There is a special two day Spice of India Weekend at the Alameda County Fair which is on from Wednesday, June 22, 2011 till Sunday, July 10, 2011 (at Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA) Spice of India Weekend – June 25-26 Saturday/Sunday – 2011
2011 Fair Prices: Adult $10, Senior $8, Child $6
All Day in Festival Square both Saturday & Sunday:
• Art & Painting
• Henna Booth
• Produce & Spices (India Plaza, Dublin-shopindiaplaza.net)
• Cultural booths Indian
• Indian Food vendors on-site in Festival Square. (dishes for sale)
Saturday -June 25
12:00 – 12:30 – Welcome young and old for yoga and meditation basics with Yogi Mahendra12:30 – 1:45PM – 1st Annual Best of the Bay SAMOSA Contest Fastest Rolling & Best Tasting – Sponsored by India Plaza (*PRIZES for the Fastest Rollers & Best of the Bay overall Samosa)
01:45 – 2:00PM – DJ – Bollywood Music
02:00 – 3:00PM -TRAVEL THROUGHOUT ALL OF INDIA. NO PASSPORTS NEEDED! Unity in Diversity! Come see, hear, and taste from the culture from several regions
03:00 – 6:00PM – Bollywood Extravaganza! Live Dance Performances
Sunday-June 26
12:00 – 12:30 – Welcome young and old for yoga and meditation basics with Yogi Mahendra
10:00 – 1:00PM – My PART by ART: A World Art competition to help Benefits to Aid Japanese Tsunami Relief (In partnership with local corporations and non-profits)
01:15 – 1:45PM – Cooking Demo- Come learn the regional cuisines across the country of India
01:45 – 2:00PM – DJ – Bollywood Hits
02:00 – 3:00PM – TRAVEL THROUGHOUT ALL OF INDIA. NO PASSPORTS NEEDED! Unity in Diversity! Come see, hear, and taste from the culture from several regions
03:00 – 6:00PM – Bollywood Extravaganza!
There are a zillion others fun activities going on at the fair – check http://www.alamedacountyfair.com/2011fair/home/index.php
Livermore Temple is organizing a Free Alternative Medicine Health Fair encompassing guest speakers, Q/A Sessions, Informational Booths in the streams of Ayurveda, Homeopathy, and Acupressure/Acupuncture.
Dr. Jay Apte (Ayurveda)
Dr. Pratichi Mathur (Ayurveda)
Acharya Dr. G.S. Shergill (Ayurveda)
Dr. Rina Valia (Homoeopathy)
Dr. Teresa Shen (Acupressure/Acupuncture)
Where: Temple Assembly Hall, Shiva-Vishnu Temple, 1232 Arrowhead Avenue, Livermore, CA 94551
When: 25th June 2011 (Saturday)
Time: 12:30 P.M. to 4:00 P.M
For more information on the upcoming event, please contact Suman Jain at [email protected] or call at 925-371-5640.
Hi, I am offering preschool and pre-k program in Dublin this fall. You could enroll for a 3 half-day or 5 half-day program, morning or afternoon sessions. I have taught at Stratford for 4 yrs. and have a MS in child development from India. Please call me at 4084318736 and leave a message and I’ll get back to you.
Wondering what to do with your children’s time this summer, now that you have decided to stay back home, and not travel to India, or elsewhere? How about getting them up to skills in Public Speaking, Critical thinking, Self-expression, Personality & Communication development – all important real life skills that will go a long way for your children (And some say they are the real ‘differentiators’ when it comes to success at workplace, later in life).
The Lil’ Genius Kid – at Camino Ramon in San Ramon (CA) is organizing a Summer Camp from June 13, 2011 – August 19, 2011 . Students are grouped according to their age and abilities. They offer opportunities for positive peer interaction, developing leadership skills and participants learn etiquette, manners, social skills, self esteem, and how to think for themselves – creating leaders of tomorrow.
Academic schedule covers Math, Reading Comprehension, Language Arts, Creative Writing and Vocabulary/Spelling Competitions. There are specific classes for Public Speaking. There is no homework given during summer camp.
Kids would be grouped in Preschool, PreK, or Grades 1st to 5th. There are Academic Camps, or Public Speaking only Camps. Classes are available for 1, 2 or 3 hours for morning or afternoon sessions. The program is very flexible in how many hours a day, how manys days a week , and even which time and days. Sample cost:
A one hour a day Public Speaking class every day can cost $700 for 10 weeks.
A three hour a day Academic class every day can cost up to $1300 for 10 weeks.
Early Bird discounts . 10% sibling discount on the 1st sibling. 5% off second.
Non-refundable application fee of $50.00 plus $200.00 prepaid tuition is required to be submitted to confirm a seat.
The seats are on first come, first serve basis.
Extended care is available till 6:00 PM, as is Pickup/Dropoff.
For more information, contact [email protected] or call 1-925-244-1080.
The Lil’ Genius Kid’saward winning curriculum has won local, national and global awards, and they have been featured on major networks – CNNMoney.com, KRON 4, and as well several other publications.
Language Essentials Announces Summer Reading Camp!
Catch up and accelerate reading skills through an intensive 5 week summer reading program that has shown to raise reading levels an average of 1.5 years!
Summer reading camp is:
• Used successfully with thousands of struggling readers, including those most at risk.
• Composed of proven, research-based strategies and programs.
• Designed specifically for students entering second and third grades in the fall.
