Category: Houston

Homecoming 2022

This year at my school, we had a Homecoming game and dance! Though I didn’t go to the game, I really enjoyed the dance and being able to see my friends and spend time with them.

One of the best parts was definitely being able to wear a pavadai to this event. Me and my other Indian friend had planned this for a while, so we showed up each wearing a matching outfit, her wearing pink and me wearing blue. I loved how we looked and the way we were able to show off our culture!

Another fun part about the dance was how it was set up. We had three areas we could go to- the gym, the cafeteria, or the patio.
In the gym, there was a lively and bustling environment, with a DJ and a crowd of people dancing along to the music.
In the cafeteria (where I mainly was), some teachers had candy and water, keeping us happy and hydrated. There was also a variety of songs playing and overall, the mood was bright.
Lastly, there was the chess patio. The patio was lit up beautifully, with strings of fairy lights surrounding the whole place. It has a calming atmosphere and was probably the nicest place throughout the dance.

All in all, the Homecoming dance was really fun and I enjoyed meeting all my friends with this and getting to spend 2 hours with them without having school work or anything else to focus on.

6 Word Memoirs

Recently, in my English class, we created 6 word memoirs. They were really fun and easy to create and so, I thought it would be nice to share that over here! 6 word memoirs can either be 6 words that sum up a big part or your whole life, or they can describe one specific event. With the way that my English teacher led us through it, there are 4 main steps to writing a 6 word memoir.

Step 1. Take anywhere from 3-5 minutes and write down a big list of life events. These events don’t have to be in order or make sense to anyone but you. Make sure you keep writing and let your subconscious bring up some of the major events you have experienced.

Step 2. Pick any one of the events and write 2-3 sentences about it. You can add any details you want, but don’t let it become a full paragraph.

Step 3. Cross out any unnecessary information. This step can sometimes be hard, but try to think of the main points of your event. Also make sure to keep the mood of the event intact when you cross things out (for example, if you’re writing about a scary moment, don’t cross out all the scary parts of it).

Step 4. Using the words or phrases you have left, experiment with different wording choices and ideas. When you have one you think that fits best, congrats! You’ve written a 6 word memoir.

Here’s an example that I made in my English class:

Step 1. I had around 32 events written down in the span of 5 minutes. Some of my most important/memorable were the Austin trip, COVID/google classroom, online lunch, PUPS potluck (all grades), my mock algebra STAAR, Murder on the Sea (my group’s theater production), and getting into leadership. All of these events definitely influenced me a lot and helped me become who I am today.

Step 2. I chose to write about Murder on the Sea, a theater production my and my ensemble created last year. My 4 sentences were:
My first look at theater performances. I had practiced all weekend and probably wore my grandfather out as he listened to me practice. I remember being extremely nervous, but also ready before the performance. It was the time I decided to join UIL theater.

Step 3. The next step was crossing out unnecessary information. Below is what I had after step 3.
My first look at theater performances. I had practiced all weekend and probably wore my grandfather out as he listened to me practice. I remember being extremely nervous, but also ready before the performance. It was the time I decided to join UIL theater.
At the end, the main phrases I had left were “first look”, “practiced all weekend”, “extremely nervous, but also ready”, and “decided to join UIL theater.”

Step 4. Some of my ideas included:
– practicing all weekend, UIL the goal
– first look at theater, in love
– never forgetting shining on the stage


Finally, I chose this one- “Memorizing done, am I good enough?”

I picked that specific one because it not only ties into theater, but also dance, a huge aspect of my life.

Have you ever written a 6 word memoir? If not, will you give it a try?

Entering 8th Grade

This year, I’m going into 8th grade, the last year of middle school. I’m really excited for this year and the opportunities and activities it’ll bring.

First of all, I’m going to be a leader this year. Leaders help educate 6th and 7th graders about everyday lessons in the mornings and create a bright and positive attitude for the school. I’ve already been involved in some training for that over the summer and I’ve also been helping out around the school as everyone’s been starting to get ready for the next school year. I am really excited to take my role as a leader this year and do my part for the school.

