Newerways

 The COVID-19 pandemic had brought an unexpected shift to education as schools closed their gates. The familiar hallways of the school and interactions with friends and teachers had suddenly all become virtual. Screens deemed their biggest detractors now occupied the centre stage. The school system had adapted to a new methodology-Virtual classes. My children had moved beyond the educational system, so the rigours and chills of this system were unknown to me. Long past the pandemic, I became a student pursuing adult education. My return to education was unexpected. Roles shifted, and I was now being home-schooled with a difference. This time, unlike my previous term decades ago, all my teachers were younger than me. My classroom was an improvised setup of my home. The computer screen was my gateway to the lessons. I delved into my study material. How different? from the traditional ones. They were the PowerPoint slides. There were frustrations, technical glitches, and distractions at h

Some people discover their passion early. As a child, I often wrote with chalk on the doors of our home like a teacher, taking classes for imaginary students sitting on the floor. Some months later, real friends became my students, comfortably seated on the chairs—a clear sign of progress. Finding a passion to pursue is just the beginning. The journey ahead requires skills and hard work. It was the high road to BECOMING (Michelle Obama). 1984 (George Orwell) the year I became who I am— it marked the beginning of my journey as a Dentist. My journey had a trail of milestones. Clearing the Combined Pre-Medical Test was the first such milestone, gaining admission into one of the most prestigious dental schools, yet another.  What followed was graduation, then post-graduation, and more milestones. I was EDUCATED (Tara Westover). Both personally and professionally, the environment around me changed. I was evaluating and learning. Years later, when my little birds flew away, an empty nest r

Salads were the newest additions to our menu list as starters. It owes its origins to friends we visit often like a second home. The mundane sprouts could be part of creative jewellery with pomegranates and cheese cubes that had never occurred to me till I saw them beautifully and colourfully occupying the centre table. The rainbow salad on a different occasion was also mesmerising. The presentation and the warmth with which they served added to the taste as much as to the refreshing memories. As I uncovered the lid of the container on my kitchen slab, I observed that the moth beans had sprouted, and rootlets were visible. I could eat them as much as I could plant them. I decided to plant a few and serve the remaining for breakfast. They lay embedded in the soil with air, water and food in plenty. After a few days, I observed most had not survived. They had turned black and lay on the verge of extinction in that darkness. The paradox of plenty providing in excess is not good. The para

  Health is wealth is an old dictum, yet not fully practiced by all. The recent experience of COVID- 19 has forced us to think about health in a different way. This experience has taught us that in order to be healthy we need to boost our immunity naturally. Here, we will acknowledge the factors responsible for boosting our immunity.

  The lemon tree in my backyard was bursting with flowers; we were expecting a good harvest this year. A thunderstorm struck that evening.    In the morning, I found the drain clogged with flower petals, leaves, twigs, and shattered hopes of a bountiful harvest. There was mud everywhere. Neither a shelter nor a form of life was visible in the vicinity.  The shades of mud, though captivating, did not evoke the response nature does. There was a rumbling, and the earth metres away from where I stood caved in. I shrieked. I had experienced an earthquake in my dream. Perturbed as I was, the view outside the window was of little consolation. I could hear the rustling of tree leaves. I saw green stains of algal growth on the exterior walls of neighbours. All seemed as it was to be. A feeling of impending gloom had stayed behind. The thought of making a pivot had often crossed my mind; to start all over again had pushed it away. The idea of walking the road less travelled had always

Getting up from the chair I was sitting on for hours writing, I sighed and stretched myself holding my back. I needed relief. Nothing unusual for many of us, retracing our steps to think about it, is it good? The modern lifestyle we pursue may be the beginning of an end. Fast-paced lives, cutthroat competition, deadlines, and the struggle for survival leave us little time to invest in health. Here, we delve into some areas which impact our lives and health. Sedentary lifestyles. Modern living is making a notable shift to sedentary habits. The rise in desk jobs and the screen times with our gadgets now threaten the quality of life. Obesity, a primary consequence of our inactivity, promotes diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Diet and nutrition. Our diet has shifted from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables to that of processed foods- highly salty and sugary diets. We eat fast food with no nutritional value and a lack of satiety. Malnutrition and overnutrition both come with a price:

1988: I became what I am, a dentist, an unusual choice several years ago.  Life took turns. Years later, I decided to make a pivot. This time again, I had an unusual choice in Medical Writing. Medical writing has always been the domain of celebrity academicians. Today, an emerging breed of unconventional writers is ready to storm the medical world. In my class, I realised I was twice the age of my peers and the only one with adult kids. Education knows no bounds and no age; I steered forward, aware that changing careers at my age could be challenging.  I struggled with most things that youngsters do so quickly. Soon, I realised I could do things at my own pace. While walking down the road to medical writing, I picked some pearls of wisdom. They hold for pivot makers as much as for the new entrants. Take time to think. Be friends with time. Initially, there was a feeling of resistance to change consciously and unconsciously: I found myself torn between making a pivot or not.