Two years ago, during my summer holidays I travelled to India alone and visited my grandmother's house in a rural town. I spent a few days there with her. She'd wake up early to visit the fields, and I'd coop up reading in the
This is the last week of my general practice placement. We usually have little control over which clinic we are placed in, it's the medical school lucky draw. You could be placed in one which is a ten minute walk from your accommodation, or you could be placed
Most of us grew up listening to fairy tales, stories of how good triumphs over evil. Beauty, courage and kindness are considered heroic, and the villains are portrayed as scary, selfish, jealous and devoid of any 'desirable' human sentiment. Reality is hardly that simple. Nothing is ever black
On the Friday just passed, I was supposed to be at a concert. My mum and I were going and she was really excited about it. I had even applied for leave, so I could drive us to London. During the drive, we had a long conversation for two hours
In the morning, my friends and I packed our lunches and set out to the library. There was a lot left to study, and everything that I studied was slipping out of my mind, like water through a sieve. I say my before-exam-catch phrase to J, "Can you please
I had always thought that love was supposed to be easy. I believed friendships and relationships are supposed to be easy, natural. If the relationship requires more work, then there is an issue with compatibility, even if the parties involved deeply care for one another. In situations like this, I&
I was going through my old emails, and I came across the personal statement that I wrote to get into medical school. It has been five years since, and I can confirm that being a medical mud-blood (my parents are not doctors), I came in with very idealistic views. When
The 'Haunted Swing' illusion involves an individual placed on a swing. If the room is moved, even if the swing and the platform on which it is placed aren't moved, the individual would still perceive bodily motion, despite not having moved themselves. Imagine a situation when
Often, more than the situation itself, it is how one perceives and processes the situation that brings about a change in their emotions. When I realised this, I began trying to manipulate what I feel in response to situations. I've curated these ideas or strategies over a number
What would you tell me if I ask you for the best love story you have witnessed? I've seen patients come into hospital with their spouses who they've been married to for five or six decades, and they often claim that their marriage was the best
Maybe it is because of the media romanticising the idea of being different, or it is an inbuilt desire to be part of the crowd and stand out- to be on the receiving end of people's praise, admiration and envy. But, trying to be different can actually be
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In 2003, Shelley Jackson wrote a 2000 word story called 'SKIN', and each word of the story was tattooed on the skin of 2000 volunteers who carry with them a part of the story (one word and possibly a punctuation mark, to be precise). This was the only