Vishishtaadvaita philosophy has been in existence from time immemorial, starting from Sriman Narayana himself, with a long list of illustrious Acharyas (Guru, teacher) to follow - Sri Maha Lakshmi, Vishvaksena, Nammalvar, Naathamuni, Uyyakondar, Rama Mishra, Yaamunaachaarya, Periya Nambi, Srimad Ramanujacharya, Kuresha, Govinda, Thirukkurugai Piraan Pillaan, Vishnuchitta, Parashara Bhattar, Vedanta Deshika, Manavaala Maamuni - unbroken all the way to our respective Acharyas.
This is the school of thought where the Acharya is considered the medium not only for learning but also for realization of both aatman (self) as well as paramaatman (Lord). In fact the Guru is so highly regarded that the 108 places of Narayana worship have gained credibility as Divya kshetrams not because He dwells there, but because the Alwaars have sung His praise in these places! Sriman Narayana
To stand taller amongst the philosophical Giants is no small feat and Ramanujacharya is rightly considered as Vishishtadvaita's most revered proponent. He qualified the monotheistic philosophy to postulate that the aatman and paramaatman are distinct entities and the aatman can fuse with the paramaatman for salvation only by absolute surrender (sharaNAgati, ಶರಣಾಗತಿ) to the Lord through a Guru. He proffered this notion in his "Sri Bhashyam", a commentary on Veda Vyasa's Brahmasutram, thus etching the Ramanuja siddhaanta (philosophy). His ideology was slightly different from Sri Shankara Bhagavatpaada's in that the Lord is distinct from the jeevaatman and is qualitative (ಸಗುಣಾತ್ಮಕ). He brought in a stream-lined approach to harmonize temple rituals across the country, a system which is still in practice a thousand years later.
Most importantly, beyond all his spiritual and philosophical feats, he is better known for being the first social reformer of India. He went beyond the path of religion, to bring a balance in the societal strata. He believed that every person, irrespective of their birth lineage, could attain salvation by devotion (ಭಕ್ತಿ) and sharaNAgati. He was ready to give up his own right to salvation if he could make hundreds more reach there. He led by example that inclusivity is the best way to serve the Lord.
It is the 1000th birth anniversary of Srimad Ramanujacharya today (May 1st, 2017; ಹೇವಿಳಂಬಿ ಉತ್ತರಾಯಣ ವೈಶಾಖ ಶುಕ್ಲ ಷಷ್ಠಿ, ಆರ್ದ್ರಾ ನಕ್ಷತ್ರ).
His thoughts and deeds are very relevant in today's world where intolerance is unfortunately the norm. May his teachings show us the righteous path to equality and peace. Let us spread his Divine and peaceful message to make this a better world.
Ramanujacharya was an avatar of Adishesha, the king of serpents who served as an integral part of Narayana's family in Vaikuntam. He came down Earth as a Jagadaachaarya to establish the sacredness of Vedas and bring in social reforms.
Sri Ramanujacharya at Sriperambudur, his birth place. He was born in 1017 to Keshava Somayaaji and Kantimati.
At Kancheepuram, where he performed theertha kainkaryam to Sri Varadaraja Swamy. He interacted with Tirukkachchi Nambi here and learnt Dravida Vedam from him.
At Srirangam, his heart of operations! After the demise of his Acharya and predecessor, Yaamunaachaarya, he took over to efficiently manage the Srirangam matham and the temple. He attained salvation here after a beneficial and benevolent life of 120 years. This is supposedly his body preserved for the benefit of posterity and as a reminder for emulating the path he carved out for all of us.
At Srirangam Andavan Ashramam, one of the 74 illustrious peethams he set forth to propagate the Vishishtadvaita philosophy.
At Madhurantakam, where Ramanujacharya received SamaashrayaNam from Periya Nambi.
At Tirumala, where Ramanujacharya Kathy Srikar Raamaayanam from his maternal Uncle, Tirumala Nambi. He wrote his first major work here, Vedanta Sangraha, and offered it to Sreenivaasa. He reinstated the shankham (conch) and chakram (disc) to unequivocally prove that the deity was indeed Sriman Narayana.
At Melukote where he uncovered the idol of Cheluva Naaraayana. He spent about 20 years here and was instrumental in establishing a Vishishtadvaita stronghold in Karnataka.
At Thondanoor where, in his true form of Adishesha, he successfully debated about Vishishtadvaita with a thousand Jains.
At Hedatale, where the main deity is Sri Lakshmikantha Swamy, who is ready to perform SamaashrayaNam.
One of the most spectacular sights this world has to offer transpires
every single day, without fail. You can have the front seat, if you so wish. No, it's not the fireworks at Disney World, but
it is a close call. This event, however, has been a ritual for millions of
years before man had the insight to appreciate its ethereal charm or the
technology to decipher its essence. It doesn't wait for an audience nor care
for the lack of it, but always returns for an encore.
