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Contents
15 Volume XXXII August 2006
Appreciative Intelligence
Cover Design: John Koshy
25 The Mind Mirror Metaphor
35 Once Upon a Literary Morning
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60 Kid’s Corner
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Executive Committee
President’s Message
President Jose Thomas 571-643-0833 President-Elect Jiju Unnikrishnan 703-723-9484 Vice President Rinu Radhakrishnan 240-632-8377 Secretary Vigil Bose 571-203-0554 Associate Secretary Jeyaraj Jeyadevan 703-407-2730 Treasurer Mary George 703-356-8106 Assistant Treasurer Sabin Sundar 301-963-7815 Membership Seenu Ann Kurien 240-483-6772 Youth Club President Anna Aryankalayil 301-528-7896 Entertainment Praveen Kumar 240-632-2892 Long Range Planning Vinson Palathingal 703-288-4113 Magazine Editor/Design John Koshy 703-796-1701 Public Relations Preeti Panakal 301-528-9497 Social Services/ Events Arun Joe Zachariah 703-893-0575 Cultural and Literary Affairs Benoy Thomas 301-388-0621 Finance Mathew T. Thomas 301-352-9641 Youth Liaison & Sports Parvati Das 240-632-8377 Immediate Past President Narayanan Kutty 301-947-3587 Members at Large Dr. P.K. Poulose 301-464-7360 Mrs. Kala Shahi 301-299-3222 Mr. Varghese Skariah 410-531-3667 Mr. Prem Kumar 703-821-5552 Legal Advisor Thomas Paul Esq. 703-243-6718
Dear Friends, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the members and well wishers of Kerala Association of Greater Washington for allowing me the great privilege and honor of serving as your president. As you all know KAGW is an established nonprofit organization serving the DC area for more than 30 years. We have achieved a lot in the past, and I feel that there is a lot more to be achieved in the future. I remember when I first came to this area, I did not having any friends. KAGW gave me a platform to meet new people and make new friends. The programs, the people and the activities have created a home away from home for most of us. I will always be obliged to this organization and encourage all of you to make use of the opportunities offered by KAGW. We welcome all those who would like to volunteer to play a more active role in our programs. This year we took a special initiative to organize a number of youth events and I am pretty sure we are moving in the right direction. Besides the cultural programs that help us maintain our traditions and express our talents, KAGW has organized a number of community service programs. Among the events this year we had Soup Kitchens(Youth club) , Spring Festival(Varnam-06), Youth festival( Crossroads-06), Road cleaning as part of Adopt a Road Program, ‘Gift Of Life’ program (charity service),Meet and Greet sessions for dignitaries, Picnic, fishing cruise etc. KAGW would always like to see new faces and I invite you to participate in the programs coming in the near future. On a special note I thank my dynamic and talented executive committee for all the team work and support for all the events held this year. Onam has always been very special to every Malayalee. It takes us to our childhood memories and makes us nostalgic. It is the festival which unites Keralites of all religions. Onam signals the start of the harvest season. During the 10 days of Onam, residents of Kerala welcome their beloved king. People decorate their homes and prepare for the grand feast (Sadya). Children are filled with anticipation and there is a festive mood all around. KAGW tries to recreate this environment every year for you. Let us experience these moments of joy with the fellow malayalees in the Washington metro area and continue our traditions and celebrations through this great Organization. I hope you enjoy the Onam celebrations being organized by KAGW. On behalf of the executive committee, I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Onam.
Warm Regards Jose Thomas President, KAGW
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Jose Thomas President
Jeyaraj Jayadevan Asst. Secretary
Mary George Treasurer
Mathew T. Thomas Finance
Anna Aryankalayil Youth Club President
Rinu Radhakrishnan Vice President
Praveen Kumar Entertainment
Sabin Sundar Asst. Treasurer
Benoy Thomas Cultural & Literary Affairs
Parvati Das Youth Liaison & Sports
Kala Shahi Member at Large
Jiju Unnikrishnan President Elect
Seenu Kurien Membership
Arun Joe Zachariah Social Svc. & Spl events
Preethi Panakal Public Relations
Thomas Paul Esq. Legal Advisor
Prem Kumar Member at Large
Vijil Bose Secretary
John Koshy Editor
Vinson Palathingal Long Range Planning
Narayanan Kutty Menon President 2005
Dr. P.K. Poulose Member at Large
Mr. Varghese Skariah Member at Large
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Kerala – Potential & Reality - by Vinod Thomas The festival of Onam is an opportunity to celebrate both Kerala and look to the future. The state’s social progress is legendary. A girl born in Kerala can expect to live longer than a girl born in New York city, even if the average income in New York city is many folds higher. The state’s school enrollment and literacy rates compare with those of middle income or even industrial countries. But the crucial question is: where has all the social progress gone when it comes to its impact on economic progress? Kerala's economic growth has been less than India's average in the past quarter of a century. Kerala's average income is half that of Goa, India’s richest state. Can the state combine its enormous social strengths and natural wealth with higher standards of living? This is where soul searching, the development of a vision and consensus building come in. The vision of the people of Kerala and their plan to move the state forward will decide how far the state can go. East Asian economies are known for their foresightedness, their capacity to have a vision for where they would like to be in ten or twenty years. The famous Malaysian Vision 2020, or the Korean plan for industrialization or Singapore’s vision for the future are well-known examples. All these economies offer striking comparisons with Kerala. In 1960, their average incomes were similar to that of Kerala, even while Kerala was ahead in education, in science and
technology, in history, culture, ecology, in just about any area you can think of. Yet a generation later, these economies average incomes rose to 5 or 15 or 25 times higher than Kerala’s. But Kerala still has advantages few others have. Like Singapore, Kerala is ideally situated to be an entrepot for international trade. Kerala can develop trade in goods and especially services like no other. Kerala's immense wealth in human resources and natural resources is a reality. In some sectors this wealth is already translating into higher incomes. Just consider two areas: tourism and remittances. Tourism revenues for Kerala are currently over 6% of the State Domestic Product (SDP) compared to the overall figure for India of 0.6 % of GDP. Kerala’s record also compares favorably with figures for the world champions of tourism such as Greece (over 6%), Costa Rica (near 9%) and Thailand (8%). This just indicates how much more Kerala can advance in tourism, especially eco tourism that both protects the state's unique natural wealth and also brings benefits from it. Similarly, remittances constitute over 9% of Kerala’s SDP compared to the national average of 3.1% of GDP and China’s 1.1% of GDP. However, while remittances are currently fuelling consumption and a property boom, very little is being channeled into long-term investment. A notable exception is the construction of the new airport at Cochin, 36 per cent of which was funded by overseas Malayalees.
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It would be fair to say Kerala's potential is greater than any place in the developing world, but also that nowhere is the gap between potential and reality larger. India was an especially lagging economy until the 1990s. That has been changing in many of the Indian states. India’s turnaround occurred partly through the opportunistic rise of IT, which was least hurt by excessive regulations, even while overall regulation in the economy remained high. Part of it was also India’s success in capitalizing on a tipping point. The globalizing world needed IT and India was brimming with the talent to supply this need. Kerala can take advantage of rare opportunities. Its near unspoilt backwaters and beaches provide the scope to turn tourism, specifically ecotourism into Kerala’s tipping point for success. People ask what model of development would suit Kerala. The truth is that to really succeed, Kerala would need to build on its special strengths in human and natural resources, and combine that with a
good business climate. The state would want to blend social and economic progress – not choose one over the other. Like the two wheels of a cart, economic progress cannot be sustained without socio-environmental progress and socio-environmental progress cannot be sustained without economic progress. This might call for a uniquely Kerala model that capitalizes the special strengths of the state and takes into account its special fragilities, rather than copying others’ models of plain industrialization. Overseas Malayalees can be an extremely important driving force in bringing about a sea of change in Kerala’s future development track. In this regard, the forthcoming Kerala Development Forum in October will be an important step in launching a process of visioning, consensus building and implementation, and providing all of us with a realistic chance of making a tangible difference in our own time. Wish everyone a wonderful Onam, all success and happiness.
