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.

As a new entrant to the content creation market, I was relentlessly searching for jobs in writing. It was an aha moment. I was selected to write a test assignment, a video script that was for one of the well-known educators in the online world.  My script had to bring out the essence of effective communication. I brainstormed for ideas. And since it was my first experience, I was falling short in everything.  I whipped up all my resources and Googled, scoffing at the idea of writing a video script on communication for a master communicator. It was not an easy task. Nevertheless, I tried and came up with a story that remains close to my heart for being the first of its kind. Prompted by the twists in Chinese whisper, I co-related it with the modern generation. Here goes the story that you can smile about or empathise with. A couple decided to meet at 10.00 the next day for coffee. The boy reached the coffee shop the next morning, but the girl did not. He waited and made fran

These days, I am not into adult education as much as I am into education as an adult. I decided to pursue my interest in writing thirty years after my clinical practice. I started with content writing gradually, modifying and learning new skills to create content. Some call it now a side hustle, some an alternative career. For me, it was a hobby. I began to write stories, events, and experiences in my blog. I loved creating stories and the experience it provided to me. I remembered the times I wrote for my school magazine. As the words poured out, my M (memory) drive replaced the C and D drives. My family coaxed me into investing in myself and exploring my interests. I looked around to search for my interests. I found naught; I dived deep, and even bigger naught awaited. In a world dominated by artificial intelligence, I took my first step to make the unbelievable believable. I drifted onward, propelled by curiosity, and yearning to accomplish, embrace, explore, create, a

  I was thrilled as I logged into my account for the first class. It was not just about content writing, marketing, and planning. It was about learning and unlearning chapters that I had overlooked.  I was with a bunch of youngsters old enough to be my children. Even the trainer was years younger than me. Putting all those thoughts aside, I began to pick the threads. The introductory class began. My thoughts wandered about how quickly I could type my responses. Soon, I realized that my adeptness did not matter and each of us could work at their own pace. My primitive knowledge of Word software until now had kept me afloat in the technology boat. Here, there was so much to learn.  The educational odyssey commenced, leaving me intrigued with curating a LinkedIn profile. Years ago, my response would have been, ‘Who cares?’ but now I understand it holds the key to unlock hidden potentials in the digital realm. Reading between the lines, I understood I had to paint a “Monalisa’ or be a mode

We are a generation to witness a transforming world. The world today is dominated by technology. The beaming satellite channels and the rise of telephony mark the dawn of this new era. We have seen the world transition before us. The technology has made it possible. Old is gold no more. Our outlook and habits have become modified. Mine have been just as much as yours.   Going digital is the buzz phrase whether we intend to buy or sell services or goods. We Google for books to read, recipes to cook, movies to watch, and to learn about diseases and their treatments. Not to leave even the methods to manage ourselves or the leaky cistern in our washroom. It is all with zeal that we search the catalog for all we need.   I was scanning the internet for anything: art, dresses, makeup, recipes, DIY, designing, music, self-help, audiobooks, spirituality, or anything I could find interesting and creative. Was I honing my skills, upgrading myself, or simply entertaining?    The nameless dot coms

    At times, the screen is the best medicine. Muscles and mind benefit. It nourishes my mind and helps me stretch my sinews as I check on the steps covered in the day.   A screen anchors my biorhythm these days. I hibernate with it in winter months, snuggle up with it during warm stays at home, and let in family and friends to look over at my screen to see what is new. It is an oasis in my ecosystem and the brain where activity continues to pile up.   I started, why? I do not remember. During COVID-19, I got on as if it was business. I found sleep impossible with the sun rising, so I looked for something to do that was not mentally demanding.   Since then, whether walking or talking, I have thought of words to put down. Experiences primarily - humour and torment occasionally - have found their way in. I prefer the regimen of small doses, few words, new ideas, and bursts of creativity.    A brazen thought – should I share my experiences? - emerged in a corner of my br