Destination Infinity's Blog, page 8

Our COVID/Corona 3rd Wave Experience

Disclaimer: These views are of a non-medical person. Please cross-check with medical professionals before you come to any conclusion based on what is written below.

My wife was having considerable body pain, a couple of nights before the new year. She also had some cough, the next morning. So we went to the doctor to get some medicines for the body pain but he asked us to take the RT-PCR test for COVID/Coronavirus.

We were puzzled. We thought it was perhaps a mandatory procedure, and gave the test anyway.

That night her cough increased. The next day the hospital confirmed that my wife was positive for COVID/Coronavirus.

Hospital Admission

We went and saw the doctor who suggested that we get her admitted. The pi value in the RT-PCR test result was quite high and hence they said it would be better for them to monitor her for 3-5 days in the hospital. Besides, by being in the hospital when the virus is active, she would minimize the chances of spreading it to others.

We did the RT-PCR test for me and my mother too. Both of us tested negative.

Hospital Experience

The hospital was continuously monitoring her BP, Sugar, Oxygen levels, etc. To our surprise, we found that her Sugar level was around 400 (more than double the normal value) and they immediately started giving insulin to control it.

It seems high sugar or BP levels were one reason for lower immunity and these need to be kept in check, even for double-vaccinated people like us. They asked us to check the sugar level 15 days after all medication stopped, to confirm if the medications caused the spike in sugar values.

The hospital also gave her medications (immunotherapy) to improve her immunity. They also gave her glucose drips, and medications to prevent blood clots (I guess that happens with some COVID-positive cases). They took x-ray to confirm that the virus is not affecting the chest region. On the last day, they even took CT Scan to make sure everything is clear.

I guess they were monitoring to see if the virus affected the lungs, etc. Once they were satisfied with the progress and didn’t find any delta strain that could affect below the throat, they then advised home isolation.

I should appreciate the hospital staff for taking up and treating corona cases, in spite of the risks involved.

How Much does Private Hospital Charge for this COVID/Corona 3rd Wave?

The doctors said they would need to monitor for 3-5 days. They finally discharged her in 5 days.

Per Day, on average, it cost us Rs. 20,000/- including ICU charges, pharmacy bills, CT Scan, X-Ray, Insulin, RT-PCR, etc. My wife did not require oxygen or other forms of life support during her stay. I am mentioning this amount so that you get an idea of how much it will cost if private hospitalization is required for Corona 3rd Wave.

The hospital we admitted her was our familiar, relatively small, private hospital. It could be more in bigger hospitals or depending on the type of treatment required. It could also be less in the case of Govt. Hospital, home isolation, etc.

As I write this, my wife is already out of the 10-day home isolation, after the 5-day hospitalization. She is cured and fine.

Destination Infinity

Buy Upcycled Handicrafts for Social Good

‘Lily & the Wonder Women‘ is a social initiative by Shaswati Sengupta that empowers women and kids in risky neighborhoods like Kannagi Nagar (a Tsunami Rehabilitation Settlement) in Chennai. It enables them to earn a living and educate their kids – hence trying to prevent them from falling into a life of crime.

How?

By upcycling textile & plastic scraps and waste before they reach the dustbin, into handmade designer & utility products and handicraft accessories.

Lily & the Wonder Women is a socially sustainable business model aimed at providing fair wages to women in affected areas by upcycling textile/cloth waste into beautiful dolls, cloth toys for kids, Koodai traditional bags, pouches, decorative items, play buddies, home decor products, notepads, bags, pouches, etc.

In fact, since all these items are handmade, each of them is unique and different based on the material and the designer’s creativity. You can visit their shop from this link and see what’s readily available for you to purchase, or you can also order customized products as per your needs.

Visit Lily & the Wonder Women Home Page for more details about their social initiative and to see the contact/buying details.

Destination Infinity

Zee5.com: My Top 5 Tamil Movies on Zee5 OTT Platform (Jan. 2022)

Here is a list of my Top 5 Tamil Movies on Zee5 OTT Platform. I don’t claim that I have watched all Tamil movies on that platform, but these were the ones I liked most among whichever Tamil movies I watched on Zee5.com.