Secondly, I am going to be in UIL theater this year! UIL stands for University Interscholastic League and it is overall a competitive field. There are many subjects that are UIL, for example UIL English or UIL Math. Out of these, my school offers UIL Theater as an option for 8th graders. I was accepted into UIL theater and therefore, will be able to compete this year. I’m super excited to see what my friends and I can come up with!

Along with UIL theater, I get to do theater classes next year! These classes are run by the Theater Under the Stars program (aka TUTS). This program regularly puts on amazing musicals and plays, so I know this camp will be really fun. In the camp, I’ll learn how to develop a character better, along with tips for improv (making up a skit on the spot) and cold reading (reading material that’s just been handed to you). I am really excited!

What are some things you’re excited for that are coming up soon?

My Grandma’s Chocolate Recipe

When I was in India, my grandmother showed me how to make a quick and easy chocolate. The recipe was so simple, yet delicious. Now, back in the US, I decided to try it out again. It turned out really well, so I decided to share it with you!

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup milk powder
  • 2 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Water
  1. Grease a plate with a bit of butter.
  2. Sieve the milk and cocoa powders together.
  3. Soak the sugar in a bit of water, then bring it to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Keep on heat until it reaches a one-string consistancy.
  4. Turn off the heat and add the butter and milk and cocoa powders.
  5. Stir.
  6. Once fully incorporated, pour into the plate and let it set.
  7. Enjoy!

What’s a recipe you love!

My Favorite Indie Bookstores: Blue Willow

Indie bookstores are amazing ways to find new books. I love visiting them and finding new books to enjoy. Because of this, I decided to create a new series about some of the indie bookstores I love. I’ve decided to start with one of my favorite local bookstores- Blue Willow Bookshop.

Blue Willow Bookshop hosts many events, all of which are extremely entertaining. They’ve been hosting the Tween’s Read for a few years now, which is something I really enjoy visiting. Also, during COVID, they scheduled many author visits for the new books releasing during the pandemic. Some of my favorites have been with Rick Riordan, Rick Riordan Presents authors, and a one-on-one session with Soman Chainani.

I also love the atmosphere of Blue Willow. The shop is cozy and comforting and you can feel perfectly at ease within the shelves. All of the workers are helpful and they are always ready to lend you a hand.

What’s your favorite indie bookstore?

Hamilton: The Musical

Recently, I was able to watch Hamilton. It was an amazing experience and I enjoyed it a lot. I hadn’t watched Hamilton before, so it was a first time experience that I loved.

I really enjoyed the diverse cast and how we got to see so many people of different races playing the characters. Main characters, like Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, George Washington, and Angelica Schuyler, were played by diverse actors and I enjoyed that.

The songs were also so beautiful and I loved how they all embodied the character(s) who sung them. Some examples were Burn (sung by Eliza) and Satisfied (sung by Angelica and Alexander).

Another thing which I found really interesting was how the same set was used for all the scenes. Unlike other musicals which I’ve seen before, the set was the same, though the characters did transition from place to place. I also thought the way that the set was built was unique and spectacular.

What’s your favorite musical?

A Bold Dance of the Ages

Recently, for my English class, we had to write a brochure based on an element of our culture. I picked Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance from the state of Tamil Nadu. I hope you enjoy!

Strong taps echo through the auditorium as the audience watches, mesmerized by the bold and strong dance. The dancer is performing Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance. Bharatanatyam is one of the most interesting dance forms because it’s bold, unique, and captivating.

The History:

Bharatanatyam has a rich history through thousands of centuries and kings. Here are some of the most important parts of its history.

CHOLA DYNASTY (9th to 13th century):
The Chola kings left a lasting legacy to Indian classical arts. In the Brihadeeswara temple, there are verses from the Natyasastra and sculptures of Shiva performing the 108 karanas. Many forms of art centered around the temples and grew well.

VIJAYANAGAR DYNASTY (14th century to 15th century)
The Vijayanagar kings provided a lot of patronage to dance. King Krishna Deva Raya (16th century) is said to have been a great supporter.

NAYAKA KINGDOM (16th to 18th century):
King Raghunatha Nayake encouraged dance and music. The king also wrote the Valmiki Charitra which included information about Sadir (the old name for Bharatanatyam) and the talam system.

