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ART:

Namasthe!

My name is Avani Lakshmi Udupa. I am six years young! My parents are Srikanth and Rakshitha. We live in Bangalore. I go to Prayag Montessori School. I am in Mont Three. I have

been learning drawing for last two years. I like to draw because I love colors.

My grand parents from Amma's side are Shrimathi. Prema Pailoor & Shri. Krishna Kumar Pailoor,

and they live in a village near Sullia, South Canara. My grand parents from Appa's side are

Shrimathi. Seethalakshmi & Shri. Srinivasa Udupa and they live in Bangalore.

The title of my artwork is "Festive Colors." I love festival season. We decorate the house, I design

new Rangoli patterns with our helper. The most fun part in drawing Rangoli is connecting dots with

beautiful lines. Every time I try to design new patterns. During festivals my family gathers at my

paternal grand parents house, I wear traditional outfits and I get to spend a lot of time with my

grandparents and eat my grandmothers delicious food...

Amma says you can get more information on Rangoli here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangoli

This is my art-story (Chitha-Katha"). Hope you all like it. I will have more next time!

=============================================================

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Namasthe! I am Aashika. I am 5 year young and I am in Kindergarten. I live in North Wales with my

parents Usha and Gopal Bhat. My brother’s name is Anoop and he is in 5th

Grade. We both go to

Montgomery Elementary. I like swimming a lot. Floating on my back is the best part of my

swimming. I also started learning Bharatanatyam. I love doing Art, writing stories and Reading.

Girls playing Soccer – Being Active keeps you Healthy!

I want to write about staying Healthy by playing field games like Soccer. Soccer gives you lots of

exercise. It gives you exercise to your legs, hands, eyes and brain. Also it helps you learn how to play

with others. I love playing soccer at school and also with my brother.

Poems/Stories:

______________________________________________________________

Name: Unnati Bhat

Age: 5 years (kindergarten) Location: Tyngsboro, MA

I love to write poems and stories. I enjoy dancing and performing on stage. I like to color and draw

as well. My Mother is Vaishali Hegde, Father is Madhu Mattihalli and I have a little brother named

Ganajit Bhat.

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Heart

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My heart is love

My heart is there

When I breath in the air

I'll get there

My heart is beautiful

Swaying on top of the tree lungs

Oh tell me please

My heart is a miracle

O Mother tell me what my heart is about...

===============================================================

Namaskara,

I am Shreya Bhat studying in 5th standard, Sharada Vidyalaya School, Managlore, India. I'm 10

years old. My hobbies are drawing ,stamp collecting,writing poems/essays and playing chess. My

Mother's name is Dr. Sneha and my father's name is Krishna Moorthy. This is a poem on Winter

Wonders. Hope you'll like reading my poem.

WINTER WONDERS

Brr.....It's so cold,

I am shivering,

Achoo! I've got sneeze,

What a chilly breeze

I know the reason,

Because it's winter season.

Everyone is seen wearing thermals,

I really miss the summer,

All sit near the fireplace,

And most of the birds fly to far off places,

As it's winter season.

Snow fall is found in some places,

The whole city is covered with snow,

Here it is necessary to wear thick clothes,

From head to toes,

Most of them make snowmen,

And go to ski,

While some sit in their homes,

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And drink hot-hot tea,

All because its winter season,

Bone-chilling, shivering winter season.

_______________________________________________________________________

Festival of Lights in Different Cultures

By

Anoop Bhat

Namasthe, I am Anoop. I am 10 year young, studying in 5th Grade at Montgomery Elementary, North

Wales, PA. My parents are Gopal Bhat and Usha Kuloor. I have a younger sister Aashika who is 5, studying in Kindergarten in the same school as mine. I like Science, Math, Karate, Swimming, Piano,

Tennis, making variety of models using legos, playing with my sister, Nintendo DS, Computer Games, Art

and Reading. In this essay, I have tried to explain how Festival of Lights is celebrated in various cultures

throughout the world. Hope you find it informative and enjoy it

Light is an important element in many holidays and festivals throughout the world. It is the symbol of the

divine in different cultures.

