Wednesday 31 December 2014

THE END OF ANOTHER YEAR

2014 has flown by like a breeze. Now it's the last day of the year and I'm trying to think of what my resolutions will be for the following year. Here are a few things that you can all look forward to reading on my blog in 2015...yes I know you're all at the edge of your seats right now!

2015 is the year where I hit the age of 21. I have been on this planet for 21 years and I have so much more that I need to learn about myself and the world. Birthdays are starting to seem not as exciting as they used to be. Maybe I'm slowly having to face the reality of growing up and accepting the fact that I'm no longer the child that I feel I am deep down.

Around a year ago, I mentioned that I was one of the co-founders of SKIP Lancaster and I haven't really talked about it since. We have progressed a lot since then with our research and development and have chosen our country that we would like to base our project in - Nepal. This year we'll be going out to Nepal to conduct more research on potential projects so watch this space to find out more!

As the newly elected charities officers, myself and R are hoping to organise a few fundraisers in order to raise money for various organisations. I'll be sure to post what these are.

A medical student will always have exams in the back of their mind throughout their degree and this year is no different. In a couple of months time, I'll be taking my end of year exams and hopefully through God's blessings I'll pass and progress through to third year.

If God willing I pass, then you can all look forward to posts about the start of third year and what the work load is like.

So, I would like to wish you all a happy new year. May this year bring you all wonderful opportunities to better yourself and those around you. God bless!


Friday 26 December 2014

AND BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HE CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN...

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

Just a quick message wishing you all a merry Christmas and I hope that your day was filled with joy. Keep in mind the true meaning behind this wonderful day as we celebrate the birth of our Saviour.

God bless you all!



Friday 19 December 2014

HELLO STRANGERS

Yes I know it's been nearly a month since I've posted anything on my blog. It's been a while since I've had the time and chance to sit down by myself to collect my thoughts together.

Anyway, I'm back home for Christmas for two weeks! One of the wonderful things about medicine is that as you progress through your degree, your holidays get shorter and you have less free time. All those aspiring to be a doctor have so much to look forward to...

This post is going to be very short as it's just a quick message to all those that read my blog that I haven't completely forgotten about it and hope to carry on at least until I graduate.

As I'm now sitting at home with nothing to do, I'm hoping I can provide everyone with a chronologically inaccurate account of all the things that have happened in the past few weeks in later posts.


Wednesday 19 November 2014

EPIDEMIOLOGY AND THE TREATMENT OF TROPICAL MEDICINE

It's finally time for me to do my SSM (Student Selected Module). Possibly one of my favourite aspects of the course due to the fact that it involves 4 weeks of reading into a topic of interest and writing a dissertation. Which is a lot less chilled out than the rest of the year!

So this year I picked "Epidemiology and the treatment of tropical medicine". As an individual with a growing interest for global health, this topic is perfect for me to explore in more detail over the next 4 weeks.

The disease I've picked is Ebola. As a current and topical issue, I thought it would be perfect for me to find out more about this virus and how it affects the lives of those living in West Africa and the incredible health professionals that are out there doing their part to contain this deadly disease.

I'm specifically going to look into how and why the Ebola virus is causing such global concern by using epidemiology to back up my findings.


Thursday 13 November 2014

A VISIT FROM MY BEST FRIEND


It's been 10 years since I've known her. She taught me how to street dance and gave me lots of great memories. 

Moving away to university has showed me who my true friends are. Throughout high school, I had a great set of friends and at the time I thought I'd be friends with them for what seemed like forever. Leaving my home town and starting a new life half way across the country, started to show the cracks in the relationships that I used to have with people. 

"Dance is the hidden language of the soul" - Choreographing routines with B was like being separated from the world and forming a bubble of our own. I guess this connection is what has kept our friendship strong for all these years. 


Sunday 9 November 2014

LOU LOU'S VINTAGE FAIR

There's nothing I love more than doing a bit of vintage shopping. Each item you hold in your hand has a history and it has been worn by individuals who may or may not have been through remarkable journeys in their lives. 

As soon as Rumi found out that Lou Lou's vintage fair was coming to Lancaster, she was eager to go an check out what was on offer.









