FOI Quarterly Newsletter, April 2021
FOI News
This quarter our president Mrs. Bhakti Patwardhan and incoming president Roopa Ram recognized and honored two members of FOI, Dr. Avinash Thombre, former President of FOI for the year 2020 and Parag Deshpande for their outstanding contributions to our community.
Avinash Thombre took the reins of FOI in 2020. As soon as he took office, he spearheaded the Go Green campaign in FOI. He encouraged members to bring their own water and thereby reduce the plastic generated in FOI events. The campaign was supported by the enthusiastic participation of young members, who performed a show encouraging reuse and recycling. It was a big hit, and sent home the message that FOI cares for our environment. He initiated a food donation drive and collected about 230 lb. of food items for donation to the Arkansas food bank. Soon, when the COVID pandemic brought a halt to in-person activities, Avinash inspired the committee members to think “out-of-the-box”-ideas that would help bring the community together without in-person gatherings. Under his leadership, a myriad of activities were launched virtually like the Facebook live session on COVID by Drs. Sowmya and Navin Patil, Standup Comedy performance, “Fun with Science” conducted by Shayu Deshpande, “Tips on Communication” talk by Dr. April Chatham-Carpenter, election awareness videos by kids and adults, kids talent show, etc. Avinash also brought about a complete revamping of the FOI website. Under the guidance of Nitin Kanaskar and Nishad Karekar, a brand new FOI website was created by FOI youngsters. All in all, despite the raging pandemic, Avinash and his team’s efforts kept FOI members engaged and entertained for which he was given a token of appreciation.
Parag Deshpande is well-known in FOI and within the Indian community in general. He is the go-to sound expert in the community and he has helped organize sound arrangement for several FOI events such as picnics, annual FOI events, children's events, fun fairs, etc. This involves a lot of work like collecting sound files that get sent to him at the last minute, arranging them in order, being present for dress rehearsals, setting up the system and making sure everything works smoothly. He works relentlessly and with positive energy. Outside of FOI, Parag is also actively involved in arranging music for the Harmony fundraisers. He has been the main sound person for India Fest which was initiated under the auspices of FOI. This was an event of far grander scale, yet Parag handled it with his trademark enthusiasm and energy. He was the sound expert when big music personalities like Taufiq Qureshi and Gauri Pathare visited Little Rock. Added to these accomplishments, Parag is also an amazing singer and a self-trained keyboard and harmonica player. Parag has been a pillar of strength to FOI and we hope that he continues to encourage FOI with his unwavering support. FOI sincerely thanks him for his service.
A Slice of Life
Celebrating a Woman
By Dr. Manisha Singh and Shayu Deshpande
"And the Day Came When the Risk to Remain Tight In a Bud Was More Painful Than the Risk It Took to Blossom." - Anais Nin
When Bhakti explored the concept of highlighting women of FOI in a video, we loved the idea. All of us wear different costumes in our life as we play our roles and in that sense we all are actors on a stage, with our own script and stage time. During the day, some of us wear the garb of a doctor, a professional role; and when home, we take up the roles of being a mother and a wife, and on the side when we can, we even wear the guise of being a writer, an amateur actor or an editor. We know that many, if not all of you, do the same. Some of these roles are “sought-after”, sophisticated and admired, while some others are unrecognized and “taken-for-granted”. This rich tapestry of roles which we weave for ourselves makes us who we are and in light of Women’s month in March, we wanted to honor all those roles, big and small.
It was inspiring beyond words to watch the FOI women in Little Rock coming from various walks of life. We saw mothers and daughters, homemakers and professionals, all of them with passions not restricted to any one area of life. Each one a unique kind of homemaker with a unique perspective of life. All women being successful already from their vision for themselves. These phenomenal women are the best version of themselves.
In addition, we know we absolutely need to thank the men that have stood by us: encouraging, helping, always being steadfastly there for us. We are aware that not all women may be so lucky. Their families may not be so encouraging and in fact may even become roadblocks to their growth. We know of some young women in India (like anywhere else in the world,) who are abused by their husbands, yet they have managed to pursue education in the evening after working full-time and taking care of their family, to get better jobs. They persist in the face of all odds and continue to be models of inspiration for us.
