You look like me...Who are you?

Welcome back to SDA Quotient!!

Sorry about the delay!! Par Der Aaye Durust Aaye!:):)

Its been years we have left SDA. We have our worlds so far from each other's but still there is a string that brings us back to each other. We are in each other's old spaces, memories, music...

Sorry for prying but thats a Khabru's job. We went through some of your Face book albums and picked up what we thought you wouldn't mind sharing. May you capture many moments on camera and in your thoughts. Do notice how across the world old students of SDA often do the same stuff alone and with their families:)

This is Shubharanjan Bagchi's family. The Bagchi family lives in Gurgao, Haryana. Clearly Cycling is a family sport:):). Would presume Shubharanjan used to cycle down to school and back. Albeit not on such a fancy cycle in the school days! Shubharnjan is from 84-85 ICSE batch. Most of us did cycle to school and Dignum!  Remember:)

Meet Priyank Saxena's family. Priyank, Gita and daughter Kriti are cycling too:). This family lives in Sanfrancisco, California. Kriti is here a lil too young to cycle. Priyank is from 89-90 batch of ICSE. Several years junior to Shubharanjan!:)

                                                                      That's Priyank and Kriti again!!

 Meet Kriti, Daughter of Priyank Saxena, Batch 1989.

 Priyank now has two daughters. In this photograph its Kriti, Gita and baby Ritika:)

 Manish Pandey, 89-90 Batch ICSE with daughter Mili in Harihareshwar!

Manish used to love Maths in School. Is an Engineer. So where does he take his daughter for fun!:) Where else? Jantar Mantar.

                                                                              
                                                                            
                                                                               Mili in Amer

                                                                       

                                                                        Mili holds the fort

Alexander Sen of 94-95 batch with his daughter Mulan in their backyard. They live in IBRI, Oman.

Shweta bisht and Alex teach English Language in College of Applied Sciences in Oman. In this photo Mulan tries explaining something to her mom without using words:)

Mulan not even two years old yet is a full fledged gardener:).

                                        Far away in San Antonio, Texas lives another Gardener, Ria Chandra. Ria's parents are           Sameer Chandra and Nidhi Bagri.

Your Fault Dad!! Why did you show me so many flowers when I was YOUNGER?:)

                                                   Dad I'll always take care of your Garden:). Yes Yes We'll See.

I know you...You Look like me...Who are you? I am SDA:):)

What is a Stroke- Editorial

Hi there Friends!

Many of us are in our 30s and 40s here! Our parents are old. Some of us have seen them suffer strokes and cardiac attacks.
My father suffered a stroke last week. I learnt a couple of things about stroke and what all can be done for prevention?

Sharing:-
- My father was wobbly for two days. He has suffred a fracture a few years back. We have always believed that the fracture weakened his leg.

- However, both Baba and I gathered that this time there was a neurological deficit.

- We had planned to go to a neurologist.

- On the 1st of June my father tried walking outside a restruant but he was very unstable in his gait.

- It looked that his legs were giving away.

- That evening when I tried waking up from his long siesta he refused to budge.

- For next 40 min my friends and I sprinkled water on his face, called out his name, picked him up and made him sit with support.

- First thing we did was we called up the ambulance and friends with cars.

- If there is a doctor in neighbourhood you must call her/him. I didn't have any.

- My father has diabetes. I didn't give him sugar because he had had a few sweets that afternon. However, if you are in doubt about whether the sugar has dipped or gone up remember HYPO or less sugar is DANGEROUS. Bothe HIGH AND LOW are bad but LOW is VERY BAD. So basically GIVE THAT SUGAR ANYWAYS. Even if the sugar is UP and witn th sugar it goes from 350 to 380 there wouldn't be much of a difference.

The ARTCLE below is from a med journo. Read on-

What is a stroke?

Brain cell function requires a constant delivery of oxygen and glucose from the bloodstream. A stroke, or cerebrovascular accident (CVA), occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is disrupted, causing brain cells to die. Blood flow can be compromised by a variety of mechanisms.
Blockage of an artery

• Narrowing of the small arteries within the brain can cause a lacunar stroke, (lacune means "empty space"). Blockage of a single arteriole can affect a tiny area of brain causing that tissue to die (infarct).
• Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) leading to the brain. There are four major blood vessels that supply the brain with blood. The anterior circulation of the brain that controls most motor activity, sensation, thought, speech, and emotion is supplied by the carotid arteries. The posterior circulation, which supplies the brainstem and the cerebellum, controlling the automatic parts of brain function and coordination, is supplied by the vertebrobasilar arteries.

If these arteries become narrow as a result of atherosclerosis, plaque or cholesterol, debris can break off and float downstream, clogging the blood supply to a part of the brain. As opposed to lacunar strokes, larger parts of the brain can lose blood supply, and this may produce more symptoms than a lacunar stroke.

