...Megh Malhar...

....South westerly  bashing  is  still  on, as Unleashed  is  the fury  of  "Hulanghu" : local  for  Monsoon....Met office  alert & guidelines for  sea  &  land travel  for  the Islands  r  in  hand....the  traffic to  Male'  frm distant Islands  is   a  trickle  as  the Weather  is  rough  &  sea  travel a  risk.....late  evening  Clinic is a  pleasure  as  U  eject  frm  the  tight  compartment of  Solution  providing.....the  moisture laden  fine  spray of  rain  greeting  U, soothening  any  frayed  nerve....the  return  journey  back  home  is  a  steeple  chase with  various forms  of  walkways unfolding  be it  a  tiled  pavement , or  a  marbled  city  centre, or  treacherous  chalk water  puddles waiting to  greet  u with  all  treachery.....the  wind  &  the  drizzle  constantly propelling....its  a tug of  war , eventually  reaching home....&  the Coffee  joint  round  the  corner  in  full bloom...with  Men  &  Women enjoying  there sips  &  Chit  Chats.....tru such  is the liberty  tht  a  seat  is  urs for  life  unless  u  chose  to  relinquish  it......no  wonder  people  hang  around  for  long  even after  clearing the  tab  over  a  plate  of  Betel  nuts  , condiments  &  Leaf.....appreciate  the  abandon ....the  hallmark  of  the  Archipelago.....thr  is  no  tomorrow  here  ....its  all  in  the  Current....unfolding....shackle free....fiercely  independent.....suitably armed  to  the  hilt  with  latest  tools  of  communication    :  the  handset....!!!

 

.....Monsoonal Walks & Coffee fever....!!!

.....Spurt  in Monsoonal  activity makes  us run helter skelter , often scampering  home .....now  tht  We  r  pedestrian  for  good......the  Car  is  on  sale  now  after  being  in disuse  for  better  part  of  the  year ....as  Male' City is  reachable  on foot &  for good health  half the  City  is  on foot.....the  Healthy  ways  hv  rubbed  on us  too.....hence  we  or  on  the  Number  11  carriage  of  our  legs ......though  a  cursory  glance  at  a  new  Vespa Scooter  showroom  tempted  me  to slide  in  nd chk  the  beautiful  125 cc & 150  cc  machines  with  some  awesome  Colors with  the Piaggio logo  intact....remembered  my dear  father, ever providing , ever Conceding, applying  for me , a Vespa  scooter  150  NV yr 1985, duly  delivered  in  1987 ; Turquoise Blue, all  the  way  frm  its Kanpur Plant  to  Dhanbad....the  delivery  point at Dhansar .....feel the  same  feeling  of  a  3rd  yr  Medico, as I  touched  the Matt Red  machine.....in  contrast  the  Nissan  car  appeared a Junk  & unfit for  the  Island....further  bolstering  my  faith  of Gud riddance....!!!...all  of  a  sudden  a back to  basics feel  grips  me & how  interesting the  bumper  to  bumper  ride  @ Ashok  Rajpath  , Patna    on  a busy  office & school hr , flashed  back.....the  scooterists  &  MotorCyclists  of  Male'  r as a   majority, represent , the  abandon nature  of  its denizens....in  tht  Coffee  shops dot  the  Island  with  these  bikes all parked...infact  the Coffee  fever  caught  me  up  last week  as a  new  outlet  near  home lured  me  so much  tht  I  ensured  one of  my  dear  frnds  to  accompany  me on  one  Friday , savouring  the  Coffee  & the Local  abandon.....!!!!! 

...Clove, Pepper , Mace & Nutmeg....

......the Pepper on  the  table & Cloves at  the  exit  door  cabinet  assumed  immense  importance  these  days ....as  my  daily  exit  for Clinic wud entail a ritualistic unscrewing  the  clove  container , fishing  out  one  or  two..... popping  like  a pill of  wel being .....out  for  Wrk...the pepper stand in  the Brkfast  table I wondered  , how  easily attainable  & relished  with  a  toast  or  a regular omlette....the Clove  Container  equally  so  , strategically  placed  at  the exit ....lifting  the  spirit of  wel being & a  routine.....the taste buds  do  really  matters ....&  the  taste buds  did  really  matter  at  least  as documented by  the  West frm  13th  century  AD  onwards,  in  tht  Voyages  after  Voyages  frm Europe , Indian & Arabian Moors landed  at  the spice isles  of  India  &  Malacca & Indonesia.....beautifully  described r  the  Javanese , Sunda  , Celebes, Malacca ,Timor Majapahit, Mataaram powers  of  far  east all  centred  around  this  spice  trail  of  14  th  century......the  rise  & fall of  the  European East indies  &  the  rise  & fall  of  the  kingdoms  of  far  East....the  admixture  of  various  influences  centred  around  this  spice  trade  a vibrant Maritime , Spice  culture evolves......side  by  side  a  more  centralised Javanese agrarian......the  taste bud  trade of  spices & ........Pepper  assumes  the  mantle  of   GOD ....!!!!..... the  new  found  respect for  the  Condiments  at  home......!!!.....Spiceless  means  Bland.....!!!!....the  west  cudn't  resign to  its  bland  fate  &  hence  the  Voyages  &  Colonisation ensues......with  trade  came all  the  major  powers  decimating  the existing  ones.....the power  of  Pepper  , Clove  , Nutmeg  & Mace cannot  be  underestimated......  the respect  ....albeit  late  ....better  ....thn  never.....!!!!!