We are here today, a consequence
of a serendipitous event that instilled the breath of life on this planet. The
rise of the gaseous ball of light is not only a magnificent visual treat and an
assurance of continued life support system, but also a wakeup call that we have
one less day in this plane of existence to accomplish a lifetime of ambitions.
The harsh reminder is softened by the glow and warmth of new hopes, challenges
and opportunities.
Let there be light, not just
because someone said so, but to ignite the thirst for knowledge, illuminate the
path ahead of us and brighten our lives.
As Mother Earth gracefully dances on her toes to the cosmic
ballad, I salute thee, Adithya, O life giver, the zeitgeber, Ra, Helios for a new dawn
that I can cherish and celebrate with every being on this planet, a place we
all call home. Peace to all :)
I'll leave you with some glimpses of this greatest show above the planet....
Sunrise above Mysore, behind Chamundi Hills
Sunrise at Nandi Hills
Nandi Hills
The silhouette of Rajendra Vilas Palace on Chamundi Hills, Mysore
At 7000 ft above sea level, Big
Bear Lake is a haven for snow buffs and skiers during the winter. The rest of
the year, it is a great weekend getaway to the adventurous Southern
Californians. The 7 mile long lake is quite breathtaking when the Sun is out and
is great for water sports or fishing. The San Bernardino forest and the Bear
Mountain around the lake offer great vistas of the Big Bear valley and are perfect
for hiking, camping or mountain biking. It is hard to find a decent camping
site during the weekends if you have not made the reservations half a year
earlier. So when we found one, overlooking the lake at such short notice in
none other than the Serrano campsite, it had to be too good to be true! Of all
the excuses for a poorly planned camping trip, not finding a tent to
accommodate 6 people must definitely be the lamest!!
Nature, at its least presentable
adventurous form, is still the best bet for a relaxing day. So Sanjeev, Tarika,
Ramya and I decided that a day outing to Big Bear Lake would still be a better
option than spending one at either Pasadena or Irvine. Sanjeev, Tarika and
Arastu would start later in the day from Irvine and meet us up at the Discovery
Center. Ramya, Achyuta and I left Pasadena last Saturday (2012/09/22) at 9.00
am and drove eastwards along I-210 to climb north on Hilltop Blvd (CA-18). We
stopped regularly to make pictures of the Big Bear Valley and met other
families doing the same. There were many tattoo-sporting, pony-tailed motor
bikers along the extremely winding way up. A lonely mountain-bike rider managed
to keep up with us for a long way, thanks to our frequent photo pit stops. At
the Western end of the lake, the road forks to go along the picturesque North
Shore Blvd. The other side of the lake forms the touristy city of Big Bear Lake, where one
can rent bikes, boats or Segways. We took the naturally serene former path that
led us along the lake to the Discovery Center.
The first thing you notice after entering
the Discovery Center complex is a ten-feet tall petrified Grizzly Bear standing
on its hind legs. The city gets its name
from these bears that inhabited the area before the 19th century.
Achyuta, who had been a sweet kid throughout the journey, had had enough and
wanted to be heard by everyone in the vicinity. The imposing replica of the
bear had a calming effect on him and we made pictures of both of them together.
On display inside the Discovery Center are a number of stuffed animals and
birds that were former residents of the San Bernardino forest. There is also a
wealth of information about the history and geology of the region and the
volunteers at the Center were very friendly and knowledgeable.
It was story-time at 12.30 pm and
all the kids and parents made their way to the kids-section on the north side
of the Center where a wizened elderly lady sat on a throne. No, seriously, a
big throne with red upholstery! Maybe a down-sized throne that was mass-produced
during the great financial crisis, but a throne nevertheless! Her little
subjects settled down on the ground on soft animal toys, their rapt attention
divided between the story-teller and mini chocolate cup cakes. The lady on the
throne majestically rendered the two stories to the delight and applause of the
children. Some of the more studious kids missed out on the cup cake! We had to
treat Achyuta to an ice-cream in place of the cup cake J
Sanjeev, Tarika and Arastu
arrived by 12.50 pm, right on cue for lunch time! We settled outside the Center
by one of the picnic tables to enjoy Tarika’s Roti - Jeera Rice with Ramya’s
Chole Masala. With the gentle afternoon breeze in the backdrop of the Lake and
the background score of the Chicadees, Bluebirds and Sparrows, we relished the home
cooked food in good company of friends and family. There is a bird house next
to the Center and the feed attracted a lot of sparrows and one Bluebird. Every
time, the birds landed in there, Achyuta wanted to have a closer look, which of
course drove them away. After lunch, Achyuta and I went down to do some serious
bird photography, my latest try at keeping him quiet for about a couple of minutes.
