From: tstpcc@gwunix1.gwu.edu (Paul C. Chemmanoor)
Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala
Subject: FACK [rel 1.3] - Welcome to alt.culture.kerala
Date: 13 Dec 1992 17:38:32 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu


F.a.q. for Alt.Culture.Kerala.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Revision: 1.3
Current Originator: paulchem@tigger.cs.colorado.edu

<< New Items: New names in acker list.
>>

This article attempts to answer some of the questions that are 
frequently posed in this newsgroup. In addition some information
about Kerala and malayalam are provided as a basis for understanding
what this group discusses. A summary of acker information is provided
at the end.

This F.A.C.K. is in multiple parts.
It is intended to be split into separate sections once these
sections grow to their final sizes.

Any sections marked with [ ---- --- -- ] are to be filled in 
future releases of the F.A.C.K. Responses are invited from the
readership for these entries. Readers are encouraged to send in
other questions that they feel are relevant to be included in the
F.A.C.K. Please direct responses to the current originator.

Part - I : Questions & Answers.


Q (1) 	What is alt.culture.kerala ?
A (1)	This is a newsgroup devoted primarily to discussion of the
	culture of the people who originate from the state of Kerala
	in the south of India. Its charter includes 
	(i)	Books.
	(ii)	Films.
	(iii)	Nostalgia.
	(iv)	Social Issues.
	(v)	Politics. 
	(vi)	News.

	relating to Kerala or its language : Malayalam.

Q (2)	When was alt.culture.kerala formed ?
A (2)	alt.culture.kerala was formed in September 1992.


Q (3)	How do I post to alt.culture.kerala  if I dont have 
	access to newsreaders or I dont have post priveleges ?
A (3)   Mailing the article to alt-culture-kerala@cs.utexas.edu
	will cause the article to be posted on alt.culture.kerala.

Q (4)   What is the scope of distribution of articles in alt.culture.kerala ?
A (4)   alt.culture.kerala has a world-wide distribution.
	Most newsreaders including rn will automatically insert a 
	line describing distribution during posting of an article.
	The default distribution is "world" for alt.culture.kerala.

Q (5)	Why dont I get alt.culture.kerala at my site ?
A (5) 	Since the usenet news mechanism relies on internetworked
	machines, any site which acts as the sole source for another
	site can control what groups the downstream group recieves.

	This is also the reason why some sites show 0 articles all
	the time. The best way to solve these problems is to contact
	the local news admin who will be able to better brief you 
	about your options.

	The news mechanism involves store-and-forward type algorithms
	for messages. This creates a need for disk space on a very large
	scale. So system admins have to be selective about what groups
	they carry. Certain newsgroup hierarchies are as a convention
	carried always, like the soc. and rec. groups. 
	The larger degree of freedom allowed in the creation of the
	alt. hierarchy groups lends itself to abuse, with the result that
	many sites avoid carrying alt. groups.

	alt.culture.kerala is planned to be moved into the soc.culture.kerala
	in the future, thereby assuring that most sites will carry it.

Q (6)   My site doesnt have news. How do I get to alt.culture.kerala ?
A (6)   telnet to bbs.oit.unc.edu
	The system will tell you the rest.

Q (7)   What kind of articles can I expect to see on alt.culture.kerala ?
A (7)   Articles that in the past have appeared include
		(i) Discussions on the concept of Dowry.
		(ii) Feminism in the indian and keralite context.
		(iii) Nostalgic articles about kerala.
		(iv) Recipes and hints for getting stuff for keralite cooking.
		(v) Dating vs Arranged Marriages.
		(vi) Articles about "ackers" -- the insider word for readers
		     of alt.culture.kerala.
		(vii) Lyrics from malayalam film songs etc.

Q (8)  What are the places to see in Kerala on a visit ?
A (8)  [-- --- --]


Part - II: Information.

Kerala.
-------
[ --- -- ---]

Malayalam.
----------
[ --- -- --- ]


Malayalam-English Transliteration scheme for A.C.K.
---------------------------------------------------
[Courtesy of Mathai Chundat]

The Malayalam Alphabet
________________________________________________________________________
Vowels                               
________________________________________________________________________
a   aa/A  i    ee   u   oo   R~   
                              
e   E     o    O   ai  ou   am   a:

u + a = wa                            
________________________________________________________________________
Consonants With                      Combination of Consonants 
Group Numbers                        0.  Double consonants
				     n.  Combination with the group 'n'.
________________________________________________________________________
1.                               
ka   kha    ga   gha    nGa      
		            0.	 k~ + ka = kka, g~ + ga = gga
				 nG~ + nGa = nnGa

