Random thoughts on a weekday....

Ok...I have nothing specific to write about so I will ramble somewhat aimlessly today.

The other day I was thinking about "Fate and chance"...not in a mathematical or statistical sort of way but more in terms of its imapct on our lives.Sometimes I really wonder if anything has a meaning at all...a lot of things in nature work on the principle of chance...for example-the very creation of life.Everything seems to be controlled by an unknown element of mystery and chance.Suppose you are driving down a road and get into an accident....why does that happen? why did it happen to you?No one can answer these questions.Statistics says that perhaps the probability of people driving down a road and meeting with an accident is say x % based on number of cars on the road,driving conditions etc.But if you happen to be in that x % then what is that supposed to mean?Was it your luck or a random event in which you figured by chance.You see what a hopeless quagmire this is...

Religion,Science and Philosophy deal with this universal question very differently.Religion asks you to believe in "Karma" or destiny.Your path in life is pre-decided by the Supreme being and everything that happens is pre-written in the pages of your book of life.

Science talks about probability and tries to put a number to the events in life making it seem statistical and cold.But life is not all numbers and probabilities or is it?

Philosophy often tries to tread the middle ground if there is one that is.It teaches us to question.
Many philosphers have even asked what do we mean by understanding or to question 'why' things happen.

None of this happens to answer the universal question of life- why do things happen the way they do?Is everything predestined to happen?

I somewhat believe that in the grand scheme of things there is no rhyme or reason why things happen. They are meaningless events in a random cosmos.

Jungle Jim's

Several months ago a colleague at work had mentioned about a store called "Jungle Jim's" in fairfield ohio...a 10 mile drive or so.The concept is quite unique-Jungle Jim sells food produts from different countries -Germany,UK,Austria,Japan,China,India to name a few.

Last Sunday,I decided to check out the place.It was very interesting with a HUGE setup and different sections dedicated to food products from around the world. It was a great experience walking down different aisles.A few that I checked out were - Germany,UK,Austrailia,South Africa,Carribean and of course India.

The Indian section was really a bigger variation of the quintissential 'desi' stores scattered all over the US.The thing that catches everybody's eye in the Indian section is an Auto Rickshaw displayed on an elevated podium.It was complete with a picture of Rani Mukherjee inside and a note stuck on the wheel saying "imagine being an auto rickshaw driver in india"!.There was also a neat explanation about the gear mechanics and how the auto worked. I found it pretty amusing.

If there can be a store with the novel concept of Jungle Jim's it has to be in the US.This great nation is really a melting pot of cultures and cuisines from so many different countries.

Jungle Jim's on the internet

Panic Room....

This past wednesday I got my first ER(Emergency Room) experience.I was at work when about noon I started getting these sharp stomach pains which initially seemed like stomach cramps.Its rare for me to have even a stomach upset so it caught me totally offguard.Still under growing pain,I drove home,stopped at the supermarket and bought a pack of "GasX" hoping that it was just some constipation issue causing the pain.

But by the time I got home and lay in bed,the pain had worsened so much that it would not allow me to lie still,talk or walk.We contemplated calling 911 but then I thought since the hospital was just a stone's throw why wait...so there I was in mind numbing pain driving thru heavy lunch time traffic to the Cincinnati's Bethesda Hospital's Emergency unit.

At the hospital,I held my stomach in pain as the inevitable paper work was done..unable to speak coherently from the pain,I just put down my insurance card and driver's license on the nurse's desk.After what seemed like an endless wait(actually it was just some 15 minutes or so but seemed like eternity under that terrible pain) I gingerly walked into the alloted room and lay down on the bed.

A wrist band with my name and id printed on it was clipped to me.I was then wheeled out to the Radiologist center and administered X-rays of my stomach,back and chest.Then I was wheeled back to my room and was told to await the doctor.I tried to sleep and didnt realize when I slept probably under some realxing medication.When I woke up the pain was gone!.

The Dr came in a few minutes later and asked me about my pain and its location.Almost immidiately he said "sounds like a kidney stone to me".He said I could already have passed it since I was under no pain or it could have temporarily dislodged itself causing a temporary pain relief.He said he had ordered a CT scan to be sure his diagnosis was on the mark.

I was wheeled into the CT scan room shortly afterwards and it looked absolutely like a scifi movie with that hitech gadgetry.After the scan the Doctor returned to inform me that the pain was indeed due to the kidney stone but fortunately for me the stone was very small(about 2mm in size) and there was every possibility that I would pass it normally and no surgery was needed.He said the pain could return and he would prescribe some strong pain killers to deal with it.I was told to stay off from work and drink lots of water to help it along.

Over the next two days the pain did return with a vengenace and I spent two very restless days and nights foggy and weak from the medication.However this morning there was no pain and I sure passed it!.

I never thought a 2 mm tiny stone could cause so much pain...also the human's body's self correcting mechanism is underestimated.I feel good again but I had a hellish week with ending up in a hospital gown and under a CT scanner...Thank god I didnt find myself on the surgeon's table.