Apathetic Orthopedics in Kalyan: Dr. Afzalpurkar & Dr. Wankhade
Kalyan is a relatively big suburb of Mumbai with its own Municipal Corporation (KDMC) and is a taluka place.
Well, I have been born and brought up here and have a special affinity for this place. However, herein I am to present one of the most disgusting experience that I had yesterday.
I had a severe ankle injury – painful, suspected hairline fracture, ligamental tear.
Case I – Dr. Wankhade’s Hospital (MS Orthopedics)
I visited Orthopedic, Dr. R Wankhade near Pournima talkies. He has his own hospital here. I consulted, got an X-Ray done and visited him in the evening again for showing him the X-Rays. He advised plaster cast for immobility and ordered the nurse to prepare for the cast. I moved out of consulting room and waited for my turn to get the cast done. I waited, only to learn after 5 minutes that the cast was not being done. Reason, a very rude tone conveyed that the payment has not been done yet.
Remember, we are not yet told about the cost of the plaster. The doctor has ordered to get the cast done. The sister doesn’t even convey the cost or inform that payment is to be done. Instead, she just literally rudely growls that cast wouldn’t be done unless payment is done. Whoa! What a professional approach, and that too with an ailing patient.
Did I mention that Dr. Wankhade’s accident, trauma and fracture hospital is on the second floor. And more importantly, the elevator doesn’t have a back up. It is non-functional during power cuts. Also, most of the times it is shut down and is functions only on requesting the hospital staff to put the switch on, which otherwise is turned off. I had to limp on my injured leg all the way up to reach the doctor.
Case II – Dr. Afzalpurkar (again MS Orthopedic)
This guy has a clinic near Rambaug lane No. 5 and is very popular, at least I heard so. When I went there, I learnt that the appointment seeking hours are 11 AM 12.00 in the morning and 5.00 to 6.00 PM in the evening. Fine. After that the appointment is closed. Agreed.
Then, if there is a severe traumatic case, does the doctor neglects the patient. Of course not. Why would he? He gets a chance to mint extra money.
How? His fees are Rs 300 if the appointment is sought in the abovementioned time. And if otherwise, he charges Rs 500 for anyone coming after the mentioned hours. Great.
So if a guy meets with an accident at 7.00 PM, he has to shell out Rs 200 extra for falling down at the wrong time.
Did I mention that the clinical premise was appallingly untidy and the recpetionist at the counter was more engaged with the TV rather than answering my queries?
Case III – Dr. Sonavane (Consulting Orthopedic at Shree Hospital)
Anyways, just as I was starting to curse myself for falling down and breaking my ankle and was frustrated with the pathetic attitude of doctors, I happen to visit Dr. Sonavane (MS Orthopedics at Shree Hospital)
And contrary to my expectations this guy was very soothing with his words, professional approach and clinical efficiency.
Doctor Mr. Sonavane you saved the blues for your fraternity and helped my calm my nerves and soothe the ankle.
Who is at fault?
“My boss doesn’t understand a thing. He doesn’t even know what is going on and why this thing is far off from intellectual planning!”
How often has this phrase been uttered by you? If not by you, how often have you heard them? Chances are a lot many times. Well, everywhere there are these types of bosses who doesn’t know a thing and are intellectual craps. It is the employees uttering these words that are the intellectual power houses and believe that they have it in them to be the bosses. Right?
Wrong! Terribly terribly wrong. (Have used repetition here to emphasize the gravity of the error)
The nitty gritties of senior management concerns cannot be overlapping with actual process implementation. If there are discrepancies, then it is the process executors who have failed miserably in communicating the exact process to the bosses. If you don’t communicate how will they know?
They are doing their job by asking queries, its your turn to answer those comprehensively and lubricate the communicating channel.
If they don’t know, you are at fault. Not the bosses.
Talk. Speech is free.
Yes or No?
Might, Perhaps, Probably, I Think, Can, Would are so uncertain. Yes and NO are the only certainties.
What do you trade in? Certain or the uncertain?
Learning to say No in a bold way is the quality that separates the committed from the non committed.
The moment you say I can, there arises a possibility of I cannot.
Yes and No are the only absolutes. Deal in absolutes. Life would be easier for you and others.
