Whither booster shots

 

 

Now they are saying a third shot of vaccine is needed to be immunized against the new mutilated covid 19 viruses.

At the beginning, they said it was a break through that they finally discovered a vaccine for the covid- 19 virus.  And they were saying all sorts of efficacies for the various vaccines -   95%, 90%, 75%, 52% and what not. Then, they said another shot of vaccine was needed to have real effect on the virus. And now they are saying yet another shot of vaccine is needed to efficiently create an antibody against the virus. A new virus now that they call it as Omicron. They call the new vaccine jab  as the booster shot.  I wonder how many booster shots we are going to have. Will it end here? I don’t think so, but I sincerely, hope so!

Why are they not improving on the vaccines that currently exist, instead of requesting for further vaccination? They may argue the booster shot is the improvisation. Okay, well and good, but pessimistically, speaking, I think there will be further pleading of getting more shots of other vaccines or ‘boosters’ with new names. I hope financial gains are not a consideration here.

Let’s wait and see! Fingers crossed!

The Taliban take their chance. Now or never.

 

Now or never! This seems to be the stance taken by the Taliban on seeing the American troops withdrawing from Afghanistan. It looks as though it was well planned earlier. Very well earlier! Otherwise, they could not taken the whole of Afghanistan at such a short period, without much resistance.

Actually, President Trump had the ball rolling on February 2020, in Doha, Qatar, when a peace deal and agreement on troop withdrawal was made with the Taliban. And, remember, the Taliban had insisted on a deadline of withdrawal by May 1, 2021. And President Trump did begin to withdraw the troops. Not all troops were withdrawn by May 2021. But credit to him, from 13,000, the number of troops remaining at the time of Biden was were 2,500. When President Joe Biden came into office, and later said he was withdrawing all the troops from Afghanistan, the media was wrongly accrediting him with the move – the decision to pull out the troops. That was Trump's triumph. Anyway, the Taliban were already well prepared since then,and were certain the final troop withdrawal was going to happen, and were waiting for it!

Poor Biden may have thought the Taliban will make some war moves in the way of conflicts and combats with the Afghanistan military. And American will, graciously, dispatch diplomats to mediate in the matter. But that was not to be. Biden did not realize that the Taliban would have, surely, thought of all these possibilities. And also failed to recognize that the Taliban would not have any of these. That was why he pulled the troops as he did, unintentionally, unknowingly but alarmingly, making the American supporters in Afghanistan running helter skelter, trying to get to the airport and leave their beloved land!

So there you are. Taliban are in full control of Afghanistan now. Only time will tell if this is for good or otherwise.

The world is in turmoil! Why?

 

What a disastrous situation the world is in now. It is in turmoil! Notwithstanding the atrocious, ravaging COVID- 19 pandemic that is creating a perplexing hair-pulling havoc to all the nations of the world, millions of the populace have to face the wrath of earth's other side – the ugly side! Draconian fires, typhoons and thunderstorms, devastating floods, landslides, earthquakes, unbearable heat waves! You name it , the world is providing them to us free! At the moment, the receivers of these unrequested and undesirable free offers are our comrades in Turkey, N.. America, N. Africa, Italy,Greece. India, China, Bangladesh, Iran. Haiti...the list goes on....My heart feels for them. I pray their sufferings and agony do not prolong.

Hopefully, we, human beings, do not add to these catastrophic calamities in the ways of mob rules, violent rallies and protests, skirmish battles and wars. 

Enough is enough. We have had it our way for all too long. Now God seems to be having it his way!

Football Players Are Weaklings

Do you know something? We have seen, in our lifetime, many sports and the players in them, soccer or football, as it is fondly called, amongst them. Football players are the weakest of the lot! These assertions are proved by all the competitive football games that you see now. Just one prod will see a player drop down on the field shrieking and turning over and over, assumably,in pain!

Pity them! Even the gravity of the field seems to have something to do with it. It is very evident near the goal posts. A mere nudge near the goalmouth area seem to make a player fly down and roll over a few yards, a few times, crying out in pain! Often their pain seems to be so intense that they will cover up their faces with their hands. ( hoping to be awarded with a penalty kick, of course!) Strangely,   the pain seem to be lasting only a short time!. After the refree had taken action  against their opponents, to their advantage, they will be up and about, and running more earnestly!. What a blessed game football is! Quick healing of pain! Ha ha! Sonetimes it is irritating, Ah, well, depending on which team you  support!