Thursday 6 November 2014

RETAIL THERAPY IN MANCHESTER

I like to think that I'm not a materialistic person. Worshipping man made items have never appealed to me so I hate buying things for myself and when people buy things for me. (Except for my family of course as they sort of owe it to me for me being in their lives!)

Myself and three of my friends decided to exploit the free weekend we had to go to the Trafford Centre in Manchester to do a bit of shopping.


The fact that the centre was filled with Christmas decorations and lights got me even more excited about my favourite holiday of the year being just round the corner. 



Thursday 30 October 2014

A JAR FULL OF ENCOUNTERS

At the start of the year, I realised that I needed a more positive outlook on life. I noticed that over the course of the year, myself like many others focus on the negative events that occur in our lives; completely disregarding the wonderful opportunities that come across our way. 

As I was thinking of ways to document my most personal and happy thoughts that I didn't want to share with anyone but myself, I came up with this idea...

I found an empty jar and over the course of the year, my plan is to write little notes of all of the joyous moments that occur in my life. 


My plan is to open the jar on the 1st of January 2015 and read through all of its contents in private and it should provide me with an elated outlook for the following year.

If it works, I intend to continue with this idea every year.


If anyone else is in need of some positivity in their lives, then I urge you to try out this idea!



Monday 27 October 2014

LATE NIGHT WALKS

Even though Lancaster isn't one of the largest cities in England, I do on a regular basis become mesmerised by its surreal natural beauty.

Ashton Memorial is an exquisite building that's mathematically in the centre of the United Kingdom. It is considered as the Taj Mahal of the North as it was built by a billionaire for his wife. I've been told that the view from the top is spectacular during the day but walking around Williamson park and looking across the Lancaster skyline at night time is simply breathtaking.

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The other night my friend took me to Williamson Park to see the view from atop the memorial as I had never been there before. Even though I have been in Lancaster for over a year!

There's nothing more peaceful than going for a long walk with a close friend and breathing the cold crisp air as you ramble on about things that won't matter to anyone else but you. I love experiencing the world at night. There's a change in character in the people you see walking down the street and the buzz of the day is replaced with a sense of calmness as people let their hair down and forget the worries of the day that has just passed them by.


So what did I enjoy most about being on top of the most central building in the UK?

It has to be the night sky that was illuminated with speckles of stars and the earth that was radiating with lights of the busy Lancaster night life. You feel serene as you watch over this beautiful sight.

First dates, family outings, friends gathering and individuals enjoying the simple pleasures in life.

Priceless


Tuesday 21 October 2014

MIND BLOCK

Staring at my laptop screen, I'm forcing myself to wander through the far corners of my mind to articulate all the thoughts that are going on in my head. And yet I'm sat here with nothing to talk about.

The first half of the academic year is always filled with less exciting events in comparison to what occurs later on in the year.

I guess a part of the problem lies with the fact that I haven't had the chance to actually sit down with my journal and note down all the things that happen to me throughout the day in a while. Having to dedicate a lot of time to my course is making it more and more difficult to keep this blog up and running.

I know you're all going to be panicking about the fact that I may be taking this blog down! But hopefully I can think of new ways to keep my readers entertained.

In the meantime, I want to give a huge thanks to all those who read my posts and send me lovely comments. Sending lots of love and kisses your way...


Friday 17 October 2014

ALADDIN

Last year, I talked about being a part of MedSoc's annual panto (Jack and the Beanstalk) and this year I'm excited to be a part of Aladdin.

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I choreographed a couple of the dances last year and this time round I've been given the opportunity to choreograph all of the dances. Which is very exciting as I can sneakily add in some Bollywood numbers!

Anyway, I'll keep you all posted on how things are getting on


Tuesday 14 October 2014

MASQUERADE BALL

She hides everything you wish to see,
her emotions, her sorrows and her identity.
But as flutters across the dance floor,
you catch nothing but her eye which gives away her true beauty

Masquerade balls have always fascinated me. The mystery and the elegance is enough to capture the minds of all individuals that are graced to be a part of it.

MedSoc recently organised a ball in order to welcome the freshers. It was a night filled with elegant dresses, dashing suits and good food.





Thursday 9 October 2014

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE

I know you're all dying to know why I haven't been blogging much this month. Trust me I have good reasons; which will all be revealed in good time. 

