall task in our individualist society and one that we are expected to do on our own. Not so in most countries. In fact, the majority of societies outside the western world rely on the wisdom of elders to choose a suitable partner for marrying adults. What are the advantages of this so called arranged marriage? To better understand the concept, let’s travel to a country as old as the concept itself: India.

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By Krisha Chachra - published in the April 2008 issue of Bella Magazine

Recently I watched the movie “Becoming Jane”, a biographical portrait of pre-fame Jane Austen and her star-crossed, romantic entanglement with a young Irishman who later inspires the character of Mr. Darcy in her most adored novel, Pride and Prejudice. It was quite magical, the way Jane would carefully select her words and weave them in wondrous writing that would woe her lovers; flirting through prose and suggestive sentencing. Through love letters, she seemed to be able to capture and hold her suitor’s attention to the point of no sense and sensibility. So it got me thinking, in today’s electronic age, would a well-crafted epistolary exchange have the same effect on love as it did in 1795? Read the rest of this entry »

 The Lasting Love Letter: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

by Krisha Chachra - published in the March 2008 issue of Bella Magazine

Don’t you wish you had a guide book that would simply instruct you on how to behave on a first date? It would be nice to have a reference guide that tells you how to react when he calls, how and when to say good-bye, what to say and what to avoid, or when to go for it and when to give yourself a break. Would you be surprised if I told you I found such a priceless paperback that not only provides procedures for a perfect date, but also strategy to send sparks flying? It’s called the Automatic 2^nd Date and author Victorya Michaels Rogers spares no secret in this step-by-step guide on what women should do before, during and after going out in order to get that special guy to call back. But is there really a formula that, once mastered, will jump-start a connection from nothing in common to kindred spirits? Read the rest of this entry »

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By Krisha Chachra - Published in the February 2008 issue of Bella Magazine
Social Talkers: Krisha, JD, Jennifer, Brad, Des

So they’ve set the date. Your younger sibling is getting married before you and even though you are ecstatically happy for them (its about time, they’ve been together for hundreds of years, and how many dates have you gone through in this time?), still – before you? You’re the older sibling and you’ve always done everything first. You were the first to make your parents proud; you learned how to ride a bike, swim in the deep end, fill out the college applications and land your first job. You tested the waters so your younger sibling could side-step all those mistakes you made and learn from you. You have always taken care of them through example and they have, in their own way, looked to you for direction. But now they are entering uncharted territory and you can’t help but feel that you should have done this first. How can you be there for them without actually ever having been there? Read the rest of this entry »

 Your Younger Sibling is Getting Married - Before You: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

By Krisha Chachra - Published in the January 2008 issue of Bella Magazine

You know those little things about your significant other that you used to find so endearing? When you were first dating, you couldn’t get enough of his crooning at the dinner table. Wasn’t it so cute when he would belt out singing in front of your friends during a meal together or at other inappropriate times when someone was talking? You would overlook those little things that, at the time, were just part of his charm. Like when he would inevitably get creamy dressing on his shirt sleeve every time he ate a salad (how cute was his clumsiness!) or how he’d fall asleep in the theater during the movie you wanted to see with him (how sweet of him to at least come with you). But now that you’re committed and together, those same things you overlooked annoy the living daylights out of you. Can you ever change a man or is it always ‘take me as I am’? Read the rest of this entry »

 Social Talkers 22 - Can you change a man?: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

by Krisha Chachra - published in Bella Magazine

For centuries, the world has accepted the sight of an older man strolling alongside a younger woman, hand in hand. Only recently, passer-bys have acclimatized to the reverse – a spectacle that attracts much criticism and admiration alike. We’ve seen this trend survive in Hollywood: the fifteen-year spread between Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, the twelve-year gap between Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins and then, of course, the magnificent marriage of Madonna and decade younger dreamboat Guy Ritchie. Countless of other couples make it work outside of tinsel town and inside the two-bedroom house while still adding the proverbial 2.5 kids. So why is dating a younger man as an older woman still considered a dangerous game? And what are the pros and cons you should know when preparing for the hunt? Read the rest of this entry »

 The Season of May/December: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

By Krisha Chachra - published in Bella Magazine

Food and romance have always been compatible bedfellows. Perhaps the natural chemistry food seems to share with romance has to do with another woman - a very ancient woman - named Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love and beauty. Several foods throughout history have earned the title of aphrodisiacs because they were thought to improve sexual function or fertility. None of us are oblivious to some of the suggestive symbols that certain foods, like bananas and asparagus, could represent; or how decadent and dangerous sneaking a bar of dark chocolate might make us feel. But besides the ingredients and the types of foods you use to spice up your romance, how does the act of cooking make the love you’re looking for? Read the rest of this entry »

 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

By Krisha Chachra - published in Bella Magazine

Deep in the South African bush, a wild animal crouches camouflaged under a fallen branch eyeing his prey. He waits patiently for the right opportunity, motionless under the heated winter sun; cool as a cucumber, stealthy as a midnight burglar. His marble green cat eyes flash instantly as he steels himself for the moment, the thrill of adrenaline pops his spotted body up revealing to the helpless Impalas that it is just too late – their fate is sealed. In nature, just like in human relationships, the predator and the prey are intertwined and their destiny, interaction and dependence is determined largely by good – and sometimes bad – timing.

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By Krisha Chachra - published in Bella Magazine

There sure are a lot of great F words in our language. Fortuitous, fame, fire, ferocious, fickle, funky, Freudian, frisky, feminine, and fake – to name a few. But forty, I hear, isn’t one of them – well, not at first. Fortunately, I have some fabulous girlfriends who have all found freedom in turning forty this year. And to celebrate four decades of full successes, frequent pitfalls and finesse, we headed to the most extraordinary world music festival that takes place annually in our front yards: Floyd Fest. At this festival, no matter how old you are – you’re still young enough to have some good old-fashioned fun.

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 Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download