Monumental Soundbyte - 78

Prince - Little Red Corvette

Another number from one of the sexiest men that ever walked the face of the earth.

This song was Prince's introduction to a white audience because of the rock elements to the song. It was released in 1983 and at the time was Prince's first song to reach the top 10 in the US. There is a kicking guitar solo by Dez Dickerson which makes me wish i could play the guitar everytime i hear it.

This song is simply about a one night stand with a pretty "loose" woman but as much as Prince enjoys it, he talks about her slowing down and finding a love that lasts.

Prince is just a genius. He says that he got his inspiration for this song while taking a nap in background singer Lisa Coleman's corvette after a hectic recording session. Every time he took a nap, more of the song would come to him....LOL. The video for this song was also the second video by a black artist to see so much airplay (MJ's Billie Jean was the first).

In the 90's Chevrolet ran a campaign using antique corvettes with the byline - they dont wirte songs about volvos. Chevrolet also used this ad during one of the grammy award ceremonies in the 90's.

Now this wouldnt be a Prince song if there were no veiled sexual references. Listen to the song and see if you can figure out what the little red corvette is. One hint - its not a car. LOL

Enjoy!

Monumental Soundbyte - 77

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody

This is truly a masterpiece.

Freddie Mercury wrote this song for the band and it was released on a 1975 album. I think its true music lovers that can appreciate this song. Its a very unstructured song that some have called chaotic. It doesnt even have a chorus. But that had no effect on the commercial success of this song. Billboard ranked it 163 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. The video that accompanied this song is pretty hot as well.

Everything about this song is amazing. It was recorded over a 3 week period and in 4 studios (and if you listen to the complexity of the song, one can understand why). Freddie Mercury (God rest his soul) to me remains one of the true musical maestros ever. It has been written that he would "see" and "hear" songs in his head and execute them almost fanatically. This song is no exception.

Now, on to the lyrics of this song. So much confusion about this. I will admit that it was just a few years ago that i paid attention to the lyrics in totality. I enjoyed this song quite alright, but for some reason, i didnt listen to the lyrics in full - i guess i never figured there was a a story or train of thought here. Freddie Mercury hated to talk about his inspiration for songs preferring for listeners to interpret themselves. However, finally - in one of their interesting greatest hits cds that had liner notes - the band says this song is about a man that kills a person my accident and then sells his soul to the devil - but before he is executed, he calls to God and regains his soul. Heavy stuff....

This is truly a monumental song so enjoy!

All about Family

I spent this weekend with my family -----so here are some pics....

My Aunty T, her 16 year old daughter I and her 14 year old son E. See how tall and good looking my cousins are. The lady in green T, is my mom's little friend (she is like 25 i think)

In my mom's shop. The lady in white is my Aunty T and the young 14 year old man in red is her son. So my cousin. And that's my mom in black with my cousin (her second son)

My cousin Seni. So he passed the New York Bar a few weeks ago. He has clerked for a judge so far and now works with one of the top entertainment companies in New York since he intends to practice in the area of entertainment law

My beautiful mummy and my cousin. These 2 are so so close. I mean kissing and hugging all the time. Sheesh!

Some of the most important men in my life. Standing up is my cousin Seni. In the middle is our puppy (yes that big big dog is a puppy - 7 months old and still growing) Sam. I call him Big Sam. And sitting down is the prince of our family - my brother Chief who turns 25 in December.

My divalicious baby sister.....She is a very very confident smart, sassy and amazingly intelligent young woman. She graduates Summa Cum Laude from the University of Georgia, Athens with a double major in Journalism & Media Studies (taking after my dad) in December. She has the voice of an angel and has a demo out already and even recorded background vocals for a popular artist. She makes me so so proud. She is mature and so sure of herself....Aghhhh.....I am so so proud

Monumental Soundbyte - 76

Etta James - At Last

Can you believe this song was released by Etta James in 1961? I guess this song can be called timeless since it really is still so fresh now. Most people will have heard this song at a wedding or 2 and it is relevant because the words and the orchestration are perfect. The beauty of this song is in its lyrics which are below and Etta's delivery. You can separate the women from the girls, the boys from the men vocally simply by listening to delivery. Etta does not ad lib, there is no affectation. She buries herself in the meaning and intent of the song and it comes through...
Enjoy.....