Embolism to the brain from the heart. In some instances blood clots can form within the heart and the potential exists for them to break off and travel (embolize) to the arteries in the brain and cause a stroke.
Rupture of an artery (hemorrhage)

• Cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within the brain substance). The most common reason to have bleeding within the brain is uncontrolled high blood pressure. Other situations include aneurysms that leak or rupture or arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in which there is an abnormal collection of blood vessels that are fragile and in bleed.

 What causes a stroke?

Blockage of an artery
The blockage of an artery in the brain by a clot (thrombosis) is the most common cause of a stroke. The part of the brain that is supplied by the clotted blood vessel is then deprived of blood and oxygen. As a result of the deprived blood and oxygen, the cells of that part of the brain die and the part of the body that it controls stops working. Typically, a cholesterol plaque in a small blood vessel within the brain that has gradually caused blood vessel narrowing ruptures and starts the process of forming a small blood clot.
Risk factors for narrowed blood vessels in the brain are the same as those that cause narrowing blood vessels in the heart and heart attack (myocardial infarction). These risk factors include:

• high blood pressure (hypertension),
• high cholesterol,
• diabetes, and
• smoking.

Embolic stroke
Another type of stroke may occur when a blood clot or a piece of atherosclerotic plaque (cholesterol and calcium deposits on the wall of the inside of the heart or artery) breaks loose, travels through the bloodstream and lodges in an artery in the brain. When blood flow stops, brain cells do not receive the oxygen and glucose they require to function and a stroke occurs. This type of stroke is referred to as an embolic stroke. For example, a blood clot might originally form in the heart chamber as a result of an irregular heart rhythm, such as occurs inatrial fibrillation. Usually, these clots remain attached to the inner lining of the heart, but occasionally they can break off, travel through the blood stream, form a plug (embolism) in a brain artery, and cause a stroke. An embolism can also originate in a large artery (for example, the carotid artery, a major artery in the neck that supplies blood to the brain) and then travel downstream to clog a small artery within the brain.

Cerebral hemorrhage
A cerebral hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain tissue. A cerebral hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain) causes stroke symptoms by depriving blood and oxygen to parts of the brain in a variety of ways. Blood flow is lost to some cells. As well, blood is very irritating and can cause swelling of brain tissue (cerebral edema). Edema and the accumulation of blood from a cerebral hemorrhage increases pressure within the skull and causes further damage by squeezing the brain against the bony skull further decreasing blood flow to brain tissue and cells.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage
In a subarachnoid hemorrhage, blood accumulates in the space beneath the arachnoid membrane that lines the brain. The blood originates from an abnormal blood vessel that leaks or ruptures. Often this is from an aneurysm (an abnormal ballooning out of the wall of the vessel). Subarachnoid hemorrhages usually cause a sudden, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, light intolerance, and a stiff neck. If not recognized and treated, major neurological consequences, such as coma, and brain death may occur.

Vasculitis
Another rare cause of stroke is vasculitis, a condition in which the blood vessels become inflamed causing decreased blood flow to brain tissue.

Migraine headache
There appears to be a very slight increased occurrence of stroke in people with migraine headache. The mechanism for migraine or vascular headaches includes narrowing of the brain blood vessels. Some migraine headache episodes can even mimic stroke with loss of function of one side of the body or vision or speech problems. Usually, the symptoms resolve as the headache resolves.

Feeling Tired Endlessly- Why?

Fatigued, Fagged out, Tired, Drained Out, Burnt out...

Are we a generation thats either too intense or too light or too serious or too frivolous?
Are we a generation that takes both our intensity and our frivolity too seriously?

Are we a generation that validates all our actions with half baked logic? or misplaced faith?

Who are we? Why are we so tired? Why has the medical sciences started talking about Fatigue syndromes?
Where have we gone wrong?

When we had trade Unions we blamed them for too many bandhs? for the eventual shut downs?
Now we have corporates. Big salaries. But big days of work as well. No health isurance for parents. No pension. If we have taken care of our savings we have lost out on the carefree youth. If we have had a carefree youth we know tomorrow if we fall ill no one might be by our side!!!

So many worries then. Ofcourse we are not the first to experience fatigue but why should we feel so tired?

Are you married? Happy? Are you divorced? happy? Are you unmarried? Happy?

Is HAPPINESS a big word? Is security a BIG BIG word? Is HEALTH a GRAND concern?

We will get Experts to answer your questions. They can be on Wellbeing, health, fitmess, depression, anxiety, health of children, learning disabilities, health conditions like thyroid, diabetes etc. Come share! With or without your names.
You can write to me on goodoldsda@gmail.com

Don't worry about privacy. Confidentiality will be maintained.

We have a psychotherapist on board with the NEWSLETTER.  So feel free and lets discuss whats bothering you today? Real people have real issues. We'll work together to reach REAL ROADWAYS.

love, love, love.
Rukmini

Changing times: From Pehle Aap to Pehle Tum

The city of graces takes pride in speaking a zubaan which is laced with sophistication and refinement. But, over the years there has been a perceptible change in Lucknow's lingua franca. Vijay Chopra runs a reality check on the new trend.

