(His parents Shweta Pai and Varun Prabhu have helped pen his introduction)
Hi everyone, my name is Neil! I’m 14 months old.
It was great meeting many of you during the Ugadi event. If you don’t remember me, I was the tiny one running into you while you tried to hold a conversation!
I love being outside, playing in the park, and climbing! But that’s only in my free time.
Usually, I’m very busy with everything I do in a day. Here’s a glimpse.
I can’t wait to meet all of you again and to make more Konkani friends to share my ‘Dalitoy and Song’ with. Vaggi melya!!
(Neil, you are such a sweet delight! We too can’t wait to meet you soon!)
Btw You remind me of the little boy (in an Indian TV advertisement that used to play in the 90s), saying ‘Ghar ka saara kaam mujhe hi karna padta hai…’ I’m certain your parents remember that 🙂
Your parents are blessed, who wouldn’t want to be taken care of by a cute little 14 month old:) )
This month’s Gen Alphas are ‘Vindhya and Vinamya Pai’
Vindhya wants to say Hi to our OKA readers and introduce her little sister Vinamya!
They are the beautiful daughters of Shwetha Pai and Vandan Pai.
Hello Everyone,
I am Vindhya Pai. I am 10 years old and currently studying in Grade 5.
My interests are arts, crafts, singing, gymnastics, and yoga.
I have passed my OLSAT-Gifted Examination in Ontario and my parents are super proud!
My first stage singing performance was at the OKA Ugadi event!
Before the event, I was a bit nervous and scared, but after participating at this event I have gained more confidence!!
(Vindhya- That is an impressive bio! Keep up the great work! And thank you for participating in the Ugadi event- your singing is lovely and we hope to hear you more often!)
My favorite foods are Pyaj, Devasthana saaru, and pizza 😊
In my free time- aside from watching TV, I love to draw and do a lot of crafts.
I don’t let my parents throw away any recyclable materials. I love to reuse them and make crafts.
My latest craft which I am very proud of- is making Squishies! I first draw, then I make a pocket and stuff it with plastic bags or cotton or any soft materials and seal it with duct tape.
(Vindhya- you are a Picasso in the making!! Who could say this art was from a 10 year old? And using recyclable materials- that’s creative and smart! Kudos to you!)
This is my little sister Vinamya. She is 4 years old and in junior kindergarten!
She loves to color, draw and imitate me in everything!
Her favorite foods are- Pyaj, Sevai and Vada!
She loves her Donald Duck- calls him Tittu. She also loves solving puzzles and reading books!
We both are very scared of spiders and butterflies!!
Our favourite places are Disneyworld, Florida, and India.
(Vinamya- You are only 4 and already so good with your art! We can’t wait for you to join your sister and shine at our OKA events !!)
Thank you, Vindhya and Vinamya for being such little role models for the rest of our little Gen Alphas! We would love to see more of both of you and we wish you the very best with everything that you pursue!
It’s so refreshing to step outside and breathe in the fresh crisp air- after months of hibernation!
Parents-
This spring- Take your kids outside on a walk- let them dig in the dirt, chase butterflies and birds and run around to their heart’s content!
This spring- Teach them a little about Mother nature! Plant a seed- in your home or backyard. See how they get excited when the seeds turn into little shoots and when a tiny flower or fruit pops out!
This spring- Make sure the Easter bunny visits your home! Plant some eggs inside or out in your backyard and let your kids have an Easter egg hunt! Make sure the Bunny remembers to leave them a Chocolate egg with a surprise inside!! 😊
This month’s Gen Alpha is ‘CHIRAG PAI’
His parents Rashmi Kamat and Naveen Pai have helped pen his introduction to all our OKA family:
Namaskar to my Konkani family
I am Chirag Pai, I am 4 years old and just started kindergarten last year. I live in Mississauga with my loving parents- Naveen Pai and Rashmi Kamat. I am the only little son to my Amma and Bappa and can’t wait to have a sibling to play with.
(Aww.. I’m sure you’d be a great older brother, Chirag!)
I am kind of lazy when it comes to eating by myself- but love to eat my favorite Banana Buns and Poori- when Amma feeds me!! I also love fish, egg, milk, sweets, and am a super fan of homemade ghee that goes well with surnoli!
