We really missed the excellent, well organized, great event.
We would like to order the DVDs of Sammelan 2008.
Would you lease let me know whom to contact.
Thanks.
Geeta.
| From: Geeta Chandrakant Shanbhag - Spartanburg,1614 Hollyberry Lane,South Carolina | 9/25/2008 11:04:22 AM PDT |
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An excellent and well organized event.
We enjoyed the entertainment, the food and the socializing.
The venue was great. The service and promptness provided during the meals was excellent.
Overall a memorable event.
Thanks to all those volunteers who made this happen.
| From: Y. Shridhar & Maya Hegde - San Jose,CA | 7/22/2008 10:54:35 PM PDT |
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This is the second Sammelan I attended. Amazing, is all I can think of to say. From the evening of the 3rd to the midnight of the 5th July, it was one continuous feast of food, entertainment and educational talks.
Excellent speakers, KV Kamath, Jaya Row and Dr. Sobel, it was a smooth continuous flow of topics and information. Subsequent seminars were very informative and bridged our Hindu past to modern day living.
Entertainment was outstanding; the opening and closing ceremonies were one continous tableau of the Awaken the Konkani theme, put together in short, exciting, skits, songs and exhilarating dances, performed by Konkanis of all ages.
Food....No complaints, which is saying a whole lot for us picky Konkanis. Delicious, authentic and plenty. Hats off to the food committee members, who I hear worked hard in the kitchen for two weeks before the event. Your efforts and love showed!!!
We were never rushed for anything, yet the two and a half days were full of activities.
Facilities, registration, promotional material etc. was at par with some of the biggest professional conventions.
This high standard will be hard to match let alone beat.
To all the committee members and volunteers from the San Francisco bay area...THANK YOU
Devu Tumka Sakkadanka Baren Koro
| From: Madhav Pai - Mumbai,Maharashtra, India | 7/22/2008 4:31:39 PM PDT |
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This was my best experience at our Sammelans. I know that at every venue great efforts had been made. At this one it seemed as though all the past experience culminated into the makings of a fantastic one. I am deeply grateful to all our organisers for their superlative effort. The food, entertainment, the two large screens at the sides meant one could sit anywhere and view all the events without a problem, the Panchadik room were all great. I cannot say enough to convey how happy I felt. My brother from Bangalore was with me. He also enjoyed the event very much. Thank you all for the wonderful experience.
| From: Ramakrishna Nayak - Warwick,RI | 7/16/2008 7:36:37 AM PDT |
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This was my first Konkani Sammelan and I was always looking for a reason to go to one as my perception (from what I read and heard about the previous sammelans) was that one would only get a lot of konkani food(which I sure do not lack thanks to a lot of Konkani friends in the bay area) and the patent pending Konkani Panchadik. Due to some un-referencible(I know its not a word in the english dictionary - am sure you get the point) reasons, I attended the 2008 sammelan and I am delighted that I did.
The top positives of the sammelan were the top-class entertainment, punctuality (absolutely no IST standards customarily followed by most desi events) and superlative management (ofcourse free booze ;) which am sure will not be an attraction to many).
The entertainment programs were mind blowing, very creative and designed to perfection. The food was yummy and there was absolutely no wait at the buffet tables. And at the end of the event, 100s of people were unwilling to desert the Dance Floor even past the midnight. It was also good to see Mr.K.V.Kamath and president Mr.Ramesh Kamath being on the dance floor till the shutdown.
The 3 days of sammelan flew past and we had no clue how fast they went by.
Now I am indeed looking forward the 2010 one at Chicago; I am sure there would be every attempt to surpass the high standard laid out in Santa Clara.
| From: Shenoy Maaam - San Jose,CA | 7/16/2008 6:45:30 AM PDT |
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Great Sammelan. We have been to 3 in the past and this was the best one for us. The only thing that would be a big plus would be to get CME credit for the medical symposium. This adds great value to the gathering especially with so many of us that are physicians. Thank You.
| From: Vandana Patel - Pearland,TX | 7/14/2008 6:43:04 AM PDT |
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Superb! I was delighted to be a part of this! We were very pleased with the outcome.