Related: My Top 5 Web Series on Zee5.com (Tamil, Hindi)

#5. Blood Money

Blood Money is the journey of a new journalist who wishes to stop the hanging of two Tamil people in Kuwait through her investigative reporting. But as she keeps nearing the deadline, many doubts and challenges confront her. Are they really innocent? Why have the authorities not canceled the death sentence even after ‘Blood Money’ was paid to the victim’s family in Sri Lanka?

#4. Vinodhaya Sitham

Vinodhaya Sitham is a different and a brave effort by Samudrakani. The general issue with such movies with a message is, they either tend to be preachy or be boring. This movie is neither.

Thambi Ramaiah dies in a car accident. He meets God and requests him time to set things right, and this once, God gives him 3 months. How much the main character changes in these three months, and how he realizes that he is *has never been* the center of the universe family and work! An excellent movie for everyone overestimating their role in life.

#3. Malaysia to Amnesia

Malaysia to Amnesia is a fun movie about a man who suddenly loses his memory. I can’t say more as it will reveal the plot, but the way the events have been shown is very interesting. The mama character played by MS Bhaskar is the main star of the movie with his tremendous performance. If this role was not played to perfection, the entire movie could have fallen flat. Great job and a fun movie to relax during the weekend.

#2. Maragadha Naanayam

Maragadha Naanayam is a paranormal Tamil movie mixed with some humour. I liked the ensemble of characters assembled for this movie – most played their parts quite well. The movie moves fast, with interesting twists every now and then. The paranormal part is not very frightening, but as an entertaining movie, this is good.

#1. Dikkiloona

When Santhanam and Yogi Babu are present in a movie, one can obviously expect humor. But in this movie, there is also a good message. Combine it with time travel fantasy, this movie is a thorough entertainer.

The time travel part is a bit confusing at times, but the overall message and the pace of the movie are really good. People who believe in the philosophy, “Ikkaraikku akkarai pacchai” or there is better life only if we had done one thing differently, should watch this movie.

Destination Infinity

Kobo eBooks – Limited Time Deals & Free Books (Newsletter)

If you love to read free eBooks, and explore limited-time juicy book deals – especially to try new authors or genres, you may want to have a look at this Daily Kobo eBooks Listing Newsletter (click).

Kobo is a Canadian eBook retailer & eReader manufacturer present in multiple countries including the U.S. and India. There are many free eBooks on their site, but it’s generally difficult to find good ones that are free and rated high.

In the website link mentioned above, they do daily blog posts (and send the same as an email newsletter) on great free books available on kobo.com. The free ebooks available on the Kobo Review books of the Day section are generally rated very high by the readers. Since they are free as well, you could easily try and identify new and interesting books.

They also list eBooks that are on a limited-time deal. So, if a book generally costs $4.99, authors sometimes reduce their prices to $0.99 or $1.99 (for example) for a limited period of time – generally a few days. For readers buying within this period, this translates into good savings that they can invest in buying more books.

So if you already buy and read eBooks from Kobo, or if you read eBooks from elsewhere but are open to buying from other places too, check out the link given at the beginning of this post.

My Smartphone Macrophotography Adventure (Housefly)

Nowadays, since I am not able to go out much due to my orthopedic condition, I was feeling low. Besides, after putting up so many travel pics over the years, I feel, this blog is less colourful now.

So, today, I found an opportunity to indulge in some macro-photography. This housefly closeup photo was possible mainly due to my efforts talent luck. And also due to the extreme patience of my model – this housefly

I spent a few hours maybe ten seconds waiting for the right moment for the camera to focus properly and finally was able to click this masterpiece. Of course, the photo has been since zoomed and edited, thanks to the many megapixels of smartphone cameras nowadays

Destination Infinity

My Autobiography: Sponsorship for School Culturals

Our school used to hold an annual inter-school culturals event. Students of 11th Standard are generally in charge of this event. I think the event is supposed to nurture the organizational and leadership skills of youngsters.

As a part of this event, we were supposed to go to sponsorship request tours – at least for a day. Basically, 4-5 students team up and visit big shops or offices to ask for money from potential sponsors.

The school management knew that nothing much would come out of this activity monetarily, but that was not their aim.

So I and my best friend teamed up with three more students (I still remember who they were) and went to Mount Road. Why? Because someone told us that the big offices were there.

Each of us planned to take turns. First, it was my turn.