I love building floor puzzles with my Amma and fixing small furniture or other things with Bappa because I get to play with my drilling machine!!
I also enjoy playing with my trucks, cars and tractors- They drive me crazy, which is why I love to go to “Home Depot”.
(Hey believe me when I say- better ‘Home Depot’ than ‘Toys R Us’, am-i-right parents? 😉)
I love to play water and sand games in my backyard and Summer is my favourite season! I am now eagerly waiting for the sun to come out and shine bright- so that I can spend most of my time outside home. I am a beach-loving kid like most of the others- it’s so cool to build castles and shapes on the shore. Isn’t it so much fun..??
At home, I love to paint, play treasure hunt with my favourite Paw Patrol pups and water plants with Amma. You know what, I gifted her a plant for Valentine’s Day and she calls it a “magical plant”.
(wow.. A plant is such a thoughtful gift Chirag! And you gave her a Magical one at that! Lucky Amma!)
I am also fascinated by Santa just like my parents and love to watch Santa movies during Christmas with my version of a hot cup of cocoa! The month of December makes me happy- There’s Christmas and also my birthday! I wait all month for my birthday and for the Secret Santa gifts!
(Chirag- You seem to be the kid who’d always be on Santa’s ‘Nice’ list. Good going buddy!!)
During the winters, whenever Amma is in a weekend ‘Shopping’ mood, but Bappa is in weekend ‘Relaxation’ mode, this is the typical conversation at home:
Amma: Come on, let’s go out, I am bored! At least let’s do some window shopping!
Me: Let’s go to Home Depot- so I can sit in the kid’s drive cart and play with some tractors.. yayyy..
Bappa: It’s cold outside, the weekend is meant for relaxing. Let’s watch a movie!
Amma: (Sad and bored)
Me: Don’t worry Amma- either you learn to drive this summer or I will learn -so we both can go!
(Amma’s heart melts as I say this and – surprise, surprise- Bappa ends up taking us out :D)
(Chirag- That is such an utterly sweet thing to say and so smart as well! :😉)
I am currently eagerly waiting to travel to India to enjoy the summers there! I get to meet family and then return to enjoy the summer here.. Yayyy double summers this year.. lucky me!
So this is a little bit about me!
Thank you to the Konkani family here – I made some friends -Anaisha, Nivedh and Ivaan!
I hope to meet you all soon too- Until then, take care aani Beggi Melya!!
Chirag, we can’t wait to meet you and get to know you better! You seem to be such a little delight and also so well-mannered for your age! Always be this cute and lovable!
Hope all our little ones are keeping safe and enjoying the winter!! We are having quite some snow this year and so many snow days at school as well!!
Parents- Isn’t it so precious when our little ones look up bright-eyed and in wonder at the pristine white snowflakes falling down!! Kids know how to be in the moment and how to enjoy the little things life offers us!! So Let’s all try and be innocent kids this winter and take some time out of our busy days- to take a short walk in the snow or make snow angels in the yard or even have a snowball fight!! And do not forget to have some Hot chocolate handy for after..😊
This month’s Gen Alpha is IVAAN KAMATH
His parents Akshatha and Mahesh Kamath have helped him convey his Hello and introduction to our OKA members:
Hello my Konkani Family – I am Ivaan Kamath!! I am the one and only naughty prince to my parents! I am 2.5 years old and I live in Pickering. I lived in Dallas, Texas before moving here.
For my breakfast- I love to eat Idli with yellow chutney (Ghee)
And for lunch and dinner- Fish and Egg with my rice and Dalithoy!!😋
I like to play with my Mommy and Daddy (well.. Daddy a bit more because he is my superhero🤪).
I love trucks, cars, garbage trucks, fire trucks, and all other vehicles which have wheels and gears⚙️😀 I like to fix things with my daddy because I get to play with screws and screwdrivers !! 🤭(It’s very dangerous for a kid my age– I know🙈)
My favourite sport is soccer and Yes, I have broken a lot of things at home playing this !!
(Oh Ivaan.. Guess what !! You are just being a 2-year-old and doing what every other 2-year-old does – being ever curious, discovering things, In the midst of breaking things, and yes- always keeping your parents on their toes!! :😉)
I always get away with any mischief by following the below script (And yes it always works!!)-
Me: (Making a mess in the kitchen while Mommy is busy)
Mommy: (Starts shouting as she realizes what I have done.)
