many happy returns of the day sumana.-mummy-daddy
November 30, 2014
Manasa and Chaithanya's anniversary at Bitragunta
On the occasion, Chandana Alankaram and Poolangi Seva were performed to lord Venkateswara at Bitragunta. It was really great and was like " choodadaniki kannulu chala ledu". The family at bttr--
November 25, 2014
My Weekends...
Wait! Where did you go?? Hey come back!
A typical weekend for me starts on Friday night!! I am 26 - only married technically, no kids, no major responsibilities. So yeah you can imagine how crazy wild it can get :)
Den 1: Fremont
If I'm in the mood for some music(we rock our bodies to Chitra lullabies people!!), dance(ranges from the over-the-top awesome 'bang bang' to the extremely groovy 'rose(4) roja puvva'), mickeymouse/calliou, late night movie screenings and sarcasm, I head out to Fremont.
The day ends with a promise to go hiking and be fitter people the following morning. I sleep after getting amped up. Inevitably the universe is against us the next morning - it is sunny or chilly or rainy or cloudy or late or early or ... or ... or... or... c'mon mother nature!
So after breakfast (usually wash down 4 pancakes and an omlette with some coconut water .. ) I watch vadina do chores around the house while toying with ajju for some entertainment!! We then go to costco for some snacks in the form of samples and wait for the sun to set.
Come evening, the chromecasting starts and may it never end. Great comedians like brahmanandam, srilakshmi, jandhyala, sutti velu.. err the entire tollywood industry, visit us and entertain us. But usually we deliver the dialogues, the tv is just for the images :) After trying to teach a disinterested arjun a few crooked dance moves in vain, everyone heads to bed...
Den 2: Newark
If I'm in the mood for exotic (usually edible) food, documentaries (their specialty? they are abridged movies that challenge your imagination to fill the skipped/forwarded content), minecraft/spongebob and hours of taaaaaaaalk (interesting? always, long? duh!!) I head to Newark.
I try to keep up with kuppakka and stay awake (honestly, i did try using matchsticks to keep eyelids apart!). Eventually at around 2 am I give in and head to bed.
Come, saturday morning, I wake up with a pain in my shoulders or arms or stomach or legs or back (thank u adi, for pummeling me at night), usually late and to the aroma of coffee. Seenu bava being the awesome person he is always makes an extra cup.. Then adi makes up for his kicks in the form of waffles.. (he is a good chef).
After seenu bava and aditya set out on their schedule - karate+swim+boys scouts+book reports+ science experiments+quiz bowl+everything else that grabs kuppakkas attention; we laze around for a bit and do some chores (put those eyebrows down now!)
We set out to go to costco but get distracted by posters of garage sales. After some pretty petty shopping at all local open garages and hope stations, we discuss at length on what to eat for lunch.
Once that gets out of the way, we sit to plan or do some research. Somehow there is always something that we need to plan for. Christmas parties, bommala koluvus, festivals (sankranthi, diwali, vinayaka chaviti), apartments to rent, houses to buy, books to read, events to attend, bussiness trips, holiday trips, family gatherings, immigration rules, cars to buy, auto insurance rules, taxes.. something!
Halfway through it all, we decide its not a big deal, do some online window shopping and skip through a couple of movies.. to be joined by the family from fremont. A kumbaya followed by a lengthy game of cards follows.
(Sundays are usually chore days! Office work, work at home, obligatory parties.. hence declared not part of a weekend)
Oh...
I wouldnt have it any other way!! :)
A typical weekend for me starts on Friday night!! I am 26 - only married technically, no kids, no major responsibilities. So yeah you can imagine how crazy wild it can get :)
Den 1: Fremont
If I'm in the mood for some music(we rock our bodies to Chitra lullabies people!!), dance(ranges from the over-the-top awesome 'bang bang' to the extremely groovy 'rose(4) roja puvva'), mickeymouse/calliou, late night movie screenings and sarcasm, I head out to Fremont.
The day ends with a promise to go hiking and be fitter people the following morning. I sleep after getting amped up. Inevitably the universe is against us the next morning - it is sunny or chilly or rainy or cloudy or late or early or ... or ... or... or... c'mon mother nature!
So after breakfast (usually wash down 4 pancakes and an omlette with some coconut water .. ) I watch vadina do chores around the house while toying with ajju for some entertainment!! We then go to costco for some snacks in the form of samples and wait for the sun to set.
Come evening, the chromecasting starts and may it never end. Great comedians like brahmanandam, srilakshmi, jandhyala, sutti velu.. err the entire tollywood industry, visit us and entertain us. But usually we deliver the dialogues, the tv is just for the images :) After trying to teach a disinterested arjun a few crooked dance moves in vain, everyone heads to bed...
Den 2: Newark
If I'm in the mood for exotic (usually edible) food, documentaries (their specialty? they are abridged movies that challenge your imagination to fill the skipped/forwarded content), minecraft/spongebob and hours of taaaaaaaalk (interesting? always, long? duh!!) I head to Newark.
I try to keep up with kuppakka and stay awake (honestly, i did try using matchsticks to keep eyelids apart!). Eventually at around 2 am I give in and head to bed.
Come, saturday morning, I wake up with a pain in my shoulders or arms or stomach or legs or back (thank u adi, for pummeling me at night), usually late and to the aroma of coffee. Seenu bava being the awesome person he is always makes an extra cup.. Then adi makes up for his kicks in the form of waffles.. (he is a good chef).
After seenu bava and aditya set out on their schedule - karate+swim+boys scouts+book reports+ science experiments+quiz bowl+everything else that grabs kuppakkas attention; we laze around for a bit and do some chores (put those eyebrows down now!)
