Telugu Vani - WATS Board 2007 - Congratulations!

Dear Ranamma, Ajay Naana - Congratulations!

I congratulate you people and the WATS Board for your rich contribution to Telugu Vani and to the Community for the year 2007.

The magazine is lovely and the contributions are praise-worthy. I hope the people will receive it well.

With Love, Amma - Naana

~I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.

~If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.

---

Dear Uncle, Aunty & Dear All

Thank you for the wonderful greetings. Yes Uncle, it was a great experience meeting senior people and gaining their rich experiences of life.

Dear Ajay has put in lot of effort and dedication not only shaping the interviews well but also persuaded many seniors to talk about their life experiences. It is really astonishing to see dear Ajay's dedication towards his work that he takes up and completes it with grace.

Dear all, have a nice day & a wonderful weekend.

With Love, Ranamma

Love is shown in your deeds - A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds.

Dear Children,

Love is shown in your deeds, not just in your words. Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned. Well done is better than well said. A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. Basically our acts make or mar us, we are the children of our own deeds.

People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.

Life is filled with enough happiness for 10 lifetimes for those who know the secret of enjoying each moment for what it is instead of fretting over what it isn’t.

Have Nice Day!

With Love, Amma-Naana

Thought For The Day

Dear Children,

~The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?
Pablo Casals

~To him in whom love dwells, the whole world is but one family.
Buddha

~I am not an Athenian or a Greek, I am a citizen of the world.
Socrates

~I have no country to fight for; my country is the earth, and I am a citizen of the world.
Eugene V. Debs

Have a Happy Friday,

Amma-Naana

8 Feet Away - A Witty Story For You

Dear All,

One day Birbal was sitting in the royal court, and the king Akbar was in a jovial mood. so he decided to tease Birbal to pass time.

He knew that Birbal's reply will surely entertain him. so he asked Birbal - "Tell me the difference between you and a donkey."

Birbal looked at the king and then he looked at the floor. He seemed to be calculating something. A while later, Birbal bowed to the king, and made his witty comment, "Huzoor, The difference is only eight feet."

King knew that Birbal in his jolly wits called him donkey.

Have a Nice Day!
With Love, Amma-Naana

Story of Queen Rudrama

Dera Children,

Here is the story of Rani Rudrama. I have taken this excerpt from the web resources.

With Love, Amma-Naana

---

One of the most prominent rulers of the Kakatiya dynasty on the Deccan Plateau, Rani Rudramma Devi was one of the few queens in Indian history.

She was born, as Rudramba, to King Ganapathideva.

As Ganapathideva had no sons, Rudramma was formally designated as a son through the ancient Putrika ceremony and given the male name of Rudradeva. When she was only fourteen years old, Rani Rudramma Devi succeeded her father.

Despite initial misgivings by some of her generals who resented a female ruler, she suppressd both uprisings within Kakatiya territory and incursions by neighboring kingdoms.

An able fighter and dynamic ruler, Rudramba defended the kingdom from the Cholas and the Yadavas, earning their respect. She was one of very few female rulers in south India during her time.

Rani Rudramma Devi ruled from 1261 or 1262 until 1295 or 1296.

Among Rani Rudramma Devi's accomplishments during her reign was the completion of Warangal Fort, begun by her father, in the Kakatiya capital of Warangal.

Legend has it that due to her upbringing as a boy, Rani Rudrama was not much a connoisseur of music and art, but she was quite taken by a form of Shiva Tandavam - Perini which was extinct and it was brought back by Dr. Nataraja Ramakrishna.

She found this dance more of an exercise to the soldiers and had it made part of the training of the royal force.

Leadership is The Capacity to Translate Vision into Reality.

Dear All,

Here are a few interesting quotes for you to read.

With Love, Amma-Naana

-Action is the dignity of greatness.

-I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.

-Long-term planning is not about making long-term decisions, it is about understanding the future consequences of today's decisions.

-The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.

Minds are like parachutes - they function when only they are open.

Dear Children, Good Morning!

The person who isn't interested in his fellow beings has the greatest difficulties in life and also creates the greatest damage to others. Minds are like parachutes - they function when only they are open.

Have a Nice Day!
With Love, Amma-Naana

About Tenali Ramakrishna

Dear Children,

Laughter brings a sense of lightness and freshness and infuses a new spirit. All people laugh; but only a few can make others laugh. And only a specially gifted man can make a careworn with the burden of administration, laugh!

Laughter mirrors a man's nature. What does a man laugh at, whom does he make fun of and why-these can show how mature his mind is.

Humor which shows the foolish pride of others and tries to correct others is good humor which comes from a mind free from poison is good humor.

Ramakrishna was born in a village called Garlapadu in Andhra State during the early part of the sixteenth century.

His father Ramaiah died when Ramakrishna was very young. The boy was deprived of his father's love. His mother Lakshmamma returned to her native place Tenali to live with her brother. Ramakrishna grew up in his uncle's town and so came to be known as Tenali Ramakrishna.

Ramakrishna's mother was very anxious to educate her son. Those were days when the Vaishnavas were powerful. There were many Vaishnava teachers in the place; they refused to teach Ramakrishna because he was a Shaiva.

