Bliss.

Bliss.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

Chalo Dilli!

The journey began on 14th of June, we boarded the train to Bengaluru and set off towards KIA after a brief halt at 338. Somehow there was a new excitement in flying, given that we were all by ourselves!
After a journey peppered with Bhindi and Chapathi by Amma, we landed at IGI Airport only to be slapped across by the hot and humid weather of the capital.

Nevertheless, we acclimatized slowly, made our way to the Aerocity Metro Station in a bus where we all got Metro Cards for INR 200 which would basically cover our travel expenditures in the coming days.
With a suitcase and backpack each, we boarded the metro, then changed lines to the Yellow Line and deboarded at the hustling Rajiv Chowk. From here we took autos to LHMC (which was around the maze called Connaught Place, something we slowly began to figure out in the course of our stay)

Tired (and hungry AF) we reached, registered and were shown our rooms. Now LHMC is a government hospital that was started over 100 years ago. Please keep this in mind when you imagine the condition of the girls hostels. Abhi BP and I shared a room along with a few other creatures I do not wish to speak about. The ancient rooms had attached washrooms that resembled dungeons with their gloomy lighting, cobwebs and barely there rickety doors. Nevertheless, we settled down and set off for day 1 of sightseeing.

We covered India Gate and Chandni Chowk on day 1 but our appetites were yet to get a true taste of Dilli but for the 'Dahi Bhalla' that is a legacy.

For some reason, Abhi and I could not join the Uber on the way back (passenger limit) so we did this fairly daring thing of walking through creepy gullies to take the last metro back to Rajiv Chowk and then making our way back to Hardinge dodging creepi doods and asking helpful rickshaw bhaiyyas and not getting misled by Google Maps.

The next day was our suturing skills workshop, quite similar to the one I attended at JNMC except there was the smiley Dr Manju Puri who took us through the sessions and here again, we had resident surgeons giving us some hands on exposure.

Post workshop, we headed to Jama Masjid via metro, rikshaw gaadi and on foot. The last leg of the journey was through gallis filled with hawkers, curious bystanders, worshippers and plenty of pickpockets and 'smugglers' as we were warned. Tall and imposing, it was teeming with visitors owing to the ongoing Ramzan season and it made for a photo opp. After this and after much debate we took the metro, changed lines, took an auto again to the thrift shopping enclave: Sarojini Market. After my previous experience with shopping here, I did not hazard another attempt here save for a dreamcatcher, an amphibian soft toy for Di and some new funky super comfortable T.



Dinner was Dominoes at the nearby mall and we headed back to the hostel after a tiring day. The morning of the presentation arrived and after battling the unkind effect of Dilli breakfast on my poor palate (Aloo Aloo everywhere!), it was time to face the music.

The examiners were the HoDs/ senior doctors in their field and asked a lot of questions (unlike my previous presentation in Kolar). I answered a few, accepted that did not know a few and tried valiantly to defend any inconsistencies that they attempted to uncover. BP was with us the whole time and she managed to give some real time answers to a few must know questions by her quick work. The others from Manipal, Jipmer, MAMC and north eastern college also had many interesting cases to report.

After this, we set off again on our next venture. Agrasen Ki Baoli and Jantar Mantar were the monuments we visited on Day 3. Dinner was a peaceful affair; Dominoes (for Sumzzu) and Saravana Bhavan (The South Indian's answer to all food woes).


After this, I got to work on my slideshow for the next day and the news that two entries from our college made it to the final round made us very happy indeed.

The next morning, Govi Varsha and I (I am the eternal third wheel) headed to Akshardham after breakfast at Haldirams and a metro ride on the Noida/Vaishali Lane. Despite the sweltering heat we did not fail to admire the beauty of the temple complex and the intricate architechture.

After this, we headed back and I braced myself for the upcoming presentation. After a barely there lunch of plain rice (papad-esque rotis are not acceptable to me, you see) it was Time!

The presentation went fairly well and Dr Sharda Patra was the second judge along with the medicine HoD(?) from the previous day. The uniqueness of the subject (Psychiatry) got their attention and my USP was that detailed history taking is still the crux of medical diagnosis.

After a seemingly long wait, the results were declared and I had made it to the second place. The first place went to MAMC for a case of chromosomal abnormality (probably the first recorded case in India and among a handful worldwide) that was well researched and presented.

After the prize (and cash :P) distribution, we (Abhi BP and I) headed to Dunkin Donuts at CP for celebratory donuts and the icing on the cake was a south indian Thali at Saravana Bhavan (again after jumping the queue and sneaking in under the aegis of parcels) served by Kannada speaking annas.

(Do you want me to continue?)

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