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The New Stuff

And I was cribbing about...

Last weekend was sort of sickness special weekend for me – high fever with bad cold & severe body ache. Now personally speaking I think cold coupled with running or blocked nose is one of the most lethal combinations to have. To add to that, every other person was giving me advice on getting a swine flu test done. And most importantly her highness i.e., madam maid was on unannounced leave for past 3 days. Resultantly I was at my IRRITABLE best! Ready to shout even at the drop of a word! All I wanted to do was sleep silently but all I actually did was cribbing…

Somehow I managed to get a girl through a neighbor to do cleaning etc of my home but she quoted an abnormally high rate for a day’s work. Initially I got irritated on her quoted rate but then considering my health and knowing that any other maid would also try to extract money in this situation, I thought it better to get the work done by her. While she was mopping the floor of my bedroom, I observed her coughing badly. On enquiring and touching her forehead I realized even she was having high fever. I asked, “why are you working with water and that too at extra houses, go home & take rest?” She slowly replied, “karne do didi, extra paisa ka jaroorat hai. Mera 3 saal ka beta hai aur bimar hai, uske liye dava lena hai.” One look at her face and I felt she was not faking it; she looked genuinely in need of money. Not sure if my observations were right but I handed her the money and asked her to leave. And here I was cribbing about my fever…

In the afternoon, apartment manager sent two young boys to paint our balcony. Resting on my bed near window, I was keenly observing those kids painting the balcony so enthusiastically. One holding the ladder while the other climbing on it and brushing the ceiling. Suddenly we saw one of them jumping outside the balcony to paint the external panel, he was almost hanging in air with just one rope around his waist and the other end of rope in hands of the other boy. Immediately me and my husband went out and asked them not to do it like this to which the boy replied this was the only way to do it. I again insisted, “mat karo aise, kahi gir gaye tum toh, agar aise paint karna hai toh koi zaroorat nahi hai bahar paint karne ki.” The kid gave a hearty laugh, “kaise girenge didi, usne pakad rakha hai na rassi ko, aap bekaar ka tension le rahe ho, hum yeh roz karte hai, yahi kaam hai mera”. Worried I asked again, “tumko dar nahi lagta and tumhare kamar mein dard nahi hota hai”, he replied with a bright smile, “hota hai thoda bahut, lekin chalta hai”. Once they left after finishing the painting successfully, me and my husband were discussing the meager money versus high risk and pain which those kids must be getting! And here I was cribbing about my body ache…

Evening it was raining and I stood in my balcony with a cup of tea. Generally I enjoy such lovely weather but maybe because of fever and cold somehow I didn’t like the chill and rains that day. Suddenly I saw 3 poor kids drenched in rain running in the opposite ground after something, it was actually a big plastic sheet which was floating in air; wind must have blown it from somewhere else. The moment it came down they jumped, snatched and brought it down on the ground. Once they had that big plastic in their hands, all of them stood in a row. The ones on the outermost corners held the sheet like a hood on their heads and the middle one raised his hand to keep it high. Three of them started walking together with their hands up holding the sheet straight, though already wet but still struggling to save themselves from rain through that temporary plastic shelter. And here I was cribbing about rain & cold…

Not sure if it was my silence or thoughtful mood which made me observed all this but while I observed it just set me to think more…

Kaminey: MaFt & NiFe watch :)

Mujhe toh movie maft lagi & Shahid ekdam jhakkaf! Aur ab jake samajh mein aaya ki yeh finema wale “Now Fowing” kyun likh rahe the har jagah :). Well, I’m not much of action flicks fan but for a change I actually liked some gang-war movie. After Omkara Vishal Bharadwaj has created his magic yet again with Kaminey! Now people like Farhan Akhtar or Vishal Bharadwaj really leave me amazed, how can one person excel in so many fields? Vishal not only is a great music composer but he is equally wonderful as director, producer, singer as well as writer! You need to watch Kaminey as well as listen to the song Kaminey to experience it on your own.

