മിസ് കാനഡ-കേരള; നവ്‌റൂസ്

Abbassiya parents applaud as
daughter wins Miss Kerala-Canada

Neema Renji, a final year Nuclear Engineering student at a university in Canada’s Ontario made herself into the ramp of Miss Canada-Kerala beauty pageant as her parents and sister watched the show at their Abbassiya flat.

Neema, the eldest daughter of Renji Mathews and Reena Renji, both Kuwait Airways employees, came second runner up in the beauty competition held over this past weekend. Parvathi Omanakkuttan, Miss World First Runner-up, 2008, was the chief guest at the function organized by Brampton Malayalee Samajam. Neema was a ranked student at United Indian and Indian Central schools, Abbassiya before she pursued her scholarship granted Nuclear Engineering studies.


After Nowruz, a new look into life

Nowruz means new life or new light, says Basmeh Marwan, an Iranian living in Hawally. She, along with her family and friends celebrated the new year last week in her Hawally home at 2.30 in the early morning hours.

"I prepared the seven food items that are traditional and unique to our culture," she said. The seven items starting with the letter 's' (Sin in Iranian language) are: sabzeh (wheat), samanu (sweet), senjed (dried fruit), sir (garlic), sib (apple), sumac (berry), serkeh (vinegar). Other items on the table might include candles, coins, eggs and fish that symbolize life. Nowruz is the first day of spring and the first day of the year in Iranian calendar.
"It was a great memory occasion for my mother, my husband Mahmoud and my children Naser and Sara", Basmeh added about this year's Nowruz celebration.