Riya's Ramblings: Recent Episodes
Riya
Riya, a 6th grader, shares her views of her world - what she is experiencing, what she likes and some tips.
Recently, my brother graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, and I graduated from 8th grade.
While the events were similar, they had their differences.
The UPenn ceremonies were bigger and fancier but we had a really good ceremony in our school gym too. :)
Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee spoke at my brother's commencement and my principal spoke at mine!
Both speeches were awesome and very engaging.
Here's to high school! (for me)
And to a job (for my brother)
Listen to the full episode for full details, and email me at Riyaramblings@gmail.com for a shout-out. (shout-out to Isabella and Kaitlyn).
Remember, listen, rate, and share!
This is Teacher's Appreciation Week and I am really thankful to all my teachers!
I have enjoyed learning about US history this year and this is an episode about one of my favorite topics - the Lewis & Clark expedition to explore the western parts of the US in the early 1800s.
A big thanks to my history teacher - Mr. Matuska - for making history so interesting.
Email me - RiyaRamblings@gmail.com - with your comments, feedback and ideas, for a shout out!
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This is part 3 of my 3-part series about my family’s visitto India! The finale!!
(The first 2 parts were about Mumbai and Pune)
This one is about Vadodara in Gujarat, where my mom grew up.
We took the train from Mumbai and had a great time on the train. I loved the long distance train travel in India, so comfy!
Our Vadodara trip was bitter-sweet because my grandfather (my mom’s father) had passed away 3 weeks before we got there. We stayed in their house – the house where my mom grew up.
I felt privileged to be able to be a part of a religiousceremony where we immersed my grandfather’s ashes in a river, it was very peaceful.
But we also spent some time at Surya Hotel – and the hotel breakfast there was epic! I mean, EPICC!
We also visited some local landmarks like the Lakshmi Vilas Palace – where the royal family of Vadodara lives.
The royal family is symbolic now but the palace very cool.
It’s 4 times the size of Buckingham Palace in London :O!!
We also visited Pavagadh – it’s a temple on top of amountain about an hour from Vadodara.
It was CRAZY crowded – super packed with so many people! What an experience!
And we saw so many monkeys, who were just chilling.
But we did look like TOTAL tourists at our excitement at seeing the monkeys.
We also went to Sayaji Baug – a beautiful park in the city.It’s a bit like NYC’s Central Park with lovely fountains, play areas and even a zoo! :)
We also visited my mom’s college – and her engineering buildings.
It was fun to see that after visiting my dad’s college (myMumbai episode has more details)!
And I loved going to D-Mart – a local grocery store. Youmight think, why? But it was so much fun to see the local products and walking to and back from the store. It honestly was one of my favorite parts!
We walked to a lot of places and took the auto-rickshaw for longer distances.
We had some great food including some street food which was absolutely delicious! Once again, the food was one of the best parts! :) :)
Vadodara is a super chill city compared to Mumbai and Pune, but it has an undeniable charm!
Shout out to Priyanka fai – for emailing me about my Mumbai episode – and to Natalie and Aimery for telling me how much they liked my travel episodes.
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.comwith your comments and feedback, and you will get a shoutout.
Remember, listen, rate, share!
In this episode, I ramble on and on about the solar eclipse!
I was in kindergarten in 2017 when we had a partial solar eclipse in our area. Today's was a total eclipse!
Since I was in the path of totality, it was a breathtaking, once in a lifetime experience. It was so pretty, and I just wanted to share my experience with it!
Remember, you can email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com about anything, and you will get a shoutout!
Thanks for listening and remember, listen, rate, and share!
(Stay tuned for part 3 of 3 of my India travel series)
This is part 2 of my travel series about my recent trip toIndia with my family. (Part 1 was Mumbai).
My father’s younger brother (my “kaka” in Gujarati) lives inPune, so that was our main reason to visit.
Pune is about 4 hours by road from Mumbai. It’s higher inelevation and has a cooler climate than Mumbai.
This was my first time visiting Pune and it was so fun! I loved the vibes of the city a lot!
Throughout our visit, we enjoyed the food, the local attractions, and, more food!
Pune is a very historical city so we did a heritage walk of many old sites in the center of Pune. It was tiring but very educational. We had an amazing guide from an organization called INTACH. Listen for more details about the tour!
We also visited Aga Khan Palace – where Mahatma Gandhi was kept under house arrest during India’s war of independence. Super fun and educational!
Pune is also known for it's ancient temples, so we visited a ton! My favorite was Pataleshwar, an ancient temple, which is more than 1200 years old!
That absolutely blew my mind!!
Another fun activity we did was taking the stairs up a mountain called “Parvati”. There were so many super cute puppies on the way!
There was a museum about the Peshawas on top. And also a temple, so that was fun. :
It wasn’t a hard hike for me but I could see the adults inour group get tired. :)
The food was so good – different from Mumbai but still so so good!
Puna missal – spicy bean curry + local bread (pav)
Vada paav – fried potatoes + chutnies + local break (pav)
Marathi thaali – multiple curries/subzis, daals and sweets.So filling! And super yummy!
Listen for more things we did!
Overall the city felt a little more laid back than Mumbai, but there some similarities, like the street dogs. People were so mean to them!
Shout outs to my fais (my dad’s cousin sisters) - Kinjal faiand Priyanka fai for emailing me about my Mumbai episode.
And to Harper and Emerson from my soccer team!
If you live in Pune or have visited Pune, email me and tell me what you thought of my experiences at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com! You will get a shout-out!
This episode is the first part of a series about my recenttrip to India!
This episode is about my experiences in Mumbai – the citythat never sleeps 😊.
My father grew up in Mumbai and my grandmother (‘dadi’ inGujarati, my mother tongue) still lives there, whom we stayed with. I interviewed her in Episode 70.
I was visiting after 8 years (yes, really!) and so didn’thave many memories of the place or my family members who live there, so this was very different and fun!
It was wonderful to meet them all – uncles, aunts, cousins,grand-uncles, grand-aunts and more – and learn about my dad’s childhood from them. I loved how they meet regularly and celebrate all festivals and milestones together, seems very fun!
We also visited a few notable places:
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VJTI – my father’s engineering college. It wassweet to see my dad get excited about labs and locations that he rememberedfrom his time there
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Gateway of India – this was built over a 100 yearsago to commemorate the visit of the British king, and it was sooo majestic!
We also enjoyed the local trains and rickshaws, somethingvery different than back home!
But one of the absolute best parts was the FOOD! From home made delicacies to delicious party food in restaurants to McDonalds (yep!) – we had the Best. Time. Ever. with allthe food options!
I definitely wish we had more time in Mumbai – there’s stillso much to see and do. And of course, eat!
Shout out to Priyanka fai (my dad’s cousin sister) and Rheanafor emailing me about my podcast.
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com, about anything anc everything for a shoutout!
Have you been to Mumbai? Would like to go? Let me know! Askquestions, make suggestions.
And as always, listen, rate, and share!
In this episode, I interviewed my soccer coach – Nic Heffernan.
He started a soccer club in 2023 after moving to Texas and Ijoined in 2023 summer, after my previous team disbanded.
He grew up in Brighton, UK (hence the name of our club –Brighton Soccer Club) and he was soccer-crazy as a kid, just like I am!
He moved to the US as a D1 college player, and went to Montana.He was the captain, and he also learned a lot about coaching there.
Did you know that Texas is the heart of youth soccer?
Nic’s goal is to make a difference in how players play and improve in the game, as he elaborates on in the episode. You will also learn a lot about the behind-the-scenes in creating a soccer club!
I loved hearing about his ultimate vision about the club, bothon and off the field.
His 3 dinner guests:
- Sir Alex Ferguson (I know who he is thanks tothe Beckham Netflix documentary)
- Reese Witherspoon (because his fiancé reallylikes her – and not just because she would bring her own spoon 😊 – and she is a great role model)
- His dad
I loved how he turned around the discussion to me and thispodcast. Classic coach! Always trying to help me improve! :)
After asking why I didn’t have a lot of confidence, he explainedthe beauty of soccer is that if you are an outfield player you can make a mistake and 9 times out of 10 it won’t result in a goal.
And even at the highest of the highest levels, people make mistakes.
A big tip he gave was to take a breath and focus on thebasics. Listen for more advice on feeling confident!
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com for a shoutout, just like Aminah, Naomi, and Jackson for this episode! Also, tolearn more about BSC (Brighton Soccer Club), visit bsctexas.com
And like always, listen, rate, and share!
I am learning about important figures in American history at school from the late 1700s, and the person talked about was my favorite!
Lots of great men and women but one name stood out – James Otis. I loved his story, and you will to!
Back in the mid-1700s, many US merchants were trading illegally to get around some trade laws.
There was a lot of tension between the colonists and the British. The British introduced the writs of assistance – which allowed the British to search someone’s house with a warrant.
James Otis and others were enraged because it violated people’s rights.
Otis wanted to become Chief of Justice, but someone else was appointed and he resigned. He decided to go help Boston merchants instead.
He gave a 5 hour long speech against the Writs of Assistance.5 hours!
Sadly he lost the case. But he did become well known among colonists.
In 1764, he represented the colonies in a “no taxation without representation” case.
With his speeches and work, he became popular but also annoyed the British.
In 1769, at his peak, a British official pulled him out of a speech and beat him on the head with a cane. That made him mentally ill, and he is said to have roamed the Boston streets, aimlessly drifting.
The saddest part was that we was quickly forgotten by the colonists.
He dedicated his life to fighting for the folks of the colonies and then he gets struck in the head, ends up homeless and then he was struck by lightning. And he died.
What?!?
I am so mad!
But we are learning about him – so he is not totally forgotten.
I hope to visit his memorial when we visit Boston.
Shoutout to Mr. Matuska – my history teacher.
And shoutout to Disha and Mr. John B for writing to me about previous episodes.
Have you heard of James Otis? What do you think of his story. Let me know.
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your questions and comments.
As always, listen, rate, and share1
I love soccer. I love playing it. I love watching it (go USWomen’s Team!) and I love talking about it!
I have been playing soccer for many years now. I have playedon 3-4 different teams and finding the next team has always been simple.
But this time was different.
The team I was on for the past 5+ years disbanded over thesummer. So, I started searching for s new team!
This episode is my experience of how I thought I had found agreat fit, but then how I found something even better.
Before we go into the details, a quick detour in the differentleagues in youth soccer.
The top leagues are called “Elite” leagues followed by theclassic league and then the premier leagues.
I played in the premier league on my last team and was reallyhoping to join one of the elite league teams.
I started researching teams while on vacation in Europe – thanks to our AirBNB hosts and their wifi 😊
I was really happy to see that the coaches were very responsive to my emails.
The soccer season starts in Aug/Sep so the tryouts are typicallyin the May/June timeframe.