The promised ice cream helped to coax him to sit tight for a while. But when
all we did was sit patiently waiting for some bird to swoon in to the feed, his
own feeding instincts kicked in and we had to go get that ice cream.
At 2.00 pm, a group of fourteen
had gathered out front for the guided nature hike. Marianne, a three year
Center veteran volunteer, promised us to give an overview of the flora and
fauna around the Discovery Center in the 30 min or so nature walk. She started
off showing us the vitamin-rich Rose hip fruits in front of the Center. Then we
walked west along the parking lot and out into the wilderness. She told us the
difference between many pine cones that can be sticky, prickly or a combination
of both. Along our way, she pointed out to Juniper trees, sage bushes, Indian
Paintbrush (Castellija), Island Mountain Mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus), a bunch of Manzanita
shrubs whose berries had all dried up during the summer and a tree that smelled
somewhere between vanilla and butterscotch. All this scientific jargon was
lullaby to little Arastu who enjoyed a power nap under the canopy of Juniper
trees. I guess that’s how Sanjeev and Tarika put him off to sleep every night J
After Marianne headed back to the
Center and the others slipping away unobtrusively, the six of us moved on
further for another half hour, enjoying the pleasant cloudy afternoon. We
passed as many people as their trusted but leashed canine friends. Arastu was
up by now and was being carried by Sanjeev. Achyuta was playing with the dry
leaves and stones that were along the path and got himself pierced by a fine
splinter. We spent some time trying to get it out of his finger and then walked
back to the Center. The Big Bear beckoned us for more family pics and we bid
adieu to him. We decided to spend the rest of the evening by the lake and drove
down east towards the bridge on Stanfield Cutoff.
We parked across the Northshore
Elementary School, where a bunch of kids were playing American football, and
moved towards the small path close by the lake. We settled down after walking
for about 30 feet as it was not a stroller-friendly path. We ventured down to
the lake where a couple were fishing, and successfully too, gauging by their
haul of rainbow trouts and catfish. At 3.45 pm, the Sun had come out in full
glory and I swapped the 55-300 mm telephoto lens to the moderately wide-angled
18-135 mm lens to capture the landscape better. A couple of fallen trees made a
nice natural pier into the lake. We all took turns to make a series of snaps of
people either walking down or sitting on the trunks. When it became a bit
windy, we headed up to the relative safety of the path. Tarika opened up her
stock of chips and chocolate nuts and soon we were all bare-handed but
satisfied! Arastu was busy munching a very delicious pen, while Achyuta was
content filling up sand into the flying disc. We then got down to serious
business of making family portraits in the vestiges of the brilliant sunshine.
Since we could not walk any further, we decided at 5.40 pm to drive across the
bridge to the other side, which looked very pristine, to catch the sunset.
This proved to be one of those
theories that work well in your head but not in reality. The other side that
looked well-kept turned out to be a high-priced gated community. So, we decided
to go to the Stanfield Marsh Boardwalk on the other side of the Bridge. Since
there were no signs, we missed the entryway, which was right after the
intersection. We had but no choice to drive along Big Bear Blvd all the way up
to the Big Bear Convention Center, site of Big Bear’s Oktoberfest. I had left
the hand brake on ever since our drive from Stanfield Cutoff. Since I normally don’t
use it, I did not think about disengaging it. After parking our cars and
leaving behind the trail of burnt rubber, we walked along North Division Drive to
the eastern edge of the Lake. We settled down on a thickset of grass
overlooking the lake and our backs to Big Bear City Airport. It had turned very
cold and both kids were wrapped in protective clothing as we waited for the setting
sun to paint the skies in hues of orange and red. After enjoying the visual
treat, we headed back to the Convention Center.
Tarika and Ramya opined that the
best way to beat the cold was to check out the local Starbucks. We ended up
there at 6.50 pm and the sky was in its most brilliant shade of red. While the ladies enjoyed cappuccino, the
drivers sipped iced tea - lesser of the two evils. Even after a very long day,
the kids were still in active mode. In the cozy ambiance of
the coffee shoppe, we all relaxed and savored the day’s activities. Although it
was not the weekend trip we had in mind, it was definitely a day we could all
unwind amidst nature’s tranquility. It is usually more about how you spend your
vacation rather than the amount of time you put into it. After promising each
other that we should plan on a camping trip soon, we called it a day and headed
to our cars for the long winding drive back to our respective homes, a happy
lot.
Carlsbad is no Keukenhof! But
then again, it does not claim to be the largest flower garden in the world. It
is not even the largest garden in USA. In fact it is not a garden at all! It is
a 50-acre commercial farmland that grows the world’s largest collection of
giant tecolote ranunculus flowers. What makes this place a tourist hot spot
during spring are the blooming of about 7 million of these ranunculus flowers.
Just to add to the commercial value, they have placed the Pacific Ocean in the
backdrop J Oh, and some rolling hills for good measure!
