Matrimony & North American Konkanis

Khabbar will stay out of any match making efforts but will publish all avenues that are available for Konkanis to pursue. The success of the Mumbai Konkanis in overcoming this great hardship faced by Konkani parents is worth noting. Also, Vinith Nayak's website hindumatch.com should benefit North American Konkanis.

1. The MARRIAGE INFORMATION SERVICE
A retired chief engineer of Western railways, the late Mr.Surendranath Tonse, originally started THE MARRIAGE INFORMATION SERVICE as a one-man effort. After some years, in view of advancing age, he handed it over to G.S.B.Sabha's Mahila Shakha. Once this service started at the office in 1986, there has been no looking back. Every month, i.e., second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, there are get-togethers. As a result of information collected, two lists of eligible boys along with their bio-data are released every year, in July the master list of the boys and in subsequent January a supplement list of eligible boys is being released.

Recently these lists are computerized, with three categories. Boys residing abroad, professionally qualified boys and graduates, Diploma holders, businessmen and others. In each category the list is printed in surname wise and within a surname, the descending order of age. We have also copies of boy's horoscopes and this is mentioned in the list. Dedicated teams of astrologers give on the spot opinion of 'melameli' which helps the people to a large extent.

Also the periodical organization of get-together of eligible boys and girls along with their parents is attracting a very large crowd. Engagements are reported as a direct result of these get-togethers. The motive of G.S.B.Sabha's Mahila Shakha people to help the community people is getting fulfilled, and that itself is an encouragement for the ladies to work more for the betterment of the society.

This information service is playing a useful role in helping the community to tackle the marriage alliance problem. People taking advantage of this service are not only Mumbai people, but from all over India and also people from abroad contact the office for information. Many boys in USA need to be contacted from India, can send their biodata to our office address.

2. HINDUMATCH.COM (By: - Vinith Nayak, Edison, NJ)

Please let all your friends know about this site - Currently all the services are free!! It is chiefly a Matchmaking and MATRIMONIAL advertisement site for Hindus and other South Asians (and for people interested in meeting South Asians). It also has a CHATROOM.

Currently, I am offering the following FREE services;

* Place a Matrimonial Ad. for FREE. It will stay active for 6 months! If you place the ad between now and April 2nd 2000, you will NOT be charged for the ad. These ads are available for viewing by a WORLDWIDE audience of motivated seekers, so HURRY!!
* FREE update or changing of your matrimonial ad (any number of times). The changes will be reflected instantly in your ad.
* FREE search for a match in our database, using our powerful matchmaking search engine.
* FREE membership in the HINDUMATCH CHATROOM, where you can discuss issues regarding marriage, dating, cultural and generational gaps, etc.

Take a look at this site. Have fun! Any comments are welcome.

Last year, A.I.S.C.O. and A.I.S.F. Chairman, Sri S. V. Pikale and the Central Committee requested the Saraswats of Mangalore to hold the First Vishwa Saraswat Sammelan at Mangalore. Then the leaders of Saraswats of South Kanara and Heads of the Institutions met and decided to hold the First Vishwa Saraswat Sammelan at Mangalore and we, in Mangalore prepared a Working Paper in which the broad objectives and working plan were finalized and duly adopted by the Central Committee of Mumbai.

Since about a year, I visited several places in North India and Madhya Bharath, Rajasthan, Gujarath, Bengal and many places of India and a batch consisting of Sri B. Damodar Prabhu, Convenor, Souvenir Committee, Sri H. Raghavendra Rao, Secretary, Dr. Kasturi Mohan Pai and Sri Venkatesh Baliga visited several places and formed Regional Reception Committees where Saraswats of cross sections like GSBs Rajapur Saraswats, Rajasthan Saraswats, Kutch Saraswats, Gujarath, Kashmiri Saraswats live in large numbers. Due to these visits and formation of Regional Reception Committees first time in the history of Saraswat people, thousands of Saraswats are assembled here. In all our efforts, blessings of Swamijies were received and we owe our Pranams to the Swamijies of Sri Kashi Mutt, Sri Gokarna Parthagali Mutt, Sri Kaivalya Mutt and Sri Chitrapur Mutt.

