kerala

As we celebrated Diwali this weekend, I hope you all had a great time with family, friends, and coworkers, sharing sweet treats, bursting firecrackers, lighting diyas, and creating lasting memories.

As we approach Thanksgiving holidays, I am remembering how we came together as a community in the spirit of gratitude and contributed to help the differently abled children back home. As war rages in parts of the world and people are fleeing their homes, I am reminded not to take for granted the peace and comforts that surround us.

The COMA Christmas celebrations are around the corner. Do keep an eye for when the ticketing will open up. Looking forward to seeing you all at the event.

Hope you all had a joyous Diwali, and wishing all of you a heartfelt Thanksgiving in advance!

യെശോധരാ കി ചരിത്ര് – by Sachin Sugathan

(Sachin has been an active member of COMA from 2011, and lives with his wife Preeti and daughter Sahasra in Galena, Ohio.)

പരീക്ഷയിൽ മാർക്ക് ലഭിക്കാൻ മലയാളത്തെക്കാൾ എളുപ്പമായതുകൊണ്ടും, സുഗമ പരീക്ഷയുടെ കുറെ സർട്ടിഫിക്കറ്റ് ലഭിച്ചതിന്റെ അഹങ്കാരംകൊണ്ടും, പ്രീ ഡിഗ്രിക്ക് ചേരുമ്പോൾ ഞാൻ ഹിന്ദി തന്നെ സെക്കൻഡ് ലാംഗ്വേജ് ആയി തിരഞ്ഞെടുത്തു. ലാംഗ്വേജ് ക്ലാസ്സുകളിൽ കയറാത്ത ഞങ്ങൾ, പരീക്ഷ അടുക്കുമ്പോൾ സിലബസിലെ പുസ്തകൾ ഓടിച്ചു പഠിക്കുകയാണ് പതിവ്.

ആ വർഷത്തെ ഹിന്ദി സിലബസ്സിൽ നാലു പുസ്തകങ്ങൾ ആയിരുന്നു. പതിനഞ്ചു മാർക്ക് വീതം ലഭിക്കുന്ന അവസാനത്തെ രണ്ടു എസ്സേ ചോദ്യങ്ങളാണ് മിനിമം പാസ് മാർക്കുമാത്രം ഉന്നംവെക്കുന്ന എന്നെപോലുള്ളവരുടെ വിജയരഹസ്യം. ഓരോന്നുവീതം തിരഞ്ഞെടുക്കാവുന്ന രണ്ട് സെറ്റ് ചോദ്യങ്ങൾ. അവ ഓരോന്നും നേരത്തെ പറഞ്ഞ നാല് പുസ്തകങ്ങളിൽ നിന്ന്. ഞാൻ മൂന്ന് പുസ്തകങ്ങൾ പഠിക്കുകയും നാലാമത്തേത്  മൊത്തമായീ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുകയും ചെയ്തു. ചെറിയ മാർക്കിന്റെ ചില ചോദ്യങ്ങൾ നഷ്ട്ടപെടുമെങ്കിലും അവസാനത്തെ എസ്സേ നഷ്ടപ്പെടാൻ വകുപ്പില്ല, പോരാത്തതിന് നാലാമത്തെ പുസ്തകം കബീർ ദാസിന്റെയോ സൂർദാസിന്റെയോ (വ്യക്തമായി ഓർക്കുന്നില്ല)  ഒരു കടുകട്ടി കവിതയാണ്, അത് എന്നെകൊണ്ട് കൂട്ടിയാൽ കൂടില്ല.

എൻ്റെ കണക്കുകൂട്ടലുകൾ ഒക്കെ തകിടം മറച്ചുകൊണ്ട് പരീക്ഷയ്ക്ക് തൊട്ടു മുൻപ് എന്റെ ഒരു സുഹൃത്ത് അനീഷ് ആ വാർത്ത എന്നോട് പറഞ്ഞു: ഈ വർഷം ഹിന്ദിക്ക് നാലല്ല, അഞ്ചു പുസ്തകങ്ങൾ ഉണ്ട്. ഞാൻ വാച്ചിലേക്ക് നോക്കി, പരിഷയ്ക്കുള്ള ബെൽ അടിക്കാൻ പതിനഞ്ചു മിനിറ്റ് മാത്രം. അപ്പോഴേക്കും എനിക്ക് അപരിചിതമായ ആ പുസ്തകം അവൻ എനിക്ക് നേരെ നീട്ടി.

സുബാഷ്!! ആറു ചെറുകഥകളുടെ ഒരു സമാഹാരം!!!!

എൻ്റെ സംഭാവ്യത സിദ്ധാന്തമൊക്കെ കാറ്റത്തു പറത്തിയ ആ പുസ്തകം ഞാൻ അവനു തന്നെ തിരിച്ചു നൽകി. രാഷ്ട്രഭാഷയെ ഭാഗ്യദേവതയുടെ കൈകളിൽ ഏൽപ്പിച്ചു ഞാൻ പരീക്ഷ ഹാളിലേക്ക് കയറി. ചോദ്യപേപ്പർ  കൈയ്യിൽകിട്ടിയപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ ആദ്യം നോക്കിയത് അവസാനത്തെ രണ്ട് ചോദ്യങ്ങളാണ്. ഞാൻ ഭയന്നതു തന്നെ സംഭവിച്ചു, പഠിക്കാത്ത രണ്ടു പുസ്തകങ്ങളിലെ ചോദ്യങ്ങൾ തന്നെ. ആ ദാസേട്ടന്റെ ദോഹയിൽ നിന്ന് ഒന്നും, രണ്ടാമത്തേത് ഏതോ ചെറുകഥയിൽ നിന്നും.

ആ ചെറുകഥയിലെ ചോദ്യം ഞാൻ ഒന്നുകൂടി കണ്ണോടിച്ചു, “യെശോധരാ കി ചരിത്ര് കെ ബാരേ മേ ലിഖിയേ”. കാഡ്ബറിസ് പരസ്യത്തിൽ എന്നതുപോലെ എൻ്റെ മനസ്സിൽ ഒരു ലഡ്ഡു പൊട്ടി. ശ്രീ കൃഷ്ണ ഭഗവാന്റെ വളർത്തമ്മയായ യെശോധരയെപ്പറ്റി എഴുതാനോ പഞ്ഞം? അറ്റുപോയ പ്രതീക്ഷകൾ എന്നിലേക്ക് തിരിച്ചെത്തി. “തദ്‌ശ്രീ  മഹാഭാരത് കഥ…” എന്ന്‌ തുടങ്ങി “സംഭവാമി യുഗേ യുഗേയിൽ “ അവസാനിക്കുന്ന അതിമനോഹരമായ ടൈറ്റിൽ സോങിന്റ അകമ്പടിയോടെ തുടങ്ങുന്ന ബി ആർ ചോപ്രയുടെ മഹാഭാരതം ദൂരദർശനിൽ കണ്ടത് വെറുതെ ആയില്ല.

എന്തെന്നില്ലാത്ത ഒരു ആത്മവിശ്വാസം എൻ്റെ ഉള്ളിൽ അലയടിച്ചു, കൈയിൽ കിടന്ന വാച്ച് സമയം കാണാവുന്ന രീതിയിൽ ഡെസ്കിന് മുകളിൽ ഊരിവെച്ചു… പോക്കറ്റിലിരുന്ന ബ്ലൂ ആൻഡ് വൈറ്റ് റെയ്നോൾഡ്സ് പേനയിൽ ഒന്ന് വാച്ചിനരികെ വെച്ചു. മറ്റേതിന്റെ ടോപ് ഊരി ഉത്തരകടലാസിൽ എൻ്റെ റോൾ നമ്പർ എഴുതി. പരീക്ഷയുടെ അവസാനത്തെ 20 മിനിറ്റ് ഞാൻ “യെശോധരാ കി ചരിത്ര് കെ ബാരേ മേ ലിഖിയേ” എന്ന ചോദ്യത്തിന് മാറ്റി വെച്ചു, ബാക്കി ചോദ്യങ്ങളിലേക്ക് കടന്നു. അങ്ങനെ ഞാൻ ആ അവസാനത്തെ ചോദ്യത്തിൽ എത്തിയപ്പോൾ വാച്ചിൽ ബാക്കി സമയം 30  മിനിറ്റ്.

