USHANA KHUBLAL
Ushana Khublal a
Karibbean Girl Who Works Hard & Plays Harder as a Business Women, in my
Family, and in my Culture
My Family: (L) Ushana,
Dad, Mom, (brother) Raymond, (sister-in-law) Sharmin, (sister) Nadia,
(brother-in-law) Naresh, (bottom) my niece Aaliyah
KUOMagazine was honored to feature Ushana Khublal, whom I’ve
gotten to know over the years. She allowed us to get up close and personal on
how she vybez as a Karibbean Girl. I have admired her style and how passionate
she is about being a wonderful aunt, a business women and in her culture. Ushana
Khublal shared how family is the most important part of her life. She was
honest about not being a very religious person, but she does believe in a
higher power. Ushana is not afraid to say that she puts family first above all.
She’s also "God Fearing" but, however chooses not to give that
"Power" a specific name. Ushana believes we all take different paths
to get to the same destination (The path
in this case: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, etc.... to get
to the same destination: A better life after this). She also mentioned
that, work and play go hand in hand for her. She works hard and plays just as
hard and hope to one day say "Work Hard, Play Harder." She loves
to travel and being in the promotion business, it now gives her an added excuse
as to why she should travel more. AND
SHE TAKES FULL ADVANTAGE!!! If she’s not at her regular 9 to 5, she’s helping
with events or promoting Soiree Events. Ok, Ushana, let’s chat while sipping a
some Karibbean Tea, seeing that neither one of us drink alcohol or smoke, lol!
KUOMagazine: What is the one misconception that a lot of
people have of you?
Ushana: The one misconception people have of me is
that I drink alcohol or I smoke. Now let me preface this: I see nothing wrong
with either of these two activities, I just choose not to part-take in them. I
do not drink, smoke or do any drugs (I also do not eat pork), it was a decision
I made in my teens that I have stuck to and will continue to stick to. It does
get annoying when people ask "Were you high or drunk last night?"
or "Did you finally have a drink last night?" All I need to
have a good time is good friends, family, music and coconut water. It's what
makes me high :).
KUOMagazine: Ushana, I agree with you 100% when it comes
to religion, because we all have our own beliefs that’s your own and who are we
to judge. Now, that saying “Work Hard, Play Harder”, when you
truly enjoy what you do it really doesn’t seem like work at all and I truly
love what I do as well as meeting so many people within my community and
worldwide. Can you share a little about how you take pride in being part of
Care for the Community, it’s mission, how it gives back in the community and
who’s all involved?
Ushana: I take pride in being part of Care for the Community, which is a
non-profit 501(c) entity. Care for The Community's mission is to "provide assistance to urban communities in
hopes of building a stronger tomorrow". We work together to give back to the community through charity
events and some of our proceeds from our shows also go back into the community
that so strongly supports us. Between travel, work and partying (which isn't
really partying because most of it is networking and promoting events,
sometimes I have so much fun doing it that it doesn't really feel like work). I
also love spending time with my niece, Aaliyah. She is the one person that I can always
depend on to make a good day great and a bad day better. She inspires me to do
better and try to make better decisions in my life. My parents are an
inspiration, they will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this year and
that in itself is a milestone that most couples can only dream of. Even though
they were strict (and still are), I thank them for raising me the way they did,
or I would not be the person that I am today. My sister (Nadia) and brother in
law (Naresh) are also a huge part of my life and they play an integral part of
my success in almost all aspects of my life. For two young individuals to have
accomplished what they have in so little time, I can only contribute it to hard
work, dedication and love. They too work hard and play just as hard. I also
have a brother (which most people are unaware of because he lives down South),
my brother (Raymond) was always there for me when things were not going right
in my life and at one point, he became the "little big brother," as
his life evolved, he got married and is expecting a baby girl within the coming
days. I can't wait to meet my second niece.
KUOMagazine: That’s
so amazing the wonderful things Soiree/Care for the Community is doing locally.
Thank you all so much and congrats on your new nieces. If you had to make three
(3) changes in your Caribbean community that reflect on (Cultural Events,
Carnival, uniting Promoters) so that we can all come together, what would it
be?
Ushana: If I had to make three (3) changes in our
Caribbean Community that would reflect our culture so that we can come together
I would:
1. Have a Community Ambassador
and a Caribbean Congress that are both elected by the public (Promoters,
business owners, masqueraders, band leaders, etc...), but it would be different
folks from different Caribbean Communities, so that EVERYONE has a voice (Guyanese,
Trinis, VI, Bajans, Africans, Haitians, Americans, Puerto Ricans, etc...). The
same way they are elected, is the same way they can be voted off.
2. Have a meeting every
quarter with this group so that we as a community can unite and bring EVERYONE together by sharing events,
ideas and thoughts. This way we can ALL SUPPORT everyone. Support breathes
support, it breathes unity and it will breathe success.
3. Involve the corporations,
Disney, Universal, major hotels, Walmart, Publix, etc... in our initiatives and
bring them on board as sponsors for our events. But these companies will not
work with a community that is divided. We all have to be on the same page.
Individual goals and business goals are important and everyone wants theirs to
succeed. However, learning to not be selfish and not bring down the next person
is something that we AS A COMMUNITY
is lacking and what is bottle-necking us as Caribbean’s/West
Indians/Islanders/Foreigners.
KUOMagazine: Being from the Caribbean Heritage, what does
your culture mean to you and how do you embrace it and what’s your motto?
