MAITHRY to participate in the Silicon Valley Fall Festival in Cupertino on Saturday, September 25, 2010.

Cupertino Fall Festival is a very popular event which draws over 10,000 people from the South Bay Area. The event includes numerous cultural activities, kids game areas, food booths etc. Maithry will be participating in this event for the first time, with a booth showcasing Kerala. Everyone is invited to attend this event and requested to stop by the Maithry booth.

On Saturday, September 25, 2010, MAITHRY will have people at the booth and on Sunday, September 26th, MANCA representatives will be attending the booth and sharing information about Kerala. On both days, there will be Kerala delicacies being distributed to all those who come to the booth. If you are in the Cupertino area we encourage you to come over to the booth and say "Namaste!" 

Silicon Valley Fall Festival 
September 25-26, 2010 
Memorial Park, 10 am - 5 pm 

The Cupertino/Silicon Valley Fall Festival will take place at the Cupertino Memorial Park. The festival is an evolution of the Oktoberfest, Cupertino Jubilee and Fall Festival that has been held for the past 28 years. 

A joint venture between the Rotary Club of Cupertino and the World Journal, with support from the City of Cupertino and the Cupertino Union School District, the festival will showcase the Health, Education and Safety Fair. This year the festival will expand its scope with the addition of a partnership with the World Journal, the largest Chinese language newspaper in the Bay Area. The fair will incorporate emergency preparedness (CERT), healthy eating, and other educational opportunities. The Safety and Health zone will provide information about the active volunteer groups like CERT, MRC, CARES and Block Leaders. In addition, the City of Cupertino will host the “Keep it Green Environmental Fair” where solar products, CFL and LED lighting, alternative fuel and electric vehicles will be presented. 

The two day event will kick-off with "Bridge to Health" Walk/Run on Saturday morning organized by the Y. This year’s highlights are the Fine Arts Show and the Fun Zone, which includes bounce houses, interactive crafts booths and other children and family entertainment. A Cultural Fair will showcase sister cities booths, country booths, art show and multicultural performances, chicken dance, Captain Jack Spareribs and the Pirates of Cupertino. The food court will feature Asian and global cuisine. For more info, please visit www.sv-fallfestival.com or call 408.564.5529. 

After five years of toil, singer Bijulal C.H. is savoring the fruit of his hard work. Braving many odds, this visually impaired singer has now successfully secured a Ph.D. in music.

Mr. Bijulal, who suffers from partial blindness as a result of Retinitis Pigmentosa, was recently awarded Ph.D. for his research on the topic ‘Concepts of Navanidhi Bhakti and its significances in the compositions of Saint Thyagaraja and His Highness Swati Thirunal'. The research, which he started in 2004, was done under the guidance of S. Bhagyalekshmi. This is not the first time that Mr. Bijulal is proving his academic brilliance and musical talent. He secured the third rank in M.A. Music from University of Calicut. He has also passed UGC's National Eligibility Test (NET) in music. Mr. Bijulal, son of C.P. Harilal and Vijayalekshmi, is residing at Vanchiyoor in the city.

Bijulal is also the brother of Maithry member Lijulal, who helped organize the XNY'10 event early this year.

More articles on Bijulal's achievement available at these links:
Article-1 | Article-2 | Article-3

Gaint Redwoods were a common sight in the San Francisco Bay Area before we clearcut these to build the homes and other structures everywhere. One of the last redwood groves, just North of San Francisco near the city of Mill Valley was just waiting to be "harvested" when William Kent, a visionary conservatioinist, bought it, and then donated to the government.

Although it was suggested the grove to be named after Mr. Kent, he requested it be named after the much more recognized conservationist, John Muir.

The park is just 1.5 hours from South Bay, and it is a great place for families. Beautifully paved trails are stroller-friendly and kid-friendly. There is a cafe and gift shop close to the visitor center.

Stinson Beach, Mount Tamalpaias, the quaint town of Mill Valley, Tennessee Valley Beach etc. are a short distance from the park.

Don't forget to stop by the town of Sausalito where you will find lots of gift shops and restaurants. It also offers a great view of the City of San Francisco, various islands and the bay.

Slideshow of pictures from our visit to Muir Woods.

Gayathri & Adithi sing "കണ്ണാം തുമ്പീ പോരാമോ..." at Maithry Onam 2010.

At Maithry Onam 2010, a very funny skit was presented by Anil Nair, Priya Pillai, Gopakumar Pillai, Duleep Pillai, Sathish Menon and Anuja Rajendran. "Dushyettaa... Shaku Vilikkunnu!"

Slideshow of pictures from the skit:

Here are the videos from the skit:

Here are a few videos from Maithry Onam 2010

Check out these and other videos at Maithry Facebook page.

Semi-classical dance by Malavika Anil & Meenakshi Anil

Kids dance "Kalyana Kacheri..." at maithry Onam 2010.

Dancers: Rhea, Rakshita, Gowri, Rachel, Parvathy, Amy, Keerthana, Gayatri, Milan, Rohan, Aalaap, Ryan, Tavish, Leo, Pranav & Rishabh

Maveli arrives at Maithry Onam 2010

Ananda Natanam @ Maithry Onam 2010

"Kalabham Tharaam... " dance by Aavani Sree.