ഉണ്ണിക്കണ്ണനെ പറ്റിയും, വളർത്തമ്മയെ പറ്റിയും ഞാൻ അനർഘനിർഗ്ഗളമായി എഴുതി. യമുന നദിതീരത്തടിക്കുന്ന തിരമാലകൾ എന്തുകൊണ്ടാണ് അമ്മേ തിരിച്ചുപോകാത്തതു എന്ന്  ചോദിച്ച ഉണ്ണിക്കണ്ണനോട്, “കണ്ണാ നിന്റെ വേണുഗാനത്തിന്റെ ഓളങ്ങളിൽ അവയലിഞ്ഞു ചേരുന്നതാവാം” എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞ യെശോദര.. വെണ്ണ കട്ടുതിന്നപ്പോൾ ശാസിച്ചതും, മണ്ണുവാരിത്തിന്ന കണ്ണന്റെ വായിൽ ഈ പ്രപഞ്ചം  മൊത്തം കണ്ടതും, ഉരലിൽ കെട്ടിയിട്ടപ്പോൾ അതും കൊണ്ട് ഗ്രമാം മൊത്തം കറങ്ങിയതും, എല്ലാം അടിച്ചു വിട്ടു. ഉരലിന്റെ ഹിന്ദി അറിയാത്തതു കൊണ്ട് ഞാൻ ഉരൽ എന്ന് തന്നെ അങ്ങ് കാച്ചി.  അന്ന് രണ്ടോ മൂന്നോ അഡിഷണൽ പേപ്പറുകൾ ഞാൻ വാങ്ങി. അത് വാങ്ങുമ്പോൾ സുഹൃത്തുക്കളുടെ അസ്സൂയ കലർന്ന നോട്ടം ഞാൻ നന്നേ ആസ്വദിച്ചു. പരീക്ഷയുടെ അവസാന ബെൽ അടിക്കുന്നതു വരെ ഞാൻ എഴുതി. പേപ്പർ ടീച്ചറുടെ കൈകളിൽ ഏൽപ്പിക്കുമ്പോൾ, മലയാളം ലിപി പോലെ ഹിന്ദിക്ക് ഈ തലവര ഇല്ലായിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ കുറച്ചുകൂടി എഴുതാമായിരുന്നു എന്ന് ഞാൻ എന്നോട് തന്നെ പറഞ്ഞു.

പരീക്ഷാഹാളിൽ നിന്നും പുറത്തിറങ്ങിയ ഞാൻ, മൈക്കിൾ ജോർഡൻ ബാസ്കറ്റ്ബോൾ കറക്കുന്നതു പോലെ എൻ്റെ ഹിന്ദി പുസ്തകം ചൂണ്ടുവിരലിൽ കറക്കി സൂവോളജി ബ്ലോക്കിൽ സ്ഥിതി ചെയ്യുന്ന എൻ്റെ ക്ലാസ്റൂമിലെക്കു നടന്നു. അവിടെ വെച്ചാണ് ക്ലാസ്സിലെ പെൺജനങ്ങൾ ചോദ്യക്കടലാസ് പോസ്റ്മോർട്ടമ്മ് നടത്തുന്നത്. അവർക്ക് ചുറ്റും കൂടിനിൽക്കുന്ന ആൺജനങ്ങളുടെ കൂടെ ഞാനും ചേർന്നു. അപ്പോൾ എന്നെ കണ്ട അതേ സുഹൃത്ത് അനീഷ്, എന്നെ കുത്തിനോവിക്കാൻ എന്നതുപോലെ ചോദിച്ചു, “അവസാനത്തെ ചോദ്യം എന്ത് ചെയ്തു?”

ഞാൻ എൻ്റെ വീരകഥ പറയാൻ തുടങ്ങിയതും അവിടെ ഒരു കൂട്ടച്ചിരി പൊട്ടിപ്പുറപ്പെട്ടു. എനിക്ക് ഒന്നും മനസിലാക്കുന്നുണ്ടായിരുന്നില്ല. ആ ചിരി അൽപ്പനേരം തുടർന്നു. എൻ്റെ അവസ്ഥയിൽ സഹതാപം തോന്നിയിട്ടാവാം, ചിരി അടക്കി പിടിച്ചു നിദ അവളുടെ തട്ടം മുന്നോട്ടു വലിച്ചുകൊണ്ടു പറഞ്ഞു, “എടാ നീ എഴുതിയതു യെശോദാ, ഇത് യെശോദര, ബുദ്ധന്റെ ഭാര്യ”. ഒരു ഇടിമിന്നൽ എൻ്റെ ഉള്ളിൽകൂടി കടന്നുപോകുന്നതായി എനിക്കു അനുഭവപെട്ടു. ഒന്നടങ്ങിയിരുന്ന ആ കൂട്ട ചിരി പൂർവാധികം ശക്തിയോടെ തിരിച്ചു വന്നു. സിംക്കിന് ചിരിച്ചു ചിരിച്ചു തറയിൽ വീണു, ഷിനോജ് അവന്റെ രണ്ടു കൈകളും എൻ്റെ തോളിൽ വെച്ച് എന്നെ മൊത്തത്തിൽ ഒന്ന് കുലുക്കി കൊണ്ട് പറഞ്ഞു, “നീ ഒരു ഒന്നൊന്നര സംഭവം തന്നെ”.

ആ ചിരി തുടർന്നു, കൂറേ നേരം. ഞാൻ ഇതികര്‍ത്തവ്യതാമൂഢനായി അവരുടെ നടുവിൽ നിന്നു… എവിടെയോ കേട്ടുമറന്ന “രംഗബോധമില്ലാത്ത കോമാളി” എന്ന പ്രയോഗത്തിൻ്റെ അർത്ഥം ഞാൻ അന്ന് അനുഭവിച്ചറിഞ്ഞു. ചിരികൾ അടങ്ങിയപ്പോൾ, അടുത്ത ആഴ്ച്ച നടക്കാനിരിക്കുന്ന കെമിസ്ട്രി പരീക്ഷയെ കുറിച്ചായി സംസാരം. പരീക്ഷകളെ പറ്റിയും അതിൽ വരാൻ സാധ്യതയുള്ള ചോദ്യങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ചും എനിക്ക് കേൾക്കാൻ ഒരു താൽപ്പര്യവും തോന്നിയില്ല. ഞാൻ അവരുടെ സംസാരം കേൾക്കാതെ കേട്ടുകൊണ്ടിരുന്നു. വിഷയം ഓസ്‌ട്രേലിയയിൽ നടക്കുന്ന ഏകദിന പരമ്പരയിലേക്ക് കടന്നു.

അന്ന് ഞാൻ ജീവിതത്തിൽ ആദ്യമായി സച്ചിൻ ടെണ്ടുൽക്കറെ പറ്റി വാചാലനായില്ല. കേരളവർമ്മ കോളേജിൽ നിന്ന് പടിഞ്ഞാറെകോട്ട ബസ്‌സ്റ്റോപ്പിലേക്കുള്ള ദൂരം 2 KM  ആണ്. സ്വതവെ ആസ്വദിക്കാറുള്ള സുഹ്രുത്തുക്കളുമായുള്ള ആ നടത്തം, അന്ന് എൻ്റെ മനസ്സിൽ വല്ലാത്തൊരു വിരസത ഉളവാക്കി. വീട്ടിലേക്കുള്ള യാത്രാമധ്യെ ബസ്സിലിരിക്കുമ്പോൾ ഞാൻ ആ ചോദ്യപേപ്പർ ഒന്നുകൂടി കണ്ണോടിച്ചു, അവസാനത്തെ ചോദ്യത്തിന് നാലോ അഞ്ചോ  മാർക്ക് കിട്ടാതെ പാസ്സാകുന്ന കാര്യം നോക്കണ്ട, സപ്പ്ളി തന്നെ രക്ഷ.