Dates: 6/20 to 7/26 (no class 7/4 and 7/5)
Camp will meet at 9am
Alternative Medicine Health Fair:
When: Saturday June 25th, 2011 from 12:30 to 4 P.M.
Fee: Free
Venue- Shiva-Vishnu Temple Assembly Hall
1232 Arrowhead Ave, Livermore CA 94551
What to expect: Listen to lectures on how to maintain healthy lifestyles through Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Acupressure, and Acupuncture,
Question & Answer Sessions and
Informational Booths
For more information contact Suman Jain at [email protected] or
Call the temple 925-449-6255.
FREE workshop – learn the secrets of youth and young looking skin with Beauty expert Ashish Pandya. Ashish travels the world over teaching people about Skin care, Ayurveda and health.
Location: Art of Living Center for Meditation and Yoga, 6690 Amador Plaza Rd, #215, Dublin
Time: 10:30am – 12:00pm
Date: June 4th 2011
To Register: http://secure.artofliving.org/event_details.aspx?event_id=100834
Adult and child yoga class
Come spend an hour and half with your child (8+)to learn to destress, relax and rejuvenate.
Learn important skills such as focus, concentration and improving memory with your child.
A perfect way to start the summer and get ready for the next school year or the important events in your life.
Register once for both you and your child.
Learn to live a stress free life by Understanding Mind-Breath-Body relationship. Breath is the link between body and mind and thus is the key to handling our mind and negative emotions to release our true potential at work, at home and at leisure.
Learn Sudarshan Kriya, a unique rhythmic breathing technique offered through the Art of living course along with Yoga, meditation and breathing techniques.
A few benefits from the course:
Reduced stress
More energy,joy and enthusiasm
Improved efficiency and productivity (at work and at home)
Looking for a female housemate to share a room in a 4 bedroom 3 bath house in Danville. Please call 925-963-6617 if interested. At present living alone having two sons studying in So. Calif visiting occasionally. Email: [email protected]
On May 20, 2011, in Pleasanton, kids get to experience a bit India in the form of Henna Tattoos, food, fashion, entertainment in Mohr Elementary School – thanks to the Girls Scouts event Flight International Passport to India – a Gold Award event.
Presented by Girls Scouts of Northern California, Crossroads Service Unit, the event is hosted by Nehal Tenany (Troop 31473).
Its a great event for kids of all ages! All Activities are FREE! Include food, Henna Tattoos and much more! Date: Friday, May 20, 2011 Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Come and go anytime! Place: Mohr Elementary School 3000 Dennis Drive, Pleasanton Multipurpose Room
Full of Fun and Learning – Experience the Indian culture, food, fashion, entertainment, religion, and more!
There will be a series of booths filled with activities great for the family! Learn how to write in Hindi! Try the various foods! Even get a Henna tattoo! Kids will be issued a “Cultural passport”. This passport will get stamped at different booths. Completed passports will get a small prize.
Donations are welcome. All donations will be contributed to a non -profit educational organization in India!
No prior registration is necessary. For any questions, please contact: [email protected]. Or call 925-600-9940 for details!
The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award that a Girl Scout 14-18 may earn. Someone once described the Girl Scout Gold Award as being “what you really want to be remembered for” in Girl Scouting. For many, the leadership skills, organizational skills, and sense of community and commitment that come from “going for the Gold” set the foundation for a lifetime of active citizenship.
The Punjab Heritage Society, a local cultural organization for the past several years, is looking for some energetic and passionate people to take on a leadership role for the coming years. The Punjab Heritage Society has successfully put on an annual Baisakhi show in Pleasanton to showcase the talents of our local children. The current leadership team would like to bring in new people into the group, especially those with young children.
If you are interested in becoming one of the new leaders or would just like to get more information, please contact Harinder at [email protected].
Youth & Education wing of HCCC Presents: Youth CCC Fair (College, Career & Community) at the Livermore Temple on April 23..
Please attend if you are middle or high schoolers or their parent and:
Have questions about college admissions
Want to speak with college graduates one on one
This could be your means of getting a head start towards your career.
ADMISSION IS FREE!
(HCCC – Hindu Community and Cultural Center)
Saturday, April 23, 2011
11am to 4pm
@ HCCC Assembly Hall
PROGRAM SCHEDULE:
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM – KEY NOTE SPEAKERS
12:30 PM – 1:00 pm – LUNCH
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM – FORUM
2:30 pm – 4:00 PM – INFORMATION BOOTHS
Ask questions to our esteem panel
Here is an attempt you can make to understand your child better – and it does come with Indian ethos.
Art of Living center is organizing a free workshop on May 7 that “will enable you to understand you child, and enhance the relationship between parent and child.” By the sound of it, could be surely a useful and potentially fateful workshop!
According to the description of the workshop:
Learn the root causes of your child’s behavior and learn tools to help your child break these behaviorial patterns.
Understand your child and help them reach their fullest potential.
This is for you if you feel:
1. Your child is shy
2. Sibling rivalry turns into fights all the time
3. Your childs doesn’t listen to you
4. Child watched Tv and plays video games all the time and doesn’t listen to you.
This workshop will help you parent your child to
– Enhance their creativity
– Improve focus and concentration in studies
– Be independent and responsible
– Communicate better
– Feel more free and natural
– Respond to stress in an emotionally healthy way
We will also talk about emotional and mental development, nutrition and food choices, the role of music and art, and social interaction.
