My parents picked up this brochure in Aurangabad India.
It speaks for itself. It is definitely worth the read.
Here is the text:
Glimpses of History
No more elucidation or elongation is necessary to picturise the historical importance of this city because its enchanting beauty is received encomiums from alien tourists as well as our domestic guests. The explicit beauty of Ajanta and Ellora Caves, its carvings and mural paintings are widely accepted and discussed in the nook and corner of this world and enthralled everybody who visited these spots. Its lucid and natty creations are wonderful and a while arrest the palpitation of a vibrant mind and melt any obdurate man.
In the mid 70’s this city saw the emergence of industry and subsequent development in tourism sector. There was a scope in the hotel industry. But the infrastructure for a good Restaurant was not rampant baring two five star hotels in this city. There were limitations in this field as considering the then prevailed culture and custom of our society. Slowly the scenario changed and glitteratis became the part of this city. Fast Food vendors slowly appeared and sticked up phase by phase. But this does not satiate the demand of public and the race for good nosh continued for years. Here start our attempt to hoist a flag and laid the foundation stone of our restaurant in 1989. This was the first hotel in this city of its kind started with an intention to end the nightmare of connoisseur of foods. Even such grade hotels came into existence “Angeethi” a name equal to sumptuous nosh – still glees its successful years of prompt service.
Savoury Kitchen
We started our hotel with a pack of ebullient and efficient cooks experienced in star hotels from abroad and India. They work tirelessly in our kitchen and understand the taste and hate of our guests and their optimum service is an asset to our hotel.
Calibre Restaurant
Our Restaurant is made and decorated in such a manner, there one can feel as their own home and can immerse in their own world. We allow to get in only the gentle and good mannered guests to maintain the family atmosphere and status of our restaurant. This is a plus point adorn in our name since long years so a genuine guest can acclamatise and hover with the cool atmosphere. Apart from this restaurant, there is a fully equipped Banquet Hall having capacity of 100 people to be accommodated at a time, which is sufficient to convene a meeting, seminar or any kind of small function. Centralised Air Condition, Music System and Television are added quality of our restaurant which attracts and surely beckon you to the world of charm. The carpet paved restaurant, majestic seatings and serenades are the replica of our hotel.
Specialties in Veg / Non-Veg
Our kitchen is in action since 10’ O Clock and strict vigil is taken to prepare the food in hygienic way. Our buffet system is very unique, it allows you to select as much as you can in veg or non-veg section. The food served in Indian, Chinese and Continental are competent to world quality and you will make re-visit for the palatable food.
Quixotic and Diligent Service
Our service staffs are so polite in their behavior and exhibit their manner that one cannot buy with a penny. They welcome you with a smile in their lip and take you with respect to our respective seats. Needless to advice them, they are always with you away from one arm distance to hear your command. These staffs are the pivots of our restaurant and our guests are always leaves the restaurant with handful of thanks to them.
Parcel and Outdoor
This city has witnessed number of outdoor catering which we have made available to the spot specified by the Party, Marriages, Seminars, Meetings, Birthday Parties, what more, even in a small get-together, we rush you with our team to serve you in amicable way. You have to do is simple, just make a call to our telephone No. 2441988 definitely you will receive a positive reply of your queries.
Purchased from: Amazon
Rating: 10 out of 10 (Can I give this an 11 out of 10?)
Synopsis: Miller, the accidental memoirist who struck gold with the likable ramble Blue Like Jazz, writes about the challenges inherent in getting unstuck creatively and spiritually. After Jazz sold more than a million copies but his other books didn't follow suit, he had a classic case of writer's block. Two movie producers contacted him about creating a film out of his life, but Miller's initial enthusiasm was dampened when they concluded that his real life needed doctoring lest it be too directionless for the screen. Real stories, he learned, require characters who suffer and overcome. In desultory fashion, Miller sets out to change his own life—to be the kind of guy who seeks out his father, chases the girl and undertakes a quest. Along the way, he comes to understand God as a master storyteller who doesn't quite control where his characters are going. An unexpected bonus of this book is Miller's insights into the writing process. Readers who loved Blue Like Jazz will find here a somewhat more mature Miller, still funny as hell but more concerned about making a difference in the world than in merely commenting on it.