For people of Indian origin, celebrating the feminine is nothing new as the country revels in its history of many outstanding women leaders, rulers, warriors and divine entities. However, in modern India we see a dichotomy- on one hand we have amazing women who have succeeded as entrepreneurs, activists, sportswomen and leaders, and shown us what women can achieve. Women like Indra Nooyi, Kiran Mazumdar, Mary Kom, Kiran Bedi and many more, have defied conventions and reached the pinnacle of success in their fields. On the other hand, many cultural shifts that we are not proud of, such as the biases against women, female feticide, dowry system and rape are still rampant in our society. Even here, in America, despite the tremendous progress, gender discrimination still continues to be a big issue. We recognize the need for change-changes within the political system, changes in law and order and changes within the society. These may seem monumental and challenging, but we can do what we can in our own family. As mothers we have that responsibility. We need to raise our sons to respect women, to treat our daughters the same as our sons, and to encourage both our daughters and sons to help each other to accomplish their goals and realize their full potential.
We muse over these issues and hope that women blossom beautifully in whichever path they choose for themselves; that the future unfurls a bright new day for women everywhere.
FOI Events 2021
Valentine’s Day
This year, for those of us who look forward to the fun and romantic Valentine’s Day event, Poonam and Mitesh Lotia hosted an online Funtakshri event for couples.Poonam and Mitesh had creative ideas to stir up their audience and create an unforgettable evening filled with fun and romantic events for the participating couples. The hosts had lined up several games like Pehchan Kaun, Belantine, Rapid Fire, Guess the Song/Movie, etc. Jasmine and Jasmine Pardiwala bagged the prize for winning the most rounds.
3K and 5K Marathon/Walkathon Day
Hiking Club
FOI launched a hiking club in the month of April, to inspire young and adult members to enjoy the outdoors and stay active. The first hike was done at the scenic East Quarry Trail which is part of the scenic Pinnacle Mountain area. Hiking events will be held at regular intervals and details can be found on the FOI Facebook page.
Hiking events will be held at regular intervals and details can be found on the FOI Facebook page.
What’s New at FOI
FOI has created a new resources page on the FOI website. The information for the resources page was gathered by the President, Bhakti Patwardhan and the page was created by Ramya Maneesh. This was built to host and encourage small business owners within our community. Check out the new resources page here.
Upcoming Events
Follow FOI’s Facebook page to stay tuned for upcoming hiking club activities.
Members, if you have not paid your annual dues, please use Zelle to pay $35 to foilrar@gmail.com
Thank you!
Artist’s Gallery
Crochet Creations by Neena Deshpande
Neena says “I learned to crochet from my grandma when I was in high school. While growing up I didn’t crochet much but during COVID last year, I picked up my crochet hook again and have been hooked ever since to crocheting!”. Neena Deshpande works for an IT company. She is married to Parag Deshpande and is a mother of two lovely girls. “I believe everyone must have a hobby as it is the best time you can spend with yourself, ” she adds. Get inspired by Neena’s work by following her Instagram page www.Instagram.com/simplicrochet and visiting her website www.simplicrochet.com . If you wish to learn crocheting from Neena, contact her at deshneena75@gmail.com.
In the Limelight !
Anand Chandrasekaran tells about his family.
From left to right in the picture:
Srividhya Chandrasekaran – sister, Pratyut - older son, Praneel Madhuvanesh – sister’s son, Sangeetha – wife, Anand Chandrasekaran,
Mangalam Chandrasekaran – mother, Gurumoorthy Chandrasekaran – father, Prithiv Anand – younger son
Tell us about your family members.
We are from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, but we have lived in different parts of India due to the frequent transfers my father had in his career. This gave us all an excellent opportunity to see diverse parts of India and interact with different kinds of people. My father, Chandrasekaran Gurumoorthy is 80 yr. old and was born in Golden Rock, Trichy and my mother Mangalam, 71 yr. old, was born in Bangalore. They got married in 1970. My father worked as a construction engineer in various organizations including BHEL and ALSTOM in India, while my mother dedicated herself to taking care of the family. We had the opportunity to live in Zambia, Africa, for about a year and a half when my father was posted to head a construction project there while working for BHEL. I have a sister, Srividhya, working as the director of engineering in a startup in Portland, Oregon. My sister has a son, Praneel, who is 16 yr. old. I manage a software development team in a local small business. My wife, Sangeetha was born and brought up in Chennai, and she works as a systems analyst in a university hospital in Little Rock. Sangeetha and I have two sons, Pratyut aged 16 and Prithiv aged 10, in 11th and 5th grades, respectively. We speak Tamil at home but we are also fluent in Hindi due to our frequent moves within India. My mother, having been brought up in Bangalore is very fluent in Kannada as well. All in all, we are a multilingual family.
