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COMA Newsletter February – March 2019
February was the month of love – we hope everyone got an opportunity to enjoy Valentines day with your loved ones.In this month of love and passion we would like to start of the newsletter with a cute drawing from a young talent – Shreya Girish and she loves drawing.
As a community organization COMA presented an “Oru Adipoli Night” for its families to demonstrate their passion to dance and act. And this year the planning team took the initiative to arrange “Oru Adipoli Night” in a slightly different way from previous years where members were given an opportunity to participate in teams and compete to show case their talents. The turn out and participation for this event beat all expectations. Now let’s go ahead and hear from the organizers and couple of young members about their experience.
Here’s what EC team has to say “We would like to congratulate each and every member of COMA community for making “Oru Adipoli Night” a grand success.
We received lot of positive feedback and many of you responded saying that they really enjoyed the event. As we had mentioned, the event was designed to have fun and increase the interaction among the members. Another positive note is that we were able to conduct the event in a timely manner – started on time and kept the pace going till the very end. It’s amazing to see the amount of talent we have in this community all of you came out of your comfort zone and performed the very first time in a COMA event. You all are great team players.
Event would not have been successful without a great teamwork and overwhelming support from the community. Thank you for all the volunteers for chiming in and making sure the event was conducted as per the plan.
Together, we made the name of the event meaningful ‘Oru Adipoli Night’ and it is added to our joyful memories. We are planning many such events this year and we’re looking forward to your continued support!”
“Pradeesh Puthiyattil” was one of the captains for the event who lead his team to victory in a highly spirited and competitive manner . In his own words this event was very very vibrant with the enthusiasm displayed by the entire community. He strongly believes that this was one of the best COMA events and he would like to extend his thanks to organizers , MC’s, Judges and other fellow captains.
It was a privilege and honor to be one of the judges for the ‘Oru Adipoli Night’. And it gave me an opportunity to see the performances in a different light than usual. So I thought I will share with you all what I saw.
The first and foremost thing that hit me was the camaraderie and the eagerness of the teams to display their items. Everyone was so hyped and happy and excited and the energy hit you and filled the hall, making it a very vibrant crowd. It was impossible not to be excited. The second thing was the lack of inhibition from the participants. This needs a little bit more thought put into it to know why this is so important. We, Malayalis, as you all know are known as the most uptight people in almost any crowd. Hence, to see a crowd lose its inhibitors and be eager to perform in front of Malayalis gives me this message – no one has a fear of being judged. Which by itself is very telling of the dynamic that this association has managed to build over the past years. We should all be proud of having contributed to building that kind of dynamic in our Malayali community. Then comes the display of the talents. I had heard that the teams were hard at work for weeks in preparation, but nothing had prepared me for what I saw. Each and every item was so well thought out and executed that the performances took a level all too new for many of us. It was a feast for the eyes and ears.
Big kudos to the team captains for keeping the teams so motivated and engaged and an even bigger accolade to everyone who participant performed. Of course it made the judges’ job really challenging. It would be unfair not to mention the food, which was delicious and was served on time. I will conclude by giving a huge shoutout to our Executive committee and the MC’s for a very memorable event, for executing such a new concept in such a well managed way. You guys have raised the bar for the upcoming events and definitely for your predecessors. – Manjula Nair
Youth Corner
Now let’s hear from some of our Youth Members:
“I am very happy and proud to say that I was basically born into this community! My parents were involved with Malayalee community even before COMA was established.They helped out with events, and programs that were self run and time-consuming, so it is safe to say that COMA has grown over the years! My first stage experience was with a COMA event where I was a tiny flower girl who went around picking up the flowers that everyone had just dropped! Since that time I have participated in most of the events conducted by COMA . I am also a member COMA youth wing volunteer since its inception, through COMA I was able to develop a strong group of friends who are interested in giving back to the community.
Another opportunity I was able to get through COMA is the Malayalam class. My brother and I were in the first batch of Malayalam class back in 2011. When I went to India last year, I was very happy that I was able to communicate well in Malayalam, not just with my grandparents but also random people in the stores and other places we visited. I was also able to read billboards and Malayalam newspapers which made my grandpa very proud. I am glad that I had the opportunity to learn Malayalam here which gave me the basics that I could build on.” Being in high school comes with a busy schedule and lots of extracurricular activities, the events that COMA puts together gives me a way to de-stress and connect to my friends and family.
