Now that things are more or less back to normal, we’re all excited to travel again. A trip we are all looking forward to is our India trip sometime next year before BB enlists for his National Service and GG starts university. So in honour of that upcoming trip, here are some photos while in flight.
Raya : Krishnadevaraya of Vijayanagara – Srinivas Reddy
In 1509 Krishnadevaraya, a prince from humble origins, ascended the throne of Vijayanagara. The empire he inherited was weak from two messy dynastic succession, and ambitious enemy kings loomed large on all sides – a haughty king of Orissa in the east, five upstart Deccan Sultans to the North, revolting Tamil rajas in the South and enterprising Portuguese soldiers from the West.
But Krishnadevaraya quickly rose to the challenge, and in the course of his remarkable twenty-year reign, he changed history forever. He won every single battle he fought and unified the whole of South India under his banner. Krishnadevaraya is remembered today as one of India’s greatest kings, not only because of his successes on the battlefield or the dazzling splendour of his empire, but because he was India’s first truly global leader.
He had to confront very modern problems, such as building international alliances and negotiating overseas trade deals, while grappling with the challenges of globalism and multiculturalism. The Deccan of his time was a cosmopolitan place where Hindus and Muslims, North Indians and South Indians, Persians and Portuguese, all intermingled as they made their lives and fortunes. This cultural dynamism also inspired Krishnadevaraya to look back at India’s past and reflect on her histories and traditions.
As a philosopher-king who was also a celebrated poet in his own right, he presided over an Indian Renaissance, when ancient texts and traditions were reinvigorated and infused with a fresh and modern vitality. Five hundred years after krishnadevaraya’s death, he is still remembered and loved as a compassionate and wise king, one who is immortalised in films and folk tales, poems and Ballads.
This fascinating and riveting book is meticulously researched and beautifully written. Based on Portuguese and Persian chronicles, as well as many overlooked Telugu literary sources, Raya is the definitive biography of one of the world’s greatest leaders.
Birthdays are always special and when we were younger, we used to wait months for our birthdays. Now as I grow older, birthdays are not as much anticipated as before, but the charm of a birthday will always be there.
This poem was written last month just before GG & BB’s birthday and is inspired by a meditation I did on my birthday.
Happy Birthday
It’s your special day today, it’s the start of a new year
it’s the day you took your first breath, lets the bells ring and cheer
Today is your birthday, you were born on this day
There is a reason for your birth, so write your life’s screenplay
Let us celebrate you today and appreciate your life’s canvas
The things you’ve done, that you still have in store, your life purpose
Each day brings with it a new opportunity
To do something good, to accomplish more and not live aimlessly
There is none else like you, you are unique and special
So surround yourself with your loved ones, and make this day blissful
Do today what you love and what makes you happy and celebrate you
Give yourself credit for your accomplishments and bid disappointments a huge adieu
Today on your birthday, may life bless you with gratitude, optimism and happiness
Count your days with smiles and dream big, every day of life being a bonus
May blessings, love and joy flow into your life forever
May all your dream come true, and your heart sets aflutter
Remember there will never be another you because you are you
Unique and special, loved and joyful, may you live a life that is fruitful
Happy Birthday and remember to live each moment to the fullest
This is your day so enjoy the attention and get fussed
The Railway to Heaven: From the U.K. to Tibet on the longest and highest railways in the world – Matthew Woodward
Taking his long-distance train travels to a whole new level, Matthew Woodward embarks on an intrepid journey from his home in the UK to Lhasa in deepest Tibet, for many years closed to visitors.
Travelling over 20,000 kilometres on trains across Europe and Asia, he sets out to reach his objective via the little used Trans-Manchurian route across Siberia to Beijing, and from there to the Qinghai–Tibet railway across the Tibetan Plateau – the highest railway in the world.
Unprepared for what he is to experience in Lhasa, he discovers a city in modern-day China, but a place still largely living in the traditions of a truly mythical past.
Those that know Woodward’s writing will appreciate his honest and humorous reflections of life on the rails, and his efforts – sometimes successful – to decode cultural misunderstandings. He tells his story with thoughtfulness and introspection you’d expect of a solo traveller, and gives you the detail that makes an incredible journey like this feel possible for you, too.
It had been so hot in Singapore in summer that anything hot was anathema and so I was looking for some cold soups I could make ahead of time. I wanted to make a cold Gazpacho soup, but then realised I didn’t have all the ingredients with me. So I improvised and made this soup. It was well-received, though S didn’t like it. I also realised that BB didn’t like it cold, so I heated it and he liked it then. But this can be made and served both cold and warm.
Gazpacho Inspired Tomato Corn Soup
Ingredients:
Method:
Memories and Such 