Books, books and more books

Some of the best books I have read have been picked out randomly while browsing in a bookstore. Growing up I read all the right books for each age, progressing from Ladybird Books to Enid Blyton (Mallory Towers, St Clares and Famous Five) to Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys to Agatha Christie, Mills and Boons, Danielle Steel and PG Wodehouse to Sidney Sheldon, Jeffery Archer, Irving Stone, Howard Fast and John Grisham. Somewhere along the line I added historical romances to the list (curtsey my sister) especially those set in medieval times in England and Scotland.

Now, my favorite types of books are a combination of travel, history and biographical facts. I discovered this type of book when I had to select books to sell at an art gallery where I worked. I had to select books that not only I would be interested in reading and that opened up a whole new world of books to me.

I found that I loved reading about places, people and history in a story form with characters who have interesting lives and thoughts rather than a dry listing of facts about a place.
Some of the interesting books in this genre that I have read are:

City of Djinns-William Dalrymple
Delhi, its buildings, its Sufi mystics, its history and its eccentricities. Absolutely superb.

Chasing the Mountain of Light-Kevin Rushby
This book traces the history of the Koh-i-noor diamond from the mines at Golconda to the Mughal Palaces of Agra and Delhi to Maharaja Duleep Singh in Amritsar.

Under the Tuscan Sun-Frances Mayes
About the history, people and life of Tuscany full of interesting facts about the region. Made into a movie of the same name but nowhere close to what the book is actually about.

Taj-The story of Mughal India-Timeri Murari
I loved reading this book. It tells the story of Arjumand Begum from when she first meets Prince Khurram at the Meena Bazaar and simultaneously also about how the Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as he grieved for her.

Jahanara-Lyane Guillaume
The story of Shah Jahan and Arjumand Begum's first child Jahanara.

Kulu, The End of the Habitable World-Penelope Chetwode
Covers the 140km trek from Simla to Kulu done by Penelope and her mother in 1931 when her father, Phillip Chetwode was the Commander-in-Chief of India and then again in 1963 on her own in a less grand way. An amazing book, it really goes into the history of Himachali architecture especially the temples.

Grandmother's Footsteps-Imogen Lycett Green
Penelope's granddaughter Imogen retraces the trip over the Jalori Pass from Simla to Kulu.

The Bookseller of Kabul-Asne Seierstad
The daily life of an Afgani family after the liberation of Kabul from a western journalist's perspective.

On Foot-Guided Walks in England, France and the United States-Adam Nicholson
I have a long was to go to catch up on the 26 listed walks in this book. Most of the walks are in country settings and a few energetic ones in New York, Los Angeles and London.

The Other Boleyn Girl-Phillipa Gregory
About Anne Boleyn's little known sister Mary who had an affair (and 2 children) with Henry VIII before he married Anne and made her Queen of England.

Anne Boleyn-Anthony Crowell
All the details about King Henry VIII's second wife Anne Boleyn. An old movie "Anne of a thousand days" is a worthwile to see to get a complete picture (no pun intended!!).

There are just so many, many more interesting books that I have read and hundreds more waiting to be read. Each new book brings with it a fresh perspective, new ideas and deeper thought besides, of course, basic knowledge.

Container Gardening

I absolutely love container gardening. I have been collecting books for years about how to have an interesting container garden with the kind of pots and plants one chooses.....Now, I finally have a teeny, tiny one and the high point of my morning is to go see if any new buds are appearing in the mini-garden on my balcony.

What is it that makes me smile each time I investigate for new buds and flowers in my plants? A sense of accomplishment, maybe? That I managed to make them flower? Not that I really did anything except water them, besides I almost killed them by putting tea leaves that were too hot.

One of the really interesting books about container gardening is the Ultimate Container Gardener by Stephanie Donaldson. It has a nice format, lots of pictures and tons of interesting combinations of flowers and situations/placings. Another good book is the Reader's Digest-Container Gardening for all Seasons, which has all the basic know-how as well as some very inventive displays.

The Vinca flowers continuously and it is a delight to see new buds almost everyday. My bougainvillea was reluctant to flower at first but now every third day new buds are appearing. The most prolific of all is my little pot of May flowers.....lovely deep blue flowers that open only on bright sunny days.