MARATHA DYNASTY (18th century)
The Maratha rulers had the strongest links to the present-day Bharatanatyam. King Tulaji wrote the Sangeetha Saramitra with a list of adavus. Natwanars were also significant members of the king’s court. The famous Thanjavur brothers lived during this era.

BRITISH ERA
The British Government tabooed dance performances and dancers lost their glory.

REVIVAL (early to mid 20th century)
Art lovers worked to remove the stigma from dance. In 1932, Sadir was renamed to Bharatanatyam.

The Mythological History:

At the beginning of Treetayuga, peoples´ lives were filled with greed, anger, and jealousy. There wasn’t dharma and the asuras ruled the world. To combat this, Lord Brahma created a fifth Veda that would be enjoyable and dispel the bad. Lord Brahma taught this fifth Veda (the Natyaveda) to Bharata, who in turn taught it to his 100 sons.

Bharata asked Lord Brahma to bring down apsaras to add grace.

With this, he was satisfied and performed it at the Dhvaja Mohatsa. The asuras got angry because the play was pointing at their demise. As a result, they started attacking the performers.

Brahma asked the divine architect, Vishwakarma, to build a Natyagriha that would restrict access to evil. Vishwakarma instantly built the perfect theater.

Then Brahma took this play to Lord Shiva. Shiva suggested that they add nritta to the play to enhance it. After watching the show, people understood how to defeat the demons and started living better lives.

The Margam:

A margam is the order in which you learn and perform Bharatanatyam items. The complexity gradually increases as does the time and the abhinaya sections.

It begins with a Pushpanjali and an Alarippu. Combined, this section is around 5 minutes. Next is a kouthuvam, the simplest item, usually 2-3 minutes long. It focuses on bhakti. After this is a jathiswaram. This is a pure adavu dance with no abhinaya. Then, there is a shabdam which is followed by a 45-minute varnam. After that is a Padam or keerthanam, which is more abhinaya based. The margam concludes with a Thillana.

Dr. Sunanda Nair, a Bharatanatyam expert, says the margam is important because “It’s like a school syllabus. You can see every step and you know what you’re learning. When you graduate with a Thillana, you have control of what you know. You peak at that ending point. The margam also gives you a connected approach to dance where everything is linked.”

Her favorite type of item in the margam is the “Padam or Keerthanam, I think. In these, you get connected abhinaya where you can really become a character instead of having abhinaya broken up by jathis.”

The Parts:

There are 3 parts to Bharatanatyam, which are all used to form most items.

1- NRITTA
Nritta is pure dance. It is made up of angas and karanas. It doesn’t contain abhinaya, instead focusing on adavus. One example is the Jathiswaram.

2- NATYA
Natya in Sanskrit means dramatic art. It doesn’t contain adavus, instead focusing on abhinaya. One example is the Padam.

3-NRITYA
Nritya is a combination of both nritta and natya. It includes both adavus and abhinaya. One example is the Kouthuvam.

Aaharya:

There are 3 main parts of the Bharatanatyam Aaharya. These parts are the costume, the makeup, and the jewelry.

There are many different costume styles in Bharatanatyam. There is a skirt style which includes a blouse and a skirt. Another style is the pant costume which is a blouse and pants, with a pleated fan attached to the pants.

The makeup is bold, with thick black eyeliner outlining the eyes, pink eyeshadow, and bright red lipstick. The tips of the fingers and toes are also usually colored red with the palms painted with a red circle.

The jewelry´s base color is gold with green and pink jewels set in. There are two necklaces, a choker and an aaram. You wear a chandra and surya on your head to remind yourself to be grounded and that you are only a speck of dust in the universe. There is also a nethichutti which is partly on your head and partially on your forehead. The earrings are small jumpkhas attached to a maatal. You also wear valaiyal.

The hair is braided, sometimes with a pre-braided extension adorned with ornaments attached. Fake flowers are attached at the back.

On your ankle, you wear chalangai. On your head, you wear a pottu.