Multitasking: A polished lie
Multitasking is a polished lie and more of a jargon used as a shield to cover their plight, by the individuals who cannot do a quality end-to-end job of taking up a single task and ensure its smooth execution.
Puzzled by the gobbledygook scribbled above? You have every reason to be, because the gibberish that I have written is for all the gobbledygook utterer’s who blatantly lie about their skills of multitasking. These super-humans claim to be able to manage multiple tasks at one time and efficiently execute and accomplish more tasks in a given time frame than a non-multitasker, a lesser mortal would do.
Well, herein I demand a few examples of multitasking abilities? Reading email while programming? Commenting on a Facebook comment while writing an email? Retweeting while preparing a report? Or is it designing a logo banner and at the same time prepare a wire frame for a new webpage? Please elucidate reader.
I am one of the lesser mortals, because in all of my attempts to multitask, I have realised that the so called self proclaimed multitaskers have lost the art of focussed concentration on a subject matter of importance. They do simultaneous things, because they are easily distracted.
I believe that if you can focus on one thing at a time in an efficient manner, you are more likely to finish that work quicker and better than what you would have achieved by tryiing to accomplish another task simultaneously.
Accomplish one, then move to another. And I don’t want to substitute my basic ability to concentrate on important things and in bargain for a lie called as Multitasking.
Stop barking & start speaking
An imaginary conversation between two long lost academic friends
A: Hey dude how are you? How is life? Where are you working?
B: I am fine mate. Life is cool. Living in that colony, a bit far from the station though.
A: Oh, it must be difficult for you to commute daily so long. I am lucky in that sense, I purchased a 4BHK flat right in the heart of the city. Plush & convenient. But it cost me fortune. Luckily my fat pay check of &*^ USD helped me out.
B: That’s great for you. I don’t commute daily. I am self employed.Have a modest earning, modest dwelling and modest lifestyle.
A: Yeah, it helps. I had been to Bangkok few years back for my vacations, it’s a cool place. Have you been there?
B: No, I went to Coorg in Karnataka for my vacations last year. I am going to go to North East this year for my anniversary.When is your anniversary?
A: Oh great. India is great (hypocritically). My anniversary, yes it falls on 3rd Jan, but I wont be in the town. My boss is packing me for a business conference to Seattle. My wife is frowning, but you know the corporate world is unforgiving. I plan to pacify her with a diamond pendant. What do you do when your wife is angry with you?
B: I take her out for a candle night dinner, plan surprises and be with her.
A: That’s really good. I don’t have such luxuries. Being a corporate head of my division I can’t always do that. How are your parents doing by the way? Where are they?
B: They are fine and doing great. They are right here with me at my place. What about your family?
A: My family, hmm.. my daughter is in a convent boarding school at Panchgini, comes for Christmas and Diwali, twice a year. And parent’s yes, they are in the most luxurious and plush elderly care center here, you must have heard about it.
B: Yes. I have heard about it.
A: So what are your new year plans?
B: Cycling out with few friends. Having a quite time in the wilderness. What about you?
A: Arey, wifey wanted to go to Paris. I wanted to go to meet my parents. But now, boss is packing me off to Seattle, told you na.. Business Conference!
B: Oh, yes.
A: By the way, tell yaar, you are such a qualified and efficient #$%, %^& grad; why are you leading a life like this?
B: Exactly, because I get to LEAD a life. I am dictating the terms. I hope someday, you realise that you too need to LEAD a life and stop following. That’s when you will stop barking and start speaking. Happy New year!
Cycling: Kalyan-Murbad-Kalyan
Impending since long – a relatively long pedalling stint. I had been out of touch with cycling and a long session with my bums on the saddle was going to be really testing. And I wanted to go throught the litmus test. My ACT 105 AV Max was lying dormant except for a few kms here and there within the Corporation limits (KDMC) and the purpose of shelling the bucks on the pedalled beauty was being handsomely defeated.
The early days weren’t so pathetic, but for a lateral knee ligament injury dooming my bike into an exile of a few months. Last week, I was convinved that the knee is back in shape and I can safely hit the roads. With everything seeming pink and rosy, I decided to hit the Lonavala road and take on the Bhor ghat – steep and unforgiving.