I shortlisted about 6 teams to try out for – all well-known,large clubs.
I was SOOO nervous in my first tryout – the team I was trying out was for was so good.
After practicing with the team that day, I was anxious to see what the coach said.
But he basically asked me to come back for another session.
I then realized that all teams typically have several practice/tryout sessions before they will make an offer.
So I had to re-think my plan of trying out for many differentteams. I shortlisted even more!
I reached out to FC Dallas for trying out and surprisingly Iwasn’t as nervous as before. It was a tough tryout and I was glad when the coach invited me back for another tryout session. I tried out a couple of more times and I was thrilled when the coach asked me to join the team. They play in the "elite" league and I had achieved my dream!
But when my dad talked to the coach we found out that the team plays in regional games which means many out-of-town games. My parents thought that it would be too much with my other activities. I wasn’t happy about it. I was mad that I couldn’t join anelite team that had picked me.
I then heard about a brand-new team that played in the premier league. I wasn’t keen to try out because I thought it didn’t make sense because I had already been picked for two teams in a more elite league.
I tried out anyway and realized that I really liked the drills and the coaching.
I was still really keen to join the more elite team.
But my parents were clear that joining this team would bebetter for me – it would give me more opportunities to become a better player.
I went to a couple more practices and liked the overall vibe.
So I joined this brand-new team.
I enjoyed our first tournament.
After the tournament, to my surprise, this team got invited to play in the elite league. WHAAAT! That was so cool!
That was totally unexpected and I am so glad I get to playin the elite league.
I am excited to play this season – new team, new position,new league.
Let’s go!
Shoutouts to Sanjay kaka and Vinti fai.
And also Sunil kaka from Mumbai!
And also to Tejal masi
I love all their feedback and love that they listen to this podcast. Email me at Riyaramblings@gmail.com about anything for a shoutout!
As always, listen, rate, and share!
For this episode, I interviewed my brother who had an amazing semester abroad at ETH in Zurich, Switzerland.
You remember my episode about my visit to Switzerland this summer? We went there because my brother was there for a semester abroad!
(That episode is at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/riyasramblings/episodes/Riyas-Ramblings-Ep-69---Switzerland---The-Country-of-Infinite-Wallpapers-e26oa4u)
Study abroad is where a college student spends a semester at a university in a different country. The two universities typically have a reciprocal relationship but not always.
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He highly recommends doing a semester abroad if your college degree allows it. He had to plan it out and take extra classes in the semesters leading up to it but it was totally worth it.
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He enjoyed the differences in educational philosophy (more theoretical approach, course grade depends on a single final vs semester long quizzes, projects like in the US) and meeting folks from around the world.
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Best part: Meeting people from around the world! and learning about their customs, cultures, high school experiences
- Worst part: Not being able to stay back in the summer and high cost of living in Zurich. :( :(
(I can agree 100% to both! :)
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One aspect that stood out was the public transportation in Zurich and in Switzerland – lots of trains, always on time and easy to use.
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Interesting observation: Everyone seemed a lot more laid back – even in Zurich which is one of the more fast paced cities, Very different vibe from the time spent in NYC and Boston for internships
Of the 4 months he was abroad, he spent significant time traveling across Europe. Travel is much more affordable in Europe and he managed to visit 15 countries! That's crazy!
His favorite trips: Amsterdam and Nice in Southern France.
He has a travel blog: www.rohanchhaya.com/travel-blog
Are you thinking of a semester abroad?
Do you know someone who has done this?
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your comments/questions and feedback.
Have an idea for an episode? Email me!
Shoutout to Minal masi and to Disha for their great feedback about my episode about our Switzerland trip!
I recently went to a Major League Cricket match and had an absolutely great time!
I went with my dad and my grandfather and we enjoyed the whole experience.
My grandfather is a HUGE cricket fan. He watched a live match in a stadium after about 60 years. Woah!
And he loved it! He really enjoyed the ambience, the excitement and enthusiasm.
He noted that not having a commentator and instant reply meant that he couldn't watch the technical intricacies but he still enjoyed the experience.
I loved seeing and hearing the crowd reactions to 6s and when wickets fell.
I also enjoyed the variety of snacks - from stadium standards like nachos to cricket-relevant samosas :)
Have you watched a sports game in a stadium? How does it compare to seeing it at home?
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com and let me know! You will get a shoutout!!
And as always, Listen, Rate, and Share!
In this episode, I interviewed my grandmother! I had an awesome time recording this very special episode!
My dad's mom - my daadi - was visiting us and I asked her some questions and learned so much.
I am sure you too will be inspired by her wonderful story!
Her name is Dr. Nishtha Chhaya and she is from Mumbai, India.
Her family moved to India after the partition in 1947 and she is a practicing Occupational Therapist in Mumbai.
She explained that occupational therapy is rehabilitation through exercise to make people get back to their normal lives. They may need this treatment after an accident or a stroke or other ailments. I didn't realize how important it really is!
Can you imagine that she's been practicing for 55 years! Wow, that is so crazy to me!
She has her own clinic in Mumbai with a dedicated staff but also likes to work in hospitals because she can interact with more patients in a larger hospital.
Her favorite part of her work is seeing patients become independent and get back to their personal and professional lives.
Being a woman professional in the 1960s and 1970s was tough. She faced many challenges and I am very proud that she persevered and is continuing to make a difference. She has helped thousands of people over the years. What an impact!
Her three dinner guests that she would invite were: Indira Gandhi, Ms. Vijayalakshmi Pandit, and her father-in-law Mr. Dilsukhrai Chhaya
Indira Gandhi was very influential Prime Minister of India and Ms. Pandit was a freedom fighter who participated in India's freedom struggle
And she would like re-connect with her father-in-law who was very supportive of her personal and professional goals.
She loves to read - she can read 4 languages - and watch TV- smart programs that make her think.
Her advice: Follow your path.
Every woman should have an opinion - and go for her dreams!
What an inspirational woman!
If you have any comments or questions, email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com, and you'll get a shoutout!
Also, please listen, rate, and share!
After the great city of Paris, we headed to Zurich, Switzerland. We got there by train, and it was really nice. The views were awesome, so don’t sleep too much! The main train station is called Zurich HB (Haupt Banhof), which has so manyyyy different restaurants and different foods. AWESOME.
Trains: Paris and London had good trains, but Switzerland was incomparable. They had an app (SBB) just for the trains and trams that's very useful. Most reliable train network in world, and has over 9000 trains a day
Chocolate: Be sure to visit the Lindt Chocolate Museum, in Kilchberg where they explain the making of the chocolate. Plus free samples!
Swiss chocolate is on another level!!
That same day, we also hung out near Lake Zurich enjoying the vibes, and of course, eating ice cream. My brother did a semester abroad at ETH, so we took another funicular up to his campus and took in the swiss views. Also, Albert Einstien did his PHd at ETH, so his locker is available for viewing and it is really cool!!
Lucerne: We also took a day trip to Lucerne from Zurich. It is known for its medieval architecture and sits on Lake Lucerne surrounded by mountains. Truly beautiful! It is famous for its chapel bridge and is considered Europes oldest covered bridge.
Rhine Falls: Another fun day trip we did was the Rhine falls. It is considered to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. We rode a boat that took us closer to the falls and across the river. It is about 15,000 years old and was created during the tectonic switch during the ice age. Nice, quick, day trip. It is about 45 minutes to an hour away from Zurich.
Interlaken: Home to the best views. Interlaken means, between two lakes. Lake Brienze and Thun. You can always stay in Interlaken, but we stayed in a small suburb 30 minutes away by bus called Beatenburg. You see the main three peaks, Eiger, Monch, and Jungfau. The best views in the world!
Lauterbrunnen: It is about 20 min from Interlaken. Lauterbrunnen offers really nice views of the Alps and roaring falls.
The Trummelbach falls is a series of 10 glacier waterfalls inside Mount Ieger. You can hike the falls or take a cable car. Really pretty and very rough waterfalls.
We also visited Staubach falls!!
That same day, we had a classic Swiss dish. FONDUE! It is melted cheese in a pot in which you dip small pieces of bread or meat.
BTW, the cows are very loud.
Next day, JUNGFRAU. It is a must see, and is called the Top of Europe. It is the highest accessible point in Europe.
You take cable car and trains to get there.
It will be cold up there, so dress warm. It is 4158 meteres (13642 ft) high.
We went into the Sphinx Observation deck, which has amazing views. WE saw the Aletsch glacier, the largest glacier in Europe.
It can be a little tiring - esp. at that altitude so stay hydrated and eat well.
Can you believe that they have an Indian restaurant up in the mountains? True story!
The next day, we walked from around the lakes of Interlaken, and found ourselves at Lake Brienze. You cannot miss this heaven, it was not crowded and just so peaceful. We took a ferry to get back into Interlaken.
Glacier Express: A slow 8-hour train ride across Switzerland. With panoramic views, and takes you through the mountains!
Have you visited Switzerland? Plans to visit it? Any questions or feedback, email me - RiyaRamblings@gmail.com!
And as always, Listen, Rate, and Share!
In the last episode, I talked about our visit to London - all the things we saw and did there.
This episode is about our second leg and in my opinion, the best part of our trip - Paris!!!
This city has been on my list to visit for so long, and to me, it was everything. That first view of the Eiffel tower, that breathtaking, incredible, marvelous, building.
First, the way we got there, a train. This train is special though. It took us from London to Paris below the English Channel between The United Kingdom and France. The train goes through an underwater tunnel called the Chunnel.
When we arrived, we dropped our bags to our hotel, and headed to Montemartre. It is a hilltop village in Paris. It is really fun to walk around and hang out in. We took a funicular up to the Basilica of Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, simply known as Sacré-Cœur. It is a Roman Catholic church in Paris dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Around the chapel, you can get pretty awesome views of Paris. It is famous for it’s sunset views, but we only had a couple of days and we didn't stay for the sunset. Next time!
Then, we walked back down into Montmartre, and got some delicious ice cream from a place called Bachir. Also, we got 2 really nice sandwiches on baguettes, REALLYYYY GOOD! The service was awesome, and ice cream was better. They cover your ice cream in pistachios to give it a nice pistachio flavor. Also, the ice cream itself was perfect.
I got some delicious macaroons from McDonalds as well! Can you believe it? Macaroons from McD?
We hung around our hotel taking the views of the tower in, and then at 10 PM watched the light show. It was sooo pretty, but it only lasted for a couple of minutes.
The next day, we went to the Arc de Triomph. It is a very famous monument commemorating French soldiers in many wars. We then walked through Champs-Elysees - a very impressive road that has many expensive stores and brands.