-- The author Mr. Vinod Thomas is the Director-General, Evaluation, World Bank
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HAPPY ONAM DR. JACOB JOSEPH & FAMILY
CONGRATULATIONS TO
JAYASREE KESAVAN, D.D.S, M.D.S., B.D.S., B.SC. FOR HER OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS AND
COMPLETING THE D.D.S. FROM
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (CLASS OF 2006)
FROM SIVARAJANS AND KUMARS 14
Center for Primary Care & Geriatrics Cissy P. Pottanat, M.D., M.P.H
6319 Castle Place Place Suite 3D Falls Church, VA 22044
Phone: 703703-532532-1111 Fax: 703703-532532-3224
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A new book co-authored by KAGW member Tojo Thatchenkery has received rave reviews from the practitioner community and peer reviewers. Appreciative Intelligence: Seeing the Mighty Oak in the Acorn (Tojo Thatchenkery and Carol Metzker, Berrett-Koehler, 2006) released last May was featured by Harvard Business Review as one of its highly selective 2006 Reading List in the February issue this year. The book was also positively reviewed by Canada’s Globe & Mail and featured in Ode, the well regarded international news magazine. “Those with high Appreciative Intelligence have a capacity to endow everyday activity with a sense of purpose. Because they can reframe, they are flexible, actively and spontaneously adaptive. Seeing a situation from a new perspective allows them to deal with obstacles with courage”.
Tojo Thatchenkery, longtime KAGW member and a professor of organization development at the School of Pubic Policy, George Mason University coined the term “appreciative intelligence.” According to him, it is the ability to perceive the positive inherent generative potential within the present. Put in a simple way, Appreciative Intelligence is the ability to see the mighty oak in the acorn. The roots of the book go back to the 1980s. What is the ability that allows individuals to transform difficult or challenging circumstances into successful experiences? That was the question that Tojo Thatchenkery asked shortly after he arrived in the United States in 1987. While working on his doctoral studies in management at Case Western Reserve University, Tojo noticed a high incidence of innovation in the United States (for example, Silicon Valley and the birth of ecommerce). Based on his subsequent study of entrepreneurs, many of them Indian Americans, Tojo began to perceive that there was a link between immigrant entrepreneurs’ appreciative approach, innovative and creative ideas, and successful outcomes. He also noticed that these entrepreneurs had a unique ability to perceive opportunities and to bring them to fruition, when others didn't. Tojo coined the term Appreciative Intelligence to capture this ability. and resilience. Because they can see what is positive and how the future unfolds from the present, they have a capacity to face adversity without letting it destroy them. They are predisposed to see the larger picture and the connections between diverse things because they can shift their frames of
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reality to see possibilities, not boundaries. Due to their higher capacity to embrace ambiguity, or shades of gray in situations, they can live in uncertainty without knowing the answers. Because they see how a positive future can come from the present, they live their lives with a sense of realistic optimism” (Excerpts from the book). Appreciative Intelligence has three components: reframing, appreciating the positive, and seeing how the future unfolds from the present. The first one is the ability to perceive, interpret, frame or reframe stimuli in such a way that aspects not visible to the normal eye emerge to the surface or awareness. The second component, appreciating the positive, allows the individual to accentuate the positive aspects of a context or challenging situation to the level of a highly desired product, services, or outcome. The third component, seeing how the future unfolds from the present, allows people with appreciative intelligence to engage with the world with a high degree of practical purpose and action orientation. This last component of appreciative intelligence differentiates dreamers from dreamers who make their dream come true. For example, Coca-Cola’s Asa Candler saw the potential for a top-selling soft drink in a failing headache remedy. He reframed the product as a beverage instead of a health product, focused on communicating its great taste to people, and set in motion what became a multibillion-dollar business. Cosmetic company founder Estee Lauder once saw a shoeless woman entering an upscale store. She saw beyond the woman’s outward appearance and reframed her as a potential customer, rather than a poor visitor to the store, and ended up selling two of each cosmetic product to her and more to her relatives the next day.
People with Appreciative Intelligence certainly understand the environment around them and its constraints. But for them the environment isn’t just something “out there,” but is also created by their imagination and actions. People with Appreciative Intelligence demonstrate a sophisticated level of understanding in defining what their environment is, often in such a way that what they eventually see is not the same environment other do even when both are talking about the external manifestations. By weaving together tacit knowledge of the environment and imagination, people with Appreciative Intelligence see a different future than others do. They connect capabilities of today and the dreams of tomorrow by seeing the steps that make the former become the latter. Appreciative intelligence has four qualities, namely, Persistence, Conviction that One’s Actions Matter, Tolerance for Uncertainty, and Irrepressible Resilience. Persistence is influenced by the self-esteem. Overall, people with high self-esteem have a greater tendency to persist in the face of failure and challenges. They’re also more likely to see the presence of alternatives, even when faced with failure. Because people with Appreciative Intelligence see a clear outcome stage, they hold a strong conviction that their actions matter. The highly creative or innovative ideas or actions that these individuals so routinely pursue understandably create a fair amount of uncertainty or ambiguity. Analysis of Appreciative Intelligence in leaders and innovators revealed evidence of high tolerance for uncertainty, ambiguity and cognitive dissonance — the psychological term that refers to the discomfort people feel when new ideas or experiences seem to contradict what they already know or believe. People with Appreciative 17
Intelligence exhibit irrepressible resilience — the ability to bounce back from a difficult situation — as a result of reframing, seeing what was positive in the situation, and understanding that a better future could come about despite a crisis or setback. They perceive that a positive consequence could be built even from the most drastic or devastating circumstances. Irrepressible resilience is more than persistence: it’s the quality some leaders have to bounce back higher from challenges than the place where they began. Appreciative intelligence bears strong potential for success for the Indian Americans. Developing this ability will help them reframe situations that appear to be lacking in promise to one of greater opportunities. The concept is relevant both in the family and work situations. Many Indian parents are known to drive their children to accomplishments that are not necessarily what the children want but to those desired by parents (or even grand parents). If the parents were to use appreciative intelligence, they will first understand what their children possess and help them develop those talents. To do that, first they have to reframe what talent is by giving up traditional models of success or achievement and substituting them with new ideas and possibilities.
Tojo Thatchenkery Professor of Organizational Learning School of Public Policy George Mason University
Lost to you
by Lin Thomas When there is joy in sweet surrender .. When the heart is filled with thoughts but the lips have nothing to say .. When a mere gaze can speak volumes You know you are lost in love When it isn’t about flowers or gifts or words When the every moment together holds deeper meaning When every moment apart means just as much You know you are lost in love When the heart wants happiness for another When there are no conditions, no rules When someone is more precious than life You know you are lost in love When a shiver of excitement runs through The storm brewing within cannot be stopped The emotions emerging cannot be constrained You know you are lost in love .. When staying away isn’t tough, missing is passé Coz his presence is in your breath, his thoughts in your mind, his dreams in your eyes When you have a quiet understanding, a contentment beyond reasoning, of knowing.. That you are lost in love to the right one ..