We are proud that 3,000 delegates are registered and 2,500 delegates are assembled in Mangalore and participated in the grand procession and Inaugural function held on 16.12.1999.

Their Holiness Swamijies Srimad Sudhindra Thirtha Swamiji of Sri Kashi Mutt Samsthan, H. H. Sri Vidhyadhiraja Sripada Wader Swamiji of Sri Gokarna Parthagali Mutt Samsthan, Paramachar Sri Sachidananda Saraswathi Swamiji and H. H. Sri Shivananda Saraswathi Swamiji of Sri Kaivalya Mutt Samsthan, H. H. Sri Sadhyojatha Shankarashrama Swamiji of Sri Chitrapur Mutt Samsthan came to the Saraswat Nagar, Dr. T. M. A. Pai Vedike and graced the occasion by their divine presence, lit the lamp, blessed the Saraswats world over. Sri S. V. Pikale, President, A.I.S.C.O. and Sri K. K. Pai, Honorary President, First Vishwa Saraswat Sammelan welcomed their Holiness Swamijies, dignitaries and the gathering.

Saraswats from Kashmir (Kashmiri Pandiths), Delhi, Panjab and Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarath, Madhya Bharath, Maharastra, Kerala, Bengal and all parts of Karnataka had assembled in large numbers. They participated in all the programs from the 'Saraswat Shobha Yathra' and Inaugural Function on the day one to the Valedictory functions. What we achieved by this First Vishwa Saraswat Sammelan is bringing together Saraswats for the first time in the history and create a sense of pride on our heritage, age old culture andoneness. Now, we have to consolidate this great force of intellectual community and march together for a better India, better human kind as our forefathers had been doing in all these years by expanding the fields of education, health, services, industry, business, agriculture, wherever they stay as said by Hon. Sri Suresh P. Prabhu in his key note address at the inaugural function.

Chief Guest, Hon. Sri R. V. Deshpande, Minister for Heavy Industries, Govt. of Karnataka addressing the audience gave the idea that H.H. Swamijies of Saraswat Mutts, Corporate House, Businessmen, Educationists shall come together, put their money, ideas and plans together to start technological and other type of educational institutions and ladies hostels etc., in the next millennium and address the problems of poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, dowry system, widow marriage etc.

The papers presented by Saraswat groups from Kashmir, Panjab and Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Bharath, Maharastra, Goa, Kerala and Karnataka gave wide spectrum of the past history, geographical spread, our age old culture, customs, samskaras, festivals etc and also about Saraswat men and women of letters, heroes, administrators, great social leaders, artistes - who played important roles as builders of our great nation. This was due to the yearlong efforts put in by Dr. Kasturi Mohan Pai and his colleagues in the conference committee.

There was heavy rush of delegates and Saraswats and the public during Vishwa Saraswat Sammelan due to the wide publicity given through 'Vishwa Saraswat' Bulletin, posters, banners, pamphlets, brochures distributed through Regional Reception Committees from time to time through press conferences at many a places, periodical press statements and releases and advertisements on national and vernacular papers. This was possible because of expertise put by Sri Venkatesh Baliga and members of publicity committee.

Smt. Vasanthi R. Nayak and Sri P. Vitobha Bhandarkar have skillfully arranged colorful cultural program. The 'Saraswat Procession' was a major attraction to the delegates and the public. I must thank Dr. B. Vivekananda Prabhu and his team who made it possible with the minimum expenditure and will be remembered for a long time. The 'Saraswat Vaibhav' directed by Sri Heranjal Gajanan Rao will be in the minds of the people forever.

Sri Nagaraja Javali, Hon. Editor 'Vishwa Saraswat' bulletin has put his efforts to bring out the informative bulletins during our campaign. Sri Mahesh Nayak has shoed all his artistic intellect to publish a very nice brochure which is appreciated at all quarters.

The 'Saraswat Bhoundi' by Smt. Vasanthi R. Nayak and Sri H. Raghavendra Rao drawn good crowds at all the places in Uttara Kannada and Dakshina Kannada Districts.