Ramakrishna was not at all grieved by this. He became carefree. From morning till night he was in the company of naughty boys; he was quite happy eating the mango, apple and tamarind he stole from gardens.

Ramakrishna's mother was miserable because her son was utterly illiterate. She did odd jobs in many houses and fed- herself and her boy.

Ramakrishna went to a many pundits and begged them humbly: "Please accept me as your disciple. I will repay you by rendering service." But he was called names and thrown out of ashrams and schools.

He thought: ‘What a selfish lot! What is the use of their scholarship when they refuse to impart education? No more will I beg any one for my education. I shall get enough education for everyday affairs.'

The boy, who was yearning for a teacher, became a great scholar and was honored in a king's court. How? READ at http://www.freeindia.org/biographies/greatpoets/tenali/page5.htm

With Love, Amma-Naana

Some Famous Women In Canada

Introduction ; Carrie Derick ; Nellie McClung
Gabrielle Roy ; Portia White; Sandra Lovelace
Kim Campbell ; Conclusion ; Study Guide
Bibliography ; Links

There are two lasting bequests one can give to children. One is roots. The other is wings

Dear All,

Rearing children and helping them to grow up properly is a great work for the parents. To work with dedication and affection is a joyous activity-- whole-time, whole life activity.

There are two lasting bequests one can give to children. One is roots. The other is wings. Children will not remember parents for the material things parents provided, but for the feeling that parents cherished them. It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as parents watch to see what children do with their lives, they are watching parents to see what parents do with their lives. While parents try to teach children all about life, children teach elders what life is all about.

Have a Nice Day!
Amma-Naana

Teach Him How to Live! Teach Him Gently...If You Can..

Dear Children, Here is a poem for your reading. Love, Amma-Nana

My young son starts to school tomorrow...
It's all going to be strange and new to him for a while,
and I wish You would sort of teach
him gently...

You see, up to now, he's been our little boy.
He's been boss of the backyard...
His mother has always been around to repair his wounds,
and I've always been handy to soothe his feelings.

But now, things are going to be different...
This morning he's going to walk down the front steps,
wave his hand,
and start out on the great adventure...
it's an adventure that will
probably include wars and tragedy and sorrow.

To live his life in the world he will live in requires
faith and love and courage.
So, world, I wish You would sort of take him by his young hand
and teach him the things he will have to know.

Teach him, but gently...if You can.
He will have to learn, I know,
that all are not just, that all are not true.

But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero...
for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader...
Teach him that for every enemy, there is a friend.

It will take time, world, I know, but teach him, if You can, that
a nickel earned is of far more value than a dollar found...
Teach him to lose...
and enjoy winning.

Steer him away from envy, if You can,
and teach him the secret of quiet laughter.

Let him learn early that bullies are the easiest people to lick...
Teach him, if You can, the wonder of books...
But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery
of the birds in the sky,
bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hillside.

In school, world, teach him it is far more honorable to fail
than to cheat...
Teach him to have faith in his own ideas,
even if everyone tells him they are wrong...
Teach him to be gentle with gentle people
and tough with tough people.

Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when
everyone else is getting on the bandwagon...
Teach him to listen to all men...
But teach him to also filter all he hears on a screen of truth
and take only the good that comes through.

Teach him, if You can, how to laugh when he is sad...
Teach him there is no shame in tears...
Teach him there can by glory in failure and despair in success.

Teach him to scoff at the cynics
and to beware of too much sweetness...
Teach him to sell his brawn and brains to the highest bidder
but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.

Teach him to close his ears to the howling mob...
and to stand and fight if he thinks he's right.

Teach him gently, world, but don't coddle him, because
only the test of fire makes fine steel.

Let him have courage to be impatient...
let him have the patients to be brave.
Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself...
Because then he will always sublime faith in mankind.

This is a big order, world, but you see what you can do...
He's such a fine little fellow, my son!

Indian Americans Hold Key Positions in US Universities!

Dear Children,

Over 8,000 Indian professors are enriching university campuses all across the United States with many holding top positions in their respective fields and making their mark. Here is the Biography of Bharati Mukherjee for your reading. She is a distinguished professor of English.

With Love, Amma-Naana

---

Bharati Mukherjee was born on July 27, 1940, to an upper-middle class family in Calcutta, India. The second of three daughters of Sudhir Lal, a chemist, and Bina Mukherjee, she lived with 40 or 50 relatives until the age of eight.

Born into an extraordinarily close-knit and intelligent family, Mukherjee and her sisters were always given ample academic opportunities, and thus have all pursued academic endeavors in their careers and have had the opportunity to receive excellent schooling.

In 1947, her father was given a job in England and he brought his family to live there until 1951, which gave Mukherjee an opportunity to develop and perfect her English language skills.

Mukherjee earned a B.A. with honors from the University of Calcutta in 1959. She and her family then moved to Baroda, India, where she studied for her Master's Degree in English and Ancient Indian Culture, which she acquired in 1961.