Such a package is bound to
attract a horde of photophiliacs and nature enthusiasts. Ramya and I believe
that we have genes for both traits and may have passed on some to Achyuta. A
small warning sounded somewhere inside that I had a presentation coming up in a
week. But hey, spring comes only once a year…it was a weekend…and it is not socially acceptable to talk back to
voices in your head. So, we all set off on a sunny and clear morning, driving
down south on I5 towards San Diego. When we reached San Juan Capistrano, on
Pacific Coast Highway, the weather magically changed to low flying mists that
were intent on washing away all the fine particles and ozone into the Pacific
Ocean. After a little less than a 2 hr drive, we parked outside the picturesque
Carlsbad flower fields.
If one word can describe the
view, it comes out something like stugorcolorifantabulous! This was in spite of
the fact that it was not the best day for photography, thanks to the gloomy
weather. But the large expanse of multi-colored flower field and the festive
atmosphere more than made up for it. All support staff - at the ticket counter,
wagon-drivers, flower pickers, flower- and fashion-police persons - were 60+
with energy levels of 20- and warm smiles of toddlers. It was very obvious they
were around to enjoy themselves rather than to make ends meet to support the
ever beefing college tuition. There were stalls of extravagant floral hats,
curios of all sorts, strawberry shortcakes, fresh popcorn, a sweet pea maze,
Santa playground and a rose garden. The Red Hat Society had a rendezvous and
there were hundreds of Red Hatters in a large spectrum of stylish outfits.
Almost everyone was enjoying the live bands playing the Blues. Kids were
running around and the parents were busy trying to figure out how to get the
best shot of their kids amidst the flowers.
Ah! Yes, the flowers! The field
is on a slope that has its nadir at the entrance. Since we wanted to enjoy the
floral treats at our own leisurely pace, we decided to walk around, instead of using
the wagon ride. There are ranunculus flowers of 13 colors (red, gold, pink,
yellow, orange, white, rose, salmon, picotee, café, purple, flame and merlot),
all bouqueted with their own kind to form nice discreet rows. In the middle of
each colorful row, there is an inlet to make photo memories. This works well
both for the visitors as well as the flowers, that are protected by an
additional green tape. We slowly walked up the trail that was slightly marred by
the presence of houses and a resort on top of the hill. Nothing personal, but
they ruined the view and quite a few photos too! When we reached the top, we
were quite envious of them. They probably had one of the best views in Southern
California, at least in Spring. It was breathtaking and would have been better
if not for the clouds. The hill rolled down with colorful ranunculus to meet up
with a large Dutch-style windmill across the street and tapered off at the
horizon into the Pacific Ocean! We enjoyed the view for a long time as we sauntered
to the other side of the hemi-field.
On our way down, we saw some of
the farm employees picking flowers and loading them on to a truck. It is
ironical that the flowers that treat hundreds of thousands of eyes for 2 months
are allowed to dry up in the sun to take nature’s course to their ends. Apparently,
this results in superior bulb crop for the next season. Only about 2% of the
flowers are picked up and sold. So how do they make money? It is the bulbs that
rake up the revenues! They are recovered at the end of summer and sold to customers
around the world.
By then Achyuta had seen too many
wagons go by us and was insisting on having a go himself. So, we headed towards
the long line of wagon wannabes. One of the staff chatted with us and was kind
enough to point out the best seats on the wagon. On we hopped and the wagon
took us around the perimeter of the farm field. While it took us 4 hrs to walk
1/4th of the area by foot, the wagon ride brought us back in 10
mins. We did see the artist’s garden and the American floral flag, which were
on the far south of the field. Only Achyuta had more fun this time around J We
walked around the stalls and Ramya tried on a few fancy hats. We helped
ourselves to some pop corn and settled to listen to the Blues. After downing a
couple of cheese bean burritos at Rubio’s and buying some fresh strawberries
from the adjacent farm, we said our byes to the giant ranunculus.
These colorful flowers have been heralding
the Spring in Southern California since the 1920s, although the present establishment
has a relatively short two decade history. They will continue to enthrall more visitors
for another 3 weekends this year. So, if you are around the region, it is well
worth a trip to enjoy nature at its colorful best. Make sure you take a lot of
sunshine along J
I thought the first thing he would do, after successfully completing his ¾ of a year in isolation, is to be glad to see a human face. Instead, he cried, uncontrollably - it must have been a very difficult journey for him. A huge barrier had just been crossed and when I cut a long mass of indistinguishable nature, it severed all physical ties with his dark past. He was a free man now. Well…. As if he realized this, and the notion that it may not be for quite some years from then, he continued to cry. That did not stop the four figures, all clad in green overalls, from taking him away from us. That would not do, I told myself and with a reassuring look to comfort my already distressed wife, I followed them closely. But there was no need to worry. They were just giving him a long-needed scrub.
