FLU and the snow!!

I was down with flu recently. May have been a swine flu considering the number of patients with swine illness, hitting our Hospitals in North West, here in UK.

Well, went on antibiotics as my spit turned a bit colourful. However, the aftermath is more awful than the flu itself. Felt very low and mood was definitely depressed.  Full of aches!
Luckily the new year London trip, followed by Arun’s son (Akshay) birth day bash and then the Pongal celebrations, have lifted the sulking mood up a bit.

I used to have one of these, every other year, during the medical school times, back in Chennai, India. It was like a seasonal illness, may have been Typhoid or one of those tropical parasites, infesting my body and in the process knocking me out for next few weeks.

In UK, so far I had few big shots, including Malaria!!

Few of them, when I was still a bachelor; worried for nothing but bachelor’s life!!

Life goes on and it’s going to be 17 years, since we landed in UK. (Me, Hari and another fellow). Me and Hari were wondering, the other day, whether it’s the worst cold freeze, that we ever seen in UK, so far. Certainly the case in my humble opinion, my dear friend!!

It’s been awful and the weather is notorious and unpredictable as usual at the moment. Unpredictable is the predictability of life, you may see. The temp, very casually drops down to -5 during the day time!!

Come on, what the heck is happening? Well, this winter may have been the worst I have seen during the past 17 yrs in UK. However, mind you, I came down here from the land of glorious sun shine, where sun GOD, could roast your bums very easily like a “Bull’s eye,” if you happen to seat your bottom cushions, inadvertently, on a nice car bonnet, on a typical sunny day.  (Provided you have a car, if not, on any other surface on earth in Chennai)

The black Tar of the road, will travel with you, happily glued to your wheels (Cycle, car, Buses and Bikes) and what not? You can even roast a lamb on Chennai’s hot roads and terraces with nothing but sun’s grace!! 

Well, we were and are well prepared for those normalities of life. Needless to say, air conditioners were a rarity those days and you find them mostly in Mansions and not in middle class hubs!

Heavy snow and in fact any heavy weather, we in UK are, sadly are not prepared. Therefore life comes to a standstill. 

This includes summer, when the thermometer very rarely crosses the 30.C mark, when people would be milling around, topless (!) and bottomless (treat for your eyes!!), and shopping around for table top fans and air coolers.  Needless to say, our hospital wards are the worst prepared for these, normal exuberance of nature. Well, Arun said the other day that people here are used to a routine, which therefore cracks up now and then!!

I would certainly like to have more winters like this; if our friend Ramesh could come out with more photos,like the one with the berries, he’s shot recently!!

Well done nanbane!!