The Thought Addict

Sandy:  I've bought some of the best kachoris in town, just for you. Simply indulge! Mandy: Arre yaar, my stomach is no feel good today. It is sick. Sandy: What happened? Mandy: Last night, we were at a party and I gorged myself on some spicy stuff. Samosa, laddoo, batura, pulao...they all endlessly came in front of my eyes and I couldn't resist. Sandy: Are you so starved? Mandy: Shshhhhh!! Talk a little soft...my mom in the other room. Already getting scoldings from her. Sandy: !!! Mandy: Now getting heartburn... the diaphragm, the separation in the abdomen moving up and bringing the bile to the forefront...and the digestive juices regurgitating... Sandy: Oh my god, you have so much knowledge about heartburn. I thought it happens only when a girl hurts you, and you burn your heart??!! Mandy: No, No. You not understand. This is big problem. Heartburn can cause damage to your stomach! And you may have to undergo appendix operation to make it alrig

Reading is good for the mind, and the heart. This is not about the bookworms. Nor is this connected to any literature. The 'reading' here is about reading someone's mind and understanding their emotions.  Listening to a person in emotional trauma may seem trivial but it does a lot of good when you listen them out. Most people are hesitant to open up but when they do so, it means they place complete trust in you, the listener. Unless you place yourself in the position of the affected, it is impossible to understand what that person is going through.  Once the listening is done, it is not over.  The second phase is to console. Anything that is said or done during this vulnerable moment can have a big impact on the person undergoing trauma.  The consequences can be beneficial or harmful.  One inappropriate word said, and the incidents that follow can be disastrous.  The next time you find someone in emotional trouble or trauma, help him/her overcome it. Who knows,

Bold -- If you are a medical student or a doctor, this word will immediately bring to your mind Blood-Oxygen-Level Dependent imaging. On the other hand, if you are a dumbo like me you will see that the word is already in boldface. So why am I emphasising the word? And why is it associated with blood? I'm not getting into any of the mundane definitions, explanations or mnemonics. Until I read about the rare 'Bombay blood' this morning in the newspaper, I was not aware of it. Less than 190 Indians are known to have this blood type in which the basic protein H antigen is missing, according to the report.  It is heartening to note that three samaritans with this rare blood group came forward to save a life. But the need of the hour is something different. We need 'bold' people who are willing to donate blood on a regular basis to save lives.  Today, though there is an awareness, people seem to be too busy to spare time for this noble act. Until there is an un

For an hour or so, I was forced to sit idle because there was no power at home. Only then did I realise that I had become a television addict, of late. No, I'm not the mega serial lover or the movie buff, but one who likes to watch anything that comes straight out of real life or everyday happenings.  I'm not a news addict either, but something connected to crime, law and punishment makes me sit glued to my chair, in front of the TV for hours. Sometimes, I switch channels only when I feel it is an overdose of crime. We have enough crime happening in real life these days. Will watching these real stories, picturised straight out of police diaries, make others alert and cautious? Will it make an impact on the society and bring about a change? These questions flood my thoughts every time I watch an episode, and often the answer is summarised into a big NO. Crime headlines make people sit up and think. There's a follow-up for a couple of days more, and then we tend to f

I've read somewhere, or maybe someone told me that for every person, there are seven other identical individuals in the world. What is there in a person's identity that sets him apart from others? We like to think that we are all unique in our own way. We are all built differently, with individual features unique enough to make face recognition software, fingerprint identification and the like effective. We are born with different temperaments, thought processes that are our very own, a very personal set of memories, emotions that carry the stamp of individuality. In other words, no two people are exactly alike, not even identical twins, who are known to carry identical sets of genes. But let's just step a little back from the trees, and lo and behold! It's actually a forest! Some of the trees are short and stunted, some tall, some with leaves in different hues or with colourful blossoms, but all of them are, finally, trees. Agreed that we do find shrubs,

