Bagful in a book - Kid's delight

Having enjoyed reading 'Highlights' as a kid, a recent visit to the community library ended up with 3 recent issues following me back home. Well, 'Highlights' is a children's magazine in circulation since 1946 that has managed to sustain enough interest from children and adults alike. This magazine has a particular charm about it, that is hard to explain in words. The unique styling of the cover page not only makes it alive and speaks out its inner contents, but also draws instant attention.

The magazine is packed with informational facts on science, nature, arts, culture and what not; all presented in a very simple, children-friendly manner. Even the adults are intrigued by the nitty-gritty facts and are educated like a small child. 'Highlights' also features certain regulars in every issue that happen to be the most popular among its vivid readers.

For the young Sherlock Holmes, there is 'Find the Pictures' which gets them started on some spying as well as remembering things. 'Hidden pictures' is a Highlights classic in which a number of everyday objects are blended really well within a picture that speaks more than a 1000 words. The idea is to locate the objects, with the option of stealing a glance at the clues on how these would look like. There is a 'Thinking' section' with a historical twist that provides a sort of mock situation and challenges the young brains to come up with reasoning.

Other regulars like 'The Timbertoes', 'Brain Play' and 'What's Wrong?' provide some fun as well as activities to work on. 'Highlights' also encourages youngsters to display talent by asking them to submit their stories, poems and jokes among many other features. With lot of colors and variety in each page, no wonder that 'Highlights' is said to provide fun with a purpose. For subscription details in the US ----> Highlights for Children Magazine

More magazines for children...

So much to do

Spare time in a fast-paced urban lifestyle is really hard to come. Yet, the most common complaint is lack of interest and boredom. Boredom can be easily conquered with a little bit of planning. While watching the latest blockbusters or daily soaps on a big screen TV is a favorite past-time activity for many, there are lot more avenues to explore.

1. Learning music and creating a new tune soothes the soul.
   
2. Cooking is a great way to de-stress and explore the exciting world of culinary arts.
   
3. Photography provides a whole new insight to nature and a different perspective to shapes and colors.
4. Gardening helps in more than few ways; While the plants gift us with natural bounty, they cleanse the air and maintain Eco-balance.
5. Playing a traditional board game with a loved one is a nice way to bond and relax.
6. Chasing a rare phenomena and putting a good research on it gives great thrills.
7. Picking a new jogging spot everyday, lets you explore and exert at the same time.
8. Visiting a prayer hall and engaging in peaceful meditation boosts energy levels.
   
9. Books are the best friends for loneliness.
10. Jotting out thoughts on a piece of paper lets your steam out and generates new ideas.
11. Participating in a community activity promotes social networking and welfare.
12. Re-arranging the present home setup gives a fresh new decor and mood.
13. Organizing an event gives us new responsibilities and knowledge.
14. Lego toys lets out the childish innovator in you with glee.

With so many such options, boredom really shouldn't find a place in our lives.

A trip to America's Oldest Italian restaurant

If your taste buds long for authentic and traditional Northern Italian fare in a classy setting, Ristorante Fior d' Italia offers that and lot more. Established in 1886, Fior d' Italia holds the distinction of being the oldest Italian restaurant in the US. It is housed within the historic San Remo hotel in the North Beach district of San Francisco.

Fior d' Italia provides a old world hospitality in its trattoria and well-stocked bar near the entrance, a large main dining hall around the corner and its many banquet rooms. While waiting for food, a roving look at the walls will reveal lot of interesting historical information.

Frequented by prominent personalities and tourists alike, Fior d' Italia takes pride in dishing out fresh pasta dishes and sauces; that are mostly made in-house. Many people consider their Caesar salad to be best in that part of the world. The chefs have made sure that their extensive menu creations satisfy the gastronomical needs of varied clientele. So, a trip to San Francisco is not complete without the culinary experiences of a 121 year old Italian tradition.

The joys of growing a home garden

The early morning dew on the leaves, the new baby shoots, the spring blossoms and the onset of fresh produce all make an inviting call at the dawn of every new day. In the age of urban living and high rises, a great way to enjoy natural greenery is to nurture a home garden. The spacious patios in the swanky apartments provide that much needed open space.

