gama reporter 2013 june

GAMA REPORTER Issue 2013-01

Reporter

GAMA editorial board is inviting materials for publishing in the

newsletter

Send your articles to [email protected]

JUNE 2013 IN THIS ISSUE

Dear GAMA Members,

Let me begin by saying how proud I am about the GAMA team and the community volunteers who work behind the scenes to make the GAMA events a success. The Malayalee community in and around Austin has been leading by example when it comes to organizing events which revels professionally managed events! More than anything, we remain united as a community even when we are witnessing massive growth in the community. While new members enthusiastically get involved in the GAMA events, the old timers remain passionate about their commitment to the community and the organization they nurtured. These are really exciting times!

We are only about half way through the year, but GAMA team was able to accomplish so much in so little time.

GAMA continued the year-long Malayalam classes started last year, kids have begun to read basic Malayalam stories now. For the batch we started in 2012 have completed one full year of instruction now; the current plan

is to continue the batch till the end of this year. We started new batch of Malayalam class in June. Roughly 30 students have enrolled in the new batch. All in all, we have 4 classes running concurrently. This would not have been possible without the committed volunteers who have devoted their personal time.

The movie committee has been keeping themselves very busy; so far they have managed to screen three Malayalam movies in digital format in a good theater. Audience loved the quality of the movie print, the sound system and the theater ambiance. At this rate, we will be breaking another GAMA record for the number of movies screened in a year!

On a closing note, I would like to personally thank each and every one of you who took the time off from your busy schedules to volunteer for the community. Your skills, talents and efforts made the difference in making GAMA more efficient and professional level organization! I look forward to working with many of you through the year. I hope to continue this momentum and also hope you will continue to offer your full support as in the past

SaReGAMA 2013 Pictures from our picnic, May, 2013.

Kathakali

By Shruthi Nampoothiri.

Rationkada

Balyakalasmaranakal by Jane Joseph.

Aval

Malayalam Poem by Sreevidhya Ajayan.

Essays from Competition Winning Essays from SareGAMA Competition

Springfest 2013

Report and pictures on our picnic

Message from President by Animon Jose

GAMA REPORTER | Issue 2013-01 2

From the editor's desk

First of all, our apologies for the delay in

releasing this edition of GAMA Reporter!

We are going to blame all of you for

that!!. Well, you all are supposed to send

us some materials for the newsletter and

some of you forgot about it!! Too bad!!!

Now seriously, we really want to make it

very personal for all of us by including

our own materials. It was a good start.

We got several articles and we were able

to publish most of them. A few of you

have agreed to share more in the

coming months and we really are

looking forward to that. A Big Thank

you to all who have contributed in this

edition!

We have a lot of talent here in Austin

and we have seen that in all our regular

events. Now, it's time to show this in our

News Letters too. So get your pen,

pencil, coloring tools, cameras or

whatever you use when you get creative;

and produce something for the next

edition of the Reporter!! We accept

anything that we can publish. (We still

reserve the right to reject any articles

that may not be appropriate for any part

of the community).

Lastly we would like to thank you all of

you for giving us this opportunity. If you

have any suggestions or comments

please let us know so that we can

improve next time.

[email protected]

President: Animon Jose

Vice President: Leena Mathew

Secretary: Jithin Sasidharan

Treasurer: Nitin Mathew Thomas

Directors

Govindan Nampoothiry

P G Ramachandran

Rakesh Menon

Sajan Lukose

Santhosh Nair

Simpson Varkey

Sunny Thomas

Thomas Cyriac

Ullas Pazhayaveetil

GAMA Youth Group (GYG)

President: Marilyn Mathew

Vice President: Terisha Kolencherry

PG Ram Sajan Lukose


ഒര്‍മ്മയ഻ീലഺരഽ ുറഷൻ കട by Jane Joseph

കഥകള഻ ുകരളത്ത഻ീെ പ്രശസ്ത കലഺരാരം ആണ്. കഥകള഻യഽീട ഉത്ഭവത്ത഻ീെ കഽറ഻ച്ചു ആര്‍മ്്ഽം അറ഻യ഻ലല. രീെ, രലരഽം വ഻ശവസ഻്ഽന്നത് കിഷ്ണെഺട്ടത്ത഻ല് െ഻ന്നഺണ് തഽടങ്ങ഻യീതന്നഺണ്. ീകഺട്ടഺര്ര തമ്പഽരഺീെ മഽമ്പ഻ല് കിഷ്ണെഺട്ടം അവതര഻പ്പ഻ച്ചുപ്പഺള് അുേഹത്ത഻ന് അവീര ീകഺട്ടരത്ത഻ല് തഺമസ഻പ്പ഻ച്ചു ദ഻വുസെ കിഷ്ണെഺട്ടം കഺണഺെഽള്ള ആപ്രഹമഽണ്ടഺയ഻. രീെ അവര്‍മ്്് അത഻ല് തഺല്രരമമഽണ്ടഺയ഻രഽന്ന഻ലല.