If I describe the story, it will sound clichéd. Twin brothers (Shahid Kapoor) Charlie & Guddu, one good & one bad, poor ailing father, financial crunch in the family, bad became bad in need of money, good hates the bad one, has a girl friend Sweety (Priyanka Chopra), cool songs like Aaja aaja dil nichode & Raat ke dhai baje and some X number of different gangs in the story to create those twists n turns and dhishoom dhadam! But still I liked it simply because of its intelligent direction. Such a stereotype story but presented in such a clever way that it leaves you hooked on to your seat from start to end. At the end you definitely feel it once – oh that’s all about it, I mean a judwaa bhai saga is all it is about, but then when you think about how engrossed you were into the movie, you definitely feel it was a paisa vasool. Sometimes even typical stuffs can be presented in an atypical way! Shahid was awesome or rather awefome ;), this has to be one of his best performances till date; though Priyanka had a very small role but still lived up to it wonderfully. Surprise package was Bhope Bhau (Amol Gupte), he was really outstanding in his performance. I loved his character so much, even other dadas be it Taji or Bangali babus, all have done a good job.

Overall I loved the movie and would definitely recommend it to all. Go for it for the smart direction of Vishal Bharadwaj, that “fortcut & chota fortcut” funda of Shahid or for that cute dialogue of him where he speaks, “main फ ko फ bolta hoon” :).

Other details of the movie:
  • Duration of the movie: 2 hours 30 mins
  • Best to watch it with: Spouse, friends, family but it has some scenes and dialogues which are not meant for kids.
  • Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Amol Gupte, Tenzing Nima
  • Director: Vishal Bharadwaj
  • My Rating: 3.5 / 5 (Very Good)

Swine Flu: Helpline & some quick details

Since morning it was the third incident, first I read in TOI about few swine flu cases in Bangalore, then an old neighbor called to check if I know of any helpline number for Bangalore as her kid was having fever along with cold and then a very close friend rang asking me to surf internet immediately to find out some test center near her locality, her daughter who is studying in a Montessori school was sneezing and school administration had called my friend requesting to take her daughter back home. Now when I heard about this friend’s daughter, it immediately sent some panic waves within me. Though I had read that sneezing is not the key symptom for swine flu & it can happen due to any other reason like allergy, weather change etc. but then when you hear it happening with a kid who is such a close acquaintance, you suddenly become conscious of everything. You don’t feel like taking a chance even if the symptoms are remotely associated to something as grave as swine flu!

I’ve been reading and listening about swine flu for past so many days but never before I realized the urgency to know more about it as today. I immediately surfed internet only to realize that test centers are not available in all localities, there are only few designated hospitals which are conducting tests as well as providing treatment to the patients, looking for a helpline number was also not that quick! After passing on the relevant details to my friend and that neighbor, I started to read more on internet; while there are lots of information and news (read panic news) available but it took me some time to come out with information which can be relevant to people who are looking for help in a jiffy. Here are some info which I have culled out from internet & I think can be useful to those looking out for quick help:

  • Symptoms: Swine flu symptoms are similar to the symptoms of regular flu and include fever of over 100.4°F, fatigue, lack of appetite, and cold. Some people with swine flu have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms. You can read more about it here.
  • Though it can infect anybody but kids and pregnant women are more prone to this virus.
  • Relevant websites: Though lots of websites are available but I found the following two websites to be most comprehensive ones, you can get to know almost everything at one place.

http://www.swinefluindia.com/ AND

http://www.in.com/swineflu/

  • Helpline number for Bangalore: Govt of Karnataka’s helpline number for swine flu is 91-80-26631923 and the address for test center is:
    SDS & Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases(Govt. of Karnataka), Hosur Road, Bangalore - 560 029
    You can look for helpline numbers of your respective city from any of the two links above.
  • This disease is highly contagious and one of the most infectious ones. So take appropriate precautions, avoid sending your kids to schools, travelling to infected areas and if you must travel use the facemask to reduce the risk.

Though take appropriate precaution but most importantly, don’t panic unnecessarily. Not every running nose or fever is swine flu. These can be symptoms of general flu as well!

