GAMA Newsletter June 2017

NEW SL ETTER JUNE 2017SUMMER FOR THE LOVEBEAUTY TIPS OF DANCE Article by Suja PillaiSOCCER FEVERTHE EMOTIONAL TIE BETWEEN MALAYALEESAND SOCCERArticle by Prasanth Vijayan

PRESIDENT'SMESSAGESHANKARCHANDRAMOHANDear readers,Another summer is upon us. As most of you are enjoying the warm weather andmaking vacation plans before the busy school season starts, we at GAMA are lookingback at the two events we organized recently - Spring Fest 2017 and the first GAMASummer Soccer Tournament.With an amazing response from the community as always, the Spring Fest was a greatsuccess. The activities and food were enjoyed by children and adults alike.GAMA's maiden Summer Soccer Tournament drew a crowd of Austin's soccer loverswhich culminated with the team Cedar Park Allergens being crowned as thech am p ion s.Taking this trend forward, we are working towards bringing you another memorableevent - Onam 2017.On behalf of the board, a big thanks to all members of the community and to ourgenerous sponsors for your continued support for GAMA.Sincerely,Shankar Chandramohan

MEETOURTEAMDear readers,Welcome to the June 2017 edition of GAMA Newsletter.Malayalees' love for soccer goes back many years. From the days of Olympian Rahman,Kerala has produced a number of eminent players as well as millions of hard coresoccer fans. The scene has not changed much among the Austin Malayalees as well. Inthis issue, we bring you a coverage of GAMA's Summer Soccer Tournament,accompanied by an article by Prashanth Vijayan which will leave every soccer fan ingooseb u m p s.We have also included a beautifully composed article by Suja Pillai about herexperience in pursuing the art of Indian classical dance from the perspective of anAmerican born Indian.In this issue, you can also find a look at the Austin real estate market, beauty tips forsummer skin care, and a kids' section from our little writers and artists.Please send your valuable suggestions and feedback to [email protected],The Newsletter TeamBhagheerathy Rabishanker Bipin Ravi Kamal VijayakumarLisa Thomas Sankarnath Pangappattu Shankar Chandramohan

GAMASPRINGFEST 2017

SPRINGFEST2017

SPRINGFEST2017

SPRINGFEST2017

SPRINGFEST2017

SKINREMEDIESDEVIKAGAJERAAPKASALONFORDARKCIRCLES,SUNDAMAGE MOISTURIZERANDMORE Aloe Vera juiceYo gu r tAwla A few drops of rose waterChickpea flour Mix together well and apply everyLime juice n igh t .Aloe Vera juiceMix all the ingredients together and makea paste.Apply once week. It also moisturizes theskin.FOROILYSKINANDBLACKHEADSTurmeric powderLime juiceChickpea flourRo sew at erMix all the ingredients together and makea paste.Use as a scrub and face pack.Leave it on for 10 minutes and wipe offwith a wet cotton cloth.













GAMASUMMERSOCCERTOURNAMENT 2017GAMA organized its first ever SummerSoccer Tournament in June 2017. Fourneighborhood teams - Cedar Park'Allergens?, Round Rock 'Non-Austinites?,Avery-Brushy 'Confused Desis?and WestAustin 'Weirdos' - took part in thetournament held at Brushy Creek SportsPar k.

After an exciting round of league matches,West Austin clashed with Cedar Park in thefinals. After a grueling battle in which neitherteam managed to score any goals, Cedar Park?Allergens?were crowned the champions after apenalty shootout (score 4-1).In the third place playoffs, Avery Brushytriumphed over Round Rock with a score of2-0.Binoy James of West Austin won the GoldenGlove award. The Golden Boot award wasshared by Sijo Jose and Mark Nathan, bothfrom Cedar Park.Prize sponsor Sijo Vadakkan (Trinity TexasProperty Management) gave away the rollingtrophy to the Cedar Park team and medals tothe finalists. GAMA president ShankarChandramohan conveyed a thank youmessage to the players, sponsors andspectators. The evening concluded with dinnerfor the players, courtesy Sizzle Indian Kitchen,Round Rock.

