Travel-muse

Book Review

2012-01-27T22:42:00.000-08:00

Recently another constructive review is out about my book The Second Choice, on museindia.com as stated in their Jan-Feb issue.

I am posting some excerpts from the review post for the convenience of my readers -

"There are some books that one reads, finishes reading and remembers in snippets. Then, some books make one laugh and cry; and are then tucked safely in a forgotten corner of their bookshelf. Few books; however, live on to you; right from the time one reads the first page; and make one pick them from time to time from corners of the bookshelf. This is what Lakshmi Menon’s first English novel in offering does; its poignancy wants you to take pleasure in it at regular intervals."

Another part -

"The complexities of Indu’s refusal to accept her ‘new mother’ and the depression of Anu; Pavithra's daughter are very well expressed in the middle of the novel. The book starts on a promising note, with a strong image of Anu resting in Pavithra’s lap and her reminiscence of her husband Anand in flashes. One feels appalled at her condition when instances of her late husband are portrayed."

If you're interested to read more please go here.

The book is available on several places, as print book as well as ebook.

First lines of some of my favorite novels

2012-01-12T01:57:00.000-08:00

When starting a novel, I always worry about the first line. So much time is spent on the first line. Here I mention about the first lines of some of my favorite novels.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.
- Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

Mariam was five years old the first time she heard the word harami.
- Khaled Hosseini in - A Thousand Splendid Suns

On a sticky August evening two weeks before her due date, Ashima Ganguli stands in the kitchen of a Central Square apatment, combining Rice Krispies and Planters peanuts and chopped red onion in a bowl.
- Jumpa Lahiri in The Namesake

In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains.
- Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms (1929)

I have never begun a novel with more misgiving.
- W. Somerset Maugham, The Razor's Edge (1944)

I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to.
Bill Bryson - in The Lost Continent

Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm as the Tarleton twins were.”
-Margaret Mitchell in Gone With The Wind

It was a chill gray day in Savannah, and there was a brisk breeze blowing in from the ocean.
- Danielle Steel - in Message from Nam

When he was nearly thirteen my brother Jem got his arm badly broken at the elbow.
- Harper Lee - in To Kill a Mocking Bird.

Anna meets her friend Molly in the summer of 1957 after a separation...
- Doris Lessing - in The Golden Notebook

Raju welcomed the intrusion - something to relieve the loneliness of the place.
- R.K. Narayan in The Guide

My Top 6 ways to stay creative

2012-01-08T15:32:00.000-08:00

A Happy New Year to you all.

It is a problem for every writer to remain creative. Every one will have their own methods to stay creative. These are my top methods to remain creative.

1. When I'm tired or bored I just get away from my computer for a while and take a walk inside the house or sometimes outside. After I come back I feel refreshed and creative again.

2. Sometimes I switch on the television and spend about 15 to 30 minutes with my favorite channel. If I am writing a fiction I'd watch a serial. If I'm in the midst of a travel article I'd be interested to watch a travel channel, which will soon bring me back to my writing mood. I also write children's stories. If I'm stuck up with the story, watching a channel for the kids would be all that I need to get back to my mood.

3. Drinking a cup of tea or a glass of juice is another way of recharging my mind. sometimes I'd also munch something in between.

4. If I'm completely exhausted and realize that my mind is empty I'd be very glad to spend some time with my dear ones either at home or over the phone. After the change of thoughts when I return to my computer I will be more energized to continue my writing.

5. Sometimes a complete relaxation on the bed is a great way to get back to my creative mood.

6. Some other times I just stand in the balcony of my flat and listen to the conversation going on outside, or observe the surroundings and people. Many times I found it highly useful to get back to my writing mood.

Now please share your methods to stay creative. I'm sure you will have your own methods to stay creative. Some of them may be useful to me and my readers.

My new ebook - Magic Land of Zanzibar

2011-12-10T01:38:00.000-08:00

I was just fascinated by the beauty of Zanzibar Island in Africa. After my visit there I decided to write about what I saw there, and other relevant details. I have just published my new ebook on Zanzibar. It is an easy to read book with lots of pictures. Magic Land of Zanzibar is available here. You can read the first few pages for free.

Weekend at Zanzibar Island

2011-11-18T01:20:00.000-08:00

We spent a weekend at Zanzibar Island, a part of Union Republic of Tanzania, in East Africa.

