On Spiritual Enlightenment

Graceful porcelain feet garlanded with tiny enchanting bells; a twinkling, mischievous eye lined regally with kohl; the tiniest glimpse of pearly teeth clamped coquettishly on ripened ruby lips; an unblemished naval peeking seductively from behind the curtain of a sari mundhi swaying flirtatiously in the breeze. In describing my visit to Munnar Kerala what first comes to mind is every cliched heroine introduction of Tamil cinema of the early 90s. And like those oft overdone introductions, the allure of Munnar lies in the fact that all we ever see are glimpses, fleeting hints of an incredible beauty which are enough to leave our minds obsessively addled.

Munnar is an ever morphing puzzle: blink once during this cruel cosmic flip book and you will miss a lifetime. The same hilltop shifts from affable gurgling baby robed in splendid golden hues, to pristine spring maiden christened with refreshing dewy mists, to melancholic enigma shrouded in dramatic, swirling cloud banks- all within the span of mere minutes.

No number of pixels can do justice to the beauty of Munnar!

Travelling in Munnar is first and foremost an assault of the senses. The heady, pervasive scent of tea leaves offers a seductive intoxication of the nostrils while the sour twang of roadside green mango, followed promptly by the satisfying burn of chili, enthralls the taste buds. Refreshing sprinkles from the monsoon make fleeting appearances throughout the day, offering gentle caresses persuasive enough to encourage one to lose the umbrella. A cup of lemon tea offers the perfect antidote to the bite of the crisp, clean air, and as its warmth spreads within you, the heavily Malayalam-accented Tamil of the elderly tea-master washes over you in waves, fading seamlessly into the now reassuring pitter-patter of the rain starting up again.

I'm not sure when it will occur to you- I suppose it happens at different times to different people- but assuredly you will have your moment too. That one indescribable feeling, the bittersweet anxiety that comes of being engrossed in a good thing and then coming to the realization that nothing hereafter can ever measure up to this one flawless occurrence. It is that breathtaking instance when one feels the closest one has ever felt to the divine, when everything in the cosmos just seems to make sense. Standing on top of Munnar's Top Station, enveloped by the majesty of the surroundings, I can definitely say that I had one such moment.

Photos credits go to the lovely Archz.      

On Bad Behavior

What is it about being away from home that makes us so boisterously rambunctious? Is it the comfort of anonymity, the unwritten pact for revelers everywhere that what "happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"?

Pretty much sums up how I behaved when we stopped for lunch at the amazing Kumar Mess.

Or is it the thought of being surrounded by loved ones that entices us to let loose; to be as obnoxiously loud and uncouth as possible; to burst inappropriately into boorish laughter at things whose humor is suspect at best, or to bray tunelessly and deafeningly the songs whose lyrics we do not know and yet which we willfully choose to butcher anyway.

Several of the usual suspects surveying the Thirumalainaicker Mahal

What is it about a change in scenery which persuades us to humiliate ourselves on film and in pixels, recording our shame for time immemorial, and on a related note, why do we expressly choose to pull the most unattractive faces and kitschy poses on just such occasions?

Caught in the act: not completely sure why we are shooting the backside of the goat ;)

Can it all be chalked up to the seductions of a sinfully decadent chocolate brownie, or to the welcome respite of a frosty glass of roadside jikarthanda, consumed greedily without a second thought for either waistline or other vastly more unpleasant intestinal consequences.

Never a dull moment in a sleepy temple town.

Whatever the case may be, Madurai 2012 you were AWESOME and here's to Kochi 2013 :)

PS: Photo credits go to my lovely cousins and partners-in-crime Archz and JSat.

Never Say Never

It's incredible how putting an opinion into the finality of print happens to nullify said opinion almost immediately. When I first started this blog, my inspiration to write stemmed purely out of an intense dissatisfaction with life. I felt like I was a spectator in my own life, trapped within the banalities of fulfilling my duty. I was frustrated with always feeling like I wasn't experiencing all that life had to offer, of sensing that life had so much exhiliration to give, but that I was stuck with the diluted experience because I clung so fastidiously to the things I was comfortable with. I was tired of living in my sterile, riskless bubble, and starting this blog was my first step towards shattering the walls of the tiny glass paradigm I had previously called home [ For all of you out there who were wondering, that's pretty much how I came up with the enigmatic name for this space. Mystery solved!]

Taking that first fateful step of divulging my innermost thoughts to complete strangers and exhibiting my writing talent to the world, something I had always felt self-conscious about and tried to downplay before , ended up doing wonders for me. Since the day I first started this blog I have found myself doing things I never imagined  I was capable of. I managed to face my intense fear of public speaking in a small way by speaking at my sister's graduation gathering. I survived organic chemistry, maybe with a few more nervous breakdowns than I would like to admit, but the whole experience has given me a more healthy perspective on grades, vocation, and finding the silver lining in every situation. Perhaps most impressively, I also managed to live and travel in India without my parents for the first time in my life, a pretty impressive feat considering that I cannot even cross the street by myself in Indian traffic and that my Tamil skills are atrocious. It is important to note that I had a lot of help accomplishing this last achievement; a big shout-out goes to all the guardian angels who ensured that I came to no bodily harm during my trip, including my awesome auto-driver, the residents and staff of the convent I stayed at, and the staff of the organization I worked with.

In light of the birth of the new and improved me, I would like to announce my next great adventure.


May-August 2012 will mark the next chapter in the epic life of Shirley Edward. Sort of a graduation present to me which I plan on undertaking without adult supervision, again (meaning the parentals). Also, in addition to all the amazing sight-seeing I'll get to do, I am viewing this trip as a sort of coming-of-age episode in my life. Another chance to prove to myself that the sky is truly the limit and a means of gaining some perspective on the big picture, the life that exists outside of academia.

Although this trip may never happen (finances will definitely play a major part in determining the ultimate feasibility of said trip), never say never. After all, who knows what can happen in 2 years?

P.S. Thanks to seaoharewhy for providing the Youtube video. Also fyi, seaowhare is the actor in said commercial.