അതഽീകഺണ്ട് തമ്പഽരഺൻ തീെ സവന്തം കലഺരാരമഺയ രഺമെഺട്ടം ഉണ്ടഺ്഻, അത് ര഻ന്ന഼ട് ആട്ടകഥ ആയ഻, അത഻െഽ

ുശഷം കഥകള഻ ആയ഻ മഺറ഻. കഥകള഻ീയ ഇപ്ത പ്രശസ്തമഺ്ഽന്നത് അത഻ീെ ചമയം ആണ്. മറ്റു രല കലഺരാരങ്ങീള ുരഺീല അലല കഥകള഻യ഻ല് ചമയം ീചയഽന്നത്. കലഺതഺരത്ത഻െഽ അവര്‍മ് കള഻്ഽന്ന ആള഻ീെ ുരഺീല ആണ് ചമയം. വ഻ലലന്മഺര്‍മ്്് തഺട഻ ചഽമുപ്പഺ കറഽുപ്പഺ ആണ്, െലല ആളുീട തഺട഻ ീവള്ളയഽം ആണ്. തലയ഻ല് ീവ്ഽന്ന സഺധെങ്ങല്

വളീര ഭംര഻യഽം പ്ശദ്ധയഽം ീകഺണ്ടഺണ് ഉണ്ടഺ്഻യ഻രഽ്ഽന്നത്. കഥകള഻ ുകരളത്ത഻ീെ വല഻യ രഽ ഭഺരമഺണ്.

It was a very sad day. I was the first leaf to fall from our tree. May be if I had done my job better the tree wouldn’t have set me loose first. It’s too late, anyway.

I was a little sad for a while, but then I felt excitement take over. I could feel the wind as I plummeted towards the ground. I was thrilled. I could feel momentum picking up. Then as fast as it happened, it stopped.

As I touched the ground I felt weak. It was all over. Sadness washed over me again. Soon, I would blow away. I was too sad. I said farewell to my fellow leaves in the tree. I wished them luck and I blew away. When I landed I was in a totally new place. It looked like the perfect place for my life to end. Soon, I was picked up and put in what seemed like a collection. I saw dozens of other leaves, and now I’m happy again.

ജന്മെഺട഻ുെ്ഽറ഻ുച്ചഺര്‍മ്്ഽുമ്പഺള് െ഻ങ്ങുളവുരയഽം ുരഺീല എന്ന഻ുല്ഽുമഺട഻ വരഽന്ന ച഻ല ഒര്‍മ്മകളുണ്ട്....എീെ വ഼ട്, ര഻ന്നഺമ്പഽറത്തഽ കാട഻ ഴഽകഽന്ന അരഽവ഻, രറമ്പ഻ീല മരങ്ങള് , അയലീത്ത വ഼ടഽകള് , കള഻്ാട്ടുകഺര്‍മ് അങ്ങ഻ീെ അങ്ങ഻ീെ.......അങ്ങ഻ീെീയഺരഽ ഒര്‍മ്മയ഻ുല്ഺണ് ഞഺൻ ഇന്നഽ െ഻ങ്ങീള കാട്ട഻ീ്ഺണ്ടഽ ുരഺവഽന്നതഽ....എീെ െഺട്ട഻ീല ുറഷൻ കട.

