A New Decade.

10. Makhna - Drive 

9. Naznina

8. Manzar Hai Ye Naya - Uri

7. Believer

6. Fight Song

5. Hall of Fame

4. A Million Dreams

3. The Fighter

2. Challa - Uri

1. And recently - Malang Malang

And some more songs that gave me a lot of peace. It's almost like a routine to begin the day with some of the invigorating hymns of Shiva/ Hanuman/Durga.

There's a lot uncertainty about the road ahead and it's hard to deal with this cloud hovering above but we can only hope that there's going to be sunshine soon. If not, try to create my own happiness and take what life has to offer with gratitude.

The 2019 was a year that was a challenging transition; from the routine of hostel life to adapting to one at home. It's been a bittersweet experience but one that is perhaps necessary to progress to the next phase of life.

Here's summing up the journey through the subjects that I love and the ones that I have grown to love.

Biochemistry's cycles and pathways have a similar destiny,
Molecules interact within our body with the sole aim of energy.
The hand and foot are an Anatomist's prized tricks,
Leaving us baffled with overlapping muscles and intricate vessels.

Physiology attempts to simplify the complexities of our body,
With flowcharts, formulae and graphs.
While Psychiatry divides the maladies of the mind,
Based on myriad symptoms and specific durations.

Worms and their larva, but some with their operculated egg,
Don't even get me started on identifying mites and ticks by their leg!
Viruses with their myriad shapes and sizes arrive,
Only to be silenced by vaccines; killed and alive.

Through mosquito stats and sanitation facts we sojourn,
While nutrition facts and occupational hazards cause some heart burn.
Through charts and graphs we hope for some reprieve,
But the normal distribution curve has several tricks up its sleeve!

The pathways of disease were dealt in Pathology,
Mechanisms inside the microscopic cell lead to macroscopic changes!
With its artistic histopath slides in 50 shades of Purple and Pink,
Every tissue marker seemed to have a link!

Transporting us to the Labor Room,
OBG thrived on giving us scenarios in the womb.
From interpreting the partograms of obstructed labor,
To staging ovarian and endometrial carcinomas,
This subject surely couldn't be ignored!

What begins with audiograms and tympanograms,
Escalates into a variety of -plasties in tiny orifices.
ENT has its tuning fork tests and hearing devices,
Even as we fumble with the inner ear diagrams.

Cunningly similar, yet subtle differences emerge,
Fundoscopies of the eye have seen a recent surge.
Ophthalm explores beyond the mundane cataracts and conjunctivitis
Into the realm of corneal ulcers, dystrophies and uveitis.

Be it the tall and tented T Waves of Potassium excess,
Or the giant a waves of tricuspid stenosis,
The ST elevations of an MI to its exact artery involved,
Waves of all kinds are always favoured.

If splints and tractions of Ortho fill you to the brim,
Wait for the named fractures of every limb,
In Dermat, you navigate through the many layers of your skin,
Fungal infections and STDs are its kith and kin!

Milestones from a neonate to an unsteady toddler,
Abundant Syndromes like Turner, Edward and Potter.
Facts and figures, scores and cancer stages,
IPCs and CrPCs fill our pages,
A race against time, a chance, perhaps of a lifetime!

.

Nefelibata.

Picture Imperfect.

Tell me everything I shouldn't know

The dark stains that refuse to go.

Fill me with the darkness that shall blind,

The answers to the questions on my my mind.

Beneath that fine veneer and sheen

Maybe there are unknown tales to glean.

Fall from that pedestal of glory please

Bestow that starched white with some grease.

Tell me everything I shouldn't know

Anything to let go of that halo

Fill me with dark lies so I may believe

And hope to seek an uncomfortable refuge.

Beneath that chiseled perfection I see

Maybe there are crevices and cracks unknown to me

For now that is all the reason I can live with

To believe that it is after all a delusional myth.

When I'm not swatting flies and seeing inebriated patients on night duty at the Holehonnur CHC, I'm scamming their free WiFi and attempting to relearn how to write poetry.

Working at a PHC for a month and now a CHC has been an interesting experience so far, opening your eyes to the amount of sickness and disease. It also makes you realize how the things you take for granted are privileges to someone else.

During my free time in the day, I've been doing paintings that should probably be torn up into 38372827 pieces yet I still have them probably because they are so stupid they are a little funny. :')

Oh and I'm also listening to some music after what seems like ages! :) 

• Kajra Mohabbat Wala (Sachet Tandon)
• You can be king again (I'm not really into anime but I should thank Medha for this!)
• Nindaraan Diyaan (Amit Trivedi) <3
• Your hand in mine (Explosions in the sky)
• K (Cigarettes after sex)
• What's my name (Rihanna) (I heard this recently after years and I couldn't believe I was a big fan of this once xD

^ A cloud walker. An individual who lives in the clouds of her own imagination or dreams. A person who doesn't abide by the rules of society, literature, or art. 

Oh Bee Ji, Sir Jerry and more

This was supposed to be this exuberant post about the many things going on right now in life but it’s going to be all the headlines sans that dose of saccharine sweetness!

I realize that I’ve not spoken much about how college is going on in a long time.

So we had Surgery Postings and it wasn’t too bad. Nagraj Sir did a fairly good job with every class that he engaged us in. We took cases (most of us) and presented them. The EPT wasn’t all that great though, I basically had to speak over Arun Kumar Sir to let him know that I did know a thing or two and he didn’t have to answer his own damn question all the time! We saw a lot of ulcers (in the leg and foot), sebaceous cysts, varicose veins, hernias (inguinal as well as umbilical), a few cases of lumps in the breast and one of thyrotoxicosis. On the whole, it gave us about 15 cases in one month and ample time for me to watch Suits when the OPD would be empty. We didn’t get to go to the OT this term since the seniors get preference but there weren’t too many cases in the first place, truth be told.

