All that does not glitter

A writing project in school brought home the reality in my country. It does not show me in a good light as a Public Health student, but today I realized that India has the highest rate of increase in the number of Polio cases when compared to all other countries. Granted, there are only three other countries which are reporting polio but ours is the only one which crossed a four hundred, why, which even crossed a hundred last year. Here we are proudly declaring a big growth of our economy, making big salaries in our MNCs when people a little distance away are so poor that they cannot boil water and so ignorant that they throw stones at polio teams. I am serious. Moradabad, a district in the erstwhile UP, reports the highest incidence of Polio in the world and that is because the children in the area suffer such frequent diarrheal illnesses that the vaccine can't even stay enough time in their gut to give them immunity, and the community is so hostile to the polio teams that they pelt them with stones. I would, too. These people do not have water to drink and they are asked to be sanitary. They do not have a doctor to see them when a woman is dying at childbirth or when a person is dying of a scorpion bite, and along come the officials every six weeks to put drops in their mouths without telling them the whys and the wherefores. Does this breed trust?

We have big innovations and run to and fro with monovalent and multivalent vaccines and whatnot. What will we achieve if the people whom this is meant for do not want them? That has to be remedied first. Why wont a doctor agree to serve in the area? Its because he/she will have to work in the dirtiest possible workplace, will not have transport and will not be paid regularly. Let alone these 'luxuries', the physician will not even have a loo at his quarters!

Call it a hangover of watching 'Swades', we have coddled ourselves too long with sweeping statements about our rich culture and tradition. Why does our 'culture' allow us to let a one year old get crippled before he can even walk? It is easy to blame the people for their illiteracy and lack of sanitation, but do they have a choice?

All of us aim at huger salaries, at bigger malls in our cities, at bigger weddings. All these are not unworthy goals, but we need to spare some of our efforts to do something about the kids who are losing their limbs everyday. Its time.

Happy hours... In school!

I just got an invite for a student-faculty beer party in my department. Apparently, this is going to happen the first friday of every month. Wow! Leaving the beer factor alone, whats making me cheer is the idea that students and faculty can get together for an informal afternoon and have a good time. I don't think this would have ever been heard of in the home country. I am not looking to ruffle any sensitive feathers here. I hate people picking on India too. But I have to say this. The level of informality the phirangs achieve in the student-teacher relationship is phenomenal.

I was first shocked at students eating and drinking in class. I was wondering how the professor does not find it offensive. And the students, how could they eat and pay attention at the same time? I slowly got used to the idea, and now, I eat too. I find that I can pay attention better if I am not hungry and thinking about what I will eat after class. Maybe the guy who is teaching has the same thought.

Its not just the food factor ( although so far, all I have written seems purely alimentary). Its just the comfort level. I think that arises out of the fact that these guys ( my current teachers) don't need us to think they are superior to us. They may be or they may not be. Very often, they are. Teachers in India wewre superior to us too. Only, they made sure we knew it.

I may have made too many generalizations so far. But largely, I think I am right. I have thought about this a good deal. The individual systems seem to be traditionally established in India and the USA. I don't know much about cultural roots in the USA but I have wondered why the system is the way it is,in India. Are we experiencing the legacy of the gurukula? Serving the teacher and being obsequious? But surely, that is only our interpretation of it. If the teacher and all his students lived and travelled together, they surely would have developed intimacy and informality between them?Maybe that is what the pupils learn better and not the service factor.

Too much read into a beer party invitation? Maybe. But think about it. Beer may not be socially appropriate in India for a teacher-student party. I will therefore not elaborate on the number of awe-inspiring Medical College professors who have been seen dancing in advanced stages of intoxication during conferences. But have you heard of any department getting together with its students for, say, orange juice, every week?

I have had a great time in college in Bangalore and I am having a great time here. The only difference is, now I dont need to hide when a professor passes by beacuse I bunked the previous class. I can say "Hi, I went to Niagara falls last week. Can I clarify a point which you made last class?" And chances are, the point will be clarified. They even have alternate dates if you cant make it to class to a test. No questions asked.

The margin for error is simply great. It leads to a huge comfort level and their economy is not exactly suffering because of it. So, what do you say to saturday afternoon bajji parties in BMC?

PS: Looking to get bombarded with indignant patriotic comments. Dont disappoint me!!

Reality anyone?

Judging by the websites, a reality show seems to be hogging all the space on all news channels and websites. Apparently, Shilpa Shetty got 'racist' comments on a British show. I am still foggy with what the show is about, but I know all about who abused whom and what words they used. So what have we here? A publicity stunt? "Exposure of the nasty underbelly of racism"? A celebrity wannabe taking the quick and dirty way to make some press? I think the producers went too far with a publicity gimmick and it ended up being an international issue.

What I ask is, what is the big deal? Actress goes on a show. Doesn't have a pleasant time. Period. Why are a million people sending anti-racism letters to the producers?And the so called slurs seem to be ill chosen and ridiculous anyway. Like all countries, we have our shortcomings. Pick on a genuine one! Cooking food with hands and being thin.That is offensive!! And calling Shetty a dog-wow! That was brilliant. Maybe we should really make a fuss and levy sanctions on the UK. Stop the Tur Dal exports, I say! And patent Chicken Tikka Masala and don't let 'em have the recipe!! That will teach them!

