King of Chennai

Hi Friends,

After re-reading my last post, I must have sounded pretty damn depressed. Well, I was. But now I am doing much better and very determined to do better on my next set of exams.

A thing about medical school: BE RELENTLESS!

I don't think that idea can be reinforced enough and is kinda becoming my mantra for the next couple of years.

Anyway, Chennai has changed so much and I couldn't believe my own eyes at some of the things I've seen! Shopping malls (Somerset Collection-esque), gourmet restaurants and freaking KFC! The amount of modernization is amazing. From modern art like office buildings to 5 star hotels, I am kinda discombobulated by it all. I think I would like to visit this city one day strictly as a tourist.

I just got back from Thirupathi. My dad and I climbed the 3,55o steps to Thirumala. It was a definite physical challenge for my dad and I; I'm out of shape and he' out of shape and getting old. I'll post some pictures when I get back to Manipal because the internet in Chennai is too slow. My maternal grandfather is on his way as I type this to visit for a few days. That should be a nice ray of sunshine for a bit.

Other than that, I'm just slugging away at my text books. I'll update again, hopefully.

Killing me softly with his song...

I have to apologize. I haven't updated this blog in ages, it seems. So let's update real quick before we get to the meat and potatoes.

Updates:

• Took my finals
• Failed finals
• Took my practice shelf exams (absurd)
• If my shelf exams were real, I probably would've failed those too.

Finals sucked. I don't think I have ever felt more humiliated or depressed. My mentor talked to me about my performance and said that she was "very surprised". I don't care so much about disappointing my mentor, but more so how I am going to rectify this. Of course I have to study over my winter break so I can retake my exams. What's even worse is that I have to retake 4 subjects. My mentor made it seem that I could realistically only pass two of my major subjects and then I would have to carry over one major and one minor subject. That plus a grueling fourth semester load and studying for the shelf exams seems impossible.

What I hate the most about finals time are people that claim to have failed an exam, but in actuality, they passed with flying colors and know it. They only say they failed to make you feel better for the short term and then knock you down (indirectly, of course) when they are all smiles about passing. Yes, I am very bitter.

So, at this point in time, I don't know what to do with myself. I don't know how to change my habits to be a successful medical school student. I did find some hints that I want to believe are helpful. They were published here by a Ross University medical student. All I can say right now about my first semester is that medical school sucks and it ruins people's outlook on life. I can definitely see myself turning into a Dr. House personality; bitter, tired, cynical and distrusting of others.

After all is said and done, I am going to take the next couple days to reassert and reevaluate myself. Over break (Dec 16 - Jan 9) I plan to study the days away.

Actually, after the update, I don't feel like writing anymore. Too depressed and dismayed. I'll write more later.

Schooled.

Canned Heat

Updates:

Studying for finals.

My MacBook's screen cracked. Now I call it CrackBook.

New music I am listening to: Jamiroquai.

Here is one of the coolest music videos I have ever seen:

A New Era

As all of you might now, Barack Obama has been elected by the American people to become the next President of the U.S.

Here is the transcript of his victory speech he gave in Chicago, Illinois.

"Hello, Chicago.

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

"It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen, by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different, that their voices could be that difference.

"It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of individuals or a collection of red states and blue states.

"We are, and always will be, the United States of America.

"It's the answer that led those who've been told for so long by so many to be cynical and fearful and doubtful about what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this date in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.

"A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Senator McCain.

"Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.

"I congratulate him; I congratulate Governor (Sarah) Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.

"I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

"And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years, the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.

"Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.

"And while she's no longer with us, I know my grandmother's watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight. I know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

"To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.

"And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best - the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.

"To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way. To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics, you made this happen and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.

"But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.

"I was never the likeliest candidate for this office.

"We didn't start with much money or many endorsements.

"Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington. It began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

"It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give 5 and 10 and 20 to the cause.

"It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation's apathy, who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep.

"It drew strength from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on doors of perfect strangers, and from the millions of Americans who volunteered and organised and proved that more than two centuries later a government of the people, by the people, and for the people has not perished from the Earth.

"This is your victory.

"And I know you didn't do this just to win an election. And I know you didn't do it for me.

"You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century.

"Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us.

"There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after the children fall asleep and wonder how they'll make the mortgage or pay their doctors' bills or save enough for their child's college education.

"There's new energy to harness, new jobs to be created, new schools to build, and threats to meet, alliances to repair.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term. But, America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there.

"I promise you, we as a people will get there.

"There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem.

"But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

"What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter cannot end on this autumn night.

"This victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were.

"It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice.

"So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other.

"Let us remember that, if this financial crisis taught us anything, it's that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers.