We set out to go to costco but get distracted by posters of garage sales. After some pretty petty shopping at all local open garages and hope stations, we discuss at length on what to eat for lunch.
Once that gets out of the way, we sit to plan or do some research. Somehow there is always something that we need to plan for. Christmas parties, bommala koluvus, festivals (sankranthi, diwali, vinayaka chaviti), apartments to rent, houses to buy, books to read, events to attend, bussiness trips, holiday trips, family gatherings, immigration rules, cars to buy, auto insurance rules, taxes.. something!
Halfway through it all, we decide its not a big deal, do some online window shopping and skip through a couple of movies.. to be joined by the family from fremont. A kumbaya followed by a lengthy game of cards follows.
(Sundays are usually chore days! Office work, work at home, obligatory parties.. hence declared not part of a weekend)
Oh...
I wouldnt have it any other way!! :)
November 22, 2014
Krupa Singampalli or should I say "The Pastry Chef"
QUOTE: Coming to the Bay area has its perks! - Krupa Singampalli and Mrudula.
Keeping aside the fact that technical opportunities are great here, the second best thing in Bay Area is probably getting a taste of Kuppakka's cakes and baked goodies.
PREQUEL:
One thing I am sure everyone in the family agrees upon is the fact that Kuppakka is a perfectionist. When she hosts something she goes all out. (First hand experience from Dusshera bommala koluvu :D). Mrudula, me, kuppakka and sudha vadina were planning on hosting a White Elephant Gift Exchange party before Christmas this year (December 6th to be specific). So, as usual kuppakka's planning started a month early.
STAGE 1:
She sat down and made an extensive list of recipes, decorative items and a theme.
STAGE 2:
She went over the list a GAZZILLION times and finally finalized on a few. (:P)
STAGE 3:
She wanted to make sure the recipes she selected were not completely out of our league. So like dress rehearsals we had cooking rehearsals yesterday. She wanted to time the entire process and make sure we could finish baking on time. (All this in preparation for the actual day)
Coming back to the post. Yesterday, during cooking rehearsals, was the first time I had the awesome opportunity to eat one of the very famous and highly talked about cakes that kuppakka makes.
All I can say are two things.
1) If you have not tasted them, then, well........ Poor you!
2) Everything everyone ever said about the cakes, or in fact all the adjectives (good ones) ever used to describe these cakes are an understatement. These are beyond awesome and beyond description.
So, Kuppakka, I dedicate this post to you and all I am trying to do here is a little justice to the gigantic amount of effort you go through to make them for us.
THANK YOU!
Love,
Lavanya.
November 15, 2014
First job :)
Hello everyone,
How is everybody?
I recently joined my first job at "INFORMATICA CORPORATION" :) My title is "Associate Product Specialist". I wanted to tell everyone after I joined and got a taste of what it feels like to work in a company, because this way there is more to say and share.
So, as expected everything is different and new and I am trying my best to fit in and get accustomed to a routine schedule. So far, its been a week and things are starting to look good. I wish the commute was better though because right now it takes me 45 minutes to get to my office and during rush hour it is over an hour. I like the work and I enjoy going to work everyday. My team mates are helpful and very welcoming. I am undergoing training now (for about six months).
Company URL:
INFORMATICA CORP.
That's all folks!! More pictures with team and office in my next post!
How is everybody?
I recently joined my first job at "INFORMATICA CORPORATION" :) My title is "Associate Product Specialist". I wanted to tell everyone after I joined and got a taste of what it feels like to work in a company, because this way there is more to say and share.
So, as expected everything is different and new and I am trying my best to fit in and get accustomed to a routine schedule. So far, its been a week and things are starting to look good. I wish the commute was better though because right now it takes me 45 minutes to get to my office and during rush hour it is over an hour. I like the work and I enjoy going to work everyday. My team mates are helpful and very welcoming. I am undergoing training now (for about six months).
Company URL:
INFORMATICA CORP.
That's all folks!! More pictures with team and office in my next post!
November 14, 2014
The case of the chiming clock
The case of the chiming clock
In our childhood we had a German clock in our house with beautiful
chiming sound. It was gleaming chrome white and never rusted.There were many
sweet memories about that clock. When we were allowed to listen to Bianca Geet
Mala, father used to come for English news by the stroke of nine.
It started mal functioning and was finally discarded after
many attempts of repair.
There was another chiming clock presented to SLN by the
staff of Katteri Kuppam P.H.C at the time of his marraige.Though it is
manufactured in Bandar, its sound was also pleasing and it also became a part
of our house.
When SLN was shifting to Bungalow Street, he kept the
clock in old town only.SRM used to wake up early in the morning for his Sandhya
Vandanam and his vision was very bad. He can hear the chimes and wake up, he
said. The clock stayed at old house after father’s death. I brought the clock
to Hyderabad .Durga faith fully gives the key and it runs. I listen to the
chimes and remember SRM
November 5, 2014
November 4, 2014
PERRY MASON IN BIHAR SERVICE COMMISSION SITE
Please check this link
http://bpsc.bih.nic.in/Books.htm
http://bpsc.bih.nic.in/Books.htm
October 25, 2014
October 22, 2014
Alaska Trip - Part 1
Well, there is a long series of posts that are way overdue...starting with our Alaska trip, Amma and Nanna's visit, Adi's Summer, Bommala Koluvu and the family sagas in general... As I start making my way down the list, here is the first one...First part of our Alaska trip in Anchorage.
