I had always wanted to visit Ladakh & when me n my hubby had to plan a vacation this time we went ahead n booked our tickets for Leh. We left for Mumbai airport on 2nd July evening. The drive from Pune to Mumbai on express highway was quite good, weather being very plesant. On reaching airport we came to know that our flight had got delayed by 2-3 hours, so we just whiled away our time in the airport & I was half dozing by the time we boarded the flight. On reaching Delhi airport there was again sometime before the next flight, so we ate something n waited more. At around 6 am we boarded the next flight, I again half dozing. Only after the breakfast was served in the flight I was fully awake. Once we started flying over the Himalayas we just couldnt contain our happiness, it was a clear day & it was so exciting seeing those picturesque snow covered mountain tops. I had never seen such a sight before in my life. All the tourists in the plane were so excited n nearly everyone was clicking away snaps, & the pilot with his commentary was adding to all the fun.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Lord Of The Rings - J R R Tolkien
Phew...what a lengthy book :) I had started reading this book long long back , when the third part of the movie was being screened. At that time the multiplexes here also screened the first 2 parts, so that people like me who hadn't seen any part as yet, could do so , before watching the 3rd part. So I ended up watching all three parts of the movie , before I could finish reading even half of first part of the book. I really enjoyed watching the movies, and having done so, I did not feel like continuing reading the book & so left it there.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse
He is one of my favourite authors! I simply love his work!!I would have sent him a fan mail had he been alive :)
I don't think I have read better humour than his. Off course Bill Waterson's Calvin n Hobbes is also awesome but then that is comics. Wodehouse's style of writing is so different n hilarious. His way of formulating the sentences, his analogies, his characters, everything is simply awesome :)
I don't think I have read better humour than his. Off course Bill Waterson's Calvin n Hobbes is also awesome but then that is comics. Wodehouse's style of writing is so different n hilarious. His way of formulating the sentences, his analogies, his characters, everything is simply awesome :)
Monday, June 22, 2009
O Jerusalem!
... Dominique Lapierre & Larry Collins.
I had bought this book long back, but finally started reading it couple of months back. This book lists down the series of events that took place during the partition of Palestine & creation of the state of Israel..Like any other book by these authors, this book doesn't just give a narration of events but kind of introduces you with lot many people involved in the making of those events.
To summarize what had happened during the period of 1947 - 1948 : With a long history of Jewish massacre & diaspora, the Jews finally began their struggle for a separate independent state. Jerusalem being the roots of their origin [Land of Israel according to Bible], that was the place they wanted to create a Jewish state. In Nov 1947, after a voting in UN, the people of different nations decided in partitioning Palestine & creating Jewish state, in favor of the Jewish people. So they decided on what will come under Israel n what will be Palestine & they decided on making Jerusalem neither of the two, & making it an international city. This being because, Jerusalem is a holy city for 3 religions, so to ensure peace in the city its best not to declare it "Jewish" "Muslim" or "Christian" state.
I had bought this book long back, but finally started reading it couple of months back. This book lists down the series of events that took place during the partition of Palestine & creation of the state of Israel..Like any other book by these authors, this book doesn't just give a narration of events but kind of introduces you with lot many people involved in the making of those events.
To summarize what had happened during the period of 1947 - 1948 : With a long history of Jewish massacre & diaspora, the Jews finally began their struggle for a separate independent state. Jerusalem being the roots of their origin [Land of Israel according to Bible], that was the place they wanted to create a Jewish state. In Nov 1947, after a voting in UN, the people of different nations decided in partitioning Palestine & creating Jewish state, in favor of the Jewish people. So they decided on what will come under Israel n what will be Palestine & they decided on making Jerusalem neither of the two, & making it an international city. This being because, Jerusalem is a holy city for 3 religions, so to ensure peace in the city its best not to declare it "Jewish" "Muslim" or "Christian" state.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Coorg
It has been so long since I have updated my blog, n reason being I am reading 3 books simultaneously & no where close to finishing any of them. Meanwhile I thought I will write about few of my travel experiences. So starting with my latest trip, this was to Coorg.
