Date A Girl Who Reads

This is for all my friends who think girls who read a lot are boring!! :) Last day, I came across this article in a very interesting blog by Rupertt Wind. He had stumbled upon the article in the blog of a South Korea missionary teacher, seongyosa . Interestingly, she herself had read it in coypatalagsa‘s blog. In short, this article has been going around a lot. Its not surprising that it gained so much popularity, just read it and you will see why. I really couldn't resist the temptation to re-blog it!!So, here it is..

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second-hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamier is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted.

Ask her if she likes the book. Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.
Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her.You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.
Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

The Krishna Key

Book:    The Krishna Key

Author:  Aswin Sanghi

My rating: 3.5/5

I had heard about this anthropological thriller by Ashwin Sanghi long before BlogAdda put it up for reviewing. So when I got an opportunity to review it, I was really excited. I haven't read Ashwin's previous books,The Rozabal Line and Chanakya's Chant, so I din't really know what to expect. The Krishna Key is a result of the author's extensive research and references alone take up 11 pages of the book.  I really appreciate the author for all that research and hardwork, its simply mind bogging. As for the story, it has a story line clouded by facts, but still manages to keep you hooked.


Backdrop:
The story of Sri Krishna forms the backdrop. Intertwined with history and supported by archeological evidences and vedic literature, the book embarks on uncovering secrets hidden away for centuries.Was Krishna just a mythological character or is there more to him? Is it time for the prophesied next avatar of Krishna, Kalki? Was ancient Indian knowledge far more superior to our present day technologies? These are some of the questions which are posed in the book.


Plot:
The protogonist Ravi Mohan Saini is a historian accused of murdering his close friend and leading symbolist and linguist, Anil Varshney. Anil was on the verge of a path breaking historical discovery when he was gruesomely murdered in his bedroom. A special seal believed to be linked with Krishna's era, one of a set of four, is stolen from Anil's room. It is upon Saini to prove his innocence and solve the mystery behind the seals. With the help of his student Priya, Saini embarks on a journey tracing the paths of history, while staying clear of the cops behind him and outwitting others who are desperate to get hold of the seal.


Analysis:
Ashwin can aptly be called Dan Brown of India. The book will totally change our perspective on the puranas. Through simple and effective language, Ashwin manages to keep the readers hooked. But the author is so eager to list out all the fantastic historic proofs and conspiracy theories that he discovered during his research that, the plot slips away. This book is excellent as a documentary but doesn't impress as a fiction thriller.There are a lot of errors in the book and it could have gone through better proof reading. If you have an interest in the Vedic era, our mythologies and like a lot of facts and conspiracies, this book will be an engrossing read, go for it! If history and facts bore you to death, you might want to skip this book.


Summary:
A very well researched and well marketed book which could have turned out better with a stronger and more impressive story line.The author Ashwin Sanghi really deserves applause for his research! :)

This review is a part of the Book Review Program organised by BlogAdda.

A Food Pilgrim's Trip to Melbourne

This post is a part of the Indiblogger 'It's your time to visit Melbourne NOW!' contest conducted in association with Tourism Victoria. Here I am blogging about the experiences I would like to bring back from Melbourne.

Think Melbourne and my mind conjures up pictures of food food and more food! Delicious, mind numbing and awe inspiring kind. I'm the kind of person who will transverse scorching desserts and wade through oceans in search of the rarest and most exquisite delicacies. In the foodie paradise called Melbourne, I wouldn't have to travel a lot for that perfect latte or a sensational Potted Pork. Every nook and cranny of Melbourne is brimming with amazing restaurants, cafes, bistros and bars. Melbourne is also a place where some of the greatest culinary experts and my food heroes cook to their heart's content.What wouldn't I give to step into George's (Chef George Calombaris) chic restaurant,'The Press Club' and taste his Granny's Baklava, to wander into the iconic Shannon Bennett's 'Vue de Monde' restaurant and savour art on plate or Gary Mehigan's 'Fenix and Maribyrong Boathouse'.

