Thursday 30 March 2017

HEALTH INSURANCE – MY FATHER’S WAY






In the race to excel in our professional lives and provide the best for our loved ones, we sometimes neglect our most important asset - our health. As days go by, with increasing levels of stress, decreasing physical activity and a deteriorating environment due to rapid urbanization, our vulnerability to diseases keeps on increasing at an alarming rate.


Evidently, as taught by my teachers in medical school, lifestyle diseases are set to rise to distressing levels in days to come. This results in increased expenditure and also contingent expenditures, being jolted by a financial shock when we least expect it. In many cases, people are forced to borrow money or sell family jewels, farmland and assets to cover their medical expenses and this is something which I have seen on so many occasions during my residency days in King George’s Medical College in Lucknow.


I know the opinion of a Plastic Surgery registrar regarding how disruptive sudden medical expenditures can be on the financial future of a family is no more than a bunch of not so happy patient anecdotes but when one looks at the WHO statistics that about 47% and 31% of hospital admissions in rural and urban India, respectively, were financed by loans and sale of assets, one is forced to understand the enormity of the problem. WHO says, 3.2% Indians will fall below the poverty line because of high medical bills. About 70% of Indians spend their entire income on healthcare and purchasing drugs. As a young registrar in 1988 this was an issue which bothered me all the time.


I was ready to strive to provide the best I can to my loved ones. Being from a reasonably well off family, not much was expected of me, but I felt it was my duty to take over the mantle of the provider from my father. Looking back today, I know I was being childish because all the while my father was around there was no confusion regarding who was most comfortable on that pedestal. Still I had the foresight to appreciate that unforeseen medical emergencies may not only stress our immediate cash flows, they would also adversely impact financial commitments towards regular savings thus impacting achievements of many of our long term financial goals. Add to it the burden of any loans that one may take to pay for medical expenses that might become too hot to handle!


So, I decided that I need a medical insurance for the family to ensure that no matter how critical the illness, it does not impair our financial independence. We were newly married and staying with my parents and so we started looking for all the available health insurance plans. It was pre internet era and so I had to drive from office to office to talk with the insurance guys and pick up the reading materials and flyers from their shelves. I soon appreciated that the cost of medical care was constantly increasing due to inflation and advancements in medical technology. At the same time the longevity was improving thus forcing us to consume more medical care. All this was reflected in the offers that we received.


It dawned upon us that the health insurance plans fell into three categories: commercial health insurance, which was provided by many different companies; private noncommercial health insurance, which was provided by Blue Cross and Blue Shield; and social insurance, which should be provided by the government and which was horribly anaemic in our country. So commercial health insurance was what we planned we should opt for. Armed with this knowledge and research I thought it was time I talked to my father.


When I returned from the hospital that evening I told my father that I had been enquiring about health insurance from various sources and it seems ICICI has the best offer Rs. 60,000 per annum for the full family with kids and dependent parents. My father, who retired as manager from Life Insurance Corporation of India, was pleasantly surprised with my newly found sagacity and said that we will talk about it at dinner.


So later when the family sat across the large dining table my father told everybody about our previous brief communication. “So you have decided to keep aside Rs. 60,000 every year for the health of your family. That is Rs. 5,000 every month. Good! It is nice to see that you are becoming responsible. But your family also includes your younger brother and sister. They are not included in your plan. You will have your children. It is silent about unborn children too. So this is not a good deal. Then again try to understand the concept of health insurance. You would feel cheated if you give Rs.60,000 and no one falls sick, and you will not like anyone to get sick. The company too will not like anyone to get sick and will try its level best to avoid paying you. So this business of health insurance is satisfying neither party. And you can take it from me, if anyone is satisfied at the end it will certainly not be the consumer."  Then how can I prepare myself for future health emergencies, I asked. "Future.........that is the catch word, future" my father repeated. "So tomorrow you will go and meet your bank manager. You will tell him that you want to open a recurring deposit of Rs.5,000 payable at monthly intervals automatically from your salary income. This will your health insurance. Your money stays yours all your life, you do not feel cheated if you don't fall sick and you are in charge of your health expenditure. You don't have to inform anyone about your ill health and can get treated by the doctors of your choice, in the hospital of your choice, in the room and bed of your choice. Whether in India or overseas your own money is the best insurance”


Needless to say, the next day this account was opened and till date we have never withdrawn from it. After keeping it a purely recurring deposit for 15 years we made just one change - increased our monthly contribution to Rs. 8,000 and directed the bank to pass on Rs. 5,000 every month as a systemic investment to a particular mutual fund of the Unit Trust of India. This has acted as an accelerator fund to take care of the still rising healthcare costs. We were instilled the fiscal discipline of not touching this fund for trips, holidays, fun and frolic but courtesy my father's advice, we have never paid a single paisa premium to any health insurance company. But there is a catch.........you have to start young and stay fit till around mid forty.