A few minutes later, when they handed him to me, he was all nice and pink. He opened his eyes for the very first time and even the soft fluorescent light seemed too harsh for him. Ramya and I looked at him, tired, but happy parents trying to commit all those moments to memory for years to follow. When I walked out of the delivery room holding him, I felt like Mufasa from Lion King and had to contain all my excitement from holding him up to introduce the newest member to the flock. Needless to say, they were all over him.
I can’t believe that it has been a year since I first held that lovely 2.93 kg and 50 cm bundle of joy. He has come a long way, figuratively as well as in the space-time continuum. From the first time we saw him in the 4D in utero scan, putting his right foot into his mouth; to his first smile; be it the first time he rolled over; or his first words; or to the time he took his first baby steps in his 11th month; it has been a wonderful year, with a lot of fascinating firsts. Though it is unfair to judge from an older set of eyes, I am sure he has enjoyed his first trip around the Sun. To every novel challenge that the life has thrown at him, he has faced it with an unabashed innocence that only a child can possess and explored it with his eyes, hands and mouth…usually in that order. He may not know the difference between what is right and what is not, but that is true for me as well :) But atleast he knows what he wants…and more importantly, how to get it…with a simple act of a high pitched call!
As many of you know, raising a baby is not all fun, with many major adjustments in lifestyle and a few sacrifices. But an innocent smile or an uninhibited laughter has the power to set everything right and Achyuta has given us more joy than we can put down in words. Here are some photo-video moments that we would like to share with you all. Don't forget to watch the HD version :)
Patience is an over-rated virtue that is hard to exercise…especially when you are waiting… or when you don’t have the time for it. Other factors that don’t help the cause are when you know you will be poked, knocked down and sliced through. Last Friday didn’t begin too well. I woke up to the abdominal pain from the previous evening. It had come out of the blue and since I did not have any food poisoning symptoms by morning, I brushed it off as an exaggerated form of gastritis. I reasoned that if I ignored it long enough, it would go away. But it lingered on and became worse by the time I was ready to leave for lab.
On one of the rare occasions that I chose to heed to common sense, I decided not to bike and walked slowly to the bus stop. As Murphy’s law (anything that can go wrong, will go wrong) had been invoked for the day, the bus was nowhere in sight. Given the subjectivity of public transport schedules, I waited for a full 15 mins before dragging my unyielding feet half a mile to the next stop. Another bus was due here in half hour, give or take 15 minutes, usually the latter. Sometimes I think that the psychology department of University of California, Irvine (UCI) has outsourced a project to Orange County Transport Authority (OCTA) to observe “bus rage” in commuters subjected to chronic wait-times. An hour and fifteen minutes since I left home, I was in lab. After all that trouble to get there I decided I would rather be somewhere else. I don’t believe in gut feelings, but today it wanted to be 5 miles away from the lab. So, the ailing gut and I walked down the winding paths of the green Aldrich Park, to the bus stop on campus. During another wait for an hour, I was determined not to be upset by small details.
When I entered Kaiser Permanente Medical Building, it was lunch time and the doctors were away. The earliest appointment that I could get was 90 mins away, but a nurse attended me within 10 mins. After she checked my vitals, I told her about the tenderness in my abdomen and the pain, which had become excruciating by now. She consulted with a doctor and between them, they decided that since I had a cough for two weeks, they would check my lungs first. From my high school anatomy days, I remembered that the lungs were in the thoracic cavity. I had pain in my lower right abdomen. But then again, I am not a real doctor! The nurse, after ruling out my lungs as the villain, recorded blood pressure when I was lying down, sitting up straight and while standing. Dr. Stephanie pronounced that I should go to the Emergency Care without delay to check on my abdominal pain. My boss, Susana, drove me to the Kaiser Permanente ER, a few blocks away.
After a brief 20 min wait at ER, I was registered with an identity wrist band and taken into the sanctum of ER. I had only noticed them on American television before, but this one looked pretty lame and deserted to me. I guess Irvine lives up to its name as one of the safest cities in US. Nurse Robert asked me to change into a gown and checked my vitals again. Everything was normal. Dr. Shapiro, the attending doctor in ER, was a very nice elderly chap. He was very apologetic when he prodded and pained my abdomen. He ordered some blood and urine tests right away. When he asked me when my last meal was, I realized that it was 8 long hrs ago, at 7.30 am. I had not felt hungry till then, and all of a sudden I had this irresistible urge to bite into something. He told me that it will have to wait and put me on saline drips. I was parched and requested Robert for some water. He was generous with two small pieces of crushed ice. No water or food. And then to drive home the point that he was serious, he extracted some blood. Since I had to wait, I decided I will read for a while to keep my thoughts away from pain. Robert handed me the book from my bag and we both smiled. The book was apt – “Why Sh*t Happens, The Science of a really Bad Day” by Peter Bentley. It is an interesting read and I strongly recommend it, but I couldn’t go beyond a few lines. It wasn’t the book that hurt.