The most recent COMA event “Adipoli night” was an event where I got a chance to connect with many people, I even made a new good friend! I also enjoyed working with the younger kids, I had a fun time coordinating and teaching the dance to the younger girls! My involvement in COMA has provided me with lots of opportunities to learn and meet new people, and for that, I am truly grateful!” – Divya Warrier
I woke up with a feeling that today was going to be special. As I got out of bed, I remembered that today was COMA’s special event. My mind raced with excitement. I counted down the minutes until we would get into the car and go to the rec center for the event. As we walked in, I noticed several things. People reuniting with others, and everyone having conversations full of excitement. The thing I noticed the most was the smiles, everyone was happy to finally be here. The hours flew by, and everyone did a wonderful job. Then came the moment everyone was waiting for, the awarding ceremony. The White team didn’t win many awards, but we won something greater. We won happiness, and we had the most fun. – Diya Raj
Smash Badminton Club – The activity that brought them together
Passion. Dedication. Joy. All of which happens on a radiant Saturday morning of the Smash Badminton Club. As for me, my Saturday mornings comprise of a gourmet breakfast with some classic tunes. However, this is not the case for those who enjoy the intricate nature of badminton. Being the main sports center in the area, the Lazelle Recreation center is where they meet to attend to their nets. The tan walls become their opponent when the nets are busy. As the time unfolds, they say their goodbye to their friends and their rackets until the next Saturday of course.
You’re probably wondering why I’m explaining the popular nature of badminton. During the fall of 2018, the Smash Badminton Club threw a thanksgiving lunch to show their thanks and appreciation for the Lazelle staff members and to their own members. Not only does badminton fuel their passion, but it has brought them together as a family. So, in the end, the net of a badminton court can create a network of connections. – Aadhira Pramod
If you want to signup your children to COMA Youth Club, please send an email to coma.officials@gmail.com.
Upcoming COMA Event
COMA Badminton Tournament – This year COMA is conducting a Badminton tournament on April 6th, badminton players out there please go ahead book your spots at http://www.comaohio.org/badminton. Members get a discounted price of$8 per person.
Community Corner
EC team is working hard to stir up “Spirit of COMA ” by introducing a lot of events to its community .Yes, lot of ideas brewing inside the EC team and we will definitely do our spy work to keep you update, so stay tuned….
- Community Events
- Meals On Wheels
- 03/10/2019
- Austin Pereira, Aedin Pereira, Sunil Balakrishnan
- 03/24/2019
- Valsan Pallika, Niranjan, Vijaya
- 03/10/2019
- Meals On Wheels
Sponsor Corner
H&R Moats Inc –
For COMA Members who are new to H&R Moats, a tax prep fee of $70 good till April 6th 2019
Shilpa Gupta – Cutler Realty
Call her at 714-335-0331 for COMA Member offers
Bombay Bazaar – 58 Dillmont Dr, Columbus, OH 43235
Easter / Vishu Offer: 5% Off on groceries from April 1 to 14th
COMA Newsletter – Jan 2019
2019 – A refreshing New Year
We hope all of you had a great kick start to this New Year with new hopes and resolutions which we all look forward to. To quote a famous author “In inner life it’s just one revolution which matters which is to move unwillingness to willingness”. We wish you all the very best in fulfilling your dreams and reaching your miles stones in 2019.
Message from 2019 COMA EC Team
Hello All,
2019 EC team is looking forward to serving you this year. Our goal for 2019 is to continue the growth of COMA with major focus on having fun, being active, giving back to the community, empowering youth, provide socializing opportunities and welcoming new members to the community. We are planning a number of exciting events this year and hoping to have all of your support to make it another memorable year for COMA.
We are very excited to kick off 2019 with a fun filled event ‘Oru Adipoli Night’ on Saturday, February 23rd at DCRC. This event is based on a competition between teams over several fun categories. In addition we are planning to have some interactive games for kids and adults. Registration for this event is now open. The earlier you sign up, the more fun it will be for you as you get to be part of a team and prepare. We hope that you and family will join us on Feb 23rd to have fun, meet your friends and make new ones!
Looking forward to seeing you all on Feb 23rd!
EC team (Girish, Rajesh, Sheeja, Arun & Ravi)
Introducing our 2019 Newsletter team
Priya and Praveen
We moved from St Louis to Columbus in late 2011, since then we have been part of the COMA family and enjoyed all events hosted by COMA. We are very grateful to be part of the community and will be the newsletter editors for COMA this year. We are looking forward for your support and inputs.
