...with the people of this community who comprise, according to an unofficial estimate, 65 per cent of the 1.5 million Indians who have made this country their home. Though not following the traditional 10 day long festival, the community members in the city made sure they did not completely miss out on the fun. Residing in the UAE for the past 10 years, Mini, who runs a Music Institute, says that she has been keeping alive the spirit of Onam despite being away from home. “Laying out intricate floral designs are difficult here because of the lack of availability of flowers, but we make sure we put up at least a small Pookkalam and also invite our friends every year for Sadya", she said. Rejith, who works at a travel agency, says, "Being a bachelour means my Onam celebrations are at a good restaurant where I get traditional food. This is the time of the year I feel homesick the most... there are many nostalgic moments about the festival." Meena Sharaf, employed in an insurance company, says Onam is also a time for helping other communities "understand our culture and tradition." As for any Malayali, Onam is very special to me, wherever I am, whether I am in India or in any part of the world. It is my passion, it is my beloved festival, and it is strongly bonded to many of my dearest memories, a string of nostalgic memories. But Kerala has changed a lot, Keralites changed a lot. The spirit of Onam is gone...Onam is different now, so somewhere we lost the meaning of Onam. The Onam is...
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...Hello to everyone my name is Amp. I am employed with the Family Resource Agency over Tennessee and Georgia Head Start. I have been with them for three years and I'm a head teacher of a three year old classroom of 16 children. Head Start requires a lot of paperwork which is hard to meet deadlines on at times and a lot of pressure but my joy is the children. I hug all 16 of them everyday and tell them that I love them. They are what makes my job so very rewarding. "I LOVE IT". Growing up I attended 12 different schools from K--12 grades, this made my education very hard. I started working at 16 at KFC and worked there until I was 21. When I was 18 I recieved the position there as assisstant manager. I loved the job. I then had my daughter at the age of 21 and decided to go to work in a factory so that I could spend more time with her. I worked in a factory called Hardwick Clothes and I did sewing there. I continued to work there for a total of about 9 years. I then got pregnant with my son and took a lay off. This is when my life really started going. During my pregnancy I took my GED and shockingly I passed it. Then I enrolled in Cleveland State Community College here in Cleveland, Tennessee. I started school to obtain an Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education. I graduated with this degree in 2008. During the time I was attending College full time I was also painting houses, inside and/or out proffesionally, and managed being a single mother of my two loving children....
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