Floating around in Nashville, TN

I'd heard Nashville through its reference as the capital of country music in the United States. It's mostly through television I think. We had to learn all the state capitals when I was in fourth grade so I learnt that Nashville was the capital of Tennessee.

It is my first visit here to Nashville. It is impressive in that it is a city that has been constructed on hilly terrain, but well planned. I visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and got to see Dolly Parton, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams and Jr, Kitty Wells and a whole lot more. I even heard Kitty Wells "It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels."

Did you know that even a song writer gets money every time a song is played on the air? In an interview I saw with Dolly Parton at the Hall of Fame, she was asked which song of hers she liked best that had been covered by another artist. Her answer was Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Now I also loved that song when it came out, but since it was such a hit it made Dolly Parton a gazillionaire because it was played so many times and she'd written the lyrics. Awesome right? This seems like another viable career option.

After that we went to the Tennessee State Museum. The exhibits had been nicely displayed and we even saw a mummy!! Though it wasn't in its casket so I ended up feeling like I was in a Kathy Reichs novel... I saw a documentary on slavery and the antebellum period (pre civil war period) was well covered. Even the display of patchwork quilts was lovely. I think it'll be a nice place to bring a school group. But if they were anything like me when I was a school kid, they will not appreciate it.

We ate lunch at Panera and headed off for a movie called "Australia". Let me tell you on thing, Hugh Jackman deserves his no. 1 sexiest man victory from People Magazine. He is very very very dishy. I must say, extremely gorgeous!! I loved the movie and Nicole Kidman is superb. Baz Luhrmann is at his best. My sister wasn't in favour initially of seeing it, but after the movie she also agreed that it was brilliant. The whole plot weaves together very well and there is a moment in the film (well, moments depending on what kind of viewer you are) where you want to reach out and do the saving!!

Afterwards I had dinner at a nice Indian restaurant called "Woodlands Indian Cuisine." That's where I overate!

A couple of days back I got to see Vanderbilt University campus. It is a National Arboretum and has the most beautiful trees which have reddish/golden leaves this time of year. Looking around was a pleasure and the campus is dotted with old buildings constructed in the 19th century that lend a very old-age southern charm to the whole campus. Inside ofcourse, its the modern hum dum of laptops, pondering and chatty grads and undergrads. The library is well stocked and I finished Kathy Reich's "Break No Bones" there. Gritty, and it reminded me of that gory incident that took place in India a while back with that monster and the kidney scam.

We had dinner at a club house with the most delicious food and nicest conversation.

I must say, these past few days have been memorable!! :)