Smt. C. Nirmala Kamath and her managers have made elaborate arrangements for the conveyance andaccommodation to facilitate the delegates for a comfortable stay and make them feel homely.

Sri Kudpi Jagadish Shenoy and Sri K. Prakash Prabhu put all the expertise of their catering field in preparation of a menu consisting of 200 odd items in 4 days. The food was served from 8.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. in the midnight for the convenience of the delegates who enjoy the cultural programs at night and have the taste of the food too.

The Saraswat Darshan section was not up to our expectations though Sri Y. Ram Kishore Rao and Sri Pradeep Karnad though they had tried their best to make it on an International level, foiling since four months touring various places in Karnataka.

Sri B. Damodar Prabhu, Chairman of 'Vishwa Saraswat' Souvenir Committee is competing with time to bring out a really monumental Souvenir in 60 nearest future. Those Regional Reception Committees and Saraswat business and industrial houses, which have not obliged till now, are requested to send their valuable advertisements to our office very urgently.

Sri M. Ranga Pai, Convenor of Finance Committee has strived hard to collect funds from Regional Reception Committees by reminding them periodically and also getting advertisements, sponsorships from Saraswats here and there.

Sri K. Ravindra Bhat, Karkala, Chairman of Vaidik Committee has done a marvelous job in getting prominent Vaidiks from far away places for conducting Sri Gayathri Japa Yajna at Sri Venkataramana Temple at Konchadi and presentation of papers at the conference venue and also large and also large number of Vaidiks for the prayers.

Sri H. Raghavendra Rao, Secretary, Sri P. S. Kini, Chairman, Delegates' Reception Department, Sri K. Suresh Prabhu, Bank and Finance Department have managed to get over tremendous work load on them particularly when the First Vishwa Saraswat Sammelan nearing by.

The Management of Canara High School educational group was ready to help us whenever we sought their help for accommodating our delegates. The Sanghaniketan was made available to conduct Seminars and arrange food at our request. We had arranged accommodation for all delegates at Palke Sri Krishna Achar Hall, Samaj Bhavan, Retreat House, Valencia and Hindi Prachar Samithi Sabha, Mangalore and delegates will remember this nice arrangements and service in future.
Sri K. G. Mallya have been great help to us to co-ordinate the working between the Central Committee at Mumbai and Core Committee at Mangalore playing the role of Vidura in Mahabharatha. He has patiently worked, but without aspiring for any position or Sanmaan.

Sri M. Ravindra (Retd. Chairman, Railway Board) and Sri V.N. Kabadi, Chairman, Regional Reception Committee, New Delhi were at our disposal for any work with Central Government departments particularly getting Railway fareconcession to the delegates, starting a website (www.vishwasaraswat.com), preparation of who's who in Saraswats.

I am grateful to the chairmen and members of Regional Reception Committees for working for the success of First Vishwa Saraswat Sammelan by enrolling of delegates, collection of advertisements, donations, sponsors, and giving publicity to the First Vishwa Saraswat Sammelan at their respective places.

In all the three days, leaders of various Institutions, educationists, bankers, scientists, including the office bearers of A.I.S.C.O. who came all the way from Mumbai to help us in our endeavor to make the Sammelan success. We are very much alighted by the hearty remarks of all the delegates.

I must say the local administration, Mahanagar Palike, police, various institutions and our community leaders, Saraswat temples and Mutts have given their fullest support in making this First Vishwa Saraswat Sammelan a memorable one.

The local media, Doordarshan Kendra Bangalore, Udaya T.V., Akashvani and all the members of the Press have given maximum coverage of this mega event.

The very divine presence of all the Swamijies of the community was very much felt by all the delegates and filled their hearts with joy and respect and the messages given by their Holiness Swamijies for carrying on Saraswat way of life and culture for future generations and prosterity. I assure their Holiness Swamijies on behalf of all the Saraswats assembled here that the unity, solidarity and sense of belonging would continue under their able guidance. The process will not stop here with the ending of the Sammelan but will continue in future also.

