CIC Discover India 2020

Thanks to everyone who attended our first event of the year, CIC Karaoke Night. It was super fun and we look forward to doing it again in the future. It is time now to unveil our second event of the year, our annual trivia game event, CIC Discover India.

For people familiar with this event, it is a super fun, intimate event with teams battling each other in their knowledge of all things India. There is so much we know about India and so much that we dont. This is the time when we face off and figure out who knows better and come out learning more in the process.

It is a great opportunity for new folks in the community to make friends and bond over 3 hours of craziness. To learn more about the event, look at past years posts or talk to someone who participated. You can sign up as a team or as an individual and we will do match making at the venue.

Event Date: Sunday, March 22, 2020
Event Time: 2:00 - 5:00pm
Venue: Vineland Library, San Jose,CA
Participation Fee: $10/ team (please bring exact change, guests attend free)

Sign up here.

Karaoke Night and the next phase for Cambrian Indian Community

Hearty greetings to members of the CIC, old and new. There is a lot of stuff to share so please read on.

Over the past 6 years as a non-profit, the Cambrian Indian Community (CIC) has been bringing the community together through activities and events, big and small. From large events like Diwali and Mehendi night to mid-size and smaller events like Utsav and Discover India, CIC has been organizing events to foster Indian culture and bring members of the community together. But more importantly, beyond these events, CIC has been fostering community building by offering opportunities for members to pursue their passions- be it sports like volleyball or badminton, or micro-communities built around sharing financial ideas and career growth tips. There is something for everyone. Overall these years, CIC has been putting the building blocks to empower this vibrant and thriving community by getting people to know their neighbors and do things together. 

On one hand, the micro-communities are thriving like never before. On the other hand, the volunteering that drives the events is lacking the energy the community needs to continue to flourish. We would like to hear from you on how to proceed forward in that regard. We will use each of these events to talk to the community about new ideas and how to move forward.

Starting on February 22nd with a Karaoke night, we will move to a regular programming schedule with small and medium-size events, both new and events similar to what we have had in the past, to encourage more community participation on a much smaller and intimate scale. Think of events as being similar to a meetup or informal get together - folks aligned on common interests getting together. Our annual Discover India trivia event will follow in March. We would love to see new folks in the community help organize new events. Feel free to reach out if you are interested in organizing an event and we will be more than happy to provide guidance. 

Finally, one of the challenges we face is how to reach all of you and stay in touch. We will be using our blog and email as our primary means of contact. Additionally, we may periodically share details of new events on WhatsApp. If you are interested in staying in touch and have not attended our event(s) before, please consider sharing your email with us by attending/volunteering at the next event.

If you have feedback or ideas to share, please email cambrianindiancommunity@gmail.com

P.S: We will be reaching out to folks via email on participation for Karaoke Night. If you are interested and havent attended any of our earlier events, please email us.

CIC Diwali Gala 2019

The Cambrian Indian Community (CIC) is excited to present its Diwali Gala 2019! Get your tickets here.

We had our first ever Diwali Gala last year with a bunch of ideas! We wanted our community to come together to relax, chat, dance, eat and have a great evening It was a big success based on all your experiences. 

This year, we want to make it even better and take it up a notch!  Here is a taste of what is coming: 

1. Better Food : Festival=Food! We got you! We are picking an exciting menu from the best Bay area restaurants.  Come hungry :) 

2. Kids Activities Center: We heard it loud and clear that parents want to relax knowing their kids are nearby while not having to chase them all the time. We have booked a Kids Activity Center, next door to the hall! Kids will be entertained, Parents get to relax & have fun while the kids are engaged in some interesting activities. 

3. Professional DJ: Kids activities taken care of. Food taken care of. Nothing more to worry about. Come, dance the night away to the tunes of a professional DJ :)  

4. Spirits: In the spirit of the season, we will have some alcoholic beverages - this time with more options than last year . There is a limit though, so please drink responsibly.

5. More Things to do: We are planning to have an icebreaker like last year. We are looking to have more time for adult activities this year.

Buy your tickets here.

Logistics

Date: Sunday, 17th November, 2019

Venue: Orchard City Banquet Hall, 1 W Campbell Ave, Campbell, CA 95008

Time: 5-9pm

Dress Code: Colorful Indian party/festival attire

Tickets: Please read ticket information below prior to purchasing your tickets.

• Each adult and kid ticket includes entry to event and catered vegetarian dinner.