Time. Something which I wish I had more of. 24 hours seems like a reasonable amount for one to do all the things that they wish to do (excluding valuable amounts of hours of sleep of course!) As a medical student, one of the things that I've learned to appreciate is time.

Especially now that I'm on campus 2 days a week, hospital 2 days a week and GP/community placement once a week. That leaves just 2 days for you to have "me" time. Even then, those days have to be used to catch up on PBL objectives. Which leaves little/no room for being around things and people I love. 

Do I regret any of it? Of course not! I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. So it would be silly for me to turn around and say that this path that I have chosen was a mistake. 

Anyway, this was meant to be a very short post so I'm going to leave it here. Hopefully, I'll be able to fill you in with what I've been getting up to over the past week or so.


Saturday 4 October 2014

PROCRASTINATION

"Let me just clean my room before I start to work."
"I'm going to make some food before I open a textbook."
"I think I'll quickly update my blog before I do some work."
The list of things that you think of completing before doing work is endless. I see myself as the queen of procrastination. I will literally do anything I can to put off sitting down in front of the 1303 paged Kumar and Clarke's Clinical Medicine book.

What's worse about procrastination is the amount of self-loathing that comes with it when you think about the time that you've wasted carrying out pointless tasks that could have waited for another day. To say that someone has never procrastinated in their life would be a lie. It's a psychological behaviour that affects everyone at some point in their life, be it in a small or big way.

So why is learning how to get over procrastination important? Well if we think about it, putting off a stressful situation can ultimately lead to more stress. You become washed with a sense of helplessness and weakness. However, if you overcome this phenomenon; piece of mind and a feeling of purpose will be what accompanies you as you go through your daily life.

Here are a few ways in which I'm going to overcome this useless trait, hopefully it may help some of you too:

  • Being aware of the sinking feeling you get in your stomach when you realise you've wasted your time 
  • Actually realising that you're doing something unnecessary which can be done at a later day
  • Identifying the real reasons for your delay (lack of knowledge, time consuming)
  • Overcome these reasons in order to begin the task
  • Praise yourself at regular intervals in order to keep you motivated.

I hope I've helped and now I'm going to stop procrastinating by blogging and do some work before I get grilled at the hospital!



Image from Tumblr



Wednesday 1 October 2014

FREEDOM...FREE"DOOM"

Today marks the first day of university for the first year medical students. I cannot believe how quick the past year has gone. I can still remember the strange mix of emotions that I went through leading up to getting the keys to my new home for the year. 

Being independent is something all teenagers look forward to. Making decisions, making mistakes, learning from them and turning into an individual that makes a mark during the limited time that we have on this planet. Deciding to go to university is not a light decision for a young person to make. You are choosing to leave home and go out into the world by yourself. As appealing as that may sound to the adventurous young minds out there, it's a lot more daunting than you may think.

However, after you take the initial baby steps into becoming a self-governing conscious mind; you begin to appreciate everything that was handed to you as a child. You start to see the world in a new light and the thoughts that cross your mind become more and more carefully articulated. 

To all those who are starting university this year:
Live your life and enjoy everything that you set your mind to do. Treasure each and every moment and don't let the stresses of education get to you.


Sunday 28 September 2014

CHILDHOOD FRIEND

For confidentiality purposes I'm going to call her SJ

Lately I've been talking to my childhood friend from Oman. I've known her from ever since I can remember. We went to church together, we were in the same classes and we did pretty much everything together. In the year 2003, everything changed.

When my mum told me that we were moving halfway across the world to England, I was devastated. Not only was I leaving my comfortable life in Oman and the friends that I shared my childhood with; I was also leaving SJ. She may deny it now but I still remember how we were both in tears when I eventually told her. I was moving to an alien country to start a new chapter in my life but I wanted her to be one of the characters in my new book. We vowed to stay in touch and at first, we both kept our promises. But like a vast majority of friendships, as life became more hectic and difficult, the frequency of the calls and efforts made to contact each other decreased; until eventually it stopped on both sides.

Five years went by...

We both changed. We grew taller. Our bodies changes. Our attitudes, morals and values were taking shape. We were starting to become individuals in our own right.