We then took a tour up the Eiffel tower. Definitely recommend having an hourish to spend at the gardens near the tower. The tour helped us gain some fun facts. We learned that there are 72 names of scientists listed on the borders of the tower. Also, the tower was never meant to be permanent. It was only built by Gustave Eiffel for the 100 year anniversary of the French revolution at the 1889 world fair. When they decided to add equipment at the top to transmit wireless signals, it increased its life span. Today, it is also used for broadcasting and radio and TV shows. Also, Gustave built a secret room at the top for him to go up when he wanted to be alone.
The views of Paris were breathtaking. Amazing. We went up to the top, which is 1665 steps from the ground. Then, once again, we had some amazing ice cream. Instead of taking the elevators, we used the stairs. Be aware, there are a lot, 674.
Then river boat cruise on the river Seine. It was a perfect way to see a lot of things in Paris that we wouldn’t get around to. We saw Notre Dame, the Louvre, and so much more beautiful architecture. We didn’t go inside the Louvre because it requires lots of time, but there is always a next time!
We ended that wonderful day with dinner by the tower and the light show again, at 10 PM.
Let me just say the food there is delicious!!
The next day we were all tired from traveling so we decided to take a more relaxed day, and just slept in and walked around the park near our hotel. Near our hotel, was a replica of the Statue Of Liberty on the Seine river, so we took pictures around there as well.
Fun fact is that the next Olympic games are going to happen in Paris, and different sports are at different famous monuments. And the opening ceremony will be held on the Seine river. So, there was a lot of construction!
Have you been to Paris? What was your favorite part? Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com, and you'll get a shoutout!
Recently, we went on a trip to Europe.
Firstly, we visited London. My mom has a lot of family there so we had a couple of really nice and awesome people to stay with.
We spent about a week in London and had a great time seeing historical sites, modern architecture, meeting family members and enjoying great food.
Here's the highlights of my visit to London:
- Saw many sights using a double decker hop-on hop-off bus
- Visited Trafalgar Square
- Saw the Parliament house (majestic!) and Big Ben
- Visited Buckingham Palace, took lots of pictures, and then walked around St. James Park.
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Spent a couple of hours at Westminster Abbey - Royal Church that has been the coronation church since 1066 and it is the final resting place for 17 monarchs. It has Sir Isaac Newton’s burial site. I also saw Stephen Hawking and Charles darwins’ graves.
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We also rode in the London Eye - Europe’s tallest ferris wheel with insane views of the city. Luckily, we had clear skies, making the view even better!!
The next day we went to Greenwich. This is where the prime meridian crosses through, so they have a line there that you can take pics on. It is cool because you are in the middle of the world, and standing on two sides of the world. It is at 0 degrees longitude, and has a red aluminum ball that drops everyday at 1 to help the sailors make sure their watches are accurate. It also has a great view of London. Also, don’t take food, the Greenwich market is right there and offers delicious food.
Then, we visited the Cotswolds region, about 2 hours by car away from London. We went to Sezincote, which includes a beautiful garden, and at the heart sits a 200 year old Mogul Indian Palace. We also visited a pub for lunch, and then went to Burton on the Water, and walked around the pretty river. We explored that small town, and just enjoyed all the cute little shops.
I met cousins, uncles and aunts and had an amazing time learning about how them and their lives. My cousins were very surprised that we don't have uniforms at school and I was surprised that they did.
London is a great place to visit, and has many fun things to do!
There's still a lot more that we didn't get around to - it's on the list for our next trip. :)
Have you been to London? What's your favorite thing to do?
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your London tips, or anything else! You will also get a shoutout!
Here's a special episode in multiple ways - it's an interview with my mom and it's related to Earth Day!
My mom loves gardening and grows many different flowers and vegetables.
She also loves composting - and has inspired her friends to also collect vegetable scraps, coffee grounds etc. to use in their gardens. Super fascinating.
Here's some highlights from the interview.
Do you have a garden at home? Or any questions about composting?
If so - email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com and I will pass on your questions to my mom. You'll also get a shout out!!
In the interview, we talk about what composting is, all the types of composting (Anaerobic, Aerobic, and Vermi), her highlights of it all, and of course some questions to get to know her. We also mention the three Rs, Reduce Reuse and Recycle!
Also, stop using plastic bags!! They stay on Earth forever, and contribute greatly to global warming. Instead, use reusable bags and containers.
For more advice/fun information (and a couple fun jokes), listen to the full episode!
Do you have a garden at home? Or any questions about composting?
If so - email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com and I will pass on your questions to my mom. Also, please listen, rate, and share!
Happy Earth Day!
Equal pay!
I just saw a movie on Netflix (True Spirit) about Jessica Watson and wanted to recommend you see it too.
She is the youngest solo sailor to circumnavigate the world - unassisted and non-stop.
That means no one can help her and she can't pull into port.
She sailed for 200 days from Oct 18 2009 (before I was born!) to May 15 2010!
But what really annoyed me was that she was told that she was under 18 and so it wouldn't count as an official record.
Can you believe it? Too young!
That makes me so mad for her!
I didn't realize that if there's no wind - she's stuck! The sailboat is stuck! No movement. All day, every day, till the winds start blowing again.
No phone! No friends! Can you imagine?
She was inspired by Jesse Martin's book - "Lionheart, the journey of the human spirit"
I haven't read the book but I do plan to read it. Have you read it?
Also, her family lived on a boat! Can you imagine that? Crazy!
She got some criticism for her adventure - she was young and in a trial run she had an accident with a freight ship.
But she proved all her critics wrong. Good for her! By the end of the movie, we were all rooting for her
She is such an inspiration!,
I really want to interview her.
Ms. Watson - if you are listening/reading, please email me - RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
If you know her or have a way to contact her, please let me know.
I would love to talk to her directly for this podcast.
You can learn more about her on Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Watson - and on her own website - https://www.jessicawatson.com.au/
As always, email me with your questions and comments. And, Listen, Rate, and Share!
My email is: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season. And wish you all the best for the new year!
Let's get started with a 'knock-knock' joke:
Knock-knock
Who’s there?
Razor
Razor who?
Raise your glass to the new year! Woo hoo!
Over Christmas break, we spent 6 days in an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, Mexico.
Honestly, the beach next to the resort was meh – but the resort itself was really good.
Lots of food, many pools and unlimited drinks. I mean, come on!
We also met my uncle - my dad's brother - and his family. We saw them after almost 5 years so it was fun to catch up and just hang out.
The resort had many different options for food - from a buffet to a cafe bar and many restaurants.
For dinner we went to a few restaurants in the resort. We had a variety of cuisines to choose from – Yucatan (the local area), Italian, Japanese etc.
And they were all good.
Interestingly, we didn’t eat a lot of Mexican food :)
We went to visit the Chichen Itza – an ancient Mayan city about 3 hours by road from Cancun.
The complex had a sports arena where the ancients played challenging sports. And can you believe that the winner was sacrificed?
That just sounds like a good reason not to be good at something.
On the way back, we stopped by a cenote. A cenote is a natural sink-hole – a natural pool. It was beautiful!
We also spent a couple of hours in a town called Villadolid. The town was very lively and we got to see some traditional dances there. One of the dances was impressive where the dancers put a glass bottle on their forehead during the dance.
That was a long day but it was a lot of fun to visit one of the 7 wonders and learn about Mayan history.
We also did yoga on the beach and biked around the resort.
On the last day, we went on another excursion. To be honest, I was a little nervous about this but I am really glad I did it.
We swam in a cenote – actually in an underground cave. That was a first for me!
It was so pretty! We got to float through a cave where the water was more than 150 ft deep!
And then it got even more fun – we went snorkeling! I got to see some cool fish up close, really close.
I had a great time doing things I hadn’t done before.
Cancun is a fun place – with a lot of options. Of course, you can spend the entire day at the resort but there’s a lot of things to do outside.
What has branches but no fruits, trunk or leaves?
Answer: The government – because it has 3 branches – executive, legislative and judicial.
Here's some more jokes!
Where can you find comedians on NYE?
Waiting on the punch line!
An iPhone and a firework were arrested on NYE. One was charged and the other was left off.
As always, email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your questions, comments and feedback.
What did you do on your Christmas break? And have you been to Cancun? What was the best part?
A Terrific Trip to Tyler, TX I had a 4-day weekend at school recently and we wanted to travel but we didn’t want to fly.
So, we went to – Tyler, Texas
It’s a couple of hours of driving for us and isn’t your typical tourist destination, but it was a lot of fun!
Here’s what we did:
- Hiked in the Tyler State Park – this is a wonderful state park with great trails and lovely tall trees. It was very beautiful!! We walked a bunch. Fair warning: the waterfall is cool but not a big one.
I also saw a big spider that scared me!
Learned more about the park: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/tyler
- Went to the Caldwell zoo – this zoo is the perfect size. Not too big, not too small. A few things I really liked were:
· Feeding the giraffes
· African area – with lions, elephants
· Bird feeding – it was so cool to feed them right out of my hand
· Watching the turtles just hang out – they were so cool!
A must-visit place if you are ever in the area!
More details: https://caldwellzoo.org/
- Rose garden – we visited it the weekend before the famous Rose festival and had very high expectation. To be honest, It was a little underwhelming, but still beautiful.
My mom loved the plants and my dad loved the fountains.
Good gift shop for rose-scented soaps etc.
I was a little unsure when my mom first suggested Tyler for our vacation but I loved it. I realized that it’s not necessary to go to famous places.
Find local spots to enjoy your vacation!
Benefit - less crowds, great places,
If you have been there or if you live in Tyler, what did we miss?
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
Puzzle: I have branches but no fruits, trunk or leaves. What am I? Email me your answer at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
You get a shoutout when you email me too!
I recently visited Philadelphia with my family.
Listen to Episode 59 to learn all about Philly!
Philadelphia has many locations and museums about Ben Franklin and I learned a lot.
A few amazing facts about this founding father (who wasn’t a US president)
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He didn’t have a formal education but was always curious
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He had a printing press in Philadelphia
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He loved chess – because of the strategy and thinking involved
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He was a prolific inventor
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He created the lightning rod in 1752 as part of his experiments related to electricity. This invention saved many lives by preventing fires caused during storms
- He proved his theory about lightning by doing the kite experiment
- He also invented bifocals
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Divided soup plate – this is a fun invention specifically designed for eating soup on ships.
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His grave is visible from the sidewalk
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People throw coins on his grave. Can you guess why? He is on the $100 bill and I don’t think many folks will throw those. 😊
Be sure to visit the Ben Franklin museum and other related sites like the Constitution Museum when you visit Philly
Riddle: What has many ears but can’t hear?
Answer: Corn!
Shout-out to Shruti, Emma and Samuel for your emails with the answers!
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.comwith your questions, comments and suggestions.
This episode is a fun chat with my cousins who are visiting from Baltimore. In this episode, we talk about the city of Dallas. We talk about some food places, some fun attractions, and so much more!
