Rajasthan in 2 days!

As a child, I barely moved out of Mumbai except to go to my native place – Mangalore. Hence I grew up with a dream that I’d one day travel around the world. I’d live my dream through books (guess that’s where I developed my love for reading), which would take me to various places, where I’d along with the said character in the book, would walk through the nuances of the place and through these formed my dream destinations – Jerusalem, Egypt, London and Rajasthan.

Jerusalem and Egypt seem a far cry at the moment. London may happen sometime. But surprisingly being in India, I still haven’t managed Rajasthan. I travel down to Delhi quite often on work but never could manage taking off to Rajasthan from there due to time constraints. Last time I resolved to make it, but managed to only visit Agra and see the Taj Mahal.

This time my Delhi meet is scheduled on a Thursday and Friday, thus giving me the weekend Sat-Sun for my Rajasthan Rendezvous. My colleague based at Bangalore who too is to attend this meet and I, have thus resolved to make it to Rajasthan this time to make up for the last missed opportunity.

So all agog with excitement, I am planning the trip, but can’t figure out how we’ll manage to fit it in 2 days. We have earmarked Jaipur, and are looking forward to visiting the Palaces, the villages, the flea market and all the quaint places. How we’ll travel, where we’ll put up are questions I am yet to figure out. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we manage it this time.

Rajasthan, here I come!

Life of Pi

I generally don’t prefer reading Management, Self Help or any other book that falls into that category. I don’t know where I got the idea that ‘Life of Pi’ was a Management book and hence in spite of having heard much about it, avoided reading it.

It was only when a colleague gave me the gist of the book and raved about it, that I was intrigued enough to check it out. And I am glad I did.

‘Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel is the story of a 16 year old boy who finds himself stranded on a Lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean accompanied by a 450-pound Royal Bengal Tiger for a harrowing 7 months.

The start of the book was kind of staid and I began to have doubts if it really would be as interesting as I was told. However, a couple of chapters down, I was well into the book. The narration in the first person, the choice of words, the way humor is woven into an impossible situation is what makes this book interesting. Pi lives through a nightmare, and yet makes this nightmare, a fascinating read, sometimes shocking, sometimes downright repelling and at times heart wrenching.

The authors imagination is simply amazing, spinning such an unbelievable tale and taking one through such an astounding journey. 'Life of Pi' is a magical reading experience, of faith and an endless blue expanse of survival against all odds.

Good-byes...

Why can't we get all the people together in the world that we really like and then just stay together? I guess that wouldn't work. Someone would leave. Someone always leaves. Then we would have to say good-bye. I hate good-byes.

What I am reading…

Today I have a work off due to Diwali. Most others I know are enjoying a 3 to 4 day holiday session on account of Diwali, lucky them!

Having had a restful and relaxed Saturday and Sunday, getting one more day off in the week is still a bonus! And with my neck pain having eased off quite a bit, I am making the most of the time I have, with one of my favourite pastimes – Reading!

I have already managed to devour two books in the last couple of weeks. ‘The Great Exotic novels and short stories of Somerset Maugham’ by W Somerset Maugham and ‘The World’s Greatest Short Stories’ published by Jaico Books.

‘Leiningen versus the ants’ is one of my favorites in the ‘Greatest Short Stories’ book. ‘The Painted Veil’ and ‘The Magician’ from the Somerset Maugham stories is worth a read. However I thoroughly enjoyed ‘The World’s Greatest Short Stories’.

On the recommendation of a colleague, I am now reading ‘Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel – Winner of the Man Booker Prize 2002.