Nair Newsline December

Nair Newsline December

How were your holidays?

Tell us what you did during your Christmas holiday and you’ll be featured in the Nair Newsline.

Veera Pusdekar: Veera went on a camp to Koyna Backwaters. She had a lot of fun there and did Valley Crossing, Mountain Biking, and Canoeing among others. You can ask her for the photos if you haven’t seen them. The camp was at a beautiful lake, and she apparently saw a lot of bugs!

Fantastic Food

Xmas Menu: Some of our recipes from this year along with new ones will give you a range of ideas for your Christmas meals!

Starter:

Cheesie Triangles

Filo Pastry
Butter
Filling:
Grated Fetta Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup snipped chives
black pepper


Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Grease 2 large baking trays. For the filling, crumble the fetta cheese into a bowl. Stir in the cheddar cheese, chives and nutmeg. season to taste with pepper. Place a sheet of filo pastry on a cold, dry work surface; brush with melted butter. Cut filo in half, lengthways, with kitchen scissors. Fold each half in half lengthways and brush with more butter. Cover remaining pastry with clear plastic wrap. Put 4 level teaspoons of the filling on the lower corner of each strip. Fold the filo over the filling to form a triangle. Continue folding over along the pastry strip to form a triangular package, completely encasing the filling. Put on a baking tray. Fold the other pastry strip in the same way. Repeat with the remaining filo pastry and filling. Brush the triangles all over with melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Serve warm.

Main:

Penne with Asparagus and Smoked Salmon

Fresh asparagus spears

Unsalted butter
Garlic, peeled and minced

Black pepper
heavy cream
kosher salt
smoked salmon
Penne pasta (cooked according to instructions)

Toasted Pine Nuts
Grated Cheese

Bring a large stock pot of salted water to a boil.
Add the asparagus uncovered for about 2-3 minutes just until tender.
Drain asparagus and set aside. Over medium heat melt the butter.
Toss in the cooked asparagus, garlic, and pepper. Increase heat to high.
Stir constantly for 2 minutes. Reduce heat back to medium and add cream and salt.
Gently break up the smoked salmon into bite sized pieces and add to the asparagus, butter,etc.
Simmer for 3-4 minutes just until salmon is heated through, stirring occasionally being careful not to break up the salmon too much.
Toss in the cooked penne and stir until it’s evenly coated with the cream and asparagus mixture.
Serve garnished with toasted pine nuts and cheese.

Aloo Paratha
Potato filled parathas, delicious eaten hot with butter!
1.Boil a potato for
2.Mash the potato
3.Mix with atta and water so as to form a dough
4. You can add cheese to the dough if you wish
5.Break dough into balls
6.Roll out each ball like a normal paratha
7.Cook on the frying pan
8. Eat it while it's hot!

Drinks:

Chocolate orange milk

*Peel an orange

*Put the orange peels into boiling milk

*Mix Drinking chocolate or Cocoa powder into separate warm milk

*When the milk is boiled, mix in the chocolate milk

*Sieve the milk into a cup to get rid of the peels

*It will have a slight tinge of orange. Yummy!!

Lemonade

Lemons

Sugar

Cold Water

Juice your lemons. Mix the ingredients and serve over ice. Easy!

Iced Coffee

Same quantity of all ingredients:

Coffee, Milk, Ice, (Add sugar If you want…. I sure would!)

Blend all ingredients till frothy.

Blend all ingredients until frothy. Serve over ice.

Desserts:

Eggless chocolate Cupcakes with Butter cream

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon white vinegar
• Cupcake pan (Alter this recipe to make a chocolate cake)

Preheat oven to 325 F (162 C). Spray your cupcake pan with oil.

Combine the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, in a bowl.

Mix thoroughly and fill each cupcake pan ¾ full.

Bake for 15 min to 20 mins until firm

Icing Ideas

To top or fill a cake…

Butter Cream

Butter, Icing Sugar, Milk

Beat the butter till pale with an electric mixer. Slowly add in icing sugar and milk and keep mixing.

Check out http://www.recipes4cakes.com/frostings/ for lots more icing recipes and cake ideas.

Art and Craft

Christmas Decorations:

Some ideas for Christmas:

• Spray paint and put glitter on pine cones.
• Paint and glitter some seashells.
• Candy canes/cookies.
• Use old puzzle pieces. Just paint the backs and glue into shapes! A good one is a wreath- just stick green-painted puzzle pieces in a circle, and add little red beads for a holly wreath! You can also create a snowflake, Christmas tree, candy cane, etc.
• Create Christmas baubles by wrapping layers of tissues and glue into a nice round ball, and covering with a few layers of gold tissue paper. Add Sequins or craft mirrors for the finishing touch!
• Make snowmen with pom poms.
• Create Christmas earrings by: buying a pair of dangly earring hangers. (whatever they are called- basically the hook that you put in your ear.) Then put red and green beads onto a piece of string and not the end, or put them onto a safety pin. Tie your beaded string onto the hook and it’s finished!

Laugh a Lot
Knock Knock Jokes

Knock Knock

Who’s there!

A Fred!

A Fred who?

Who’s a Fred of the Big Bad Wolf?

Knock Knock

Who’s there!

Amory!

Amory who?

Amory Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Knock Knock

Who’s there?

Alison!

Alison who?

Alison to my radio in the mornings!

Knock Knock

Whos there!

Alda!

Alda who?

Alda time you knew who it was!

Knock Knock

Who’s there?

Ann!

Ann who?

Ann-onymous!

Knock Knock

Who’s there?

Cows!

Cows who?

Cows go moo not who!