Shyam and Kiran
| From: shyam Kamath - San Francisco,CA | 7/13/2008 11:15:08 PM PDT |
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This was truely a remarkable Sammelan. With a Spacious and integrated Hotel-cum-convention venue; All-u-can eat authentic and ample konkani food and drinks with No line-ups and No volunteers to spoon-feed; Exceptional and genuine speakers discussing relevant topics; and good entertainment you have set the bar very high and yet everything appeared so easy and stress-free for both the organizers as well as the delegates. It gave the maximum opportunities for everyone to socialize and have a wonderful time. Even though I came very reluctantly dragged by my children, we were showered with friendship and caring attitude by both known and unknown people, making this the most memorable Sammelan ever.Thanks to the organizers for this enjoyable Sammelan and wishing every success to the Chicago Sammelan in 2010.
| From: Narayandas Kamath - Richmond Hill,Ontario, Canada | 7/13/2008 11:09:08 AM PDT |
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Thank you for a most wonderful sammelan! Our Konkani youth certainly stole the show, especially Vidya Pai with her amazing talent, Kavitha Baliga with her versatile voice, Sumeeth Bhat for his inspirational speech, and the Konkani Idol participants for their enthusiastic performances. They make us proud to be Konkani!
| From: Midwest Maam - Midwest,USA | 7/13/2008 12:39:34 AM PDT |
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Ramesh & Pratibha
Hats off to you !
Tremendous amount of hard work for last two years paid off with dividents. the programmes, the seminars and lectures by chif guest , Mr K.V. Kamath were inspiring and stimulating. Lunch dinner arrangements were excellent and food was great.
Again thanks, Myself and Suman enjoyed fully and will remember the event for long time
Love Mohan and Suman Rao
| From: Mohan Rao Suman Rao - Litchfield Park,Arizona | 7/12/2008 8:16:12 AM PDT |
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Fantastic, Colorful, Vibrant and “Mouthwatering”- that’s the way I would describe NAKA Konkani Sammelan 2008
.
Fantastic…Venue and decorations were superb. Everything was fantastically organized by the various committees.
Colorful…. all “1307” people dressed in their best and colorful outfits- Oh, what an amazing sight!!
Vibrant…. With various activities on all 3 days including the variety entertainment and seminars.
Mouthwatering…. Yummy Konkani and Punjabi food.- slurp!slurp!! From seeing the pictures displayed outside the Jevan Hall to actually eating the food was enjoyable. Breakfast to Dinner..ummm what a delicious treat!! Savkur Dinu Bhatmam’s shloka recitation during dinner added a spiritual touch to the dining experience. Felt really good.
The last day was truly a time for celebration. The rocking and high-energy music played by the DJ got everybody, young and old (friends, family and relatives), on the dance floor.
Overall, a great and memorable experience!!! Heartiest Congratulations to all the Committee members, volunteers and performers for putting up a BRILLIANT SHOW!!!
Vidya Talgeri, Mumbai,India
| From: Vidya Talgeri - Mumbai,Maharashtra | 7/11/2008 8:42:26 PM PDT |
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Thank You for a most enjoyable and meticulously organized Sammelan!! Thank you too for the hard work of the organizing committees - you all have raised the bar yet again! Now we look forward to the Chicago Sammelan in 2010.
| From: Vidya Kudva - Alta Loma,CA | 7/11/2008 7:43:22 PM PDT |
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I want to congratulate Ramesh Kamath and his troops for the wonderful Sammelan they organized. Also, Ravi Baliga for the fine Kokani food. I want to thank Shambhavi for the help she gave us. I wish Chicago organizers all luck for the 2010 Sammelan.
| From: Venkatesha Rao - Laguna Woods,Ca | 7/10/2008 5:53:19 PM PDT |
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The Sammelan was (no doubt) an absolute HIT!! Well planned and organized events, facilities (especially the day care -- which was an added bonus) and not to mention the delicious food! Congrats and three cheers to all those who put in so much hard work and making the 3 day event a Grand success!!!! See you in Chicago!!
| From: Ashvin and Akshata Kallianpur - Sunnyvale,CA | 7/10/2008 4:15:16 PM PDT |
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Awesome job!! The facilities, souvenir, food and entertainment was stellar. Infact one reporter from Indian Express heard about the event and is keen to report on the great Sammelan. You make us proud to be part of the Bay area community.
