MERRY CHRISTMAS

RED DRAGONFLY

Saw a red dragonfly near my house. First time I am seeing one.

BUS STATION

KSRTC Bus Station - Kollam

SCHOLARSHIP TESTS

There are several organizations that conduct scholarship tests in India. If they charge a fee for it, there is something fishy. They may call it Application fee, Registration fee, Test fee etc. A genuine scholarship test should not require a fee.

Organizations that conduct these tests contact school authorities and try to get the maximum number of students to appear for the test. To spread the net wide they admit students from standard IV to standard XII for the test. Some of them advertise in the newspapers. Some are even able to get information regarding their test to appear as news in the media. Maybe they pay more. They may claim to have test centers throughout the country. But once the fee is received they may cancel some centers. This will reduce their expenditure. They inform the candidates that due to unavoidable circumstances the chosen center is not available and that the candidate will have to appear for the test at a far off center. They are not really interested whether or not the candidate appears for the test.

Suppose a fee of Rs.100/- is charged for the test. In a country like India with a large population they can get about 100,000 candidates to apply for the test. So the total amount they receive will be Rs.100, 00,000/-

They may need about Rs.500, 000/- for their expenses which includes test paper preparation and correction, hiring examiners and invigilators, renting examination halls etc. Once the results are announced they may spend another Rs.500, 000/- as scholarship for the students who did well. So their total expenditure will be about Rs.10, 00,000/- and the balance amount of Rs.90, 00,000/- will be their profit.

Usually they invite a Minister or some high government official as chief guest for the scholarship distribution ceremony. After distributing the scholarship the chief guest will give a speech congratulating the winners and praising the organizers for being so generous.  

RAILWAY STATION

Kollam Junction Railway Station

View from Over Bridge

Hotel Railview. Opposite Railway Station. It used to be a small dingy bar.

Old Railway Station which is nearby. Now the area in front is used as parking space for two  wheeler's.  I remember arriving at this station in 1972 to settle at kollam.

Road near Railway Station. The Trees!

FATIMA MATA NATIONAL COLLEGE

                                                                                                                 

Studied at this College for seven years. 1974 - 1981

Spent most of the time at this end of the building where the Physics Department was located.

Had to climb this over bridge every day to get to College.

POLITICS IN INDIA

Very few people in India enter politics to serve the people. Many want the power of being in charge or the chance to make big money. Some want both power and money. Criminals are attracted to politics because it helps them get away with their criminal activities. Once in power, they get bribes and kickbacks which can run into millions of dollars. It is the most lucrative profession. Some are reported to have Swiss bank accounts. Police and criminal gangs are used to silence or even eliminate their opponents. In most countries the interest in politics is only during the elections. In India there is a constant interest and the media gives unnecessary coverage to politicians. We can’t trust the media because many are owned by politicians and some are just bribed.

If they are in the opposition, they oppose just for the sake of opposing. They will not allow any progress. They will call for a hartal or bandh for silly reasons. Political processions block the roads. Students are divided along political lines and made to fight each other. They are also used in agitations. Dynastic rule is rampant. Most politicians groom their children to take over when the time is ripe.

During elections, votes are bought with bribes and gifts. Almost all the candidates are corrupt and almost all the people are corrupt. So a totally corrupt candidate can win a landslide victory. A Huge amount of money is needed to win an election. Money and position lure politicians to defect. Some parties split because of the tussle for leadership. Many want to be the leader. So regional and communal parties have sprung up and the only way to form a government is through coalition.

It is not ideology that attracts people to a political party. I know some communists who dream of settling in the United States. They say communism is more suitable for India but they would prefer to live in the capitalist United States. People support a party because they have relatives or friends in that party who can help them, if they come to power. Most of the public feel insecure. They need the help of politicians to get a job, since there is a very high level of unemployment. Businessmen need politicians to help them get licenses and permits. A friend of mine met with an accident. It was midnight and only a few junior doctors were available at the hospital. His relatives called up a politician. The politician contacted the chairman of the hospital who got the best doctors to attend to him immediately. His political connections helped him.

DIABETES

I had a fever and was feeling tired. So, I bought a packet of glucose and had it. I was still feeling weak. Worse, I felt shaky at times. When I saw a doctor, he suggested I do a blood test. I was shocked to see the results. My fasting blood glucose was 132 mg/dL. I never thought I would have diabetes since I am thin and don’t actually use much sugar, except for the occasional coke. The doctor said it was not necessary to start any medication since the reading was not very high. He said I should make some lifestyle changes. I stopped using refined sugar and became more active. The easiest exercise is to walk for about 10 to 15 minutes after each meal. Some people say diabetes is a progressive disease. Sooner or later you have to start on medications and insulin injections. The thought disturbs me.