*If you know of any more websites or information related to swine flu which you think can be useful to all, do send it as comments, I will include it in this post with due credit so that it can reach the relevant audience.



Update: Just updating some details which someone has left as comment on my post.
List of govt hospitals for test and curing of the SWINE FLU (H1N1 virus)

Bangalore
1) Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest DiseasesNear NIMHANS, Hombegowda NagarBangalore-560029+91-80-26632634+91-80-26631923http://rgicd.com/
2) Victoria Hospital Fort RoadKalasipalyamBangalore-560002080 26703294

Karnataka health and family welfare department on Friday, Aug 7 identified six private hospitals, which would now quarantine Swine Flu cases and treat them. They are listend below:
3) Mallya HospitalVittal Mallya RdBengaluru080 22277979Emergency: 080 22242325
4) Vaidehi hospital#82, K.R. Puram HobliWhite FieldBangalore -560066080-28413381/ 080-28413382/ 080-28413383Emergency: 080 41259032
5) Ambedkar Medical Institute and HospitalKadugondanahalliBangalore-560045080 25463442‎
6) St Johns HospitalSarjapur Main Road, Bangalore- 560034080 25532037
7) Manipal Hospital Airport RoadBangalore- 560017080 2502 4444 080 2502 3344Fax:+ 91 80 2526 6757
8) Mallige Nursing Home Mariappa Road, SiddapurJayanagar Bangalore - 560011080 26565678


Update as on 13th August'09: After reading my post, many people are sending me more information to be included in this post which can be useful to others. Thanks to al of them. I'm posting here the ones which I think can be relevant to this post:


Thanks Neha for the following information!


GOVERNMENT AUTHORIZED HOSPITALS FOR TREATMENT OF SWINE FLU:

Chennai
1.) King Institute of Preventive Medicine (24/7 Service)
Guindy, Chennai – 32
(044) 22501520, 22501521 & 22501522

2.) Communicable Diseases Hospital
Thondiarpet, Chennai
(044) 25912686/87/88, 9444459543

3.) Government General Hospital
Opp. Central Railway Station, Chennai – 03
(044) 25305000, 25305723, 25305721, 25330300

Pune
1.) Naidu Hospital
Nr Le'Meridian, Raja Bahadur Mill, GPO, Pune – 01
(020) 26058243

Kolkata
1.) ID Hospital
57,Beliaghata, Beliaghata Road, Kolkata - 10‎
(033) 23701252

Coimbatore
1.) Government General Hospital
Near Railway Station,
(0422) 2301393, 2301394, 2301395, 2301396
Trichy Road, Coimbatore – 18

Hyderabad
1.) Govt. General and Chest Diseases Hospital,
Erragadda, Hyderabad
(040) 23814939

Mumbai
1.) Kasturba Gandhi Hospital
Near Chinchpokli Railway Station,Opp. Arthur Road, Chinchpokli, Mumbai
(022) 23083901, 23092458, 23004512

2.) M T Agarwal Hospital
Dr. R P Road, Mulund (W), Opposite ESIS Hospital, Mulund, Mumbai
022-25605729, 25605730

3.) Rajawadi Hospital
Rajawadi Road, Ghatkoper (East), Mumbai
022-25094151/ 25094153/ 25094150/ 25094149

4.) Bhabha Hospital
Waterfield Road, R. K. patkar Marg, Bandra(West), mumbai
022-26422775/ 26429828/ 26406787

5.) Bhabha Hospital
Belgrami Road, Kurla (West), Mumbai
022- 26500144/26500241

6.) Bhagwati Hospital
Tulsibaug, S. V.Road, Boriwali (West), Mumbai
022-28932461/ 28932462/ 28932463

7.) S K Patil Hospital
Daftary Road, Malad (East), Mumbai
022-28899447/ 028894381

8.) Cooper Hospital
Irla Juhu Link road, Vile Parle (West) Mumbai
022-26207254/ 22605892/ 22605897

9.) V N Desai Hospital
V. desai Road, Santacruz (West), Mumbai

10.) Shatabdi Hospital
Waman Tukaram Pat Marg, Govandi (East), Mumbai
022-25564069/ 27662933