As a dear friend of mine very lucidly put it ‘health insurance is actually a philanthropic contribution to social welfare. We are paying for those who actually fall sick’. As such the companies have many catches in policy statements, all written in font size 8 which we fail to read and comprehend. One has to buy a rider for accidents, the most common cause of death, for cancer, which continues to rise in incidence as we live longer, and for other critical illnesses. Yes, health insurance is a must, but do you have to outsource it to some company or some alliance or do you choose to do it my father’s way......that is a decision you will have to take.

Friday 24 March 2017

TRAVELOGUE – THE HILLS IN GOD’S OWN COUNTRY PART 3 – The Tea Gardens







While ours was a day filled with business and pleasure, for our spouses it was a fun filled day all the way. After breakfast Dr. Shobha, our excellent host, took them out in an air-conditioned vehicle to explore the beauty of Munnar and its surroundings. On the itinerary were trips to the Echo point, Botanical garden, Tea Museum, Tea factory, Tea gardens and, most certainly shopping! So this bit is what my wife told me after they returned.


Once out of the Pulimuttil Estate in which is located our Deep Wood Resort , they were in the midst of the mist covered rolling hills, exotic plantations, colonial remnants, panoramic views, and pristine wilderness which offered them an ideal escapade from the heat and buzzing of urban life. They were literally transported into the tranquil laps of nature. The idyllic, picture postcard hill station of Munnar was once the summers resort of the erstwhile British Raj. The town still proudly retains its old-world colonial charms in much the same way. The exotic flora and fauna found in the region further accentuates its beauty and it cordially welcomes a visitor by rolling out a plush green velvet carpet of verdant valleys laced with tea plantations.


Their first stop was Echo Point.  This mesmerizing place gets its name from the natural echo phenomenon here. Echo Point, situated on the way to Top Station, between Mattupetty Dam and Kundala Lake.  Top Station the highest point in this
Echo point
region and is just 15 Km from Munnar town.  The uniqueness of this place lies in the fact that every loud call made from a spot on the embankment  of a lake here is returned manifold by the echo from the surrounding hills, hence the name! There are several street shops where articles and chunky jewelries can be purchased at low prices. The lake near the echo point looks serene and the wind is quiet soothing and chilly. Trekking and nature walks are popular activities in this scenic destination with beautiful views of the green hills. The fresh mountain air, the mist-clad hills and panoramic view make it worthy of a visit.


Their next stop was the Botanical Garden. This beautifully landscaped garden presented a varied display of flowers and plants against a backdrop of the Western Ghats. The garden is designed to primarily serve as a visitor-friendly tourist attraction rather than a pure research facility for experts and environmentalists. Set up in Munnar
Tea plantation
Parvathy Hills by the Government of Kerala it is spread across 100 acres this is still work in progress. It is a delightful over-grown riot of colours with seats and bandstands falling into decay and slowly being taken over by vegetation. There are shops inside the botanical garden selling spices and herbs and souvenirs. For the spice lovers, this destination is a heaven –ginger, cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, clove, nutmeg , you name it! Not to miss are the homemade chocolates - white, dark, liqueur filled and chocolates with nuts. The ladies had their lunch in the cafeteria of this beautiful garden!


After lunch the ladies were taken to the Kannan Devan Tea Museum, situated at Nullatanni estate in Munnar. This is the first tea museum of its kind in the country. The museum depicts the origin and growth of century-old tea plantation – from a simple tea roller to the present fully automatic tea factory of Madupatty. The entrance of the museum has a granite sundial that was made in 1913 by the Art Industrial School at Nazareth in Tamil Nadu. Several old equipment, including original tea roller of 1905, the Pelton wheel used in power generation in 1920s and rotorvane (the old-time CTC type tea processing machine) are proud possessions of the museum. Another important item on display is a rail engine wheel unit of the Kundale Valley Light Railway that operated between Munnar and Top Station. 


