Travel

BUDAPEST, Hungary – I’d fallen out of love. This summer, I wanted so badly for that passion to reignite. No, I'm not referring to my marriage, but to the grand old city of Budapest.

[read part V here]

For G. Maalouf

"Never seek friendship... Never permit oneself to dream of friendship... Friendship is a miracle!" -Simone Weil

[read part four here]

 For G. Maalouf

[read part three here]

For A. Fakhreddine & E. Magdi

"How can one be glad about the world except if one takes one's refuge in it?" -Kafka

[read part two here]

For A. Fakhreddine & E. Magdi

"Death = being completely inside one's head. Life = the world."- Susan Sontag

It is hard, as I am sure most writers know, to efface the person, render it impotent in the face of the writing life. Who I am always haunts my writing; and this is why and how I argue that I have earned the right to speak about anything – and you might want to consider this word ‘right’ as encompassing as it is in the legal regime. To make this process easier (this essay is a process, every word builds into revelation), I have charted two layers: Identity and Ethnicity.

I made my way to my aisle seat in a row of three and groaned inwardly. The center seat, which had been empty when I checked online the night before, was now occupied by a tall young man, stocky enough to necessitate raising the armrest that separated my space from his. I reassured myself that this wasn’t going to be a problem—this was the short leg of my trip, from DC to Minneapolis, from which there would be a long haul to Tokyo before the final push to Manila. I could handle a few crowded hours.

When I first received the invitation to participate in Writers in Motion 2011, a project of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa, I jumped at the opportunity to be involved in another IWP undertaking.

For all you Darjeeling Unlimited fans who feind for a stylish ride through India minus the existential chase for familial bonding, take a gander at The Indian Maharaja, a brand new super tricked out train that starts operating this Wednesday. Its set to become the first luxury rail service in India to take tourists across places such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It will also offer week-long tours that stop at destinations such as Mumbai, Aurangabad, and Udaipur.

Spa, minibar, masseuse, beauty salon, and gym are all inclusive. Say word.

Props to Urban Daddy for the find and check out Times of India for more.