Just something for this week

SEQC

I have attended five SEQC quiz programmes till date and have heard about 300 questions. My score is ZERO. The Sunday evening quiz club is completing two years this month and has arranged an additional quiz for primary school children today. Just to give an opportunity for the kids who tag along their parents every month. Adults can attend and answer if the questions are passed on. My son, who considers himself an expert (he has answered two questions till date) very gracefully suggested that I attend the kids contest and see if I can begin my score.

I ticked him off strongly.

Let my shame add on slowly. Not multiply.



“neeroLagirdum bemardan uragapatakam”

Neeru is water, oLage is within, irdum is being in, bemardan is sweated, uraga is snake, pataka is flag.
The above line from “Gadayuddha” written by the ancient kannada poet Ranna, means “the fellow with the picture of a snake on his flag, (duryodhana,) sweated (inspite of) being in water."
At the end of the ‘mahabharata’ war, Pandavas had an upper hand and all the associates of Duryodhana were dead. He tried to save his life by hiding himself in a lake. Apart from being an expert in the efficient use of mace, Duryodhana was also an expert in ‘jalastambhana’, the art of remaining in water for long periods.

Pandavas were searching all over for him and they came near the lake. One of them who knew about his expertise in ‘Jalastambhana,’ guessed that he may be hiding in the water. On hearing those words Duryodhana got so scared that he started sweating inside the water.

We had a part of ‘gadayudhdha’ as our kannada text in 12th standard and our teacher had explained the situation very effectively. Still, I was wondering how one can sweat inside the water.

I have been visiting the swimming pool for the last ten months and spend about half an hour in water every day. I have not drowned yet. I must have learnt some swimming. This month of May, with the increase in temperature and humidity, the water is hot even early in the morning and I have been able to appreciate “neeroLagirdum bemardan uragapatakam” better.


Only the dentist in benefited.

“Doctor, this tooth is shaking. I want it removed.” The father shook the front tooth in his daughter’s mouth.
I took a casual look and said that there is no need to remove it as it was going to fall on its own. Many parents get jittery when the tooth remains shaking for long time and want it out. I don’t like to unnecessarily prick the child and pull the tooth.
“No doctor, she has pain”
“Do you have Pain there?” I asked the child. The child shook her head. Negative.
“And she can’t eat.” – father
“Do you have difficulty in eating?” I asked the child. She shook her head. Negative.
“Do you want the tooth removed?” I asked the child. Vigorous shake of the head. Negative.
“It has been shaking for two months now” – Father
“Let it shake for another two months. Nothing will happen” - me.
“Will it affect the new tooth? If it remains?”
“No”
“Will it affect her speech?”
“No”
“But still it is better to remove it. Is it not?”
“No. there is no benefit in removing it”
“No benefit at all?”
“There is. Of course”
“What?”
“I get a very easy hundred rupees”
The father was out the next second along with the daughter. Benefit the dentist of all the people?
No way.