If you don’t believe me just watch a football game that interests you, especially, a professional or an international one. You will know what I mean!

The games that covid- 19 vaccines play - in my nation!

 

It gives us the impression that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is reserved for front liners (the people of the medical sectors) and for the important uniformed personnel, as well as, for pregnant ladies. So, naturally, it is strongly considered to be safe and efficient. Its efficacy is already stated to be 95%. Recently, the vaccine, Moderna has also been allowed to make its advent into Malaysia. The government has given the go ahead to the private sector medical companies, and it has also been favorably paired along with Pfizer as a vaccine of repute, and reserved for, you know who!  Men with money. Sorry, but that is the impression I get watching the TV news and the discussions.

As for AstraZeneca vaccine which, unfortunately, has a black mark of producing blood clots, though, once in a few hundred thousand persons, the vaccine has been pin marked to be given to old timers above 60 years old, like me, the reason being given is that it is safe for us.  And, maybe, because they thought we won’t be living very long to tell the tales! The blood clot tales! Ha ha! Its efficacy rate is said to be 70%.  I, too, naturally, thought I would be given that AstraZeneca vaccine, when I was called up to be vaccinated, recently. And when I was waiting for my turn to be injected my first dose, a nurse came to the other old timer, a Malay man, sitting the standard  1 meter away from me, and told him that he would be injected with the Sinovac vaccine from China and whether it was okay with him. (He nodded his head. It was okay with him!) And, only then, did I know that it was Sinovac for me, with an efficacy rate of 51% ! You see, all the other nurses whom I talked to earlier said they did not know what vaccine that I would be injected with was. My, my! They were being frightfully careful!  Lest they said it was Pfizer and I ended up with Sinovac. Anyway, I ended up with Sinovac. Ha! Ha! Yeah, never mind. How long would I live even if I was given that Pfizer vaccine? Another half a century? The most, if everything goes well in the way of good health, I will roll along for another30 years, God willing.  Sour grape, am I? (smiling).

Our government is caring. And smart as well!

The crust and crux of Hindu wedding.

Friends, there had been a big delay in any new post from me because I had been greatly occupied by a happy event – the marriage of my first son. I am sure you are also happy to get this news and will naturally understand the lapse.

Though the wedding occurred on Sunday, 24 October 2010, this being an Indian wedding, a lot of cultural and traditional events had been in order. Firstly, the boy’s side - that is us – had to go to the girl’s house and rightly ask the girl’s parents for the girl’s hands. Mind you, this after knowing that the boy and girl had already been meeting very often for the past two years now and were inseparable. Oh, okay. Liked each other! The event is called ‘nichiyam’.

Then there is the ‘parisam’ where the boy’s family, along with a few close relatives and neighborly friends go to the girl’s house with ‘tambalams’ (trays) of several types of offerings like various type of fruits, sweets, cakes, candies, etc. We took 21 ‘tambalams’.

‘Parisam’ is the time when the actual wedding date and time would be confirmed and the dreadful (bonanza for some) dowry, respectfully referred in Tamil as ‘seerr’ (sounds as in seek), would be discussed. You guessed it! There was no mention of it by me. I am not a dowry seeker. My troupe got the wind of it and they did not bring it up either. Of course, if the girl’s side wants to feel respectful by offering something, I have got no objection. They did not mention it either. By the way, before any of you got the wrong idea, dowry is some sort of gift that the girl’s family gives to the boy’s family. It could be land, property, house, furniture, vehicle or even cash in kind. A big debate can be got out of this dowry thing!

The girl’s side had arranged for the ‘parisam’ to be held in a temple as their house could not accommodate big crowds, which we were. This we accepted. We, especially me, are not the picky and fussy type. Thank you.

