Volume 5, Issue 2 March 8^th, 2010

G.A.M.A Times

Greater Austin Malayalee Association

This Issue: SAREGAMA ‘10 GAMA PICNIC ‘10 Editor’s Desk 2010 US Census Salvation Army Volunteering

01 01 02 02 03

GAMA “KarshakaShree” World Cup Predictions Prepare your child for TAKS The Kitchen Cheer’s Muthassan

03 04 05 05 06

Photo of the month Kerala News Cine Trivia Community News

07 07 08 08

SAREGAMA -April 10^th, 2010

GAMA’s annual talent festival for this year will be held on April 10^th, Saturday at the Austin Waldorf School from 2pm to 6pm. We would like to welcome our community members to join us for a wonderful afternoon filled with fun and entertainment. Please make use of this opportunity for you or your young ones to exhibit their talents. Since slots are limited and allocated on a first come basis, kindly send in your registrations with the details on the right, at the earliest to saregama2010reg@gmail.com. Registrations shall be closed by 6pm on Friday, April 2^nd. If  you have any questions, please contact one of the following directors-in-charge or send an email to webmaster@gama-austin.com: Eldho Kuriakose (512-417-5868) Hari Mony (512-658-0195) Shibu Abraham (949-309-0071) Tinu Mathew (512-497-3898)

Sign up by providing these details: 1) Program Name (as required to be printed / announced) 2) Program Description (as required to be announced by MC) 3) Program Type

o Solo Dance o Solo Song o Group Dance o Group Song

o Solo Instrumental o Group Instrumental o Group Skit o Other (specify)

4) Program Duration (in minutes) – in order to allow maximum participation, kindly restrict the program duration to the following time limit. o Dance, Song, Instrumental – 5-6 min o Skit, Other – 15 min 5) Participant Details o Names (full names – to be printed / announced) o Age 6) Program Contact Person o Name,  Contact number and Email 7) Program Credits (Choreographed / Directed by) – if applicable 8)   Background music – mp3 file to be provided to program committee by April 2^nd 9) Other Audio / Video / Lighting requirements (E.g. projector, lapel mics) – if applicable

GAMA Picnic – MAY 8^th, 2010

As we bid farewell to Winter and welcome Spring, let’s get outdoors and set out the table for some good food and exciting games. GAMA is organizing its annual picnic this coming May. While there is Soccer for the soccer fans, there will be something special for your little ones as always. There will be plenty of other activities for men, women and children alike. So mark your calendar for a fun filled and relaxing day. Plenty of fun and food. Stay tuned for more details soon…

Editor’s Desk

The GAMA Editorial board extends its sincere thanks to all of you for the support and responses to our first newsletter. We sincerely appreciate your feedback, be it accolades or criticisms. We encourage you to continue do the same, which in turn help us serve you better. The highlights for this month's newsletter are 'SAREGAMA 2010', the 'Karshakashree competition' and 'World Cup Predictions'.  SAREGAMA 2010 – This is the perfect platform for showcasing your talent and creativity. With your support and enthusiasm we look forward to an entertaining night filled with peppy performances and a healthy competition. Karshaka Shree Competition - As the winter sets away it is time to grow the greens! For all the nature lovers out there who are looking for an excuse to enjoy rural living in their suburban households, 'Karshakashree competition' is the best way to start. So do enroll yourself for the competition World Cup Prediction Competition - Soccer is a sport that has been part of every malayalee soul. Back home, we used to wait for the harvest season to be over, to turn the paddy fields to soccer grounds. Every nook and corner of Kerala streets will be buzzing with talks and cheers for the favorite teams, when the world cup arrives. GAMA is trying to extend that spirit through a Prediction Competition where you all can post your entries to win great prizes. As always we request everyone to send in your articles, recipes, photographs etc for our 'Get Creative - Community Articles' column. We sincerely hope that you enjoy this edition of the newsletter. Thanks GAMA Editorial board

2010 U.S Census

What is 2010 US Census? · A new census count will occur this year in March-April as mandated by the U.S. Constitution.  The census, taken every 10 years, is the basis for the number of representatives in Congress and for the $400 billion allocated annually in federal funds distributed to states. · The forms are the shortest in census history, with just 10 questions requiring about 10 minutes to complete.  · For each person living at a residence it asks for age, date of birth, sex, and race. It also asks whether the residence is owned or rented and a telephone number, in case there is an answer that needs clarification. · Surveys for the 2010 Census will arrive at homes in mid-March and should be mailed back in April.  Participation in the census is required by law; answers are protected by law and strictly confidential.  The Census Bureau cannot share any information it receives with anyone—including other federal agencies or law enforcement.  · Census data is used to allocate government funds for critical community services such as public transportation, road rehabilitation, school grants, programs for the elderly, health care and job training.   Why should we participate in Census?! · The Census is safe, easy and important! · More than 400 billion dollars of Federal funding is allocated each year for things like hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers and emergency services · According to a Price Waterhouse study it is estimated that Travis County had an under count of 15,732 people in the 2000 Census.  That under count resulted in a loss of $235,980,000 of Federal funding that could have come to Central Texas. · We cannot afford an under count in 2010! · All Census Bureau employees take the oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data. -Census forms are available in 6 different languages, and there are Language Assistance Guides for 59 other languages · Fill out the form and mail it back in the pre-paid envelope provided by April 1st for an accurate count A Census taker follows up with every address that doesn't mail back the form in order to get the best count possible for our community

