HATE HOSPITALS

Today was supposed to be another lazy day, waking up at 9, hanging out with friends...Going to the zoo n palace with Jo, Suraj n Arun, to be precise. But some 1200 coconuts stopped suraj from joining us, so that stopped Ka, so that would mean only two of us, so postponed. My dad took this opportunity to take me to the doc before leaving to Pune.

I had checked my blood group only a couple of months back and even that had taken 3 nurses at the polyclinic and my dad. I hate going to hospitals. What was wrong with me ? Nothing. But my mom wanted a doctor to say that before i left.

So dad and i were at the Trichur Heart hospital.

'I'll go and see if Victor is there. Collect the registration card'

Dad went to find that Doc.

'150 Ruppees. Get your BP checked before you go to the OP' said that lady at the counter.

Giving 150 Rs to her was fine. But getting my BP checked? Nope. I walked straight to the OP without casting a glance towards those blue uniformed nurses who sat to check the BP. But another from the blue tribe found me and sent me to check it. And my pulse, height and weight. Totally hated it.

Since my dad had to say some reason for bringing me to see the doc, he told about my 'blacking out's. When my doggie Scooby was being given gluose and shots at the veterinary hospital a few weeks back, i had felt giddy. I hate everything about hospitals right from the phenyl smell to the green sheets to the various equipments to the scary docs. Veterinary hospital had felt much better than the ones for humans, but still...........And there was another time when i wanted to sit down instead of standing up and singing with the choir early in d morning right after i got up, without eating anything, before the mass. But i was okay after i had sometime to lay down or sit down for a while.

'Did you have double vision when you had these black outs?'

'No'

'Did you feel sweaty, felt like puking or have a headache?'

'No'

'Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?'

'Can i go home?'

Laying down on that bed like thingy with green sheets on it was awkward. I have never been on a hospital bed since my mom and i came back home after she got me out of her tummy. That was like, um,almost twenty one years earlier. Doctors torture you. He scratched on the underside of my foot and hit my ankle with something and said that my reflexes were fine. And push my toe against his pushing it down. and lifting my legs without bending my knees(That was fine coz it was similar to the stretching excersises after badminton. And good thing i chose to wear that stupid blue jeans instead of the black skirt) And then more torture by pointing a torch into each of my eyes , asking me to stick my tongue out....Phew, i was glad to get up from there and get back on to the chair.

'Every thing seems fine. You must have felt giddy because of the uneasiness of being at a hospital and because you didnt have breakfast that morning'

Yup. Right. Off to home.

'But just to make sure, why don't we take a blood test and a scan?'

Dad? i didn't sign up for anything that gets a needle anywhere near me! Couldn't yell that out to him,but i guess he got that from my look.

'We'll get it done soon, dear'

'I don't want to.'

'Well, you needn't do the blood test. Go for the scan. Its just like taking a photograph.' the doctor intervened.

Okay. I had gone to the hospital scared of getting a shot. Now there were no needles involved, but i'm getting SCANNED?

'It's a modern hospital thingy,' joked dad. 'When you get in hospital, the exits are only through a lab, an x-ray room or a scanning room. Victor must've suggested it coz it was the shortest way out.'

Nice try.

No dad near by. He was off to pay the bill and i was lead to the scanning room by a white coat lady. A blue shirt guy sat inside that room. Scanning machine. First time i'm seeing one. even that had green sheets. Yuck. Uncomfortable time on it, with two straps making sure i'm in the right position( or may be to make sure i don't run off.) Felt Glad that only my head went inside that thingy. Wouldv'e felt worse if i was sucked in by the giant machine altogether. Good thing i'll be dead before they put me in a coffin. Wouldn't want it the other way round.

Found dad after the great scan. Mom called just then. And on hearing that i was 'SCANNED' guess she almost fainted. Did i just say fainted? May be we should bring her over tomorrow. And check her up. After all it was her idea to sent me to get a check up! Like my dad said to the doc, either make sure my daughter is fine physically or that my wife is fine mentally. She's too over concerned!