But the sequence of events, staying awake till 4 .00 AM the previous night having to drop my sister at the airport, attending a wedding reception till late in the night and then having a sleepless day just a day before left me completely exhausted and ill-prepared physically for the ride. A ride of 160 kms with a demanding ghat to be negotiated and such ill preparedness with an exile going into the ride was already pulling the curtains off on my plans and it did when I saw myself waking up at 9.00 AM. Another Sunday gone wasted, I thought, unless some relapsing virulence inside me egged me to brush my teeth, fill the hydra-pack and hit the saddle, with just few oz’s of tea and milk in my tummy.
A foolish act. Nothing in my tummy. 10.00 AM start. Sun was about to get harsher. The enthusiastic keeda in me headed hit the saddle still unsure of of where to go, I instinctively took the road heading towards Murbad. 10.00 AM it was and I started pedalling, leisure mixed with time scale. I quickly covered Kms as I passed through the diabolic traffic of Ulhasnagar, which gave way to the relatively empty (atleast easy) ways of NH 222. Varap, Tabor Ashram and the bridge over Rayte river were soon behind me. It was nearly 30 minutes and I gained good grounds.
Within an hour I was at Mamnoli village. This is a quaint little peaceful village in Kalyan taluka. I specially remember this one and feel associated with it since my schooldays when we visited the village as a part of our social service camp. Getting back to the place on pedals made the moment more cherishable. Numerous times, when I covered the Malshej, Junnar, Dehri, Dhasai route on this road on my motorbike, I whizzed past this village without even noticing it and completely overlooked the peaceful and nostalgic moments associated with it. Now, after so many years, when motorbike gave way to pedalled beauty and I am here, the charm got me hooked.
I had decided that I won’t be getting my bums of the saddle, but perhaps the feel of the village had more magnetic power than my will.The chain slipped away and got stuck in the front cogs. It was a tough one for me to sort out. I hunted for a local cycle shop, found after tracing back a kilometre, only to learn that he has given up on the job. Still on my request, he tried, but due to lack of tools available he couldn’t fix it.
Next I walked further two kms in search of another one and learnt that there is none for 12 kms ahead. So I went to a local garage, asked for a couple of screw drivers and a hammer and did the job for myself. I was quite pleased with the way I scraped through the trouble. Why trouble? Because it would have ruined my entire ride. 12kms ahead and 18 kms behind, there was no one, but me to sort out the problem and I did it. Lost a good hour, but managed to sort it out and the ride to Murbad was on.
I pedalled futher and within 30 minutes I reached Murbad. It was 12.30 by the time I reached Murbad. The Sun was pretty harsh on my by now, energy sapped, my hydra pack half empty and energy stores partially depleted. 1.30 hours of pedalling and 1 hour of repair time saw me reaching Murbad. A Mysore Sada Dosa and a cool glass of buttermilk was all that I took from the local restaurant. The Airtel network is non-existent and I found a STD to inform my mom that I ain’t be returning on time for the lunch.
I started on my way back at 1.00 PM. It was hot. The hand kerchief drenched in water was scarfed on my head and an extra bottle of Bislerin in my back pack. The initial pedals were a bit heavy owing to unsufficient and abrupt rest. It took me an hour to reach Mamnoli village (12 kms) since the gradient was more uphill. I wanted to do the 30 kms of trutn without a halt. So I continued pedalling. AS I was pedalling thourh the village, a group of boys at Mamnoli who seemed to be from the NCC, practicing aims (target shots) enquired me about the my cycling sjourn and I responded without getiing of the saddle. In return they clapped for me and my efforts, which was a major boost for the depleting energy and spirits. I continued pedalling. Each kilometere now seemed longer and the remaining distance as indicated by the milestone seemed just too far and at times undoable without getting off the saddle and a period of rest.
The determination started fazing as the milestone read, Kalyan 13 kms. I pedalled 17 kms non stop from Murbad. I was incing at snails pace as I saw the milestone read 12. 11, 10 and finally 9 kms. As the distance read in single digits, the target seemed a bit more achievable. he gradient eased out a bit and then the more familiar names in Rayte bridge, Varap, Mharal and Century rayon greeted me. The last ditch over the Shahad bridge was the killer, with my both thighs cramping up. The extra bisleri bottle came to rescue.