11.) Mahatma Phule Hospital
Kannamwar Nagar, Vikhroli (East), mumbai
022-25782253/ 25782283

12.) J J Hospital
Off. J.J Road, Byculla, Behind Byculla Police Station, Mumbai
022-23735555/23739031


Kochi
1.) Government Medical College
Gandhi Nagar P O, Kottayam - 08
(0481) 2597311,2597312

2.) Government Medical College
Vandanam P O, Allapuzha - 05
(0477) 2282015

3.) Taluk Hospital
Railway Station Road, Alwaye, Ernakulam
(0484) 2624040 Sathyajit - 09847840051

4.) Taluk Hospital
Perumbavoor PO, Ernakulam 542
(0484) 2523138 Vipin - 09447305200

Delhi
1.) All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)
Ansari Nagar, Aurobindo Marg Ring Road, New Delhi – 29
(011) 26594404, 26861698 Prof. R C Deka - 9868397464

2.) National Institute for Communicable Diseases
22, Sham Nath Marg,
(011) 23971272/060/344/524/449/326
New Delhi – 54

3.) Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital
Kharak Singh Marg,
(011) 23741640, 23741649, 23741639
New Delhi – 01
Dr. N K Chaturvedi – 9811101704

4.) Vallabhai Patel Chest Institute
University Enclave, New Delhi- 07
(011) 27667102, 27667441, 27667667, 27666182



& thanks Nitin for shraing the following information:


Scientific Prevention of Swine Flue using Household Products


1. Inhale Clove Oil (Lavang) For 1 Second.


2. Chew 1 Clove In a Day


3. Eat Raw Garlic (Lasun), Onion, Ginger (Aale) (1 to 5gm)


4. Drink Hot Milk With 2gm of Turmeric


5. Consume Plenty Of Vit C Fruits-Lemon/ Avala


6. Eat 8 to 6 leaves of Tulsi empty Stomach Twice a day


7. Burn Camphor oil in your room, office a slight camphor oil all the time which keeps different airbone diseases away .


Love Aaj Kal: Kal was better than Aaj!

Well, too many things to blog about again but sigh for I am not getting time to be regular on blogs. Reasons are many actually, but those deserve a separate post, as of now lemme stick to the movies & books which I read recently. But before that would like to share one of my articles which came on pluggdin today, check out: Twitter getting Twilmy: An opportunity for brands? @ http://www.pluggd.in/bollywood-celebrities-on-twitter-what-indian-brands-can-learn-from-twilmy-tweets-297/

Watched Love Aaj Kal last weekend and since then have been planning to do a post on it but…anyways coming down to this movie, I think I have a very confused reaction towards it. I liked it and I didn’t like it. Now the confusion is which reaction is the dominant one? I think the later one; I found it to be just an ok type movie, maybe a one-time watch for those who love light Bollywood flicks. I very much like Bollywood movies but this was just another movie for me which has nothing special to be shared except for the way it has been made, that was definitely new. Some parts were enjoyable like Veer Singh’s (Young Rishi Kapoor played by Saif Ali Khan) love story with Harleen Kaur (a brazillian model Giselle Monteiro) but other aspects of the movie were really big disappointments esp. Deepika Padukone; she looked gorgeous, absolutely ravishing but her acting was pathetic! It was as good as an exotic looking dish but salt missing in it! This has to be one of her most plastic performances ever. Even very powerful scenes were lifeless because of her expressionless expressions. Saif Ali Khan was good but I found him better in his sardar old generation role, in fact overall also I found the “Kal Love” to be better than the “Aaj Love” in the movie. Music was great but the most promoted song was not a part of the movie, it was at the end as a part of concluding casting. Surprise package was definitely Neetu Kapoor, ah I love the grace of that lady so much that her presence (even though it was hardly for a minute or two) just gave a lift to that movie. She looked as fabulous as ever. So, in case you’ve not watched this movie till now, go for it for that slight glimpse of Neetu Kapoor or for the sweet love story of Veer & Harleen. That part is definitely worth a watch!



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