Kannam Devan Tea Museum
A documentary film about the history of tea plantation in Munnar and the various steps the tea leaves pass before reaching your tea pot was shown to the ladies. Once, long back in 1857, a British resident named John Daniel Munro came to Munnar. Seeing the hilly areas of Munnar, an idea of having a tea plantation here hit into his mind. Daniel approached the King of Poonjar royal family, Rohini Thirunal Kerala Varma Valiya Raja, to lend land for him. Daniel was accompanied by Kannan Thevar, the tribal chief of Anchunadu and he bought the land from the royal family. In 1879, Munro formed North Travancore Land Planting & Agricultural Society. The society members started cultivation on coffee, cardamom, cinchona etc. Later all these crops were abandoned and they began to concentrate upon tea plantations. A W Turnor was the one who started plantation in Munnar. But it was neither Munro nor Turnor, who started tea cultivation in Munnar, but was A H Sharp, a European planter in 1880. He started tea cultivation in the 50 acres land at Parvathy. Now the land belongs to the Seven Mallay Estate. There was another setback in 1895, that Finley Muir and Company bought 33 estates in Munnar. These estates were later managed by Kannan Devan Hills Produce Company, which was formed in 1897. In the year 1964 this Finley group collaborated with the Tata group to form Tata­Finley group and Tata Tea Ltd was formed in 1983. It was in the year 2005 that Kannan Devan Hill Plantations Company Pvt Ltd was formed and Tata Tea transferred all its rights to the company. Tata Tea Ltd. Today justifiably claims to be the largest integrated tea company in the world, with activities spanning the entire spectrum of the industry. Today, tea is cultivated on 24,000 hectares of land in Munnar, Peermade and Devikulam areas with an annual yield of 50,000 metric tons.


In the Tea Factory the ladies were introduced to the various stages through which the tea leaves pass – cutting, drying, sorting, and packaging. The tender tea leaves collected from the plantations are withered in hot air at the factory and then sent to the rollers. After being rolled into particles and fermented, they are fed into dries before they are ready to be packed.


Among the exotic flora found in the forests and grasslands here is the Neelakurinji a flower which bathes the hills in blue colour once in twelve years. The Neelakurinji, will bloom next in 2018. But miles and miles of unending tea plantation is what greets the eye here and one can easily miss the other hidden jewels of nature!


Spice shops
Next stop was shopping – spices, herbs, tea, coffee, homemade chocolates – normal, dark, fruit and nut …………it drove them nuts. Eventually, exhausted by this high dose of fun and frolic the ladies were transported back to Deep Wood Resort, almost the same time when we returned from our jungle trail. Today was a very special day, March 11, 2017 and the votes were being counted for the 5 State elections, but as we had no access to the internet, we were completely oblivious of the trends. So a few friends took a vehicle and drove towards Munnar till they got the first hint of net connectivity and then triumphantly returned to the resort with the news of a landslide victory for their party in U.P.


Mukund at his best!
In the evening we had been invited by the owners of this resort to the inaugural function of a six floor new building complex which will be converted into a luxury hotel in days to come. While the ladies and the seniors were offered a lift, some of us walked down to the place. The senior most matriarch of the family lighted the inaugural lamp and they all sang a prayer. This was followed by an evening filled with music and dance. My young friend Mukund Jagannathan enthralled the audience with his soulful melodies of yesteryear, punctuated with innumerable stories about the wonderland that is fondly called Bollywood. My senior colleague, who seems to be younger than most of us and simply refuses to slow down, Dr. Murugesan, mesmerized the gathering with his twinkle toes and it was his dance that took the musical evening to its crescendo! 


Now how could we just tapper off from those dizzy heights and it required the knowledge and sagacity of my friend Parag Sahasrabudhe to end this evening with a much needed workshop on Whiskey. What is this magic beverage, how is it made, what are the essential qualities that must imbibe to get this coveted name, how is it distilled, stored and packed and how expensive can it be was all conveyed to a captivated audience in 20 minutes by a very well prepared audio-visual presentation. This was followed by a practical session of tasting whiskey, how to enjoy its aroma, sip it, hold it inside the mouth, savor it taste, gulp it and appreciate its lingering after-taste was all taught in great details. So profound was the effect of this education that next morning our host Dr. Subramania was found drinking water the same way after appreciating its aroma while swirling it in his glass!


The evening ended with a sumptuous dinner. Later on we were dropped to our respective bungalows for a well deserved rest. Next morning all of us were leaving for home and as it was a 4 hours drive to the airport our friends were in no mood to take any chances. We however had other plans, we were going back the next day and we were spending the evening with my batch mate from King George’s Medical College in Lucknow, Neeta, who was staying in Thrissur. My friend Dr. Subramania Iyer, his wife Dr. Shobha were also going to Thrissur where they had a home and where their mothers stayed and so they offered to take us there in their car. We left the beautiful
The undulating roads and miles of tea plantation
Deep Wood Resort at 9 AM and soon we were in an exciting trip across the winding hilly roads with lush green tea gardens on either side, sometimes climbing up a hill touching the clouds and the very next time sloping down to another beautiful valley. Miles and miles of tea plantation were interrupted by beautiful resorts and private homes. As we were coming down the winding and undulating hilly roads we did not realize when all of a sudden the picturesque surroundings of tea plantation were replaced by the lush green cardamom hills. Further down as we reached the planes we were engulfed by the National Highway traffic.


On our return journey

This short trip to Munnar was indeed a once in a life time experience, a perfect one to re-charge our batteries. This fairy tale town stupefied us with its dazzling kaleidoscopic visions of nature.  I will urge you to come along and discover the fascinating magic of Munnar and if you have friends like me, ask them to take you on a virtual magic carpet ride to this exotic land!

