President’s Message.

We are well past the mid point of 2013 but from the perspective of

GAMA, things are beginning to heat up. As I write this report, hundreds

of volunteers are working hard to make this year’s Onam a grand suc-

cess. But before that, let us take a step back to the activities GAMA or-

ganized till now.

We started the year by organizing SaReGAMA, the annual talent show. SaReGAMA is slowly

gaining popularity among the local Indian community as one of the finest talent shows organ-

ized. Thanks to the sponsors, we are able to offer handsome rewards to the winners! Soon

after, we organized picnic which saw record number of participants. The venue was pictur-

esque, the weather was perfect, and the food was yummy! I don’t think we could ask for any-

thing more! Instead of taking the usual summer break, we organized GAME DAY for both chil-

dren and adults. Great number of kids and adults participated in various games. Free snacks to

the participants were the highlight of the day!

Cover Photo by

Hema Rao

In this Issue

Poem: Yathra by Sreevidhya Ajayan

Poem: Onam Varavayi by Moni

Poem: Amma by Jane Joseph

Cover Photo Competition

Game day by Ullas Pazhayaveettil

Chithra in Austin by Noel Thomas

Kidz Korner

Informative

Changes in Immigration Laws by

Adv Mathew Vairamon.

Raising cavity free kids by

Dr.Satish Thirumalai.

Reporter September, 2013

cont on page#2..

First of all "Happy Onam" to all the

readers of the Newsletter. With the

festive atmosphere in the air and

Onam preparations under full swing,

we hope you find this Newsletter,

thought provoking and enjoyable. As

you read this Newsletter, you will

find that the quality of Austin Mala-

yalee literary scene is maturing. This

edition has several informative arti-

cles from people working in differ-

ent fields. We want to thank every

one who have contributed to make

this Onam edition of News Reporter

happen.

Thank you all for reading this as well.

Without readers, there is no point in

producing this newsletter!. Now that

we have excellent quality materials

coming our way, we want the read-

ers to take a moment to congratu-

late the contributors for their effort.

This could be as simple as a Face-

book post or a 'like' or couple of

words on an Email to the editor.

Your kind words will be a huge en-

couragement to our creative writers.

If you have a comment, please do

send them to

gama.newsreporter@gmail.com.

Your mail could end up in the next

edition of news reporter, under the

“Letters to the editor” section.

Thank you and enjoy reading original

materials from our community

members

Editors:

PG Ramachandran & Sajan Lukose

The Malayalam classes we started last year

are still going on, children are reading and

writing small passages and stories. We ex-

panded the classes to start two new batches

this year, and we have some people from the

community stepped up to volunteer for the

classes. Without the help of these volunteers,

we wouldn't be able to run these classes

week after week. I hope these classes will

continue to enrich our children in the future

too.So we were able to screen three Malaya-

lam movies; all of them were appreciated by

large number of audience. We hope to restart

the movie activity after the summer rush.

Every event we organized was enthusiastically

supported by our sponsors. Without their

support, we wouldn’t be able to organize

these events cost effectively. On behalf of the

entire GAMA board, I would like to extend

our sincere gratitude to all our sponsors.

Call for Volunteers

I want to take a moment and appreciate

the time and effort taken by the GAMA

board members and volunteers. Organizing

events at this scale is not an easy task and

is impossible without the help of such vol-

unteers. But an organization like GAMA

cannot be run by few people who are al-

ready stretched thin. We need larger par-

ticipation of the community to continue the

activities we have been doing so far. I un-

derstand that different people will have

different commitments and the availability

will be different for most of you. But if you

like what you see at GAMA events or have

been benefited by GAMA in any way, I re-

quest you to consider given back to the

community.

From the Editor’s Desk

..continuing from page

Sreevidhya Ajayan

Sreevidhya is from

Angamali, Ernaku-

lam. She started

writing Malayalam

poems from 7th

grade after being

encouraged by her

mother and her

Malayalam teacher.

Since then, she has

participated in sev-

eral competitions

and won prizes for

poem and essay

writing. She is also

one of our Malaya-

lam teachers and

teaching has been

her dream job.

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We all know Moni for quiet

some time; and we have seen

him in a variety of roles. We

seen him as an actor, writer

and director in many of our

past Onam celebrations. But

this time we are introduced to

the poet in him. Congratula-

tions and we are hoping to see

more of this stuff in the com-

ing months.

