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Taking charge of Traffic

Traffic – A word that stimulates anger, frustration other similar feelings in all sane individuals. Travelling on roads brings out animal tendencies in most people here in Pune as they desperately try to prove that only the fittest will survive. By fittest I mean the one that is the fastest off a red light, best in passing through impossibly narrow gaps in between other vehicles, scaring off pedestrians from crossing roads- just to name a few.

We all use roads to get to a particular destination hopefully in one piece- so the job on hand can be done. This means the travel has to be safe but few are willing to follow rules and ensure safety. Rules are meant for safe passage of zillions of vehicles and not to be a hindrance as most think! It may feel cool to zip past a red light or zoom in the wrong lane but trust me, its certainly not cool to be lying in an ICU.

Only depending on authorities to improve traffic is not enough. Take pride in following rules, give a thumbs up to a co traveller whom you see following rules ( the gesture goes a long way to boost morale), instead of participating in the horn orchestra in a traffic jam, get out an try to sort out the problem and call the police for assistance. If you find an injured person do take him/her to the nearest hospital – a life could be at stake here.

Do leave home well in time, read local papers to look for traffic diversions if any, avoid peak hours if possible. These may sound most unfashionable and simplistic solutions but there is no harm in giving a try is there?

While mobiles have their advantages, talking while driving is highly dangerous. It not only keeps one hand engaged (for those not using hands-free) it diverts attention from the task in hand which can lead to horrible consequences. A few years back we did manage without remaining connected all the time; it still is. Switch off the phone when driving for your own and others safety.

Several NGOs and groups volunteer to help traffic police at peak hours. Do contribute some of your time for this cause. Use public transport wherever possible and opt for car pools.

Just like vehicles (2/3/4 wheeled) it is important that those on foot also be disciplined. Use zebra to cross and only at the green light. Walk on footpaths and not in groups.

The gist of this post is that we are the ones contributing to the increasing and unruly traffic and it is we who have to do something about it. Go back to the RTO and revise and follow rules. Self discipline will work faster and better.

The time for talk is over. Too many lives have been lost. Surely a nation whose people can boast some of the best brains in the world can do this much?
Lets all begin today. Take charge of traffic, let traffic not control you.

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How to Dance in the Rain

Most forwards on our inbox are not worth reading. Following is beautiful and poignant forward I have received. Be sure to read till the end:

It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80’s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am. I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him.

I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound. While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor’s appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry. The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.

He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer’s Disease. As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late. He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now. I was surprised, and asked him, ‘And you still go every morning, even though she doesn’t know who you are?’ He smiled as he patted my hand and said, ‘She doesn’t know me, but I still know who she is.’

I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought, ‘That is the kind of love I want in my life.’

The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have. ‘Life isn’t only about how to survive the storm, but also how to dance in the rain.’

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Golden Showers

The Cassia fistula (Indian laburnum) is in full bloom in Pune and I’m sure in many other parts of India too. The tree is totally covered only with huge pendulous golden blooms. Some parts of this tree are said to have medicinal value but the seeds are reportedly poisonous.
Pune is lucky that some trees have still survived what we fondly called ‘development’! We can enjoy different colours and blooms that Nature has to offer all round the year.
As you zip around, do take time to appreciate its beauty. It does not take time but gives immeasurable happiness.
Enjoy!
Archana
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Try something different this Gudi Padava

Gudi Padava is also celebrated as Bihu in Assam, a state where we have spent over 4 years. The Rangoli Bihu celebrated at this time of the year is dedicated to spring. While people take pride in visiting foreign locales not many are keen or dare to visit the states called ‘seven sisters’. Extensively endowed with natural beauty, the states have much to offer the intrepid traveller.
Food wise too their preparations are quite different from rest of India. Songs by Bhupen Hazarika wonderfully echo the state’s music.

Here is a recipe of Til Pitha– a sweet pancake made of sesame and rice and jaggery.
(Taken from Maharashtra Herald 06 April 2008)

Try it this year and get a taste of Assam. The one we had was made from black sesame though this recipe does not specifically mention so.