Wednesday 22 March 2017

TRAVELOGUE – THE HILLS IN GOD’S OWN COUNTRY PART 2 - The Spice trail







I got up early in the morning to the pleasant chirping and whistling of the birds. Now that it was daylight, it was time to explore the wonders this place had to offer. I am convinced that ‘Deep Wood Resort’ is an understated misnomer. If should be called Very Deep Wood Resort as we are absolutely cut off from civilization and cell phones can only work as cameras. The resort has gracefully landscaped 10 bungalows, 2 cottages and 16 deluxe rooms aptly spread across 30 acres of Cardamom plantation and deep woods. Though it offers forest environment it is just 10km away from town at Mankulam road in Letchmi Estate, Munnar. The beauty of plantations that stretch over hectares of land rich in its flora and fauna is simply breath taking. The greenery with all its splendor and natural charm engulfs us from all around and birds have made it their own abode, just letting us share their bounty for a short while!

The resort is surrounded by immaculately manicured tea gardens and a stream leading to resort is extremely refreshing. Pulimuttil Estate is a plantation of varieties of spices like Cardamom, Pepper, Clove, Nutmeg, Ginger, Cinnamon and many more. We were completely enveloped by their scent and elevated to a never-before excitement and energy. Walking trails are many and one leads to a nice stream. The surrounding jungle has plenty of elephant dung on the floor so it is safe to presume that the pachyderms too fancy this place. We discovered a new 6 stories structure which is also coming up in the property which will take the shape of a high end hotel in days to come.


A walking trail
Early in the morning I took a walking trail that after winding through the thick jungle lead to a beautiful stream tucked deep inside the jungle. The water here cascaded down in several steps, and gathered in a small pool which offered me an opportunity to take a quick dip. Assured that I won’t be disturbed so early in the day, this was a wonderfully refreshing way to start the day! Finding the stream and the waterhole was like finding a hidden treasure and this place was indeed a delightful sight.


On my way back to the bungalow I met a local Mr. Muthu (the part of his name I could understand) whose proficiency in English and Hindi was definitely better than my non-existent knowledge of Malayalam. He volunteered to show me some interesting plants in this patch of jungle and educate me about the spice trade of Kerala. Over twelve varieties of spices including ginger, garlic, cardamom, vannilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, clove and nutmeg are cultivated in Munnar and its neighboring villages he said. 
Pepper

He then showed me a pepper plant. The pepper plant grows best in a warm and humid climate. Berries mature and are ready for harvest in about 180 to 200 days. Black pepper is produced by sun drying the mature pepper berries for 3 - 5 days after they are separated from the spikes by threshing and white pepper by retting mature berries in clean water for 5 - 7 days, removing the outer skin and drying the seed after thorough washing.


Clove
We then came across a tree with an unmistakable smell, but it did not have its fruits. This was a clove tree. Muthu told me that a clove tree begins to bear flowers 7-8 years after planting. Unopened flower buds are carefully picked when they turn from green to pink. The buds are then allowed to dry for 4-5 days till they become crisp and dark brown in colour. This is the clove which we buy in the market.


Vanilla
He pointed to a creeper which was growing in the wild around a big tree. This plant gives us vanilla, he said. Vanilla is a tropical orchid, which requires a warm climate with frequent rains. Muthu was of the opinion that it grows best in uncleared jungle areas where it can get filtered sunlight. The plant usually begins to flower by the third year. The bean takes 10 to 12 months to reach full maturity.


Curry leaves
Then he introduced me to the famous Curry leaves which are popular for being highly aromatic and are used extensively in the dishes of South Indian cuisine like Sambar, lemon rice, several chutneys as well as curries of Sri Lanka. You can call this a spice or a herb. Muthu told me that it is grown mainly in homes but on a plantation scale as well, and here we were seeing them growing abundantly in the jungle!


Cinnamon
We walked down a side trail and came to a fenced open space where he introduced me to Cinnamon plants, which were ready for harvest about 3 years after planting. Harvesting will now be done twice in a year - in May and November, he said. The bark of the cut down shoots will be split on the day of harvest itself and dried in the sun for 2 - 5 days. The dry quills or bark will then be packed in bundles for trade. Leaves and tender twigs will be used for extraction of oil by distillation.

Kerala has been historically related to spice trade and my newly found friend in the morning was a walky-talky encyclopedia of knowledge about spices!  He was feverishly searching for a Nutmeg tree but we couldn’t find one. He offered to take me to a nearby plantation on his motor cycle but I didn’t have the time. He still gave me a vivid description about this spice. The Nutmeg tree bears fruit throughout the year he said, but peak harvest season was from December to May. The nuts are split open when the fruits are fully ripe. After de-husking, the red feathery aril is removed, flattened out and dried in the sun for 10 - 15 days. The nuts are dried separately for 4 - 8 weeks till the kernels rattle within the shells.