(Asks me to serve Timeout)
Me: (Using all the words I know)
“It’s ok momma”
“By mistake momma”
“Sorry Momma”
“Ivaan clean it Momma”
Mommy: (Melts, cuddles me and sets out to clean the mess herself !!)
Me: “Always!”
(Ivaan.. you super genius!! You seem to have cracked the code so young!! How are you little ones so smart? Makes us wonder as parents if we should be proud or really worried !! 😉)
The only thing that keeps me grounded is the Silly crocodile that My mommy claims is there in our attic!! I make every attempt in a day to bring him down!! 😉
Ok, gotta go now – to make more of a mess, eat some yummy food and yeah take a good nap!!
See you later, alligator 🐊 Take care and Have fun!!😀
(What a life.. I envy you Ivaan!! Thank you for being so entertaining and such a little darling!! We hope to meet you soon someday and learn more about cars and gears from you!! Until then- Mellya aani gammat Khellya (my Konkani attempt at your See you later, alligator) 😛
Ending with today’s mega dose of Cuteness- Some baby pictures of Ivaan.
"A person's a person, no matter the age" - Dr Seuss
Hello OKA Folks,
It is already February’2022.. whaaattt!! Don’t you feel like time is just flying?
It feels like by now, most of our kiddos have gotten used to surviving amidst this pandemic!! After all, it’s been 2 whole years !!
I’m sure it has been really hard on all our kids- to not get to attend school in-person or not meet their friends, as much as they would have liked to or to have to stay quiet when mom/dad are on their work calls..
But they have all been so understanding and for that- A HUGE SHOUTOUT and lots and lots of virtual sanitized HUGS to all our OKA Gen Z’s and Gen Alpha’s <3
We have two little Gen Alpha’s today who want to say Hi. Their parents Shyamala and Prasad Shenoy have helped pen their introduction: Say Hi to RONAK & SEHER SHENOY
Hi everyone,
I am Ronak. I am 5 years old and I live in Waterloo, ON. Prior to this, I used to live in Singapore and it was VERY hot there!! I thought it would be amazing to move to a colder country and now that I have, I am not so sure, as It’s SOOO COLD here !! 🙂
(Agreed Ronak!! But wait till you grow older- You will love to ski and sled down the slopes and the cold will slowly grow on you 😊)
I enjoy riding my bike, playing soccer, building using Lego, I love to draw and absolutely Loovvee DINOSAURS !!
I love watching videos about different animals and learning more about what they eat, how they live etc. My dad recently explained about evolution and how tigers came from sabretooth!!
DID YOU KNOW THAT?
This is some of my art of my favorite animals:
(Ronak.. We love all your art and your fascination with animals.. Wild animals :P)
My mom gets mad when I watch TV and dad’s my partner in crime!! She gets mad at him too!!
(Moms.. Tell me about it !!)
Last year I was promoted to BIG BROTHER and now she is my favorite person in the whole world!! Seher makes funny sounds, always smiles at me and wants to take all my toys. I love reading stories to her but she doesn’t really listen and just wants to eat the books. Grrrr.. haha!!! 😊
(Awww.. She seems like a little ball of delight!!)
I hope to meet you all someday!!
Until then, stay warm and stay safe!!
Ronak and Seher- Thank you to your parents for introducing you both to the OKA klan!!Sending you lots of warmth for these cold days!! Please enlighten us with more interesting facts about animals, the next time we catch up!! 😊
It was a pleasure getting to know you both and we can’t wait to meet you soon!!
About the author…
Neha Mallya is a Chartered Accountant and currently in the unchartered territories of motherhood. In her spare time Neha loves to write…
"A person's a person, no matter the age" - Dr Seuss
Happy 2022 everyone!!
The last 2 years have been hard on everyone, especially our Gen Z!! We have also had so many babies in our OKA family who were born amidst the pandemic. These poor babies have lived their birth years being protected and distanced from everybody!!
We have one such little darling this month who wants to say Hi to everybody reading this and wish them a Happy new year !!
This month’s and year’s 1st Gen Z is Sangita and Sanket Ullal’s 11 month old daughter, ‘Saachi’.
