Why Shangri-La?

I am sure you have already noticed that this blog is named “Letters from Shangri-La.”  Let us explore why.  One of my main reasons for blogging  is that you, blogospherian, get to take a peek at my beautiful homeland (to which I will be referring as Shangri-La from now on) and hopefully get to know it and love it as I do.  So, what exactly is this Shangri-La, and where is it located?

Well, this man is responsable for coining the term in his short novel “Lost Horizon”, as a name for the fictional place where that works as a setting for his story. 

In very few lines, Shangri-La is an idyllic (Okay, utopian) land where everybody lives happy, healthy lives with a real purpose for an impossible amount of years.  However, I chose “Shangri-La” as a ‘nickname’ for my homeland because of its meaning as a metaphor. 

What meaning?  This one:

“Shangri-la is often used in a similar context to which “Garden of Eden” might be used, to represent an awesome paradise that exists hidden from modern man. It can sometimes be used as an analogy for a life-long quest or something elusive that is much sought. (…) It also might be used to represent perfection that is sought by man in the form of love, happiness, or Utopian ideals. (…).” Source here.Side note: This is one of the handful of times where I have seen the word “awesome” used properly. 😉

So there.  My country is a beautiful place.  It is awesome in the original meaning of the word (that is, awe-inspiring).  Most people have no idea of where it is, what makes it so very special, or even that it is interesting at all.  Besides, for all its flaws, this place is my personal paradise, and since I own this bit of cyberspace, I decided that this is what I will talk about here.   So bear with it.  Please?

Anyway, I will be coming back soon to post some pretty pictures of my country which I am sure you will love.

Until then,

Girl from Shangri-La.