DeepavaLi

DeepavaLi, meaning array of lights, is a Hindu light festival. It symbolizes the triumph of light over

darkness, good over evil or knowledge over ignorance. It is a family celebration which takes place in

October or November and lasts for five days.

It is believed that, on the day of DeepavaLi, Lord Rama returned to his Kingdom Ayodhya after 14 years of

exile, in which he put an end to the demon king Ravana of Lanka. In Ayodhya, the people welcomed him

by lighting rows of clay lamps. According to another story, on this day, Lord Krishna destroyed the demon

Narakasur and made the world free from fear.

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Figure 1 DeepavaLi Diyas Figure 2 DeepavaLi Rangoli

Figure 3 Rows of Lights Figure 4 Fireworks

Loi Krathong Festival

This festival is celebrated in Thailand in November each year."Loy" means "to float" and a "Krathong" is a

lotus-shaped vessel made of banana leaves. The Krathong usually contains a candle, three incense-sticks,

some flowers and coins. The festival starts at night when there is a full moon in the sky. People carry their

Krathongs to the nearby rivers. After lighting candles and making a wish for the New Year, they place the

Krathongs on the water and let them drift away. It is believed that the Krathongs carry away bad luck.

Figure 5 Loi Krathong Figure 6 Krathong

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Chinese Lantern Festival

Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese festival, which falls on the 15th of the first month of the Chinese

New Year. It is the last day of two week long Chinese New Year celebration. People design paper lanterns

of different colors and shapes, such as butterflies, dragons, birds, dragonflies, or different animals, and

display them in front of their houses and on the streets. Kids design their own lanterns to participate in the

showcase. Usually there is competition for the most beautiful lantern.

Figure 7 Lanterns on Streets Figure 8 Dragon Lantern Boat

Hanukkah

Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights celebrated in the month of December. In 165 B.C. there was a

great battle between the Maccabee Jews and the Syrians. The Jews won the battle and when they went to

their temple, they found that the Syrians had allowed their sacred light to go out. They had oil only for one

day. The miracle of Hanukkah is that the oil lasted 8 days until a messenger could return with more.

The significance of the eight days is celebrated by lighting one candle for each day of the celebration. The

candles are held in a symbolic figure called the menorah. The menorah consists of nine candle holders, the

middle being called the shammash. The shammash is the first candle to be lit and it is used to light the other

candles

Figure 9 Menorah

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Christmas

Christmas is the Christian festival of lights, celebrated on December 25. Although it is associated with the

birthday of Jesus, it is a winter solstice festival carried over from the ancient Roman culture. Christmas is

celebrated by decorating the home with light bulbs or candles, putting up a Christmas tree, exchanging gifts

and greeting cards, music, and special meals. Santa Claus is a popular figure in Christmas, associated with

the bringing of gifts for children.

Figure 10 Christmas Tree Figure 11 Santa Claus

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is the African-American celebration starting the last week of December (around December 26

through January 1). Light is used in this celebration as a symbol of seven principles. These principles are 1)

unity, 2) self-determination, 3) collective work and responsibility, 4) cooperative economics, 5) purpose, 6)

creativity, and 7) faith. Each principle is symbolized with a candle. A kinara is the candle holder that holds

the seven candles. Each night a candle is lit and families talk about one of the seven principles.

Figure 12 Kinara

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St. Martin's Day in Holland

Saint Martin's Day is on November 11th and is celebrated in Holland. Children carry lanterns and go from

house to house singing songs. People give them candy and other treats. Martin was a good and kind man,

who always helped those in need.

Figure 13 Children with Lanterns Figure 14 Kids singing with Lanterns

St. Lucia's Day in Sweden

According to folk tradition, December 13th follows the longest night of the year in Sweden. St. Lucia is

honored this day with her wreath of candles. The light represents the breaking of the winter spell and

bringing light into the world.

The oldest girl in the family is declared St. Lucia on December 13th. On this day she dresses up wearing

a white robe with a red sash and a wreath with candles on her head. The "St. Lucia" of the family serves

everyone a special bun called Lussekatter. Schools have a celebration with a St. Lucia choir. All the girls

dress up as St. Lucia and the boys are "Star Boys".