The world of imagination:

Shelby's Story:

Chapter 2: New Life

Fingering my large case, I got ready to wave goodbye to my life. I had told my dearest teachers and best of friends, and I was now standing outside the school at the gate. The security guard unlocked the gate and I walked out. I thought maybe I’d shed a tear, you know, my whole life was about to change. Instead, my stomach was turning inside out and it felt like butterflies were in there. Not feeling good at all, I wanted to just ran back in and forget the whole thing. My conscience pushed those thoughts out of my mind and I walked across the road nervously. After what seemed like the world’s longest bus ride I reached the airport. I got safely on to the plane, which had uncomfortable white seats a few inches apart, and since they were white you could sea small bits of dirt. Of course no area of anywhere is going to be perfectly spotless, but aeroplane companies might at least make their planes attractive. On the plane journey I had nothing to do besides explore the contents of my hand baggage, which was just a handbag with two books, my tickets and spare cash, some eatables for the trip, and a few other close keepsakes. So to while time my brain killed me with possible worst-case scenarios, day dreams of my first moment with my Dad, or of me and my dad living together in a huge two storey mansion. After what seemed like the longest three or four journeys of my life via. Bus, Cheap and Dirty Plane, Taxi, Ferry, Ferry, I was finally on Stars Island.

“May I help you Miss?” said a tall man. I guessed he was a security guard.

“Uh yes thanks, I’m Shelby Stewart, here to look for my dad. Could you please… could you help me find somewhere to stay…?”

“Sure thing Shelby. Just take this slip and go down the road to Outside Inn. You’ll be able to stay for the night. Are you sure your dad is here? And you know what you’re doing?” he said, while giving me a bit of ripped paper.

“Yes, thanks.” But now that the Island’s guard, or entrance guy, or whoever he was, had pointed out that I didn’t know what I was doing, I felt scarily sure that I didn’t. I had kind of expected that the ride to the island would be the whole story, and then I’d live with my dad. Now it seemed like it was only just the beginning. I walked to the inn, where the innkeeper was a plump middle-aged woman, who was very nice to me. I felt glad when I could snuggle into a bed and sleep soundly- the last time I had done that, I’d been all the way up in Australia! Now I was down here, in the middle of nowhere, and I knew no one.

The next morning I woke up feeling much happier, though that wore off when realization hit me again- what was I doing? Anyhow, I liked it here, Mrs Walter, the innkeeper, was pleasant, and the whole inn was sort of happy. It was all painted very brightly with patterns on yellow and white walls. Even the bathrooms were pleasant. Each room smelt fresh and looked bright, and the people there were all nice too. Mrs Walter sat me at a table in the dining area and I was given a lovely breakfast of crumpets. I looked around at the people around me, a tall man sitting with a girl I guessed was his daughter, two bald men playing cards, a few young women who had just come in and ordered wines, and a family of four. Then suddenly the tall man and his daughter were coming over to my table like I was their long-lost friend, smiling at me cheerily.

“Why hello, what’s your name?” said the man.

“Shelby Stewart. Your name is…?”

“Albert. Albert Shauister. This here is my daughter Jenny. You are new to the island, right?”

““Um, yes. I’m here to meet my dad, Philip Stewart.”.”

“Philip?” He looked a little startled. “Actually, he is one of my best friends. We were in a partnership together. Are you sure he invited you?”

“Um, I wasn’t invited. I came here to look for him; I want to live with him.”

Albert smiled toothily. “We can help you with that, actually. We can help you find him. Is it a deal? I’ll help you.”

“That would be nice.”

I bit into a buttery crumpet, wondering if it was a good thing. The man looked nice, although his daughter had a snobby sort of air. She had her hand leaning towards the table- and on it were small, strange, little creatures. One was a tiny sort of dog, and the other was a small round piece of fur- pets, I guess, or toys?

But without help I don’t think I would get anywhere anyways, so I needed all the help I could get.
”So, where does my dad live?”

“Huh? Oh, your dad. Of course. He… I’m not sure. He hasn’t contacted me in a while. We’ll just need to search the island. I’m sure he wouldn’t have gone out. You see, your dad is the island founder. It’s all true. He arranged and founded this whole city. He did everything you will see here. True. Very true. Just, where exactly he is, I don’t know.”

“So…we’re searching a few spots?” I had no idea what he had just said.

“Yes. The spots he is most likely to be in. They are scattered all over the island, so you are getting a free tour really.”

“Thanks…”

“We’ll leave after breakfast.”

“What IS that?” I don’t normally talk much, but that was amazing. It was a huge, transparent sphere…Like a giant bubble.

“This is a bubble car. They are Stars Island invented, produced, and used.”

“Stars Island should sell them to other countries.”

“Tell that to the government,” Albert muttered, talking to himself.

“So how does it work?” I asked, pressing my finger against it. It was firm yet I couldn’t suss out what it was made of- it wasn’t plastic, glass or metal.

“A few gases are heated and shaped into a sphere. Inside is a glass floor. It is amazingly convenient.”

He slid open one of the sides, and we stepped in. Inside were two white leather couches and a small closet-table. Stuck to the sides were two curtain rails with pale blue cotton hanging off.

Jenny, who was slightly shorter that me with a whitish blonde hair style and pretty mouth, finally spoke up- “You can’t see through it from outside. It’s opaque.”

She turned away from my strong stare. Looking at her now, that strange expression didn’t really seem like a snobby air anymore. Instead, it sort of looked like misery, jealousy, or loneliness.

As we steered through the city, I could see a few white streets with small buildings and many bubbles floating by. We were too high up to get a close view.

“How old are you?” I asked her. She looked a bit younger than me.

“14,” she replied gently.

“I’m 13,” I told her. She must have been a short person.

Albert was leaning his hands against the white walls of the bubble, and steering a small wireless wheel.

“Where are we going?”

“To Jo Street. There are a few shops and things there. We can access the other roads too. He’s sure to be somewhere doing something.”

“What about his house?” I queried. That seemed the most obvious place to look.

“Philip…eh… he has been gone for a while now. Nobody has any idea why.”

Jenny opened her mouth as if she was about to say something, and then shut it again, like a goldfish.

Albert had just landed his bubble on the pavement against a long white road.

“The roads are white…weird?” I said.

“Yes of course! Oh wait… you are new to Stars Island… I looked at the buildings around us. They were short, squat cubes with snazzy signs hanging above their glass doors. There were a few different colours- yellow cubes, purple cubes, black cubes, white cubes… People were travelling the road in strange contraptions- a few were cute and colourful round cars, with solar panels stuck on. One person sat in a glossy black helicopter- except it had two legs, with wheels, that whizzed along at the same speed ad the cars and bubbles. Behind a few larger cubes stood a long silver track with a huge train steaming along it. Strangely it had only one carriage! I gazed at the wonderful things around me until Albert tapped me impatiently on the shoulder.

