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ICC Newsletter November 2011 Volume 6.0

NAMASTE AUSTINwww.iccaustin.org India Community Center of Austin

Message from the 2011 ICC Board

Namaste, Austin!

“I like spring, but it is too young. I like summer, but it is too proud.So I like best of all autumn, because its leaves are a little yellow, itstone mellower, its colours richer, and it is tinged a little with sorrow….Its golden richness speaks not of the innocence of spring, nor of thepower of summer, but of the mellowness and kindly wisdom ofapproaching age. It knows the limitations of life and is content.

- Abdul, Harshita, Mary, Radhika, Raga, Ruhi, Salil, Sohail, and Sridhar

The holiday season is upon us. Thanksgiving is now over and soon it'll beChristmas. The new year is just around the corner. We welcome this time forcelebration, a time to spend with family and friends. It gives us all a chance toreflect on what the year has brought so far and what the rest of the year willbring. We are reminded of this poem by Lin Yutang:

PARICHAYINTRODUCTION

Each month, Parichay turns the spotlight on Indian communityorganizations or non-profits that enrich Austin with their presence.

Association for India's Development (AID) is avolunteer movement promoting sustainable, equitable,and just development. AID supports grassroots organi-zations in India and initiates efforts in various inter-connected spheres such as education, livelihoods,natural resources including land, water and energy,agriculture, health, women's empowerment, and socialjustice. Starting from humble beginnings by graduatestudents in 1991 in Maryland, AID has grown to over40 chapters and more than a thousand volunteers all

AID

around the world. AID Austin was started in 1997 by graduate students at the Univer-sity of Texas. We have supported over 75 projects through the years and are currentlyworking with 9 project partners in India. Our recent focus has been on educa-tion, environment, sustainable agriculture, women empowerment, and wildlife conser-vation related projects. Recently AID received the Times of India Social Impact Awardsfor 'Global Contribution to India' through our entire range of projects and activities fromPM Manmohan Singh. AID is a registered 501c(3) non-profit organization with tax ID04-3652609 and all donations in the US are tax deductible.

Twenty years ago, Association for India's Development embarked on a remarkablejourney, walking on roads less travelled and reaching out to the marginalized, whichare central to the processes of change. Our mission is to facilitate a life of dignity andself-reliance for all in India. We have stayed the course, thanks to your contributions.However, as the glare of a shining India blinds our vision and the hubris of a higherGDP lengthens the shadows, what keeps the beacons of hope glowing? You will dis-cover some of these stories of courage, conviction, and change, that YOU helped sup-port, as you read about our work @ http://oneforindia.org

Create a ripple … with your ONE contribution a day.

No contribution is too small or too large – whether it is $0.25 or $100 a day - when werecall that more than 320 million Indians are living with less than $0.50 (Rs. 26) a day.

When you give to AID, you don’t just make a charitable contribution; you become apartner in the process of development that empowers the poor to live a life with dig-nity. You become a part of the wave to ensure just, equitable, and sustainable devel-opment in India.

Invite your friends, family, and colleagues to become partners with AID.

Be the Change You Wish to See in the World!!!

One For India is our annual online Fundraising Campaign. For more information visithttp://oneforindia.org http://austin.aidindia.org or email austin@aidindia.org

UTSAVUTSAVUTSAVUTSAVFESTIVALS and CELEBRATIONS

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving dates back to colonial times when the Pilgrimsat Plymouth and the Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn har-vest feast. However, it wasn't until 1863 (in the midst of the CivilWar) that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Dayto be a national holiday to be held on the last Thursday in Novem-ber. In 1941, the date was changed to the fourth Thursday of No-vember. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated to give thanks toGod for guiding the pilgrims safely to the New World and for asuccessful harvest with the help from the Wampanoag Indians.

Veterans’ Day

Veterans’ Day is a federal and state holiday honoringmilitary veterans. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed thisholiday on November 12, 1919, to celebrate the signing ofthe Armistice, which ended World War I.

Children’s Day

Children's Day is to celebrate "childhood." On Chil-dren’s Day, tribute is paid to all children in theworld. Children are loved by one and all.

India's first prime minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru,was born on November 14. After his death in 1963, hisbirthday has been celebrated as children's Day in In-dia. Children's Day is not just a day to let the futuregeneration have its say. It is a day to remember aleader who, in his quiet but determined way, laid thefoundation to convert a nascent nation into a worldpower.

The story also goes that he started to wear a rose onhis jacket after a child pinned one on it. The nationalchildren's center, Jawahar Bal Bhavan, is also named

after Jawaharlal Nehru. Chilren's Day is literally that. It is the day when children all over thecountry are pampered with goodies. From the schoolchild's point of view, the best thing per-haps is that it is a special day at school - they need not wear uniforms and are given sweets.

SambandhaRelationship Q&A

Q: My fiancée took the bar exam in July, and she has been busy with her job search ever since. What withmy lengthy work hours, her studying for the bar and now job search, not to mention our extensive weddingplanning (with our families), it seems like we just haven’t been able to spend all that much time together.Given all that’s been going on, I thought it might be a good idea to surprise her with something special.Any ideas?

A: What a thoughtful husband-to-be you are! In my opinion, one of the most meaningful gifts partners cangive one another is a thoughtful demonstration of acknowledgment and appreciation. Showing your fiancée,through your actions, how much you appreciate her is sure to make her feel special. Below are some ideasyou can customize to her personal tastes.

• Design a romantic evening consisting of pairing the viewing of one of your fiancée’s favorite movies withher favorite meal or dessert.

• Create a picnic consisting of her favorite foods at a place with special meaning for her (e.g. her schoolcampus, field/auditorium where she played/performed) or the two of you (e.g. where you first met).

• Set up a viewing of a slideshow you created from pictures of either the two of you or of your fiancée andher friends and family (this may be of use for your wedding reception as well).

• Arrange tickets for one of the museum exhibits or movies your fiancée has mentioned an interest in.

• Visit an ice-cream parlor or other favorite childhood hangout which will remind your fiancée of her child-hood.

• Gift your fiancée with a couples’ massage or spa day, cooking a romantic meal together, or any other jointactivity your partner would most value doing with you.

• Begin the practice (if you don’t already do so) of telling your fiancée in person or via a personal note onething she did that day that you truly appreciate.

• Take her back to the venue where the two of you had your first date.

• Gift her time by purchasing a few hours from a personal concierge or housekeeping service to take someof her responsibilities/errands off her plate (this invaluable gift will free up leisure time for the two of you tospend together).

Best wishes to both of you as you embark on your shared life together!

Jasbina Ahluwalia is an Indian-American Attorney-turned-Entrepreneur, Rela-tionship Expert, Radio Show Host, and Matchmaker / Dating Coach. She is theFounder of Intersections Match, the only Elite National Personalized Match-making & Dating Coaching Firm in the country for South Asian Singles.

Jasbina is also the host of Intersections Talk Radio, a monthly holistic lifestyleshow featuring conversations with published authors/ experts on relationshipsand health and wellness.

For more information, please visit www.IntersectionsMatch.com. Feel free tosubmit a question to be considered for this column to Jasbina directly atJasbina@IntersectionsMatch.com.