At last
My love has come along
My lonely days are over
And life is like a song

At last
The skies above are blue
My heart was wrapped up in clovers
The night I looked at you

I found a dream
That I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known

You smiled, you smiled
Oh and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At Last

Monumental Soundbyte - 75

Cyndi Lauper - True Colors

Oh my. What an absolutely beautiful song. This song was released in 1986 and i remember hearing it during a Kodak advert. Then Phil Collins did something wonderful to this song. But i have to admit that i really really love Cyndi Lauper's version. It has being adopted over time by the gay community as well.

Cyndi's child like voice makes this song even more special to me. So happy friday all and have a blessed and safe weekend.

Much Love

Happy Thanksgiving ...............

Ecstatic!

I wrote about my darling cousin Seni here. Welllllllll, my fabulous cousin is in town for a few days...Can i say again how excited i am again?

Update!

More from the rape case featured on yesterday's Women's Issue post here

Monumental Soundbyte - 74

Luther Vandross - Superstar/Until you come back to me

Ah! Another song from my favorite artist ever. I especially love this song 'cos its actually 2 songs in one.

Superstar was originally done by The Carpenters and Until you come back to me was originally done by Aretha Franklin.

Extolling the virtues of Luther Vandross again would be trite but i really think that the beauty of this song (apart from its lyrics) is the vocal arrangement. 2 songs mashed together is a dicey prospect but the execution with Luther's vocal abilities and perfect ad libbing make it work. So here are the words....Enjoy!

I wanna tell you, baby
The changes I've been goin' through
Missin' you, missin' you, oh
Till you come back to me
I don't know what I'm gonna do

Don't you remember you told me you loved me, baby
You said you'd be comin' back this way again, baby
Baby, I love you
I really do

Long ago
And oh, so far away
I fell in love with you
Before the second show and your guitar
And you sound so sweet and clear
But you're not really here
It's just the radio

Don't you remember you told me you loved me, baby
You said you'd be comin' back this way again, baby
You looked for me to be yours
You want my love, but you're on the road
Don't you remember me anymore

Loneliness
Is such a sad affair
And I can hardly wait
To be with you again
And what to say, to say
To make you come again
Oh, honey
Come on back to me again

Even More Disturbing - Women's Issue

A Saudi Arabian human rights attorney is asking the government to allow him to represent a woman who was gang-raped -- and then sentenced to prison for speaking out about the case.

The attorney, Abdulrahman al-Lahim, had his license revoked last week by a judge for speaking to the Saudi-controlled media about the case, al-Lahim told CNN. The judge more than doubled the sentence against al-Lahim's 19-year-old client because she spoke to the media about the case, a court source told Arab News, an English-language Middle Eastern daily newspaper.
The woman -- who was initially sentenced in October 2006 to 90 lashes -- had her sentenced increased to 200 lashes and was ordered to serve six months in prison under Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic law.

"We were shocked," al-Lahim said of the increased sentence. CNN has been unable to reach Saudi government officials for comment on this report, despite repeated requests. Watch the emotional toll the crime took on the rape victim »

Al-Lahim had petitioned the court to sentence the attackers to the death penalty, but instead the court agreed to increase their jail sentences, which had been two to three years, to two to nine years, al-Lahim said. The case has sparked outrage among human rights groups.

"Barring the lawyer from representing the victim in court is almost equivalent to the rape crime itself," said Fawzeyah al-Oyouni, founding member of the newly formed Saudi Association for the Defense of Women's Rights. "This is not just about the girl, it's about every woman in Saudi Arabia," she said. "We're fearing for our lives and the lives of our sisters and our daughters and every Saudi woman out there. We're afraid of going out in the streets."

Human Rights Watch said it has called on Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah "to immediely void the verdict and drop all charges against the rape victim and to order the court to end its harassment of her lawyer."

The woman, who is married, and an unrelated man were abducted and she was raped by a group of seven men more than a year ago, the lawyer said. The male victim was also given an increased sentence of 200 lashes and six months in prison, al-Lahim said.

The man and woman were attacked after they met so she could retrieve an old photograph of herself from him, according to al-Lahim. Citing phone records from the police investigation, al-Lahim said the man was trying to blackmail his client. He noted the photo she was trying to retrieve was harmless and did not show his client in any compromising position.