Ingredients:
Bora Saul (glutinous rice): 1kg
Til (sesame) : 1/2 kg
Jaggery: 1/2 kg
Method:
Soak rice overnight. Drain water in the morning and grind to fine paste. Roast Til on a griddle till crisp. Grate jaggery and mix with some water till thick. Mix the Til with the jaggery syrup.
Heat griddle. Place big tablespoon of rice paste and spread into pancake. Place the jaggery mixture in the centre. Slowly roll from one end and cook for a minute more.
Serve with tea.

Smiles!

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A reason to give up dieting..

Yes you got it right, the title does say give up dieting!
Experts have advised those of us that are curiously referred to as the ‘baby boomers’ (what is the origin I wonder) that dieting is not the best way to go…
🙂
Some dietitians often “advise women to get off their diet roller coasters because losing weight cannot guarantee happiness.” An article in the Times of India on Sunday 30 March 2008, gives ample reasons to support this. So follow this link to know how much ice cream and kulfis you can gorge this summer!
My advise put on your sports shoes and exercise regularly! Weights too – they will not make us into Arnold look alikes rest assured!
Smiles!

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Going, going …?

They say Pune city has arrived on the global map. Global biggies are here other than the blue-eyed IT boys of course (the colour may have faded some what now- with the green backs failing to deliver!) Walk or drive around and one is faced with a mass of humanity that seems to be hurrying somewhere, no time to look around or even follow traffic rules, throwing personal and others safety to the winds. People have forgotten that a red signal means stop or the significance of the zebra on roads.

Besides the obvious congestion and changing demographics, the general appearance of the town itself has changed. The city has been my refuge through ups and downs in my life hence this agony. Gone are the huge trees that lined so many roads, gone is the peace and quiet. Also affected by the change is the unique atmosphere on streets like MG Road or Laxmi Road and dens like the Lucky café or Café Naaz have gone with the shifting sands. Or is that falling brick and mortar?

Walk down the Prabhat, Bhandarkar bylanes and there seem to be three categories of homes, those already rebuilt or those already under ‘development’ or those about to be handed over. It’s very easy to identify the latter as the grounds and homes often wear a horribly decrepit and unkempt look. While those being ‘developed’ often remain well hidden behind huge aluminium frames as the monster machines go about drilling and boring a new foundation. Trees lovingly nurtured over the years, host to many swings, witness to many a scraped knee, tears and reprimands are ruthlessly razed down.

I recently watched this heart wrenching process as the labourers physically demolished wall after old strong wall with huge hammers. They did not seem to have any protective gear as bricks and iron girders came tumbling around them. Often they would be breaking down the very floor on which they were standing. I hope the owners were not around to watch this destruction of what may have been their dream home. Of course now that children are in US with no hope of returning it seems a waste to hang on to old properties.

Yet delve a little and one finds the city still has sustained some really old ethos. I have noticed an old wada that boasts an iron grill with a Victorian head forged on it. These old homes that dot the heart of the city are probably a nightmare as far as occupant safety is concerned but offer a glimpse into the cultural and social fabric years ago.

Yet another establishment that has stood the test of time is the Santosh Bakery. Many remember the place to be ‘just as it was’ over 25 years ago and the taste of its offerings too. Mornings and evenings the bakery dishes out its legendary patties, which are famous far and near. As the Apte Road itself transforms into a Hotel Street, Santosh offers a soothing link to the past, a pastry paradise and a dietician nightmare! Kayani is yet another place that can instantly transport us back a few years! While Darshan has grown out of its request of not tipping the ‘Bhau’ who so promptly and efficiently serve us, its menu now shows global influences!

Walk around vibrant Aundh or Kalyani Nagar and the city seems to take on a different personality. Glitz, glam, youth, glass, steel and chrome and wide roads strike a blinding difference from the congested city interiors. There are new malls coming up every month and we have a new airport terminal too. The IT SEZ has come a long way from its first phase.

Roads are being given high-tech resurfacing as new bridge projects have been painfully completed around town. Mercs and BMWs drive alongside cranky Padminis and creaky autoricshaws. The buses are more crowded and rashly driven than before and two wheelers zip around like they were dancing with the wind. The city infrastructure seems to be barely able to cater to the burgeoning multitude living in it.

