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.

Nair Newsline
Subscribe to the Nair Newsline, and get each issue emailed to you every month!!! See YOUR SPACE for more info.

What's Up
Sad News, very sad news
On the 20th of May something unfortunate yet inevitable happened. Parvathi Menon, known to family and friends as Amani Amma, who was suffering from illness, passed away. Although many of her family are extremely sad and miss her, it may have been for the best, she was suffering so badly. Many of her children, grandchildren, and even her great-grand-children, passed 15 days of not going to the temple or praying to god. On the 15th day, they performed a ritual for her, which included dipping in a river before and after. They also donated to a charity on this day, and did a few other things.
All her family and friends, are missing her, and praying for her, and loving her . Although she's gone, she is still in their heart.

Getting Published
Karuna Nair has recently been attending a children's writing workshop. At this workshop, the kids created and edited a story each. They also created a poem or two. All these stories and poems will be put into a book, which will be published and put in a library available to borrow along with each person's illustrated title page. Karuna's story is titled Sierra's Dream, and you can read it in this Nair Newsline, in the World of Imagination. This section also features her Haikus on Music, though not in Callighraphy. She's very happy that her writing will get published, not to mention the fact that her Callighraphy will be published as her cover and poems.
(Callighraphy is a style of writing developed years ago. It mostly uses fountain or ink pens and is basically just very fancy font, except handmade, I guess.)

Laugh out Loud
Doctor, doctor, I swallowed a bone!
Are you choking?
No, I really did!

Doctor,doctor, I think I need glasses!
You certainly do, this is a fish and chip shop!

Doctor, doctor, my son has swallowed my pen, what should I do?
Use a pencil till I get there.

Doctor, doctor, I think I'm a bell!
Take these and if it doesn't work give me a ring.

Doctor, doctor, I think I'm a bee!
Buzz off, I'm busy!

Doctor, doctor, I feel like a sheep!
Oh, that's baaaaaaad.

Doctor Doctor, I think I'm a mosquito!
Go away, Sucker!

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, makes great indian food
Karuna Nair, likes making up recipes
Rashmi Menon, likes trying out recipe
Aman Nair, part of our Wacky Milkshakes column
This month's recipes are from Karuna Nair, though they are from a book called Squeezed.

Juices and Smoothies
Perfect for breakfast, a great snack, or a yummy dinner.

Yummy Breakfast=Cranberry, Raspberry and Vanilla Slushy
Ingredients
Cranberry Juice
Raspberries
Caster Sugar
Vanilla Yoghurt
Crushed Ice Cubes
Blend cranberry juice, raspberries, sugar, yoghurt, and ice cubes in a blender till smooth.

Cooling Snack= ABC Icy Drink (Apple, berry, cherry)
Ingredients-
Raspberries
Cherries
Apples, stalks removed
Ice Cubes
Juice the raspberries, cherries, and apples through a juicer. Stir and pour over ice.

Delighting Dinner= Cherry Syrup
Ingredients-
Cherries
Strips of lemon zest
Lemon juice
Caster sugar
*Combine cherries, lemon zest and juice, sugar, with water in a large saucepan
*Boil for 30 minutes, occasionally pressing on the cherries with a masher
*Strain through a fine sieve
*To serve
-pour into glass with soda water and lime
-add some coconut milk and spoon over some ice; add a dash of chocolate syrup
-serve over ice-cream

Art and Craft
Passing time with Art
1.Name- Write your name in bubble writing, or interesting writing, many different ways. Pick your favourite and colour it.
2.Character- Draw a few silly scribbled people or animals. Pick your favourite and redraw it well. Outline it in black or colour it brightly.
3.Notepad- Do you have a notepad where you write things to do or telephone numbers? Brighten it up with some quick cartoons. Draw people holding telephones calling your friends number, or draw the milk and veggies for your grocery list. This is something you can do all the time, or just for fun.
4.Paper Maché- You'll need newspaper, liquid glue and maybe some water, and a base.
Glue- Mix 2 parts water with 1 part glue.
Base- Some kind of mould. Balloons work well, or cardoard. Actually, any kind of bottle jar, or box would work.
Dip strips of newspaper into glue and cover the base. Wait for it to dry, and put on a second layer of newspaper strips. Keep layering however many times you want, with atleast three layers. Paint it and decorate.