These are the same cousins from "Episode 49 - We started a business, you can too!" where we discussed how we have our own doggie treat businesses - theirs is called "V&S Doggies Treats" (in Baltimore) and mine is called "Pupilicious" (in Dallas)
You can listen to it at: https://anchor.fm/riyasramblings/episodes/Riyas-Ramblings-Ep-49---We-started-a-business--you-can-too-e17h0nl
Here is what we talked about in this episode:
- What is our favorite restaurant to eat at?
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Braums, and Which Wich – we love the ice-creams at Braums and the customizable sandwiches at Which Wich
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We also love Honest, which is a restaurant for all kinds of Indian food
- What do we love about the Dallas area?
Doesn't rain all the time - sunny makes it easier to get stuff done but it’s really hot this time
It's easier to cool down and to warm up
We can go to the rec center and swim
- Favorite memory from previous visits to Dallas?
Road trips - Houston – our visit to the NASA center, Waco – where we visited Dr. Pepper Museum and tasted different sodas
- What attractions do we want to visit in Dallas every year?
We all love to go to water parks, arcades, and play laser tag, and we go every couple visits.
- What indoor activities do we do to keep entertained?
We love playing the Wii, the Nintendo switch, watch TV, and play some super fun indoor games.
- What outdoor activities do we enjoy?
It’s super hot, so the only time we can play is after dinner. After dinner sometimes, we would go play basketball in my nearby [ark, or maybe even play cricket, and it was really fun!
What do we do to keep cool in the Texas heat?
Since it was super hot outside, we loved getting cold treats like ice cream and froyo! Another thing we loved was going to the Plano Recreation Centers to workout or swim in their indoor pools, i=since it was a great way to get energy out and still stay cool!
We used the same riddle as the last two episodes, since it will be the riddle for my three part series, I didn’t want to change it up.
The Riddle: I have many ears, but I can’t hear?
If you know the answer, email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com, or email ways that you still cool in the heat! You will get a shoutout!
Have a great day, and make sure to Listen, rate, and share.
This is part 2 of the 3 part series of my vacation. This episode will be about all the things I did in New York City, so enjoy!!
We are gonna use the same riddle for this whole series so you have time! The riddle was: what has many ears but can’t hear?
Email me your answer at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com.
We drove from Philly to New York. You can listen to my previous episode to learn about my adventures in Philadelphia.
We used City Pass which is like a combo ticket for many places which helps to avoid long lines. I recommend it!
We stayed in a hotel very close to Times Square. 19th floor!
And we took the train to get around. That plus a LOT of walking.
If you have visited NYC, send me email with place you saw and places you wished you had seen.
Here’s the places we visited:
Times Square:
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I agree with it's "cross roads of the world" title - a fun place to visit
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The site of the annual new year’s eve ball drop, which began in 1907! It’s super fun to see on TV
Broadway:
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We got discounted, same-day tickets for "Dear Evan Hansen" at the booth in Times Square.
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It was very good and emotional, and it was an experience I’ll never forget
Statue of Liberty:
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We took a ferry to liberty island, and that same ferry also stops at ellis island
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The museum had a really good mini movie about the process of making Lady Liberty
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The statue of liberty was given to America by the French on June 17, 1885 by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi
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The status has broken ankle shackles to represent freedom from slavery, a torch to light up the world, and a tablet with America’s independence day
Zucotti Park:
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It had a ton of small mom and pop street food carts with various flavors and cuisines
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If you go to NY city, be on the lookout for these beautiful areas, you’ll really enjoy them!
9/11 memorial/museum:
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We visited the memorial for the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
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It taught me so much, and made me realize how hard it must have been
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There was a panel surrounding the Twin Reflecting Pools with all the names of those who lost their lives
Empire state building
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It was the tallest building when it was built in March 1930
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it is now an observatory deck on the 86th floor and you can pay extra go to the 102nd floor
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The view was breathtaking, but make sure to go on a clear day, or a sunset!
Central Park:
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843 acres of trees and trails in the middle of a city!! Beautiful!
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We entered the park from the Strawberry Fields, which is not an area where you pick strawberries! It’s a memorial to a British rock musician, John Lennon, who was part of the Beatles.
Food
We had fantastic falafels from food trucks, great NY style pizza and also some over-priced, not-so-good meals. Make sure you eat the street food!
Brooklyn
One of my fav Bollywood stars - Shah Rukh Khan - shot a famous movie near the Brooklyn bridge. So I loved seeing that at night and take beautiful photos
We are gonna use the same riddle for this whole series so you have time!
The riddle was: what has many ears but can’t hear?
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
I recently went on vacation, and we went to Philadelphia and New York, and then dropped my brother off to his job. This will be a 3 part series with one about Philadelphia, one about New York, and one about Ben Franklin. I will talk about all the things we did relating to Ben Franklin in another episode. This episode will be about my experiences in Philly.
Valley Forge is an important part of US history and is located outside Philly. We spent a couple of hours there and learned some really interested facts.
· The place where the US “army” stayed in the winter during the American Revolution
· Before Valley Forge, it was just some volunteer farmers, but during winter in Valley forge, they're trained and became a fierce enemy,
· George Washington was the general, but they needed someone to help with more discipline
· Friedrich Wilhelm Rudolf Gerhard August Freiherr von Steuben, a Prussian military officer, comes to Valley Forge on Feb 23, 1778.
· There was a lack of food, and basic cleanliness
Pennsylvania State House
· Philly was the capital before DC
· This is where George Washington and John Adams were elected into president
· This is also where the constitution was discussed, and many people were curious about how it was gonna work
· This is also where the senate was meeting then, this was almost like the white house
Liberty Bell
· Made to represent freedom and independence
· Built in 1752, but cracked in February 1846
· It was used for announcements and had been with America before and after independence
· John Pass, and John Stow’s name are on the bell because they helped make recasts of the original bell
· Pennsylvania was misspelled as Pensylvania (single “n”) because that was an accepted spelling then
Reading terminal Market
· It is a place with SO MANY OPTIONS of food
· It is like the king of all food courts, and you basically have to visit
· It is also great for small business to show off their food and culture
· There were a ton of Amish stands and so many different cuisines and different flavors.
· Opened in 1893, it is 78,000 sq ft, and more than 80 merchants
· We got donuts, pickles, crepes, Greek food, sandwiches
Rocky steps
· We climbed the rocky steps just like Rocky Balboa did in the movie “Rocky”.
· In the movie he climbs the stairs, and when he finishes he poses triumphantly.
· The steps lead up to the Philadelphia museum of art.
· There is also a statue of Rocky that you can pose with
· The movie did so well that the steps of the museum get more tourists than the museum
The road leading to the Rocky steps is a tree-lined Parkway with flags of countries from around the world. This international tribute began in 1976 as part of the US Bicentennial Celebration. It symbolizes Philadelphia as a global tourism destination.
Stay tuned for the next two episodes when I talk about the rest of my trip!!
Last episode riddle: This episode riddle: I am a bird, a person and a fruit. What am I?
A KIWI!!!
(A kiwi is a flightless bird, a fruit and also a nick name for a person from New Zealand)
Shoutout to Emma who emailed me and got it right!
This episode's riddle: What has many ears but can’t hear?
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your answer.
Have you been to Philly? What was your favorite thing to do? Let me know and I will include it in a future episode.
And as always, listen, rate, share
In this episode, I wanted to tell you all about a few fun and interesting things I have been doing.
Below are some of the things I talked about, but listen to the full episode for more fun information.
We had our middle school spring dance a few weeks back. It was held in person the first time since 2019 so the entire school was really excited.
It was a fun event and it was cool to hang out with my friends while dancing to some awesome music.
I applied to join the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) - https://www.njhs.us/ - and I was accepted! Yay!
I plan on increasing my volunteer hours a ton this summer and next school year.
If you are a member of NJHS, what projects have you done?
I recently saw the movie "CODA" on Apple TV+. It's about a teenager whose parents and brothers are all deaf and how she manages to balance school and her dreams and her family's expectations. It was really interesting to see how she manages being the only one in her family who can hear.
I REALLY recommend it. It has inspired me to learn ASL - American Sign Language.
It won Best Picture at Oscars, and the actor who played the dad won an Oscar and made history!
Soccer - my spring season is done and I am looking forward to the summer season.
The summer season is all indoor.
Braces - Got dental braces a few weeks back. The first few days were tough but I think I am used to them now.
What color of brackets should I get for the summer?
Do you have braces? Do you like them? What color do you have?
Let me know - RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
School year's coming to a close and STAAR testing (our state standard tests) is coming up.
I am a little nervous but we have practiced enough and I am confident my friends and I will do well.
I got a small electronic piano from a garage sale today!
I can play "Twinkle, twinkle little star" already!
I am currently learning some more songs but it's hard!!
I hope to be able to play Fur Elise one day, but I have to practice for that!!
Hope you enjoyed this episode! I also really wanna know what you are up to!
Write to me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
And don't forget, Listen, Rate, Share!!
We went to Oklahoma City for Spring Break - and had a really good time.
We hiked around Lake Hefner and saw a lovely lighthouse.
I learned about the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, went to a skeleton museum and fed a tigress at a wildlife sanctuary. Wow! It was fantastic!
The Oklahoma City bombing memorial museum is a very educational and beautiful tribute to a terrible event in the city's history. I describe the different elements of the museum and what they mean. It's very moving.
The skeleton museum was very different from other museums my parents have taken me to and I learned a lot.
And feeding the different animals including the tigress was just awesome.
I highly recommend visiting OKC if you get a chance. Lots of great places to eat, visit and learn.
Here's some useful links:
OKC Memorial Museum: https://memorialmuseum.com/
Tiger Safari Zoo: https://tigersafarizoo.com/
Skeleton Museum: https://www.skeletonmuseum.com/
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your episode suggestions, favorite episodes, etc. I love hearing from you, and you'll get a shoutout!
Previous episode riddle: You go to red, but stop at green. What am I?
Answer: Watermelon!
Shoutout: Disha for emailing with the correct answer!!
This episode riddle: I am a bird, a person and a fruit. What am I?
If you know the answer to this episode’ riddle, email me your answer at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com! I love hearing from you, and you'll get a shoutout in the next episode.
In this episode I talk about my science fair project. If you don't know what a science fair is, listen to Episode 46 where I talk about my past projects along with background information on science fairs.
My project this year investigated the difference between masked learning, and unmasked learning in three main categories; factual, emotional, social. Listen to the episode for more information on each of these categories.
Along with many other things, I talk about the process of my project, and what I won!
If you wanna learn about science fair, or just listen to a “report” about one, listen to this episode and have fun learning!!
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your episode suggestions, favorite episodes, etc. I love hearing from you, and you'll get a shoutout!