• Adult (13 and above): $25/ person

• Kids (aged 3-15): $20/ person

• Kids (less than 3): Free

• Alcohol: $5 per alcohol ticket for beer/wine, $7.50 for premium beverages 2 tickets max per adult

Additional Ticket Information - Please read prior to buying tickets.

• Given that ticket availability is capped due to hall considerations, we will restrict each buyer to 6 tickets. If you intend to purchase more tickets, please email cambrianindiancommunity@gmail.com with your request and you will be placed on a waitlist. - We cannot promise that we will be able to accommodate your request but will do our best.

• Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. When you purchase your ticket, it will be tied to your email address used to make the transaction and where you will receive your ticket confirmation.

• Kids under 3 can attend the event for free. You will require to purchase a free ticket for each kid under 3 in the family during the ticketing process to allow us to keep track of the total hall attendee count but you will not be charged for it.

• Tickets will not be sold at the venue.

CIC Events: Volunteering and Participation

In the past, one could choose to not volunteer at any CIC event and still get good participation opportunities for themselves and their kids. This was possible in part because we were a small community and invariably, most of the people who participated chose to also volunteer. In the past couple of years, we have seen a massive growth in the community but we have not seen a comparable jump in volunteering not much of new blood in event organization. It has become unsustainable to have the same 30 or so people jumping in for every event. We believe that many more of you want to be more involved in organizing events and in the long term, building a thriving community. So we are making some changes to how we organize our events and solicit participation.

You should volunteer, here is why!

Starting with the next CIC event, family volunteering hours in CIC events throughout the year will translate to priority in participation and tickets. We think it is only fair that families who spend hours helping us build a vibrant and connected community be offered priority for tickets and participation.
More specifically,

• Helping with cleanup or decoration or registration or food management or videography or photography is volunteering.

• Volunteers for an event get priority for buying tickets for their family and for participating in that event.

• Volunteers for past events in the same calendar year will be next in queue.

• Finally, folks who have not volunteered for any event that year will get a chance to buy tickets or sign themselves or their kids up for participation.

• Participating in an event does not constitute as volunteering and will come with no privileges.

• We will be building a roster of folks who are helping out every year and ensure they get the right opportunities whenever possible throughout the year. This volunteering will reset every calendar year so everyone has an opportunity to jump in and help out.

If you have questions, please let us know (cambrianindiancommunity@gmail.com) or talk to one of the Board members or officers of CIC.

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Opportunities for Volunteering: 2019-20 CIC Events

Starting now, for our flagship events, we will be mapping volunteering to participation opportunities. This will initially apply to three of our largest events - Mehendi Night, Annual Day (erstwhile Diwali) and Utsav (early 2020).

We will have three of our flagship events coming in the next 7 months.

• Discover India in late July.

• Mehendi Night in Sept/Oct.

• Annual day (the erstwhile Diwali program): Performances based event similar to Diwali Mela of 2017.

Details on all three events will be coming in the next few months. So stay tuned. Utsav will be in early 2020. We are skipping Utsav for 2019. We have also pencilled a few experimental events for this year that we will have more to share as we finalize plans.  

Hope to see you all Volunteering & Participating at our events this year!

CIC Diwali Gala presented by BB Travel Experts - Event Day Logistics

Please read this note in its entirety. It contains details about the CIC Diwali Gala happening at the Orchard City Banquet Hall (in Campbell Community Center) on Saturday, 10-Nov, 2018. 

Event Date: Saturday, 10-Nov, 2018

Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Location: Orchard City Banquet Hall, Campbell Community Center, 1 West Campbell Avenue, Campbell, CA-95008

Event Day Logistics:

• Doors will open at 5:30 pm and will close at 8:30 pm. The hall has to be vacated by 9:00 pm.

• Registration: There will be a registration desk when you come in where you will pick up your raffle coupons, ticket (for photo booth - more on that later) and drink tokens (if purchased). Please retain all of them as you will be needing them during the event.

• Photo Booth: There will be a photo booth with family photos by Ram Athreya. Each family will get one opportunity (by turn) to get their photos taken. Your family will be called based on your ticket number. Please pay attention when your number is called. Due to time constraints we will not be accommodating more than one picture per family nor will we able to do anything other than family photos. Once the official photo booth is done, the photo booth area will be available until the end of the show for friends and family to take as many photos as they desire with their phones.

• The hall will be divided into two sections - one with banquet style seating for dinner and the other, the dance floor/ standing area. There will also be chairs in the corners of the room for friends to sit and talk.

