Danger – Lab zone

Doctor prescribed a blood test. Insisted that the blood test had to be done in their hospital lab.
Doc – “Come in the afternoon to show me the results of the tests”.

Big hospital. Big queues at the labs.

But it was still 8:30am.
Negotiated the queue. Entered the “Blood Collection” area. Told the blood collector - “I want the results early. Doc wants to see it in the afternoon”.
Blood collector replied with the collected sample in a test tube – “Take this and give it to the lab directly in room number 39. Tell them that its urgent.”
Carried the test tube with blood into room number 39, as told by blood collector.

Big hospital. Big lab. Lot of blood.

Came back at 1:30pm.
Asked for blood test result.
Lady 1 – “When did you give blood?”
“At around 9am”
10 mins later
Lady 2 – “We are searching. Give 10 mins.”
10 mins later
Lady 1 – “Here’s the result”
Happy, result read 22….On the path of recovery.

Big hospital. Big queues for doc appointment.

Stood in queue for appointment.
Lady 1 running to me – “Give me the result sheet…Have to check again”. Grabbed the sheet. Ran to lab.
New result sheet issued.
Sad, result read 158…Way behind in the path of recovery.
“Why?”
Lady 1 – “The lab assistant was out for lunch. I read the machine number. Forgot manual multiplication factor. Now lab assistant is back.”

Big hospital. Big mistakes.

Small care for lives?
 
Get your story published in The Chicken Soup for the Indian Soul – Indian Doctors at BlogAdda

Meetings - A short story/play

Disclaimer

All characters are fictional. Any resemblance to any real character is just co-incidence.

Meeting 1
Location - Coffee-day, Bagor

Attendees – Aryan(A), Brinda(B)  

B – It’s nice that you have agreed to meet me. Thanks. You know, we are a traditional family and meeting guys like this is considered a taboo. I heard from papa that our horoscopes match. I did not have a chance to see your photo. But now..

A – Hey, it’s ok. I like bold girls. It is better that we two meet first and decide. Then the family meeting will be a formality. Anyways, I liked your photo. The phone conversation we had yesterday gave some insights into your job also. Good. I do not want another software engg as my wife. So it’s an added pleasure that you are completing your law course. Probably your papa has inspired you into law course. About my job, “Thinking Chips” is a great company and I am a senior Engg there. It pays me well. Chances of onsite chances to America are not rare. Hope this is ok.

B – I want a loving husband. If work is not obstructed by my presence in America, I can join you perhaps. But depends on duration of the trip and my commitments here. My papa is busy with criminal cases. I will work with him in his law firm. You see I am the only daughter for my parents. There’s some responsibility on that front for me.

A – I can understand that. I am the only son for my parents. My dad will retire after 35 yrs of service in “Airplanes India” next month. Then the family load is on me. That’s something I suppose is Ok with you.

B – I love joint families. I can stay happy. 

A – From my side, I am happy with this meeting. I wait for your answer. If you have nothing to talk, we can catch up with families later. Will call and speak to you. Bye

B – Bye.

A and B shake hands and leave.

Meeting 2
Location - Red bagh gardens, Bagor
Attendees – Brinda(B), Chethan(C)

B – You need to act fast. I can’t stand that stupid, Thinking, American, Coffeeday Aryan. He looks like a nut. I love you Chethu. I won’t marry anybody but you. Papa doesn’t want me to marry you. Stupid religions. We will run away.

C – Are you mad? Runaway? No way. Will my religion change if we runaway? I am  not scared to runaway. I will kill that idiot Aryan. How dare he shake hands with you? What will your papa do if that Aryan dies? Arranged marriage is out of question for you after his death. You will be considered inauspicious in your traditional religion. Then your papa has no choice but Chethu.

B – I do not know what you do, but I do not want to marry him.
C - Just do what I tell. Call that Aryan and ask him to meet you on ring road at 8:30pm tomorrow. I will get my boys. They will make sure that Aryan will not see daylight again. Ok?
B – Done. I love you.
C – I love you too.

Meeting 3
Location – Ring road, Bagor
Attendees – Chethan(C), Aryan(A), Brinda (on phone), Some goons

A (on phone) – Hi Brinda. As you mentioned, I am at the ring road junction. Are you stuck in traffic?
B (on phone) – Yes Aryan. Am, on my way. Wait for 10 mins.
A (on phone) – Ok, Bye!

C (on phone) – Darling, Aryan is here. And I have my boys ready.
B (on phone) – Yes, I know dear. Just do what you want. I want to marry you. I will wait for the sweet news.
C (on phone) – ok, Bye!

Goons and Chethan thrash Aryan. Aryan is killed brutally.

C (on phone) – I have finished him. Now nobody can stop mine and your marriage.
B (on phone) –Thanks Chethu. So is Aryan dead?
C (on phone) – Yes…Gone and out.
B (on phone) – Super…see you tomorrow. Bye! Love you.

