Yes we can...

Today it's history in the making. The United States of America will be getting its 44th president, the one with an unusual name Barack Hussein Obama and the first black president.

I am writing this even as I am glued to the television watching Obama's presidential inauguration.


Presidents come and go but they rarely influence the thinking of people outside America. This time around there is an excitement in the air and I can literally feel it. When Clinton became POTUS (President of the United States) he was very popular but his election was seen by many especially outside the U.S as just a change which ushered in a popular man at the helm .

(Image source: http://www.dmiblog.com/archives/barack_obama.jpg)

George Bush during his eight years tenure might not have made many friends but yes, there was no dearth of enemies :) As an Indian though, I feel that we may have lost a good friend in the white house but yes who knows about the future.

I have keenly followed Obama's journey from the time he won primaries of the democratic party to finally winning the party nomination. He may be inexperienced when compared to his peers but he showed that "Change is indeed possible". His slogan "Yes we can" and strong oratorical skills resonated across the american people and the world. The message of change saw many an experienced veteran like Hillary Clinton, John Mc Cain and other opponents who saw Obama as a novice bite the dust. The tide has turned and how.

What has particularly impressed me is that Obama charted a different path by taking into his cabinet those people who didn't have any good things to say about him particularly during the intense and bruising primaries. Hillary Clinton, his bitter critic and opponent is the Secretary of State designate. He has retained Robert Gates as the defence secretary. His other appointments has been equally impressive. His "Cabinet of Rivals" approach is refreshing. Sure there were questions asked as to what change does one bring by nominating same old faces in their cabinet. But then Obama also recognised the fact that people like Hillary can be an invaluable asset with their impressive credentials. His choice of Vice-President elect Biden for his foreign policy experience was spot on. Contrast that to Sarah Palin.

The only thing to watch out is once the excitement dies down, will Obama who has enormous expectations from the people live upto it? This is a question only time can tell. But for now we can only say that "Change has indeed come to America"

Stealing is a crime. What I did today, definitely can be termed stealing. I was looking for this vaccum catcher which one can stick on the glass. The first time I went to the supermarket looking for it, I couldn't purchase it as it didn't have a bar-code. Now I desperately needed it for the small teddy bear I had purchased.

Cut to today, I had made my mind to somehow steal the catcher. Except for a minor hiccup I did succeed. Even though it was a small damaged vaccum catcher, my conscience was wracked with guilt. As I tried to pocket it, I warily looked at the overhead cameras and then when I assumed I was safe headed towards the checkout counter. I could only take a deep breath after coming out of the super market. But it's definitely not a good idea. I still can't believe that I did such a thing but I realized that everyone does have an inner conscience, the one which we had read in our Moral Science text books at school.

The last week has been quite dramatic. My employer seems to be in trouble and it has come as a shock not only to me but also thousands of employees. These are challenging times and we are in the midst of a recesssion.

Well never expected such a thing to happen but it's always better to be prepared. Moving on to another topic. Slumdog Millionaire is one movie I am very eager to watch. I am hoping and praying that I get to watch it first day, first show.

Bye bye 2008 and welcome 2009. I am not sure what to look forward to in the New Year. However what I do wish is that our cities and the world should be relatively peaceful and safer. On the personal front, I do have a wishlist. Things which didn't happen last year I am hoping will work out this year :)