By: Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona Members ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 0
Contents Editor’s note………………………………………………….…………………. Message from the President……………………………………….……………. Summer in Arizona (Poem)……………………………………………………… Art by Pritha Kaushik……………………………………………………………. Art by Sneha Ghosal……………………………………………………………… If ( Poem)………………………………………………………………………….. Art by Pritha Kaushik……………………………………………………………. The Shell (Poem)…………………………………………………………………. Art by Anindita Roy………………………………………………………………. Art by Eashani Ghosh……………………………………………………………. Sleep of Harmony (Poem)……………………………………………………….. Art by Pritha Kaushik……………………………………………………………. In the Other Land…………………………………………………………………. Snippets of Events organized by AzSamhita…………………………………... Bangla Poem 1……………………………………………………………………. Art by Ritika Anand………………………………………………………………. Art by Deblina Majumdar……………………………………………………….. Greatest Devotee in the World………………………………………………….. Bob’s Space Adventure…………………………………………………………... Couch Potato? No more…………………………………………………………. Art by Prokriti Saha………………………………………………………………. Art by Tisha Mukhejee…………………………………………………………… Ek Chai Ho Jaaye………………………………………………………………… Bangla Poem 2……………………………………………………………………. Art by Riley Majumdar…………………………………………………………… Art by Anindita Roy……………………………………………………………….
2 3 6 8 8 9 12 13 14 14 15 19 20 25, 56 26 27 27 28 33 35 39 39 40 42 43 43
6th Grade Camp……………………………………………………………………
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Art by Anindita Roy………………………………………………………………. Art by Diya Nath………………………………………………………………….. The Dark and Light in a Strange World………………………………………. Ekjon Shafol Dactar er Antto Kahini…………………………………………... Five Senses poem: Interpretation of our surroundings………………………
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Editor’s note When I was requested by Swati and Samhita team few months back to write for and help edit the annual magazine for Samhita Cultural Association based on my pieces she had read on Huffington Post, I was immediately taken back to the carefree days of my childhood. The days of pujo when getting my hands on as many Puja Barshiki as possible seemed to be the highlight of the preceding months, with each passing day increasing the fluttering in my chest by a beat. And of the proud moments when my mother would be walking around our complex grabbing anyone she could to flaunt the tiny, quite coarse piece of mine that got published in our housing complex’s annual puja feature. So I couldn’t even think of saying no, and found a new fluttering in my heart. The pieces received for the Samhita magazine however, were neither coarse nor insignificant, and being both an artist and an author (I take silly pride in calling myself both), I was truly inspired. The pujo magazines, whether in the US or back in India, do feature the budding and hidden talents, who shouldn’t remain undiscovered. Hope you enjoy reading as much as I did compiling and editing.
Tanushree Ghosh
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Message from the President It is so true that time just flies. It has been more than a year now and it still feels as if it was yesterday when a few of us came together to form SAMHITA. Now a year has passed and SAMHITA is ready to celebrate Durga Puja for the second year in the East valley and all of us in the executive committee are excited to see the joy and eagerness with which our children are awaiting the impending Puja and the associated cultural program in which they are participating.
We started off small, as we want to stay true to our core values of keeping the organization and its activities “homely”, and it is our hope that we will continue in that path. However, small does not mean that we do not grow in numbers, it just means that we open our arms to invite and embrace people from all walks of life, within the Indian diaspora, who want to be a part of bringing the Indian culture to our children and get them involved and excited to revel in their rich and culturally diverse Indian heritage.
As a truly fledgling organization, we celebrated Saraswati Puja in early 2014 in the Chandler Senior Center campus in a small way and then we took a big step with very limited resources to celebrate Durga Puja in the East valley. Every single person, be it the adults or the children, stepped forward, participated and contributed to the best of their abilities making the occasion a success for SAMHITA in all possible ways. SAMHITA had arrived. I believe that we were able to get our children excited about our culture in a way that they wanted to participate and contribute – be it in the form of a painting or a story or participating in a play and ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 3
performing a song in the cultural program or even helping out their moms and dads with the decorations and preparations for the Puja. Personally for me, it did bring back memories from my childhood where I used to look forward to these occasions to “grow up” and be a part of the activities.
We also came together as a community to celebrate Diwali and Holi over the past year. The excitement in the eyes of the children when all the sparklers and fireworks were going off during the Diwali celebrations was pure joy to watch. I am sure all the adults felt it too – I sure did. The Holi celebration was another hit with the families who had joined in – the colors and the water play being the major attraction – not to take away from the musical hit which was our small music system that we had bought during the last year. It is definitely a good addition to SAMHITA and plays a vital part in arranging the various planned and impromptu cultural programs that we put together for our children.
We did not just restrict our activities to the above, but as a community along with our children we participated in volunteering activities and made household goods donations to Goodwill and donated our time and money to Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) which is a Christian nonprofit organization committed to feeding hungry children around the world.
Looking back over the last year and the activities that we were involved in, in my mind, I believe that we have started achieving what we started off with and what the core value of SAMHITA truly is. We truly are a ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 4
small down to earth organization striving to promote and inculcate the Indian culture amongst the second generation of the Indian diaspora, namely our children. We, the executive Committee, feel that as SAMHITA enters its second year as a family, with all of you as an integral part, we will continue to grow and prosper.
To end this note, I want to wish you and your family Shubho Bijoya, Happy Dussera and Happy Navaratri. I hope that you will enjoy Durga Puja 2015 and the rest of the cultural activities that we are planning and that you will make SAMHITA a part of your family just as SAMHITA considers each and every one of you a part of its family ‌
Arnab Ghosh
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Summer in Arizona By Eashani Ghosh
School is out. We’re bustling about, We’re here, We’re there, We’re everywhere indoors, In summer! The sky is blue, The sun is blazing, In summer! Not a chirp, Not a squeak, Not even a peep. It’s hot, So hot, Too hot, In summer! No hikes, No kites, In summer! ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 6
School is out, But we’re not out, ‘Cause it’s hot, Too hot, In summer! Swimming, swimming, We’ll only swim, ‘Cause it’s hot, Too hot, In summer! School is starting, And we’ll be parting, From summer vacation, ‘Cause it ain’t summer no more! Yayyyyy!
