[andy1967]

As much as I used to turn my nose up at people ladened with gadgets and boys toys in India, I have to say that taking a laptop to India last year was the best thing I've ever done: I not only wrote a book, but it's now due for publication in April:)

Writing -anywhere -in India is something I cannot recommend enough, provided you have the discipline, of course! An essential aid to this was a good selection of music in the laptop to drown out distracting sounds when I wasn't lazing in my paradise garden in Pushkar:) I found the whole experience so rewarding that I'm taking it again this year to write another book.

Practical tips:

If you have the option, take a battered-lookinglaptop (less flashy and attractive to potential swiping!) As all you'll be doing is writing you can use the above good sugegstions about Notebooks etc.

As for surge protection -don't bother. When I was in pushkar the power went on and off like a disco, but the laptop didn't flinch.

Take a spare battery!!! Essential when you're getting rolling on prose and you run dry on juice -sod's law there's no available power outlet -and some of my best writing was done on long journeys.

And most important of all -a USB Key!!!!!! Save your work frequently and even if a nightmare happens -laptop blows up, room gets broken into (quiet unlikely if you're staying in half-decent places) or you accidentally delete files (erm...I have done it...) -your trip and sanity will be safe:)

[dzibead]

andy1967, on Jan 17 2008, 06:41 AM, said:

As much as I used to turn my nose up at people ladened with gadgets and boys toys in India, I have to say that taking a laptop to India last year was the best thing I've ever done: I not only wrote a book, but it's now due for publication in April:)

  Is this the autobiog you mentioned last year?  You must let us know the title when it comes out!

[andy1967]

dzibead, on Jan 18 2008, 03:27 AM, said:

  Is this the autobiog you mentioned last year?  You must let us know the title when it comes out!

Hey Dzibead:) Gosh -what a memory!!! Yes, it is indeed:) All finished and ready for release, though it's quite a dark read for the first three quarters -until, of course, I get to the India chapter:))  

My deepest love must go to Pushkar and the pushkar Sunset Hotel -those gardens inspired me to write with such a clarity and balance that what could have been an almost impossible task became almost pleasurable!

It's entitled 'Breaking The Chain' (Andy McQuade) and will be released April 10th.

And, to celebrate, I'm taking my partner for her very first trip to India in 2 weeks time -I cannot wait!!

[dzibead]

andy1967, on Jan 18 2008, 07:45 AM, said:

It's entitled 'Breaking The Chain' (Andy McQuade) and will be released April 10th.

Will keep my eyes peeled for this!

[Hyderabadi]

andy1967, on Jan 18 2008, 10:45 AM, said:

It's entitled 'Breaking The Chain' (Andy McQuade) and will be released April 10th.

And, to celebrate, I'm taking my partner for her very first trip to India in 2 weeks time -I cannot wait!!

Any other books by you before this one, meanwhile?

Look forward to your updates from India. Where are you going this time?

[iwanttogoback]

google 'andy mcquade breaking the chain', there is some pre-publication info.

andy, what a story - congratulations. enjoy your holiday, i hope your girlfriend comes to love india as much as you do.

[dzibead]

Wow!  A definite "must read"!

[andy1967]

Thank you:) I am very nervous indeed about it -but very excited!

No -no other books as yet. I've written a few plays (one won an award last month!!), but it's such a huge thing to write a book that writing in London is near impossible for me; too many distractions. I wrote half the book in Pushkar and half on a remote Scottish island -just me, the laird of the island -and lots of fish! Anyone who wants a taste of paradise outside India should check out Tanera Mor. It's breathtaking beyond words and the owner of the island is a truly remarkable soul: he only charges £50 a week for the most beautiful cottage as he believes that EVERYONE should have the chance of experiencing its beauty. How rare and how wonderful is this approach to other people?

However (and I'd love your thoughts on this), I had an idea to write a book about India as a spiritual force for those seeking to fill the void that most of us in the West feel -or maybe are even unaware of. The idea came as when I was in India in 1990 (my first trip), the most incredible and life-changing experience happened to me. I didn't go seeking it, it just came -and it set me off on my own journey.

Well, it's just a thought -it's probably been done many times already!

[jyotirmoy]

Walk out of any doorway, feel your way, feel your way like the day before.
Maybe you'll find direction,
Around some corner where it's been waiting to meet you.

Walk into splintered sunlight,
Inch your way through dead dreams to another land.
Maybe you're tired and broken,
Your tongue is twisted with words half spoken and thoughts unclear
Just a box of rain, wind and water,
Sun and shower, wind and rain,
In and out the window like a moth before a flame.

And it's just a box of rain, I don't know who put it there,
Believe it if you need it, or leave it if you dare.

And it's just a box of rain, or a ribbon for tour hair;
Such a long long time to be gone, and a short time to be there.

[iwanttogoback]

Quote

However (and I'd love your thoughts on this), I had an idea to write a book about India as a spiritual force for those seeking to fill the void that most of us in the West feel -or maybe are even unaware of. The idea came as when I was in India in 1990 (my first trip), the most incredible and life-changing experience happened to me. I didn't go seeking it, it just came -and it set me off on my own journey

andy, how about you start a new thread just on this? otherwise i think it's going to get missed under this title.

india and spirituality - there's a lot of views on that!

[andy1967]

jyotirmoy, on Jan 19 2008, 10:54 AM, said:

Walk out of any doorway, feel your way, feel your way like the day before.
Maybe you'll find direction,
Around some corner where it's been waiting to meet you.

Walk into splintered sunlight,
Inch your way through dead dreams to another land.
Maybe you're tired and broken,
Your tongue is twisted with words half spoken and thoughts unclear
Just a box of rain, wind and water,
Sun and shower, wind and rain,
In and out the window like a moth before a flame.

And it's just a box of rain, I don't know who put it there,
Believe it if you need it, or leave it if you dare.

And it's just a box of rain, or a ribbon for tour hair;
Such a long long time to be gone, and a short time to be there.

Very beautiful   If only my book was written with such poetry...

Thanks for the suggestion, Iwanttogoback, I'm going to read through the threads on the Spirituality section first and then ask a few questions and get some advice -nothing is truly original, but I don't want to write a book someone else already has!

And I hope that you do go back very soon

[cyberhippie]

Though I'm no author, as I have the attention span of a gnat, I also find India inspires me to write short essays and the like. For the first time I may travel with a notebook this year, so hopefully this will induce me to write a bit more (cybercafes aren't too inspiring)

For what they're worth you'll find my scribblings HERE

[andy1967]

Brilliant! I LOVE the 'Hippies Smell' section -ohhh, how right you are with your summation;)

[frostykathy]

If by notebook you mean paper notebook - a big yes! If you want to take your notebook-computer with you. That's also fine in the cities. If you are traveling cross country and want to write uninterrupted. I think a better bet is to get a lighter and more reliable (albeit less elaborate) device like an Alphasmart Dana (BW-Display, loooooong battery life).

You can settle anywhere and let yourself be inspired by India to do some beautiful writing!

Less is more.

[jyoti]

I sorely wish I had a tiny laptop. I am long term in India and mostly consulting on research, so a good computer was important. But when I;m traveling, I am very jealous of my friend who has a teeny tiny computer. When she is home, she has a separate LCD screen and keyboard. When this one runs out of warranty, I'm downgrading.

[hotellolanyc02]

As far as power supply goes, computer power supply power are normally ideal for two or three years, but when they get mature, they never carry their cost very well. A new or newish computer should provide you with no issues, especially if you convert off solutions you are not using, such as Wi-Fi.