The ‘parisam’ over, three days before the wedding day, ‘nalunggu’ and ‘kaal oondrudhal’ were done. ‘Nalunggu’ is where the bridegroom sits cross-legged outside the house, normally in the porch and three to nine female relatives and friends offer prayers in front of him with various prayer items. The prayer items are circled around his seated body, from head to toe, often touching his shoulders and knees. The items include an oval shaped flour grinding stone, quite heavy. One can’t help laughing when sometimes the bridegroom ducks his head involuntarily when the stone is above his head during the circular movement. Vibuthy (prayer ash), crimson coloured powder and yellowish powder moisture are slightly stroked up on his forehead cheeks and hands.

‘Kaal oondrudhal’ is basically standing up about a five to six feet bamboo pole on the land in front of the house. If no land is available it is planted in a big vase. While planting or inserting the bamboo at least three or five women should hold it. Of course, prayers are made while doing it.

Then comes the big day, the wedding day. Preparation is huge; ordering the printing of wedding cards, writing up the names and distributing the cards, buying the wedding apparels and ornaments, arranging for the tents, video and cameramen, decorations…phew! Just mentioning them is so tiring!

Okay, friends. Everything is all over now! From now on I will try my best to put up a post as often as I can. Thanks for being with me.

Updated…

Oh, I still haven’t told you about the pinnacle of the wedding, the ceremony that matters most, the tying of the 'thali' around the bride’s (ponnu’s) neck by the bridegroom (mappillai)!  Thali is, basically, several cotton strings twisted together into a wire size thickness of yellow string. The thali has to be in the Indian auspicious color of yellow and will be prepared with turmeric or saffron.  A small, oval-shaped (intricately structured and depicting symbols of the Gods) piece of gold is strung on the thali in the center. After the priest had chanted and hymned several rituals and mantras, in front a small fire burning on mango sticks, intermittently, fed by suitably-liquefied ghee by the priest, he gives the thali, laid on a tray with a peeled coconut and other smaller holy items like betel leaves, betel nuts and bananas,  to a close relative, to be shown to the congregation, individually, to get their blessings, which they do by hovering their opened and over turned palms over the tray with the thali, just for a second.  Phew! That was long! And, indeed, an Hindu wedding ceremony also takes very long - almost two hours. I am married and had been a very close witness to the weddings of my two sons, not mentioning the dozens of weddings that I have attended and I still don’t know which rituals come first and their purposes! Just telling you how complicating and long the Hindu rituals and the traditional procedures can be. That seems to be the reason why the priests are an integral part of Hindu traditions, prayers and festivals. What I know is that the fire is there as a witness to the wedding. Remember fire can enlighten as well as annihilate!

Well, let’s come back to my son’s wedding matter. After all said and done - ha ha, I mean after the hymns of rituals and the ritualistic  tasks that the bride and groom were asked to utter and do, my son was given the ritualistically blessed thali to tie around the neck of the ‘ponnu’ who was sitting beside him. And he gladly did, accompanied by the traditional, doom, doom, doom music that was always played when the thali was being tied. Dry saffron rice were thrown by the people sitting or standing in front, over the couples’ heads as a show of blessings, as is the custom. 

End of the main ceremony. Ceremonies of different sorts start……..!

What names you must not give your business!

 Found in my home town of Taiping in Malaysia. 

1. Gives you the wrong impression!

    

2.   Choose carefully!

3.  Too silent!

              

         

   

India - the real battleground of Covid- 19 virus?

 What a sad and very tragic state of affairs, the nation of India is in. Yes, India, a vastly populated nation, a nation, very proud of its ancient, herbal,  Ayurvedic medicines, which it swores can prevent or cure any sicknesses, is now finding itself in deep trouble, unable to cope and cure the scourge of the  life-taking disease of Covid- 19. ‘Sitha maruthuvam’ and ‘Patti vaithiam’  as the ancient Ayurvedic remedies are fondly called, in the equally, ancient, Indian, Dravidian Tamil language, are getting a bad beating with regards to their real efficiencies and in emergencies of titanic nature.

Indeed, what a cruel and merciless pandemic Covid- 19 disease is. As I had mentioned in my earlier posts, it almost looks like it IS The Almighty who sent this curse of a disease, to test the humans! To be fair to India, it did take immediate and early precautional steps to prevent and control the covid- 19 virus. If I am not wrong, I remember India was the first nation in the world to impose nationwide lockdown, at the very first indication of the advent of the virus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed it on March 24, 2020. 

