The Making Of The Tea Bag

For quite sometime now I have been using those tea bags which my sister from America gifted me.

These are herbal pouches flavoured with peppermint or lemon grass or ginger-lemon, etc. As such they dont contain tea leaves and are supposed to be wonderful as anti-oxidants. It is usually brewed in plain hot water without adding any milk or sugar. A hot flavoured water is what it is. I got into the habit due to my sister drinking cups of it while here on her India trips. It is refreshing and keeps one away from snacking. It's an anytime drink and does not harm our system.

Usually one bag is immersed in the glass jar along with a cup(s) of water. It's microwaved for a minute. The dicoction is poured into a cup to sip it while still hot. The tea bag is re-used many times over with as many cups of water depending on how many people want to have it. It need not be strong. Just flavouring the water is the essence of this simple drink. It is very easy to brew it in a microwave and serving is much easier without messing around with milk or/and sugar.
The tea bags which sister got were made in Thailand, China, etc.

Of course, I hunted for an Indian product and bought one soon.
I am careful as always, to check for any metal linings due to my habit of microwaving water very often.
I was about to insert the Indian product into the water jar and felt a sharpness while trying to unwind the dip-thread. To my horror, found a stapler-pin fastened at the gather of the bag and the dip-thread.
I had to literally remove the stapler-pin each time I wanted to use the Indian-made tea bag! I went back to check how the foreign tea bags were secured.
They nicely secured the bag by merely threading the dipping thread through the bag itself. It appears very neat, tidy and easy to remove and use with no bother of a possible accident of a short-circuit in the microwave.

This shows much thought goes into even a seemingly small product like the tea bag. The eye for detail is so very essential for any product to succeed.
Have the Indian manufacturers not thought of this? I wonder.
Since microwaving has caught on in India, the think-tanks have to come up with safer products and move on with times.
They don't take the end-users' conveniences too seriously.
Maybe this is one of the reasons why products fail to take off.
Nothing should be brushed aside as insignificant and the example of the tea bag proves this point so very well.

Cheers!
Mahalakshmi

The Doctor's Prescription

My mother would consult a government doctor while at my sister's place in the outskirts of Chennai. As this doctor knew mom's medical history quite well, she discouraged us from getting her operated for stones in her gall bladder at her age of 80 years. So we left it at that.

This incident happened 4 years ago in Chennai where she stays with me.

While at Chennai, my mom would visit a lady doctor's clinic very close by to check on her BP.

It was on one such visit when I did not accompany her as I was busy with packing off my sons to college that morning. She told me that she was going to check her BP this time as usual and that nothing was wrong with her.

Soon an attendant from the clinic came running and told me that the doctor wanted to see me right away. I went there to find mom seated calmly inside the doctor's room. First she said I should have accompanied my mother to the clinic and second, she was in quite a serious condition. I was surprised as I could see mom was sitting and appeared quite normal to me.

Mother had complained of mild stomach pain to her. I asked the doctor what was wrong with my mom. She drew a daigram on her prescription sheet. It was the chest and abdominal area, I could see. Then she proceeded to draw 4 dots in 4 directions inside. She told me my mom had to be admitted immediately for an emergency surgery in these 4 areas. To remove through keyhole surgeries, her gall bladder itself, some kidney stones, appendicitis and one other thing I don't recollect right now!

She suggested the Asian Hospitals at Besant Nagar to get admitted into, where the surgery could be performed either in the night itself or the next day, early morning. And asked me to deposit Rs.60,000/- at the hospital for the keyhole surgeries assuring that all will be well with her after this.
But before that she wanted us to go get a scan of the entire area at a centre at Thiruvanmiyur, a nearby area.

I rushed her to the scan centre. We both waited for the doctor's report. I asked my mom what exactly happened and she said she had no clue whatsoever. She had complained about her stomach discomfort as usual and din't know what to make of these tests, etc. The scan doctor told us that for her age of 80, these things are common ailments and it would be better to leave them untouched. In other words no immediate surgery was required.

Nevertheless, we went again to the doctor to show her those scan reports and waited silently for 'her' verdict. It was the same - emergency operation is the need of the hour and that I was being careless about my mother's health. She knew I was not getting convinced about the whole thing.

I have always consulted my eldest sister before I took such decisions for mom, so I asked for some time to talk and get back to the doctor. She got so wild and said it is an emergency and what if something happened to my mom, would I wait for my sister to come and advise me?! I din't want to be provoked as I knew from deep inside my heart that it was not an emergency and it was really unnecessary for mom to get into some complicated procedures. Near and dear ones do know when there's an emergency.

I talked to my sister after she returned back from work that evening and asked her to read out the scan report to mom's doctor for a second opinion. The verdict was don't proceed with the multiple surgeries as the scan report revealed a very mild case of her problems and din't warrant any emergency operation.