It’s been about 2 weeks since OBG started and it’s a lot more organized than the other department which is a double edged sword. The good thing is that there is no dearth of cases here so all you need to do is to be on the lookout for the case you need. I had to present a case of Fibroids along with an absconding adjacent batch mate and it was not bad, I guess.

The Ophthalmology Department expects us to present seminars on designated topics every week and my last one was a COMPLETE disaster so I had to make amends this time. The topic was Colour Blindness and so there was ample scope for pictures and the occasional joke. As usual, I was nervous prior to the seminar and from what I was told, I hurried through the slides but it was definitely a lot better than the previous one. :)

And yes, last week I ended up attending NISACON 2016 in JNMC Belgaum. I’m not really sure how the whole thing transpired but one thing led to another and Akhila and I did this race against time to reach Belgaum. It was a budget mission (that blew completely out of proportion) and the KSRTC bus strike at that time just made things all the more difficult for us (not the mention the yearly Purle Jaathre that COMPLETELY blocks the road connecting our college to the rest of Shimoga). So we boarded a bus to Harihar, another to Davangere to reach the Railway Station at 6:40 for the Sampark Kranthi Express scheduled to arrive at DVG at 6:40PM precisely. Thankfully Indian Railways doesn’t always adhere to the aforementioned timings so we had enough time to grab some dinner parcels and catch our breath before setting off towards Belgaum (unsure of our accommodation). 

As Akhila managed to convince normalcy on the homefront, we realized that we might have to travel by ourselves to the campus in the middle of the night and this was unsettling. I was quite lucky that MaPa agreed on such short notice and had even arranged stand-by accomodation with Chikkoo (my first roommate, FYI) But thankfully, I realized it was just me being HD because the JNMC peeps were there at the station to pick us up and we did get accommodation after reaching campus around 1.30AM (Whaaaaaat?!) The next two days passed in a blur; workshops on Surgical Skills (which was pretty cool considering how we actually tried out the suture techniques on artificial material) and ECG (which was good but just not enough time to actually know it that well), campus tours with Adi (surprise surprise!), some interesting lectures on Robotic Surgery (it’s the future of surgery, they say) and even a DJ night which wasn’t half bad. (or maybe I’m finally getting a hang of them :’) )

On the third day, the seven of travelled to Gokak by bus, boarded another to Gokak Falls and took a God-forsaken unbearably jam-packed bus to Godachina Malki falls which had a good view but given that it was a Sunday; it was quite populated. The return journey took hellishly long and the seating arrangement is something I’d like to forget at the earliest! *that moment when all of us start yelling at the conductor when he actually dared to ask us to budge a bit to seat yet another passenger in the overloaded bus*

Nevertheless, we managed to reach just in time for the bus back to Shimo and after a mild e-ticket scare; we hogged on parcelled KFC and called it a night. The next morning it was back to business in OBG and thus, it was the end of a short but memorable trip. It was unexpected and I came back with some unexpected memories :)

On the whole, the past month had some interesting events and its fair share of excitement and drama. It’s been a long time since I’ve set foot in Bangalore (for a sufficiently long time) and it looks like even this time it’s going to be a “flying visit” but one does not mess with the OBG Ladies so I can’t do much about it. -_-

Something about the travel to Belgaum made me realize how different life is in North Karnataka. It kind of explains why people from NK are the way they are. Of course, I might be generalizing but there’s a stark contrast with how things are back home in Namma Bengaluru where are aplenty and there is no dearth of options for a person unlike how it up north. Here a person might have to work against odds to reach their destination and that’s probably what makes them resilient in the face of hardships.

Books I’ve been reading include:

• Sensory Deception (All about sensory saturation and virtual reality set against the backdrop of global warming and animal extinction)
• It happens for a reason by Preethi Shenoy (about premarital pregnancy in the Indian setup and the aftermath based in Bangalore)
• Letters to Love (another run-of-the-mill story about two adults thrown together after a tragedy and how they move from staunch enemies to something else. -_-)
• Detour from normal (About how a person with mental illness copes with it and analyses what he is going through)
•  Flying blind (based on Amelia Earhart’s final expedition where she went missing and subsequent attempts to trace her)
• Into The Wild by John Krakauer (a thought provoking book about the life and times of a young man who sets out an a solo expedition in Alaska. Described by some as foolish and lauded by others for his bravery, his story will nevertheless leave you thinking for longer than you might be prepared for.)

Musicophilia:

• Stand In The Rain (Superchick, TB to the old times, Heard this recently on my old phone)
• Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran. I watched Me Before You recently)

Ciao :)

Musical Memoirs.

Why do I love music?

It’s because music understands in a way like nothing else. Music connects to that part of your soul which either leaves you with emptiness or a sense of inexplicable contentment. Music can fill the void in your life, music can bear the emptiness in your heart and more than anything, music can celebrate with your happiness. Every emotion is amplified with the right music.

Music can bring out the dark memories that you want to banish from your mind or the even your most cherished ones.

Every song (atleast 75%) of the songs I listen to have associations. It might be the simplest memory of the location where I was when I heard it or something more complicated like what I was going on in my life when I heard it.