                            2.   k~ + tha = ktha

			    3.   g~ + da = gda
				 g~ + na = gna

                            6.   k~ + ya = kya, k~ + sha = ksha
				 k~ + La = kLa, k~ + Ra = kRa

				 kh~ + ya = khya

				 g~ + ya + gya, g~ + ra = gra
________________________________________________________________________
2.
cha  Cha    ja   jha    nJa      
			    0.   ch~ + cha = ccha, j~ + ja = jja
				 nJ~ + nJa = nnJa

		            2.	 ch~ + Cha = cCha
				 
				 j~ + nJa = jnJa
				 
				 nJ~ + cha = nJcha, nJ~ + ja = nJja

		            6.	 ch~ + ya = chya

				 j~ + Ra = jRa
_______________________________________________________________________
3.         
ta   Ta     Da   Dha    Na   
			    0.   t~ + ta = tta, D~ + Da = DDa
				 N~ + Na = NNa

		            3.	 D~ + Dha = DDha

                                 N~ + ta = Nta, N~ + Ta = NTa
				 N~ + Na = NNa
_______________________________________________________________________
4.
tha  Tha    da   dha    na   
			    0.   th~ + tha = ttha, d~ + da = dda
				 n~ + na = nna

		            4.   th~ + Tha = tTha, th~ + dha = tdha

				 d~ + dha = ddha

				 n~ + tha = ntha, n~ + da = nda
				 n~ + dha = ndha

		            1.   th~ + ka = thka, th~ + ma = thma
				 th~ + ya = thya, th~ + sa = thsa
				 th~ + bha = tbha, th~ + Ra = thRa

	                    6.   Th~ + ya = Thya

				 d~ + ya + dya, d~ + ra = dra

				 dh~ + ya = dhya, dh~ + ra = dhra
_______________________________________________________________________
5.
pa   pha    ba   bha    ma      
			    0.   pa + pa = ppa, b~+ ba = bba
				 bh~ + bha = bbha, m~ + ma = mma

		            5.   m~ + pa = mpa, m~ + ba =mba

				 m~ + ga = mga

		            6.   m~ + Ra = mRa, m~ + La = mLa
________________________________________________________________________
6.
ya  ra  la  va  Sa  sha  
sa  ha  Ra  zha La  TTa   
			    0.   y~ + ya = yya, l~ + la = lla
                                 v~ + va = vva, S~ + Sa = SSa
				 s~ + sa = ssa, L~ + La = LLa

		            6.   l~ + ya = lya

				 v~ + ya = vya, v~ + Ra = vRa

				 S~ + Ra = SRa, S~ + La = SLa

				 sh~ + ya = shya

				 s~ + ya = sya

				 h~ + ya = hya, h~ + La = hLa

				 L~ + ya = Lya

                            3.	 sh~ + ta = shta, sh~ + Ta = shTa
_______________________________________________________________________
chillaksharannGaL
_______________________________________________________________________
l  L  n  N  R  m
_______________________________________________________________________


Part - III: Recipes.


1.       Biriyani - Fried Rice 
		       [ By cs911093@cs.yorku.ca (shanty kokkat)]

If you have any questions please contact me.  My e-mail address is:
     cs911093@cs.yorku.ca (shanty kokkat)
Every body have different tastes, different measure cup, the 
given measurement is only aapproximate, I am assuming that you 
know how hot or how spicy you like and you know the measurement.
If you want exact measurement I can try to make it for you.  
Please enjoy this special.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-> Make chicken curry
-> Make Rice
-> Make Vegetables

Add Rice and Vegetables first, and chicken curry after that.

Vegetables:- Take 2.5 cups (coffee cup) of mixed vegetables cook
             it by putting into microwave for 10 minutes.

Rice:-Put 3 cups(coffee cup) of Basmathi rice into water for at 
      least one  hour.(  Before putting the rice into oil, dry it
      by putti washed rice into pot with small holes.)  Take some 
      onion (0.5 onion, long and thin) and put into hot oil (not 
      much) and stir it until the onion change it colour to sort 
      of  brown. Add little `manjnal',salt and one `eleka            
      podichathe'. Add the rice and stir for around 10 minutes. 
      Add some water (about 4 cups) and cook the rice as usual. 
      Add the vegetable and chicken curry that we made.

Chicken Curry:-
  1. Grambu              2 ennem
  2. karuva              about  3cm long
  3. eleka               2 ennem
  4. kurumulaku          4 ennem
  5. perum geerakam      1.5 teespoon   
     salt                
     malliyila
     karuveppila
     tomatoes            1 ennem
  6. mally poddy         3 teespoon
  7. mulaku poddy        1.5 teespoon
  8. manjnal             0.50 teespoon
     ginger
     onion               1 ennem
     velluthully         3 alli
     green pepper        1 ennem

Put onion into the hot oil and stir it until it colour change to
brown.  Add  ginger, velluthully.  Add 6-8.  Add the flour made 
from 1-5.  Add salt and malliyila,karuveppila, green pepper (the
one you put in pizza).
     Add chicken ( I prefer chicken legs, because you don't have
to deal with very small bones!!) that cut into pieces.  Cook it
for 25-30 minutes (add tomato around 10-15 minute), about little
more than medium heat.
     What I do is cook the chicken first.  It the chicken curry
contains `water' after it cooked, I took the water from it and put
this into rice (when we add the water), this will give a good
flavour. You can decorate it with onion, cashews, tomatoes, or
eggs.  You can eat this with salad, pappadam and pickle.