Meeting 4
Location – Ring road Police station, Bagor
Attendees – Police Inspector(P), Dheerendra(D), Eshwara (E), Brinda, Chethan

B and C are in police custody.
D (looking at B and C) – Who are you to kill my son? Why did you kill my son? What was his mistake?
E – Hey Mister…Do not talk like that to my daughter. Your son died in an accident. Why are you blaming my daughter. I am her lawyer. Talk to me and not to her.
P – Sir, it’s a clear case of murder. The phone records indicate that they plotted for this murder. Post mortem indicates that he was beaten to death.
E - Inspector, prove that in court. Produce my daughter in court.  You are not a judge to decide who killed whom.
D – I will fight it in court. I will not spare the killers. My son’s life is precious. His death is also precious.
E (looking at B and C) – Don’t worry, I will get you out. Whatever it takes.

Meeting 5
Location – Lakeview Bar, Bagor
Attendees – Eshwara (E) and Hanumappa (H)

E – Sir, only you can help my daughter. She is my only kid. I love her. You will be the judge for this case.
H – Yes, Eshwara. But the case is clear.
E – Sir, I will do whatever you want. I want my daughter with me. As requested, I have arranged Rs 25lakhs. I sold my house…for my daughter.
H – Where is it? Send it to my driver. I will see what can be done.
E – Thanks your honor! I will never forget your help.

Meeting 6
Location -  Court room, Bagor
Attendees – Eshwara, Dheerendra, Brinda, Chethan, Police Inspector and Hanumappa

H – After going through all the reports and evidences, it is clear that Aryan was murdered. Post mortem reports are clear indication.
D – Thanks my lord.
H – You are welcome. Phone records are tampered. Brinda and Chethan had lost their phones 2 hours before the murder. Jayanagar police have filed a report on this. 
E – Yes!
H – So Brinda and Chethan are innocent.
D – No. They are the killers. Please do not spare them!
H – Silence. I order the police to investigate further and get Aryan’s real murderer to court. Court releases Brinda and Chethan. Court adjourned.
E – Thanks your honor. Justice prevails.
D – Noooooooooooo!

Epilogue –
Dheerendra is at a mental asylum after the judgment.
Chethan and Brinda are married.
Brinda is settled and works with Eshwara.

Finally...

The old clock struck 11 times in the night. The bed lamp switched off. 

When will the power come back. Darkness. Uff these developing nations..no power, no water, only cars on road!

Where is she? Probably still watching the repeat telecast of “Mom, you will also have a daughter-in-law”. But,  I can’t hear the TV. And there’s no power.

Let me sleep.

I can hear people walking around and their soft talks. All of a sudden there seem to be so many people in the house. I want silence.

Oh! Smell of fresh flowers. She must have planned to attend some wedding. She loves jasmines on her head…She can’t enjoy it on the plant. 

Yes, it is her. It’s the same hand that has massaged my legs for the last 5 years. I love the touch. I love the massage. She loves me. But she forgot to apply the massage oil. Old age blues!

Hmm! Am I hungry? Yes. Looks like long time since I ate. She has not started cooking. There’s no power and she can’t see well. And she doesn’t love cooking. Yesterday’s rasam rice with ghee was good though. Not sure when she will prepare it again.

Let me sleep.

Is it Diwali? Or did India beat Pakistan? Why are they bursting crackers? Why are people honking? Bloody traffic jams. Why am I on the road? Some procession? Million Gods and Billion dead, both deserve procession. Weird India. 

Am I blind? Why can’t I see them.

The day is hot. And I am in Sun. I used to love the Indian summer. Gully cricket. Candy icecreams. Gone are those days. Old age can’t take the burden. I will catch a fever. She will scold me, because she loves me. She has to take care of me and other household work, if I am sick.

There seems to be a fire. Help me! Call the fire extinguishers. It burns and really hurts. But there’s no suffocation. Why?
yes, I can’t breathe.

Now I realize.
Probably I stopped breathing when the power went off (or was really a power cut?).
Garlanded me with fresh jasmine flowers.
Crowd gathered.
She wept. And pressed my legs for one last time.
Got me on the road with crackers.

And Finally they are burning me.

Collaborative Detectives

A host of IT product companies are coming up with collaboration tools.

Microsoft’s Sharepoint and IBM’s LotusNotes were early in the market. SAP’s StreamWorks, Salesforce’s Chatter, Sucessfactors’s CubeTree have joined the bandwagon now. Cisco announced that their Quad would hit markets later this year.

But analysts still feel that the market for collaborative tools is pretty small. We have to wait and watch to find if the markets expand to accommodate these tools. Probably every one of these companies would acknowledge that facebook success is an inspiration for them. Yes, facebook was one of the first successful collaborative tools.

There would be several use cases on – “when and where and how” these tools can be used to make money in business.

But here is a practical implementation of collaboration using facebook.