Previous riddle: I am found in socks, scarves and mittens and often in the paws of playful kittens. What am I?
Answer: Yarn
Shoutouts: Zoe and Shreya for emailing with the correct answer!!
This episode's riddle: You go to red, but stop at green. What am I?
If you know the answer to this episode’ riddle, email me your answer at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com! I love hearing from you, and you'll get a shoutout in the next episode.
I recently visited the Palo Duro Canyon State Park in West Texas.
It was a 6-hour drive and one of the cool things on the drive was seeing hundreds of windmills. They were making good use of the flat land and windy conditions to generate clean electricity.
And shout out to Guy Raz and his ‘How I built this’ podcast series for making the car ride less boring.
The state park has many beautiful trails - from easy to difficult. We did three trails and each one was scenic and fun! We also climbed up to a cave.
We hiked the CCC trail – one of the more difficult ones. I was a little nervous at first but enjoyed the experience.
Here's some fast facts about the canyon:
- The Canyon is 250 million years old and was carved by the Red River.
- Roads, trails and many parts of the park were created during the Great Depression.
- Palo Duro – means ‘hard wood’ in Spanish
- 2nd largest canyon in the US – after the Grand Canyon
- 120 mi long, 20 mi wide
- 1874 – battle of Palo Duro between the American army and the Plains Indians.
You can also do other activities – jeep tours, zip lining - near the park.
We also stopped by the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo – a public art installation with 10 Cadillacs buried in the Texas prairie. You can spray paint the cars. That was a unique and memorable experience.
I bet the cars are a bit thick than before with the years of paint layers. :)
If you have been to the Palo Duro Canyon, let me know what you think.
Previous Riddle: A man who was outside without an umbrella or a hat didn’t get his hair wet. How?
Answer: He was bald. Shoutout to Shreya for emailing me with the correct answer!
This week’s riddle: I am found in socks, scarves and mittens and often in the the paws of playful kittens. What am I?
Email me at: RiyaRambings@gmail.comwith your answer or with literally anything else!
As always, listen, rate, and share!
In the first episode of 2022, I talk to Ms. Prachi Mistry, member of the winning team of the second season of the "Big Family Cooking Showdown" on Netflix.
If you haven't seen the series on Netflix yet (2 seasons), do so right now! It's a fun competition where families compete with each other to cook some really delicious food.
We talked about many things including how the show boosted her self confidence.
Her participation helped helped her with getting a job since the show showed leadership, fast thinking and problem solving skills.
It was cool to know that it was so much more than a cooking competition!
Her three ideal dinner guests: Oprah, Paulo Coelho (author "The Alchemist") and Shah Rukh Khan (the Bollywood superstar)
And she would cook a typical Maharashtrian meal for them.
Listen for more fun questions! :)
I am so thankful to her for agreeing to this interview.
I learned so much and even snagged an invitation to her house when I visit London! :)
And listen to the episode for the answer to the last riddle and a brand new riddle.
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your feedback, idea, resolutions, riddle answers and everything else.
Follow, rate and review on your podcast app.
And tell your friends and family!
What a year!
So many good things (vaccines!) and some not-so-good things (the pandemic is still around. boo!)
A few accomplishments that stood out to me are:
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Zaila winning the national spelling bee.
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Wally Funk’s space flight on the Blue Origin rocket.
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Gov Kathy Hochul as 1st woman gov of NY.
GIRL POWER!! Yay!
Also, I started middle school and my older brother went to college - both life-changing events.
And I interviewed some really interesting people:
- Mr. Corey Smith, an athletic trainer
- Ms. Brenne Gregory, a scientist at a radio telescope observatory
- my cousins, about starting a business
- Shivani, an accomplished Girl Scout
- Noelle, my friend in Singapore
- Mr. Chase Mielke, my speech coach for the Kindness contest
- Ms. Elisa Klein, a candidate for city council
I am excited for the new year and have some interesting plans for this podcast.
Stay tuned and recommend this to your friends and family.
And email me - RiyaRamblings@gmail.com - with your ideas and comments.
Wishing you all a wonderful new year! Let's rock it!
And remember, listen, rate, and share!
If you like sports, you will love this episode. If you don't, you'll still love it!
This episode, I talked to Mr. Corey Smith, an athletic trainer, about sports medicine, staying healthy when playing and how the treatment of concussions has changed over the years.
He has worked with pro teams as well as high school teams. He was part of the stretcher crew when Argentina played Mexico. He saw Messi play! In person! O M G! So cool!
He loves sports because playing sports teaches valuable life lessons like how to handle failure. I know this first hand. We had a disastrous soccer tournament last weekend. :(
But only 1.6% of college footballers make it to the NFL, so very few people can become pro sports players. Mr. Smith explains the many different opportunities in sports other than playing. Sports medicine is one such option. You can help pro sports players perform their best. How cool is that!
I loved learning the details about sports medicine as a career. I am really thankful to Mr. Smith for his time.
If you have questions about a career and want to learn more, let me know. I love learning about different jobs.
Here's last week's riddle: What’s common between a lion, a horse and New England?
Answer: They all have Mane/Maine
Shoutout to Disha for trying.
Here's this week's riddle: I can fly but have no wings, I can cry but have no eyes, where ever I go, darkness follows me. What am I?
If you know the answer, email me at: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com If you have questions about a career and want to learn more, email me! I love reading your emails!!
And email me your questions/comments/ideas for future episodes.
Listen, rate, and share with your friends and family!
I recently visited Austin with my parents had a great time. We saw the Texas Capitol building, saw millions of bats and ate some really good food.
The best part? I planned it all.
My parents had asked me decide what we saw, where we ate and what we did during our stay in Austin.
I used travel blogs to look at all the many different things to do and see in Austin and then picked a few for our trip.
I didn't want to over-plan - because part of the goal was also to just chill in the hotel. :)
We visited the Texas Capitol and took a guided tour (no cost!). The dome of the building is breathtaking - more from the inside than the outside.
Make sure you take the tour when you visit if you can. The tour guides have a lot of great stories and information about the Texas legislature.
We also saw hundreds of thousands of bat streaming out from under the Congress Ave bridge at sundown. We had a funny moment when my dad couldn't see the bats while I was gushing about them. He wasn't losing his eyesight - but he did have a streetlight in his vision that was messing up his view of the bats. Once we moved to another location, he could see them too.
These are Mexican free-tailed bats, which migrate each spring from central Mexico to various roosts all over the southwestern U.S.
They also have cruises on the Colorado river to watch the bats fly out but we watched from above and from below the bridge.
Tip: the view from above (standing on the bridge) is better.
We hiked on Mount Bonnel - don't worry it's not a mountain and has steps and a trail. No rope climbing needed. ;)
I also planned our meals but was also flexible depending on where we were.
We went to the Cheesecake factory for the first time but also tried some local favorites like Gourdough's Big Fat Donuts. It was sooo yummy!!!
Last episode's riddle: It has keys, but no locks. It has space, but no room. You can enter, but can’t go inside. What is it?
Answer: A keyboard. Get it?
This episode's riddle: What is common between a lion, a horse, and New England?
If you know the answer, email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com. You can also email me about literally anything else!
Like always, listen, rate, and share!!
It's been a few weeks since my last episode - and that's because I got really busy with school, soccer and other activities.
This one is episode 50 - the big 5 0. Wow! Thanks for all your support and encouragement!
Here's the deets:
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9 weeks over in middle school! Yay!
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I think I like it. Figure I will stay for a couple of years. :) Ha!
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We visited Austin for a couple of days. First time in hotel after 18 months! I will share more details later but we saw bats! Thousands of bats! It was AWESOME!
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I am playing flag football at school. I like watching it more than playing it but it's quite an experience.
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I am part of the debate club at school. My older brother is really good and I'm hoping to learn from him! I am planning to participate in extemporaneous speaking and oratory. A friend and I are also going to do some lip sync. :) This should be a lot of fun. I will let you know how I do in my first competition.
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We just did 'garba' - a traditional Indian dance that I didn't get a chance to do last year. It was SO MUCH FUN!
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I love watching talent shows like 'America's Got Talent' with my Dad. And I binge "This is Us" with my mom. It's a serious family drama
And we all love to see "Bob Hearts Abishola" - it's a fun, quirky show that shows us aspects of Nigerian culture in the US.
Previous riddle: I am ahead of you but you can't see me. What am I?
Shout out to Disha for getting this right. The answer is 'your future'.
This week's riddle: It has keys, but no locks. It has space, but no room. You can enter, but can’t go inside. What is it?
As always, email me RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your answer, questions and comments.
And make sure to Listen, rate, and share! And follow the podcast in your podcast app.
This is Riya's Ramblings where I talk about what I am experiencing, my likes, and some advice. In this episode I interviewed my cousins who own a dog treat business in Maryland as do I in Texas. We talked about the benefits of owning a business, the challenges we faced, as well as some steps for owning a business at the end.
All of us started our businesses in the pandemic and we talked about that as well. It was a lot of fun to learn about their thoughts about V&S Dog Treats, their business.
If you are in the Baltimore area and love your dog, check out their business for delicious treats!
Check out their website: https://www.vsdoggytreats.com/
Their TV interview is at: https://www.wmar2news.com/news/local-news/two-parkville-kids-start-doggy-treat-business-to-help-pay-for-college
And if you are in the Dallas-area, check out my Pupilicious Dog treats Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/415299576114982/
Or my website: https://riyaramblings.wixsite.com/pupilicious
If you have a small business or are thinking of starting one, email me! I would love to hear more about it! Maybe you can also be on the podcast! Write to me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
Previous Riddle: I am in Mercury, Earth, Mars and Jupiter but not in Venus or Neptune. What am I?
Answer: The letter "r" :)
This week's riddle: I am ahead of you but you can't see me. What am I?
Email me or drop me a voice message: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
Equal pay!
In this episode I speak with Ms. Brenne Gregory, a data analyst at the Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia.
Here’s some of the really cool facts she shared that stuck out to me!
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Radio telescopes listen to radio waves from the universe
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Unlike optical telescopes that work best in the dark, radio telescopes can be used 24 hrs a day
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Since it snows a lot in West Virginia, the satellite dishes at the observatory have a special position called “snow dump” to minimize the amount of snow on the dishes.
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The Green Bank Observatory is in a “radio quiet zone” – that means no WiFi, no cell service and no Bluetooth. Can you imagine? 😱
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The Green Bank Observatory has multiple radio telescopes – including one for use by students.
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The coolest thing she has studied at the observatory is a pulsar. A pulsar is a really dense rotating neutron star that emits radio pulses.
-
She really helped me understand it by comparing it to the light from a lighthouse
We also talk about aliens! 👽
Listen to the episode to learn more about radio telescopes! I bet you will learn a lot!
