Of illnesses, docs, hospitals June 28, 2007

To state the obvious, yes, I am back!

A little unwell, had to do a minor surgery, a bigger one waiting. I am not looking forward to that (not that anyone waits for themselves to be cut up!)

So here is why I am even more wary of docs now. Went to a particular, popular hospital in Hyderabad to figure out what the heck was causing some pain. The casualty doc inspected it and mumbled something incorrigible. Adding to my already mounding tension, he said he will call the surgeon. Surgeon? Why surgeon? Anyway, in came the surgeon with a huge fake grin and some friendly questions which I am sure he asked everyone, not really caring about the answer. Question number 3 was ‘where do you work?’. The answer lit up his face and I am sure question number 4 was impromptu. “You are covered under corporate insurance, aren’t you?” I tried to think through the pain and think I nodded to the affirmative. That’s when he took more interest in my ‘case’ and gave me a wider, faker (I don’t care if that’s not a word, it suits the situation) grin! He asked me to get admitted immediately and sent me to the admission counter. I sleepwalked to the admission counter but was fully woken up when the guy there (after a couple of under-the-desk, subtle conversations with the afore mentioned surgeon) told me that the entire procedure would cost 35k. Now that made me really wonder what the heck was wrong with me? They didn’t charge half that much to cut one up and take a baby out. Why is this so expensive? 2 phone calls home cleared up the doubt I already had in my head. Mister surgeon was trying to get some money out of the insurance company to probably buy himself a TV that would finally make every room in his house have one.

I came back home spending a lot on flights and stuff. I didn’t trust that guy anymore. Even if he is a better surgeon that Dr. Sankaran, a family friend, who not only refused any consulting charge, but also promised to answer the phone any time in case I had any questions. I doubt it, though.

NB: In case any docs are reading this (Rosh?), aren’t you guys making enough money? The unsuspecting, happily oblivious laymen like me really really look up to you for comfort and relief when we are sick. Please please don’t take advantage of us. Amen.

Away for a while June 22, 2007

I am a little unwell and will be away for some time, unfortunately from the Internet, and hence from blogging. (Why does this sound like my vacation autoresponse?)

And when am back, remind me to tell you about doctors and why I particularly don’t like huge hospitals.

Stay safe and keep clicking.

N

Just a minute! June 12, 2007

One thing I have found in shops in Dublin is, security is very very lean. You know stores back home have those security thingies tied to every little piece of item they sell and how you have to pass through those detectors when you step out? Well, this place has none of those.

Yesterday I went to eurospar to pick up milk and bagels for breakfast. I also picked up caramel bars from the coffee place attached to the store. When I went to bill them, the girl at the counter said I have to pay for the caramel bars at the coffee counter. I paid for the other stuff and went to the coffee counter only to find that they were closed for the day. So there I was, holding two bars in my hand, and there was no single soul who would have known if I walk out and not pay for it. This thought scared me a little. I went back to another counter and asked I can pay for it there. The guy there agreed and I quickly fished out 2 euros and got out. It was scary that you can actually walk out with stuff and noone would know. I am used to being watched. I am used to being ‘approved and checked’ before walking out of stores. This.. was scary.

And here is another thought. Just a random one. I am not saying this happened. I am not saying it didn’t. Like I said, just a thought.

What would you do if you found out that a good friend of yours took advantage of this situation and was shoplifting. After the initial moment of shock or disgust or whatever, what would you do? Confront him? Ignore him for the rest of your life? Act as if everything is normal? Blog about it? Forget the incident thinking its a one off case? Dismiss the incident from your mind thinking he wasn’t really flicking the stuff, but was just trying to see if the item would look good without the packing?

Me? I don’t know what I would do. I am slow with my reactions in such situations. But one thing is for sure. He would never ever mean the same to me.

Updates on the Dublin Trip June 11, 2007

This time, I have been super lazy about updating things about the trip. Here are the reasons (excuses!)

