Hello earthlings!

It all started on a sunny day fifteen years ago, on October 31^st 1997, when five pre-teen girls starring : the event planner of the group, the bookworm, the athlete, the tree hugger just an overall hippie, and the noob who had just moved from LA (aka Me), left home ready for school skipped their last class and took a bus to their local AMC theatres (now a safeway..go figure) and saw Titanic, starring Leonard DiCaprio.  

And so it began...not the skipping class bit though I will admit that wasn't the only time ditching school but just hanging out together...exploring the world from beyond the comfort of our school.  Since then, every year a few of us routinely celebrate our adventure by getting together for a mini-party at a friends place. Though initially the purpose of this merriment event was to celebrate a wonderful movie in which we all bawled our eyes out (did Jack really have to die?!) however now it has progress to a joyful celebration to reminisce that eventful day that strengthen our friendship (and of course Leonardo DiCaprio).  We get together at a convenient time for everybody for mini-party and catch-up, an annual reunion of a sort.  Its amazing to look back and see how our activities have changed over the years...from sleepovers, board games to dinner parties and now a bookclub!  Yupe we are starting a book club!  im excited..we've always updated each other in one way or another on what we are reading but never officially started one. But here we go..we're giving this a shot. 

The first book suggested by the event planner of the group, is "Fifty shades of Grey" by E.L James.  I initially agreed to it but after reading some reviews and the prelude..eehh im not quite sure I want to read this book.  Its not the genre I usually read...i like the fantasy/sci-fi genre..the harry potter types of books..so this is definitely the complete opposite of my preference in books..but I'll give it a shot I guess, and if I cant read it then I suppose I'll just share why I couldn't do it.  

In other news...the olympics started! Go USA!  you know if there was a gold medal given to a country with most goodlooking athletes...i think USA would be a strong contender ;) dont you think...Ryan Lochte need I say more? 

Fact or Fiction?..case in point: C.S. Lewis

Under the banner of fantasy and science fiction genre, authors are given a window to express what they feel without any constraints regarding the world around us...don't you think?  case in point, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, for example, which is an alarmingly psychic satire on where we may be headed..a futuristic totalitarian society. 

Another such example is the allegorical Animal Farm by George Orwell’s, which was inspired by his strong cynicism with the Soviet Communism; among many such literary “fiction” is the work of C.S. Lewis...the man obviously needs no introduction but just in case you've time travelled from the 19th century..he is probably one of the most influential writer of the 20th century.  Annnd no..im not going to talk about the Chronicles of Narnia..no offense narnians but instead I want to discuss the Screwtape Letters.  

Which is essentially, a clever satire on anyone driven away from his or her motive with temptations.  When I first picked up  the Screwtape letters, the cleverness of it astonished me...i definitely underestameted C. S. Lewis.  In the book, C.S. Lewis states "The world into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst and itch...It almost smothered me before I was done. It would have smothered my readers if I had prolonged it".   And I have no reason to doubt it; the tenacity of reading this book without any personal attachment was a task I found impossible to undertake.  One cause could be because C.S Lewis had written this work to appeal to the readers’ emotions, hence making it very difficult to read without getting emotionally involved. At first glance it may seem he is aiming to appeal to his readers’ religious endeavors, but I believe it also had a universal appeal to anyone who has a set of reason in their lives, and a more distinct appeal to those that lack reason in their lives.

            In the Screwtape Letters, C.S Lewis covers a range of growing human concerns such as politics, religion and education all in the cover of fantasy. He brilliantly steps inside our minds and describes every mental battle we’ve experience in our spiritual journey and tactically disguised it as the deliberate work of the devil.  C.S. Lewis conveys an innovative outlook to the human conscience while offering the idea that it is driven by an unwavering direction steered by the manipulation of good and evil.   As our world progresses, I see a parallel growth between world advances and human concerns.  As divorces and dropout rates go up, issues C.S. Lewis embarks upon in The Screwtape Letters becomes less of a fantastical work and more as a moral guidance.  I know C.S Lewis has his share of critics but in my opinion the Screwtape Letters is the kind of novel that only ages better as our world advances.