• Music: There will be a professional DJ providing music throughout the evening.

• Food: Chai and an appetizer will be available from around 6 pm. A banquet style dinner will be served around 7 pm. Food is being catered by Ananda Bhavan.

• Drinks: The bar will be open from 6 pm for people who have purchased their alcohol. There will be a selection of beer and wine to choose from. Alcohol will not be available for purchase at the event. 

• Games: There will be a fun game from around 6:15pm. We request everyone to participate in the fun. 

• Parking: There is ample parking in the complex.

• Trash and Clean Up: The event is managed entirely by volunteers and there will be limited time to clean up afterwards. We request all attendees to dispose their trash (plates and cups) in designated trash bins and not leave them lying around. We also strongly recommend parents bring a water bottle for their kids to reduce waste.

• Kids: Parents are responsible for their kids safety. The hall is large enough to accommodate everyone. Kids can move around relatively freely. But once kids leave the hall, it will be hard to track them in the dark beyond the lobby. So we request parents to keep a watchful eye on their kids. 

• Raffle Prizes: There are some exciting raffle prizes to be given away during the event. For folks who have bought the raffle tickets online, you will get them at registration. For everyone else, you will have a chance to buy raffle tickets at the registration desk.

• Ticket Transfers: If you had to transfer your tickets (or if you are the recipient of tickets you picked up from someone else), please let us know prior to the event so we can give you the right ticket. You can email Nekzad@gmail.com with the information.

If you have any last minute questions or concerns, email or message Nekzad or Prabhu.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

CIC Board and Officers.

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Presenting our Gold Sponsor for the CIC Diwali Mela - LSJ Financial

We are happy to present out third and final sponsor for the CIC Diwali Gala, LSJ Financial. LSJ Financial and Laddi S. Jhuty have been a loyal sponsor of our CIC community over the years.

LSJ Financial provides a full range of Financial products including Life Insurance, Portfolio Management, Estate Planning and Tax filing. Laddiji has been very active in our community, having conducted investment workshops for us and counts many of our community members as his clients.

Those of us who know Laddi respect his professionalism, respectfulness and efficiency in managing our financial matters and we are glad to see him continue to support CIC year after year in our events.

Please join us in thanking Laddiji for his generosity and visit his business at www.lsjfinancial.com for further information on his services.

Presenting our Gold Sponsor for the CIC Diwali Gala - Trinethra Supermarkets

We are pleased to showcase our Gold Sponsor for the CIC Diwali Gala, Trinethra Supermarkets - Our neighborhood Cambrian Indian Supermarket serving all our grocery needs.

Kishore Muvva, owner of Trinethra, epitomizes the entrepreneurship spirit and has been a strong supporter of CIC Diwali over many years. There are now four Trinethra stores in the Bay Area - Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Santa Clara (Brand NEW location at 3379 El Camino Real) and our very own Cambrian San Jose store at 4436 Pearl Ave.

On behalf of the CIC Diwali Gala team, we are very thankful to Kishore-ji for his generosity and we are confident that the community will continue to support and visit the Trinethra Indian supermarket for all our grocery needs.

Presenting our Grand Sponsor for CIC Diwali Gala 2018, BB Travel Experts

CIC Diwali Gala 2018 is presented by BB TRAVEL EXPERTS LLC. (Affiliated partner - AVOYA TRAVEL/AMERICAN EXPRESS).

We are yet again, thrilled and thankful to present our Grand Sponsor for this year’s Diwali Gala, BB Travel Experts. Bomi Patel of BBTES has been a huge supporter of our community building efforts over the past 3 years and has willingly stepped up to be the Grand Sponsor yet again.

BBTES is a local one-stop travel agency in our very own Cambrian Park neighborhood and offers full service for all your travel needs across Airlines, Cruises, Hotels, Rail and Car Rentals. They provide personalized, super convenient and friendly service for our high flying Cambrianites - taking the pain out of booking our vacations and family trips around the world.

On a personal note, I (Prabhu) used BBTES to make my summer trip to India last summer and Bomi was super helpful getting me the best price and fast. He took the hassle out of the entire process and within 24 hours, I was ticketed and ready to go.

We sincerely request our community to reciprocate the generous support which BBTES has shown our community by using them for your travel needs!