From a silent observer.
| From: Vidya Ullal - Saratoga,CA | 7/10/2008 11:48:59 AM PDT |
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The Northern California Konkanis did a superb job. The Konkani Sammelan 2008 was very enjoyable, informative and devoid of any delays or technical snafus. Your enthusiasm, imagination, creativity and hard work paid off. Most of all, the Sammelans have become a unifying vehiclre for adults and youth, and a great venue to bring out talent and creativity. Thank you and Congratulations!
| From: VIVEK ULLAL - SIMI VALLEY,CALIFORNIA | 7/10/2008 11:31:26 AM PDT |
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Dear Sammelan organizers and volunteers,
Thank you for a fabulous event!! We enjoyed the venue, the entertainment, the food and most of all meeting family and friends. Everything was organized extremely well and there was no room for confusion. All those months of painstaking planning really paid off!!! Thank you for a wonderful time!!!.....Pai Family
| From: Pai Family - Sunnyvale,CA | 7/10/2008 9:29:54 AM PDT |
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thank you for the outstanding organization and thankless job.
Every thing was excellent.
thanks to people like PA Kini and his family who contributed in many ways.
| From: ravi baliga - radnolph,nJ | 7/9/2008 7:30:38 PM PDT |
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It was a brilliantly executed event true to the traditions of Silicon Valley ! Food , entertainment, speeches were par excellence.There is so much of talent that exists within a small community such as ours.Just extrapolate to India and Wow!
Congratulations to all who made it possible.
It was a great moment to meet people whom we knew in child hood days from Mangalore and that too within a block from our house.
An event to cherish for a long time to come.
pai www.indusscitech.net
| From: Anantha Pai - Urbana,Illinois | 7/9/2008 5:19:36 PM PDT |
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It is an understatement that the sammelan met the expectations of the Konkanis who attended. It is my humble opinion and from what I heard from others that the Sameelan exceeded our expectations. Every bit of program was on schedule. No waiting, no lines, and everything happened in a very relaxed way. It gave us plenty of time to socialize - meet old friends and make new friends. My hats off to the organizers - those who were visible and those who were behind the scene.
At the end of the sammelan one gentleman asked me to comment on all the actvities. It was 10 out of 10 all the way.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you again.
| From: Belvai Vinayak Kudva - Williamson,West Virginia | 7/9/2008 12:35:14 PM PDT |
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A Crowning Achievement !! Congratulations.
Both Meera and I are truly appreciative of the months of preparation that went into this convention by what must be hundreds of workers--committee members, volunteers, organizers, assistants etc.
IT PAID OFF!
Even with raised bar with each convention, I think this is the most successful convention ever--and we have been to all. Starting with food (a non-negotiable item for us Konkanis!), the venue, the audio-visual, the decorations, choice of speakers and entertainment, the souvenir, the stage management---everything came off wonderfully well and shows the painstaking effort behind each category.
Onward to Chicago. . . . . . .I know they will put on a grand show in 2010.
Many many thanks for three perfect days in Santa Clara.
| From: Shyam Amladi - Los Angeles,CA | 7/9/2008 11:39:27 AM PDT |
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An absolutely delightful, productive and entertaining convention. Kudos to the organizers, volunteers and helpers in making this convetion the most successful one. Each convention raises the bar relative to expectations, and as a past organizer, I know the kind of commitment, attention--well, truthfully, the kind of heart and mind---it takes to bring off a convention that not only meets these expectations, but exceeds them.
Northern California surely did--a second time! Congratulations and Three Cheers!!!
| From: A Critic - Los Angeles, CA,CA | 7/9/2008 11:20:51 AM PDT |
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GREAT JOB! A very enjoyable Konkani Sammelan. We appreciated the focus on inner Konkanihood, a theme which was woven throughout the program. Having Childcare was a special bonus to parents with young children. We enjoyed the more serious programs (during which our little one would have been fussy throughout) because of this. Our constructive feedback will follow in a separate note to NAKA and the org. committee.
| From: S Padiyars - Northville,MI | 7/9/2008 10:31:50 AM PDT |
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Breakfast should be never served early in the morning. Big Bad idea. Remember...some people have to travel to attend in the morninng and all attendees do not stay in the hotel.