I reached my apartment building at 3.15 PM, without getting off the saddle. 30 kms took me 2.15 minutes. The onwards journey for the same number of kms took me 1.45 minutes. A total of 60 kms covered in 4 hours of pedalling with an average speed of 15 kmph, which was satisfactory and refereshing. The unpreparedness, the undualting terrain with lots of ups and downs throughout and the sweltering heat all made going difficult and demanding for me. It was a satisfactory moment as I cooled myself in the shower and recollected the ride. The thighs still aching. I had a sumptous meal and then dozed off for couple of hours.
Woke up in the evening and pedalled another 10 kms to and from as I visited my friends place. The SUnday wasn’t wasted. It was utilised and a good learning curve as I learnt to stay on the saddle against the urge to rest, I learnt to shift gears at proper times, the pedalling energy and more importantly putting the chain back for yourself when no one else is there to do it for you 
Also, at times, when my thighs gave away, I really missed a road bike! Nevertheless, my saddle ACT 105 AV Max rocked!
Aravind Adiga vs Danny Boyle | The White Tiger vs Slumdog Millionaire
I just finished reading Aravind Adiga’s ‘The White Tiger’ – The fourth work by an Indian to win the Man Booker prize award. Without much troubles, I could draw a few parallels and few intersections with the Danny Boyle’s ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and Aravind Adiga’s ‘The White Tiger’.
First let us have a look at the men behind their respective creations.
Danny Boyle is a British Filmmaker smitten by the concept of writing on the plights of Indian slum life, Mumbai specifically.
Aravinda Adiga, born in Chennai and then emigrating to the Kangaroo nation, then New york and then Oxford – a major part of his life away from India. Mind you, now he is back in Mumbai!
Aravind too, it seems, is fascinated by the plight of Indian politics, corruption, decaying infrastructure and the corroded ethics of the men who matter.
Both highlight the stink under the carpet that we as a nation deal with. Danny deals with the slums of Mumbai, while Aravind carves out the decaying wood that builds the political citadels of Delhi. Both the metros, considered to be the two most important cities of India mercilessly scanned and the filth exposed.
And what do the World audiences do? Applaud.
Applaud the creators for portraying the true picture of the long decayed foundations of the world’s largest democracy.
Oscars honouring Danny and Man Booker doing the favours for Aravind.
True that both the abovementioned work are commendable and in a league of it’s own. But the overlapping similarities of the creators and their creations is distinctly evident. Also, the typical response of the world audience to their work further add to the enigma.
About the book: The White Tiger
320 pages of fiction as a first person narration. The first half, say around 150 pages depicts a typical North-Indian village reeling in the darkness. Then a few more pages depicting the plight of Delhi as a city. The common thing to the metro and the village being the rotten political structure and the politicians.
Nearly 250 pages of the same thing being repeated under different situations made the read painstakingly monotonous at times. The climax was already revealed, only reason waited to be pronounced and to wait through the monotonous voice of 250 pages made the read a bit too slow.
The plus points, the efficient manner and use of dark sarcasm to portray the virtual image that Aravind wanted to paint.And mind you, he did so very effectively, albeit the process was slow and boring.
Blogging Blues
I have always considered blogging to be an personalised space akin to a home, but with no doors (unless it is a closed group blog). It’s a space, wherein the doors are always open and anyone and everyone is free to visit, chit-chat and leave. If they like the experience, they will pay a second visit and third and so on, building a relationship (comments)
Invitations are fine. Infact, invitations are must to strike a warm get together and spread the cheers of being together. Invite them to pay a visit to your home (spread links / tweet) and add value to the relation (comment).
But, do you claim you house to be the best one? Do you have the air-headedness to compete wih the rest of the homes in the space? You might be the owner (self-hosted) or stay in a rented space (.wordpress / .blogspot), but does that make your home good or bad?
Do you claim that you have the best interior design (template) and the best furnitures (widgets)?
Do you think that yours is a cut above the rest?
They why does Indiblogger / Mumbai Bloggers and all such competitions exisit? Why do people partake in such competitions and request others to vote for them to be the best?