My favourite type of plant is a flowering shrub, especially the mediterranean ones. Some of my favourites are Hibiscus, Cistus or Rock Rose as its usually known, Bougainvillea, Geranium, Plumbago (Cape Leadwort), Oleander (Nerium), Zinnia, Passiflora, Jasmine, Champa, Motia, Raat ki Rani, Ixora, Pentas, Vinca, Clematis and Tuberose.

Worth

To have that sense of one's intrinsic worth…is potentially to have everything…

— Joan Didion

Some structure

This is really great....to be able to write and instantly publish.....I am thoroughly enjoying having a place to say and do as I please. Blogging has become pretty much mainstream now. When I first started blogging in august 2004, not many people knew about it, which is not the case anymore. It still hasn't cought on like wildfire though....only one person I know personally is blogging, and that is weaver...Here's to more blogging...

Now on to creating some structure to the blog. I will primarily be writing about my personal interests, experiences, travels etc. The other major focus of this blog will be innovations in technology, communications, marketing, advertising, retail, globalisation etc. This is the stuff that really makes our world today, that differentiates it from 20 years ago and even 2 years ago.

Progress and Paitence

All our progress is an unfolding, like the vegetable bud. You first have an instinct, then an opinion, then a knowledge, as the plant has root, bud, and fruit. Trust the instinct to the end, though you can render no reason. It is vain to hurry it. By trusting it to the end, it shall ripen into truth, and you shall know why you believe.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

Simplicity

Out of clutter, find simplicity.

From discord, find harmony.

In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.

---Albert Einstein

Wishful thinking

As we begun our descent into Bombay, I saw a familiar sight of bright blue rectangles on the ground amidst the houses. They immediately reminded me of the numerous swimming pools that people have in the States. Private swimming pools are very common there; one sees them over almost all cities, especially in the suburbs. I was always amazed at just how many people have pools in their back yards.

Here in India it is a rare sight. What I was seeing were not swimming pools but plastic sheets covering rooftops. There are acres and acres of shanty-like houses with plastic sheeting as protection from the rain as one approaches the airport. It is a sad view one sees of Bombay, the financial capital of India and supposedly the most progressive and developed city in the country.

I wonder when, if ever, this view will change.

Happiness

Happiness is…equilibrium. Shift your weight.

— Tom Stoppard, The Real Thing

Himalayan Dhaba

After absolutely ages, I read a bad book. An incredibly horrendously written story that takes you nowhere, teaches you nothing and leaves you wondering why you didn't give up halfway.

I am most disappointed with this book because of its setting. It is set in a little charas infected village above Manali. I love books about the mountains of Himachal, I collect them quite seriously, and this one is such a waste of a name.

Himalayan Dhaba is written by a doctor named Craig Joseph Danner who worked at a primitive hospital nearby in the early 1990's. It showcases all the negative issues of the region, the hippies, the haphazard construction of ‘hotels’ due to the tourist boom, the freely available drugs and of course dreadlocked sadhus. What book on India written by a foreigner would be complete without them?

Best to stay away.

Seraglio

Eighteenth century Turkey is wonderfully recreated in this engaging novel of sultans and harems as seen through the eyes of Aimée du Buc, a thirteen year old girl who is kidnapped by pirates as she travels from her school in France to her home in Martinique. Renamed Nakshidil (“embroidered on the heart”), she becomes part of the sultan’s seraglio in Topkapi Palace, where she learns new sets of rules for etiquette, for survival and for happiness.

It is the first novel for Janet Wallach, who has earlier written a number of biographies. A very enjoyable and fast read, I finished it in one day. Read it if you like history, the mysteriousness and politicking inside harems and most especially romance.

hello

Hello World....my first post on Weaver....looking forward to writing up a storm.

Hmmm, so my last post really post was to be a take off point for tales of all kind.....Not too good of a start....but there's still hope as I plan to be posting regularly from now on. The Blogosphere's changed quite a bit since this blog was started and while it stagnated others have rushed right past.

