The Nair Newsline
What's Up
Navratri - The traditional festival of nine nights was celebrated in splendor at the Hindu Centre of WA. The temple was decorated the night before, and everyday there was some celebration. There were a few prayers, followed by cultural programs (dances, recitals) and finished with the guest having prasad or food that has been blessed by gods. On the last day of Navratri, statues of gods were carried around the temple. The last day finished with a priest shooting out arrows made of cardboard (if you caught them, it was supposed to bring you good luck).
Temple to Temple- Sudha and Ravindranathan Nair had a trip to the south of India. They went through Kerala and Tamilnadu, visiting many temples. They went on what I sometimes like to call a long temple hunt.
Sprinkler Spray- According to Karuna Nair, sprinklers aren't just pipes that water your garden. She says “When we first turned the sprinkler on, it looked just beautiful. It had four bits of water gushing out. Two sprayed down on the ground, whirling around. The other two gushed into the air, criss crossing each other as they went. It truly did look like their was a marvellous fountain in our backyard.”
Fantastic Food
Our chefs... so far! YOU can join as a chef by submitting recipes to karunanair99@gmail.com .
Vinod Nair, a top baker
Renu Nair, loves cooking indian sweets
Karuna Nair, likes to make up recipes
Rashmi Menon, likes to try out recipes
Ras Malai-
Soft sweet balls in a sweet milk syrup.
Ingredients- 1.5 ltrs Milk, 1.5 cups sugar, 2 tbsp Vinegar, 8-10 Pistachios, 3 cups Water
Method: Boil 1ltr of milk & when it reaches the boiling point, add the vinegar & stir. Now strain this mixture & separate the whey. (TIP:Do not throw away the whey- you can use it to knead the dough for roti- your rotis will be softer). Once it is strained well & the cheese is completely dry- beat it in the mixer for 1 whole minute until it becomes a soft dough. Now shape them into small balls & flatten them a little. In a cooker add 3 cups of water to 1 cup of sugar & put these balls in it & cook until you hear one whistle. Strain the water & keep aside. Meanwhile boil the remaining milk & sugar until it reduces a little, then add the cooked cheese into this mixture & let it boil for 2 mins. Decorate with finely chopped pitachios & serve.
NOTE:If you want to make Ras Gulla then use this recipe but leave the balls in the sugar syrup instead of making a syrup with milk.
This recipe from Rashmi Menon.
Stuffed Potatoes-
Yummy potatoes filled up with snacks. Very very easy to make and is delicious to eat.
Ingredients- Potatoes (big ones), veges, corn, cheese.
Take a potato and poke 3 holes in lightly with a fork. Then cook it in the microwave for 1 ½ mins . Once cooked, cut the potato into two (make one half small and the other big) Take the big half and scoop out some of the inside of the potato. Now grate some raw veges or cook some veges and then cut them. Grate some cheese and mix into the veges. Sprinkle into the potato half and add some cooked corn for some sweet taste. Don't fill up the potato or you won't be able to cover it. Take some of the potato mash that you scooped out and cover fillings with it.Gently press down so that potato mash won't fall out before you eat it.
You can fill your potato with anything you like, but you have to cook it unless it can be eaten raw.
Trick- Don't tell whoever's going to eat it that it's been filled so that when they have it, they'll be surprised at how different it tastes!
This recipe from Karuna Nair.
Super Survey
This month we are interviewing Raji and CC Menon about school. If you can be interviewed please send an email to karunanair99@gmail.com or write INTERVIEW when you post a comment on the nair newsline.
Ques1. What do you think about Australian schools having two weeks holiday after each term and 1 ½ months holiday after a year and Indian schools having only 2 weeks for Diwali and two months after each year?
Ans1. The system of giving two weeks holiday a term and 1 ½ months after a year is good. This reduces the boredom for the children. The students return to school refreshed.
Ques2. If you were a principal of a school, what topics would you choose and what ways to teach them (books, worksheets, etc)?
Ans2. We would choose subjects like Computer Science, Mathematics, Basic Science, General Knowledge and Languages. These subjects should be taught through books, practical work sheets and visits to industries or factories relevant to the subject being taught.
Ques3. Do you think schools should have extra activities (plays, shows, trips)?
Ans3. Extra activities like plays, shows and trips should be included. The students should participate and soon after, submit an evaluation of what happened.
Ques4. When you went to school what activities,holidays, exams and subjects did you have?
Ans4.In our days we had Science, Maths, General Knowledge and Languages. The stress was more on rote learning than through practicals. So students fared well in theories with pathetic performance in practicals. Extra activities were less in those days. We used to have 3 exams in a year- Quarterly, Half yearly, and Final.
The world of Imagination
Please send any stories or poems to karunanair99@gmail.com.
The Magic Rabbit - By Karuna Nair
It was a bright, beautiful morning. The April sun shone brightly in every nook and cranny. The daffodils and daisies spread their tiny golden petals. As young Beth gazed at the beautiful scene from her balcony, she spotted a tiny white rabbit lying limp somewhere near her own garden. She was a pretty girl of about 9, with long blond hair so straight you could count it. She had rosy cheeks and loved animals. Beth didn’t have her own pets, but each day she would run down and play with her furry friends. When she saw the rabbit she ran right down and sat next to it. Its tiny white body was weak and its leg was limp. It tried to get up but the result was that it fell down again. Beth picked up the rabbit gently and said “I’d better show Mummy.” She took the weak little rabbit to her mother who was in the garden, reading. Beth told her how she had found it and asked if there was any way to help it. Her mother replied “You’ll have to look after it, because what it needs is some food and water.” Beth was so happy that all she managed to do was pick up the rabbit and take it upstairs. She got out a basket and put a cushion in it. She popped the rabbit in it and fetched some carrots and water. Beth then took the rabbit and gave it a wash. After that all she could do was just sigh and whisper “I’ll name you Rolly.”