My Review: Well holy crap. Just after I thought my book life couldn't get any better after reading Susan Isaac's memoir Angry Conversations with God, I got my copy of A Million Miles in a Thousand Years in the mail. I could not tear through this book fast enough. Miller really knows how to put words together in incredible ways. AND, in addition to being an organic, funny, inspiring memoir, it was also a story about story, and if you know me -- I love stories. If you're someone who loves plot and character and conflict (all the things memoirists sometimes struggle with), you have got to get this book. Miller realizes his own story is lacking all the things that make great stories that we love to read and watch in the movies, so he sets off to make his story a STORY, letting the Master Storyteller scrawl across the pages of this life. It was so inspiring, I literally cried through the last hundred pages or so, especially during the stories about his friend Bob and his family. It made me want to evaluate my own life in relation to the elements of a story, and adjust things so that my life isn't just boring words on a page. It's my favorite book of the year so far. Seriously, you have to go out and read this book. Now. Do it. I'll be here when you get back because I want to know what you thought.
Borrowed from: the Sacramento Library (although, if someone wanted to get it for me for Christmas, I would love them forever and ever)
Rating: 10 out of 10
Synopsis: God in couples counseling? Sounds sacrilegious, but in the adept hands of comedian, writer and actress Isaacs, it's a success. Isaacs reached bottom at age 40: no job, no boyfriend, no home. Of course, she blamed God. So off they went to counseling with the ever-patient therapist Rudy. Isaacs moves easily between recounting her life story and her counseling sessions. She describes encounters with the Nice Jesus of her Lutheran upbringing; the Oakie Pentecostal church and the militant counselor; the Rock-n-Roll church and the Orthopraxy, Dude church, plus her rocky acting career and her love life, including guilt-ridden sex and Mostly Mister Right. Isaacs readily admits to being snarky, but she's honest about her quest and its conclusion. She's funny, biting, earthy and brilliant.
Review: I've been putting off writing this review because of just how much I loved this book and I don't feel like my review can do it justice. Susan Isaacs is a) raw, b) brilliant, and c) hilarious. The literary device she created —of taking God to couples counseling—worked perfectly and did a great job of giving the whole book a cohesive feel that is sometimes absent from memoir. The evolution of God's voice throughout the book is especially well done. Reading about the difficulties Isaacs went through in her walk with God felt so much more real than a lot of other Christian books I've read in the past. It's like she's, this is going to sound crazy, an actual person. She is refreshingly honest and I just fell in love with her story and the way she dealt with what came her way. And did I mention she's funny? Bitingly funny. I couldn't recommend this book more highly to all of my Christian girlfriends and to anyone who's disillusioned with the church. We ended up reading it for my book club and every single person absolutely loved it.
Received from: Thomas Nelson.
Rating: 7 out of 10 (might have been higher had I read the first book -- this is the second)
Synopsis: The more than four hundred thousand readers stirred by the story of Ron Hall and Denver Moore will resonate with the all new, stand-alone true stories of hope and healing offered in this intimate, authentic follow-up to the New York Times bestseller Same Kind of Different as Me. With new "Denverisms" and reflections from Denver on his personal dealings with homelessness and disrespect from others, additional insights from Ron on what we can learn from people not like us and from those dealing with a terminal illness, and the stories of readers who have been impacted by the book's central themes, this inspirational reader will generate a host of new fans.