ുസഺഷമല഻സത്ത഻ീെ ആദര്‍മ്ശങ്ങള് ഉള്ീ്ഺണ്ടഽ ീകഺണ്ടഽ തഽടങ്ങ഻യ രഽ സംരംഭം. ജഺത഻, മത, സഺമ്പത്ത഻ക ുഭദമീെമ എതഽ ഇന്തമഺ്ഺരീെയഽം ൂദെംദ഻െജ഼വ഻തത്ത഻ീെ ഭഺരമഺണഽ ുറഷൻ കട. ൂലപ്രറ഻, ുരഺുറഺഫ഼സ്

ീ്ുപ്പഺീല തീന്ന രഽ െഺട഻ീെ ുസഺഷമല് ഹബ് കാട഻യഺണ് ഈ കട. ഏതഽ സ്ഥലുത്തയഽം ുരഺീല എീെ െഺട്ട഻ുലയഽം ഏറ്റം രഴയ രഽ ീകട്ട഻ടത്ത഻ലഺണഽ ുറഷൻ കട സ്ഥ഻ത഻ ീചയ്യുന്നത്....തട്ട഻ട്ട, തട഻ ഭ഻ത്ത഻യഽള്ള, രലക വഺത഻ലഽള്ള കട. സാരമൻ അസ്തമ഻ച്ച് കഽറച്ചു ീവള഻ച്ചം മഺപ്തം രഺ്഻

കഥകള഻

by Shruthi Nampoothiri

Here I Go! by Kiran Chandrasekhar


െ഻ല്്ഽകയഽം, പ്റ഼റ്റ് ൂലറ്റുകള് മട഻ച്ച് മട഻ച്ച് ീതള഻ഞ്ഞഽ തഽടങ്ങഽകയഽം ീചയ്യുന്ന സഺയഺഹ്നസമയത്തഺണഽ അപ്പച്ചുയഺീടഺപ്പം ുറഷൻ കടയ഻ുല്ഽള്ള സവഺര഻. അപ്പച്ച ൂവക഻ട്ടു രഽറുത്ത്഻റങ്ങ഻യഺല് രശുരഺീല ഈയഽള്ളവളും കാീടകാട഻യ഻രഽന്നഽ. അപ്പച്ചുയഺീടഺപ്പമഽള്ള ഈവെ഻ംഗ് ുവഺ്ഽകള഻ലഺണഽ എീെ ീരഺതഽവ഻ജ്ഞഺെത്ത഻ീെ ുേറ്റഺുരസഽകള് ീകട്ട഻ീപ്പടഽ്ീപ്പട്ട഻രഽന്നത്. ആുരഺളപ്രശ്െങ്ങള് ചര്‍മ്ച്ച ീചയ്തഽ െടന്നഽ ുരഺവഽന്ന രഽ അപ്പെഽം രത്തഽവയസഽകഺര഻യഽം - ഇന്നഽം എീെ ഒര്‍മ്മകള഻ല് ആ ച഻പ്തം െ഻റഞ്ഞഽ െ഻ല്്ഽന്നഽ. സഺധെം വഺങ്ങഺെ഻ലലഺത്തുപ്പഺഴഽം െടത്തത്ത഻െ഻ടയ഻ീല രഽ ഇടത്തഺവളമഺയ഻രഽന്നഽ ുറഷൻ കട. കഺരണം ുറഷൻ കടയ഻ീല ീതഺമച്ചഺയൻ അപ്പച്ചയഽീട അടഽത്ത സഽഹിത്തഽ്ള഻ല് രഺളഺയ഻രഽന്നഽ.

കയറ്റം കയറ഻ ീചലലുുമ്പഺള് രള്ള഻, ുരഺുറഺഫ഼സ്...അതഽ കഴ഻ഞ്ഞ് ുറഺേ഻ല് െ഻ന്നഽം സവല്രം ഉയര്‍മ്ന്നഺണഽ ുറഷൻ കട. ത഼ീര മങ്ങ഻യ ീവള഻ച്ചമഺണഽ കടയ഻ല് എുപ്പഺഴഽം. അരണ്ടീവള഻ച്ചത്ത഻ല് രറന്നഽ െടന്ന് അുലഺസരീപ്പടഽത്തഽന്ന ഈയലഽകള് . ുവഺള്ുട്ടജ് കഽറഞ്ഞ, മഽകള഻ല് െ഻ന്നഽം താങ്ങ഻്഻ട്ഽന്ന രള്ര഻ീെ ക഼ഴ഻ല഻രഽന്ന് രഴക഻ പ്ദവ഻ച്ചു