Avadhis love to gloat over their two possessions: zubaan (language) and Dussehri aam. Both, say the natives, are imbued with sweetness and refinement, and give Lucknow a distinctive identity. Many would find it difficult to dispute the claim.
The zubaan of Lucknow is a hybrid of Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Arabic and British languages. Basically, it's Hindustani: heavily laced with Hindi and Urdu words. This makes it easy to speak and understand. The city of graces uses exalted forms of addresses like janab, huzur, hazrat and sarkar. The most preferred pronoun, too, is ‘aap’ and not ‘tu’ or ‘tum’, and the natives, like Avadhi cusines, show great delicacy and taste in the selection of words.

Avadh's lingua franca was best captured in Muzaffar Ali's bollywood flick Umrao Jaan. Its dialogues had words picked straight from the city's lexicon. But that was circa 1981. Much water has flown since then. The conversations overheard on the streets of Lucknow today sound diluted, at times even pedestrian in terms of word selection. Many say the 'Pehle Aap' tehzeeb has given way to 'Pehle Tum'.

So, is it time to revisit the Lakhnavi zubaan? Or, has it become too obsolete to find a pride of place in a fast changing cultural mileu?

Veteran bookseller Ram Advani dismisses the notion of any decline in city's style of speech. Advani, who takes pride in calling himself a Lucknowite first and a Sindhi later, says: “Our zubaan is too deep-rooted to lose its grace and delicacy.” He goes on to add that language evolves with culture and it's a natural process that Lakhnavi speech now has the influence of words imported from its immigrant population. He, however, admits that “city's commercial intelligentsia has expanded, but its cultural imagination has not grown in that proportion.”

Advani's views find support from writer Ravi Bhatt. “Lucknow's language will remain as dominant as the Banaras gharana,” says an optimistic Bhatt. He, too, emphasises that cultural change is inevitable and languages also go through a metamorphosis.

Cultural evolution has always found roots in Avadhi soil. This part of the country has always remained open to vistas of change. Fimmaker Sudhir Mishra, who hails from the city, says Lucknow is far richer than the sophistication of thought, and a sense of grace permeates through its cultural ethos. “The idea of tameez and tehzeeb will change. Zubaan is not static, it's dynamic. It incorporates the new trends and one should get used to it,” says Mishra.

The streets of Lucknow buzz with anecdotes on how the art of language has blossomed many romantic relationships. Letters laden with delicate praises were exchanged among the Cupid-struck till a few years back. Lakhnavi zubaan has also been a representative of the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb with 'adaab' and 'namaskar' being the main salutations.

Lucknow chronicler Yogesh Praveen, however, laments the loss of refinement in conversations. “The major reason for decline is the influx of immigrants. They have eroded the characteristic grace of Lucknow and replaced it with rough and rude words.” Praveen also attributes the fall to the growing dominance of English. “Parents, instead of instilling city's culture into their children, coax them to speak English. So, how can we expect kids to pick up the conversational etiquette which is peculiar to the city of Nawabs,” says Praveen.

Writer KP Saxena, who has penned dialogues for Bollywood blockbusters Lagaan and Jodha Akbar, is more harsh in his remarks. “Our zubaan has become rotten and there is little hope that it will regain its lost glory,” says Saxena.
Inhabitants may give a divided verdict but most of them favour the retention of delicacy in speech. Advani and Bhatt say people should set examples that can be emulated. “I do not think the SMS generation has corrupted our zubaan. If 5 out of 100 youngsters have grace in their words, then it's a healthy trend,” says the veteran bookseller.

A little uplift to Avadhi art of conversation seems a plausible proposition. It just calls for a balancing act between the old and new lexicons. Perhaps, the natives can take a leaf from French writer Guy de Maupassant who said: “My choices are simple. I like the best.” The same can be applied to the selection of words!

Vijay Chopra

(Newsletter has used some photographs from the blog of Ghummakkars. Thanks to them many of us who are outside Lucknow can still admire our good old city)

Some love letters

In the midst of CRAZY news gathering.
In  the middle of changing houses and reporting for lost ATM card.
In the thick of things with a parent suffering stroke ...

When all seemed down and out...and stressful to the core I came across two writeups that uplifted me. One talked about small things a family does or can do in their vacation and another one on one's daughter.

I am sure you'll love both of them. A word of praise for Natasha Badhwar, the HT coloumnist who writes on her three daughters often. On other occasions she writes on her mixed marriage, love and small adventures of life. Read her online. She is simple, lucid and very gentle in her writing.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Luxury/How-to-vacation-at-home/Article1-865143.aspx

and the other one is by Ravish. He writes on the birth of his daughter and on people's reactions. He challenges the whole phenomenon of putting the girl child either on a pedestal or absolutely rubbishing her. What he does most beautifully is point out the politics of language. How we discriminate by giving a GOD size compliment!! Read on. Its very well written.

http://naisadak.blogspot.in/2012/05/blog-post_30.html

Hey Have you seen or heard this?:)

You must have seen or heard this! But yet just in case you have missed it...we want to share some of the not so recent videos and songs. There is something organic , original and of the soil in these numbers. Leave us a message if you have enjoyed listening or watching these treats-