The World of Imagination
Sierra's Dream
*The kind of day at school when all you want to do is count the tiles in the ceiling*
The door of the classroom creaked as the teacher slid it open. The new paint smelt strange and the whole room was gray, and dead quiet. It was cold, and Sierra's hands felt like ice. Suddenly there was a thunderous noise as thirty chairs got scraped, dragged and stacked. Sierra hadn't heard her teacher's monotonous voice saying, “You may go".She had also missed hearing the trilling bell that signaled the same message. But, of course, she was going to have to stay in the glum, strangely- scented classroom, for other reasons. She imagined herself on her way home, wishing she could leave. She could hear the birds, the chattering girls, the parents standing around talking, and the sport teams shuffling onto the courts.
Suddenly, Sierra was sharply brought back to reality by Mr Willies' voice speaking to her.
“Are you aware you are the ONLY person in this class to have flunked this term's test?”
Sierra muttered to herself, “I wonder, am I aware? I had the Science and Maths teacher suggest term holiday school, the English teacher read out my score to the class, and the principal give me a lecture. I mean, hasn't the principal got better things to do? And now my home room teacher's on my back.”
Meanwhile, Mr Willies was scribbling on the board.
“An hour of revision should give you some brains, Sierra. I'm going out for a cup of tea, but you keep your nose down and work. I'll be back soon.”
Sierra tried hard to figure out the maths sum on the board, but she couldn't. How was algebra ever going to be useful in life? Bored, she got out of her seat and walked over to the class's pin-board. There was one new notice she hadn't yet seen.
“All year 9's must choose one extra after school activity to attend next semester. You must have the correct grades for your chosen activity. Choices must be made after the second term test.
Possible Activities-
Tennis team- A or B grades only, must try out
Orchestra- Any grade
Choir- C and up grades
Art Club-Any grade
Volleyball- Any grade
Soccer team- A or B grades only,must try out
Woodwork- Pass mark and up
Cooking- Any grade
IT- A grade only
Talk to Mr Willies or Miss Nette for details and your choice.”
The only thing Sierra would have liked to do from all those activities was tennis. She practiced day and night, and had been playing since she was 6 years old. She had a wardrobe full of tennis skirts and shorts, three rackets, and 5 balls. All she would watch on TV was the tennis matches, and her best friend Jen would complain that all she talked about was tennis. But the sign clearly stated that the tennis team was for students with A or B grades only. Which meant Sierra would need to improve her score drastically from an F within two weeks, when the next test was. Improving her grade in that time would be near impossible! She groaned as she went back to her algebra. It took her 10 minutes just to do the first two sums! How embarrassing! But Sierra had no choice to keep going with her factorization and equations, or she’d be kept in class even longer. After her finishing all her maths, Sierra had a break. She gazed up at the after school activity list, looking longingly at the tennis section. Then she sighed at the thought of all her revision work still left to go.

*The Next Day at School*
“ So Mr Willies really kept you in for an hour? Wow, that’s like heaps bad. You must have been SO mad!” sympathized her friend Jen.
“I was, too. Even though I do want a better grade,” replied Sierra.
“ Since when did you want a good grade, Sierra? All you’ve ever cared about is tennis.”
“Yeah, exactly. Check out the new Year 9 notice board. It’s on our compulsory after school activity. We can choose, based on our next grades. But the tennis team is only for A and B grade students. I really, really want to get on. You know me, Jen.”
Jen laughed as she said, “You and your tennis, Sierra. You’re like, addicted or something. Well, there’s the bell. Call me about 6, ' kay?”
“Sure, whatever time.”