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5 books Kalam wants kids to read in 2006 There were precepts, tales, admonitions, exercises and even homework for 750-odd students as President A P J Abdul Kalam donned a multiplicity of roles when he interacted with them in the Children Science Congress, as part of 93rd Indian Science Congress in Hyderabad on Thursday. Narrating inspiring events in the lives of Father of Green Revolution Norman E Borlog and Mathematics genius Ramanujam, Kalam told a spell-bound audience of children to inculcate "scientific magnanimity" - the ability to recognise the best of knowledge without any reservations. "You children should learn that great minds and great hearts will be together," he said. At the same time, the academician in the President wanted the teachers to spot the talent lay hidden in a student. "Ramanujam had failed in all subjects except mathematics. It was his headmaster who, defying opposition gave him admission in high school," he said. Kalam entrusted the task of reforming children to parents, when Sushanti, a seventh standard girl, asked him about the means to tackle corruption among elected political representatives. "Righteousness is the virtue to be inculcated right from childhood. Government cannot create honesty. Only parents and elementary level teacher can weed out corruption in the long run," Kalam said citing a childhood experience when he was taken to task by his father for accepting a gift. On the relationship between science and values, student Anand Sinha was told that a mature civilisation like that of India can impart values while science only teaches reason. "They both should be practised together though," Kalam observed. For success in life, the President has a formula for children. "You develop courage to think differently, to discover, to confront the problems and succeed," he said. There was also a homework for the students. "I want you all to finish this homework in 2006. You should read five books -- Empires of the Minds by Denis Waitly, Journey into Light by G Venkataraman, A Brief History of Time by S Hawking, Parallel Worlds by Michao Kaku and The Best of Indian Physics by Dr Siddharth," Kalam said. Finally, there was a promise for kids. "All of you should prepare a mission statement for yourself. You write to me one paragraph on what you are going to become in life and for what you will be remembered for. I will give a special gift for the best statement," the President promised the beaming children.
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Picture from the joint meeting of 2005 and 2006 KAGW executive members held in Jan.
Picture from the Soup Kitchen event organized by the KAGW Youth Club
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The Mind Mirror Metaphor -Arun Surendran
This is my attempt to elaborate and explain the mind-mirror metaphor that frequently appears in Sufi (Islamic saints) and other spiritual writings across the globe throughout history. You have to be continuously on guard against unconscious biases that occur in our comprehension. For example, your understanding of the word "Sufi" and "spiritual" will set the whole momentum and depth for your understanding of what follows. Ideally, you should be choice less and unprejudiced in your understanding and awareness. But that is just ideally. Ideals do not exist; ideals are the invisible extrapolations of the mind about the destinations of the paths it finds itself in. Understanding of oneself is nothing but being aware that the path is the goal, the journey is the destination and to borrow from John Lennon "life is what happens while you are busy planning other things". With
that much digression for an introduction, let us begin. We are going to study the mirror and its properties. We are talking about an unblemished, flawless, perfectly polished mirror that is giving as good a reflection as possible of whatever is around it. But already, very fundamentally and basically, we are aware that the reflections on the mirror are not reality. They are simply 2-D projections of the 3-D world outside of it. That is not a weakness. That is simply a basic property. It is exactly like the property of our brain and consciousness. Our comprehension of the outside world is through the "reflection" or "image" that we have inside our mind of the outside world. We do not "see" or "experience" the outside world. Our reactions are based on the image of the outside world that the brain creates inside based on the inputs it receives from outside. Enlightenment or the perfect state of mind is the state in which this image is as close as possible to reality. How can we achieve such a "true" image? Let us look at the household mirror itself for some clues. First of all, the mirror is choice-less in its reflection. It reflects everything that is lit up around it. It does not choose to reflect anyone matter over another. It does not patronize. It does not
ignore, consciously or unconsciously. It simply reflects. The perfect mind should be similarly choiceless. It should be aware of everything around it without any judgments. Judgments, choices, preferences are all products of internal movements of the mind, which are nothing but transformations in memory otherwise known as thought. Jiddu Krishnamurti has spoken volumes about the origins of thought eloquently. What is external motion that we observe in the outside world? It is the transformation in space and time. It is a change. We notice this change because we remember an earlier state. Without memory there is no time. Without awareness about the history or the previous state, we cannot determine if there has been motion or change. This perception of motion in the outside world springs from an internal motion happening inside our brain. Thoughts are actual physical motions at a molecular level occurring in the neural realm of the brain. It is a rearrangement of memory. To explain this better we have to understand the biological origins of brain. Scientists have concluded that the fundamental
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purpose of neural bundles (later on attaining complexity of brain) is assistance in motion. Plants and trees do not have brains or neurons and they do not move. In very lower aquatic animals it has been found that there is a species that develops a small bundle of neurons, which assists in its travel in the sea-bed till it finds a suitable habitat. Once it settles down in a place, the organism digests its own brain since its purpose has been served and it is a very expensive organ to maintain. Fossil records of dinosaurs show that some had two brains. A larger one was present on the tail to assist the maneuvering of the rather bulky body of the giants. Human being has an unusually large brain. She is also unusual in her bipedal-ism. She is also unusual in her rapid spread across the entire planet after origins in Africa. Homo Sapien walked and ran across the entire globe and her huge brain helped and developed. This becomes interesting when we consider that origins of civilization are in "settling down" or a grand reduction in motion of the species. The civilized mind begins its growth after man stopped traveling. All this was mentioned to emphasize that reflection cannot
become true if there is movement in the mirror. Movement can be a permanent surface damage or flaw which will generate a flawed reflection in those regions. Otherwise, movement can be a physical dynamic change in the situation and condition of the mirror. Perpetual external movement can successfully deter the internal movement. This is the origin of the idea of “Karma Yoga” easily translated as the concept of “work is worship”. “Dhyana Yoga” or devotional yoga works by preventing internal movement in the mind by energetic focusing on single concept. Once the energy expended or wasted on internal movement is recovered, it provides abundant assistance in expansive and comprehensive abilities of the mind, much like the wipers on a wind-shield. A crumbling mirror cannot reflect well. a dirty mirror cannot reflect well. For best results, the mirror should be kept clean. The slate should be wiped clean as often as possible. Not a speck of dust should cloud the surface. Nature has provided us the wonderful instrument of sleep for cleansing the mind.Mirrors and minds come in all shapes, sizes and material quality. The lifeless
mirror cannot comprehend its limitation but the living mind can. The mind should understand its own boundaries. A mirror on the bedroom wall cannot reflect the bathroom. An American mind cannot comprehend an Indian context. But here is the crucial difference, a mirror is not able to grow and expand. A mind can. Once the mind realizes the limitations of its origin, in that very realization, it transcends them. The mind is a mirror that can see itself. Unless the mind chooses to draw its own boundaries through limits of beliefs, there is continuous growth. If a mind chooses to set fences for the incredible movements it is capable of using labels on itself, then it can at most reflect only a piece of the whole reality. The eagle cannot soar if it does not spread its wings. There are many ways to build fences for the mind. Concepts of nationality, race, religion, social standing and even gender lead to blockades. Words like patriotism, loyalty, friendship and ideas like God are just mental fortifications meant to prevent the free fall into the abyss of incomprehensibility. Breaking down of each of these walls creates a
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flooding within the mind. The mirror begins to see more. The mind cannot rise without the fall. To break the mirror is not to ruin its surface but to destroy the frame. Comprehension by the developing human mind is closely linked to language and experiences. In other words, culture and memory. It is very easy to understand that we notice or become aware of things around us that we either recognize (that is know by name) or are fresh in our memory. A mind with no interest in horticulture will simply see a bunch of trees in a park where are the mind enhanced with horticultural knowledge recognizes the individual personality of each tree present. The latter is closer to reality. Nature does not discriminate, only the mind does. But it is humanly impossible to know all the words and names in the world. That is too much demand on the developing memory. What is possible is to be as aware as possible about our own awareness. To acknowledge the unknown. To be conscious about what we recognize so that the mind can begin to focus on what it left out. It is important to cultivate this habit of choice-less-ness and complete comprehension to erode the strong fortifications that culture and language have constructed
around the mind. Culture and language are absolutely essential pillars of support for the mind during its development, but it is of maximum importance to prevent ourselves from becoming a prisoner within the walls that are meant for simply support. Break down the walls of the home if they begin to imprison. In the beginning, we said that the mirror reflects everything that is lit up around it. The gift of the mind-mirror is to be a light unto itself. The mind can shed light on what is around it and then see them clearly reflected inside. The perfectly en'light'ened mind will not discriminate on what or where to shed its light. It lights up everything and every mind around it and sees them in all the glory nature and creation intended them to be in. The positive peaceful energy simply radiates all around. This internal light, also lights for us the paths along which internal movements can proceed if they must. From such right thoughts will spring right action which being complete in itself prevents further thought movements along that direction. Memory and subsequently thoughts originate from incomplete actions. When the mind, body and soul have not all been fused into one single entity of absolute truth and honesty, we cannot live in the moment. And the failure
to live in the moment, in complete involvement in what “is� leads to regret and desire, which begins the never-ending cycle of thought. But the perfect mind is free of movements, free of thought. It is completely still and simply reflects and in such reflection they are no ugliness, no beauty, no richness, no adversity, no names, and no labels. A rose is a rose is a rose. A rose by any other name smells just as sweet. This mind mirror is like a thin veneer of ice stretched over a lake in winter, preserving warmth for the flourishing life within. Even the cold reality comes alive in such a reflection. May you be a light unto yourself! May you be the polished mirror which front of which a smile will light up every face!