ദിവസങ്ങൾ കടന്നു പോയി, പ്രീ ഡിഗ്രി റിസൾട്ട് വന്നു. അത്ഭുതം എന്നു പറയട്ടെ, ഞാൻ ഹിന്ദിയിൽ പാസ്സായി. മാർക്‌ലിസ്റ്റ് കയ്യിൽകിട്ടിയപ്പോൾ ഹിന്ദിയിൽ പാസ്സ്‌മാർക്കിനെക്കാളും 11 മാർക്ക്‌ കൂടുതലുണ്ട്. ആ അവസാനത്തെ ചോദ്യത്തിന് പത്തിൽ കുറയാതെ മാർക്ക് ലഭിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട് എന്നുറപ്പ്. ഇതെങ്ങനെ സംഭവിച്ചു? വീട്ടിൽ വന്നിട്ട് ഞാൻ വിവരം അമ്മയോട് പറഞ്ഞു. പേപ്പർ നോക്കിയ ആ ടീച്ചർ എന്തിനാവും എനിക്ക് മാർക്ക് തന്നത്? ഞാൻ അമ്മയോട് ചോദിച്ചപ്പോൾ, അമ്മ ചിരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് ആരോടെന്നില്ലാതെ പറഞ്ഞു, “തൃശ്ശൂർ അല്ലേ, ഗുരുവായൂരപ്പന്റെ സ്വന്തം നാട്. കള്ളക്കൃഷ്ണാ, എല്ലാം നിന്റെ മായ”. ഞങ്ങൾ ചിരിച്ചു. ഡൈനിങ്ങ് റൂമിലെ ഫ്രിഡ്‌ജിനു മുകളിൽ, ചുവന്ന വി ഗാർഡ് സ്റ്റെബിലൈസറിന്റെ ചൂടും പറ്റിയിരിക്കുന്ന ബുദ്ധ ഭഗവൻ ആ അമ്മയെയും മകനെയും നോക്കി പുഞ്ചിരിതൂകി.. 

ശുഭം
സച്ചിൻ

My experiences growing up as a Malayalee in Northern India – by Subin Thomas

(Subin lives in Powell, Ohio with his wife Simple and two kids, Kevin and Trisha. Subin enjoys music and outdoor activities.)

Born and raised in the North and Eastern parts of India, my experiences growing up have been very different from that of a typical Malayalee Christian raised in Kerala.

The food, culture, language, festivals that one gets to experience in North India is way different from those in Kerala or Southern India. Unlike most Malayalee kids who grow up eating the typical Kerala cuisines such as Puttu, Kadala, Dosa, and Idiyappam, I grew up eating the typical North Indian foods available at that time such as dry Roti Sabji, Daal Tadka, Aloo Tikki, etc. While most Malayalee kids grew up celebrating Onam, Vishu, or Christmas, I used to look forward to lighting fireworks during Diwali, going pandal-hopping during Durga Puja, flying kites during Makar Sankranti, and smearing watercolor on each other’s faces during Holi.

Diwali used to be my favorite festival among all. The entire town would brighten up with earthen oil lamps or candles, and fireworks were set off the entire night as part of the celebrations. Literally, no one slept for most part of the night as it was customary to keep the doors open to welcome the goddess of prosperity, Lakshmi. My next favorite festival was the kite flying during Makar Sankranti. The experience of flying colorful kites with my friends, cutting strings of each other’s kites, and running behind falling kites was an unmatched experience and the air of celebration was simply euphoric.

Growing up in the Hindi heartland enabled me to learn some of the purest forms of Hindi as well as Sanskrit which have been widely used in scriptures and classical Indian poems. Most of my friend circles were local North Indians, and hanging out with them in the temple corridors, playing cricket, or even watching a matinee show wasn’t uncommon.

It wasn’t until the mid-90’s after my parents moved to Kerala that I got to experience the state first-hand. The first few years were certainly some of the hardest in my life, trying to fit in a completely new environment with unfamiliar people. However, it improved as time went on, and I found myself drawing closer to Kerala’s vibrant culture, religious harmony, and unbelievable natural beauty. Playing with fireworks and throwing colors at each other during Diwali and Holi slowly transitioned to attending regular church service, practicing Carol songs for Christmas, and celebrating Onam with a sumptuous Sadhya.

Getting to live in both the Northern and Southern parts of India gave me the opportunity to experience the different culture, language, and lifestyles of people from both parts of the country. It enabled me to have a diverse outlook with a unique perspective. Although I felt as if there were a lot of differences among North and South Indians in terms of language and culture, deep down, people are the same and are united by emotions. I will cherish my childhood years in the Northern India for the rest of my life and I wish I could go back in time and do it all over again!

Diwali Memories – by Nisha Ajit

(Nisha Ajit lives in Dublin, Ohio with her husband Ajit Nair. She is mom to Neil and Ashwin, and is enthusiastic about dance and cooking.)

Wishing all my friends and readers a very Happy Diwali!

Diwali is a festival which always brings back the fondest childhood memories. I grew up in Durgapur, West Bengal, and as a child, the most important preparation for Diwali after the Durga puja festivities was shopping for fireworks and candles with my father and brother. We used to lay the firecrackers out in the sun for a few hours so that they crackle well. As evening approaches, we light up diyas (lamps) and pray to God. The whole family then gets together to light up the candles and diyas all around the house. Within a few minutes, the house would be all illuminated with lights and the house would be filled with the warmth of the candles and the divine smell of incense sticks, all of which sets up a positive energy in the house. We devoured the homemade sweets (especially the rosogolla and sandesh) and snacks our mother made for Diwali. Later in the evening, the most exciting part was when we got together with our friends in our neighborhood to share and burst the crackers one by one. The lighting up of the sparklers, phuljhadi, chakris, kaliphataka (fireworks), used to give us immense joy and excitement. We then used to visit and pray at the nearby Kali Puja pandals, which is celebrated too on the Diwali day.

Years passed by and as parents ourselves, during our stay at Pune, Mumbai, and now in Columbus, Diwali has always been a time for decorating home with lights, fireworks, making delicious food, and spending time with family and friends. Kids are more excited about fireworks just as we were during our childhood days. They love the savory snacks and the besan ladoos. Celebrating Diwali, or any other festival for that matter, meant re-creating old memories with my kids. Every year we look back at the wonderful years gone by and then look forward to adding more memories.

Have a fun and festive Diwali!

Naankatta / Nankhatai – by Lija Jayaraj

(Lija has been living in Columbus, Ohio for the last 12 years with her husband Roopesh, and sons Arnav and Dhruv. She is a baking enthusiast. She also likes classical dance and painting.)

Naankatta, also known as Nankhatai, is a traditional light buttery or shortbread cookie. It is very popular in India, and you may have seen it in almost all of the bakeries. The origin may be Persian because ‘Naan’ in Persian translates to bread in English, and ‘khatai’ means light and flaky biscuit. The best part of this cookie is you don’t use eggs or leavening agents like baking powder or baking soda. All you will need is all-purpose flour, sugar, ghee and green cardamom powder. 

The quantity below is good to make 16 cookies.

Ingredients

• Sugar powder – 1/2 Cup
• Ghee – 1/2 Cup
• All-purpose flour – 1 Cup.
• Cardamom powder – 2 to 3, ground finely.

Method

• Once you have the ingredients ready, pre-heat the oven to 300 F.
• You may use sugar powder but you can also grind the sugar along with cardamom in a blender to get fine powder.
• Add sugar powder, cardamom powder, and ghee to a mixing bowl, and mix well to get a creamy consistency.
• Add All-Purpose Flour and knead the dough until it is mixed well (chapati consistency).
• Divide the dough to 16 equal sized balls.
• You can now flatten each ball between your palms into a circle with smooth edges. Just like you will have the dough ball ready before rolling chapathis.
• Now place the cookie dough on a baking tray; don’t forget to use parchment paper.
• Bake for 25 minutes until cookies turn slightly golden on the bottom.
• Take the tray out and let the cookies cool.
• You can now serve the cookies with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Sidecar Cocktail – Nish Nishant

(Nish is a passionate cocktail enthusiast and hobbyist mixologist, with a penchant for exploring an array of ingredients and experimenting with various spirits. Originally from Trivandrum, Kerala, he presently resides in Worthington, Ohio, with his wife Smitha and their son Rohan. He occasionally shares some of his concoctions on his Instagram profile @nishtravelfooddrink)

I love having some cognac, usually after dinner, and so when I first had a Sidecar cocktail several moons ago, I was enthralled by the fact that I could enjoy a tasty drink without losing the essence of cognac. Many people believe this drink originated at the Ritz Hotel, Paris in the early 20th century.

Ingredients

• 2 oz Cognac
• 1 oz Cointreau (or Triple Sec)
• 0.75 oz lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Add the cognac, Cointreau, and lemon juice into a shaker with ice, and shake well for a few seconds. Pour into a coupe glass that has been rimmed with granulated sugar. Optionally, garnish with an orange or lemon twist. While you can use any orange liquor, I’d recommend using a quality brand like Cointreau or Grand Marnier, especially if you are using a good VSOP or XO cognac.

Greetings to all our valued readers,

As the warm sunshine envelops us and the scent of blooming flowers fills the air, we welcome you to our June newsletter. With the arrival of summer, we embark on a journey of new beginnings and exciting adventures. In this edition, we have curated a collection of captivating stories and exclusive updates that will undoubtedly enrich your experience.