Figure 15 St. Lucia praying Figure 16 St. Lucia Serving Bread

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Light Festivals in Ancient Cultures

In several ancient European and North American cultures, Festival of Lights was associated with the

winter solstice. The Earth spins about it’s own axis, which is tilted 23.5 degrees. At the same time, it

orbits around the sun. This causes the northern hemisphere to be closer to the sun during one half of the

year and away from the sun during the other half. The sun appears to move towards south during the first

half of the year and back towards north during the other half. On December 21st, the sun is at the

southern extreme point, and starts moving back towards north. This is called the winter solstice day.

Some of the ancient people thought that the sun would keep moving towards south and disappear some

day. When they saw the sun moving back towards north, they felt encouraged, and celebrated it with

lights.

Figure 17 Winter Solstice Festival of Lights

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Creative Review:

_____________________________________________________________________________

Reviewer: Anoop Bhat, (5th

Grade) MontgomeryElementary, North Wales, PA

Subject : Book

Title: Geronimo Stilton; The Lost Treasure of the Emerald Eye

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Author: Edizioni Pirmme

Here is my Review...

1. What is the summary/story of the book / movie / event?

One day, Geronimo Stilton, the main character, finds out his sister Thea has a treasure map. At a

coffee shop in New Mouse City, she tells Geronimo that the map leads to a lost treasure called the

Emerald Eye. After they buy a ship, their cousin Trap comes along. Geronimo tells his favorite

nephew Benjamin that he can’t go because he was too young. On the ship, Geronimo has a lot of

trouble with seasickness, embarrassment when he tried to get on to the sails and almost fell. He also

has trouble balancing because the ship rocked back and forth. One day on the voyage, he hears a

thief, but it turns out that Benjamin snuck on board because he really liked Geronimo. Two days

later, in a violent storm, the ship sinks, and they had nothing to float but Geronimo’s suitcase to swim to the island. While trying to find the treasure they avoid traps like quicksand, holes, and other

things. Finally, when they get to the place where the treasure is supposed to be, they find a lake,

where there is a tropical resort. All the people there think they are crazy. After the characters got on

the plane to leave, they saw what the Emerald Eye was, while flying over the island. They saw that it

was actually the lake, which looked like a green eye. If they knew it was a resort, they would have

never taken so much time and trouble to get there. That is the end.

2. What message you got from the book / movie / event?

The message was, you shouldn’t do something right away, give enough thought before you take any

action. If the Thea had given some thought after finding the map, they would not have made a trip to

a resort trying to find treasure.

3. What was the part you liked in the book / movie / event?

I liked the part when the characters were on the ship. These chapters had a lot of funny parts. One

part I liked was when Geronimo thought he heard a thief eating the food. When he was about to hit

him with a baseball bat, he found out the person was his nephew Benjamin, who wasn’t supposed to

come. I also liked the part where there was a storm. Trap told Geronimo that he worked on a ship before they got on, so he tried to find him to get his help. When Geronimo found him, Trap was

crying and was seasick. It turned out that Trap was just a cook on a ship! There are also other parts,

but these were my favorites.

4. Any part of the book / movie / event you did not like?

Not really.

5. How one could have made it better?

This was the funniest Geronimo Stilton book I ever read. Still, the author could add more funny

parts to the book, maybe about cheese. Maybe Trap could have forgotten to turn on the cooler in the

fridge, so all the cheese melted. Then, when the ship shakes, the melted cheese falls out and Geronimo

gets splashed with it when he goes inside.

6. Any additional comments on the over all content of the book, or the theme of the event, or the

direction/music/photography of the movie?

I think it was really creative. It was also very funny. I like when characters say expressions like

“Holy cheese!” and “Cheesecake” instead of “Cool!”, or “Oh Man!” They say that because they are mice, and mice really love cheese!!!

Hope this review will be helpful for you to make your own reviews of any book you read, or movie /

event you attended!

Namasthe!

