Thursday, June 05, 2008

Common Exotic Ailments

Every year I manage to fall prey to some weird ailment. The symptoms are mild but irritating but the cause is difficult to identify. The common theme is that I throw off some scent that attracts the smallest of bugs.

Last year I was bitten by something and the doc said probably some bug/flea that jumped from the grass. So I restrained my singing and dancing to paved roads. And yet the bites continued fueling my paranoia. Was it a bed bug ? Should I set fire to all my furniture (history says that was a treatment for bugs)? At some point I think my husband might have contemplated enrolling me in "Bug Bite Anonymous". I performed experiments that involved standing at a particular spot in a room and then checking if I suffered any bites. In one such trial run I was bitten. So proceeding to the next step I scoured the carpet with a magnifying glass to determine if some creature escaped the powerful forces of Super Vacuum 2001. And needless to say, I found the world's tiniest insect jumping about, no doubt as it scented my presence. I am unashamed to say I squished it, and the bites stopped. Is this a placebo ? I don't know but it worked.

Now, I seem to suffer from some allergy - runny nose, itchy eyes, and continuous bouts of sneezing. My sneeze count has exceeded hundred for sure. Of course in the beginning I assumed it was a cold caused by my sudden urge to eat tutti fruti icecream in 90 deg heat. But then my itchy eyes forced reconsideration. Recalling my earlier tryst with the minute warriors, I had to retrace my steps. Sandflies in the beach volleyball court, or the borrowed camping equipment that lay in my home ? And I do feel a wee bit ashamed to even think that I might suffer from allergies. It connotes a weak immune system, soft living, and lots of wealth - all of which I do not possess. For now I still suffer these common symptoms, and have almost succumbed to buying OTC medication. Perhaps it the Revenge of the Buggies, and they might have just won this one!


Saturday, October 06, 2007

Rate my travel photo

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The Age of Innocence
The Age of Innocence
by rummy20

Monday, April 16, 2007

Viriginia Tech Shootings

This is surreal. Went to school early to get some work done. And soon I am instructed to stay put in my office because there is a crazy gunman on the loose. We laugh it off thinking it is just another freak incident. But soon there is a quiet hush as we read about the rising death toll. It is happening right here. And we are helpless.

This is my school. I know the building - Norris Hall. I have walked those paths hundreds of times. And now there is a massacre, on my campus. Should we go home ? Evacuation ? All bus services are canceled. My adviser drops me home. We listen in silence to the radio that spews worsening news. Desperate, we hope it is a blunder of flipped numbers. But they only increase.

Classes are canceled for today and tomorrow. But, I doubt if Blacksburg and the Hokies will ever recover from this. Our prayers for all those affected.

Friday, March 02, 2007

One of the many reasons why a PhD should marry another PhD




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