As the weeks slipped by, Rolly and Beth grew to love each other very much. Their days were full of fun and frolic; they played with each other and met other friends all the time. Now, Rolly was actually a magic rabbit. He belonged to a world called Porietta. This world was beautiful, with neat little cottages in rows and purple and yellow fields marked out neatly. You will find out about Porietta soon enough, but you need to know this first. Everyday, when Beth was fast asleep, Rolly would go to Porietta and spend the night with his friends having wonderful adventures and playing games. He wished and wished that Beth could come with him. But the queen of Porietta, (there is no king) a sharp tongued cat called Queen Penelope, was against any humans in her land. As Rolly said, if you dared to even talk about humans in front of her, you’d be banished into Anglia or Stalbia, the neighbouring cities of Porietta. One day, he and his friends made a plan on how to get rid of Queen Penelope. Her daughter, a sweet kitten named Stella, would then be elected. They gave the Queen an invitation for a party at Brietta, a fine hotel. There, once the queen was settled, they gave her a glass of iced tea, in which Sly Squirrel had mixed poison. She drank it and fell unconscious, and soon died. Stella Kitten had always hated her mother, who had locked her in a tower and given her only food and water. She gave Rolly and his friends a sum of 1000 porrets, the currency of Porietta. She also granted permission for Beth to visit with Rolly.
(To be continued...)
Laugh a lot
Send jokes to karunanair99@gmail.com .
Girl: My teacher's a peach.
Mother:You mean she's sweet.
Girl:No, she has a heart of stone.
A woman telephoned the local newspaper to let them know that she had given birth to eighteen children. The reporter didn't quite hear the message and asked “Could you repeat that?” She replied “Not if I can help it”
Wife: Shall I give that tramp one of my cakes?
Husbands: Why, what harm has he ever done to us?
Alfie was listening to his sister sing. He said “Sis, why don't you sing christmas carols?” She replied”Why?” “Then I'll only have to hear you once a year.”
Typing Teacher :Bob! Your work has certainly improved! I've only seen ten mistakes.
Bob:Oh , good.
Typing Teacher:Now, let me check the second line.
Tom:Why are you scratching your head?
Harry:I've got those arithmetic bugs again.
Tom:What are they?
Harry:Well, some people call them head lice.
Tom:So why do you call them arithmetic bugs?
Harry: Because they add to my misery, subtract from my pleasure, divide my attention and multiply like crazy!
Girl:Shall I put the kettle on?
Boy:No, you like fine with the dress you're wearing.
Log On!
Your guide to what websites to hit for what stuff you need.
Info
Find facts about Australia, India and more- http://www.factsofsorts.blogspot.com
Click the search button and find your own answer- google.com.au / google.co.in
Photos
Upload,view and share your photos- http://www.shutterfly.com
If you have a blog using blogger, you can view your photos at – picasaweb.google.com/home
Music
For all the latest Hindi songs to download, go to – http://www.songs.pk/
Games and Fun
Play games, meet friends and more- http://www.play.clubpenguin.com
Create a pet and play, explore and more at- http://www.neopets.com
Play and download all kinds of games- http://www.games.yahoo.com
Art and Craft
This month I share some stuff I've tried myself- Karuna Nair.
Papier Mache
Learn the basics
Papier mache dough: Take just enough dough to make a thick paste. Tear the newspaper into small strips and mix into a little dough. Pour water and knead the paper dough fully. As you put more newspaper, put a little more dough. Add a few pinches of water once in a while. Knead fully and then use.
What I've made
Take some cardboard and cut out a small square. Cover up both sides in newspaper or tissue(dipped in glue). Leave to dry. Using water colour or acrylic paint (use only liquid paint, not paint cakes), cover the whole thing in paint. Use multiple colours if desired. When dried, put a bow on top. Wrap it in a small piece of wrapping paper and tie it so when receiver opens it up, he/she will see a mini gift inside!
I scream!
Using cardboard, paint and tissue/newspaper, make a small ice-cream. Do not put tissue/newspaper on back of cardboard unless desired. Attach a tag with this message “Ice cream (I scream) Happy Birthday!”
Your Initial means a lot
Out of cardboard, cut out a letter (the initial of the receiver). Cover it in tissue/ newspaper and paint. Draw designs or write a message once the paint has dried. Make the letter at least as big as a tissue box so you can write/draw properly on it. TIP: If you make two letters for an anniversary, cut and paint a big heart and glue letters inside.
Cards
Key Chain Card
Cut out a long strip of coloured card paper. Fold in half and keep aside (Your strip should be thick card- you can use any type for the shaped piece) To make the shaped piece, cut out many of these shapes.(Trace them or use this aproximate size- after all this is a tiny card) Glue them all together. (tip: use different colour card for the strip and the shaped piece) Now write and draw what you want on the pieces. Poke a hole on the side of the shaped piece. Now poke a hole on the front half of the strip card. Tie them together with string and... Voila! You have a perfect little card!