This development seems a win win situation for everybody. Is it? Really? Each thud of the hammer still echoes in my mind, driving a big hole in my memories. Where are we heading? Is it not possible to preserve our legacies along with progress? In our chase for monetary goals let us not be found guilty by the coming generations of not holding on to a piece of history.

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Whats in a Word?

Finally accepting the inevitable, I visited the doctor for the mandatory post 40 check ups. Despite being ‘only screening’ I had to visit the radiologist, pathologist, gynaecologist… Years of exercising and healthy eating paid off in the green chit I received from all these learned people.

At every halt in my doctor round, I was referred to as ‘patient’. My objections to the receptionists fell on deaf ears. I was awaiting an audience with the doctor to pronounce a verdict on the state of my bones, blood, heart, nerves etc so did not argue too much at this stage.

Having been cleared by the medicos, I have been ruminating on this peculiar term. The word conjures agony both physical and mental due to embarrassing strip downs and white rooms smelling of antiseptics with green curtains.

Does ‘patient’ refer to the sick waiting uncomplainingly at the waiting rooms before they are examined? Most doctors I have visited or heard of inflict this wait on those they have to examine, appointments not withstanding. Peculiarly, the sick too grade the doc higher, the more time they have to spend on the hard lumpy sofas with outdated magazines for entertainment. So could having to wait patiently at the consulting room have given rise to word ‘patient’?

Any one who has spent time in a pediatrician’s waiting room will agree whole heartedly with me that the word patient must have its origins related to the harassed parents therein. Every kid is accompanied by a minimum of one person and miscellaneous belongings containing clothes, disposal bags, toys, food and water sufficient to cater to any unforeseen situation. Mom and dad, a doting grandma and ayah accompany some of the lucky children. Sound levels remain constantly high as every person coming out from the sanctum sanctorum tests his vocal cords in case the doc forgot to! Patience is just what the doctor ordered for the parents here, awaiting the magical potions to end the child’s and their trauma!

A person is permanently branded ‘patient’ after a visit to doctor’s clinic long after his illness is cured. This is really difficult to understand. If a person is healthy then how is he still a patient, is a question for which I have not yet got a satisfactory answer. Even years after the encounter, the doctor and his staff always refer to you ‘patient’.

Why blame the docs, people too proudly claim to be patients of a particular specialist long after his need is over. Inexplicable, really, considering one is impatient to get well and forget ones ill health as soon as possible. Neither are we going to be patient about any delays by the insurance company settling our claims. NoSir!

There is an increasing trend for doctors’ waiting rooms in India to be flooded with overseas visitors who are here to make the most of our medical expertise, which is much cheaper than in western countries. The official term is ‘medical tourism’ and some establishments offer luxury tourist packages for the visitors to enjoy– after the healing touch is administered of course!

I did some searching and found that the noun ‘patient’ means person under medical treatment. The adjective ‘patient’ means calmly enduring or awaiting. Both go back to the Latin word meaning ‘pati’ or ‘to suffer’. Some sources say the word ‘patient’ first came to be used in English in the 14th century.

We are members of a gym, buyers at retail stores, clients at the beauty parlor, users of mobile phones, HNI for the financial advisor and so on at every establishment where there is a cost incurred for services rendered. Medical advice except in government institutions comes at a price Will it be unethical to be called health consumers instead?
Can we be addressed by our names instead? Mr/ Ms/ Miss/ Mrs/ Dr- the choice is wide and in no way detracts from the prowess of the doctor or the illness. This becomes especially relevant considering doctors themselves advocate preventive screening in healthy individuals.

Lets pause for a minute and think of all the taxes we pay knowingly and unknowingly for goods and services we use – excise, sales tax, state tax, octroi etc. Being branded a ‘patient’ can be considered a small due in return of getting back our health. It’s just a word after all.

Yet I would prefer to be addressed by my name…

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Its Spring

Don’t click away seeing a new pink and blue colour combination. With makeovers being ‘hot’ decided to try one out here too!
Spring is in the air. For us in Pune, heat has already set in but my plants are enjoying the weather with a surge of new shoots. Jacaranda is in its full purple glory. In Assam, I remember the ‘Seemal’ to be in full bloom now. Huge red flowers of the size of a man’s palm, crimson red and full of nectar. The monkeys in Tezpur drank from them as if partaking from a cup!
And a month later, the pods burst and the ground was covered with wispy cotton clouds- almost looks like a blanket of snow from afar. This has to be seen to be believed.
The ‘Flame of the Forest’ too blooms around this time. None of these have a overpowering perfume like ‘Millingtonia hortensis‘ and one has to look up to appreciate the red or purple canopy.
Poinsettias have begun to fade now. Time soon to repot them.