We invite you to dive into the captivating stories of remarkable individuals who have left an indelible mark in their respective fields. Their journeys of perseverance and success will surely inspire and motivate us all.

Thank you for being part of our community, and we hope this newsletter brings you joy, inspiration, and a renewed sense of enthusiasm as we embrace the summer months ahead.

(The above introduction was generated by ChatGPT – wanted to give that a try this month)

Father’s Day falls on June 18th this year. Happy Father’s Day, dads! A big shout out to all the dads, uncles, grandfathers, brothers and all father figures who make our lives so much better by being there for us.

— Smitha Nishant

Sreejith Chandran’s Random Ramblings

(One half of his brain has gone nomad and the other has gone in search of the first. Glorifying his random ramblings and packaging it is his main hobby! Otherwise sane and grounded.)

ഐഡന്റിറ്റി ക്രൈസിസ്

വായിക്കാതെ പോകരുത് പ്ളീസ്… കടുത്ത ഐഡന്റിറ്റി ക്രൈസിസ്, ഡിപ്രെഷനിലേക്കു പോയേക്കാവുന്ന തരത്തിൽ ഉള്ളത്…. പറ്റിയാൽ ഷെയറും ചെയ്യണം. ആരെങ്കിലും രെക്ഷപെട്ടാലോ. ഒരു തരത്തിലും പച്ച പിടിക്കുന്നില്ല. പല വഴിയും പയറ്റിനോക്കിയിട്ടും ഒരു കരക്കടുക്കുന്നില്ല! ഒരു ആത്മീയ ലൈൻ പിടിച്ചു നോക്കി, ഭാരതത്തെ കുറിച്ചും സംസ്കാരത്തെക്കുറിച്ചും ഒക്കെ ഘോരം ഘോരം പ്രസംഗിച്ചു. എന്ത് ഗുണം, ചാണകം ചാണകം എന്നുള്ള വിളികേട്ടു മനസുമടുത്തു!

എന്നാൽ പിന്നെ ഒരു ഗാന്ധിയൻ കോൺഗ്രസ് ലൈൻ നോക്കാമെന്നു വെച്ച് ഫേസ്ബുക്കിൽ കേറിയപ്പോൾ പഴയ പല കട്ട യൂത്തന്മാരു പോലും ഇപ്പോൾ അണ്ണാ ഡിഎംകെ ലേബലിൽ ആണ് പോസ്റ്റുകൾ ഇടുന്നതു! ഒടുവിൽ തിരിച്ചറിഞ്ഞു, കേരളത്തിൽ സോഷ്യൽ മീഡിയയിൽ പച്ചപിടിക്കണമെങ്കിൽ ഒരു യുക്തി, ഫെമിനിസ്റ്റിക്, ബുദ്ധിജീവി ആൻഡ് കമ്മി ലൈൻ തന്നെ വേണം എന്ന്. നേരെ പോയി ഒരു ചുവന്ന ഷെഡ്‌ഡിയും മേടിച്ചു ഇട്ടു. എവിടെ തുടങ്ങണം എന്നതായി അടുത്ത ചോദ്യം. അമ്മൂമ്മയിൽ നിന്ന് തന്നെ ആകട്ടെ എന്ന് തീരുമാനിച്ചു.

അടുത്ത ദിവസം തന്നെ ഫെഡെക്സിൽ പോയി അമ്മൂമ്മയുടെ പാട്രിയാർക്കിക്കൽ അനാർക്കിയെ (എന്തിരോ എന്തോ?) കുറിച്ച് സംസാരിച്ചു. എനിക്ക് തരേണ്ട ഒണക്കമീൻ വീട്ടിലെ പൂച്ചക്ക് കൊടുത്തത്തിലെ വിവേചനം ചോദ്യം ചെയ്തു. ആളുകൾ കൂവി തള്ളി (അതിലൊരുത്തൻ പറയുവാ, തള്ള ജീവിച്ചിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ വന്നു നിന്റെ ചെവിക്കല്ല് മൂളിച്ചേനെ എന്ന്). കവിത, സാഹിത്യം അങ്ങനെ അങ്ങനെ നോക്കിയാലോ എന്ന് വിചാരിച്ചു ദർബാർ രാഗത്തിൽ ഒരു കവിതയങ്ങു എഴുതി പബ്ലിഷ് ചെയ്തു, കുഞ്ഞമ്മ വിളിച്ചു പെറ്റ തള്ള സഹിക്കാത്ത തെറി! അവരുടെ മോള് രണ്ടാം ക്ലാസ്സിൽ എഴുതിയ കവിതയാത്രെ!

എന്നാൽ പിന്നെ കലയിലൂടെ നവോദ്ധാനം ഉണ്ടാക്കാം എന്ന ലക്ഷ്യത്തോടെ ഒരു കാക്കാരിശ്ശി നാടക നിശ സംഘടിപ്പിച്ചു. പോസ്റ്ററിൽ പേരും വെച്ചു. അത് അടപടലം മൂഞ്ചി! എന്ന് മാത്രമല്ല അണ്ണാ എന്ന് വിളിച്ച പല തെണ്ടികളും അക്ഷരം മാറ്റി *%#ണ്ണ വിളിച്ചു തുടങ്ങി. താടിയും മുടിയുമൊക്കെ വളർത്തി നോക്കി, എല്ലാര്ക്കും ഒരു ലോഡ് പുച്ച്ചം മാത്രം! ഒരു അവസാന ശ്രമം എന്ന നിലയിൽ പേരിലെ നായർ, മേനോൻ, പിള്ള ഒക്കെ എടുത്തുകളഞ്ഞാലോ എന്നാലോചിച്ചു ഒരു ആത്മ മിത്രത്തിനോട് അഭിപ്രായം ചോദിച്ചു. അവൻ പറയുവാ “അളിയാ സംഭവം പൊളിക്കും, നീയായതു കൊണ്ട് ഒരു കിണ്ണൻ പേരും ഉണ്ട്”! “എന്ത് അളിയാ അത്” എന്ന് ആവേശത്തോടെ ചോദിച്ചു. അവൻ പറഞ്ഞു “ശ്രീജിത്ത് കോണോത്”!!!

Our Epic Grand Canyon Hike – Austin Pereira

(Austin Pereira is a native of Kannur, Kerala and lives in Powell with his wife Deepa and three kids. He has been part of the Central Ohio Malayalee community since 1995. Austin is an avid runner, hiker, and enjoys playing soccer as well as traveling to new and exciting destinations.)

Each year, over 6 million visitors arrive to see the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Fewer than 1 percent of them take the hike down to the bottom of the canyon, termed the Grand Canyon Rim to River to Rim hike. Last summer, myself and 12 other members of our community (Prabhu & Aarti Kumar, Jay & Deepa Menon, Ashish & Sangeetha Muthiraparambath, Shibu & Vidya Nair, Valsan & Vijaya Palika, Binoy Rappai, and Yoga Venugopal) decided to take up this challenge.

The Rim to River to Rim is a 17.5 mile hike completed in one day. The elevation drop to the bottom is approximately 5000 ft. It is an extremely challenging hike, since you have to hike down 5000 ft, and then hike back up 5000 ft when you are already tired. You must endure blistering heat of 100+ degrees F while hiking under direct sun. If a hiker is hurt or unable to walk further, the only way to be rescued from the canyon is through helicopter rescue. Thus the saying goes, “Going down is optional, but coming up is mandatory”. A lot is at stake taking a hike like this. In the ensuing months, we prepared for the hike physically, mentally, logistically, and gear wise.

On June 3rd, 2023, we embarked on this epic hike at 4:20 AM in the morning. As we went down the South Kaibab trail, the views were magnificent, with the early morning sun glistening the rocks, showing the majestic grandeur of the canyon. After 7 miles of hiking, we reached the forcefully gushing Colorado river at the bottom of the canyon and saw the famous Phantom Ranch. Many of us sent postcards from the ranch to family and friends, then ate our lunch, devoured the delicious lemonade at the Phantom Ranch Store, and rested.

As we started our climb back up, the canyon had already reached 100 degrees F, and the sun was blazing at our backs. The climb became strenuous, our bodies were running out of hydration, and the elevation was daunting. We took breaks to rest and hydrate. As we went further, it became even steeper. Looking up was demoralizing, since we saw how much more we had left to climb. It was a brutal and strenuous hike, but we took one step at a time, enjoyed the views in between, and the comradery of the team and the jokes made the hike easier.