Olympics & Flood ....

....Two  medals brought  lot  of  Cheers to an otherwise insipid  campaign  for  our Olympians....its time  to  introduce  sports as a full fledged faculty  in universities & Sports  graduate be  introduced....at  par  with  the  normal  streams....sizeable  job reservations for  the  Sports  people  who  do  well in  the tourneys.... in a way  its time  to  take  sports  seriously  as  another  discipline  of  livelihood as its  also  a  sharp  , shining  , human  faculty...ready  to  be recognised...hv  to  come  out of  the  mindset  of  Study  more  Play  less....a  huge  populace  need  to  be guided to  make India , a Vibrant youthful nation....as  it  is apparent  the nation  is  stirred  ,  invigorated  by  superlative  performances  in  all fields  & sports  is no  exception....its  time  to  invest  at  the  Village  level....it  will  definitely  yield  result...Close  to  the Closure  of  the olympics the flood  situation in  native  Land assumes  alarming  scenario......year  after  year .....if  a nation is insensitive  to  a chronic  problem facing its  impoverished  denizens  its  no Nation at  all....its  time  here too  to  put  in the  best  measures....if  ur  cities  & villages  r chronically  afflicted  by floods :  the Concept  of  smart  cities  r  laughable.....hv to  prioritise the well  being of  people ....Flood is  terrible....a huge  populace  sad  & sick.....brk farrakka Barrage , desilt  Ganges do whtever but  for God's sake  do  it  now ....a  massive  plan  to  be  initiated....every  human  being  is  precious  national  resource...every afflicted  Human being  ar  our  own brethren  Indian....!!!!

15 th August 2016 : 70th India Independence Day ....!!!

....Freedom is possibly  the most cherished attribute in Existence....U  only  understand the tru essence  of  it  once U  hv  had  lost  it.....to regain might  be a  steep  askance , the  more steep  the  more valued & Cherished  it  is ......India & her kingdom were flourishing  till the Europeans Colonised  her at opportune  moments of  her  weaknesses of Governance....250 long  yrs  saw  the erosion  of  our  traditional  basis of Existence to  a more  powerful  diametrically  opposite race....finally Time Overcame as it  is  most  powerful  &  we  got  back  our  freedom.....70  long yrs since  thn ....we  hv  come  a  Long  Way.....!!!....the Indianess among all  its  Citizens  of  different  states , united  by  a string  of a  rich Civilization....We r  strong  &  We  r  still weak  but We r  happy  with  our  rich  Identity....we  r  no  longer  Enslaved...we r on our own....a Freedom in  the  truest  sense in all spheres being  the Goal &  Never Never  Again  to  be Frittered  away....Long  Live the  Motherland.....Jai Hind....!!!!

....IndoChina to Indonesia.....!!!

.....Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe is half way thru, with Crusoe accidentally finding  a footprint in  the Island which  hitherto  had not  a  soul  in  site.....I am amazed ; re discovering  Daniel Defoe....if  thr  is  anything  to  be  learnt  of  being  Self  resilient  &  Self  reliant  .....its  this  &  only  this Classic I  believe....frm an  Urbane  locale  of  Gurgaon , a  decade  ago....Castaway  right away to  a  remote  Island  near the Equator , remember  desolate  stretches  of  White  sandy  beach &  Equally  desolate  thick  Coconut  Jungles......felt  lonely  & scared only  to  fall  back upon  my  strength : my  fledgling  fmly  in  tow .......tru , the Archipelago  provides  Robinson Crusoe  Islands , which  can  brk  the  heart  of  many  a Braveheart....!!!...Salute  the  fraternity serving  in these remote lands.....as Crusoe  evolves  grappling  with  his  situation  ....a  fine commentary  of  Human Supremacy  of  the  Mind  emerges.....thts  why  a book is called  great spanning  so  many  a yrs.....its  relevance all the  more  relevant......the footfall on Indochina recently....smitten.....nd  it  was just  natural  tht  further  to  it  Indonesia & her Indic culture & connection  be Explored.....Glad a match is  being  met , courtesy National Library  , which will be  more  thn  a  matchstick to  ignite  the passion of  the  Eastern  &  Further East....armed  with modern day  Communication our children will  hv a better understanding of people , race  &  culture.....a passionate understanding...!!!

....A Father .....A Practitioner....

.....fresh frm his 7th B'Day of 5th instant.....little Arnav took ill.....landed at my health centre .....as he recovered admitted......I made  frequent trips down frm my 1st flr clinic......observing him intently  as  he took  the  infusions.....reverting  back to my patients, who had patiently qued up for  the  busy Evening Clinic of a T 20 fame ,I was challenged by  my sense of  service  & distraction for my son......surprisingly I took  more time  with  my patients  being  more  extra cautious  lest I falter & fall short of  the  benchmark services, so provided  over  the  yrs.....in  a  way  my  Pts  benefitted.....&  by God's Grace Arnav bounced  back....at  tht  testing  hour,  the  two  Chairs  assumed  immense importance......tht  of  the  Service provider ......&.....tht  of  the Attendant Father...!!!!

....Glad God gave  me  the  strength in  this  tough  Sail.......!!!!!....returning home together deeply  satisfied.....!!!