Enjoy
http://krupastravelogue.wordpress.com/2014/10/22/planes-trains-automobiles-alaska-redux-part-1-anchorage/
Enjoy
http://krupastravelogue.wordpress.com/2014/10/22/planes-trains-automobiles-alaska-redux-part-1-anchorage/
October 21, 2014
CVSC in Family Legend
In Family Legend, my name is short coded as CVSC.. reminding me of SVSC with a small change being Chaitanya Vaakitlo Singampalli Chettu :P
October 14, 2014
Goodbye USA
I am just leaving the shores of USA. I do so with mixed feelings. Sad to leave all the kids but happy to be heading home. As I said in an earlier post, This is the best US trip I had.
Of course my kids, spouses and grand kids are a source of joy ever. But this time the added presence of Mrudula, Lavanya and a brief cameo appearance of Manasa made me really happy. Aneesh was good company, mostly silent, fun to be with and the thoughtfulness he showed by gifting me a kindle (I told him, in a casual conversation, that I broke mine) was indicative of his affectionate nature. Chaithanya is an opposite of Aneesh--always bubbling with energy and fun, joking and enthusiastic about anything thrown at him.
LA trip was a fun filled one and Aradhya was worth the strain and the use of 6 painkillers.
Raghav is playful and we all enjoyed his company. Krups and Poonam are Krups and Poonam. You all know them. Surendra and chandra Tripathi were great company.
The Bommala Koluvu was a grand success and resulted in several dinner invites.
Meeting NSRK, and Vamsi Nandanavanam and having dinners with them showed that the world indeed is small. We met several other guys from Kavali as well as several friends of Krupa and Srinu and Srinu.
All in all a great time and I made two large furrows in the daybeds in both houses.
So--Goodbye California and India! here I come.
Homeward bound-
SLN
PS: forgot a very important fact---Unlimited leg pressing by multiple operators, throughout the day at all kinds of venues---GANESH
Of course my kids, spouses and grand kids are a source of joy ever. But this time the added presence of Mrudula, Lavanya and a brief cameo appearance of Manasa made me really happy. Aneesh was good company, mostly silent, fun to be with and the thoughtfulness he showed by gifting me a kindle (I told him, in a casual conversation, that I broke mine) was indicative of his affectionate nature. Chaithanya is an opposite of Aneesh--always bubbling with energy and fun, joking and enthusiastic about anything thrown at him.
LA trip was a fun filled one and Aradhya was worth the strain and the use of 6 painkillers.
Raghav is playful and we all enjoyed his company. Krups and Poonam are Krups and Poonam. You all know them. Surendra and chandra Tripathi were great company.
The Bommala Koluvu was a grand success and resulted in several dinner invites.
Meeting NSRK, and Vamsi Nandanavanam and having dinners with them showed that the world indeed is small. We met several other guys from Kavali as well as several friends of Krupa and Srinu and Srinu.
All in all a great time and I made two large furrows in the daybeds in both houses.
So--Goodbye California and India! here I come.
Homeward bound-
SLN
PS: forgot a very important fact---Unlimited leg pressing by multiple operators, throughout the day at all kinds of venues---GANESH
October 13, 2014
HUDHUD
The devastating Cyclone Hudhud crossed coast near
vizag yesterday. Gopal wanted me to post
this update to every body in the family.
1. There is no power. So no lights or fans or t.v.or
computer
2. No milk since there is no storage.
3. Rice and food articles are there. So they are
cooking and eating.
4. No transport. Trees fell all over the roads. Will
take time to clear.
5. Telephones are just coming. Able to talk with Sarada
and me.
6. The sheds in front of the house are damaged. No real damage inside.
All are safe.
October 8, 2014
A letter to Babai
Dear Babai
The new (letter) format of posting is a definite hit! I enjoyed every word of it. The best part: I get to reply to you with this letter, probably after 28-30 years, when I used to send poetry postcards to all the babais.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was also a day when I counted our blessings. I feel proud of all my cousins- they are charming, they are cheerful, they are responsible and they play a mean game of dumb-C! And on behalf of them all, I feel fortunate that they have such well matched spouses.
And Both Raghav and Aradhya were lucky to receive the direct blessings of her grandparents when they were wee kids. Raghav got a visit from you in Bangalore (re-posting here: http://singampalli.blogspot.com/2011/07/krupas-visit-to-blr.html) and now Aradhya did too.
So, many thanks to Krupa, Mruduls and all others who made this trip happen. May this be a new family tradition!
Krupakar
The new (letter) format of posting is a definite hit! I enjoyed every word of it. The best part: I get to reply to you with this letter, probably after 28-30 years, when I used to send poetry postcards to all the babais.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the day. It was also a day when I counted our blessings. I feel proud of all my cousins- they are charming, they are cheerful, they are responsible and they play a mean game of dumb-C! And on behalf of them all, I feel fortunate that they have such well matched spouses.
And Both Raghav and Aradhya were lucky to receive the direct blessings of her grandparents when they were wee kids. Raghav got a visit from you in Bangalore (re-posting here: http://singampalli.blogspot.com/2011/07/krupas-visit-to-blr.html) and now Aradhya did too.
So, many thanks to Krupa, Mruduls and all others who made this trip happen. May this be a new family tradition!
Krupakar
October 7, 2014
A Letter to Krupakar
Hi Krups!
We had a nice time and enjoyed the trip. Though Krupa and SSV planned to hold it here, it was in the fitness of things that, you, as the eldest of the current US branch, hold the convention. Aradhya is the factor that tilted the scales. She seems to be a born facilitator. Take good care of her. Thank Chandraji and Poonam for the nice lunch and dinner. Papa is so young in heart ( inspite of ----as Mrudula would say). The house was clean and neat and I am glad that we could redecorate it in full Singampalli style with clothes on chairs and toys underfoot, food everywhere and water glasses precariously perched. Raghav is looking healthy and is so friendly. You and Poonam must be enjoying the job of handling two kids at one time. Good for your health too.
