Exploring the unknown terrains!

Explore the unknown terrains and win!

Link to the contest : http://www.indiblogger.in/topic.php?topic=88

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Wanderlust!

The perfect road trip. Today is the time for it!

By Dhruvaraj S from India,CC-BY-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

So, we packed our bags and set-off for that trip we long wanted to happen. We knew that the best time for a road trip to the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary would be the monsoons. We imagined us dancing around our car when the rain was pouring. We started our journey at 7 am in the morning from Kozhikode. We had to travel about 200 kilometres to reach Muthanga, and it would take almost 3 hours to reach the place. Of course, 'we' refers to me and my sister.

Our car is a Maruti A-Star (2011). I occupied the driver's seat and my sister sat on the adjacent seat. We set off at 60 kilometres per hour. The interior of the car was spacious, and we left our luggage on the backseat. The AC was on, which made us very comfortable. We want our car to smell fresh, so we had Ambi Pur to soothe our olfactory senses. The road was wide and not slippery though it was raining a bit. There was not too much traffic at that time. We were, in short, traveling in the perfect car and heading towards a perfect trip!

 We reached Muthanga by 11 am. We parked the car in the Sanctuary and came out of the car with our binoculars, caps and cameras. The binoculars were to look for interesting wild animals, the caps to protect us from drenching heavily in the rain and the cameras to capture them. We walked into the forest through a small mountain-road, and captured the pictures of snakes, lizards and various birds. By around 1 pm, we returned back to the car. We had our lunch from inside the car because it was raining outside. It was fun to have a lunch with my sister, in a fully closed compartment like a car, while it was raining outside. The thrill of being able to watch the rain from the wild excited us. 

After the rains, we came out of the car to meet a group of adventurers who were planning to camp within the forest. We wished them good luck and gave them tips to follow while in the forest. It was almost 3 pm by the time we said good-bye to the group, and we decided that it was time to wind up the trip and return home. 

On the way back, we saw a herd of elephants crossing the road. It was a beautiful moment as there were more than 20 elephants and their cubs walking across the road, peacefully and eloquently. That was a moment to cherish, so my sister suddenly got out of the car and took a picture of the elephants. This is one of  the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen!

We reached back to Kozhikode by around 6 pm. We made an album out of the photographs taken by us. To our surprise, we were appreciated for the effort taken by us in obtaining original pictures of wildlife in Muthanga. This was the perfect road trip we ever had, a journey I will never forget! 

This blog post is written as a part of Ambi Pur India 'The best road trip contest' conducted by Ambi Pur and Indiblogger. Thank you, Ambi Pur and Indiblogger for bringing up this wonderful contest!

Ignore signs and invite trouble!

In this post, I will give an idea about the warning signs which most people are likely to ignore. These warning signs help you to recognize that something is wrong with your teeth, and acting early will help you to protect yourselves from the disease without running into complications. 

1. Blood

Imagine seeing blood while brushing your teeth? If you have lost a lot of blood, find out where it is coming from, and how frequently you are getting these bleeding episodes. Bleeding from the gums could be a sign of a vitamin deficiency or a blood clotting disorder. Some clotting disorders, which can be very fatal, only manifest as bleeding gums! Bleeding could also be a sign that you are having a loose tooth or a tooth infection. So, consult your dentist at the earliest, describe to her/him the accurate symptoms and make sure that you get treated for the disease!

2. Pain

We ignore pain till it becomes unbearable. Pain could be a warning sign that you are having a tooth infection, a loose tooth or even a cancer of the oral cavity! Tooth infections are particularly dangerous, because they can even precipitate infections in the heart, stomach and elsewhere. Streptococcus is the most common bacteria that causes fatal heart infection called rheumatic fever after infection following tooth extraction. A loose tooth that irritates the gums or the cheek for a long time will precipitate a leukoplakia or an oral cancer!  

So, if there has been a tooth which is inflicting you a lot of pain, consult your dentist and ask for advise to manage it. 

3. Change of colour

Have you ever noticed a change of colour of your tongue, inner surface of cheek or jaw? A benign looking whitish adherent patch could be a fungal infection or a leukoplakia. A leukoplakia cannot be easily detached from the mucosa of the oral cavity. Once removed, they cause bleeding. If neglected, leukoplakia can turn into an oral cancer. So, don't ignore the warning signs!

4. Brittle teeth

Sometimes, the teeth just grind away. It may be associated with weakening of bones also. It is likely to occur in case of calcium and mineral deficiency. Brittle teeth may also be a result of bruxism or teeth grinding. Mottling of teeth, or dental fluorosis, may occur because of high fluoride content in water. Vitamin D deficiency causes poor bone and teeth formation and may result in brittle teeth that easily get loose.