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The Stream, by Pritha Kausik
Colors by Sneha Ghosal ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 8
If By Arjun Subhro Maitra
If I could live wherever I wanted, a place I wanted to do more, explore more, it would have the sounds of summer.
It would have the clear blue water of the Gulf of Mexico with waves crashing everywhere while making a crashing sound.
It would have the church bells ringing and the sound of jazz music of a saxophone while biking around the town circle.
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It would have gatherings of people on the very busy street with food trucks and delicious restaurants. It would have thunderstorms every night with the ‘boom’ of thunder and rain drip-dropping’ on my window
* Seaside Florida is one of my most preferred places to visit again since it is so peaceful yet entertaining.
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Special thanks to our sponsors for the invaluable support ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 11
A Mind Tale, by Pritha Kausik ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 12
The Shell By Priya Dixit
Ridges crest like waves beneath my fingers Granules of sand coat The smooth underside Sound hits the concave surface before it bounces to my ear A gull’s cry resounding across an empty beach While I hear the pounding and feel the spray Before me A saline carapace hollowed by time Decorated with flecks of seaweed Rests in my hand Just as great as the blue expanse before me A miniature Of the majesty of the sea
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Chaya Shobuj by Anindita Roy
Shimmer, the Dolphin by Eashani Ghosh ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 14
Sleep of Harmony By Priya Dixit
When I wanted sleep I stared into the stars that did weep Through the endless skies That also seemed to cry As the Earth slowly turned on its axis How I wanted sleep
The silent moon and the sad sun did wail With the stars that swirled the skies For with the evil around, the Earth was not sound Its icecaps weren’t round And for disaster it was bound How I wanted sleep
The sun was beneath the choking seas Dreading the time when it would dawn on me And the barren Earth with landfills plenty ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 15
With crime that is far from petty The sun did wail with no avail How I wanted sleep
The moaning comets in the mourning skies Watched the clouds on wings float by One small human on a torn Earth spied The tormented celestial gathering cry The moon did gaze upon me then How I wanted sleep
The silent moon with its light so pure Cast a beam on me I then understood what my planet needed I could finally see How I wanted sleep And the stars did shine above me
Their jagged cries slowly ceased The sun was once again at peace The comets flew with their spirit wild ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 16
For the first time in centuries, the bright moon smiled The universe was in harmony I closed my eyes and was able to sleep
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Special Thanks to our sponsors for the invaluable support ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 18
Independence Day, by Pritha Kausik ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 19
In the other land, by Tanushree Ghosh
Few days back, when I was still contemplating what I should be writing about for Samhita, I was quite sure it would be about being away from home during Pujo. It is something we all Bengalis are quite emotional about, no matter how many years have passed since we emigrated from our homeland. I too, remain quite hopelessly solemn about the same, even after 10 years. There was a time when an inexplicable pain would start right around these days, as if I had an anvil placed on my chest. And my eyes would tear up, no matter how gorgeous the late fall sunshine felt. Fall after all, is a delightful time both here in Phoenix after a long exhausting summer, and in upstate New York. The latter is where I had come to, when I first came to the US. But fall was the hardest time for me, year after year. It was the time when I was reminded suddenly - I am now in another land. I have moved past that phase, adapted as we call it. But I still find myself unusually emotional in the first weeks of October. So I wanted to write a poignant piece on missing my motherland and the downsides of being in this ‘other land’. The piece I would have written, would have been nostalgic, and not necessarily uplifting, as it would have reflected my feelings during these days. The days in which I forget that being here in the US is by my choice. A choice I had the good fortune of being able to execute. But the last months have been hard on this world. Maybe, as pacifists would say; every month, every year, is in some ways or other. We just forget too soon or remain oblivious. Maybe they are right. But the last ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 20
months – with migrant crises building up towards a catastrophe from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, from the Rohingyas pleading for water on stranded boats to the Honduran children put on buses unaccompanied to benefit from the deferred action plan – culminating last week with a toddler lying face down on the shores of Turkey, has made me, an immigrant, think very hard about the modern world and its borders. And about the people who leave their homelands behind. So the piece I choose to write today, is still in no way uplifting, but is an introspection into leaving the homeland behind. This is not a simple thing to write, or even talk about as most will argue. There are so many facets to understand before shedding humanitarian tears. But I am fortunate to be a migrant, not a refugee. I didn’t flee war or persecution. I made a conscious choice to seek a better quality of education, higher paying job prospects, and freedom, all of which I believed would provide a higher quality of life. I had the means to act upon my choice legally and feasibly, which renders me further blessed – I am a legal immigrant). Burden of fortune, is a hard one to carry. It renders one helpless with unfathomable guilt. I find it necessary therefore to ask – are they really very different from us? What do they seek when they seek other lands? This world - now shrunk enough to fit into the palm of our hands with every destination accessible - is really so only for the fortunate few. Whether we talk about Mexicans wanting to come to America or Bangladeshi’s wanting to move into Bengal, the rigid borders and restrictions are as much a reality of the 21st century as is global trade and free economy. Ironically, facilitating the later has caused the hardening of the former. Prosperity gives rise to greater desperation to preserve than poverty does. So borders are tighter now, and countries cautious