My love to the youngest baby. Hope your plans for the Next month end fructify.
Best wishes and blessings,
Babai.
PS: I thought I shall experiment this way of posting. How do you folks like it?
We had a nice time and enjoyed the trip. Though Krupa and SSV planned to hold it here, it was in the fitness of things that, you, as the eldest of the current US branch, hold the convention. Aradhya is the factor that tilted the scales. She seems to be a born facilitator. Take good care of her. Thank Chandraji and Poonam for the nice lunch and dinner. Papa is so young in heart ( inspite of ----as Mrudula would say). The house was clean and neat and I am glad that we could redecorate it in full Singampalli style with clothes on chairs and toys underfoot, food everywhere and water glasses precariously perched. Raghav is looking healthy and is so friendly. You and Poonam must be enjoying the job of handling two kids at one time. Good for your health too.
My love to the youngest baby. Hope your plans for the Next month end fructify.
Best wishes and blessings,
Babai.
PS: I thought I shall experiment this way of posting. How do you folks like it?
October 6, 2014
The Family Reunion in USA
When you have only two things you can compare, you can't use superlative-- but, at the cost of criticism from Saradakumari, I shall say that this is the best trip to USA I have had.
The combined effort of the gang of Singampallis and their spouses in the arrangement of Koluvu was stupendous and the result was astounding. When Krupa dressed up in a sari and played the hostess, Sudha, Mrudula and Lavi did the work and headed the cleaning gang. But for their artistry, the handmade things would not have been so worthy of appreciation. The cooperation of IS, SSV and most importantly me , by keeping away from the scene of action was invaluable. Of course IS did contribute to the arrangement of lights etc. Gouri was in her element ordering everyone around and arranging things.
I had a great time with my children and children in laws. The grandchildren were the reason for my trip and I had a grand time playing with them. My other daughters and Aneesh were great company.
With so many people around, it was Ganesh time. (any house, anytime somebody there for pressing my legs.)
The trip to LA was the highlight of this visit. The steady and safe driving by IS, the entertainment provided by Krupa, Mrudula, Lavanya, Sudha and Aneesh on the trip to LA were very good. The noise from the back seats while playing charades was enough to keep IS alert and even the surrounding traffic was affected, I am sure.
Aradhya was very beautiful ( if it was Facebook, I would have used the frivolous cute or cho chweet). The Tripathis were nice and happy company and the way they also entered the fray in dumb charades was great. Aneesh and Chaitanya are nice company- ready to enter into any activity and were fun to be with. The inventiveness and imagination displayed in playing dumb charades were really super with the first place to Chaithanya and second place to Lavi. Gowri was a popular performer as can be seen in the photo in Krupakar's post. The kids loved the mamas ( Aneesh andChaithanya) and were VERY enamoured of Attas (even the newcomer Manasatta).
The group photo was very entertaining being a Kappala Thakkeda and finally we got it done.
We were very sorry to see off Chaithanya and Manasatta and we will miss Aneesh when he goes off .
Finally, it will be difficult to start back. I will miss the children but Kavali calls and I have to respond.
So, I repeat- this is my best trip to USA.
The combined effort of the gang of Singampallis and their spouses in the arrangement of Koluvu was stupendous and the result was astounding. When Krupa dressed up in a sari and played the hostess, Sudha, Mrudula and Lavi did the work and headed the cleaning gang. But for their artistry, the handmade things would not have been so worthy of appreciation. The cooperation of IS, SSV and most importantly me , by keeping away from the scene of action was invaluable. Of course IS did contribute to the arrangement of lights etc. Gouri was in her element ordering everyone around and arranging things.
I had a great time with my children and children in laws. The grandchildren were the reason for my trip and I had a grand time playing with them. My other daughters and Aneesh were great company.
With so many people around, it was Ganesh time. (any house, anytime somebody there for pressing my legs.)
The trip to LA was the highlight of this visit. The steady and safe driving by IS, the entertainment provided by Krupa, Mrudula, Lavanya, Sudha and Aneesh on the trip to LA were very good. The noise from the back seats while playing charades was enough to keep IS alert and even the surrounding traffic was affected, I am sure.
Aradhya was very beautiful ( if it was Facebook, I would have used the frivolous cute or cho chweet). The Tripathis were nice and happy company and the way they also entered the fray in dumb charades was great. Aneesh and Chaitanya are nice company- ready to enter into any activity and were fun to be with. The inventiveness and imagination displayed in playing dumb charades were really super with the first place to Chaithanya and second place to Lavi. Gowri was a popular performer as can be seen in the photo in Krupakar's post. The kids loved the mamas ( Aneesh andChaithanya) and were VERY enamoured of Attas (even the newcomer Manasatta).
The group photo was very entertaining being a Kappala Thakkeda and finally we got it done.
We were very sorry to see off Chaithanya and Manasatta and we will miss Aneesh when he goes off .
Finally, it will be difficult to start back. I will miss the children but Kavali calls and I have to respond.
So, I repeat- this is my best trip to USA.
October 5, 2014
Singampallis & Spouses @ Chino Hills
The decibel and happiness levels at Chino Hills went up significantly on Saturday when all the Singampallis in the US came to Chino Hills, California to meet the newest Singampalli on the planet. The delegation was led by the clan chief SLN and rounded off by the clan mischief Ajju, with various numbers of geriatrics (as per Mrudula) in between. Everyone was happy to see the baby and Mrudula was encouraged to see that there was no sag in my skin despite my advanced age of 30 something (sorry Mruduls, too tempting not to take a dig :)).