So with food on my mind, I would like to explore the streets of Melbourne. Some of my stops en route will be:


Street Art
 
Melbourne's streets reek with their passion for art. For an artist in Melbourne, their canvass is as
big as our neighborhood wall!!Known as one of the world's greatest street art capitals, the streets of Melbourne is lit in color by vibrant stencils, paste-ups and murals. Artists create their colorful masterpieces in approved outdoor locations throughout the city. The colorful and vibrant artistic splendor provides an urban touch which is a stark contrast to the overall chick and cosmopolitan look of the city. This very same fact, makes it hop to the top of my list.

Indian touch to Melbourne Street

Food + Architecture = Melbourne Arcades and Laneways

I have already established myself as a foodie but a lesser known passion of mine is architecture. Melbourne has ways to satiate my hunger for food and architecture. Each arcade and laneway of Melbourne has a personality and charm of its own. From Block Arcade’s Italian interior splendour to Melbourne’s oldest trading Royal Arcade, these historical icons will be a feast to any admirer of architecture. Every street here is like an unexplored territory. Walking through the lanes, we might stumble upon small, interesting shops with some amazing products! You can always find the perfect coffee or snack in the many cafes and eateries around. Munching on a freshly baked cookie, you can sit and enjoy the beauty of the laneways winding their way through the heart of this city!

A Melbourne lane

Eureka Skydeck 88

If you are looking for an out of the world experience, like me, you will appreciate this one. Eureka Skydeck 88 is the highest viewing platform in Southern Hemisphere.The switchable glass cube enclosing you will slide out from level 88 of Eureka Tower, giving you a terrific view of Melbourne. Now that's what I call, a room with a view!

Eureka Skydeck 88

State Library of Victoria

I have a thing for libraries. I just love looking at rows and rows of books. State Library of Victoria is not just another library. It is a Melbourne city landmark and cultural icon, a magnificent 19th-century building with some of the city’s most beautiful heritage interiors. It has an octagonal La Trobe Reading Room designed to hold over a million books and up to 500 readers. Its majestic domed ceiling, is an architectural delight. Yes, and it does have rows and rows of books amounting to over two million books, thousands of pictures, newspapers, maps, manuscripts, masses of audio, video and digital material –all reflecting the culture of Victoria over the past 150 years. The icing on the cake is the free exhibitions.

State Library of Victoria

Greek precinct 

So, I took a flight to Melbourne, but what if I landed in Greece instead? That is the feel that is promised when we step into Melbourne's Greek precinct!This is the perfect place for all my Grecian food fantasies. Lined with an array of restaurants and cafes the Lonsdale Street is a perfect destination for all the foodies. Among the innumerable Greek restaurants of the region, Stalactites restaurant is an essential stop for all. Winner of the Dine Out Award and Australian Achiever Awards for best Greek Restaurant,Stalactites's delicious menu includes mouth-watering dishes such as the famous Stalactites giros souvlaki, home made fresh dips, tasty grilled meats and rustic home style dishes from the Peloponnese region of Greece. And the latest Greek music is free with every meal! What more could one ask for!

Food at Stalactites

WineYards

This is yet another place I'm dieing to visit. Yarra Valley is famous for their wineries which produce some of the country's best cool-climate variety of wine. To enjoy the scenic beauty of the valley and sip a nice glass of wine while brewers explain the story of the exquisite drink is going to be a an amazing experience. Cellar wine tasting is offered in many of the wineries and you can dine on local produce at winery restaurants.I'm so looking forward to this one!

Interior of a winery

Queen Victoria Market

How will my trip be complete without shopping! Queen Victoria market is the right place to shop till you drop! Spread over 7 acres, this open air market has everything. Clothes, shoes, accessories, tiny curios to take back home and the most amazing food market! Melbournians always try to make use of local produce in their food.The shops reflect this attitude and are stocked with all sorts of fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood and some special delicacies. The market is famous for its special jam donuts sold in doughnut van. I would love to visit the food session and walk through aisles and aisles of fresh produce, feasting my eyes and tastebuds!

Farm fresh delicacies from Queen Victoria market

Hot air Balloon Ride  

No surprises there! Everyone visiting Melbourne will definitely find time for this one. Floating high above with the clouds, looking down at the beautiful Yarra valley and watching the sunrise.. I am already feeling all warm and fuzzy!! MUST SEE!! MUST SEE!!!