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about letting people in. The post-world war II world has international laws on refugee asylum, but no obligations towards migrants. Refugees – people fleeing oppression or persecution whom the world is obliged to protect; migrants – people leaving their homeland behind seeking better opportunities for a better life. But are the Mexicans fleeing drug cartels refugees or migrants then? How much persecution is enough persecution? What is a conscious choice vs. dire need? How much devastation in enough to qualify the sufferers to flee? Is an active war needed to justify the plight of the Rohingyas? Or are, as some world leaders have indicated, they are crazy to get on the boats. Is perpetual hunger and poverty a risk to life? And then what if the refugees want to have a choice? A question I think a heard a few times buzzing around in the social media over the last few weeks. Syrians being offered refuge in Austria really want to move to Germany. That is where many of them believe finding jobs and prospects will be easier. Why do the Rohingyas not want to stay in Thailand or Philippine, but are hell bent on going to Malaysia even at the cost of dying? How dare they try to become migrants, instead of being refugees? Does refuge mean just the right to be alive? Or does it imply right to live? The later, inevitably, would have to then consider means to sustaining high quality of life. Choice to seek a land providing higher prospects for better quality of life. Imperialism is to blame for all of this. An angry friend of mine known to be a hard core socialist pounds his fist with passion. And capitalism is just its evil cousin, he completes his sentence. I ponder nervously. I don’t know if I agree with him, but I do know that it is the wrong debate ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 22
to have. Granted a capitalist economy doesn’t leave much room for equality. But the issue here seems much simpler to me. The world today is highly unequal, and just like any principle of equilibrium would predict, requires re-distribution. Think just within a country – revolutions arise when few have much and many don’t. How is a world different? Whether seeking refuge or a better quality of life, people will move to distribute from the tormented, impoverished regions to Europe, America, BRIC countries and even to the islands of pacific if need be. So what is needed is acceptance of the fact rather than debating what caused the individual crises. We need to open borders and accept. Accept that the 21st century world is for the ‘moving people’. Whether they are called legal or illegal immigrants, expats, migrant workers or refugees, it doesn’t matter. We all are moving people. How desperate we are and what means we have merely decide how and where we get to move. That could be possibly disastrous, flooding and choking some countries, causing chaos, risk of terrorism and what not. But what if we think as a species and not as states or countries? Will it really be that bad? Will the Homo sapiens – the most superior species – really fail in finding a way to still register people, prosecute offenders and re-distribute if the world was the limit? And if the principles of equilibrium and human interest of self-preservation are allowed time to work without intervention with masses should move into greener territories allowing equalization. So as I await with a fluttering heart for the arrival of Pujo in the other land I now call home, still missing the land I left behind, I wish and pray for the choices to become easier for the ones who need to choose. I dream naively for borders to open so that whether it is the Syrian boy – in bright red shirt and blue shorts lying face down on the sand, or the Mexican children dying in the desert heat trying to cross borders, we ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 23
can turn back time and breathe life into their bodies as we welcome them into the other lands.
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Snippets of Saraswati puja & Cultural evening ’2015
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Poem by Suvo Majumdar
দূর দিগন্ত পারর চাই যত বার, দিদি ওই সু গভীর নীল সররাবর; সািা দেঘ ম্লান েুরি চায় সররাবরর, সু যয দিরণ দসথা জল ক্রীড়া িরর; িত পদথি, িত পক্ষী, আরস তার পারর; েন প্রাণ ভরর তারা জল পান িরর; দিরর দিরর দযই যাই সররাবর তীরর, আররা িত রূরপ আদে দিদিলাে তারর; তারলর ও বরের ছায়া, িাগজ ও িারের দিয়া; িীরর িীরর আদস দসথা জল ক্রীড়া িরর।
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Painting by Ritika Anand
Painting by Deblina Majumdar
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Greatest Devotee in the World, by Ritika Anand
My grandmother used to recite to me a story which has a very good moral. So I thought of sharing it with everyone here. Once upon a time, Narad Muni visited Lord Vishnu in Vaikunth. As we all know Narad Muni is Lord Brahma’s son and he was a dedicated devotee of Lord Vishnu. He was very proud of his devotion to Lord Vishnu and cherished it. When he visited Lord Vishnu that evening, he asked, “Lord Vishnu, who is your greatest devotee in all the three worlds, that is, Swarga, Prithvi and Patal?” He already knew the answer for it as it was no one but himself. However, he still wanted to confirm this from his almighty Lord. “Well,” said Lord Vishnu, “that is a very good question, and I think I have an answer for you”. “Narad, the farmer in the small village of Ram Nagaram is my greatest devotee”, Lord Vishnu smiled and said. Narad muni was shocked: he had preempted the answer when he had questioned Lord Vishnu. But Lord Vishnu’s answer took him by surprise. Well; hiding his shock, surprise and disappointment, Narad Muni smiled and said, “Prabhu if you permit, may I visit this farmer and see for myself as to how he prays through the day to be your favorite”. Lord Vishnu smiled and said “Go ahead Narad, please, and do come back to me after your visit to my devotee...” Narad Muni left Vaikunth and came to Prithvi to check on this farmer. It was early morning hours and he saw the farmer, getting ready to go to the fields. The farmer, as every day’s order of work, made sure his bulls had enough to eat, got his plough and before leaving for the field, put his hands together, closed his eyes and chanted, “Om Namo Narayan, Om Namo Narayan, Om Namo Narayan” and left for farming his land. Narad Muni thought, “Well, I was expecting more than this ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 28
from Prabhu’s greatest devotee. But anyways I will follow him and see what he does throughout the day to be Lord’s favorite.” Narad Muni followed him to field. The whole time in the field, Narad saw him work hard ploughing his field. Morning turned to noon and soon it was time to have lunch. Narad saw that he rested his bulls, took out the plough and let them rest, while he had some lunch. Before eating lunch, farmer again said, “Om Namo Narayan, Om Namo Narayan, Om Namo Narayan” and gave Anjali to lord and had his lunch. Narad muni was shocked, “Half a day has gone by and he has chanted lords name just twice….?! I will stick around and see what he does later in the day”. The farmer continued to work in his field and noon turned to evening. By sunset farmer reached home, all tired from the day’s hard work. “Well now”, Narad muni thought, “I might see more of his bhakti”. And hence he kept waiting. The farmer took his bulls to the shed again, fed them, provided them with water, and washed his hands and his face. Meanwhile his wife served him dinner. Again, before eating the food, the farmer gave Anjali and chanted, “Om Namo Narayan, Om Namo Narayan, Om Namo Narayan”. “This was a disappointment”, Narad said to himself, “and it was not worth the wait at all. Lord Vishnu must have been mistaken. I will be first to inform him that no one can beat me in his bhakti and I am his greatest devotee in the entire universe”. Very happily he returned to Vaikunth, to his lord Vishnu. “Well Narad”, asked Lord Vishnu. “What do you think?” “Prabhu, I hate to say this, but just by chanting your name 3 times a day does not qualify him to be your greatest devotee. He cannot beat me.”