We got to meet the latest Sons-in-law for the first time. Various Singampalli style activities were carried out: Poker, Dumb Charades and discussions on topical events. Kids had fun and photographs were taken. A lot of food was made and a good bit of it was consumed. It was a great day, and the world is definitely a village nowadays. Else who could have expected such a gathering so far away from our own village-town Kavali?
We got to meet the latest Sons-in-law for the first time. Various Singampalli style activities were carried out: Poker, Dumb Charades and discussions on topical events. Kids had fun and photographs were taken. A lot of food was made and a good bit of it was consumed. It was a great day, and the world is definitely a village nowadays. Else who could have expected such a gathering so far away from our own village-town Kavali?
 |
| Dumb-C in action |
 |
| Sons-in-law |
 |
| Daughters-in-law |
 |
| Aradhya enjoyed the attention! |
September 23, 2014
August 31, 2014
Singampalli Happenings: HBD Krupakar
Singampalli Happenings: HBD Krupakar: Many many Happy returns of the day.HBD KRUPS
August 25, 2014
August 24, 2014
6.0 earthquake in Bay Area
Apparently Amma felt it. I was fast asleep. We r all ok. No damage at my house. Have to ask SSV.
This birthday is shaping up eventful. split lip from a fall after cake cutting yesterday and earth quake to greet the morning. :-)
This birthday is shaping up eventful. split lip from a fall after cake cutting yesterday and earth quake to greet the morning. :-)
August 12, 2014
August 8, 2014
July 31, 2014
July 30, 2014
A dedication....
Dedicating my thesis to the most important person of my life...This is an excerpt from the dedication page of my thesis...
"I would like to dedicate this thesis to my father who gave me the courage and inspiration I needed at every walk of my life. He showed me that anything is possible with faith, hard work and determination. It is impossible to thank him adequately for everything he has done for me. I could not have asked for a better parent or role-model."
Thank you once again for everything :)
Lots of love,
Lavi :)
"I would like to dedicate this thesis to my father who gave me the courage and inspiration I needed at every walk of my life. He showed me that anything is possible with faith, hard work and determination. It is impossible to thank him adequately for everything he has done for me. I could not have asked for a better parent or role-model."
Thank you once again for everything :)
Lots of love,
Lavi :)
July 29, 2014
July 15, 2014
A shortage of names................
I was applying for a loan the other day and my credit report came back with names I am also know for...one of which was...........................get this...............Krupakar Singampally. As if there is not enough confusion with another Lakshmi Krupa Singampalli living at the same address with a completely different birthdate and different credit history......................
Ah the implications of family names!!!!
Ah the implications of family names!!!!
July 13, 2014
Crazy swimming
As those of you who know more about my schedule know that I have meets every Saturday. Today, when I was swimming the medley relay , My goggles flipped and went the opposite intended way on my face. I just kept on swimming and crashed into the lane line quite a few times. Those who were watching later said that I was swimming in a zig-zag way. When I told them what had happened the burst out laughing. :-D Well, that's it for now!
July 12, 2014
July 9, 2014
On a hot summer afternoon in Kavali-II
June 30, 2014
అంతర్యామి సర్వాంతర్యామి
నీ తోనే ఉన్నాడు, నీ లోనే ఉన్నాడు, నీ వెన్నంటి నడుస్తూ, నీ ముందుండి నడిపిస్తూ
నా తోడై, నా నీడై, నా వాడై
మన చుట్టూ, మనకంటూ, మనకోసం
నీ దేవుడు, నీ భవుడు, నా రాముడు , నా బుధ్ధుడు. మన అల్లా, మన క్రీస్తు .
అనవరతం తపిస్తూ, నిరంతరం జపిస్తూ
వెదకి వెదకి వేసారి
శ్రమిస్తే, విశ్రమిస్తే, విలపిస్తే
సేదతీర్చి ఓదార్చి,
తన ఒడిలో, తన బడిలో, లాలిస్తూ, చోటిస్తూ,
నిత్యమై, సత్యమై, స్వీయాత్మై , పరమాత్మై
అతడే అతడే .
నీరెండలొ, జడివానలొ, మంచులో, ముంపులో, జరలో, రుజలో
శ్వాసిస్తూ, శాసిస్తూ, అలరిస్తూ, ఆశిస్సులతో
నీ కార్యం, నీ కర్మం , ఈశ్వరుడు, ఆనశ్వరుడు
అతడే అతడే .
స్తుతిస్తే వికసించడు, నిందిస్తే వాడిపోడు
భరిస్తూ, అవధరిస్తూ, నీ దైవం, నీ సర్వం
సర్వఙుడు, సర్వహితుడు
అతడే అతడే .
పసిపాపను లాలిస్తే, పాలిస్తే,
బోసినవ్వులో అతడే
వ్రుధ్ధులను సాంతంగా ఆదరిస్తే,
క్రుధ్ధులను శాంతంగా అలరిస్తే ,
పాపహారి, మనోవిహారి
అతడే అతడే .
తల్లికి వందనమంటే , తండ్రికి అందలమంటే
పెద్దలకు ఆసరా, బాధితులకు ఊతం నువ్విస్తే
నా శిశువును నవ్విస్తూ , నీ జీవన హవిస్సై
ఆద్యుడు, వంద్యుడు
అతడే అతడే .
పచ్చదనం ,వెచ్చదనం,మచ్చలేని జీవితం,మెచ్చబడే భవితం, నీకిస్తూ
నా కడుపు పండగ,నీ ఇంటి పండగ, నా కండై, నీ" కండై" , మన అండదండై నీ కై ,నీ " కై"
నీ జీవం,నా జవం,మన శివం
అతడే అతడే
June 27, 2014
Aditya's Book Report on "Patty Reed's Doll"
I think he did a good job. The book is about the migration to the west as part of the Donner-Reed party. The report is written as a letter to the editor from the perspective of a member of the party.