My wife, Ramya, had told me earlier in the morning that it might be appendicitis…I had laughed… and it had stung. Then Dr. Stephanie thought so too. Susana opined the same during our brief ride to ER. It is hard enough to get two women to agree on the same thing at any given time. If three do, with all due respects, that is as sure a hex as they conjure them at Eastwick :) Although it was always at the back of my mind due to the nature of the pain, somehow I had not considered it a serious candidate. Appendicitis normally starts as a generic pain through out the abdomen before honing on to the right side of the area. Mine started off there without any history. I called Ramya to notify the situation…she had been up the whole night, calling me every now and then to check up on me. I also called my labmate, Adhanet, to update her.
Dr. Shapiro walked in with the lab results, which were all normal, except for some increased bilirubin. He wanted me to get an X-ray done as well as an ultrasound. Ernest, the nurse from radiology wheeled in the bed to the X-ray room. Part of me wanted to shout excitedly “faster, faster”! But the agonizingly aching part said that I should just close my eyes, rest and enjoy the ride. The hallways were all decked up with Christmas decorations. I commented about them and Ernest asked me if I was having a good time in the hospital. I strained my neck to see if he was joking. He looked like he was living up to the way his name sounded. The ultrasound was another painful experience that lasted for about 15 mins. At around 6.00 pm, I was wheeled back into Consulation Room 6.
The X-ray had not shown any calcification in the appendix and the ultrasound had not revealed any inflammation of the suspected organ. Dr. Shapiro drew me a cartoon of the abdominal cavity and explained to me why it was sometimes difficult to visualize appendix in an ultrasound. It sits snuggly behind the large intestine. I told him and the surgeon, Dr. Lilian Estrada-Linder, that I was not willing to go through an exploratory surgery, without any factual evidence to back up. She said that she had 20 years of experience in surgery and I had all the classic symptoms of appendicitis. I could wait for a CT scan but that would delay the inevitable surgery by a day and expose me to unnecessary radiation. After pondering over, I agreed for an appendectomy. I asked her to explain the entire procedure and signed away my rights to the vestigial organ that would be removed shortly.
I was taken to the second floor for surgery and greeted by Dr. Tiwari, the anesthesiologist and Dr. Stacy, an assistant surgeon. I think they both had a bet about how my first name was pronounced. I didn’t know what was at stake and I certainly didn’t want a sore loser against me. I told them to call me Sri. This was no time for formality. He would put me down shortly and she would cut me open later. One of the other surgeons came and prepared me for the surgery by pasting in biometric readers to various parts of the body. They reconfirmed one last time that I was indeed who I was before Dr. Stacy injected Fentanyl and some muscle relaxant to put me off to sleep. I was wheeled off and taken to OR. The last thing I remember was that I was put on the operating table/bed.
I never saw Dr. Estrada-Linder that night. But from what she had explained me earlier, I was operated laparoscopically. At some point of time after I lost consciousness, Dr. Tiwari would maintain the anesthesia with a mixture of oxygen, nitrous oxide and sevoflurane. Dr. Estrada-Linder would make three incisions – a 1.5 cm incision above the navel and two smaller 1 cm cuts below and left of the bigger one. Carbon dioxide would be passed into the abdominal cavity to bloat it up and make room to visualize and work with the small video camera and the surgical instruments. The camera feeds, illuminated by a halogen light, would be displayed on a larger screen and organs would be carefully prodded and moved around to gain access. When found, the appendix would be cut and removed out through the larger incision. The incisions would be sutured up, some strong narcotics pumped in and the gas mask would be removed. I would be taken into the recovery room to come back to my senses. The whole process in OR must have lasted a little more than an hour.
When I did come, I was “high”. My vision was blurry and I vaguely remember blabbering a lot. I kept insisting that I was in the same bed as I was when they prepared me for the surgery. The nurse kept pushing me down, so I guess I must have tried to get up. I woke up at 12.00 am and was told that I was in the in-patient room, 405. I felt itchy all over, I could not sleep and I asked the nurse to give me something to put me off to sleep. She gave me some more morphine, but that didn’t help. I was moving in and out of drowsiness every 10-15 minutes. It is horrible to not go to sleep when one is so drowsy.
Dr. Estrada-Linder came at 7.00 am and told me that I could leave by noon if I felt better after breakfast. I had severe pain in my right shoulder at around 8.30 am. It was apparently from the carbon dioxide inside the abdominal cavity. It was now pushing against the diaphragm and exerting pressure against the phrenic nerve. It became worse when I took my first steps. I had to get back and rest for a long time before I attempted again. I left my breakfast untouched except for a small piece of bagel and the carton of milk. After spending a few more painful hours, I was brought back home by my labmates, Adhanet and Nicole, who made sure that I was comfortable and provided for. My neighbors, Rangarajan and Padmini, took care of my culinary delights the first few days, as did Sonia with her support. Thanks to all the family and friends who have called and made sure that I didn’t feel lonely.
