Leaners

Went to the movies today and had to come across this Indian phenomenon what I would like to call "leaners". It happens when a white girl sits in the movie theatre and the guy she does not know next to her finds it necessary to lean towards her side instead of his friends' side during the whole movie. The girl is not able to sit comfortably without touching the guy's arm with her arm. Not really much she can do, when she leans back, he leans even more towards her. When she tries not to touch him, she has to sit in an uncomfortable position, and the guy leans towards her side even more. She thinks talking wouldn't make sense as the "leaner" would never admit "leaning". She also doesn't want to create any fuss as she just wants to watch the movie.
So to all "leaners" out there, take a white inflatable doll with you, put her next to you in the movie theatre, and LEAN as much as you want.

Carrot

Get rid of your prejudices. Not all carrots are orange.
The Indian carrot is tasty, juicy and RED!

Hand Luggage

A couple of days ago I was browsing through the net, looking for some well written information on what to bring or not to bring in your hand luggage when flying. I found a Yahoo Question with loads of Yahoo Answers. The question was "What can and cant go in my hand luggage?". In between all the serious answers mentioning: no knifes, 3 oz, no weapons, 100 ml, ... one guy wrote this answer
"just hands..... nothing else... just hands"

MMMmilk the sequel

There is also the-bring-your-huge-bucket-insert-a-token-press-the-button-pour-into-the-bucket milk. Also known as Token Milk. As if the cow (or buffalo - whatever milk it is) is in the machine, being milked right where you are. Very useful in case you are a big milk fan. I'll have some vanilla pudding, norwegian brunost, yoghurt, creme caramel, filmjölk, kheer, creme brulee, paneer, ice cream, swedish cheese with osthyvel, banana shake and some more vanilla pudding. Thank you.

In the margin: To finally solve this international war about who invented the cheese slicer. Thor Bjørklund patented it in 1925! If he really invented it doesn't matter, the patent is important. Now shhhhh!

MMMmilk

When I think back about my primary school days, what I remember most is the sour smell of the small milk cartons the teacher used to give us during the break. The brand was Joyvalle - AA Milk. Milk that (according to the package) came from lush green fields, with clean rivers and singing yellow birds. I always wondered why there weren't any cows in the picture.

Now I have traveled and tasted and now I can say, there is REAL milk out there. My first encounter was in some really small skiing resort in the alps in France where we got milk fresh from the cow, the fat still on top of it! Yummy.

Then I found there is also such a thing as good packaged milk, when I came to Sweden. The milk doesn't stay well for that long but at least it tastes like darn good milk! Long live Arla and the Swedish Cows ... Moooohh.

Now in Delhi, Mother Dairy has bedazzled my taste buds. Their milk doesn't come in cartons or bottles like we are used to, but in plastic soft packages, like refill dish washing soap. It takes some practice and luck to open the packages and pour them in a container, but it's well worth your efforts. Again, doesn't stay good for a long time, but TASTYYYYY! And when you leave the milk for a few hours, there will be some treat on the side of the container, nice and thick cream, left for you and your spoon!

I am a definitely a fan of milk!

The return of Sabena

I thought our former airline Sabena was burried. But it is not really dead, it is living on as an independent flight academy in Brussels. It is now expanding and has plans to open an aviation academy in India, Hyderabad. Read the article here.

Holiday hai!

This weekend was very festive in India. It started with Mawlid, the birth of Prophet Mohammed for the Muslims on thursday, then Norooz for the Zoroastrians on friday, Holi on Saturday and Easter on Sunday.

Almost every religion was celebrating their festival. Their own, the other. Just celebrating.

Close to eachother.

Different religions. Respect. Together. One country.

Happy MaNoHoEa!

Do you sell witte pitloze druiven?

Yes I do, the fruit seller said...

I am still making sure I am in India and not in Suriname. Why would anyone want a Dutch description of the food in India? I don't even need it.

Belgium in the newspaper again ...!

In the global section of the newspaper, right next to Obama with an open mouth, an article about the death of Hugo Claus. I guess the importance is the way he died as I cannot really imagine that his work would be of any importance for the Indians. Anyway it's the short version of the AP article, so an Indian touch is hard to find.

Yes I do my little turn on the catwalk ...

Big news! A boob.

India was turned upside down by a Belgian Model, Debby, showing a dress designed by Rajesh Pratap Singh in Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week. One of the shoulder straps accidentally slipped off and a glimpse of her left breast was visible. She was in all Indian newspapers but the articles weren't so positive ... People believed it was done deliberately to spice up the show.