*Several hours later, home*
After two hours of serving and hitting hard at her worn-out ball and practicing her maths and English carefully, her Mum had just ruined it for her.
“You are NOT going to join the tennis squad, Sierra. No WAY.”
Her Mum was using that firm, mean tone of voice that said “ Because I’m your Mum, that’s why,” without Sierra even saying anything.
“Um, why?”
“Tennis is not a good passion or even a hobby to have. You’ve been obsessed with tennis your whole life. Now, I want you to follow your dream, and play music. You’ve been learning violin for a while now. And I’ve seen your school notes. Orchestra is for any grade. You are going to go to your teachers and ask to join the orchestra first thing tomorrow.”
“Mum, I’ve NEVER said music was my dream. Tennis was, is, and will be my life.”
“You did say it, Sierra Long. I asked you to join orchestra. And you replied, I love violin, but I’ll join later sometime.”
Sierra suddenly burst. She was tired of being ordered around, whether at school or at home. She could still smell her sweat from all her hard work, and now it was all in vain.
"No,” she thought. “ I’m not going to give in.”
She struggled not to scream at her Mum, reminding herself that that would make her Mum more stubborn about it.
"Mum, that was 4 years ago, when I said that. And besides, I hate violin. I barely ever practice anyway. I said that to please you. If I join the orchestra, they will probably send me out anyway, I’m so bad. And it’s not what I want. I LOVE tennis. Please Mum, just let me do this, for once. I’ll make it.”
Her Mum looked taken aback by this sudden burst of unknown knowledge.“ Erm…………alright. If you insist, you can do it. But promise me, if you don’t get a top grade, you’ll join orchestra.”
“Yeah, fine.”
Sierra walked back to her room and dialed a number in the phone. As she poured out her conversation with her Mum to Jen, she felt glad to have someone on her side.
*Back at School*
Sierra walked out of her class towards the cafeteria. She felt like just forgetting about her dream; the work at school was so tough. Although yesterday, after her talk with Jen, she felt a bit brighter, now everywhere she looked there were walls up against her. It was exactly like the nightmare she'd had as a 5 year old kid. She was locked inside a gray building, and it was sort of like a huge maze. In fact, it was a maze. In the middle of this, a lion started to throw ice-cream at Sierra. Remembering her weird childish dream, she felt like she was still in her gray maze, and at any moment jungle cats would appear with soft serve in their hands. She suddenly giggled, and many older students raised their eyebrows at her. Then she remembered why it felt like a dream, because of how her effort didn't work. Her mood quickly changed back into a sombre disappointment.
As she walked past the pin-board, a new notice caught her eye.
“ Are you tired of seeing red on your work? Tired of F’s on your report? Well, try our FREE online tutor. Go over maths, English, science, and more with games and lessons. There’s also songs for your instrument, and art and sport tips. Plus all that, we have chat forums and multi-player games. Go to www.abc123.com for our super service.”
“That might help!” thought Sierra. She yanked a pen from her pocket and wrote the web address down in her student diary. Catching sight of Jen at the cafeteria, she sprinted there. After the girls dolloped macaroni and cheese with salad and yogurt onto their trays, they shared news.
“You wanted a better grade, right? How's that working?”said Jen.
“Er...not that well...” Sierra felt a bit ashamed. “I mean, how tough can spelling get? And now we have to go and write a two page essay? But, once again, I've been checking the class noticeboard. Sooo, I found this..what's it? Online tutor, kind of thing. You can revise and learn new things, and it's got games. I'm going to try it at home.”
“Well, why not start now? The cafeteria's got those computers for academic only purposes, and this is completely school-work related.”
So Sierra and Jen grabbed their trays and looked for the website online. Sure enough, it was there. And it was good, too. Within just 20 minutes of their lunch break, Sierra had understood about a quarter of the things they had learnt that year. Sure, Jen's being there and prodding and teasing and teaching had helped a lot. But, with this new knowledge of how much she could learn if she tried, and had a chance, Sierra felt ready to prepare for her challenge. She had less than two weeks to make sure she had revised, practiced, and prepared for her term test, and also to make sure her tennis technique was superb. Yet, she felt confident. She would make it.

*Nearly two weeks later, test day*
Sierra had just done it. She was almost fully at her goal and dream, to make the school tennis team. Well. Not exactly. She hadn't yet got her perfect test score. The one parents all over the world want their kids to get. Straight A's. No, not yet. What she had done was worked through all her test methodically and recalling all the knowledge she had gained. She had made sure that every answer was what she thought right, and was finally done, now sitting outside the exam room. A mixture of pride, happiness, and nerves, she wondered if she had done it.
*On the day of the results*
“Deanna Finkle, English, 90%, Maths 60%, Science 50% ; Ben Goley, did not attend...Wonder why you didn't turn up on test day?” Mr Willies voice droned on and on. Sierra would have to wait forever for her name, as the last names were in alphabetical order. She almost dozed off, when she heard-
“Sierra Wilkinson, English 95%, Maths 96%, Science 92%... Wow! Finally, something worthwhile from daydreamer Miss Wilkinson! Miracles do happen...”
Ignoring Mr Willies' sarcastic comments, Sierra realised that over 90% scores qualified for an A, with extra credit! Yay! Sierra had been aiming for a B, yet had got the best possible score ever!