Did you know?

GAMA Board wishes a very

happy Onam to All Malayalees in

Austin,TX

King Mahabali (Maveli)

Kerala was the capital of king Ma-

habali. He was one of the greatest

devotees of Lord Vishnu on Earth

as he sacrificed his kingdom for the

Lord. The King was greatly re-

spected in his kingdom and was

considered to be wise, judicious

and extremely generous. It is said

that Kerala witnessed its golden era

in the reign of King Mahabali. Eve-

rybody in his kingdom was happy in

the kingdom, there was no dis-

crimination on the basis of caste or

class. There was neither crime, nor

corruption. People did not even

lock their doors, as there were no

thieves in that kingdom. There was

no poverty, sorrow or disease in

the reign of King Mahabali and eve-

rybody was happy.

Did you know that Mahabali was the king of

the world? Not just Kerala. Of course, his capi-

tal was Kerala. In fact Kerala was not even fully

formed until several years later, when the next

Avatar of Vishnu (Parasurama) decided to do

the finishing touches with his Axe. Mahabali

loved Kerala people (who doesn't?) and he visits

us every year.

If you think, this is not accurate, share your

thoughts. (gama.newsreporter@gmail.com)

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The U.S. government has proposed

drastic reformations in the American

immigration laws. These proposals

were passed by the Senate for 68-32

votes and now it is time for the House

to take action and pass comprehen-

sive reform. It is estimated that11 million undocumented im-

migrants reside in the United States, as well as a huge line of

persons waiting to get visas or full citizenship. These resi-

dents’ unclear legal status has led to them being treated as

second-class citizens, exploited and discriminated them. Many

Republicans now support a path to citizenship for undocu-

mented immigrants, a position previously deplored by many

House GOP members as “amnesty. The White House has sent

indications it approves of the bipartisan group’s proposal, but

its previous blueprints for immigration reform were more

liberal. The President Obama will likely propose a more direct

path to citizenship that skips “probationary legal status” on

the belief that the Senate proposal creates an uncertain legal

grey area for persons in the program. Republicans get a guar-

antee that the federal government will be required to certify

the border is secure, as well as loosen their image.

The proposed immigration reform allows for Registered Provi-

sional immigrant status for individuals here before Dec. 31,

2011. Under the Senate bill, most unauthorized immigrants

will face a waiting period of 13 years or more before they

become citizens; a criminal background check; work require-

ments; documentation demands; English-language and citi-

zenship exams; and employment eligibility verification.

In addition, they will be required to pay significant fees and

penalties that could total more than a month’s worth of their

gross yearly income. After a ruling by the US Supreme Court in

June 2013, the US Immigration Service and the US Consuls will

recognize Same Sex marriages for immigration and visa pur-

poses. The marriage must be legal where it was made and all

requirements for Visa issuance or Green Card approval must

be met.

Immigration laws don’t limit the number of petitions for spouses,

minor children and parents of United States citizens. But the gov-

ernment does set thresholds for other kinds of relatives including

the siblings and adult and married children of U.S. citizens, and the

spouses and children of green-card holders. As it currently stands,

BSEOIMA proposes some very significant changes to both family

and employment based immigration. Overall, it expands, the op-

portunities for immigration through employment while eliminating

certain options for sponsorship for relatives. It is the best time to

file 1-130 Immigration Petition for a sibling or a married adult child

over 30, because if the new law passes in the House, you may not

be able to file 1-30 for them after the laws come into existence.

Once the new law has been in place for 18 months, the only immi-

gration option left for these family members would be a new

points-based merit system that favors education, employment and

job skills. The new system would grant only a few points for a close

relationship with a U.S. citizen. Despite these positive develop-

ments, the loss of the F-4 category and the age cap on the F-3

category will come as a blow to many families. While there is no

certainty that the BSEOIMA will be approved by both chambers of

Congress and signed into law, the continued forward momentum

in Washington is certainly encouraging. In recent years, some U.S.

citizens have hesitated to file petitions for sibling or married sons

and daughters due to the very long wait for visa availability. Eligi-

ble Green Card holders who have not taken steps to naturalize can

only sponsor spouses and minor or unmarried children. Now there

is a strong possibility that certain relatives previously able to immi-

grate will no longer have that option in future. To keep the door

open for these family members, I advise eligible permanent resi-

dents to file immediately for their citizenship. Those who are al-

ready U.S. citizens should move forward with 1-130 petitions for

these relatives as soon as possible

Disclaimer: The author is an Immigration attorney and the views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author . The GAMA

director board or the editorial board cannot guarantee the accuracy of any of the views expressed in this article.