I started browsing the net for information about diabetes. It was then that I came across the glycemic index. Certain food items increase blood glucose more than others. I had to limit my carbohydrate intake. I thought my food choices were limited. I bought a glucometer to monitor my blood sugar. Initially, I had higher readings after breakfast. Readings after lunch and dinner were not so high. I was also feeling uncomfortable in the morning after breakfast and sometimes felt shaky. This continued for about three months. I read that sugar is addictive and if you suddenly stop using it you would get withdrawal symptoms. It may have been the case. Type 2 diabetes can be due to insulin resistance or insulin insufficiency. Insulin resistance is more in the morning.  

I read about hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and their symptoms. The only symptoms of hyperglycemia that I had were a dry mouth and a feeling of numbness in my limbs one night. The shaky feeling was associated with low blood sugar and since I was not on medication I could not really have low blood sugar. It was then that I came across the word ‘false hypo’. That is, even if your blood sugar is at a normal level you may have the symptoms of hypoglycemia. This happens if the blood sugar drops from a high level to the normal level and the body thinks it is too low. This is not dangerous and can be ignored.

Later, I read a letter written by an endocrinologist saying that it was okay having something sweet to eat once in while. He claimed, if you avoid sugar completely the pancreas will forget how to make insulin and soon you will have to start on insulin injections. It seemed to make sense as long as you monitor your blood sugar and keep it at a safe range.

Now, about five months later I am fine and eat almost anything. I take vitamin supplements. I avoid refined sugar in my tea but do have an occasional piece of cake or chocolate. I also started eating the fruits that I avoided. I think moderation is the key.

YOUNGBERG HOSPITAL

I used to visit Youngberg Hospital in Singapore with my father. It was during 1966 and I was about nine then and had a throat infection. It was a small hospital. The building was two storeyed. It was run by the seventh day Adventists. The doctors were American. It was a good hospital and also expensive.

At the reception, I noticed the blades of the ceiling fans would tilt at an angle while rotating to cover a wider area. Since then, I have never seen a ceiling fan like that. There was a fish tank and I would watch a group of neon tetras moving together. On the table were some magazines published by the seventh day Adventists.

The first doctor we met was Dr. Coffin. I thought it was a strange name. He advised surgery to have my tonsils removed. By the time we decided to have the surgery, Dr. Paterson was in charge. He asked me whether I liked hot or cold drinks. I said hot. I think he expected me to say cold so that he could tell me that I will be having only cold drinks after the operation. I was admitted to a ward with about ten beds in the evening. It was on the second floor. I had to wear a pyjama provided by the hospital. That night I had an apple pie and jelly for dinner which was again provided by the hospital. There was a small recreation room nearby with a TV and some games.

Early next morning, I was asked to be ready for surgery. A man asked me if I had eaten anything in the morning. I said no. He then gave me a new set of pyjamas and told me to wear it. While putting it on, I noticed a label with my name stitched on it.

I was wheeled to the operation theatre on a stretcher. There was a lift even though the building was only two storeyed. In the operation theatre I looked at the lights above and the anesthetist attached some things to my chest. He looked like an Indian. He asked me if I was afraid. I said no. He then held a mask on my face and told me to take a deep breath. I did as told. He said ‘once more’ and I began to see some patterns and fell asleep. After the operation I regained consciousness for second and turned over noticing some people looking at me. I woke up again while I was being taken back to the ward. My father was following behind. He was waiting outside the operation theatre.

Each bed was provided with a push button switch to call the duty nurse who would respond promptly. Indicator lights at the counter told the nurses which bed had called. I called them often to ask for ice which I needed to relieve the pain in my throat. That day I had only cold jelly for food. My father asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted some comics. I was crazy about the super hero comics like superman, batman, spiderman, fantastic four etc. My father bought me two comics which I did not find interesting since it was not about any super hero. He also bought a packet of chocolates which I could not eat then.

There was an old Chinese man on a nearby bed. He had his food in liquid form given through a funnel placed in a tube attached to his stomach. He could not eat normally. A nurse would draw a curtain around him to give him a bath. A young couple visited him every evening and spent a long time with him. It was his son and his girlfriend.

Looking through the window I saw a long black limousine with the US flag coming to the hospital. It must be from the US embassy. At night a teenage chinese boy with his arm in a sling went around closing the windows in the ward. He must have fractured his arm. He was also a patient in this ward.

Dr.Paterson met me the next morning and looked at my throat. He decided to discharge me. I needed ice for a few days. My friend and classmate Mohandas would bring me the ice.

Sana'a - YEMEN

While returning to India from Eritrea in May 2000, we had a choice of going through Dubai or Sana’a. I chose Sana’a since I had not been there before. I had earlier spent a year in Dubai.