With a bit of planning and insight, each inch of the space can be well utilized to provide a mini canopy of greenery. Not only does it offer upbeat aesthetic appeal, but also provides a lung space in our own dwelling. An unique eco-diversity of sorts is established with daily visits from insects and birds. A creative combination of flowering plants, fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits form an interesting mix. Just make sure that the plants are well pampered like humans and pets.

Our one bedroom apartment in sunny San Diego has a decent sized patio and houses a diverse variety of plants like red rose, dwarf lime, mint, tomato, curry leaves, cilantro, cactus and some shrubs.

Where do the Indians meet in San Diego?

... Well, within 'San Diego Desi'. What exactly is it? In the contemporary world, when almost everything; from teaching to trading happens online, meeting people and communicating with each other is no exception. It started with an idea to create a forum to bring all the desis in San Diego together under one roof and 'San Diego Desi- an online portal' was created just for that purpose. It aims to establish connection between the different people of Indian origin scattered around the San Diego county.

The opening page invites the first time visitor to join the growing online community. This page also gives a good idea of what to expect from this portal. It has neatly laid out sections for the different categories. Though still under development, a number of 'recent' postings under the various sections suggest that the web-site is being utilized quite well.

'San Diego Desi' proudly displays being America's finest Indian community and also manages to sustain enough visitor interest because of the diverse nature of areas it covers. For the curious buyer and seller, there is the Classifieds section; rentals and accommodation taking the lion's share of posts. Google maps assisted Yellow-pages is an interesting concept that has a decent coverage of Indian business listings along with the pinpoint location in a Google map. It is a fair assumption that this section will be updated as new businesses mushroom.

Indian events in San Diego have always generated good public interest and having a specific section for that is a definite plus. A bit of work however to cover all the Indian events in San Diego will ensure this page being bookmarked by most people. For people who love to write columns and express their thoughts, there is a Soapbox section and for others, who are more of a discussing type, there is a Discussion section as well.

With few other miscellaneous sections, a current weather display, a search engine feature and links to other network sites, it aims at being literally a one-stop shop. For all the San Diego Desis out there, 'San Diego Desi' definitely warrants a visit !!

'Future Cup' extends Sachin's ODI future

The men in blue came back strongly after the World Cup fiasco to beat Bangladesh earlier and more recently to beat South Africans in the just concluded 'Future Cup' in Belfast, Ireland. The encounter with the Proteans have been heartening in more than one way; First thing, Indians have played really well outside the sub-continent against a strong team and most importantly, Sachin Tendulkar has resorted back to match-winning knocks and attacking innings.

Not only did he become the first cricketer in the world to cross 15,000 ODI runs but was also generous enough to share his man-of-the-series award with Yuvraj Singh. When critics and cricketing fraternity alike wrote off Sachin, he proved that he is still among the best.

This is a case of another Tendulkar blitzkrieg and more motivation to write to Sportingo. This time around, the publishers have trimmed and edited my original writing and am personally not happy because it has changed the flavor and context a bit.

-------> Sachin's article in Sportingo

Sivaji... and more Sivaji in San Diego

Like other centers around the world, San Diego doesn't seem to get bored of Sivaji. It is a known fact that Sivaji pulsated San Diego with 2 rocking shows in the opening week. Suprisingly the reality is, San Diego is a very dormant market when it comes to Tamil movies. Only the elite films even make the cut and most movies can hardly sustain a single show. Just a handful of Tamil movies over the last 9 years have even crossed more than 1 screening. The last tamil film that had 2 screenings was Vetaiyadu Vilayadu.

In the inimitable thalaivar style though, Sivaji's path was altogether different (In Tamil you could put this as 'Sivaji vazhi thani vazhi'). Sivaji not only rocked as a film, it also rocked the box office. The infectious phenomenon called Sivaji woke the San Diegan Tamil public, who flocked to the cinema halls in large numbers to greet their thalaivar.

