Change is in the air. Everywhere.

Anybody visiting India in the past month or so cannot have failed to remark on the growing sense of discontent in the air. It feels as if the country, especially the youth, are waking from a long dormant sleep.

There's a revolution in the air. I felt it watching 'Rang de basanti' and then 'Iqbal'. I am still amazed at the ferocity of the student's protests over the reservations issue. Actors join the battle for Narmada, drawing much needed public attention to this unimaginable problem (more on that later). Jessica Lall's friends and people across the world fight to keep her memory alive, while her family slowly fades away waiting for justice. A young woman dies, pushed by the doorway mafia on the Virar-Churchgate local. One gang member is arrested after the hue and cry (a wonder in itself).

Your sins come back to haunt you. Eventually.

Suddenly, everybody seems to be up in arms about everything. That's a good thing - protests and making a noise (I have found) are the only way to get attention to a cause.

My baby brother complained about unfinished road work to the newspaper. A few days later, the road was done. That's my legacy to him - succesful complaining :)

It's now a case of watch and wait. And support those you agree with. And fight. Keep fighting till you make the world you deserve to live in.

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You might say it's easy for me to say, sitting a million miles away and not having to deal with this personally.

I say it gets harder with each trip, to stay uninvolved. From this trip alone (Mr R & I have just returned from a 3 week trip home), I have a few complaint letters to write, a dozen suggestions to make, people to instigate. I meant to take a picture of the open manhole outside our building (clumsily dotted with stones around the rim - as if that would stop someone from falling in when it's dark or covered with rain water), but that got left out somehow. I can still write about it though.

I have a few good things to report back as well. Hope glimmers brightly on some roads.

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Back to England. The UK's facing it's worst drought in over 100 years, so I guess we should not crib about the constant rain that we've had over the past week. In the seven days that we've been back, I've seen perhaps one afternoon of clear skies and a smattering of sunshine. That apart, the whole place has come a l i v e!

I am amazed at the difference that three weeks can make. In that short time, the seasons have taken a leap firmly into Spring. We left behind bare branches, but have come back to overflowing greenery everywhere. Carpets of blossoms line gardens, pavements and fill the air like confetti. The extent of greenery where we are is simply startling. It takes my breath away.

I feel blessed to be here at a time like this.

If only the sun would show up :)