Finally, at 6 PM, we reached the top. We were physically beat up and drained. The canyon is unforgiving and it has surely humbled us, but we are awed by the beauty of nature’s art, and at the end, the feeling of finishing the hike was exhilarating. This has been a once in a lifetime experience for all of us!

Columbus Tuskers Cricket Team are the Champions of Ohio! – Arun Chand

(Arun Chand hails from Trivandrum and has been living in Dublin, OH since 2010. He is a sports enthusiast, and loves playing sports and games. He currently works for Cardinal Health.)

The Tuskers cricket team (the Malayali cricket team of Columbus) has won the inaugural Kairali Cincinnati Cricket Tournament 2023! The tournament was organized by Kairali Cincinnati, the Malayali organization serving Cincinnati and nearby areas. They have a very strong Malayali cricket community, and have a beautiful facility to conduct cricket tournaments.

Background – Tuskers team was thrilled when our incumbent COMA president and Tuskers comrade, Shibu Nair, told us about the invitation we received to participate in the Cincy cricket tournament. We were a bit concerned when we found out that many of the Tuskers players had already made vacation plans to India during the time. Hence, we reached out to a few of our fellow Malayali players (who play with other teams in Columbus), and all who were available eagerly committed to join us.

Venue – The tournament was well organized in the sprawling Miami Meadows Park cricket grounds near Cincinnati, Ohio. The facility is fascinating, and has four full cricket grounds with prepared pitches. It’s also the home ground of the Cincinnati Malayali teams. The tournament comprised teams from various cities in Ohio.

Tournament day – Columbus Tuskers made travel plans to reach the ground (Miami Meadows) on time for our match. It was bright, sunny, and not too hot – a perfect day for cricket. We were greeted by the host team and spent the initial hour socializing and doing some practice, after our long drive early in the morning.

The tournament bracket was not favorable to the Columbus Tuskers team. Our first game was with the ‘Cincinnati Tuskers’ team (the best Malayali team in Cincy and also the host team). If we were to lose against them, we would have to beat the mighty ‘Cleveland Arikombans’ team next by a big margin to reach the finals.

First match: When the match was about to start, the Cincy captain came to us and introduced himself. He was pleasing and confident, and casually advised us (in Malayalam) – ‘Our team has all professional players, and it’s going to be very tough out there (for you), don’t sweat it’! We were bewildered by that statement and laughed it off; but it indeed provoked us to give our best! The Cincy team won the toss and elected to bowl first. Our team has a strong and deep batting line up, and we made plans to score big. But things didn’t go as planned. The Cincy bowlers were really good (coupled with home conditions), and our batting collapsed. We managed to score a meager 61 runs in 10 overs, which we knew was well below par. We were dreading a humiliating defeat.

The Cincy team started off well by scoring 18 for no loss in 3 overs. Our bowlers fought back very hard, and they lost a few quick wickets. They started to crumble under the pressure. We won the close match by just 4 runs, and got boosted by the result.

Second match: We faced the losers of the other pool in the next round since we won our first match. It was an easy game for us since the opponent team was no match to our strength. We won by a huge margin and stormed into the finals.

Other teams: ‘Cleveland Arikombans’ was a good team and had won their first match by a very big margin. The host, Cincy team, needed a big win over them to qualify for the finals. Their decider match was exciting, and the Cincy team managed to pull off a huge win to face us in the finals.

The FINALS: We had understood the pitch and ground conditions by then, and were well prepared for the finals. The host team tested our grit by serving us with a delicious biryani for lunch, which was hard to resist! We all started a bit dizzy after the break. The Cincy team won the toss and opted to bat first. They scored a decent total of 85 runs in 12 overs, thanks to some power hitting from their middle order batsmen. Our batsmen were better prepared, and chased down the total with a few balls to spare, and were never in any concern.

We had a lot of fun and enjoyment playing the tournament, and also made a few friends. We celebrated the victory after the prize distribution, and came back to Columbus with pride and satisfaction. A day well spent indeed!

About the Tuskers cricket team – The Tuskers cricket team was formed in 2021 after a few years of concerted effort in bringing together Malayali cricket players in the Columbus area who were earlier playing for various other teams. The Tuskers team is now a regular participant in the Columbus area cricket tournaments, and has proven its prowess by reaching the finals of many tournaments, and has already beaten some of the top teams in Columbus!

Char Dham trip – Visit to Yamunotri – Venu Nair

(Venugopalan (Venu) Nair, a native of Kottarakara, Kerala migrated to the USA in 1975. He is currently retired (from American Electric Power in 2009), and lives in Westerville, Ohio with his wife Komalam. He has two sons and four grand children. Both sons along with their families live in Indianapolis.)

After a day of visits to some holi places in Haridwar (Dakheswara Mahadeva temple, Swami Abhedananda ashram, glass temple complex, to name a few) and puja at Kankhal, we started the Himalayan tour on four buses. Our tour manager Mr. Krishnan Nair and tour guide Mr. Rajan gave us the protocols to be followed throughout the tour. Each bus could seat 30 people. Big buses can’t handle the narrow roads in the Himalayas. Rajan read the names allocated in each bus. All seven of us were in the same bus so we could be together for the rest of the trip.

We started the journey after a brief prayer. We found roads through the Himalayas were much improved compared to the last time we traveled through there a few years ago. We would stay in Barkot, which is 190 km away from Haridwar. We were following the Yamuna river most of the time.

On the way, we stopped a couple of times to stretch our legs and have breakfast and lunch. These were prepared by the kitchen staff early morning.

We passed through Dehradun, the capital city of the state of Utharkhand. On our way, we saw so many small shops carrying fresh fruits and vegetables on the road side. The beauty of the mountains started to show from there on, and we felt we were really in Devabhumi which is what the place was called. Since we started early morning, it was still dark outside. As sun started to show, the green foliage and deep valleys started to show. The river Yamuna could be seen as a silver tape at the bottom of the valley. We would cross it a few times as the road takes us from one hill to the next.

We reached Barkot in the evening around 5 pm. Barkot is a popular hill station near Uttarkashi, about 4000 feet above sea level. This is a town in the middle of thick forest and is a tourist place. This place is known for its natural beauty and challenging trekking trails. We stayed at a hotel in Barkot for the night.

The next day we started for Yamunotri. We traveled by bus up to a place called Janki Chatti. It’s elevation is 8700 feet. This place provides a panoramic view of the Himalayas with snow capped mountains. This place is 6 km form the Yamunotri temple.

From here, we were to go to the temple by either walking, on horse back, or some one carrying us. As soon as the bus stooped, a throng of people surrounded us. They were trying to get us to go with their horses. It was all chaotic, I wish they had a better way. After some bargains, we selected a person who seemed very reasonable and friendly. He brought seven horses for the seven of us and four people to handle the seven horses. The pictures show us on horseback going up to the Yamunotri temple from Janki Chatti. It is 6 kms each way.

After a long climb on the horseback, we reached the temple by noon. The ride on the horseback was very uncomfortable, more when we were coming down. It becomes more so when there are steps. There are two hot water pools, one for ladies and the other for men. We took a bath in the pool and got refreshed.

There is also a small pool near the temple where the water is much hotter. One can cook potatoes and rice in it and offer to the Devi and receive it back as prasad. The picture below shows us in front of the temple. It was taken after Darshan.

On the way back, we got down near a restaurant on the roadside and partook the packed lunch we carried with us. We also got down from the horse in between and walked some distance, which was good for both us as well as the poor horse. We came back to Barkot by evening and stayed there for the night.

Community News

Yashoda Murali wins National Gold Medal

Congratulations to New Albany High School Junior and COMA Youth Wing member Yashoda Murali for winning a National Gold Medal in the 2022 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for her colored pencil drawing “Lady Hazel”. She is the daughter of Brinda and Murali, members of COMA since 2013.

The Alliance for Young Artists and Writers is the nonprofit organization that presents the Scholastic Awards.  More than 100,000 students submitted more than 260,000 works of art and writing to the 2023 Scholastic Awards. Yashoda’s work was selected by some of the foremost leaders in the visual and literary arts for excellence in originality, technical skill, and the emergence of a personal voice or vision. Less than 2,000 works received a National Medal, which places Yashoda within the top 1% of all submissions!

There will be a National Awards Week from June 7-9 in New York City with a National Ceremony held at Carnegie Hall on June 8th. Her work will be published both virtually in the Scholastic Art Online Galleries at artandwriting.org as well as physically in a gallery space in New York City.

Yashoda’s digital art work titled “Shattered” recently got published in the “Celebrating Art” magazine (see artwork below).