It has been a week since I came home and has been a lesson in patience and endurance. The abstract and the adjective form of the word patience is certainly an eye-opener. The pain has reduced considerably, but it still hurts every time I move. Although the scars from the surgery are healing now, they hurt more than just a painful memory. When Dr. Stacy was injecting the sedative into my left arm, the irony of life did not escape me. In a few minutes, I would be lying down naked in front of strangers. For a guy who was contemplating on moving out of academia into hopefully bigger bucks, doors to two of the most lucrative jobs would be shut down. Now, I can potentially never be a belly dancer or a stripper…ever ;)
Imagine yourself traveling at a speed of 200 km/h (124 mph). It is not too difficult for those who have tried the autobahns in Germany. But the catch is that you are not wearing a seat belt, neither are you sitting comfortably in a car. Did I mention that there is no road… only air bellowing all around you… and you are 9000 feet above earth, a distance shortening by 55 meters every passing second?
For time immemorial, people have been fantasizing about flying like a bird. Although airplanes have crafted one of the success stories in the pages of human innovation, not least to mention elitist space travel or gliders and hot air balloons, what goes for the goatee is the light headedness and exhilaration of a free fall from the sky. For some, it’s the freedom to stretch and soar, albeit briefly; for others it’s to enjoy the “bird’s view”; for most, it’s the sheer adrenaline rush. So we asked, why don’t we try it out for ourselves?
Seven years to the day, an unusually clear blue Fall sky saw Albena, Bob, Harro, Martijn and me falling towards Mother green Earth in yellow flight overalls. We had driven earlier from Amsterdam to Nationaal Paracentrum in a small village called Teuge, near Apeldoorn. We were very upbeat and rearing to go! The first wrinkles in our courageous façade broke as soon as we entered. We had to sign a document to the effect that we were wilfully giving up our lives, if such a mishap were to occur, in the name of adventure. We dazedly walked out of the office into the field on Parachuutistentsraat and looked up expectantly to see people doing their acrobatic manoeuvres in their colourful parachutes. Seems like we watched too many videos about skydiving from the wrong end of the deal. We saw people dropping down like stones, ready to be devoured by the green grass monsters far far below. Needless to say, we went in for a drink.
When it was our time, we put on our yellow outfits and were pretty pleased that they actually looked like spacesuits :) It was a bit uncomfortable to walk, but it was not as if we were going out for a jog. Anyways, we had bigger worries to contend with. We realized that the “training” was a 10 min briefing about how we had to jump and what we needed to do in air and how to prepare ourselves to land, if we finally managed to get that far. We were to jump with a tandem master, a guy who is strapped to your back and who has the parachute strapped on to his back. On our brief walk to the flight, I asked my tandem master if there were occasions when the parachute failed to open. Peter Smit coolly answered that they did not have any such accidents….that day! I am not averse to black humor, but not when it is coming from the guy who has the controls to the thing that would bring us back to safe ground.
The flight took off carrying the 5 of us with our respective tandem masters and an old bloke who was as young as my grandfather. We had also subscribed for video shoots of our jump, mainly to show that we were not fibbing about our little adventure :) We were all discussing excitedly about what was to happen shortly. Everyone was trying to make sure that the harnesses were secure and when I checked with Smit, all I got was that we should move closer to the exit. Albena, Bob and Harro jumped with their respective tandem instructors. It was fun to see the video-jumper cling onto the side of the aircraft and fall sideways, just how we were told not to jump. Henny, my videographer was already in place, ready to drop. After bidding adieu to Martijn, Smit and I edged towards the door and sat there with legs dangling down. It was an amazing sight. The sky was blue and the green pastures far below, inviting as well as very intimidating. While I was enjoying the scenic view, Smit said that I could take as long as I wanted but he would jump within the minute. That got me going Putting my goggles on, forgetting to take a deep breath, with arms outstretched and legs bent, I fell into the gushing mass of air.
Of all the things that I had thought and hoped for, I was never prepared for what followed. I could hardly breathe and my insides seemed to have this irresistible urge to spread themselves over the expanse of the sky. I wanted to shout, but I could produce no sound. As they had come, those terrible 4 seconds passed and surprisingly, all was fine again. It was the free fall! I was going down…and fast. But it was more a feeling of floating than falling. The air resistance induced an upward thrust, reducing the gravitational force. In effect, I was falling at zero acceleration in what is termed terminal velocity, helped partly by increasing my surface area by spreading out the arms. The air was hitting so hard that it hurt and the exposed parts of my face and palms were going through a complete makeover. It later reminded me of Jackie Chan’s antics in Armor of God. I felt Smit’s tap on my shoulder, a signal to wave at Henny’s camera. I did a couple of swimming motions 3 kms above any available water body! It is amazing that the human body could come to terms with such extreme conditions so fast. The next 25 odd seconds were so wonderful that I thought I would not feel so euphoric for quite some time. I was wrong. It happened a couple of seconds later.