Saachi wishes to share a few interesting details about herself…
Saachi- You are so precious!! <3
We all wish to meet you soon too!! Until then, please accept our virtual cuddles and kisses <3
Thank you for bringing smiles to our faces and making the start of this year joyful for all of us 😊
Dear OKA members, please let us know if you wish to showcase your kid or grandkid (no matter the age) or if you simply wish to share any of their art/achievements/funny incidents etc. with us.We would love to know more about our OKA Gen Z.
About the author…
Neha Mallya is a Chartered Accountant and currently in the unchartered territories of motherhood. In her spare time Neha loves to write…
"A person's a person, no matter the age" - Dr Seuss
Say Hello to our OKA Gen Z – Avni Kamath (5yrs.)
Parents:Parinitha and Bharath Kamath helped Avni pen her introduction:
Hello!!
I am Avni Kamath, turning 5 this December. 😊 Right now, I am very excited for my birthday!!
(Happy Birthday Avni!! We will virtually celebrate with you !!)
I speak Konkani and English and I love singing, dancing, drawing and coloring.
(Wow…so talented !!)
My favorites foods which my Amma makes are – Pan polo, Appo, Sabudana Khichdi and Pasta.
(Sounds yummy. Can your Amma invite us someday? 🙂
Favorite hobby: I have joined classical singing classes recently and I am so far really loving them!!
(We are eagerly waiting to hear you sing at our next OKA event !!)
I love making new friends and meeting new people. I loved being a part of the Navaratri and Deepavali events at OKA and look forward to more such celebrations!
Fun facts about me:
· I love creating my own stories and narrating/enacting them.
· I love dressing up and wearing bangles, necklaces and bindi.
· I love being a little helper in the kitchen when my Amma or Aanu are cooking.
My favorite pastime is playing with Amma and Aanu and doing art by following along from YouTube.
Here is some of my art :
Avni, you seem to be a little delight and your art is so creative!! We wish you all the very best for your future and hope to see more of you at our OKA events!!
Dear OKA members, please let us know if you wish to showcase your kid or grandkid (no matter the age) or if you simply wish to share any of their art/achievements/funny incidents etc. with us.We would love to know more about our OKA Gen Z.
About the author…
Neha Mallya is a Chartered Accountant and currently in the unchartered territories of motherhood. In her spare time Neha loves to write…
"A person's a person, no matter the age" - Dr Seuss
Say Hello to our OKA Gen Z – Aarnavi Kamath (9 yrs.) and Vivaan Kamath (6 yrs.)
Parents: Purnima and Kiranraj Kamath
Aarnavi and Vivaan, great having you both here!! Please introduce yourselves.
Aarnavi : Hi everyone, I’m Aarnavi Kamath. I’m 9 years old and I live in Ottawa.
I like to rollerblade, ride my bike and play Minecraft and Roblox. Amma shouts at me when I play too much. Does yours too??
I love dalitoy, saarupkari, sabudana khichadi and buns that Amma makes. But Annu is my favorite chef!! He makes yummy pav bhaji!!
I have lived in Chicago, Dallas and Raleigh before moving to Canada! I have so many friends there and I still keep in touch with them through Facebook Messenger Kids!! I would love to be your friend too!!
Oh and did you know?
I am a brown belt at Tae Kwon Do and have won medals at regional and national championships held at Dallas and Raleigh!!
I’m going to go now and let my little brother introduce himself or he’ll get mad at me !!
Vivaan : Hi everyone, I’m Vivaan Kamath. I’m 6 years old.
I love to play with my Hot Wheels cars, ride my bike and play with Luna, our neighbour’s pet dog. I also play Minecraft and Roblox with Akka. Amma shouts at Akka and not me because I think I’m her favorite!! ?
I’m shy with strangers and do not talk as much as Akka does. She is a chatterbox!!
I don’t have many friends yet as this is my first year going back to school. My best friend is my Ajja who lives in Pune. He talks to me in English and I tell him to repeat all that in Amchigele!!
I love food! I like chicken biryani that Annu makes and cheppi daali made by Amma!!
And all that talk about food is now making me hungry, so I’m going to go and ask my parents for food!!
Bye bye!!
