IPL4

It's over. IPL-4 is over and Chennai Super Kings have proved beyond any doubt that they are Champions. They really played well. While I'm happy that they won, I'm a bit disappointed that it wasn't another team that had won the cup this year. Had  some other team won this year, it would have been good for cricket I feel.

I'm also sad that IPL is over. It took care of most of my evenings. Somehow, one does not feel guilty sitting for hours in front of the TV watching sport. Watching movies somehow seems like a waste of time. Ah well.... all good things need to come to an end sooner or later.

Our Honourable Leader

It seems that sycophancy is part of the Indian character. But it still pisses me off.  It's disgusting how people fawn  over public figures. Rahul is trying to put a stop to it in his sphere of influence. And by and large Congressmen  and Congresswomen no longer sound  sycophantic these days.

But listen to those who have joined the TMC and you understand why I feel so disgusted. Amit Mitra can't seem to utter a single sentence without mentioning "our great leader, Mamata Bannerjee"... I thought he was the exception. But everyone of the new ministers I've seen on TV seem  to have been bitten by the same  bug!

It's sad that from  DIDI she has now become "our honorable Leader". I'm afraid this might lead to her eventual downfall.

What's wrong with me?

Wonder what's wrong with me. I wake up but feel sleep deprived. Can't continue in bed. And yet, soon after breakfast I simply can't seem to keep my eyes open! This has been going on for a while now -- in fact, ever since I  came back to Bolpur on the 15th.

And then I've lost interest in reading! Or watching TV or even cooking and eating or meeting or mating.... what's wrong with me?

One-Eyed for Half a Day

It all went of smoothly. My cataract operation. I arrived at Park Clinic at 8:00 a.m escorted by Mitali. Went to the Operation Theater at 9:00. A lot of time was spent on preparing me for the operation. Dr. Juthika Pal started the operation at 10:00 as scheduled and I was down at the Day Care centre by 10:00 and out of the clinic by 11:30 though I was supposed to stay till at 5 p.m. I thought I'd be able to rest better at "home" -- Raj and Mitali's place. Jayati was kind enough to send her car so that I would not pick  up an infection by taking a taxi.

At home I had lunch and went to sleep  for a while. Then Jayati's car arrived at 4:30 to take me to the doctor's chamber. The patch was removed. The doctor examined me and said all was well and I could feel it too and I could see properly and the world seemed a lot brighter. And surprise! I am not wearing glasses!

After receiving post-operative care instructions, Mitali and I went and had lots of chocolate ice-cream to celebrate and we came home. And then I sat at the computer and checked mail. Nothing muuch there. So I decided to watch the cricket match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings XI -- KKR won!

\So all  is well. But yesterday while I was "blind" in one eye, I experienced what others who have one eye must experience all the time. It's inconvenient to say the least. Being able to see only one side and having to turn your whole body or head around to see the other side. You don't know what coming at you from the blind side. And yet, strangely enough, my sense of hearing was much more heightened... so I could hear the faintest of sounds. The rustle of cloth, paper, etc.... and even sounds that I would have otherwise ignored.

I kept thinking of the Nawab of Pataudi, one of India's greatest crickets. He had only one eye and yet, boy could he bat! His feat seemed so much more outstanding to me yesterday.

Bored Today

Cataract operation tomorrow. Expensive. Feel guilty about spending so much money. Opted for a cheap lens replacement. Hope it all works out well.

Nothing to do today. Might as well read while I still can! THE INTOLERANT INDIAN by Gautam Adhikari is a great book. Enjoying reading it.

E-Day in Kolkata

Yesterday was Election Day in Kolkata. And I just can't ignore the difference between yesterday and the 23rd which was election day in Bolpur. In fact, the day before I left Kolkata for Bolpur, I did not know it was election day there. I called Sunil, my neighbour to inform him that I was coming and he told me that he might be out to cast his   vote. That's when I realized that I would be arriving there on a bad day.

Everyone in Kolkata told me that there might be violence in the streets, that I  would not find transport to get home, no food in the restaurants, etc. etc. In fact, Mitali gave me a packet of Maggi Noodles so that I wouldn't have  to stay hungry. On the train some people asked me if I was going there to cast my vote and I told them that I lived there when I lived there! I was returning after being away for over two months.

When I got off the train all seemed normal. The rickshaw pullers were there. I found a rickshaw quite easily and when I was riding it to Mission Compound, where I live, I found that all the shops were open and it was business as usual. The restaurants were open too and there no one seemed worried about violence or anything of that sort. Sunil came to meet me and said he was going to cast his vote and I asked him if it was safe and he simply laughed.

Then I came to Kolkata. And everyone seemed terrified about E-Day. And yesterday when the city went to the polls, the streets were deserted. The shops were closed and even the dogs were quiet! What a contrast! Amazing... really amazing.

Anyway, now that the elections are over,  life has  returned to normal. Thank God. I know that if I walk down to the corner store, I will be able to pick up a packet of cigarettes, that I could not do yesterday. Is this democracy?

Eye Operation on 30th

Yesterday was spent getting tests done -- for blood sugar, hemoglobin, ECG, etc, etc... They took a lot of blood out of me! Got the results in the evening. All well with me. So no problems anticipated with the operation which will take place on 30th. Meanwhile I need to put eye drops... irritating.

Talking about irritation, my laptops keyboard jumps. I  press one alphabet and it repeats itself numerous times. Don't know how to fix this problem. The keyboard seems rather sensitive