Anoop

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Trip Reflections:

Namasthe!

My name is Vijeth Mudalegundi. I am 15 yrs young! My parents are Sheelalakshmi and

Vijayanarayana Mudalegundi. We live in Cumming, GA and we lived in Birmingham, AL for 14

years and we lived in Singapore for 3 years. My grand parents live near Puttur, Karnataka, India. I

go to South Forsyth High School.

I am a 10th grader. I like to travel along with family. I have traveled around India, Mexico, and

many great places in United States of America- Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Niagara Falls, Washington,

St. Louis, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. Recently, I had an opportunity to visit Taiwan in

Alabama Mandarin Language Immersion Program from the state. I had to travel myself from India

to USA to join this program. Yes, I made it! One of my dreams is to travel to many places.

And also I like to share my thoughts and experiences by writing about the them. I am trying to make

writing as my habit. I love to participate in Bhajans and like to sing. I was a regular bhajan singer

during Ayyappa Bhajans at Birmingham. Our family loves to host bhajans. I am a western violinist

and orchestra player and I am thinking to explore my talents on eastern violin.

---Vijeth Mudalegundi A Trip To Taiwan

By Vijeth Mudalegundi, Cumming, GA

From the moment I got off the plane, I knew that the months of preparation paid off. For months, I

had undergone a rigorous selection process involving interviews, essays, and applications. After being

selected into the program even more stress was added by the packing and preparation, but all of that stress

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washed away after stepping on land in Taiwan. Most people would say it was because I was so tired and

just wanted to be on land again, however this felt a little more exciting than just that. Taiwan, from the

beginning, offered much to explore and visit. It offered all landscapes one could think of, including:

mountains, beaches, hills, valleys, plains, and cities. Everything one could think of in an island that is the

size of New Jersey.

Taipei, the city which I stayed for most of the trip, is one of the largest metropolises in the world. Here at a

local high school, Xi Song Senior High School, I spent most of my time learning Chinese and the cultural

aspects of Taiwan. By the end of my trip, I was able to explore all aspects of Taiwan, from its sights to its

culture to its language, all in 6 weeks of adventure.

One of the greatest aspects of life in Taipei was the night life. One of the most well-known aspects of

Taiwan’s night life is its night markets. These night markets are the places to buy discounted goods, all the

way from clothes and shoes to toys and food. The closest night market to our hotel was Raohe St. Night

Market. Most of the tourists, such as me, buy things from these places.

This is a great place to buy souvenirs and items for yourself. Above all, these night markets served rich

food found nowhere else in Taiwan. My personal favorite is called Mong Gwo Bing (Translates to Mango

Ice). Mong Gwo Bing is a dessert served with shaved ice, fresh mangoes, sugar, cream, and other fruits.

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The dessert is famously made in Taiwan and is recognized by tourists as one of the most interesting dishes

Taiwan has to offer. Other smells that waft above your heads at night markets include stinky tofu, fried

mushrooms, and a variety of other dishes. Many malls are built in Taipei city and all the most expensive

places to shop in Taipei. However, you will get name brand shoes, clothes, and more. These malls closely

resemble the American style of capitalism and consumerism. All of these great destinations are open

throughout the night and are great places to visit. Many say New York City is the city that never sleeps but

I believe Taipei has come up to challenge that title.

In the first week of my trip in Taiwan, the Alabama Mandarin Immersion Program funded an island round-

trip to visits famous sights of Taiwan. During the first week, my travels took me from Taipei in the north

down through the west coast to Kenting in the south and back up the east coast to return to Taipei. On our

first day on the road we went to an aboriginal village near Sun Moon Lake. This village serves as a theme

park for kids as well as an educational facility on the 14 aboriginal tribes currently living in Taiwan today.