WATCHING THE POORAM FIREWORKS, MY WAY

Wanted to write this one a few days back. Most people say that if you are going to watch the Pooram fireworks you shouLd do it from the top of one of those buildings in the round. Telling them that i could do it from the top of my house just invites teases and 'Oh, you poor girl' stuff. Well, watching it from the top of my house has a lot of merits.

I woke up at 3 to watch it and had to wait for over an hour because it started late. What about those who had to climb up all those buildings? How long did you people have to wait, huh? I imagine there must have been some chairs for the 'close proximity' lovers to sit on. Well, i was lying down on the terrace, and i even had some pillows propped up. Those who climbed up the tall buildings would have taken up some snack with them(or not), but i don't think you would've been able to go down, microwave the stuff to get it nice and hot during the breaks between the fireworks like the banana fries i had. And that tin of Kellogs Honeyloops just because i wanted to have it then. Mosquitos awoke sometime around 5:30 and started their usual business, but i put them to sleep by kindling a mosquito repellant coil.

I really had a nice time watching the fireworks, with all the things i liked. They say you should hear the sound, feel the building vibrate when you watch the fireworks. But watching it the way i did was pretty cool too, though i'd like to try the closer view sometime.

ON GIFTS

I just found that there are three ways in which people give you gifts. May be their age affects the way they do it...

'Congrats, dear!'

'Thanks,mema'

'Buy anything you want with it, okay?'

'Wow! thanks!'

Reena mema, my mom's youngest sister gave me a crisp 1000 ruppee note.

'Congrats, dear!'

'Thanks, mema'

'You know what, i think you should get a nice new watch before you start your new college.'

'Oh. Right.'

'Maybe something like a fastrack'

'Fast what?'

'I'll give you 1000 ruppees for that. '

'Okay.'

Another 1000 ruppee, this one from my mother's younger sister, Meena. But this would have to be converted into a watch for me to actually own.

'Amma, why are there two jeans on the counter, i had taken only one?'

'Oh, that's for your brother.'

'um...he could wear jeans of my size untill he expanded around his middle. Are those for me?'

No reply.

'I don't like that gray.'

'What? I thought you liked it because you were looking at it a lot...and you don't have one of that shade... and i like that one...'

'You know, if you are getting something for me, please ask me if i want it, okay?'

But that's something she never does.

Getting money as gift is cool. You could do anything with it. You can convert it into anything you like. People who knows nothing about your likes and dislikes could find it easier. But sometimes it lacks a little something that it would have had, if it was a litlle gift in someother form than a piece of paper.

Some people care enough to know about the things you have / not, the things you ought to have/ or not etc etc etc. They don't want you to just spend your money on unnecessary things. It could get on your nerves too, coz, you might want something else at the moment.

Getting things for you without asking you if you want it or need it is reserved especially for a specific category of people called mothers. (Mostly. Maybe there are others too) They may not care that you have grown out of pink craze or the Barbie craze. They just get things because they like it, or 'I never had all this at your age' syndrome. And when you want something they just say that they've already got you everything you need, what more could you want.

Ah...it's all quite complex. Anyways, though i said i don't like that gray, it's pretty okay. Kuttis (Meena) mema's offer was duely converted into a black and red Fastrack. Reena mema's gift is saved for various crazy things i want to do.

'

"WELCOME TO OOTTY, NICE TO MEET YOU"

Another Ootty trip. The twenty third Ootty trip together by my parents. Guess i'd gone there every year of my life except one. Going to Ootty might mean enjoying the scenic beauty, going to all those tourist spots etc etc to most people. But for us, it revolves around a few hotels. Especially certain dishes. Just like there's a 'Way of the Cross' thingy , our Ootty trip has certain fixed stations.