The machan
After returning to our bungalow I took a quick warm shower and along with my wife Neeta we reached the sanctum sanctorum of the resort, the dining area, for our breakfast with the rest of the gang. We took our tea cups to a nearby machan and enjoyed the beauty of nature as we sipped the local tea. My friend Subramani was a perfect host and enquired about our well being. His better half, Dr. Shobha, who is a physician, was taking all the ladies out for sight-seeing and shopping extravaganza. They had big plans for the entire day, and I felt sorry not being able to accompany them as we were having our meeting which could continue till late in the afternoon.


After our eventful meeting which stretched out till 4 PM, with a lunch break for 30 minutes and brief interludes for sweets from Cuttack and snacks from Pune, we were invited by my friend Dr. Subramani to his bungalow for an afternoon sit together and drinks. I could then convince seven more to follow me along the jungle trail to the stream. This time the walk was not as pleasant because the sun was up there in full glory, but thankfully the clouds would come to our rescue from time to time. Once we reached the stream the chaps went crazy with their cameras. Soon they had lost their footwear, rolled up the pants and were enjoying the running stream in every way possible!


A Bhagirath moment for Raj Kumar

Enjoying the cool spring

On return we were greeted by our shopaholic spouses, who had just returned from their version of paradise, but what that exactly means will be in the next part of my travelogue.

Sunday 19 March 2017

TRAVELOGUE – THE HILLS IN GOD’S OWN COUNTRY



The hills of Munnar with their world famous tea plantation

We stay in the northern part of India and an overnight trip can take us to a host of beautiful and idyllic hill stations, very popular destination for us whenever we are in holiday mood. So when a friend of mine invited a bunch of us from all over the country to a hill resort in Kerala, I can honestly confess now, I was not expecting much. The company would be great no doubt but how pleasant can the hills be Deep South? We would have enjoyed the backwaters, I thought. I have a long standing love affair with them and have returned to them on five previous occasions and have often punctuated them with visits to Ayurvedic spas for Shirodhara (stress buster drip on forehead), Elakizhi (fomentation therapy with herbal leaves) and Njavarakizhi (special Ayurvedic full-body massage therapy with Njavara rice cooked in milk and herbs). But Kerala hills, this was my first experience.

We reached Kochi, Cochin for the old timers, after a change of flight at Mumbai. It was 9PM and we took a taxi to the guest house of Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, where our friend had booked our overnight accommodation. Fresh from a good night sleep and a sumptuous breakfast in the cafeteria we were taken to the Plastic Surgery department where our friend Dr. Subramani Iyer was busy taking his morning rounds. We were offered a generous conducted tour of the department by our young friend Mohit, who was with us in Lucknow while pursuing his Plastic Surgery training. Dr. Iyer and Dr. Mohit are a part of the famous team which conducted the first and the second double hand transplants in India, and we were introduced to both these patients, who are now employed in their department!

A giant statue of Sushruta welcomes patients in Amrita Institute
of Medical Sciences
Our other friends were reaching Kochi in the morning and were collecting one by one at Lotus 8, our venue for lunch, bang opposite the Cochin International Airport. We reached there with Mohit and met them and had a 9 course lunch which left us filled to the brim. An air-conditioned mini bus was arranged for our onward journey to a place called Munnar, and needless to say, we were all exited.

Munnar is 130 km from Kochi and we were expecting a 4 hours bus ride. The road was blind in some places and there were a lot of trucks and buses that seemed to whisk pass us as if they owned the road. Although the National Highway is smooth (NH 49), it is narrow, twisty and curvy. Almost halfway we reached the town of 
A refreshing waterfall on our way to Munna 
Kothamangalam and we were told that we were still 80 km away from Munnar. Between Kothamangalam and next town "Adimali" the weather started changing as we were leaving the busy cities behind. Now we were experiencing a beautiful cool drive through a natural forest. Alongside, we could see many refreshing waterfalls and we stopped at one of them for coffee/tea break. Adimali, a small town in the foothills is just 30 Km from Munnar but driving along the winding roads became slow and we took almost an hour to reach Munnar town. Around 22 km from Adimali, the scenery changed completely and we started seeing the tea plantations on both sides of the road and a panoramic view of the western ghats. As we had a clear sky this view was truly mesmerizing!.

Munnar - breathtakingly beautiful - a haven of peace and tranquility - the idyllic tourist destination in God's own country. Set at an altitude of 6000 ft in Idukki district, Munnar was the favored summer resort of the erstwhile British rulers in the colonial days. Unending expanse of tea plantations ­ pristine valleys and mountains­ exotic species of
The unique flora and fauna
flora and fauna in its wild sanctuaries and forests ­ aroma of spice scented cool air ­ welcome the visitors.  The hills, the mist, the valleys, the streams, the waterfalls, tea plantations, rare flora and fauna.... all this makes it simply gorgeous.