Contact: Bomi Patel - BBTES9@gmail.com | www.bbtes.com | 408-264-4395

CIC presents Diwali Gala 2018 sponsored by BB Travel Experts

The Cambrian Indian Community (CIC) is excited to present its first ever Diwali Gala sponsored by BB Travel Experts, Trinethra Supermarkets and LSJ Financial. Before we get into specifics, here are the key event details:

Date: Saturday, 10th November, 2018

Venue: Orchard City Banquet Hall, 1 W Campbell Ave, Campbell, CA 95008

Time: 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Dress Code: Colorful Indian party/festival attire

Tickets: Please read ticket information below prior to purchasing your tickets.

• Each adult and kid ticket includes entry to event and catered vegetarian dinner.

• Adult: $20/ person

• Kids (aged 3-12): $15/ person

• Kids (less than 3): Free

Additional Ticket Information:

Please read prior to buying tickets.

• Given that ticket availability is capped due to hall considerations, we will restrict each person to 6 tickets. If you intend to purchase more tickets, please email cambrianindiancommunity@gmail.com with your request and you will be placed on a waitlist. We cannot promise that we will be able to accommodate your request but will do our best.

• Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. When you purchase your ticket, it will be tied to your email address used to make the transaction and where you will receive your ticket confirmation.

• Kids under 3 can attend the event for free. You will require to purchase a free ticket for each kid under 3 in the family during the ticketing process to allow us to keep track of the total hall attendee count.

• Tickets will not be sold at the venue.

• You can also buy as many raffle tickets as you desire (raffle prizes will be announced over the next few days)

Event Details:

The CIC has typically organized a performance based Diwali event at this time of the year. This year we are making some changes to that. Given the effort it takes to organize the performances based Diwali event and how it impacts the Dusshera/Navarathri season, we are moving it to Spring and retitling that event as our Annual Day. Look for more details on the Annual Day later this year.

There has also been a demand from community members for a more casual and relaxed get-together where friends come together to celebrate the festive season. This gala is our attempt at addressing that request. We are doing it for the first time and are using this opportunity to try a few new ideas. Here they are.

1. This event will be performance free. There will be a professional DJ playing music and one half of the large hall will be cleared to accommodate folks who let their hair down and dance the evening away.

2. We are offering a dinner buffet to allow attendees to sit down with friends and family in a banquet style seating arrangement and have a casual dinner.

3. Finally, we will also be offering alcoholic beverages for the first time. This is how it will work. Each adult can purchase (during their ticketing) two alcoholic beverage tickets for $5 each. A family of two adults can thus purchase as many as four alcoholic beverage tickets. Beverage options will be limited to beer and wine. There will not be an active bar at the event nor will alcohol be available for purchase at the venue. So if you would like to purchase it, please do so when you buy your event tickets.

We will share the dinner menu in the coming days along with event day logistics. We will also have a raffle during the event with some really cool prizes. A little birdie tells us that a pretty fancy wireless noise cancelling headphone might be one of the raffle prizes. More details in the coming days.

We look forward to seeing you at the event. It will be a lot of fun and best of all, you get to hang out with all your old friends and make new ones too!

Before I leave you, I would like to tell you about our three sponsors for the event. Returning as our Grand Sponsor is Cambrian’s very own BB Travel Experts. Bomi Patel, Proprietor of BBTES lives in our community and has been a major patron of all our events. Also returning as Gold Sponsors are Trinethra Supermarkets, our local Indian grocery store and LSJ Financial, our supportive financial planner. We request one and all to support these businesses who have been pillars in our community.

Buy your tickets here.

CIC presents Positivity Rocks sponsored by Dance Pulla

We are excited to present a brand new event called "Positivity Rocks" sponsored by our local community business "Dance Pulla". 

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Sponsor Details

If you’ve got a kid that can’t stop tapping their toes to the beat, then Dance Pulla has got a class where they can dance their socks off! We’ll introduce your child to the mix of Bollywood & Kollywood dance techniques while allowing them to express themselves through creative movement and continue to get better their dancing skills. Kids will have a great time learning Bollywood steps every session while improving their confidence in dancing, body coordination, flexibility, and focus. Please visit www.dancepulla.com for more information.

About the dance teacher Vijay Sivalingam, a resident of CIC

Vijay's passion is to dance and he has been dancing for more than 15 years for various dance groups like Sanhiti, Visweta, BATA, Nach Ke Dekh in Bay Area.  He has been involved with CIC ever since he moved to Cambrian Park in 2012 and has been actively participating in all the CIC events by choreographing a dance for kids (and adults too). He recently started his own dance school called Dance Pulla to continue teaching dance and instill the pleasure of dancing in kids.