ുരഺവഺറഺയ രഽ കണ്ഽ

രഽസ്തകത്ത഻ല് ീതഺമച്ചഺയൻ ഞങ്ങളുീട ുറഷൻ കഺര്‍മ്േ഻ല് െ഻ന്ന് എീന്തഺീ്ുയഺ രകര്‍മ്ത്ത഻ എഴഽതഽം. ആ ുറഷൻ കഺര്‍മ്് ഇുപ്പഺഴഽം ഒര്‍മ്്ഽന്നഽ, മഞ്ഞ െ഻റമഽള്ള തഽണ഻യഽീട രഽറംചട്ട, അകത്തഽ കഽെഽകഽെഺ എഴഽത്തഽകള് . ഏീതഺരഽ മലയഺള഻യഽുടയഽം മഽഖ്മ ഐേ഻െ഻റ്റ഻ കഺര്‍മ്േഺണീതന്ന വ഻വരം അീന്നെ഻്റ഻യ഻ലലഺ-യ഻രഽന്നഽ. ഏതഺയഺലഽം വളീര വ഻ലീപ്പട്ട ന്നഺീണന്ന്, വ഼ട്ട഻ീല ുഷഺുകസ഻ല് ൂരര഻ള഻ീെ അടഽത്തഽള്ള ുറഷൻ കഺര്‍മ്േ഻ീെ സ്ഥഺെത്ത഻ല് െ഻ന്നഽം മെസ്സ഻ലഺയ഻രഽന്നഽ. ഒുരഺ തവണയഽം ുറഷൻ കടയ഻ല് െ഻ല്്ഽുമ്പഺള് അത഻ീല കഽടഽംരഺംരങ്ങഽളുീട ുരരഽ രല ആവര്‍മ്ത്ത഻ വഺയ഻്ഽമഺയ഻രഽന്നഽ. കഺരണം അവ഻ീട കഺത്തഽ െ഻ല്്ഽുമ്പഺള് ുവീറഺന്നഽം ീചയ്യഺെ഻ലലഺയ഻രഽന്നഽ.

ീതഺമച്ചഺയെഽം അപ്പച്ചയഽം ആുരഺളപ്രശ്െങ്ങള്ള് ചര്‍മ്ച്ച ീചയ്യുുമ്പഺള് കടയ഻ല് എടഽത്തഽ ീകഺടഽ്ഺന് െ഻ല്്ഽന്ന ുചട്ടൻ ുലഺുമഺഷെ഻ല് മീെെ അീളീന്നടഽ്ഽകയഺയ഻ര഻്ഽം. സഺധെം ീറേ഻യഺയ഻്ഴ഻ഞ്ഞഺലഽം സംസഺരം െ഼ണ്ടഽ ുരഺവഽം. ചഺയ്ടയ഻ീല ുരഺീല ഉറീ്യലല സംസഺരം. വരഽന്നവരഽം ുരഺകഽന്നവരഽം ീ് വളീര രതഽീ്യഺണഽ സംസഺര഻്ഽന്നത്. കടയ഻ല് െ഻ന്നഽം ുറഺേ഻ുല്ഽ ുെഺ്഻യഺല് െടന്നഽ ുരഺകഽന്നവരഽീട മഽഖ്ം വമക്തമഺവ഻ലല. എങ്ക഻ലഽം അവരഽീട െടപ്പ഻ീെ ൂശല഻യ഻ല്്ാട഻ ആള്്ഺീര ഊഹ഻ച്ചു കണ്ടഽ ര഻ട഻്ഽകയഺയ഻രഽന്നഽ എീെ

മീറ്റഺരഽ വ഻ുെഺദം. ുരഺകഺൻ ുെരം ീതഺമച്ചഺയന് എീന്ന ുെഺ്഻ “ങഺ ുമഺീള” എന്നഽ മഺപ്തം രറയഽം. ഞഺൻ ച഻ര഻്ഽം. അത഻ലടങ്ങ഻യ഻രഽന്ന വഺത്സലമം ഇീന്നെ഻്ഽ മെസ഻ലഺവഽന്നഽ.