And yes, have learnt this trick to let you read my earlier relevant posts. So follow the beckoning hand for more information!
Smiles!

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Pet Peeves

I was under the firm belief that a dog is a man’s best friend. There are umpteen stories of a canine’s bravery and devotion to his two legged master. Yet I am quite convinced that things are gradually changing. Yes I do mean that Man could soon be rated as a dog’s best friend! My belief gets strengthened daily as I watch the world with my presbiopic eyes! Let me illustrate…
Pouring rain or freezing cold one finds the master out on the roads to enable this family member relieve himself. Despite the recent extended unseasonal cold, hard core late risers in Pune sacrifice their cosy razai to troop out to the canine demands. I must add that the pet too is well protected against the chill with woollen garments of various types- just one more design for Grandma to knit when she makes sweaters for her grandchildren! It’s OK to dirty the roads but not the house; that’s their policy! I have counted at least 5 dogs who treat the compound in my building as their personal toilet while their masters and mistresses indulgently look on! Is there no way to properly potty train dogs? I am told that in the US, the dog owners have to clean up the streets as they walk their dogs along.

Being health conscious I try to make it a point to walk my daily 6kms but often end up logging just a couple of kms. Before there are any doubts about my sincerity or hints towards laziness let me clarify that all shortcuts are necessitated by friends. You may well ask, what’s wrong with meeting friends? Let me explain- it’s not the friend that I am averse to but his four-legged family member. Even before our greetings are complete, the hound has already got his two forefeet on my chest and is trying to slobber me with saliva. The experience of a close up examination of the dental architecture of a panting hound is most frightening, not recommended for the fainthearted. All the while my friend indulgently says, “Polly won’t do anything!” Anything? I would be the one having to take 21 injections in my stomach if any of those pearly whites as much as scratched me! Then there is a bull dog who insists on following me as I try to get to my target heart rate. I should not be bothering really, the sight of the dog is sufficient to get my heart racing as it is! So you can well understand how my resolve to stay fit is desperately challenged each day. Why can morning walkers not bring along their pets on a leash? Of course in some cases, the sight of the duo is hilarious as one wonders who is taking whom for a walk as the dog surges ahead, pulling his hapless master behind him!

Visiting such friends can also be a testing time. Pomeranians tend to want to contribute to the conversation in a manner that leaves one temporarily deafened with their high pitched barking. Honey is one pooch who is most protective of her mistress’s property. She doesn’t bother with troubling her vocal cords though preferring to keep a malevolent eye instead, pouncing forth if I as much as move a finger to pick up a magazine as my friend goes off to get me a cup of tea and biscuits for Honey. Believe me I am too scared even to reach into my purse to make a rescue call on my mobile. All joy of meeting my friend is totally overshadowed by having to sit erect and immobile for the entire period. To add insult to my injury, my friend waxes eloquent on some of Honey’s frivolous antics as I am forced to make appreciative noises as I watch the DVD of Honey’s birthday party!

Then we have these well wishers who feed every stray dog they can attract. End result being that the dogs soon assume food to be their right, the area becomes a flourishing maternity ward and the newest entrants end up snapping at the two-legged legal owners! I am all for feeding a hungry animal even offering some shelter but not if it ends up being a public nuisance.
Dogs are of tremendous aid to differently-abled persons and children. Dobermans and Labradors do an excellent job to supplement our Police Force, be it to track down explosives or thieves. I can understand the companionship a dog can afford a child or as a beloved family member. However, it should not end up traumatising people around them and being a nuisance to society in general. Postmen, newspaper boys will whole heartedly agree with me I am sure!

These are just some of my Pet Peeves. It is really immaterial who is who’s best friend. The Earth belongs to all of us and we need to coexist peacefully. Excuse me folks I have an important task to try to reform my neighbour and or his dog…. Hey, doggie that’s my freshly washed car you are heading for…

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