Name: Raghavi G

Project 3: Speak with Body Language

Title: My Favorite season

Time: 4 - 5 Minutes

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For a moment I would request all of you to close your eyes, imagine holding an ice cream cone in your hand with your favorite flavored scoop of ice cream melting and dripping over your palm. You just licked it.

Good afternoon my dear next gen speakers,

Sorry for disturbing you in between the sweet dream you were having. Now tell me, when was the last time you had this ice cream without being scolded by your mother about getting cold, getting reminded about the exam you have which will get disturbed if you catch cold. I am sure your answer is “Summertime”. Yes, that’s the season when we all are happiest isn’t it?

 With the monsoon rain starting, I am really missing the summer season. Now I am sure you may wonder How can someone love hot summer? Do you have that question now?

Please give me 5 minutes and I can convince you too.

How does this season start? It starts when we all finish our final exams and feel relaxed. It is at that time when we are freed from our parents’ control and asking us to constantly keep studying, do multiple revision, practice solving problems and on and on.

We get many seasonal fruits which we relish unlimited. The king of fruit Mango is the first we start in this season. Did you know there is a sequence of flavors of Mango we will get in this season like ABC. Alphonso, Banganapalli, Chausa… Every state of India has unique Mango with different taste

Kesar -> Gujarat

Banganapalli -> Andhra

Himasagar -> West Bengal

Gulab Khas -> Bihar

Alphonso - > Maharashtra

Svarna rekha -> Odissa

Badami, Malgoa, Totapuri -> Karnataka

Langra, Ambika,  Dasher -> UP

Ok. Now that you heard so many names, tell me which name is of great interest to you and how many have you tasted so far?

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Great. I have some questions for you.

Which mango got its name after Parrot’s Beak?

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Yes, that’s correct. Totapuri got its name after it looks like a parrot’s beak. In Hindi, “Tota” means parrot. It is also called Kili mooku Mangai in Tamil

Why do you think Mango variety was named as “Badami”?

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I knew you would say because it’s shaped like a Badam. Sorry to disappoint you. It got its name after the city where its grown known as “Badami” in Karnataka

Do you want to answer one more? Ok What does Swarna Rekha mango signify?

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The mango is yellowish Orange in color with a reddish line across. It is like how our mom’s put on their blush. Yes, Small blush of red. In Sanskrit, Swarna Rekha means “Golden Streak”

Ok. Now tell me what your favorite variety and dishes you know which you have tasted so far

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Sweet Varieties: -Mango juice, jam, milkshake, Kesari, Mango ice cream, Payasam, Mango halwa,  Kulfi and list keeps going on

Savory Varieties -> Mango Rice, Mango Pickles, yes Avakkai with Channa in it- we can’t wait to let it soak isn’t it

My mom makes Mango Chammandhi which is our favorite dish. Recipe is very simple, 1 Mango + 1 Onion + ½ coconut grated -> 1 Red chilly+ 1 Green chilly + Salt to taste.

After grinding this, we don’t even have to wait for tadka, we can directly mix with rice and enjoy.

 Hmm. I am sure you are now more educated about Mangoes, the summer fruit, and will enjoy all varieties in the next summer and remember me when you try them.

 Who can forget about melons in this season? Watermelon and Musk melon are available in plenty. Every week these come into our shopping list, and we eat them and repeat it every week.

My mother conducts competitions between family members to see who collects the most watermelon seeds after eating the fruit.  My grandmother used to make Kootu with the “rind of watermelon”.  Do you know what is “Rind of watermelon”,

When we slice a watermelon, we see three colours

Red color-> It is the fruit we have and spit the seeds

White color -> It is edible and can make Kootu with this

Green color -> Peel of the melon which is discarded.

Please insist your mom make it and enjoy a new item added to your recipe list.

Now that our stomach is full and we are hydrated well, next stop is our playground. It is in this season that we leave the house after breakfast and come home to dinner. My mom has to drag me for lunch, or I shall survive with the mangoes and melons.

In no other season we get green signal for playing for long hours. Also, we make so many new friends only in this season.

On weekends or holidays, our parents will plan a vacation to hilly regions, and we are all set to pack bags and explore new places again enjoying regional mangoes and melons there. We visit many places, eat different foods, travel in bus, train, flight or even local transport in this season. Namma Chennai has many beaches, and it is also time to host relatives and take them to beach and enjoy nice evenings.

 We visit many cousins and stay in their house to enjoy and all the fun we just spoke about.

We are now at the end of summer, we are now bound within homes, safety rules set by parents in order to not catch cold, fall sick and have lots to study.

 We have to wait another 6 months for the best season ever.

I hope I have given you a different perspective/idea about summer and those of you who dint vote for summer will enjoy next summer.  I have a few gentle requests for you

1)    Eat different varieties of mangoes and melons

2)    Drink lots of fluids and be hydrated

3)    Enjoy your Vitamin D time during early mornings and early evenings

4)    Make more friends and carry memories throughout

“Enjoy vacation without restriction”

 Thank you for giving me opportunity to share my thoughts and Now I handover the stage to our emcee Agathyan

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