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Event Details

Event: Positivity Rocks

Date: Sunday, Aug 12, 2018

Time: 8am - 10am

Venue: Belgatos Park

Participants: Children ages 5 and up

Fee: $10/child

Activities include: Hiking, Sun salutation, Placing the rocks and eat breakfast

We will leave behind painted rocks during the hike and around the play structure to brighten strangers’ days.  The rocks can be taken home, admired or moved from one place to another. Aside from making someone's day, another amusing part of the project is seeing where the colorful rocks land after they are dropped off by their maker(s). Interestingly, it’s been found out that people will take them on vacation and leave them in different states, countries even.

CIC Natya Sangeeth Utsav 2018 sponsored by Skyline Tutoring, Music Village, KalaAwishkar Dance School and Kumon-Los Gatos Blossom Crest

The Cambrian Indian Community is excited to welcome you to CIC Natya Sangeeth Utsav 2018. 

CIC’s Natya Sangeeth Utsav is our annual event to promote Indian music and dance forms and is in it’s fifth year in 2018. It features Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, vocal and instrumental, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak dances, with solo and group performances by our community members. When this event was first held 4 years ago, the participation was limited but it is hearteningly notable that the music and dance segments presented right from its inception were well received by the audience. From the past 2 years, the participation and volunteer effort for this event has been increasing and this year, we reached maximum program capacity with a waiting list within the first two days of the announcement of the event.

This year, the Utsav event will be held on 20th May 2018 at Guadalupe Elementary school. We are very excited about our community seniors also participating for the first time in a group recital. We are happy to announce that there are multiple sponsors for this event - Music Village,  Skyline Tutoring, KalaAwishkar Dance School and Kumon of Los Gatos - Blossom Crest. Utsav 2018 will be held at a local elementary school (Guadalupe Elementary) and we look forward to showcasing all the performances on a beautiful well-lit stage.

Camp Sapne presented by Stem4Kids

We are happy to announce the third edition of Camp Sapne, a sleepover camp for children. This event like past years will be organized and conducted by community teenagers which allows them to develop their leadership skills under adult guidance. Look for more details on the event soon or send us an email at cambrianindiancommunity@gmail.com if you are interested.

We are also excited to announce that this year, the event will be sponsored by “Stem4Kids”. With locations in Cupertino, Saratoga, Evergreen & Cambrian Park (San Jose), Stem4Kids has been providing technology-focused Summer Camps and Classes for students. The mission of Stem4Kids is to encourage and enhance learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and other subjects to ensure children receive excellent education that opens doors for them to new and better career opportunities.

Founded by Cambrian resident Shweta Chordiya, Stem4Kids is a locally owned business that is offering summer camps for your kids.Stem4Kids conducts summer camps in many interesting topics for your kids including Python Programming, Java Programming, Robotics, STEAM, Math and English Enrichment, and more. Select number of Scholarships are also available.

You can visit their website www.stem4kids.co or email info@stem4kids.co for more details. We are happy to have them on board as a sponsor for our Camp Sapne event.

Closing out CIC Discover India 2018

Thank you to the entire community for showing up at the fourth edition of Discover India. It is our smallest event of the year and designed to foster bonding and collaboration. The setting is intimate and the competition and camaraderie are so wonderful to witness. We had our largest participation turnout ever this year and it was fantastic to see so many new faces. I hope we gave you a good experience that will bring you back for more such events. I am glad I live in a community that gives me a platform to do this every year.

As always, this event was not a solo effort. It took many people doing small and big things at the right time to make the event successful. The Cambrian Indian Community has cultivated a culture of shared responsibilities and this event was no different. As a quizmaster, I stand proudly on the shoulder of giants who help in every step of the way. To new members of the community, I strongly encourage you to consider volunteering or signing up to organizing your own event, however small it may be.

Here in CIC, we take our feedback seriously. After every event, we share a feedback form for participants and guests to share their feedback anonymously. Wherever possible we incorporate improvements based on feedback for future years. Here is the full report of this year's event.

Many thanks to our sponsor, Vimana for supporting us.

Until next year, stay curious!

CIC Discover India 2018 - The Rules of the game

It is almost here. We are just over 24 hours from the fourth annual Discover India presented by Vimana. Before we get to the rules and all that, let me remind everyone about the event.