1. THE CHAPEL NEXT TO THE CHURCH

The journey begins with a quickie prayer (Lord, let the food at Shinkows be as tasety as ever, Lord please change the cook at Lake View)

2. ARAM MOTEL, WALAYAR

This is the stop for breakfast( Appam and Egg curry. I eat mostly nothing here, but open a bag of Lay's)

3.SOME HOTEL WHICH CHANGES NAME EVERY YEAR, METTUPALAYAM

Mostly for loo purpose, but we also buy a bottle of coke

4. A LITTLE TEASTALL /PHONEBOOTH PLACE AFTER THE HAIRPIN BENDS, COONOOR

A call to Daddy and Mammy to tell we've reached this far. We've got three mobile phones in the car, but this is the tradition

5. AAVIN MILK BOOTH, OOTTY

We load the car with flavoured milk. For the past two years they have only three flavours- Stawberry, Pista and Cardomom. I miss chocolate.

6. HOTEL NAHAR

The first meal of the trip is always vegetarian. (stupid tradition. But Higgin Bothams is opposite to Nahar, so i'll get a couple of books, so it's fine.)

7. HOTEL LAKEVIEW

Home-Sweet-Home. This is where we stay for three days every year. (We get twenty percent discount coz its been over two decades that my parents started coming here) . Cottage number 6, 7, 8 or nine. Only in exceptional cases do we get cottages other than these. like this year- it was awkward going to cottage 26.

8. HOTEL SHINKOWS

We discovered this lovely little hotel at charring cross only a few years back...great chinese food. Especially the sweet and sour chicken, chicken in hot garlic sauce and chilly chicken. Everything else is good too. There used to be a big white doggie sleeping in front of it until a couple of years back.

9.CAFE' COFFEE DAY

This is a relatively new entrant to our otherwise 'usual' list. The price of every item goes up by twenty ruppees every year. Love Devil's own and Cafe' Frappe.

This years trip had a lot of unusual elements to it. Starting from the fact that we got Cottage number 26- that's not in the lowest level next to the playground... How sad! And our Car had some problem and we had a long walk to Shinkows. There was no trip to the boat house this time. But there was something else much better- a mountain bike ride thingy. Hero cycles has made a course using log bridges, platforms, slopes, stuff that sink beneath the ground when you ride over it etc etc etc. It was fun putting on the helmet, arm guard, knee guard and all that(dressing up like a warrior) and riding it out. My brother chickened out and didn't do this- so much for his 'male superiority' thingy. Go- karting was on this year.

Ootty happened so fast this year. I couldn't complete even one book that i had bought.(so i had to buy an archies coz i had to finish something!) Will miss reading by the fireplace,(with a bottle of flavoured milk, a bag of lay's and assorted chocolates near my hand's reach) which is one thing i really like in the annual ritual for two years i guess.

I LOVE SPORTS TOO

And the ball fell into the hole! Oh my God, did i manage to do that?Wow! No, i'm not playing golf here. I managed to actually hit a cricket ball. My brother just bought a new cricket bat, a pair of cricket gloves and this lovely new ball. So, at 12 in the noon, with the sun glaring at us from above our heads, we were out trying the new goodies he bought. I had my cap on, i was holding his new bat, i was wearing his new gloves (I didn't even touch that thingy he called an abdomen guard. Yuck!) and i just hit his brand new ball into a hole which lead on to the gutter...Guess he was too shocked to see

a. me actually hitting a ball he threw

b. his brand new ball going down the drain

Anyways, he didn't run after me, but went to fetch buckets , garden hose, a long rod, etc etc. I was safe.

It was funny, watching him sticking his head into that hole, getting his white t-shirt dirty(for which he'll get a firing from mom) . Ah, for things like these, i love sports.

Most people in our school loved the sports day because they wanted to participate in the events and wanted to win. Most people who didn't like sports, or had those blue/pink books from PC TC would bunk sports day. I don't like this competition business, but i really love sports day.Since our school's play ground shares a wall with the Lourdes Cathedral cemetry, someone or the other always had to climb over the wall, give the dead a visit and get their ball back. As our little playground wouldn't be sufficiant for all the events, we go to Thope stadium for sports day. There's a lot of things that you could do besides sports!

Like, howmany icecreams can you eat without getting tired of it? That was one 'sweet' thing about sports day. There would be an icecream van and you'll have to fight your way through the crowd to get to it. And before that, you'll have to decide who would go get the icecream because walking from the gallery across the stadium to the icecream van was a tiring sport event in itself. And to decide who's purse would be emptied out first...