*Later on in that day, lunchtime*
After hastily asking Miss Nette to be let into the try-out for the tennis team in the afternoon, Sierra ran to the lockers. Pulling out her favourite sport uniform (a silver pleated skirt with a white polo shirt) and changing quickly, she grabbed her tennis racket and ran onto the courts without bothering to eat. She grabbed a ball from the sports equipment cupboard, and slammed serves onto the wall. She practised her tennis, serving, hitting, backhand, and running all around to get the ball. Suddenly she caught sight of Miss Elle, the tennis team coach, watching her.
“Wow! That was brilliant! We could really use someone like you! Are you trying out?”
Sierra shyly mumbled a yes.
"Well, you're on anyway. Come to the try-out for some practise, and you'll meet your new team-mates.”
Now, that not only made Sierra's day, it made her life. She forever remembered this special day in her life, when she had proved that she could make it, whether in academics, tennis, or just working hard.
By Karuna Nair

Poems
By Karuna Nair

What is Music?
A Haiku
Expressive, lovely
gentle, melodious, light
beautiful, pretty.

Sounds
A Haiku
Soft melodious
tunes flowing into your ears
gently or loudly.

( A Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry in which the first line contains 5 syllables, the second line 7 syllables, and the third and final line 5 syllables.)

Super Survey
Noone has replied to this month's interview Sport so if you didn't receive it and would like to reply, email or comment saying (Survey-Sport). Thanks.
I'm now glad to say that Raji Menon has given us some great survey answers! Thanks alot!
Sport- Raji Menon
Do or did you ever play a sport, and what?
Yes, I played ring tennis. I was in fact, the team captain. (Wow!)
What wa your favourite (or worst) game in school sports?
Again, ring tennis. (For Info on Ring Tennis, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennikoit)
A sport your kids like to play?
I don't think any of my kids are really into sport. They used to play shuttlecock (badminton) and maybe Raju (Rajesh Menon) used to play a bit of cricket. Now all of my kids play Farmville! (LoL!)
Do you like watching sports on TV, and what?
Yes, I like watching cricket and sometimes football (For Americans and Aussies- she means Soccer!)
If you were to try a new sport what would it be?
I think it's too late for that, but if given a chance, maybe swimming.
If you tried to enter or see a big sporting event what would it be?
I don't think I'd want to see one.


YOUR SPACE!
Remember we love to hear from you! Your life, comments on the Newsline, topics or themes you want to read about- anything!
Just email me at
karunanair99@gmail.com
karunanair99@yahoo.com.au
or add a comment to an issue.
Plus, A BIG THANK YOU to Raji Menon, for replying to our survey, and giving us an idea- The Differences in Lifestyle between Australia and India- like maybe, some Pros and Cons of each. This idea is going to be included in our July issue- literally a simple list of Pros and Cons, and the real highlights of each place.

Next Issue
Art Special- A survey on Arts, some pieces of Artwork displayed in The World Of Imagination, and a chance for anyone to send us their artwork! It will also feature Incredible India and Amazing Oz, a pro-con list comparing the two.

Subscription
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Nair Newsline May 2010

What's Up

Mother's Day Celebration
Rashmi Menon really enjoyed Mother's Day this year. Her son Arjun attends a playgroup, and they held a celebration. The mother's coming were asked to wear 70's clothes, and Rashmi won first prize for her costume. While Arjun played with toys, she got a pedicure, recycled old denim, and won another prize for second best recycled item.

Restaurants and Resorts
TaWaah is the name of the new restaurant opened up by Sandeep Pusdekar. Tawaah in Hindi means frying pan. It seats about 50 people, and was opened just a while ago. TaWaah serves a variety of foods including Pulao, different Parathas, or it's own Soya Mushroom Kheema. Desserts and drinks provided are jalebis, lassis, falooda, chai, and coffee. Meanwhile, Sandeep also opened a resort named Wildernest. Wildernest is close to the Singhagad fort and overlooks a few hills. While at this resort, you may catch sight of some deer, or peacocks! It is a lot of fun for families to go to.

Laugh out Loud

Why did the bacon laugh?
Cos' the egg cracked a yolk!

Why was the cookie crying?
Cos' it's mother had been a wafer so long!