Take:

• Manja: takes me back to the movie Kai Po Che which I watched with the Deeksha gang on the sanskrit exam got over. It was my first such outing with so many people and we had a good time. The best part is Adi and Sanj also have fond memories associated with this song :)

• My Happy Ending: Stardoll lead me to Avril Lavigne and some "research" on the Girlfriend singer lead me to this song. There is so much sorrow and anger in this song that it just resonated further back then with my moody musings.

• Naadan Parinday: This beautiful song was stuck in my mind during the holidays post first year. Maybe it was Rahman's voice or maybe it was the soulful lyrics, but it is definitely a song that will remain with you.

• One in a million: I recently got this song after almost 5-6 years. Back in high school, watching Hannah Montana was not encouraged at home but the badass that I am, I would continue to stare at the idiot box even after Suite Life of Zac and Cody had ended (oh that show! :') )Maybe the simplicity of the lyrics or my eagerness to relate to it being a teenager led to my obsession with few of her songs.

• Too little, too late by Jojo: Donated to my playlist by Maidha during Deeksha days, this song is a typical example of how when you are in the mood, you seem to be able to relate to every song that you listen to.

• Raabta: Another donation by Maidha on one rainy day back from Deeksha, I only fell in love with this song much later.

•  Phir Mohabbat: Not many know that Pa was and still is a great lover of music. Back when it was the era of cassettes, he had a huge collection of songs of Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Kumar Sanu and the likes. He took my surprise when this song was playing over the radio and he announced that it was actually one of his "current favourites". Given how he is usually not expressive, his explanation really touched me.

• Yoon Shabnami: Did I mention I was also into cassette collecting business? So when the movie promos were out, I had to plead and managed to get both OSO and Saawariya cassettes. I had this small casette player (I still didn't have my iPod yet I guess). This qawwali style song was on the hitlist in those days not to mention the other songs of Sawaariya.

• Ai Pappi: Kismet Konnection: Yep, you read it right. I'm usually not the funky party song kinda song but I do have the occasional love for some peppy numbers and this is one of them. Maybe it was Shahid Kapoor’s dance or just the infectious beat of this song that made it a favourite back then.

• Heroes: Alesso. Donated to my playlist by Froggie, this song has such a good vibe that it’s a great way to begin your morning.

• Something New: Axwell Ingrosso. Yet another contribution by the music addicted Frog that’s got a great tempo and a feel-good vibe to it.

• Empty: The Click Five. Knowing my love for Snow Patrol, Annlee contributed this song because it’s got some similarity with Chasing Cars (Snow Patrol). They don’t have too many songs but this is one of their good ones.

YOLO

There’s just so much going on lately that there’s been no time to sit down and blog it out  and yet the urge to pen down my thoughts only gets stronger.

I probably can’t provide a detailed account of everything that’s happened lately but here are the highlights:

• Aynur scenes on Manjushri’s Gaadi with Abhi (all because we didn’t want to stay on campus on that particular evening). We went ahead by 13kms and then realized that we’d already crossed Aynur so we drove back and then made our way to Aynur Dam (which doesn’t exist. It’s a lake which was drying up) but nevertheless we had a good time racing on the highway until the gaadi became all wobbly!

                          

 

• Home scenes: I’ve been going home every 10 days or so and things are improving only very slightly. Bheemi is bored at home since Science camp is over, the 3 day outdoor camp is also over and there’s nothing to do other than bug the birds or Ma. I’m not sure where things are headed but I’ve got the knack of filtering out these worries from my brain and feeding new ones when I get back to college. I wish I could spend more time with her given how she doesn’t play with the neighbourhood kids or by herself. The comparisons with the present scenario and the seemingly idyllic childhood that I had only puts more pressure on everyone and I hope once school starts, the usual routine will put everyone back in gear.

• Mama and his Toastmasters:

I haven’t spoken much about the famous Balu Mama (yep, he’s quite famous among my friends) here and this seems like a good time. So being the CFO of Fidelity, he is definitely a busy man but his dedication to his passion is noteworthy. Initially it was music and he made time for it and attended the classes in the midst of tiny tots and improved gradually. Today he sings well during Karaoke sessions at home with other fellow music lovers.

About 2 years ago, he took up Toastmasters to improve his public speaking skills given how he is required to speech to large gathering in his work capacity. I’ve been listening to his speeches and reading his scripts from his early days and I can only marvel at the improvement he has shown over time. The effort he puts in for every weekly speech is noteworthy given how he spends most of his time at office or in transit. These days he is participating in competitions and making waves in the Toastmaster circles. Given how he is now mastering the finer nuances of the art of oration, I can no longer provide any criticism to his speeches.

The other day we were at Cubbon for Di’s mountaineering class and Mama presented his speech. He describes how in his college days, cricket was his passion and in one such match, he was fielding and his arch rival was batting. While the ball came in his direction and he caught in the nick of time, not many knew that it had crossed the boundary line. While that remained within him and nagged him in spite of winning the match, it was only later in life did he face the bigger challenge.

While working in one of the international banks in his younger days, he was offered a senior position if he agreed to certain terms and conditions. On closer looks, he realized what they expected of him was unacceptable and would only land him in a soup later. It was a tough choice and the promise of luxury was inviting but the burden of guilt would be too much and nothing was worth the peace of mind he could have. Thus he left and began working is way up all over again in Fidelity.

Thus, we are often faced with tough decisions in life, sometimes the line between what is right and what is wrong is a thin one and not everyone might appreciate it but as long as you can see the line, you need to exert your will power and do the right thing.

I’m also thankful to him for making a huge difference in the light of recent events. Words cannot express how his timely intervention softened Pa’s stance. I only shudder to think of how things would have progressed if not for him. Whatever he said definitely had an impact and made Pa look at things slightly more broadly.

