Medical Love

Anitha (my wife) and I spent some wonderful time roaming around Mysore during our early april trip to the royal city.We went around the well known places of Mysore for three days and enjoyed each moment immensely.As always our primary goal when we travel was to spend quality time with each other and to try understand each other better.

It was great at the Kaaranji kere,a great place for lovers and birdwatchers alike (and did we fit both the bills?, certainly yes... ), the Jayachamarajendra art gallery where the oil paintings of Raja Ravi Varma can be described in the least as enchanting and fascinating, the illuminated Mysore Palace, though consumed a lot of eletricity at these odd load shedding times is still quite attractive, Mahadevapura, tranquil and picturesque as the river Cauvery itself, Srirangapattana (with the sangama, the magnificient forts, Bagh's and the Lord Ranganatha's temple), where we learnt some more history, Balamuri, where we enjoyed for hours by dipping ourselves in the fast moving clear shallow waters, Brindavan Gardens (beware, you may be stampeded!),Kukkarahalli kere (photography, again) and finally not to forget The Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel (one such place where you spend more money for the name rather than the food and ambiance!).

The most important place we visited was none the less, the Mysore Medical College campus where I did my MBBS.We went around the campus as I tried to describe the significance(to me) of each location on the campus.The place had not changed much even after 8 years. Anitha was always interested to see the 'great MMC'.It was she who had insisted, in the first place, on going to the campus and spend some time there.(She used to say that she wanted to see MMC and not Mysore!).

We sat for an hour at the Rotary shed (at the entrance of Biochem practical hall) as I told her that this was the place where lovers often met.She could notice that the reasons were obvious.The Rotary shed is quite secluded and calm, out of eyesight and earshot distance as it is enclosed by buildings on three sides.Even during day times the place is filled with emptiness.The place was so isolated that it was almost scary to go there after 4pm.The place will be instantly recognised by every MMCian for the same obvious reasons.

We talked about the attitude we had towards love and lovers during our undergraduate days.Which, we found, was quite different between government and private medical colleges (Anitha having done her UG and PG in a private medical college,in Bangalore).

I myself, having come from a typical middle class family, my first reaction to love was to stay away from it as far as possible.I believe most of my batchmates had the same reaction as well.We felt we were still very young to get into this and more importantly felt it was quite a disraction (away from our studies) to 'manage' a girl!.Not surprisingly majority of my batchmates are past thirty and are still studying fulltime and unmarried!(some from the fairer sex can also be found who are in the same situation).On one hand, I presume this shows the determination each person has to excel in the respective specialities and subspecialities they have chosen.But on some occassions I'm confused as to what is happenning to these guys.These guys are so highly competetive so as to forget the basic needs of thier bodies and minds.These are the same people whose orders are carried as if they had descended from the skies and whose actions and authority confirms if a person is dead or alive.These are the same people who advice men and women about what is right and what is wrong and what needs to be done to correct oneself to lead a proper healthy life.But at the same time,it seems as if they themselves do not follow what they advice.Paradoxically, probably they are missing out on somethings bacause of their positive attitudes?!.Is sacrifice that important in life?

I sometimes wonder if there is a curse on the doctors to understand the perplexed vagaries of their fellow human beings but not of themselves.

To spend five and a half years of ones early life(51/2 years between 18 -23) at one place,with the same people and friends, (and may be with the same kind of thinking) especially during the formative years, was of course very significant.The place probably 'reflects' in the character and personality of the individual till he dies.So will MMC, which will probably reflect in me every moment I live.(Now I get it why Anitha wanted to see MMC more than Mysore).

And as our primary purpose of our getaway was to try to know and understand each other well, the walk through the campus, had served its purpose well.