I am confident that we have made a good beginning, Saraswats from Kashmir to Kochi, Baroda to Calcutta assembled under one roof to know each other and have come closer mentally and physically. Let us make sincere efforts with commitment, to strengthen the unity among Saraswats for the development in economic, business, industrial, social, educational, cultural, religious fields in the future.

DISCLAIMER: This is one person's attempt to point to health information on the Internet. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should any online information be considered as professional medical advice. Any medical decisions must be made in consultation with your qualified health care provider. NO LIABILITY IS ASSUMED for any complications, injuries or accidents arising from or in connection with the use of, or reliance upon information accessed by websites mentioned here.

There is a vast repository of health-related information on the Internet. Since the Internet is just a set of computers communicating with each other without strict regulations in place, websites move, are discontinued, change servers, etc. very often. You may not be able to access some of the sites mentioned for these reasons. Messages such as "404 Not Found" or "No DNS entry exists for this server" are likely to show up. In such cases try the following:
1). Try accessing the site a little later.
2). Recheck the address, making sure upper case (capital) and lower case letters are input correctly.
3). Try typing part of the address so you get to the domain, then click down to desired specific level.
4). Try a mega search tool that allows simultaneous searching of many search engines: e.g. MetaCrawler http://www.metacrawler.com

Not all medical information on the Internet is necessarily reviewed for style, accuracy, currency and content. The quality of medical information available online varies a great deal. Not only is there inaccurate and obsolete information posted, sometimes there is little or no data on the creators of some websites. This makes the quality and authority of the medical information contained therein highly questionable. All is not lost however. Reputable agencies such as the U.S. government, medical associations, major pharmaceutical companies, research institutions and large universities or clusters of universities review, assemble and update medical information. For the health professional there is a wealth of online help. For the interested layman gathering information about specific conditions, diseases, etc., it is better to begin with a jumping off point maintained by information specialists. One example of such a website is: NOAH http://noah.cuny.edu/ This site provides "high quality full-text health information for consumers that is accurate, timely, relevant and unbiased ... a project that brought together the unique assets and experience of four New York partners: The City University of New York, The Metropolitan New York Library Council, The New York Academy of Medicine and The New York Public Library."

The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) website is another good starting point: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/

Provides free access to the latest health information. NLM further provides consumer information at: http://medlineplus.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ Users are directed to reliable resources on hundreds of diseases, and conditions, to wellness, etc.

My university, (University of Illinois at Chicago) is part of a network called the CIC. This academic consortium of 13 major teaching and research institutions includes the University of Chicago, University of Illinois at Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Indiana University, University of Iowa, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. Specialists in these medical libraries maintain: HealthWeb http://healthweb.org/

This joint project of the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) provides organized access to evaluated non-commercial, health-related, Internet-accessible resources. It is a one-stop entry point to a vast array of resources. Some medical information is especially geared toward a particular condition, e.g. American Cancer Society http://http.cancer.org - Includes data on prevention, detection, and treatment of various types of cancer. Statistics, guidelines, research progress, news, links to other resources, access to local chapters of the Society are also included.

Children's health has many good websites e.g. American Academy of Pediatrics http://www.ap.org Covers child as well as adolescent health. KidsHealth http://kidshealth.org Wonderful graphics make a lively setting for information on all aspects of child health.

If you want to search medical information by gender try: Men's Health Topics http://www.uro.com/mhealth.htm Covers a broad range of topics on men's health.

The fair sex can try: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists http://www.acog.com Includes news releases, magazine articles and information pamphlets on women's health.

If food safety is a concern, try: FDA Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/ list.html

Nowadays there is great emphasis on "alternative medicine". A good place to begin is at: Alternative Medicine Homepage http://www.pitt.edu/~cbw/altm.html Includes consumer information, search tools and related resources.

Another general source is: Alternative Health http://members.aol.com/altamed/inter.htm Information is sorted into categories like Acupuncture, Ayurveda, Herbs, Homeopathy, etc.

