There are many ways!..An important message. Take care while flying frequently

Those who read my blogs will know about Surya and Neema. Recently we have been attending a series of Neema's lectures at their apartment on Bhagwad Gita. Last Thursday we were seeking a topic for a lecture they would be giving to the members of National Museum Volunteers, Bangkok and felt that a talk on 'Karma' appeared right for the group! This choice reminded me of a quote on Karma: 'God does not make one suffer for no reason nor does He make one happy for no reason. God is very fair and gives you exactly what you deserve.' (Wikipedia)

While I had no issues with this quote, I turned to Surya and asked: 'I have heard that two angels (I think I said spies!) keep a watch and maintain a register of all our actions. But my question really is about the process of handling this enormous amount of data, collecting and processing billions of inputs by millions of us humans and administering the right reward or punishment. How is this achieved?’ It was difficult to for me to imagine how this could be done during Vedic times, but we can now talk of a super-duper computer doing this work! Anyway, my tone implied: 'I cannot really believe that this is possible'.

Surya said: 'Yes it is a belief and the scribes are Chitra and Gupta' and Neema added: 'I think it is possible, think of the universe which is billions of years old still working to some order, why think of the creation within this earth itself or just our own birth process, I am sure it is possible'. She calls them non-verifiable beliefs. I let it go at this as we were on our way to a friends' place and had reached our destination.

I had no inkling then that what Neema terms as my skepticism, was going to be overhauled within a few days.

Well here is my story. We had arranged our farewell party last Friday, May the 1st. The Party went very well and we came home happy and spoke to our children whom we had sorely missed. Our daughter Nandini had just returned from a short trip to Hyderabad and was getting back to her routines. Actually, we first spoke to Rohini in Vancouver and as we spoke she mentioned that Nandini while talking about her trip complained of pain in her leg. This jogged Rohini's memory; she had read about travel induced blood clots and urged Nandini to go to ER immediately and get herself checked.

Soon after we spoke to Nandini in Bellevue, she said that she had already been to the ER and yes, there was a clot and she had been given medicine and also an injection and now she was fine. We were relieved and went to bed tired after a very hectic but a wonderful evening of partying!

I do not sleep all through the night and as I woke up, my mind went clicking and I soon realized that the clot must dissolve completely for her to be safe and fervently wished it would be so. I also hoped that there would be no break away clots. True to my nature I did not involve God in any manner at that time. Frankly my understanding about her present ailment was very vague.

Next morning Tara called Nandini to check how she was doing and Nandini said she would call back. But she did not call and we were not too worried as we thought she was just busy. We went out for lunch to Gayathri's place and were happy talking about the last evening’s program, how well it went and how everyone had a good time! While we were at the lunch table Mukund received a call and said 'Just a minute' and handed over the phone to me. That created a little flutter in my heart. We had not carried our phone and some one trying to reach us this way was a bit worrying.

It was Raxit and he spoke very calmly and said that he was speaking from the hospital and that Nandini was fine. He then spoke about how Nandini had some discomfort in the evening and that they rushed to the hospital and she was admitted and that on a scan the doctors found a few clots lodged in her lungs; luckily they were not threatening. She was immediately put on IV medication and that doctors were now happy with her progress but were keeping her in the hospital for a few days to ensure no further complications arose, especially due to the unpredictability of her condition.

He explained to me a little more about DVT and said he would keep in touch. It was lucky for us that we were with Gayathri, Mukund and Vasantha and they were able to calm our minds. Vasantha spoke about divine intervention through Rohini and that Nandini went on time to doctors both the times.

It is only when we returned from lunch and I had a look at the web, I realized the seriousness of what had transpired. Tara had gone totally quiet, I am sure she was offering silent prayers while my mind went into overdrive. I saw more websites on Deep Vein Thrombosis and it was very worrying to learn more about this ailment. I was also greatly relieved that in Nandini's case the break away clots did not cause serious complications.

It was around 9 pm when Tara said let us go to the Erawan (Brahma) shrine and offer prayers. I went along with her and sat contemplating while she did her thing of offering prayers. That is the time I realized that I was hoping and praying. I was in fact wishing that there were no more errant clots breaking loose and even if they did I was mentally urging them to travel and reach safer areas of her lungs. I was also praying that the medicines administered would do their job.