GAMASOCCER2017

GAMASOCCER2017

GAMASOCCER2017

GAMASOCCER2017

GAMASOCCER2017

GAMASOCCER2017

THEEVOLUTIONOFANABCD:AMERICANBORNCONFUSED... DANCER!SUJAPILLAI

The following story could have beenwritten by any one of the many talentedchildren born here in the US who arecurrently studying a form of Indianclassical dance, but it is not. Instead, youhave a different type of ABCD, a rarerbreed, and certainly a decades olderbreed, remembering her journeythrough dance. Will there be anysimilarities, or any differences whencompared to the path of today?s youngABCDs? perhaps a bit of both.In the mid 70?s the US was starting agolden era of growth lasting wellthrough the 1980s. An entire generationof immigrants who came here withempty pockets, but full hearts, werebeginning to realize success. My parentswere part of that influx and workedextremely hard to find their footing in anew country all while still trying to holdtrue to their culture and roots. I assumethe second part of this equation cameinto play when my parents drove me towhat would be my first Indian danceclass when I was just six years old. I hadnever been exposed to Indian dancebefore, so it was certainly notsomething I asked for, but perhapsmore a risk taken by my parents to holdon to pieces of familiarity, through me.Whatever their reason, it was all thepush I needed, as I spent the nexttwelve years and beyond completelyengrossed in dance.

What did that look like? Well, almost results of years of training on stage forevery weekend was spent at dance the first time formally when I was 13. Iclass. I started with adavus, the basic presented an entire two hours ofsteps, as all beginners still do. But, dance with my guru, my parents andthose adavu classes carried on for any well-wishers who were present in amore than two years. To make things small temple hall in Kerala. Was it anmore challenging, this was in a time arangetram? My guru and I certainlywhere video-taping was a luxury, even called it as such, but would it meet theif it were possible, my teacher would elaborate affairs of today? I am not sonot have allowed it. How lucky are we sure.now to have technology that facilitatesour dance teacher ?s efforts and allows As for my parents at this point, whofor practice at home! Now, I am not were the obvious chauffeurs andsaying we didn?t have any guidance to financiers for my entire dance journeyhelp us practice. We certainly did have thus far - what were their thoughts??tools - a composition book and a pen - Nothing, they trusted the journey. Theywith which we wrote down every knew I wanted to continue learning as Iminute detail we needed to rememberthe technique and form of a basic step.At the end of two years, guess what -our teacher let us tape the entire adavusequence - but by then, we knew it sowell we never needed to refer to it!Talking with some of my current dancecolleagues, I realize this was nodifferent than how they startedlearning dance in India - a book, paper,pen? and lots of practice. We wereemotionally and physically invested inthe dance by the end of those twoyears and well prepared to dive ind eep er .Of course, I reached a stage where Ibegan learning choreographed dancesand then became ready to present the

never once wanted to skip a dance IREMEMBEREXACTLYclass, so they supported every step. If HOWEXCITEDI WASINthere was one thing that now stands HIGHSCHOOLWHENout to me, it was the respect they MICHAELJACKSONoffered my guru, by allowing her to RELEASEDHIS?BLACKmold a part of me as she saw fit, ORWHITE?MUSICVIDEO.without questions and withoutdemands. What trust and belief that So decades later, I am still in the grip ofrequires to hand your child over! dance, but realize my journey to beDance was no longer my parents need, unique. However fulfilling dance is forbut it became mine. And although they me now as an adult, as a child, thereintroduced dance to me, it has become was times growing up here in the US,a passion which I wonder if my parents where it was completely alien. It wouldeven today understand the depths of! have been easier to let it go. The Indian culture was not yet immersed or common in society and many times I found myself correcting people?s misperceptions and explaining that ?No, I do not dance around a teepee signaling the rain Gods.? I remember exactly how excited I was in high school when Michael Jackson released his ?Black or White? music video. It featured an Odissi dancer for a whole 30 seconds!! I could point to that video and finally tell my friends, that?s sort of the dance I do! Though I really didn?t study Odissi, at least it was somewhere in the same universe and as a teenager trying to fit in, I would take what I could get!