How did you meet your wife?
After my graduation, I started working in a Michigan-based software company in Chennai. This is where I first met Sangeetha, who also worked for the same company. We fell in love and with the blessings of elders we got married.
When did you move to Little Rock? What do you like about Little Rock?
I took up my job in Little Rock and stepped on the U.S. soil at the end of 2005, shortly followed by my wife and son in early 2006. We love the weather in Little Rock. I am really proud to have a large number of friends in Little Rock, who are more like family to us than friends.
Name some of your favorite FOI activities.
FOI has been truly great in connecting all local people of Indian origin. We have been members of FOI since the very first year of our move to Little Rock. We love all the FOI activities especially the annual function, kids talent show, fundraising, Valentine’s day, sports events and many more. I am proud to be a member of the FOI group in Little Rock. Our family loves to attend FOI programs as they are wonderful opportunities to meet and have fun with friends.
How long have your parents been here? How do they spend their time here?
After 40 years of service, my father retired and my parents started visiting the U.S. frequently. Eventually, in the middle of 2008 my parents migrated to the U.S. and now are American citizens as is the entire family. After coming to the U.S., my father took complete rest but my mother, who is always full of energy, took up a part-time job as an associate/cashier in a local big chain departmental store to keep herself active. She retired in 2019 after 10 happy years of dedicated service. She is an inspiration to the younger generations to learn that it is never late to start anything new in life. My parents visit my sister in Portland very often and have been a pillar of strength for our families. My father is an amazing singer and he is an active member of a local karaoke group. He keeps himself busy by either recording songs or listening to songs recorded by members of the karaoke group. My mother loves to socialize and is very eager to meet people to talk to. She is also adept at sewing and helps out by altering clothes for friends and family. Her sewing skills were appreciated during the pandemic when she stitched masks for her near and dear ones. She is a superb cook and I am lucky that I get to eat tasty food prepared by my mom and wife.
What are your favorite family pastimes and hobbies?
We enjoy eating together as a family during dinner every day. On the weekends, we watch a movie or play games like Catan, Sequence or a game of cards. We like to hike the Pinnacle mountain or go on road trips to nearby places. In good weather, we play spike-ball or badminton in our backyard. I used to play cricket for a local cricket league team but now-a-days I play tennis and always enjoy a good workout.
Can you recommend a place near your hometown to visit?
There are several places worth visiting near my hometown Chennai. One such place is Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram, about 50 kilometers from Chennai. Mahabalipuram lies on the shores of the Bay of Bengal and boasts of several ancient monuments, but among them, the architectural beauty of the Seven Pagodas, or the Seven Temples, is simply exemplary. Mahabalipuram was built in the 6th century CE. by the Pallava king Narasimhavarman who was also a renowned wrestler. A wrestler is called Mallan in Tamil and the king bore the title of Mamallan or champion wrestler and therefore his city was called Mamallapuram. Mahabalipuram is named a UNESCO world heritage site and we feel everyone must visit this place once in their lifetime.
If there is one place in the U.S. you would like to visit, which one would it be? Why?
We have visited a few places in the U.S. and we are always looking for historical and important places to visit. My sister lives in Portland, and given a chance, we would like to visit Portland, and her, again and again.
Highlight some achievements of your family-awards or accolades.
My mother was a homemaker when we were young because my father, as part of his job, travelled a lot. I feel, that my mother deserves a lot of credit for raising two children and taking care of the family. My father was an active tennis player in India and a fine snooker player. In fact, he earned a few trophies in snooker while in Zambia. My father has also won awards for his singing prowess during his college days. My sister was a talented volleyball player and won a few trophies in her college team. I was a member of a cricket team in Little Rock and participated in the tristate tournaments. I am proud to say that my team won the championship trophy twice, and I won multiple man-of-the-match awards. Both my sons and my sister’s son learn piano/guitar and have received many awards in their schools.