Family Time

Family is visiting next week - my mother in law, father in law and DH's grandmother. Sunshine is eagerly waiting for his grandparents to arrive and is busy making plans for summer. His grandparents will be with us for 3 months and DH's grandmother for a week.

DH's grandma is one of the most loving, positive and open minded people I have ever met. Just being around her makes me feel loved and makes me want to be a better person. Despite her advanced age, she is always eager to travel around the world and meet her family. She likes to have fun and doesn't let the aches and pains that come with age, stop her. She smiles all the time and her embrace is healing and uplifting. One week feels too short.

We have been trying to find a house to move to before their visit, but unfortunately nothing worked out. With a growing Sunshine and me working from home most of the time, our 2 bedroom apartment is increasingly feeling smaller. I am sure there is the perfect little house or apartment waiting for us somewhere; we just haven't come across it yet.

At the moment, I am reading Illusions:  The adventures of a reluctant messiah by Robert Bach. It was recommended by a friend from school. He said it is not an easy read and it takes time to digest the ideas in the book, but I find it surprisingly easy to read it and accept it as well. I am immensely influenced by the books that I read. So I am happy I am reading this book as it seems to put me in a happy state of mind.

A new era in Indian politics

DH got up in the morning and eagerly switched on the TV to see who has won the parliament elections in India. As one can expect of anything and everything that happens in India, the multiphase elections and the campaigning was full of drama, colour, sound bytes and sensationalism. The results seem to indicate an unprecedented and resounding victory for BJP and its allies while the incumbent Congress party and their allies as well as most of the unaligned regional parties have faced a washout.

The post election hullabaloo is as entertaining as it was leading up to the elections. In a few days, a new government will be formed and new ministers will be appointed. At the moment, all that is clear that Mr Narendra Modi will be the next prime minister of India. People of India have given a clear message - they are fed up of the status quo and they want change. Since BJP led NDA has got more than simple majority, they are in a position to turn around the country. I hope they succeed. The stock exchanges in India seem to believe that they will deliver on their promises. They have reached historical levels and the rupee is also strengthening by the minute. 

A nation of 1.2 billion people are now looking up to Mr Narendra Modi and his party to make their country achieve its true potential. They hope that the new government will give them a chance at a better life. Several years back, the Congress party was the face of hope. After delivering a few years of growth, things started looking bleak with rising inflation and slowing growth.

A lot of things need to be fixed and the new government is going to be weighed under high expectations. We need to urgently tackle the infrastructure situation. The corruption that is eating away at the foundation of our very society needs to be eliminated. We need investment, jobs, roads, trains, growth, safety; the list is very long. But today, I also feel hopeful like most people in India. New energy will come with the new faces and atleast for a while we can expect lot of positive things for India.