It so happened that my maternal uncle visited us in Bombay (not Mumbai) and stayed with us for about a week. Suddenly, there was a death in the family and he had to rush to his hometown, Erode, in Tamil Nadu. Train tickets would mean more than 12 hours of journey and he would anyway be late for the rituals. So my father suggested that he take a flight to Coimbatore and then go to Erode by bus or train. Flight tickets were booked, and he was contented that he could finally reach his native place on time. But there was a small hitch. The ticket was not confirmed and had the wait list tag attached. However, the only solace was that it was WL-1, which meant his tickets would get confirmed if even one person cancelled his/her ticket. But was he too optimistic?  I was too young at that time and picked up an argument as to what he would do if the ticket did not get confirmed. I thought I was just being a wee bit practical. My uncle was too sure and did not think of any other alternati

The stagnant, heavy air Reeked of alienation- There I stood, lonely in my glory Cold and hard, that none dared to touch. How indeed could one caress A soul shrouded in contempt, So distant from the self Beyond the reach of redemption. Why then did a gentle breeze uproot me, When hurricanes I've braved? The diamond eroded slowly but surely, By the brilliant drop of water. T'was but the breath of life That sought the spirit within. And taught the flower her fragrance, Showed the rain cloud his rainbow. Only the sculptor sees the statue- Where others behold the rock, I saw me through your acceptance An existence became a life worth living. Loud Speaker

I was sending my son off to school and I saw this man standing in the middle of the road, racing up and down. He was doing the Balancing Act -- laptop wide open on his left hand and his mobile on the other, frantically dialling someone's number. He walked straight up to the junction where three roads meet, and one could tell he was waiting for someone. And mind you, he still had the laptop open, though he was doing nothing. Was this a Showoff Act? Well, perhaps yes. And who's the mega star? The gadget, of course! I stood there, clinging to the window, waiting for the outcome. A taxi arrived. He rushed towards it, gave the driver instructions, and the laptop was still wide open! He struggled to get in, but he was still holding someone on line, on his iPhone! Though this bewildered me, it is the sad state of affairs today. Gadgets, today's mega stars, have come to stay in most of our lives. And these mega stars have brought with them the mega villain, Laziness.  Our life is

As students, many of us knew only the Absolute Zero, the number Zero, the Empty set (0), the neutral number on the number line, and the natural even number, to name a few. But the zero I'm talking about today is the one that has value! And how much power it has gained over the years! There is a zero in everything I see, hear or do. At least, of late. But the heaviest zero that sends my head spinning into a big zero is the one that I see in my bills. Name any bill -- grocery, telephone, bakery, electricity, shopping malls, eateries, restaurants -- and they seem to have gained a zero in the units place!  Rewind a few years... At least there was one zero less, in the same bills, I mean to say. And probably we call this progress! Or is it just inflation? The expenses we meet everyday have boomeranged, or in the least doubled, in the past few years. Even the domestic helps and small service providers have added a zero to their services. What was a mere 40 has become 400 now. 

Every time I travel for longer than half an hour, one of two things is bound to happen - I get lost in thought, or doze off. Whether it is in a bus or train or car or whatever, I simply can't seem to control myself from drifting off. I've even tried listening to music, but all it does is distract my mind from the road to the lyrics. As soon as I had reached the eligible age, I learnt driving and obtained my driver's license both for 2- as well as 4-wheeler. That was a mere formality. Even as I tried to learn driving, every neuron in my body screamed out loud that I'm not cut out to drive. It is not just that I may be mentally absent while driving. I have no sense of direction, and frequently muddle up my lefts and my rights and my straights. Reverse is entirely another matter. How is it even possible to remember all the roads? And all the one-ways and no entries? And the endless flyovers and bypasses? I often require a map to my own house, and that I may end

My nephew was studying Chemistry the other day. He is in school, facing mountainloads of homework and an unending string of FAs and SAs. I was just observing him study, and his forehead was furrowed with concentration. But his eyes did not show interest. He is such an enthusiastic boy in everything he does, but somehow, studying for exams seemed like such a bitter pill to him. It didn't bother me whether he got good grades or not. It didn't bother me whether he excelled in academics or sports or the arts. What did bother me was whether he knew and felt  the true joy of learning. One day, we just casually started discussing something in biology and organic chemistry, two subjects which I have always just adored and loved from my heart. I was telling him how much I had enjoyed reading those subjects. For me, they were still a part of my life in so many subtle ways. He seemed astounded that these subjects could ever remain with us beyond school years, and that the