The
Journey
Our
Trials & Tribulations
My
reflections
To THE
EDITOR OF SPRINGFIELD TIMES,
As a
member of the Donner-Reed party, I would like to explain what happened on our
trip to California. My name is Aditya
Indla and it is my pleasure to be writing this letter to you. I really hope you
can print this letter so other California enthusiasts know what to expect along
the way.
Our
trip was very awe-inspiring, yet full of terrible dangers. Many famous
landmarks such as: the beautiful, naturally carved Chimney Rock which looked
remarkably like a chimney; the sentinels of the west, the cold, brutal Rocky
Mountains; and the high Scott’s Bluff were dotted along the trail that many
emigrants including the Donner-Reed party followed. The trail was full of
Indians from ones who would beg for food and help us to others who would attack
us at the slightest whim. The delightfully sweet smell of the flowers, like
nothing could ever go wrong again was very relaxing, but we were to be proven
wrong mostly because: all of the animals seemed to have deserted us so we could
not depend on animals as a major food source. In the Rockies, when we were
stranded, our only food was what we had packed, which depleted fast. Many grew
angry at Mr. Reed and blamed him for the hardships that befell us. I thought, though, that Mr. Reed had made the
greatest effort of us all. At rare intermissions between the hardships we
faced, the trip was also full of many beautiful places that seemed so much like
Heaven, which everybody loved, and many wanted to stay there.
The
Journey
We began
our trip with high spirits, sure that most of us would make it to the wild and
untamed land of California. After a few
hours, we reached the borders of Illinois, to be greeted by an orchard of
beautiful cherry and crab apple flowers along with the runners of the sweet
strawberries growing.
On May
11th our party reached Independence, the last town on the frontier.
Mr. Reed, our leader, arranged for more wagons of provisions to help us reach
California. Just then, the clouds of tiny insects known as pesky skeeters
attacked us, proving to be a nuisance along the trail. Indians were common in
Independence as they would trade for clothes, food, and other necessary items.
After a few days out on the prairie, one fine morning, we stumbled upon a
giant, sweet smelling carpet of pink and blue. The girls loved the beautifully
pink verbena, while the dark blue wild indigo, larkspur, and bluebells were the
favorite of the boys.
One
day, Mr. Reed’s family had a surprise visitor. The visitor was a Kaw Indian and
the rest of his tribe was outside, begging everyone for food, buttons or
anything they took a fancy to. The next part of the trip was to cross the Big
Blue River, but we had no means to do so. After many cold and strenuous days of
waiting on the banks of the river, we finally built a raft to take us across. We
eventually reached a very dry stretch of land which was home to the Pawnee
Indians. The Indians invaded camps and the only way to keep them away was to fire
guns.
Mr.
Reed also led us to a family of prairie dogs and their complex underground
towns. An elk was shot and cooked to
provide us food for the time. Eventually we came to the grand and amazing
Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock was created by rain and wind blowing away at the
limestone and other soft stones to create the solid block it used to be.
We
reached Fort Laramie on July 3rd. The next day, on the Fourth of
July, we toasted to friends left behind and for our own luck on the trail to California.
We met Sioux Indians in the middle of their war dance and they were extremely
friendly to us. They wanted to trade for one of our horses and Patty’s sister,
Puss. Patty was Mr. Reed’s daughter. Mr. Reed politely refused but the Indians
kept bringing up items, so Puss was sent to the wagon. After we left Fort
Laramie, we only caught fleeting glimpses of owls and wolves, for no other
animals dare go near Fort Laramie. The mighty sentinels of the West, the
Rockies and the Sierra Nevada, stood in our way to California. These mighty mountains
were untamed by man and stood as a defiant wall that must be scaled to reach
the new land of California, the last remaining obstacles standing in our way.
Our
Trials & Tribulations
The
trip was not all fields and flowers, though. We were faced by many hardships
along the way, but fought through and refused to give up. Please allow me to
describe them to you.
Our
first major hardship began in the Valley of the Platte. We were running low on
water and there were very few springs. The party had to drink from the muddy
Platte River. All of the children were
complaining about the disagreeable taste. Fortunately, we found more and
more springs full of fresh water, otherwise our journey might have ended then
and there.
When we
reached Fort Laramie, we restocked provisions and celebrated the 4th
of July. The next part required a trip across the Rocky Mountains, where we promptly
got stranded!!!!! Our food was running out and we were also running out of
water. We waited until some of the snow melted and collected water, which we
stocked for the trip and followed the path made by other wagons that we found
after the snow had melted.
Once we escaped, we had to travel to Fort
Bridger to renew our supplies. At Fort Bridger we got a message from Mr.
Hastings, who was an aquantaince of Mr. Reed’s, which said that there was a
path through a canyon which would save three hundred miles from a trip around
Fort Hall, which was the normal route. The path seemed much harder than Mr.
Hastings had let on. We were stuck there!!!!!!
Our wagons were trapped in the valley and had
to take another path. Mr. Hastings recounted that the path he told us about was
all what he heard, but there was a mountain path that would be much easier to
pass than the valley path. After twenty-one long, hard days of climbing we
finally crossed the mountain and entered the Salt Lake valley.
After twenty-two more days of travelling, we
camped at a strange place that was full of wells filled with cold water, which
was the last place to find water, as told to us by a letter from Mr. Hastings
that said,” Two days and two nights of hard driving to reach the next grass and
water.” Everyone was angry at Mr. Hastings because he told us that this was an
easy trip, but it was actually extremely difficult.