Zanzibar is a tourists' paradise. People from all over the globe reach there just to enjoy the beauty of the Island, relax in the white sandy beaches, and see the spice gardens.

Stone town, the capital city of Zanzibar is a historic town and now a UNESCO world heritage site. Read more here.

From Tanzania

2011-11-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

I'm here in Tanzania for few days with my daughter's family. I had a chance to see some of the places here at Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital of Tanzania.

Above: people relax at the beach on Indian ocean (taken from the moving car)

above - a cute little girl who had accompanied her parents to the mall pauses for a photo for us. we had asked for their permission before clicking.

Above: front of the shopping mall

Above: A cute little girl is getting her face painted in the shopping mall.

Happy Diwali!

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wish you all a happy Diwali.

Happy Vijaya Dasami

2011-10-06T02:26:00.000-07:00

Wish you all a Very Happy Vijaya Dasami, and Dussehra.

A woman's world!

2011-09-29T18:19:00.000-07:00

What do a woman do at home? Read this story to know the answer.

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Father came home and found his three children were outside, still in their pajamas, playing in the mud, with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn all around the front yard.

The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front door to the house and there was no sign of the dog. Proceeding into the entry, he found an even bigger mess. A lamp had been knocked over, and the throw rug was wadded against one wall.

In the front room the TV was loudly blaring a cartoon, and the family room was strewn with toys and various items of clothing.

In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open wide, dog food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread by the back door. He quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife.

He was worried she may be ill, or that something serious had happened.

He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its way out the bathroom door. As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and more toys strewn over the floor.

Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had been smeared over the mirror and walls.

As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still curled up in the bed, reading a novel.

She looked up at him, smiled, and asked how his day went.

He looked another bewildered and asked, “What happened here today?”

She again smiled and answered, “You know every day when you come home from work and you ask me what in the world did I do today?”

“Yes?” was his incredulous reply.

She answered, “Well, today I didn't do it.”

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Send this to a woman.

It's Priceless!!! !!!!!

And to a man so that he understands the value of a woman!!!

Happy Onam!

2011-09-09T04:30:00.000-07:00

Wish you a Happy Onam!

Welcoming King Mahabali to the House

Sumptuous lunch - Sadhya on the occasion

Reviews and availability of the book - The second choice.

2011-09-07T08:06:00.000-07:00

Check out this blog at wordpress.com to know more about the Book The Second Choice. It is available in many places now. Hope you will check it out and buy it. After reading please give your feedback on the book. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did the writing.

The Second Choice - a novel

2011-07-27T17:47:00.000-07:00

I recently launched "The Second Choice", my debut novel in English. Though it was started long ago, it was completed recently, and got it published by a small publisher Songbyrde Publications. I didn't want to spend further time by sending it to several big publishers and wait indefinitely for a response. Since publishing has become much easier now I took the shorter route. It is also available as ebook.

For more info - check here.

Summer in South India

2011-06-20T22:21:00.000-07:00

There are several interesting places to see in summar in southern part of India.

Shivasamudram

Badami Caves

Badami Caves with Agusthyamuni lake

Mahakoota Temple Pond

Bidar Fort

ebook publishing

2011-06-10T02:47:00.000-07:00

Publishing an ebook is not a problem today. It can be read by many devices. It is really worth a try. I have published 4 ebooks recently. These are stories for children, published at smashwords.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61438
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61443
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/61784
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/62865 (This is for free).

Hailstones in Bangalore

2011-05-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's downpour, lasted just half an hour, but uprooted many trees and the hailstones that followed the hailstorm-

Vegetable carving

2011-04-20T00:23:00.000-07:00

These are some of the vegetable carvings we had with our friends, in Bangalore.

Visit to Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad, India

2011-03-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

During my Hyderabad visit, I had the opportunity to visit the famous art museum called Salarjung Museum, located on the southern bank of the River Musi. It is the 3rd largest museum in India, and is the effort of one man collection. These priced collections of arts belonging to different civilizations dating back to the 1st century, were the collections of Mr. Yousuf Ali Khan Salar Jung III (1889-1949). He was the Prime Minister of the 7th Nizam of Hyderabad.