But we were still nowhere near our destination, and the sun was already threatening to set. We had to reach Deep wood Resort, which we were told, was just 15 minutes drive from Munnar Bus station, which we crossed as soon as we entered the small town. We were driving towards Pulimuttil Estate where the resort was located and by the time we crossed its gate it became pitch dark. Our driver craftily drove our bus along the up and down winding and undulating roads inside the estate to reach the reception. Once registered, we were transported to the dining area for a welcome drink and then to our respective bungalows by jeeps.

B4 our allotted bungalow with breathtaking greenery all around!
After freshening up we were back in the dining area for an extended hospitality session where our spouses planned their next day while we set our agenda for our official meeting. The dinner that followed was lavish – fish, chicken, pork and a host of vegetarian dishes. The owners of the resort were planning the inauguration of a very special section of this resort the next day and they too joined us for dinner. We all were invited to the next evening’s extravaganza by our gracious hosts!


Our gang on arrival

And after proper relaxation

This is a very special getaway, ideal for the stressed out travelers who are looking for peace of mind. The nerve centre is the dining area and you can take your food/drink to a nearby machan and enjoy the wilderness while eating. The individual living spaces are luxurious. We stayed in B4 and this had a common lounge room with a television, a jungle facing balcony with rocking chairs and a swing! The bedrooms are neat and tastefully decorated and the bath has running hot and cold water.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. We have a meeting in the forenoon and our spouses will be going out to explore Munnar on a guided tour. Will keep you posted.

Wednesday 15 March 2017

IS LIFE GETTING MONOTONOUS – THIS CAN BE MIDLIFE CRISIS








Male midlife crisis is a time-honored trough, described by Dante and Shakespeare but women are certainly not immune to it. This is a very unique period in one’s life. In this 40 to 60 age group one is neither too young to be innocent nor too old to be uninterested. One has achieved quite a bit but not everything. But while perusing the goals yet to be achieved his/her life starts taking peculiar turn. This midlife stew often starts with some garden-variety boredom. If you've been hoeing the same row for 20 years, only an idiot wouldn't wonder if there aren't some more interesting rows somewhere else. On top of tedium, we often get our first bolt of serious bad news: the death of a parent, trouble in a marriage, a career setback, the transformation of the 8-year-old who thought you were God into the adolescent who thinks you're the devil. Crushing chest pain and the word "biopsy" can set a fellow to thinking about what he's done with this life. It is now that some undeniable facts start eroding the dubious pillars on which we've built our notion of a man or a woman.


A midlife crisis was first identified by the psychologist Carl Jung and is a normal part of the maturing process. Most people will experience some form of emotional transition during that time of life. A transition that might cause them to take stock in where they are in life and make some needed adjustments to the way they live their life. Most seem to come through the process smoothly without making major life changes but some go completely overboard.



The gender divide: Yes, men and women react differently to this crisis 

Men go through a midlife crisis because they reach a certain age and realize that life is passing them by. Commonly, men in midlife crisis become afraid of:
·        the changes that come with aging.
·        becoming ill.
·        becoming less attractive to the opposite sex.
·        not attaining goals they have set for themselves.
·        dying.
·        never feeling sexual passion again.
They often feel that their choice in wife was a mistake and being responsible for the family is holding them back from attaining their fullest potential. 

Women, on the other hand, are thrust into midlife crisis because they reach a certain age and find they finally have the opportunity to do all the things in life they have put off while caring for a family but are alarmed to find that they are no more young and fit to live their lost dreams.
·         Her children are grown and all of a sudden and they don’t need her and often leave home to pursue studies or career. She experiences empty nest syndrome and is left with a feeling that she is now less useful to them.
·         She and her husband have both worked hard, are now financially secure and this is her opportunity to explore all those things she has put on the backburner.
·         She goes through menopause, which means both biological and psychological changes. The latter can cause them to question how they have lived their life and whether they should make changes to better their lives.
·         If she married young and had children early she may feel a fervent need to recapture her youth. 

So while men in crisis often obsess about big questions, as in, "Does my life matter?" women on the other hand have a very different question, “Do I matter to the world?”

  
Certain undeniable symptoms that do not remain undetected to a keen observer are insomnia, fatigue, despair, morbidity, inability to concentrate, ruefulness about roads not taken, dread that life holds no more surprises, regrets, sharp longing for some materialistic thing like a gunmetal Porsche, or a villa by the sea or someone like a beautiful movie star.


