when will I go to India again?

I am wondering when i will be to see the Indira Gandhi Airport in Delhi,again... so many memories as life goes by....

 Adjusting to life in a new country.. two steps ahead and one back and then a leap forward!

Observing the ingress of winter

 The mark of winter

The early sunset, that lengthening regress of dawn 

the creeping onward march of darkness

all indicates, that winter is neigh

Stay warm, stay safe 

Happiness is in the mind though

May this winter , bring glad tidings

to me, to you and all our well wishers 

and their loved ones too...

Diversity in this world

 the key observation in this post pertains to the fact that different countries represent different worlds. Man's world changes based which country he is as does his destiny. 

different countries have different challenges, the key to being happy in any given environment is to focus on your core beliefs, define your goals and then work to successfully achieve them.

Remember as the song says "In the end, it doesnt even matter!"

Impressions of foreign countries are often fake, and do not survive first contact with reality....

 its very easy  to get deluded by how a country is portayed internatiobnally. the reality, may be very very different!

Bye Bye India , Hello Canada

I have moved to Canada. I dont have a job so looking for one. Hopefully this country will allow me to write a lot more... . No friends here, but being part of a "visible minority" i guess that will take time!

Lingering effects of the pandemic

 the pandemic has strengthened the position of China and left India confronting its weaknesses. This should lead to course correction. Hopefully, that is not too difficult.

post the pandemic - a terrible time in India -- is it time to leave?

 The visas for a foreign country have arrived. Yet, here i am dithering.... 

well i am over 40 now, and now its perhaps not about me anymore.... But the way India is going seems scary for me personally. Should we move? or not.... the coming few months will probably not just determine my destiny but that of the next generation. Unknown to him, decisions are being taken which will alter the course of his life and identity forever.. 

The pandemic laid bare the inadequacy of the Indian state like never before. This would have happened no matter which government is in power, as the healthcare system is underfunded and more of a business than a public necessity. 

I lost relatives, saw death up close and the sight of the flames blazing forth, searing the coal black night skies is a sight i shall never forget. 

back after ages

am back to blogging after several years.

last year i found a solution - this provides both of us relief in the prison we live in.

we hope to leave this country, some day. But we are happy that we have given each other some respite from the evil society we inhabit. 

time to move to twitter?

i dont think many people follow this blog anymore, i guess i dont write much here anyway . is it time to move to twitter , wherein i can post when and where i have the time?

Please let me know via your comments here or via Facebook/Linkedin in case you personally know me!

Jalaj

A new government in india

we have a new government in India --- its not good news as a gay person. Economically things may look up though.

its like many things about being gay in india , many things are bitter sweet -- you scent a surreal fragrance in the air but still have to deal with the taste of ashes in your mouth.

Love lost....

The need for sex is physical
but the need for love is metaphysical..

love lost leaves a void in one's life
a gnawing emptiness seems overwhelming

but tomorrow is another day
and each painful fall
sends us on a new journey
and teaches us more about that which matters.

 

Elections in India

the last month in india has seen elections in process. I think the entire system is a bit of a joke. The structure of the indian state sees the entire tax burden placed on the middle classes but the rich hardly pay anything and the poor get handouts to vote in favour of cerntain political parties.

The country needs all persavive reform spanning every sector of the the government and the economy. The question is will those changes ever come?

Witnessing a Magical moment--- in Copenhagen,Denmark

I am travelling through Europe right and am at present in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Bitterly cold with icy winds lashing the city --- today i witnessed a magical moment.

It happened past midnight on the metro station at islands brygge (Iceland Brygge) near the Copenhagen University.

The platform was mostly empty as i waited for the train to take me to my destination. Two boys moved diffidently into the transparent elevator. They turned and started kissing each other in a subdued manner. Till one of them caught me looking at them through the transparent elevator and withdrew from the other guy. The elevator stood still.

I gave him a big smile and a thumbs-up sign --- and both of them, reassured radiated smiles back.

the elevator moved --- and they were gone , looking down at me.. my train came and i left...

i thought as i walked back to my place of residence in the icy,dark wind-swept night --- these are the moments which lace our life with meaning , where we connect transcending the many boundaries both real and imagined our world encases us in. Sometimes they dont matter anymore , and in one magical moment we realise our own humanity. That which enables us to connect to another --- and renew them and ourselves ---- and then move on our paths again --- towards our worlds.

Next week, i am back in my world in India -- just 8 flight hours from Europe but it might be as well in another era a world away.
-- Jalaj Vaivaswat

Losing your Job can mean new beginnings in Life

I lost my job a few days back -- got fired over the phone from 22,000 km away.

does life end?

No, there are always new twists and turns -- depends what we make of them.. isnt it?

What do you think ?

JV

Happy New Year.

its almost 2 am in Delhi and as the temperature dips on new years eve. here is wishing all of you a great year ahead :-)

Jalaj Vaivaswat

Supreme Court Ruling on Gay Rights in India

Frankly, the Indian Supreme court's ruling was not unexpected at all. Homosexuality confronts deep prejudice in India -- the sort which inspires silence. Gay people and their rights are not a priority in this country.

I didnt expect the Supreme Court to rule that "section 377" was ultra vires.

its sad to say that human rights in india are a bit of a joke -- sorry am frustrated with the way things in this country take forever and often reach an illogical conclusion.

More on this later , just a bit upset right now.

In the United States

I have been in the USA , working here for a while.

Last weekend when i was in New York --- one of my friends asked about why i wasnt writing and this impelled me to think . I should not be silent , I should not remain quiet .

My words are my voice and the keyboard my way to express my thoughts and being .


anyway..


Life in the United States is a complete contrast to life in India . Gay people have far more rights here , so its liberating to move around in a society where you dont get condemned by default -- very unlike back "Home".

But will be back in that "Home" soon . No expectation about anything changing there --- still sometimes you just miss the madness of everything in India.

Job Hunting.. Marriage Pressures ....

my family is exerting tremendous pressure on me to marry or "be with someone" and have kids

work situation is difficult ....

one thing at a time -- let me deal with the work challenges first.

sometimes i am sick of everything in india --- but then i realise its not so bad -- India is a very interesting place --- if you are clever and rich you can get away with anything -- if your family is supportive.

If it isnt --- then well, its very very difficult...

Travelling soon!

Visiting East Asia soon ... am looking forward to see a new part of the world :-)
Life is hectic as always right now -- but somehow i just find the strength to keep going on ...

Iwish i spent less time travelling to and from from work though --- it would give me time to focus on my interests including blogging...

How are all the readers of this blog doing ? Hope all of you are having a great time and lots of fun this year ... its winter in Delhi now ... and the days grow shorter all the while .

I came across the quote which i liked tonight and hence am posting it :
"The road is long for the one who is tired
the night is long for one who is restless
To accomplish great endeavours in this world
one must set aside both painful memories and
the experiences which cause suffering
and move ahead.... "