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After some thought, lord Vishnu said, “Narad, I have a task for you.” Narad smiled and replied “Whatever be your wish, my lord. Please tell me what the task is?” Lord Vishnu gave Narad a pot full of Payasam and said, “Here Narad, this is a pot with payasam filled to the brim. The task is that you will balance it on your head and take a parikrama of the whole Brahmand. But there is one condition, make sure that you do not spill payasam on the way. Meet me back here once you complete the task”. “As you wish my lord!” said Narad, and he took off. He was very excited and took off to start his parikrama. The whole time he made sure that no payasam spilled from the pot. “This is a very tough task”, Narad thought, “but my lord will be happy when he sees that I did not spill any on my way”. Well, after Narad finished his task, he met lord Vishnu again and gleamingly said, “Prabhu, here I am, done with your task and I made sure to not spill any payasam on the way. I finished the task successfully!” Then, Lord Vishnu asked, “How many times did you chant my name?” Narad was awestruck and said, “Prabhu I thought only of the task assigned by you, I thought it to be more critical and hence just focused on it. This distracted me from anything that I would do normally, including chanting your name.” “Well, Narad, this was a very meagre task compared to what the farmer does throughout the day on Prithvi. He takes care of his family, he does laborious work in the field, takes good care of his farm animals and throughout this entire day he still does not forget me. If not much, he still remembers me 3 times a day. Compared to that, your task was very simple and yet you failed to remember me even once! Now you tell me Narad, who is my greatest devotee?”
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For the first time Narad was speechless. He bowed in front of Lord Vishnu and agreed, “Yes my Lord, the farmer is your Greatest Devotee”!
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Special thanks to our sponsors for the invaluable support
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Bob’s Space Adventure, by Srijon Saha One Friday, a kid named Bob was thinking about how he wanted to go to the outer space. While he was thinking, his geography teacher was teaching the class about the sun. “What a great voyage it would be if I could go to the core of the sun” he thought. Next morning, he set out to build a super durable, awesome, and fast space ship. He first got the booster rockets. Then, he got some plane wings. After that, he got out his shuttle and attached it to his rockets. He took the plane wings and attached them to the shuttle for steadiness. He then attached his colossal satellite to it. Lastly, he made his dad super-glue it all with his homemade glue. ”Ahhh…” he said, “this will certainly transport me to the core of the sun.” The next day, Bob travelled to N.A.S.A. and used their launching station. He single-handedly started it up, put in the countdown, and got in his spacecraft and dubbed it the “SUN-CORE-VOYAGING-SHIP-2000.” When he blasted off into the galaxy, he caused everything in a ten mile radius to fly ten feet out. In two months’ time, he had reached the corona, the layer of the sun that is detectable to the naked eye. He then went right through the corona and straight into the chromosphere. When he reached there, he had some malfunctioning of his rockets. Luckily, he already had enough forward momentum to crash right through it. In the photosphere, the “SUN-CORE-VOYAGING-SHIP-2000” went flipping through. Then, the space-ship abruptly stopped, causing everything to flutter all over the place. When he looked out the window, he saw an alien wizard. The alien wizard then transported itself into his space-craft. Bob got out his armor, sword, and shield and scared away the alien wizard. While the ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 33
alien wizard was fleeing, Bob noticed that he had dropped something. When Bob picked it up, he found out that it was a teleportation spell engraved on a stick. He did some research and found out that if you crack it you will get teleported to wherever you want. When he entered the Convectional zone, he time-warped for an odd reason straight into the Radiation zone. As soon as he reached it, all of his super-glue got loose. Bob got very nervous and started to sweat like crazy. He put the lever for speed onto full power and burst right into the core of the Sun. Inside the core, the “SUN-CORE-VOYAGING-SHIP2000” started to combust and fall apart. The combusting spacecraft, combined with all of the chemicals, initiated an explosion inside the core of the sun. At the very last second, fortunately, Bob remembered the alien’s engraved spell and used it. As a result of that, in three seconds, he was back in his house on earth. A week later, he and his family had a party to celebrate Bob’s adventure to the core of the sun and back to the Earth.
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Couch Potato? No More, by Swati Ghosh
Growing up in India I was never attracted to anything related to physical activity. Give me a book, or a radio to listen to Bollywood movie songs sitting on my favorite couch, and I will be as happy as a clam. This trait of mine continued through high school and college and off course in college, who has the time to do anything fitness related when your life revolves around learning eutectic points, annealing, aging, hardening, MOSFETS, Schottkky diodes, band theory and so on and on. Fast forward to few more years and I moved to Boston, MA. I got a job in a semiconductor company where they gave us smart phone and laptop and my time revolved around work and commute. In cold Boston weather, weekends were for lazing around the house sipping hot chai. Now that I have crossed the magic 30s, I slowly started to see that my wonderful clothes are getting tighter and the mid-section is getting bigger….I can no longer just fast to lose a few pounds quickly and get back into my favorite desi clothes. Then work brought me to Phoenix, Arizona and I started seeing people all around me in workout clothes. They all seemed fit and happy. I could no longer just sit in the couch and relax. My body yawned to go out and soak up the beautiful sunny weather. That was November of 2011. I started going out for 30 minutes of walk, and slowly, my legs wanted me to run. But I had never ran before, so I would tire easily. But somehow the Phoenix weather in winter did not dampen my spirit….so I continued to run. When I got tired while running, I walked till I got my energy back. This routine helped me participate in my 1st 5K fun run in October of 2012. Then I tried participating in a 10K, and then a half-marathon. ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 35
Now, I enjoy the run + walk routine and I will continue to do it as long as my knees can handle. During these years, I have learned few tips for running without getting an injury. So, let me share them with you.
My 1st 5K fun-run with daughter
First of all, spend some money and get a good running shoe. Many people underestimate the importance of investing in a good pair of running shoes. A good pair of running shoes makes your feet feel lighter as you run and prevents blisters or sore feet after the run. Many athletic shoe stores provide in-store machine tests which show your foot type and, consequently, what type of running shoe best fits you. Next thing to remember is a good warm-up before a run and a proper cool down after the run. Warm-up gives your muscles, bones, and joints a chance to loosen up and helps gradually increase your heart rate. This makes it easy to run without getting an injury. It also helps energize your ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 36
body so that you have a good running experience. My favorite warm-ups before a run are the Glute Bridge and the Lateral Lunge. To do Glute Bridge, lay on your back, bend your knees to 90 degrees and keep your heels on the floor while pulling toes to your shins (Figure below).