May 07, 2011 10:00 AM Art of Living Center for Yoga and Meditation, Tri Valley 6690 Amador Plaza Road, #215 Dublin, CA 94582
Contact: 925-964-9228
The Tri Valley Cricket Club (TVCC) has been successful in restarting the club after sitting out 2010, thanks to some new recruits moving into the tri-valley area and availability of a great indoor practice facility.
The season play starts up next saturday (April 30, 2011) and runs till end of August. The club (within Tri Valley Cricket Foundation) will be playing T30 format under NCCA, which is the oldest organized cricket association in northern california.
This year the club was not able to secure the Dublin Emerald Glen park ground from the City.
Dublin Emerald Glen Park Cricket Pitch
So they will be playing out of Tracy (which is a “batsman’s paradise” – located at Krohn Road, Tracy, CA 95377).
Tracy Cricket Club Players
However, they are hoping to get back to playing in Dublin next year. To qualify to play in the grounds, the club needs to attain the non-profit status 501(c)(3). However if they cannot attain the status on their own, the Club plans to look towards some Dublin based organization to sponsor them. The status requires that the organization’s membership is open to public, serves Dublin community, and membership must be ideally 51% Dublin residents (though there are ways around that). There are additional rules and insurance requirements.
The club is always open to new recruits. According to Paul Singh of TVCC, the club conducts formal practices on Wednesdays from 6:30 – 8:00 PM at Hit’N Sports in Pleasanton. Interested folks can always join them then, and can also contact the club at: [email protected]
Free sumptuous food, and entry. Where else could it be, but in a Punjabi cultural event. One of the handful of such events – the 8th Annual Diversity Spring Festival will be held on Saturday May 14 2011 at the Todos Santos Park Plaza in downtown Concord (the corner of Willow Pass and Grant Street) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Baisakhi (Vaisakhi) festival is sponsored by the Therapeutic Residential Services, and the Federation of Indo-American Association of Northern California. The event is presented by South Asian Behavioral Health and Training Foundation – SABH CENTER which is a Non-Profit California agency providing residential & mental health services to mentally & developmentally disabled, new immigrants & seniors.
Every year about 5,000 people from all over the Bay Area attend the Concord Baisakhi festival. There are expected to be 50 + booths for clothing, electronics, financial, health and information in 2011. As well, expect Cultural shows by children and artists. Check last year’s event with pictures here.
The Team Asha Marathon program is kicking off in San Ramon on April 16th, 2011 (besides in San Francisco and Sunnywale).
The program provides training and guidance to run a marathon, as well as helps the cause of child education in India.
You can train with Team Asha for a Half or Full Marathon by joining the Team Asha Marathon Training program (A marathon is 26.2 miles; a half marathon is 13.1 miles). There is an initial, nonrefundable registration fee of $75 or $100 (depending on when you register.) There are other costs for races, gears, etc, as well as a goal to raise money (about $2000) for the noble cause. There isn’t a minimum fitness level to join the training program. Train for about 6 months for full and about 3 months for half. Join the entire group for a weekly long run (Saturdays) and track session (most Tuesdays.), and there are socials that you get to participate in. Program Highlights
A comprehensive beginner friendly program.
3 month training for a half marathon and 6 months for a full marathon.
Train with experienced coaches and assistant coaches.
Speed and strength workouts every week.
Guidance on running form, apparel and nutrition.
Guidance from mentors during weekday runs.
Gain bragging rights after you finish a marathon. 🙂
Get fit! Learn to live a healthy and active life style.
Make new friends, attend team parties & dinners!
Some quick stats about Team Asha
Years in Operation : 11
Number of Runners : 1191 to date (412 women)
Funds Raised : $2.8 million
Age of Asha Runners : 18 to 60+
Supported Projects : 385
Children Benefited: 500,000+
Free Info sessions
East Bay Program Kickoff
Apr 16th, 2011 – 2:00 – 5:00 PM
Multi Purpose Room (MPR) Windemere Ranch Middle School
11611 East Branch Pkwy San Ramon, CA 94582
Register at:
https://www.ashanet.org/siliconvalley/marathon/
Contact: [email protected]
Team Asha is a sports program organized by Asha for Education (Asha) that gives the chance to individuals of all ages to discover the magical benefits of physical activities like running and biking including but not limited to an active and healthy lifestyle. All that while helping raise funds for projects supported by Asha in India. Team Asha aims to provide every runner, every biker with the means to change their own lives and make a positive difference in the life of thousands of underprivileged children in India.
The program has been in existence since 2000 and helped hundreds of runners, 70% of them first timers, to reach new endurance levels and take on bigger challenges. Our expert coaches and involved mentors add a personal touch to the training and help you with not just running a marathon but leading a healthy lifestyle as well. Learn more about the program here.
Last year alone, more than 200 participants have helped raise over $370,000 towards 38 projects supported by Asha for Education, Silicon Valley Chapter.
With winter and rain behind, kids would want to be out in the parks. Celebrate Spring with ‘The Eggstravaganza’ that begins at 10:00am and ends at 11:30am on April 23, 2011. The Spring Eggstravaganza features a unique Free Style egg hunt where children do not compete to pick up as many eggs as possible. Two designated egg hunt areas will allow you and your children to leisurely pick up eggs and take photographs. There is a limit of 10 eggs per paid participant. Other fun features of this event will include:
Carnival games with prizes
Bounce Houses
Face Painting
Arts and Crafts
Petting Zoo
Bubble Station
Parachutes games
Refreshments
and
A photo opportunity with Peter Rabbit!