Balloon Ride at Sunrise

Great Ocean Road

Its time to soak in the natural beauty of Melbourne. Great Ocean Road is one of the world's most scenic roads which winds through the coast of Melbourne.The famous 12 Apostles, which is a huge rock stack formation rising from the Southern Ocean, is along this stretch. The beautiful beaches of the region brimms with a variety of recreational sports like fishing ,diving and surfing. But I have my eyes on the excellent restaurants and heritage hotels of the coastal region. There is nothing like fresh seafood. Combine it with a beautiful beach and warm and friendly people and there you have a magical concotion!
For all those Pirates of the Caribbean fans (like me), there is a real Shipwreck coast here! ;)

12 Apostles

Seafood Market

Melbourne Cricket Ground

My friends and family will be terribly dissapointed if I'm in Melbourne and don't visit the hallowed ground of MCG! How many times have we watched with bated breathe as Indian Cricket team took on Aussies at MCG! This stadium has witnessed the tears and victory dances of millions of Indians. I would like to pay homage to Indian Cricket by stepping into MCG and taking a few pics to show off back at home! :D

Melbourne Cricket Ground

And yes, I almost forgot to mention, I'll be skipping through the Melbourne attractions on a TRAM!! Wuhooo.. Isn't that awesome?? :D I'm all ready with my camera and backpack for a customized Melbourne experience and it's your time to visit Melbourne NOW!

There are umpteen places to visit in Melbourne and hand picking a few is a huge task.. To help you plan your very own Melbourne experience, visit www.visitmelbourne.com/in.


Image Courtesy :
http://whatkatieate.blogspot.in/2011/08/melbourne-report-and-a-little-hiatus.html
http://choieevon.blogspot.in/2010/12/hello-from-melbourne.html
Google Images

Is Beauty an Excuse for Mutilation?

Last day during a casual talk with a friend, he mentioned his dog. He was telling me how smart and loyal his Rottwieler was and proceeded to show me a picture of the dog. My knowledge of dogs and their breeds is very limited but I found the picture of the dog a little weird. "Is there something wrong with his tail? It looks a bit weird", I enquired.
The answer he gave, shocked me.The dog had been docked when it was a puppy. Its tail was cut in order to make it look more appealing. When he had bought the puppy, its tail had already been docked and he even mentioned that he had never seen a Rottweiler with its full tail intact!

I was intrigued by the prospect of a tiny little puppy's tail being cut off.. Surely, there must be some other reason for docking other than the appearance factor??

I did a little research on Google and came to know that docking has been carried out for centuries. It was primarily done on hunting dogs to prevent tail injury.While running through thick vegetation and brambles, a dog's tail could easily get torn. A tail injury was extremly painful and difficult to treat, so they docked the end of their tails. Another reason was hygiene. Tails could get very dirty and cause infection inspite of regular grooming. Docking was also done to maintain the breed standards. But nowadays, docking is done mainly for cosmetic purposes.

There are two methods for docking a dog's tail. In the first method, an orthodontic band is placed over the end of puppies tail when they are very young. The blood supply to the tail is cut off and the end of its tail falls off within a few days. The second method is surgical removal of tails using scissors.

People who do docking claim that it is a painless procedure when it is done on a puppy. But researchers feel that docking can effect the balance and the ability of the dogs to communicate. A dog who can't wag its tail?? Isn't that horrible? Whatever excuse people give, it won't justify this inhuman act fueled by our aesthetic tastes.

Thankfully, Animal Welfare Board of India(AWBI) has banned docking and has instructed veterinary surgeons not to carry out docking of tail, cropping of ears and other cosmetic procedures. It is treated as an offense as per Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 and if found guilty, a person can be fined and sentenced to jail term of up to 2 years.

But as is often seen in our country, out of ignorance or out of disregard for the law, some people still carry out this procedure.
In case you find anyone still practicing this cruelty, inform AWBI and pet owners please do understand how cruel you are being to your pets. Say "NO" to docking and stop this mutilation.

Dedicated to my friend's Rottweiler, Rocky!!

Best Way to Commit Suicide, Eat Shawarma from Kerala!!