Dr.Adv.Mathew Vairamon, M.S., LL.M., Ph.D

Attorney at Law, Notary and Mediator

Area of Practice: Immigration, Citizenship, Social Security, Taxa-

tion, Wills, Power of Attorney, Adoption.

Email: mathewvairamon@gmail.com

New Changes Coming in American Immigration Laws

As most of you all know, we did a photo contest for this edition of the News Reporter and we are proud to say that it

was well received by the community. We have received pictures taken from all around the world and really had a

tough time deciding on the best.

Congratulations to Hema Rao and her family. The picture they took while vacationing in Alaska has been chosen

as the best picture and you can see the picture on the cover (front) page.

Winner: Hema Rao.

Hema, her husband Raghu and their kids

Deepti & Aditi Rao are living in Austin since

2006 and they love Austin!

“One of the most Incredible and breath taking

attractions in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska,

is the Marjorie Glacier. It is a 21 mile long gla-

cier, inaccessible by land . Despite the lack of

roads, there are over 400,000 visitors each year

most of whom arrive via cruise ship. This pic-

ture was shot from the deck of Norwegian Sun

during the 1st week of July 2013. The pristine

environment of Alaska cannot be expressed in

words, only by experience is its true beauty re-

vealed.” - Hema

(The winning picture is ion page #1)

Cover page Competition

GAMA's annual Game day was held on July 27th at the Clay Madsen

Recreation Center between 2pm and 6pm and consisted of competitive

games such as caroms, and poker for adults, and chess for both adults

and kids. With a turnout of about 70 participants, the event was filled

with playful banter, a healthy competitive spirit, and an all round fam-

ily experience. The final showdowns were well contested with cash

prizes on the line. The event was made possible by generous contribu-

tions from our sponsors. PSG Investments and Matthew & Associates

sponsored the prize money. Prizes and certificates will be distributed

during GAMA's Onam 2013 function.

Adults Chess

1st Place - Benny John

2nd Place - Ullas Pazhayaveetil

Kids Chess

1st Place - Jacob Lijoy

2nd Place - Malavika Perinchery

Caroms Doubles

1st Place - Ullas Pazhayaveetil / Suresh Warrier

2nd Place - Govindan Namboothiry / Deepa Sethumadhavan

Texas Hold'em Poker

1st Place - Govindan Namboothiry

2nd Place - Gayatri Jayaram

By Ullas Pazhayaveetil

Onam by Shruthi Nampoothiri

Maveli by Leah Sajan

Art work by Sruti

Ramachandran

Kidz Korne

r

Send us the art works by your kids for

our Kids Corner. Any artworks from 2 to

12 years are welcome.

I was lucky to be a part of the Oreswaram musical symphony performed by Mr.

M.G. Sreekumar and Mrs. K.S. Chitra in Austin on August 23rd. When I was given

the opportunity to host the show, I was reluctant to do it, but I am glad I changed

my mind. I was able to meet the artists in person and discover a lot about their

lives. To my surprise they were very friendly, contrary to what I was expecting.

Both Sri. M.G. Sreekumar and Smt. K.S. Chirta are prominent playback singers and

have played a vital role in shaping the South Indian music industry.

They have recorded over thousands of songs, most of

which have become classics. There were lot of people

present for the occasion and I was a bit nervous to be

on stage. But the friendly crowd and the harmonious

orchestra eased my anxiety. I really enjoyed the show.

The melodious music and beautiful songs gave me

chills. The crowd was very energetic. Keeping up with

flow of music, they danced and sang along. I was

reminded that regardless of our difference, we have

the gift to enjoy good music. Music is often called the

universal language. It has no boundaries; it can whisk

us away on a journey, bring back memories or even

make us emotional. And from the radiant faces I saw

after the show, I must admit that this beautiful ex-

perience will resonate in our hearts for days to come.

Smt. K.S. Chithra and Sri M.G. Sreekumar were honored by the various India associations in Austin, for completing 35 years

in the music industry. Mrs. Janaki Nagarajan, president of Indian Fines Arts (IFA), Mr. PG Ramachandran on behalf of the

Tamil Sangam and Mr. Animon Jose, representing the Greater Austin Malayalee Association (GAMA) handed over mementos

during this occasion.