Two versions of history

History teaches everything including the future.
--Lamartine (French Poet)

We learn from history that we do not learn from history.
--Hegel (Philosopher)

Luxury brands taking baby steps in India

Reuters reports that International luxury brands are entering India albeit cautiously. Versace was the latest international luxury brand to open in India. Others that have opened recently due to the government’s permission to allow 51% FDI in single brand retailing include Hugo Boss, Burberry, Cartier, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Tommy Hilfiger. Gucci and Giorgio Armani have plans to open stores in the country in the next 18 months.

The luxury good market in India is estimated to be worth Rs. 15-20 billion ($326-$435 million), and expected to grow by 15-20% per year in the next 5 years. LVMH and Fendi are both planning to invest large sums in the country to set up manufacturing and distribution units.

The most significant factor driving this growth is the rise of the number of high income households caused by a robust economy. According to analysts, in 2006-07 there will be 6 million rich households and those with an income of $22,000 would increase to 91 million by end 2006. Other factors such as the enormous size of the population below 25 years of age, rising salaries and easy availability of credit are also fueling this growth.

Some of the problems that luxury brands are facing in India are the high price as well as lack of retail space in high streets and up-market malls, and high import duties.

Lifestyle adding 32 new stores

The Hindu Business Line reports that Lifestyle International Pvt. Ltd. announced it will be opening 32 stores over the next three years. Lifestyle’s parent company is the Dubai based retail chain Landmark Group. The company expects its turnover to increase to Rs. 5.4 billion next year and increase its market share from the current 3% to 15% by 2010. At the opening of Lifestyle’s first store in Gujarat in Ahmedabad’s Gallops Mall, Kabir Lumba, Executive Director, Lifestyle International said that the company will be expanding to other locations in the state, such as Surat as well.

Pantaloon plans to experiment with internet and mobile space for marketing

The Hindu Business Line reports that Pantaloon Retail will be increasing its spending on internet and mobile marketing. According to Sanjeev Aggarwal, Head Marketing, Pantaloon Retail, "We plan to strengthen our presence in this space since this is an area which is growing rapidly. The plan is to innovate and experiment in Internet and mobile marketing initiatives."

The company has done web-based advertising through hungama.com but is now looking for a partner who will handle this aspect for the long term and is keeping a substantial part of its Rs 100 crore ad budget for web operations. Currently, the company spends the bulk of its budget on advertisements in the print media.

Memories of travel

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.

-Lyn Yutang

So true! Memories of travels always take on a larger than life impression. The heat, the rain, the cold and tiredness are all transient. I remember a day spent at Harvard Square in December 2002, wandering around the bookstores, eating at a new age organic food cafe and drinking the life restoringly awesome hot chocolate at Au Bon Pain. It was a mind numbing cold day with knee high snow, but the memory has taken on a more sentimental and 'ah, those were the days' value. Now, I remember this day more for the memory of it than actual enjoyment, as I was too miserably cold to enjoy it when I was there myself.

Purpose of life

The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson
American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist, 1803-1882

Sacred Space

From today's Sacred Space in Times of India:

The Wheel Turns

There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue. Live being true to the single purpose of the moment.

Everyone lets the present moment slip by, then looks for it as though he thought it were somewhere else. No one seems to have noticed this fact. But grasping this firmly, one must pile experience upon experience. And once one has come to this understanding he will be a different person from that point on, though he may not always bear it in mind.

When one understands this settling into single-mindedness well, his affairs will thin out.

From Hagakure by Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Venice-The City of Falling Angels

I finished reading a fabulous book about Venice, City of Falling Angels written by John Berendt, bestselling author of Midnght in the Garden of Good and Evil. All the characters in the book are real people, who lived in Venice, shaped and were shaped by this enigmatic city. Its a great way to get to know the city, its history, philosophy and culture. The people of Venice are who have made the city into a cultural center from master glassblower Archimede Seguso, nicknamed 'Mago del Fuoco' or Wizard of Fire, poet Ezra Pound, Peggy Guggenheim, Isabella Steward Gardner, the eccentric Boston art collector and many others. A definate must read for anyone interested in the history of Venice, with lot of extras about glassblowing, architecture, The Fenice opera building and art thrown in.