KAGW Membership
KAGW stands out as one of the most rewarding experiences. It is also one of the smartest financial decisions you would make given the discounts the membership offer at various events throughout a year. Last, but not the least, it provides a great thrust for you to involve your kids in their programs and thus soak them in Kerala culture and ethos in an effective manner. Join today!

Travel Deal of the Month
Travelnet, Inc. wholesale appointed agent for Qatar Airways, Emirates Airlines and Jet Airways is pleased to offer you the following travel deals from Washington.

Washington to Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi,  and Kozhikode $1165 including taxes (valid for departure till 13May10 with Emirates Airlines)

Qatar Airways announces inaugural flight to Bangalore on February 21st 2010 and offers connection to Kerala as well as introductory fares.

Please call us at 301-984-7300 or 301-468-2006 for more details and claim $10 discount per adult passenger for KAGW members.
Email : travelnet@sabre.net
Web : www.travelnetusa.net
BW Kings Volley Ball
BW Kings volleyball team from the Baltimore Washington region is organizing regular practice on all Thursdays between 8.30pm and 10.30pm at the Champions Sportsplex, Rockville MD.
Call Breeze Johny at 202-270-9955.

Serving for more than 18 years
Guaranteed lowest air fare to Kerala
Please call Ravi @ 201-349-6100
ravi.dinersworldtravel@gmail.com
For Asianet Connections and Customer Service Contact:
Vipin Raj 703-307-8445 | Washington Metro Area : Shibu Samuel 301-346-6133 | Baltimore Area Joe Cherussery & John Cherussery 443-306-3211/443-306-5662
Potomac Karate Club (Westleigh Recreational Club) 14900 Dufief Mill Road, North Potomac, MD 20878
This training focuses on helping you improve Concentration, Focus, Balance, Self discipline and Confidence. Our classes are designed to benefit the whole body. Along with "Karate Training" we provide a good mixture of strength training, cardio-vascular exercises, and flexibility workouts.
To sign up please call Sajan Mathew at (301) 424-4197 | (240) 413-8170 | (240) 888-6848 or Email: sajanmatt@yahoo.com .
FREE YOGA Classes
The Durga Temple is conducting FREE YOGA sessions at Durga Temple every Saturday and Sunday morning 7am to 9am for the community in Washington DC area.
Occasionally they host prominent YOGIES and Ayurveda doctors from India and other parts of the US to educate more about YOGA and benefits of practicing it.
Location: Durga Temple (Cultural Hall), 8400 Durga Place, Fairfax Station, VA 22039-3079
Congratulations.
Please join us in congratulating Rony, Blessy and the twins, Richard and Renold in welcoming Roger Rony, born on Jan 19th at 12.43PM, the newest member of the Thomas family. The Thomas family have been KAGW supporters since 2008.
Please join us in congratulating Teresa and Sunny Wycliffe for becoming grandparents for the ninth time. Jefferson J B Wycliffe was born to Jeff and Barbara. He was born on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 at 6:23 pm.
Obituary
We are sorry to announce the sad demise of K.C Saroja, (mother of Binoy Shankarath- KCSMW Exec. Committee Member) on January 26, in India. Our heartfelt condolences to all family members.
Vasantholsavam 2010 - Youth Festival
KAGW Spring Festival is a kaleidoscope of Washington DC metro area young talents in the field of art and literature. This is an opportunity for the youth (and the young at heart) to showcase their skill and talent.

As in the previous years, this year also KAGW is proud to present Spring Festival, named 'Vasantholsavam' on the 10th of April (literary/fine arts competitions) and on the 17th of April (perfoming arts and Kerala Queen competitions).

The details of this event as well as the rules are available at the KAGW Talent Time website

KAGW members with active membership will have a discounted registration fee. So if you would like to avail the discounted rate please contact the membership chairperson Manoj Sreenilayam to get/update your membership.

Online registration for the event will begin on the 15th of February.
So ........stay tuned for further details.
Shankar's International Children's Competition...
... for the year 2010 is now accepting entries. The competition is open to children from all over the world who are born on or after January 1, 1994. There is no entry fee for the competition. The entrants are free to choose the theme / subject they are interested in, or like most, for their paintings / drawings / writings.

Paintings / drawings can be in any medium, but the size of each entry should not be less then 30x40 cm. A competitor may submit any number of entries. Written works may be in the form of poems, plays, short stories, essays, descriptive writing, and the like. Only entries in English will be considered and they should be in a neat handwriting or typed.

