KPI Aug 2003 - Kashmiri Overseas Association

ZONE 9
BAY AREA KASHMIRIS HOLD ANNUAL PICNIC
Bay Area Kashmiris held the 2003 annual picnic on August 2
at the beautiful Vasona Lake in Los Gatos. The weather was
perfect for this outing, which attracted more than 150 adults
and kids.
The picnic was organized by KOA Zone 9 Director Jaya
Chowdhury and her team of volunteers. The picnic spot with
tiered green lawns overlooking the lake had been booked in
advance. The organizing team members, who were the first to
arrive, brought with them food, water and soft drinks etc for all
the picnickers.
The food was typically Kashmiri and had been cooked by
volunteer families. As always, food was excellent. Since no
Kashmiri event is complete without kahwa, the lunch was
concluded with hot kahwa.
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Both children and grown ups had loads of fun with many seniors
and families with very young children opting to take leisurely
stroll around the lake, while others chose the more robust sports,
such volleyball and cricket. The very young kids had fun taking
turns whacking the piñata, while older children went for boating.
As the shadows lengthened the picnickers packed up and left,
but with a hope to meet again.
Meenakshi Ganjoo
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ZONE 10
On August 10, KOA Zone 10 (Southern California) enjoyed
the pleasure of listening to a musical concert given by the
eloquent and versatile Mrs. Kailash Mehra. Thanks to Mr. and
Mrs. Wanchoo’s large efforts, a place in the beautiful Laxmi
Narayan Temple in Riverside was made available for holding
the concert at no charge.
About one hundred attendees were treated to an evening of
delightful Kashmiri and Hindi bhajans, ghazals, and songs. Mrs.
Kailash Mehra sang many items with lot of grace, devotion,
and never ending enthusiasm. She was accompanied on the
musical instruments by volunteer artists.
The attendees’ participation and enthusiasm, reflected by the
many special requests for bhajans and ghazals, made the event
a huge success. The evening concluded with the distribution of
trophies to all the artists and organizers, as a gesture of
appreciation.
Thanks to all the Southern California Kashmiri biradari members
and the non-Kashmiris for their support and contributions, and
to members who traveled especially from Las Vegas. Thanks
to Mrs. Anjali Bhat’s (director, Zone 10) efforts, the event was
a grand success.
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ZONE 10 Activity Contd...
The Southern California KPs had a get together on April 19,
2003 at Dana Point Doheny State Park beach, about 15 miles
from Irvine, CA. This was a perfect place for relaxing in the
company of our friends and biradari. The lush green lawns and
the blue beach made for a very peaceful day with cricket,
bicycling, volleyball etc. About 60 members of our community
showed up. I want to thank Neeru and Sandeep Sopori for
coordinating the get-together. Thanks to Nealia Trisal for
arranging an Easter event for children. The attendees went
home with Zangtrei Sahgun. The gathering ended at 9:00PM
with a bonfire on the beach warmed with stories and songs. It
was a very enjoyable time for all of us. We are thankful to all