You read it right, the Arabian delicacy has become a killer in Kerala. Though the unhygienic methods of preparing food items in the hotels isn't a big secret, officials got the wake up call only after a young man died from food poisoning. The 21 year old victim, a hotel management student had consumed shawarma from a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram on the way to Bangalore.Next day he fell ill and was later found dead. Two of his friends where hospitalised following severe food poisoning.

As customary, the incident caused a lot of stir in the media and among the people. The incident became the topic of discussions and debates. Everywhere in Kerala, startled people where seen discussing the matter in the, 'I knew this would happen one day' tone. My mom wasn't far behind. She gave me one hour lecture daily on my habbit of skipping meals at home and eating from outside. Anyway,  Food Safety Wing decided to take notice atlast and declared a one week ban on shawarma in Ernakulam District. A chain of frenzied raids began with Food Safety Officers marching into hotels all over Kerala.

The next shock wave came with the startling discovery made by the Food Safety Department. Many of the hotels were functioning under highly unhygienic conditions. In one of the hotels, there was a toilet right in the kitchen and the whole kitchen was stinking with the smell of latrine. Many of the kitchens where filthy and the food materials where stale. Coloured food grains, unwashed utensils, meat with worms in it, excessive use of tastemakers including aginomoto.. the list of things found out by the Officials is horrifyingly long. Many hotels where shut down and many more where given notice to improve their condition within 14 days. If you thought all this was happening only in the small and medium scale hotels, you are wrong. Stale food was found in many of the star hotels too. Ironically, the officer who conducted the raids in star hotels, was given transfer the very next day. So much for responsibility and honesty!

Several actions were taken by the Food Safety Department to curb this issue.The Food Safety Commissioner called in the hotel owners for a meeting (which turned out to be a shouting match) and reminded them that the deadline for restaurants to obtain licence under the Food Safety and Standard Act 2011 was nearing and that strict actions would be taken against those who fail to obtain licence by then..Authorities also warned people from eating street food and said that they will not allow Shawarma counters to sell food made in the open without any protective covering .

Things dint stop there. It was now turn of hoteliers to protest. The Hotel Owner's Association protested against the raids by shutting down all the hotels for one day.  The drama has ended for now.. Every one has gone back to their normal lives. The shawarma incident and the unhygienic condition of the hotels is slowly fading from the memory of people!Hope it doesn't fade away from the memory of the Officials. Routine checks by officials and enforcing the law strictly could have saved one life. At least from now on, I hope such incidents are prevented and that hotel owner's learn the seriousness of the issue and ensure that quality of food isn't compromised.

My Most Memmorable Childhood Vacation

This is the first guest post here. Yeyy!! Cheers to Stephanie Fisher from Closet-13 for her beautiful post. This is written as a part of the Blog Swap organized by 20 Something Blogger. The topic was 'Childhood Summer Vacations' and you can read my post for it here.

Most of my childhood summer vacations were spent in cottages in the English countryside, however in 2003 we went to Spain for 2 weeks. I was so excited to be going abroad for the summer. We visited Costa Blanca, which is along the south east of the country.

We arrived at Alicante Airport and hired a car to take us to our villa (called Casa Nina) in Moraira. We were loaned a silver Renault Clio which was nice and small, but unfortunately wasn’t very reliable as it kept breaking down (we found out later that the heat was evaporating the petrol!) The weather was beautiful and the journey showed us some of the amazing views of Spain. We passed Benidorm, which was huge and very busy, and a giant black bull in the mountains along the roadside.

 

The villa was very nice. We had our own pool, a balcony and a sea view. It was wonderful to be able to walk to the beach, relax in the sun and go swimming whenever we wanted, however it was important that we stayed out of the mid-day sun so that we didn’t burn (as this is when the sun’s at it hottest), so when I wasn’t able to go outside, I would watch Spanish television or read a book. The beach and harbor were beautiful. The sea was crystal clear and a vibrant blue that glimmered next to the pure white sand

 

In the evenings we were able to walk around the area and explore the town, as it wasn’t too hot. The number of restaurants there were along the sea front astounded us. There was such a wide variety that we were able to have something different to eat every night, including pizza, Chinese food and even fish and chips. We eventually managed to find an English restaurant with air conditioning and we returned here every so often when we got too hot in our villa!

