This write up will be incomplete if I do not make a special mention of the young adults from the Calgary community. It was heartwarming to see their co-operation, whole-hearted participation, friendliness, politeness, enthusiasm, warmth and genuine exuberance. They were brilliant! 

Everyone who attended the convention will agree that this convention was A Feast. There were plenty of dishes to choose from and all were delicious. On every meal, there were decadent desserts.  Manashi Goswami, the Food Convenor, personally taught a Nepali cook from the catering restaurant how to make 'Masor Tenga'! And it was delicious.

Thanks

Please join me in giving a big hand to the Host Committee of Assam Convention 2012. They were:
 
Arup Goswami, President
Saumya Barua and Ganga Deka, General Secretaries
Rupam Bora, Treasurer
Louella Das, Cultural Convenor
Suman Chakravarty, and Prasanta Borthakur, Assistant Cultural Convenors
Gitashree Apte, Registration Convenor
Moushumi Rehman, Assistant Registration Convenor
Abhishruti Boruah, Publicity and Welfare Convenor
Pranami Bhattacharya and Zoheb Saikia, Asst Publicity and Welfare Convenors
Papari Borthakur, Public Relations Convenor
Malika Rehman and Siddhartha Sharma, Asst Public Relations Convenors
Manashi Goswami, Food Convenor
Lipika Mondal, Asst Food Convenor
Prasanta Borthakur, Trasportation Convenor
Tapan Mondal, Asst Convenor
Aswini Sharma, Hotel Convenor
Shakti Saikia, Asst convenor
Sumona Barua, Magazine and Advertisement Convenor
Gitasree Apte, Children and Welfare Convenor
Jabin Rehman and Sangeeta Bora, Asst Convenors
 
Congratulations to each and every one of you for a job superbly done and thank you all for giving us an absolutely fabulous time. Here's to all of you - CHEERS!
 
...My plane slowly left the ground. As I left behind beautiful Calgary, some smiling, friendly faces from the host committee raced through my mind one by one. For two short days, I felt, I was one of them... and that was a good feeling!
 
A few lines from one of my favorite poems kept coming to my mind...
 
"The tide recedes, but leaves behind bright seashells on the sand.
The sun goes down, but gentle warmth still lingers in the land,
The music stops, and yet it echoes on the sweet refrains...
For every joy that passes, something beautiful remains."
                                                                       - 'Lingering Joys' -

  
I have a feeling those who attended the convention will agree that the beautiful memory of Assam Convention 2012 in Calgary will linger in our minds for a long, long time.
 
________________________
 
(Note: This is a general overview of the convention. It is not possible to include every program and/or everyone's name. Apologies for this! RS)

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 CANDLE
- Roopa Sharma, Chicago

A candle is burning
By the window in a dark corner
Its soft bright glow casts a halo on the wall.

Outside,
The wind is blowing - fierce wind,
The candle flickers
It sees its shadow - shaky, hesitant, unstable
Determined to light up the corner
It burns steadily.

People...lot of people
Smiling, laughing, happy faces...
They are dancing
Holding each other
The candle longs to dance - swaying softly
The people are singing,
Joyous songs.
The candle melts with the sound of music
Drop by drop
Yet glows brightly.

Night falls
And people leave
A couple dances in the shade
Then they disappear
Leaving a faint whiff of fragrance
Across the hall.

Burning alone
The candle looked at its bright reflection on the wall
And saw
What it felt all along
That,
It has been burning from both ends
All night long.