Ushana: I was born in Georgetown, Guyana. My family
and I left Guyana when I was 9 years old and migrated to Queens, NY. 9 years
later, in 1996 we then moved to Ocoee, Florida and 20 years later (this
Thanksgiving), this is where we call home. The one thing that remained constant
in my life was family. My parents always made sure that we respected not only
our elders, but our siblings, our neighbors and our friends. They always made
it a point to never look down on anyone and to always include these people in
our lives, no matter how different they were. My mom is Muslim, my father is
Hindu and we were exposed to those religions as well as Christianity (among
others) because some of the most celebrated holidays in our household were:
Christmas & Easter. As Caribbean children we didn't know the
"difference" between the religions because it never played a part in
our celebrations. We had Hindus at our Islamic Prayers, Muslims at Dewali
celebrations and everyone was over for Christmas and flying kites for Easter.
This is what Caribbean Culture means to me: Unity, peace and love. My motto
would have to be "From many people, color, race & beliefs, we rise as
one".
KUOMagazine: Yes, we all need #Unity #Peace and #Love
in our lives. I’ve dealt with many obstacles What advice would you give other women who
have trouble embracing their true-self, loving who they are and love the
culture they were born within?
Ushana: I'm not the best person to give advice as I
am always looking for it myself. The only words I can share with other women
who have trouble embracing their true-self & culture would be to: Find
something that you love to do and make it a part of your life. Once you make it
a part of your life, it will make you happy and then you will learn to apply
that happiness in other areas of your life. Never bring the next woman down, no
matter how their body is shaped, what they have, what they have been through in
the past or what they are going through currently. We already are seen by some
as an inferior species because we are females, then we have to deal with the
fact that we are from a Caribbean Culture that seems to only want to drink,
party and dress scantly. LOVE YOURSELF,
BE PROUD AND DON'T BE AFRAID TO SHOW IT!!!! People will come around and if
they don't, our fire will outshine their light.
KUOMagazine: Is there anything here in
your community you would like to get more involve in that you don't see happen?
Ushana: There is so much that I would like to get
involved in, in this community, but the main thing on my list would be
educating our children when it comes to sex and sex education. I'm not sure
why, but it seems that Caribbean/West Indian parents have the hardest time
speaking to their children about sex (I know the conversations in my household
were almost nonexistent when I was younger). I see so many children having
children. It's heartbreaking because these young mothers and fathers are
missing out on a huge part of their lives because they have to become parents
too soon. Some are successful but the majority of them end up making poor
decisions for their future and it becomes a cycle that repeats itself. It
doesn't have to be a never ending cycle.
KUOMagazine:
When dealing with day
to day stress, where do you go to find peace within or techniques to get
yourself grounded?
Ushana: When dealing with day to day stress, I like the peace and
quiet of my room. I just lay in my bed and let the silence take over. I'll also
clean, from top to bottom, I'm not sure why, but that action alone gives me a
peace of mind, no matter if I just finished cleaning the day before.
KUOMagazine: Being single and loving my independence of my
own choice, have you found love yet Ushana? If not, what is your ideal man that
would truly make you happy?
Ushana: I have found love. But at this moment, I'm single and doing
me. What's the saying: "It's better to have loved and lost than to never
have loved at all?” I definitely haven't lost, but found love and appreciative
of everything it has and is still doing for my life.
KUOMagazine: Are there any hidden talents you have such as
singing, playing an instrument, dancing, etc.?
Ushana: The only hidden talents I have is baking and cooking. I make
a mean cheesecake (and I don't even eat cheesecake), deviled eggs, stuffed
shells, Honey BBQ Wings, Potato Salad, etc.....but, that's about it. Pretty
boring :)
KUOMagazine: Finally, finish the
question "I Vybe as A Karibbean Girl because"?
Ushana: I Vybe as a Karibbean Girl
because I love the music, the food, the people & the culture. I embrace all
the islands and countries. I try to be as diverse as possible when it comes to
the different Caribbean communities, I try to embrace all the cultures as I
would my own.
KUOMagazine: How's the culture different when visiting various
Caribbean Islands and which ones have you gone to?
Ushana: I
have been blessed and fortunate to have traveled to Trinidad, Tobago, The
Bahamas, Mexico, The US & British Virgin Islands, Guyana, The Cayman
Islands (off the top of my head). The 1 thing that I see that's common with the
folks in all of these "Caribbean Communities" is happiness. I think
that comes from a simplified lifestyle, love for the little things and appreciation
for the greater things. These people value their culture, their heritage, they
like to cook, eat, dance and enjoy themselves. They work hard but never seem to
forget to take time and enjoy all the fruits of their labor. So honestly, I
don't see much of a difference in their cultures...but, I see a difference in
their cultures compared to the American and European Culture.
KUOMagazine: What’s next for Ushana and where do you see
yourself in the next 5 years? Ushana: Next,
hmmmmm....that's a loaded question. I have a venture in Guyana with my dad that
I'm contemplating. Sticking with the promotion business and staring a family.
That should keep me busy for the next 5 years.
KUOMagazine: Any final words you would
like to share, also add all your social links and Soiree's?
Ushana: #LifeIsWhatYouMakeIt
On behalf of KUOMagazine, we
would like to say thank you to Ushana Khublal for sharing how she vybez as a
Caribbean girl by Working Hard & Plays Harder throughout her endeavors. We
look forward to see what Ushana has instore for her Caribbean community and
beyond. Don’t forget to follow Ushana on her personal and business social media
links at: FB Personal: www.facebook.com/public/Ushana-Khublal
Also, visit her family business websites at: Care For the Community: www.careforthecommunity.org/home
A Karibbean Girl who stands
in her Truth...her Business...her Family.....and her Culture!
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