I now have the Green Bank Observatory on my list of places to visit. It sounds like a really interesting place. Of course, I wouldn’t be able to use my phone but it sounds like it will be worth it!
Here are some websites for more information about the observatory:
https://greenbankobservatory.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bank_Observatory
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bank_Telescope
I am very thankful to Ms. Gregory for sharing her knowledge and time with me.
I learned SO MUCH about radio telescopes and how they are used by scientists to explore the universe.
Previous riddle: What word becomes shorter when you add 2 letters to it?
Answer: The word "short"
Shout out to Brooke (my classmate) and my grand-aunt, Vandana Fai for sending me their answers.
This week’s riddle: I am in Mercury, Earth, Mars and Jupiter but not in Venus or Neptune. What am I?
Email me: RiyaRamblings@gmail.comwith your answers or anything else! I love reading your emails!
Equal Pay!
The new school year has started! Lots of new experiences!! Middle school!!
I have done a few back to school episodes, and this one is about my start of middle school.
It's been different than elementary school in many ways.
Here's what I talk about:
- I was really worried about getting lost going from class to class, but it wasn’t that bad
- I have been kinda bored about all the first few days of school curriculum.
- I see a lot of new kids, and am trying to make friends
- I am doing choir, a bit nervous to sing, but also excited
- The bathroom lines are really long between passing periods
- The hallways are very crowded
- The backpack's really heavy
- Opening out gym lockers was really hard, because that was our first time
- I had a classmate recognize me from here - this podcast. That was very cool!! She was like "Riya? Like from the podcast?"
If you are worried about middle school, here's some advice:
- Don’t stress, and ask people where everything is on the first day
- Have fun
- Make new friends
- Be patient
- Don’t Procrastinate
- Know where the bathrooms are
Previous Riddle: I have a tail and a head but no body. What am I?
Answer: A coin! Shoutouts: My Grandaunt Vandana, my classmate Brooke, and my cousin Disha again! Wow, she's on a streak!!
This episode's riddle: What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
If you know the answer email me at riyaramblings@gmail.com! I hope you enjoyed this episode about my experiences back to school in middle school!
Listen, rate and share!
EQUAL PAY!!
I have been participating in the science fair at school since kindergarten and have enjoyed learning lots of different things. My older brother is my inspiration - he even qualified for the International Science Fair in 2020!
Here's the projects that I worked on and what I learned over the years
Kindergarten: What's the best way to clean pennies?
I found that soap wasn't always the best. Can you guess what works best?
Email me your guesses!
1st grade: Which ball sinks the fastest?
I learned about density and how the larger ball may float but a smaller one may sink.
2nd grade: Which apps/games use most battery on a smartphone?
This one was FUN! I played games and also learned about what factors use most battery.
I won grand prize at school and 2nd prize at the regionals!
All because I played games on my iPhone! 😊
3rd grade: Does amount of salt affect how quickly water boils?
I am now the expert pasta cook in the house. 😊
4th grade: Which phone model is fastest for data transfer?
I was hoping to get a newer phone by showing that my older model was the worst.
It was the worst but I didn't get a new phone ☹ Looks like my parents didn't care about the results..
I got the grand prize at my school (yay!) but no regional event due to.. you know.. the pandemic.
5th grade: Zoom or Google meet - which one is faster? (My favorite project out of all of them :)
I was curious because I did remote school for most of the year.
I measured different scenarios and found that Google Meet was faster in most cases.
What I have learned over the years - try different things. My original ideas didn't always work. And I had to re-think my project and my approach a few times. Don't forget the scientific process!
Previous Riddle: What is the only word in the dictionary that is spelled wrong? Shoutout to Disha for answering the riddle!
Correct answer: Wrong! It's the only word spelled W-R-O-N-G!
Riddle of this episode: I have a tail and a head but no body. What am I?
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your answer to the riddle, and you'll get a shout-out! You can also email me you experiences at a science fair, or just about anything!
As always, listen, rate and share! Equal Pay!
In this episode, I spoke with a very good friend - Shivani - who is a fantastic person and an accomplished Girl Scout!
I was curious about Girl Scouts and her experience - so we chatted about what she learned and how being a Girl Scout has helped her.
If you thought it was only about cookies, think again!
She camped through a tornado warning and flooding! She is one tough cookie!
And a true G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)!
She also learned leadership and teamwork and is using that to run a summer camp for her neighborhood kids! Impressive!
And her summer camp had goats! Goats, people! G O A T S!
Are you a Girl Scout? If so, let me know what you are learning!
Email: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
Previous riddle: What belongs to you but your friends use it more?
My older brother thinks the answer is "Nintendo Switch" console but the real answer is your name! Get it? 😉
Shoutout to Disha for getting this right! I definitely use her name more than she does. :)
This week's riddle: Which is the only word that's spelled wrong in the dictionary?
Email me your answer - RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
Follow, listen and share!
My friend, Noelle, moved to Singapore a couple of years back. I have always wanted to know more about her life there.
We talked about lots of different things - her school, her favorite foods, her life in Singapore and how the pandemic affected it.
(She said she lives in a dot - because Singapore is just a tiny place on the map. :)
I learned a lot! I am sure you will enjoy it too!
Last episode's riddle: You have to break me to use me. What am I?
Answer: Eggs!
Shout out to my cousin Disha (from Virginia!) who got it it right!
This episode's riddle: It belongs to you but your friends use it more. What is it?
You can write to me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your guesses, thoughts, ideas and suggestions
Equal pay!
On June 17 2021, US President Joe Biden signed a new law that declared Juneteenth as a US federal holiday.
It is very important because we recognize the day enslaved people were freed in Texas.
I had recorded an episode last year on this topic and I wanted to share that again.
You can write to me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your thoughts, ideas and suggestions
Equal pay!
I am in the final 10 of a national speech contest on kindness. You can view and vote for my speech at http://chhaya.org/vote
(It's an alias to https://thinkkindness.org/vote/?entry_id=195613688)
In my speech, I talk about how all of us can make a difference by doing simple things. That's the way to create a new pandemic - of kindness.
Thank you in advance for your vote.
Do you have ideas on making the world a kinder place? Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your ideas, suggestions, etc!
I will include your idea in the next episode.
Previous riddle: When you take out a hand, some still remains.
Answer: "Handsome"
Shout out to Mr. John Hanna who emailed me with an answer that I didn't expect - an analog clock!
This week's riddle: You have to break me to use me. What am I?
If you know the answer, email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
Follow, share and vote for my speech at http://chhaya.org/vote
I recently entered a "Kindness Speech" competition organized by the Think Kindness Foundation. I am in the top 10! WooHoo!
The best part is that they paired me up with a speech coach to polish my speech. Mr. Chase Mielke, a high school teacher, instructional coach and motivational speaker from Michigan, is helping me for the final round.
I interviewed him for this podcast and we talked about his teaching and his coaching and how he helps teachers and students become better.
Listen and you will learn how to get better at public speaking.
Previous episode's riddle: I am an odd number but if you take one letter off, I become even. What am I?
I was going with 'seven' as the answer - remove the 's' to get "even".
But I got an interesting email from Mr. John Hanna who answered "fifteen". If you say it out loud and take off the 'n', you get "fifty" which is also even. Neat! Thanks for the email, Mr. Hanna!
And thank you to Ms. Kathy Pettinger for your lovely email. It's very encouraging to hear from my listeners.
This week's riddle: If you take away a hand, some still remains. What is it?
Send me your answers by email: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
You can also email me your ideas, comments, feedback
Listen, rate and share!
Previous riddle: I am tall when I am young and I am short when I am old. What am I?
Answer: A candle!
This episode's riddle: I am an odd number but if you take one letter off, I become even. What am I?
Send me your answers by email: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
I have been doing school at home for the past year. I recently went back to school in person for the last nine weeks.
In this episode, I describe my experience of going back to school after being at home for so long.
I was nervous the previous night about the new procedures and rules.
But my teachers and friends were very helpful in helping me adjust (some of my friends have been in school since August)
It feels so good to have interaction!
Here's some interesting things I noticed:
- Temperature check each morning
- Some of my friends look very different and I mean taller, bigger, just different
- You can write on the desk with dry erase markers! (not really Covid19 related)
- The teaching style is different now
- I have fewer headaches - no more Zoom calls for 7 hrs straight
- I can see my full teacher - no longer a body-less face
- I have to wear a mask all day, took some time to get used to.
- Laughing with friends feels great! I had forgotten how muh fun that is.
- Two-people desks have dividers.
The couple of things I miss from 'school at home' are:
- Snacking/eating during class :)
- PE on the couch :)
- My friends and teacher from my online class. We had fun there too!!
Share your experience with online or in-person school. I love hearing from you!
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your ideas, comments, feedback, jokes etc.
Listen, rate and share!
In this episode, I talk to Ms. Elisa Klein who is running for our city council.
I am so glad that Ms. Klein took time out of her busy campaign schedule to talk to me about her background, what she loves about our city and what she plans to do as a member of the city council.
We also talked about her favorite movies (we both love Marvel movies!) and her favorite foods. I am now curious to try pupusas, the Salvadorean dish she mentioned.
She had great suggestions for people (incl. kids) to be more involved with their city!
Here's what we talked about: Can you tell me something about your background?
What does ‘place 8’ mean? Is Plano divided in different regions?
What do you love about Plano?
What’s one thing you would like to change once you are on the city council?
What’s one thing that you don’t want to change?
What’s your favorite movie or TV show?
What advice do you have for students who may want to run for office and make a difference?
What can students and kids do to be more aware about our city?
Please listen, rate and share.
And email me at RiyaRambings@gmail.com with your comments, ideas and suggestions for future episodes!
Here's the riddle of the week: I am tall when I am young and I am short when I am old.
Previous riddle: What's a snowman's favorite drink? Iced-tea, of course!
I went with my parents for their Covid-19 vaccination. It was quite an interesting experience!
It was a drive-through vaccination setup. Very creative! We didn't have to get out of the car at all!
There are 3 vaccines approved in US
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Johnson and Johnson (one dose)
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Pfizer (2 doses)
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Moderna (2 doses)
The entire vaccination site was organized so well. Curative was the company managing the site. Hundreds of people getting their their 1st/2nd dose within a few minutes!
I also brought goodie bags to thank the people helping out with the vaccination process.
If your family members are getting their vaccines soon, you should do the same!
THANK YOU TO ALL VACCINE HELPERS AND NURSES AND DOCTORS.
Listen, rate and share!
Send me your ideas and experiences or answer the riddle at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
Riddle: What is a snowman’s favorite drink?
Previous riddle: How do you fix a broken pizza?
(A) - With tomato paste! :)
I have started putting my episode notes (which I use for recording) in the description. Tell me what you think of it!