Sumitra Thampy-Norton wins medals in Jujitsu

Sumitra won two bronze medals at the Fuji Jiujitsu championship in Brownsville, Indiana. She is the daughter of Chris Norton and Gayatri Thampy. She is in 7th grade and goes to Metro Early College Middle School. Her teacher is Coach Travis from Matlab, Reynoldsburg.

Nandana Presanth wins Bautista Memorial 2023

Nandana Presanth won the finals of the 2023 Bautista Memorial Youth – Foil & Saber in Columbus, Ohio. This is her last Y14 match as she is turning 15 this August, and from next season, she will be playing Junior and Divisional matches. She is a 9th grader at Dublin Coffman High School and the daughter of former COMA President Presanth Krishnan.

For Malayalees who grew up in Kerala, March brings back bucket-loads of childhood memories. Among those, the much dreaded final examinations and the much awaited end of school year, the beginning of venalavadhi, and the ushering in of our very own March Madness – the nostalgic maambazhakkaalam.

March in the United States is the start of longer and warmer days. With spring breaks for schools and colleges, parents and children begin to realize the end of academic year is nearing. For families who are planning on spring break vacations, I hope you enjoy a carefree and relaxed schedule and come back refreshed and renewed!

COMA has been supporting the Meals on Wheels program for several years now, helping with their mission to deliver meals and friendly greetings to homebound seniors. Gayatri Thampy, one of our volunteers, has very graciously contributed a detailed writeup of her experience. If you were curious about what is involved in Meals on Wheels volunteering, her writeup gives you every little detail you will ever need to know.

I hope all of our families have a safe and relaxing time during the upcoming spring break. For my friends who are observing Lent or Ramadan, I wish you all a blessed and fulfilling fasting season.

Sreejith Chandran’s Random Ramblings

(One half of his brain has gone nomad and the other has gone in search of the first. Glorifying his random ramblings and packaging it is his main hobby! Otherwise sane and grounded.)

എന്തിനോ വേണ്ടി തിളയ്ക്കുന്ന സാമ്പാർ

പിന്നിട്ടവഴികളിലൂടെ തിരിച്ചുപോകുമ്പോൾ …
പുനർജനിക്കുന്ന പുൽക്കൊടികൾ …
വീണ്ടും വിരിയുന്ന പൂക്കൾ …
പതിയെ തളിർക്കുന്ന ഇലകൾ…
പറയാൻ മറന്ന വാക്കുകൾ…
നിസ്സംഗമായ നിന്റെ മന്ദഹാസം ….
നഷ്ടസ്വപ്നങ്ങൾ …
ഒരു ജന്മത്തിന്റെ കാത്തിരുപ്പു …
വരുമോ നിന്റെ നിശ്വാസം.

Volunteering for Meals on Wheels – Gayatri Thampy

(Dr. Gayatri Thampy is a former economic anthropologist and taught at Denison university until 2020.)

My family and I decided to volunteer for Meals on Wheels after Nish Nishant created a WhatsApp group to organize volunteers. Our daughter Sumitra needed volunteer hours for her school service record. We thought this would be a great opportunity to cover this school requirement.

We drove our first route on 25th of December, 2022. It took about 4.5 hours as the weather and driving conditions were really bad. Because of our experience in December, we decided to volunteer again in February. This time, it only took about 3.5 hours.

The task is quite simple. COMA delivers Meals on Wheels two Sundays per month. The volunteering family goes to the Meals on Wheels pick-up location at 670 Harmon Ave around 10:30 am. You drive into the farther parking lot and pick up a folder that lists your route number. Inside this folder, you will find sheets with addresses of the clients, along with details of meals each client is supposed to get. You then pick up two cases that have the same route number listed on them. One of them contains hot lunches and the other contains cold lunches, snacks, juice, and milk. These cases easily fit into the trunk of a sedan. It is a good idea to do a quick count of the lunches, juices, and milk and make sure they tally with what you expect based on your list. Both the times we volunteered, we found that there was a mismatch.

Now, you follow the order of the list from the beginning and drive to the corresponding addresses and deliver the appropriate items. Make sure you knock loudly and wait for 5-7 minutes as many individuals have mobility and hearing issues. If no one comes to the door, try to call the listed phone number. If no one answers, mark the entry as “undelivered”. You will need to fill out an online form at the end of your route for these individuals.

Deliveries may be to houses or to apartments. If the door was visible from our car, we allowed our kids to deliver to the house. For apartments, we went in with one of the kids. In some cases, either my husband or I delivered to an apartment. At the end of the route, you return the cases and folder back to the MoW location. I recommend taking some snacks and drinks along with you in case you get hungry or tired. You may need to use nearby gas stations if kids need a bathroom break.

This was an eye-opening experience. Most of the individuals in both our routes were white. I had read and watched documentaries about white poverty in USA. This was the first time I confronted it. Some of the cold lunches we delivered only had a couple of slices of bread and some cheese in it. We were astonished by this, but realized that basic groceries like a loaf of bread and bags of cheese were inaccessible to many people. Due to the nature of urban development and dominance of cars for transportation, these areas are food deserts for people who are poor, unwell, and living alone.

People in apartments seemed worse off than those in houses. In some apartments, the building windows were broken and was covered with a thin sheet of plastic wrap. The inside of some of the buildings were dank and dark, and several apartments had eviction notices posted on the doors. Note that the temperatures in December were less than 5 degrees with strong winds.

I felt that more than volunteer hours, it was really important for our kids to understand their privileges and be exposed to the lives of less fortunate people. Volunteering for Meals on Wheels helped them become curious about the causes of such poverty and isolation in our society. They now avidly watch John Oliver’s segments on various issues in “Last Week Tonight” and express an interest in reading more about some of these topics. After covering our routes, I decided to research this program a bit more.

Meals on Wheels is a program based on public-private partnership. It is designed to deliver meals to senior individuals who are unable to purchase or prepare their own meals. It is largely funded through community contributions, though it does receive some federal support through the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program of 1972, Medicaid, and USDA grants. They sometimes also commission studies on hunger and other needs among seniors.

According to these studies, before the pandemic, 9.7 million seniors were threatened by hunger and 25% of seniors lived alone. A volunteer delivering a meal is often the only person an individual in this program may see over the course of the day. Thus, a Meals on Wheels volunteer does the added function of serving as a wellness check on a senior and alerting the organization if they were unable to deliver the meal to the person. So this program also helps reduce the public costs of hospitalizations from falls and illnesses.

In 2017, federal funding for the program was cut by 1.5 million dollars and the Community Services, Community Development and Social Services Block Grants, upon which some Meals on Wheels programs rely for funding were also eliminated. It is therefore imperative to support this program through volunteering and donations. If you are undecided about whether this activity is for you and your family, I recommend riding along with a volunteer family so you can see for yourself what it’s like. It is a small time commitment, without much strenuous physical activity, and you would be contributing to making our society caring and compassionate.

My experience travelling with Tuskers – Anoop Nair

(Anoop Nair is a Software Engineer living in Delaware Ohio. He loves to scribble, paint, and travel when he is away from coding. Following cricket and experimenting with his culinary skills are other pastimes.)

One fine evening during a fireside chat, after being a little jingled, Pradeesh told me about Columbus Tuskers travelling to Miami, Florida for their next Malayalee Soccer league. He casually asked me if I am interested to join them, of course only to cheer and support. My first reaction was “what the heck will I be doing there; I am nowhere into soccer”? But then for a moment, I was carried away by thoughts of sunshine, beaches and delicious sea food (touchings), away from the pesters of gloomy Ohioan winter and most importantly with no strings attached. When I told my wife about this conversation I had with Pradeesh, to my surprise she told me I should go (I saw in her eyes as if she is getting a blank cheque to be cashed later). Whatever it be, I booked my airplane tickets along with other folks. Team’s itinerary was – A day of soccer (leagues, knockouts and the finale) and a day and half to recover (don’t think too much into the recovery, poor guys are fighting out the scorching heat of Miami!).

It is the day of travel and my phone hooted at 3 AM (economic flights always come with a price), got dressed up and reached the CMH airport. Met other team members of Columbus Tuskers, led by our own dynamic president Shibu Nair. Most of them were familiar faces in COMA, except for couple of guys whom I was meeting for the first time. All of them ardent lovers of soccer and passionate for playing. Their body language, enthusiasm and zeal said it all. I forgot to mention that there were couple of other guys too travelling with the team like I was, to cheer and boost. The excitement started building up and I recollected my last guys-only trip I had with a such big group – may be in my college! Huh!!

