I was born and raised in a typical (kinda orthodox) , Hindu family in Penang , Malaysia. My ancestors were originally residents of Penang.

My name was given by my dad(SHALENI). I was born on the 11th of October as the eldest child in the family and you know what being the eldest is the hardest job ever. trust me....lol

I come from a family of business backgrounds where my dad(Jayabalan) is a contractor. next, talking about my mum(Puspavalli) she can be said as an independent women who don't like depending on others and my two younger sisters(Phavittra and Peroshini) are the most lovable sisters ever. Not forgetting about my grandma(Thillai) and my aunt(Suriakala) who had raised me up since i was a baby. Most notable among all are my grandfather(Porutnum), who passed away on January 27 2001, after a very short illness, who was a retired army man, and was more versatile than any living being I have ever encountered

My grandpa had a nice balance of education, trade, and artistry in him. But was an extremely honest and pious man at heart. He gave up the army after marriage because of his family. A man of great vision, attracted me at a very early age. I owe a great deal to him for all that I am today. He was born in 1920, and peacefully passed away on in 2001, right in front of my eyes. Thanks to my grandpa, I went to a school where English was the medium of instruction. And so did my two other siblings (both sisters -- I have no brothers). The school is called Convent Light Street. There I completed my elementary through secondary. Then I went to Segi College to further my studies in IT but gave up after finding it difficult. Now, currently doing mass communication at Han Chiang College.

One interesting experience I had when i was in Segi college is that I taught I was once a student at the undergraduate level. The college was a real fun one -- centrally located in the city of Calcutta, it was one of the most noisy, disturbed, and corrupt localities I've ever seen or known! Sometimes, it was hard to deal with that -- both being a student and a teacher for quite some years. Nevertheless, it was, indeed, fun!

It was not easy to continue my studies as my parents insisted on keeping me at home. I have had hard-to-tackle hindrances at each and every step. But relentless efforts, undeterred determination, immense patience, and a strong belief in God gave me the chance to continue my studies.

Basically speaking, I'm very ambitious: always thoughtful of the fact that "there are so many things left to be done, but so little time left to do them!" But I can work extremely hard on fulfilling my ambitions. Life has taught me (and is continuously teaching me) how to live through life. Besides, I absolutely trust in my faith in the Almighty! Not only do I thoroughly enjoy reading holy scriptures, but also do I try to make my best use of the knowledge derived from them. "Shreemad-Bhagavad-Geeta" is my favorite numero uno Hindu scripture, and I feel that the irrefutable teachings of Lord Krishna therein help me a lot to understand the true meaning of life, and the battle that we are constantly fighting in order to survive! Just imagine how much of energy it takes to stand up on your feet without support! How much of inner strength one needs to possess to breathe in all the germ-filled air that we inhale at every moment and use it for our metabolic functions! How much of power we need to possess to fight out the friction that we are constantly encountering in order to traverse the passage of infinite space while we are moving in measured and disciplined orbits! What is the source of all this energy, inner strength, and power? How does the life cycle continue to continue? How at all did it all begin?

The above-mentioned questions maybe really hard to answer for an ordinary girl like me, but they certainly give me enough food for thought, and provide me the utmost solace and bliss! For my spiritual inclination, I owe a great deal to my dear dear mom (our culture says: "don't mention mom's name!" She is so so precious!). She is THE BEST mom that ever existed! She has taught me through a myriad of experiences in own her life not only how to handle the rough weather, but also how to maintain composure in moments of ecstasy!

Last but not the least, I want to mention that I have a sweet little dog(lucky) and have no words to describe about him. He just bought him recently i think one month ago and now a part of our family.

Right now, I am really excited about two things: one, to finish my diploma and graduate from this college (HCC); and, two, to continue my degree at the same college). In the meantime, I am planning to attend several conferences too.

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MY FAVORITES

* My favorite dream: Flying like a bird...weightlessly and aimlessly!

* My favorite journey: Journey through life!

* My favorite food categories: Indian/Bengali, next Chinese!

* My favorite book categories: Autobiographies, Romance, Detective, Travelogues, Inspirational! (not necessarily in that order)

* My favorite movie categories: Classics, Romance, Romantic Comedies, Musical! (not necessarily in that order)

* My favorite music categories: Top 40, Soft Rock, Pop, Adult Contemporary, Alternative Rock, Jazz, New Age, Singer/Songwriter, Folk, Country, World in general, and Indian (Modern, Film, Rabindrasangeet, i.e., Tagore songs), etc. -- depending on mood and other things! (not necessarily in that order)

* My favorite dress categories: Vary according to time, place, mood, and circumstances! But certainly something loose-fitting!

* My favorite colors: The color of life, the color of love!

* My favorite words: Love, Mother, Patience, Will, Hope, Persistence, Happiness, Try, Heart, Mind, Eye!

* My favorite reasons to respect (others): Good Physique / Sound Health, Good Heart, Intelligence, Ability to respect others' feelings in the truest possible sense!

* My favorite advice: Do it straight, and keep doing it straight, as long as the goal is not reached!