The park is located near Sun Moon Lake and is known for its two connected lake, one representing the sun

and the other the moon. Every night throughout the week we would eat dinner at a traditional Taiwanese

restaurant. The Taiwanese style was to sit around a common table and eat from several dishes given to

everyone around the table. This banquet style meal was more than we could handle to eat but soon we

developed the huge appetite that the Taiwanese have for food. The next day we traveled to the south coast

of Taiwan to reach the city of Kaohsiung, the second largest city in Taiwan after Taipei. This city was

located close to Kenting National Park. This park was built to protect the coral reefs of Taiwan and the lush

forests located in the southern tip of Taiwan. We stayed in the area for 3 days exploring the reefs,

snorkeling, hiking and laying on the beach. Taiwan’s southern coast offered plenty of entertainment and

things to do. We concluded our around-the-island tour by traveling up the east coast visiting the highest

mountain of Taiwan and spending time with newly found friends on the beach. The twenty students who

came on this trip thoroughly enjoyed the first week, myself included.

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Over the next five weeks the group of twenty students got to experience the most influential part of the

Taiwanese culture, their language. We learnt Chinese in a different environment compared to the normal

classes taken in regular high school. We were immersed in the language from the language classes we took,

the night market visits, and times spent with our home stay family. The language didn’t come from one

outlet but from many allowing us to pick up on the language with greater efficiency. One of the most

beneficial experiences I had in Taiwan was with my assigned host brother. Alex Wang, a local 15 year old,

and I built up a friendship from the connection the program. He and I often went to some of the local sights

and saw many things we weren’t able to see otherwise. Spending time with his family at nights helped me

more thoroughly understand the daily life of a Taiwanese and the home culture of someone in Taiwan. The

Chinese we learnt left a lasting impression on me and will probably be a lasting memory for years to come.

Other than Chinese classes, there were cultural classes in which we learnt Chinese sports, arts/crafts, and

traditional cooking. The taekwondo experience taught by teachers in Taiwan was nothing like the years I

took as a kid in Birmingham. The intricate moves taught in the classes surpassed the quality as taught in

studios in the US. Taiwan overall was a wonderful experience that will not be forgotten.

At the end of the trip the friendships I made and the attachment I felt to the country increased my anxiety of

leaving. However the experience I had gained by coming to Taiwan in the first place along with a touch of

homesickness allowed me to board that plan home. My summer in Taiwan is an unforgettable experience.

The experience and information I had gained could be used to improve myself and help me in the future.

This summer was definitely one of the best summers for years to come.

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Community Activity:

2010 East Coast Havyaka DeepavaLi Function

The 2010 East Coast Havyaka DeepavaLi Function was held at the residence of Usha and Raya HaLemane

(Princeton, NJ) on Saturday, November 13, 2010. We had a great response to this function, with over 125

guests. We would like to thank Usha and Raya for hosting this function and accommodating all the guests.

Here are the highlights of the function:

1. The function started with snacks, soft drinks, and socializing.

2. Children created rows of lights on the altar using multi-color LED Finger Lights mounted on

paper boats. After the Pooja, they attached the lights to their fingers, to play light shooting games.

3. LED Light Project was followed by Pooja, which included Mahalakshmi Ashtakam, Lakshmi

Pooja, Mantra Pushpa and Aarathi by all families. Thanks to Vani and Gopalakrishna

Delanthamajalu for bringing the Prasada and Tulsi leaves.

4. After the Pooja, we had delicious home cooked Havyaka food including Chapathi,

PuLiyogare, Vangi Baath, Bisi BeLe Baath, Mosaranna, Potato Mosaru Gojju, Noodles,

Chitranna, Avalakki, Kosambari, Spinach Daal, Choley, Rasam, Saagu, Various Palyas, Variuos

Sambars, Mixed Veg Curry, Avial, Paneer Masala, Pumpkin Kadubu, Fruit Salad, Various

Paayasas, Various Sweets, Mixture, Munchkins, and much more.

