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WHAT’S BREWING: The Scene
Happy Gingerbread House Day and Poinsettia Day 🌺
TIME Person of the Year: TIME has named "The Architects of AI" as the 2025 Person of the Year.
The Discovery: Scientists have confirmed that Earth's inner core is in a "superionic" state (not just solid or liquid, but a weird hybrid where carbon atoms flow like liquid through a solid iron lattice).
Golden Globe Nominations 2026: The nominations are out, and it’s officially the year of the auteurs. The Heavyweights: Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another leads the pack with nine nods, including Best Director and Best Actor for Leonardo DiCaprio. The South Asian Nod: Kumail Nanjiani, nominated for Best Stand-Up Comedy Performance for his special Night Thoughts.
Cinema Event of the Year: "Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair" finally hits US theaters for a wide release. Quentin Tarantino’s full, uncut 4-hour epic (combining Vol 1 & 2 without the black-and-white censorship) is the weekend's biggest draw for cinephiles, dominating Film Twitter discourse.
Kennedy Center Honors 2025: Trump hosted the 48th event in D.C. on Dec 7, celebrating icons like Sylvester Stallone (Rocky fame), Gloria Gaynor ("I Will Survive"), George Strait, Michael Crawford (Phantom originator), and KISS. Highlights: Viral Gaynor performances, red carpet vibes, and Trump's "bonkers" hosting fueling social memes.
Nancy Tyagi x Tyla: Viral sensation Nancy Tyagi (known for her self-stitched Cannes gowns) designed a custom, hand-stitched saree for South African singer Tyla during her visit to India this week. Tyla wore the mint-green ensemble with a traditional bindi, creating the fashion moment of the week.
Art Basel Miami’s Diaspora Moment: During the fair’s public opening, interior designer Nina Magon hosted the "Art From the Eye of India" exhibit. The tribute brought together poet Rupi Kaur and designer Masaba Gupta, transforming a Miami venue into a modern celebration of South Asian luxury.
Kartik Aaryan Meets Johnny Depp: A viral selfie from the closing days of the Red Sea International Film Festival showed the Bollywood star and Hollywood icon together, captioned "Jack Sparrow x Rooh Baba."
The Weekly Chai Launch: We are proud to unveil our first virtual exhibit: "The Hall of Maya, A Palace of Illusions, built on memory and regret.
MONEY MOVES
Trump's Gold Card Visa Launch: Donald Trump has launched the "Gold Card" program as part of his 2025 immigration overhaul, offering expedited U.S. residency to skilled workers and investors for a $15,000 fee plus $1 million gift, with applications now open and a separate policy expanding 5-year social media vetting to visa-waiver tourists.
Fed Policy Shift: The Federal Reserve has announced it will resume buying $40 billion in Treasury securities starting this month, a move to stabilize lending markets that signals a shift in US monetary policy. Alongside this liquidity boost, the Fed cut rates by 0.25% at the December meeting, the third straight cut, bringing the target range to 3.5-3.75%.
Big Tech’s Billions in India: Amazon has committed $35 billion (up from previous estimates) to India through 2030, focusing on AI and logistics. This follows Microsoft's pledge of $17.5 billion for cloud and AI infrastructure, cementing India as a critical node in the global tech stack.
PLAY BY PLAY
Soccer: The Miami Dynasty: Beckham & Messi’s MLS Cup: Inter Miami has officially won the 2025 MLS Cup, defeating the LA Galaxy 3-1 in a star-studded final. The post-match scenes were a study in contrasts, while co-owner David Beckham led a conga line at the afterparty, Lionel Messi (ever the introvert) was spotted near the exit looking ready to go home, a relatable social battery mood for the GOAT.
F1: The Season Finale: Norris Wins the Title: The Verstappen dominance is broken. While Max won the Abu Dhabi GP, Lando Norris clinched his first World Championship this weekend. The Next Gen: Looking to 2026, the grid gets a South Asian boost. Red Bull Junior Arvid Lindblad (Indian heritage) has been confirmed for the Racing Bulls seat.
Cricket: The Series Decider: India Dominates the 3rd ODI: The "Men in Blue" sealed the series against South Africa in Visakhapatnam on Saturday (Dec 6). Chasing a target of 271, India cruised to victory by 9 wickets, thanks to a blistering century from Yashasvi Jaiswal.
NBA: Vegas Bound: The Cup Semifinals Are Set: The Emirates NBA Cup Final Four is locked in for this weekend in Las Vegas. After a wild quarterfinal round, we have Magic vs. Knicks in the East and Thunder vs. Spurs in the West. Expect your timeline to be flooded with Vegas courtside fits this Saturday.
NFL: Falcons Play Spoiler Thursday delivered pure chaos as Atlanta erased a 14-point deficit to stun Tampa Bay 29-28 with a walk-off field goal. Sunday’s headliner is Packers @Broncos in a high-stakes playoff push.
Tennis: The Viral Crossover: Alcaraz x Ronaldo: The clip of the week comes from Miami, where tennis phenom Carlos Alcaraz was filmed playing tennis with football legend Ronaldo Nazário. It’s an epic scene where a current superstar shares the spotlight with a soccer great.
RAISING ROOTS: The “Roots vs Branches” Audit
Why does an American brain snap when a meeting starts 15 minutes late? Why is privacy viewed as secrecy back home? If you are planning a move back to India, you need to understand the three friction points: Time, Privacy, and Hierarchy, that define your success. Don't pack your bags until you’ve read this. Read more
LIVING WELL: The Art of the Royal Holiday + The Perfect Chai Cookie
Elegance, Elevated. This holiday season, we are embracing a new kind of maximalism, one rooted in heritage and grace. From trees adorned with brass and silk to a tablescape that rivals a royal banquet, we explore how to host with intention. Plus, we share the recipe for the Chai Snickerdoodle, a sophisticated twist on a classic that is destined to become your new holiday tradition. Read more
COSMIC CHAI: Weekly Horoscope (Dec 12-19)
This Week's Cosmic Vibe: Tidy Up & lock Down
The holiday rush is officially here. The cosmos is urging us to finish our "big picture" thinking this week before Capricorn season demands practical results next week. The focus now is on architecture and structure. Stop dreaming about the future and start organizing the logistics to get there. Full Horoscopes
Weekly Wisdom: The gap between your vision and your reality is bridged by the boring, unsexy work you do this week. Clear the clutter now.
Key Dates:
Dec 14: Trust your intuition regarding a fated encounter or realization.
Dec 18: Be wary of over-exaggeration in conversations or business deals.
EDITOR'S PICK: Dhurandhar
The social feeds are currently dominated by the heavy thump of "FA9LA" (Fasla), a Bahraini hip-hop track by Flipperachi that soundtracks Akshaye Khanna’s menacing entry, sparking a viral "aura walk" trend that has officially unseated Animal’s "Jamal Kudu."
While the internet is obsessed with Khanna’s villainous swag, the broader chatter is fierce and divided, split between awe at the audacious announcement of a sequel arriving in just four months and fatigue over the punishing 3.5-hour runtime. It is a polarizing, endurance-testing spectacle, but undeniably the biggest pop-culture moment of the month.
Dhurandhar (Image Source: IMDB)
Watch It: Playing now at AMC and major theaters.
UPCOMING WEEK
Dec 14: Hanukkah Begins (at sundown): The Jewish Festival of Lights begins this evening and continues for eight nights.
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