We stumbled across each other's profile on a social media site and began talking. I'm going to be completely modest and say that conversations with me don't tend to get awkward unless I want it to! However, this time around I was quite nervous to start talking to her. 

We are so different from the little girls in pigtails that used to run around the international school in Oman. Nevertheless, after all these years the conversation flowed regardless of the North Atlantic Ocean that keeps us apart. It's quite strange talking to SJ, it feels as though I'm reliving my childhood in the country that I was born and brought up in. 

I love hearing other people's stories about the one friend whom they've known for what seems like an eternity. I used to wish that I had that in my life too. But moving from country to country has made it difficult (Not that I would change that!) But now I'm beginning to see that I too have a childhood friend. Someone I used to share all my secrets with and someone with whom I will always have a million things to talk about. We may be living in different countries but hopefully our friendship will last as long as others in the world who are lucky enough to have that special friend for years to come. One day, I hope to visit you in America and relive the days we ruled Indian School of Darsait!

I know that you read my blog so hello! :) I hope I haven't made you cringe too much with this post.


Thursday 25 September 2014

MEMOIRS OF A DANCER

The gorgeous bride and groom


She walked down the aisle looking like an angel. At that moment, I turned around to see her fiancée's face and oh my the glow that spread across his face made me believe in fairy tales all over again. The angel that was gracefully walking past the eyes of her friends and family is a girl that I used to dance with when I first began to enjoy this beautiful form of art.


The theme of the wedding included peacock feathers which brought a touch of India to England.
The ceiling in the venue was draped in crisp white linen and was covered in fairy lights; making the reception almost magical.
Long rehearsals, last minute outfit changes, the rush of adrenaline as we stood backstage, the vibrations that made its way from the sound system to my feet and the way my limbs moved in sync with the beat.

I miss dancing. When I say I miss it, I mean my body literally quivers at the thought of it and is hungry for an empty dance studio and music. This art form will always remain close to my heart due to many reasons. It's hard to describe how I feel when I am on stage or even in the comfort of being alone in a studio.

How I wish I could carry on dancing on a regular basis; but circumstances have made it difficult. Unfortunately, there are only 24 hours in a day and time is something which I long to have more of. I want to relive my past memories of entering competitions and dancing to entertain. But I guess those succinct moments will have to be stored in my long-term memory, all in the hope that I can revoke them one last time in the future...



Monday 22 September 2014

MOTHERLAND

The land which gave birth to my beautiful mother,
The land which raised her to be a free-thinking spirit like many others,
The land which she left behind to give her family a better life,
The land which she longs to go back to.

The land which fought for its liberty,
The land which was once held in captivity,
The land which has lost many,
The land whose riches and culture were taken away in plenty.

The land whose blood runs in my veins,
The land which is trying to break free from its chains,
The land I am eager to be familiar with,
The land which with each visit still remains a myth.

My motherland has its flaws. But who doesn't? Every country has a crooked past, a corrupt present and an uncertain future. My motherland has been trampled on and stolen from, but it still remains to be a booming country. Yes my motherland has its flaws, but my goodness it is a great nation; seasoned with all kinds of weather and filled with a variety of tradition, values and languages.

One day, I hope to make a long visit to the country that is in the forefront of lending the world an array of inspirational individuals. I want to be a part of my motherland's history. I want her to be proud of the person I am and the person I will be. I want to take my children to her warm embrace and for my descendants to smell her earthly aroma on a regular basis. So that even generations from now, my bloodline will remain faithful to my motherland. They will remember the food, the colours, the dance, the music and the breath-taking views. They will remember the extremities that people live in and strive to close the gap that's currently tearing the civilians apart from each other.

The land which gave birth to my beautiful mother,
The land which raised her and myself to be a free-thinking spirit,
The land which she left behind to give her family a better life,
The land which I will take her back to in order to relive her childhood.

The land which won its independence,
The land which was strengthened by captivity,
The land which has lost and gained many,
The land whose riches and culture are enjoyed in plenty.

The land whose blood still runs in my veins,
The land which is breaking free from its chains,
The land which I am becoming familiar with,
The land which with each visit will always remain a precious myth.



Friday 19 September 2014

NEW HAVEN

After a tiring couple of days, I am finally settled in my new home. Summer has flown by and it's strange that I'm already back in university for my second year of medical school. 