India, it seemed, was so comfortable, then, that it started to provide vaccines and other aids to other countries. In sincerity, at that time, I, too, actually, thought the PM was overdoing it.  I thought India, being such a giant in the medical world, it can overcome the Covid- 19 disease gradually, at its own space. But, unfortunate India is now struggling with  all sorts of problems and the resultant complications; not enough oxygen for the dying patients, not enough beds, not enough test kits, PPEs,  and many other medical accessories and facilities.

Added to that, the tragic consequence of dead bodies, piteously, piling up is also giving a big perplexing headache to a strictly, ritualistic India.

The only glimmer of good news is, several countries, whether friends or foes, have, immediately, come forward, in the name of humanity, to help India, in this seemingly uncontrollable crisis. We hope the scourge of covid- 19 virus has found its match in the unified armoury of human actions.

Afghanistan troops withdrawal - Trump's triumph?

         

     

There have been media reports of both American and international, saying that the new American President, Joe Biden is planning to pull out all the American troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. (Note the date – 9/11)! Sounds unpleasantly familiar? Well, let bygones be bygones. Let us not dig back the tragic and cruel memories.

 Coming back to the withdrawal, it sounds, as though, Joe Biden has taken the initiative to do so, to withdraw the American troops. Actually, that is not the case. The planning and The Agreement had been done by the then, President Trump with the Taliban on February 2020. The Taliban, in turn, were not to support the already ‘defeated’ Al-Qaeda, and not to attack the America troops. The Taliban had insisted the American troops be withdrawn by May 1, 2021. Now, there is a nervous and silent hope that  no acts of violence, by the Taliban, occur when the May 1 deadline passes!

By the way, the withdrawal of the troops, is by no means, a half-finished business, like that of the Vietnam War withdrawal, when the Americans lost the war, and the then, President Nixon said they were ‘withdrawing with honor’! This time, the Americans say that Al-Qaeda had been defeated and a strong Afghanistan government had been put into place, and there is no reason for Americans troops to be in Afghanistan any more. Hope it is, exactly, that.

'Cook'-a-doodle-doo!

 

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, said Neil Armstrong, upon setting foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, in the Apollo 11 mission.

Well, there is another similar saying that I want to say here, “One small foot for a man, a thousand tasty feet for mankind!” Ha! Ha! Are you wondering what I am talking about? It’s about the service of the chickens to mankind, to us! Say what you may, but all along chickens have been satisfying the tasty buds of humans, since time immemorial! Let us give a thought to them.

Fried chicken, roasted chicken, steamed chicken, barbeque chicken, garlic chicken, lemon chicken, chicken breast, drumstick, chicken chop, grilled chicken on ginger wine chicken….. phew!... there are hundreds of names for the cooked chicken throughout the world! All the nations have their own favorite chicken recipes! Why, companies and millions, if not, billions of workers earn their living because of these chickens. In Malaysia, we are familiar with KFC, Macdonald, Mary Brown’s, Nando’s, Kenny Rogers Roasters, The Chicken Rice Shop and so on.

Whether man has landed on the moon or not, or, on other planets, for that matter, chickens have been and are always going to serve mankind. In various ways! Apart from their generous meat, their eggs, with the proteins for the human body, and their feather-dusters coming in handy on several occasions, always stand out at the fore front of our mind.

 How nice and apt, if, to appreciate the roles that chickens have been and are playing to the tummies of humans, we can have a world’s Chicken Day, when we don’t touch even a dot of chicken! Oops, and Wow! Looks like there is one ‘World Chicken Day’ on second Thursday of November, according to Wikipedia! Good! But no good! Because no one knows about it and will continue wallop chickens like nobody’s business on that day!

Have a heart for these chickens. Not the tummy...eh? Just for a day! In respect and appreciation of the self-sacrificers! Care a thought. Popularize and promote the World Chicken Day, so that, we, humans, really, appreciate their roles in human lives, and treat the chickens like kings and queens on that day!

Cluck! Cluck! Cluck! Kokkara-ko-ko! (Tamil) Cock-a-doodle-doo! (English) Kuku-kookoo!(Arabic) Kikeriki! (German); in all the languages of the world you cluck and crow. And in various ways, cooked and uncooked, you serve mankind. For all that, we salute you! And thank you for allowing us to ‘Cook’-a-doodle-doo!