Glossary:

Aaharya (aa-har-yah)- the costuming, makeup, and jewelry
Aaram (aa-rum)- a long, dangling necklace
Abhinaya (a-bin-ney-ah)- emotions and feelings, sentiment
Alarippu (A-lar-ip-poo)- a dance where you warm up the body
Angas (un-gah-s)- the major parts of the body
Apsaras (up-sah-rahs)- heavenly nymphs
Asuras (ah-suh-ras)- demons
Bhakti (buk-tea)- devotion
Bharatanatyam (buh-ruh-ton-aat-yum)- an Indian classical dance from Tamil Nadu
Brahma (bruh-ma)- the god of creation, one of the three main gods
Chalangai (cha-lung-ay)- ankle bells, to make your taps sound pleasing
Chandra (chund-reh)- the moon
Dharma (duh-r-ma)- good
Dhvaja Mohatsa (dh-vaj-ja mo-hut-sa)- Indira´s flag festival
Karanas (kah-rah-nas)- the poses
Natwanars (nat-van-ars)- people who keep talam
Natyagriha (nat-yuh-gree-ha)- a theater
Natyasastra (nat-yuh-sas-tra)- the book of dance
Pottu (puth-tuh)- colored dot/shape on the forehead
Shiva (shiv-a)- the god of destruction, one of the three main gods
Surya (shur-yah)- the sun
Talam (tal-am)- how you keep the beat
Valaiyal (vul-ay-al)- bangles, bracelets

Bharatanatyam has filled people with wonder and joy for centuries. It has flourished and grown, even when there are obstacles. Bharatanatyam is such an interesting dance because it is diverse, vivid, and enchanting.

Back Home

In English class recently, I wrote a personal narrative about a life changing moment. Some parts of the story are fiction, but I enjoyed writing it a lot. I hope you enjoy!

Beep! Beep! Beep! Each of the passports were scanned with a beep and a blinding flash of neon green light. After living in Australia for the past two years, I was moving back to where I was born- Houston, Texas.

With my head and heart heavy, I dragged my dejected feet over to where my parents were standing. They seemed ecstatic, obviously glad that we were moving somewhere new.
“Aren’t you excited?” my dad asked, looking around with eager eyes.
I shook my head, feeling like a gloomy cloud had settled over my head and wouldn’t let go.
“Oh, don’t worry,” my mom declared, “It’ll be a blast!”
I twisted my mouth and shrugged, still not convinced. We walked past millions of restaurants filled with bored looking tourists and sharply dressed waiters. None of it reminded me of home.

I started to blink back tears before I realized it would be worthless. Soon, the floodgates would be opened. The only thing circling through my mind was how I wanted, no, needed to go back home.
I started sniffling and then I could tell that there was no going back. I started bawling in the middle of the airport. Tears and mucus dripped down my face as I thought of all my best memories in Australia.
“What’s wrong?” my mom asked, kneeling down next to me. I sniffed twice before getting in control again.
“I-sniff- miss-hiccup-home,”  my words brought on another round of tears as my mom waited patiently for me to calm down.


“Why do we have to go?” I almost shrieked. Somehow, I managed to keep quiet.
“For you, home is here,” my mom explained gently, “but for me, it’s in a lot of places and Houston is one of them. It’s also a great opportunity for me and Dada. The world is a big place and we are trying to learn more about it by traveling,” 
I nodded, my tears finally dawdling away. I was calmer now, and I understood more about the world, exactly what my mom wanted me to get from traveling.

This experience helped me think about how everyone sees the world differently and how it affects them. I am still an avid traveler today, because as my mom said 7 years ago, “It creates many opportunities in your world.”

First Week as a Seventh Grader

I just started school! This is my first week in person and I was so excited to meet everyone and see everything that I missed out in my virtual year. Here are some of the things that I experienced during my first week as a seventh grader.

  1. Passing Periods
    I have 5 classes each day, most of them being on the second floor (our school has 3 floors), though some are on other floors. We have 5 minutes to get to each class and after that you’re tardy. It can sometimes be a big race to get to your next class before the tardy bell rings, though I have been on time for everything so far.
  2. One Way Hallways/Stairs
    Because of COVID, our school has added one way hallways to the first and second floors. This can be a bit challenging, especially if your class is two doors down, but you have to walk all around the school in the crowd to get to it in only 5 minutes. Luckily, the crowd thins out as you walk around. We also have one way stairs, so you can only go up certain staircases and down certain staircases.
  3. Homework
    There’s a lot more homework than what I was expecting for the first week of school! A lot of it were only forms to sign, but I did have homework in my Science, English, and Social Studies class. Luckily, the homework is pretty easy, though it will most likely get harder as time passes.
  4. Computers
    We are given school computers to use for the tests and projects we do in certain classes. I got mine on Friday and have already used it in the second week quite a lot (for the beginning of year tests). It’s handy to have a second computer specifically for school work, where you can keep all of your assignments.
  5. My Favorite Classes
    My Favorite Classes so far are Theater and Science. I love theater because of all the fun activities we do and all the chances we get to learn what we like and how we do everything. Our teacher’s also very nice. I absolutely love our science teacher and the energy that she gives off. She makes learning much more fun and I’m really glad I’m in her class!