See the world you live in..

My most favorite thing to do in the world?  Travel.  I love to travel.  To see the world and experiencing new cultures.  To see the results of human creativity across the world influenced by their own unique cultural perspective.  Personally, I feel people don't travel enough.  In my opinion, everybody should make traveling a priority in their lives.  I know it can be expensive, but traveling doesn't have to be spontaneous (though mine mostly are ;) )  however, nothing is impossible if you plan.

Why should you take my advice? well before the age of twelve, I had been to dozens of Safaris, travelled to at least four Continents and relocated halfway across the world.  Baaam!..but seriously the joys of travel and the early exposure to diverse cultures have greatly influenced my background and my personality.  My family loves to travel, whether its a last minute plan to go on a drive and explore the city we live in or a drive by the beautiful hills in our neighborhood or a planned family vacation to a foreign land.  Since I was a little girl I've been accustomed to traveling.  These travels introduced to me an early exposure to a wide range of diverse cultures.  People's ways of life other than my own,  human creativity at its best.  Whether its to experience life in the outskirts of Africa, where people have made a beautiful organic living without electricity for centuries amidst the breath-taking views of the african savanna or to experience the bustling city of Paris, France aka "La Ville-Lumière", city of lights, in which you can  experience a beautiful fusion of the old parisian life with the flourishing 21st century.

My latest travel was a lovely mother-daughter vacation to the beautiful Kerala, known to locals as "Gods own country." At first, my mom and I were a bit vary since only the two of us could fit long term traveling into our schedule, so we debated between traveling or staying in and going somewhere local for a weekend retreat with most of the family.  We were doubtful to travel abroad especially since we never really had a vacation with just the two of us.  Usually we either travel as a family or at least with most of our family, this was the first time just two members out of our family of six were traveling to a foreign land.  And let me tell you its the best thing we could have done.  Once we came to our conclusion of going, we got in touch with Crossways Travel & Tours Inc., if you are thinking of travel to a foreign place through an agency, then I recommend them with flying colors.  They planned a vacation packet fit for queens for us.  Honestly, they catered to our every need..from day one they had assigned a private car and driver ready to take us where ever we chose..completely dependent on our flexibility, which is helpful because my mother and I are very spontaneous people.  They planned a traveling itinerary including everything we had asked them we wanted out our trip to south india to even more event and places that went above and beyond our expectations.  They simply blew our minds, We couldn't have asked for a better itinerary or agency.  

But enough talking, lets share PICTURES!! since pictures speak a thousand words right? lol o.O

I have gazillion pictures from our trip so let me just share some highlights from our mind-blowing trip..

We first landed in New Delhi..this was the beautiful hotel we stayed at...they booked with the best SERVICE and food ever! I wish we had taken a picture of the shower..it was like a full body massage lol loved it!  

 Enjoyed some fresh coconut juice by a street vendor..

 Saw the beautiful Qutb minar...breathtaking views and mind blowing history...

This was the main reason we wanted to land in delhi first...to see the beautiful delhi akshardham :)

Then our tour of south india began...here some of the awesome hotels we stayed at..no complaints best service ever...spas, pools, diverse menus, friendly customer services ..you name it..


Say hello to the hotel in cohin...great location, right in the city..near all the best restaurants, shopping malls, and best natural harbors..

Moving on to the beautiful, breath-taking munar..

 This was the view from our hotel room...the place was simply heaven...green hills, low population with all facilities, wonderful weather...just pure heaven

From my previous post...you know I love tea..so ofcourse we went tea tasting! 

Destination numbero tres..Thekkedy!  again a wonderful stay!

we enjoyed a spice plantation tour while riding a..you guessed it an ELEPHANT! my first elephant ride ever! mind blown!  this is the view from the top of the elephant :) his name was shintu!

 Mommy and I on Shintu the elephant!

here are a few out the bazillion gazillion pictures I took...enjoy! 

Got to see my very first world famous south indian cultural show...