Date and Time: Sunday, 2 pm at Cambrian Library (please remember to set your clocks for Daylight Savings tomorrow)

Venue: Cambrian Park Library, 1780 Hillsdale Ave, San Jose, CA

Duration: 3 to 3.5 hours based on how quickly we go through the rounds.

Entry Fee: $5 per team. Can be paid in cash at the venue or as a check to Cambrian Indian Community (cash preferred)

Snacks: There will be small snacks (and chai) for purchase. Please bring change.

FAQs on Rules and Logistics:

What time should I be there?

You need to be there at 1.45 pm. We will start getting people split into teams and seated immediately. If you arrive after 1.45, it is likely you will end up in whatever team with openings. The plan is to START the event at 2 pm. The later we start, the fewer the rounds we can run. 

I signed up as an individual (or as part of a partial team). Who will be my teammates?

We will sort all of you into teams at 1.45pm tomorrow. So please arrive on time. While it won’t be truly random, I am thinking of keeping things interesting by doing an on-the-spot pairing exercise. 

Will there be a break during the event?

Yes, we will take a 15-minute break around 3.30 or so. There will be chai and some small snacks for purchase. Please bring change. 

Can I bring my kids?

There is limited space at the library community room, specifically for kids to run around. If your kids can bring a book or activity to do and hang out among adults, it will be perfectly fine. 

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So about those questions…..

How many rounds will we have?

There will be 6-8 rounds of movies based trivia depending on how fast we roll. We will finish no later than 5:30 pm. Earlier if possible.

Will all questions be focused on Bollywood movies?

No. The questions are designed to cover the broader Indian spectrum. That being said, some rounds are more Bollywood centric than others. Three of the rounds will give teams a chance to pick from a selection of Hindi, Tamil or Telugu movies. So you can play to strengths in those rounds.

Should I be a movie buff to do well? Will the questions be from the black and white era?

You don’t need to be a movie buff but it will help if are someone who occasionally watches (or used to watch) Hindi/Tamil/Telugu movies. If I were to plot a Bell curve, the healthy center of the distribution will be movies from 1985-2005 which coincides with the time many of us used to watch a lot of movies.

Will the questions be hard?

For folks who have attended earlier edition of Discover India, this year will be the easiest by every metric. My goal with this event is to ensure that over 85% of questions are answered by participants. This year will be no different. I expect the hit rate to be higher than 90% this time around.

Are there only direct question type rounds?

No. There will be dumb charades and Pictionary in addition to audio and visual rounds. The event is designed to keep you on your toes.

Should I prepare?

Not sure how you can prepare. If you want to look at my earlier responses and do some prep, you can but it will not make a huge difference one way or the other.

Are there prizes?

In the first year, I offered gift card prizes. There was overwhelming feedback that participants preferred no prizes. So keeping with that, we will not have prizes but you do get valuable bragging rights until next year's event which is a bigger deal than any prize I can give. 

Parting thoughts?

Be prepared to meet new people, hang out with old friends and have a lot of fun in a very intimate setting. It gets crazy in a good way. Discover India is one of our smallest events designed to have people crammed into a room and feed off each other’s energies. 

CIC Khana Khazana 2017 - Chef Spotlight - Chef Manasi

Here is the last Chef interview before the event. This time, I am thrilled to present Chef Manasi. In a way, this final interview for Khana Khazana 2017 was where I wanted to be when I started this effort. The conversation was super casual over a cup of chai and snacks. It was relaxed and the questions and responses just flowed naturally. Over the past few weeks, staying behind the camera has allowed me to listen, and to learn so much about my friends, fellow community members and cooks extraordinaire. I am so happy I got this opportunity to do this video series and am now a strong proponent on the use of video as a means to not just publicize but engage with the community.  Manasi was a wonderful conversationalist and hearing her  thoughts on cooking, I can only imagine how awesome it is going to be on Sunday. I cant stress on this any more. Sign up your family for CIC Khana Khazana 2017. This is going to be super fun and for a good cause.

Please do watch the video to learn more about Chef Manasi and what she has in store for Khana Khazana. Her answers to the Q&A are also below.

I will leave you with one more thing- there is one last blog post coming related to something exciting for Khana Khazana. Should arrive on Friday or Saturday. So stay tuned for that.

Q: What is your inspiration to be a cook?

A: The chemistry of ingredients and varied possibilities with the same inspire me to experiment, cook and create.

Q: What motivated you to be a part of this unique experience Khana khazana?

A: The idea of bringing together our community for raising funds through a gastronomical avenues by the local chefs motivated me to join the bandwagon.