I fell sick the second day I was here
I was in training whole of last week which didn’t even leave me time to check my email, let alone post on my blog.
I spent all evenings going around the place and I am sure you approve of utilising my time in the best manner.
I went for a Celtic weekend road trip and got back late yesterday night. Today and tomorrow is relatively lean in office so here is the post.

I shopped a bit, for clothes mostly, and of course souvenirs. But they are on the expensive side and since its not easy to calculate the price times 56 each time, I either give up or go ahead and but it anyway. Think I have blown up close to 10k in my account, what with the weekend trip and all. But it was totally worth it. The countryside was beautiful and the weather was just right.
Here is some cribbing: I miss home food terribly. Not even mom’s food cuz that is kinda like heaven now. Even normal Indian food from a dinghy restaurant in Hyderabad would have been nice. I guess I am intolerant when it comes to food. I have friends who are here for three months and they are veggies, to add to it. The are cribbing, but not as much as me. Of course, I am an amazing cribber of the highest order.

Will post some pics later of all the junk I ate. And of course my picture in all its fattened glory. Until later.

Thursday Thirteen #6 June 7, 2007

13 reasons why its best to be single

a) You don’t need to worry about smelling minty fresh or your floral best all the time.
b) You can use your emotions and put them to better use – like yelling at your boss for not promoting you, watching a romantic comedy and crying your eyes out after the happy ending, bloah blah.
c) Practial lingerie is cheaper than the lacy sexy (and uncomfortable!) ones.
d) You won’t feel a pang when your friends get married, you just feel happy for them, the clothes shopping you can do for yourself and looking your best for all the cute single who are going to come for the wedding.
e) You can eat all you want and have only yourself to answer to in case you put on some weight.
f) You can wear whatever you want and not feel bad when someone says ‘you look fat in this tee’, ‘this colour doesn’t suit you’, ‘why did you buy such a dull shirt’, cuz you don’t care about any of these people or their crappy comments anyway.
g) You can really concentrate, obsess, worry, work on your career with absolutely no distractions.
h) You can feel good about getting a year older and not think ‘am I getting too old to even look good in my marriage pics with him? He still looks so young!’. You are single, you don’t compare yourself to your boyfriend. Simple.
i) You can spend all the money you earn on yourself and not on impulsive gifts that don’t go well appreciated and sometimes even end up freaking him out cuz he thinks now he owes you expensive gifts too.
j) You can talk, flirt, go out, make out, with any of your guy friends without feeling guilty (if you are morally driven) or out in the open (in case you were doing it in the sly without him knowing)
k) You can tell all your friends you are single and be proud of it instead of lying to all of them cuz he is not ready to tell the world yet.
l) You don’t have to put up with dirty feet, stinking socks, sweaty tees and junk food dinners for a guy who doesn’t care about any of these things.
m) You can write a Thursday 13 about being single and yet wish you had all these problems (note: I am not talking about myself here. Sigh, its a long story guys. It deserves a blog of its own, not even a post)

Here is to Rosh June 7, 2007

One of the very few pieces of text that made me cry.. movies, yes, incidents, yes. But text, hardly ever.

Read it here.

Dublin Ahoy! June 4, 2007

First things first. I like the UK better than the US. Well, maybe I am not qualified to say this since I was just in a tiny part of California in the US and I have been in Dublin only 30 hours now. But its beautiful. I went for a walk in a park that was breathtaking and looked like it was taken right out of a fairytale.

Edited to add:

The worst has happened. I am sick. You know the terrible kinda sick? With a sore throat (that has to be the worst illness ever), cold and blocked nose, headache, sprinkled with fever. Sigh.

Still love Dublin by the way. Started training today. The class is nice and smart and some are even funny. Its nice teaching such a mixed group of people – two French girls, one Croatian, one Czech, and a random group from all over. Only one person is actually from Dublin. Its fun

Hope to feel better in a couple of days. All hail Crocin!

June 3, 2007

Me in Ireland now. Dublin actually. Feeling a little high. So will post later

Four hours after landing, I shopped at Penneys for 5o euros

Life is good!