America sings : Yes, we can !

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you, we as a people will get there.

Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years _ block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand. What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old. She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons _ because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin. And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America _ the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can. At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can. When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that We Shall Overcome. Yes we can.

Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

Yes we can! Yes we can! Yes we can!

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves _ if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made? This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes, we can.

Shubh Deepawali !

Oh ya I celebrated Deepawali here too, except that I couldnt fire crackers since for that I will need permissions from security deptt and except that I couldn't put my diya's outside the windows since the houses here are made up of woods and a single diya may alert the whole fire deptt of NJ and except that I couldn't put Rangoli since my whole house is covered with damn carpet and except that I couldnt eat much sweets since my cholestrol levels don't allow me to do such sin and yeah except that the tuni lights which saved my and my Deepawali's izzat was misunderstood as halloween decoration by my American neighbours ... except all of these my Deepawali went really magnificent. I had a small Lakshmi puja, good indian food with our friends here and with our all time favourite Sholay, arey O Sambha kitane aadami the re?

This was my Deepawali here which I do not want to exaggerate any more so allow me to once again bring you the story of three little sisters in gulabi winters and their much awaited festival of lights and patakha fights ... you gaat it wright ... its Deeeepawali back in India, in my BALCO, inside our quarter no 42, type IV, Sector 1, BALCO Nagar KORBA, 495684 !

Winter is knocking on the door and Papa has already started looking for his Deepawali card designs, his treasured drawing book has came out of the shelfs and all of us are giving our weird creative ideas and a design will be finalized soon and will be sent for printing. And with the aromas of gujhiya and coconut milkmaid laddu's we will fill colors in the hundreds of cards. I remember there came a time when we kind of felt bored to fill these cards ... and now don't even ask me how much I miss all that, Papa has sent me his cards this time also and my emotions are breaking all the boundaries every time I see the cards. I have kept the cards on my desk Papa and they are being appreciated by every one, I am so proud and I am so sad, I want to fill those wax colors in the cards with Niru and Gudiya just one more time. Just five of us and nobody else inside our quarter no 42, type IV, Sector 1, BALCO Nagar KORBA, 495684!!

Guds would start her Deepawali after everybody else's finishes, she would generously exchange her rockets and anaars for one box of color matchstick or her favourite saap goli and she would be incharge of making garlands of red hibiscus flowers and filling every available cross words, my dal'g Guds, Niru would clean all puja idols with lemon and a hard hand, would draw the outlines of Rangoli and will eventually leave the color filling to us and she will be the one who would get maximum number of visitors this day, our powerful and very social Niru. I would avoid all hard work and would grab the tasks which will take less efforts and which would bring more credit, I actually can't remember what was my signature task in Deepawali, except that I will get very few visitors and my visitors will be hated by everybody at home, Mom would not give her best sweets to them unlike Niru's guest who will be welcomed so warmly, oh I hated that. Gujhiya and laddu and namkeen and puri and kheer and Lakshmi bomb, that was my Mom. Mummy will not fire any other crackers except Lakshmi Bomb, so Mum's signature her laksmi bomb and yeah how could I forget her one and only picture of Deepawali inside the kitchen with her brand new five diyas and pallu on her head, you know Mom I also posed the same this time, I don't know what prayers you said in front of those diyas, but I prayed for whatever you would pray. Do you still do that Mom? Can we do all of this once more, just five of us and nobody else inside our quarter no 42, type IV, Sector 1, BALCO Nagar KORBA, 495684!!!

Shubh Deepawali !!!!!

Arunima ...

After hide and seek of moon and the stars,

when dreams are nearing from the distant aparts ...

emerges a petite crack of the day,

there glows a Arunima on your way !

Attractions of the day ... today !

I got up with some jovial vibes today morning, I woke up in the first alarm bell without snoozing it for twenty times. And I had two strong reasons for this revolution of the day -

First one, I had these three CDs full of my favourite songs which I wrote yesterday night for my fourty miles of drive. I even have Rock on rocks on one CD. Isn't it a reason to be in high spirits? Oh yeah sure it is.

I have one thrill for my evening too ... thats the Sarah Palin show tonight, her vice presidential debate.

I was never as involved in American politics as I am right now, politics was never this intersting too afterall before Palin entered the news.

Everyday she is giving her hit shows and I can not afford to miss this funny side of Republicans. She is more interesting than her spoof Tina Fey, believe me. So no need to wait till Saturday for SNL, you can get your share of comedy everyday by none other than the real Ms Palin.