Academic health centers update some indexes to alternative medicine, e.g.:
MedWeb http://www.gen.emory.edu/MEDWEB/keyword/alternative_medicine,html Alphabetical list of websites by broad topic maintained by the Emory University Health Sciences Library.
Answers to common health questions and sources for alternative medicine can be found at:
Ask Dr. Weil http://cgi.pathfinder.com/drweil
You can also find subsections such as herbal information:
http://cgi.pathfinder.com/drweil/herbal/medchest/index.html

For more information on herbs try: Algy's Herb Page http://www.algy.com/herb/menu.shtml
Includes herbal remedies, herbs for cooking, and articles on related topics.

Another useful site for herbal information is: Herbweb http://www.herbweb.com/
Covers many medicinal plants and links to ethnobotnical resources.

If you are seeking information on ayurveda try: Ayurvedic Health Center http://www.ayurvedic.org/
Includes home remedies, newsletters, articles, and a chat room.

For homeopathy, try: Homeopathy Home Page http://www.dungeon.com/~cam/
Includes newsgroups, mailing lists and links to other resources.

For a more comprehensive site with more coverage try: Alternative Medicine and Homeopathy http://members.aol.com/bryonia Covers a variety of issues and topics including links to related resources.

For acupuncture try: Acupuncture.com http://acupuncture.com/
Includes traditional Chinese cures like Qi Gong and Tui Na.

If a Vedic approach appeals to you, try: Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health http://www.vedichealth.com/ Holistic program for curing a variety of chronic conditions. The legendary heart surgeon Michael E. DeBakey said "Good information is the best medicine". But if you believe that laughter is the best medicine of all, try: http://www.rxlist.com/comix/ - Comics about health and medicine.

Konkanis originate from the west coast of India and generally speak the Konkani language; they are Hindus of all castes; a large number of them are Catholics some of whom call themselves Brahmin Catholics for historical reasons; a substantial number of them are Muslims; and, a group of them called Siddis are of African ancestry who possess the distinct hair and other features.

Should Konkanis be proud of being Konkanis? Some hold that Konkanis, although a small number in the Indian context, whether at home or abroad, have achieved fame in different fields of human endeavor, it is cause for celebration. A mere accident of birth should not be reason enough for pride or sorrow; one's own achievements count a great deal in one's pride of identity and self-esteem.

Birth and upbringing: Some consider birth to be an important factor of identity. Jabala, a maid to the rich, went to Buddha and begged him to accept her only son as his disciple. The Buddha wanted to know who was the father of her son. Jabala said, "Sir, when I was young I had to serve many masters and I do not know who was my son's father." Buddha replied, " Your son has the heritage of truth. I shall call him disciple Satyakama or one who desires truth. Upbringing is a more important factor than the mere accident of birth in matters of identity".

Language: Ability to speak or understand or both is an important factor. Note the African-American pride among some to incorporate some African words and names in the day-to-day social intercourse in the US. I knew of a Konkani mother who insisted that she was a Kannada speaker! If someone from a different Konkan region, spoke a slightly different vocabulary, the Konkani mother told the speaker that they did not speak the same language and it was better to converse in English. She spoke only English at home and her children lost all touch with Konkani. That is one small to identity lost. However, one does encounter North American born young Konkanis who can speak impeccable Konkani but suffer from an identity crisis; among them, those who cannot speak Konkani are more secure in their identity. There are factors which are more important than language in building up one's self-esteem and identity.
Konkani is now the official language of Goa. Therefore, the Goan version should be the standard around which the other regional and religious variations need to be harmonized. The Catholics have done the most to preserve and propagate Konkani over the years and their version should have an eminent place in the scheme. Muslims also should feel inclusive. Konkanis of Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala should co-operate in the syntheses and homogenization of a standard Konkani. Konkani children in North America, in addition to knowing some Konkani, should be strong in English. In the US, they should be strong in the second language, Spanish; in Canada, it is English and the other official language French, are the two languages of choice after Konkani.

Script: It is often heard, "Konkani has no script." The same can be said of Marathi and Hindi both of which have no scripts of their own but use the Sanskrit script. There is no reason why Konkani should not follow the example of Marathi and Hindi.