I saw a large shoe company showroom and decided to go in. One of their main business is selling school shoes, right? We went in and asked the attendant. He pointed us to the store manager. I went in and told him that we had come to ask for sponsorships.

This guy, in spite of knowing that we were little schoolboys (we were in our school uniforms), put his arms over my shoulder, guided me outside the shop (my friends followed), and went back.

I guess that was his style of saying Get Out!

Needless to say, we were a bit perturbed. But we decided that all of us should ask at least at one place before going back home.

In one office our student cultural secretary (who came with us) approached with confidence and we were able to meet the manager. He asked us to sit down and told us that he had a couple of hundred notebooks to distribute, so why don’t we take them back with us and distribute them to our friends?

We didn’t get money for advertisements but we got something at least. We were glad

Little did I know that ‘Cold Calling’ (as this is called in the industry) would become a daily job for me in just six years. Yeah, we had to do this during the initial training period for our upcoming sales careers. But more on that later.

The experience that I had during this activity, although it disturbed me initially, gradually resulted in reducing the fear I had about approaching people. Even today I have no qualms about approaching strangers in an event and starting a conversation – in spite of my basic introvert nature.

That’s what the school management wanted – the experience that would enable us to get over our fear, eventually.

Destination Infinity

Chennai Book Fair 2022: Dates, Timing, etc.

CHENNAI CHENNAI BOOK FAIR 2022 DETAILS

Here are the details regarding the upcoming 45th Chennai Book Fair 2022 event to be held next month (Jan. ’22).

Dates: January 06 to January 23, 2022

Location: YMCA Grounds, Nandanam (Click for Google Maps)

Timing: Weekdays – 3 P.M. to 8.30 P.M., Weekends – 11 A.M. to 8.30 P.M.

(On the first day, the book fair may be opening slightly late, maybe by the evening)

COVID Protocols: Masks and Sanitizers to be available at the venue.

Expected Footfall: 12 Lakhs

Organizer/More Details: BAPASI

Destination Infinity

Zee5.com: My Top 5 Web Series (Hindi &Tamil) [Dec. ’21]

Here is my selection of Top 5 Web Series on Zee5.com. I mostly watch Hindi and Tamil web series, so I have selected shows from these. I have not watched all the series available on this platform to select these five, but these were the best among the ones I watched.

State of Siege: 26/11 (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu)

I never expected a non-fiction web series based on true events of terrorists attacking multiple places in Mumbai (2008) could be made this well. But I should admit that this series is gripping and feels like a thriller.

The creators have tried to bring the events of 26/11 in front of our eyes. The recreation is believable and the approach (script & direction) is excellent. We ought to see this web series to understand what the people involved in that situation might have felt, and the bravery of our NSG.

Sunflower (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu)

If not for that silly climax, I would have rated this excellent web series, better. However, this is one awesome show that not only keeps us hooked, but also makes us laugh. The humor is really good – at places.

The story reveals around a character who gets murdered, and the police set out to find out the murderer. Unlike mystery series, the creators show us who killed the character, right in the first few minutes. Kudos to them for making this series so interesting, in spite of this reveal upfront.

Fingertip (Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam)

Fingertip is a deftly made series on people’s social media addiction and its negative consequences that we might not think much about. This is not general advice to people to not use social media, but it’s actually about particular incidents that happen in the life of five people that turns their world upside down. Of course, it’s a good idea to reduce our social media time too!

Oru Chinna Family Story (Tamil, Telugu)

This web series has a funny but still through-provoking story. It’s short but it’s good. I wish the object of demand was recovered in the end, but zee5 seems to have an aversion for good endings, looks like!

The story revolves around a young man who loses his father all of a sudden. Not only does all the family responsibilities fall on him, but he also needs to repay a huge loan. At this point, the guy doesn’t even have a job, and what’s worse – he is in love too Quite a complicated situation, but well handled with generous doses of humor by the creators. Must watch, guys.

The Chargesheet (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu)

The Chargesheet is a very realistic and interesting web series (Hindi & Tamil) that we watched on Zee5. The only issue is, even the climax is so realistic that there is no feel-good factor after watching this one. But until the climax, the creators have made a very good effort.