With the recently concluded final screening of Sivaji, it had already walked its way into the record books with a number of firsts to its credit. Sivaji was the first Tamil movie to be premiered in San Diego on the day of world-wide premiere. Due to continuous demand, Sivaji was screened as many as 5 times in a reasonably bigger cinema hall, which is another first. This was also the first time that most number of people made repeated appearances for the different shows.

For statistical interests, here is a listing of the different shows

1. Premiere show (June 14th) 7:30 pm (Ultra Star - Del Mar) (200+ capacity).
2. June 17th @ 7:30 pm (Edwards - Mira Mesa) (270+ capacity).
   
3. June 17th @ 10:30 pm (Edwards - Mira Mesa) (270+ capacity).
4. June 18th @ 7:30 pm (Edwards - Mira Mesa) (270+ capacity).
5. June 25th @ 7:30 pm (Ultra Star - Del Mar) (200+ capacity).

Just when we think that Sivaji fever is about to fade, the boss returns back next week and this time to enthrall the telugu audience.

Taming Castle Rock

The mountains and forests surrounding the Big Bear lake is believed to house some of the best hiking trails in Southern California. On a Sunday morning during a weekend outing, about 8 of us set out to explore the wilderness in Big Bear. We settled comfortably in 2 cars and cruised for about 10 minutes before we noticed a pull out on Highway 18 (About a mile east of the Big Bear Dam). This space doubled as a parking lot. A short walk on the road led to the trail head with a board that read aloud 'Castle Rock Trail 1W03 ... Castle Rock 1'. We started our ascent into the wooded area with a modest cargo that contained a few digital cameras and 1 bottle of fitness water. The trail ran parallel to a stream which had run completely dry.

After climbing for few minutes, we realized that this was going to be one strenuous hike. We gained quite a bit of elevation in the first few minutes of our hiking itself. This unfolded some great obstructed views of the Big bear lake as we ascended. After about 45 minutes of grinding our way through the pines at almost 550 feet higher than where we started, we got our first real view of the Castle Rock. Castle Rock is a giant Granite boulder sitting majestically on the hills about 1 mile from the trail head. We were a bit tired in the mid-morning sun and without proper hydration. We guessed that we were still about 0.2 miles away from the rock. The last 0.2 miles were quite steep and after a bit of struggle reached the base of Castle rock. This brought us to an obvious question 'Do we climb the rock? Or, do we satisfy ourselves with the climb on the trail?" It appeared a bit too risky to make it to the top considering the steep slopes that provided no proper footing, our inexperience in rock climbing and the lack of proper planning. We were all in a pair of shoes that had little or no grip. As we almost decided to turn back, an enthusiastic couple descending back from the rock tempted us with promises of unbelievable views of the lake.

This prompted one of our members to try to hit the first tough step in the form of a high, narrow, steep and slippery path. As he made through that with some help, 4 of us followed suit. Each step in the ascent was a nerve-wracking one and even one wrong step could lead us to oblivion. Extreme care and a great team effort finally led us to the peak of the rock. As promised, we were treated to some gorgeous panoramic views of the lake and the surrounding hills and forests. We decided to spend a good 15-20 minutes at the top allowing the serene scene to engulf us. The most difficult part was yet to come 'The descent from Castle rock to the base of the rock'. There were prayers performed at the top requesting almighty to safely guide us back to the base. With our heart in the mouth, we started our descent. It was definitely not for the faint of heart. After a number of trial and errors in our footing coupled with each other's guidance, we finally made it to the bottom much to the relief of everyone. We thanked God first thing, before starting our way down to the road 1 mile away. Near the Castle rock, the trail was not properly marked and this led to us straying from the proper path. However, we took the dry stream route which guided us back to the marked trail few minutes later. Still shaking from the experience and yet with a sense of achievement, we reached the road with a well-deserved self-applause.

