Chanel Enjoem

My name is Chanel and I am also called Shyamsakhi. Let me tell you a secret. When I was younger, I was never much of a reader. The main reason was that I didn't have a connection with the stories or a feeling that the experiences were similar to mine. I have become an avid reader after 30 years on this beautiful bhumi, the earth. Ask me about my wish list and you will hear book titles. In between there might be some cookery books (they count as books too). How did this come about? Well, after having two very inquisitive children, reading has become a part of our daily routine. However, I quickly realised that bedtime stories were not always that exciting for them. The stories were too long (I see you tired Mum/Dad), especially after an intense day of everything else. Sometimes the stories were too boring. They were not exciting enough to stay awake and listen to. So, growing up as a 'Hare Krishna' child with the intricate stories of the Vedas, like the stories of Narasimha as the guardian and so many others, made telling them interesting. These Vedic stories were handed down through a lineage of sages and while we can get very excited about Marvel movies and heroes, I found the Vedic stories to be meaningful, true and real. What was just a bedtime story turned into telling the stories of the fierce goddess Durga or the dedicated warrior Hanuman.