But this midlife crisis is not for unknown reasons all the time. The three factors which are controllable are debt, loss of a dear one and an avoidant personality. Finding oneself in middle aged, in debt and facing retirement can add stress to an already stressful time in life. Responsible financial behavior at this crucial juncture is vital. Parental loss, particularly in Indian joint families can be bewildering and overwhelming. The person in this crisis, bereft of parental guidance, considers himself/herself at the front of the firing line, responsible for the entire family. And lastly if a person has a crisis prone personality he/she suffers from feelings of inadequacy, low self – esteem and they are the ones who find midlife transition harder to navigate. More than likely, they will run from their problems instead of trying to find solutions to them. It’s this personality type that normally ends up in divorce court during midlife.


Stages of Midlife Crisis: Both men and women go through the same stages during a midlife crisis:
·         Shock
·         Denial
·         Depression
·         Anger
·         Acceptance
Some will process through these stages smoothly. Some will go back and forth between stages until they work their way through the crisis. Anyone who goes through a midlife crisis is experiencing an internal change that will have either a positive outcome or negative outcome. – learn a new trade, play a new game, utilize the time better and metamorphose into a better human being with a renewed sense of adventure and improved awareness of physical and mental fitness.


How to manage the mid-life crisis: So why is it that more often than not, that exhaustion and achievement go hand in hand. But a burn-out is no symptom of success; it's our body's way of telling us to slow down. A short quick fix like an Ayurvedic / Chinese / Korean medicine may seem like a good solution, but in order to get to the root of the problem, some fundamental change in life are required and that takes time. I would suggest a holistic life style modification:
1. Get all the sleep you need – at least a full seven to eight hours of sleep and midday nap may do wonders.
2. Eat good and healthy food and eat in time.
3. Skip the caffeine - If you're feeling anxious, stressed, or burned out, coffee isn't your long term fix. Rather, opt for something that offers a long term solution, such as exercise or meditation, to help you feel energized and awake. 
4. Get (and stay) active - There's no better mood-booster and stress-reducer than movement. Exercise has been shown to protect memory and thinking skills.
5. Take comfort in silence - Meditation really works.  It reduces stress, boosts immunity, improves sleep, and, possibly, increases happiness.
6. Do things that make you happy - Starve your ego and feed the soul. Just because something brings you a sense of achievement, it does not necessarily mean that it will fill you with joy.
7. Listen to your intuition, your gut feeling - If you're feeling tired, take a nap. If you're in need of a vacation, go on a trip. If something doesn't feel quite right, look into it.
8. Spice up your routine life with adventure now and then - challenge yourself to do something completely new at least once a week. New experiences open your mind to new ways of thinking and perceiving, making you happier. 
9. Surround yourself with positivity and surround yourself with positive thinking people of all ages. Consider the value they add to your life and well-being. People who are mindful of their relationships tend to be more confident in their judgment. 
10. Take the time to learn something new – This invariably makes us happy and keeps your brain sharp and young. 
11. Keep a journal – It will relieve stress, boost comprehension, spark creativity, build confidence, and encourage you to accomplish your goals.



Midlife crisis is an emotionally uncomfortable period that men and women go through between the age of 35 and 55. For most it is a time to question priorities and adjusting their lifestyle to fit better with their emotional needs. With proper planning we can surely tide over this phase and get prepared for a brighter second innings.

Thursday 2 March 2017

SNOBBERY OF THE ELITE – A GLOBAL PHENOMENON




In response to the trolling of our now famous placard lady, Gurmehar Kaur, the famous Urdu poet and Bollywood lyricist and my respected college senior from Colvin, Javed Akhtar tweeted “if a hardly literate player or a wrestler trolls a pacifist daughter of a martyr it is understandable, but what is wrong with some educated folks?” This is what I call ‘the snobbery of the elite’. It doesn’t matter whether you are a champion in any other field, you are not of their class if you do not have a University degree, if you do not think like them, recite like them, write like them, perform like them and speak like them you have not achieved their class! They are the blue blooded superior race of Left and Left of Crntre Thinkdom (LLCT remember!) and they are a class apart.

The LLCT believes that they are the only ones who have understood the essence of India and what is good for all Indians. This naturally bestows upon them the right to rule and elections are just a festival that come once in a while simply to distract them from doing what they have been doing all these years i.e. serving the hapless and rudderless poor and the underprivileged by governing them and keeping them in status quo – poor and underprivileged as ever. But unfortunately for them the world was changing and they failed to pick it up on their fact blinding seismograph. ‘Performance’ was a word alien to them and the un-smart and uneducated electorate, who did not belong to their class, suddenly started demanding it!