Manjula Nair
I am settled in Columbus since 2001 and currently lives in Powell with my two boys Adithya (Freshman in OSU) and Arvind (Sophomore in Olentangy Liberty) and Maximus, 5 year old German Shepherd and the love of our lives.
I work for Nationwide Insurance and have been with COMA family since 2001 even before it officially became COMA. I am very grateful to be part of this wonderful group of friends who have become family over the years. I have been at the receiving end of the kindness and empathy of this group and have seen how everyone comes together as one solid family in the face of crisis. I hope to continue to be part of this group into the future.
COMA Christmas 2018
In 2018, COMA events ended with a spectacular Christmas event on December 8th 2018 at McCoy Center, Hilliard. A huge thank you to everyone who attended this holiday party to make it a special one indeed. We had beautiful Christmas carols rendered by the very talented musicians from OMCC, spectacular dance performances by our very own COMA members, a traditional Margam Kali performance , a heart-warming nativity skit by sweet little children from Syro Malabar Church and a nice presentation and malayalam song by Malayalam class students. The night came to an end with everyone on the dance floor showing their awesome moves!
COMA – Oru Adipoli Night – Feb 23rd 2019
Get your tickets for the upcoming event “Oru Adipoli Night” soon. Since the seating for this event is limited, ticketing will be closed as soon as it is sold out. Remember to get your membership before taking tickets to be part of a lucky draw and avail the membership pricing for this event and all future events. Email coma.officials@gmail.com if you have any questions.
Click here to buy “Oru Adipoli Night” tickets.
COMA Youth Corner
“It’s only after you’ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform.”, quoted by Roy T. Bennett, author of The Light in the Heart. For many of us, it is hard to step into a role where all eyes are on us. But we decided it was time to break out of our comfort zone and take on this new role of leadership. Our favorite event this year by far has been our youth led YWCA event. The two of us called into YWCA to check their availability, planned the menu out for the breakfast, and ordered all the food for that day. It gave us an experience of how to deal with people in the real world and it made us see how much effort gets put into making meals for someone else. On the day of the event, we each played our part and worked as a team to serve 150 people.
Moreover having this role, taught us what it means to be a part of a team. A lot of the activities behind the scenes required a hardworking group of people. We learned how much effort goes into organizing events and the importance of communication among all members of the team. From working at the front desk to helping decorate venues, they really gave their time to all of the events. Without their support, we wouldn’t be able to help our community the way we do today. Through these events, we learned to work stronger as a unit and we hope to strengthen this idea with the upcoming youth.
Overall, we are grateful for this experience. We were glad to give back to our Malayalee community and gain something back in the process. Speaking from personal experience, the Youth Wing has had a lasting impact on us and the valuable leadership and team building experiences that we gained from being a part of this has been incredible. – Aishwarya Arun and Megha Rajesh
COMA Youth Wing Committee
Anju Anilkumar – President
Hi, my name is Anju Anilkumar and I am this years Youth Wing President. I am currently a junior at Olentangy Orange High School. This is my third year as an active participant in COMA, and I feel so welcome! Music is my most loved hobby. I love to sing and dance. I am in school choir and the Columbus Children’s International Choir. I also have learned indian classical Carnatic music since I was five. I am looking forward to all the beautiful events that will take place this year. It’s a honor to be apart of such an organized and loving association.
Neelima Gopinath – Vice President
My name is Neelima Gopinath and I am 16 years old. I am a Junior at Thomas Worthington High School. I was born in Ohio and have been living in Columbus since 2004. My family and I have been part of COMA for as long as I remember and I always enjoy taking part in all of the programs and activities. I enjoy watching Indian movies and cooking and trying new foods. I have been learning Bharatanatyam and playing the violin since I was young. I’m very excited to be this year’s Youth Wing Vice President, I hope to do a lot to support and improve the community with my peers.
Community Corner
In this edition of new letter some of our members have graciously offered to share some of their creations. Let us explore what they have in stock here.
“Blossoming hopes of 2019” by Krishna Nimil
“A simple flower cake , orange flavored cake with “Swiss Meringue Buttercream” and used Russian piping technique for the buttercream flowers. I am a self-taught baker. What keeps me pushing forward is my love for baking. I failed too many times and I stood up as well, trying to correct it. Every cake that I baked, bad or good, it all had my passion and love for baking.”
