Durga Puja 2009 – Just a Month Away

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Durga PujaBengali Associations of NJ are gearing up for the biggest festival of the year – Durga Puja. This year the festival starts quite early, around 25th-26th of September. Kallol, GSCA and Anandamandir will be celebrating their Durga Puja during that weekend.  And just like last year we should expect that the registration to start soon. GSCA has already opened their online registration, and Kallol is expected to open theirs in early September.

Last year (2008) was the first time when Kallol of NJ started their online pre-registration process and it caused quite a bit of furor amongst the Kallol regulars who failed to register early. The registration window was closed as soon as the guest count limit was reached and that left many people with a bad taste.  Some people were able to get in at the last moment (I don’t know how) but several people had to go back. I think Kallol needs to do something about this. Continue reading →

Buying a Used Car

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1998 Nissan AltimaRecently I was in the market to buy a used car for my son. It has been quite a long time since I bought a used or should I say “preowned” vehicle. Even when I had bought couple of “pre-owned” cars during my early days in this country, I bought them through my colleagues and friends. The first car I bought was a Dodge Aries wagon that was sold to me by a colleague of mine when I was desperate to get a car that had four wheels and could take me from my home to work and maybe some shopping. Hence I ignored several of its “minor” blemishes – like the rear passenger door which was disabled permanently. A previous accident had bent it awkwardly and  my colleague warned me that if I attempt to open the door from inside, it may swing out violently and injure a bystander. I never opened the door. But the car served me very well. It was the time when minivans were just appearing in the market and station wagons were in high demand to haul luggage to the airports. My friends loved the car. It could sit six people quite comfortably and the huge trunk could pack in a whole apartment. Continue reading →

IIT KGP Alumni – East Coast Summer Picnic 2009

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IIT KGP Alumni – East Coast Summer Picnic 2009

Hi Alumnus –

Our 12th annual picnic is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2009 (rain or shine) at the same park as last year (but different pavilion). Please join us, and bring your family/significant other. Invite your group of friends, and bhaat, play and chill.

When: Sat, Sept 12, 2009, 11am-4pm

Where: Oak Grove Pavilion within Duke Island Park, Old York Road, Bridgewater, NJ

Park Contact: 908-722-7779, http://www.somersetcountyparks.org

Cost: $20/adult (16yrs and above), $5 (6-15 yrs); Cost goes up after Sept 1

Catered Indian lunch will be served at 12:30pm. Please bring along any games or sports equipment (e.g., soccer, volleyball, cricket, baddy).

To register and pay by credit card, please click on paypal links below (you don’t need to be paypal members):

1 Adult ($20): IIT KGP Picnic – Early Registration – Single ($20)

2 Adults ($40): IIT KGP Picnic – Early Registration – Double ($40)

1 Child ($5): IIT KGP Picnic – Early Registration – 1 Child ($5)

2 Children ($10): IIT KGP Picnic – Early Registration – 2 Children ($10)

If you prefer to send a check, please send to: Ajit K Agrawal, 315 West End Avenue, #8B, New York, NY 10023.

KGP ka tempo HIGH hai! See you on Saturday Sept 12.

Ajit Agrawal (ajit_k_agrawal@yahoo.com)

Subhodev Das (subhodev@att.net)

Websites: http://iitkgpny.community.officelive.com/, http://www.iitfoundation.org/chapters/

Jadiyo Galpo – A Review

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Review of Jadiyo Galpo

Subrata Ghosh, an emiment theater critic from Kolkata, recently reviewed Theater Workshop’s production “Jadiyo Galpo” in Desh patrika.  The play is directed by Ashok Mukhopadhyay. “Jadiyo Galpo” is the play that we had staged last year as “Satyameva”. Check out this review and tell your friends and family in Kolkata to watch this play at their latest opportunity.

Bengali Speakers Needed

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A translation company specializing in voice-overs and subtitling are looking for native speakers of Bengali for lip-sync/dubbing of a video series for the City of New York (We are New York). They need approximately 10 –12 speakers, teenager to senior, male and female. Is this something you’d like to get involved in?  Experience is preferred by not necessary.

Contact: Lindsey
InterNation, Inc.
299 Broadway, Suite 1400
New York, NY 10007
toll free: 800.222.8799
phone: 212.619.5545
fax: 212.619.5887
info@internation.com
www.internation.com

20th Anniversary Celebration, Mrittika, Inc.