What does a confused chicken do?
Lay scrambled eggs!

Why did the doughnut go to the dentist?
To get a chocolate filling!

Why did the boy smear peanut butter on the road?
To go with the traffic jam!

Waiter, this soup tastes funny!
Well, why aren't you laughing?

Where do you learn to make ice-cream?
In sundae school!

What are two things not to have for lunch?
Breakfast and Dinner!

Fantastic Food

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!


Art and Craft

Cartooning
What does this word really mean? Is it the art of drawing comics? Something like that, right?
Not exactly.
Cartooning is the art of picturing something in a drawing with as few lines as possible.
And truly, it is not all hard. ANYBODY can do it, anybody that will try.

1.Simple Scribble- Draw a simple scribble, like a line or circle or anything. It should be done in two to five seconds.

2.Think of something this scribble looks like. Does it resemble a shoe? A slice of pizza? I try to generally make my scribbles into a part of a face, or animal. This is a good challenge, but you may prefer easier shapes at first.

Once you get better at silly scribble cartooning, try out a different style.

Object animation

1.Choose an object (ie. Shoe)
2.Draw it quickly without too much attention to detail
3.Add eyes, mouth, eyebrows, showing a particular expression (ie. Shock, fear, anger, worry, joy, laughter)
4.You COULD OPTIONALLY put in hair, ears, nose, but as this is an object it doesn't matter.

HAVE FUN WITH THESE IDEAS!!!!


Super Survey
We interviewed once again, Rashmi Menon, as noone else who was sent the interview has replied. If I didn't send you one and you would like to answer one email me! The month's topic is hobbies.

What are your favourite hobbies?
Reading, cooking, and dancing.

What was the one hobby you would have done as a kid that you didn't do?
Skating. I've always wanted to learn it.

Hobbies that your kids or grandkids did/do:
None, I don't have any grandkids, and Arjun doesn't have any hobbies!

A hobby you pursued as a child that you no longer do?
That would be painting.

YOUR SPACE
Remember we love to hear things from you! What's going on in your life, your favourite part of the newsline, a topic you want written on. If we haven't sent you any interviews yet and you would like to answer one, you can request it.
Email all of this to karunanair99@gmail.com .

The Nair Newsline

School in India-Summer hols
In India, there's no school right now! The summer holiday is officially halfway finished! Send us a comment or an email on what you've been doing or will be doing and we'll post it right here !

School in Oz
Last month we put up an article on how Aman Nair was going in school with social development. We are happy to report him coming out of his shell. Aman happily talks and plays with his friend Byron and he also joins in with playtime and packing up. He enjoys school and has started waving to his teachers too! Meanwhile, Karuna Nair, in Yr 6, is also enjoying herself with extra Clarinet, TAGS, and PEAC at school. The TAGS class is making a yearbook, and at this stage Karuna is helping with classroom pages and the ANZAC day. Meanwhile, in PEAC, she's writing a speech on energy resources to be performed to the parents of the PEAC class.

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, makes great indian food
Karuna Nair, likes making up recipes
Rashmi Menon, likes trying out recipes

Easy as Choccie Fudge/Rocky Road
Delicious chocolate to stick your teeth in, it's even better as rocky road.
For the Fudge
2 x 175g blocks of dark cooking chocolate
1 x 400g tin of sweetened condensed milk
2 tbs of butter
For the rocky road, in addition to fudge ingredients
150gm mixed nuts
100gms of marshmallows
1x small bar of Turkish Delight chopped

Preparation method
1. To make the fudge; first, break up the 2 blocks of dark cooking chocolate into a large microwave safe bowl , then pour over the sweetened condensed milk and add the butter.
2. Zap in the microwave on 60% power for 3 mins. Once finished remove from the microwave and stir to combine
3. Pour into a greased slice dish and put into the fridge to set for a minimum of 2 hrs.
4. Slice and serve – enjoy!
5.To make the rocky road; once the mix has come out of the microwave and has been stirred, add the nuts, marshmallows , Turkish Delight
6. Stir to combine and the pour into a greased slice dish set in fridge to set for a minimum of 3 hrs.
7. Slice into pieces and enjoy!

