Month of the EAR

I noticed when someone speaks to me , I say “Enh…” and they have to repeat which made them look like they are talking too much. It may be non British to say enh but it’s easier than “beg your pardon”.
I told my spouse, I will go to an ENT doctor for a small check. ” Haauu..I have been telling you” she said. I did not tell her, how much I enjoyed all that I have not heard, now it may come to an end.

I went to a hearing aid clinic managed by two ladies and told them ” I want to check my hearing level and buy a suitable aid”. She called me in and said before connecting the device to check your decibel l evel, let me have a look into your ears. I said ” You can look into my eyes, err.. ears”.

She enlighted my ears and said “I can see wax”. She went and told her lady boss. The boss said meet this doctor and wrote a letter to him.” Please write I am sending a pair of ears attached to its owner for necessary action”, I told her. She laughed and gave me the letter and said go to him now , he will leave for lunch by one. I walked back home, which was close by,appreciating the honest ladies who could have tested and sold me a hearing aid, wax or no wax.
Told my spouse that I will meet the doctor in the evening. She reminded me that I was travelling to Kochi the next day and the doctor’s treatment make take a few days. In that case I decided to meet him after my return.

Let’s take a break from ENT and talk about my visit to Kerala. My childhood friend Annie Kurien, since I was 7 year old, my first friend in my memory had decided to celebrate her 75th birthday, she says more on her son’s insistence. When she mentioned this, I said I am coming, leaving her no option to invite or not to. This needs a special mention, since how many of us have a friendship surviving this long. We grew up in Rourkela, got separated, met again in Ranchi, went our own way, later got connected again and now its on. It was good to see her elegant self at 75. The other bonus was meeting her younger sister Susanne, after years and years, her son AYUSH and daughter in law Poonam from Spain.

In Bangalore, more meeting during Pankaj Ramani’s daughter’s wedding, a pleasant one after a long gap, Shilpa Appiah, Arthi, Manjunath, the fine artist Nagnath, Sreenath with his wife and chirpy daughter Prerana. They are random picks from the past, a thriller after 15 years

Finally, makes it to the ENT doctor, here use this ear drops, three times a day and come on Thursday at 11 am. The hard wax formation needs to be softened before using saline water treatment to clear the path of listening.
Come thursday, there I am. Five minutes treatment and the doctor tells me, go stand in the corner and look at the wall, answer my questions. Remembered the school days, either go stand out of the class or stand in the corner punishments. I answered the three questions asked at low decibel and the doctor said ” good, you seem to be fine “.
“Doctor, how do you know my answers were correct” I asked jokingly
“Is it my problem ?”, he replied.

I felt a considerable improvement since I could hear my laughter.
I asked him is there a way, I can prevent a repeat.
No, however, never use ear buds, it just pushes them in and blocks the passage.
With excessive blue tooth and ear phones usage, a whole generation is rushing towards deafness, price of excess listening.

I am back in Kochi, my dear uncle Achuthan, last among 5 siblings of my mother passed away, just a few days from his 90th birthday. Though inevitable, there is a sense of loss, a popular figure specially among our relatives and friends, a big influencer in my life, a lover of sweets like me, picked up some good attitudes from him. Among all his qualities, his humour stood out, which made us all look forward to meet him. One more title he held before he left, a great grandfather of Nithara from his granddaughter Malini. Peace be with him.

I had a friend,who used to ask me “what were you upto”, whenever we met. He is not there anymore. This is my reply to him about my activities. “Beer” with me, if I bored you