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Pictures from the KAGW fishimg trip
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Ente Onam - Anna Aryankalayil
Walking into an Onam celebration, it is not so difficult to get lost in a sea of cream and gold (of course there always those who dare to be adventurous enough to sport a brighter color.) On these occasions there is a captivating energy that resonates from the entire place. Maybe it’s the excitement of friends meeting after a long time. Perhaps it’s the jingling of bells from the nervous but thrilled dancers who will soon put on a splendid show. Conceivably it could even be the juiciest piece of gossip that has found a willing ear or two among the hundreds who have gathered. Most likely it’s a vivid combination of so many emotions, feelings, and nuances that makes Onam especially close to one’s heart. If one can navigate the way through that merry crowd, one will come upon a line longer than the one in front of the ticket desk. One can already smell the “sambar” and the “ginger curry” from the hallway; if one listens closely enough there is even the occasional crackling of “pappaddam” - Onam Sadhya. I have to say the “sarkaravaratti” is really what makes my day. But there must be a “sarkaravaratti curse” on me because I am the one person who likes them the most and every time I usually end up with one or two less than everyone else around me. It’s good that my parents don’t usually mind when I steal theirs’. In fact I wish I had an opportunity to sit down and actually enjoy a sadhya like everyone else for once. I suppose it must be quite nice sitting down with family and friends to enjoy a nice sadhya. I usually play “let’s eat as fast as I can” game so I can go get ready to do a dance, or two, (or three!) But it is all worth the trouble when I am on stage in front of that crowd. But Onam in itself is much more than the Sadhya or the entertainment. It goes even beyond tradition, culture, or the place it holds in the hearts of people. It is true that Onam has been part of the Malayalee psyche for
centuries. But especially for those of my generation it is an ideal. An ideal that cannot be fostered solely in the solitude of one’s own mind, but one which takes shape from interactions with others. Personally, the friends I have made in the community have helped me become acquainted with the subtleties of the culture I would have otherwise overlooked. As today’s youth, we grow up in a tumultuous and troubled world that is constantly plagued by war, disease, and a host of other problems. In the world we live in it is much easier than it is difficult to lose faith. Onam represents a renewal of hope – an assurance that after the storm there will be a rainbow. In fact, the legendary King who returns once a year from the underworld to visit his people should be inspiration enough. Every year that visit gives us something to look forward to and the celebration symbolizes a glimmer of hope. Onam then might just be more than an ideal – it may be a collage of our glorious past, turbulent present and promising future. Wishing You a Very Happy Onam, Anna Aryankalayil, KAGW Youth Club President
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Onam Wishes
From Minjoh Technology Solutions, Inc. Mclean, Virginia
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Bharat Why is it that you stay in my heart? Wherever I go Whatever I do “It feels like Kerala” “It feels like Delhi” When I am away from you I think of you night and day I imagine I am there Sunny Hot Dusty Delhi days Lush Green Rainy Kerala days I dream of you Buildings Roads Friends School Diwali Cousins Sounds Streams Coconut Onam When I fly to you Why does my heart feel so sad? Is it joy? Or sadness from the lost time Why the tears? How can you exist without me? Why I am not with you? But when you are near Sense of belonging is intense Being part of you Part of history Back in time Your gift to me Is my happiness In hearing your name In memories of you I yearn for that day Of return To where I belong To you
-Lekha Whittle
You and Me Amble with me, Love Down this pathless land of memory. The foggy forests Of lost beginnings Shall soon pass, At the thawing emerald lake Where the sun arrives on flamingoes' wings, And I found you, waiting for none; Yet I pretended to be the one. Remember this gentle rain Of our first kiss Under the fragrant full moon? Your surprise is genuine, My imagination is not your memory; The attic so artless. This land foams Bubbles of times Ephemeral aplenty Burst by arrows Of lines never crossed. Ah! here's the street of delight: Trinket shops and coffee beans, Music and marshmellows, Dinners and dance, Unruly folds on linen sheets. Amble on, my dear Have no fear! And discover! It is only us here, Mostly! For you are the one to tell my story since the best of it has been your company. -Arun Surendran
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KAGW members with Mr. Vayalar Ravi (Honorable Minister for Overseas Indians Affairs) during his visit to Washington DC.
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Once Upon a Literary Morning - Sandeep Kumar Nair The sleep was still heavy in her head when Nora Sullivan began to hear the voices. They seemed to echo from the corners of the room, yet seemed very distinct in temperament and shape, very characteristic of the individuals to whom they belonged. She did not recognize them but she felt quite strongly that she knew them from before, somewhere, somewhen. She realized that she still had not opened her eyes, and was sure that she had not gone to sleep with other people in the room, but she felt no trepidation as she forced herself to see… The dim glow of the sunrise was evident on the horizon, the skyline of the city silhouetted in sharp contrast. Why were her eyes drawn to the window when there were voices in her room? She looked slowly to the right of the open window and could dimly see a pair of shapes in the corner, near her dresser and make-up, gesturing animatedly and talking with sharply humorous tones, the kind of tones heard when people want to be seen as witty and sarcastic, caustic even.