5. After the lunch we had the cultural activities by children and adults.

Children:

Keyboard Music (Songs: “America the Beautiful” and “I Hate Love Stories”) by Roshni

(NY)

Shlokas by Rohan and Roshni (NY)

Kannada Rhymes by Ananya Delanthamajalu (NJ)

DeepavaLi Story and Riddles by Anish Pundyavana (NJ)

“Healthy Cookies” illustration by Aashika Bhat (PA)

“Festival of Lights in Different Cultures” illustration by Anoop Bhat (PA)

“Yaaru Doddavaru” skit (story of Ganesha and Subrahmanya) by Harsha Swaroop (PA),

Pranav Hegde (PA), Manisha Barige (PA) and Siddanth Dala (NJ) “Bharatha Natyam” by Roshni Kailar (Atlanta, GA)

“Birbal Jokes” and Riddles by Ananya Joshi (NJ)

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“Rubik’s Cube Puzzle Solution” by Avani Lakshmi (Bangalore)

Shloka by Avani Lakshmi (Bangalore)

Birthday Celebration of Avani Lakshmi (Bangalore)

“Modern Prahlada” skit by Disha Hegde and Shreya Hegde (NJ)

“Mudhakaratha Modhakam” sloka by Manisha Barige (PA)

Jokes by Neha Avadhani (NJ)

Kannada Song by Avani Hegde (NJ)

Adults:

Talk by Nirmal Choubey (NJ) (WBF membership drive)

Talk by Krishna Hegde (NJ) (appeal to help HERO project)

“Havyaka Song” by Shubha Hegde (NJ)

Jokes by Anand Hegde (NJ)

“Mallige Sampige” Dance by Jyothi (NJ), Navashri (PA) and Usha (PA)

“Maathe Malayadhwaja” Classical Song by Navashri (PA)

“Raghu Vamsha Sudha” Classical Song by Sumana (NY)

“Padinaalan Ravdhicchad Maanattho” Malayalam Movie Song and “Pillangoviya Chelva

Krishnana” classical song by Gopal (PA)

“Gun Guna Rahen He Bhavre” Hindi Movie Song by Usha (PA)

Children (and some adults) tasted home made healthy and somewhat unhealthy cookies (Oatmeal-Banana-Raisin-Walnut, Oatmeal-Raisin-Waltnut, Chocolate Chip and Sugar Cookies) prepared by Aashika and

Gopal (PA). The function ended with Avani Lakshmi’s birthday cake, coffee/tea and harate.

Here is the link to the photo album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/AASHIKAANOOP/EastCoastHAADeepavaliCelebrationNov132010

?authkey=Gv1sRgCLGvw--z1rCgkQE&feat=directlink

Gopal Bhat

HAA, East Coast

North Wales, PA; (215-822-9206)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"BayArea Havyaka, West coast Chapter wants to share the album of Havyaka Booth at

Kannadothsava event, hosted by Kannada Koota of Northen California(KKNC). Several Bay Area Havyaka families participated in setting up the booth, which showcased Artworks by Kids, Havyaka

related books, CDs, articles etc, with the special attraction of "Havyaka Majjige Neeru'. Also to note,

this booth won the 'Best traditional Attire' award. This event gave a good exposure to the Havyaka

Community to a larger audience"

Please click on the link to view the pictures.

http://picasaweb.google.com/105590902136037122048/KKNCKannadostavaHavyakaBooth#

Cooking

Youth Writing Opportunities (for Jan. 2011):

Best to explore the websites fully including previous winning essays, and the criteria they use during judging.

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1. The DuPont Challenge-Science Essay Contest.

Deadline: Jan. 31, 2011 . (for 7th-12th graders)

http://www.thechallenge.dupont.com/rules/index.php

2. John F. Kennedy-Profile in Courage Essay contest Deadline: Jan. 08, 2011 (for high school students)

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Education+and+Public+Programs/Profile+in+Courage+Award/Essay+Contest+for+Hig

h+School+Students/Contest+Information/

3. National Playwriting contest Deadlilne Jan. 3, 2011 (for 18yr & younger)

http://www.youngplaywrights.org/nationalcontest.htm

4. The Elizabeth Bishop Prize in Verse, Fiction, and Playwriting Deadline Feb. 1, 2011 (8th-11th grades)

http://www.thebluepencil.net/the-bishop-prizes/path-to-the-prize/

5. The Writing Inc. Contests Deadline Jan. 08, 2011 (K-12 graders)

http://www.writingconference.com/contest.ht