Q: Who is your role model in the kitchen?

A: My aai (mother) is my role model forever. She has the ability to make simple recipes into soul food, I idolize her for that always!

Q: What is that dish you vividly remember growing up seeing mom/dad/grandma/yyy cook and enjoy?

A: I grew up eating freshly cooked home made food made by my mom. My mother makes the traditional layer wheat roti everyday , that to date no one else (not even me) could replicate. Memories built around simple homey food stay forever:)

Q: What experiences shape how and what you cook- is it the place you are from, the city you grew up in, the place you currently live or anything else?

A: I was born and brought up in Bombay. The city's spirit has imbibed in me the enthusiasm, determination and urge to learn and explore. I love my chaats and Pav bhaaji but staying in US has added the different flavors from all over the world into my plate. Hence, the food I cook is a fusion of nuances from typical Brahmin cuisine to street foods to Thai, Italian, Mediterranean, Greek and others.

Q: Without naming the dish, what should people expect from you at Khana khazana?

A: Simple,seasonal, homey yet presentable food and a smiling face serving them with love :)

CIC Khana Khazana 2017 - Chef Spotlight - Chef Jabeen

Here we are with an interview with Jabeen, our third featured chef for CIC Khana Khazana 2017. One interesting vignette to share is that when I started planning for these videos - I wanted them to be very similar. The same questions and how each chef answered it. As you can see from the Q&A below, thats how most of the chefs responded too (with the exception of Meera who wrote a lovely story for us). But as we shot each video, the approach started changing. Instead of sticking to a script, we started having conversations about food and the experiences that have shaped how we have approached it. I learnt a ton about cooking styles, influences, experiences and so much more that I am so fortunate to have been part of this publicity exercise. I hope the enthusiasm of the chefs comes across in the videos just as it did to me when I spoke to them. On a special day, here is a special video from Jabeen. The Q&A responses follow below the video.

Q: What is your inspiration to be a cook?

A: My mother, grandma, sister, aunts, and friend’s mother.

Q: What motivated you to be a part of this unique experience Khana Khazana?

A: Few lucky friends in Cambrian Park have tasted my food. When Latha Santosh approached me, I thought I would give it a try. I am hoping with some help, I should be able to do it.

Q: Who is/are your role model(s) in the kitchen?

A: None other than my Mother and Elder Sister.

Q: What is that dish you vividly remember growing up seeing mom/dad/grandma cook and enjoy?

A: Dum Biriyani (both veg and non-veg).

Q: What experiences shape how and what you cook- is it the place you are from, the city you grew up in, the place you currently live or anything else?

A: It’s the taste buds and my favorites, makes me cook as close as possible to my mom’s recipes. My son is another driving factor for me to cook as a mom.  I also like to try different ingredients and cuisines if it’s healthy enough, then I adopt it. I have grown up going to markets to buy fresh vegetables, so I am a big fan of the farmers market in bay area. Cooking with fresh ingredients makes the food to go to another level.

Q: Without naming the dish, what should people expect from you at Khana Khazana?

A: Come hungry and savor the mix of Indian spices and veggies with family.

CIC Khana Khazana 2017 - Chef Spotlight - Meera

As with other chefs for Khana Khazana, I had asked Meera for answers to questions to keep things simple for her. She wrote us her story instead. I have read it twice now and I find it fascinating. I am publishing it verbatim here. So read on for Meera's journey with cooking and food. But before you get reading, I also had a chance to talk to Meera about all things food and the interview video is available for your viewing. We did the interview as Meera made piping hot aloo bondas for me- yes I know, I am lucky that way. It was a super fun chat and I think you will enjoy it too. I hope you agree with me that we cant wait to sample what Meera has to offer on the 14th of May at our CIC Khana Khazana.

When color, aroma, flavor, combined with some passion and love for your near and dear ones blend in together, a beautiful dish is born. My inspiration for cooking mainly comes from me being a lover of eating delicious food. I still remember, as a child I grew up in a typical TamBrahm family where the day dawns with the aromatic flavor of filter coffee. I thank the Gods in the heavenly aboard because neither of my parents restricted me from having this pure delight . As the days continues , I would notice my mom zooming around in the kitchen like a tornado , to get breakfast ready and pack all of lunches as well. I was and am still amazed of her swiftness , with which she works in the kitchen. 