“The two places we shall check right now… are the library, and the airport. Philip hangs around those two places a lot. He is an avid reader and he works at the airport.”

Jenny again made the goldfish action with her tiny pink lips.

We walked to the library, which was next door to the airport. They were both cubes, the library a small pink one and the airport a larger white. A huge and spectacular fountain gushed out in the middle of both of them. It seemed to be a large stone dolphin carrying a star, from which soft blue water was splashing. It all wafted into a huge black bowl underneath

As soon as we walked into the library, a plump man with a white hat bearing the same pattern the fountain had, was sidling up to us. A tall teenage boy with messy brown hair followed him.

“Albert, I KNOW what you’re up to, you-” Looking at me, he paused and his forehead wrinkled in a confused manner.

“What are you talking about?” Albert said coolly.

“Who is the girl?” the man replied.

“Mr Cruz, Shelby Stewart. Shelby, Mr Cruz- he- he is an important part of the government.”

“You took his daughter too!”

“No, Cruz, I’m helping Shelby find her dad.” A flicker of a smile appeared on Albert’s face as he said it.

“Shelby, watch out for this man. And, whatever you do, keep looking for your dad alone as well…”

“Why don’t you and Jenny and Adam just sit down while we… talk?” Albert said.

“Hey. I’m Adam.”

I smiled and told him my name.

“Why are you with Shauister?”

“I’m… looking for my dad. Albert is helping me.”

Adam snorted. “Trust me, he ain’t helping. Shauister only wants money- if you’re staying with him, you better stay alert.”

Jenny remained silent.

“Jenny, is it true? Does your dad just want money?” I asked.

“I…I…I don’t know.”

“I’m leaving. I’ll see you two around.” Adam spoke before walking off out of the building.

Your Space:

Please send us any Christmas photos or Holiday photos!

Current Subscribers: Anita Menon

Birthdays:

Rajesh Menon- 24^th December

Thank you to Aman Nair for doing the New! Video interview. It’s about Spiderman and will be available soon, either emailed on request or put up.

Nair Newsline November

Nair Newsline:

Whats Up

The Dosa Shack:

Is the title of Nashta’s stall. Months ago, The Nair Newsline told of Nashta’s business and stalls. Here is a little refresher:

Nashta is a business run by Vinod Nair. It was the name of the stall, but now has been replaced with the catchy title ‘The Dosa Shack.’ Now, Nashta is the business and the Dosa Shack is the stall. The Dosa Shack appears at various big festivals in Perth. The newest member is Vinod’s friend Jason, who helps by helping customers while Vinod cooks.

The Dosa Shack’s featured in:

Perth City Markets [2009]

Araluen Botanical Gardens Fremantle Chilli Festival [2010]

Rockingham Mussel Festival [2010]

Fremantle Markets [2010]

East Perth Markets [2010]

Cockburn Sping Fair [2010]

Langford Multicultural Food Fair [2009, 2010]

The menu is now as follows:

Dosa- Either Masala Dosa, or Dosa with sweet and sour chicken/ pepper chicken. On some occasions also with Squid.

Appam- With Chole/ Coconut Milk.

Bhel

Dal Wada

Gulab Jamuns

Laugh a Lot

"I got an A in spelling," Tony told his father.

"You dope!" he replied. "There isn’t any A in spelling!"

"My sons real smart!" crowed the mother to an acquaintance.

"He’s only six but he can already spell his name backwards and forwards!"

"What’s his name?" asked the friend.

"Bob."

How can you spell chilly with two letters?

IC (icy) …

Little Johnny wasn’t very good at spelling. During an oral spelling exam, the teacher wrote the word "new" on the blackboard.

"Now," she asked Johnny, "what word would we have if we placed a "K" in the front?"

After a moment’s reflection, Johnny said, "Canoe?"

School Doctor: Have you ever had trouble with appendicitis?

Fred: Only when I tried to spell it.

Can you spell very happy in 3 letters?

XTC…

Daughter: I will never learn to spell.

Mother: Why?

Daughter: The teacher keeps changing the words.

How do you spell we without using the letters W or E?

U and I…

Fantastic Food

Curried Chicken Balls

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese

Mango Chutney, Curry Powder/ Any spices you want

Cooked Chicken Breast

Cashews, chopped

Sliced onions

Toasted coconut

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese till soft. Add chutney and curry powder and beat till it is well mixed. Cut chicken into small cubes, and stir in along with cashews and onions. Mix. Form mixture into balls and roll in toasted coconut to coat. Chill for at least two hours before serving.

YUM: Fried Octopus balls. Unfortunately you need equipment to make them, so you’d need to buy them to try!

Check Out: sliceofmylyfe.wordpress.com

For the restaurant reviews by Anita Menon.

Art and Craft

Christmas Decorations!

I just realised that I probably want to create some more homemade Christmas Décor for the tree, so I found some How To’s for babies, toddlers, kids, adults!

Handprint Wreath- Paper, Paint, Hands, Paintbrush, Any Stickers or Lace you have.

Description: Easy as pie!

Good for: Putting up on a bare wall.

Dip your hands in one shade of paint (Could be green, to resemble wreath, or just about any colour) and create a circle of handprints. Use the paintbrush in a different colour to create little berries. Then Decorate with your stickers and lace!!

Christmas Tray- Styrofoam Bowl/Paper bowl, Paint in various colours, Gold Glitter Glue

Description: Fun, Easy!

Good for: Putting little snacks like cookies or pedas in to give to friends with your Christmas card.

Paint the whole bowl in one colour, or striped in two colours.

[Colour combos could be: Green and Red with Gold Glitter

Gold and Silver with Red glitter

Pale colours paired with bright glitter]

When bowl is dry decorate edges with glitter glue.

[Another option is when you go to a Take out store ask for an empty carton. If it’s blank go ahead and paint, decorate, if there is a logo cover it with stiff card or crepe paper first. This will work to the same purpose; instead of a little bowl you have a pretty carton.]