This quick post is just to show you what I've done with my room. 





As you can see, I've tried to make the decor as cultured as possible so I feel like I'm seeing the world as I look around my room and one day I will see the world for all its charm and artistry.


Tuesday 16 September 2014

THE PERFECT CHRISTIAN

"The world's latest craze is the selfie, where one takes a picture of themselves using a camera." Everyone chuckled quietly as the homily began. "A selfie portrays your own image to the world," he continued. "So how should the selfie of a perfect Christian look like?"
Homilies are one of my favourite aspects of the Catholic mass. But this particular one made me look at my life in a unique way.

You see I've been trying to achieve this golden standard of being the 'Perfect Christian' (and failing miserably!) Most of the time, it lasts for a few hours and then I conform to worldly matters. But recently, I have been getting these thoughts that I really need to change how I act for the better.

I was once having a debate with my friend about religion and what she said to me really struck a chord deep within my soul and it has been replaying in the back of my mind for a number of weeks. She said that she wouldn't have been able to tell that I was a Christian unless I hadn't just told her. Normally, I'm not affected by what people say to me because let's be honest, they're not the ones who are going to be paying my bills! But this really got to me..

I wouldn't have been able to tell that you were a Christian unless you hadn't just told me.


A lot of people think that Christianity is just a religion bound by its rules and rituals; but many fail to realise the unimaginable sense of belonging it brings with it. I'm going to talk a bit more about this in a future post.

Anyway, let's get back to the original homily. The main message was that we should live in a way so that others can see God in us. That you live so that non-believers want to get closer to God. People say that it's easier said than done, but having read the Bible and self-reflecting at church, it's effectively achievable. All you need is a bit of will power and happiness.

Happiness is key. By putting others first and by building a strong relationship with God, you can accomplish just this. Some may screw their nose up when I say 'put others first'; but you can only get to this stage unless you learn to love yourself and be grateful for what you have. 

There are numerous things that I need to change about my behaviour if I want to be a humble disciple of God. It's going to take months or even years for me to get there but I hope that those around me will start to see a change and God in me.

So how can one be a perfect Christian?
Well in my opinion, there's no such thing. One of the many flaws of a human being is their ability to go off-track every once in a while; so being a non-judgemental Christian in this world is harder than we think. But there's a thought that occasionally pops into my head and it's something which never fails to make me smile...

I am an imperfect human loved by a perfect God


Saturday 13 September 2014

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

As you are welcomed into this world with open arms, your newly developed mouth and lungs initiates its first response to the world and takes its first breath.
That first gasp of air kick starts all of your major life processes.
Only stopping when you fall in love or when you become overwhelmed with a cloud of anguish.

During your early years you depend entirely on your parents.
You trust them to cherish and care for you and fall unconditionally in love with you.
They feed you, they clothe you and they shelter you from the harsh realities of the world.

As you grow older, your mind starts to wander. Your level of independence increases and you make the bold decision to spread your wings and fly. Leaving behind the arms that once held you close to their hearts.

The culture that defines my identity as an individual, teaches me to respect and look after my elders. This means repaying the blood, sweat and tears of your parents as they get older by looking after them at a time when they are most vulnerable just like they filled you with love as a child.

Working as a carer alongside my studies has its ups and downs. It showed me precisely how as a human being, we complete a circle in terms of our capabilities. As a baby, you are unable to fend for yourself and depend on others; and as your skin becomes covered in the trails of numerous life experiences as you age, you are again dependent on others.

One of the many greatest aspects of Asian culture that I'm proud to be a part of is caring for your parents as they age. In fact, it's frowned upon in society if you decide to put your parents in a care home. With all the remarkable things my mum has been through, I will surely be taking care of her until she's carried away to live under the umbrella of God's eternal glory.


Tuesday 9 September 2014

WHY DO YOU WANT TO STUDY MEDICINE?