Our guide paid the entree fee of Rs.150/- on our behalf and took us inside. If you're person with a mind to appreciate art, you will enjoy the visit to this museum. If not, you're wasting your time. Since I was very much interested in arts, I enjoyed every moment I spent there. Photography is not allowed here. In our available time of about 2 hours, I was enjoying the stunning collections of exhibits in the various galleries. Some of them are the sculpture of veiled Rebeca, an Italian sculptor's work Double Figure, amazing bronze collections of South India, jade crafted knifes of Jehangir and Nurjehan, stunning ivory collections, and many famous European paintings.

The Museum is also famous for the 19th Century mechanical clock. Every hour, a little man comes out and bangs a bell then disappears back into the clock, and another figure who is a blacksmith, is constantly tapping away at something.. Every hour the large auditorium is packed with visitors to watch this on the television screens on the wall.

A visit to Ramoji Film City

2010-12-09T07:14:00.000-08:00

Hawa mahal

I had a wonderful trip to Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. I had to meet an old friend of mine after a lapse of 5 years. She had come on leave from Malaysia and she requested me to spend a holiday with her.
We booked a one-day tour and they took us to Ramoji Film City, which is said to be the world's largest Film Studio Complex. After a thorough security checking we were allowed inside. We are not allowed to take food inside. Many restaurants are also there. Inside there are many tour buses red in color, which take the visitors to different localities.

For Children

Railway Station setting

It is pretty expensive, but it is worth the amount. You can really have unlimited fun for all age groups, and see a city with all the film settings. For shopping also there is no shortage.

You can find model railway station there, a air plane with usual size, Hawa mahal, Taj Mahal, caves, zoo, gardens like Japanese garden, Charisma garden, Umbrella Garden, Leg Garden, Family garden, Sanctuary garden, water falls, Hollywood setting, Eureka, Jug fountain, and various statues are some of them.

There are many rides such as Bumping car, Ranger, Break dance, Twister, Super Jet, Thrill ride etc. and also some Shows such as Stunt show, Spirit of Ramoji. You can learn the movie making secrets at Ramoji Film Magic, such as how the scenes are made, how the sounds are added, and how the stunt scenes are made etc.

On the whole it is a must visit place to enjoy a wonderful day. One day is not sufficient to see everything there, but at least making a day's trip is worth the amount you pay. The place is well maintained, and also with toilet facilities in many places.

Winter is the best time to visit Hyderabad, especially Ramoji Film City.

Chottanikkara Temple, Ernakulam

2010-11-25T21:18:00.000-08:00

Chottanikkara Bhagavathi Temple is one of the most famous temples of Kerala. Located in Chottanikkara, 17 kms from Ernakulam, and 8 km away from Tripunithura, in a hilly region surrounded on all sides by undulating beauty, with rich greenery, Sri Bhagavati provides a deep spritiual solace to the large number of devotees who throng here every day. A visit to the temple brings relief to them from the overburdening anguish and agonies they face in their life and return with a peaceful mind. The 'Devi' in the temple is known for the healing powers, particularly relating to mental illness and disorders. In the main temple, the golden hued idol of Bhagavathy 4 to 5 ft. high, with four hands, is bedecked with flowers, garlands, jewels and bathed in myriad of lights splendidly.

The Divine Mother known as Rajarajeswari (Adiparasakthi) is worshipped here in three forms- Saraswathy in the morning ( draped in white), Lakshmi at noon (draped in crimson red) and Durga in the evening (draped in a bright blue dress). The original idol of Bhagavathy, three or four feet high which faces east, is of laterite and is believed to be self-born (swayambhoo).

Adjacent to the image of Bhagavathy, to her right, there is an image of Mahavishnu in granite on the same pedestal. Hence, the Deity is called Ammenarayana, Devinarayana, Lakshminarayana and Bhadrenarayana also. Other deities like Brahma, Siva, Ganapathi, Subramanya, and Sastha are also there.
The temple complex also houses Kizhukkavu Bhagavathy temple, Nagas and other Upa-Devas.

The temple opens at 4 a.m. with a blowing of the conch and playing of the temple musical instruments.

The main festival here is Makom Thozhal held in Malayalam month Kumbham (Feb-March).

The Mental Illness of People are said to be cured by worshipping the deity here.

Marriages are also conducted here. Recently I had a chance to attend a wedding here. (See the kalyana mandapa below where the couple are surrounded by the relatives. )

Facilities like good hotels with marriage halls are also available there.

Ceremonies like Chorunnu, (the first time rice feeding ceremony to babies) and Vidhyarambham (the first time introducing a child to learning) are also conducted here.