Nevertheless, even though she could hear the voices and see their shapes, the words were not registering. The language was English, but how did she know that - was she sure? One man seemed younger than the other did, the other man seemed older, grimmer. Her brain felt a little fuzzy but she went on and let her eyes move to the left of the window to alight upon a whiteclothed woman, who was also staring at the skyline of the city through the window, whose flowing shawl and light sleeves fluttered a little in the light breeze. She appeared to be seated on one of the small chairs from Nora's kitchen, but she couldn’t be sure. Nora realized at this point that she was in her bed and still in her nightclothes, so she brought the covers up to her chin, turned her head more to the left and tried to see the source of the other two voices she had been hearing since awakening. "I predict that the only way to write will be the Truth! It hardly matters what we call it - the informal, the contemporary and prosaic. Whatever it's called, Willa, it will depict what actually is and not some flowery verbiage, some hoped for salvation,
that’s what I think!" This statement was clear in Nora's ears, and rang with a sincerity that made her heart flutter. She couldn’t quite make out the face of the speaker, but the voice was male, gruff, his appearance quite studious, with thin wireframe glasses and a pear-shaped head. He was sitting on the floor near to the closed doorway of her room and beside him was another ladylike figure; Willa, apparently, with a widebrimmed hat and a fuzzy stole draped about her shoulders. She seemed to paying him only partial attention as her eyes kept darting to the woman by the window from time to time. "Yes, Theo, you may be right." The lady's clear voice rang like a bell through the room. "The truth is what should be written, but writing should also illustrate a path to which one may strive, don't you think?" Theo? Short for Theodore? and Willa? Nora looked closely at the lady and recognized the telltale signs of strength and independence in the facial features, as she imagined it. This must be Willa Sibert Cather, and the fellow beside her must be Theodore Dreiser! The revelations shocked Nora, because
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the names were fresh on the tip of her mind from the last few nights of hardscrabble studying. She turned her head to the lady by the window and was now able to recognize the white, moth-like quality of Emily Dickinson, the prolificyet-recluse poetess sitting in the light breeze. The strident t ones on the right side of the window were from Samuel Clemens, a.k.a. Mark Twain, as he berated Stephen Crane (the younger of the two) for an unduly optimistic view on the world. Nora wanted to shake her head and ask what was going on, but there seemed to be a geas upon her, and all she seemed to be able to do was observe. "Illustrate a path?" asked Theo. "I suppose so, as long as it's easily written, for the author's sake, and easily digested, for the reader's sake. Some of the benefits are that it should not be burdened by the need to describe foreign traditions except in a practical sense, to be able to see the actual actions or have them described as accurately as possible. Selfexpression should begin immediately." Willa Cather looked at him askance. "You mean in the realms of poetry? With meditation, lyricism,
social comment, satire, public pronouncements and the like made easier, or more direct?" "Not just there, my dear!" The gruff old man by the window tore his attention from the youngish Stephen Crane and focused on Willa. "You want the literature in general to be the same, the same as the poetry at least in this context. In short it must be short, pithy and personal, engineered to emphasize the senses or confound expectations, to be able to describe without destruction the reality behind the flowery faceplates." Nora tried to understand what Mr. Clemens was saying, but her focus was interrupted by Stephen Crane's interjection. "Nonsense Mr. Twain, there should always be a flowery faceplate somewhere present!" Theo raised his eyebrows at this, and Willa just watched thoughtfully, eyes darting to Emily by the window who had yet to say a word, as Stephen continued. "While I do agree that in the process of writing we should make the greatest attempt at informality, even being colloquially direct about the issue at hand and attempting to adopt a conversational diction and rhythm, I do still believe that we can
introduce elements of descriptive imagery that may or may not hold true to the reality of the situation entirely, do you see what I mean?" Stephen leaned forward eagerly, trying to include the whole room into his question, and seemed startled when Emily Dickinson by the window answered him in a soft voice. "I see what you mean," she said softly. "Like when I say, 'Because I could not stop for Death- He kindly stopped for me-- The Carriage held but just Ourselves-- And Immortality,' and in so doing I describe what I am trying to say, but the description is in no way conventional or colloquial. Is that what you are trying to say?" "Ahem." Stephen looked a little confused, and cleared his throat. "Well, I - uh… that is… yes. That does describe what I mean, but I wasn’t thinking along such morbid lines. It does illustrate the point, although your example does seem a trifle fantastic rather than just evocative and less about the reality of the situation. In wartime scenarios I am sure that the soldiers and support personnel would be able to relate quite well to what you just said…" He paused. "Why does that
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sound so familiar? I have the funny feeling that I know all of you from somewhere…" Nora felt herself blushing. She was still under the sheets and looking at the five of them in her room having a discussion on of all things - literature! She had been studying for the last few weeks about all these same individuals and felt her mind was crammed full of prose, poetry and literary facts. She assumed that she knew why they knew each other, because they were all elements of her own mind, discussing and rehashing the items she had spent days trying to memorize, although she couldn’t remember studying in quite this manner or about this subject before. Still, she thought wryly, it's pretty good that this is happening to me today if the exam is tomorrow… a good refresher! Suddenly, there was a knock at the window. Nora didn’t move, but noticed that Emily was smiling now, with a little bit of color coming to her cheeks, but why? A guffaw from the elderly Clemens led her eyes to him, but he was pointing out the window, rolling with laughter and tears starting to form from the corners of his eyes. "What the…" Theodore and Stephen both
exclaimed at the same time, while Willa just sat open-mouthed, staring at the window. There, bracketed by the windowsill and silhouetted by the morning glow of the rising sun was Edith Wharton. A relaxed, matronly figure, solemn, middle-aged and conservatively dressed in turn-of-the-century upper crust New York attire was floating unconcernedly in the New York air. "Oh - the irony! The irony!" Both Stephen Crane and Samuel Clemens were wiping tears from their eyes and chuckling with unrestrained mirth. Emily, Willa and Theodore all had grins ranging from small to large on their faces as they nodded their greetings to the gentlewoman out the window, who in turn nodded back. Samuel Clemens gulps a breath and gestures vaguely to the window and speaks, surprisingly, to Nora, "In the middle of a discussion on writing about reality, with some of the greatest Americans who delved into this genre, an absurdity like a floating author coalesces and pops our respective bubbles - divine!" With a motherly smile to her, Edith Wharton disappears as
unobtrusively as she arrived, and with her Emily Dickinson vanished as well, never taking her eyes from the window the whole time. Theodore and Willa stand and brush themselves off and head over to the corner where Samuel and Stephen are holding each others shoulders and still chuckling. Theo cocks his head in Nora's direction and says, "If you want to write about us, or about what we wrote about, find your muse. What inspires you should be real, should be tangible, and you should understand and feel your own experiences in life and incorporate them into your writing - just look at us!" "Don't lose your ability to laugh at yourself, either," interjected Stephen, standing alongside Samuel as the other two reached them. All four of them stood there fading away happily, and after a minute or two Nora was left in the empty room. She fought to keep her eyes open but her body fought back, and the tactical victory went to the body as she lay back again, with the sheets up to her chin and the silence of the room broken only by the soft light from the New York sunrise.
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CrossRoads 2006 –An event to remember -By Volunteer ,KAGW KAGW Youth festival!! It was tough to be optimistic for all the organizers because Youth events have drawn less participants and this event was being organized for the first time ever. We wanted to have an event that would bring out talents other than those presented at our usual events. When we volunteers sat down and coined the programs we didn’t know how to reach out to the youth. Most of the us in our 20’s and 30’s grew up in India. We didn’t know if the programs we organize would bridge the generation gap and strike a chord with the kids that are brought up here. Needless to say with good input from the youth president we proceeded. We named the festival CrossRoads 2006. Made a registration package, designed certificates ,printed sheets for each event , got speakers, discussed over how we would divide teams,organize each part and got together numerous times to plan for this event. We argued amicably and spent many hours till we finalized how we would proceed. Finally the big day arrived and CrossRoads 2006 commenced. It was a free event. We started with breakfast and registration.The Ice breaker was next. It involved matching fun facts about each participant in a questionnaire.Participants got introduced to each other this way.KAGW Jeopardy was one of the highlights of the day. We had 4 teams who battled it out in various rounds of questions.Then we had a debate and seminars. The event that really surprised us was Adzap.We were not sure if the youth would like this event or be able to present a skit in such a short time. But the talented participants never ceased to amaze us. The team effort, creativity and humor was outstanding.We also had Puzzles and Just a minute. A funfilled day with so many events all packed into a single day. We were happy to give the kids an Youth attend interactive session with Psychologist Dr Cherian Verghese opportunity to meet each other in an informal atmosphere. They could mingle and make new friends. At the end of the day I noticed participants who shared their email addresses with each other and at that moment I knew that all of this was worth the effort. If the association could contribute by helping to create a few new friends ,then we did achieve what we had set out to do. Our feedback sheet had lot of kids who said they loved the food.For the kids who missed the event we had breakfast and lunch which included pizza ,sandwiches ,do nuts, croissants, muffins, fresh fruits, bagels ,rolls, hot chocolate ,coffee ,tea and some yummy chocolate cake.We got a lot of feedback emails from the youth , parents and also members. The team effort was noteworthy and I am sure most of us will remember this event in the days to come. Prizes for CrossRoads Winning Team - CrossRoad Champions - Pranav Panakal, Danny Skariah, Anand Pooleri, Chithra Menon, Vishnu Panicker, Kevin Valdera Crossroads 2006 Prince –Danny Skariah Crossroads 2006 Princess – Sumi Nair Best performer in debate Anand Puleri Ice Breaker Winner -Sonia Sekhar Best Malayalam speaker -Xavier Palathingal Just a minute – Danny Skariah Some notes from the Feedback sheet It was great! I hope you guys do it again –Nithish Lot of Fun,met new people & learned a lot – Ya the food was gr8. It was really fun -Pranav Vishnu and Jeena Good food,nice fun , need longer jeopardy –Swathi Fun,got to meet lots of new people –Kalyani
It was awesome,you guys should do it again –Anjali I LIKED THE pizza –Kevin
It was a blast! Learned a lot –Sunu It was fun.Play more games and debates –Digna
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KAGW Crossword Prepared by Lin Thomas
How well do you know your association? Solve this fun crossword .. Answers on page 70. Across 5. He graces our Onam celebrations 6. KAGW has _______ elected officers as per the constitution : 8. The KAGW donation program this year is known as 9. Road adopted by KAGW 10. Besides election committee which other committee is involved in the election process at KAGW 14. The only committee member presented a year in advance. 17.In 2003 KAGW honored this great film maker and had a film festival at Smithsonian 18. The sumptous meal at Onam 19. KAGW has this fun outdoor event every year for members to interact 20. Released in print or online many times a year to communicate events and more.