• Demedcon 2016

So we attended the Neurology workshop and the quiz at Devraj Urs Medical College. BP, Govi and I had a good time.

• Abhi and Avm were in Bangalore in the same week and we all (including BP and Govi) spent some time together. Di and I joined them later at BlueO and we spent time bowling, Di had some Gaadi scenes of her own and then headed home. Di did a lot of photography and turns out she was not half bad. The evening was memorable one but the evening didn’t go along expected lines but maybe hoping for it to was just my foolishness.

• There are plenty of thoughts running in my mind but I don’t think they deserve the importance of me brooding over them. Nothing is constant. It’s all about priorities. Happiness is a choice, a conscious decision and once you make it, it's not about the circumstances you are in. It's about the way you choose to react to it. A wise frog once said, react to yourself and not for others. It's best to deal with your thoughts within your own cranium rather than expecting others to understand. 

• I participated in the 5K Speakathon on May 1 which was to raise funds for the speech and hearing centre in Shimoga. A good number of people turned up and several of our professors were all set for a good jog on a Sunday morning. So Shobith was also participating in the event so he picked us (Akkamma, Varsha and I) and we registered and got our Tees. It wasn't all that tiring and we jogged/ brisk walked for the most part and got our certificates. After the mandatory photo session we all parted ways. It was a good start to the day and definitely a great initiative in Shimoga. I wish I was fit enough to participate in the 10k! Maybe next year :)

• And the countdown begins! I’m thrilled to bits about the upcoming trip and can’t wait for this vacation. After all the uncertainty and confusion in the past 2 months, all I want to do is explore new territory and get lost in the midst of nature! I’m going to stay off the radar (hopefully) and do some much needed soul searching. Paediatric postings are at stake but then, you just can’t let go of some opportunities…. :P  

ENT internals are coming up over this weekend but all I can think of is what lies ahead. It’s about time I get back to Semicircular canals and turbinates.

When Newton was wrong.

When Newton was wrong.

This may seem cliché but I’d still like to say it. Every high school student worth his salt would know the 3 Newtonian Laws of Motion and if you were wacked enough (like mee) to apply it to everyday life then you’d disagree with them.

My pet peeve is the 3rd Law which proclaims that every action would have an equal and opposite reaction. Now, I’d just like to say that if you stopped reacting to everything (and that IS possible as I’ve recently discovered) you would be in a lot more peaceful state of mind. Of course it ain’t easy to hold back what’s at the tip of your tongue but believe me, there is an odd sense of satisfaction in knowing that the less said, the better.

Highlights of the past month include:

• Two trips to Bangalore in a span of 15 days. Spent time with Di watching Pingu and Frozen, making cards for amma and generally chatting about the problems in Rekha Chopra ma'am's class.  

• Attended Nammu’s sister’s marriage (My first experience at a North Indian wedding. Mind=blown.) They make the South Indian weddings seem like a really serious affair because there was so much music and dance everywhere not to mention food for the hungry souls. So BP and I attended the Sangeet and everything from the bright and colourful sets, dance numbers by all the family members from the tiny tots to the aunty uncle to the variety of cuisines was great. I realized I haven’t been to a wedding in ages! Can’t wait to have some wedding in the family so we can get involved in all the excitement. I also kind of realized that SO MUCH work goes into the big day that it’s actually scary and weird thinking of it.  

• Road trip scenes on gaadis for the first time this year on the Gajanur-Sakrebailuru route. Managed to get gaadi from the local Frog, soon others procured gaadis and we were off on a long ride. Being in the hostel, getting to go out of the city is a lovely feeling. These days, the PG classes are twice or thrice a week so we haven’t been out much. This was one beautiful evening. 

• Went to Hassan, met Sanjana, spent time around the campus and came back in a day. Informed MaPa on the way back. Pa: “You managed it on your own. Nice!”

• Ophthalmology postings have concluded and we have now commenced with Otorhinolaryngology postings (ENT)
• Finally convinced the muscles of my body to work it together and cleaned the pile of rubbish in my room to make it habitable. Now I don’t have visitors standing at the doorway wary to step inside the clutter bin. Oh well, they say a creative mind has chaos. I just have chaos inside as well as outside.
• Watched several good movies lately including:
• Sound of Music: Watched it on the train, enjoyed it. Made an old man’s day by giving him the movie since he got really excited when he saw what I was watching. He was rattling away the name of the actress and other movies of hers while I nodded absently. Who’d know that a 60 plus man from Bhadravathi would be so fond of the movie that he’d be willing to delete everything on his phone just for that movie!
• Dead Poet’s Society: Another beautiful movie with an unexpected twist in the end. Robin Williams plays an English teacher and inspires his students with his out of the box approach.
• To Sir, With Love: Yes, I’ve been watching some classics. :)
• Finally finished all the episodes of all the seasons of Modern Family! I can’t quite explain my addiction for this serial actually. Maybe it’s Phil Dunphy!
• There’s so much I have to do all I do is sleep or watch random stuff on the laptop
• I don’t belong here. AT ALL. I don’t belong anywhere. I feel “homeless” in a psychological way that I can’t explain. Do you know that feeling where you just do not feel at all? (yes, I know that didn’t sound right) But what I mean is have you ever not felt anything? Just empty and hollow when you’re actually supposed to feel angry or sad? These days I’m just like “chuck it, I can’t change what people think!” I mean, maybe you do owe an explanation to people who matter. But that number is thinning by the day and I’m strangely okay with it. 
• Why do we have the tendency to repeat the mistakes we’ve done? We know what’ll hurt us and yet we foolishly dig our own graves in some false delusion. If it’s about people, have the least expectations. If it’s about you, expect more from yourself. Always.
• Musicophilia:
• Kheench Meri Photo (there's something addictive) 
• Manma (don't judge me) 
• GF BF (Have you ever heard a song somewhere and struggled to remember it until you finally hear it again?!) 
• Love Yourself- Justin Beiber 
• Haminastu
• I'm friends with the monster- Rihanna 
• I need a vacation. ASAP
• THIS HEAT IS KILLING ME

It's Always A Good Time. :)

Hello there! 

