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.

Simultanagnosia

So I was reading up on a few new things and I came across this word:

Simultanagnosia

Technically it means “missing the forest for the trees”. Person fails to comprehend an object as a whole and can only perceive only parts of it. A person might look at a table lamp but fail to recognize it for what it is. He or she sees the base of the lamp and assumes it to be something else, like a box or an ashtray. Isn’t that what happens to us sometimes? We get so caught up in little things that we fail to move on to see the bigger picture. What I mean is, don’t let bogged down by petty things, there’s a lot more waiting for you if you change the way you see things. Don’t narrow your vision to just the bare minimum, think of what lies ahead and stay motivated. Sometimes, Life requires us to focus on the finer details but sometimes you need to have a bird’s eye view of the big picture.

Childhood is synonymous with playing outdoors and cuts, bruises and scars and perhaps the trophies of a childhood well spent. I’ve got scars on my knees that’ll last a lifetime thanks to rolling down a road while being chased by dogs and during cycle rides. I remember the one over the knee took awfully long to heal and formed a thick brown scab that I prematurely peeled off until the process had to be repeated. Why am I describing an ugly scar that occurred more than a decade ago? My point is, wounds need time to heal and it’s not something you can rush through. Imagine if I had put a plaster over and continued cycling like the wound didn’t exist? Sure, it wouldn’t look messy initially but eventually the wound would just get worse and take longer to heal. Sometimes it’s important to acknowledge a wound and take steps to treat it. Ignorance IS NOT always bliss in such cases!

People will walk in and out of your life according to their will and wish unless you stand guard and latch the doors. Beware of intruders and don’t be surprised if insiders chose to decamp without notice. Yet, remember that there is always a silver lining. Just when you’re at your wit’s end, Life will surprise you with something that will brighten you up in spite of the thunderstorm. Remember to be thankful for those moments of happiness in the middle of uncertainty, for those people who share their umbrella in the rain and for most of all, remember to believe. Just believe, in yourself, your dreams and your principles.

Literary Ventures:

Eleventh Commandment: Jeffrey Archer
Vision in White: Nora Roberts
The Secret Countess: Eva Ibbotson
Anna Karenina: Tolstoy
Animal Farm: George Orwell
Hitchhiker's Guide: Douglas Adams
Contact: Carl Sagan

Musicophilia:

Sanam Re: Arijit Singh
Pyaasi: Swarathma
Aayat: Arijit Singh
Same Old Love: Selena Gomez

SFCBR: (Early blog readers, you may be familiar with this term)

On a positive note, it is indeed great *giggle* to get back in touch with old, long lost friend and realise that some people don’t change. It’s actually mind blowing to think that though it’s been 13 long years, good people remain inherently the same as they were. Indeed, a pleasant surprise :D It’s also refreshing to see so much positivity and faith in your abilities :’) I also reconnected with Punyakoti after a long time.

Auf Wiedershen (Germanic influence lol)