"In this country, we rise or fall as one nation, as one people. Let's resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long.

"Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity.

"Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress.

"As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, we are not enemies but friends. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection.

"And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too.

"And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand.

"To those - to those who would tear the world down: We will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security: We support you. And to all those who have wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright: Tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

"That's the true genius of America: that America can change. Our union can be perfected. What we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

"This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing: Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

"She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn't vote for two reasons - because she was a woman and because of the colour of her skin.

"And tonight, I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America - the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can't, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

"At a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

"When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs, a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

"When the bombs fell on our harbour and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

"She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that 'We Shall Overcome'. Yes we can.

"A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination.

"And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change.

"Yes we can.

"America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves - if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

"This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment.

"This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can.

"Thank you. God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America."

This speech basically invokes, in what I feel, the dreams and goals of my generation. Contrary to popular belief, my generation is not apathetic. I have always felt that my voice and the voices of other young people like me were always disregarded as naive or unrealistic. President - elect Obama has proved to me that my voice will not be lost in the darkness, that idealism is not a lost cause, as long as we set our mind to it and work together to improve ourselves.

Congratulations President - elect Barack Obama. I'm glad I could be part of the movement to get you to where you are. The pleasure was all mine.

Vote!

This blog officially and fully endorses Senator Barack Obama for the presidency of The United States of America. However, as an American citizen I urge my fellow Americans to not be complacent and get out and vote. We must exercise our right, nay, our obligation to each other and to the men and women who have sacrificed their sweat, blood, tears and in some cases their lives, to guarantee the right to vote. So, even if you do not agree with my voting choice, please go out and make your voice heard.

The following is for those that maybe misinformed or don't know anything about Barack Obama:



Also, here is a website with proposals that will be available on your states ballot.

http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/States

Another haiku

Rain falls steadily down
Light shoots from heaven strikes earth
Water drips calmly

Haiku Part II

Sweat pouring profusely
Sun burning relentlessly
Opponents must be defeated

I'm turning Japanese...

I decided that I'm going to start writing haiku as stress relief and to learn something new. Here is my freshman attempt:

Pages turning slow
Eyes darting fast like lightening
stifling hot summer

Things I Miss (in no particular order) - Part II

Another post on things I miss back home that are not readily available to me in India:

Cereal and cold milk
Cultured people (By cultured I mean people that have read non-medical books, can talk about anything and listen to music besides Top 40)
Labatt and Leinenkugels
Non-Idiot girls
Fireplaces on chilly nights
Late night strolls with my dad
Using iChat and Skype with full functionality

That is all for now. Stay tuned for more later.

Sound and Vision

I very recently saw The Dark Knight and Iron Man, two very opposite and at the same time, very similar characters. A couple of years ago, I also saw Casino Royale, the reboot of the James Bond franchise, starring Daniel Craig as 007. The reasoning I am mentioning these movies and characters is because of the nature of the story lines and the characters the actors play. Bond, Batman and Iron Man all walk very fine moral lines.

In The Dark Knight, Batman is faced with the choice of whether to meet fire with fire against the Joker. This would mean doing what he promised he would not do: Kill in the name of justice. I won't give away the ending, but Batman makes the moral decision that justice is served best through due process of law. He chooses not to escalate his war with the Joker, but rather becomes the "immovable object" to Joker's "unstoppable force". What strikes me the most about this new version of Batman is the non-campy and very gritty and dark characterization. It is very refreshing and allows the characters to be more believable.

As for Iron Man, the life of Tony Stark is not hard. With money at his disposal (like Bruce Wayne/Batman) as well as women, he does what he wants, when he wants. But Iron Man is a flawed character, just like people in real life. He is an alcoholic, obsessive and at first only has his self interest to look after. Then, after a stroke of conscience, he decides to care for himself and his company. This is very interesting because it shows a single man making a stand for morality and self dignity. It is what we all strive for in one way or another, but few achieve.

Now, James Bond has made a very interesting transformation. Going from a suave, womanizing gentleman to a gritty, troubled and brash gentleman makes a huge impact on his dynamic. What is most noticeable is that he is not refined, operationally speaking. He is of course THE epitome of gentlemanly behavior (wearing a jacket to dinner, standing up when a lady leaves or returns to the table), but also at the same time, he is rough around the edges and guards himself. Honestly, that is something that most men could aspire to be. Be gentlemen superficially, but once that first layer is peeled back, men should do everything in their power to get their work/goals accomplished (short of killing one, unless you are a spy). Daniel Craig's rendition of Bond is very refreshing and reinvigorates the character.