So are there differences between the You still dance?!? It?s a question I getcurrent ABCDs and myself? certainly! asked very often. Yes, I am still dancingIndian dance isn?t so uncommon because I realized I will never becomeanymore and perhaps it isn?t the only a perfect dancer. There is alwaysavenue to instill a piece of ?home? in a something more to work on,young child growing up here. But has it something more to learn and somebecome so common that the art itself way to evolve. Since that that dayis lost? There are challenges now, just when I was six years old, I haveas there were challenges then. evolved in life and gone on to holdHowever, if each person in this many different roles - sister, friend,equation, the teacher, the dancer and doctor, wife, and a mother? . Butthe parent, would be conscious and through it all, in my soul, I will alwaystrusting of the journey, dance is a truth be an Indian classical dancer. Andthat will never disappoint. thousands of miles away from where this art originated, I wish that feeling for every little American born confused? dancer.





ROUTINEFORSUMMERSKINCARESummer skin care is mostly about preventing damage. Wash your face twice aday with a wash that is suitable for your skin type.M or n in g Rou t in e: - Wash your face and apply a Vitamin C serum. (Vitamin C is great for preventing sun damage and also for hydrating the skin.) - Apply sun screen, at least 40 spf. Top it off with a little powder. - Stay away from peak sunny hours, wear a hat if needed. Make sure you drink plenty of water and include fruits in your diet.Even in g Rou t in e: - Wash your face, apply a serum rich in peptides and collagen. Do not forget to use an eye cream.

INFLATEDAUSTIN REALESTATE MARKET? SIJOVADAKKAN BROKER,REALTOR TRINITYTEXASREALTY

\"THEBESTWAYTO PREDICTISTOCREATEIT.\" -UNKNOWNMy experience as a Broker, Realtor in Austinfor over decade has helped me see theboom and the bubble burst in the RealEstate market. But when I say, ?bubbleburst?, in Austin, there was still a steadypace of increase in demand in the realestate business. It is mostly because of thedesirability for people to move in from theEast and the West for the affordability andthe growing IT market. According to USNews and World Report, Austin is the bestplace to live in America based onaffordability, job prospects and quality oflife. In 2016, Austin businesses continued tothrive while the city earned nationalrecognition again as a top city in the countryfor startup vitality.I am seeing a strong year ahead in ourhousing market for the reason that therehad been a 25 percent increase inemployment since 2006 compared with NewYork, which has experienced more than 10percent growth over the same period.According to a recent survey, Austin hasseen an average increase of approximately40,000 jobs annually.

In Austin, there is less office space available now for companies to expand.Growth in the professional sector influences growth in the service industries, withmost workers renting. In terms of apartments, about 10,000 more units wereadded to the Austin area in 2016, and expects to see the addition of about 10,000more in 2017. The following URL https://goo.gl/G9G3d6 will give us theinformation on Austin?s future in terms of new companies coming up and theones expanded in the last few years.AREASINAUSTINEXPECTINGTOSEETHEMAXIMUMBOOMThe top few Austin-area submarkets as per my assessment would be ? NorthAustin, Cedar Park/Leander West, Pflugerville, Kyle/Buda and Hutto.

