Sick -- and it is Mumps

Woke up on Sunday last , after a late night watching cricket finals - not the whole game , with a awkward feel around the jaw. Checked my face in the mirror and I could see the bulge on the right side of my face. Had some breakfast and drove to the clinic. I have started growing a beard so it covers up the swelling a little. Met the ENT doc - had seen him a couple of years back when I had a vertigo attack. Was apprehensive about a recurrence of the ear infection. Doc took one look and said 'its mumps' . My response was - ' isn't that for kids' .
Just recollected , I used the same words in 1983 when I was 24 and the doc had diagnosed Chickenpox. Thats another story.
Now 24 years later Iam sick and laid low with mumps. Like CP , mumps too does not give you a lot of discomfort but a lot of superficial symptoms. When I had CP , I was alone in a corner of India almost 3000km from my near & dear. Now Iam with my family but as one gets older being sick gets one thinking.
Thinking about old age , children's future , home mortgages etc .

Nostalgia

Just read a few lines someone has penned in my alumni website. Talking about the 'good old days'. Student days are unique no doubt but then one has to grow up and pass through various stages. Looking back from a responsibility laden stage in ones life where one has to earn a living and support a family , college days do seem the best in ones life. While it had the 'tensions' of daily classes , peer pressure and the family expectations , it still was a phase where confidence was high.
The lines are appended below :

College Ke wOh Din...

Ye degree lelo, ye naukari bhi lelo

Bhale chahe lelo mujhse US ka Visa...

magar mujhe lautaa do college ka canteen

woh pani ki chai woh tikha samosha...

college ki sabse purani nishani

woh chai-wala jise saare kehte the jaani...

woh jaani ke haathon ki 'cutting' chaaya meethi

woh chupke se journal mein bheji hui chitthi...

woh padhte hi chitthi uska til-milana

woh chehre ki laali woh aankhon ka gussa...

kadi dhup mein apne ghar se nikalnaa

woh project ki khatir sheher bhar bhatakna...

woh lecture mein doston ki proxy lagana

woh sir ko chidhana woh aeroplane udana..

woh submission ki raton ko jagna jagaana

woh viva ki khahani woh practical ka kissa....

woh bimaari ka detention ka time bahana

woh dusaron ke assignments ko apna banana...

woh seminar ke din pairon ka chat-pataana

woh workshop mein din raat pasina bahana...

woh exam ke din ka bechain mauhol

par woh maa ka vishvas teachar ka bharosa...

college ki woh lambi si raatein

woh doston se katte pe pyaarisi baatein...

woh gathering ke din ka ladna jhagadna

woh ladkiyon ka yun hi hamesha akadnaa...

bhulaaye nahi bhul sakta hain koi

woh college, jivan ka ek atoot hissa...

woh college, jivan ka ek atoot hissa

Muze lauta do woh college ke din...

Holidays

Working in the Gulf for the past decade , I have never had so many holidays. The new year - 2006 - started with a holiday. 1st Jan is holiday here - I dont think it was so in India . Then the ruler of Dubai passed away , a three day holiday was declared. Came back to office for a day and again was off for 5 days ..... holiday for Eid.

Checking out my digi-cam. I am not as scary as I look !