Christmas Card Holder: 35 Popsicle sticks, Glue, Wax paper or plastic grocery bags, White satin ribbon.

Description: A bit harder, but fun to decorate when finished.

Good for: Holding the Christmas Cards you receive.

http://crafts.kaboose.com/3x5holder1.html : Is for recipe cards but will work for Christmas cards.

The World of Imagination

This is Chapter 1 of Shelby’s Story by Karuna Nair. A chapter will be published every month till the story is over. Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Decision

“Good Morning Miss Shelby.”

“Good Morning Miss Coyle, how are you today?” Miss Coyle was a soft-spoken English maid, and sometimes she told me stories of her past employers.

“Fine thanks, are you feeling any better?”

“Not really no, I just have body pain and I’m tired- and my throat is hurting.”

“Okay Miss Shelby. Headmistress and Teachers say today you are free to do anything you like and rest up, tomorrow if you are still unwell you will see a doctor.”

“Thanks Miss Coyle,” I said as she handed me a tray with breakfast.

As she shut the door, I thought about it to myself. A day without lessons, and a day without any of her friends to talk to either. I decided I’d sort through my closet of things and then watch the TV in the lounge. I hadn’t sorted through some of my things since I had come to the Rusty Hill Boarding School. That was 5 years ago, when I was 8 and horrifically sad that my mother was gone. When I became happy at the school, it felt like I’d betrayed her. There had been a pile at the bottom of my closet that I’d been afraid to touch because it contained memories of life before my current life. Before boarding school. I could barely remember much of that life anyway. Remembering back, it probably contained a photo book and a few old clothes.

I looked at the large cardboard box covered in clothes and books and other things. As soon I opened it, a small glossy photo floated out of the box. I thought it’d be a family photo before my Dad left, like in a movie. I hoped so, but instead it was a photo of me with my friend on my 7^th birthday. Not even my mum was in it. She was behind the camera taking it, though. Inside the box were a few books covered with leather or felt cases. They were filled with pictures. I could remember

the story of each and every one of the photos. In the middle of the third book, I found what I was looking for. My Dad was holding me, with his arm around my mum. I was probably a newborn or a 1 month old. There was a photo of my mum and dad fighting, that I had taken and my Mum had printed it because she never knew it was among all the other plastic smiles we had clicked. I saw me and my Dad before he left, our last moment together. Me and Mum before she got cancer. I suddenly started crying. They had both left me. My Mum had suffered terribly before she passed away- I was only 8. Suddenly I realised just why that box hadn’t been touched in 5 years. Stuffing everything back in the cardboard box and pushing it under a heap of things, I left the room. Lying on the couch and reading, the sorrow didn’t stop at all. I couldn’t even read a page properly, I was so tired. I tried fruitlessly to distract myself, until I fell asleep, my head hurting too much what with my fever and sorrow.

“Miss Shelby, are you okay?”

I could hear the headmistress’ plain but sweet voice. Pulling myself together, I sat up.

“I’m fine.”

“Okay- you aren’t sick anymore?”

“Um… I don’t know… just a sore throat, nothing else much…”

“So what did you spend your day doing?”

My throat felt dry and I didn’t know what to say. She had been like a mother to me over more than a third of my life. But it was still an awkward thing to tell anyone.

“I was looking through my closet.”

“You mean you were looking at photos of your mother?”

“How-how-”

“A girl in your dormitory went to get something she forgot, and saw you sobbing. She told someone, like she was meant to- and I put two and two together.”

“I just felt like… looking. And I didn’t realize how sad I’d be.”

“Don’t even think about looking for your father, understand?”

“Look for my father… what a good idea! I never thought of it till now!”

“No… Shelby, I don’t want you getting hurt and disappointed...”

“Well I won’t! Thank you Mrs Wich. I’m sorry but I have to do it- it’d be awesome to live with him again!”

“Go to sleep for now. I’ll see you tomorrow, and we will discuss this matter.”

As soon as I woke up I remembered the past days discovery. Looking for my dad…Imagine if I found him… things would all be right again. It would be a happily ever after. I ran into the lounge, no one else was there. I turned on a computer and opened up a Search Engine, typing in Philip Francis Stewart. Philip Stewart on Facebook…College record of Philip Stewart… STARS Island leader-Philip Francis Stewart….. Huh? Stars Island? Clicking on the page, I saw a brightly coloured website titled STARS Island.

“Stars Island is a new Island located in the Southern Hemisphere, pretty much in the middle of nowhere. It is dedicated to keeping its people happy with as simple a democracy as possible. Our main ethoses are environmental friendliness, community, and making sure government only needs to help with certain things. Our land is quite interesting including an underwater, digital, and sky, suburb. You must have certain license to get in and be a good help to society.

Current Main Government-

Leader- Philip Francis Stewart….”

Saving the website into favourites, I rushed back to my dormitory. I had exactly 10 minutes to get ready for breakfast.

After breakfast, I asked the nurse to let me have a days rest; I was just too tired for lessons. My teachers instead gave me my work- not just half, trust me- and said I could complete it at my own pace but it was to be handed in the next day. I didn’t really care. I don’t mind doing lessons- I just needed alone time to work out what I’d do to get to Stars Island. Of course I was going. It was too big an opportunity to not take. I couldn’t do it after lessons, it was too crowded. My dormitory would be full, the computers in the Lounge would be taken by the older girls- This was an easier option. I got started straight away. I found out there were flights to French Southern and Atlantic Lands, then you could travel by ferry to Stars Island. In total it’d cost $500- Which was a HUGE offer. The plane was a horrible trashy kind with no service and low rates- even worse than the kind there normally are. The ferry was alright- it was just cheap because of money conversion and lower prices down South. I decided to tell Mrs Wich. If she said no, I could just go anyway. But I’m sure she would say yes. She’s so nice. So after lessons, I went to her office, and knocked gingerly at the door.

“Come in.”

“Um...hello Mrs Wich…”

“Hello Shelby… thought about searching for your dad yet?”

“Um…Yes actually Mrs Wich. I’ve found out he is actually the Prime Minister of a new society on an island far off.”

“Wow… are you sure? Anyway, is there any chance of me stopping you?”