Why do people visit neighbours (comment on other blogs) just for the sake of ‘earning’ their visits (comments)?
People say, blogging is a social thing. I disagree, blogging is a personal thing, decorating your own space with thoughts, opinions and taste. The moment you do things for others, the essence is lost.
Do you ask your neighbours to choose furnitures for your drawing room?
Wake up!
The cycling connection
My earlier post on early review of Hercules Ryders ACT 105 Max still receives lot of hits from cycling enthusiasts and also has helped a lot of them (apparently evident from the comments & Bikeszone forum)
It’s is about time that the early review is updated and a brief on how it feels to be on the saddle and pedal longer more than 6 months down the line. I would write up one soon.
On and off the saddle …
A lot of greasy dust has been accumulated on the chain and gear cogs and cleaned already. Rains are not expected for the next 6-7 months and the redundant fiber mudguards are already gone.
Even after being on and off the pedal due to intermittent rains, niggling lateral knee ligament and climbing / trekking bias, cycling has been relatively closer and always there.
The real & the virtual connection…
A trip to Dombivali, a leisurely 30 mins, ring route rides after office actually connected me to the activity. Beside, the ever effervescent plans of a long ride, being a silent member at Bikeszone, cleaning my bike, plans of riding to work (its more than 44 kms one way) and other such things keeping me in sync virtually. Either way I feel good and feel connected to the sport and the fraternity.
Cycling is really the ‘in’ (*read the foot note) thing now and it delivers the feel-good thing with every pedal that I do. The feeling of cool breeze hitting me and evapourating the volatile sweat-drops on my arms & forehead gives a contentment that only I (or rather the cycling enthusiast) can understand and thrive upon.
Lets take a look if it is a personal thing or just one because of the mass wave.
The state of cycling across the country?
Realistically, it is improving. We are just shaken out of our coma and beginning to feel and take cognizance. As everything that happens around a nuclear focus, cycling as an activity is centred around a few cities in the country.
Lets state them in the descending order of their followers -
- Bengaluru
- Pune
- Mumbai
- Delhi
Ok. So these cities are seeing a rising trend of the phenomenon called as cycling. The city pedallers are gaining exposure to global standards and equipments. Brands like Merida, Trek, Bianchi, Canondale have made entry into the Indian market and the number of dealers are mushrooming as well.
Another aspect, the cycling tour organisers are also jumping in and joining the bandwagon by offering tailor-made trails for the enthusiasts. Bengaluru leading the way again (BOTS Blog – http://blog.bumsonthesaddle.com/2009/11/20/cyclo-tours-in-india)
Countryside India (an outdoor adventure club more into trekking activities) does a few cycling trips near Mumbai.
The knowledge quotient
Like in any other sport, one of a fellow Bikeszone member call us (the Indian’s) genetically fuc*** up! (in the sporting quotients), the knowledge about cycling is nothing to be excited about.
The knowledge of bicycles, associated injuries and prevention, health care, standards, equipment care, gear systems, doing routes and other cardinals that an individual must know as one takes up the sport.
Where can one find the information?
Google, Bikeszone, city groups, fellow cyclists.
How does cycling help?
- You stay fitter
- Good for your heart, body & soul
- Conserve petrol / diesel
- Reduce costs – Petroleum resources aren’t getting any cheaper
- Reduce carbon footprint / delay the inevitable – Global Warming
- Infuse enthusiasm into others to follow your suite
- Make a style statement (vague / baseless – still one can derive the joy)
When do I cycle?
- Anytime you feel like.
- Daily errands
- Commute to work (if you reside at a reasonable distance from your office)
- A visit to a friend / relatives (in the same city)
- Hanging out
- And realistically anytime and anywhere ..
The brands, the cities, the trend, benefits, how, what, when and all that can be possibly connected to the cycling as an activity has been listed down, albeit in a apparently disconnected manner. But behold, just read in between the lines and you get the connection; the cycling connection.
Footnote* – What is this ‘in’ thing?
The thing that is harboured with’in’ our minds and hence it was always an ‘in’ thing for me. Just that the virulence took some time before the relapse. The time when I academically graduated from School boy to college guy and mentally graduated from a one amongst the crowd to a biker.
I am an Indi-Tripper