I didn't liked her right from the day one when she was announced as running mate of McCain. There is somthing in that lady that irritates me. She is too much of nautanki probably. Her flat accent, her scary sharp voice, her french beard cut hubby, her son serving somehwere in Iraq, her daughter getting pregnant ... and the list goes on, only thing that I like in her is her hairstyle and her spectacles, these two things turn me green with envy everytime I see em.

Sarah O Sarah, please make my evening uproarious, I really had a chaotic day today!

Where is that winter?

Fall, its there ... can you believe it, it has already entered in my office campus, on the Garden State Parkway where I drive everyday, in my apartment complex, in Boston where I am going next weekend ... red, yellow and orange colors are tossed around almost everywhere, but not yet into my heart. I do not want to accept that fall is already here, I still want to be in warm sunny summer days. Not like I do not appreciate fall colors but thing is now I do not like what comes next to it, the gloominess of chilly winters.

Winter, season of energy, season of joy, season that I loved the most once upon a time. Winter filled with tons of pressure for the comming exams, winters filled with gulabi dhoop, winters filled with blood red carrots and curliflowers, winters of adarak waali chai, winters of Gudia solving crosswords in the front yard, winters of Niru sitting on Garrage sheets, winters of one single rajai and three sisters ... Where is that winter? Winters of my childhood?

Poojo aashche, Navratri Garba season, Dushehra, Dhanteras, Narak Chaturdash, Deepawali, Bhaidooj, Ekadashi than Half yearly Exams ... humn this all will come and go but I will be too busy to miss any of it celeberating Rosh Hashanah, Halloween, Columbus Day ... and the kinds. I will be eating Halloween candies when I am supposed to eat Deepawali Gujhiya and besan laddus, I will be busy shopping in Macy's and JC Penny when I am supposed to fire crackers, can you believe it, neither do I.

Sex Scandal in my Apartment !

My apartment recently decided to serve as a romantic resort for some of the creatures at its own risk and completely in my ignorance. And lot of illegal sex happened lately in my apartment, in my ignorance. But they forgot to take precautions and the evidences started showing up recently ... which shocked both me and Ra.

reproduction of roaches ... thats what I am talking about, thats what happened in my apartment. Until now I had a notion that roaches are permanent citizens of India only, I never knew when and how they got their visas and became US NRIs.

But me and Ra are tough ones, we won't kneel down to them, we will nail them, I vow. Raid is my weapon, I am trying to get some proven arms and ammunition from across the seven seas, my Mom has suggested Lakshman Rekha, she will be sending that to me very soon and than no body can save these disgusting erotic creatures. I have been yelling at them, Go away while you can, you morons, otherwise you will regret once my Mom's Lakshman Rekha arrives United States of America. I have also planned to put a printout of this blog at their favourite spots, so that they get my message in black and white.

From Recession to Depression

Everything was well in control before I left for vacations to India last November. I left everything in good shape but gosh they couldnt take care of the things in my absence. If I knew this before, I wouldn't have gone for it I swear.

I came back in December and saw a line of worry on the foreheads of my friends, my collegues, my managers and my Employer. And the rumours were in air that a recession is comming. But I didnt believed it and I kept looking for a job after I recovered fully from my bone breaking injury. I had a broken collar bone, great deal of confdence and a genuine six years of experience and I thought I will break all the odds with a combination of these three.

But I did saw a slow down, I called it a mere slowdown since eventually I got into a job. My other friends who couldnt make it, called it a recession.

I got confirmed for Bear Stearns on Friday March 14th and BS started shaking after that, JPMC offered $2 per shares to this big giant on Monday March 17th when I was supposed to join BS, damn it ! I said No to this Two dollar company, you dont buy it okay so lets be honest I got a offer cancellation on Monday.

After few more ups and down I finally got settled in a Health care company.

Sitting quietly and safely here I saw Fennie Freddie comming down and gas prices going up. Last weekend when I waS watching Hurricane Ike blowing everything in Heuston, this wall street shakes rocked the news channels. I speculated that same bailout will come from Fed and this two hundred years old company will be saved on the shoulders of Tax Payers. But nothing like that happened, Barclays and BOA raised hands and this one finally filed bankruptcy today. BOA is buying Meryll Lynch. AIG and Washington Mutual are the next ones wating silently for their fate.

So see this is what it happens when I leave the country on its own for a few weeks, from slow down to recession it finally falls nose down towards DEPRESSION.