My review: I really wish that I'd read the first book, Same Kind of Different as Me, before I read this one. I have it coming to me from the library, so I'll review it soon. This book says it's standalone, but I really think I would have benefited from reading Same Kind first, just so I could have known the background of the three people What Difference focuses on -- Ron, Denver, and Deborah. Half of the chapters of the book are written by Ron, and half by Denver. Both had a lot of interesting things to say on the subject of homelessness and Christians. There are also stories of people around the country who were inspired by the first book. There was even a woman from West Sacramento mentioned -- her story hit very close to home. Needless to say, I really got a lot out of this book. It shifted my views of homeless people quite a bit, and it challenged me to think differently about the people I pass every day on the street. I don't have enough space to quote all of the different passages that affected me, but this one that really stood out (it was written by Denver, in his own voice):
"Since I been visitin a lotta churches, I hear people talkin 'bout how, after readin our story, they felt "led" to help the homeless, to come alongside the down-and-out. But when it comes to helpin people that ain't got much, God didn't leave no room for feelin led. Jesus said God gon' separate us based on what we did for folks that is hungry and thirsty, fells that is prisoners in jail and folks that ain't got no clothes and no place to live. What you gon' do when you get to heaven and you ain't done none a' that? Stand in front a' God and tell Him, "I didn't feel led"? You know what He gon' say? He gon' say, "You didn't need to feel led 'cause I had done wrote it down in the Instruction Book."
Hello conviction, I'm Cori.
(Finished 10/30/09)
Borrowed from: the Sacramento library
Rating: 8 out of 10
Synopsis: This sequel brings back the young wizard-in-training to face suspicious adults, hostile classmates, fretful ghosts, rambunctious spells, giant spiders, and even an avatar of Lord Voldemort, the evil sorcerer who killed his parents, while saving the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from a deadly, mysterious menace. Ignoring a most peculiar warning, Harry kicks off his second year at Hogwarts after a dreadful summer with his hateful guardians, the Dursleys, and is instantly cast into a whirlwind of magical pranks and misadventures, culminating in a visit to the hidden cavern where his friend Ron's little sister Ginny lies, barely alive, in a trap set by his worst enemy. Surrounded by a grand mix of wise and inept faculty, sneering or loyal peersplus an array of supernatural creatures including Nearly Headless Nick and a huge, serpentine basiliskHarry steadily rises to every challenge, and though he plays but one match of the gloriously chaotic field game Quidditch, he does get in plenty of magic and a bit of swordplay on his way to becoming a hero again.
My review: Ah, the adventures of the young Harry Potter continue. Again, I listened on audio book and fell in love all over again with Jim Dale's reading. He just brings everything to life. Also, he sounds exactly like Maggie Smith. Which is weird and awesome. This book is a little more intense than the first, especially toward the end. The characters are expanded more in this book, as are the growing mysteries surrounding Voldemort and Hogwarts. It's was also really well-paced -- unlike some of the others in the series, this one doesn't really get bogged down in the middle (I'm talking to you, Deathly Hallows). Plus, we get to see more of Ginny. And I just adore her. (Finished 10/13/09)
- I was opening a can of cream of celery soup on Sunday and sliced the absolute hell out of my pinkie. Went-to-the-hospital sort of slice. Almost fainted sort of slice. Bloooood sort of slice.
- Barf.
- Would have thought it would have been a knife that would have done me in. But no, apparently I cannot work a can.
- I knew I couldn't be trusted in the kitchen.
- No stitches for the cut. Mostly because I didn't want to wait around in an emergency room full of the swine flu for three hours.
- The cut is healing better than I would have guessed, though. It's only moderately gross now.
- Because I cut my hand, I had to get a tetanus shot.
- The shot didn't hurt. But GOODNESS GRACIOUS, my whole arm is killing me now! It feels like someone is trying to yank my arm from my body. Pain pain pain!
- I am SUCH a wimp. And a complainer.
- I'm stopping now.
- I have been writing about my New Zealand trip, so I'll hopefully get that posted soon. Needless to say, I had an incredible time! Amazing! Phenomenal! If you'd like to see one of the many, many, many photos, visit my flickr.
- I want to go back! There was so much that I didn't get to see!
- I'm reading this really great book right now called Angry Conversations with God. It's so good!
- I miss Amy (my coworker) -- she's in Denmark. Work is just not the same without her happy face around.
- We are apparently world travelers around my office.
- Remember back when we complained because Thanksgiving was barely over and Christmas decorations started going up? Yeah, there's already trees and santas and candy canes EVERYWHERE.
- I had other things to hodgepodge, but the Motrin has made me all la-di-da.
- La-di-da.