ര഻ീന്ന െെപ്തങ്ങള് കണ്ടഽീകഺണ്ട് , അപ്പച്ചുയഺട് ുലഺകകഺരമങ്ങള് സംസഺര഻ച്ചു ീകഺണ്ട് മട്യഺപ്ത. അുപ്പഺള് വഴ഻യ഻ീല കടകള഻ീല ുറേ഻ുയഺകള഻ല് െ഻ന്നഽം ുകള്്ഽന്ന കുമ്പഺള െ഻ലവഺരം - ീകഺച്ച഻ അര഻ കവ഻െല഻െഽ എെൂറഽ രാര, ീവള഻ീച്ചെ......... അതഽ ുകട്ടു സ്പ്ട഼റ്റ് ൂലറ്റ഻ീെ ീവള഻ച്ചത്ത഻ല് െടന്നഽ െ഼ങ്ങഽന്ന രഽ അപ്പെഽം ുമഺളും. കഺലത്ത഻ീെ രഽുരഺരത഻യ഻ല് മഺുവല഻ ുറഺറഽകള് ീതഺട്ട് ഇന്നീത്ത മഺര്‍മ്ജ഻ൻ പ്ഫ഼ കടകള് വീര, കഺപ്പ഻റ്റല഻സത്ത഻ീെ മഽഖ്മഽപ്ദയഺയ഻ ഉടീലടഽത്തഽ. എന്നഺലഽം ഇന്നഽം ആ ുറഷൻ കട, രര഻ഷ്്ഺരത്ത഻ീെ രര഻ുവഷമണ഻യഺീത ഇുപ്പഺഴഽം അവ഻ീടയഽണ്ട്.

ഇന്നഽ അപ്പച്ചയ഻ലല, ീതഺമച്ചഺ-യെഽമ഻ലല. രീെ എീെ രഺലമകഺല സ്മരണകള഻ല് ലഺള഻തമത്ത഻ീെ പ്രത഼കമഺയ഻ ആ ുറഷൻ കടയഽം, അരണ്ട ീവള഻ച്ചത്ത഻ീല ആ ീസൌഹിദ സംഭഺഷണങ്ങളും, രഽ സഺന്തവെമഺയ഻ ഇന്നഽം െ഻റഞ്ഞഽ െ഻ല്്ഽന്നഽ.

Jane, her husband Sanjesh & their daughter Ashlin moved to Austin in 2012 and lives in Cedarpark.


Fun & Spirited competitions

A FUN DAY AT THE PARK

We saw record number of people attending the annual picnic - SpringFest 2013. It was a picture perfect day at the scenic San Gabriel Park. Kids ran along the river banks while parents and adults found themselves engaged in interesting conversations. Newcomers got an opportunity to meet and make new friends while the veterans got a chance to renew their friendship. Kids formed a beeline for getting their faces artistically painted by the talented artists while some others burned their extra energy in the bouncy house. Various games like lemon spoon run and sack race kept the kids and adults on their toes. The highly anticipated Dessert Competition attracted many interesting entries. Once the desserts were opened up for public, it appeared to have vanished in to thin air! The food which was prepared with the help of many community volunteers was enthusiastically devoured by everyone, people couldn't stop praising the morning special Kappa and chutney!

PICNIC HIGHLIGHTS

Kerala & Texas Foods

Competitions & Prizes

WINNERS

Candy Picking

1. Emily Joseph

2. Ankita Anup

3. Mia Antony

Lemon & Spoon Race

Ladies

1. Mini Aloysius

2. Beena James

3. Smitha Anup

Girls

1. Shruti Ramachandran

2. Neha Raji

3. Rhea Jefhi

Boys

1. Samuel James

2. Aditya Satesh

3. Alwyn

WINNERS

Dessert competition

1. Deepa Sethumadhavan

Sack Race

Youth

1. Maya

2. Priyanka

3. Riya

Kids

1. Melvin K

2. Samuel

3. Anu

Gents

1. Bijoy

2. Jesu

3. Antony

Musical Chair

Kids

1. Emily

2. Ann

3. Leah

Youth

1. Priyanka

2. Samuel

3. Melvin K

Ladies

1. Bini Nampoothiri

2. Mini Thomas

3. Lekha

Gents

1. Jesu

2. Simson

3. Mike Punjabi


We need your help in improving the quality of our News Letter. If you can volunteer please let us know.

We also need a lot of articles.

A Poem or a Short story would be great.

But...

It doesn't have to be the typical articles you see in News Letters. It could be anything publishable.

We accept even two sentences of writing.

Send a letter to the Editor with your comments on any relevant subject.

Send us a joke. (Must be original, though)

Your opinion about a recent Austin event.

A write up on an event at your school.

A Drawing or a painting.

