MBBS 1986-1991

MBBS, 1986- 1991

Green man is as elusive as always, however yet reachable. Isn’t it the part of the strategy to confuse, and remain confused for certain periods of our existence? Was, watching Vasool Raja MBBS (Munna Bai, Tamil version) the other day. Got reminded that this week, 30 years ago, we, the 1986 batch of Stanley Medical College(SMC), were qualified and graduated to become interns, aka House officers. It was perhaps, start of a fresh decade, life, experience, a cumulative frontier for us all.

1991 it was; gulf war had just begun; Internet had seemingly began too with worldwide web harbingering a digital tsunami; advanced intel CPU and a cheaper AMD microprocessor arrived together; digital note books and Apples’ PowerBook arrived; colour scanners too; Microsoft OS officially becomes Windows; Linux was born; the first GSM phone call ever was made and real time global connectivity officially began. 

Apartheid was still on; IRA was actively bombing London; Rodney king had died in LA; Dances with Wolves won Oscar; Satellites began documenting cyclones; Rajiv Gandhi, ex –Indian PM was assassinated; Indian economy is yet for revival under PV N Rao; first official female pilot designated in UK; Mike Tyson was arrested for rape; Gorbachev and Soviet Union were still intact at the beginning of 1991; Super Nintendo was released with a tag of $ 200(!) in US; Magic Johnson tested positive for HIV ; whilst Freddy Mercury died a day after announcing his AIDS, Bohemian rhapsody topped charts, again and it was end of Soviet Union and Gorbachev, later that year in 1991.

Well, I was not in the least aware of most of these events or developments, including something called Internet or worldwide web and that’s how I was, we were and most of India was in 1990’s and more so us especially in Chennai. I had not seen a personal computer personally, let alone a note book or big office bulky ones, until I landed in UK ,1994. It was by any means few more years before I could own a desk top in 1998. Internet provider being AOL, for few frustrating hours a day,  when dial tones heralded temperamental connectivity, mostly expensive by any measure, uploading and downloading took monumental time;  when,  1 MB file possibly took 10 minutes to be downloaded on a 14.4 kbps modem with a then high speed (!) DSL connection. No wonder a precursor of Wi-Fi was just being tested and  used in Netherlands and it was still 1991.

I was however nearly and neatly happy in 1991, earning a monthly stipend of 850 Rupees, as an Intern, equating to 15 current Singa dollars (may be 25-50 dollars in ’91) per month, which vanished, as soon as it arrived, on few beers, sumptuous lunch at infamous Pilot Road Munusamy Hotel and then over few snacks in a nearby Marina Beach stroll. Needless to say most of other days and weekends of the months were similarly spent, however upon borrowed stipends from healthy wealthy friends and nicked nickels plenty, from our Homes. Its 30 years since I passed by MBBS.

Tiruvalluvar is very apt when he says, 

“Thaam-In  buruvathu ulagu-in purakkandu 

kaam Uruvaar katrarindhar”,

 “Educated beings want to learn more, on finding deeper learning, delights other human beings”. 

Dig more, accruing wisdom too, when, he says, “Thottanithuu oorum manarkeni maantharkkuk katranaithum oorum arivu” meaning, “The deeper we dig the well, more the water we get, likewise, wisdom”.

Tim Berners Lee wrote in 2010 (inventor, worldwide web), “The web is critical not merely to the digital revolution but to our continued prosperity-and even our liberty”. 

Well, being right isn’t nearly as important as being happy, right?