“No,” I said, a small grin appearing on my shy face.

“Well then I guess you’ll go whether I like it or not. Do you have the money?”

“Um… No…” I realised that I wouldn’t, sadly, be able to afford it. From saved up pocket money before the Boarding School and birthday money from friends, I had $300.

“So what are you going to do?”

“Get a job for the rest of this year to pay me $200 for next year?”

“What if… I gave you that $200. I know it seems like I’m being partial, but the thing is, I would sacrifice my money for any of you girls. Don’t go telling them that though. I won’t have my money spent on silly things that are in fashion. But I know you’ll use it wisely…”

“Um… thank you very much, but you don’t have to do that for me! You definitely don’t have to give me money, just permission!”

“Oh Shelby… don’t worry about it okay? Worry about finding your Dad and visiting me when you do! Just think of it as 5 years of birthday presents from your second mum.”

I hugged her. She was too nice. She had been like a second mum… her and all the rest of my teachers. They were all lovely.

“Thanks a lot for everything,” I said before leaving.

“Oh,” I remembered something as I opened the door. “Goodbye.”

I still felt guilty. She had given me $200, and she was my Principal, for crying out loud! That didn’t mean I wasn’t excited though… Straightaway, I booked online tickets. Printing them out, I looked at them and hugged them. Those thin strips of paper were my whole life now…

Questions:

This is a variation to the survey. We’ll put the questions in and publish, you reply to get published the next month! If you really don’t want to be published please still reply so we have a variety of opinions!

Do you celebrate Christmas and how?

What do you want the Nair Newsline to put in at December on Christmas?

If you won a prize about Christmas would it be:

a) Up to 50 Christmas Cards to give to friends and family

b) DIY Christmas Decorations/Cards

c) Readymade handmade Christmas decorations

Your Space

Happy Birthday:

Arjun Tiwari (4)

Aman Nair (5)

Rishabh Mannar (6)

Current Subscribers: Anita Menon

We are thinking of holding a Christmas competition… Please send in your response if this is a good idea… Prize suggestions are in the Questions section, but if you have something else in mind then please say so! We will only be able to do this if we have at least 5 participants, so please join in!

The contest will be sending in a pic of your Christmas tree with your family around it! Don’t have a tree? Put in pictures of your decorations, food, whatever!

Website of the Month: http://www.howtodothings.com/

Nair Newsline October

Whats Up

Acting up:

Veera Pusdekar has performed in a play titled A Comedy of Errors, by Shakespeare. She was doing this as part of her Speech and Drama classes. A few twists to the normal theatre show are that all the lines were ‘rapped’ by the students, and that there were microphones, electrical lighting, or any theatre props that Shakespeare probably didn’t get to use in his time. Her mum, dad, brother, grandparents, aunties, uncles, and cousins have gone to see her perform. Veera’s role was Adraina, and she was in two different acts. She enjoyed the play, and was watched by one of her school friends.

Hand Paints:

Arjun Menon- Tiwari, recently the star in a fashion show- See the last issue- sure likes to have fun. He entered a painting contest just a few weeks ago. The good news is Arjun had a blast- though the judges finally told him that he needed to put paint on the paper- it wasn’t a hand painting contest. Check out this month’s survey for details on the Fashion show.

Laugh a Lot

Some short funny sentences... :D

Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Never do card tricks for the group you play poker with.

When a man brings his wife flowers for no reason... there's a reason.

Success always occurs in private, and failure in full view.

Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.

If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously over looked something.

If you think your particular troubles are too heavy and too traumatic to laugh about, remember that laughing is like changing a baby's diaper. It doesn't solve any problems permanently, but it makes things more acceptable for a while.

I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewelry

A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.

Borrow money from pessimists-they don't expect it back.

Fantastic Food

Drinks and Deserts:

Chocolate orange milk

*Peel an orange

*Put the orange peels into boiling milk

*Mix Drinking chocolate or Cocoa powder into separate warm milk

*When the milk is boiled, mix in the chocolate milk

*Sieve the milk into a cup to get rid of the peels

*It will have a slight tinge of orange. Yummy!!

Lemonade

Lemons

Sugar

Cold Water

Juice your lemons. Mix the ingredients and serve over ice. Easy!

Iced Coffee

Same quantity of all ingredients:

Coffee, Milk, Ice, (Add sugar If you want…. I sure would!)

Blend all ingredients till frothy.

Blend all ingredients until frothy. Serve over ice.

Desserts:

Choc Chip Cheesecake
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (about 18 cookies)

3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 teaspoon flour

Directions: Combine butter and Oreo cookie crumbs. Press into the bottom of a pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a small bowl, combine chocolate chips with the flour. Toss to coat. Stir into the cheese mixture. Pour over crust. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over top. Bake for 1 hour at 300 degrees F; or until cake is firm and light. Cool to room temperature and then chill until serving.

Trifle: Trifles are deliciously yummy and simple to make. All you need is sweet stuff and a sweet tooth! Classic ingredients are ice-cream, jelly, custard, cake, and fruit. Other favourites include small chocolates (M & Ms), whipped cream, or even cheesecake pieces (Look at the Choc Chip Cheesecake recipe ^.) Check out the photos we have put up of our trifle!!

Art and Craft

Fun New Kind of Painting: By Aman Nair

Blot Painting: Get some paint on the paper. And blow it through a straw. It will spread.

Longest painting ever. Get many A4 sheets of paper and staple them together. Paint a really long painting. Do it with your kids.

Aman’s Kindy Class did these two kinds of painting so they are great for kids. Why not try them? Plus the longest painting ever is a great décor to put on an empty wall.

TIP: Do a few practises on office paper or scrap paper- of any kind of painting. Technique paintings like Blot or Dab Painting look bright and colourful compared to a scene you can paint with watercolour or acrylic. Buy a cheap canvas, and do the same kind you practised on paper. It will look great for a house decoration- Especially large canvases.

Super Survey

This month the survey topic is Days of the Week, and our online guest was Anita Menon.

What is your worst day of the week?

Sunday.

What is your favourite day of the week?

Thursday- evenings to be precise.

Why are those your best and worst?