After exchanging all pleasantries, Tuskers flew out of Columbus and landed in Orlando. We took some pictures with the cabin crew and went to rent the cars (thanks to Aslam Ikka, preferred customer of Avis for taking care of all bookings even though wait time for the preferred customer was more than the flight time to Orlando). Finally, we drove to Miami and checked into an Airbnb property. It was a decent house that could accommodate all 15 of us, with a beautiful patio looking into a sprawling swimming pool. For a moment, it felt like I landed in Kerala – warm and beautiful weather, Palm and Coconut trees lining the horizon, Mango trees in the backyard adorned in their flowers and all tropical fauna you habitually see in Kerala.

After sprucing up into their summer attire, Tuskers headed for some game day eve practice. As the team was busy fine tuning their skills, we cheerleaders slugged some drinks. It is truly an amazing mood gulping some cold beer in the month of February roaming around in your shorts – something you can just dream about in Columbus. But hats off to the dedication and passion of Tuskers for restraining themselves and just focusing and thinking about the game next day. They were engaged in making game plans and strategies, rectifying mistakes, helping each other in correcting their game, practicing their shots and what not. I was completely moved by their sincerity and devotion for the game.

It’s the Game Day! Guys woke up as early as 5 AM and geared up for the D-day, adorned in their Tuskers yellow and black jerseys. We reached Flamingo Park, Cooper City where 12 Malayalee teams from different parts of the US had assembled to fight for the MASC (Malayalee Arts and Sports Club) Miami Soccer trophy. What a festive atmosphere it was; like an Ulsavam (temple fest) back in Kerala. The hospitality by MASC Miami was paramount. Boiled organic Kozhi Mutta and Tharavu Mutta straight from the MASC president’s farm were the highlights of the breakfast.

Getting into the game, Tuskers were facing the hosts, MASC Miami, in the event opener. Our boys were keen to conquer the home team and announce their arrival to the other soccer giants of US Malayalee leagues. Being an early morning game, we were surprised to see a lot of dew. Ref blew his whistle, and the ball was set into motion. The game progressed and soon our striker Subash struck the first goal of the tournament. It was a moment in the tournament, and I must admire MASC commentators for their superb Malayalam commentary laced with all kinds of wits and humors throughout the tournament. Though Tuskers had an initial lead, there seemed to be a lack of coordination and communication between the players which was quite evident. Wet ground was certainly a factor resulting in some misjudgments. Soon the home team struck back, and we lost our lead, but somehow, we did manage to score a second goal and maintain the lead. It was just 20 seconds for the final hooter and some of us among the spectators had already started blowing the victory bugle. Alas, Miami scored an equalizer! Tuskers had to settle for a draw against the home team who were never at par with us. We could see a lull in our side, dropped shoulders and agony on their faces summed it up.

Soon, Tuskers were back to the strategy table analyzing what went wrong and how they can do better; after all it was not a defeat, and the first game is always a lesson in learning. Luckily, we had a break of 3 hours before our next group game and that was enough to rejuvenate and revive. On the other side, more group games were in progress, I was thrilled to see some fantastic game of soccer by teams like New York, Philly, Atlanta etc. while I was scouting around. Florida sun was now sweltering, and we could see other teams getting tired out, cramping and all. Hydration was the mantra and again MASC had done a great job with supplying more than adequate water and other sports drinks to all teams. Me and my fellow spectators ensured we too kept ourselves hydrated and chilled with some beer and cocktails in our car bar. Meanwhile, in the other group match Miami was thrashed by Minnal Charlotte 5-2 and the Tuskers were next up against Minnals on a turf blistered by the noon sun.

Tuskers were now facing an upbeat Minnals, there was a better coordination between our players this time and within 10 minutes into the play, we were able to draw first blood with a superb strike by Geeno. We maintained our lead until after the half time but were equalized by Minnals in the second half. The equation was simple – a draw or a win will take us to the Quarter Finals and our defenders stood like a wall. Game had moved into its final minute when Basil Jacob hit the ball into the top left corner of Minnals’ post from a lobbied corner kick, giving Tuskers their first victory. It was not just a victory for Tuskers, they emerged as the group toppers. That was a terrific game with a right finishing touch, helping Tuskers to get back into their rhythm.

Mood was high and lively in our camp, and we had a sumptuous lunch provided by MASC. The overall event management by MASC was commendable – from the grand opening ceremony by the city mayor to the food, the medical services, timeliness and the closing ceremony – everything was well planned.

Tuskers moved into their Quarterfinal battle against Houston United, who were a reputed side playing as an organized team for the last 10 years in various US leagues. We could now feel the heat on the field and of course Florida’s sun triggering frequent dehydration and cramps to our players. Houston had a tough goalkeeper taking down all chances that our strikers fancied. Tuskers fought their heart out and our defenders along with the Goalkeeper Anil sealed our post and we ended up with a goal-less draw. The game moved into a penalty shootout, which was a first for the tournament and attracted a lot of spectators. Soon, 5 strikers lined up from each team ready to take a hit on the post. Houston with their super skilled goalie had an upper hand and were the favorites. The first bout of 5 penalty shoots ended in 3-3, thanks to a flying save by our goalie Anil. It looked like neither team was ready to budge. Another set of 3 penalty shoots began and the final shot by a Houston player went over the post and we stormed into the semifinal. By the end of this game, Tuskers who looked rookie in their opening game were posing serious threats to some of the Malayalee soccer giants. They were thrilled but at the same time remained calm and composed for the semifinal.

Tuskers entered their semifinal bout against Arsenal Philadelphia who were a much younger side and had already stamped their authority in the tournament by thrashing their opponents by huge margins in group stages and Quarters. Apart from young legs, they seemed to be a bit rough too and as a result we were soon at the receiving end of a tough penalty call by the ref which was a surprise to the opponents too. They converted the penalty and took a lead. It was a fiery game, and we were at the receiving end again with another penalty which was nicely saved by our goalie. Our players started getting cramps and medical staff were frequently seen on the field. Battling all odds, our striker Geeno breached Philly’s defense and levelled the scores, but he himself went down with a muscle cramp. There were some intense battles of shots before Philly struck again, taking a lead and eventually Tuskers went down 2-1 fighting valiantly. We lost the semifinal, but the effort we put in, the coordination and skill we displayed were supreme.

We stayed up in the park to watch the thrilling Finale between the defending champions New York and Arsenal Philadelphia. Eventually New York were crowned as the champions yet again. MASC put a tremendous effort organizing this event and it was nothing less than a pooram with a festive Malayali atmosphere and Chendamelam.

Next day and a half were a much-needed break for the team when we all enjoyed some wonderful time together exploring beaches, sunshine and cocktails before boarding back to reality in Columbus!

Columbus Tuskers is not just a soccer team, it’s a bonding of individuals playing out their passion, displaying dedication and sincerity on the field, and outside of the field they are a bunch of jovial, fun loving, buoyant individuals with never ending jokes and banters, who are the best to hang out with. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip with Tuskers and wish them success in all their future leagues!

Member Achievements and Milestones

Dr. Soumya Mary Kurian

Congratulations to Dr. Soumya Mary Kurian for earning her doctorate in Nursing Practice from Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN.

Dr. Kurian has been practicing as a Nurse Practitioner in an outpatient opioid treatment clinic for over six years. She started her career as a registered nurse . She immigrated to United States in 2005. She earned her Masters in Nursing from Indiana State University, and is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners. She is also certified through SAMHSA to provide substance use disorder treatment. She completed her BSN degree from MG University, Kerala.

While working as a nurse practitioner at an urgent care clinic in Mansfield, she discovered that her true passion is to fight the opioid crisis, and to serve a population that is so vulnerable to opioid misuse and risk for overdose related mortality. Opioid overdose epidemic is a public health concern. Her Doctoral dissertation was titled “Overdose Response Education and Take- Home Naloxone“. The objective of this project was to analyze the effectiveness of overdose response education and distributed take-home naloxone kits on improving knowledge and attitude among opioid dependent individuals towards the utilization of Naloxone while witnessing opioid overdoses.

She finds great satisfaction in serving patients with substance use disorders and leading them to a path of recovery. Her interests include eliminating the stigma of addiction, and raising awareness that drug addiction is not a moral issue and rather a chronic disease of the brain causing impairment in judgment.

Dr. Kurian is a resident of Powell, and lives with her husband Anup Kurian and their two sons Alex and Ben.

Vindhya Cultural Association – Karaoke Competition 2023

Vindhya Cultural Association conducted their annual Karaoke Competition on March 4th Saturday at the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington, Ohio. COMA members won the top prizes in the adult and junior competitions.