    What’s your favorite part of school?
    Also, due to school starting up, I will now only be publishing blogs on Wednesdays.

World Building

Recently, I did a WITS writing class (I wrote this story there). We did a few mini activities, one of them being world-building writing prompts based on artwork around the Rice University campus. World-building activities help you create a brand new world and develop it. It’s a common exercise writers use to be more creative. These are the questions asked and what answers I gave based off of the artwork.

Questions:

  1. Imagine that the artwork is deeply important to people on an alien land. Why? What do they use it for? What significance does it have?
  2. Imagine you are the size of an ant and the artwork is as tall as a skyscraper. What goes on inside of it?
  3. Imagine the art is small enough to fit in your hand. Why would you give it to someone and what for?
  4. Imagine the artwork could talk. What would it say? Would it be happy with its location?

The Questioning Column:

  1. This is where rainbows come from. Colors are churned, releasing their vividness and making rainbows brighter. This is how the colors seem to blend together as well.
  2. You can slightly see the churning of the rope-like strands of colors, twisting and turning together, eventually falling into place and forming a bright and colorful rainbow.
  3. If you need something to cheer you up, you can create rainbows with the small rainbow maker. It’s easy to give as a gift and can help anyone perk up.
  4. There are many Rainbow Makers around the world, some small, some big. They are all stationed in areas with desperate need of color and they do their job quite well. They would most likely be happy where they are.

Movement at the Edge of the Land:

  1. These aren’t just piles of dirt. They help the government. Piles of dirt and holes in the ground can easily track movements around an area the way that normal cameras could never do.
  2. You can’t see any action. The government made sure that the tracking was discreet. They couldn’t let anyone know what they were up to.
  3. The government gifted these piles of dirt to anyone who they though was suspicious, tracking them as they wished. No one ever realized what the piles were actually used for.
  4. The government would never let the dirt talk. If they even tried, they would be silenced forever right away. If they could talk, they would say that they hate their job.

James Turrell Skyspace:

  1. This is a hangout for astronomers, meteorologists, and others who use the sky and space for their line of work. Though the government doesn’t trust their kind and has banned them, some still meet here day and night to practice their work. At night it is lit up to resemble a party, so the government doesn’t get very suspicious. In the day, there is a special forcefield surrounding it. It is a sign of resistance and perseverance.
  2. Inside, astronomers and more scurry around, trying and succeeding to practice their art. It can be messy and dangerous sometimes, but it’s a safe space for the “sky lookers”
  3. It wouldn’t be given as a gift, but as a signal from worker to worker signaling a meetup in the skyspace. They are usually very small, to avoid drawing attention.
  4. The skylight would be pleased for being used in such a noble manner, though sometimes it wishes that its job wasn’t so dangerous and life-risking.

Barn Raising:

  1. These ribbons are a festivity, or at least, that’s what most people think. As soon as you step into the forest, you’ll doubt yourself. Something about the rustling of the ribbons sneaks up on you and makes you wonder if you made the right choice (spoiler alert- you didn’t). Slowly, without the ribbons doing anything, you’ll start to lose your mind. You mind will turn against you- starting with self-doubt and ending with complete insanity.
  2. The ribbons blow with the wind. Something about the way they move so gently, but with a ferocious demeaner is frightening to people. In the end, not many know that the ribbons are the villains in this story.
  3. Only true villains who know the power of the ribbons gift it to others. Though it’s smaller, it works in the same ways.
  4. The ribbons would just laugh gently, with a slightly horrifying edge. They don’t have and conscience and therefore don’t care.

How would you build a new world?