In the
middle of the drive, there was a large mountain to cross, which annoyed
everybody even more. All of our water was running out extremely quick, and
before we even reached the mountain, we ran out of the water we had packed. Many
almost went mad with thirst and one of our own oxen went so crazy from thirst
that it broke free and charged into the desert! In order to survive, all of the
party had to get rid of most of their belongings.
Most of
us thought that the worst was over, but when we were almost in California, we got
trapped in the Sierra Nevada! This time, it was even more dreadful than in the
Rockies. Sickness spread like wildfire through our camps and many caught
diseases like cholera and typhoid. Many died of hunger and the rest were
trapped until they died or the snows melted.
Finally,
though, men from California came and took us to Sutter’s Fort, where we would
live the rest of our lives in peace.
During
this trip, many major choices were made, some good and some bad. One of them
was whether to follow Mr. Hastings or to go the normal route which was much
safer. Another was whether to keep all of our belongings and maybe die because
we were too slow. Our final choice was whether to go into the Sierra Nevada
just before the snow falls or go after the snow melts and probably run out of
food. My advice would be to take the normal trail because it is much safer.
Also, do not cross the Sierra just before the snow falls because you might get
trapped, just like we did and if you wait until the snow melts, you might not
get stranded.
My
reflections
I
changed much as a result of this long and hard journey. I learned to never take
life for granted, and never to underestimate the power of human bravery and
perseverance in the face of recurring hardships. Many sacrificed their lives
trying to get to California and if they had just turned back, I wouldn’t be
writing this letter to you! If we hadn’t gone just because going west became
very difficult, California probably wouldn’t have become a state. Many of our
most faithful travelers died from starvation and lack of water. One who died
was Milt, our most faithful helper and our teamster, who led the oxen. His
memory inspired us to work harder to survive to fulfill his dream of getting us
to California. I changed because I learned the magnitude of many sacrifices
made by people like him.
Mr.
Hastings said that the pass would be easy, but it was actually the hardest part
of our journey. He just guessed about the route based on what others said, and
not always correctly. He also conveniently forgot to mention that there was a
mountain in the middle of the desert. I learned to not blindly trust others
because no one can be omniscient.
If I could change one thing, I would change
the route we took. If we took the Fort Hall route, it may have been longer, but
we would still be safe and we could get more provisions and water. Many of our
friends would probably still be alive and with us if we hadn’t gone through the
pass and lost most of our food and water. The Fort Hall route was the most
common route taken, and it is better to be safe than sorry, especially when one
extra barrel of water or one extra bunch of provisions can make all the difference
in how many survive another day.
In the
end, though, everything turned out all right. Most of us made it to California,
though some of our most faithful helpers died along the way. One day, this
newspaper letter and Patty’s doll will be the only things that will help people
remember the ill-fated Donner-Reed party, although none of the members of the
party will ever forget the amount of suffering we had to endure.
YOURS SINCERELY
ADITYA
INDLA
June 18, 2014
Grrrrrrrr..............
I got to 2048 and was well on my way, chugging along to get to 4096 and the iPad battery dies...............................
June 16, 2014
5 years of Excellence (and Scholarship)
June 11th was my merit assembly. That day, we get awards based on how we have done at school. I received a scholarship and certificate of excellence for five years in a row. I always get nervous about the awards especially when it comes to scholarship.
June 13, 2014
what say you guys?
inputs from infy guys, SAP gmbh and the rest of the "pun"dits about the broad coin (large money) as aptly put by murthy!!!
June 9, 2014
Singampalli Family Pride
Yesterday, Arjun was left in care of his aunts while mom & dad had a night out at the baseball park. Hearing Adi and Arjun in the backyard, our neighbors's little kid, a worshiper of Adi Bee(brother in Gujarati) wanted to come over and play. Of course, ours being the open house it is, dad and son came over. The dad was guiding his son in play, asking his to throw the ball over to Adi bee and Ajju bee in turns.
As soon as the dad says " throw the ball over to Ajju Bee", Arjun goes all serious..." I don't want to be Ajju Bee..I want to be Ajju Singampalli". Family pride indeed :-)
As soon as the dad says " throw the ball over to Ajju Bee", Arjun goes all serious..." I don't want to be Ajju Bee..I want to be Ajju Singampalli". Family pride indeed :-)
June 1, 2014
Yatra Naryasthu Poojyanthe
లేవు తల్లీ ఎపుడు కురవని హిమసముహాలు
ఉన్నవన్నీ మండుటెండలు ఎర్రనెర్రని నిప్పుకణికలు
కుసుమకోమల తన్వితనువు నలిపివేసెను పోతుటీగలు
వనిత నవనీత హృదయం మాడిపోయెను అగ్గిమంటల
అమ్మా! నీ గర్భఫలం మగువ పాలిటి విషఫలం
అక్కా! నీ చిట్టితమ్ముడు చెలియకాయెను కాలయముడు
బుజ్జీ ! నినుగన్న తండ్రి చిదిమి వేసె నిను మొగ్గగానే
లేతమొగ్గలు విడిన పూవులు
చివురుటాకులు పండుటాకులు
పసరుకాయలు పక్వఫలములు అయ్యె ఆహుతి కామాగ్నికీలల
లేదా లేదా దీనికంతము.
ఉన్నవన్నీ మండుటెండలు ఎర్రనెర్రని నిప్పుకణికలు
కుసుమకోమల తన్వితనువు నలిపివేసెను పోతుటీగలు
వనిత నవనీత హృదయం మాడిపోయెను అగ్గిమంటల
అమ్మా! నీ గర్భఫలం మగువ పాలిటి విషఫలం
అక్కా! నీ చిట్టితమ్ముడు చెలియకాయెను కాలయముడు
బుజ్జీ ! నినుగన్న తండ్రి చిదిమి వేసె నిను మొగ్గగానే
లేతమొగ్గలు విడిన పూవులు
చివురుటాకులు పండుటాకులు
పసరుకాయలు పక్వఫలములు అయ్యె ఆహుతి కామాగ్నికీలల
లేదా లేదా దీనికంతము.
