Twenty- five Seven

Thoughts on a Monday morning #MondayMusings

March 2, 2020

Thoughts in a Waiting Room
I seem to spend most of my time waiting.

Waiting at the newly refurbished Cumballa Hill Hospital

Today I’m waiting at the ACI Cumballa Hill hospital down the road . I’m waiting for the Physiotherapist.

This old hospital has yet another avatar as the Asian Cancer Institute.

It started out as a premier nursing home in the early 1900’s by Dr.V.N. Shirodkar who is famous for the stitch named after him. This hospital has witnessed the birth of many a South Mumbai baby and even celebrated outsiders like Rajiv Gandhi.

Yes, it may come as a surprise to many that Rajiv Gandhi has a deeper Mumbai connect than just his Parsi relatives.

In the 70’s it became a cardiac hospital under another illustrious doctor – a cardiologist this time – Dr. Shetty.

Today it has been taken over by a group of dynamic Oncologists who offer a whole range of specialities including diagnostic services and physiotherapy.

Few know of its existence because for the past several years it had closed down because of sibling rivalry and petty infighting.

I’m glad it’s reopened because it’s literally a hop, skip and a jump away from home.

Sitting in a waiting room gives you plenty of time to ponder and reflect.
What will March bring?

As we enter the third month of the year, I wonder what March will bring . The hope and cheer promised by January was dashed by the outbreak of the Corona Virus.

Despite having a name now CoVid is no less familiar to us. We still don’t know how it came about. How it is spreading and why. And how much longer will it continue with its destructive path?

Already weak, the economy seems to be dealing with this new threat with caution. Every day the market dips and with it, investors lose their money ‘notionally.’ How long will it be before the loss is real?

As a Senior Citizen, the situation presents real fears of diminishing incomes coupled with imminent retirement. Is this a good time to buy blue-chip shares? Or is it better to be a conservationist investor and depend on the Central Bank?
And as a young unemployed person or even employed person, how long will it be before new jobs open up? Or how long will it be before existing jobs close down?

Delhi is far away from where I am, but the situation there is frightening. Currently, the situation is quiet. But is this a lull or a genuine cessation?

And what was the real reason for all the carnage?

These are all thoughts that spin in my mind like needle pricks before the Physio calls me for my session.

And more pricks await me as I brace myself for a short session of muscle stimulation.

What are your fears as the year goes into March?

Sharing these thoughts on #MondayMusings.

Ciao
Thoughts on a Train to Pune

March 1, 2020

Once upon a time, train travel was a regular feature in my life. Come school holidays and we would jump into a train for a visit to grandma’s . Or a visit to an uncle or aunt who lived in an exotic destination. Or it also meant a visit to the train station to pick up the people who were visiting us!

Train travel then, meant a lot of planning. Tickets had to be bought days in advance. We had to get concession forms signed by the school so that we could avail of concessional fares. And finally we had to make sure that we travelled just right.
If the journey was a long one, out came the hold all : that foldable canvas bedding, strapped up with leather belts that carried much more than just the bedding.
And of course, whether the journey was long or short, we carried tonnes of stuff to eat!

Digitalisation has changed the way we book our tickets and modern rakes have changed the way trains look.
Notice the sleek airline type baggage racks, vents and padded seats that actually recline and have an adjustable foot rest. Also note the button at the back to open the automatic closing door.

But it also took off some of the excitement of going somewhere. Where was the planning? The rushing around and the final victory round at the end of the journey?

As I slept in my seat, I missed the noise of the whirring fan trapped in a dusty cage overhead. Gone too were the musty , dusty rags that passed off as curtains. And the windows, they were tightly sealed, not halfway up, as the carriage was air conditioned.

I was briefly prodded by the TC who just asked me my name. I must admit I was disappointed. I was all ready to brandish my phone and have him scan the QR code and ask for ID proof .