Sunday- because its the first day of working week when Amit has to go to office. Thursday evenings because it means that weekends are here knocking at our door and there are so many things planned.

Is there anything that ALWAYS happens on the same day of the week to you?

Well nothing actually. Every day is different…even if slightly.

What do you think is the reason that people always have a specific day they like? It IS just a day…

People like a specific day sometimes because those days make them look forward to something exciting that would make them happy. And everybody wants to be happy, I think…J☺☻

Plus a survey from last month, which was mentioned in the Article in What’s Up:

Our online guest was Arjun Menon Tiwari, on his fashion show.

How did it work?

It was a talent hunt & all the kids had to show off some talent of theirs.

How many rounds?

3 rounds, he didn't make it to the 3rd.

What did Arjun have to do?

He just had to walk on the ramp & say Aloha, Welcome to Hawaii (which he didn't)

What was his favourite part?

Dressing up & standing on the stage, although he did want to dance too!!!

When was it?

Sept 11th, 2010

What was his favourite costume?

He liked this guy who had dressed as an elephant.

Your Space

Thank you to Arjun Menon Tiwari and Anita Menon for replying to their surveys this month. Thanks also to Aman Nair for contributing the Art and Craft section. Be sure to send us something after reading- we will really appreciate it.

Current Subscribers: Anita Menon

Birthdays this Month: Veera Pusdekar, Ravindranathan Nair, Aparna Menon- Happy Birthday!

Website of the Month: http://www.kalwriters.com/kidswwwrite/poems9-12.html (Karuna Nair's Poem!)

Nair Newsline Septembe

Whats up

In the News

Arjun Menon Tiwari entered a Talent Hunt by a kidswear brand, LadyBird. The event was three rounds, and Arjun made it to the second!!! His Photo appeared in the Mail Today in an article about Ladybird’s talent contest. In the article Arjun is shown wearing Hawain style clothes and sunnies, complete with a garland! He looks very cute and it’s great he got into the second round and enjoyed himself doing it!

Arjun has been requested to answer some questions in the Super Survey of this issue If we get a reply we will send it to you or publish it.

If you would like to receive a copy of the link to the article, just ask Rashmi Menon (rashmipmenon@yahoo.com) or me. (karunanair99@yahoo.com.au)

News in Oz

Vinod Nair held a stall at East Perth Markets… Karuna Nair did a speech and finished her debate competition… Aman Nair did news at his kindy… We are all happy in Oz!

Fantastic Food

Eggless chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup cold water
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoon white vinegar
• Cupcake pan (Alter this recipe to make a chocolate cake)

Preheat oven to 325 F (162 C). Spray your cupcake pan with oil.

Combine the dry ingredients, then the wet ingredients, in a bowl.

Mix thoroughly and fill each cupcake pan ¾ full.

Bake for 15 min to 20 mins until firm

Icing Ideas

To top or fill a cake…

Butter Cream

Butter, Icing Sugar, Milk

Beat the butter till pale with an electric mixer. Slowly add in icing sugar and milk and keep mixing.

Check out http://www.recipes4cakes.com/frostings/ for lots more icing recipes and cake ideas.

Laugh a Lot

How can you get four suits for a dollar?
Buy a deck of cards.

How do dinosaurs pay their bills?
With Tyrannosaurus checks.

What do you call a dinosaur that smashes everything in its path?
Tyrannosaurus wrecks.

What do you call a dinosaur that wears a cowboy hat and boots?
Tyrannosaurus Tex.

How do we know the Indians were the first people in North America?
They had reservations.

How do you make a hot dog stand?
Steal its chair.

How do you make an egg laugh?
Tell it a yolk.

How do you prevent a Summer cold?
Catch it in the Winter!

Art and Craft

Origami :

Origami is a fun thing to do but requires patience. I’ve only tried it a few times and it was disastrous, but like with all things practice makes perfect.

Base Folds:

Kite Fold: Fold a piece of square paper in half diagonally. Unfold it and rotate so it is a diamond.

Fold the two outer edges inwards to the crease in the middle of the page.

Origami Website that features lots of things to try out, and origami for kids:

http://www.origami-instructions.com/

Log On!

This month we give you websites to get you blogging, and two free game sites.

Games:

http://friv.com/ Hundreds of free online games to choose from, no downloading or registering required!

Great Game: Garfield Haunted House, Star Island

http://oyunlar1.com Heaps of free online games to play. There’s Mario Bros games, sports games, all kinds.

Great Game: Mario Bros, Mario Starcatcher

Create a blog:

Blogspot.com= Is a great free way to have your own blog.

http://webupon.com/blogging/top-31-free-blogging-websites-the-ultimate-list/ Has got 31 sites which are great to blog onand why, including Blogger, Wordpress, Lifelounge and 28 more.

Once you have a blog why not look at

Pyzam.com =For cool templates to decorate your Blogger or Myspace blog.

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/writing-a-good-blog.html = Writing a good blog for Dummies

Your Space

Is empty! Send us your news or ideas!

If you’d like to help send us-

News.

Survey Ideas.

Request to be surveyed.

Or what you want to read about.

Current Subscribers: Anita Menon

Website of the Month: http://friv.com

Nair Newsline August

What's up

No Exams?
Exams might be stopped from Stds LKG to 5 in St Felix school which Veera Pusdekar and Kavya Nair attend. This doesn’t include final exams though. This is probably a good idea but is long overdue and strangely started in the middle of the year. The thing is, Std LKG-4 haven't got exams, and these years, specifically LKG and UKG, are the ones that are too young to be doing all these exams!! It is a good idea that they don't need to participate in exams- tests are still to be conducted though. Once kids reach Std 5 they are probably more ready to handle exams and get used to the thing they will be doing throughout Std 9-12, but there is really no need to conduct that many exams- or any at all- in the younger classes. In fact, what is the point of exams- finding out how much a child has learnt- but then that can be found out by classroom tests, which are still conducted in many schools world wide.