Ravi Hariharan and Ramya Janaki won the first prize for their beautiful rendition of Tu Hi Re from the movie Bombay, composed by A.R.Rahman. Arun Davis and Anup Kurian won the second prize for their energetic rendition of Raja Raja Sozhan from the movie Rettai Vaal Kuruvi, composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. COMA youth members Shreya Girish and Sahana Ravi won the first prize in the junior competition, for singing Kannodu Kaanbadhellam from the movie Jeans (music by A.R.Rahman). This is a very proud moment for COMA Malayalees and lovers of karaoke singing!

There was a grand finale band performance directed by COMA’s very own musical virtuoso Lloyd George, which included four young members from COMA – Aanjali Maria John (vocals), Alex Kurian (guitar), Ben Kurian (keyboard), and Rohan Nishant (drums). They were supported by their friends from outside COMA – Prateek Kunchala (viola) and Arnav Edamadaka (saxophone and backing vocals).

COMA Media Links

• COMA Valentine’s Day event photo album : https://www.mekhaphotography.com/zg/coma-valentines-day-2023
• COMA Talks Episode 1 – Coffee with EC : https://youtu.be/Ezf4hndOfsI

Welcome to 2023! I hope everyone enjoyed holiday celebrations with family and friends. As I reflect on 2022, I feel grateful for all the fun experiences COMA created for all of us. It was incredible to watch the outpouring of participation and support from our community in COMA events, and it was pure joy to observe the remarkable growth our organization has achieved in recent years.

This year’s Executive Committee is already busy at work, planning for some great things for us. Our 2023 President Shibu Nair has shared below his vision for our organization this year.

As we enter the new year with renewed hopes and plans, I am looking forward to a new year of continued community service, lasting memories, new friendships, fun celebrations, and most of all, the connection that we make with each other. Let’s make 2023 our best year yet.

Wishing everyone a happy and successful new year!

Smitha Nishant

Presidential Address – Shibu Nair

I am happy to take up this second stint in the COMA Executive Committee in 2023. I feel it is a much-needed give-back to the Malayalee community in Columbus that has been a significant part of my immigrant Malayalee life in the United States, my home away from home. I am very excited to share that my team has a myriad of events and ideas planned for this year.

In addition to bringing you cultural, sport, and entertainment events, my team would like to take the opportunity to reassess COMA as a cultural organization, the values we uphold and its relevance to the Columbus Malayalee diaspora. We have made leaps and bounds since our formative years. However, as an organization, there is room for further growth, including but not limited to better managing the upkeep of our organization’s assets, promoting youth member participation, enhanced use of our website and social media presence to better engage and communicate with our members. A lot of thought is being put on those lines and you will see some major steps being initiated on these fronts.

Coming back to the planned events this year, in addition to our annual Picnic, Onam, and Christmas events, we plan to have a Valentine’s Day event and several sporting tournaments (Cricket, Soccer, Shuttle Badminton, also involving other Indian association members). Weather permitting, we plan to have an outdoor entertainment event as well. Also in the works are the development of communities for outdoor activities such as hiking and biking.

We hope to seed initiatives that the community can take advantage of not just this year but in the coming years too. I trust that each and every one of you will support us in achieving our goals as one big family. I wish you all a happy, prosperous, and healthy 2023.

Know your EC Team

All of our Executive Committee members have been associated with COMA for the past several years and hardly need an introduction. Here is some fun trivia they shared with me that highlights how we are all in for a fun ride with them this year.

Location	Powell
Hometown	Trivandrum
Years in Columbus	12
Favorite snack	Crispy Parippu Vada
Favorite song	Anagha Sankalpa Gaayike (Movie: Aniyara)
Favorite TV show	Friends
Favorite movie punch line	Nee thankappan alleda  ponnappananu, ponnappan

• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
  • Pilot, maybe?
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
  • Madagascar.
• What would your superhero power be?
  • Of course, fly!
• If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?
  • Sabu bro.
• What will people say at your funeral?
  • Eda bhayangara!
• What’s something you think everyone should try at least once?
  • Have a dog at home.

Location	Dublin
Hometown	Kalady, Ernakulam
Years in Columbus	13
Favorite snack	Pazham Pori
Favorite song	Thaniye mizhikal (Movie: Guppy)
Favorite TV show	Maanasaputhri
Favorite movie punch line	Ippo shariyaakki tharaam

• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
  • Vice president of a malayalee samajam.
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
  • Kalady.
• What would your superhero power be?
  • Teleportation.
• If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?
  • Tutankhamun.
• What will people say at your funeral?
  • Nalla oru manushyan aayirunnu.
• What’s something you think everyone should try at least once?
  • Touch your nose with your tongue.

Location	Delaware
Hometown	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Years in Columbus	13+
Favorite snack	Masala Peanuts and Kerala Mixture
Favorite song	Pudhu Vellai Mazhai (Movie: Roja)
Favorite TV show	Comedy Utsavam (Flowers TV)
Favorite movie punch line	Kedaikarthu Kedaikama Irukathu; Kedaikama Irukardhu Kedaikaathu (Superstar dialog)

• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
  • To play for the Indian Cricket team as a batting all-rounder.
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
  • New Zealand.
• What would your superhero power be?
  • Power to save people on earth from evil elements.
• If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?
  • Lalettan and MS Dhoni.
• What will people say at your funeral?
  • I lost my honest and great friend.
• What’s something you think everyone should try at least once?
  • Watch World Cup Soccer live from the stadium.

Location	Galena
Hometown	Kannur
Years in Columbus	11
Favorite snack	Pazham Pori / Kallumakai Kadukka
Favorite song	Devanganangal kayyozhinja tharakam (Movie: Njan Gandharvan)
Favorite TV show	Malgudi Days
Favorite movie punch line	Eda Dasaa, ethaa ee alavalathy?

• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
  • Bus-ile kili.
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
  • Bangalore of late 90’s.
• What would your superhero power be?
  • Swap all the healthy food to unhealthy and all unhealthy food to healthy.
• If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?
  • Vaikom Muhammad Basheer.
• What will people say at your funeral?
  • Kidakkana kidappu kanda? Emathiri veruppikkalayirunnu!
• What’s something you think everyone should try at least once? 
  • Take a year’s break from work and do things for which you didn’t have time for.

Location	Dublin
Hometown	Kochi
Years in Columbus	12
Favorite snack	Parippuvada
Favorite song	Billie Jean
Favorite TV show	Malgudi Days
Favorite movie punch line	Namuk oro naranga vellam angu kachiyalo?

• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
  • Pilot.
• If you could live anywhere, where would you live?
  • Kochi.
• What would your superhero power be?
  • Superman.
• If you could meet anyone, who would you meet?
  • Family and friends, but if someone famous, maybe Sashi Tharoor.
• What will people say at your funeral?
  • Kurachukoodi nerathe avaayirunnu!!!
• What’s something you think everyone should try at least once?
  • Don’t plan your vacation, just hit the road.

Save the dates

Here is a preliminary list of events being planned this year and their dates. Mark your calendars so you don’t miss any.

• Feb 11 – “Thuruppu Gulan” cards tournament and Valentine’s Day celebrations.
• Apr 22 – Shuttle Badminton tournament.
• May 20 – Cricket tournament.
• June 18 – Outdoor Gaanamela (Franco).
• July 4 – COMA Float for FIA.
• July 22 – Annual Picnic: Vinodayathra, Vallamkali, Idli eating competition, and other fun events.
• Sep 9 – Onam (with Shingari melam and onsite live cooking).
• Sep 30 / Oct 7 – Soccer tournament.
• Dec 2 – Christmas.

We have more activities where dates are not finalized so stay tuned for more information:

• Live cooking sessions (multiple, including one with chef Suresh Pillai)
• Bicycle Challenge – TBD
• Trekking Challenge – TBD

Youth club activities

The COMA Youth Club will be conducting monthly meet ups. Plans are underway for TV station visits, OSU airport tower visit, fire-station visit, and camp-outs as well as charitable events including cloth drives and blood donation drives.

Membership

January is a great time to take your COMA Membership if you haven’t already. The current membership for 2022 will be valid until June 30th, 2023.

Membership benefits include:

• Early access to event tickets
• Discounted tickets for regular COMA events

Also, certain benefits are exclusive to COMA members:

• Malayalam class for adults and kids
• Opportunity to participate in charity/volunteering events
• Access for your children to COMA Youth Wing

You can purchase Membership here: https://www.comaohio.org/membership-account/membership-levels/