The prayer flags fluttered above my head in the wee hours of the morning as I was shivering and walking around Dochu La, the mountain pass in Bhutan. It is said that the prayer flags were created when Lord Buddha recited a prayer as two factions were at war. The prayer was then imprinted on their battle flags immediately bringing about peace. And I think that is what we need right now, a magical prayer on as we see wars everywhere, especially in Afghanisthan right now.
Hello and Welcome to the 12th issue of Journeys and Jottings. This issue is special as we complete six months of being together and am grateful for this journey. In this issue, we talk about the wind horse or Lungta, the bearer of good fortune and luck and also the symbol of life force and positive energy who is imprinted on the Buddhist prayer flags. And in 100 Stories of India, we visit Pangong Tso In Ladakh where my husband and I pitched tents and camped under the stars over a decade ago.
In People Make Places, we meet writer Aparna Karthikeyan who has penned Woof, a heartwarming book on her pets, Puchu and Shingmo. Her latest book, Looking for Laddoo will be published on August 22, Madras Day. And finally, some tips on travel blogging as I announce a workshop - M for MONETISATION. But for now, a little bit about Lungta and wishing everyone some good luck!
I heard about Lungta for the first time in Ladakh but I got to know more about him in Bhutan. Lungta means wind horse and he is a mythical creature like Pegasus, the winged horse, except that Lungta doesn’t have or need wings. He symbolizes the wind power inside us, “the wind beneath our invisible wings” as my guide said, and is always shown as running and carrying the flaming jewel that fulfills all our deep aspirations. “The wind horse doesn’t need wings. He rides the air.” And he is the bearer of good fortune and luck and he also spreads wellness and peace around him. Lungta, along with the five elements of nature, represented by mythical creatures is printed on prayer flags. Locally, the flags themselves are called Lungta as they flutter in the wind with Lungta riding on them. Here is wishing everyone more wind in your sails and may Lungta always be there galloping away.
100 Stories of India
“Do you want to camp under the stars tomorrow ?” asked Dorjee, my driver as we drove back to Leh from visiting some of the Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh. We were planning to head to Pangong Tso, one of the beautiful high altitude lakes of Ladakh and I thought Dorjee was referring to one of the many camps at Pangong Lake. I asked Dorjee if we were heading to one of the tented camps and he said, “No, we will pitch our own tent. ”
Pro Blogging Tip - Barter Doesnt Pay Your Bills
Rule no 1 - To be a pro blogger, do not build your portfolio and credibility on every free deal that comes your way. Barter deals don’t always pay your bills. And there is no such thing as exposure.
I am not going to be a hypocrite and say that I have never accepted barters. I do even now. But here are my suggestions on how to work around barters and most important, which ones to accept and which ones to refuse. Ask yourself these questions before accepting them.
Can I convert the barter deal into a paid deal?
Is the value of the barter deal more/less than the value of the deliverables that I am offering ?
Is there an intangible benefit that I am deriving out of this deal ? No, exposure is not one of them.
Is the deal worth the effort that I am putting in, including my time and effort?
Can I look at a long-term association with the client?
Workshop Alert - M for Monetisation
Barter Does Not Pay Your Bills. And there is no such thing called Exposure. At the end of the day, there is no magic to it, it is just sheer Maths.
In this workshop, we answer some of these questions and more..
1. What is the intent of your blog?
2. Why does audience matter?
3. When can I start monetizing my blog?
4. How do I monetize my blog ?
5. How do I collaborate with brands?
6.What is a media kit? Why do I need one?
7. What are the opportunities beyond the blog?
8. Is there a pot of money at the end of the rainbow?
Join me and ask more questions and I will answer them to the best of my knowledge from my 15 years of experience in traveling, writing, blogging, and content creation.
Register here - https://lakshmisharath.graphy.com/sessions/how-to-monetise-your-travel-blog/747829b4-f4b0-4029-9e64-20b2f65f43eb
Why should you join this workshop? Because it’s all about the money, honey :) I will share my experiences of working with brands, going on media trips, using my travel blog as a portfolio to create more opportunities and paid projects. I am here to tell you that a traveller can make money and you can fund your own trips and be your own boss.
There is an early bird offer of Rs 599/- which expires this Friday. And in case you register and you are not available on the day of the workshop, the recording will be available to you. However, you will have to register for the same.