News in Oz
Karuna Nair has gotten into the only Selective Academic School in Western Australia, Perth Modern, which is also well known for their excellent music program. Academics and music go well with each other, especially maths as you need to learn a lot about rhythms and beats. Family friend Om Amama, or Amama, turned 80, and a party was held for her. The family had a great time at the party. Vinod Nair provided 6 cakes, including an 80 shaped one, for the party, and Karuna played clarinet. Om Amama enjoyed the party, and so did everyone that went.


Laugh a Lot

Once upon a time there were two muffins in the microwave. Suddenly, one of the muffins says:
"Man it's hot in here!!!!"
The other muffin exclaims,
"Look a talking muffin!!!!"

Two peanuts walk into a bar.
One was a salted.

A magician was driving down the road…then he turned into a drive way...

What do you call a fish with no eyes?
A fsh

A mushroom walks into the cafe and says to the counter person. "Hay , could I get a cake please?"
The counter-person looks at him shaking his head and say "No, we don't serve food here."
The mushroom says "Why not I'm a Fungi!"

A blonde walked into a bar
OUCHH!!!


What do cows do for entertainment?
They rent moovies !

What does a fish say when it runs into a wall?
DAMN!


If a turtle doesnt have a shell, is it naked or homeless ?

How do you stop a fish from smelling?
Cut its nose off.

What do you call a deer with no eyes ?
I have no I-Deer.





Fantastic Food

Smoked Salmon Soufflés
Butter (unsalted)
Plain Flour
Milk
Chives
Smoked Salmon
Eggs, separated
Cheese
Sour Cream
(optional- buttered potatos and rocket leaves)
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in milk until you have a smooth sauce. Cook again at medium heat. Remove sauce and stir in herbs, salmon, egg yolks, and some of the cheese. Whisk eggwhites then fold into salmon mix with a large metal spoon. Divide the mixture evenly onto a roasting pan. Bake for 20 minutes until puffed and golden. Use a knife to turn out soufflés. Mix sour cream and milk and pour over each soufflé. If desired, you can serve with cheese and the rocket leaves and buttered potatoes.

Pizza!
To Make Dough:
Sprinkle yeast into a medium bowl containing warm water and stir until yeast dissolves .Add sifted flour and stir until blended. Add flour and blend until too stiff to stir with a spoon. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for 10 to 15 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Place the dough in another bowl greased with a small amount of oil. Turn the dough once so that the top is oiled. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place for about 45 minutes--until the dough rises to about double its original size. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Dump the dough back onto the floured surface and punch it down, getting rid of any bubbles. Roll each half into a circle, depending on your personal preference for how thick pizza crust should be. (It will puff slightly when baked.) Transfer the dough to an oiled pizza pan or baking sheet, or, if you have a baking stone, to a cornmeal-sprinkled wooden pizza peel for transfer directly to the stone. Add sauce, cheese and toppings as desired.. Bake each pizza for until crust is nicely browned and cheese is melted.
Topping Ideas:
Make a simple pizza, ie. Cheese, sauce, and either one vegetable or one meat, and serve with a salad.
Make a pizza with sauce, cheese, a few meats- Bacon, Chicken, or Sausage, and vegetables- Mushroom, Capsicum, and Onion are good.
Make a ‘Roll Pizza’- Make dough as usual, spread toppings and roll up dough to form a sandwich.




Art and Craft

If you want to draw and are looking for either How-To Draws, or subjects and Ideas, check out these sites-
http://drawsketch.about.com/od/improveyourdrawing/u/drawing-projects.htm#s3- How-To Lessons on cartoons, nature, and more
http://drawsketch.about.com/od/learntodraw/Beginner_Drawing_Lessons_Learn_To_Draw.htm- All sorts of different lessons on drawing
http://ezinearticles.com/?Pencil-Drawing---Quick-and-Easy-Drawing-Exercises&id=1568508= 4 simple drawing ideas
http://www.paintonmycanvas.com= You’ll need to sign up to get free Drawing, Cartoon and Acrylics lesson.
http://drawsketch.about.com/od/drawanimalsstepbystep/Easy_Animal_Step_by_Step_Drawing_for_Kids.htm - Some How-To’s on kid’s animal cartoons- fun for kids to draw or get!

These websites, plus ideas from the Nair Newsline’s Art and Craft section or the Kid’s Tips Issue should help a lot. Have fun!

Your Space
.... Is empty....
Current Subscribers: Anita Menon
Websites of the Month:
http://doodlekat.weebly.com/index.html
http://sliceofmylyfe.wordpress.com/

Nair Newsline

What's Up

News in Oz
Karuna, Aman, Renu, and Vinod are having a hectic time right now. But, when life is hectic, it's FUN! And a lot of hard work too. Renu and Vinod spent a busy month preparing signs and food for the Mundaring Truffle Festival where The Dosa Shack will be selling their normal menu along with some Spice Tea and a Squid Curry. Aman enjoyed a Farmyard on Wheels incursion where he fed a lamb some milk and touched many animals. He's also been learning about Australia. Karuna re-starts her recorder and guitar lessons, organises a debate-competition and auditions for a dance. For more Info, check out nairsinoz.shutterfly.com (use the normal shutterfly password- if you don't know it just email me!)

Long Holiday
Raji Menon and __ will be going on a 6 month holiday to the USA to visit their son and his family. They are very happy to be going. Their plan is to go by train to Dehli from Kerala for a month-long stay with one of her daughters, then they'll take a plane to America. Their train to Dehli was unfortunately delayed for ONLY just a day. But now anyway, they are enjoying their time at Dehli before heading away on their long holiday.

Amazing Oz and Incredible India
A pro- con list on India and Australia, suggested by Raji Menon.

