The way I see it

Get up when your sleep is over, Go for a nice run in the middle of the ocean, Suck up all the fresh air in your lungs, Get ready to eat a healthy and a hearty breakfast, Ready made mind you! Gaze at the ocean and the skies so blue Get drowned in nature's beauty, A heart-to-heart chat with the love of your life....just you, him and nature. Get ready for a delicious lunch...sitting by the ocean, Relax in the sun, with your favorite book and the beautiful sea breeze, Have hot chocolate while watching sunset....the ocean you love swallows the sun. Get dressed up for live music, dancing, singing, good beer and a formal dinner (all that jazz) a sharp contrast to a day spent so close to nature, Unwind in your cozy room....the soothing sound of the ocean waves putting you to a deep sleep. That's life on a cruise ship !!

Lets assume that religion was initially formed for the betterment of humans. But the word "religion" reminds me of conflicts, violence, intolerance and egoism. Most of the conflicts in the world are based on religion...be it the Israel-Palestian, India-Pakistan upto the recent terrorism has been erupted from religious beliefs. A "set of rules" which were supposedly meant for our upliftment are taking us down...are making beasts out of us. This has naturally made me think if we really need religion to live peacefully? Is religion necessary?? This has surprised me since I consider myself a religious person. I take great pleasure in certain Hindu rituals, the colorful festivals and many other things we do under the name of religion. So I was very restless with these contradictory thoughts in my mind. The answer I realized is not black or white. Religion is not good or bad, necessary or unimportant. If we believe that the final aim of all humans is to become one with Go...

I found this article on Gregory Roberts website: http://www.shantaram.com/ It was posted on December 1 2008. Here it goes..... Bombay still suffers, as I write this, even though the security situation in the Island City has improved, and a sense of order has been restored. Fortunately, and happily, none of the hundreds among my own friends and loved ones has been injured, but the death toll has risen to more than 170 people, and the injured number more than 300. And while my friends at Leopold’s, Colaba Market, The Taj, and The Oberoi are all safe and well, many of their colleagues have been killed or injured, and their businesses have been seriously damaged. I’ll talk about what’s happening in Bombay in the next few lines, but first, before you read any further, I want to ask you, I want to plead with you, to keep the faith with India and the city I love, Bombay. If we continue to visit the country and meet the people, if we spend our time in the beautiful chaos and chaotic beauty, if...