Posted on August 29, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with no comments yet

The Harvest

 

Fall is in the air.

For the first time in months, the temperature registered in the single digits for our morning walk yesterday , announcing the imminent arrival of Fall. For some, this is a very depressing thought but for many, it is the best time of the year. Most importantly, September brings structure back into our lives after a summer of countless barbeques, cold beer , ice cream cones , visitors and late nights.

September brings some semblance of normalcy, but not before we enjoy “the Fall Fair” where we get a chance to see our agricultural community display the best in all they do. The midway rekindles days of our youth and we relive it through the eyes of our children and grandchildren. We might even risk a cavity or two by trying cotton candy or candy apples.

School lunches will make their unwelcome return for many parents. It’s not so bad during the first few weeks of school when children are reconnecting with old friends and getting into the swing of things but as the year wears on, you sometimes wonder if the young ones will eat anything that you put in their lunch kits.

Because we live in a university town, our population will nearly double in the next few weeks. We will take the good with the bad. .. the good – Shinerama , where the students will be out in force raising money for Cystic Fibrosis. You have to love their energy and enthusiasm.  The bad- there will be a lot of very late and loud parties, going late into the night, testing the patience of the citizenry of the town and its noise by-law.

Farmer’s markets will be awash with the fruits of the harvest. The displays of fresh fruits and vegetables is always a highlight at this time of the year.

The days will be shorter and cooler but once we regain some semblance of a routine, all will seem right with the world.

Summer is so precious and oh so fleeting, especially as the years pile up. In the winter, we pine for the warm days and they are here and gone before you know it.

Let us not lament the passing of summer but embrace the joy of the Fall which is ready to welcome us in the next few weeks.

And let us not forget that we have one last fling this weekend with Labor Day next Monday.

Have a great week.

P.S. What goes on at the “Cubby Hole”, stays at the “Cubby Hole” !!!

Posted on August 25, 2016 under Faces in the Crowd with no comments yet

 

“People go to extreme lengths in India to get an education. It is ingrained in our psyche.”

Meet Vishnu Prasad.

Vishnu was born in Puttur, India to parents who were both doctors. He and his two siblings attended school in Bangalore. His parents spent a lot of time working in the Middle East so it fell to his uncle, Dr. Jayaprakash, to assist with the large, multigenerational family that included Vishnu’s grandparents. When he wasn’t studying, Vishnu enjoyed many different sports including badminton and volleyball … and of course, cricket.

He was accepted into one of the best medical schools in India in Mangalore on the west coast. From his earliest days Vishnu wanted to be a surgeon. While attending medical school he met his future wife, Sanjana Sridharan. After completing this chapter of their educational journey, the couple wedded.  During the next year they travelled the length and breadth of India writing entrance exams for specialist universities.

He enrolled in the orthopedics program in Bangalore but it wasn’t what he expected and he departed after six months. In 1996 the couple travelled to the United Kingdom on speculation, hoping to find the right fit. Vishnu took a three year general surgery program in Birmingham, acquiring his FRCS designation in General Surgery while Sanjana enrolled in psychiatry training in Coventry. He did his orthopedic residency in Wales over the next seven years and received his FRCS in Trauma and Orthopaedics. Sanjana received her MRCPsych (Membership of the Royal College of Psychiatrists) in 2000.

The ensuing years were marked by more studies and time apart, tests that demonstrated the vision and determination of this young couple. Vishnu eventually specialized in adult reconstruction, with hip and knee surgery becoming his predominant field of work.

But their educational quest was far from over. In order to experience different health care systems, they felt that they needed to work abroad. In 2012, Vishnu was offered a Fellowship in Toronto. One of his colleagues there was Dr. Andrew Hayward who ended up moving to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. He thought Nova Scotia would be a good fit for Vishnu and Sanjana as the area was known to be friendly … and a lot less hectic than the city!

In 2013, they moved to Halifax where Vishnu worked on complex cases with well-known orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Michael Dunbar. Sanjana weighed a few options for work before accepting a position at St. Martha’s Hospital in Antigonish in 2014. Upon completion of his Fellowship in June of 2014, Vishnu began work at the Aberdeen Hospital in New Glasgow. Sanjana recently moved to the Aberdeen as well.

The couple feels very much at home in Antigonish. They have made many friends and know that if they need a “big city fix”, Halifax is just a few hours away. From time to time they host gatherings at their home, welcoming guests with upbeat music, cordial conversation and wonderful food.  When the weather cooperates, everyone gathers outside to enjoy a friendly cricket match!   ‘‘Cricket is a sport that requires tactics, intelligence, strategy, finesse … and brawn,” says Vishnu.

Family means everything to them, and whenever decisions are made they factor in their parents, who visit on a regular basis.  Not surprisingly, summer and fall are Vishnu and Sanjana’s favorite seasons for hosting visitors from India!

Vishnu and Sanjana are highly regarded by their peers and the communities in which they work and live.  The region is fortunate to have these highly skilled physicians, who happen to be two of the nicest people one could meet.  To them I say welcome… make yourselves at home … and please stay awhile!

 

 

Posted on August 22, 2016 under Monday Morning Musings with 2 comments

Morning has broken

 

What does your paradise look like?

I woke early yesterday and started my day by reading a gut wrenching, first person account of the strife in Syria… and then went for a walk.

Perspective.

We cannot possibly imagine what others go through on a daily basis, here or abroad. Everyone is faced with trials and tribulations. But if you have the opportunity and good fortune to go for a walk, it might help you appreciate the simple things in life… which could very well be a person’s paradise.

First, there is the stillness of the early morning. It is cool and September lurks around the next corner. The birds love the morning and celebrate it with songs of joy. A woman walks her dog. They both appear happy.  It seems like almost every property is adorned with beautiful flowers and shrubbery, certainly providing a living, breathing picture of paradise. Two young university students run past me chattering without a care in the world. The air is clear and the sky is blue.

Off in the distance, a church bell tolls, beckoning people to come, congregate and worship. Many choose the outdoors as their place of sanctuary. Indeed , for many, the outdoors is their paradise. They are not waiting to leave this world to experience it.

I meet an old friend who is out walking… with his coffee cup! A family member is about to embark on a journey to a far flung corner of the world. They had a going away party the night before and good judgment meant that his car had to be retrieved the next day.

The town is waking up as more cars appear on the streets. Many will go to their favorite coffee shop and share stories about the Olympics, the Blue Jays and possibly the twists and turns of the U.S. Presidential race. For some, a “ double double” is as close as it gets to paradise!

As I round the final turn on my way home, I hear the bells of Town Hall peal nine times. Despite the squabbles that inevitably arise with elected officials, disputes are, thankfully, resolved peacefully. We often grumble about democracy. We shouldn’t.

The sound of a gurgling Brierly Brook greets me as I arrive back at our apartment.

What does your paradise look like?

I see paradise all around me.

Have a great ( and grateful ) week.

P.S. Merle Taylor rocks…. in case you didn’t know it.!!!