Use your glutes to raise your hips so that they are in a straight line with your knees and shoulders (fig B). Keep hips parallel to the ground. Hold for two seconds, then release. Repeat it 10 times. To do Lateral Lunge, start with great posture and put your feet wider than your shoulders (Fig A below). From here, squat your hips down and over to the right while keeping your left leg straight (Figure below). Keeping your feet flat on the ground, use your right glute to push you up to your starting position. Repeat on the left side. Then repeat 10 times.
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An effective cool-down is necessary post-run to efficiently transition blood from the working muscles to the resting flow patterns. Stopping abruptly after runs encourages blood pooling and can cause dizziness. Walking for 10 to 15 minutes post-run is the easiest cool down routine that you should do after a run. Take a cold water bath or shower to reduce swelling, if you are prone to get swelling. I always try to do few “Surya Namaskaram” for stretching the entire body after a run. Finally this article will not be complete without emphasizing that a good nutrition should be part of your lifestyle. This is not something you start to do only in the weeks leading up to the race. Also, staying hydrated is very important as slightest dehydration can make you feeling sluggish. So make sure to take plenty of fluids, especially before long runs and before race day. Now, you have all my tips. So, what are you waiting for? Get your favorite music on your phone and get outside. The weather in Phoenix is turning cooler and you will not be alone on the streets. Go out and don’t be a couch potato. *Warm-up pictures are from www.womenshealthmag.com
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Painting by Prokriti Saha
Painting by Tisha Mukherjee
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Ek Chai Ho Jaaye, by Shirshendu Mukherjee
“Ek Chai Ho Jaaye”: as Indians we have said or heard this several times during our lifetime. Chai is an integral part of our Indian lifestyle; it’s a sign of hospitality. It’s not just about the chai but it’s the whole experience associated with it. A lot happens over a cup of chai – be it a family talk on a weekend morning, a dad giving career advice to their kids, friends meeting up for gossip sessions, people discussing business at work or a bunch of strangers chatting while travelling on the same flight. No matter who the people are or what the situation is chai seems to find its place. We all talk different stuff during the chai sessions. Conversations over a cup of chai varies from: “it has been so hot, when will the monsoons arrive?” to “Ranbir looks smashing in his new movie”, and “oh man! Did you see Anushka Sharma when Virat hit that six?” to the endless gupshups of shopping, the sarees, sandals and of course not to forget “did you see the diamond necklace she got for her wedding anniversary?” And I’m sure we all will agree what’s a Bengali adda without cha! Such is the influence of chai that it has now become popular in other parts of the world too! Today, millions order chai latte at coffee shops or the ready-made fancy tea mixers that line the shelves of the grocery stores. Be it the Tazo Chai at Starbucks or the Steeped Tea sold by another coffee shop chain, or the British way of black tea with a spot of milk, the chai revolution is spreading everywhere. But chai for us Indians is more than a trend; it’s an integral part of the rhythm of life!
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Behind each cup of our desi chai is a chai wala who brews his chai fresh all day every day with all the spices and can tell you the story of his city in all its complexity. Everyone has memories of a profound conversation with a friend over sips of warm cutting chai with samosas or poha in one of the tiny benches laid out beside his chai stall. So what is so special about this cup of chai? Is it the taste? Is it the freshness? Or is it the experience? Or is it simply an excuse to get together and chat? Chai has a magical effect for me. It instantly refreshes my soul. For me, it carries an aroma of nostalgia from back home as if the past is steeped into the leaves. It has tender memories of all the tea parties I have had with my family and friends growing up. Today my love of chai extends beyond the taste and ritual of it. It is about the magical stories and moments I am making with my two little girls. Our mother daughter bond is being nurtured and strengthened over the pretend tea parties and sipping some iced tea from little pink plastic cups and the laughing and giggling that fills my heart with endless love and joy. So regardless of what you’re doing at this very moment go ahead and make yourself and for your loved ones some ‘kadak chai’. And don’t forget the ‘adrak’ and the ‘elaichi’ and anything else you like to add….when it’s ready take a sip…relax…smile and raise your cup to all those chai walahs all over India that have given us so many happy moments and memories.
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Poem by Pritha Kausik
ত োমোদের আদরো আদরো চোই? চোই ত ো আমোর ও, কিন্তু পোই িই!
চোই এি পৃ কিবী আিোশ, চোই কেশোহীন নেী যো কিদে হোরোদব কেিদে। আর মরুদ মরূেযোদনর তেখো পোই যকে আদরো এি টুিদরো তমদের আশোে তচদে রইব অনদে!
চোই অফুরে প্রোণ, সৃ কির দর। কিন্তু তি সঞ্চোকরদব োদর? িোর আদে তস টোন! আমোর 'পদর!
