Archive for March, 2008

40th Springtime Tallahassee Festival

Saturday, March 29th, 2008

Parade Participation, Saturday, March 29, 2008

10:30 – 11:30 AM, Downtown Tallahassee, FL

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VTS and I participated in the 4oth Springtime Tallahassee Festivities under the Asian Coalition of Tallahassee (ACT) banner and walked the 1 and 1/2 mile parade. About 12 Indian Americans walked along side people from China, TaPhillipines, Philippines, and Thailand.

Our full group consisted of about 80 people from all the countries of Asian Coalition. Then there were three dragons (two from Chinese Martial Arts Group) and one from Taiwan (student Dragon).

2008 India Association Holi Festival

Sunday, March 23rd, 2008

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2008 IATLH Holi Festival

Saturday, March 22, 2008
10:30 to 1:30, Tom Brown Park
Tallahassee, Florida

India Association of Tallahassee (www.iatlh.org) sponsored 2008 Holi Festival was held in Station 13 in Tom Brown Park, Tallahassee, Florida on Saturday, March 22, 2008 between 10:20 AM and 1:30 PM.  Over two hundred people attended the colorful celebrations. Several volunteers prepared pot-luck lunch consisting of delicious food items like idli, sambar, vadai, chole, chappathi, chicken curry, vegetable rice pilaf, and desserts like cup cakes, cookies, and ice cream.

The Association provided Holi colors, drinks and cutlery. The participants young and old college and high school students throw colors on each other and later played with water. In general every body had fun time.

Career Day

Wednesday, March 19th, 2008

Somasundaram at BHPS Career Day Talk

Career Day BHPS Middle School

Wednesday, March 19, 2008 1-2 PM

Tallahassee, FL 32308

I visited BHPS as part of their middle school career day speeches. I was one among the 10 people who will visit the school and speak about their careers and how they come to that job. They are also asked to talk about the pros and cons of the job.

I spoke about my career as a scientist. How I started as a chemist during my undergraduate days and shifted to physical chemistry during my graduate days and finally settled on biophysicist for my long term job.

I also showed them some crystals, pipettes, polarizing filters, cryo holders and protein crystals under a microscopes.

Holi article in Tallahassee Democrat

Saturday, March 15th, 2008

Holi Festival Article

Tallahassee Democrat

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Today my article ( holi-tdcom.pdf) about Holi appeared in our home town newspaper Tallahassee Democrat.

Chili Cook-off

Saturday, March 15th, 2008

BHPS Chili Cook-off

Friday, March 14, 2008

Today BHPS SGA sponsored Chili Cook-off and tasting competition was held (Friday, March 14, 2008). There were 16 entries overall. SGA members tasted all of them and awarded four Special Spoons in the following categories: Overall, Vegetarian, Spicy and Original.

After the announcement was made and awards were handed out everyone enjoyed the chili and snacks at the deck.

FSU-IC International Bazaar

Saturday, March 1st, 2008

IATLH Booth at FSU-IC International Bazaar

FSU Oglesby Union Ballroom

Saturday, March 1, 2008, 2-6 PM

IATLH put a booth at the FSU-IC’s International Bazaar. Volunteers distributed flyers about India, Indian Americans, and Indian Association of Tallhassee. We also put up handicrafts that are unique to India, Natraj statue, hay work, silk painiting, and leave paintings.

Bhanu did a demonstration of kolam and rangoli. Other volunteers like Priya and Sureka did henna work for several audience. The henna work was very popular. Next year we will do more of it.