Al-Lahim said the man tried to blame his client for insisting on meeting him that day. It is illegal for a woman to meet with an unrelated male under Saudi's Islamic law. Al-Lahim has been ordered to attend a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Justice next month, where he faces a possible three-year suspension and disbarment, according to Human Rights Watch.

He told CNN he has appealed to the Ministry of Justice to reinstate his law license and plans to meet with Justice Minister Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al Al-Sheikh. "Currently she doesn't have a lawyer, and I feel they're doing this to isolate her and deprive her from her basic rights," he said. "We will not accept this judgment and I'll do my best to continue representing her because justice needs to take place."

He said the handling of the case is a direct contradiction of judicial reforms announced by the Saudi king earlier this month. "The Ministry of Justice needs to have a very clear standing regarding this case because I consider this decision to be judiciary mutiny against the reform that King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz started and against Saudi women who are being victimized because of such decisions," he said.

Saudi Arabia's Islamic law or sharia is not written and, therefore, subject to a wide array of interpretations. Human Rights Watch points out that a judge in Jeddah threw out a lawyer simply because he was a member of the Ismaili faith, a branch of Shia Islam.

Under Saudi law, women are subject to numerous restrictions, including a strict dress code, a prohibition against driving and a requirement that they get a man's permission to travel or have surgery. Women are also not allowed to testify in court unless it is about a private matter that was not observed by a man, and they are not allowed to vote.

The Saudi government recently has taken some steps toward bettering the situation of women in the kingdom, including the establishment earlier this year of special courts to handle domestic abuse cases, adoption of a new labor law that addresses working women's rights and creation of a human rights commission.

Christoph Wilcke of Human Rights Watch praised the female rape victim and her attorney for speaking out about the case, which he said may be indicative of "many injustices that we still don't know about." "It's not only one court, it is the Saudi government that is fully behind punishing a woman who's been raped [and] punishing the lawyer who's trying to help her and doing that both because they've spoken to the media," Wilcke told CNN. "And if they hadn't spoken to the media, we wouldn't know about it."

Shying away from criticism of key ally, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack called the case and the punishment "surprising" and "astonishing."

"While this is a judicial procedure -- part of a judicial procedure -- overseas in courts outside of our country, still while it is very difficult to offer any detailed comment about this situation, I think most people would be quite astonished by the situation, " McCormack said. "I can't get involved in specific court cases in Saudi Arabia dealing with its own citizens. But most people here would be quite surprised to learn of the circumstances and then the punishment meted out," he said.

I read articles like this and i get so so angry. How on earth can a victim of a heinous crime like rape end up being punished? And this is the case around the world. If it isnt actual physical punishment, the jibes that come from police and so called concerned partners force women around the world to hide and say nothing. Living in silence. When i studied criminal law, there were countless cases of the humilation meted out to victims of rape - fast forward to the elective i chose - Sex & Gender in the Legal Process and more and more stories came to my attention.

In the real world, the injustice and inhumane treatment meted out to women make me so so angry. So angry that i want to cry. All these man-made laws, men ruled societies that do their best to kill the spirits of women.....Dont get me wrong, men are great. But here's the thing, its clear that some men perceive women as threats, or consider them to be less human than they are so bad treatment, thwarting of rights are enforced. Well, for me, i refuse, absolutely refuse to take it lying down.

I am not a bra burning feminist, but i realise that doing nothing is something that all women must be ashamed of. I urge you all, men and women to do something. It can be simple words of encouragement to the girls and women around you - letting them know that they worth more than gold; it can be buying a book for a girl child; or sponsoring a a girl child; or teaching your sons and brothers to treat women with respect; teaching the men in your lives to take care of themselves and not to look at women as toys, playthings or maids.....

I know a lot of Nigerian women doing their best to change the world in their way. And i am not talking about the famous ones. I am talking about wonderful women like Onada the blogger, Mrs Amuta (my mother), Hanney Musawa, Mariam & Zainab M and so so many more in my life that are doing things that are changing the lives of girls. These girls will grow up more empowered and able to stand firmer on their feet.

Knowledge is power. I urge you all to please put the women in your lives in the positions of all the victims that we hear and read about and use the ensuing emotions you feel to do some thing.

Much Love!

So Very Disturbing......

MARIETTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Three boys, ages 8 and 9, were charged Monday with raping an 11-year-old girl last week, court officials and police said.

