Folks,
Growing up in India, quiz shows were a staple of our extracurricular activities. I have participated in science quizzes, GK quizzes and even one memorable “Hindu” quiz sponsored by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad( which, if I remember correctly, my team won hands down.)
Perhaps the quiz contests were particularly appreciated because of the the premium the Indian education system places on memory skills. I remember mugging up all the countries of the world and their capitals, prime ministers and presidents, highest, tallest, oldest, longest natural phenomena and arcane scientific facts that would have no practical use for me later in life. It was great fun even though we worked hard and stressed out a lot.
It is to recreate the joy of quizzing that Water, No Ice and Bay Area radio show It’s Diff are putting together a General Knowledge quiz for kids sometime in May ( we still have to figure out all the details ). As a teaser, we are doing a small segment this Wednesday on-air as part of It’s Diff’s weekly show on March 18th. The quiz will be at 7:30 a.m. and will cover World Geography, US Geography, India General Knowledge and just General Knowledge.
Be among the first to call in and you will have your choice of topics to be quizzed on – I do have a limited set of questions on each subject.
Tune in to It’s Diff’s show on 90.1 F.M. this Wednesday to get more details on the quiz. I look forward to quizzing you!
Picture by Leo Reynolds under Creative Commons License.
People in the know – CEOs and HR consultants – have told me that the impact of global economic meltdown will be relatively less in India. Among the many reasons they proffer are
Every South Indian growing up in almost every major city between Delhi and Madras has some memory of the Thyagaraja Aradhanai: Melodious singing and rhythmic beats round the clock, the crinkle of rich kanjeevarams, the sharp commentaries by mamas, the reverence on the faces of the audience as maestros ascended the heights of achievement, the performing children looking quite grown up in their pattu pavadais and mundus; the aroma of vadais and kaapi, the ongoing musical discussion at home and en route.
Who doesn’t love cake? But most of us try to avoid it. All those calories! For those of us with a sweet tooth having to refuse that slice of cake causes a lot of heartbreak and inner turmoil and the few times that we do give in (few!! who am I kidding ? I give in almost every time) we are full of guilt.
One of the easiest ways to decorate is with cupcake picks. You can pick up readymade picks from party stores or make them at home. Print two copies each of any design example tiaras or animals etc. Take a tooth pick and stick the printout on both sides of the tooth pick, ice your cupcake any color you like and stick in your picks. I recently made special Obama cupcakes for my daughter’s class on the Presidents inauguration day.
Last but certainly not the least I was able to use my hobby as a means to teach my children a lesson in charity. Last year my daughters sold cupcakes at the Induz volunteer
Bay Area non-profit 
With Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, one is never quite sure what one is going to get. The former ad maker directed the successful and critically acclaimed Rang De Basanti in 2006 but it took a good five years before that for us to forget the wildly experimental Aks, a nightmarish movie featuring long Hamlet-style soliloquies and body-swapping killers.
Water, No Ice 