The nights were extremely hot and we were all unable to sleep. Apparently, the summer of 2003 was the hottest summer on record in Europe since at least 1540. We had heard that the temperature had reached
over 101^oF/39^oC in England and so it was even hotter for us in Spain! We had no air conditioning and there was not a single fan for sale in the country. Every single shop had sold out. So, most nights were spent, windows open, sitting in front of the freezer with cold drinks and ice cubes, trying to cool down.

One night we found a street market (we learned that most shops and markets open in the evening to avoid the heat of the daytime). It was filled with people selling handmade crafts and gorgeous materials. I bought all my friends handmade bracelets and bought myself a necklace. The most impressive display however, was a man who made and sold amazing pictures with spray paints. We had never seen anything like this before and were so fascinated by him that we watched him for hours until we decided to buy one. He finished each picture by ‘sealing’ it with heat, creating a giant flame with a lighter and an aerosol can.

It was a wonderful holiday and although at first I wanted to come home because it was so hot, by the end of the two weeks, I didn’t want to leave! I would definitely go back to the area again as it was a great experience.

A Week without Mom

No one would ever recommend me for the title of 'Best Daughter'. I was never the perfect, caring or considerate daughter. Lazy, good for nothing and selfish would be a better description for me. I used to snuggle up in front of the tv for endless hours while my mom cooked, cleaned and did all the household activities. Kitchen was not my area of interest. Cleaning was tiresome and I had no time for any of it as I had to study! I never had any shortage for excuses. But all my excuses couldn't save me on that fateful day. My grandmother was sick and hospitalised and Mom had to stay with her.

Being the eldest daughter of the house, I was put in charge. For a day or two I will have to cook breakfast, lunch and dinner. That sounds easy, I thought! It was easy, initially. Mom had made arrangements for everything. She cut up the vegetables, made dough and kept it all neatly in the fridge. I just had to put them all together and my Dad being the perfect Dad, was always there helping me. Two days went by and everything was fine. I made breakfast or if I was late, Dad made it. He and my sis would be off to work and school and I would make lunch, wash the dirty clothes and hang them in the line. Then I would relax in front of the tv or read something. In the afternoon I would pick the clothes, make tea and wait for everyone to come home. We would have tea, chat about the day's events and then I will be off to make dinner. We would merrily have dinner, clean and go to bed. Simple and perfect.

But then my grandma's situation dint improve and Mom had to stay at the hospital longer than we expected. All the supplies that she had made and kept, had exhausted. Now I was on my own. I had to plan the three meals of the day, buy the ingredients, cut, chop, grind and make it.I would prepare and keep the things for breakfast ready, the previous night. Most of the days, Dad would make breakfast. I had to make lunch. What a tedious task it was. By the time I made lunch, it would be time for tea. Once tea was over, I had some time to relax before I had to start making dinner.I dint have time for anything else. Often I would skip lunch and concentrate on dinner. It dint help that I knew to make only a handful of things. I would be puffing and panting making something and when finally I present it to my sis, she would yell, "What? Again this same old thing? I don't wanna eat it!". My patience was being tested to its limits. I would glare at her controlling my urge to slap. Thank God for Maggie Noodles!All my health consciousness and diet management were thrown out of the window. Maggie was one thing that my sis would never say no to and it had become my new holy grail. By now, I had no time for washing clothes or cleaning house.Everything was in a mess. My temper was flying out of the window. To top it all, I caught a terrible cold. I thought I was gonna have a nervous breakdown. I just wanted to scream for Mom. Everyday I would pray hard for my Mom to come back and turn everything back to normal. After one long week she was back home. I was never this happy to see someone. I was crying in happiness at the sight of her.

I had learned my lesson! Mom is a miracle! Never ever under estimate her. I am still in awe of her. How the hell is she managing house and work so well? That too without complaining, even once?? I regret not having realized her importance earlier. But from now on I have decided to fully respect her and help her with all the work at home. One week without Mom was hell and it taught me a very important lesson- No one can ever ever replace the angel called MOM! She is simply the best!! :)