If you were thinking that this is an Indian peculiarity then think again. The ‘I know what is good for you and I will do the needful’ syndrome is today a global phenomenon, as are the snob and educated elite. In the recently concluded American elections for months, the so-called liberal elites were writing articles, having radio and TV discussions, giving sermons and making speeches in which they struggled to understand those strange creatures: ordinary people. Again in U.K the same ordinary people left the elite completely bemused by what drove them to make perverse decisions about Brexit. So whether in India or in the U.S or in U.K, the elite and the educated are today a worried lot. What has happened to the ordinary classless people they wonder - are they racist, narrow-minded or just stupid? Whatever the reason, ordinary people have frankly been a disappointment.

Let’s try to understand why members of the elite get so cross when others don’t take the same view as they do. It’s partly a sense of entitlement. People talk of a culture of entitlement among those who live on benefits. But the elite have their own entitlement culture. They think that because they studied English literature at St. Stephens they understand the world better than a plumber in Lucknow. They think they are superior and therefore their view should prevail. They also think they are morally superior because they hold to the views which they were told were virtuous. Anyone who appears not to subscribe to these views must, of necessity, be a sinner or else appallingly misled by the Saffron Brigade or some other evil force. It is outrageous to the elite that the work of the Devil should prevail. They are virtuous. They know best. They are the chosen ones. They have only a token belief in democracy. They expect and intend to prevail. But suddenly all over the world they have stopped doing so and are wondering what the hell has happened to mankind?

So now that the classy elite are unable to understand the ordinary people, the aam aadmi let us try to understand what drives the liberal elite. The elite persist with some very strange and disturbing views. Are its members brainwashed, snobbish or just so remote from real life that they do not understand how things work? What is the pathology of liberal eliteness?

Why would anyone support Congress and the LLCT including their media arm after their infamous tryst with corruptions, scams and inaction? Why do lawyers, churchmen, the BBC and, indeed, most educated people support the EU — an organisation as saturated with smug self-righteousness as it is with corruption; one which created the euro, which in turn has caused millions of people to be unemployed; an organisation which combines a yawning democratic deficit with incompetence over immigration and economic growth?

The elite are supposed to be educated. So why are they so silly? What do they have which the ‘classless’ ordinary people don’t? Ah! There is a clue. That word ‘education’, their brand of education. What does ‘educated’ mean today? It doesn’t mean they know a lot about the world. It means they have been injected with the views and assumptions of their teachers. They have been taught by people who themselves have little experience of the real world. They have been indoctrinated with certain ideas – the Left and Left of Centre ideas!

They have been taught that capitalism is inherently bad. It is something to be controlled at every turn by an altruistic government or else reduced to a minimum. Meanwhile the pursuit of equality is good. It does not occur to them that this socialist pursuit of equality has brought the world terror and tens of millions of deaths along with terrible economic failure. It has been given up by even Russia and China. The latter has adopted more pro-capitalist policies and capitalism there has caused the biggest reduction in poverty the world has ever known. You may know that, but it is not taught in schools. Schools actually teach that Stalin’s five-year plans were a qualified success! It took the courage of the recent Indian government to finally bid farewell to the Nehruvian 5 year plans.

The academic world is unfortunately overwhelmingly left-wing and the textbooks spin to the left. They distort the facts or omit them. What the literate elite have been led to believe is that governments make things better. ‘Market failure’ is taught; ‘public-sector failure’ is not. But misleading education of this and other kinds rubs off even on those who are not studying history or politics. It comes through in the NDTV, India Today and CNN IBN in India, Times, the BBC Guardian in U.K and CNN, the Washington Post or New York Times in America.

Ordinary people have been subjected to the same kind of indoctrination as the elite. They have just had less of it. They were in the hands of the propagandists for a shorter time and have been in the real world for longer. They do not read the ‘quality’ papers or subscribe to NDTV, CNN, IBN and BBC. For their understanding of the world, they rely more on what they see for themselves and experience. This is what the snobbish educated elite, who indulge in high voltage political debates in air-conditioned television studios, do not possess. The opinion of the classless ordinary people is not formed by their education but by their life experiences. If their villages are not electrified and do not have drinking water they speak through their vote. If their primary school doesn’t have teachers and primary health centre doesn’t have doctors they speak through their vote. If  their children don’t get employment and their farm produce doesn’t fetch good remuneration they speak through their vote. They cannot we swayed by stupid debates on secularism and they cannot be fooled by virtual privileges like ‘right to education’ and ‘right to food’ which mean nothing in their real world. The snobbish intellectual elite can debate endlessly on these issues but the real India will not allow them to be reflected in the ballot – and neither will the real America or the real U.K.

The fact that education has become a fundamental divide in democracy – with the educated on one side and the less educated on another – is an alarming prospect. It points to a deep alienation that cuts both ways. The less educated fear they are being governed by intellectual snobs who know nothing of their lives and experiences. The educated fear their fate may be decided by know-nothings who are ignorant of how the world really works. Bringing the two sides together is going to be very hard. But snobbishness of the educated elite will surely not help.