People Make Places
Aparna Karthikeyan is a writer, storyteller and she reports mainly on rural Tamil Nadu. But she is also a fascinating dog mother and we bond over our love for Indies and our sorrow on how they are treated. In her own words, “I call myself a dog mother and tree hugger because nothing gives me as much joy as being around dogs, under a tree, watching the sky and shadows and singing silly songs that go 'Granny, Granny, Granny' to my oldest doggy friend by the same name!”
Aparna has written six books and two of them are dedicated to dogs. Woof! Adventures by the Sea is dedicated to her two dogs - Puchu and Shingmo. Her latest book, Looking for Laddoo is being published on Madras Day, August 22, and features two of her loves - the city and dogs :) I did a short interview with her, where she talks about books and writing and her love for dogs and shares tips on writing for kids and on animals.
1.How did the journey begin as a writer?
I always struggle when asked to describe who I am. I have no formal training as a journalist or newsroom experience. I write because that's how I engage with the world - with words.
I never thought I'd write books. I honestly believed I'd die trying. So it's a bit of a shock to have published five books - and the sixth one coming out on Madras Day, Aug 22.
It started with Kali Wants to Dance, commissioned by Pratham Books. Then Cat's Egg, that I pitched to Karadi Tales. Then came the non-fiction book, Nine rupees an hour, which was quite hard, made me understand that writing a book is more about stamina than anything else (it also made me eat cake, and put on 10kgs! But my daughter says the book is just a scapegoat. I don't know....)
The fourth and fifth happened back to back - Woof! Adventures by the Sea was published by Red Panda, about my best friends - my rescue dogs. And the fifth, No Nonsense Nandhini, is about a farmer, mother, single woman, Chandra Subramanian, whose life story I fictionalized for kids.
And now there's the Chennai book - Looking for Laddoo. Marrying two of my greatest loves - this city I call home and dogs!
2. How did the inspiration to write books on dogs come about ?
The book was born from a grouse - why are streeties/ Indies treated the way they are? Like they're all savages and sick and covered in sores! Nothing can be farther from the truth. I hang out with stray dogs and have learnt to love and respect their fine qualities and thought why not write a book to share this with others! The most obvious thing was fictionalising the lives of my friends - because I know them so well and their routine - and I wanted to show how complex and beautiful and life-affirming it is, to love a dog, to be loved by a dog. There are lots of issues too of course. And I wanted to address the conflicts and concerns too. And that's how the book was born.
3.Tell us a little bit about WOOF!
Woof is about Puchu and Shingmo and how they came into our lives. And that of their friends - and mine - Krya and Thin, on a Bombay beach. It is, in that sense, a Mumbai book and a dog book and a children's book but hopefully something that adults can also read...
4.Your latest book is also about dogs but it’s also about Madras and there is Madras Day round the corner
Yes, I'm so excited about that!
I grew up in Chennai and it remains my reference point for many of my happy experiences. The city of my childhood has changed quite a bit, of course, but I can still see the old Madras in pockets of Chennai. I hope this won't be the last time I place Chennai at the centre of my stories. For now, so grateful I got a chance to do this for Karadi Tales. What makes it sparkle are Tanvi Parulkar's illustrations. She's literally brought the city alive
5.Tips for writing books for children especially about dogs and animals :)
Writing for kids is amazing and humbling. It makes me realize that telling a story with fewer words is much harder (if you're read so far, you know I write long paras!) I was lucky in that I had great editors. They helped me write the best version of the story I could...
About dogs/ animals - it is such fun! They are such characters, especially once you know them. And to get them to talk to us is delightful. I would recommend reading widely. And writing, practising.
6. People make places - who have inspired you in your journey ?
So many people! Many writers - James Herriot, Gerald Durrell, Dick King-Smith - all of them made me fall madly in love with animals.
And then there's my teacher, P Sainath. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing had I not sent him a fan mail in July 2013. His reply changed my life. I'm so grateful...
Aparna’s book, Looking for Laddoo will be released this weekend and you can get in touch with her on Twitter and Facebook for details. I am definitely going to buy the book and read it to Raju and Aishu, my pets who are rescues as well.
Meanwhile, Madras Day celebrations are online this year, but you can check the website to watch any webinars or listen to some talks as well. And if you would like to know more about Madras Day, then read my blog on the Birth of the City and 30 things to do in Madras. Yea, Madras is home and so it will always be my favourite city in the world.
Feedback please!
I do hope that you enjoyed reading this issue. Stay safe, stay at home, and get vaccinated at the earliest. Looking forward to your feedback as always. We are going to keep the flow of conversations going and I would really appreciate it if you will share my newsletter with your friends and family.
See you soon! You can also read my travel stories on my blog and follow me on my social media
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