We reached Sana’a in the morning. At the airport, our passports were taken away by the customs officials for safe keeping. I think they wanted to make sure that we got on the connecting flight the next day. Yemenia Airways arranged our stay at Sam City Hotel. On reaching the hotel we were informed by the reception that we are not allowed to leave the hotel. They said Sana’a is not a safe place for foreigners. This came as a shock since we wanted to see the city. We felt like prisoners. They then told us they can arrange a sightseeing tour for us, if each of us paid a certain amount in US dollars. They were trying to sell us a tour package. We decided to stay at the hotel.

In the evening they told us we can go out now because there are more people on the streets and hence it is safer. The man at the reception always had something in his mouth. One cheek looked swollen. The women at the reception wore a full face veil.

While walking around the city we saw very few women on the streets. Men wearing the local dress carried a dagger. There was a street market near some gold shops. Most of the buildings in Sana’a looked very old. All shops accept the US dollar and they even give you the balance in dollars. In fact they prefer you pay in dollars.

The next morning we packed and left for the airport. We collected our passports at the airport and boarded the flight to Sharjah en route to Mumbai. Sana’a was not an interesting place in any way.

VISIT TO A FORTUNE TELLER

My friend suggested I see a Fortune Teller. I was working abroad at that time and was in India for a vacation. When we reached the place, there were a few people waiting to see her. They found comfort in the fact that there were others who believed her.

When my turn came, I went in with my friend who introduced me. I noticed she was sitting with her back to a large window so that the light would fall on us and she could observe us clearly. She talked to us and gathered some information about me which she could use later. Then she asked me to show her my palm. She said there is a dot on my hand which is good. I turned my palm around and yes there was a dot. Next, she said there is a dot on my foot which is bad. I looked at my foot and there was a dot there. She must have noticed the dots during the introduction. I could not understand how one dot is good and another bad. Should I take care of the good dot and scratch off the bad one? Since I had mentioned that I was unmarried, she said I didn’t have a steady job. I told her I have been working in the same place for several years. She felt uncomfortable and thought I was not serious. Then she went into a trance holding a pencil between her index finger and middle finger. She started writing on a pad and talking about my life. It looked like she was possessed by some spirit. She said I had made some progress in my life during the past few years. I had mentioned I was working abroad and she thought I must be doing well. She continued to predict some ups and downs but did not give us the paper she was writing on. My friend was noting down what she said.

She asked me whether I wanted to know my life span. I said yes. She again went into a trance and said 75 years, 8 months, 10 days, 6 hours, 12 minutes and 15 seconds. Then she said if you survive that, then it will be 78 years, 3 months, 7 days, 14 hours, 15 minutes and 7 seconds. If that does not happen then it will be 82 years, 5 months, 8 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes and 6 seconds. I was wondering how a person, who can predict to the second, could need three guesses. She noticed I was smiling and decided to scare me. She said someone close to me will die within a few months and also that I will have an operation. To avoid this misfortune I will have to do some things. My friend told her I am a Christian. She said that is not a problem, she has solutions for people of all faiths. She said I will have to give Child Jesus some sweets and Mother Mary some wine. She thought I would place these in front of the statues. I did not do it. I gave her some money in an envelope as consultation fee as suggested by my friend.

Many years have passed by and I have not faced the problems she mentioned.

GHOST IN THE CEMETERY

This happened in Raa Meedhoo. It is an island in Raa Atoll in the Maldives. One night after attending a party at my friends place, I was walking home alone at around midnight. Along the way, I had to pass a cemetery. There was a road adjacent to the wall of the cemetery. I took this road because it was a short cut. It was dark since there were no street lights here but I could see some lights on the other streets far away. Some people say they have seen ghosts in this area.

Suddenly, through the corner of my eye I saw something moving on the wall. I didn’t have it in me to stop and turn around and look at it. I just kept walking. It was moving on the wall along with me. I felt it was tracking me. Waiting for an opportune moment to strike. I walked faster. It moved faster. It was scary, but soon I realized it was my shadow which was moving on the wall.

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS

I first heard about New Year resolutions in school. Some of my teachers used to talk about their New Year resolutions and advised us to make our own. Somehow, I have never made any New Year resolutions.

I have made some changes in my lifestyle but not during the New Year. Most of the time, I was forced to make those changes. I changed my profession because I was fed up with my first one. I went abroad because I needed more money. I started doing some exercises because I felt my health was not good. Recently, I had to make some changes in my diet, again for health reasons.

I was thinking of making some New Year resolutions for 2012. I don’t smoke, so I don’t have to stop smoking. I am thin, so I don’t have to lose weight. I drink only occasionally, so I don’t have to reduce my alcohol intake. I never borrow money, so I don’t need to get out of debt.

I will try to have a less stressful life for 2012.