Wacky Milkshakes
This month we're putting in a Tasty Tropical milkshake recipe!
Ingredients are-
*Banana
*Apple
*Milk
*Strawberry
*Blueberry
*Cheese
*And some choccie chips!
The combined flavour of fruits is awesome! But make sure that your choccie chips get dissolved or atleast mixed in with the milk or they'll end up at the bottom of the cup.

Laugh out Loud -Music Jokes

Why was the musician arrested?
Because he got in treble!

Where did the music teacher leave her keys?
In the piano!

What is Beethoven doing in his grave?
De-composing!

Where can you play elastic guitar?
In a rubber band!

How do you get cool music?
Put your CDs in the fridge!

What music do balloons hate?
Pop!

Which food is essential to good music?
The beet!

What is a computers favourite music?
Disc-o!

Art and Craft
Here are some activities that I did at my Art Workshop that would be neat to try out at home! The #@* means it's completely kid-approved!
(Code- #= OK
#@=Good
#@*= Fun!!

Still Life #@*
What you will need-
An object- plant, or maybe some fruit
Pencil, eraser, sharpener
Paper
Draw the object from different angles. If you want to do this with your kids, encourage them to colour theirs in however they want.

Clay Modelling#@*
What you will need-
A slab of sand clay, or as an alternate some dough
Popsticks (option, to help smooth out or draw in clay)
A mug of water
Dip your hands in water so that the clay will easily shape. The rest is in your hands! You could model a real object, create shapes, just play around, whatever! After you're finished and the clay is dry, if you want some fun you can bake it and paint it, and it will be a cool keepsake!


Contour#
What you need-
Pen- A thin marker or a felt pen
Paper
Object- ie. Shoe, your hand
This is a bit harder. You need to draw your shoe, hand, or whatever, without lifting the pen off the page whatsoever. Everything is connected. This is done in pen to discourage removal of lines (ie. People erase their mistakes to make their drawing perfect, and this is a totally un-perfectionist kind of thing)


Money Making#@*
This wasn't included in my workshop but it's still fun.
What you need-
A note of money
Paper
Pencil, Eraser, Sharpener
If you want, you can use a thin-line black marker for outlining
Look carefully at the details on the note- a famous person, beautifully sketched, signatures, symbols, the number, and thousands of fine lines. Think of your own symbol, a person or whatever you'd want on your very own money. Trace in the outline of the note before using it as a guide for your own note. Mine included a penguin, some plants, and a music note. What do you want yours to be?

Super Survey
This month we once again interviewed Rashmi Menon, this time on Education In India.

Do you think the education system in India helps and teaches your child a lot?
Yes, I think education in India gets the basics right and is not too bad. I might not suggest post graduate study here though.

What are some of it's good points?
*It's a lot more practical these days
*There are lots of activities, and plenty of parent involvement
*Usage of audios and visuals helps kids understand things

What are some of it's bad points?
*Some subjects are extremely vast and irrelevant
*Education is becoming more dear
*A lot of the times teachers are focusing on student's grades and it's a rat race instead of an education; plus, it is easy to memorise something for an exam, whether or not you will retain that is the question.

Any suggestions for the system?
*Learn through play
*Make education cheaper
*Make sure it's available to all classes of society
*Education should be based on interests of the child
*The education provided should relate to real life, not just be by the book (literally!)

How does your child feel about the system?
Arjun (3, turning 4) is very happy about his school as they play and don't force things on the children.


Your Space

Thanks to Rashmi Menon for replying to the Survey, plus she put forth a topic on how some sprays and fertilisers are killing crops. What's your say on this? Want an article on it or your own topic? Send in an email. Want to put forth your opinion on this? Post a comment.

The Nair Newsline-March 2010

What's up
Startin' School- Aman Nair, 4 has just started his schooling. He goes to Gosnells Primary School Kindy. Wearing a bright yellow t-shirt and blue shorts, Aman happily works and plays with his teacher Ms Ciancio and his class. He goes to school on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm. Aman is very shy, and had a tough start with making friends and playing, but now he plays and joins in with the rest. Hopefully he will soon talk lots, and make heaps of friends! More about this to come in future months.

Snack Stall- We once again give you, the Nashta News. The Dosa Shack has now had one weekend at Fremantle, one at the Chilli Festival, and one at Rockingham Mussel Festival. On the long weekend at Fremantle Markets, crowds didn't really pour in, and business was slow. However, the Chilli Festival at Fremantle just went brilliant and Vinod and Renu Nair were exhausted. The Rockingham Mussel Festival went fairly smoothly.