5. Bad odour

How does it feel like to have bad smell emanating from the mouth? Sometimes, it happens that foul smell embarrasses the person and greatly reduces her/his self confidence. The bad odour could be more that just a nuisance, it could be a warning sign of infection. The micro-organisms living in the mouth can produce foul gases, which cause the bad odour. Consult your dentist and get an opinion before you let the microbes win over you!

So, the moral of the story is, don't ignore the warning signs!

Thanks to Colgate and Indiblogger for inspiring me to write this post. For more tips related to oral healthcare, visit Colgate Total Blog : http://www.myhealthyspeak.co.in/

P.S: I am a medical student and not a qualified dentist. I am therefore not qualified to speak authentically on this subject. This post is not intended to be of diagnostic nature.

Misogyny and leaders : Responses to the Delhi gang rape incident

The people of India took it to the streets to protest against sexual violence against women after the death of a 23-year old woman who was subjected to a homicidal gang rape in a moving bus in India's capital city. The incident attracted international attention, and many national leaders and celebrities strongly condemned the unfortunate incident and urged the government to take measures to ensure the safety of women. However, the remarks made by a few Indian leaders about the issue were not only misogynistic, but also atrocious.

Referring to incident and about the gender role of women in general, Mohan Bhagwat, the Chief of a right-wing religious organization, said that "marriage is successful only when wife looks after the household and husband takes care of the earning." Babulal Guar, the Chief minister of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, said, "Traditionally in this country (India), a woman considered her husband god. That status may have changed in modern times but what is good in our society should be kept that way."

Vibha Rao, the chairperson of a State women's commission, remarked that women are "equally responsible" for the sexual offenses committed against them. She blamed that the cause of rapes is the influence of Western culture and excessive "display of body."

Jamaat-e-Islami, a religious organization, suggested that "educational institutions should prescribe sober and dignified dress for girls," and that "co-education should be abolished and proper education facilities meant for only women only should be available at all level of education."

Abu Azmi, the member of a State Assembly, remarked that "women should not venture out with men who are not relatives". He added that rape cases are on the rise because "women wear less clothes."

Abhijit Mukharjee, the son of the President of India and a member of Indian parliament, remarked that the women who participated in the protest against the Delhi gang rape incident are "pretty women who were dented and painted" and that they do not have any contact with ground reality." He later apologized for passing this sexist comment.

Asiram Bapu, a spiritual leader, told the media that "she (the rape victim) should have called them [her rapists] brothers, fallen at their feet and pleaded for mercy. Had she said, 'I am a weak woman, you are my brothers,' such brutality would not have happened." He even went on to say that the victim is as guilty as the rapists.

The state leader of a National party, Botsa Satyanarayana, said that women should not 'roam' in the midnight just because India got its independence at midnight. He later retracted the statement following a public outcry demanding his apology.

The Indian society has deeply entrenched patriarchal views against females. Reports of rape are often followed by questions about the victim's behavior, and even accusations that she provoked the assault. Though laws guarding women from sexual assault exist in India, women hardly file complaints because of victim blaming. 

Act now. Condemn these leaders through social media networks and blogs. Make your voices heard against misogyny.  Ring the bell.

Thanks to Ring the Bell and Indiblogger for inspiring me to publish this post.

My Dream Gourmet Party

It is Sunday and I am hosting a party at home! I have already planned to prepare delicious parathas, finger-licking fries, spicy curries, melting desserts and tangy pickles. I have no doubt as to what to do to make my guests' mouths water at my dishes - create a Kitchen's of India feast!

My kitchen extends beyond the four walls of my house. I use a laptop while I cook and I've made a virtual kitchen including the resources from the internet along with the real ingredients I have at home. To start with, I look up for various yummy dishes on the internet, and I almost always end up reaching the you tube. Once I see a delicious dish, I bookmark the page and proceed to cook it. Kitchens of India, the Indian Food Cuisine, has always been my partner in cyber-shopping for ingredients. The exciting part is that the delivery is free for all purchases over Rs. 450. So, if you are hosting a party and want to buy lots of masala mixes, ready-to-eat stuff, chutneys and a lot of other delicious food items, there is no better place to shop than ITC Kitchens of India!