Emerald Glen Park – Near Tennis Courts
4201 Central Parkway
Dublin, CA 94568
Emerald Glen Park encompasses 40 acres and features a playground with water activities, bocce ball courts and a skateboard park and tennis and basketball courts that are well lit for evening enjoyment.
According to US Census Bureau American Community Survey 2009 –
The City of Pleasanton has a total foreign born population of 13,665 (20.6%), out of which 2,862 are from India.
i.e – 4.31% of population of Pleasanton is of Indian origin. Indians are the top Immigrant group in Pleasanton.
The City of Dublin has a total foreign born population of 9,220 (21.7%), out of which 896 are from India
i.e – 2.10% of population of Dublin is of Indian origin. Indians are the 5th largest immigrant group in the city.
The City of San Ramon has a total foreign born population of 13,032 (26.6%), out of which 2,621 are from India
i.e. – 5.35% of population of San Ramon is of Indian origin. Indians are just behind Chinese as the top immigrant group.
By comparison, about 16% of population of Fremont is of Asian Indian origin.
These numbers may look on the lower side, but well this is the statistic as of now. More current and detailed numbers are expected to be released by end of this year.
Hit’n Run Sports in Pleasanton is proud to annouce the Spring Break Sports Camp 2011 for boys and girls ages 6 – 12
The camp runs from 4th April 2011 (Monday) to 8th April 2011 (Friday).
We have two batches BATCH 1 9 am – 12 pm and BATCH 2 2 pm – 5 pm
No More TV ! No More Video Games! A Productive Break!
Fees: $130 Additional
Learn the basics of cricket, table tennis and chess from our certified instructors. These sports will test your phsical and mental toughness.
Please email/call us for more details.
Tri-Valley Community Television offers affordable video production services to a variety of clients in the public, private and non-profit sectors, and classroom training and workshops in video production through the Tri-Valley Regional Occupational Program.
This (2011) summer, they are offering a summer camp for middle and high school students who are considering a career in video production. The 20-hour TV day camp includes an introduction to studio and field production, writing, and digital video editing.
This unique TV Camp includes an introduction to studio production, field production, writing, producing and digital video editing. Participants will work within a group to produce a TV program. The fee is $495 and registration is limited. The camp sessions were sold out well in advance in the last two years they have been held.
When is it?
The day camp runs from 9a-1p on the following dates:
Session 1: June 13, 14, 15, 16 & 17 (9a to 1p each day)
Session 2: August 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12 (9a to 1p each day)
The camp location is: Pleasanton Unified School District, 4663 Bernal Avenue, Suite B in Pleasanton. For more information and to register, visit the Tri-Valley TV web site at http://www.tri-valleytv.org/camp.html or phone the station at (925) 462-3030.
Tri-Valley Community Television been broadcasting since 1976 and is the government and public education channel serving the cities of Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton and San Ramon, California. Known to many as TV30, the station operates channels 28, 29 & 30 on the Comcast Cable System, broadcasting to 68,000 households representing a population of nearly 200,000 people. Viewers from Napa to San Jose and the surrounding Bay Area can also see them on AT&T U-Verse, channel 99, click on San Ramon.
What’s the Big Deal? Groupon and LivingSocial offer one fantastic deal every day with discounts of up to 90% at local restaurants, bars, spas, theaters, and more. How it works is you print the voucher or bring it up on your mobile device, then present it at the business to get your deal.
These deal companies negotiate huge discounts—usually 50-90% off—with popular businesses.
While the deals are aplenty, increasingly Indian food establishments have started featuring on these great deals as well.
Many deals for Indian restaurants in Tri Valley area are already featured on restaurant.com, but those deals usually have conditions attached, like 50 dollars minimum, dine in only, 20% gratuity included, etc.
The Groupon deal like the one below stands out as its a real bargain – simply 10 dollars for 20 dollars of food.
Sign up this post for more updates local to Pleasanton, San Ramon, Dublin, Livermore and Danville.
With the number of Indian immigrants settling in Tri Valley increasing at the rate it is, if anything, one would imagine increasing community organization and participation.
So its almost not heartening to know that Holi celebration in Tri Valley this year (2011) is not on a smooth ride. The TVIA (Tri Valley Indian Association) did an excellent job organizing Holi at the Emerald Glen park in Dublin last year (2010). The event was well organized, and was a hit. There was music, dance, games, color and a lot of bonhomie, and participation. However, from there on, first the TVIA Diwali plan last year went awry (lack of participation/interest – read tickets not sold), and then this year no Holi because of lack of volunteers to organize it.
Sure, the community needs helping hands!
In any case, there is some ray of hope. ‘Art of Living Tri-Valley Center – Pleasanton/ Dublin/ San Ramon’ was apparently up to something, and they have announced holding a potluck – ‘Festival of Colors (Holi)‘ on March 19th, 2011 at 11:30 AM, and they invite friends and family to join. The location is
Limerick Park
2833 Bethany Road
San Ramon, CA 94582
If you may want to go, please contact the center (925-336-1203, 510-593-5858, sanramon[a]us.artofliving.org) for participating in the food potluck.
Other than this, surely some groups of friends may be getting ready for celebrating Holi. The official Holi date actually is March 20 (Sunday) – so don’t be surprised to see brethren from India in colors of holi in parks during the weekend of March 19-20. If any groups are forming, please spread the word around. The more the people, the merrier and colorrier!
If you are willing to drive 25+ miles, there could be other good options:.