Down 1. This year the Spring program was called 2. KAGW Cultural events include many programs with songs, skits and ‌... 3. The magazine is also called this 4. If the donation you make is 12.5 times of a normal member you are a 7. If you are a member you are eligible for a ________ ticket for Onam 9.The youth festival conducted for the first time this year was called 11. KAGW Christmas and New Year celebrations always have a _________ program. 12.This year besides cash,cheque you can pay your membership through the ___ 13.The Chief guest for Onam usually gives us an Onam ______ 15. KAGW would like to publish your poem , cartoon or ___ in the magazine 16.They conducted a soup kitchen this year for the homeless.
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Eat Right without Thinking Are you always on the run? Do you never seem to have quite enough time in the day? Sound familiar? Lack of time is a major reason why many people give up eating right, but you don’t have to. In fact, healthy eating is more important than ever when you’re trying to keep up with a hectic schedule. A good diet helps your body withstand stress better. But as you’re hustling through your day, you’re probably not thinking about making your next meal a healthy one. The following tips can help you eat well when you’re dinning in or out. (The following are excerpts from www.menshealth.com)
At breakfast, put coffee in your milk instead of milk in your coffee. Fill your mug to the rim with skim milk first thing in the morning. Drink it down until all that's left is the amount you'd normally add to your coffee; then pour your java on top. You just took in 25 percent of the vitamin D you need every day, and 30 percent of the calcium. Take your vitamins every morning. Study by study, evidence is mounting that a standard multivitamin fills enough of the gaps in your diet to make a real difference. Drink two glasses of water before every meal. This will do two things: keep you hydrated and make you eat a little less because you feel less hungry, possibly reducing your food intake and aiding weight loss. Always order your pizza with double tomato sauce and light cheese. Men who eat a lot of tomato products tend to have less prostate cancer--probably because tomatoes are a rich source of lycopene, a type of carotenoid that's believed to cut your risk of cancer. If you double the sauce on your pizza, you get double the lycopene. Reducing the mozzarella by just one-third (you won't miss it) will save you 20 grams of fat. Always order your sandwiches with double tomato slices. Another chance to increase the dose of lycopene in your diet. Pile onions on everything. Research has revealed that onions are so healthful--they're a top source of heart savers called flavonoids--that it's practically your duty to eat them lavishly on hot dogs, pizza, burgers, and sandwiches. And speaking of junk food... Whenever you eat fast food, drink two glasses of water afterward. Big Macs, subs, fries, and pepperoni pizza are all loaded with fat and sodium, which can be hellish for your heart. You can't do much about the fat once you've eaten it, but you can flush away some of the excess sodium by drinking plenty of fluid afterward. When the waitress asks what you want to drink, always say iced tea. The more we learn about tea, the more healthful it looks. A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture study found that a serving of black tea had more antioxidants--crucial to your body's defense against heart disease, cancer, and even wrinkles--than a serving of broccoli or carrots. Have an afternoon snack every day at 3 o'clock. A nutritional boost between lunch and dinner wards off fatigue and keeps you from overindulging later, says Keith Ayoob, Ed.D., R.D., director of the nutrition clinic at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's Rose F. Kennedy Center. Just don't scarf down a candy bar. Try yogurt and fruit, crackers and cheese, or eat an egg (hard-boiled), an apple, and a thirst-quencher like bottled water. All of these foods will give you long-lasting energy. Always leave the skin on your fruit. If you peel apples or pears, you're throwing away heavy-duty nutrients and fiber. Same goes for potatoes. Go ahead and peel oranges, but leave as much of the fibrous white skin under the rind as you care to eat--it's loaded with flavonoids.
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Whenever you buy grapefruit, go for red instead of white. Remember lycopene, that stuff in tomatoes that may fight prostate cancer? It's what makes tomatoes red. And it's responsible for the color in ruby red grapefruit. (Watermelon and guava also have some.) Eat salmon every Wednesday. Actually, the day doesn't matter; the important thing is to have it once a week. Salmon is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of fat most experts say we don't get enough of. Omega-3s seem to keep the heart from going into failure from arrhythmia--people who eat fish once a week have fewer heart attacks-and they may even ward off depression. A weekly serving of salmon should supply the amount of omega3 fats you need. Always wash your meat. Here's an easy way to cut the fat content of your secret chili recipe: As soon as you finish browning the ground beef, pour it into a dish covered with a double thickness of paper towels. Then put another paper towel on top and blot the grease. If you want to remove even more fat, dump the beef into a colander and rinse it with hot (but not boiling) water. The water will wash away fat and cholesterol. Using these methods together can cut 50 percent of the meat's fat content. Whenever you have salad, keep the dressing on the side. Here's the drill: Dip your fork in the dressing first, then spear a piece of lettuce, then eat it. Sound dumb? In fact, it's one of the smartest habits you can have. Four tablespoons of, say, honey-mustard dressing can have 60 grams of fat--nearly an entire day's worth for an average guy. Whenever you eat broccoli, put a little margarine, olive oil, or cheese sauce on it. This is our kind of nutrition advice. Broccoli is a rich source of beta-carotene--one of the major antioxidants your body needs. But beta-carotene is fat-soluble, which means it has to hitch a ride on fat molecules to make the trip through your intestinal wall. Without a little fat in the mix, your body won't absorb nearly as much beta-carotene. Always have seconds on vegetables. If you had to pick one food that represents the best insurance for long-term good health, vegetables would be it. Your daily goal: Three servings minimum. A serving, by the way, is 1/2 cup. Think of a tennis ball--it's about half a cup in volume. Do a fat analysis before every meal. It's tempting to go fat-free at breakfast and lunch so you can indulge in a high-fat dinner. Wrong. Studies show that, for several hours after you eat a meal with 50 to 80 grams of fat, your blood vessels are less elastic and your blood-clotting factors rise dramatically. William Castelli, M.D., director of the Framingham Cardiovascular Institute, says, "The immediate cause of most heart attacks is the last fatty meal." Spread your fat intake over the whole day. Always eat (a little) dessert. Here's why: Sweets such as cookies and low-fat ice-cream bars signal your brain that the meal is over. Without them, you might not feel satiated--which might leave you prowling the kitchen all night for something to satisfy your sugar jones. Eat a bowl of dry cereal every night before you go to bed. A low-fat, low-calorie carbohydrate snack eaten 30 minutes before bed will help make you sleepy; Cereal is one of the easiest ways to reduce your fiber deficit. (Most people eat only half of the 25 to 35 grams of fiber they need daily.) So pick a cereal that has at least 5 grams of fiber per serving.