In this series set in the ’90s, a commonwealth gold-winning table tennis player is shot in broad daylight. Who killed him and why forms the remaining part of the plot. Although the mystery is revealed halfway, the makers manage to keep us hooked until the end. I just wish the climax was different.

Potato Biscuits?

I guess we’ve heard of potato chips. But potato biscuits? Hmm…

I am always a fan of culinary innovations. But I was wondering how this combination of potatoes and biscuits would taste good?

Unlike what I thought, these are not sweet. They are a combination of tangy and spicy tastes. And the ‘biscuit’ is too thin. So it’s closer to chips or such snacks than biscuits…

Initially, I wasn’t sure. But from the second biscuit onwards, I was hooked. This one is addictive, I tell ya

The only issue is, the quantity is so less, but so is the price (20 rupees). Next time I should remember to buy more.

These potato biscuits from Sunfeast are such a change from all those sweeeeeeeet biscuits.

You can find it in supermarkets or even online! Enjoy

Destination Infinity

7 Of the Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Russia

Being the largest country in the world, Russia has a lot to offer. From beautiful mountains to mesmerizing valleys, warm sands to frozen lands, it has everything that would amaze a nature lover. Russian visa for US citizens is easy to obtain.

Russia is a fascinating country that is also home to incredible cities, works of art, and overwhelming places. From stunning natural spaces to striking architecture, take a look at our list of the

Most beautiful places to visit in Russia 1. Lake Baikal

Whether you have visited Russia or not you must have heard about Lake Baikal. This is the deepest and oldest lake in the world. It has a depth of 1642 meters and is estimated to be around 25 million years old. Here you can catch a view of the clearest water you will see in your life. The striking beauty of the lake and its surroundings is hard to resist. During the summertime, it turns into a popular destination for boat cruising, kayaking, and island hopping. If you ever step foot in Russia, you simply can’t miss this beauty.

2. St. Peterburg

This happens to be one of the most beautiful cities in Russia. It has so many things to offer that it will take at least a week for you to cover them all. The city has a European vibe which reflects through the exquisite design and fine art of the buildings. You can either hop on a cruise or explore the city on foot to get an up and personal look at the beautiful architecture. Some of the popular places to check out are St Isaac’s Cathedral, Moika Palace, Hermitage Museum, and Peterhof Palace.

3. Moscow

If you’re flying to Russia, you will most probably land in Moscow. That’s where most international flights arrive. You at least need a day to explore all the beautiful places in the city. Moscow is brimming with stunning architecture and greenery. It also has a rich historical background that should interest history lovers. When in Moscow, you should start exploring from the centre, where the Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and Kremlin are located. Other interesting places to explore are The State Tretyakov Gallery, Pushkin Museum, and The Bolshoi Theatre. The GUM shopping mall is also quite popular among tourists, where you can find all the luxury brands and traditional Russian food.

4. Sochi

Located on the Black Sea, Sochi is a happening destination for visitors. It’s a great place to visit during the wintertime. During that time you can witness many winter sports. Sochi also hosts the Russian Formula 1 Grand Prix. Besides that, you can explore the beautiful beaches, which make an important part of the Russian Riviera. Even though Sochi receives heavy snowfall, it still offers a subtropical climate. When in Sochi, you must enjoy walking along the pedestrian-only sea embankment.

5. Nizhny Novgorod

In case, you didn’t know this is the fifth-largest city in Russia and is a wonderful place to visit for tourists. This is where you will find the confluence of the Oka and Volga rivers. Nizhny Novgorod is a good place to explore if you’re interested in Old Russian art and architecture. The city houses more than 200 art museums, 600 monuments and statues, and numerous concert halls.

6. Altai

This is one of the stunning places you will visit in Russia. It’s a Russian republic located in southern Siberia. Altai has an incredible natural beauty that will blow up your senses. From hot springs to glacial lakes, the place exhibits an excellent contrast. This place is loved by both health seekers and sightseers because of the beautiful wilderness area. Unlike other places, Altai remains untouched and unspoiled.

7. Olkhon Island

This is a lake-bound island that serves as an excellent place to spend your holidays in Russia. It’s located 250 km northeast of Irkutsk. This place is accessible by both sea or overland. This place has a rich culture which will give you a good insight into the lives of the people here. The local natives are well-preserved, so you can have a unique experience authentically.