If you know someone who can shed some light about our past or history or can provide some advice to the community, feel free to do an interview or prepare a profile about them and send it to us. Please make sure, you get their approval first.

Any other ideas you may have.

Oh. Btw, the editorial board reserves the right to reject any matter without providing an explanation.

Please send your materials to be published to [email protected] at the earliest so that we can include it in our next issue.

Sreevidhya Ajayan


Mrs.Saraswathi Nagarajan was really tired after judging the show for nearly four hours and was ready to leave. She smiled and thanked me before started slowly walking towards her daughter, but then she turned around as if a sudden thought occurred to her. “I never expected such talent in Austin” she said, “The quality of the programs just amazed me, especially the diction of the kids was superb”

The Brentwood Christian School PAC was one of the finest venues where SaReGAMA was held in recent times. Ample seating and walkways, big stage with state-of-the-art lighting made it a pleasant experience for the participants as well as audience. The entries for the drawing competition was displayed at the lobby, people stopped by the display stand to appreciate the budding artists before proceeding to the auditorium.

The four judges, who gracefully volunteered to judge the competition, arrived before time to give themselves enough time to settle down and meet and greet each other. Two were returning judges from last year: Kannan Radhakrishnan and Madhu Kalyanapuram, and two new judges: Mrs. Saraswathi Nagarajan and Vidhya Mani. The programs started on time with opening prayer by Anupriya Jose and Megan Varghese. Preethy Sajeev Pynadath was the MC who skillfully guided the entire program for the next four hours. The first set of competitions started immediately after the judges inaugurated program by lighting the lamp.

More than 70 people participated in competition and non-competition items; competition was tough and participants set real high standards. Program started with Solo Dance competition for kids between ages 9 to 13, followed by Solo Music competition for Ages 9 to 13. Couple of non-competitive items later, highlight was the children’s skit “Doctor, Doctor” organized by Babu Chandrashekhar, competitive items restarted. Audience was in for a treat when Fancy Dress competition started: The kutty chendakkaran by Joshua, chekavar by Jayanth and Emily Joseph’s Ann Frank were all well received by the audience. Merina Joseph was the winner of this category with a superb enactment of “Meenkari“ with real fish in her hand!

Aparna Rajeev proved how good a dancer she is with her superb rendition of Thillana in Kuchipudi tradition. Bini Nampoothiri choreographed the finale piece with group of kids and few surprise guest dancers!

Apart from the regular stage competitions, GAMA introduced two additional competitions this year: Essay and Drawing competitions. Essay competitions attracted 12 entries, judges found it difficult to pick a winner in most categories. Amy Adams, Krishna Kumar, Hari Mony, and Mannisha Binu were the judges for Essay competition while Prasanth Vijayan and Sreedevi Nair judged the Drawing competition.

All participants were given a medal as a token of appreciation for the efforts they put in and all stage event winners were given cash awards! Sijo Vadakkan of Trinity Real Estate sponsored the cash awards.

SaReGAMA 2013: A perfect storm of talents!

by Animon Jose


2013 SaReGAMA Winners

Category Winner(s)

Solo Dance (Age Group: 9 to 13) Shaili Mehta

Solo Song (Age Group: 9 to 13) Anupriya Jose

Group Dance (Age Group: Under 13) Avni Singh, Anmol Mittal, Akshaya Ranjit, Neha Sangana, Advika Sharma, Avantika Tikoo, Samstita Raja

Solo Song (Age Group: Under 9) Shreya Nampoothiri

Fancy Dress Merina Joseph

Group Dance (Age Group: Above 13) Anupriya Jose, Vaishnavi Shankar, Garima Singh

Essay Competition (Elementary School) Manu Perinchery

Essay Competition (Middle School) Akhila Ravikumar

Essay Competition (High School) Malavika Perinchery

Drawing Competition (Elementary School) Pranav Jose

Drawing Competition (Middle School) Anupriya Jose

Majestic Kerala

Coconut trees, lots of greenery, heavy monsoon rains all of this comes

to my mind when I think of Kerala. I was born outside of India but my

parents are from Kerala, a tiny state in southern India. Two years ago I

had the opportunity to go there to stay with my grandparents. They

live in Irinjalakuda, a small town in Trichur. I was not really excited

about my visit but my sister convinced me. When I got there it was

raining heavily. It was humid, cool and there was greenery all around.