There have been a lot of things going on lately. I guess it would make sense to use bullet points.

•  I’ve been making several online purchases and they include:
• Cuckoo’s Calling (Robert Galbraith)
• Paper Towns: John Green
• So basically it made for an okay-ish read. There were some concepts that I liked but the style and language wasn’t really the kind of literature that I would prefer. After reading refined English in classics, it is hard to find that quality of writing in recent authors. The themes may be relevant, the metaphors may be applicable but I find myself intermittently wondering why I am I reading something like this.
• Some of the quotes from the book that I liked:
•  It’s so hard to leave- until you leave. And then it’s the easiest goddamned thing in the world.
• If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.
• When did we see each other face-to-face? Not until you saw into my cracks and I saw into yours. Before that we were just looking into ideas of each other, like looking at your window shade but never seeing inside. But once the vessel cracks, the light can get in, the light can get out.

• Recently, there has been a growing popularity of the Dubsmash App in the Girl’s hostel. We got this fun app from Sana (Arsikere) and spent several days lip-syncing to some famous actor’s popular dialogue and then laughing over the same for the next few hours! This time, Di and I had a great time bonding over Dubsmash (“Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, na mumkin hai” delivered by an angry Divya :P )

• I’ve been watching some movies lately and most of them have turned out to be good choices.
• Phantom: We watched this in the theatre and it makes for an interesting face paced thriller albeit without much room for emotions or drama but I suppose that’s how it’s got to be.
• Gabbar is Back: Happened to watch it on the way to Bangalore. Not bad, but nothing good either. The scenes regarding the money minded schemes of doctors could have been altered because it potrays the medical profession in poor light.
• Om Shanthi Oshana: A cute Mallu movie
• Shawshank Redemption: Back in Deeksha, I’d heard of this movie while playing dumb charades but never had a chance to watch it. A beautiful movie! 

•  I’d been home for the festival and I did the complete vratha after about 4 years. I’m so glad that I could be a part of the celebrations and the entire pooja went on smoothly all thanks to amma’s preparation that began a week in advance. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of being involved in the festival and wholeheartedly participating in the rituals. What we follow is what has been passed on from one generation to the next. In our quest to eagerly accept modernization/Westernisation we must not conveniently choose to forget tradition and culture. Another thing I sorely missed is singing (the Carnatic/light music kind). Although I sound like a pleasant frog at best, it has always given me some satisfaction to sing these songs. I’ve never really been comfortable to sing the same way back in the hostel so I refrain from bothering my vocal chords. We had a few guests over and when I had to sing, I realized that unlike what I read in textbooks, the songs I’ve learnt are etched as ROM (or is it RAM?! :’) ) in my brain and *touch wood* has not evaporated even though it’s been a decade since I learnt some of the songs.

*Experiments*

Family Selfiee!

Pooja scenes :)

• Some of the latest songs that are reverberating in my mind include:

o   Saaware : Phantom

o   Beautiful Now : Zedd

o   Run Away With Me : Carly Rae Jepson (A carefree, cheerful song)

o   Gulabi: Sachin-Jigar (morning suprabatham)

o   Shut up and dance with me (Such an infectiously happy song!)

o   Zehnaseeb (from the movie Hasee to Phasee)

• These holidays, I also visited a close relative which was pending since a long time. The visit was something I will cherish for a long time but it also brought forth the reality of old age. At no other juncture does one feel so lost and vulnerable. For a person who’s always been actively engaged in work, it’s hard to learn to sit back and relax. It’s hard to accept the limitations that age imposes on you and that eventually take a toll on your confidence. Another aspect is how it’s hard for those around them to also accept that the person they knew is no longer the same. Yet it’s important to remain hopeful and instil confidence on them. I wish I’d made this visit earlier, but I’m happy that it finally materialized after almost 2.5 years.

• We had been to this Bharatanatyam program on Saturday where Adi had a few performances. As always, Adi danced well and so did all the tiny tots with bobbing head movements and wide-eyed expressions. To cultivate any hobby or talent is an achievement and truly noteworthy. As Amma frequently says, it is a “sadhana” and if not done when the opportunity is given, there is no room for regret later.

• September has had several birthdays and this has led to considerable excitement in our group. Abhi’s Birthday was on 20^th and BP and I began hatching a plot a fortnight ago and later Govi and Avm also joined the conspiracy. It all began at 12 AM when she cut a small but delectable chocolate truffle in the hostel. There was nothing eventful after this and the next morning BP and I rushed to breakfast making sure we left the birthday girl behind. After the customary oil drenched dosas we briefed Govi about the Plan Of Action and then the two of us headed to VP’s place who had agreed to play host to us madcaps. Icaboo hovered around and guided us in preparing the relatively simple cooker cake. Later BP left for some purchases with Avm. Icaboo and I saved the cake from becoming a soggy mess by some herculean efforts and I began working on the clues. After the two returned, we began to put everything in place. Meanwhile, Govi was entrusted the responsibility of keeping Abhi engaged (since the 3 of us were ignoring her calls) so they went to a temple and later to a boating site in Bhadravathi. After carefully co-ordinating the timings such that we don’t end up running into each other and after sealing the garnished cake, we rushed to college and set up the clues for the treasure hunt. At long last, we began with the cake cutting and the cake was demolished in no time. Thankfully, it was more than edible!  After this, there was some more running around to ensure that the clues were placed appropriately and then, we began. It included places like the first room that Abhi lived in when they joined the hostel, the perennial source of food and her favourite hangout in the hostel (my room), her native place (the library) and the solitary tree in the middle of the field which was our “Getaway” once upon a time. Having succeeded in making Abhi run around, we sat down and did the next most appropriate thing to do: click pictures! It all ended on a good note to a large extent and after this we retired to the cosy confines of our rooms.