Sivaji mania grips San Diego

Last week, a wave of euphoria swept across the globe and San Diego was no exception. It was not a divine incarnation, not a festival, not a sporting event and definitely not a new invention. It was SIVAJI-THE BOSS. After weeks of anticipation, Superstar Rajini's blockbuster Sivaji finally stormed into San Diego. This was the first time, premiere of a tamil movie was screened in San Diego. Evening of June 14th was an eventful one as couple of hundred die-hard Rajini fans lined up outside the theatre almost 2 hours before the show began. As thalaivar with his immense screen presence and rocking style entertained the guests for 3 solid hours, the audience had their own celebration converting the quiet cinema hall into a carnival event. Hordes of emails followed the show with rave reviews of the movie and non-stop praises of the one and only Rajinikanth.

San Diego had to share the movie reel with Phoenix and so the next show in San Diego was scheduled only 3 days later. As the second show was to be screened in a much bigger theatre with stadium seating, a number of us had planned to watch the 2nd show. We had to go through a gruelling 3-day waiting session before we could get a glimpse of our thalaivar.

Slowly the big day arrived. We had already been to the premiere event just to experience the Rajini phenomenon without actually watching the movie that day. Having seen the celebration, we decided to have a bigger and a louder one. We went to the theatre almost 2 and 1/2 hours before the showtime and started transforming the movie hall into a Rajini paradise. The ticket counters and the hall were decorated with banners that shouted punch dialogues like "Vaada Vaada Vaangikoda.. Ticketa inga vaangikoda", "Pera keta odane chumma adhurudhu illa" etc. Everyone in our group dressed up in blue and we sprinted energetically to occupy a complete row at the hall#12 at Edwards Mira Mesa 18 in San Diego. We started distributing confetti shooters, saved a bagful for us and we were all set for the big moment.

As the trailers of Sultan (An animated movie of Rajinikanth set to release in 2008) hit the screen, the crowd was not able to control their emotions. By the time, the titles rolled with the inimitable fashion 'SUPERSTAR RAJINI', the theatre almost resonated with the noise the modest 250+ crowd generated. This was an experience like no other and only Superstar could generate such energy levels in the audience. For the next 3 hours, we were treated with pure Rajini magic and sheer high-quality entertainment. Director Shankar made sure that each frame looked like a scene out of a glossy high-resolution post card. The rich imagery, with a rocking A.R.Rahman score scorched the cinema hall. Staff at the Edwards cinema hall walked in to catch a quick glimpse, but never moved a muscle after that. Their eyes were glued to the screen and were amazed at our thalaivar's screen presence and the electrifying atmosphere we generated. It was a cracker of an experience and seemed like Diwali just got over looking at the number of papers strewn all over the place. At the end of the show, we felt many years younger and were gleaming with energy.

'The Feast' at Lakeside Estate

The quiet lanes of Edgemoore at the Big Bear Lake in California got transformed into a culinary paradise on a gorgeous Saturday evening. The huge Lakeside Estate situated on the banks of the lake's Metcalf bay with million-dollar lake views and boasting an array of modern facilities in an old-world charm setting hosted an enthusiastic crowd of 16 San Diegans on a weekend retreat.

On a day packed with sporting and other fun activities (including a gruelling session of sand volleyball and a boat trip on the lake), the tired group longed for a perfect dinner. A talented make-shift head chef for the evening accompanied by 3 others decided to treat their friends with a culinary trip to Italy. For the next 1 hour, the huge well-stocked kitchen was filled with clanking of vessels and aroma of herbs and sauces.

The 4 cooks slowly started dishing out rather exciting Italian fare with a Californian twist. The menu of the evening rightfully termed as 'The Feast' consisted of an interesting mix of Antipasti, Insalate and Pasta dishes. The delicious spread immediately triggered the senses and brought the whole gathering to the dinner table in a jiffy.

The Feast

1) Focaccia bread topped with a spread of pesto, mascarpone cheese and garlic and baked to perfection.

2) Salad of the day - Iceberg lettuce mix dressed with Italian vinaigrette and hand-tossed with black olives, garlic croutons and shaved parmesan cheese.

3) Baked Penne pasta with a zesty Arrabiata sauce, Mozarella cheese and Sun-dried tomatoes.

4) Baked Penne pasta with Marinara sauce, Mozarella cheese and Sun-dried tomatoes.

5) Capelline Pomodoro topped with cut black olives, fresh basil and garlic.