Hey Aarnavi and Vivaan, it was a pleasure getting to know you !! We wish you both all the very best with everything and hope you have a great fun year ahead!! Vivaan- We hope that you make lots of friends and we pray that nobody ever picks a fight with Aarnavi!! ?
Dear OKA members, please let us know if you wish to showcase your kid or grandkid (no matter the age) or if you simply wish to share any of their art/achievements/funny incidents etc. with us.We would love to know more about our OKA Gen Z.
About the author…
Neha Mallya is a Chartered Accountant and currently in the unchartered territories of motherhood. In her spare time Neha loves to write…
"A person's a person, no matter the age" - Dr Seuss
Arya and Atreya Panindra (5 years)
Parents- Priyanka Kamath and Panindra Radhakrishnan share with us- ‘A day in the Life of the Twins’:
Morning:
Arya is an early riser and loves waking us up early on weekends. Atreya however loves snuggling in his baby (aka blanket :)) for a lot longer. Arya hates seeing his brother still sleeping and does everything possible to wake him up. Trying to get in between them – “Is the biggest mistake one could ever make!!”.
After they are out of bed, everything else in their morning routine is a healthy competition of who is ‘First’- accompanied by a lot of chaos and cries and shouts and laughter!! Thankfully we live in a corner unit condo, so we don’t end up waking the neighbors!!
Once they are dressed up, they rush out from the room and -Wait for it… Hug us tight and shower us with good morning kisses!! Oh, how we will miss those once they grow up !! 🙁
After a glass full of milk, they are off to school. Those little byes every morning are painful, but the sparkle in their eyes and innocent smiles make our day!!
Mid-day to dawn:
Once they are back from school, our neat and tidy home is ready for attack!! Every toy, every book is all over the place!! Our dream of a perfect and beautifully setup house is but a distant dream for now!!
At their age, hunger pangs are at it’s peak, and every half hour, we get asked for food. Thanks to the easily accessible world we are in, snack options are vast!! Be it fresh fruits, yogurt, pancakes or cheese sticks – they are easy options to feed the little tummies!!
It is then- a tug of war every evening between Television and outdoor time!! Thankfully both of them mutually agree on their options and we get to enjoy our cups of coffee while watching them enjoy their shows 🙂
Dawn to Bed :
This is the most challenging time of the day, as both of them are super tired!! They insist on eating together, brushing together and sleeping together!! How we wish for an extra pair of arms and legs!! The twins then hit the bed and are off to Dreamland!! The super exhausted parents return to cleaning the super messed-up house!!
While a part of us wishes they grow up quick, a bigger part of us prays that they always stay our small babies forever!!
The best part about Atreya and Arya is that- They are inseparable!! They cannot stay apart from each other even for a single minute!! If one is offered food, he ensures he fills in a bowl for the other. If one is hurt, the other runs to comfort him!! They are best friends for life and we pray that their bond lasts for eternity!!
Thank you Priyanka and Pani for sharing your daily schedule with us!! We loved every minute of the journey!! We wish them all the very best with everything and hope they have a great fun year ahead!!
We also wish you tons of strength and good luck in this journey!!
About the author…
Neha Mallya is a Chartered Accountant and currently in the unchartered territories of motherhood. In her spare time Neha loves to write…
"A person's a person, no matter the age" - Dr Seuss
Arjun (7) and Rohan (3) were both born in North Carolina and moved to Canada with their parents 2.5 years ago. Both the kids acclimated well to their new life in Regina, Saskatchewan by enjoying the gorgeous prairie summers and bracing the cold winters.
Arjun and Rohan now live in Vaughan, Ontario. Arjun is very outgoing and makes new friends quickly. He also enjoys solving his math problems and probably is the most vocal voice in his classroom, regardless of online or in person learning.
Rohan is quite different from Arjun. Rohan tends to be shy and an introvert, but he is a troublemaker! He loves music and art !! He recognizes patterns and structures easily and recited numbers and alphabets way early for his age.
Both the kids love the outdoors! They love the sun and playing in the sand (of course). They can’t wait to meet other children in the OKA group and make new friends !!
We wish you all the very best with everything and hope you have a great year ahead !!
About the author…
Neha Mallya is a Chartered Accountant and currently in the unchartered territories of motherhood. In her spare time Neha loves to write…