Elders always say, "Be like him or be like her" and what not. But sometimes, they also do say the exact opposite. When asked to elaborate on this, they say "just trying to help you" and walk away. Now my question is: Do you follow the advice? Do you take the plunge? What they say is about their own experiences. They lived in a world free of competition, and studied in libraries and with enormous dictionaries.  Now-a-days, there is a lot of competition in the form of exams, quizzes, and other milestones. It is like a staircase, which seems never-ending. The steps to even reach the landing or get a glimpse of the summit is far-fetched, especially when it comes to studies. Those who make these statements are blissfully unaware of today's problems. So, do we listen to them? Or do we walk away? To be? Or not to be??? Czar of Confusion

Sometimes, I feel I'm a football. Right from the word 'Go'. I can see the goal post and nothing else. Innumerable fans are cheering me and want me to achieve something, or at least score one goal. But this is not possible within a given time frame because this is no football match. And I'm a lone player. Ever since I started perceiving things around me, I've been hearing this word. In its many avatars . Is the word so addictive? The first one came up when I was in school. My life was full of life and threw so many surprises. A mountain of advice followed me like a shadow -- from parents, teachers, elders and family friends: "Have a goal in life. Otherwise you will be nowhere." "Goals inspire you to achieve." "Dare to dream but work towards a goal." Then came the late teens and I was into a bit of reading. Just plain inquisitive. But again, the word "goal" did not let me go. I read some of the quotable quotes f

I just want to give up my job. I'm not a career person. In fact I'm one of the least ambitious persons I know. I would just love to be a stay-at-home mom. I'd like to be at home and spend time with my family. That set me off thinking. What do I want in life? What kind of a person am I? As I already said, I'm not cut out for a job. No to the career. Maybe just a low-profile job or a lazy business to while away my hours during the day when I'm alone. But even during those hours, I guessed I'd be thinking about my family. I'm not exactly one you would call an adventurous person. In fact, I shy away from anything out of the routine. I simply prefer sticking to what I'm used to (which explains why I'm still stuck in a job I don't like). I'm not a fun-loving person... as in, I don't go clubbing, 'pub'bing, trekking, hiking...you get the drift. Staying indoors with my daughter, playing hide-and-seek with her is probably

"Doctor, I have excruciating pain in my right ear." "Please sit down, let me examine." "I think my ear drum is infected. Give me some pain killers and antibiotics." "........." "I have acute sinusitis. I had an ice cream late last night. Couldn't avoid. Was my family friend's birthday party." "......!!" "I had paracetamol and analgesics but didn't have much relief."  The doctor quietly writes out a prescription and smiles.  "Take these pills for two weeks. If the pain persists or worsens after three days, meet me."                                                                                                                          * * * * * Patients are more informed  in this fast-moving, information-driven world  and doctors have minimal talking to do these days. Anyone and everyone is able to access the internet, thanks to those hi-fi gadgets and wi-fi connections. The learne

In the midst of a whirlwind day at work, I had a few moments to myself. I took a deep breath and thought, what a day!! I simply wanted to get away from my job. It would be wonderful if I could just have time for myself, to do what I love, to have fun, laze around...but doing what exactly? The first thought that came to my mind is curling up with one of my well-thumbed novels in a cozy armchair with an endless supply of piping -hot tea. Mmmm... That IS an enticing idea.. Or perhaps watching some of my favorite movies, and relive those nostalgic moments of my life inextricably linked with each of them. And then..? What? Much to my consternation, I seemed to have run out of ideas. What else did I like? How did I really fill my hours (minutes, more often) of leisure? How had I been spending my spare time these 30+ years of my life? I thought and I thought..and I realised that I thought. Let me explain that a little more. Every single spare moment I had was spen