Entries should be mailed to Shankar's International Children's competition Nehru House, 4-Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110002. For details see Shankar's International Children's Competition.
It Is TAX SEASON Again ...
As the IRS is tightening its rules, tax preparation is no longer easy as earlier. We are glad to inform you that Integrated Consultancy Services, (ICS, Inc.) a well known firm of tax prepares in Maryland, running under the leadership of Siv Unnikumaran, CPA for the past 20 years is opening its branch office in Fairfax, VA.
Get your taxes done by people who know you.
For more information, Contact: Sojan Alex
2968 Oakleigh Lane, Oakton, VA 22124
Phone: 703-281-1020 (Office) 202-460-1513 (Cell) E-mail: sojanalex1@yahoo.com
Malayalam class by KCSMW
Kerala Cultural Society of Metropolitan Washington (KCSMW) announces the start of Malayalam and Cultural Awareness classes for the year 2010.

In order to create and promote the awareness of Kerala's rich culture and heritage in the young generation, this year also KCSMW is proud to offer cultural awareness sessions in addition to Malayalam classes. The classes began on January 23, 2010 and will be held once a month. Classes will be held at Germantown Community Center, 18905 Kingsview Rd. Germantown, MD. 20874

To register for this class or get further details, please send an email to education@kcsmw.org or call any of the following team members
Jinesh - 609-240-3453 | Teji - 240-997-6874 | Babu - 410-961-9528
As It Was Written: A Novel Kerala Collection- Folk Tales.

SUJATHA HAMPTON left her fifteen year career as an educator to write As It Was Written, which is her first novel. Sujatha is the daughter of founding KAGW members Sarngadharan and Chandrika.

Synopsis
The epic journey of an Indian-American family which unfolds when men and women, Hindus and Catholics, histories and curses, collide
In McLean, Virginia, Dr. Raman Nair lives a life of abounding satisfaction with his tiny wife, Jaya, and his harem of enormous and beautiful daughters. He has been away from his native Kerala, India for so long that he has happily forgotten the ancient Brahmin curse that follows his family like a black cloud, killing one girl for love in every generation. But his wife hasn't forgotten, nor has his baby sister, Gita. Suddenly his daughters are up to no good and Dr. Raman Nair doesn't know which way to turn.

As It Was Written marks the arrival of a wonderful new voice in fiction, and a storyteller of the highest order.
You can buy her novel in your local bookstores or order it from Amazon.com. You can find out more on her website sujathahampton.com

Mary Joseph is a physician living in Richmond, VA USA, with her husband. She has resided in the U.S. for 39 years.

Though she has visited Kerala many times and has instant communication with the Motherland, like most immigrants who arrived in the early 1970s, she reminisces about the early days when communication and travel were difficult and her heart was filled with a deep longing for home.

This beautifully written children's book is a collection of short stories which will bring back childhood memories in Kerala.

To purchase the book, e-mail purchase request with quantity and address to keralafolktales@comcast.net.

You will receive a confirmation e-mail with total price including taxes, shipping, and handling. Send check or money order to PO Box. Book will be shipped upon payment.

Remembering  JOSEPH SAJ JOB MUNDACKAL
It is with profound regret and deep sadness that we announce the sad demise of our dear friend, JOSEPH SAJ JOB MUNDACKAL, on February 3, 2010.

He passed away in a parasailing accident while the family was on a cruise off the coast of Mexico.

Joseph Saj Job is survived by his wife Sajina and daughters, Tanisha, Natasha and Trishelle, and by his parents and siblings.

About an year ago, the family had moved to Philadelphia for job reasons, yet they had strong ties to our community. He was a wonderful husband to his wife, loving father to his daughters and a dear friend to everyone.

We gratefully remember how the SAJ was an active member of our community. Saj has also served as the Associate Secretary in the KAGW executive committee in the year 2005. He will be sorely missed. Our heartfelt condolences and sincere prayers are with the family as they deal with this difficult time.

Malayalam Movie
Ividam Swargamanu revolves around Jeremias (Thilakan) who was a hard working farmer and his dream was to acquire a farm house. But he could not fulfill his dream. Later his son Mathews (Mohanlal) who started a business and developed and fulfilled his father's wish by acquiring a farm house.

The movie offers a probing slice of life that is resonant with moments that are startling, funny and honest. It has a clear-cut quality to it that makes the cautionary tale that it tells transform into a poignant piece of film making.