Names: Konkani Hindus generally have first names in Sanskrit; many Catholics have Portuguese last names and 'Christian' first names; and, Muslims are required to take Arabic names. However, my first name Annappa, is Dravidian and not Sanskrit. The Dravidians and the Aryans were the two main groups, which together synthesized the Pagan Hinduism as we know it today. Add to these two, the aborigines and the Han people from central Asia all of whom were splendidly blended to form the brown population of the subcontinent.
I once met a Catholic Father Kamath in Kamloops, BC; he had changed his Portuguese last name to Kamath, his old ancestral name. Now Catholics in India sometimes take Sanskrit first names. We all know Dinesh ('the sun' in Sanskrit) D'Souza; if his last name also were changed to his ancestral name, it would be hard to identify him as a Catholic from the name alone.

Transcending identity: India's indigenous religious practices strive to transcend identity. The monks give up their original names in preparing for nirvana or moksha; the individual soul Atma merges with the supreme soul Paramatma and loses all identity.
Despite the 'melting pot' in the US and 'mosaic' in Canada, the quest for identity and ethnic pride persists. Therefore, the foregoing applies to all kinds of minorities; they feel threatened by the tendency of the majority to absorb and assimilate the minorities.
Although the 'melting pot' requires extensive exogamy, between the great divide of white and black Americans, more than 95% of the marriages are endogamous. However, the Asian immigrants are assimilating to a much larger extent. The US takes great pride in different kinds of mixed marriages; they are, inter-racial, inter-national, inter-religious, inter-generational and intra-sexual.

The purpose: We emigrated from India in search of a better material standard of living. Western Europe and North America today represent the ultimate in consumerism. To ravage the environment, 16% of the world's population now consumes 40% of its resources. It is time for the West to change from consumerism to a conserver economy. Let us raise families with the awareness that happiness is not obtainable by consuming more and more useless things. Family togetherness and values are more essential.
To paraphrase from memory, Nehru, in the Discovery of India quotes Tagore: "I love India not because I was born in her soil, nor because I worship the idolatry of geography but because of her great offspring who have posed and answered over the years, the compelling questions about life and death." Transcending birth and the bloodlines of ethnicity what matters most is the community of shared ideas; it brings people close together. In the words of Sri Ramakrishna, "Joto din banchi, toto din sikhi." (As many days I live, that many days I learn). Such an attitude is worthy of all kinds of Sarasvats who are the true worshippers of Sarasvati, the goddess of learning.

Scientists, astronomers, religious leaders, politicians, and economists are discovering amazing new things about human beings every day. They constantly help keep the ignorant and foolish public (you and me) informed and categorized. There is a great deal that you, as an ignorant and foolish person, do not know about yourself. For example, did you know that you may be a youth? I know, I know, you pay your own taxes, work 40-90 hours a week, and can even tie your own shoelaces. But you still might be a youth. As early as last year, I was a Youth Representative for the KASC. Ironically enough, I didn't consider myself a youth at the time. (Contrary to what my parents may believe, of course.)

How can you find out for sure? Well, by calculating your Youth Quotient (YQ). This highly acclaimed and scientific method will calculate exactly how much of a youth you are! Trust me, I'm an MBA student.

Just take the following short quiz, total up your score, and see your results at the end.

1. If you are under the age of 18, add 25 points to your score.
At under 18 years of age, you're legally a youth. You can't get much more youthful than that! Oh, and I'm talking about chronological age here, folks. If you're 60 and only feel like you're under 18, don't give yourself any points. In fact, I'd highly recommend you pay your doctor a visit.

2. If you live with your parents, add 10 points to your score.
All things are relative. Your parents will always be your parents, no matter your age. They will always worry about you, tell you what to eat, and kindly offer to explain everything you're doing wrong with your life. In short, they can, and will, make you feel rather youthful.

3. If your primary occupation is 'student', add 15 points to your score.
You're not quite ready for the 'Real' world yet, so you can't be an adult.

4. If you're over 21 and single, add 30 points to your score.
Talking about this one too much could get me into trouble, just take my word for it and add up the points.

5. If you're married, but have no children, add 5 points to your score.
You are as close to being an adult as you can possibly be without completely being there. Your parents, in-laws, and kind-hearted family friends call about once a month, asking when you plan on having a 'family'.