Along this journey that I'm going to share with you, I want to try and inspire as many of you as possible to achieve great things. I want to get more people excited about medicine just as much as I am. A lot of people think that I chose this career path because of various stereotypical reasons. 
"Are you sure this is what YOU want to do or is it something your parents are enforcing upon you?"
"It's funny how most Indians go down the medical or engineering path, I didn't take you for someone that would conform to that tradition."
It would be a lie if I said that I knew exactly why I wanted to do medicine when I first decided to go through with the treacherous process of applying. Even when my cousin was helping me with a mock interview, she asked me the most difficult question that all prospective students are bound to come across at some point in their life:

WHY DO YOU WANT TO STUDY MEDICINE?

Erm..err.. I was lost for words. I had no idea how to answer that question. In general, this question is answered quite poorly during interviews.
  • I like science and I like people - quite simply the most generic answer and in my opinion isn't a good enough reason to do medicine.
  • There wasn't an eye-opening experience in a hospital which influenced me to pursue this career
  • I want to help people - why not do nursing or charity work?
  • I haven't always wanted to do medicine - this field sparked my interest instantaneously and out of the blue - so what made you pick this field?
I don't know. A gut feeling maybe? I think the answer to this golden question only came to life as I advanced through my first year at university. It's hard for me to explain into words how I felt as I worked through the normal anatomy and physiology of each and every system of the human body. At a cellular level, the processes that enable us to carry on with our periodic habits and routine blew my mind. What's astonishing about the medical pathway that a medical student undertakes is quite brilliant. Essentially, you start off by learning how your body works, this makes the literature you read very personal and makes you appreciate the great mechanisms of one's physical form. Using this knowledge, you can then begin to decipher why something has gone wrong with an individual. As a patient comes to you with multiple symptoms, you piece together fragmented bits of information and build up the jigsaw puzzle and bring them out of a vulnerable position. I guess this among many other factors is what makes me happy about my chosen path in life. I'm sure my reasons will change often but I hope that my passion is fired up more and more each year


Previously on my blog, I've mentioned my cousin who studies medicine at King's College. Recently, she's assisted in setting up a course which helps you with medical/dentistry interviews. They've launched a new site - MedInterview. I definitely recommend it as I personally know two people that are among the tutors. They do have a high success rate and even though the amount you have to spend in order to take part in the course seems like a lot, it's totally worth it!


Sunday 7 September 2014

FLOWERS, FOOD AND A POCKET FULL OF FUN

Onam

I would wake up bright and early and put on my brand new set saree (a traditional South Indian outfit which is unique to Kerala due to it being white with gold borders and design, as seen below). Adorning myself in gorgeous jewellery bought from India from the recent trip, I would make my way with my family to the celebrations taking place in town.

Source
Originally a Hindu festival, it is a celebration that brings together people of all religions. Legend says that Kerala was once ruled by a king named Mahabali and Onam is a celebration of his return from the underworld. This is a rough translation of a song that's often sung on this day:
"When Maveli ruled the land,

All the people were equal.
And people were joyful and merry;
They were all free from harm.
There was neither anxiety nor sickness,
Deaths of children were unheard of,
There were no lies,
There was neither theft nor deceit,
And no one was false in speech either.
Measures and weights were right;
No one cheated or wronged his neighbor.
When Maveli ruled the land,
All the people formed one casteless races"
There are many beautiful rituals and practices that take place over the course of the celebration and I'm going to briefly tell you about my favourite aspects of Onam:

പൂക്കളം (Pookalam)
This is a work of art. In a group, you gather flowers and create a beautiful floral carpet in front of your house in an attempt to attract Mahabali to visit your house.
Source
ഓണസദ്യ (Feast of Onam)
Quite simply the most magnificent thing about Onam is the banquet that everyone eats together. Around 26 vegetarian curries is served with rice on a plantain leaf. 
Source


തിരുവാതിര (Thiruvathira)
As a lover of dance, I always loved taking part in this performance. The dance is performed in a circle and is traditionally carried out by women.

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വടംവലി (Tug of War)
This is exactly what the title says but twice the fun.

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There we have it. A breakdown of one of my favourite festivals of Kerala. 
This year will be the first time in my life that I'm not celebrating Onam with anyone. I loved going and seeing everyone in the Indian community but things have changed over the year. Relationships and ties were broken and the sense of happiness is now tarnished with the question 'what if..?'

Oh how I wish I could spend Onam in God's own country...


Source


ഓണാശംസകൾ (Happy Onam) to all those reading my blog!