চোই মু ক্ত মন। চোই রোকশ রোকশ অনু দপ্ররণো। চোই অফুরে মদনর ত োর, চোই হোর নো মোনোর হোকস খোকন মু দখ। চোই উদে েোাঁড়োই বোর বোর; প্রক বোর হোদরর তশদে! ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 42
4th of July fireworks by Riley Majumdar
Waiting for you by Anindita Roy ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 43
6th Grade Camp, by Antara Kundu I remember the rush of excitement coming to me as I entered the bus. I was the last one to be called up to the bus and my friend hollered, “Come, sit with me!” I sat next to her and we talked about the thrilling things we would do at camp. The bus window was open and the wind was blowing through my hair. Once we got there I was surprised at how big the camp was. First we had to go to the assembly room and find out which cabin each one of us were going to stay in. My heart was pounding as my friends’ names were being called, hoping my name would be next. I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard my name being called out by one of the counselors. I sat next to my friends waiting for the other names to be called. Luckily most of my friends and I were in the same cabin. I even met some new people who eventually became my friends. As we all walked to our cabins, we all explained what we wanted to happen at camp in details. One of my friends exclaimed that they wanted to do archery. I personally wanted to listen to bedtime stories. When we got to our cabin we went over the rules which were not very exciting. Then came lunch time! Everyone was truly hungry by the time we got to the cafeteria. We had corn dogs which were really appetizing. Then we went to the campfire and learned how to make a fire out of wood. We were singing songs and dancing around the campfire. We went back to our cabins and got ready for bed. All of us changed into our warmest pajamas and snuggled on to the floor, with our pillows, eagerly waiting for the camp counselor to tell her bedtime stories. Later, we all went to bed. The next day we all heard the loud music blasting from the main room of our cabin. We struggled to get out of our beds and then we dragged ourselves to the bathroom to brush our teeth. We looked for the schedule on the whiteboard in the main room. First thing we did was get into our hiking groups that we had to stay in for the entire week. Every day we had to hike for a couple hours. On the first day of hiking we climbed on ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 44
rocks and hiked through the mountains. We also had recess and played games. The next day we went hiking on huge boulders and I slipped and fell at least 20 times. We got wet because we went into the river and we played near the waterfall. The bus came to get us later because we were too tired to hike anymore. The next day was our 6 hour hike. We were all complaining about how much we had to hike. Our limbs were sore and aching. We had lunch up in the mountains and the lunch was a make your own sandwich station. Our hike leader brought all the supplies. After lunch we hiked 3 more hours. We decided to spend an extra hour at the waterfall that we found. Then we let our shoes bask in sun for a while so we would not have to walk in our squishy wet shoes. We went back to cabins and soon went to bed. The next day was the day we did crafts. I did the wood making project and lots of my friends did the rock project. Then our hiking group hiked through a swampy area, then a grassy area. We took our journals and observed what was around us. On the last day we were all very upset that we had to leave. We did not hike on the last day but we had a special picnic lunch which was the best meal we had at camp. Then we all packed and said our goodbyes to everyone working at Camp Cuyamacca. We all walked to the bus sadly and had snacks passed to us to eat on the bus. The ride back to school was fun with everyone singing and having a good time. I thought about the wonderful time at the camp and felt that I am so lucky to experience 6th grade camp. I wish I could go camping again.
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Painting by Anindita Roy
Painting by Diya Nath
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The Dark and Light in a Strange World, by Rishan Talukdar
Foreword “I’m writing a biography,” said my friend Fred Jackson. “Well, who are you writing about?” I asked, puzzled. Fred never seemed to favor writing. He seems to prefer spending time with me and being active; he loves sports. He would usually come up to me and ask, “Do you fancy playing tennis?” That was an example, just so you know that Fred doesn’t only want to play tennis with me. I would usually enjoy playing whatever sport Fred asks me to participate in. We have to invite other friends over, since two friends can’t technically play team sports without teammates. Sports like tennis are to be played between Fred and me. Anyway, he showed me a piece of paper. It read, Jason Farrell: All about His Extraordinary Life. “So you’re writing about me?” I concluded. “OK, where shall we start?” I asked myself out loud. “Oh yes, now we shall begin. You, Fred” (and you, reader) “will be hearing a very interesting story. But I warn you, we will be experiencing darkness—eh! I’m 99.9% sure that you won’t be scared. We’ll be experiencing lightness and greatness too…” I told him my amazing story. Well, I think it’s amazing. Strangely, I have to tell you, I never knew when I was born. Maybe my mom told me once, but I can’t remember. My story will tell you why. I remember a weird flying thingy probably when I was a baby. It came down ……. FLASH!! Greenness covered my view. Because I was a baby, I couldn’t explain any further feeling except that uncomfortably we went up (I don’t know who “we” is other than myself. I only know there were other people because I wasn’t driving!). After a while, we were going down. It was twilight, it seemed like the most colossal shadow in the universe was covering up everything. And then, darkness befell me. Hhhhhhhha! ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 47
A sound of evilness was inside me. I tried to escape, but I couldn’t. I just ignored it all and found a comfortable place to sleep. When it was daylight, my heart was a whole new soul. Everybody was admiring me. What was up with this? When it was dark people were evil. When it was daylight, I was the star of the planet. God, what was happening? Nights passed. I still had the same feeling. I was lucky enough to encounter a random couple. They were just walking by the place and as they saw me, they exclaimed “Oh God, we actually found Jason!” It was like they hadn’t seen me in a year. Man, I couldn’t believe I actually half jumped even when I was a baby. I now figure that when I was in the strange world, education was the same as that was on earth. Only that when I was in that world, I got the same “dark and light” feeling. Gee, it was so wrong for me to be there. The reason I could get in a school in the other world was because of the couple who took care of me like my parents. I wouldn’t say I really enjoyed it in that world, though I could thrive there. I did, but I wanted to go wherever my home planet was. After thriving for a few years, I saw a thing-a-ma-jig. I asked myself in my mind, is that the thingy that I went up, then down, in when I was a baby? I tried to remember. I was curious, and I couldn’t stop myself from doing this, so I went to sneak in the thing-a-ma-jig. Right when I got there, I started going up, just like when I was a baby. “Whoaooooa!” I exclaimed. “Oops!” I whispered. I might get caught and thrown out if I am heard. Now that I know my time telling from school, I would say about three hours passed before we landed. I came out of the flying thingy. Uh oh! It was dark. I knew somebody would take goodness out of me. But already one minute had passed and nobody did the weird feeling thingy. What happened was, like in the other world, the couple exclaimed and I half jumped. “Oh my God, we actually found Jason!”
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I knew this is my home planet because nobody, …nobody now would do that strange “dark and light” feeling thingy to me. I hugged mom and dad. I bet Jason from the other world and I got switched, since they are the same parents except from two different worlds. Maybe that world was the same exact world as earth, except that I always got the “dark and light” feeling. That’s what I concluded.
Afterword After I was done with my story I told Fred, “Hey, I am going to ask mom my age. She might have told me once, but I am going to ask her anyway. You can add my age in the biography if you want.”