The British people seem to have used this to go on a voyage of self discovery. Are they racist deep deep deep down? Do they have enough cross cultural tolerance? Well maybe the real question to ask is, are they so hard up for amusement?

The only sensible reaction I can find is that of the Indian press and public. Barring a few people(Notably, Shetty's mom who seems to milking this for all its worth), we dont seem overly concerned with the issue and I even detect a note of amusement in the Indian tabloids when they describe the extreme reactions of the British. People falling over themselves to apologize to us. Thats a new one.While they are at it, maybe they can apologize for having enriched us with their pleasant company for two centuries. But that was not a serious issue. Nor is the Koh-i-Noor theft. But this is. Oh yes!

On second thoughts maybe the issue is not a total loss. A lot of people seem to be profiting from it. First, me. I got a blog out of it. Second, Shilpa Shetty. She is getting to be everyone's poor little 31 year old girl. Third, the British people. They finally have something pleasant to look at in the papers. And finally, all Indians. We get to curl an amused lip at our Angrez friends and say, "Come up with something a little better than that!"

Musical thoughts

Looking at the last two blogs, I seem to have been churning out sob stories big time aka Ekta Kapoor. Well, we cant all be cheerful all the time. No reason to bug us with your miseries, you say. I agree. It shall happen no more.

Heard yesterday that a friend has formed a band and the band is performing today in Bangalore. I have never been to a performance by a friend in a band. This would have been unusual. Maybe they will get really famous and come perform in Pittsburgh. Maybe I should stop talking nonsense and get a life.

Having practically no company does have its advantages. I have now discovered that I like carnatic music. Really like it. I used to be cajoled into going to learn singing. And giving exams in singing. Trust exams to take the joy out of learning stuff. The coercion probabaly resulted in some good things, like being able to distinguish good music from bad, but because of it,I never realized I have a liking for music.

In my opinion, one of the most uplifting forms of musical tributes has always been the Tyagaraja Aradhana. I have watched most of them in the past years and hearing thousands of musicians come together has always given me a high. Wikipedia has a page on it! ( But they have one on Anu Malik also, I just discovered). To come back to the topic, what is perfectly fascinating about the festival in honour of Tyagaraja is the fact that any small time musician can pay tribute to him on that day and feel one with the great masters. I think that is what Tyagaraja would have liked about it too. It is a pleasure to see the good, the bad, the ugly and the paunchy musicians sit on the banks of the river Cauvery and sing with the enthusiasm of kids. Camera conscious old men, female musicians wearing Kanjeevaram sarees and jasmine strands reaching their waist, interpersed with a famous musicians, all singing in one voice. Feels great to look at, to listen to. The melody seems strangely enhanced by the number of voices and feels almost mystic to me.

It has always been a dream to attend one of the Aradhanas. I got a pleasant surprise when I saw that Cleveland has a Tyagaraja Aradhana in April . Sadly this year it coincides with my exams. But next year, come what may, I will be in Cleveland in April. And maybe , who knows, the year after that, I may be in Thiruvaiyur!

Sobriety is claiming me!

I feel this overwhelming need to write today. I sit down to do that and I don't know exactly what is driving that need. I finally decide its all the changes that are happening around me. Changes everywhere.

Life was idyllic one year ago. Working at the hospital, going out with friends, having a good time. Not much aim but one didn't care. Then came the end of internship. With that came worries about the future. Will I get into postgraduation? Is my decision to go abroad going to work out? I didn't know. I still don't know even now that I am here. I feel the struggle in everyone. To make a mark. To get to a place where one can feel content. But what is also beginning is a new dream of being independant, not in terms of breaking away emotionally, but in terms of discovering how equipped one is to get on in the world. I see this in everyone around me. My friends who were in Medical college with me, especially.

The people I graduated with are on the point of entering post graduation. Some are on the point of getting married. Some already are. Everyone is changing in their own way. This is frightening. It makes me think if I am competent enough to be like them. Am I "grown up" enough?But then I question myself- What is being "grown-up"? Its just being ready to be. If I want to be my own person, I am already on my way to being one.

Has coming away been a good or a bad decision? I struggle with that thought everyday. Not having my mom to hug, my sister to laugh with. Not having my cousins to hang around with. Being away from my friends.No jasmine to smell. No street vendors to get woken up by. All these things which were so woven into me. Suddenly gone.

I look back and I see all the great moments of life. The friends in primary school, the quarrels, making up.The silly giggles and crushes in High school.The mostly disciplined but sometimes uproarious times in PU college. The wonderful moments in medical college where I made friends and memories for life.All this looks like a rosy dream. In sharp contrast to now. Today is filled with uncertainty, with fear of a kind, with responsibility. This is not a good place to be, I think. But then I think again. All those things which gave me the great memories weren't a party everyday. Some of those days were hard too. I almost quit Medical College after the first day. But somehow I decided to stick it, and its been something I will cherish. So , even now, complain as I may, I may be making memories for life. The process is a struggle. But if it wasn't, the reward wouldn't feel right.

Like everthing else so far in life, this will be another gamble. Because all my decisions have worked out, they haven't felt like gambles so far. But they were. Maybe this one will work out too . Maybe it wont.The journey is not a bed of roses. But I can say this much. It is an exciting one.