This is what Nandini told me when I spoke to her later. She said 'I just have to wait: for the medicines to do their job and my body to do its job'. I am very happy to say that they are doing their jobs and she is sounding much better now. Nandini and Raxit received and are receiving tremondous support from Ram and Shakku (Tara's sister) and many friends they have made in Seattle. We know that God has always been kind to us but more so now!

As we spoke to friends and relatives, I realized how important it was to talk to them. Vasantha saw the divine intervention in all this and offered prayers on our behalf. So did all of those we had spoken to, they all said that they would include us in their prayers. They gave us enormous support and we were able to compose ourselves and become more objective.

Later I spoke to Rikhi about all this and said I still do not know how to pray, I do not remember any mantras to chant and so on. He said you can talk to God if you do not know how to pray, he will listen! I suppose that is the message I want to pass on.

I also want to urge people to take this advice about moving your limbs often and keeping our body hydrated while on a flight very seriously. I remember EVA airlines screen this advice periodically and show us a set of exercises we should do be doing on board. I am sure all airlines do this. Please watch it and do exactly what it says. I know we hardly watch what they say about our safety while we are on a flight!

It is also worthwhile looking at the websites like the one below.
http://www.preventdvt.org/

What is a Honeymoon Suite?

This subject of Honeymoon keeps returning! Remember our Laos trip?

Anyway we returned from Bangalore and as usual made a beeline to Mukund and Gayathri's place for dinner. Sethu and Madhu were also there, so it was a family gathering! The group had gone to Burma border and Kanchanaburi and had a great time relaxing and golfing while we were on a serious trip trying to organize our return to India!

Suddenly Gayathri goes: (did she look demure?) 'We were given a Honeymoon Suite in one of the places we stayed'! That rankled or was it the thought that I missed the golf game the next day? Anyway I imagined as seniors we would have made a claim, or drawn numbers for this room and I could have finally seen a Honeymoon Suite! Before I could ask them more about the suite, the topic was changed by some one!

I am not now talking about Honeymoon, which does not raise an eyebrow now a days. It was not the same while we were young kids! Not all newly weds' went on a honeymoon! In fact, often the groom went back to his native town with his relatives and another muhurth was chosen at a later date for Nuptials! (I wonder whether the word is still current.) There are many stories about this auspicious day, but I am not blogging about them here.

I remember one story though, not sure whether I read about it or heard the story. Here was this senile grandmother who had packed her things join the honeymooning couple, she could not comprehend why she could not go with them! She had not seen the temple in the vicinity of their honeymoon location (Mysore or Ooty those days!) and it was also not right for the newlyweds to miss a pilgrimage opportunity! It was not easy to dissuade her considering she was a very determined person!

I am digressing, a few days later we were at the Mingles watching IPL cricket or more importantly drinking beer and I asked Mukund: 'what really is a honeymoon suite!' Well he said: 'It had three windows looking out at Sea (?) instead of one as in the other rooms and had one double bed instead of two which we see normally in a hotel!' I asked: 'That is it?' He said: 'Yes!' It was not what I had imagined it to be!

The story should end there, but there is one more mention of a Honeymoon suite! Read all about it!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honeymoon_Suite

Gayathri responded finally!
gayathri said...
ok - since it is all about our acco in Sangklaburi, i think i am justified in making this almost a blog entry rather than a response! So bear with me please. So this place we stayed at had this room that Mukund and I got - only because it was away from the main building and others did not want it!!! - and no one dare comment on THAT!So this room was ALL PINK - bedspread, sheets, walls - everything. And it had 3 sides that were windows opening on to the river (no sea and such). And when we commented on it the next morning at breakfast, it is suddenly the Honeymoon suite. And the 2nd day, we all had to switch rooms, thanks to our "friend" (aka sethu). and now we had this room that was no longer pink, but it continued to be referred to as the Honeymoon suite!I have to grant that it was a wonderful trip and we definitely encourage this "friend" to arrange more of these trips - switching rooms, pink rooms, it just adds to the fun!The Very Young Gayathri

Forced to go on a Honeymoon to Luang Prabang!