"Never in my 20-plus years of law enforcement have I conceived of something like this," Police Chief Michael Wilkie of Acworth, Georgia, told CNN.

Clad in blue jumpsuits, the two 9-year-olds and one 8-year-old appeared in court in Cobb County, north of Atlanta, on Monday afternoon and were ordered to remain in custody until a further hearing. Family members were in court for their appearance, which was closed to reporters.

Wilkie said the girl told investigators she was raped Thursday evening. She was examined by doctors after her family reported the allegation late Saturday, and investigators questioned her extensively on Sunday, he said.

The father of one of the boys told The Associated Press that no force was used against the girl, and said the allegations have been leveled because the accuser "didn't want to get in trouble with her parents." Watch chief describe parents' reactions to charges against their sons »

But Wilkie said children that young cannot legally consent to sex, "so we have to go with the charges we have."

He told the AP one of the boys was accused of threatening to hit the girl with a rock before the alleged assault. He also said the investigation is "far from over," and investigators are looking into claims that after the alleged attack, the girl talked about it with her friends at a slumber party, the AP reported.

"The investigators who are following up on this have had a lot specialized training of forensic interviews with children," Wilkie told CNN. "We've sent them to a number of courses for this, and so we're confident that we've done that part of the investigation as best as we can. We think her story at this point is credible and that's why we went forward with the warrants."

He said investigators have lined up counseling for the girl, "and we'll follow up on this and hope that it comes to as best a resolution at the end as we can."

The girl's mother told WGCL-TV in Atlanta, "They do need to be taught a lesson because if they do it to her, they could do it to somebody else. And who knows when they become teenagers what they can do to other girls."

Cobb County District Attorney Pat Head told reporters the current rape charges against the boys would be replaced with juvenile charges, since they are too young to be prosecuted on felony charges. Under Georgia law, juvenile defendants must be at least 13 before a case can be transferred to the adult system.

The juvenile charges could bring up to five years probation and time in a state youth home if the boys are ruled delinquent.

Juvenile Court Judge A. Gregory Poole imposed a gag order on participants in the case, limiting further explanation, Head said.

Day 3 In Pictures

This is the final pictures post from my vacation. Its been great reminiscing again....But its time to get back to regular issues and to start planning the big vacation for next year.

I have said over and over again that i can get over how beautiful and amazing the Taj Mahal is. So this is another picture of it.......So there is some weirdness at the end of this picture...Let's just say i had a memory card mishap...




These beautiful kids were on a school trip to the palace in Jaipur. Check out the doorway -the peacock door. All the colors are made from vegetable dyes....

Going from one state in India to the other by road means stopping at each border and paying road taxes. While Mr Sanjay went off to pay the taxes at one of the borders, this man showed up at our window. Asking us for money cos we took pictures of his really scary black cobra. We laughed and gave him some. This man turned around to ask us if we needed shampoo...LOL..I mean this man had a stash of stuff in his bag. Well, seeing as i was seriously scared of the man, i tried to ignore him. He had henna highlights in his hair and must have thought he was a super celebrity

The wind palace in Jaipur was undergoing renovation. But the queen or Maharani came here back in the day to simply watch the goings on since she couldnt show her face.

The Water Palace in Jaipur - the story behind this is so so funny. The Maharaja (king) built this and had all this water surround it to get away from the queen. So he would bring all his lovely ladies here for a good time while the queen looked for him...LOL

My love for India as a country also means that i am a major Bollywood fan oh. I cant even say how many cds and movies i brought back. But anyway, Daddy's Girl and I decided we had to go and see some celbrities for ourselves. So we took our cute selves to Bandra with the intention of registering our presence at our honey's house.....LOL. Yes, we went to see Shah Rukh Khan. So we got to his house - complete with flowers and our cute selves. We played up the fact that we had come ALLLL the way from Nigeria to see him. Of course we didnt see him but the guards were really nice. There was a moment when the gate opened that i nearly passed out cos i was so excited. LOL...This is a picture of his house. I am sure Daddy's Girl will put up a post on her bollywood blog on all the bollywood stuff we got up to....So look out for that

Ah..the monkey temple incident. LOL....We got there and i REFUSED to get out of the car. There were monkeys everywhere. From a distance sure...but these monkeys are so familiar with people so they have no qualms about infringing personal space. Plus i am scared of monkeys....But i took loads of pictures of cute monkey families....Thank goodness for zoom....