May 27, 2014
Wild flowers of Plano
Over the last few days, Poonam, Raghav and I, equipped with 'Texas Wildflowers: a field guide' by Campbell, Loughmiller, set out to learn something of the flowers we see around us. Just our community campus, the local trail I run on and the park 5 miles away yielded us a trove of flowers. We managed to refresh our botany knowledge a bit along the way (Apparently, the sunflower is not a single flower, but a close set collection of scores of small flowers: Look up Pseudanthium in Wikipedia).
Some of the flowers here (also see Poonam and Raghav's artistic impressions of those flowers):
 |
| Nodding Thistle in a field of Indian Blankets |
 |
| Primrose in the grass |
 | ||
Evening Primrose
|
 |
 | ||
Basket Flower
|
 |
| Mealy Sage |
The rest of the flowers are here:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/118410535114405744743/albums/6015735419992247809
May 25, 2014
Singampalli Happenings: Happy Birthday Vidya--25th May
Singampalli Happenings: Happy Birthday Vidya--25th May: Many many happy returns. viswambabai
May 24, 2014
Time trials
Friday was my time trials. I swam with nothing over 25 seconds. waiting for results on which stroke I swim.
May 18, 2014
And now...
http://coastaldigest.com/index.php/ls-polls-2014/64664-bjp-activists-resort-to-vandalism-attack-masjids-amidst-celebrations
Did the nation see this coming or were they just being indifferent??
I really want to say 'I TOLD YOU SO' but i don't think this is the time!
Post Courtesy: my friend pj!
Did the nation see this coming or were they just being indifferent??
I really want to say 'I TOLD YOU SO' but i don't think this is the time!
Post Courtesy: my friend pj!
May 14, 2014
How to turn off Aditya's Price-O-Meter?
..that invariably likes something 4x more expensive than normal/common and more elaborate/labor intensive/rare.
Case in point: With intense swim and karate sessions he gets cramps, especially in summer. Drinking coconut water helps. Two choices.....
Option A: Coconut water by Vita Coco $1.50 (pasteurized, so no need to store in the fridge, saving space+ longer shelf life and more convenient)
Option B:Coconut water by Simple Harvest $4 (fresh, not pasteurized so must be kept in the fridge, must be carried in a cooler to swim, and expensive to boot)
He refuses to drink coconut water usually and must be forced to drink. He samples the expensive one in Costco, goes back for another sample, and another, and another, and another and one more...until the saleswoman is looking at me like "You better buy this lady!!!!"
He likes the $35 Baumkuchen( very light and airy, the whole cake can be eaten in one serving) but not the $3.50 cake slice at Safeway.
BTW, the procedure to make a Baumkuchen..watch this
You stand in front of a hot rotating oven and bake the cake layer by layer pouring batter for the next layer as one layer bakes, for a nice even tree ring appearance.
VERY high maintenance.... (both the cake and Aditya :-) )
Case in point: With intense swim and karate sessions he gets cramps, especially in summer. Drinking coconut water helps. Two choices.....
Option A: Coconut water by Vita Coco $1.50 (pasteurized, so no need to store in the fridge, saving space+ longer shelf life and more convenient)
Option B:Coconut water by Simple Harvest $4 (fresh, not pasteurized so must be kept in the fridge, must be carried in a cooler to swim, and expensive to boot)
He refuses to drink coconut water usually and must be forced to drink. He samples the expensive one in Costco, goes back for another sample, and another, and another, and another and one more...until the saleswoman is looking at me like "You better buy this lady!!!!"
He likes the $35 Baumkuchen( very light and airy, the whole cake can be eaten in one serving) but not the $3.50 cake slice at Safeway.
BTW, the procedure to make a Baumkuchen..watch this
VERY high maintenance.... (both the cake and Aditya :-) )
May 13, 2014
Spring Program
I had my spring program today and it went very well. The first sign that this was going to be a funny program was when at the beginning, Ronit forgot about his line! Then, when we were doing the Charleston, someone in the audience sneezed in the middle of the song. Towards the end, at my line, my hat fell off and everyone started laughing. Well, that's all for now! Bye!
May 12, 2014
Poems
These are some of the poems that I wrote in school:
This is a limerick I wrote. (For those of you that don't know poems, a limerick is a poem that has 7-8 syllables in the first, second and sixth line, the others having 5-6 syllables and the poem has a rhyming pattern of a, a, b, b, a.)
There once was a giant typhoon,
That sent a man up to the moon,
Then during the night,
He had a big fright,
To find he had woken at noon.
This is a free verse that I wrote. It has no rules, so you can do whatever you want in the poem.
Bob was very smart,
He lived in a cart.
Tim liked to swim,
but he was very dim.
Bob was smarter than him,
and Tim went out on a limb.
Tim fell on his head,
and then he was quite dead.
This is a limerick I wrote. (For those of you that don't know poems, a limerick is a poem that has 7-8 syllables in the first, second and sixth line, the others having 5-6 syllables and the poem has a rhyming pattern of a, a, b, b, a.)
There once was a giant typhoon,
That sent a man up to the moon,
Then during the night,
He had a big fright,
To find he had woken at noon.
This is a free verse that I wrote. It has no rules, so you can do whatever you want in the poem.
Bob was very smart,
He lived in a cart.
Tim liked to swim,
but he was very dim.
Bob was smarter than him,
and Tim went out on a limb.
Tim fell on his head,
and then he was quite dead.
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