Most of us wouldv'e got atleast one pinch, beating, spank on the head etc etc during school days, but has anyone hit a teacher? Well, one sports day I did. Just for the sake of participating, i had signed up for discus throw. A calm and quiet event with no running around. I was sure i wouldn't even get past the qualifying round, so all i had to do was to throw this discus thingy once and then i could go back and 'relax'. I didn't make the qualifying mark when i threw the discus, but poor Preema Miss gave a high pitched yelp and clutched her bu, her dorsal side. Is that why i got low marks for Malayalam in the first couple of exams in eleventh?

That reminds me, why do teachers detest some sports and games even on the sports day? It was all about having fun , wasn't it?While most people were on the ground, running and sweating, some of us were having fun on the gallery playing our games. Like cards? Annie had bought a brand new pack of cards and Vineetha, Annie, Francis, Jimmy and I were playing bluff. (just a harmless game of bluff!) Enter S.M.S (a.k.a Shan Maria Sister). She gave us a biiig scolding (jus us girls, coz the boys were no where in sight then. Hmph! But it was better coz girls playing cards alone was a less serious crime than girls and boys playing cards together), next was talks by Hipson Sir and finally we had to go over to Stella Miss, our Class teacher and apologize. And she wanted us to go and apologize to SMS if we didn't want to apologize to the Principal herself. Thankfully sportsdays are conducted on saturdays...no one seemed to remember the rougue girls on monday, so that was the end of that.

Still, i love sports days...you walk around the whole place, make friends with people of all classes, cheer for players from your house, cheer for friends from any house, the games you play there changes from 'charlie chaplin went to the market' to name place animal thing to dumb charades to anthakshari to truth or dare to cards...Or you could even go back to childish games and be your silly self.

Anyways, my brother couldn't find his new ball. But he did keep a brick or two at the opening of that hole.

THE CALL

'We could check it at coimbatore too, you know...'

'No, i'm staying home. '

We had to attend some function at coimbatore the day the SIMC merit and waiting list was to be published. No amount of coaxing could make me move an inch away from the computer. Well, the scene was pretty much like that on the day when the shortlist was published. Except that my parents wouldn't be home this time.

They had said they'll put it up by 5PM. Both the Merit and the waiting lists. Would i make it to the merit list? Was my GD and PI good enough for that? May be the waiting list...But if i fall in that, would someone from the merit list choose not to join giving me a chance?What am i thinking? Why would SIMC call a kid like me? As if i'll get to go to Pune. I hadn't even gone out to Ernakulam alone until a couple of months back and here i'm thinking of Pune. Like That's gonna happen!

But i couldn't help wishing that my name would be there in the list.Those quotes which are written on the blackboard and read out in the morning assemblies at schools , like, 'Hope for the best and prepare for the worst' etc etc popped in my mind. Didn't feel like talking to anyone else right then, so i was busy talking to myself and make me feel okay. Crazy.

Just like the last time, the MBA lists were out first . Around 4:45. Any minute now...Either you'll be in, or you won't. It's as simple as that. You can still apply to IIMC, IIJNM, etc etc etc....Some place would accept you...

Excuse me, me, would you keep quiet for a while?

The lists weren't out yet, but my parents were back. And just when i looked away from the computer for a second, the latest scary Adobe pdf files were out.

MMC JOURNALISM FIRST MERIT LIST

Okaaay....Now here it is, go on click on it......Me? Shut up!

Lord, it'll be nice if i would just scrape through like last time, it would be wonderful if i was the last person in this list...

7??? Oh my God, i was 7th in the merit list!

'I got in!!!'

'Really?'

'Yes! My name's 7th in the merit list, mom!'

'Go open that cover on the table'

'What?'

'The cake box. On the dining table'

Wasn't she supposed to give the cake to cousin Anju at coimbatore? Never mind, i love her cakes....

CONGRATULATIONS!