Asha Stanford Holi 2011 Saturday, April 2 · 10:00am – 1:00pm Sandhill Fields Oak Rd Stanford, CA
Holi Garba-Raas Party – March 12, 2011 8PM – Jain Temple Milpitas
SEF UPMA Holi Mela 2011 Mar 19 2011 Time: 11:00 AM
Holi Celebration & Mela at Sunnyvale Hindu Temple Mar 20 2011, Holi Dahan on Friday March 18th @ 07.00 PM
Janyaa presents Holi Cupertino, CA 2011 Mar 13 2011 10:00AM
Recently a friend attended a three day Art of Meditation course, and another talked about it. And then another one. So looks like Art of Living San Ramon/Pleasanton center is coming of age.
There is a FREE event in the effering. Called “Meditation Marathon”, it will be held on March 5th 2011 at the Art of Living Center for Yoga and Meditation, Tri Valley location 6690 Amador Plaza Road, Suite 215 Dublin (925-5AOL-101). The event begins at 9am and ends at 4:00pm. There will have multiple sessions that will “help you explore your mind and bring you to the peace within”. This event is for beginners as well as seasoned meditators.
Schedule of Events:
SUKSHMA YOGA – ancient yoga that prepares the mind and body for meditation
BREATHING TECHNIQUES – learn techniques and tools to take home to quieten the mind and relax
GUIDED MEDITATIONS – led by world renowned Spiritual leader
VIDEO PRESENTATION – to understand the mechanics of the mind
CHANTING – Chanting meditation
Participants should bring a yoga mat, water and a blanket. There are no registration requirements, but confirm by calling the number above, or contact [email protected] for more information.
There is Art Excel Follow Up on Mar 06, 2011 at 4:00 PM, again a free event.
The next course (paid – $250) would be Saturday, March 17 – 20. In just three sessions of two hours each, participants “learn to tap the depths of our nature. After the course we can use this simple meditation practice to overcome the effects of inevitable stressful situations and make a positive impact on the quality of our lives”. The highlight of the course is the Sudarshan Kriya: An immensely powerful technique that incorporates specific natural rhythms of breath to release stress and purify the entire system by releasing toxins at the deepest cellular level. In addition you can expect talks on wisdom, useful breathing techniques, and even some fun!
There is another course from March 26th-28th, 2011
Friday Singing Satsang at 7 p.m. at the Tri-Valley Center
Long Kriya Schedule at the Center: Wednesday Long Kriya 7pm-8:30pm, Saturday Long Kriya 7am-9am
Mahasivaratri Celebrations, March 2nd, 2011 from 7pm onwards at Tri-Valley Center
The center may also organize Festival of Colors (Holi) on March 19th, 2011. Stay tuned for updates here.
Favorite game of millions of americans. The National sport in China. A big sport in India.
Learn from2000 North American OlympicTrials Participant and 15-Time National ChampionShashin Shodhan
Table Tennis has been one of America’s fastest growing sports in the last decade. It was called the best brain sport on KQED and CBS recently.
For those interested in learning table-tennis, please contact Pleasanton Table Tennis Club Head Coach Shashin Shodhan at 510 366 5234 or at [email protected]
Two-hours sessions are tentatively scheduled to begin in March.
Tri Valley area (Pleasanton, San Ramon, Dublin, Livermore, Danville) fortunately has a handful of exponent-teachers in the field of Indian classical music and dance (both Hindustani and Carnatic). Here is a list (not all contact information is validated). This is by no means the exclusive list, so if any additional are known, please update in the comments section. For a list of more modern dance forms, including Bollywood, check this earlier post: http://www.trivalleydesi.com/bollywood-indian-dance-classes-in-tri-valley/
Hindustani Vocals in San Ramon!
Learn both classical and popular vocal music from Sunita (of SuSangeet) who has
been teaching music classes in the Bay Area since 1993. Students will begin
with a good grounding of classical octave/sargam sounds, then progress to Ragas
& Popular Music.
Notes will be provided for Keyboarding. Student performances are held along
with CERTIFICATION FROM INDIA.
Contact Sunita: 925-648-2820
Bach.in Music (Hnrs) – Banaras Hindu Univ.
Post Graduate – Prayag Sangeet Samiti SuSangeet.
Bharatnatyam & Carnatic Music
Name: Nityalakshmi Iyer
Email: [email protected]
Field: Bharatnatyam & Carnatic Music
Address: San Ramon, California
Telephone: (925) 480-7507
Misc. Info: Nityalakshmi Iyer is a versatile artist and has a Masters in Performing Arts in Bharatanatyam from Nalanda Kala Mahavidyalaya under the tutelage of Padmashree Dr. Smt. Kanak Rele. She is the proud recipient of many Awards and Scholarships, especially the coveted ‘Government of India Scholarship’ by the Ministry of Culture and the Nehru Center Scholarship. She has been a Guru to around 200 disciples till date.
Bharatanatyam, Carnatic Vocal
Name: Kalaikoil, Swetha Dixit
Email: [email protected]
Address: Kalaikoil-Dance & Arts of India 6715-G, Dublin Blvd, Dublin, Ca 94568
Telephone: 925 449-3714
Sloka and Devotional Music
Name: Prema Krishnamurthy
Email: [email protected]
Address: Pleasanton, CA, USA
Misc Info: Teacher is from Mysore, and has over 30 years of sloka and devotional music instruction experience. The following listing is not all inclusive, but gives an idea of the variety of instructional material that is available: * Devotional Devaranamas * Bhavageethe/Bhakthigeethe * Devotional songs, slokas and bhajans like; o Jayadeva”s Ashtapadis, o Adi Shankaracharya’s – Lalitha Sahasranamam, – Shamaladandakam, – Soundarya Lahiri, – Mantra Matruka Pushpa Maalam, – Adithya Hrudayam – Sowbhagya Panchadashi, etc. Contact to enquire about any special slokas or devotional music. Please contact for scheduling, fees and customizing instruction.
