Mumbai 07/11

I don't even know what I am writing...I woke up early today, as I had a busy day at work. Early appointments and some work to take care of before going for a five hour dry run of a new process we are implementing. I was brushing my teeth when I got a SMS from my friend at NDTV in Delhi, something about serial blasts in Mumbai. I switched on to see Rajdeep Sardesai on CNN World and was horrified to see the images that I am sure you have all seen with agony by now...

My mom was out of town, but my Dad was there and so were my uncle and aunt. Thankfully, everyone is safe, but I was horrified to hear that my uncle was in the 5:30 train, while the explosions started at around 5:45...Seems there are still some neighbors and friends unaccounted for. God willing...

At work it was all India this and India that, we received an email that accounted for all of our employees there and it was kind of gratifying to receive emails from people higher up, asking me and people like me who have a base in Mumbai, if they could do anything to help.

All day I'm sure many of you have the same feelings I have had. Anger, a feeling of being insignificant, a constant musing of what the hell am I doing here? Above all its pure anger for me. Say what you will, but I will never understand how anyone can justify or even try to justify deliberate harm to innocent commuters who are just trying to get home after a hard day's work. I mean the blasts were in the peak of the rush hour for crying out aloud! I guess its times like these where we need to keep focused and calm, but it will be hard if people start hearing about how Lashkar-e-Taiba [they have denied it according to the Hindu] or some other group of jackasses is claiming responsibility...

With all the attention India has been getting, I'm sure the next few weeks will be filled with cross comparisons to Madrid, London and the inevitable Hindu-Muslim tensions. I can already start to hear the terrorism experts start giving their opinions on how terrorism has roots in the subcontinent and all that yada yada yada...CNN/IBN was almost tooting the fact that their images were being spread all over the world live.

I have seen India's growth into a rising star, I have watched feel good videos about India's rising, I have choked up at hearing Lata Mangeshkar sing Vande Mataram, I have celebrated countless Indian cricket victories, I have laughed at our politicians various antics, when living there I have complained long and hard about everything from the traffic to the water to the weather...but I have never felt more Indian than I do today...and that I guess is no accident...