6. If people are constantly amazed at 'how much you've grown', add 15 points to your score.
Okay, you've gone through some kind of growth spurt, and that just doesn't happen to adults. Either that, or it's time to lay off the Doodhpak, Burfi, and Jilebis. Anyone want to start a Weight Watchers ® menu for Indian food?

7. If you don't, and have never owned a minivan, add 10 points to your score.
There's hope for you yet.

8. If you have been nominated as Youth Representative for any Konkani organization, add 20 points to your score.
This one is self explanatory, isn't it, folks?

All right, we're all finished. That wasn't so hard, was it? Now, total up your score and refer to the chart below to see your YQ.

SCORE	Youth Quotient (YQ)
0	Damn, you're old!
1-10	You just want to be young
11-20	Well, you're young at heart.
21-30	You're confused. Move on with your life!
31-40	If you're not married yet, consider the possibility soon
41-50	Be a Youth Rep for your local Konkani Association!
51+	Congratulations, you're as young as your going to get!

I hope you found this quiz to be useful. Remember, youth is a rather transitory state. Only money leaves you more quickly, so enjoy it while it lasts!

As mentioned in the last update, I took Mithun to Portland, Oregon on December 13th to be the third pediatric leukemia patient in the trial of a new experimental drug presently known as STI 571. (If the trials are successful, the FDA will approve the drug for marketing in 3 to 4 years and a new brand name will be given to this drug.) All other medications were stopped on December 6th and white cells counts were allowed to increase. The counts were 32,000 on December 20 when Mithun started taking this new drug (475 mg in 5 capsules everyday) after the initial bone marrow biopsy. Except for some nausea and occasional vomiting in the first 2-3 weeks, no side effects were observed and his counts started decreasing dramatically and were within the normal range in 4 weeks. This new drug is like a miracle and we believe that God Almighty is answering all our prayers and wishes for Mithun's recovery and healing. We feel very fortunate to have His grace showered on us.

As this drug is new and still experimental, long-term effects are yet unknown. Whether it will cure this cancer or just arrest the progression to the next accelerated stage remains to be seen. Dr. Brian Druker at Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland is responsible for the research and development of this drug. He feels that it will take at least two years of continuous therapy before a definite indication of cure can be attributed to this drug. On February 11, on 20/20, Barbara Walters had one segment devoted to this miracle drug. It described the results in early clinical trials and its impact on future cancer treatment. Dr. Druker has asked us to continue the search for a bone marrow donor in case there is a relapse. If this drug cures Mithun and other CML patients, it will be a major breakthrough in cancer therapy and Dr. Druker will most likely get a Nobel Prize.

After two months in Portland, Mithun is back home and has resumed his normal activities of school and games. He marched and played drums in one of the Mardi Gras parades with his school band. He finishes 8th grade this year and will join high school next fall. He hopes his favorite football team, the New Orleans Saints, will do much better next year after extensive restructuring and rebuilding! AN APPEAL TO COMMUNITY

Although the pressure to find a marrow donor for Mithun is eased for the time being, we would like you to urge all your friends and family to consider registering in the National Marrow Donor Program (800-MARROW2) as it is available free of charge. If it helps to save someone's life, you will be giving a GIFT OF LIFE.

It is our wish that our community establish a sub registry of KONKANI"S, so that we can help a future Konkani whose life can be saved by a bone morrow transplant. Without a suitable HLA matched donor, the chance of survival is slim to none for many cancer patients. To be included in the sub registry, please call your local center and ask for your HLA numbers. After receiving your numbers send them to me for inclusion in the sub registry. Remember, it is very difficult to find a matched donor and if you are a match, only YOU CAN SAVE THE PATIENT, NOT EVEN THE DOCTOR. In July 2000, the Konkani Sammelan in Chicago plans to conduct a bone marrow drive. Please be courageous and noble and become a part of the donor program.

Burde Laxminarayan/Urmila Kamath	e-mail: bkamath@xula.edu
Phone: 504-466-9474	Fax: 504-467-8165