Vocal Karnatic
Name: Prema Murthy
Email: [email protected]
Adress: Pleasanton, CA
Telephone: 925-485-1454
Misc. Info: Customised music lessons for kids and grown-ups. Classes offered: Pure Karnatic Sangeeta, Bhava Geete, Dasa Padas, devotional music (e.g. Soundarya Lahiri), Bhajans
Indian Classical Instrumental Music – Santoor
Name: Madan Oak
Email: [email protected]
Adress: 5760 Newfields Lane Dublin CA 94568
Telephone: (925)-556-9611
Misc. Info: Madan is a disciple of the world renowned Santoor Maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma. Madan has been studying Indian classical music for more than 16 years. He would like to teach santoor if anyone is interested.
Bharata Natyam
Name: Dr. Bindu S. Shankar, Ph.D.
Email: [email protected]
Adress: San Ramon, CA 94583 (bay area)
Telephone: 925-875-1095
Misc. Info: I graduated in Bharata Natyam from Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai. I also teach Folk dances on a limited basis. Website – http://www.vrindavanacademy.com
Bharatanatyam dance school
Thakadhimi Dance Academy
Lakshmi Priya Rajamani
(650) 504-6843 [email protected]
http://www.thakadhimi.com
9816 Belladonna Dr, San Ramon
Others
Kuchipudi Art Center, Sunita Pendekanti
(925) 484-2389 Pleasanton
Natya Rasa, Savithri Hari
(925) 943-1660 Walnut Creek
Its tax time of course, and many people could be looking to get help from some one who could provide tax consultation and do the filing. While filing personal taxes could be simpler, those with incorporation, multi-state or other complexities could need some hand holding. Generally using professional help ensures accuracy and at times also helps your eventual tax bill.
In looking for desi tax consultant in the area last year, I found Bheem Kolluru, and I am glad I used the help. He and Vishy are enrolled agents and are located right across Dublin BART and can be contacted at 1040.i…@g…com.
Other desi tax preparers that I have heard of on 1170 AM radio are www.ravitax.com, or CPA www.sanjivcpa.com/ – they are full service firms, offering accounting, book keeping, etc.
If anyone has any additional recommendations, please add here.
To initiate, nurture,and promote the Hindustani and Carnatic forms of Indian Classical Music, we will be hosting monthly House Concerts at our home in Windemere, San Ramon. If you would like to be kept informed about our upcoming concerts please let us know. We will add you to our Mailing list for further updates.
Please feel free to pass the information along to your interested friends and families.
Please let me know if anyone needs Indian food for any special occasion, or would like a weekly supply of home cooked food cooked per specifications. [email protected]
Ushanjali School of Dance offers training in Bharatanatyam(South Indian Classical Dance) following the traditional principles of the ancient art.
Theory and Practical aspects of the art form will be taught.
Periodical evaluation of the students will be conducted.
Opportunities to perform on various platforms will be given.
Anyone 5yrs and above can register.
Adult classes are also conducted.
Contact the school at: 510-742-9303 or email at: [email protected], [email protected]
Comcast is one of the leading communication, media and entertainment companies in the world! We invite you to become part of the Comcast Cable team, the largest cable company in the country and the cable provider to look to first for the products and services the connect people to what’s important in their lives. Exciting “xfinity” products include over 250 cable channels, premium movie channels, and our blazing fast internet connection plus tons of special features through a connection that is always on!
Sell Comcast’s blazing fast internet, digital cable television and unlimited local and long distance services to consumers in an assigned residential territory (Fremont) working out of our Oakland office. In this role, you would be mainly working out in field for approx. six hours a day (rain or shine), where you will drive your personal vehicle (mileage reimbursement provided) to a given neighborhood and contact in-person residential subscribers and non-subscribers to cultivate relationships to sell our products/services to homeowners and/or apartment managers (approx. 200 units or less) via leads. This job can be very lucrative and exciting meeting new and current customers every day.
In turn, we offer you a competitive compensation of an annual base salary of $25,500, plus commission targeting $59,500 annually on average with no cap or ceiling, totaling $85,000 per year, PLUS many additional benefits such as: Health, Dental and Prescription Drug Insurance, Courtesy Cable and Internet (where available), stock options, 401(k) co. match, paid time off, educational tuition reimbursement program and four weeks of paid training (classroom and on-the-job).
The position calls for individuals with the following:
Excellent communication skills with bilingual capability speaking Hindi & English
Six months of commission sales experience
Verifiable a high school diploma or equivalent
Valid California driver’s license and clean driving record
Availability to work Tuesday-Friday (11:30-8:30) and Saturday (8:00-5:00)
Capable of working outside, meeting customers via Door to Door solicitation to include walking six hours a day in all weather conditions
For immediate consideration, please email your resume to our Recruiter: [email protected]
Comcast is an Equal Employment Opportunity / Affirmative Action / Drug Free Workplace Employer
How is it like celebrating Diwali in bay area this year 2010? There’s been Dandiya dances all over in October. The desi stores are decked up with Diwali mithai and puja stuff. You could be planning get-togethers with friends and family. And now there are Diwali festivals being organized all over the bay area, and you could decide to attend one of those.