Having planned to be a writer since childhood, Mukherjee went to the University of Iowa in 1961 to attend the prestigious Writer's Workshop. She planned to study there to earn her Master's of Fine Arts, then return to India to marry.

However, a lunch break on September 19, 1963, changed that plan, transferring Mukherjee into a split world, a transient with loyalties to two cultures. She impulsively married Clark Blaise, a Canadian writer, in a lawyer's office above a coffee shop after only two weeks of courtship.

She received her M.F.A. that same year, then went on to earn her Ph.D. in English and comparative literature from the University of Iowa in 1969.

In 1968, Mukherjee immigrated to Canada with her husband and became a naturalized citizen in 1972.

Although those years were challenging, Mukherjee was able to write her first two novels, The Tiger's Daughter and Wife, while working up to professorial status at McGill University in Montreal.

During those years she also collected many of the sentiments found in her first collection of short stories, Darkness, a collection that in many sections reflects her mood of cultural separation while living in Canada.

Mukherjee and her family, then moved to the United States in 1980, where she was sworn in as a permanent U.S. resident.

Continuing to write, in 1986 she was awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant. After holding several posts at various colleges and universities, she ultimately settled in 1989 at the University of California-Berkeley.

Mukherjee is currently a Distinguished Professor of English at the University of California-Berkeley. Her husband, with whom she shares a "literary marriage," teaches at the University of Iowa and they have two sons together, Bart Anand and Bernard Sudhir.

ఉగాది శుభాకాంక్షలు

ఉగాది శుభాకాంక్షలు

Dear Children, We Wish You...

H appy times with friends & family

A bundance

P rosperity

P lenty of love

Y outhful excitement at lifes simple pleasures

N ights of restful slumber

E verything you need

W ishing you love & light

Y ears of good health

E njoyment & mirth

A ngels to watch over you

R emembrances of happy years!

With Love, Amma-Naana

Greetings & News from a Dear Friend

Dear Somaiah & Vijayalakshmi garu, first of all,

1. Thanks very much for your warm greetings & affectionate mails. We reciprocate and wish the same for you all - A Happy Ugadi.

2. It's such a pelasure reading your mails, for, it not only provides a bonding among all of us, but more importantly, I get to read some fantastic messages at the end of every poem or story you forward.

3. It's indeed a very noble thought to actually take the pain and pleasure of forwarding interesting stories/ thoughts that have a direct impact on our day-to-day lives.

4. I too am trying to cultivate this habit of sharing the knowledge among all my children & like-minded friends, but I'm not sure if I can do it on as large scale as you do.

We pray & wish that you should be blessed with the best of health, not just to stay healthy, but to draw strength to spread the 'good word' to as many people as possible which, I'm certain, will inspire a "healthy world" through the infinite love & affection you are spreading.

Pretty much like the wind & breeze that spread pollens of flowers to reach, grow and bloom in new areas.

5. We are truly priveleged to have friends like you.

6. My wife Varalakshmi is much better now. Maybe 6 & half on a scale of 10, With a never-give-up-attitude, I'm sure she will fully recover very soon.

7. She's now able to walk (with a walking stick) in and around the house.

8. Ugadi was not very pleasant for my son Shastri & his family.
His father-in-law passed away on Monday 19th March.

He complained of uneasiness & some chest pain on Monday afternoon, Shastri & Uma (my daughter-in-law) took him to the hospital at BHEL, where he was admitted into intensive care unit.

Around 5.25 pm he apparently had a massive cardiac arrest & passed away.
He was cremated yesterday (Tuesday). We pray that his soul rests in peace.

9. Once again, I thank you all for staying in touch and we wish you all a happy new year.

Thanks/ warm regards
Prakash Rao
Varalakshmi

I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

Dear Children, Here is a poem for your reading.

With Love, Amma-Naana

---

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy
or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.
Today I can feel sad that I don't have more money or
I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan
my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or
I can celebrate that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friend or
I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or
I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.
Today I can complain because I have to go to school or
eagerly open my mind and fill it with rich new tidbits of knowledge.
Today I can murmur dejectedly because I have to do housework or
I can feel honored because provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped.
And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.

****
What today will be like is up to me.
I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
Have a GREAT DAY……unless you have other plans."

Dear Children, Here is the story of Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey Biography : Talk Show Host, Actress & Pioneer (The Oprah Winfrey Show)

Famous for : Coming from an abusive upbringing to be one of Americas most wealthy and successful women. Pioneering the talk show program with her "Oprah Winfrey Show".

Winfrey details : Born - USA January 29, 1954 Lives - USA

Her Quotes : I knew there was a way out. I knew there was another kind of life because I had read about it. I knew there were other places, and there was another way of being.

Oprah Winfrey - Life - Knowledge - Poverty - Encouragement - Self Control - Life - Knowledge - Poverty - Encouragement - Self Control

About Eva Peron

Eva Maria Duarte was born in May of 1919 in Argentina. She grew up very poor with five brothers and sisters, a mother, and no father. They all lived in a one-room shack. Eva's mother did not send her to school, but made her work in kitchens of rich families.

Eva moved to Buenos Aires when she was 16 to become an actress and she made a few films and worked in radio.