Surprises and gifts, endless selfies, cake baking sessions with Icaboo and
running around for the treasure hunt :)

• In the evening, Abhi decided that she would treat us. The localites managed to arrange an extra vehicle for us and I got the opportunity to ride with Abhi. The best things are reserved for the last, they say and so it was. It began on a shaky start and I’m glad that Abhi had the confidence to sit on the pillion. Gradually I become acclimatized to the darkness, traffic and the chill when we raced against the wind. Nothing can beat the joy of racing (ok, not really because the Purle Road is a bumpy ride with potholes and road humps lurking at every corner) and that too with someone confident enough to sit behind you! :P Yes, I was a teeny bit nervous but all that dissipated soon enough and Govi and Abhilash were kind enough to let me race ahead and scare any poor dog that dared to cross my path. At long last we reached the destination (Pizza Sky) safely and we began hogging. Later we proceeded to Ibaco below for desserts and then it was again time to ride! We had a photo session again (and also another while riding) and it was one amazing experience altogether! I don’t want to exaggerate but honestly, riding against the wind is like setting a caged bird free. The fact that this was at night only made it awesome-er. And the obedient daughter that I am, I did mention to MaPa that “I went on a ride and came back safely.” and received no reprimands. Honestly, the security guards at the gate seem to have given up on us! We’ve become habitual late-comers and because we take the required permission they can’t really complain. It all seemed like the perfect end to the day but there were some more events that threatened to leave a bitter aftertaste but it in the end, it’s all about what we choose to remember. 

Gaadi Scenes! :)

• The next day, it was Deepu’s b’day so there was another cooking session at midnight and in the evening it was time for the combined treat of the September borns (Likki, Abhi, Deepu and Hkm)  so we (The kodachadri gang – Nammu’s boyprend and +Sanju and Deepu) headed to Anmol for dinner. After another round of hogging and even chomping on some Chocolate Paan ( Yes, I’ve tasted it and it’s not bad after all) we headed back to college. (7 of us +the driver bundled in one auto!)

•  So today was the Ganesha Visarjan in college and there was music, dance and fireworks. As it has become customary, we did some customary prancing around in the name of dance and here I am now, blogging about the latest updates!

Just like drugs are detoxified in our body to make them less toxic and then removed, one needs to detoxify oneself to prevent accumulation of toxic thoughts and ideas. Irrespective of the surroundings, one must recognize what is toxic to ones’ own progress and what acts as a catalyst.

With the finals approaching in about 2 months, there is considerable tension palpable in the atmosphere and it’s about time I pull up my socks and get down to business.

I’m not sure if I can blog frequently anymore because time has become unbelievably scarce these days. I’ll be heading to Dharwad over the weekend for the Patho quiz so I’m hoping that it all goes well. Hopefully, I’ll complete part 2 of A Story. :)

Novus Actus Interveniens

Currently dormant on the blogosphere for a variety of reasons:

• Paucity of time. (5th term is hectic. A certain Sir’s sudden surge in the subject has led to unexpected assignments cropping up out of nowhere and monopolizing the weekends. What began with a harmless blood donation day related poster presentation then led to making mind maps on assigned topics, giving seminars on clinical pathology topics, writing descriptions for museum specimens and now for the actual (official) assignments in our records! Oh, and I was speaking of only Pathology. 3 other subjects are also demanding to be studied.)

• No 3G in my new room. (I’ve shifted one floor above (that explains for the lack of exercise) and I can barely get 2G in my current location so blogging has suffered a setback.)

• Writer’s block. I haven’t been reading much these days. I’ve realized that in my current schedule, I can’t possibly read classics which require long stretches at a time which I’m not able to devote. All I can do is snatch a few minutes during classes, postings or prior to bed. I’m currently reading The Winner Stands Alone by Paulo Coelho (thanks to Anu :) ) and it seems to be interesting (prompted my previous post) although the style of writing could have been a few notches higher. 

But today I have decided to blog come what may! So we’re currently in 5th term and our exams are fast approaching (all the faculties take great pains to remind us at every possible instant about this alarming fact.) and we’re now in General Medicine postings after a month of General Surgery.