What is even more fascinating about the three characters mentioned above is the fact that they reflect some of the feelings and troubles we have at home. This is similar to what happened during the 1920s and 30s Depression Era and the recession of the 1970s. As we are going through economic hardships, we look to heroes that we can aspire to be like and emulate. Moreover, the characters represent the angst, desperation, physical and mental anguish that people in this day in age go through. Although not everyone is saving a city from a psychopath, stopping terrorists from destroying the world or having a clarity of conscience through invention and battle, these characters show what people have the potential to be.

As we approach a new decade, we have to ask ourselves whether we can have a clarity of conscience and duty to do what we must to get the job done or our goals met. And at the same time, maintain ourselves as pristine and exemplary people.

Swagga Like Us

Hello Blog readers,

We got done with our Anatomy practical today and I'm happy to say I did pretty well today. Today's article is going to be about music. Where would we be without it! Right now I'm hanging out in my friends apartment and listening to the T.I.'s new song "Swagga Like Us". I have to say, Kanye and Lil' Wayne with M.I.A. singing is awesome. Listening to something like this is pretty neat. I'm not claiming that they did something extraordinary, but it is a good song. The addition of M.I.A. is pretty cool, especially because she is not known too well in North America.

When collaborations like Jay-Z and Punjabi MC happen, great music occurs and it gets lots of exposure. The same can be said with rock and roll and classical music and rap music with classical instruments. These so called mash ups and music mixing creates a genre of music; rap-rock, rap-classical, rock-classical have opened up a new dimension to music. DJs and forward thinking musicians can attributed to this new field of music mixing innovation.

However, there are lots of critics that don't like the new music that has been released. In my opinion, there is no room for criticism because just like people didn't like what is now considered established "music" (rock, swing, jazz, etc.), each genre of music will find its own niche of listeners.

What are you're favorite genres of music? Leave comments.

Flashing Lights

Hi everyone,

Current Status: Reading about fibular fractures

I'm just taking a break and updating the blog. I've been watching the show 30 Rock when I have off time and I love it! Tina Fey (hot as usual) has put together a great cast and great writing goes into it. Before that, I was watching House M.D. So, I guess I've been on a stint of witty, facetious humor. Otherwise, nothing else really bothering me. Just studying away and missing my friends and family back home.

Things I Miss (in no particular order)

Diversity (especially white girls)
Good fast food (Taco Bell where are you?)
A thick chocolate milkshake
Driving
Cold mornings
Sidewalks
Orderly driving
Going and coming as I please
My Family
Unrestricted internet
Wearing whatever I want to the library

I know I shouldn't be thinking about the things I miss, but I guess it keeps things in prespective.

You spin me right round baby...

Hey friends and family,

Updating the blog. Not too much going on. Just been studying away like a good medical school student. This weekend, we are preparing for sessional exams, so I won't be relaxing too much. On Friday is Indian Independence Day (August 15). I am taking part by marching in the parade. All the various colleges (Nursing, Pharmacology, Dentistry, etc) are marching around campus. I'll bet you can't guess who is the marching leader for KMCIC (hint: me)? I didin't want to get too involved my first year in med school; I need to get a handle on things. I guess mentioning I had marching experience when the instructor asked was a bad idea and completely counter productive.

Something interesting has happened to me. India has changed things. When people ask me if I like it here, I tell them I like it and that I like it better everyday. What I am wondering is if I am genuinely feeling like that, or am I just blind to the bad "stuff". My logic is, if you are in a new place, come in with a positive attitude; you are bound to find something you like. If I came to Manipal with a bad attitude, I think I would pick out every single fault and I would miserable.

Something to ponder. I leave that up to you, friends and family, to give me feedback on what you think.

Kannan Naina visited India recently. I spoke to him on the phone and he sounded like he was in good spirits. It was weird because he was visiting his engineering school on his 25th reunion. He told me he hadn't seen some classmates for about that long. I can't imagine twenty five years from now. I will be forty seven. What am I going to be like? Will my friends even recognize me? All interesting questions.

Otherwise, mind, body and spirit are good, although this monsoon rain could let up a bit and not be so hard on us!

I love and miss you all. Leave comments to let me know how you all are doing.

Inauguration

Hey friends and family,

I am starting this blog so that you can gain a perspective of my life during medical school. I am in Manipal, Karnataka, India at Manipal University's Kasturba Medical College International Center (what a mouthful). So far, classes, people and the local fair are good. Because of the nature of medical school, I am pretty much studying everyday, all day! Classes from 8 to 5, then studying from 6 to the wee hours of the morning makes me tired Karthik.

Even as I am typing this blog, I am still wondering what the future holds. Things are tough now, but I know the future is going to be bright.

That's all for now. I have to get back to learning how to save lives (how cliche).