In 1945, Eva met the minister of War, Juan Peron. They were married in a year and she helped him run for the presidency in 1946. They won. As the First Lady, Eva started her own foundation that built hundreds of schools and hospitals in Argentina.

Eva was an advocate for the education of women. She also helped the poor workers of Argentina gain a voice and respect in the country that previously exploited them.

Although Evita was the wife of the President, she was considered by many to be a politician. There had never been a female politician in Argentina before.

Evita had a short-lived political life. She was active for four years of her husband's term but was diagnosed with cancer in 1950, and died in July of 1951.

She was born into the lowest rung of rural life and climbed the ladder to become the most powerful woman in the country. She did this at a time when the place of the woman was in the home, not behind a desk.

Dear Children, Hope you find the life of Eva inspiring!
With Love, Amma-Naana
"Let every man and women be respected as an individual and no man Idolized."

Good Evening

Dear Children, Good Evening, How are you?

Congratulations, dear our Chinnakonda for your excellent presentation, at your Seminar.

We also appreciate, dear Ajay Naana and Ranamma for organizing interviews with some senior people, from Telugu Community in the City, Seattle.

We also appreciate our Peddakonda, for taking some special care of your health.

HAVE A NICE DAY, ALL OF YOU.

With Love, Amma - Naana

Eating Healthy

Dear Children,

Here is an article from my reading on eating healthy.

With Love, Naana

---

Keep Metabolism Steady.
Eating one small meal such as a potato, a salad, etc. every three hours that you are awake will not speed up your metabolism, rather, it will keep it going.

Your metabolism goes and slows with your food intake and eating something small every three hours will keep that metabolism burning calories and will help you lose weight.

Eat Smaller Dinners.
Cut down on the size of your dinner.
If you're hungry, snack on fruits or other healthy, low calorie snacks.
Large dinners tend to hurt a fat loss process because most people aren't very active after dinner.

The claim that your entire dinner is stored as fat isn't entirely true but the fact you don't move after dinner is enough to hurt your cause. You can offset this by eating a larger lunch or snacking healthily before dinner.

Fresh fruits or vegetables are excellent choices for curbing appetite not to mention other health benefits.

A handful of nuts might do the same. Drink a large glass of water before sitting at the table.

Eat More Fiber.
Most people don't get enough fiber. The recommended amount is actually not that much if you eat a healthy diet. "Fibre foods" include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds. Other options are fibre supplements.

Eat Breakfast.
Many people skip breakfast because they don't have time for it.
Keep this in mind: You don't have time to skip breakfast, it's simply too valuable to skip.

The fact that skipping breakfast messes up your concentration and other mental functions is beyond the scope of this article.

The harm of skipping breakfast from a weight loss perspective is it makes you eat a huge lunch since your body hasn't had anything in the past 12 hours. When you eat a huge lunch you get that after meal drowsiness so now you're both unproductive and inactive.

Cereals don't take much time to prepare and consume, and most of them are very healthy nowadays. If you are extremely pressed for time, consider grabbing a box of breakfast bars or a smoothie and throwing one in your bag when you leave for work or school. Some breakfast bars out there are also excellent sources of fibre.

Eat Smaller Meals More Frequently.
This helps raise your metabolism too. It's not easy to do though since it's a relatively big change to most people's routines. But it doesn't have to be a full blown meal, simply eat often but less. A jar of nuts in the office will do just fine, grab a handful when you feel like it.

Most fruits can last for a couple days without refrigeration, and if you have a refrigerator at the office, make use of it.

Drink More Water Everyday.
Many places suggest 8 cups (2 L) of water a day.
It sounds like an absurd amount of water, but actually, you can drink tea without sugar to make up some of the quota.

In fact tea, especially green tea, rev up your "metabolism". For fat loss purposes, consuming water instead of the other junk will keep you away from the carbs and curb your appetite. Needless to say there are many benefits of water. 70% of your body is made of it!

About Melinda French Gates

Melinda French Gates is a woman who has distinguished herself in the business world and is now beginning to apply her leadership skills in the non-profit arena.

Born and raised in Dallas, she has Bachelor Degrees in Computer Science and Economics from Duke University in 1986 and an MBA from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business in 1987.

In 1997, Governor Gary Locke appointed Ms. Gates co-chair of the Governor’s Commission on Early Learning. The Commission is working to identify gaps in programs for children from birth to age five, as well as raise public awareness about the importance of early learning.

Ms. Gates joined Microsoft in 1987. And in her various management positions there, she played a leadership role in the development of many of Microsoft’s multi-media products … including Expedia, an Internet travel product; Encarta, an encyclopedia product; and Cinemania, a movie guide.

She’s worked on programs and products – some of which have become household words. They include Microsoft Word for MS-DOS and for Windows; Microsoft Works; and Microsoft Publisher.

Two years after she married Microsoft Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Bill Gates, she retired from her position as General Manager of Information Products in 1996 to care for her first child and to contribute her technological talents and leadership experience to the community.

She’s involved in a variety of philanthropic endeavors that take in fields of service from the arts and social services to education – with a particular devotion to her alma matter – Duke – where she is on the board of trustees.