Something I don't like
Cons (Australia)
Sunburns- Australia's ozone layer has gotten quite thin- as of global warning- and so its quite easy to get sunburnt. You need to wear sunscreen, and a hat and all, which is fine, but if you don't, it's likely that after a few burns you'll get cancer.
Cons (India)
The pollution- I mean, the whole world is polluted, but in India, the roads and air are all filthy. I'm hoping THIS one will change soon

And something I do
Pros (Australia)
Education in Australia- the thing is, there's a lot more choice. As in, music, and arts and all those things, are available just as much as math and english. Well, not fully. Not until high school (Yr 8), when you can choose, or be made to do, different topics beside academis. Like aviation, soccer, cooking, music, multimedia, or art. India has started to offer these more, but from what I know (correct me if I'm wrong, please) it's not till college and if before college, it's not in school, you'll have to do private lessons.
Pros (India)
Costs- Okay, so one Austraian dollar is 30 rupees- yes a big difference, but the point is, while something could cost $20 here, it might be just 200 rupees there, which means it's ONLY 400 rupees more cheap. An example is dental service, or other smaller things.
Comparing them
So, the thing is there is a MAJOR population difference. Most of you would know that, India is second in the World when it comes to people. Whereas, Australia is 53rd on the line according to an approximate number checked in 2010. SO is that good or bad?
The Bad- Of course that is the reason for pollution. Oz and India are roughly the same size, so that means India has in it squeezed a lot more houses, cars, shops and all those other things we have. So a lot more emission, a lot more crowd as well.
The Good- One reason for the huge mass of 1, 129, 866, 154 (in 2007) people being better than Australia's 22, 400, 113 (approx. 2010) is manslaughter. Well, saying that, I realised it's also the worst. Because, in Australia, you'll get paid a lot more for your tough jobs, yet, in India, you'll need to pay less to those who serve YOU. (And not just to you business owners. A lot of Indian's employ a maid to clean and cook. Obviously for the latter reason.)

Places to See when visiting (The reason these places- and any place- RULES!!)
India-
The Taj Mahal- In New Dehli, this huge building made with love and once filled with gold stands, one of the Seven Wonders of the earth.
India Gate- Also in New Dehli- on a highway, it looks the best in the night with it's glowing lights.
Lotus Temple- Dehli Again, it's a pretty amazing temple with dainty flowers surrounding the prayer place.
Ajanta Caves- This time we're in Maharashtra looking at statues telling a tale of ancient life.
Wildlife Sanctuary-
India an Oz both share an incredible range of animals, which you should definitely stop to see.
There are quite a few of these around India.
Australia-
Sydney Opera House- Listen to a huge range of great music in the famous building. To me, it SORTA resembles Lotus Temple, in a way.
Sydney Harbour Bridge- Take a walk over the Harbour with a breathtaking view at terrifying height.
Perth Mint- Perth's ancient money making business. Take a tour!
Bell Tower- The historic bells ring during festivals, or you can even do it yourself if you go at the right time. An amazing view in the night as it glows.
Uluru- A huge rock (the biggest on earth!) slap bang in the middle of the Aussie Outback.
Great Barrier Reef- The biggest coral reek on earth, full of amazing sea creatures.
Monkey Mia- Beach where dolphins visit people.
Plus, there are heaps of zoos and parks, and even just islands, with awesome unique fauna of Australia. And the best of all- there are a hell of a lot of beaches- wherever you are, you can drive to a beach.

Famous For...
India- Population, Taj Mahal, Temples, Culture, Food (GRREAT SPICES!), POLLUTION.
Australia- Beaches, Barbecues, Animals, Island- Continent, Food (lamingtons and pavlova!)

The World of Imagination
We'll post some artwork up later, by Karuna Nair, and maybe more.

Art and Craft
This month's issue is ON art, so this time we're doing a section on The Arts, instead of just, Art as in Drawing and Painting.

Visual Art-
1.Sculpt! It's SO fun, yet pretty hard to get it looking like anything.
2.Sketch- You probably know how to do it- if you don't, why not take a chance? God forbid, it might be FUN!
3.Paint- Try a still life, a landscape, or abstract art- basically either squiggles, OR something really good that everybody sees something different in.
4.Cartoon- Create a few cartoon characters while you draw on your hand or write a shopping list.
Music-
So unless you play an instrument or sing, I guess you might not be able to. BUT all of us own a voice (have you insured yours?) so why not try just singing a favourite song.
Just for fun you can-
Play a game where you sing a song, and the letter it ends with needs to start the next players. (called antakshari)
Play some music to your friends and family.
Dancing-
If you've learnt any style of dancing, why not teach your friends as much as they'll be able to learn and have a 'party' where you can all dance.




Fantastic Food



Eclairs
Ingredients:
strawberry or raspberry ice cream or sherbet, softened
ladyfinger cookies OR madeline cookies
cups strawberries or raspberries
Preparation:
Mash or puree half of the fruit and set aside. Place one cookie on each serving plate and top with a scoop of ice cream. Place some berries on the ice cream, then top with another cookie. Spoon some of the mashed or pureed fruit over the eclairs and serve. Freeze leftovers. 4 servings



Spinach Quesadillas
Ingredients:
frozen cut leaf spinach, thawed and very well drained
shredded Havarti or Gruyere cheese
10 flavored or plain flour tortillas
Preparation:
Drain the spinach well, then squeeze it between paper towels to get out as much moisture as possible. On four tortillas, sprinkle half of the cheese. layer on all of the spinach. Then top with remaining cheese. Top each with another tortilla and press gently.
Heat nonstick skillet over medium heat, then cook each quesadilla for 2-3 minutes on each side until cheese melts and tortillas are crisp, pressing gently with spatula as they cook. Cut each into six wedges to serve. 8-10 servings


Super Survey
As mentioned previously, this month is the Art Special. Our online 'guest' this time is Anita Menon, on Arts, of course. And of course, you're WELCOME to get interviewed on art, and it'll go in the August Issue.

Have you ever learnt an instrument/singing/dance?
I've learnt Kathak dance.

If you did did you perform/ play in a choir or band?
Yes I've performed plenty of times on stage.

Were you ever interested in drawing/painting/ any kind of Visual Art?
Yes, painting.

If yes, did you take lessons, do it for fun- what?
Just for fun, also took some oil painting classes.

What was the best part of doing Arts?
Whenever I did any art of any kind, I almost always lost track of time and enjoyed it immensely. To express yourself creatively, in my opinion, is very liberating.

The Worst?
The worst would be, as a kid, I forgot to do my homework when I got engrossed in painting or singing or dancing.

Your favourite art?
Too many to list.

Did any of your close family do arts?
My brother, Vinay, did needlework. He was awesome at it. My mom is a very good artist and my father a very good singer.