There is general festivity in the air. Even the stores in the malls and elsewhere are beginning to show that holiday season is not far away. So if you would like to do any new purchases on occasion of Diwali – the Dhanteras Tradition, its not a bad time either.
The lead this year, like others, for Diwali celebration is being provided by the temples of the region.
The Bay Area Youth Vaishnav Parivar is organizing what they call ‘Diwali Celebration like back home in India‘ for five days from Nov 2 to 7 in Milpitas.
The Sunnyvale Hindu Temple is organizing Diwali Mela 2010 from Oct 29 – 31. The Livermore Hindu Temple is organizing special puja on Nov 5 and 6. The Fremont temple has the big festival going on on Nov 6. The Sikh Gurudwaras have a huge Diwali celebration and langar on Diwali as well.
Diwali at Fremont Gurdwara
Adding to the festival calendar during this time, especially for the kids, is Halloween. If adults want to indulge, there is Halloween Party + Miss India Norcal at an event organized in Milpitas.
The businesses and other associations have been active as well. Cupertino Chamber of Commerce & Asian American Business Council organized Diwali Festival on Oct 8, and IIT Foundation had their cultural competition on Oct 2 in Campbell.
The Tri Valley Indian Association is also organizing their Diwali night on Nov 13 at the Hart Middle School, Pleasanton. So if you are in Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon, Livermore, Danville – this could be your local Diwali festival. (UPDATE Nov 4, 2010 – the Pleasanton event stands cancelled).
And finally, for the day of Diwali, plan on dressing up, lighting up your house, do rangoli, puja, eat a lot of mitthai but refrain from any fireworks.
The Tri Valley Indian Association is celebrating Diwali in style by organizing a “Diwali Dhamaka 2010” event on Saturday, November 13th at the Hart Middle School, Pleasanton.
Its to be a night of fun, celebration, dance and good food.
The actual day of Diwali is a week before, on 5th of November. So keep that weekend for worshiping and puja, and culminate the festivities with a dhamaka the next week!
TVIA Diwali 2010
Date: Sat, Nov 13th, 2010
Location: Hart Middle School, Pleasanton, CA.
Time: 6:00pm – 10:00 pm
Cost: Adult – $20
Kids (5yrs – 15yrs) – $10
Kids (3yrs – 5 yrs)- $5
Kids (Under 3 yrs)- Free
Discount of 10% for 10 tickets or more; tickets available at sulekha.com This event is cancelled as of Nov 4, 2010. Here is the email communication from tvia. On Thu, Nov 4, 2010 at 11:25 AM, TVIA East Bay wrote:
It is with great regret I want to inform you that this year’s Diwali event has been cancelled. We couldn’t organize the event this time due to lack of participation.
We hope to get more volunteers in the future so that we can continue promoting Indian traditional events in the East Bay Area.
Nevertheless, Happy Diwali 2010 wishes to you and your family !
TVIA committee.
Hi,
Are there any playgroups in and around this area- Stoneridge/Santa Rita. I have a 6 year old son and I would love to meet other desi moms with children around that age in the area.
Well, next in the calendar is Navratri, and Dandiya or Garba nights that come with it.
Garba is an Indian form of dance that originated in the Gujarat region. It is more similar to Western folk dance than to the presentational style of Indian classical dances such as bharatanatyam and odissi. The name garba comes from the Sanskrit term Garba (“womb”) and Deep (“a small earthenware lamp”).
Modern garba is also heavily influenced by raas. Raas or Dandiya Raas is the traditional folk dance form of Vrindavan, India, where it is performed depicting scenes of Holi, and lila of Krishna and Radha. Along with Garba, it is the featured dance of Navratri evenings in Western India.
There is a huge interest in Garba amongst the youth of the Indian and in particular Gujarati diaspora in Garba. Garba and Dandiya Raas are popular in US where more than 20 Universities have Raas Garba Competitions of a huge scale every year with professional choreography.
What to wear:
Both men and women usually wear colorful costumes while performing garba and dandiya. The girls and the women wear ghaghra choli, a three-piece dress with choli on the top and ghaghra as bottom, made of cotton with beads, shells, mirrors, sitars, and embroidery work, mati, jhumkas, necklaces, bindi, bajubandh, chudas and kangans, kamarbandh, payal, and mojiris and dupatta tucked in the Gujarati manner. Boys and men wear kafni pyjamas with a kediyu – a short round kurta – above the knees and pagadi on the head with bandhini dupatta, kada, and mojiris.
In Dandiya Raas men and women dance in two circles, with sticks in their hands. In the old times Raas did not involve much singing, just the beat of Dhol was enough. “Dandiya” or sticks, are about 18″ long. Each dancer holds two, although some times when they are short on Dandiya they will use just one in right hand. Generally, in a four beat rhythm, opposite sides hit the sticks at the same time, creating a nice sound. One circle goes clockwise and another counter clockwise. In US, people don’t form full circles, but instead often form rows.
Participate, and enjoy Dandiya in the Bay Area. For Tri Valley folks, there is one on Oct 16 in Pleasanton!