Cars have souls!

               

Cars have souls of their own. Yes. When you ignore them or are just not inclined to show any care towards them, they show an abundance of displeasure, by malfunctioning and exhibiting, one by one, their faulty parts!  They break down, suddenly! At some strange places at that! At traffic signal of an extremely busy road, or at a popular and busy shopping mall or even at a narrow one-way street!  It is, as though, they are, purposely, reminding you to pay some heed to their conditions, especially, the outer ones.

All their parts seem to have some sort of understanding among each other! Then, why, after I had changed the starter but paid little attention to the cleanliness of the car,  the car’s radiator, immediately, began  giving problems by overheating the engine? After all, I had fully checked the cooling system, just one month earlier!

I drive a Malaysian assembled Hyundai Atos car; a sixteen years old one. You may argue that it is an old car and, naturally, the parts will have to be changed one by one. Fair enough. But why must it stop at a busy signal light and let passersby look at me; some pitifully, some worriedly and some with struggles of joy on their faces? The last rejoicing group, definitely, could have gone through some similar situation! 

The reason for the breakdown, that day - no oil in the gear box. But I had filled that up two days ago! I, actually, now know the suspected reason; I did not clean up the car for several weeks, then! A tow-car towed my car to the foreman and he repaired a surprising leak, and filled up the gear box with the relevant oil.

You may have your doubts, of course, and say cleanliness is not the cause of engine failures. Then why must my car fail to start at a petrol station? The pump attendants helped me push my unclean car out of the petrol station. And after some sweating and gasping for breath, I had to phone a battery shop for help. Luckily, it was open on that Sunday and the battery got changed and the car was started. The first thing I did was to, immediately, drive the car to an auto car-wash center, nearby, to have it cleaned! 

Just to inform you, due to my ignorance and, perhaps, some laziness in not sending the car to a wash center, regularly, to have it cleaned and groomed up, and make it smug and happy, l had lost quite a fortune. So far, I had been forced to change the car engine water pump, radiator, fuel tank meter, car rims, fog lamps, air-conditioning fan, lower control arm (left side) and even the steering wheel! More parts to follow? No way! I am keeping the car clean, nowadays!

My, cars do have souls! A new car don’t give problems because we will wipe-clean the whole car if we detect even a small speck of dirt on it! Furthermore, we admire and kiss the new car before we go to bed! The car, of course, will be conceited and pleased! Get it? Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

Vaccine-card world. Here it comes!

 

It is going to become a 'vaccine-card world' soon. It is already happening. Airlines expect their passengers to have the all clear Covid- 19 vaccinated cards. They may also be required to show their passports with the stamp: VACCINATED AGAINST COVID- 19 or something like that!

Already, there has been news about employers asking for proof of vaccination from future employees, along with their cvs.

Shopping malls may soon only allow vaccinated persons to enter their places. Their security personnel may prevent anyone without the 'vaccinated' cards from entering their premises. It is going to be, “Your vaccination card, please. Thank you, madam. Have a good day!” Or, “Sorry, sir. No vaccination card - no entry!" 

Trains and other public transport vehicles may require persons to show vaccine-cards before they can embark. Travelers and tourists can’t go anywhere without the vaccine-cards!

Time to rush for the vaccination!

USA - Is it still the world's policeman?

 

Let’s face it. And say it, as what it is. Whenever, there are serious protests and rallies in a country  and civilians are killed by the people whom the protests are against,  the first question that one asks in one’s mind is ‘What is United States is going to do about it'. Not what UN, EU or even Russia or any other political or regional group is going to do about it? Such is the complexion of superiority that the US’s past, self-justified, responsive actions have been embedded into one’s mind. The launching of missiles, bombardments in the Middle East countries and the killing of the well known political personalities like Sadat Hussein and Gaddafi are just simple examples. Imposition of sanctions on countries that the US considers as rogues, and the inclination of other countries to follow that imposition is another one. Actually, to me, its clout began after the second world war, after the devastating, disastrous bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki!

Right now, mass rallies, protests and killings of civilians are going on in many countries of the world. And the world is watching what USA is going to do about it. Yes, what the newly elected President Biden is going to do about it! That is the burden that comes along for being the superpower! And, for being the President of USA!