I hope you have fun listening to the episode just as much I had fun recording! If you want to introduce yourself, talk about a sibling, or anything else email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com. I love reading your emails.
As always, listen, rate and share!!
What I cover in this episode
Snowstorm - in Texas!
- No school for a week
- Negative temperatures!
- I built snowmen!
- 3-4” of snow, most I have ever seen
- Sledding on the road
Brother left for college in January
- Very hard on me
- Talking over the phone, and playing online chess :)
- We compare our weather, and we look at pics of the snow there
Last year of elementary school
- Next year will change schools
- Highlights (field trips, projects, THANKS to all teachers!
- Huge twist, but very memorable!
Shows with grandma
- During my lunch break, I watch Indian soap operas with my grandmother! They are fun and very dramatic!
Science fair
- A Science fair is a competition where you either engineer something or construct an experiment. (intro, hypothesis, procedure, conclusion, etc.)
- They are doing it online, which I am glad about!
- If you have ideas for my science fair, feel free to share them.
- I have done it since kindergarten, and my brother is my inspiration!!
I listened to Amanda Gorman, the US youth poet laureate, at the Biden-Harris inauguration and the SuperBowl and was super-impressed and inspired!
So I wrote three poems for a prompt we had in school.
Prompt - Home is Where the heart is
And I wrote a 4th poem to mark the milestone of this podcast reaching a 1000 plays! Thank you all very much for the feedback and the support over the past 35 episodes.
I definitely recommend you write your own poems (having as much fun as I did when writing mine) , and email them to me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com! I would love reading them, and giving you a shout out. If you wish, I can also read the poem during a podcast!
As always, listen, rate, and share!!
PS: Enjoy the snaps (you'll find out what I mean)
Home is Where The heart is
Where your heart strings tug
The Place where your soul gets a cozy cuddly hug
The place you float up like a soft cloud
The place you jump up and yell happily aloud
Home is on the dining table with my family
This is where I get out of reality
When I hang out with whom I love
All My stress away, away I shove
I feel like it’s never ending
Like a story book always extending
Where Do You Go?
Where do you go?
For all your tensions to disappear
For all your happiness to appear
Where your soul feels all warm and cozy
All your worries blocked by a goalie
Laughing with my family makes me float away
In a never ending day
Floating and Flying
Sitting around the table, I fly up to the sky
Making my heart and soul jump so high
Home is sitting peacefully with my family
It feels like I’m in my very own Fantasy
Surrounded by the laughing and smiles of my loved
All my worries away I pushed and shoved
With my family, my life is complete
Never will it ever be off-beat!
Milestone
When you hit a milestone,
It's like you are sitting on a throne
You travel back in time,
Thinking about your climb
All the way to the top,
Hoping to never stop!
Riddle for today - How do hares travel? (The answer is a pun :)
History has been made!! Kamala Harris becomes the first woman Vice President (VP) of the US on Wednesday! In this episode I talk about her past careers, education, family, etc. I wanted to learn more about this ground-breaking woman and share my knowledge with you.
If you want to learn more about Vice President Kamala Harris and her life, then you will definitely enjoy this fun episode. I know I had fun recording it!!
If you want to know more about our VP, have any episode suggestions, or just want to introduce yourself then email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com. I love reading your emails and emailing back!
Riddle: What cereal do snowmen eat? (it is a pun)
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful 2021.
I would love to hear from you about what you are looking forward to this year. Please write to me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com Email suggestions below!
In this episode, I chat with my cousin sister about middle school. I am excited to be a middle schooler in 2021 and am curious how different it is from elementary school. We talk about learning to play the violin in a remote classroom, having different teachers for different subjects and other aspects of online middle school.
If you are in middle school or looking forward to it, you will enjoy our chat. Even if you aren't, you will still have fun!
As always, listen, rate, and share!
You could email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com about your online school experiences, episode suggestions, or the answer to the riddle!
I am sure you agree that 2020 was a pretty unique year - we experienced the world in new ways. My bedroom became my classroom and my family became my classmates.
This last episode of 2020 is about how the year went, the world news, and my events in 2020. This episode was especially fun to record - remembering all the highs and lows of the year - , and I hope you enjoy listening.
What are you looking forward to in 2021? Write to me. I would love to include that in a future episode.
You can email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com. I love hearing from y’all.
As always share and subscribe.
This week is the celebration of Thanksgiving in the US.
Have you ever wondered how Thanksgiving became a holiday? And why is it on the 4th Thursday of November?
In this episode, I talk about the crazy controversial history of Thanksgiving. I discuss how it started, why it started, and all the problems that came along with it. I mention many important names and people, and how they contributed to the start of the holiday.
Fun fact: Sarah Josepha Hale had been trying to make Thanksgiving a holiday for 40 years! That is perseverance! She is better known as the writer of “Mary Had A Little Lamb”. Pretty cool huh?!
I also learn a new word; Controversial- When there is mixed feelings about a thing - in this case, Thanksgiving.
I hope you enjoy this episode and walk away with some new information!
If you guys want to share another fact, what you learned, or anything else, you can email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com. I love hearing from y’all.
As always share and subscribe.
Have you ever read an awesome book? Well, I have read many! In this episode, I talk about one my favorite books “The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl” by Stacy McAnulty.
I really liked the book (don't worry, no spoilers! :) and highly recommend it. This is a very unique story that I recommend listening about and then reading it.
I found this book through the “Bluebonnet” book program here in Texas. In the episode, I also explain what that program is.
Here's some great information about the book and related activities: https://texasbluebonnetaward2020.wordpress.com/the-miscalculations-of-lightning-girl/
If you have read this book, have any other book recommendations, or want to introduce yourself, you can email me at Riyaramblings@gmail.com. I hope to hear from many of you!
As always listen, rate, and share!
This episode is all about voting and the US elections.
Here's the riddle for this episode: What has 4 eyes but cannot see?
Have your parents voted yet? If not, encourage them to!
In this episode, I share information about the voting process in the US.
The current election is not only for the President but also for the House of Representatives and part of the Senate.
I also mention a little about different types of government, and which one we have in the US.
Listen to the episode to learn more!!
Shoutout to Katherine and Diya!
Great job Katherine for getting the answer to the riddle from a previous episode!
(the riddle was -I am white when I am dirty, but black when I am clean. What am I? Answer- Black board/chalkboard!)
Thank you Diya for reading the "Benefits of being an Octopus". This was a book I recommended in Episode 13. Thank you both!
And as always, listen rate and share!
Let me know if you have questions about voting or any other feedback and you can do all that at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
P.S. Goats are cool!
Riddle-“A man was wiping the windows of a 25 story building, he fell of his ladder but was not hurt. How can this be?” Do you know the answer?
Halloween is coming up and everyone has different ideas on how it should work. Well, in this episode I say how I think it should work. I believe that trick or treating should definitely stay on with all the precautions necessary. Halloween is the holiday which can bring joy to all ages!
CDC guidelines: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/halloween.html
I mention my 3 favorite costumes I have dressed up as, why everyone should decorate their house and bring joy to others, and other Halloween related topics.
Enjoy listening! And as always listen, rate, and share!
If you know the answer to the riddle, email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com. You can also email me about yourself, episode suggestions, you Halloween costume, how you think Halloween should work, etc.
Shoutout to Mr. Eric H (from Peru!) who emailed me about the episode on the International Space Station (Ep #13). Thank you Mr. Eric!
He has his own Spanish podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/6IARVXkC7kCuCafsjbXiQQ?si=T733GAqUTsyoTe97Y-qWGA
Remember- We can still be safe and have fun!
Happy international podcast day!! Since it is a really relevant day today, I thought I could do an episode on the podcast.
I share some background about how I started this podcast.
And the riddle for this episode: I am white when I am dirty, and black when I am clean, what am I?
Email me your answers: RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
I have recorded 27 episodes so far. My favorite ones are:
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the one where I chatted with Mr. Bament - a math teacher in Australia
-
the episode on the ISS (International Space Station)
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the one where I talked about my spring break.
I have learned a few fun things through this podcast: communication skills, how to adjust, and being creative with the episodes.
My favorite parts- Talking to new people, learning new things, and the overall experience.
I hope you enjoy this episode! It was a fun and quick episode to celebrate International Podcast day!
Email me the answer of the riddle at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com, or about what you think about the podcast.
As always, listen, rate, and share!
In this episode, I talk to my grandmother (mom’s mom) about her childhood in Africa. She was born in Nairobi, Kenya. Kenya is a country in east Africa. We talk about safaris, what it was like growing up there and her later years in India and now the US.
I am fascinated how she has lived in three different continents.
Couple of other cool things about this episode
- There’s a riddle! “I go around the world but stay in the same corner. What am I?”
Send me your answers to riyaramblings@gmail.com
- And there’s a phrase in Swahili (the language my grandma learned as a child in Nairobi).
Do you speak a language other than English? Send me a voice memo of you saying “How are you?” in that language. I would love to learn that phrase in different languages.
Listen, rate, and share!
In this episode I talk about a book I recently read called "Percy Jackson, the Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan. I talk about the plot, what I like about it and more.
Don't worry - no spoilers! :)
I loved how it it combines Greek mythology and modern times to create an amazing story! If you like adventures, you will love this. You will also learn lots about the Greek gods, while being on the edge of your seat.
I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always, listen, rate, and share!
If you have read the book, email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com.
You also email me with suggestions for future episodes or your feedback on past ones.
Have you ever wanted to talk to an Australian math teacher? Well, I did it for you!
This episode I talk to Mr. John Bament about his job, where he lives and more! This interview was a lot of fun because it was more of a conversation. It was cool to learn about Darwin, Australia, what he likes and loves in his job, and how he loves numbers and math!
I hope you enjoy this fun interview, and as always listen, rate and share!!
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com about your thoughts on the podcasts, ideas for future episodes and anything else you want to share.
I started school a few days back. At home. All online.
We had online school in the spring too but this is very different. In this episode, I talk about my experiences with school this time around. I discuss my favorite and least favorite parts of remote learning. And I have a new role in our online class. I also the two new words I learned during this past two weeks - Synchronous and Asynchronous. Listen to the episode to hear what the two words mean.
How's your online school? What's the good and the bad about it?
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com about your online school. You can also send me your feedback as a voice memo.
As always listen, rate, and share!!
I recently watched a movie about Gunjan Saxena, the first woman to be a pilot in the Indian Air Force and go to war. That inspired me to learn about other "first women" in different fields. So I researched them and want to share them with you.
Here's a few of the pioneering women who I learned about while researching for this episode
Sally Ride - first American woman in space
Valentina Tereshkova - first woman in space
Sirimavo Bandarnayike - first woman Prime Minister (Sri Lanka)
Junko Tabei - first woman to climb Mt. Everest
Amelia Earhart - first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean
And so many more!!
