Swine Flu

It has become official now. Pune and Mumbai have been subjected to a total shut-down. All schools, colleges, private tuition classes have closed down for a week, and malls, multiplexes, and cinema-theatres for three days.
Pune has witnessed a sudden rise in the number of positive cases and has the highest death toll in the country, with 10 out of 17 deaths being here, in the past two days. The drizzle we've experienced has only made matters worse.
Swine Flu is quite similar to common flu. And the prime reason why India is being affected as drastically as it is, is because our population is primarily made up of malnutritioned children, and citizens barely living above the poverty line. Add on the number of HIV-positive cases and TB-affected people in the country, the immunity level of these patients is already very low.
It is actually no use shutting down everything in Pune, because the virus has already spread in the air. Most of the recent deaths, included those of people who didn't even have a history of foreign visits, or foreign visitors. But, a virus, spreads in the sir easily and those with low immunity levels get affected easily. What we really need to do, is address the situation, personally. Increase our own individual resistance to the virus. And most importantly, do not underestimate the virulence of this virus. It is , sadly, human nature, and I would also say, the nature of a “true” Indian to decide for himself what is right and what is wrong. And more often than not, the ‘right’ involves doing exactly the opposite of what has been advised.
It had been advised by the government about a month back, that any symptoms like those of H1N1, please get tested at the institute designated. Despite that, people run all over the place, use all kinds of self-medication at times, spread the virus to a few more people, and within no time, we end up having a situation like that in Pune. Citizens have been advised to cover their mouths at all times. By, at least a surgical mask, or even a cloth scarf. Yet, I find more people without any kind of protection on their face, than people wearing masks. Most times, people find distinct pleasure in disobeying and ignoring well-meant advice.
And it all comes down to a shut-down. Trust me, it is not relieving, or enjoyable, having to sit at home, doing absolutely nothing. Well, not exactly nothing. But, how much can you study? And how many boring movies can you bring yourself to watch throughout the day? A word about getting out of the house, and one gets questioning eyes glaring at you, portraying exactly what is in the minds behind: “ Are you INSANE?”
The least I can say is, I hope Mumbai doesn’t face a situation like that in Pune. Hearing about a 13th death in the city, and 11th in a hospital which I call my own, is quite unnerving. I also hope, other cities don’t have to come to the extent of Pune or Mumbai.

• Vedant has been postponed to February. We might be able to celebrate Ganesh-Chaturthi, but we aren’t yet sure. College has been closed down for about a week now, so it will only be after Tuesday, that we’ll be able to decide on something.

Till then, I can only ask my fellow-bloggers, especially in India, to keep safe, and please use masks.

Getting Ready

It was an emotional send-off for Dad yesterday. And that does NOT include tears and sad sorry farewells. What it included was a lotta questions like "Did you take your ticket?", "Did you take the passport?'' , " What about the policy?", " Have you locked all the bags?", "Should you really carry that watch with you?", " How much of Indian Currency d'u have? Give it to me!", "Where is your handbag?", and last but not the least " Have you taken you passport, ticket ( better keep the xerox copies in every bag) , the policy and the letters? Lemme check it all!" The list is really endless but you just have to be so careful with him. Its not like Dad can't travel alone, but God!, we all are dead worried about him till he reaches his destination safely. He should have reached by now. I'll message him after I finish this.
As my Dad's busy crossing the Arabian Sea, Europe and the Atlantic, we all are busy getting ready for our VISA interviews, as in basically, me. Mom's been a show trying to tell me everything possible she can and actually looks quite sure about us doing well. Hopefully she'll be allowed with my brother and me for the interview. I've been trying to mug up what all I've kept in which file and things just get hazzier and hazzier. I'm just more excited about the trip to Mumbai. I just go back all the trips I took in the month of April to the city for all my entrance exams, and I really enjoyed the 'going there' journey. We'd wake up early in the morning and then start off at like 5 am.....It seems like a different world now. All so long ago when nothing was sure, when all did was to wait for May 8th, when I was actually just a kid preparing for her exam and nothing else.....
And this time when I make a trip, I'm an adult trying to stand up on her two feet, a girl going for her OWN VISA interview, a doctor in the making, and just not a kid! Tomorrow I might have to suffer the very first rejection of my life and that too straight on my face. There will be no waiting for a written result saying 'Your Rejected'. If it has to be done, it will be done then and there. Hows that for a girl who's turned 18 just two weeks back? I guess it'll be a cool reminder of sorts about what the not-so-rosy world out there is all about. And if I get a yes, it'll be my first success as an adult and ,well, that'll definitely give me a bigger outlook of life and a first step towards achieving the Ultimate Dream! I'll definitely become more of an adult than I am now with the entire trip where I will have to take care of myself, where I will have to behave in a particular way......and it is all so exciting!!! I miss my old days of fun and frolic, but I am so looking forward to taking my own responsibilties and living my own life on my terms. So it all happens in probably half an hour tomorrow. Just wait and watch!
I'm confident of speaking well, after all English is my forte`, so guess I'll be okay. Hope I get the papers right, thats all.
Going back to my dad leaving, I didn't go for dissection in college yesterday ( not it actually happened. Nobody turned up on my table). And l'il brother caught a rickshaw and came home as fast as he could to see Dad off. After all, if he took his school bus he'd take ages to come home and never get to farewell Dad. Sweet na!
Thats it. We have a holiday today and day after, so its a holiday for me for three whole days!!!