It appeared in the Indian media right after it happened, only today it was mentioned in Belgium.

Debby will never forget this rather trivial "wardrobe malfunction".

The Result

My Gastro-Duodenoscopy

Note: What follows is a description of a medical procedure from the patient’s point of view. Sensitive readers might prefer not to read this.

Today I had my first endoscopy - trying to figure out what has been giving me this nausea for about a month now.
Doctor Ashwini Kumar Setya from Max Hospital has been very helpful and observant before so I trust him for this procedure. He kept on telling me not to worry. He didn’t explain much about the procedure so I tried to google a little bit. I read many reports of people mentioning that the procedure has improved a lot recently and the patient’s comfort is much better. There were some explanations of people who say they don’t even remember what actually happened. They gave them some sedative which made them so drowsy that they could still interact but afterwards didn’t remember what actually happened.
So I was all ready to go through. Anyways, anything to get rid of the nausea was a good thing. Even if it was annoying for a shorter period of time.
So there I was, the appointment was at 9.30 but I was asked to come at 9.15 so that the procedure could start on schedule. We (me and Sumit, my colleague who has a car) arrived earlier than that and the place looked quite empty. We had to put on these protective shoe covers which look like elf shoes, pointed in the front and in the back). So we waited and waited. Seemed the endoscopy machine was still in the intensive care so we had to wait for it to come. At 11 it finally arrived. All this time I was with my empty stomach being so thirsty!! Luckily I was the first patient. They called me into the endoscopy room, had to wear some hospital dress on top of my own clothes and had to take of my shoes. I had to lie down on the bed and they prepared me. The nurse tried to put a needle in my left hand, didn’t really succeed and started to move it around inside my vein. There was somebody else trying to help but it wasn’t good enough so they took the other hand. Two blue hands now. In the meanwhile they were monitoring the vitals, by pulse oximeter and blood pressure measuring. They made my lie down on my left side (I guess that’s the best position for the stomach to be in). They inserted some sedative in my right hand, but it didn’t make me feel any more drowsy than I was before. They also locally sedated the back of my throat. They immediately put something in my mouth that I was supposed to bite on, through which they were going to put the endoscope. That is exactly what they did. They put that tube in my throat asking my to swallow – I was constantly gagging and tearing and someone (I guess the doctor – I just saw tubes and hands) told me to take a deep breath through my nose which I tried but couldn’t . I felt they had taken over my whole breathing and swallowing system. Every time I swallowed I had to gag again. Then the doctor said: “I have taken out your acid so you won’t be having this again. “ But I guess it was just a natural reflex because of having something in your throat. Then they put something else through that tube, I guess it was something to take a sample with. They kept on saying it was almost finished but it seemed very long. Finally the thing was out of my throat, they asked my to spit, although they was really nothing to spit and I was rolled into the recovery room. By then, it felt like it all never happened.
Although the other patients I had seen before coming out of there were all groggy and sleeping, one even snoring, I just felt normal and was very awake. I guess the dose of the sedative was not big enough for my body. Don’t know. I didn’t feel at any point sedated or groggy, maybe a little calm just before the procedure, don’t really know if it was the sedative.
Anyway I do remember everything and can still imagine the thing in my throat!

So in short, it is not a nice thing to have done on you, it is uncomfortable, but it’s really not that long of a procedure and the only complications afterwards is some pain in your throat which is not even as bad as regular throat pain.

So thank you Doctor Setya for being able to figure out what was wrong with me, and I so hope it will solve the problem!

Dear Helicobacter Pylori

Dear Helicobacter Pylori,

Due to your long term unannounced visit, I would like to express my frustration by writing this letter to you. I have no other way. Maybe you will get angry, but you know what, I will just not care.

You have entered my body without even asking me. I just don't like your style. If it was only for a few days, I wouldn't have cared so much, but this has been a long time!
You sneeked into the stomach somehow, escaping from its deadly acidic surrounding by digging yourself a way in the mucus lining of the stomach, being all nice and cosy, where nobody can get you. You smart guy. But not smart enough!

Guess what!!! You were on candid camera!!! But don't you start liking your fame. We found where you have been hiding out and we're so going to get rid of you. Start counting your days dude.

I've had enough of you giving me problems of all kinds.

I sincerly hope to get rid of you soon and do not want to wish you all the best.

Safe travels back to where you came from,

Your unwanted host,

The Body