During these Surgery postings we saw a lot of ulcers (traumatic, diabetic ulcers in aged individuals, trophic ulcers, varicose (venous) ulcers, arterial ulcers and so on..) and swellings (in the neck region, in the inguinal region, lump in the breast, etc ). We also had to present cases (where once again I exhibited my unfailing talent of making a flop show (I must say, I’m getting good at this! -_-) and we had classes as well. Some were taught by the new surgeon Dr Nagaraj who’s joined Subbaiah after his stint in McGann and he seemed to give us some orientation from the examination point of view. Some others were taught by Aarthi maám (where once again I was distracted by that haircut), Gopinath Sir (who looks for opportunities to show us that he can he sarcastic) and of course, the HoD and Principal of the college who can be described as enthusiastic and passionate (to say the least. This is an online platform, after all) and he ensured that our lunch breaks were reduced to a 15 minute affair on numerous occasions. Nevertheless, I saw my first (and only) surgery (appendicectomy) performed by him during these postings. (an interesting, yet odd experience)

Another interesting update that I must mention is about Pathology. So in an earlier post I’d mentioned about the preliminary round of a Pathology quiz held in our class. As luck would have it, 10 of us were selected for the next round and a quiz was conducted for 5 teams of two participants. We weren’t really given much help regarding the quiz but we just told to read as we normally would and prepare for some embarrassment. As things unfolded, BP and I were a team while Abhi and Bharat were another. The formation of teams was a major confusion created quite a bit of pandemonium. In the weekend leading up to the quiz, the tension was palpable in the air and I was at my wit’s end given that there was also a CSF analysis to be presented on the same afternoon. BP and I spent a good part of the weekend reviewing people and topics of interest over the internet and that proved to be a boon to us the following day. The quiz was interesting we managed to open our account in the first round with a few guesses of the names of the scientists and other famous people. (Giemsa, Barbara McLintock, Papanicolou, Henrietta Lacks..) We faltered in the following rounds, partly due to our carelessness (Fat Embolism) and partly due to stupidity (Etiology) but we tried to cover up for it in the Rapid Fire. We came a close second with 80 points after Abhi and Bharat with 85, and this means that come 26th September, we will head to SDM Medical College, Dharwad for the Pathology Quiz. About the quiz, we need to study a LOTLOTLOT more than what we’re doing right now but Time is just not with us these days given that there is barely time to breathe in the midst of classes, postings, labs studies, records, assignments and yes, some time to unwind with friends..

As for the CSF analysis, we were a group of 5 and there was some or the contribution from 80% of us. 

(Not many people actually caught this bit. :P )

Technical Support:
Script: Karthik BV and Pawan
Videography: Harshit Krishna and Rajesh KH
Narrator: Jayashree Rao

I spoke about the indications for analyzing CerebroSpinal Fluid, the procedure and instruments used in Lumbar Puncture, the physical and biochemical analysis of CSF to differentiate between various etiologies of meningitis, CSF rhinorrhea and some other pointers that must be remembered while examining CSF (eg: one must analyze the sample within an hour of collection, one must not refrigerate the sample and so on.. ) Unfortunately for him, V Sir had to leave the middle of it but luckily for me it came an end without any major hiccup (or cough, literally speaking!)

Recently watched Phantom with friends and we followed this up with dinner at Anmol where we discussed the most controversial topics over the meal but it was an interesting evening on the whole. Off late, I haven’t been too choosy about the movies I’ve watched but we generally have a good time as we go as a group and have fun. Phantom made for a mildly interesting watch although it seems to be too fast paced with minimal room for interpersonal interaction. 

My current soundtrack includes:

• Gulabi (A slightly old song, from Shuddh Desi Romance but I’ve developed a fondness for it recently. The MTV unplugged version has a vibrant twinge to it so that’s better than the original in my opinion)
• Saware (by Arijit Singh, from Phantom)
• Chal Wahaan Jathe Hai (Arijit Singh)
• Tu Hi Re (an old song sung by Hariharan and Chitra)
• E Sanje and Dennana Dennana (Flute version) from the movie Rangitaranga

Often, I wonder how is it that some can let go and adapt so instantaneously while others take longer and some take forever. Is it all so ephemeral and fake? Is that what life really is about? Moving from one character to another from time to time? It comes down to this: There are some who attach much meaning to their relations with others, relationships, events, places and everything adds on to their memories. You could say they value every little thing in life, from a broken gift from a now distanced friend which they will refuse to throw away to every person whom they befriend /get acquainted with. And there are others who also have the same friendships, relations and so on, except that they do not attach meaning to everything in life. In such instances, it is easier to walk in and out of situations because there is a lot less baggage and bother. They are also less affected by changes, sudden shift of circumstances and any oscillations. Often, I wonder, which is the path to tread? In this fast paced world, it may seem appropriate to choose the second path because the first path is a classic case of thinking from the heart and not from the brain (although being a medical student, I must refrain from using such unscientific terms) and often only leads to disappointment. But the second one seems too mechanical and business-like to me. It might be the smarter decision but it may not be the one that makes me happy. It takes the innocence out of life if we can be so dissociated from what we feel and what we do. It might make me seem like a fool, but more often than not, I end up in the first case.

Coming to other matters of note, it appears that there will be no definitive changes in my boarding and lodging beginning in the near future. There has been a lot of confusion over this recently and I am mentally fatigued by thinking about the possible outcomes. I realized that I must be flexible to change, to adapt and evolve as the circumstances expect me to. I realize that happiness is every person’s birthright and I cannot covet that of another by my stubbornness. When you’re number is up, they’ll find you. I’m trying hard not to think too much or too far ahead or assume too much but just hope for the best and take it as it comes. It might seem irrational, unnecessary and daunting but it might bring the change that we are looking for. If I don’t believe that it will be possible, who else will?  Yet again, being reminded that there is an eerie resemblance to such events that occurred in the past, this whole concept appears daunting. There is a lot at stake and there is the fear of being left in the lurch but if I realize that I must let go of the cloud of negativity hovering above me and prepare to face the challenges as they come. After all, people take turns in a battle. One must enter the warzone when his compatriot is wounded.

It appears that I have blabbered endlessly and bored you all, yet I am filled with contentment. Nothing clears my head like a nice long blog post! :D

Monsoon Love.