There should be a fixed start time for the food however one table should always have leftovers in case someone comes in late. Its ok if the food is cold on that table
Feedback should always be anonymous. :-)
Rest...good Job..!
| From: Shahrukh Khan - Timbuk2,Kerala | 7/9/2008 9:51:07 AM PDT |
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The Sammellan was incredible -- attention to detail in all aspects of the show was obvious - hats off to all the committee members for all their tireless effort -- it was great.
--The Opening and Closing Ceremonies were like clockwork beautifully choreographed and produced.
--The Plays on day two were fun.
--The 2 concerts were great -- We are proud of the young Konkanies who took part and made the show a treat for the heart and the soul. Miss Kamat, Miss Baliga and the others you are amazing !!! -- the Prasanna show I guess was loved by half the folks and the fusion part was considered too avante garde for some
--Compared to previous sammellans the mic. issue was relatively a non issue except in one or two plays
--For the people attending I think it was like going back to their respective villages be it Kundapur or Honavar or Karwar -- a chance to feel at ease, enjoy with friends, family and new folks -- knowing that all around you were people from your heritage and culture
--The speeches from Mr Padukone and Ms Rao and Dr Sobel were great and inspiring. I wish Mr Kamath would have mentioned more about how a boy from Kundapur created the largest private bank in India. He is an amazing CEO and we Konkanis are proud of what he has done.
The Jevan Hall was well organized and worked like clockwork -- the fact that 1400 or so folks were fed in an hour was a true testament to the hard work done by the food committee and the cooks at the convention center.
A few minor things -- kids this time were overlooked it looks like except for breakfast -- at Tanhe time -- Tea and coffee was served but nothing for kids -- even water would have been ok. Also kids growing here in the US have allergies to milk and to a large extent Peanuts and other Nuts -- many of the items looked like they had nuts including dessert -- Perhaps reintroducing a kids menu like before may not be a bad idea.
Youth Events -- Got some feedback where the kids said they enjoyed meeting new folks and making friends -- a great job holding the icebreakers
Dancing -- the young the not so young and the young at heart were all there until midnight with no gen gap to speak off.
All in All - it was amazing amazing spectacular -- other non konkanis we spoke to said they wished they had something like this
Our thanks to Mr Kamath and the others in the organizing committee for the best sammellan ever !!
| From: Proud Konkanis - New York,New York | 7/9/2008 9:45:49 AM PDT |
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Kudos to all the people that worked tirelessly to ensure a thoughtful, well-rounded, gastronomically delectable, and FUN Sammelan! Congratulations on pulling it off so well - Chicago we are there! I want to share with you that our 12 year old daughter has insisted on conversing with us only in Konkani ever since we returned, what an influence!
| From: Shalini Shenoy - St. Louis,MO | 7/9/2008 9:04:22 AM PDT |
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We had a great time at Konkani Sammelan held in Santa Clara. It was more of a Konkani networking event, an event to make new friends and to catch up with old friends,relatives from different parts of United States. The seminars, cultural programs, venue, decorations, food and the hospitality of bay-area organizers were awesome. This function did indeed awaken the Konkani in me. I thoroughly enjoyed the function. Good Job, I should say Bay area Konkani Association rocks!!
| From: Deepa Kudva Samsi - Redondo Beach,CA | 7/9/2008 8:45:29 AM PDT |
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Everything was as perfect as "salt" in a tasty dalitoy.
The location, the entertainment, food, registration, seminars and everything associated with Konkani Samelan 2008 was well planned, coordinated and executed.
Kudos for keeping Konkani tradition alive.
We yougster have to carry forward your hard work of keeping the Konkani torch burning.
| From: Rajesh Prabhu - Monterey Park,ca | 7/9/2008 7:47:48 AM PDT |
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Hats off to all .Specially to the food committee. Great job .There was no room for complaints.
| From: madhuri kasbekar - san jose,ca | 7/9/2008 7:17:11 AM PDT |
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Great job to everyone involved. The Sammelan was so smooth and enjoyable. Major credit to the food team, program organizers, and the youth leaders. GREAT TIME!
| From: Gautam Pai - Cleveland,OH | 7/9/2008 6:33:15 AM PDT |
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Please accept our congratulations on the grand sucess of Konkani Sammelan.