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BEST STRATEGIES FOR EATING OUT Consider Them Little Fried Triangles of Death When you're at a Mexican restaurant, it's common to go through a couple of baskets of tortilla chips before your meal arrives. But just one basket of these fried triangles typically contains 1,067 calories, of which 46 percent are from fat (55 grams). Order steamed tortillas and dip those in the salsa instead. Order Soup as an Appetizer Eating vegetable and noodle soups before a meal can help you lose weight. The fiber causes food to go through your digestive system faster, and the water helps dissolve the fat. Add a potato to the soup, and you'll consume about 20 percent fewer calories over the course of the meal. Tomato soup has the same effect. You'll eat less and feel full longer. Stop for the Egg McMuffin Believe it or not, you can eat two Egg McMuffin sandwiches from McDonald's and get fewer calories and less fat than if you'd had a bagel with 4 tablespoons of cream cheese. The McMuffins yield 580 calories, 24 g fat, and 34 g protein. The bagel delivers 643 calories, 28 g fat, and 20 g protein. Watch the Cookie Crumble A cookie's crumble indicates its fat content. Harder cookies like gingersnaps and vanilla wafers have about half the fat of their soft cousins. To be doubly sure, rest your favorite on a napkin. If it leaves a grease stain, leave it alone. Have a Mineral-Water Chaser At a party, follow each drink with a glass of mineral water. You'll always have something in your hands to sip, but you'll be getting half the liquor and calories you otherwise would. No-calorie, carbonated mineral water and lime looks just like a 170-calorie gin and tonic. WAYS TO CUT FAT WITHOUT REALIZING IT Order the Steak Fries If you love french fries, always order the steak fries. Large-cut fries don't absorb as much oil as shoestring or curly fries, which lowers the fat count. Juice a Stir-Fry With a can of frozen orange-juice concentrate, you have a great way to add flavor to stir-fried chicken (or beef) and vegetables without adding fat. Just a few spoonfuls will do. (It's even better if you add some garlic.) Soften Your Spread Soften butter or margarine at room temperature or in a microwave. Chances are you'll spread your bread with one-quarter of the fat and calories you do when you put it on cold. Cool Your Cans Refrigerate canned meats, soups, gravies, and other canned foods containing fat. The fat will rise to the top and collect, so you can scrape it off. Dilute Your Fruit Juice Fruit juice is sneaky fattening--a 16-ounce bottle of cranberry-grape blend, for instance, contains about 275 calories. Dump half and store it, then refill the bottle with water. You'll barely notice the difference, and you'll be cutting half the calories. Oil Your Potato To save calories and fat, put a splash of olive oil on your baked potato instead of the usual butter or sour cream.
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Pictures from the KAGW Road Cleaning
KAGW Volunteers cleaning the Cipriano Road under the Adopt a Road program. Thank you for your dedication to our association’s goals!
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The Butterfly Collector --P. Balarajan 1 You came as a breeze Fair and fresh With all the colors And more of red – A rainbow-knitted brocade You, a welcome guest!
3 You flew up and you flew down From fragrant mango groves To lowly grass flowers – No distinction between The high, the lofty and the low!
5 The earth paused breathless, The sky went pale and listless, The universe looked a canvass Painted, numb and motionless! That was when the lad did strike To frame you dead on a spike!
2 Into the heaven’s hanging garden With all the flowers strewn around, You came down with arrows short, A cupid darting from flower to flower As though you were a flower animate! Or a wayward rainbow resplendent! And when pollen dripped from your wings One wondered how liquid color could fly!
4 And then On a fair vernal day, When possessive instinct reigned, The boy’s avarice stirred within, He crept at your graceful darts, As a cat prying on its prey He licked his lips and wiped His brows, and at a moment When all the world stood still, He stirred to strike and possess Your dead-wings’ inanimate colors!
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Sports Crossword Puzzle By Joshua Thomas
This crossword puzzle is another one of my “quizzes”. This one, however, covers three sports: Football, Basketball, and Baseball. Have fun trying to figure this one out! 1
2 3 4 5
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9 10
11 12 13 14 15 16
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Down 1. Number of Cardinals' star Albert Pujols (spelled out). 2. NBA Player who scored 81 points in a 2006 NBA game. 4. NFL player featured on the cover of EA Sports' Madden 2006. 5. The NFL team that Terrell Owens signed a deal with in 2006 (just the team name). 7. 2005 - 2006 NBA Season MVP. 8. Alfonso Soriano's current team. 9. NBA team whose hometown is Phoenix. 10. Ben Wallace's nickname. 11. LeBron James’ nickname. 13. The new channel for Sunday Night Football. Across 3. Former Phillies' star acquired by the Yankees in a late July trade. 6. 2005 World Series Champions (just the team name). 7. #89 on the Washington Redskins starting offense. 12. Hometown of the 2006 NBA Champions. 14. _______ Madden was a recent inductee into the NFL Hall of Fame. 15. 2005 AL Cy Young Winner. 16. George Steinbrenner is the owner of which baseball team? 17. NFL team based in Washington (although they play in Landover, MD). Answers on page 55
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Pictures from the Spring Festival – 2006.
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Answers to Sports Crossword Puzzle.
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I wonder what my priorities in life are sometimes? ............. A Reality Check!!! By Rekha Nambiar
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I want my KIDS to speak in Malayalam, yet I continue to converse in English with them.
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I want them to pray twice a day, yet some days I neglect to light the lamp and call them to say their prayers.
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I want them to be in bed by 8.30pm after dinner and a page or two of reading, yet I often serve dinner at 9.00pm.
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I want them to love me more than anyone else, yet there are days when I cut them off when they try to talk to me.
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I want them to eat carrots and greens, yet I conveniently forget to serve salad at dinnertime.
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I want them to be respectful of elders, yet they see me raise my voice at elders at home.
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I want them to be honest and straight forward yet there are days when I’m a coward.
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I want them to make their bed and keep their rooms clean, yet I refuse to make my bed everyday.
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I want them to ride their bikes and be fit, yet there are days that I am unable to take them on this joy ride.
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I want them to bond with their cousins, yet I'm lazy to drive them over.
One priority that I’m proud of achieving this year is absolutely no TV time except after they have gone to bed. This has led them to read more! I’m glad I got one priority right this year. When I do a reality check next year, same time, perhaps I can get a couple more right! “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth” --Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet 57
My Governor’s School Experience By Soorya Namboodiri, 11th Grade George Mason HS Falls Church, VA I had always heard about Governor’s School. That it was such a great opportunity and that “colleges would love to see it on your resume.” But I was never really sure if it was for me, or if I could even get in! My International Baccalaureate teacher ‘reintroduced’ me to Governor’s School and gave me my options. For example, he told me it was going to be a long shot if I wanted to get into the Medical Program because I belong to a very small school. But he also presented me with other options such as the Governor’s School for Agriculture which would give me a similar experience except I would be working with animals instead of people. I would later take his advice.
After filling out all of the applications and after a nearly endless wait for my results, I found out that I had gotten in. In the last days of school I was recognized at awards assemblies for my achievements in attending the Governor’s School for Agriculture the coming July. But still, I was unsure if staying in a college dorm, five hours away from home for a month for the first time at Virginia Tech was really right for me.
In truth, I thought I was going to be really scared staying by myself and not knowing anyone. I had never stayed more than three days away from home so I did not know what I was in for. These worries, it turned out, were almost
completely unfounded. My days became so occupied, that I sometimes I even forgot about calling home. Even my worries about the curriculum becoming too agriculturally oriented were untrue. The topics we covered in my core class really piqued my imagination in the field of medicine. The major that was assigned to me (with some choice prior to the camp) was Veterinary Medicine. I figured that this course
would still foster my thoughts about the medical field while giving me a different point of view of my (hopefully) future career. Our veterinary medicine group was visited by many talented and world renowned professors on topics
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ranging from the brain, to scary viruses and bacteria! One of our more hands on courses was a visit from a veterinary cardiologist who performed a heart echo on our professor, Dr. Eyre’s pet dog. Overall, I can confidently say that these courses were the highlight of my stay in Blacksburg. In addition to the lectures given in school buildings, we also took field trips. One of these trips that I especially enjoyed was our visit to the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. When we first arrived at the college, we were taken to the sophomore lecture hall to learn about osteopathic medicine. We were given a quick overview of the history of osteopathic medicine and the differences and similarities between getting a D.O. (doctor of osteopathic medicine) and getting a M.D. (medical doctor) degree. This visit really opened my eyes to the plethora of opportunities that are available to me after I finish undergraduate school. After learning about osteopathic
medicine, the faculty and select students took us on a tour of the facility. The most interesting part of the entire visit was the cadaver lab. We learned some cool facts about the amazingly high-tech facility. For example, the air in the lab is circulated 30 times in a single hour, and the lab was strategically placed on the top floor of the school so that the air would be better circulated. In the tour, we actually got to see a human hand being carved out to get plastered and made into a model! This trip was so information al and something I will never forget. While at my stay in Blacksburg, I learned some things that will last a lifetime. It was not, however, only work that kept me busy. Frequent trips to the farms and on other outings such as to a Natural Waterfall were so memorable. The amount of knowledge I
gained at Governor’s School this summer was so magnificent that I do not think I could have learned it all in a lifetime in a regular situation. The friends I made will be my friends for life, I can say that much. Although it seems a little short lived, I feel like the people I met in a month, I’ve know for years. I feel so privileged to have taken part in this camp and I encourage any rising sophomore or junior from to look into these
kinds of enrichment type programs. They are not only great field experiences but will feed your imagination tenfold.