So, my party will happen by noon. I cooked Hyderabadi biryani for my special guests. To prepare it, I added the masala and cooked chicken to the boiling basmathi rice. Did you know that preparing a Hyderabadi biryani is very simple with Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani Mix? I will make my guests wonder how  I managed to mix the spices and condiments in the right proportion for a Nawabi Royal Biryani, while I will not let out my secret that it is the Kitchens of India product that I used! The smell of the dish lit up my olfactory bulbs and I couldn't wait to have the lunch with my guests! The biryani was special in a way that I added bits of fried chicken and coriander leaves for garnish.

Now, I need some sweets to cater to the sugery needs of my guests, so I decided that I would present them with Gourmet halwas. I wanted to present a variety of options for the pickles and conserves because I knew that I had to cater both the sweet-toothed and the spice-loving guests. So, I carefully chose Shredded Mango Chutney and Strawberry Mint for those who loved eating sweet chutneys. The Strawberry mint, I know, is rarely prepared at homes in India. I want to get my guests surprised by the sweet and tangy flavour of the strawberry chutney and make them wonder how I procured this dish. For those who love hot and spicy stuff, I will get the Hot Mango Chutney and the Mango-Saffron Conserve. After an exhaustive search on the internet, I came to know that no recipes of mango-saffron conserves are available. I would be giving my guests a combination of spicy and hot recipes!

Now, I can be fully confident of pampering the taste buds of my guests because I have made a tasty lunch in no time! Can't wait to share the food with them and get appreciated for the tasty food!

Thanks to Kitchens of India and Indiblogger for inspiring me to write this post. 

The man who stood up for his friends

Ajmal was 15 when this incident happened. There were a group of girls and boys playing on his school playground. The girls were playing basketball and the boys were playing cricket. The playground was too small for two groups of people to play two different games at a time, but the students seemed to adjust to it well, and neither encroached the playing space of the other group. Ajmal was one of the boys playing cricket with his friends.

Ajmal's friend, Parthik, was the star batsman of the group. It was Parthik's turn to bat. When the first ball was bowled, he hit it with knack, and off went the ball. It was clearly a 'six' and the ball went straight outside the boundaries. Unfortunately, the ball landed on one of the girls playing basketball, and it hit directly on her head. She fell unconscious. The other girls, who were playing with her, swarmed around her.

Sensing the danger, the boys ran away, throwing off their bats and wickets. They were sure to be punished by their teacher if he finds out that their playing carelessly has injured a classmate. Seeing everybody run away, Ajmal wanted to run too, but his conscience stopped him from doing that. So, he walked back and went near the girl. She was bleeding from her head. None of the girls could lift her up and transfer her to a safer place. Ajmal, with the help from two other girls, lifted the girl and placed her under the shade of a tree. After asking one of the fellow girls to bring her water, he ran to the staff room to inform the teacher.

Once the teacher came, the girl was given first aid, and immediately sent to the hospital. Ajmal assisted the teacher in delivering the first aid.

Ajmal was called up and appreciated on the next day's common assembly. He was also to be given an award during the school day celebrations for his sincerity and timely action. He acted as the soldier for the girl he knew!

Fighting cancer with a soldier for women

It was in the winter of 2011 that Shilpa was diagnosed to have cancer. It was an advanced cancer which doctors could not do anything much to cure, but prescribe some pain killers and ask her to prepare herself for death. Shilpa was just 35 at that time. When she heard the news from her consultant oncologist Mr. Vasudeva, she was stunned for a while. After about 30 seconds of silence, tears rolled down her face as the news started sinking into her.

Her treatment started at the Annapurna Hospital, Chennai. Dr. Vasudeva was the doctor-in-charge. Shilpa used to spend her evenings with the doctor, speaking about things of her choice - poetry, life and people. Dr. Vasudeva, though a very busy person, used to join her and listen to her talks with interest. Sometimes, she wouldn't just stop, but Dr. Vasudeva would genuinely listen to her and answer to her questions, give suggestions and comfort her. It was later that Shilpa realized that he does this to all of his patients, spending a lot of time with them, reading newspapers for them, and even sharing his lunch with them!

By the time Shilpa finished one month of hospital stay, Dr. Vasudeva knew the names of all her relatives. He was liked be all of Shilpa's relatives. His presence would comfort them all. He once visited Shipa's house when requested so by her parents. Soon, Dr. Vasudeva became like a member of Shilpa's family.

Shilpa passed away in March 2012. The death was pretty much anticipated, as metastatic deposits had reached her lungs and liver all the way through her blood. Among those weeping for her, there was Dr. Vasudeva too. A humble man who treats around 100 cancer patients every day, and witnessing at least one death a week was seen weeping for the death of one of his patients! Dr. Vasudeva really stood up and fought for Shilpa, calmed and comforted her and her family during times of crisis. He, for sure, is a soldier for women!