A QR Code can’t match the simple railway ticket of yore

Another disappointment was the Railway Catering.
Gone are the days of fat buttered toast with soft, gooey scrambled eggs. Not to mention the steaming hot batata wada and Maganlal Chikki that you had to grab at Karjat where the train stopped for its extra engine .
In their place now were unappetizing sickly yellow omelets, vegetable cutlets, and tasteless pale sabudana wadas. All served in flimsy disposable tableware by apathetic waiters.

But somethings remained the same : the familiar ‘ tadak tadak’ as the train sped on the tracks that lulled me to sleep.
The timeless calm as the train passed fields and distant hills and the occasional sleepy village.

The rising sun behind a mountain shrouded in the morning mist

And the train rattling past the once familiar stations Talegaon, Dapodi , Kirkee , Pimpri, ShivajiNagar till it finally stops at Pune Junction!
p.s. I hope to make this a regular journey as I want to visit my folks there more often.
Ciao,
Thank You February #Gratitude Circle

February 29, 2020
Well, today is the last day of February. Today is special because it will be another four years before February has 29 days.

But more than that, February is my favourite month because it is my birthday month so I’m always grinning from ear to ear every February.

But this didn’t mean I had NO PROBLEMS this month . Of course, I did

For instance, my washing machine which was repaired in January developed another problem. Luckily it got solved . At least temporarily because once again it started playing up. This time it was the switch! Perhaps I should get a new machine because I seem to be replacing the machine part by part.

Another downer was the unexpected leave of absence by the home help. But I’m happy that I survived. As a matter of fact, I actually benefited from doing more housework. Those two days helped free up the tightness in my unused arm muscles.

So, as they say, every cloud does have a silver lining

The linings in my February cloud were plenty :

My Birthday and other celebrations :

♦To begin with, I had a special pre-birthday treat with my cousin who treated me to a Coffee at Blue Tokai after a relaxed walk through a leafy lane in Parel.

♦Straight from the walk, I made my way to The Nutcracker at Palladium for a belated birthday treat of a dear friend.

♦And just a few days before my own birthday my old Bridge partners and I had a lazy afternoon lunch at Foodhall across the road.

♦Since this wasn’t a milestone birthday, I expressed a desire to spend it quietly with soup and toast. It turned out I spent it with more than just that.

Somehow when I woke up, I felt that it was going to be a lovely day and sure enough it was with one surprise unfolding after the other as the day went by. Most amazing of all was the surprise birthday party organised on Anna Shetty’s terrace . This time the girls outside themselves by arranging a catered event . But more than the catering , it was the complete shock of having the Little Ones stay up to wish me. And as my friends wished me a Happy Birthday, my jaw dropped even further. Thank you all my friends and family for gamely acquiescing to the girls ‘ request. I LOVED the surprise.

And a major thanks too for the lovely gifts I received.

♦It’s strange but our gang of college friends meets regularly only when the one of us is overseas comes over to Mumbai for her bi-annual visit. We always wonder why we need an overseas catalyst to meet when we can all just arrange to meet at any time of year?

But I’m not grumbling because we had a lovely evening. The food was good as was the company and I’m grateful that all of us could meet.

♦The month was rounded off by a Variety show put up by the Little Ones. While I naturally felt my little ones were the best, the whole production was outstanding and kudos to all those who made the little ones into Broadway stars for the night.

Holiday Break:

♦The month began with a short day trip to Pune to visit my folks. I made the train trip all on my own. I was thrilled because this was proof that my arm and my life was getting back to normal.

♦Over Mahashivratri the Little Ones and I were treated to a lovely weekend break at Machan, the EcoResort near Lonavala. Here, I would like to thank our driver especially for driving three days to the same place! It was quite a tedious drive the first time round with several wrong turns and missed markings. But even if it became easier the second and third time around, it is a rough road towards the end and a perilously winding one at that.

So thank you all for my wonderful February.
- Family and Friends
- The Staff at Machan and my personal home staff
- My Physiotherapists who come religiously to pull and push me back into shape.
“In ordinary life, we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Well, it would seem that nothing much happened in February but then it was a short month wasn’t it?

Ciao and hope to see you in March

Sharing this with VidyaSury on #GratitudeCircle