Santhosh's ramblings

A casual conversation with a car driver and a friend in his early 50’s.   “Saahbji, a few years back when some baby is born or a marriage occurs or something like that happens in my extended family and friends, we will go with a small present (We do not have much) but spend time with them. Today, I do a video call and pass some money by G pay and tell them, but a present for the child or whoever it is”.   “I have only one sister and she stay in the same city. Earlier I would go and meet them at least two or three times a month, take some food or chocolates for her children. We still have a good relationship, but in the last one year we haven’t met face to face. We have video calls and I pass some money to her to buy chocolate for their children”.   “There was time when I used to look forward for the board meetings of our organization. All the members will drive and come, and while the meeting is going on, we drivers have a great time together, and we became close friends,...

I learnt a new phrase today (or rather coined). “Audacious Audacity”. It is like “double whammy” – a situation in which two bad conditions exist at the same time or two bad things happen one after the other.  But amid this, people have the audacity to have an audacious belief that things will work out fine!    There is a beautiful story in the Good Book. A meeting between a prophet and a widow. It goes like this… "Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land". “So the Prophet got up and went to Zarephath. As he came to the entrance of the village he met a woman, a widow, gathering firewood. He asked her, “Please, would you bring me a little water in a jug? I need a drink.” As she went to get it, he called out, “And while you’re at it, would you bring me something to eat?    She said, “I swear, as surely as your   God   lives, I don’t have so much as a biscuit. I have a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in ...

Traveling on Indian railways is always an exhilarating experience. Flights can never replace the joy of train travel. And with the massive upgrade of the railways, it is better than ever before. The new facade of the railway stations, the colorful lights, and the ethnic architecture are worth admiring. The new trains and the upgrading of the old ones, with new colors and pictures, are great to see. Vande Bharat (VB), the most recently introduced one, is sleek and cute. But once you enter the station, it is still the same or better than before. Crowds are more than ever, almost a stampede at times, a 4-hour wait for the VB to arrive and a 7-hour delay to reach the destination, the waste from the previous run pushed into one corner of the train (there was no time for the turnaround trip), the large beautiful bio-toilets, but left un-flushed by the previous occupant, the automatic closing of the doors, etc., give you a mixed feeling. That some things never change. The uncertainty of trave...

Recently, it dawned on me the seriousness of the matter: that I should consider my life as a house being built. I could choose any type of brick to build it—gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw. Some are costly, heavy, and take effort to procure and build, while others are easily available, not too heavy, and easy to handle. But I am expected to choose the best. I am expected to keep building it until the last day of my life, when I will be given the house to occupy. I knew this earlier, but I never took it seriously.    Looking back, in some seasons, I had money, time, and resources to choose the best material. In other seasons, I had to use whatever was quick and easy because I did not have the time, money, or resources to go for the best.   However, I did not know that before I am given the house back to occupy, there will be a structural stability check by a team of civil engineers. The tool they will use is fire and storm, the storm will check the foundat...

Traveling, I came across this fort. Well-built, for the defense of the Kingdom of yesteryears, this would serve as a stronghold for the King and his team. “A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region  during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin fortis ("strong") and facere ("to make").' We have moved away from such stone age structures. Now it's more drones and barbed wires, not just against enemies, but also against those who ask uncomfortable questions. To keep unwanted brothers and sisters at bay. But then there are others who do not have the power or resources to build forts. Those protecting themselves from the powerful who want to take over their land, for economic interests, must find other ways to protect themselves and their land. We see this in different parts of the world including some parts of our own na...

Re-reading the chapter on Delirium in the “Harrison's Principles of internal Medicine” was a re-learning time. Delirium is defined as an acute confusional state, leading to major morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis is based on Confusion Assessment Method Diagnostic Algorithm. Two necessary criteria, and one of the other two as an additional criterion.  Acute onset and fluctuating course – mental status changes, sudden in onset and fluctuates during the day. Inattention – difficulty in focussing attention, easily distractable or difficulty in keeping track of what is being said. Disorganised thinking – thinking is disorganised or incoherent, rambling, irrelevant, unclear, illogical, unpredictable. Altered Level of consciousness – not alert – either vigilant (hyperalert) lethargic (drowsy or easily aroused) or come (unarousable). Reading this was not only re-learning but revealing too. I suddenly realised, sometime during the day I am in Delirium too! And many around me too! Sudde...

Travelling through 5 locations in about 10 days, one tends to  observe a lot. One thing that stood out was the “Inclusive development” systems being fast forwarded! I am sure what I will be writing here, might be dissected by developmental experts, since my writing is not based on expertise or data, but casual observations. But still here it is! Technical definition – “Inclusive development is an equitable development approach built on the understanding that every individual and community, of all diverse identities and experiences, is instrumental in the transformation of their own societies. Their engagement throughout the entire development process leads to better outcomes” . But technical definitions apart, it was interesting to observe that what I saw was something that confused my brain.   Stop one  – a B2 city, with a bustling population and an AQI (Air Quality Index) of 300 plus, as part of a team who was traveling to a hill station for a weekend retreat. In t...