It would do neither of us any good to have an argument or a fight so I just wanted to inform the doctor that evening that my mom will not get admitted for those keyhole surgeries.

Even after 4 years, my mom just gets on with life as normally as her age can permit.
She made me feel that I was not receptive to my mom's health needs.
After a couple of months she just shut shop and the clinic remains locked to this day. Maybe she has shifted to some other place.

May all of us remain healthy and never end up in a hospital for any tests and treatment. May we have the presence of mind to seek a second opinion just to be sure even if we are covered through a medical insurance from head to toe.

Cheers!
Mahalakshmi

The Bachelors and The Cook

My maid servant is regular, does her work, informs me in advance if she is to take leave, (never does any extra work :( even if I am ready to pay her extra), never expects tea, coffee or food from me. In appreciation of most of the above I give her additional amounts from time to time on festivals, besides the Diwali bonus, I give her an allowance for her kids at school re-opening time. She seems happy about this arrangement and so am I.

To supplement her income, she has now taken up an additional job of cooking and cleaning for 3 bachelors who live down the lane.

Out of interest I asked her whether she liked her new job.
She said she was very happy and soon I found out the reason for her happiness.
Seems she used to cook for them last year but left it after a month of trial and error.
Then these guys were struggling with an elderly woman who used to cook and make off with things from the kitchen often. One of them approached her yet again to take on the mantle. Though she was a bit hesitant she accepted the challenge and is settling down to the job quite well.
She was afraid of so many things - her cooking may not be good, no word of either appreciation or criticism from these guys.
In time, the guys taught her how to cook items like sambar, dal and rice.
She sticks on to this job because of a single factor.
She said, the moment she finishes her cooking, the guys come with their plates, load the food and junk the vessels for her to clean. The fact that there's not a single grain of rice nor a drop of sambar makes her happy that the food is all gone within minutes of its getting ready.
I knew that it was more important for her to see the food vanish than to hear praises about it.
The salary is for her work.
I am sure she will better her cooking skills with each passing day.

The satisfaction and enjoying of one's work can never be measured in terms of money or salary.
It is this that motivates us to do better.
Appreciation for good work is rare to come by and when it does come, it is a bonus, nevertheless, we carry on at our skills as we do with our living.

Cheers.
Mahalakshmi

Exchange of Greetings

Living in a civil society we are expected to behave in a certain way.
When we meet a person we know, we usually greet him/her with a hello, good morning, namaste, hi, according to our own position vis-a-vis that person's.

Even animals greet each other in their own ways. Reminds me of the chimps Jane Goodall studied in the jungles of Africa many decades ago and how chimps would shake hands just like humans when they met for the first time of the day.

I recall an incident from my teens. I had got home my new friend, Krishnaveni. My father was busy with his work so I pointed out to him and told her that he was my father.
She immediately said, 'Namaste uncle' but my father being too busy with work din't hear/notice it, hence din't greet her back which was very unusual for him. I knew he was such a loving soul and would never ignore another human at all anytime and that he may not have heard or seen her.
My friend moved on from there but I could see how upset she was. So I drew his attention by whispering to him that my friend had greeted him and he had not responded.
For his age, he could have just looked blankly or better still ignored me and my friend.
Instead he put aside his work, got up and immediately went up to her and said, 'Sorry, I missed greeting you back as I din't hear you, so what's your name ...'. That was enough to put my new friend at ease.
Seeing him behave in such a humble manner sure made an impact in my mind. To this day I remember to respond to anyone greeting me anywhere. I see no person as high or lowly. A gardener wishing me deserves to be wished back is all I know and acknowledge it with a 'Good morning, how are you?'

I see all around me so much of contrite behaviour. People ignoring others even when they greet them! It is as if they mean to say, 'I consider your greeting not fit enough to acknowledge'!

I have also noticed how the higher a person gets on the ladder of success, he is a natural at greeting others back without a second thought.
It is mostly those people who are not confident about themselves or in some way feel they are too superior to acknowledge ordinary mortals' greetings who see-through others as if they din't exist at all!! I find this behavior so very funny.
Those who have such attitude never ever rise to the very top. They stagnate at one level until they free their restrictive minds from such misconceived notions of superiority and inferiority.

After all everyone of us are humans first and then only the titles or the post we hold in our public lives. It sure is important to be dignified when one holds a high post yet one need not ignore others totally especially when one is being greeted.

To be humble is really very difficult. It has to be cultivated as a habit. It is the same case as that of a young tree which will be upright for many years. When it has weathered many a storm or drought does it bend benignly as though with wisdom.
Remember the one who is sincerely humble reaches the top so very easily due to the goodwill and blessings of one's superiors.

May we be remembered more for our humility and culture than for our riches or position in life. After all to dust, we shall all return one day without exception.

Cheers!
Mahalakshmi.