This billboard so fascinated me. I still dont know what is being advertised. This one looks like antacids right? But this same 9 concept was used with different billboards - like losing weight, changing complezion etc. So i have no idea what it is supposed to be. This one made me smile everytime i saw it though....

The hotel we stayed at in Mumbai was right across the street from the Cricket pitch where India played Australia in 20/20 cricket. India emerged world champions and it was so so amazing. We went on the roof and saw fans on roofs on buildings all over. We were so close. We heard everything. We also captured the cebratory fireworks as they went off. So amazing. This is the same day we went to find SRK. We talked about the fact that since he was a cricket fan, he might be at the game. There was also a silver Mercedes S-Class that was parked so close to the gate of the cricket and i had seen a documentary with SRK and he was being driven around in that car. So i kept telling Daddy;'s Girl that it was his car. We laughed about it. Well how about the very next day in the papers - SRK and his son at the fame. It was all over the news too.. If we had known, we would have fought our way in and all...

I am obsessed with cuteness and cartoons. This statue of Hanuman (the monkey god) was one of the first sights we met in New Delhi and i got excited everytime i saw it. Its massive. It stands tall at over 104 feet....No exaggeration oh. Its orange and has a tail at the back of it...And in between Hanuman's legs is a massive monkey head with its mouth open and white sharp teeth. That open head is the entrance to the temple. Imagine that.....

At Fatehpur Sikri, this beautiful young woman kept whispering to her beau and i figured she was talking about me. She was there with the young man and her mom acting as chaperone. So cute. Her beau came up to me and asked if she could take a picture. I took one of her too cos she was sooo cute and open and shy...

We saw this herd of camels on the way to Agra. I didnt know that there were black camels....

The journey to Elephanta Caves was interesting. The ferry and then the climb up many many many many stony stairs...Kai...that climb was not easy but we thank God...LOL....This picture is of 3 faces of God.....

Playing in the soundbyte thingy today is a song from the movie Swades....Yeh Joh Des.....And if stars Shah Rukh Khan who i will be spending next saturday with .........

Monumental Soundbyte - 73 (Playing in the sidebar)

Johnny Gill - You For Me

I was chatting with a dear friend yesterday and i got one of these links sent to me. And the person that sent it to me said to click on the engagement part of the link and i did. And i cried.

This proposal was so elaborate but sweet at the heart of it with the guy planning her birthday...with all her friends and family reading some words he had written for her and then praying for her. I cried.

So anyway, my friend i was chatting with almost made me cry again. So the result was a night thinking about proposals, weddings, soul mates and this song. This song was not meant to be on my list but its so heavily on my mind, i just had to share.

Johnny Gill who i think has an amazing voice has been absent for a very long time from music. So imagine my delight when he made a gues appearance and sang this amzing song in Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion. Johnny brings the words of this song to life perfectly but its the words that are the true star of this song....Enjoy!

It Seems like forever
That i have waited for you
In a world of disappointment
One thing is true
God has blessed me
And He's blessed you too
In a world of lonely people
I've found you

Take my hand
And hold me close
And dont let me go
You for me
And me for you
Together we'll make one

We were once strangers
All by ourselves
Living alone
With noone else
But here you are
And its so so sweet
God must have done this
Made you for me

We were always sleeping under thirsting stars
Dreaming dreams of love
Wondering where you are
How blessed i am
That i found you
Now that you're here
I plan to say i do

Day 2 In Pictures

A lot of people think of India and think of snake charmers - well there are a few of them all around the place. I was still quite shocked to see this in person. The black cobra with the forked tongue in the basket. This man begins to play a tune and the snake "dances". Weird, scary and fascinating all at the same time.



I love India so much partly for its spirituality. All faiths and beliefs co-exist here. And nothing moved me as much as my experience at The Lotus Temple in Jaipur. The temple is for the Ba'Hai faith which is really an interesting religion. Its for everyone. As long as you believe in God. This beautiful white temple which looks a lot like the Sydney Opera House is built to resemble a giant lotus flower which is a symbolic flower in India. As we got ready to enter the main hall of the temple, 2 beautiful ladies told us that when we got in, everyone had to be completely silent and just meditate and commune with God. I was so so moved in this place. Amazingly beautiful. I have never felt God's presence more than in this temple.