The Director General of Police, CID department of Karnataka has started a facebook page. Here apart from some general announcements regarding crimes, the DGP asks for views, ideas on specific cases. General public like us who generally have lots of ideas about everything in the world, can help the CID team. In turn we are helping ourselves by reducing crime. It’s a great initiative by the DGP. If you are on facebook, join DGP in controlling crime.

Arguably, blogs can also be a collaboration tool. Though very primitive, views can be exchanged and information can be spread fast. This was the idea when the Dakshina Kannada district police started blogging on crime in the district. The response to the blogspot site has now promoted the DK police to have a site where every crime registered in the locality are described. Complaints can be registered on line. Progress can be checked.

Kudos to the police department.
It’s our time to act and help the police in their novel initiatives.

Links –
Facebook link of DGPCID
Website of Dakshina Kannada district Police (blog included)
Earlier blog site of  Dakshina Kannada district police 

Cure for Dandruff

I used to shave my hair (well almost). Used to have 2 mm of hair on my head. That was the same length of hair on my face, then! Not because I wanted to have short hair. But dandruff forced me to have short hair. 

One of the many solutions to dandruff was to have short hair and wash the head more often (many times a day). This way, dandruff used to get washed away. Or so I thought.  After many such rounds of short hair, I realized that it won't work for me. Like many other solutions, this was another waste of effort.

I had tried curd on head, fenugreek paste on head, homeopathy tablets, shampoos of all kinds (heads and shoulders, Himalaya, Selsun, Clinic plus blah blah) etc etc. Nothing worked. Only thing that happened was that my hairs turned gray.

Finally i decided that dandruff is my life long friend.
And decided to have long hairs (let me call - I decided to have hairs). I went without a haircut for close to 5 months. I grew long hairs. Just to keep the long hairs in place i started a new technique, which accidentally turned out to be the cure to my dandruff problem.

• Take head-bath (sometimes cold water, sometimes warm)
• Use medimix soap for the hair (you can use it as a body soap also).
• When the hair is wet, apply pure coconut oil (got directly from the oil mills of my native village).
• Comb the hair.
• Repeat this everyday.

That's it. I have a cure for dandruff.
I have been following this since 3-4 months. No dandruff. And there's hair on my head.
But can't make out if the gray hair numbers have been increasing!

Football World cup quiz - Answers

Here are the answers to the quiz posted earlier in my blog.

Answer Q1 -

Man in black and white- Jules Rimet

The man kissing the world cup - Silvio Gazzaniga

Silvio Gazzaniga is the artist who designed and created the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

Before the FIFA world cup trophy was designed, the winners were given the Jules Rimet trophy. Jules Rimet is in many ways considered as the brain behind the competition.

 

Answer Q2 -

Serbia's Bora Milutinovic and Brazil's Carlos Alberto Parreira

These are the only 2 coaches who have coached 5 different countries to the world cup.

Bora - Mexico (1986), Costa Rica (1990), the United States (1994), Nigeria (1998), and China (2002).

Parreira - Kuwait in 1982, United Arab Emirates in 1990, Brazil in 1994 and 2006, Saudi Arabia in 1998 and South Africa in 2010.

 

Answer Q3 -

 These are the only 4 players who got red card in finals of world cup.

The first 3 were caught kicking.

The 4th guy - Zidane was an intelligent player, so used his head!

Watch them achieve this feat.

France - Desailly (4:20 to 4:40) - 1998 finals

Argentina - Pedro Monzon - 1990 finals

Argentina - Gustavo Dezotti - 1990 finals

France - Zidane - 2006 finals

 

 

Answer Q4 -

The cartoon character is "Sport Billy"

From wiki - Sport Billy was adopted by FIFA as the Fair Play Mascot for Soccer World Cups, and a trophy of the character was presented to the most sporting team at each World Cup. The character was used as a mascot in many sporting youth programs internationally, promoting sportsmanship and fair play.

 

Answer Q5 -

I wanted to cover the conterversies of world cup....

Perhaps you have heard about fan riots, player killing, a war because of world cup. Here's another conterversy.

In the picture - A person wearing the patriotic orange Lederhosen(also called Leeuwenhosen...he is most likely a Dutch fan)

Dutch fans generally wear this when their country takes to field.

 

In WC 2006, Dutch fans were asked to strip the Leeuwenhosen before entering the stadium. Why?

Because this orange peice of garment had "Bavaria" written on it. This was against the sponsorship deal of FIFA. Budwieser was the official beer partner of FIFAworld cup and "Bavaria" is a rival Dutch beer company which has no sponsorship contract with FIFA. More than 1000 fans watched Holland's 2-1 victory over Ivory Coast, in their undies. (Now you know what this picture symbolises)

Now the Bavaria Leewenhosen is a collector's item. If you have one, it may be worth a million when the dutch win the cup!

Full story here

 

Bavaria has caused yet another conterversy in this edition of world cup. Now with miniskirts.

 

Answer Q6 -

These are the names of the football used in different editions of the world cup.

The list is complete with 

• Teamgeist
• Jabulani

Enjoy the football season....