Coorg is a hill station located in Karnataka and is famous for its spices & coffee plantation. Off course from tourism point of view, it is quite green & laid back with no city hustle bustle. We happened to plan this trip out of the blue. My hubby Sayu and me were planning on taking couple of days off on our second anniversary & the “nearby place” to visit in our list was Goa. But then I was trying to find a place which we both had not visited earlier & is also not too far, as we had just 4 days to roam around with us. So stumbling on Coorg, I scouted the internet and finalized on the itinerary. I was so happy on this chance plan & Sayu, off course agreed with it.
Coorg is a hill station located in Karnataka and is famous for its spices & coffee plantation. Off course from tourism point of view, it is quite green & laid back with no city hustle bustle. We happened to plan this trip out of the blue. My hubby Sayu and me were planning on taking couple of days off on our second anniversary & the “nearby place” to visit in our list was Goa. But then I was trying to find a place which we both had not visited earlier & is also not too far, as we had just 4 days to roam around with us. So stumbling on Coorg, I scouted the internet and finalized on the itinerary. I was so happy on this chance plan & Sayu, off course agreed with it.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Selfish Gene - Richard Dawkins
This one is on biology - natural selection, neo Darwinism. An interesting book & written extremely well. The author has really explained the concepts & his views very well, using various analogies & examples. So best part is I could understand everything that was written :D. Second best part is I enjoyed reading it :)
The main point in the whole book is that - natural selection is the theory of evolution. Through natural selection we have been explaining evolution till now. And genetic unit is the unit of natural selection & not individual. The natural selection takes place at the level of the genes [basic unit] & so our genes are selfish. They are selfish because the only thing that matters to them is their survival & so they will do anything, just anything for their survival. Now that is being selfish at the core level, even if that seems altruistic at the individualistic level.
The main point in the whole book is that - natural selection is the theory of evolution. Through natural selection we have been explaining evolution till now. And genetic unit is the unit of natural selection & not individual. The natural selection takes place at the level of the genes [basic unit] & so our genes are selfish. They are selfish because the only thing that matters to them is their survival & so they will do anything, just anything for their survival. Now that is being selfish at the core level, even if that seems altruistic at the individualistic level.
Friday, January 16, 2009
God's Debris by Scott Adams
What is this book? As in is it a collection of no- sense by any chance? cuz that's how it seemed to me, it made no sense to me :) According to the author, it is a thought experiment, which it might be because, its all experimental views i suppose. At times i was intrigued while reading, at times amused, at times it kinda bounced over my head & at times i just found it too ridiculous :) It seemed like author was playing with words.
In this 2 people are conversing about different topics [our free will, God's free will,science, religion, belief, reincarnation, light, luck, probability, evolution n what not ], About the different planes & levels of understanding.
The White Tiger - Aravind Adiga
Finally a fiction by an Indian author that I liked. Not that I have read many. In fact to be honest I have read very few. But somehow which ever I picked one on India/or by Indian author I ended up either disliking it like that "Mistress of spices" or getting infuriated like that "In spite of the Gods". So anyways this one was a good one.Thursday, December 18, 2008
Brighton Rock...Graham Green
After reading "The Human Factor", I picked up this book of the same author. And I just somehow managed to finish it. It just made no sense to me. Neither the story nor any implicit meanings which the author wanted to convey.
The story is about a boy "Pinkie", who is kind of involved in shady business, kills one person & more persons to hide the first murder. And then makes one girl [who kind of is the witness to first murder] his girlfriend & eventually marries her so that she cant testify against him. This girl also is blindly devoted to him for no odd reason. And the story goes on.
It was such a boring read for me. In Orkut's books community many people had kind of praised this book/author. Guess should check out what they liked about it.
The story is about a boy "Pinkie", who is kind of involved in shady business, kills one person & more persons to hide the first murder. And then makes one girl [who kind of is the witness to first murder] his girlfriend & eventually marries her so that she cant testify against him. This girl also is blindly devoted to him for no odd reason. And the story goes on.
It was such a boring read for me. In Orkut's books community many people had kind of praised this book/author. Guess should check out what they liked about it.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Eragon ...Eldest... by Christopher Paolini
Am yet to finish the third n final part of this Inheritance Trilogy. The first two books have been a good read. Whats enjoyable about such fantasy novels is that they are pure imagination :) This one is nothing compared to Harry Potter series off course, which was like AWESOME :D but still has been a wonderful read.
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