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একজন সফল ডাক্তার এর আত্ম কাহিনী, by রীতা রাণী প াদ্দার ১৯৫৫ সালের ৩০শে নলেম্বর মালস একটি মধ্যবিত্ত পবরিালর জন্ম এই বিবেষ্ট ডাক্তালরর। িািা স্কু ে বেক্ষক, মা গৃবিনী। চার োইলের মলধ্য ইবন বিতীয়। স্কু ে এ প্রথম ছাড়া বিতীয় িনবন কখলনা। সি োইই তালের বনজ বনজ শ াগযতা িলে িৃবত্ত শপলয় বনলজলের চোর পথ সুগম কলরলছন। এলের এই সফেতা এোকার বকছু শনতা-তথাকবথত ধ্নী িাবক্তর সিয িলোনা। ওনারা নারা পবেটিক্স কলর েদ্রলোকলক, মালন আমার শমলসামিােয়লক স্কু ে এর বেক্ষকতা পে শথলক িবিষ্কার করলেন, ািালত শছলেরা উচ্চ বেবক্ষত িলত না পালর। বকন্তু ঈশ্বর ালের সিায়, মানুষ তালের বক করলত পালর? িড় শছলে বিশ্ববিেযােলয় পড়াশুনা করলতা এিং একটা স্কু ে-এ পাটট টাইম বেক্ষকতা করলতা। শমলজা এিং শসলজা শছলে শমবডলকে কলেজ এ পড়াশুনা করলতা এিং টিউেনী কলর তালের খরচ চাোত। শছাট শছলে স্কু লে । আমার শমলসামিােয় এক িন্ধুর সালথ েবেে শেখার কাজ শুরু কলরন । শসখান শথলক া উপাজটন িলতা তা বেলয় এিং বকছু টিউেবন কলর সংসার চাোলতন। এোলি অলনক কষ্ট কলর ১৯৭৯সালে ঢাকা সযার সবেমুল্লাি শমবডলকে কলেজ শথলক পাে কলর শমবডলকে অবফসার বিলসলি বনলজর গ্রালম এলেন বিতীয় শছলে। তখন বতবন গরীিলের বিনা টাকায় বচবকৎসা করলতন। শুধ্ু তাই নয়, গরীি শরাগীলের অলনক সময় ঔষধ্ শকনার টাকা প টন্ত বেলতন। তখন আবম স্কু ে এ পবড়। আমার মাসীর শকান শমলয় বছে না িলে স্কু ে জীিলনর শিেী সময় মাসীর সালথই শথলকবছ এিং োোলের শছাট শিান িলয় অলনক আের শপলয়বছ। অলনক সময় শমলজা োো িেলতন শেখনা, এই শরাগীটা েীষন গরীি - ঔষধ্ শকনার টাকা শনই, শতার কালছ বকছু টাকা িলি? পলর বেলয় ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 50
শেি। গরীিলের প্রবত তার োেিাসার অন্ত বছেনা। এ োলিই বতবন শসিা কলরলছন বনলজর গ্রালমর শোকলের। গ্রালম বকছু বেন কাজ কলর ঢাকা বেশু িাসপাতাে-এ শরবসলডন্ট শমবডলকে অবফসার বিলসলি ৬মাস কাজ কলরন এিং একই সালথ এফ বস বপ এস প্রথম পাটট পাে কলরন। ১৯৮২শথলক ১৯৮৪ প ন্তট ঢাকার বপ বজ িাসপাতাে এ অযাবসস্ট্যান্ট শরবজস্ট্ার অি শপবডয়াটিৃকস বিসালি কাজ কলরন এিং একই সালথ এফ বস বপ এস পাটট ২এর প্রস্তুবত শনন। ১৯৮৪সালে শসৌবে আরলির সুলেইমবনঅি বচেলেনস িাসপাতাে এ বপবডয়াবিক শরবসলডন্ট বিলসলি শ াগ শেন। ওখালন বতবন সফে ডাক্তার বিলসলি প্রচু র সুনাম অজটন কলরন। বতবন ডাক্তাবর শপোর পাোপাবে বিবেন্ন ডাক্তারী বডগ্রী শনন। ১৯৮৮সালে এফ বস বপ এস পাটট ২ পাে কলরন। কালজর সালথ সালথ পড়ালেখা ও সমান োলি চাবেলয়লছন। ১৯৯৫ সালে ইউ,শক শথলক এম, আর, বস, বপ এিং ২০০০সালে েন্ডন শথলক এম, আর, বস, বপ, বস, এইচ পাে কলরন। এলতা বকছু র পলরও বতবন গরীিলের সািা য সিল াবগতা করলত েু লেনবন। বতবন প্রবত িছর পূলজালত শেলে বনলজর এোকার গরীিলের জনয োবড়, জামা, েুবি বিতরন করলতন। সুের ু শসৌবে আরলি িলস িািালক িেলতন গ্রালমর গরীি শোকলের বেস্ট্ ততরী করলত, আর তারপর বিবেন্ন োলি তালের সািা য করলতন। এত োলো মানুষ, এত োলো ডাক্তার বিলসলি প্রবতবনয়ত োোর সুনাম এিং শসই সালথ প্রলমােন িলত থালক। বতবন সুলেইমবনঅি বচেলেনস িসবপটালের ইনলটনবসে শকয়ার ইউবনট এর শিড এিং ১৯৯২ সালে কনসােলটন্ট বিসালি প্রলমােন োে কলরন। ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 51
বতবন আলরা অলনক অলনক কালজর সালথ জবড়ত বছলেন। শ মন আন্ডার গ্রাজুলয়ট এিং শপাস্ট্ শগ্রজুলয়ট ডাক্তার স্ট্ুলডন্টলের বেখযা োন কবরলতন। আমরা খুি গিট কবরতাম োোলক বনলয়। বিলেলে থাকা সলতযও শেলের আবিয়লের িড় ধ্রলনর শকান সমসযা িলে, বতবন শেলে আসলতন তালের মলনািে িাড়ালত এিং শসিা ও বচবকৎো বেলয় োলো কলর তু েলতন। োোর জনয আমার মা এখলনা ঠিক মত চেলত পারলছন। ঢাকার সি িড় ডাক্তার খন োোর শছাট োইলক আর শকান িাাঁচার আো শনই িলে ধ্লর বনলো ,শসই অিস্থালত বনলজও আোিত িলয় ও শেষ প টন্ত োই শক মালয়র শকালে বফবরলয় বেলয় শসৌবে আরলি শগলেন কালজ শ াগ বেলত। এমন আলরা অলনক অলনক ঘটনা আলছ আমালের। আমার িড় শমলয়র খন িাই বফোর ,আলমবরকান ডাক্তাররা শরাগ বনর্টয় করলত পারলছননা। আবম োোলক শফান করোম, োো তখন কানাডালত, ওখান শথলক বতবন আমালের ডাক্তালরর সালথ শফালন কথা িেলেন এিং টাইফলয়লডর শটস্ট্ করালত িেলেন। তখন আমালের আলমবরকার ডাক্তার শটস্ট্ করালতই টাইফলয়ড ধ্রা পড়লো এিং বচবকৎো শুরু িলো। োোর অিোন আজীিন মলন রাখার মত। োো ২০০১সালে অনারাবর