Just that word on golden brown pinapple pieces over the cake. That cake was sweet. And i didn't have to taste it to know that. Hmmm....grown ups are really hard to figure out at times. But i wasn't going to tell her that.

'But i like chocolate cake..............', I whined.

Well, calling up everyone i knew on this planet filled up rest of the day. Including Priyanka and Varun.Both of them made it in too. I love stories with happy endings! There is nothing more i can write about this . I was happy as i could be...I got into SIMC, I was going to stay in Pune for two whole years( maybe longer than that...who knows?). Right from that trip to write SNAP, till this day when i found my name in the list....everything that happened, everything i did, everything everyone else did for me...it all fit in perfectly to make my dream come true.

THE DAY

Cramming a lifetime's knowledge and 'Current' affairs into my grey cells in some five or six hours was what i was trying to do at the hotel. All my texts and notes, 'The week', ' The outlook magazine', 'The Indian Express' and all those printouts on those subjects which i had mentioned in my SOP or those stuff that i'd be likely to be asked on were all strewn round me. And the T.V was continuously on CNN-ibn. If knowledge could enter the human brain by osmosis, i'd be a genius.

Falling asleep was tough. Only a few more hours. And i'll be in SIMC in the morning. GULP! What if they ask me all current affairs stuff? Will i start yelling if they ask me about my college? May be i should just quit and not go for the GD/PI. I seriously stink at GDs. What if i don't open my mouth like at T.I.M.E?Is Rajdeep Sardesai still speaking about the Bt Brinjal at this hour?...The talk on Bt Brinjal was the last thing i heard before falling asleep.

In the morning, dad and i made a concoction which we called coffee. Though mom and i don't see eye to eye on lotsa stuff, i really cannot live without her coffee. She's got me addicted to it and i can't bring myself to drink coffee made by anybody else. So instead of ordering a coffee from the hotel, Dad and i were struggling with milk and coffee powder at 5:30 in the morning.

Pune is not a hill station. But that morning, i felt i was on Mount Everest;eventhough i was wearing a freaking coat! We reached the campus they had told us get to . From there the SIMC bus would pick us up. Some candidates were already there.

'Make a small talk. These might be your future classmates...'

yes dad, i hope so too. There was a small circle already. A nice and friendly circle. People from almost all parts of India seemed to be there. We struggled with eachothers' names.

And the bus arrived. It took around half an hour to see the Symbiosis emblem atop a hill. I think dad was trying to talk, make me feel not nervous but i dont't think i was even listening. I'm finally here...today's the day...Wow! this place is really cool! Really wish i could spend two years of my life here...

After a small presentation and registration ( after whispering to eachother in the midst of the whole talk and getting acquainted), we were put into groups of ten and assigned 'buddies'(seniors) to take us to our GD/PI destination. Our batch had PI first.

'Ooh! And i thought we'd have GDs first...'

Some of them didn't like the idea of having PI first for they had mentally prepared themselves for a savage GD. I didn't like the whole idea of GD and PI. Why don't they take in the whole lot of us? I could bring a nice chair from home...I'd even settle for a mat on the floor if only they'd let me!

I was No: 8 in my group. That meant a looong wait. Next to me a girl was reading the newspaper. GULP!. She had two newspapers. Another girl contemplated on whether or not to wear her coat while going in for the interview. Was she feeling hot? I was shivering.

'Are you tensed?'

'Yeah, a bit.You?'

'Likewise'

'What do you think they'll ask?'

'No idea...'

' Oh, by the way, i'm Reshma.'

'I'm Priyanka'

Talking to Priyanka was nice. She was from Rajasthan. And a T.I.M.E student too. As we chatted, candidate No:1 came out.

'What did they ask?'

Everyone attacked her with the same question.

'It was too quick. Bad...'

'Did they check your certificates?'

'They hardly spoke to me!'

Candidate No:2 didn't complain about less time, but she chanted 'I'm screwed, I'm screwed, I'm screwed' for a long time since she came out so we didn't have to ask her how it went. After a couple more candidates, finally, someone came back with a happy face.

'How was it?'

