And there's Hope....

Barack Obama's election as U.S President could well be a turning point, not just for that nation, but for the entire world as well. I have to emphasize the word could, because of the possibilities that now exist to finding a solution for the world's climate change problems, provided it is not just empty rhetoric of another smooth-talking politician. I honestly think that this man means what he says most of the time, but you never know. And I have been wrong before! :-(

From a President who didn't believe climate change existed to one who has already articulated his views emphatically, is a significant and huge transformation waiting to happen, since a lot hinges on how the largest economy and the biggest polluting nation tackles emissions and leads the way to making this planet greener and cleaner. Here's keeping fingers crossed.

The Art of Losing!

The art of losing is something all true winners know about. John McCain, in his wonderfully gracious and moving speech, demonstrated just that. Even if one was a Barack Obama supporter, it would have been hard not to salute this man for the way he has conducted himself so far after losing a bitterly fought presidential election.

In the end, despite the crushing defeat, John McCain proved himself to be a worthy opponent for a man whom the world is already calling a once-in-a-generation leader. Nice too, to see the respect these two men have for each other's achievements despite their political differences, and their common belief that their country comes first.

Wish we could see more of that in Indian politics!

A great way to commute....

I took the MRTS for the first time 10 days ago. I've been wanting to do this for a few years, but didn't get around to it. So a couple of Sundays ago, I took the train from Kasturba Nagar/Madhya Kailash Station to Park Town (Central Station). Took me all of 17 minutes to get to the destination!! Fantastic! Especially knowing it takes me an hour these days to travel by car from T.Nagar to Besant Nagar in peak hour traffic!

I clicked some pictures. Interesting view of the city from an elevated platform....

View from Kotturpuram. The Adyar Bridge can be seen.

A flute-seller in one of the stations.

Passing through Mylapore...

The train travels right behind the Marina Grounds, a popular venue for cricket matches.

View of the Chepauk Palace (?)

The Cooum River....the Napier Bridge can be seen in the distance.

Probably, the most famous landmark in Chennai!!

Am amazed that the government is not doing enough to promote MRTS....this is definitely the future! The badly maintained, tourist-and-traveller-unfriendly stations hardly inspire confidence for a city that is supposed to be the gateway to the South.

Neverthless, I recommend a trip for all those who haven't tried it so far!