According to April 2017 Central Texas Housing Market Report, single-family homesales in the Austin-Round Rock MSA increased 3.2 percent year-over-year in April2017 to 2,640 home sales. In the city of Austin, single-family home sales rose 2.2percent annually to 827 home sales during the same time frame. Of single-familyhomes sold, 31.9 percent were sold for less than $250,000, 51.5 percent weresold between $250,000-$500,000 and 16.6 percent were sold for $500,000 orh igh er .At the county level, single-family home sales jumped 8.6 percent year-over-yearin Williamson County to 886 home sales in April 2017. In Hays County,single-family home sales grew 3.3 percent during the same time frame to 344home sales. Single-family home sales in Travis County, conversely, declined 2.1percent annually to 1,283 home sales in April 2017. I suggest those looking for more affordable housing to consider the suburbs, like Hays and Williamson counties, where the median home prices are more affordable $262,250 and $284,375, respectively. But these are the counties where home prices are rising the fastest.WHATTHEFUTUREHOLDSFORCENTRALTEXASHOUSINGI am expecting the current rise to continue for the next couple of years and thefirst-time home buyers to find trouble finding homes near good schools and jobsfor the lack of supply of affordable homes. I don?t expect to see a dip in pricesanytime soon. I really hope we will have tremendous improvements in publictransportation to ease out our commute.It is never too late to buy a house and it is always a good time to own one. Myprofessional advice is to keep check on the Return on your Investments and doyour math before you take the big leap. http://bit.ly/2sHWdOHGood Luck buying!PROVERBS24:3-4-By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; throughknowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.

FROMTHECOOKBOOKCATHERINEPAUL

KIDS' CORNERTHEWAYSOFSUMMER ROSEANNEOLEKANGAL,AGE9Every time summer rolls around, there?s not really anything to do at home.Boring day after boring day putter by. To really enjoy your summer, youshould try out different activities every day. Some of them are doing arts,traveling, and socializing.Arts is something that everyone likes, so it?s perfect for your summervacation. There is origami, which is when you fold paper to create a shape orobject. There is also something called DIY, which stands for Do It Yourself.These are usually very easy, so you can do them any time you would like. Theplain old sketching and painting is also available to gobble up chunks of yourvacation. I find all of my art ideas in YouTube and Pinterest, and they are veryinspirational. The best thing is you can be as creative as you want with yourwork.Also, there is traveling time in your summertime. You could go on a road tripto a distant place. Spending time in the car is very enjoyable. There are someplaces with exciting landmarks or features. Some of them are San Antonio,with its Alamo and Riverwalk, and Port Aransas with its amazing beach. Iwent to Port Aransas with my family, and it was a blast! You could go on anytype of trip with your friends and family.Lastly, your summer break is all about socializing. Everybody is outside mostof the time in the summer, so you have plenty of time to socialize. Kids enjoyplaydates with their friends, so that is one option. Sometimes you havedinner with other families, so that is another. The possibilities are endless!Doing different activities during the summer can make it very enjoyable.Summer can be boring, but trying out some new activities can transform itinto something new!

KIDS' CORNER \"BYTHELAKE\" ARYLIC MIHIKANAIR,AGE8

KIDS' CORNERTHEENDLESSHORIZON PALLAVIMOHAN,AGE12 A faded blue house With concrete paving In the distance Peering through the window You can see a cat Prowling through the streets And a school girl Walking home I turn to see A long roadside of coconut trees I move on the Uncomfortable leather seat And stare at my feet Eyes up as the driver honks At a car that cuts in our lane I laugh as he yells Loudly to the car, spit flying I look back and I cannot See the blue house But I look forward To the endless horizon

KIDS' CORNER WINTERFAIRY ESHANAIR,AGE10 A single drop of water freezes at the midst of the cold Fires diminish as the cold front carries on, never to be told The moon gleams and shines at its brightest While making all the other colors of the world, the lightest One thing stands tried and true The Winter Fairy, belongs to you Sparkly transparent wings and jet blue eyes A beautiful sapphire dress to make the sun cry Golden locks put in a braid, to collect light Made all the other attractions say, \"What a sight!\" The moon gleams and shines at its brightest While making all the other colors of the world, the lightest One thing stands tried and true The Winter Fairy, belongs to you!

KIDS' CORNER\"HUMMINGBIRD\" WATERCOLOR EMILYJOSEPH,AGE10