Exhibitions & Awards (in the USA)

Photography


1. International Mosaic: November 2006
International Programs’ Photo Contest held in honor of International Education Week: Artistry

2. State College Photo Club : Online Photo Contest Theme-"Symmetry" September 2008
3rd Place Winner

3. State College Photo Club : Online Photo Contest Theme-"City Life" - October 2008
3rd Place Winner

4. National Geographic Photography: October 2008
India Photo Map, 'Oh! Calcutta'

5. Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania : Holiday Exhibit and Sale Nov/Dec 2008
Multiple sculptures and photograph prints

6. Guide to Shenandoah National Park: 2010 Guide
Photograph (Rockytop Overlook)

7. State College Photo Club : Online Photo Contest Theme-"Solitude" February 2010
3rd Place Winner

8. State College Photo Club : Online Photo Contest Theme-"Human Face" November 2010

2nd Place Winner

Art/ Craft

1. Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania : Jo and Gill Ward Annual Show August 2008

Multiple sculptures

2. Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania : Holiday Exhibit and Sale Nov/Dec 2008

Multiple sculptures and photograph prints

3. Wilcox Winery, State College, PA : Dec 2008
Lamps and sculptures (Wine)

4. Elkcreek Cafe + Aleworks, Millheim, PA : March 2009
Paintings and photograph prints (Faces)

5. Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania : April 2009
Go Figure 2009 (2-D Mixed Media Art)

6. Art in the Market, Boalsburg, PA : June 2009
Lamps and sculptures

7. The HodgePodgery, Harrisburg, PA : Sep 2009
Brew fest Bottle lamps

8. The HodgePodgery, Harrisburg, PA : Sep 2009
Consigning

9. MindWeb (464 Gallery Buffalo), Buffalo, NY: Dec 2009
Consigning

10. naked ARTshow: Emphasis Interiors, Pittsburgh PA: Mar 2010
Lamps, sculptures, home wares

11. eco ARTshow: Emphasis Interiors, Pittsburgh PA: Apr 2010

Lamps, sculptures, home wares

12. Galleria1712 Spring Art Show, Chicago IL : May 2010

Lamps, clocks, home wares

13. Galleria1712, Wicker Park-Bucktown, Chicago IL : May 2010

Consigning

Born Thorny

All cacti belong to the 'succulent' family. Unlike your regular vegetables, they dont hide their wealth under the dirt. Nor like your pretty trees, do they change color after fair weather. They store life though; and memories for a long, long time. When you live in a desert, with sand rubbed to your eyes everyday, you need to store those and you need to grow thorns.

But really no, I am not all bark; I am just not a people person, I mean I like people but most people dont like me. I do have a few friends, the exotic, the passionate, the hardy and the rocky... just not the sticky creepers. I cant bear to see them grope for attention.

I am used to staying on without your time and your care and still add that zing to your living. Even at a point when I finally run out of juice you wouldn't probably notice me gone, because I stay on green for longer than I should.
When you think cacti, you think thorns, not the green, not the strength, not the courage, not the 'succulence' but the thorns. Yes I have my thorns and am proud of them, but its probably time to take note that your cacti bruise when they take a fall, they well up when cut and they die without you noticing.

Bring Back Chantico

Cracking Crax
Imagine non spicy, non-yellow Cheetos what after years of school I learnt to call extruded snacks. Flavorful, Delightful rings. Came in a red or green bag.
And then vanished off the face of earth (Calcutta)...came back to New Delhi markets a few years later and then again vanished off the face of earth..as in the whole earth.


Bonny Mix
came to my life when the sun didn't always smile on my side of the bed (my first recognizable signs of depression and I was 8yrs old)...loved the gritty chocolatey flavor, they'd always insist I pour more milk in but I liked my porridge tighter. The first few times of pulling the milk container out of the fridge by myself made me feel very grown up. I still get that feeling sometimes. When it started to fade ff the market, first to go was chocolate flavor and man was the regular one horrible! I blended in nestle cocoa or nutramul in it and it was better than nothing which was soon to follow.
(By the way, lesson that I use in my job now (powders, blending, flavors and the effect of particle size on the same...came from the Cocoa vs. Nutramul blending in Bonny Mix)


Chantico was not hot chocolate at least not what you'd get anywhere in the name of hot chocolate its not mocha either. it was better.
Graduate school-I hated everything even the guy I was dating then (and am married to now). The work, the cold, the team, the neighbors, their fun, my food, just about everything. Just not Chantico. Did not care about the calories (8X regular coffee), did not care about the cost (3X regular coffee). One good sip would be a hot shower + home food + old friends + well slept charm.
But that vanished off their menu too.