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, makes great indian food
Karuna Nair, likes making up recipes
Rashmi Menon, likes trying out recipes

Wacky Milkshakes
We mentioned these last month, along with a Strawberry Sensation recipe. This month, check out the recipe for Wild Ice milkshakes.
Chuck the following in your blender for an easy dinner-
some sliced banana
some drinking chocolate powder
some ice-cream of any flavour (mango tastes great)
ice cubes
a bit of milk
and cream cheese
By Karuna Nair.


Roast chicken with herb butter
Everyone loves this all-time favourite poultry, and you'll love it even more with this great recipe. Ingredients
*4 small (about 300 g each) chicken marylands
*¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves
*1 tbs olive oil
*Salt & freshly ground black pepper
*1 (about 350g) swede, peeled, halved, cut into 1cm thick slices
*2 large (about 200g each) carrots, peeled, cut into 2cm thick batons
*4 yellow button squash, halved
*25g butter, at room temperature
*1 tbs finely chopped fresh chives
*1 tbs finely chopped fresh continental parsley
Method
1.Place an oven rack in the highest position in the oven. Preheat oven to 230°C. Place the chicken in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with rosemary and drizzle with half the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake on the top shelf of preheated oven for 25 minutes or until brown and cooked through.
2.Meanwhile, arrange swede, carrot and squash in a roasting pan. Drizzle with remaining oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
3.Combine the butter, chives and parsley in a small bowl. Place chicken on serving plates and top with a spoonful of the herb butter. Serve immediately with roast vegetables.
By Karuna Nair, found at http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/7037/roast+chicken+with+herb+butter

The World Of Imagination
Here is a poem by Karuna Nair-
Seasons
Summer is the time when
you go to the beach and soak up the sun
you sit in the backyard and shoo away the flies
you put the fans on high and eat some ice-cream
you look out at the dry land that was once a lake
Autumn is the time when
the sky is no longer light and clear
the air has a crisp feeling
you're cold but you're warm
crunchy dry leaves coat the edge of the curb
Winter is the time when
gray clouds cover up the beautiful blue
trees look bare and weak
rain trickles down almost every day
and a cold mist hangs over the sky
Spring is the time when
flower buds slowly open up
birds dart around protecting their dear little eggs
baby animals open up their eyes to the world
the sky simply shines, a pure blue so delicate, no words can describe it

Laugh a lot
This month we decided that the laugh-a-lot theme would be monster jokes.

What do you get if you cross Dracula with Al Capone?
A fangster.

What do you call a wizard who lies on the floor?
Matt.

What business is King-Kong in?
Monkey business.

Knock Knock.
Who's there?
Turner.
Turner who?
Turn around there's a monster breathing down your neck!

How does a yeti get to work?
By icicle?

What's a vampire's favourite animal?
A giraffe.

What do you get if King Kong sits on your piano?
A flat note.

What do you call a snake that is trying to become a bird?
A feather boa.

Art and Craft
Here are some ideas that you could either give to your kids or involve them with.

Juggling or Stress Ball
Materials- Rice, Bottle, balloon, Scissors
Fill up the bottle halfway with rice. Then put the balloon hole over the bottle and let the rice trickle into the balloon. This is a slow process but well worth it.
Cut the neck off the filled balloon. Cut the neck off a second balloon and place it over the filled balloon covering the open hole. Now you should have a completely covered ball with no rice popping out.
If you want them to be super strong add another solid balloon with the neck removed.
Take a balloon and cut some holes in it with the tips of your scissors. Remove the neck of the balloon then open it up and place it over the ball.
The colored balloon underneath should be showing through the holes and giving it a nice colorful pattern.
Repeat this with several layers of balloons and holes adding to the effect and also the strength.
Try to arrange it so the original rice hole is always covered by a firm piece of balloon and not a balloon hole.
For a Yo Yo stress ball add a piece of elastic by tying it around one of the holes. Then it can be bounced like a yo yo.