Call me whatever you wish but the weather is so beautiful that it makes you want to sing out loud, tap your feet to the tune in your mind, sway along with the wind and soak in the drizzle that surprises you when you least expect it. Monsoon in Malnad will evoke a happiness in you that cannot be compared, you start appreciating the magic around you, the cool winds its distant echoes add to the aura of the place and the cool, damp earth makes you want to curl up with a warm mug of coffee and a novel..... Alas!! Internals are approaching and it would be wise to begin burning the midnight oil as soon as possible for there aren't many nights left for them to begin.

But then again, Rain has always brought about unequivocal opinions. To the spirited soul, rain is the symphony of the elements of nature, rain is the shower from the heavens above, rain is the aphrodisiac for the ones in love, rain is the harbinger of freshness for those looking to begin again and rain is the atonement for those who let it wash over their past. Yet, rain plays a spoilsport to those who prefer the bright and sunny disposition of the sky, it brings a pall of gloom with its dampness, it may seem like the heavens shedding their tears of sorrow, it evokes memories of a past that cannot be changed, it persists and leaves you damp and chilly without the comfort of the warmth of the Sun. To each person, rains signify something different. To the same person, rain can mean different things at different phases, It's all about perspective. :) Every monsoon, there's a song that I have for it.

• Jeeyein Kyun (2011), 
• Yaariyan (2012)
• Tum Hi Ho (2013)
• Kabhi Jo Baadal Barse (2014)
• Yet to decide! So many on my mind, most likely, the award goes to Hamaari Adhuri Kahaani (2015)

Some evergreen songs on rain are:

• Barso Re Megha (Guru)
• Bhaage Re Mann (Chameli)
• Baarish (Yaariyan)

Apart from my ode to rain, there's more to blog. 

Last Friday, I OD-ed on coffee and stayed up till 4:20AM (-_-) to complete the Peds Case Sheets and on the following afternoon I left for Bangalore enroute the drizzly Arsikere road. The next day passed in a flurry: Bball session with Di and Dad at 6AM, Baddie on the road later, Ele oota session followed by Pizza and some shopping. Short trips like these ensure that not a moment is wasted. The train journey back to Shimoga was an interesting one. There was a group of young corporates (fresh out of college) in our berth and they seemed lively and chatty. Typical Bangalore cosmopolitan crowd of two guys and 3 girls, I couldn't help but reflect on how different I/We had become. One guy was explaining all about Liposuction and the procedure, he seemed to have a fair idea of what happens to the glycogen and the glucose in the Liver, one guy and girl requested me to shift to the other side because they wanted some privacy from the rest (I knowingly smiled and said "I understand" but they thought I was some lost highschool kid and I didn't bother correcting them either. :P After a while, they got bored and took selfies alone, chatted some more and then fell asleep. In the morning, they all woke up bleary eyed and claimed that none of them had slept a wink.("I was watching a movie", "I couldn't sleep at all man, that uncle was snoring so much","I was on the phone till 3.30, see, my battery's almost gone!") Soon, we disembarked from the train and I got back to college at the crack of dawn. :)

So we had this Poster Making "Project?" in college organized by V Sir as a part of World Blood Donor Day (June 14) and the whole class (well, almost) was divided into groups of 4 or 5 and we set about making a poster on a particular aspect of Blood Donation such as Criteria for blood donation, Rh Incompatibility, Major and minor cross matching, Infectious diseases, Adverse Reactions and so on. The topic we chose was Misconceptions on Blood Donation. So we conducted a small survey (among 70 second year students) to assess the knowledge and practices regarding blood donation. All though most of the questions were basic and showed that the students were aware about blood donation and the procedures, the percentage who actually donated blood was a paltry 10%. Rakesh, Raji, Satisha and I were a team and we managed to do a fair job with our poster. It was a good experience and I'm actually glad the Patho Dept came up with something that got the class working in groups. :)

Here's the Poster that we prepared. I hope many more people donate blood after the survey. I'm also contemplating the possibility of taking the survey further. As V Sir advised, it would be interesting to conduct a modified version of the survey on a larger scale here as well as in an engineering college and look at the trends among the students. That would make this the pilot survey since it was done in a smaller scale and now we know some of the flaws in the present survey and how to improvise upon it.

Paediatrics Postings have passed (yet my passing in the end posting remains a valid doubt) and we have now commenced with Dermatology postings. Pathology is weighing heavily upon us and if I were to Stage (depth to which I have read) and Grade (to what extent I remember the basics- That's a way of saying differentiation, okay? :') ) my knowledge, the results would be quite disturbing. 

Yesterday we decided to watch ABCD2 all of a sudden. The fact that it released in Shimoga is in itself a surprising event so we (Nammu, Adi, Likki, Akkamma, Reddy and I) got ready in no time and started towards the city despite the mild shower. The auto could take us only upto a point because the roads were blocked and a makeshift bridge (that could accomodate the width of one person) had been made with drainage (+river water?!) flowing underneath in full flow. We made our way through the squelchy mess only to see the entire Subbaiah community in full attendance! (mostly our batch, truth be told) Funnily enough, I enjoyed the second half of the movie a lot more after I got some insight on the seating arrangement. *grins like a Cheshire Cat*

See, now nobody can make out that Nammu is tanned! :P

After the movie (which is an interesting watch for those who like dance-themed movies) we headed to Mathura Central for a quick bite and then it was back to hostel. All plans of of coffee party were damned and I slept happily ever after. -_-

This isn't how I usually end my blogposts but I've been bitten by a crazy bug of happiness.
Exceptions happen. :')