The Great Driving Challenge | User Application

Shailaja Chandran & Arjun Ankathil

Total Vote(s) : 155 | Total Testimonial(s) : 14

Hi I am Shailaja Chandran, Teacher of English, St Thomas Residential School ,Trivandrum. I would like to join this great driving challenge with my son Arjun Ankathil. I believe adventure and fun have no age limits. I drive a Ford Fiesta Durasport(Limited Sports Edition) which was selected by my younger son and gifted to me by my elder son. Please vote for me so that I can show the world that nothing is impossible to the one who dares.

We are the best candidates because...

We are the best candidates for this drive because we complement each other perfectly. He has the passion and fire of youth and I have the caution and wisdom that come with age. Together we have undertaken so many journeys, some arduous, some pleasurable. The busy motorways of many a metropolis in India are familiar pathways for us. Our most remarkable journey was a trip from London to Edinburgh(Scotland) in which our whole family was steered safely along the strange paths in a foreign land by my son Arjun. For him, driving is a passion and this driving challenge is his dream. As his mother, I feel proud that I can be at his side when he lives out his great dream. Together let us make this dream come true, just as we are together in this journey of life.........

Our Travel Plan

Being the wife of an army officer I have been to almost every part of india right from Srinagar to Kanyakumari. For this driving challenge, we would like to follow the western coast to kanyakumari. First we would start from Mumbai to goa, via Kashid,murud, alibaug,pune via the Amboli road. From goa we would head towards mangalore via Karwar and Condapoor. Then we would go through the forest of wayand towards the rural parts of kerala then towards cities of trishur,cochin, alley and trivandrum and then to kanyakumari. From there we would go to Tamilnadu towards chennai, and then to vishakapatnam. From there we would head towards mumbai via hyderabad.

Our Travelogue

As the wife of an Army officer I had the good fortune to travel and see a major chunk of our land of diversity. The snowy peaks of Himalayas, the beautiful flower filled valleys of Kashmir, the well laid sectors of Chandigarh, the princly state of Hyderabad, the greenery of Assam, and the buzzing life in the metropolitan cities are firmly etched in my mind. My first chance to go abroad came in 2005, when my elder son Siddharth invited us for a visit. The marvels of the two great cities, London and Paris were explored by us in the peak of winter. We celebrated new year 2006 in London watching the fireworks at London eye and the procession in the London streets. As Teacher of English, my most memorable experience was a visit to Shakespeare's House at Stratford Upon Avon. Though we were chilled to the bones, the view from the top of Eiffel tower was spectacular. We travelled to Paris by the Euro Rail. The next trip to London was in 2008. This time we travelled from London to Edinburgh(Scotland) by road. My son Arjun Ankathil, drove a Peugot 308 all the way. Wake boarding and sailing in Winder mere lake were the most enthralling experiences. The next trip was to Isle of Wight. This time we used a Vauxhall Corsa. Our car was also boarded in the Ferry so that we could reach the Island. The pebble beach of Brighton was yet another location to which we travelled by road. It was an exhilarating experience to visit Dove cottage, where Wordsworth lived and gave a concrete shapes to his flights of fancy. Watching a Shakespearean play in the Globe theatre, the cruise in River Thames, the shopping experience at Harrods, the traditional English breakfast at a 100 year old inn named Kirkstone Pass inn were experiences which send a thrill through my mind.

People who voted for us

usha

17th July 2009

divi

17th July 2009

Nikhilesh Prasannakumar

17th July 2009

divs

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mohit aggarwal

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Oswin

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Testimonials

Sudeep Sam Thomas

Sahilaja ma'am......really u r the one.......at this age for such a challenging drive....best wishes for both u and arjun

Tosif Ahmed

I have known arjun for more than 5 years now, and I could not have imagined a better person to take up this challenge. His passion for cars, bikes, driving, adventure or anything even remotely related to these is a legend. I am more than sure that if given a chance, he's gonna win THE GREAT DRIVING CHALLENGE.

Pankaj Gupta

I could never forget that drive(from college to wadi) with Arjun, I was frightened sitting in the back seat of his bike. Within the short span of 4kms, he, most of the time, was above 95kmph...kudos to his driving skills. Since then he is standard for me whenever it comes to driving skills...my vote to Arjun and his mom.

MUTHU KRISHNA M

Shailaja Teacher, well she's the best...i'm sure she's gonna win this driving challenge...mam, ALL THE BEST!!!

maya nair

Shailaja..its great to c u take up this challenge.All the best to both of u!!

Maya Nair

Yes.my dear friend...I am sure u will prove that nothing is indeed impossible to the one who Dares!!!Kudos to u both!!:)

Oswin

Ma'am you are definitely a testimony to the fact that, you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it. Shailaja ma'am is my favourite teacher to date, and forever will be. But i only knew about her loving and caring side, never the adventurous side of her life. I do have a serious complaint that we never got to hear any stories about all there places you had visited even before you became our teacher.... My best wishes and prayers for the best teacher ever! :-)

Vishnukumari

Hi Shailaja, I am very proud of u & Arjun. It is really great to be a part of this contest. I wish u both the very the best.

Pooja Nair

Shailaja aunty has been one of my favouritest people in the whole world since i was about 7. I love her because she understood the young. Always sporty, totally fun-loving and full of laughter. Being around her makes you happy! About Arjun, I have known this handsome young man since he was a 1.5 yr old adorable baby!! Together, Shailaja A and her 2 sons have been through thick and thin and I beleive that as a team, they are cut out to take on any challenge.

gayathri.

Oh teacher u rock.. ur gonna win dis challange no matter wat.. hav a blast an all d best..

Siddharth Ankathil

Well,its all Arjuns fault to be frank.I suggested to him as a joke that he should apply for this with mom,and when i got back from office ,i see a mail from Mom asking for my vote.To be frank,I think this is moms first online competition and I have never seen her more enthu about anything else.She is the coolest,most technologically advanced mom/teacher/friend in this whole wide world.Only regret is,I just told her about this competition 3 days before it was ending..

Kivya Gupta

The best mother-in-law and brother-in-law in the world(hubby ...well hez just average :o) )

Poonam Lal

Sounds great adventure...wish you the very best...I am sure you will be the winner..

Archana Pillai

All the best... Have fun! You are sure to Win!!!

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