2.      Tuna Chammandi
		       [ By cs911093@cs.yorku.ca (shanty kokkat)]
Here is a easy receipe:

Tuna			180g
Onion			0.5 
Mulakupody		1 teaspoon
Mallypody		0.75 teaspoon
coconut powder		7 teaspoon

Put the onion (which is cut into small pieces) into hot oil
(little oil) and stir until it get browned.  Add Mulakupody,
Mallypody & coconut powder.  If the tuna contains salt, you
don't need to add salt, otherwise do.  Remove the water from
the tuna and add in to it.  Stir it for 10 minutes.




Part - IV: Acker List.

{
To be included on this list send mail to the current originator
of the F.A.C.K. None of the information except the name is 
mandatory. The rest can be free format and upto 20 lines long.
}
	
Paul Cherunny Chemmanoor.
	Aliases: Icarus, Atharvan.
	E-mail account: paulchem@tigger.cs.colorado.edu
		Info: Based in Guruvayoor, Trichur District, Kerala.
		B.E. Karnatak University, Dharwar.
		M.S. program at University of Colorado, Boulder.
		Worked at SAIL, Rourkela and WIPRO, Bangalore
		in India.
		Currently working at washington d.c. 

Mathai Ittoop Chundattu
	Call me "Mathew" 
		Date of Birth:	November 3, 1966
		Please send Birthday gifts.
		Place of Birth:	Kottappady on the way from Perumbavoor 
		to Kothamangalam in Ernakulam district.
		Most of the education in and around Kottappady. B. Tech 
		in Chemical Engg from IIT Madras-batch 1989. 
		Followed by two years of exile in ONGC Hazira,
		Gujrat. Joined Univ of Oklahoma in Fall 1991 for 
		MS in Chem Engg. Hopefully I should be out by 93 
		December. Then... Huh..

Sathyadev Ramachandran.
	Aliases:  DEV
            Info: Hails from Kodungallur,Trichur Dist. Kerala.
                       Alumnus of Julien Day, Calcutta ; St.John's
                       Bethany,Kunnamkulam ;IPS, B`lore ;Milagres H.S.
                       Mangalore ; Christ College ,Irinjalakuda .
                       B.Sc(Hons.)  Jadavpur University ,Calcutta.
                       M.Sc          I.I.T Madras.
                       Phd program at UCLA :-  Chasing beauty/bottom particleO
                           in the Illinois prairie at Fermilab near Chicago.
                           Currently at Los Angeles.


Naryana Sateesh Pillai
	Popularly known as Sateesh, Sateesh Pillai, Pilla
	e-mail address: sathi@cco.caltech.edu
		Date of birth: May 30th, 1963 
		Place of birth: Vellayani (11 Kms south of Trivandrum on NH47)
		education:  ICSE '78 (Loyola School, Trivandrum)
		Pre-Degree '81 (Government Arts College, Trivandrum)
		B.Tech in Electronics and Communications '86
		College of Engineering, Trivandrum University of Kerala
		M.S. in Electrical Engineering '90 California Institute of Technology
		Struggling towards a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering
		at Caltech.  Working in the area of Pure Electron Plasma Physics.
		Visiting student at IIT Madras for 2 months!! (Aug-Sep '86)
		Consulting Engineer at Hindutsan Latex  (testing prophylactics) Nov. - Dec. '86
		Visiting lecturer at College of Engineering, Trichur  (Jan-Feb '87)
		Scientific Assitsant at CEDT, IISc, Bangalore (Feb '87 - July '89)
		Descendent of Vellayani Paramu.
		Present status: UNMARRIED!!!

Saraswathy 'Devi' Krishnan
		Pursuing my Master's in Computer Science in New Jersey
		Institute of Technology.
		Belong to Trivandrum, though a Tamilian.
		Studied at College for Women,Trivandrum and did my
		B.Tech (Elec. & Communication) from Engg. College, TVM.
		Taught for a few months at Govt. Polytechnic at Vadagara.
		Then, a year  at ONGC Bombay and Madras, before I figured
		it was time to get married. (I didn't think so!!).