Salvation Army Volunteering
	GAMA has committed to provide basic charity services every year at the Salvation Army center. Every month on a Saturday, GAMA volunteers go to the downtown Salvation Army center and help the staff with preparing and packing meals for the needy. We invite volunteers from the community to join GAMA in continuing to provide this service at the Salvation Army center. It is also a great opportunity for middle/high school going kids to earn some volunteer credit hours. If you are interested in the above volunteering opportunity, do contact GAMA Webmaster at webmaster@gama-austin.com or Roshan Chacko at roshanc@gmail.com. Next Date: Saturday, March 20th, 2010. Time; 10:45 AM to 12:45 PM Venue: Salvation Army Center, 501 East 8th Street, Austin, TX 78701.
	We Malayalees have a special place in our hearts for krishi and collaborating with the Earth to bring forth green shoots and nourishing food. Most of us share nostalgic memories of growing up on or around large farms with green paddy fields that extend as far as the eye can see. GAMA’s “Karshaka Shree” competition is an effort to keep this spirit and heritage alive in our community.
	1. How do you participate? Register at http://209643.xobor.com/ The ‘Register’ link is at the very top. Enter a username, password, and email address – you are registered!  2. When does the competition start and end? You can register for the competition from now to April 3^rd. GAMA judges will make the first visit to your plots on April 17^th. We will take pictures and ensure the starting criteria. Final judgment visits will be made on the week before GAMA’s Onam program (likely 2^nd half of August). 3. What are the rules? The competition is for vegetable gardens only. There are no rules around amount of time, money or effort you invest into your garden. 4. What are the judging criteria? Prizes will be awarded for two broad categories: 1. Best Patio Garden: Defined as plants in containers sitting on some concrete slab. 2. Best In-Ground Garden: Defined as raised beds or straight in ground.		Fun Farm Facts - Pumpkins were once used for removing freckles and curing snake bites! - Apples are a member of the rose family. - There are over 500 different types of bananas. - Blueberries are the second most popular berry in the United States. - Grapes are one of the oldest cultivated fruits - more than 8,000 years - Americans eat about 125 pounds of potatoes a year
	Each category will be judged on : i) Size (sq. ft) of plot or number of pots ii) Diversity of crop (number of different crops) iii) Plant health (Judges’ evaluation) Winners will be announced during the 2010 Onam celebration.		Did you know? At one time, much of our population was involved in farming - in 1940, the average farmer grew enough food for only 19 other people. And that was pretty close to enough.

GAMA – World Cup ’10 Predictions
	Starting June 11^th of this year, 32 countries will go head-to-head in South Africa in the greatest battle of all…The “Futbol” World Cup 2010. Take part in this soccer extravaganza through GAMA World Cup ’10 predictions competition. The competition is simple. Predict the winning teams from the group stage through the finals. Each correct prediction earn points. At the end of the competition, the top two point earners will win exciting prizes from GAMA. Watch out for April newsletter for the Prize details. The last date for receiving your entries will be June 10^th 2010. Send your entries (predictions) to gama.worldcup@gmail.com.
	Pick your top two teams from each group. Each correct prediction get 1 point each		Groups / Teams			Your Predictions (2 teams from each Group)
		Group A	France Mexico		Uruguay South Africa	<Top 2 teams>
		Group B	Argentina Greece		Nigeria Korea Republic	<Top 2 teams>
		Group C	England USA		Algeria Slovenia	<Top 2 teams>
		Group D	Germany Serbia		Australia Ghana	<Top 2 teams>
		Group E	Netherlands Cameroon		Denmark Japan	<Top 2 teams>
		Group F	Italy Paraguay		Slovakia New Zealand	<Top 2 teams>
		Group G	Brazil Portugal		Côte d'Ivoire Korea DPR	<Top 2 teams>
		Group H	Spain Chile		Switzerland Honduras	<Top 2 teams>
	Pick your 8 teams for the Quarter-finals. Each correct prediction get 2 points each			Your Predictions ->		1) 2)	3) 4)		5) 6)	7) 8)
	Pick your 4 teams for the Semi-Finals. Each correct prediction get 3 points each			Your Predictions ->		1) 2)			3) 4)
	Pick your 2 teams for the Finals. Each correct prediction get 4 points each			Your Predictions ->		1)			2)
	Pick your 2010 World Cup Champion. The correct prediction get 5 points			Your Prediction ->		Champions
	Rules: 1) Only 1 entry per person (your last entry will be considered and over ride the previous ones) 2) If more than 1 participant get the same points at the end, weightage will be given to Champions prediction, then Finals, then Semi-finals and so on; If still a tie exists between entries, the winners will be picked from a draw 3) Last date for accepting entries will be June 10^th. 4) Top 2 winners will be given prizes during 2010 GAMA Onam celebrations . Send in your entries to gama.worldcup@gmail.com. The format for the entry can be similar to the following example: Group A: France & S.Africa, Group B: Argentina & Greece etc etc… QF: France, Argentina, England, Germany etc etc… SF: Germany, Brazil…etc F: England vs Brazil, Winner - Brazil

