ICC Newsletter
November 2011
Volume 6.0
NAMASTE AUSTIN
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www.iccaustin.org
India Community Center of Austin
Message from the 2011 ICC Board
Namaste, Austin! The holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving is now over and soon it'll be Christmas. The new year is just around the corner. We welcome this time for celebration, a time to spend with family and friends. It gives us all a chance to reflect on what the year has brought so far and what the rest of the year will bring. We are reminded of this poem by Lin Yutang: “I like spring, but it is too young. I like summer, but it is too proud. So I like best of all autumn, because its leaves are a little yellow, its tone mellower, its colours richer, and it is tinged a little with sorrow‌. Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor of the power of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom of approaching age. It knows the limitations of life and is content. - Abdul, Harshita, Mary, Radhika, Raga, Ruhi, Salil, Sohail, and Sridhar
PARICHAY INTRODUCTION
Each month, Parichay turns the spotlight on Indian community organizations or non-profits that enrich Austin with their presence.
AID Association for India's Development (AID) is a volunteer movement promoting sustainable, equitable, and just development. AID supports grassroots organizations in India and initiates efforts in various interconnected spheres such as education, livelihoods, natural resources including land, water and energy, agriculture, health, women's empowerment, and social justice. Starting from humble beginnings by graduate students in 1991 in Maryland, AID has grown to over 40 chapters and more than a thousand volunteers all around the world. AID Austin was started in 1997 by graduate students at the University of Texas. We have supported over 75 projects through the years and are currently working with 9 project partners in India. Our recent focus has been on education, environment, sustainable agriculture, women empowerment, and wildlife conservation related projects. Recently AID received the Times of India Social Impact Awards for 'Global Contribution to India' through our entire range of projects and activities from PM Manmohan Singh. AID is a registered 501c(3) non-profit organization with tax ID 04-3652609 and all donations in the US are tax deductible. Twenty years ago, Association for India's Development embarked on a remarkable journey, walking on roads less travelled and reaching out to the marginalized, which are central to the processes of change. Our mission is to facilitate a life of dignity and self-reliance for all in India. We have stayed the course, thanks to your contributions. However, as the glare of a shining India blinds our vision and the hubris of a higher GDP lengthens the shadows, what keeps the beacons of hope glowing? You will discover some of these stories of courage, conviction, and change, that YOU helped support, as you read about our work @ http://oneforindia.org Create a ripple … with your ONE contribution a day. No contribution is too small or too large – whether it is $0.25 or $100 a day - when we recall that more than 320 million Indians are living with less than $0.50 (Rs. 26) a day. When you give to AID, you don’t just make a charitable contribution; you become a partner in the process of development that empowers the poor to live a life with dignity. You become a part of the wave to ensure just, equitable, and sustainable development in India. Invite your friends, family, and colleagues to become partners with AID. Be the Change You Wish to See in the World!!! One For India is our annual online Fundraising Campaign. For more information visit http://oneforindia.org http://austin.aidindia.org or email austin@aidindia.org
UTSAV FESTIVALS and CELEBRATIONS
Veterans’ Day Veterans’ Day is a federal and state holiday honoring military veterans. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed this holiday on November 12, 1919, to celebrate the signing of the Armistice, which ended World War I.
Children’s Day Children's Day is to celebrate "childhood." On Children’s Day, tribute is paid to all children in the world. Children are loved by one and all. India's first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, was born on November 14. After his death in 1963, his birthday has been celebrated as children's Day in India. Children's Day is not just a day to let the future generation have its say. It is a day to remember a leader who, in his quiet but determined way, laid the foundation to convert a nascent nation into a world power. The story also goes that he started to wear a rose on his jacket after a child pinned one on it. The national children's center, Jawahar Bal Bhavan, is also named after Jawaharlal Nehru. Chilren's Day is literally that. It is the day when children all over the country are pampered with goodies. From the schoolchild's point of view, the best thing perhaps is that it is a special day at school - they need not wear uniforms and are given sweets.
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dates back to colonial times when the Pilgrims at Plymouth and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast. However, it wasn't until 1863 (in the midst of the Civil War) that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day to be a national holiday to be held on the last Thursday in November. In 1941, the date was changed to the fourth Thursday of November. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated to give thanks to God for guiding the pilgrims safely to the New World and for a successful harvest with the help from the Wampanoag Indians.
Sambandha Relationship Q&A Jasbina Ahluwalia is an Indian-American Attorney-turned-Entrepreneur, Relationship Expert, Radio Show Host, and Matchmaker / Dating Coach. She is the Founder of Intersections Match, the only Elite National Personalized Matchmaking & Dating Coaching Firm in the country for South Asian Singles. Jasbina is also the host of Intersections Talk Radio, a monthly holistic lifestyle show featuring conversations with published authors/ experts on relationships and health and wellness. For more information, please visit www.IntersectionsMatch.com. Feel free to submit a question to be considered for this column to Jasbina directly at Jasbina@IntersectionsMatch.com.
Q: My fiancée took the bar exam in July, and she has been busy with her job search ever since. What with my lengthy work hours, her studying for the bar and now job search, not to mention our extensive wedding planning (with our families), it seems like we just haven’t been able to spend all that much time together. Given all that’s been going on, I thought it might be a good idea to surprise her with something special. Any ideas? A: What a thoughtful husband-to-be you are! In my opinion, one of the most meaningful gifts partners can give one another is a thoughtful demonstration of acknowledgment and appreciation. Showing your fiancée, through your actions, how much you appreciate her is sure to make her feel special. Below are some ideas you can customize to her personal tastes. • Design a romantic evening consisting of pairing the viewing of one of your fiancée’s favorite movies with her favorite meal or dessert. • Create a picnic consisting of her favorite foods at a place with special meaning for her (e.g. her school campus, field/auditorium where she played/performed) or the two of you (e.g. where you first met). • Set up a viewing of a slideshow you created from pictures of either the two of you or of your fiancée and her friends and family (this may be of use for your wedding reception as well). • Arrange tickets for one of the museum exhibits or movies your fiancée has mentioned an interest in. • Visit an ice-cream parlor or other favorite childhood hangout which will remind your fiancée of her childhood. • Gift your fiancée with a couples’ massage or spa day, cooking a romantic meal together, or any other joint activity your partner would most value doing with you. • Begin the practice (if you don’t already do so) of telling your fiancée in person or via a personal note one thing she did that day that you truly appreciate. • Take her back to the venue where the two of you had your first date. • Gift her time by purchasing a few hours from a personal concierge or housekeeping service to take some of her responsibilities/errands off her plate (this invaluable gift will free up leisure time for the two of you to spend together). Best wishes to both of you as you embark on your shared life together!