Yupe we stayed on an houseboat!..thats our houseboat..so relaxing...

private boat ride..

Divine sunset view...

I wish I could share all my pictures...maybe i'll keep updating this post over time..and in time maybe i'll feel like I've capture the essence of our trip...but in short..we had a great time, met great people, and overall it just added to our love of traveling..next time we are planning to go to south america! Rio de Janeiro, Brazil here we come! =D

Frankenstein’s Mary

This morning I stumbled across a good documentary on the science channel, "Prophets of Science Fiction", and that is the inspiration behind today's post tailored around my all time favorite science fiction book, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.  I love the book, not only because of its brilliant story, but also because of its strong interconnection to the author's own personal life and experiences.  So today in my blog I wish to share with you not the story of Frankenstein, but rather the Mary Shelley in Frankenstein.

But first, what qualifies a book as well written? In my opinion, a good book is one that engages me in to the story.  A book that takes me on a journey and soon I forget that I’m reading or where I’m reading.  A book in which the author manages to draw their readers into their stories and establish a form of connection and authenticity with their characters.  A great example of such a book is Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.  One of the most common misconception about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein however, is that people generally refer to "the monster" as Frankenstein, when in reality the monster was never given a name by Victor Frankenstein, monster's creator.  This was primarily done so that Dr. Frankenstein would never be emotionally attached to the result and consequences of his curiosity of creation, the creature, but thats for a different post.  Today I'm discussing Mary Shelley :)

In her novel, Shelley uses her life experience and knowledge to create Frankenstein’s personality and environment.      


Though never formally educated, Mary Shelley was constantly surrounded by literature figures because of her father’s profession as a political philosopher. When Mary Shelley was very young, hiding behind a sofa, she heard Coleridge recite the famous "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" which would later be referenced many times in Frankenstein.  This moment in time bares a significant resemblance to how the Creature, Frankenstien's monster, educated himself by hiding in the cottage shed while listening to the cottagers. Mary Shelley’s desire to acquire knowledge and the powerful passion for research and study is evident throughout the novel, and is established with the help of three narrators: Victor Frankenstein, Walden, and the monster. Frankenstein and Walden's quest for new knowledge of the unknown and the monster's search for knowledge of his origins parallel Mary Shelley's lifelong scholarly pursuit and her interest in her own biological origins.


Through Victor Frankenstein, the readers get a glimpse into Mary Shelley’s own personal views on knowledge "You seek for knowledge and wisdom as I once did; and I ardently hope the gratification of your wishes may not be a serpent to sting you, as mine has been"(Shelley, 15).  Mary Shelley believed that not all knowledge was "good" knowledge and there were some areas that were beyond human understanding and should not be fiddled with. This is evident in Victor Frankenstein's desire to explore the mystery of creation.  


There are many similarities between Shelley and Frankenstein’s monster.   Besides the obvious parallel of being shunned by the society, the quest for knowledge to learn of ones’ origin is something the two share in common.  As the monster discovered the horror of his own creation, similarly Mary, thru her father’s very public Memoirs, was subjected to the horrors of her own birth and was able to perceive the primal scene of her creation.  In this instance as well, yet again we’re given proof of how the author has used her life experiences as a guide to write a great work of literature.


I believe successful authors can weave a beautiful web with their words and can express themselves with the power of words.  In this sense the written word becomes a power medium of communication.  Mary Shelley’s story tells a deeper story.  One that is revealed through a deeper interpretation of a story that she has written.  Oftentimes, when a reader is able to see past the web weaved by the author, a new story is revealed, one that may or may not be as glossy as the written word.  In retrospect, I believe knowing that this novel was written based on true events and experience, added to the written story.  New emotions were felt, a new connection was made with the leading character, and the readers are given a rare opportunity to glimpse into what made up the character of Mary Shelly.  In fact this discovery only further proves the power of written words.

If not already done so, I hope now you can revisit the book with a different perspective.  I hope that you read the book first and not see the movie, but if you must see the movie first then I recommend the 1994 version directed by Kenneth Branagh, staring Robert De Niro as the Creature.