'It was easy. They quizzed me on current affairs, the present political scenario and the like.'

GULP! GULP!GULP! Current affairs? Politics? I need to use the rest room!!!

Priyanka and i didn't ask anyone else how it went. But the word 'current affairs' was spoken of a lot. Another friendly person, Varun, joined us. When i told them that i didn't know Hindi, Priyanka and Varun spoke only in Hindi to irritate me. Reminded me of my dear old friends some 2000 kms south.

Soon it was Priyanka's turn. And with her gone, i guess my fears were back again. Poor Varun had to get a glass of water after giving me a pep-talk good enough to make me walk till the interview room and not sit glued to my chair. Thank you God, for sending nice people to help me out...

Priyanka came out. With a smile.And then, it was my turn. Buddy was outside the door.

'Go in only when they call.'

'Okay....um...would they grill me?'

'What?'

'The interviewers, would they grill me with questions?

'No, they are nice , it depends on the candidates.'

'Oh.'

It was time.

'May i come in?'

'Yes, take your seat.'

There were two of them. A ma'am and a sir. They smiled. Smile back, Reshma, don't show them that you're about to wet your pants...

'Her e-mail id is "cute_lil_resh"...', the ma'am intoned.

Oh my God! Joseph sir had told me to change that the moment he heard it! Why did i forget?

'I made that up when i was a kid...'

'So, Reshma, tell us something about yourself.'

Well, the interview was nothing like i expected. After a few questions in the beginning , like, what sort of news would i put in the front page, this was almost like a cozy chat. I was just telling them about the things i like to do, the things i wanted to do...Somebody, get three cups of coffee , plz...I thought interviews ended with 'Thank yous' but here it was

'Bye, Reshma!'

And they were still smiling! Wow. That was a nice 'interview'. If it was an interview. Didn't we just sit and chat? And no damn current affairs questions! Ooh, i was lucky. It was my turn to be attacked by the "How was it?'s.

Varun was the last person to be interviewed and after that buddy took us to another chamber- the GD room.

Lubb Dubb ...Lubb Dubb... Okay, the interview wasn't scary, but may be they just felt pity towards the poor little kid who wandered in and had a talk with her. But the GD was something i was sure I'd flunk in. I don't know if anyone else could hear my heart beating, but i sure could. And if i thought Pune was a hill station earlier, i was wrong. Stepping into the GD room was like walking into the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. Why were my fingers making movements of small amplitudes in a high frequency?

There was a rectangular table. A Ma'am sat at the far end of it.

' Come in, please. Sit wherever you like.'

All of us sat down. There were notepads on the table and each of us took one.

'Now take a deep breath. Don't feel tensed. If you've not done well in the interview, this is where you make up for it, okay?'

Deep breaths. Yes. But why was i still shivering? And who turned the AC on in this frigid zone?

'Topics are written in these envelopes. I'll choose one and read it out. You'll all get to state your opinion on this first and then we'll have the discussion.........The topic is "Moral Policing in India". Jot down your points and i'll ask each of you to state your opinion.'

Wow! This was something we'd done at T.I.M.E a fair few times! Chey, too bad Joseph Sir wasn't there to see me talking in this GD. I did speak this time. I was at SIMC...

After that, we had a small walk around the campus. It was too big and we couldn't see all of it for we didn't want to miss the bus back to the town. But it was a grand, lovely place to be in. Just like i'd always dreamed of it. I felt good. Everything seemed so fine...I made it till this far, i cleared snap, i came to Pune, I met a lot of people here...and they were all friendly and nice. I thought people might be all mean and competitive, but they weren't a bit so...the interview wasn't scary, it was more of a nice cozy chat, i got the GD topic i was familiar with...

It was a lovely feeling. Maybe i won't get in but i was glad i came this far...but it would be nice, no, what am i saying, it would be absolutely fantabulous if i made it in. Anyways, one thing is for sure. I'm having Pizza for lunch. (I'd told dad that we'll go to Pizza hut if i was in a good mood after the GD/PI.)

'well, daddykins, we're going to have Pizza for lunch! '