She serves on the parent-teacher technology Committee for Sacred Heart Catholic School on Clyde Hill. She is a past board member at the Village Theatre in Issaquah and she devotes much of her time to the William H. Gates Foundation she and her husband started.

Melinda Gates also is co-founder of the Gates Learning Foundation which is dedicated to bringing computers and Internet access to patrons in public libraries in low-income communities.

In addition, the William H. Gates Foundation was established by Bill and Melinda Gates in 1994 to support initiatives in areas of particular concern to them.

Those broad fields include support for institutions of higher learning, local capital campaigns, access to technology, and world health and population.

Source: Web

Have a nice day!
Amma-Naana
"Living a rich life means living a heart-felt life marked by joy, ease, and satisfaction."

Goverdhan Mamayya Greeted Us

Dear Children,Good Morning.

Your dear Mom and I are fine. Last night Govardhan mamayya and Kalathamma greeted us, over the phone. They are all doing well.

HAVE A NICE DAY, ALL OF YOU!

With Love, Amma - Naana

Wise Thoughts Of The Day

Dear Children, Good Afternoon!

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions. Never bend Your head. Always hold it high. Look the world straight in the face.

In Nature there are neither rewards nor punishments, there are consequences. A feeling of continuous growth is a wonderful source of motivation and self-confidence.

Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.

With Love, Amma-Naana

As perfume to the flower, so is kindness to speech.

Dear Children,

In matters of style, swim with the current;
in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

Kindness in words creates confidence.
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness.
Kindness in giving creates love.

We often underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.

Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.

This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy; Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.

Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you - not because they are nice, but because you are.

With Love, Amma-Naana

Indians Abroad

Dear Children,

All through history, Indians have ventured out to different lands in search of new prospects. Today, the Indian Diaspora is widely spread. Presently, the Indian Diaspora is estimated to number over twenty million. The Diaspora covers practically every part of the world.

They have excelled in fields like the IT, medicine, venture capital, engineering, construction etc. to name a few.

The most important thing about the Indians living abroad is that they have retained their emotional, cultural and spiritual links with the country of their origin. This strikes a mutual chord in the hearts of people of India.

Amartya Sen
Amitav Ghosh
Anita Desai
Arun Netravali
Balamurali Ambati
Bhiku Parekh
C.S.Ranawat
Deepak Chopra
Dipak.C.Jain
Gurinder Chadha
Gururaj Deshpande
Hinduja Brothers
Ismail Merchant
J.N.Bhagavati
Laxmi Mittal
Madhur Jaffrey
M.Arunachalam
Mira Nair
M.N.Shyamalan
Rajiv Gupta
Rohinton Mistry
Sabeer Bhatia
Salman Rushdie
Sam Pitroda
Shashi Tharoor
Swaraj Paul
Vikram Seth

With Love, Amma-Naana

Wise Thoughts Of The Day

Dear Children,

Healthy self-esteem emerges from a justified sense of self-worth, just as self-worth emerges from competence, ability, and genuine success. Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Life is what you want it to be. But you need a smiling face to accept it. Some people carry their heart in their head. And some carry their head in their heart. The trick is to keep them apart, yet working together. Love is great investment. Let us treat our friends like family. And our family like friends.

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet
Enough trials to make you strong
Enough sorrow to keep you human and
Enough hope to make you happy

With Love, Amma-Naana

Good Morning

Dear Children, Good Morning!

The fish in the water is silent, the animals on the earth are noisy, the bird in the air is singing. But man has in him the silence of the sea, the noise of the earth and the music of the air.

Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf.

Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating you.

With Love, Amma-Naana

Morning Thoughts

Give a man a fish to make a dish
And you will feed him for a day
But teach a man how to fish
And help keep his hunger away.

If there is any one secret of success,
it lies in the ability to get
the other person's point of view
and see things from that person's angle
as well as from your own:

Have a nice day! Amma-Naana

Human Relations

Human relations are built on feeling, not on reason or knowledge.
And feeling is not an exact science; like all spiritual qualities,
it has the vagueness of greatness about it

Dear Children, We felt happy speaking with you all.

The 6 most important words:
I admit I was wrong.

The 5 most important words:
You did a great job!.

The 4 most important words:
What do you think?

The 3 most important words:
Could you please...

The 2 most important words:
Thank you!

The most important word: We.
The least important word: I.

People don't really care how much you know until they know how much you care. It is not enough that a man has clearness of vision, and reliance on sincerity, he must also have the art of expression. There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness, and truth.

Have a nice Sunday!
With Love, Amma-Naana

Dear Children, Let us Create a chain of love linking the past with the future. Love, Amma-Nana

A house is a house is a house -
until love comes through the door, that is.

And love intuitively goes around sprinkling
that special brand of angel dust

that transforms a house into a very special home
for very special people: your family.

Money, of course, can build a charming house,
but only love can furnish it with a feeling of home.

Duty can pack an adequate sack lunch,
but love may decide to tuck a little love note inside.

Money can provide a television set,
but love controls it and cares enough to say no
and take the guff that comes with it.