People who know us will understand! We have not gone on a holiday trip by ourselves in years!

Tara had first planned to go to Bangalore during the week long break at school, then she dropped the idea! We thought we should make good use of the break with a trip to Luang Prabhang. This trip has been on the anvil since last year. In fact, Rama and Prasad tired of waiting for us made the trip on their own last year and said they had a good time!

Tara made umpteen phone calls to see if she could tempt others to join us! While many were keen, they finally did not join for one reason or the other. This meant a delay in booking a hotel and some of the recommended hotels were full by the time I spoke to them.

It seemed that we were destined to go on a honeymoon! Imagine this, the first hotel that said they had vacant rooms offered us this room (See below)!

"Water lily rooms: Lotus Villa's largest rooms at a minimum of 24 square meters; feature the decadence of an open style bath in the bedroom, as well as a separate shower, air conditioning and fan, and wi fi access. Waterlily rooms are large enough to accommodate a third person on request.


We immediately had a palaver with our extended family about this room. As you can guess, no one really gave us a sensible advice. They were either aghast at such an arrangement, Gayathri said it was reminiscent of the decadent Louis the XIV days, while Madhu and Sethu were just making inane jokes. Only Aditi made a sensible suggestion! She said 'Aunty can probably hang a towel from somewhere to cover the view of the bathtub'.

I also voiced my concern: 'I may be in trouble in case we have an argument, I would probably be asked to sleep in the bath tub!' Luckily for me Rama and Prasad came to my rescue by giving us the name of the guest house they had stayed at. They said it should work even if the plumbing needed some work! (It still needed work!)

I was very happy to book a room at this guest house and when we reached the guest house we paid up after a cursory inspection of the room. Triple occupancy seems to be the rule in this town as the bed room had a double and a single bed in it. Anyway it was way better than getting sent off to a bathtub to sleep!

Later while we were getting ready to go out for lunch, we had reached around afternoon, I saw this notice stuck prominently on a wall of the room. It was an "Accommodation Regulation" created by the Police department, Luang Prabhang Provincial, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Peace Independent Democracy Prosperity.

(I am totally in love with this publication and will try to quote as much as I can from it. It is authentic as it has a chop of the director of the police department)

"Accommodating in hotels, guesthouses and resorts for domestic and international tourists is to make sure that safety and security procedures in place to response in emergency cases for both domestic and international tourists who have accommodated and promote the Lao PDR tourism policy.

The Tourism police office has issued accommodation regulation for tourists and accommodation provider to implement and follow as below:
1. Tourists have to your own accommodation at 2400 hrs (mid night).
( I had no issues with this mid night curfew, as I am the 'early to bed' type of fellow! You can see me nodding at 2200 hrs!)
2.( Says show passport!)
3. Every time, when you are check in hotels, guesthouses and resorts you must register your belonging. If there are value things you have to give to receptionist to look after for you and both party have to sign for acknowledgement. If not, in case something lost it will be your own responsible.
4. (Something about ammunition's!)
5. Do not any drugs, crambling or bring both women and men which is not your own husband or wife into the room for making love.
6. Do not allow domestic or international tourist bring prostitute and others into your accommodation to make sex movies in our room, it is a restriction.
(and so on)
11. If you do not follow this accommodation regulation, you will be fight based on Lao PDR law.
12. This regulation take effect with official signature and stamp."



The regulation no. 5 had me worried. It is still very fresh in my memory that Thailand consulate in Vancouver could not issue me a dependent visa. One of the reasons was that I did not produce a marriage certificate with my application. My pointing out to them that both our passports mentioned us as husband and wife did not work.

Here again we were in a predicament as we had not carried our marriage certificate with us. I was considering sleeping on the other bed, just in case there was a raid, but was fortunately vetoed!
I was also tremendously relieved that I did not carry a video camera. Luckily mine is an ancient model and I have stopped using it.

( By the way, I did take some pictures and I plan to write another blog highlighting some of the sight seeing trips we made and post a few pictures. Bye for now!)