It's an idyllic paradise that Albert has crafted for the film, so much so that it looks almost out of this world. The hordes of cattle that graze along are accompanied by a gaggle of quacking geese; the windmill sails swivel across a landscape that has the freshest of sprouts springing up from a fertile ground, where man and nature becomes one and harmony reigns.

You would fall in love with the film, not because it tells an earth shattering story, but because of the faith that it has in itself. And it's on account of this faith that we remain with Mathews through his ordeals to the very end, while he determinedly tries to rebuild his life. In Ividam Swargamanu, Roshan Andrews maintains a fine symmetry between empathy and satire, rousing some genuine feelings in the minds of the viewers.
In the Washington DC Metro Area, the showtimes are as follows
Showtimes and Location in VA Showtimes and Location in MD
Friday February 19th : 7:30 pm
Saturday February 20th : 12 pm & 4 pm
Monday February 22nd : 7:30 pm
Tuesday February 23rd : 7:30 pm

Loehmanns Twin Cinemas,
7291 Arlington Blvd, Falls Church VA 22042		 Sunday February 21st : 12 pm and 4 pm

Laurel Six Cinema,
371 Armstrong Ave, Laurel, MD 20707
 
The Past Presidents of KAGW
In this section we will introduce you to the the past presidents of this prestigious organization and what they are doing today. In this edition we meet Thomas Ninan, Madhuram Sivarajan and Lakshmikutty Panicker
Dr. Thomas Ninan.
Thomas Ninan, M.A., LL.B., M.S.W., LICSW, Ph.D, served as the President of KAGW in 1997 and in various other roles in its Executive Committee for several years. He came to Washington D.C area in 1977, during the formative years of KAGW. He and his wife, Lilly, now live in Gaithersburg, Maryland. They are blessed with two children, Justin, M.S Engineer; and Selena, M. D, specializing in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Their daughter had served as the President of KAGW Youth Club and has been active in Youth Club for several years. Justin is a former recipient of KAGW literary competition award . Both of their children live in Washington, D.C area. Lilly is an R.N. Dr. Ninan is employed in a Senior Position with U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Quote Dr. Ninan "In my view, KAGW is the most prestigious Indian American ethnic organization in the Washington Metropolitan area. The very name of it continues to attract large crowd every year, having set for itself a track record of well organized social/ cultural programs. It is gratifying to note that in recent years, younger generation, new immigrants have assumed leadership roles of KAGW and did a great job in taking it to new heights. This may be viewed as one of the noteworthy accomplishments of the mission of KAGW as envisioned by its founding fathers. All the best for its uninterrupted growth and perpetuation of Kerala culture for generations to come in this blessed land."
Madhuram Sivarajan
Madhuram Sivarajan served as president in 1996 and in various other roles in its Executive Committee for several years..
Quote Madhuram Sivarajan - I came with my family from New Delhi to the United States in May 1977. A friend who had settled in Washington wrote to us before we started our journey: "Washington is beautiful with lot of flowers everywhere during the month of May each year." When we arrived on a spring evening, it was very beautiful and we did not even imagine that this was going to be our future home.
I came to the Onam program of Kerala Association of Greater Washington (KAGW) in 1978 and became very impressed. Eventually I started participating in KAGW functions and became active in several committees. With the encouragement of few prominent community leaders, I got elected as the KAGW President for 1996.
Things were quite different then, and we had to manage everything without tools such as the Internet, email, or mobile phones. Today, technology has provided us the convenience of making the information available in seconds. I worked selflessly for the Association in 1996 and am proud of all that we achieved.
I feel proud of KAGW, which has grown drastically between 1996 and 2010. We are all proud of the Association's accomplishments.
Lakshmikutty Panicker
Lakshmikutty Panicker was the President of the Kerala Association of Greater Washington in 1998. She has been an active member of the association since 1976, and is a KAGW life member.

She is a retired registered nurse who served over 41 years (11 years in Bhopal, India and 30 years at Prince George's Hospital).

She now volunteers at PG Hospital and enjoys spending time with her family and grandchildren.

Lakshmikutty has three children and five grand-children, all of whom live in the DC metropolitan area.

She is grateful to the Association for giving her and her family the opportunity to be a part of the Malayali family here in the Washington, D.C. area and for allowing them to showcase their talents.
If you have comments or if you are receiving this message in error or would prefer not to receive future e-mails please send unsubscribe request to editor@kagw.com.