Obligation sends the children to bed on time,
but love tucks the covers in around their necks
and passes out kisses and hugs (even to teenagers!).

Obligation can cook a meal,
but love embellishes the table
with a potted ivy trailing around slender candles.

Duty writes many letters,
but love tucks a joke or a picture or a fresh stick of gum inside.

Compulsion keeps a sparkling house.
But love stand a better chance of producing a happy family.

Duty gets offended quickly if it isn't appreciated.
But love learns to laugh a lot
and to work for the sheer joy of doing it.

Obligation can pour a glass of milk,
but quite often love will add a little chocolate.

-Danielle Hollister

Thought For The Day

Dear All,

Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. When you achieve your dream, pursue another dream. That's how to live a life of adventure.

With Love, Amma-Naana

A work of art which did not begin in emotion is not art.

Enjoy Life! - Life is too short!.

If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living.

Dear Children,
In whatever one does there must be a relationship between the eye and the heart. The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.

Art is a technique of communication. There is no perfect time to write. There's only now. Painting is silent poetry, and poetry is painting that speaks. I try to apply colors like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music. Art is a passion or it is nothing. Art is to me the glorification of the human spirit, and as such it is the cultural documentation of the time in which it is produced. Art must be an expression of love or it is nothing.

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast, you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. Man can learn nothing except by going from the known to the unknown. Every man's work, whether it be literature or music or pictures or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself. Painting is just another way of diary. Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own keeping a nature into his pictures.
Have a lovely day!
Amma-Naana

Our lives teach us who we are - Rushdie

"It is very, very easy not to be offended by a book.
You just have to shut it.

A book is a version of the world.
If you do not like it, ignore it;
or offer your own version in return."

Salman Rushdie was born in Bombay on 19 June 1947. He went to school in Bombay and at Rugby in England, and read History at King's College, Cambridge, where he joined the Cambridge Footlights theatre company.

After graduating, he lived with his family who had moved to Pakistan in 1964, and worked briefly in television before returning to England, beginning work as a copywriter for an advertising agency.

His first novel, Grimus, was published in 1975. His second novel, the acclaimed Midnight's Children, was published in 1981.

The Satanic Verses, lead to accusations of blasphemy against Islam and demonstrations by Islamist groups in India and Pakistan.

The orthodox Iranian leadership issued a fatwa against Rushdie on 14 February 1989 - effectively a sentence of death - and he was forced into hiding under the protection of the British government and police.

Salman Rushdie is Honorary Professor in the Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.

He was made Distinguished Fellow in Literature at the University of East Anglia in 1995.

He was awarded the Austrian State Prize for European Literature in 1993 and the Aristeion Literary Prize in 1996, and has received eight honorary doctorates.

He was elected to the Board of American PEN in 2002.

Dear Children, This article is from my today's reading. Love, Amma-Naana

Humor unites people, especially when people laugh together.

Dear Children,

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. Humor unites us, especially when we laugh together.

Laughter is very powerful medicine. It can lower stress, dissolve anger and unite families in their resolve to overcome troubled times. Without humor one's thought processes are likely to become stuck and narrowly focused leading to increased distress.

Laughter is an important element of life. It cannot be overlooked or underestimated. Laughter is about optimism. Laughter activates the chemistry of the will to live. A good sense of humor and the ability to laugh at stressful situations helps mitigate the damaging physical effects of distressing emotions.

Humor enhances our ability to affiliate or connect with others. Humor changes behavior – when we experience humor we talk more, make more eye contact with others, touch others, etc.

Humor increases energy, and with increased energy we may perform activities that we might otherwise avoid. Finally, humor is good for mental health because it makes us feel good!

Laughing relaxes the body and reduces problems associated with high blood pressure, strokes, arthritis, and ulcers. Without humor one's thought processes are likely to become stuck and narrowly focused leading to increased distress.

By the time a child reaches nursery school, he or she will laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh an average of 17 times a day.

What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other ?

With Love,
Amma-Naana

Greetings on International Women's Global Day

Dear Children,

Wish you all a Happy International Women's day!.

International Women's Day is the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. International Women's Day (IWD) celebrates the collective power of women past, present and future. All individuals are born free and equal in dignity, rights and responsibilities.

With Love,
Amma-Naana

About Periyar

Periyar was the Prophet of the new Age, The Socrates of South East Asia, Father of the social reform movement, and arch enemy of ignorance; Superstitions; meaningless customs and base manners.

His contribution was significant for the success of Vaikom agitation, the first major peaceful struggle in modern India for social equality.

Periyar E.V.R. is the senior most Indian rationalist, atheist and humanist of twentieth century.

Periyar E.V. Ramasami, was born on Sept. 17, 1879 at Erode in Tamil Nadu. He left school at the age of ten and joined his father in business when he was twelve.

His tireless, fearless and unparalleled efforts to end caste system and to transform society, with no trace of birth-based discrimination, on enlightened basis was unique in the annals of history.

He made immense sacrifices while participating in the Non-cooperation movement and carrying out the constructive programme.