Eggplant curry recipe by Pradip Ramachandran
Pradip calls this as a very “different eggplant curry” which requires a few “unexpected” ingredients that gives a slightly unusual flavor twist to please your palate. The goal is to have a balance blend of heat, sourness and sweetness.
Here are the ingredients you will need:
Group 1
- One large Eggplant cut into small pieces , you can peel the skin off based on personal choice
- Salt to taste
- Four table spoons of oil
- For tempering one tea spoon mustard seed and two teaspoon of channa daal
Group 2
- One small onion chopped,
- One tea spoon ginger paste
- One tea spoon garlic paste.
Group 3
- Two tablespoon of sambar mix which contains following ingredients corainder, chilli, turmeric, fenugreek and asafoetida. (this can be substituted with four teaspoons of coriander powder , one teaspoon of chilli powder , one teaspoon of turmeric powder and a pinch of fenugreek and asafoetida powders ).
- One teaspoon of cumin powder.
- Half cup crushed tomato.
- Three to five tablespoons of vinegar ( use as needed , this provides sourness along with tomato).
- One half to two teaspoon sugar to provide little sweetness to the dish .
- Two tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter to provide a creamy texture.
- Two teaspoons of crushed kasoori methi.
- Two table spoons of chopped cilantro.
Now that you got all the ingredients let us get to work here.
- Heat oil in pan splutter mustard seeds add channa and cook until slightly brown.
- Add onion and saute for three to four minutes until the mix is translucent.
- Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes..
- Add washed and drained eggplant , then add salt and stir well . Cook for 8-10 minutes covered on low flame until eggplant is soft and mushy . Please note that no water is needed .
- Now you can add all the items in group 3 and cook for another 8-10 minutes until the mixture starts thickening and all the spices have cooked thoroughly.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with Roti , Naan , Chappathi or any other Indian bread.
Upcoming Local Events
Meals on Wheels –
- Sunday, January 27th.
- Joseph Abraham, Joshua Joseph
- Sunday, January 13th.
- Nish Nishant, Kurian Uthup, Keziah Uthup, Marissa Uthup
- Sunday, December 23rd :
- Shibu Nair, Sachin Sugathan, Roopesh Sathyan
- Sunday, December 9th :
- Thomas Pullumpallil, Rachel Varughese, Reuben Varughese
Get Involved!
COMA has a whatsapp group to socialize coma events, community news and so on. Please use the following link to join the group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/67hzscBz4Su8fQmpFtodpJ. Please let us know at coma.officials@gmail.com if you would like to get involved with any of the following:
- YWCA Cook a Meal
- COMA Youth Wing
- Malayalam Class
C.O.M.A Newsletter Oct – Nov 2018
Hello friends,
We are getting ready for the final event of C.O.M.A 10th Anniversary Celebrations!
Preparation for Christmas this Saturday is in full swing. Registration for the event is closed; we have more than 250 guests registered to attend the event. Everything you need to know about the event is listed below! Come and join us for celebrations & C.O.M.A 10 year anniversary Finale!!
Can’t believe the year is coming to an end so soon! We feel like we just took over at EC for 2018 not long ago! What an eventful year it has been; we went from height of excitement in May with the mega musical event of Chitra to the despair and helplessness with devastating floods in Kerala in August!
We have tried our best to make this a memorable 10th anniversary year for C.O.M.A by conducting a variety of events to suite the tastes of everyone in the community. We started with a small gathering for bowling in January, celebrated Valentines Day in Feb, organized community 5K Run in April. As we heard feedback from several participants on fitness and their interest in joining a regular activity, we started ‘Active C.O.M.A’ and organized morning walks on Saturdays in several different parks and trails!
After the mega musical event, which drained most of us, we had a magical evening with Dr Gopinath Muthukad where he displayed his magical prowess and also discussed about his dream project to support differently-abled children with his dream project ‘Magic World’. This was followed with the Picnic in July. The flood disaster stuck Kerala while we were almost set for celebrating Onam. The plight of our brethren has shifted our focus on supporting the flood relief efforts, rather than celebrating. We were able to collect more than $43,000 and donate to Kerala CM’s Disaster Relief Fund.
Halloween costume competition was a fun event for kids and adults alike, towards the end of October! We had several kids (and a few adults) in variety of costumes showing off!