No pictures can truly do the Taj Mahal justice but i especially love this picture from the gardens...

This man is a "guard" in the palace in Jaipur. The elephant is all marble. There are actually 2 of these that flank this entrance.....

India Gate is a tribute to the fallen soldiers from World ars 1 & 2 and the Afghan war i believe. The names of the fallen soldiers are inscribed all over the wall. Underneath the main arch is an ever burning flame that is a tribute to the unknown soldier. These strapping soldiers are from the Defence Academy. I think they were having some sort of program there. When we got there, they were already packing up so i didnt know exactly why they were there....

There are some people that scream TOURIST. They dress in a certain way and let's not talk about the rudeness. Anyway, this european man made me smile. We were at the Winter Palace in Jaipur and on the way up, there were people hawking all sorts of things including this Maharaja hat. So imagine my suprise when i saw this man in shorts and hiking boots rocking this hat. Then again, it was quite hot - so maybe he needed to protect his head? I told Daddy's Girl that maybe i should have bought a hat too...Not this type obviously....

The Gateway to India is in Mumbai and we took the ferry to Elephanta Caves from this point. In days gone by, people would come into India by boat and come this way - hence the name

Daddy's Girl and I were local celebrities oh. 2 beautiful black women with braids. People kept stopping us to say hello, ask us where were from, how we did our hair and just to take our pictures....This didnt happen too much in the bigger cities - New Delhi and Mumbai but in the other cities? Forget it...LOL...My dad said i should tell them i was from Hollywood - cos he said the only black people some people would have seen would have been on TV. All this he said when he called me at one of the monuments and heard some people saying "I take picture with you"...LOL. These adorable teenagers smiled and giggled so much and didnt speak much english...There were a lot of "hi's and bye's"...Love it

At Chandi Chowk (the village re-enactment mentioned in Day 1 of pictures), this scary scary archway was there. Pretty scary but interesting.

This hottie was at the palace in Jaipur. He isnt posing oh. He didnt even know i took his picture. He was actually trying to get out of the way of my camera but i got him. Check out his lovely eyes....

This cutie is Mr Mukesh who was our guide in Jaipur. This man oozed charm and coolness. He is so in love with his daughter and wife. Immediately he got in the car, he immediately whippedout his wallet to show us pictures of his beautiful 2 year old daughter and his beautiful wife.

Monumental Soundbyte - 72

Luther Vandross - A House Is Not A Home

What isnt to love about this song?

Originally done by Dionne Warwick in 1964, i will admit that i prefer Luther's version. Then again i am biased. My darling Luther took this song and made pure magic with it. Like warm honey - this song just eases along. Kanye West and Jamie Foxx worked with this song on Slow Jam as well.....I will let the words of this song do all the talking....Enjoy!

A chair is still a chair, even when there's no one sittin there
But a chair is not a house and a house is not a home
When there's no one there to hold you tight
And no one there you can kiss goodnight
Whoa...oh...oh...oh...oh...oh...oh...Girl

A room is a still a room, even when there's nothin there but gloom
But a room is not a house and a house is not a home
When the two of us are far apart
And one of us has a broken heart

Now and then I call your name
And suddenly your face appears
But it's just a crazy game
When it ends, it ends in tears

Pretty little darling, have a heart
Don't let one mistake keep us apart
I'm not meant to live alone
Turn this house into a home
When I climb the stairs and turn the key
Oh, please be there
Sayin that you're still in love with me, yeah

I'm not meant to live alone, turn this house into a home
When I climb the stairs and turn the key
Oh, please be there, still in love
I said still in love
Still in love with you

Are you gonna be in love with me
I want you and need to be
Still in love with me
Say you're gonna be in love with me
It's drivin me crazy to think that my baby
Couldn't be still in love with me

Are you gonna be, say you're gonna be
Are you gonna be, say you're gonna be
Are you gonna be, say you're gonna be
Well, well, well, well
Still in love, so in love, still in love with me
Are you gonna be
Say that you're gonna be
Still in love with me

Day 1 in Pictures

Alright - i am taking the time out to do this properly - Here i am - unveiled (sort of). We were on our way to Elephanta Caves and its a 1 hour ferry ride each way. So here i am enjoying the ride to Elephanta Caves



Flora Fountain in Mumbai which we spent an hour on foot searching for. We finally found it and my memorable first words? "I at least expected to see some water". LOL....Anyway, this fountain was put up by the British and there was no water cos Mumbai conserves water. At night though, this beautiful structure had strategic lighting and water. So beautiful

Baby / Mini Taj is actually a temple. I loved this place for a number of reasons. Its a temple and the caretakers were so so nice. We took our shoes off and they bagged them for us (you cannot wear shoes into any of the temples since they are obviously holy places). We walked around and it was so serene. When we came out, we had money to tip them and they vehemently refused.