Founder of Self-respect movement (1925) and Dravidar Kazhagam (1944), Periyar spread the principles of human dignity, rationalism, gender equality and social justice. It was due to the popular agitation organised by him, the Constitution was amended for the first time in 1951 to provide reservation for the socially and educationally backward classes.

He educated people through his writings and speeches to think freely and judge everything in the light of rational thought, experience and social good. The UNESCO aptly described him as the prophet of the New Age. He endowed all his wealth and public donations for the cause of the humanity, creating a Public Charitable Trust.

Source: Web

Dear Children, The above article is from my reading. With Love, Naana.

Our life proceeds out of our intentions for it.

Dear Children,

The great thing in this world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving. Each small task of everyday life is part of the total harmony of the universe. Our life proceeds out of our intentions for it.

The best doctors in the world are Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet & Dr. Merryman

With Love,
Amma-Naana

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc, in French, Jeanne d'Arc, also called the Maid of Orleans, a patron saint of France and a national heroine, led the resistance to the English invasion of France in the Hundred Years War. She was born the third of five children to a farmer, Jacques Darc and his wife Isabelle de Vouthon in the town of Domremy on the border of provinces of Champagne and Lorraine. Her childhood was spent attending her father's herds in the fields and learning religion and housekeeping skills from her mother.

When Joan was about 12 years old, she began hearing "voices" of St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret believing them to have been sent by God. These voices told her that it was her divine mission to free her country from the English and help the dauphin gain the French throne. They told her to cut her hair, dress in man's uniform and to pick up the arms.

By 1429 the English with the help of their Burgundian allies occupied Paris and all of France north of the Loire. The resistance was minimal due to lack of leadership and a sense of hopelessness. Henry VI of England was claiming the French throne.

Joan convinced the captain of the dauphin's forces, and then the dauphin himself of her calling. After passing an examination by a board of theologians, she was given troops to command and the rank of captain.

At the battle of Orleans in May 1429, Joan led the troops to a miraculous victory over the English. She continued fighting the enemy in other locations along the Loire. Fear of troops under her leadership was so formidable that when she approached Lord Talbot's army at Patay, most of the English troops and Commander Sir John Fastolfe fled the battlefield. Fastolfe was later stripped of his Order of the Garter for this act of cowardice. Although Lord Talbot stood his ground, he lost the battle and was captured along with a hundred English noblemen and lost 1800 of his soldiers.

Charles VII was crowned king of France on July 17, 1429 in Reims Cathedral. At the coronation, Joan was given a place of honor next to the king. Later, she was ennobled for her services to the country.

In 1430 she was captured by the Burgundians while defending Compiegne near Paris and was sold to the English. The English, in turn, handed her over to the ecclesiastical court at Rouen led by Pierre Cauchon, a pro-English Bishop of Beauvais, to be tried for witchcraft and heresy. Much was made of her insistence on wearing male clothing. She was told that for a woman to wear men's clothing was a crime against God. Her determination to continue wearing it (because her voices hadn't yet told her to change, as well as for protection from sexual abuse by her jailors) was seen as defiance and finally sealed her fate. Joan was convicted after a fourteen-month interrogation and on May 30, 1431 she was burned at the stake in the Rouen marketplace. She was nineteen years old. Charles VII made no attempt to come to her rescue.

In 1456 a second trial was held and she was pronounced innocent of the charges against her. She was beatified in 1909 and canonized in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV.

---

Dear Children,

One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy. Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.

With Love, Amma-Naana

The world needs men and women. . .

who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a strong will;
who are larger than their vocations;
"who do not hesitate to take risks;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small affairs as in greater;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not confined to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it;"
who are true to their friends through good and bad, in adversity as well as in prosperity; who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning, and hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;

who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes." "

With Love, Amma-Naana

Good Morning

If the family has a high moral standard, the world will be an ideal world.
Love is stronger than fear.

With Love, Amma-Naana

A Song on Telangana

నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా,
నవ్వేటి బతుకులు నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా

పారేటి నీల్లల్ల పానాదులల్ల
పూసేటి పూవుల్ల పూనాసలల్లా
పారేటి…
కొంగు సాపిననేల నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
పాలుతాపిన తల్లి నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

తంగేడు పువ్వుల్లు తంబాలమంతా
తీరొక్క రంగుల్ల తీరిచ్చినా పువ్వు
తంగేడు …
తీరొక్క రంగుల్ల తీరిచ్చినా పువ్వు
బంగారు చీరలు బాజారులన్ని
బంగారు…
బతుకమ్మ పండుగ నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
బంతి పూల తోట నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

వరద గూడు కడితె వానొచ్చునంటా
బురద పొలము దున్ని మురిసున్నరంతా
వరద …
శివుని గుల్లే నీల్లు చీమలకు శెక్కరి
వానకొరకు భజన జడకొప్పులేసి
వాన …
వాగుల్ల వంకల్ల నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
సూపు రాలిన కండ్లు నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

కొత్త బట్టలు కట్టి కోటి ముచ్చట్లు
పాలపిట్టలజూసి పడుసుసప్పట్లు
కొత్త …
పాలపిట్టలజూసి పడుసుసప్పట్లు
జొన్నకర్రల జండ జోరున్నదేమి
జొన్న …
అలై బాలై తీసె నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
జమ్మి పంచిన ఆర్తి నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