See you soon for Christmas Celebrations!
-EC-2018
Bengali Association- Retro to Metro
COBCA – Central Ohio Bengali Cultural Association celebrates the Legends!!!!
Retro to Metro
A Magical Musical Journey for the benefit of Special Olympics, Ohio!
6:00 PM, Saturday Sep 15th, Weigel Hall, OSU School of Music
Arnab Chakraborty (of Wada Raha fame and winner of K for Kishore) is back in Columbus once again with Shirsha who will take us on a beautiful musical journey. If you love the evergreen music of Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore, Hemant Kumar, Lata, Asha, S.D., R. D. and the brilliance of current musical geniuses like A.R. Rehman, Shankar-Ehsan-Loy, Pritam, Arijit Singh, Shreya, Sunidhi, and many more, come enjoy this evening of pure nostalgia and bliss, as we celebrate The Legends of Indian film music.
Our goal is to help the Columbus community and the people. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Special Olympics, Ohio.
Come have a fantastic time and help make a difference!!!!
Dhvani – Concert by Jayashree Rajeev
Dhavni Presents
A Tribute to Swathi Thirunal- A Concert by Jayashree Rajeev
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23|4:00 PM – 6:30 PM, Peggy R. McConnell Arts Center of Worthington
This is a performance by three Malayalee artists, and donations will be collected at the event for Kerala Flood Relief.
Tickets: Dhvani Event Tickets
C.O.M.A Newsletter – July 2018
Thank you Central Ohio!!!
We have received overwhelming support from Malayalee Community and other Indian Communities in Central Ohio to our Fund for supporting flood relief efforts in Kerala! With your generous donations, we were able to achieve the target of 25K in two days! It is heartening to see that the community is responding to the need as the situation demands! A big THANK YOU from the executive committee and trustee board of C.O.M.A to the community for your overwhelming support! We already sent part of the donations to CM’s relief fund. The remaining amount will be sent later this week.
The rain has stayed away and water is receding from most of the places, even though several pockets in central Kerala are still under water. It is going to be a slow recovery from the worst disaster that hit our motherland in our memory. There is still a dire need for money and supplies as people are trying to put their lives together! We will keep the option to donate via PayPal and Qucik Pay open, but will be closing the ‘GoFundMe’ portal at midnight, Tuesday. There are several other options to support – we request you support in any way you can; just make sure that your support is reaching the needy.
As we have notified you earlier, C.O.M.A Onam Celebration for this year is cancelled as we are putting our full focus on supporting the flood relief efforts.
India Festival and FIA support for Flood Relief Efforts
FIA’s India Festival is on Saturday, August 25th, which falls on Onam this year. (See flyer below) FIA has couple of initiatives during India Festival to support our flood relief campaign. In addition, C.O.M.A will be setting up a booth for fundraiser during this years India Festival. Please visit the booth and cheer our volunteers. Let us know if you would like to volunteer in the booth for two hours between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM (Email to coma.officials@gmail.com)
Manas restaurant in Polaris has offered to donate 25% of your total bill if you mention that you are supporting ‘C.O.M.A’ fundraiser for Kerala flood relief during this week (Till Sunday, August 26th). Please do visit the restaurant this week and mention you support our efforts. Please do share this information with your friends as well.
Onam-2018 Registration
C.O.M.A Onam Celebrations for 2018 is on Saturday, September 8th.
There are several programs planned for the day in addition to the grand Sadya! The venue will be open from 10:00 AM, and Sadya will start at 11:30. Cultural programs will start at 1 PM.
The event is scheduled at Gahanna Middle School. We are looking for a larger venue; if we get confirmation soon, we will be shifting to that venue. Please stay tuned for the venue detail.
Registration : $25 per Adult and $12 per child, age 3 to 9. (This is a special rate till August 31st. The registration will increase to $30 and $15 from Sep 1st). Registration Closes on Sep 5th (Midnight)
Already a C.O.M.A member? You have a discounted registration rate ($20/$10) and should have received an email with the link for special registration. If not, please let us know at coma.officials@gmail.com
Click here to register to become C.O.M.A Member and save on Onam and Christmas Event Registration
[Please register separately for adults and children. Paypal will direct you back to this page on completion of a purchase]
Preferred Method of Payment: Quick Pay to coma.officials@gmail.com. No QuickPay? No problem; please use ‘PayPal’ below.