Get Creative !
Articles from Community Members
	How to prepare your child for TAKS - By Celine Jose
	Coming up in schools …..TAKS All students from grades 3 onwards take the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills. Best ways to prepare your kids is to start early on. Read to /with your kids everyday “The more you read the more you know, the more you know the farther you go” is the reference.	Make sure that they read at least 20 minutes a day. While reading with your kids engage them with questions about the characters, settings, make predictions, etc….. Monitor the kids’ homework…don’t do it for them. On TAKS testing days make sure that kids get a good night’s sleep. Give them healthy breakfast. Assure them early on that they can do it (not only on testing day).		If necessary teach them relaxing techniques like deep breaths, closing their eyes, do some stretches etc. Do not try to cram anything on that day. A relaxed student performs much better than a stressed out one. Parents, Stay calm about this. Find more information about the test on www.tea.state.tx.us P.S: Schools do an excellent job on training the students for TAKS.
	The Kitchen
	Recipe For King Fish Red Curry (Kerala Style) - by Joseph George (Prakash)
	No. of Servings – Six Ingredients Kingfish steaks – 1lb, cut into medium pieces Chilli powder – 2 ½ teaspoons Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon Red onion – half piece, medium size (finely sliced) Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon Salt – 1 teaspoon Fenugreek power – ¼ teaspoon Curryleaves – 8 leaves Mustard – ¼ teaspoon Kudampuli (gambooge) – 4 pieces Edible oil – 3 teaspoon Water – 3 cups Cocunut oil – 1 teaspoon Preparation Heat the oil and splitter the mustard seed, then add the finely sliced onion, garlic and the ginger paste and sauté the paste for a ten minutes until the oil separates.		Add chilli powder, salt, fenugreek, turmeric power and stir for couple more minutes and then add three cups of water, once the water reaches the boiling temperature add kudampuli, curry leaves and the king fish pieces, keep it covered and stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. After removing the dish out from the flame sprinkle the coconut oil and enjoy after discarding the kudampuli and the curry leaves. This dish goes along with rice, chappathis and parottas.

Cheers Muthassan ! by Sreedevi Ranjith Menon

Man is a social being. So it isn’t surprising when in our pursuit of survival, we meet people who have unconsciously molded our personalities. In my life, I have been blessed to know one such individual who has played a very influential role in my life. He is Mr. K. Sankarankutty Menon, my beloved grandfather, my ‘muthashan’. My muthashan was a charismatic, disciplined and an optimistic man. He loved his country and was a true patriot at heart. He always wore a white mundu and light colored well-pressed shirt. Almost bald, he had enough white strands to cover the lower half of his gray matter. He always woke up on the first crow of the rooster, and then he never slowed down until the clock struck nine at night. He was one such busy body who reminded his late to bed, late to rise grand-brats that time is very precious, and once lost it never comes back. Almost every summer vacation, we escaped from the scorching heat in the Middle East to the magical Indian monsoons. During all of these trips to Kerala, our muthashan was always there to greet us at the airport. He welcomed us with a strong hand shake followed by his signature statement “Welcome dear to God’s own country!” He made every summer vacation in India very eventful and a memorable experience that we wished the time stood still. He would schedule fun trips to various destinations in Kerala. And on the list of trips, visit to Peechi Dam, Thrissur was inevitable because he was so fond of explaining to us how hydro power was used to generate electricity. He used to love debating with us on various topics that ranged from patriotism to how to cook a delicious sambhar. He made sure to spent quality time with us.