మోటగొట్టే రాత్రి మోగిన పాట
తాడుబేనిన తండ్రి తలుపులున్నప్పు
మోట …
తాడుబేనిన తండ్రి తలుపులున్నప్పు
కల్ల ముడిసిన అవ్వ కలలోని గింజా
కల్ల …
ఆరుగాలం చెమట నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
ఆకలి దప్పుల మంట నా తెలంగాణా , నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

ఊరుగాచే తల్లి ఉరిమీజూడంగా
బువ్వలేని తల్లి బోనమొండిందీ
ఊరుగాచే …
బువ్వలేని తల్లి బోనమొండిందీ
సేనుకొచ్చిన పురుగు సెరిగిపోసిందా
సేను …
బోనాల పండుగ నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
కాట్రావుల ఆట నా తెలంగాణా , నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

దట్టి గట్టిన రోజు డప్పు సప్పుల్లు
పీరీల గుండంల పిలగాండ్ల ఆట
దట్టి …
పీరీల గుండంల పిలగాండ్ల ఆట
కుడుక పేర్లమొక్కు కూలి బత్కుల్లు
కుడుక …
ఆలువాడిన పాట నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
ఆత్మ గల్లా చెయ్యి నా తెలంగాణా , నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

కలిసేటి సేతుల్ల కన్నీటి పాట
సిందోల్లసిందుల్ల సిగురించే నాట్యం
కలిసేటి …
సిందోల్లసిందుల్ల సిగురించే నాట్యం
ఒగ్గు మద్దెల డప్పు వాద్య సంగీతం
ఒగ్గు …
కళలకే పుట్టుక నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
పాటగాచిన పట్టు నా తెలంగాణా , నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

తాడుబేనిన బతుకుతండ్లాటసూడు
మంటలేని కొలిమి బతుకుల్ల మంట
తాడు …
మంటలేని కొలిమి బతుకుల్ల మంట
నీళ్ళులేని చెరువు నినుజూసి నవ్వే
నీళ్ళు …
బతికిసెడ్డాబిడ్డ నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
తల్లడిల్లే తల్లి నా తెలంగాణా , నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

బురుజుగోడల పొగరు మెడలు వంచంగా
పుట్లల్ల సెట్లల్ల గోగుపువ్వుల్లూ
బురుజు …
సద్దిమోసిన తల్లీ సావుబతుకులు
పానమిచ్చిన వీరకథలు పాడంగా
పాన …
గోరుకొయ్యల పొద్దు నా తెలంగాణా, నా తెలంగాణా
గోరింకలా సభలు నా తెలంగాణా , నా తెలంగాణా
నాగేటి సాల్లల్ల…

Life is not a race. Do take it slower. Hear the music, before the song is over.

-Dancing the dance of timeless joy. Free for every girl and boy.
-You can dance anywhere, even if only in your heart.
-Dancing is the poetry of the foot.Dancing is like dreaming with your feet!
-There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.
-The dance is a poem of which each movement is a word. Dance is the hidden language of the soul.
-Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another.
-Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds.
A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing.

-Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy because he felt that an essential part of himself had been neglected.

Have a Nice Day!

With Love, Amma-Naana

Thought For The Day

-It is rewarding to find someone whom you like, but it is essential to like yourself.

-It is quickening to recognize someone as a good and decent human being, but it is indispensable to view yourself as acceptable.

-To the question of your life, you are the only answer. To the problems of your life, you are the only solution.

-One way to get the most out of life is to look upon it as an adventure.

-Life is about relationships. It is through relationships that we achieve a sense of worth and happiness.

-When we have the courage to dream and the commitment to succeed, a whole new world of opportunities opens up for us.

-Sustained good will creates friendship. Sustained friendship creates trust. Sustained trust creates compassion. Sustained compassion creates peace.

Holi: Let the colours shower the Joy.

Holi is one occasion when sprinkling colored powder or colored water on each other breaks all barriers of discrimination so that everyone looks the same and universal brotherhood is reaffirmed.

Ranging from socio-cultural, religious to biological there is every reason why we must heartily enjoy the festival and cherish the reasons for its celebrations.

Holi - the festival of colors is one of the most popular festivals of the country. It is celebrated during the Spring season and embodies all the festivity, liveliness and exuberance of the season. Holi is the festival of young hearts. Spraying colors, dancing on traditional Holi songs, rhythmic drum beats and wild processions are the common scenes that one comes across during this festival.

Holi helps to bring the society together and strengthen the secular fabric of our country.

Also, the tradition of the Holi is that even the enemies turn friends on Holi and forget any feeling of hardship that may be present.

Besides, on this day people do not differentiate between the rich and poor and everybody celebrate the festival together with a spirit of bonhomie and brotherhood. In the evening people visit friends and relatives and exchange gifts, sweets and greetings. This helps in revitalizing relationships and strengthening emotional bonds between people.

Have a nice day,

With Love, Amma - Naana