Amma grew up in Mumbai and so she has influence from both Tambrahm and North Indian Khana. Even today, I cannot make the Aloo Paranthas and Phulkas with the softness that she has claimed. Her Aviyal and Paruppu Urundai Sambhar with Potato podimas is to die for. These are some of the richness of everyday food that I grew up with. That’s how my love for eating delicious food grew. She is definitely one my role models in the kitchen. My uncle (perippa), was another towering personality whom I have been inspired by. Every summer we would travel from Chennai to Mumbai for vacation and stay with uncle and family. He would royally cook for us everyday, in spite of his busy schedule at work. He always saw that we never went hungry during the stay I have imbibed that quality from him. There were few instances when I have returned home hungry from someone else’s house. I hate to have a feeling to go a restaurant after having lunch or dinner at someone’s! Believe me, I can point out so many examples. My lesson from uncle is never have your guest feel a bit of hunger when he/ she steps out of your house. 

Since I am a connoisseur of food and I hate a hungry stomach, I see to it that anyone who comes to my house, never leaves with a hungry stomach. I cook everyday with love and passion for my son and husband. They are my strongest critics, and when I see smiles on their faces when they like it , the happiness I experience has no limits. So here are two other inspirations and the pillars of my life, whom I dedicate my cooking capabilities, plus they are my scape goats as well :). I discovered a new me, in this country and it happened in the recent past. 

I hosted a memorial day party in Sunnyvale, and bravely invited close to 80 people! This was the very first time I cooked for a large number of people, with a lot of variety , and that is when I figured I did love to present or showcase what I cook! I was to see thrilled to see the happy faces of my friends and their kids! Kids ate with no complaints! There was no excess food! All plates and faces happy! Now it has become a family tradition to host a Memorial Day party, my friends know it and block their calendars :). 

I want to see the same thrill and excitement on the faces of my fellow Cambrianites, who have given me so much in the past two years! So when Latha proposed to me the idea of Khana Khazana, and cooking for almost 200 people, the bar is raised and the challenge is here. I am super enthusiastic to challenge myself for this big day, and all of you be ready to cherish the softness of a Madurai Jasmine flower with a Kerala delight condiment to go with it, and a chilled delicacy dunked in yogurt blended in with flavors from mint and coriander with a dash of spices!

Are you ready to Discover India?

In a little over 12 hours from now, the Cambrian Indian Community will assemble to remember all that they know and to discover new facts about India. The third annual CIC Discover India event is here and promises to be bigger and better than the past two years.

Nine teams will compete tomorrow for the title of “Discover India champions 2017”. On behalf of the CIC, I would like to invite one and all to attend the event and experience the magic. The event will start sharp at 1:15 pm and will finish by 4:15 pm. Snacks (bhel puri, chai and cookies) will be available at the venue for a small fee (please bring cash).

Game Rules

There will be up to 9 rounds (time permitting, we will conduct all of them). There will be two quizmasters - Prabhu and Srividya and their decision will be final. 

1. Teams have been playing a teaser round over the past week and have accumulated points that they will carry into the event tomorrow. Based on their scores in the teaser round, teams will get to pick the place where they would like to sit. 
2. Once seated, the rules will be explained and the contest will begin. 
3. No cellphone use will be permitted during the event. 
4. Non-participants are not allowed to help (kids under 9 are ok to accompany parents). 
5. The first round will begin in the clockwise direction with Team 1 and make its way to Team 9. The second round will go anti-clockwise and so on.
6. For every question, teams will get to pick a number from 1-9 and the quizmaster will ask that question from a numbered list. 
7. While every effort has been made to standardize the questions to the same level of difficulty, some questions will appear easier to some teams while others will find some hard- purely based on their exposure to the said topic. Teams are allowed to randomly select a number so that the questions they get are purely their luck and no more.
8. For most of the direct rounds, teams will get 30 seconds to answer the question. Only one answer will be allowed. So teams should carefully discuss before providing an answer. 
9. Each correct answer to a direct question will earn the team 20 points and for most rounds, there will be no negative marks.
10. For 7/9 rounds, questions will not pass if the team provides an incorrect answer. The audience will get a chance to answer the question.
11. For 6/9 rounds, there is one double question in each round. The double question allows the team the choice of doubling their points in case of a correct answer (or losing 20 points for an incorrect answer).  
12. There will be surprises along the way!
13. In case of a tie between two teams in the end, there will be a tiebreaker question. Rules will be explained during the game.

There is a ton of very interesting trivia for the participants and the audience to learn and share. So be prepared to have fun and learn something new in the process.

See you all tomorrow.