বিবনকাে অযাবসস্ট্যান্ট প্রলফসর অফ শপবডয়াবিকস বিলসলি শডপাটটলমন্টাে শিাডট অফ শপবডয়াবিকস অফ বকং সাউে ইউবনোবসটটি শথলক অযাওয়াডট পান। ওনার অলনক কালজর অলনক সাফেযর মাত্র বকছু অংে আবম িেবছ। বতবন শছলেলের শেখা পড়ার কথা শেলি শসৌবে শথলক কানাডা আসার বসদ্ধান্ত শনন এিং শসজনয ২০০৫সালে MCCFE ২০০৬সালে MCCQE পাে কলরন কানাডালত চাকুরীর জনয। তারপর ২০০৬সালে Pediatrician in Colchester East Hants Health Centre,Truro, Nova Scotiaশত Consultant বিলসলি শ াগ শেন এিং োেই সাফেয োে কলরন। বকছু বেন পর ২০০৭এর শম মালস োোর স্ট্মাক কযান্সার ধ্রা পলর বকন্তু এমন প টালয় ধ্রা পলর শ শসখান শথলক আর শেষ রক্ষা িলো না। ©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 52
আমরা ২জন আমালের ২শমলয়লক বনলয় োোলের শেখলত
াই আলমবরকা শথলক।
আমালের শেলখ েীষন খুেী িলেন। আমালের সালথ রালতর খািার শখলেন, তার পরই িবম শুরু িলো। তখন আিার িসবপটালে বনলয়
াওয়া িলো। আমরা ১০বেন
বছোম। প্রবতবেন িসবপটালে বগলয় োোর সালথ কাটাতাম, বতবন িেলেন আমার একটাই েুুঃখ - েুলটা নািােক শছলে শরলখ াবি। শুলন েীষর্ খারাপ োগলো। তখন শছলেরা িাই স্কু ে এ পলড়। োোলের ২ শছলে শোেন এিং প্লািন, ২জন ই খুি োলো ছাত্র। শিৌবে ও ডাক্তার বকন্তু তখন িাউস ওয়াইফ বছলেন। আমরা আলমবরকালত চলে এোম অলটািলর। শফালন কথা িত, সি সমলয় বিবেন্ন সমসযার সমাধ্ান শপতাম। Halifax এর Victoria General Hospital
এ ৭ মাস Chemotheraphy চলে,
বকন্তু শকান ফে িয় না। শেষ প টন্ত ২০০৭এর ৬ই বডলসম্বর এর সুন্দর সকালে ৫২ িছর িয়লস শেষ বনুঃশ্বাস তযাগ কলরন োো। তখন ওনার কালছ বছলেন সিধ্বমটনী ডাক্তার বেপ্রা োস, িড় শছলে শোেন, শছাট শছলে প্লািন আর ওনালের প্রিাসী শুোকাঙ্খী িৃন্দ। শফালন এই
মৃত্তুর সংিাে
শজলন েীষন কষ্ট
শপোম, তখলনা আমার মাবসমা
/শমলসামিােয় জীবিত িাংোলেলে । শকউই আর শেষ শেখাটা শেখলত শপোমনা । এটাই জীিন । এলতা অবেজ্ঞ ডাক্তার িলয়ও বকছু ই িুঝলত পারলেননা বনলজর এত িড় কঠিন িযাবধ্র কথা। অসমলয় আমালের মাঝ শথলক বিোয় বনলত িলো। শিৌবেলক শ্বান্তনা শেওয়ার োষা খুলজ শপোম না। বতবন শুধ্ু ডাক্তারই বছলেননা, বছলেন পলরাপকারী, গবরিলের িন্ধু “ডাক্তার শেি ব্রত রায়”। োোর অিোন স্মরর্ীয় িলয় থাকলি বচরবেন, সারা জীিন শিলচ থাকলিন বতবন আমালের হৃেলয়।
©Samhita Cultural Association of Arizona 53
Five Senses poem: Interpretation of our surroundings By Diya Nath
I can see the grass guarding the pond, Kingdom of Fish, the lines of symmetry cutting across this river. I hear the memory of the rocks coming to life, echoing in my ears and the pond crashing onto the surface, throbbing in my ears. I taste the crispy autumn evening filling my senses with love. I feel the trees swaying against my soul. I smell the pungent odor of mud that is trying to climb up my feet.
ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 54
Special thanks to our grand patron, Hari & Manju Khanna for their blessings and invaluable support
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Snippets of other events organized by AzSamhita
ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 56
Thanks to our patrons for their continued support
ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 57
Special thanks to our sponsors for the invaluable support
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Thanks to all the Volunteers for contributing their time and effort for Durga Puja & the Cultural program!
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Horseshoe Bend, Page, Az
Acknowledgements: Front cover Art: Prokriti Saha Back cover Photography: Kaushik Ray Magazine Editor: Tanushree Ghosh Magazine compilation help to editor: Swati Ghosh and Paramita Saha Magazine hardcopy printing: Rachna Nath Disclaimer: All opinions, contents or information provided in the magazine are solely that of the authors; Samhita Cultural Association is not liable for that and also does not intend to cause any offense or harm to anyone. ŠSamhita Cultural Association of Arizona 60