I dont understand. Is it me? My tastes are weird and no one likes what I love? But whoever I talk to about this seem to miss Chantico, Bonny Mix etc I'm not a Marketing Guru, but isnt it counter intuitive to take something off the market that people like and want? that is probably not very expensive to produce either, else it would not have survived for all those years!I would really like to know this one? Or was it a new employee trying to show his superior intellect and decision making skills? Our industry doesn't lack that creed!


Bring Back Chantico or if not, let Espresso Truffle be!

Maureen Costello

We come here as international graduate students- anxious, unprepared, over-prepared, expecting a glory, following a halo and we find an array of other windows and doors- some open, most closed...Windows of opportunities, misgivings, dissappointments, hope, careers, lives.

One thing I realized was that although you do have an abundance of information and free brochures, you hardly ever receive guidance without a price. At such a point a lab-mate recommended that I specifically ask for Maureen Costello at the ISS advisor's office.
Maureen gave me just that (guidance and advice that didn't have a motive or price tag with it) and she continued to give me that through my life after graduate school.
This news was a shock and a lot of things came rushing back to mind. I feel bad for all those out there at PSU who never had the opportunity to meet her. I would miss her, but for me, remains a precious sticky note that said "Kolika, Enjoy your trip. - Maureen"

I hope she is at peace and I hope that she "enjoys her trip". 

__________________________

For Global Lion Newsletter, International Student Services, Penn State University.

Results Returns Reactions

I am rubbing her nose, pulling her ears, stroking her head and she grinds her teeth softly, what the doctors and websites translate as a bunny's equivalent as a cat's purr or for those who are unfamiliar-- 'I am loving it, give me more'. turning on my side now in what is a more favorable position to me, I ask her silently so when would you do this to me? And I bite myself mid sentence. Didn't I always advocate that the most selfless thing you could do was 'this' (for lack of a better word) where I the doer the giver has no inkling whatsoever of the pleasure, happiness, coziness, comfort of the the do-ee or taker. Why then blemish it with the wish would I get it back? self less remember, we are not to talk about results, returns, reactions.

Results:

Are results not the purpose? If we are not to think about results, we are not to have a goal: hereby give Pupu comfort. The big purpose: be a do-good-er. If I am not thinking about the future moment which is the result of this, how would I know if what I am doing has a purpose? If I am following the goal right? If not, what would be the consequences of not reaching my goal etc... you get the point.

So if I dont know or am not sure whether Pupu is liking this petting how do I give it to her, the right way, the right amount the right place. The results, her grinding, snoozing under my hand etc are the required results here.

Returns:

Ok. So I say I am only to love her, not ask for her love in return. Maybe I don't ask her to feed me, clean my toilet or lock me in a cage but I am not so sure I am not asking for her love in return. I am not sure if bunnies are 'advanced' enough to fake a grind just to make me feel that I am appreciated? option 1 would be she likes me petting, expresses her 'I like it'; option 2 hates my petting, fakes the grinding to make me happy, option 3 grinding is just something like goosebumps for bunnies happens in both positive and negative moods, I think of the 1st 'cause I am looking for positive feedback. Option 4 she likes it, she sees that I make a positive correlation with her grinding, more grinding more petting, so in her mind it is not P -->G, it is G-->P hence 'lets G' and thus gives a hoot about me.

So returns as it looks to me is needed sort of as a control factor of the product or service rendered.

Reactions:

Very in sync with the results, but whereas results can include involuntary details, reactions would mean voluntary results and hence essential for the pathway to continue, in this case, I need to know what she likes so I can do it 'to her liking' which knowledge is also gratifying to my self.

So if I don't consider the results, returns and reactions, what would be the reason behind choosing what to do and what not to, whether when and how to do it. Since unreasonably we wouldnt be doing much,  we would have to consider the results, returns and reactions. Did selflessness just drop off my screen?