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On the Occasion of its 20th Anniversary Celebration, Mrittika, Inc. of New Jersey-A South Asian

Language and Heritage Center (formerly known as Bengali Learning center)

Cordially Invites You to Attend the First “South Asian Heritage Day”

Celebrating “Unity in Diversity through the Arts”

Co-Sponsored by Monmouth County Library Headquarters

On August 1, 2009, Between 11:00 AM & 3:30 PM at Monmouth County Library Headquarters

125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan, NJ 07726-3249

The  day-long cultural program includes Exhibition, Performing Arts, Documentaries

Author Presentations, Art Workshops

The  Exhibition “My Roots” contains three areas of display which includes:

Desire within boundaries: The Earth friendly, handed down ritualistic traditional, painting art form by women(from Three generations )of the Bengali Community features Alpana works

“Vanishing Earth”: A special display of miniature clay art form of Bengal

“South View”: An assorted display of folk artworks, articles and jewellaries from South Asia

The Performing Arts will include Music and Dance programs by community artists

“Enchanting tunes of South Asia”: A multimedia musical composition featuring flags and costumes of South Asia: Research, Compiling and composition by (Alumni) and other Mrittika members from the community. The live section will be presented by community celebrities

“Mother Earth-Father sky”: A performance of Indian Lyrics and tunes written and composed by world famous writers poets and composers(Co-ordinated / directed and sung by: Arundhati Mullick with a group of local community celebrities) along with a specal dance segment by “Rhythms of dance and Music(Artistic Director: Mitra Purkayastha, performed by Mitra Purkayastha and Orchi Dutta)

“East meets West”-A performance of classical Indian (Kathak, Bharata Natyam) andWestern Dance(Ballet, Flamenco) by “Kalamandir” of New Jersey(Artistic Director: Malabika Guha, performed by Brinda Guha and Ariana Dasgupta)

The Documentaries contain

“The treasure hunt from the past”: Learn about the disappearing clay art form of Bengal(Bengali with English Subtitles)(Directed by: Sanjiban Guha and produced by Mrittika)

“A Journey”-Glimpses of Mrittika’s twenty years

Art workshops include

“Building the bridges”: Guest Artists share techniques in South Asian Art Forms in the prticipatory programs for children and adults which includes Face art and Mehendi

and

there will be a  Author presentation

Two Books: Two authors

Mothers for Sale: Women in Kolkata’s Sex Trade

by Indrani Sinha

& Shamita Das Dasgupta. Author Shamita Das Dasgupta shares this

sharply intelligent and compassionate exploration of an East Indian

social reality.

Red Oleanders

(Raktakarabi) by Rabindranath Tagore [1861 – 1941].

A new translation and adaptation of the renowned Nobel Laureate

Tagore’s drama by Nupur Lahiri. Dr. Lahiri will present.

The program co ordinator: Dhriti Bagchi on behalf of Mrittika

Co-Sponsor: Monmouth County Library Headquarters

Light refreshment will be served

This program has been made possible in part by the Monmouth county Arts Council through funding from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders, through the County Historical Commission and the New Jersey State Council of the Arts/Department of State, A Partmer Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts

For further information pleae visit : www.mrittika.org

For Library  direction: phone number: 732-431-7220

Website: www.monmouthcountylib.org

Address: 125, Symmes Drive, Manalapan, NJ 07726

Bannya Concert in New York

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A unique concert of Tagore songs with the accompaniment of Indian and Western musical instruments is planned for Saturday, July the 18th, 2009, at 6-30 P.M. at the fabulous sanctuary of the futuristic Saint Peters Church in the heart of New York City at 619 Lexington Avenue (corner of 54th Street), New York City. Rezwana Choudhury Bannya, the famed Tagore singer, will be the solo vocalist. Among the instruments will be Piano, Violin, Saxophone, Harp, Cello, Veena, Sitar, Flute, Tabla, Mandira etc. The musicians who will play these instruments are all accomplished artistes in their respective areas. This is the first time that such a concert is being offered where so many Western instruments will be played with Tagore songs (or any other Bengali song genre, for that matter) at the same session. As planned, Ms. Bannya will sing an average of two songs with each instrument individually. At the end, two or more songs are expected to be offered with all the  instruments playing together.

Suggested donations for the concert has been set at $100, $50 and $25, to defray the costs for the concert. Guests are requested to arrive on time and take their seats by 6-30 pm so that the session may start on time. The entrance is through the 54th Street south side doors, less than 50 feet from Lexington Avenue while walking towards Third Avenue. Discount parking is available at Metropolitan 51 Parking, 569 Lexington Avenue, south side of 51st Street, between Lexington and 3rd Avenue ($15 for upto five hours).. For getting the discount, the tickets have to be endorsed by a seal at the reception desk at the church entrance.

Those interested to attend the concert and collect tickets are requested to ontact: 347-570-7787, 917-770-0146, 718-414-9743 or send email at following adresses:
email: smullah41@yahoo.com, sarwarharun@gmail.com

Goodbye NABC 2009 – Welcome NABC 2010

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NABC Time Zone On July 4th, Saturday night, the curtains came down upon the NABC 2009 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. But as the NABC lights faded out in the West Coast, Kallol of New Jersey got into full gear to herald in the NABC of 2010 to be held at the Atlantic City Convention center from July 9th to 11th, 2010. Although I was not able to attend the San Jose NABC, but judging from the excellent coverage on Urhalpool, it seemed that it was a successful one from an overall perspective. It seemed that the shows ran on time (which was unthinkable even a few years ago, NABC seems to have fixed that vexing problem and made this cartoon irrelevant), they were entertaining and dazzling, food was good, as were the long adda sessions. The second generation kids also seemed to have enjoyed themselves, some made new friends and some met old ones they met at previous NABCs.

Continue reading →