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Kids Corner BLUE
COOKIES
BLUE is the color, Of the sky so bright. BLUE is the color, Of the Ocean so wet. BLUE is the color, Of the sweet juicy blueberriesThat is in the pie. BLUE is the color, That I love the most, BLUE is the color, Of the midnight sky !!!!!!
Mmmmm……Soft friendly cookies, Melting in my tongue, Sticking to my teeth, The fresh baked smell, The fresh baked warmth, That makes me feel good. If you eat one, You could be rich, Be rich with the taste, “OF COOKIES!” Mmmm…………
By, Parvathy Panakal 5th Grade
By, Parvathy Panakal 5th Grade
Onam Greetings From Dr. Suresh Muttath, Dr. Anita Menon, Madhava & Anjeli 61
Happy Onam Greetings to all Malayalees, their friends and relatives all over the world
from Dr. Shalini Vallabhan Director, Asia Cancer Control Strategies American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service. For more than six years, the Society has built strong partnerships to fight cancer in India by working to reduce tobacco use and increase access to cancer care services. During this Onam celebration, I thank Dr. Krishnan Nair, Dr. M. R. Rajagopal, Dr. M.V. Pillai, Dr. Jame Abraham, and Dr. Benny and Mrs. Rosemary Phillips for their constant encouragement, advice and friendship.
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Poems By Xavier Palathingal I Am
I am like a bonsai, Because I am unique I am like a weed, Because my mind grows fast I am periwinkle, Because I am made of many colors I am silver, Because I shine I am like a cave, Because I am full of surprises I am like a tent, Because I am always ready I am winter, Because I keep to the cold I am a hurricane, Because I have lots of energy
The Lion
I am a feline, I leap along, Hopping, With no worry in the world I see a mirror I strut to the mirror I’m at the back I warily poke the mirror It spins I see flashes of an image, A lion I face it, It is much greater than me I am but a simple cat When the lion didn’t move, I realized, That the image of the lion, Was a reflection of my own courage
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Happy Onam 2006 Wishes From
A Reston based Software Development, Consulting and Training Company 1984 Isaac Newton Square West Suite 105, Reston VA 20190
www.numal.com www.itsmylinks.com www.travnations.com
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DO YOU WANT YOUR GRANDCHILDREN TO LEARN ABOUT KERALA CULTURE? GIVE YOUR DAUGHTER/SON A COPY OF
A collection of 25 short stories about women by award winning Malayalam authors translated into English. Sentiments and thoughts once isolated are shared with the English reader in these stories. Daughter's of Kerala was awarded Best Book 2005 Award for the Short Story Fiction category by USABooksNews.com and was Finalist in the Women's Issues category. The original stories written over a period of 70 years depict the progression of women from burdensome and rigid social mores to a more open society that exerts different kind of pressures. Read these stories about a unique people in the south-western costal state of India that has an exceptionally high literacy level of 92 percent. Kerala had free education from the early 1800 and the rich literary tradition of Malayalam is worthy of translation. Like the books translated from Greek, Latin, Russian, etc., “Daughters of Kerala” will help you appreciate another unique culture.
“…the accessible directness of the translations makes this book a pleasure to read.” --Shashi Tharoor “The vivid translations open a window….to the world of Indian women” --Braj B. Kachru “....this literary feat illustrates the cultural evolution of a populace.” --Dr. M.V. Pillai “….is to be congratulated for bringing these stories to the American readers.” --Lyn Richmond “… a welcome text for… World Literature, Women’s Studies, or Short Fiction or a serious book group.” -Carole Hayes “The great literary tradition of Malayalam… finds its way into world literature.” --Vaikom Murali The book is available from www.wheatmark.com and www.amazon.com or your favorite bookstore. For more information visit: www.achammachander.com.
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ONAM GREETINGS
FROM
STERLING PEDIATRICS Drs. Sharmila Nair & Lisa Scott 46175 Westlake Dr., Suite 120 STERLING, VA. 20165
703-444-0100
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KERALA ASSOCIATION OF GREATER WASHINGTON (KAGW) A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
Website: www.kagw.com APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP NAME: _________________________________________________________________ NAME OF SPOUSE: _______________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ TELEPHONE: _____________________________________________________________ NAMES & AGES OF CHILDREN: (OPTIONAL) ______________________________________________
____________________
______________________________________________
____________________
HOMETOWN IN INDIA: (OPTIONAL)
____________________________________
MEMBERSHIP FEE: FAMILY ($20.00)
____________________________________
SINGLE ($15.00)
____________________________________
LIFE TIME ($250)
____________________________________
Please make checks payable to KAGW. Please enroll me as a member of the Kerala Association of Greater Washington: KAGW), a non -profit Organization. Please find enclosed an amount of $___________ for the annual membership for 2004
DATE: _____________________
SIGNATURE:_____________________________
Please make your checks payable to KAGW and mail to:
Seenu Kurien 8532 Freyman Dr. #218, Chevy Chase, MD 20815 E-mail: membership@kagw.com
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Community News Graduates
Alisha Thomas graduated from Riverdale Baptist High School and will attend University of Maryland in Baltimore county. Nina Kottakuzhiyil graduated from Paint Branch High School and will attend St. John University.
Sneha Chalissery graduated from Damascus High School and will attend Montgomery College.
Treesa Joseph graduated from Magruder High School and will attend Montgomery College.
Ashwathi Kunnath graduated from Quince Orchard High School and will attend Rochester Institute of Technology.
Christy Rajan graduated from Catonsville High School and will attend College of Notre Dame.
Anna Aryankalayil graduated from Poolesville High School and will attend Emory University.
Achievements Congrats to Mr. Benoy Thomas (former KAGW President) who has been appointed by Montgomery County Executive, Douglas Duncan as Montgomery County Citizens Advisory Board Member for a term of 5 years. In this role, Mr. Benoy Thomas will be listening to county residents concerns and issues and bring it to the county executive and council's attention and advise solutions.
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Community News Weddings / Anniversaries Jenson Jose and Linta Rose tied the knot on July 2nd 2006. Mr. Tony & Mrs Ann Chemmanoor celebrated 25 th Wedding Anniversary on February 15 ,2006.
Births Melissa Thomas, born to Lin and Jose Thomas on August 17th 2006. Ashwyn Mathew Koshy, born on May 13, 2006 to Siby and John Koshy. Benjamin Zachary Podiyan, born to Shibu Podiyan and Marcy Podiyan on July 4th 2006.
George Nikhil Painumkal, born on
February 5, 2006 to John and Ajitha Painumkal.
Shawn Mathew Philip born on February 3 ,2006 to Tini and
Shaji
Philip Palapuzhamattam.
Savita Saralakshmi Nair born on February 11, 2006 to Sandeep and Suja Nair. Aarnav K Melemadathil
born on Apr 26 ,2006 to Ajith & Ria ,Centreville, VA
Obituary Mrs. Girija Ramachandra, mother of Mini Sathyan, passed away on April 23, 2006 at Chennai. She was 67 years old.
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Answers to KAGW Crossword
Best Wishes From
Mickhael
Tessa
Deepak
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Pictures from the KAGW Picnic
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Kerala Association of Greater Washington Proudly Presents
Coming Soon
HAPPY ONAM TO ALL
Ashwyn Mathew Koshy 73
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