But before that, I felt another tap and then a sudden jerk, as if someone was pulling me up back into the skies from where I had fallen. It was Smit. He had opened the chute and the upward motion was brief and apparent. What followed after a mind-numbing 30 second free fall was a soul-searching canopy. All the swooshing of the air was now replaced by silence. The view was perhaps not unlike what you see in areal snaps or from a flight. But it felt different. I was a bird in flight, free from all the chaos below me. It was truly breathtaking and I don't think I can qualify it in any other words. Smit told me that since I was not too heavy, we could last in air for quite some time. he let me handle the ropes and I did a few turns. At the end of 6 mins of canopy, smit took over the reins and moved towards a small cobbled circle where we were to land. He told me that he would loosen the harness so that I could come to a sitting position, ideal for touchdown. After about 15 mins from our take off, Smit and I landed safely. I thanked him for one of the most fulfilling experiences and looked for the others to share our thoughts. We were so excited and high that we wanted to go for a second serving. But unfortunately, the prices were quite high for us to think twice about it. Moreover, we were completely sapped.
It was one hell of an adventure and I am glad that we did it together. It is a once in a life time experience and I would like to keep it that way :) I would definitely recommend for all of you who have the will and the opportunity to go for it. But be careful and check your harness! Happy flight and safe landing.
Capitals of two erstwhile magnificent dynasties paved for distinct cultural beliefs in pre-Independence South India. The turn of the twentieth century witnessed these transformed metros breathing down each others’ necks to vie for the fluid IT/BT capital, e-governance and best airport accolades. Not to be outdone in other modalities, Bangalore and Hyderabad upped their ante last night to cap a new and colorful feather in the form of IPL T20 2009 cup. From being the two most drubbed teams in the last year’s version, they have beaten more fancied teams this season, although in very contrasting fashion. Deccan Chargers Hyderabad (DC) went bonkers right from the beginning decimating any team that was pitted against them. Delhi Daredevils, Chennai Superkings, Rajasthan Royals and Kings Eleven Punjab, nonetheless, slowly cut into the action pie. The most controversial and to some extent fancied lot, Kolkota Knight Riders were the sweet beat-me-now-and-everytime team and made Coach Buchanan’s multiple captain theory a cricketing farce. Although DC lost the plot in the middle, they had a winning combination to take them to the last four and beat the Daredevils in what was thought to be a hands-down game for the Delhites.
However Royal Challengers Bangalore, dubbed a test team, apparently suffered from the late bloomer syndrome. They started off on a wrong footing with Kevin Pietersen’s charisma not-withstanding his short stint at captaincy. Anil Kumble may not have been the obvious choice for the take-over, but Dravid was fathering another team back home. Under Anil, they turned multiple leaves over and won the last 10 of 12 games and 5 in a row to beat Chennai Superkings to reach the final. They had to scale the Gilchrist wall to lift up the IPL 2009 trophy. Although Anil laid the initial foundation for that, DC held their nerves in a match that saw so many twists and turns that Hitchcock would have turned in his grave. Mistimed shots, uncalled aggressiveness (initiated by the effervescent Symonds), a bit of sloppiness on field and a possible umpiring decision (a wide was not called when Kohli was stumped off Symonds) cost Bangalore the game that could have been theirs. But such is the nature of the game and doesn't make the efforts of DC any less significant. Deccan Chargers were the true Nizams of IPL 2009!
When T20 games were introduced in India, a strong statement was sent across that it was for the youth and the “seniors” didn’t stand much of a chance. IPL has rewritten that story time and again. IPL 08 was won by a team that was captained by Shane Warne who had quit active international cricket. This time around, both finalists were headed by flamboyant and hard-headed senior cricketers who were ably supported by daredevil young turks. It is all about balance between experience and exploits and I hope the selectors won’t get carried away by the young guns theory for the national team.
The Super Sunday extravaganza with no doubt held more excitement and expectations than the NBA or the UEFA Champions League for the sheer on- and off-field star persona, the exorbitantly ridiculous money involved in staging the event and the rags to riches turnabout of these two contesting teams. The closing ceremony was Moulin Rouge’s Spectacular Spectacular with fireworks and laser display competing with stars above and below! More importantly, it was a good engrossing, equally contested final and truly lived up to the one thing that cricket is all about - a gentleman’s game that entertains the spectator to the very last ball. The better team on the day took home the diamond-studded golden cup. It was not the first time that foreigners carried away exotic stuff from South Africa, except that this time around the Indians were decent enough to bring it down in the first place!
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