Sikander Fort - we went to so many Forts but this one was truly amazing. Well i looked nice and golden here...LOL..Private joke. But i was quite rested when we went here and i got some pretty amazing pics here. Believe it or not, this is actually the main entrance into the Fort.

In Jaipur, we were taken to a village re-enactment (Chandi Chowk). It was so so cool. This picture is right outside the entrance gate and is supposed to depict a village setting with local men hanging out - i want to imagine they are talking about their wives (like Mr Sanjey talked a lot about his wife Babli. LOL. "Every 10th of the month, she is calling for money. My family lives in my hometown and i in Delhi City. Always for the money"

The Cenotaphs of Gatore in Agra are very very beautiful. So in Indian culture, the dead are cremated and not buried. Well in this case, the Maharajas of Jaipur are immortalized in the Cenotaphs - with each Maharaja having his own structure - think marble, arches and ornate carvings.

Amber Fort in Jaipur will forever be memorable to me cos we took an elephant ride up to this fort. So see how high this is? Well we took an elephant up and i was so so petrified. I dont like heingts. I am scared of heights. We got onto the elephant and the animal began to ascend and i was clutching tight to my handbag and the rail of the contraption we were sitting on while Daddy's Girl kept snapping away. She told me to bring out my camera - i could barely move. To make matters worse, the animal was trudging quite close to the edge. Daddy's Girl in a dead pan voice said "Its a little close to the edge isnt it?". I looked at her and muttered something like "you think"....LOL....I relaxed enough when we were almost at the top and i figured that if we fell at this point, it wouldnt be death but some broken bones. All the while Daddy's Girl is muttering - How amazing Uzo, How beautiful...LOL. I agreed after i relaxed a bit. Also, i almost fell down coming down from the fort....Did i say was clumsy?

The Palace in Jaipur - is so so beautiful. The Royal Family still lives there so we only toured some parts. The history of Maharaja Jai is amazig. In a nutshell - Jaipus (means Jai's city). A revolutionarya dn scientist, he built an amazing observatory with still working structures cos he was interested in astonomy - combine math and science and...anyway i think you have to be there to get it. Jaipur is called the pink city cos most of the structures are pink. Prince Albert was visiting and the Maharaja at the time decided to paint the whole town pink to welcome him. Yup. other people would get an elaborate bouquet of flowers but he painted the whole town pink.

Agra Fort - So everyone knows about the Taj Mahal? Well Shah Jahan who built it for his wife lived here with his family. This picture is of the Hall of Public Audience. So the locals would bring their cases to the royals who would be sitting within this structure and they would mediate and make the people happy. Shah Jahan's chambers overlooked the Taj Mahal. From his quarters, the Taj is only 2km away. So the walls of his chambers were inlaid with precious stones. And at night, when the lamps were lit, reflections of the Taj Mahal would fill the room (courtesy of being reflected on the surface of the stones). He died in that room.

The Taj Mahal - what can i say that can even compare to what actually being here felt like. I told Daddy's Girl that i want my own Taj Mahal. But not when i am dead. See the Taj Mahal is like an ode to love right? So i dont want to be dead to have love shown to me. And the Taj Mahal is so elaborate and beuatiful but my ode doesnt have to be so big. Every day "I Love you's" will suffice. There is a part of me that thinks that Shah Jahan went all out with this structure partly out of guilt. Like he was trying to make up for somethings he didnt do while she was alive. Just me thinking though. Did you know that it took 20,000 workers to build this structure? And that after the structure was completed, all the fingers of the workers were cut off to prevent them from being able to replicate their work? The descendants of the builders of the Taj Mahal have a thriving marble trade in Agra and their work is amazing. The sides of the Taj Mahal used to be inlaid with precious stones - emeralds, rubies etc. Well they are gone now. The British took them.