Not my idea of a 'blast'...

It is just so frustrating to be living in this country. After yesterday's incidents, you cannot blame me. Our spineless administration cannot do anything. Lets be honest about it: Human life has no value in our country. Our beloved Prime Minister always ends up saying that we must stay calm and we'll fight terrorism. Haven't we heard that one before. 

Yea, and Mr Prime Minister, if you're fighting terrorism, how come people just keep dying. I think, seriously, you were better off being an economist. Our government is more worried about its vote bank and wants to lift the ban on terrorist organizations. Who voted for these people in the first place? We're lucky that the Supreme Court has rejected the government's claims. But wow? I have never seen such a shameful peace of governance anywhere in the world. 

These kind of incidents make you feel so frustrated, so helpless. I mean the situation has reached such an embarrassing level that terrorist organizations are daring you to stop them. Is this some kind of a joke?

And the only thing the Home Ministry has to say is: 'these were low intensity blasts'. Were they? Close to 30 people still died. Didn't they? Or is it alright that they died, Mr. Home Minister. Shameless Cowards. And am not talking about the terrorists here. They're doing everything in the open and challenging you stop them. No, but we must stay calm. Right Mr. Minister?  Though i frankly feel that they're incapable of anything, except for being worried about their vote banks. Some other food for thought- The current government is trying really hard to stop the execution of a person who attacked the Parliament. So technically, he's an enemy of the state. But no, he should not be executed because the government will lose its vote bank. I mean what kind of message does this send out? You just don't have the balls. Simple.

Some perceived solutions:

1. Value human life.

2. No nonsense stance on terrorism and value human life.

3. Not worry about vote bank, worry more about national interest AND value human life.

4. All of the above.

I think we should seriously re-think who we vote for next time. Or maybe India needs a dictator, an idealist who can sort out this mess. I definitely believe we don't need spineless people running our lives. Its about time that we start feeling safe in our own homes.

Travelling...Peace

Till sometime back, I never thought that certain places can be so tranquil. In my earlier post about Kerala, I had mentioned that I've never felt as peaceful as I did when I was rowing this boat in the backwaters there. I mean you could literally hear a pin drop. It made me re-think my priorities in life.

I've started appreciating the smaller and finer things in life. There is so much more to do, so much to learn and so much to see. Travelling is one of my passions. I mean if it were upto me, I would just do that for the rest of my life. Switch off my mobile phone, and abscond. Here, I've to come back to the money factor. You need the green, for everything. So its a catch 22. No Money, no Honey..i mean no travelling!!

Anyways, without drifting away from the topic, its imperative that one gets to travel. Ofcourse, it depends on each one's priorities. I sometimes feel that our whole life becomes ironic; we work so hard to strive for those very things and then never get the time to experience them. Well, i am definitely going to try n live out my travelling dream.

A perfect case in point: I recently saw this movie called 'A Good Year' *ing Russell Crowe. He's a hot-shot investment broker with a fancy job in London. He inherits a Chateau in France, from his uncle, where he had spent his childhood, (wish i had an uncle like that). Goes there with a view to restore the Chateau, sell it and come back to his job in London.

So he tries his hand at making wine and, meets his childhood love there. He goes back briefly to his job in London when his employers become impatient, but decides thats not what he wants to do. Gives up his job and goes back to the Chateau. First of all, what is the deal with France. Its an unbelievable setting. No wonder all women become weak in the knees when the word 'France' is mentioned. After seeing that movie, am in love with the bloody place. There's a particular scene in the movie where Crowe and Marion Cottilard are sitting in this park; there's a live band playing some awesome music, with a projector screen at the back showing some clippings from some old black and white movies and to top it all, you have some bottles of wine on the table. I think this was one of the most peaceful settings i've ever seen in my life. I am going there for sure. The movie ends with them having breakfast on the patio of the Chateau, overlooking the vineyards. Perfect....

Though the movie didn't do too well at the box office, it gave me a good insight into some of the things i want from life. Travelling, is right up there!!

(My inspiration for this post has been a song called 'Goodbye Lenin' by Yann Tiersen. It makes you connect to similar surroundings as the Chateau. )

Acknowledgements to Mayank for this amazing song. I would highly recommend it.