Thank you for offering us the opportunity to get our serious message to Sammelan attendees. We shall follow up on this offer.
Dr Satish Salvi
President, Konkan Raksha & Samrudhi.
| From: Dr Satish Salvi - Fayetteville,North Carolina | 7/9/2008 5:52:08 AM PDT |
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1) Sessions by Jaya Rav and David Sobel were incredible! The material presented by both was so complementary, entertaining, and presented in a manner that everyone could relate to and benefit from.
2) I continue to grapple with the language - on one hand, it is so wonderful to have so much of the program in Konkani. It really stretches and reminds some of us who grew up speaking it, but have since forgotten. perhaps because my Konkani skills are diminishing, but I missed so much of the content in the skits and presentations due to the language barrier. I am not sure what to advise here, because I do value the language highly. Perhaps if there were a way to provide sub-titles on an LCD-screen during the function, this would promote understanding as well as reinforce the language.
3) the food was fantastic. the streamlining of guests around buffet-tables was a marked improvement over the Ontario convention.
4) events were very prompt and on-time. This was appreciated.
5) The dancing was great! and people of all ages enjoyed it til the very end. There was plenty of room too.
My only constructive feedback is:
1) The announcements during the Saturday banquet dinner should have been done all at one time. It was loud and interrupted conversation each time.
2) Snacks were good, but the hot drinks were quite cold - on both days.
3) Please provide English subtitles whenever possible, and continue to keep as much of it in Konkani as possible, as you do.
Thank you!! And see you in 2010!
| From: Asha Nayak - Sunnyvale,CA | 7/8/2008 7:25:57 PM PDT |
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Hats off to everyone who spent countless hours behind the scene to make this event a hit. The food was excellent, entertainment programs were awesome and atmosphere was wonderful. Childcare was a bonus to people with kids. This was our first sammelan and we realized how much fun we have been missing. C U all in Chicago!!!
| From: Tulsi and Neetu Prabhu - Fremont,CA | 7/8/2008 4:12:53 PM PDT |
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Keep up the good work folks. I am in for the next sammelan at Chicago. It was good to know our community being well off and readily reachable. The organisers did a fantastic job (with given resources) to keep everybody happy.
| From: Vaman Kamath - Leesburg,VA | 7/8/2008 2:07:45 PM PDT |
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The Sammelan organization team gets a full 10 out of 10 from me. It was a flawless execution of a well-planned event. I congratulate the whole team of organisers and volunteers for their effiicient teamwork. During the process of our demands to stage our performances, if we have caused you any additional stress or worries than you already had, please forgive me. Looking forward to seeing you all in Chicago in 2010.
| From: Sanjay Savkur - Lisle,IL | 7/8/2008 10:07:11 AM PDT |
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We would like to thank all the organizers of the Sammelan for the hard work that they put into the successful completion of the event. Suggestion: On the name tags print the name etc. on both sides to give 100% chance of seeing it. One side=50% probability, since most of the time only the blank side was seen.
| From: Mulki & Padma Bhat - Miller Place,NY | 7/8/2008 7:08:15 AM PDT |
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The best convention so far. We all had a wonderful time. Congratulations to the executive committee on doing such a great job. The food committee was superb. Hope the Chicago people take a lot of tips from you all.
| From: Vasanth Pai - St Louis,MO | 7/7/2008 8:30:40 PM PDT |
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Great program! Kudos to the countless volunteers who made this happen!
But.. it is my humble opinion that all you can drink alcohol during closing dinner is not appropriate for a family event, with a mix of kids, teens and under-age adults.
| From: Ananth Sowda - San Jose,CA | 7/7/2008 5:05:56 PM PDT |
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My family and I had a great time at the 2008 Sammelan. The Bay area Konkanis have raised the bar for the next one in Chicago.
Anil M Bhat
Canton, MI
| From: Anil Bhat - Canton,MI | 7/6/2008 10:04:02 PM PDT |
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Good job.The Sammelan song has come out very nice. compliments to Geeta Pai for the lyrics. Can you mail me the voice bit of this song ?
| From: venkatesh baliga - mangalore,karnataka | 7/4/2008 12:53:24 AM PDT |
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