Vibha Dandia 2010 When: Saturdays, Oct 2nd, 9th and 16th Where: Centerville Junior High School , 37720 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, California 94538 Cost: Early bird tickets: $10, • Regular price: $13 • Kids aged 10 and under: FREE • Door price: $15 (if available) Others: • Free Dandia/Raas/Garba lessons will be provided by experienced dancers to all ticket holders • Dandia sticks, Food and beverages can be purchased at the venue
vibha dandia 2010 bay area
SEF Dandia 2010 Sankara Eye Foundation When: Oct 9th and 23rd 2010 (Santa Clara) ; Oct 16th 2010 (Pleasanton) – 7:00 PM Where: Santa Clara Convention Center, Alameda County Fairgrounds, Pleasanton Cost: $15 Others: FREE: Dandia Lessons for ALL, Entrance For Kids Under Age 5, Parking. Also, complimentary Check-In Service for Your Dandia Sticks, Special Dancing Area For Kids providing them Extra Safety, Free teak dandia sticks for first 500 tickets per event
SEF Dandia Bay AreaSEF Dandia 2010
Small Steps Diwali Dandia 2010 When: Oct 30 2010, at 7:30pm Where: Address :Centerville Junior High School in Fremont – 37720 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA Cost: Early Bird (Until Oct 10th) :Adult – $10, Child (5-12) – FREE, Regular (After Oct 10th) :Adult – $13, Child (5-12) – $5, At the Gate :Adult – $15, Child (5-12) – $5 Others: Free Dandia Lesson during 1st hour
Small Steps Dandia 2010
Sewa Dandia 2010
When: Oct 8 2010 8:00PM
Where: Sunnyvale Temple Hall, 420 Persian Drive, Sunnyvale, CA
Cost: General Admission $10 (FREE For Kids Under 10 Years)
Others: Subsidized food; All proceeds will go towards Sewa International service projects. Free lessons for Dandia.
IFDA Navratri Hungama 2010
When: Oct 24 2010 6:00PM
Where: East Valley YMCA Gym, 1975 South White Road, San Jose, CA
Cost: :$10 Current IFDA Students and immediate families, non-IFDA attendes under the age of 12. $15 – non-IFDA attendees above the age of 12.
Others: Lessons; Celebrity Guest Ganesh Venkataraman; bone-marrow drive
Chitresh Das Dance Company & Chhandam School of Kathak invite you to the historic unprecedented festival – Traditions Engaged: An International Festival of Classical Indian Dance & Music.
Experience a weekend of dynamic dance & percussion, and dramatic storytelling by the world’s foremost masters, Gurus, and artists of the many diverse classical Indian dance forms: Kathak, Bharath Natyam, Odissi, Kathakali, Manipuri, Kuchipudi, Gauriya Nritya.
The cricket fans in the bay area have something to cheer about. Next month (September), an indoor cricket practice facility is opening up in Union City. It will have four indoor batting lanes with dedicated bowling machines. Coaching and Training will be available. The facility is located 2 minutes from the Whipple exit on 880.
Fri-Sun 9:00 AM-11:00 PM
Cricket Strike Zone Inc.(CSZ)
2919 Whipple Road
Union City, CA 94587
CSZ will have plenty of options ranging from Team packages, individual packages, kids coaching, one on one training with certified coaches, international player appearances, Bowling machine practice, agility training, sponsoring national teams youth teams etc. This could definitely increase standard of cricket in Bay Area and help produce more national level players from the region.
For more information, call 916-612-1160.
The facility is promoted by Mukul Kumar – he has been playing league cricket for 3 years and is his way of giving back to the cricketing community, as well satisfy his entrepreneurial spirit. Indoor cricket has been a long missing feature in the rich tradition of playing cricket in Bay Area. As he started playing, he “realized that it is a tremendous task to get people/team together for practice as most of the enthusiasts are hard working full time people”. He also took this on as he wanted to promote the spirit of cricket in the Bay Area by introducing specialized coaching and training which would build character and strength in kids. “Cricket is a game of great skills and concentration. It teaches one everything to learn in life.”
Its quite heartening to know about the ‘kirtan’ movement, and how active and alive it is the bay area. ‘Kirtan’ means a rendition of music as you pray to the God, a kind of call-and-response chanting performed in India’s devotional traditions (in Sankrit). It is a major practice in Vaisnava north Indian Hindu religious context as well as in Sikhism and Sant traditions. What makes this movemen different in US is that looks like there is rarely an Indian participating in it! So a rare kind of Hindu manifestation that is finding adherents in the West (like Yoga). And talking of such liberal tranditions in American society, where else to find this but in the northern california, and around Berkeley.
The idea of Kirtan in US started with Paramhansa Yogananda and later spead with Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Its becoming increasingly popular at the Yoga Centers.
There are various active meet-up groups that are bringing people together for Kirtans. For example, the Bay Area Kirtan Lovers group is ‘for people who love kirtan, or for anyone who is curious about it. If you enjoy the music of Krishna Das, Snatam Kaur, Jai Uttal, Deva Premal, Karnamrita Dasi, Ragani, Mukti, Jaya Lakshmi, Dave Stringer and other kirtan artists, then this group is for you!’
The group which meets for one kirtan per month in the San Francisco Bay Area. Members sometimes also get together either before or after a kirtan, sharing a meal or dessert/tea, so they can get to know each other better as well and “experience some wonderful synchronities”! ‘Those who haven’t yet experienced kirtan, but are interested in spirituality, yoga, meditation, music, etc. are also welcome to join the group and check it out. Sometimes car-pooling may be available with other members.’
The Kirtan groups shun some commercial aspects, like someone coming to promote yoga classes.
There are various Kirtan updates available on http://www.boloma.com/ – that have further links into various recurring bhakti and Kirtan related events in the San Fransisco Bay Area.