Safety Pin Bracelet
Materials-50-100 safety pins. (depending on how big you want it)
Beads, Sequins, bits of paper, any decorations with holes in them.
Two lengths of stretchy cord or elastic.
First put the decor on the safety pins, make sure the safety pin can still close and then close each pin.
Once you have put enough decor on all the safety pins, take one piece of the Elastic cord and string on the safety pins but alternate every other one. So one is right side up, and the next one is upside down.
Take your second piece of cord and string it thought the other side of the safety pins, so they will be attached to both strings, tie the ends together, and put on your wrist!
http://www.craftbits.com/

Kid Fun Time
Is your daughter or son constantly glued to the TV or DS? Or pestering you to go to school? Annoying you because they're bored? Well they won't be anymore when you try out these awesome ideas! Karuna N came up with these ideas, and the expert critic, Aman (who's 4 and experienced on such topics) has given comments.

1.Books- You may think that they will run away in the middle of the story, but that's not so! Just make a “reading time”daily for about 10 minutes and soon they will be begging for more! Buy or borrow some books about animals or imaginative stuff. If your child is 4 -5 and then get simple worded books with lots of pictures. Aman reccomends Where's Wally books.

2.Craft or Art- Do the projects mentioned earlier or try something simple.
*cut a straw in half, cut out a drawing done by your child from some paper, and glue it on the straw for a puppet
*on some coloured paper, help your child make a door sign
*or, use the coloured paper to draw labels for food (ie. write coffee and ask your child to draw a cup, then stick on your coffee powder jar)
*Aman likes to draw people and stick décor and googly eyes on them

3.Help your child make a show! You can take it in turns performing and watching. Make a puppet show, magic show, sing, or dance. You could even act out stories like The Little Red Riding Hood. Aman reckons it's a good idea to have a competition (with judge) for who can be the funniest.


4.Cooking- When you're making lunch, and they're crying to play with you, tell them you're there very special chef and you need their help. They will enjoy fetching, mixing, pressing buttons, and if they're careful, let them pour ingredients. The special chefs will especially enjoy tasting curries and licking cake icing! Aman enjoys rolling pasta, fetching milk, making milkshakes, and he loved it when he paired up with Karuna and made stuffed potatoes.

5.Make a special book together. Just decorate the cover of a new notebook or an old one with lots of free pages. Then help your child to write, draw, and glue stuff in their book. This one is especially good if you're busy, you can set them up near you and watch them. The expert, Aman, often writes or draws or even copies books into a specially made notebook with pictures of Sponge Bob and Aman glued on the cover.

6.Outdoor play- Outdoors, kids can run, play ball, and get messy. But they can also play with water or sand, paint and a heap more. Get your kids a bucket of water, some mugs, toys, funnels, or even a paintbrush for them to water paint the house. When they are done, cleaned and dried, ask them to draw a picture of them playing with water. This can be done likewise with sand or paint. They may even want to put in a picture of themselves running or playing catch! Aman goes out everyday. He practices soccer skills, jumping, skipping, and running, while also playing rescue and pirates.

Super Survey
This month, we interviewed Rashmi Menon on Global Warming and the Emissions Trading Scheme. (The Emissions Trading Scheme is where a country gets an emission limit, and companies may pay money to trade and get a bigger capacity. So if they want to emit more, they ask other people to trade them their limit in exchange for quid.) If you don't know what the greenhouse effect and global warming are, go to

Do you think it's a good idea?
I don't think it would serve it's purpose at all, and trading should have nothing to do with it.

Why do you think the government have decided on it?
Maybe because rich and more developed nations would take undue advantage of it.

What is your opinion of global warming?
Well, actually some people claim it's not happening, but I believe it's signs are quite obvious, especially the unexpected weather changes.

What else do you think the government could do towards this?
I think there should be 1 standard limit for every country irrespective of their money, etc. The government should regularly check emmisions and spread awareness.

Any small things you could do or already do at home to help?
Well, I'm not sure, but I think reducing power consumption will also make a difference in the future.



Your Space
Is empty because we do not get any ideas sent by you!!!!! (save for Rashmi Menon, thanks for answering the Super Survey!)
Here's what you can send to TNN. ( If you were unsure then you can send me an email at karunanair99@gmail.com OR put up a comment; email is preferrable)
News about you or your family
Recipes
Stories or Poems
Jokes
Interview Ideas, OR request to be interviewed
Art ideas
Feedback- What YOU want from TNN & also if you enjoy it, please tell us what you like and if you've tried out ideas
Letters
You can also ask our experts a question on kids ( WE ARE ESPECIALLY QUALIFIED AS WE ARE KIDS, AND ARE TRAINED TO ANSWER STRANGE QUERIES)