Is there a woman pioneer who has inspired you? Let me know about them
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com about anything you want!!
And as always, Listen, Rate, and Share!!
In this episode, I interview my cousin in India over Zoom. Ira and I discuss many things such as what we are doing in quarantine, how we are handling online school, and other things as well. I have been wanting to do this interview for a while so here it is!
It's interesting to see how much we have in common (e.g. we both love "Avengers") and yet there are interesting differences as well (e.g. her lockdown experience was more strict than mine.
This interview was fun to do, and I hope you enjoy listening!
As always listen, rate, and share!
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com about your quarantine, or anything else! I love hearing from you!
This episode my dad and I discussed one of my all-time favorite books - The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden.
We talk about our favorite parts, what the book is about, why we recommend it, and the impact of a teacher in the book. We also mention the fact that is a heavy read, but a very good book and we recommend it!
Listen to find out more about the book! Don't worry - no spoilers!
Hope you enjoy the episode! Listen, rate, share!
Remember to email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com about your favorite book.
If you do not have an email account, you can also tweet to my dad on twitter at @hschhaya
In this episode, I talk about a few interesting things I have done in quarantine to keep busy! I have tried a few different activities and have enjoyed doing them.
I talk about 5 activities – including basketball, tie dying a bandanna and card magic. I also talk about our trip to a nearby lake to look at comet NEOWISE.
And you are listening to my fifth activity - podcasting!
I have tried something new in this episode – I have three segments that we recorded “live” while doing the activities. It was fun to include them in this episode.
Let me know if you like these “remote” segments.
I had a lot of fun doing this episode, though it took a while to publish. So, I hope you enjoy listening!
You can email me at Riyaramblings@gmail.com about your quarantine, or anything else!
You can also send me your feedback as a voice memo.
And rate, listen, share!
We talk about his childhood (no TV!, oh no!), his school life (his teachers hit him :() and his life experiences.
I now have a whole new appreciation for my teachers, YouTube and my life.
Make sure to talk to your grandparents - and ask them about their childhood. You will learn SO MUCH!
If you are curious how to say "goodbye" in my mother-tongue (Gujarati), listen till the end. :)
As always, listen, rate and share!
Write to me - RiyaRamblings@gmail.com - with ideas, feedback, questions. What did you learn about your grandparents? Let me know!
You can record your feedback as a voice memo and email it to me. I will include it in a future episode.
Have you ever wondered what Tae Kwon Do is? Well, I have.
For this episode I interview a Tae Kwon Do student who explains how it works, and his experience in it!
We cover a lot of topics like the different belts, where it started and more.
He has been studying TKD for nearly 10 years - so you know he knows his stuff!
He recommends it for everyone! It's never too late to start!
Do you currently practice TKD? What do you like most about it?
Are there any other topics that you are interested in? Record a short audio using the "voice recorder" app and email it to me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com!
Listen, rate, and share!
Oh - one more thing. I have a website now. Check it out: https://riyaramblings.wixsite.com/blog
In this episode, I talk about a very inspiring, and educational person - Selva Dut. I recently listened to a book called "A Long Walk to Water", and Selva is the main character. His story is fascinating and I wanted to share his story with you.
His story is full of hardships, challenges, and more. After he goes through his journey, he changes the world to help others through their journey. In the episode, I discuss how he has so many hard things, but still gets through them.
Listen to the episode, and you will be very inspired and amazed at his life!
Have you read the book? What did you think?
Listen, rate and spread the word!
Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com
Here is the link to the official website for Water for Sudan: https://www.waterforsouthsudan.org/
Also, I want to correct an error I made in the last episode. In that episode, I talked about another book ("Out of my mind") where the main character had cerebral palsy. I said that Stephen Hawking the scientist had that. Mr. Hawking had ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig's disease. He did not have cerebral palsy. I am sorry for the mistake.
In this episode, I talk about one of my favorite books of all time - "Out of my Mind" by Sharon M. Draper. It is the story of a girl who has cerebral palsy, and how she manages to changes the way everyone looks at her! Make sure to listen for more and why it made me laugh and cry while I was reading it. Don't worry - I don't reveal everything about the book.
Enjoy the episode and read the book. Remember: Reading is your superpower, use it!
Have you read the book? What do you think? Any other other books you recommend for me?
Make sure to email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com! I love hearing from y'all
In this episode, I talk about Juneteenth - what it is and why is it an important part of US history.
I hope you enjoy learning about this historical event.
As always, you can email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com with your thoughts, ideas and suggestions.
Please rate and review the podcast and spread the word!
Happy Father's Day!
So, in this episode I share the history of Father's Day at the beginning, and then interview my dad.
We cover a lot of topics - including his childhood in India, his job/life, and fatherhood!
I had fun talking to him, and learning more things about him!
I enjoyed recording this episode, so enjoy listening!
How did you celebrate Father's Day?
You can email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com, I love hearing from y'all!
In this episode, I talk about the International Space Station (ISS)!
I mention the history of the ISS, and some background information as well. I also include what life is like on the ISS, and how it relates to camping. I also talk about the recent launching of the Dragon Crew rocket, and how it was the inspiration of this episode!
If you are interested why the astronauts use liquid salt and rinseless shampoo, listen on.
And yeah, I also talk about farting in space. :)
I hope you enjoy learning about the ISS, and a bit about the launch!
You can email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com. I love hearing from you!
Here are the links I used in my research:
What Is the International Space Station?
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/nasa-knows/what-is-the-iss-58.html
Sleeping in Space/Life in Space
https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/stem-on-station/ditl_sleeping
If humans gave birth in space, babies would have giant, alien-shaped heads
https://www.businessinsider.com/humans-gave-birth-space-earth-giant-alien-heads-2019-7
In this episode, I talk about FLL (FIRST Lego League), and my experience with robotics. I describe the FLL competition a little about my team - the Bethany Builders- and all the things I learned through my FLL experience.
If your school has a team, I definitely recommend trying it out. If not, ask your principal to have one!
FLL is so much more than the Robot Game, it teaches the values such as teamwork, discovery, and more!
If you want to learn and explore EV3 coding, you can watch EV3 coding tutorials on YouTube, however you will need the EV3 Mindstorms software to code.
You can find more details on the FIRST Lego League competition at http://www.FirstLegoLeague.org
To know more listen and enjoy the Episode! :)
I am going to start making a website soon, and post my robot's picture there! (I will post other pictures as well)
Want to know more? Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com, I would love to answer your questions!
Texas History is something worth knowing, and it's fun to learn! But, so many people don't know everything the Lone Star state has been through, and it's not their fault. So, this episode I do a brief history of Texas, from being part of Mexico, to America, and everything in between. You're probably wondering, what happened in between, and well you should listen to find out!
Thank you Ms. Timofeyov for teaching me Texas History this year so well!
Hope you enjoy listening about the amazing history of Texas - The Lone Star state!
Make sure to Email me at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com, I love hearing from y'all!
Happy Teachers appreciation week! Thank you to all my teachers for being such wonderful teachers!
I know we all need a big dose of positivity, and I know I do! There are so many new ways to look at this situation, and I talk about my favorite 5. This episode helps with looking at the bright side. At home, I am constantly yapping on and on with positive thoughts, and I thought I should share them with you! I hope this episode brings a new mindset for you, and hopefully you keep it!
Enjoy Listening!
Email me at Riyaramblings@gmail.com! I love hearing from you!
This episode, I describe what I'm doing during Quarantine to keep busy! I tell my schedule throughout my day, and little a information on each activity. Listen to receive ideas on keeping busy, and to find out what I am doing.
Email me what you are doing in quarantine at RiyaRamblings@gmail.com. (You can email me other things as well!)
Thanks to Mr. John Bament (from Australia) and Ms. Shah (Texas) for their feedback.
Enjoy listening!
In this episode I am bringing my best friend Zoe into the story, and asking her a few questions. She shares her experiences in quarantine, and a little about herself. If you want to hear how she is managing online school and staying at home then this is the episode for you!
We also talk about some fun assignments - if you could invite anyone for dinner, who would you invite?
Also, the time we won something.
I would love to hear your answers to these question.
Who would you invite? And how did you feel when you won something?
Write to me about this and anything else. Email me: Riyaramblings@gmail.com. I can't wait to hear from all of you! :)
This episode I bring my brother in the game! He is a 17 year old senior in high school, and he is going to share his experiences, advice and, more! He talks about activities he has done, a few of his favorites, etc. If you want to know what’s next in the future, listen to this fun podcast with my older brother!! (He is around 7 years older than me!)
Hope you enjoy!
Anything and everything can be emailed to riyaramblings@gmail.com. I would love to hear what you are doing nowadays. (What to email me: Jokes, what you are doing, if you have siblings, favorite soccer player, sports you play, episode Ideas, and everything else!)
In this episode, I talk about one my favorite things to do, Soccer! I talk about all the benefits of it, and all the lessons you can learn. This amazing sport can also be a hobby, and one of the best! Soccer can be something which you remember all your life, or just something fun to do, but if you play, you learn teamwork, perseverance, and you get a hobby. If you play soccer or any other team sport, get ready to relate!
Shout out to my awesome coaches, who make the sport that much better! Thank you Coach Noon and Coach Rogers for teaching me about focus, effort, and attitude, and for being the best coaches I could ask for! Listen to find out my experiences, and more advice!
Hope you enjoy listening!
Email me comments, and anything you want to tell me at my email: Riyaramblings@gmail.com, I would love to hear from you. (Spread the word to everyone you know!)
In this episode, I talk about what I do and watch for entertainment! I talk about my favorite TV shows. Movies, Books, and games to keep busy in a fun way. I also add some art activities to help your creative juices flow!
On TV, I have been watching Victorious and The English Game (on Netflix).
And I have been playing "Smash Bros Ultimate" (on the Nintendo Switch) and the card game "Set".
I also share a cool movie I watched and my favorite author. Listen to know the details.
Hope you enjoy!!
Questions and comments can be emailed to me at riyaramblings@gmail.com. Make sure to email me your April Fools pranks, and what you watch, read and/or play!
This episode talks about online school, and tips to make it easier. Listen to see how Riya is dealing with a whole new way to learn!
Questions and comments can be emailed to riyaramblings@gmail.com
I hope you enjoy!
Riya talks about the novel corona virus.
Questions and comments can be emailed to riyaramblings@gmail.com
I hope you enjoy!
Riya describes her Spring Break - trip to El Paso and the SheBelieves cup USWNT soccer game she attended.
Questions and comments can be emailed to riyaramblings@gmail.com
I hope you enjoy!
This is the beginning of the ramblings of Riya.
Every week I will share my interests and some tips.
Questions and comments can be emailed to riyaramblings@gmail.com
I hope you enjoy!