He demonstrated magic with playing cards, made us scrumptious naadan chicken curry, and took us on rides on his bajaj scooter. The year 2002 marked the turn of the tide. My muthashan met with an accident - the one that we thought he would never recover from. He had a severe head injury which as per the doctors would have affected his memory and mobility. But abracadabra, he proved us wrong. Within couple of months my muthashan was back on his feet and he had photographic memory. He did core strengthening exercises by holding on to the window rails of the home followed by strolls except this time he had a walking stick as his companion. That was my muthashan, the most determined person that I have known in my life. I knew he would do it because he never gave up. From him I learnt the true meaning of “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will”. The following years after the accident his health deteriorated but he seldom gave up. Last year, my muthashan bid farewell to all of us, and now he resides in heaven. Not a day goes by without me thanking God for this wonderful soul that I got to know.  And deep within I know no tempest can take away the memory and love that I have for my muthashan. I love you Muthashan and I feel honored to have known you!

Photo of the Month
	“One generation plant the trees and another gets the shade” - by Subasri Pillai
To see more of Subrasi’s works, visit http://www.flickr.com/photos/34720561@N02/sets/

		Attukal Pongala: The 10 day long Attukal Pongala festival commenced in the Thiruvananthapuram district on Feb20, 2010. It is essentially a women’s festival where a large number of women of all castes and creed from Kerala and also from the state of Tamil Nadu make offerings for the goddess Attukalamma by cooking Pongala in the vicinity of the temple. ‘Pongala’ means boiling over. It’s a sweet porridge consisting of rice, coconut gratings, nuts & raisins.						Girish Puthencherry, renowned Malayalam lyricist and screenwriter passed away in Kozhikode, Kerala on 10^th February 2010. He has won the Kerala State Award for the best lyricist over seven times. He has written lyrics for about 1556 songs in the Malayalam movie industry.
New Movies running in Kerala 1. Happy Husbands Starring: Jayaram, Jayasurya, Indrajith 2. Aagathan Starring: Dileep 3. Chattambi Naad Starring: Mammootty, PrithviRaj 4. Drona Starring: Mammootty 5. Ividem Swargamaanu Starring: Mohanlal				2010 Kerala Budget Announced. Kerala Finance minister Thomas Isaac presented the annual budget for 2010 on March 4^th. Some of the budget hightlights: * 316 crore Rupees for Higher Education * Cochin Smart City will be fulfilled * Plans for 1 lakh additional employment through Infoparks * 5 Crore Rupees for Cochin Metro Rail project * 8 New Public Service Corporations * 25% growth aimed at Income Tax Revenue
Cine Trivia
Answers for Cine Trivia Feb 2010 edition: Quiz 1: a) Kavya Madhavan & Nayantara b) Murali & Mamukoya c) Sukumaran & KP Ummer Winner: Shanty Abraham Quiz 2: Which Malayalam film actor other than Prem Nazir has his name in the Guiness book of World Records? Answer: Ajay Kumar (Pakru) – “shortest actor to play a full length character in a mainstream movie” Winner: Ajit Surendran				1) Know your celebrities? Photographs of two celebrities have been morphed together in each of the images shown below. Can you recognize the following famous Kerala Movie Celebrities? Send your answers in this format: A-<names>, B-<names>, C-<names>.
				(A)			(B)		(C)
				2) Which Malayalam novel was translated into languages like English, Russian, German, Italian & French before it was adapted into a film that won critical acclaim and commercial success? Email your entries to webmaster@gama-austin.com Winners will be announced in the next GAMA newsletter. So Hurry up !
Community News
	Births				è Diya, was born to Thriveny & Babu Chandrasekhar on Feb 28^th, 2010
			Hannah Elizabeth Varghese was born on January 5^th.  The proud parents are Joji and Jecilly Varghese Kanaga and Manoj Gopalan happily announce the birth of their baby boy, Nandugopal. He was born on Feb 18^th, 2010. Shani and Giby Parackal had their first baby on March 4^th, 2010. He is named Geoff Giby Parackal.
	Do send your community news with photos (births, weddings, demises, graduations etc) to webmaster@gama-austin.com to be added within the subsequent month’s newsletter.
Get Creative						Having your articles published in the newsletter is an excellent way for the community to get to know more about you than just a name in the directory. Your article will be selected by the editors based on GAMA standards and will be published in one of the newsletters with your name/photo. Please send in your articles to webmaster@gama-austin.com along with your contact details and photo.
	GAMA board is providing opportunities to the community members in Austin to share their hidden talents via the monthly newsletter. Share your creativity with the rest of us, whether it is your favorite recipe, poetry, short stories, informative write ups or photographs. If writing is not your thing, we welcome other talents you want to showcase such as drawings, paintings or artistic photography.
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Greater Austin Malayalee Association P.O Box 27292 Austin, TX. 78755 www.gama-austin.com Contact E-mail: webmaster@gama-austin.com