Shanty Kokkat
		Sex:                       F
		Date of Birth or Age:      July 28, 1972
		Kalaketty (Erattupetta, Kottayam).
		Schools Attended: A.M.H.S Kalaketty (High School)
                St.George College, Aruvithara (P.D.C).
		Current Work: Second year student at York University,
                            Toronto, Canada. BSc(combined honours, 
                            Mathematics & Computer Science.)
		Any other relevant info.:   I am having difficult time to decide 
                            whether I should go back to Kerala,
                            because I like to live in Kerala than
                            here in Canada. 


Ajit K. Nair
	      Date of Birth: March 29, 1968.
	      Don Bosco H.S,Mullakara,Trichur.
	      St.Thomas College,Trichur(PDC: 83-85)
	      College of Engg,Trivandrum (85-89)
	      (B.Tech, Mech Engg)
	      Current work:	Doing my MS in Mech Engg at Auburn Uni,
	      Auburn, Alabama. And of course silent ACKing!!!
	      Other info: Based in Nehru Nagar,Kuriachira,Trichur.
	      I was born in Trichur,but my parents
	      belong to Trivandrum.My father is
	      working at the Veterinary College in
	      Mannuthy,Trichur.

Jacob Thomas
	      Network Address:     jacobt@nynexst.com
	      Place of birth:      Chengannur 
	      Education:           Several schools in places such as Madras, Trivandrum,
              Ernakulam and Kozhikode.
              B. Tech (EE) IIT Madras
              M.S. (CS) State University of New York at Stony Brook
	      Work:  Currently working at NYNEX Science & Technology


Vikas P. Kuriachan

	Date of Birth:      June 22, 1974
	Current work:    Attending Texas A&m Univ.
	Other info:

		I lived in Kerala for the first nine years of my
	life.  Then my dad started working in Saudi Arabia so we
	moved to there.  I went t  in school in Saudi Arabia until
	the ninth grade.  Then I went to highschool at The Hill
	School in Pennsylvania.  At the present I am attending
	Texas A&M as a Freshman majoring in Chemical Engr. and
	Pre-medicine.


 Anil Nair
 
	 Sex:    M
  	 Date of Birth or Age:	    07/30/67
         Place of Birth:            Ernakulam		
         Schools Attended:          Govt. Engg. College, Raipur, M.P.
         Current Work:		    Grad. Student in Structural Engg. at 
                                    The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH.
 
         Any other relevant info.:
 	My mother's place is Perumbavoor and my father's place is Airapuram (near
 	Keezhillom). My father works for The Food Corporation of India and
        we are currently sort of settled in Raipur, M.P.. I have very high regards for
        for our 'Naadu' and for this reason I am a regular but recent ack.bsa (back-
        stage-artist).             
 
        My sincere regards to all the Ackers.

Dileep Makkuni
		aliases : Arnold Chaayanaddakaaran (Terminator)
			  Namaskaram kottukare  
		e-mail contact at : adx.adelphi.edu or auvax1.adelphi.edu
		U.S. postal address : on request only (just kidding!)
		Date of Birth : February 12, 1992
		Place of Birth : Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (don't ask how!)
		Place of origin : Vadakkumbad, Tellicherry, Cannanore Dist.
		Studies : Have been in the States since 1980
			  In junior year of B.B.A./Accountancy program
			  Graduating ?? 1994
			  Going for C.P.A. and M.B.A. immediately afterwards
			  Early part of my life in Kerala (till 8 yrs of age)
		Interests : Martial arts (want to study kalaripayat)
			    Karnataka Sangheetam (studying Mridangam since 1982)
			    Malayalam literature
			    Literature in general
		Info :	love to give out recipes
		       	am looking to flame someone for dumb comment (heh, heh!)
			cousin to Vineed of Mallu films
		       	nephew of Padmini Ramachandran, old-time film actress
		       	But I DON'T LIKE HINDI FILMS (well maybe some?!)


Jayakrishnan S. Raghavan
	Call me "Jay"
	Aliases:  Also known as Kishore to near and dear
	Schooling till XII (pre-degree) at Rourkela, Orissa.
	B.Tech in Chemical Engg from IT-BHU, Varanasi '85-'89
	M.S. in Chemical Engg. '91 from North Carolina State University
	Presently enrolled in PhD program in Fiber and Polymer Science,
	Working in the area of Computer Integrated Manufacture of textile
	fibers.
	Home :  Thaikkattussery, Trichur, Kerala.
	Other relevant info:  I am having tough time debating to go back to
	Kerala for good, especially after my marriage.  My wife, also from 			
	Trichur (near Medical College) and me have endless discussions on this.
	Like all Lal and Sreenivasan movies.  Sing occasionally, love classical 		
	music (carnatic, hindusthani instrumental and some western) and old Mal. 		
	and Hindi songs.





Newsgroups: alt.culture.kerala