Borrowed from: that same Hannah
Rating: 9 out of 10
Synopsis: Throughout the world today Christians continue to face intense persecution, and Christian women are often the most vulnerable. In Pakistan, Christian girls are systematically kidnapped, tortured and raped. In China, underground church leaders are sent to labor camps for hosting illegal home meetings. In Sudan, Christian women are captured and sold into slavery or mutilated and left to die. And in many Muslim countries, a woman can be killed by her husband or father for converting to Christianity.In this deeply moving book, Kay Strom and Michele Rickett tell the stories of persecuted Christian women from around the globe. From Africa to the Middle East to Asia, they give voice to our sisters persevering under the yoke of oppression and injustice. Each section provides specific prayer points and practical action steps to equip us to respond.
Despite the challenges, God is active and present with his suffering people. Do not be discouraged. Take heart from these daughters of hope.
My review: I had a hard time starting this one because I knew it would be a difficult read. It's never easy to read true stories persecution, and these were no different. The stories of the women in this book were incredible, though. Reading about what they endure every day was inspiring. We live in such an isolated wonderland here in the US. Freedom of (or from) religion is something we shouldn't take for granted, no matter what we believe. The "persecution" we receive about our faith is nothing compared to what people go through in other countries. I have never been beaten, imprisoned, tortured, or raped because of my beliefs. My family have never disowned me. I have never had to hide my Bible, whisper at church, or sing silently. It made me extremely thankful to live here. It made me pray that if I am ever in a situation like the women in this book that my faith will stand strong. I liked this book, too, because it gave a lot of helpful suggestions for getting involved and helping the women in the book and around the world. Highly recommended! (Finished 9/25/09)I was all excited to be packing for my trip to New Zealand when I heard a noise outside. I looked out the sliding glass doors and saw two *insert bad name here* guys stealing plants and flowers from the planter that is outside my condo. So I yelled "HEY!" and they said *insert bad words here* and threw the plants they dug up in the back of their truck. I then called them *insert bad name here* and they took off, tires screeching.
Who steals plants? Bah.
Read because: It's the second in the Hunger Games series. My review of Hunger Games.
Purchased from: Costco, along with Hunger Games. I couldn't help it. The covers are hot.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Synopsis: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.
My review: I'd heard mixed reviews about the second book in Collins's Hunger Games trilogy. After utterly devouring the first in the series a few months ago, I couldn't wait to sink my teeth into Catching Fire. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed. A few reviewers thought it had a bit of a sophomore slump feel to it, but I thought it was still fresh and intriguing and followed up Hunger Games very solidly. I think most readers would agree with me. The dynamics between the characters (including a few new characters that were woven in without seeming forced—see the TV show Lost for poor examples of this) were just as good as in the first book, and the relative ethics were still pervasive, which I loved. I didn't think the love triangle was as in-your-face as some might have—I think the triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale was realistic and a good part of the plot. I thought it did drag just a little around the 2/3 mark (it got a little deja vu-ish), but picked right back up and ended with a bang. A big fat grumblecakes for having to wait another year until book three is released. (Finished 9/25/90)
- I really do miss blogging. I consistently write posts in my head that are not book reviews but I never seem to find the time to write them down.
- I have been ridiculously busy lately.
- I go to New Zealand in ten days.
- My roommate got married this last weekend. Even though our two bedrooms are separated by an entire floor, I can totally tell that the house is empty.
- Her wedding was so her. It was lovely and I'm very happy for her and wish her and her husband all the blessings in the world as they start their new life together!
- Praise Jesus, wedding season is over for me.
- I'm taking this financial class and it's kind of scary to realize where my money is going. Life is expensive. Well, car insurance is expensive, at least. And wedding gifts.
- I go to New Zealand in ten days.
- Tomorrow I go to the Giant Corn Maze.
- It's finally starting to feel like fall around here. For the first time in what feels like months, it's hovering just below 80.
- Yes, just below 80 is fall here.
- I'm back into running. Up to a little over two miles right now and it feels really good. A friend seems to think I could do a half-marathon in January.
- *bursts out laughing*
- Oooh! It's Franka Potente on House!
- I go to New Zealand in ten days.