By Noel Sunny

I want to share some valuable information with you that will prove very

helpful in teaching your children about caring for the teeth and gums.

The common misconception is that since children have baby teeth it is

not as important to take good care of them, but that could not be further

from the truth. First of all, instilling proper oral health techniques at an

early age lays the groundwork for proper oral health care later in life.

Second, the baby teeth and gums serve as the framework for what will

later become permanent adult teeth. They must be cared for properly to

ensure that there will be no problems when the adult teeth start to come

in.

1. START EARLY! The earlier you begin caring for your child’s teeth and

gums the healthier they will be. We recommend starting to clean your

baby’s gums with soft gauze shortly after they are released from the hos-

pital. There are no teeth to clean, but this will remove any bacteria or

residue in their mouth, and also begin to train them and get used to

cleaning their mouth.

2. Introduce your child to brushing at about 18 months of age, or when

their first molars start to come in. There are small toothbrushes available

and toothpastes made especially for young children. Again, teaching

good habits early makes them easier to incorporate into a daily routine.

3. Your child should first see a dentist at around 3 years old. This will

allow the dentist to evaluate the overall health of the teeth and gums,

progress of the baby teeth, and make any recommendations. Also, this is

a great time for a child to be introduced to the dental experience. By

school age, kids begin to talk about trips to the dentist and scare their

friends. Dentists even get a bad rap in some cartoons! By bringing your

child to the dentist early you can show them that there is nothing to be

afraid of.

4. Thumb sucking and pacifiers are a part of infancy, but they should be

stopped at a fairly early age. The repeated motion can cause the position

of the developing teeth and dental arches to change. If the habit is not

stopped before the adult teeth start to develop, it can cause problems

that will require braces and possibly other procedures to correct.

5. You should also refrain from giving your child a bottle of

juice or milk while in bed. The liquid can rest in the mouth

without being swallowed, which can quicken the process of

tooth decay. If they need something to help them go to

sleep we recommend a bottle with water or a pacifier in-

stead.

6. After your child’s initial visit to the dentist you should

bring them in every 6 months for a check-up. This will al-

low the dentist to monitor the health of their teeth and

gums, and also check for cavities and other dental problems

and fix them at an early stage.

7. If your child uses a pacifier, don’t dip it in sweetener or

sugary juices. This was recommended in the past but it is

not good for your child’s teeth.

8. If your child is under the age of 7, you should help them

brush their teeth. They do not have the advanced dexterity

at that age to reach all their teeth and properly clean them.

Teach them how to brush their teeth and let them try them-

selves so they learn, but also make sure you clean their

teeth properly.

9. Let’s face it – kids love candy. In a perfect world I would

tell you to have your children avoid candy and they would,

but that isn’t going to happen. The best we can do is limit

the amount of candy they eat, avoid some of the chewier

candies that can stick to teeth and leave residue behind,

and try to brush after eating candy.

10. Set a good example. Your children look up to you, so if

they see you brushing and flossing with them as they get

ready for bed or when they get up in the morning, they will

be more likely to do it. It can be a fun activity for them to

do side-by-side with mom or dad.

I hope that you have found these tips to be helpful. Baby

teeth are temporary, but once they are gone, we are left

with one set of teeth for the rest of our lives. Educating your

children about proper oral hygiene at an early age will en-

sure that those teeth last for a long time. If your child is

getting ready for their first visit with us, or if it is time for a

check-up, please give us a call to schedule your appoint-

ment. We take pride in our ability to work with children

and try to make their dental experience as enjoyable as

possible.

Dr. Satish Thirumalai, D.M.D.

La Frontera Dental, PLLC

website: www.lafronteradental.com

10 Secrets for Raising Cavity Free Kids

A Guide to Instilling Good Oral Healthcare During Childhood

“You don't have to brush all your teeth- just the ones you want to keep.” - Anonymous.

GAMA News Reporter

September 2013

Date: Sept 14, 2013, 4:00 pm

Venue: Klett Performing Arts Center, 2211 N. Austin Avenue, Georgetown, TX 78626

GAMA Onam Celebrations.

Upcoming Events

Greater Austin Malayalee Association

Please support our

Sponsors

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