Because of the rain we could almost never go outside. I saw huge

spiders that were the size of my face but after a while I got used to

them. Grandpa took us to a temple nearby where I saw elephants. They

were huge and black. Some were chewing on coconut leaves.

I got a chance to visit my great grandmother’s house too. It was so

much fun because she had one cow, four chickens, two goats, and a

stray cat. I got to pet them all. She had a huge yard, paddy fields and a

lot of coconut trees. Did you know the word Kerala comes from the

word Kera which means coconut trees. I saw so many coconut trees

that I lost count.

Then we went to our other grandmother’s house in Palakkad. She had

so many jackfruits and mango trees. The mangos and jackfruits were so

yummy. We went

to Malampuzha

dam where we

went in a

ropeway car and

visited the

aquarium. In the

aquarium we saw

so many fish. We

even saw a

catfish that was

two feet long.

Afterwards we went to Irinjalakuda again but this time we only stayed

for a few days and then we went home. So now you will probably get

why I said greenery, coconut trees, and loads of monsoon rain are the

things that come to my mind when I think about Kerala. That was one

of the best summer holidays I had.

Manu Perinchery: I am a third grader at River Ridge Elementary school. I enjoy reading and playing guitar. I play soccer and basketball too.

by: Manu Perinchery


Kerala through the lens of a non-resident By: Akhila Ravikumar

Kerala is one of my favorite places to go in the summer. I go there

every year to see family members and to have a blast! I love everything

about Kerala starting from its beautiful beaches to the culture itself.

So...what is so special about Kerala's beaches? Aren't all beaches the

same? Well...you are wrong. Kerala's beaches are one of the most

popular tourist attractions. It lures travelers with its coconut trees

which are scattered across the shoreline, climate conditions, soft

golden sand, and the crystal blue water. Kerala's breathtaking green

land, coconut trees, waterfalls, and sunny beaches make it a traveler’s

paradise!

Another thing that makes Kerala stand out is its various art forms.

Kathakali is one of the oldest art forms of Kerala. I enjoy watching

kathakali because the Madras, abhinaya, and the costumes itself make

this dance form very unique! Mohiniyattam is another dance form from

Kerala. In my opinion it is very graceful and it is performed solo by

women. These two art forms are what come to my mind when I think of

Kerala.

Kerala is not only famous for its natural greenery, but also for its

colorful festivals. A lot of festivals are celebrated in Kerala through out

the year. My favorite one is Onam. Onam is celebrated to remember

the time when King Mahabali ruled over Kerala. I specifically like this

festival because for 10 days I get to make a pookalam with different

colored flowers and designs in front of my house. It is a lot of fun and I

really enjoy celebrating Onam with my family and friends!

The food in Kerala is another major factor that makes me visit Kerala. It

is very different from the food you get in other parts of India. It is very

spicy and makes my mouth water. My personal favorites are parrotta

and puttu. Those two food items are delicious! Sadya is another feast

mainly eaten on Onam. It has many dishes that you can eat with rice

and it is eaten on a banana leaf. After I eat sadya I'm usually stuffed but

I always top it off with sweet payasam which tastes scrumptious!

The only thing I don't like about Kerala is the mosquitoes. You see.. I'm

not a big fan of insects or bugs, and I especially hate being stung by

them. But overall Kerala is an amazing place. I have never been to

another place like it. With its valleys, backwaters, beaches, culture, and

food, it truly is god's own country!

My name is Akhila Ravikumar, I'm in 7th grade and I go to Cedar Valley Middle School. My hobbies are reading and dancing.

Competition: Drawing (Elementary school)

Winner: Pranav Jose


A Land of Diversity By Malavika Perinchery

Kerala, the land of beaches, coconut trees,

rivers and backwaters is a green strip of land,

in the southwest corner of Indian peninsula.

Kerala is a state with full literacy, higher

health care and lower mortality rate. In

Kerala you can experience the touch of

mother earth everywhere. No wonder

Keralites call their state “God’s own country.”

As a first generation Indian American, Kerala

has always remained an enchanting place to

me. When I visit, I always feel like I am going

to another world. I especially love the wildlife

and greenery that is prevalent there. In my

grandmother’s garden in Palakkad, there are

lots of different types of plants. Some of my

favorite memories of Kerala include

frolicking around amongst the chembarathi,

mulla, and thetchi flowers in her big garden.

