An interesting thing happened the other day, something Americans will probably never hear about - India won its first individual Olympic Gold Medal ever. It was won by Abhinav Bindra, a 26 year old Indian who won in riflery. It was neat to see the nation erupt, albeit gently. There was a swell of pride, and I sensed a little lift in some of the guys at the office. When I mentioned it, they smiled largely. It may have helped that I was happy, too. And I am from the land that will soon nab its 900th Gold Medal since the Olympics started in 1896, so my compliments perhaps meant more to them thereby.
This picture above is a neat one. Pratibha Patil is the first female President of India (I believe Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister or something like that, not President). She is a Gujarati, as is Abhinav. But it is the touch that is so nice. That is the way an adoring mother touches a child here in India. A level of intimacy impossible in a national celebration of the same sort back in the US. I really like that picture. Congrats to Indians everywhere!
Now, how about that Michael Phelps!
Sorry, I just had to add that in. As a former swimmer and an American, it's nice to see this guy perform at this level, it's just amazing.
