Washington Telugu Samithi - Congratulations & Best Wishes

Dear Ajay Naana,

Congratulations, for having elected as a Treasurer for 2007! Also Congratulations to the new Board 2007! Best wishes!

With love,
Amma - Naana
Edmonton, Canada.

WATS MISSION

Washington Telugu Samithi (WATS) was formed to serve the aspirations of Telugu people in preserving and cherishing their culture in the United States. WATS provides a forum for Telugu literary, cultural, educational, social, and community affairs and humanitarian activities.

New India offers huge opportunities: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh

Dear Children,

Here is an interesting news item for you to read!

With Love,
Amma-Naana

Projecting "new India" as a land of "enormous opportunities", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today invited the diaspora to invest in the country and hoped an environment would be created in which the best of every Indian could find its fullest expression.

Inaugurating a three-day congregration of diaspora -- Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) -- he spelt out steps being taken for the benefit of people of Indian origin living abroad while asking Indian universities to be more open in accepting their children.

Efforts are underway to set up an overseas facilitation centre to serve as a source of investment advice for Indian investors settled abroad, he told the gathering of about 1,200 PIOs and NRIs from 50 countries.

Proposals to constitute a council for promotion of overseas employment and to set up a university for Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) here are being considered by the government, Singh said.

"We in India wish to see you engaged in India's great adventure of building an India free from the fear of war, want and exploitation...I invite you to be active participants in this saga of great adventure and enterprise," he said at the fifth such annual conclave titled "Rooting for the Roots".

Noting that India has emerged as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, he said the country's progress creates enormous opportunities for cross-border flows of trade, capital and technology.

Thought For The Day : Liberty & Freedom

Dear Children,

The following excerpt is from my reading.

With Love,
Amma-Naana.




Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. There are only three kinds of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder 'what happened?'.

The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. There is no slavery but ignorance. Liberty is the child of intelligence. The degree of a country's freedom is the degree of its prosperity. Secrecy is the beginning of tyranny. When governments fear the people there is liberty. When the people fear the government there is tyranny. The most certain test by which we judge whether a country is really free is the amount of security enjoyed by minorities. Liberty is not solitary, unconnected, individual, selfish liberty. The liberty I mean is social freedom. It is that state of things in which liberty is secured by the equality of restraint. The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time. The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions. The history of liberty is a history of resistance.

Thought For The Day

Dear Children,

Watch your thoughts, for they become words.
Watch your words, for they become actions.
Watch your actions, for they become habits.
Watch your habits, for they become character.
Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.

Of all human resources, the most precious is the desire to improve. The difference between where we are and where we want to be will create healthy tension that can move us forward.

There is so much we can learn, There is so much we can share. We can all be an inspiration. Look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true. Forget the mistakes of the past and press on the greater achievements of the future. Life's a journey always worth taking.

Have a Nice Day!

With Love,

Amma-Naana

Wisdom

Dear Children,

Here is a short poem on Wisdom for you to read and think.

With Love,

Amma-Naana

Wisdom shines bright
And never grows dim;
Those who love her
Can easily find her.

She is quick to make herself
Known to anyone who desires her.

Get up early in the morning
To find her and you will have no problem;
You will find her sitting at the door.

To fasten your attention on wisdom is
To gain perfect understanding.

If you look for her,
You will soon find peace of mind,
Because she will be looking for those
Who are worthy of her, and
She will find you wherever you are.
She is kind and will be with you
In your every thought.

Greetings

Dear Somayya Kasani

I apologize for the delay in responding. It was necessary to wait until the atmosphere of the holiday season had passed so that I might answer your questions truthfully. Being alone during the holidays presents all sorts of challenges for me. One would think that after 10 years I would be accustomed to this solitary life I lead but Christmas and New Years are such 'family' oriented holidays that it is always difficult. Each year is better
but I still manage to get a bit unhinged through it all. Nevertheless it is now over and my next task is to look forward to the upcoming year with anticipation and optimism and your questions are providing a springboard.

First off, one's interpretation of the word 'significant' is of tantamount importance in responding to all of your questions. My own meaning differs slightly from the dictionary definition. To me it means people and things that 'matter', people and things of import, and those people and things that have the greatest influence on my thoughts and beliefs.

My family has been significant mostly in my formative years. They of course helped shape who I came to be. Now that I have my own mind the people of the greatest signifcance are those larger than life people who have made a contribution to the human condition.

John and Jacqueline Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Bono (of U2), Peter Gabriel, and people like Bessie Coleman, Madam CJ Walker, and Rosa Parks make me proud to be an African American female.

I invest most of my energy these days reading (which also includes numerous book groups), practicing lettering, making artist books, and attending concerts. The nonprofit organization Seattle Center for Book Arts and the Belltown Book Artists take a big chunk of time as well. It is all most pleasurable and satisfying.

The first 'significant' milestone in my life had to be getting my first library card. After that I think my choice of physical therapy as a profession and the decision ot work for the federal government were quite significant. I have lived several places within the US and each new place was a milestone in it's own way; Boston, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Seattle.

In my circle of family and friends, my favorites are my aunt, and women friends I have met along the journey which has been my life. My aunt raised me. My family history is complicated and some time I will tell you the story. But for now let it suffice that it is different from the norm but classic in African American culture.

I turn to my women friends for comfort and guidance. especially my friend in Aberdeen WA. We met at a year long calligraphy course in 1999 where we bonded from the first day and have grown closer since then. She is always understanding and manages to say the right thing. I have learned to chose carefully the people I open myself up to, and try very hard to maintain only satisfying relationships with people.

I feel most adventurous and exciting when I travel to new places. My trips to the UK have been fabulous. I love England, Ireland and Scotland! Once three friends and I had a rendezvous in Paris and that was especially exciting.

Things I wish: I would like to have a bigger circle of friends than I do. I long for my perfect mate to share this wonderful life with. Because of my family history, I don't have the examples of associations with the male population and I think it has left me rather clumsy and clueless. I would like to find a way to 'give back' to the community and I am still searching for the 'perfect literary' activity.

That is part of me, and you Somayya Kasani?

Love,
Lillian

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Dear Lillian, Good Morning, How are you?

Let us bring words to life everyday that bring us joy. Let us carve every word before we let it fall.

The best relationships are those that give us love, encouragement and constant support. The people who always do that for us are our three children Aparna, Ajay and Anupama. They married life-companions of their choice.

I married Vijayalakshmi in the year 1968. And we celebrated 38 years of our togetherness in last May 2006.

I worked as a teacher in government High Schools for 33 years in A P India and loved virtually every minute of it. I completed my middle School study in our village and High School study in near by town. However I did my collegiate study in Warangal, the district headquarters. I believe that simplicity, truthfulness and straight forwardness enhance the value of human life.

I have two sisters and two brothers elder to me. And I have one younger sister.
Our elder brother K N was a freedom-fighter. He was a member of Legislative Assembly for a term. He died of heart-attack in the year 2005. My parents, Shri Ramaiah and Smt Devamma were agriculturists by profession.

I have friends from infants to senior citizens. But I would like to associate more with the young who are more enthusiastic, energetic and straight forward.

This is all about me, dear Lillian.

- Somayya Kasani