One time, a butterfly landed on the dress

that I was wearing, and we took a picture of

it. Little things like that make up the beauty

of nature.

Besides the natural beauty of Kerala, its

diversity also intrigues me. It is, in many

ways, one of the most religiously diverse

places in India. For example, the Cheraman

Juma Masjid Mosque in Kodungalloor is the

very first mosque of India. The Padmanabha

Swami Temple in Thiruvananthapuram is one

of the principal centers of worship of the

deity in Vaishnavism. The Niranam St. Mary’s

Orthodox Syrian Church was built in AD 54.

Each culture has helped define the land.

What impresses me most, however, is how

such a diverse population can coexist

peacefully.

With all of the diversity in Kerala there is a lot

of culture. Watching the different festivals

like arattu, perunal, and pooram, is

interesting. I can still remember the time

when my grandfather took me to the

Thrissur Pooram. There were big elephants,

panchavadhyam, and huge crowds. I sat on

my grandfather’s shoulders and watched the

amazing pooram.

Being a Bharatanatyam dancer, I have always

been interested in other art forms. Kerala has

many different dance forms, all of which are

very aesthetic. Kathakali, Mohiniattam, and

Koodiattam are some of my favorites. It is

very interesting to see the amount of

dedication that these artists have. Kathakali,

for example, requires eight years of

demanding training in actions and steps

before you can perform. The amount of

makeup and costume that needs to be worn

can take hours just to put on. Watching a

Kathakali performance, however, is

mesmerizing.

Kerala has always been a land of beauty to

me. The kindness of the people, the beauty

of the environment, and the richness of

culture makes Kerala my second home

.

Malavika Perinchery is a 9th grader

at Vandegrift High School. She enjoys reading and writing. She is

very proud of her Indian roots and is an avid Bharatanatyam dancer. If

you don’t find her dancing, you can see her playing chess, doing

community service, or hanging out with friends.

Competition: Drawing (Middle school)

Winner: Anupriya Jose


SaReGAMA 2013


My Perspective of

Malayalam class

By: Sruti Ramachandran

GAMA Reporter

www.gama-austin.com

[email protected]

June, 2013

Learning Malayalam is very enjoyable in

Malayalam Class. The extensive variety of games, tests, translations and assignments make sure that Malayalam never gets boring. The first thing we did on the first day of our class was to learn how to spell മലയഺളം. Then we got on to

learning small words & by doing that we started learning the alphabets. The coolest thing that we do now is to complete the story for our reading assignments. The class is splits between Team A & Team B. Every week it’s the race to make the most points so that your team wins the weekly contests. This is one of the things that make Malayalam class so captivating & enthralling. The only fun thing we haven't done so far is to read Mayavi & Luttapi stories.

Malayalam class not only provides an excellent opportunity to learn Malayalam but also educates about India culture, civilization, leaders etc. by sending a writing assignment in which you have to write about the topic's life or achievements. One example is this week’s topic. This week’s topic is Sri Narayana Guru. What most kids will do next is go to Wikipedia and write in Malayalam or English about Sri Narayana Guru's life and achievements. In Malayalam class, we also learn about the stunning history of India. In all, I think Malayalam class has many qualities for kids like me whose parents were born in India and their kids were born in America by helping the kids learn about Indian History.

Malayalam class not only tests us (the students), but the teachers of it also rewards us. After the first quarter test, we had a party at Main Event. I remember that the teachers put a lot of effort to make it happen.

I look back and also remember that some kids used to pronounce letters like Tta (റ്റ) and Ra(റ)

as Zha (ഴ ) .Now all of those kids are speaking like

Malayalam was their native language. I think the teachers were responsible for this. They put a lot of effort into making sure we always get something out of the classes. I used to add Tamil words half the time I spoke Malayalam! Now I speak pretty regularly but still mix it up once in a while. Malayalam class is also very helpful because when I go to India almost every year, I can converse naturally with the Milk Man and all the neighbors in the tiny village of Tharakkad in Palakkad, and the other village of Trikkur in Thrichur.

I also think Malayalam Class teachers need to read more poems to us. I always love the way Malayalam poems sound. They are mystical and obvious and beautiful all at the same time.

In all Malayalam Class is very educational and interesting at the same time. I hope it goes on for decades like this for kids like me. May be one day I will get to teach the class as well.

gama reporter 2013 june

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