Warm Rain ...noooott

It's raining in Jose town today. Not too heavy, but the rain brings some heavy wind and teeny bit of lightning with it. It is making some phones unreliable, the traffic is snarled (although that might be a regular feature of Jose town and nothing to do with the rain). Feels like monsoon season at home except that its COLD. I've missed warm rain all these years ..nothing like a nice warm rain in chennai..This brings back many wonderful memories.

Somehow tied up with those memories are reflections on the levels of poverty and need in India....Wish i can go back and do something worthy for my country. I listened today to stories told by 18 and 20 year olds outside Safeway (very much me...i do talk to any1 and every1) about how they planted kitchen gardens to feed the little kids they were teaching because the local merchants couldn't afford to donate anything to the feeding programs. These kids were from Jo'burg, S.Africa. They were here for higher ed through these sponsorship programs. Conditions there are also desperate, and some of the conversations we have with some of these people are wrenching. On the other hand, there is so much hope. It is inspiring to see these young people talk about building their country and "building a better South Africa" and really and truly trying to do something for their country instead of waiting to be helped. I wondered briefly whether this is what the 50s must have felt like in India. Sadly, none of my grandparents are around so that I can ask them.

I stood on my balcony for a long time watching the rain come down..i got drenched in the Warm Rain adn I wonder, but I have no answers.