Happy Diwali Greetings!

2010-11-04T04:17:00.000-07:00

Wish you all a very Happy Diwali.

Happy Dasara!

2010-10-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

Wish you all a Happy Dasara. If you would like to read an article on Dasara, please click here.

This year, Mysore Dasara is celebrating its 400th year. In the year, 1610, Raja Wadiyar ascended the historic golden throne of Vijayanagar Kingdom and started the ten-day festival at Srirangapatna. Vijayadasami, the 10th day of Dasara, is celebrated on the 17th October 2010.

Top places to see in Ooty

2010-10-12T23:25:00.000-07:00

Ooty is a great place to visit. A couple of years ago we had visited Ooty and had a wonderful time there.
Read more about it here. and see what are the interesting places there.

Onam Festival of Kerala

2010-08-06T10:30:00.000-07:00

Kerala is getting ready to celebrate and rejoice the State Festival Onam in the month of Chingam (Bhadrapada), which falls usually at the end of August or beginning of September.This year Onam is celebrated on the 23rd of August 2010.

The ten-day harvest festival Onam is starting with “Atham” and it is the greatest festival of Kerala. After a bounteous harvest, Onam is the time for the farmers to celebrate the bounties of nature and make merry. A unique feature of this festival is that it is celebrated unitedly by all Keralites without caste or religious differences. Every Malayali wherever he or she may be in the world celebrates Onam.

Legend
According to legends, Lord Mahavishnu visited King Mahabali, the benevolent ruler of Kerala, in disguise as Vamana, a dwarf Brahmin, requesting for three feet of space to live. Without realising his intention, the king agreed to his request. Suddenly Vamana began to grow and he covered the whole earth by one foot and covered the sky with other foot. When Vamana asked for the third foot, Mahabali had no other go, but to show his head. Vamana kept his third foot on the King’s head and the King was pushed down under the earth. Realising the true form of Vamana, Mahabali requested the lord to permit him to visit his people once a year. His request was granted and Onam is the yearly celebration of welcoming the benevolent ruler.

As a symbolic gesture to welcome ‘King Mahabali’ attractive pookalam (a floral decoration) with a clay mount in the centre, is laid in front of every home starting on Atham day, which will continue till Thiruvonam day. The pookalam is usually circular in shape and multi-coloured. Making a Pookalam is a colourful and joyous event for the young girls.

Onam Sadhya

A sumptuous meal on plantain leaf is served in every house. The main items for the sadhya include sambar, kalan, olan, pachadi, aviyal, elassery, thoran, puliyenji, naranga curry, papad, banana chips, sweet banana chips, and steamed Kerala banana pieces and the traditional payasam.

In the evenings, girls, traditionally dressed sing onapaattu, perform traditional folk dances like Thiruvathirakkali, Kaikottikali and Thumbithullal, dancing around the traditional brass lamps called Nilavilakku. Men do the Pulikkali. They paint their bodies with leopards spots and dance in front of another group of men dressed like hunters. The children play overwhelmed at the new swing tied between trees in addition to many traditional games during this festival. Boat races and carnivals enrich the festival. At Trichur (Thrissur), caparisoned elephants take part in a spectacular procession.

Caernarfon Castle of North Wales

2010-06-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

During my stay in London, I had the opportunity to visit many places in and around. One of the most interesting places was Wales. North Wales is a highly beautiful place which is blessed with abundant natural beauty.

Apart from this, North Wales is also famous for the beautiful castles scattered all over. Most of these castles were built by Edward I following his conquest of Gwynedd in 1283. Caernarfon Castle is highly magnificent and is located on the banks of the River Seiont at the southern end of the Menai Strait between north Wales and Anglesey, 8 miles south west of Bangor.

It was built not only as a military stronghold but also as a seat of government and a royal palace. The majestic walls and battlements of the Castle tower above the walled town, also built by Edward I. The walls are said to have been modelled on those of Constantinople. His son, the first English Prince of Wales, (later King Edward II of England). was born here in 1284.

It was also the scene of the coronation of the Prince of Wales in 1969, and with this the Castle gained worldwide fame. ,

With its historic rankings, Caernarfon Castle is recognized as a World Heritage Site.

You can also read more about it here.

Home coming

2010-06-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

I returned to my home land with lots of beautiful memories and wonderful experiences of London - UK life.

Had a quick trip to Kerala .