Back in India, my observance of Christmas was more a kind of lip-service and some innocent enjoyment of the festival that Christmas represents. In my lane, there were a few influential Christian families who got together during the last few weeks of each year, and created magic out of decorative items, conifer trees, paper stars and lights, etc. The house that is known in my lane as "Lion's Den" would come alive during those days. The Christians would deck up their large conifer, hang a large Merry X'mas lighted star between the branches of two trees that stood, one on each side of the road, play some kind of music, and so on. I would drive past their house as I proceeded to work (in the day) or to return home (in the night).
On Facebook, I would post a Merry Christmas greeting and later, a Happy New Year wish, to all my Christian friends in India and abroad.
On New Year's Eve, my family and I would go out somewhere reasonable, and spend the evening having good food and a drink.
And, on the night, we would join some of the kids in my housing society to burn effigies of the closing year.
And that was it.
Now ... I am in a land where more than 90% of the people are Christians of some shade or the other. Christmas is their biggest festival. It is here, in Blackpool, that I am finally learning what the meanings of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, Christmas and New Year really are. Each of those days, my inbox was filled with emails from various shopping companies, advertising huge sales during the holidays. It was very tempting to spend "just 9.99 pounds" to get a voucher of 50% off on the next purchase - or buy something at throwaway prices - something that I would never, ever need or use. I have, so far, not entirely managed to stay away from those alluring deals. Although, Jesus knows I have tried to, and tried very hard indeed to resist temptation.
The result is that my room is filled with cheap stuff bought at even cheaper prices. I have a complete drawer full of biscuits and chocolates - things that my diabetic body can certainly do without! And farsans, and chivda, and what not!
I worked all the three days of the Christmas weekend, and into Monday. This prevented me from going out and splurging money. It did, however, in the absence of the consultants, give me a good chance to learn how to manage a Paediatric ward in a much better way. I kept trying to learn the ropes. Whether it was taking a successful history from a fretful and worried parent, or cannulating a vein in the presence of anxious parents, running to the emergency department in response to a crash call, or finding the time to rush to the doctors' room for a quick bite of the sandwich I had brought with me on duty, helping a colleague to undertake a blood collection, or searching the internet or the pharmacy book to find the correct doses of a rarely used medicine for a rarely seen illness, clerking a new patient (taking the basic history and examining the child), or coordinating with an outside hospital in the management of a complex patient, ordering investigations on an online platform and taking printouts from a printer inside the ward, or discharging a patient, dictating a letter on the online automated system to a consultant's secretary so that she could send the letter onward to the patient's G.P., or escaping the ward to go to Costa's for a coffee ... I guess you are getting the idea, right? I did all this, and more.
In the process, I have left my footprint and initial impressions on all the people who work in our department. Whether these impressions have been favourable or not, only time will tell. However, it does look like even the junior doctors have realised that I have a very steep learning curve ahead of me, and they have so far been very kind and benevolent towards me. That does not mean, however, that they will do something only a registrar is supposed to do. Then, they mercilessly chase me and get me to see a patient or give my opinion, a task that I get absolutely scared to do. So far, I have managed not to paint myself into a corner, but that is thanks to the very efficient nurses and my colleagues - from my co-registrars to my consultants, who have been very, very understanding and have helped extricate me out of every tight spot.
And that is how I celebrated my Christmas this year. How did you all do it? Do share your experiences with me. Thanks so much for reading this, and I wish you and your families a very, very Happy New Year (there I go!!!)
On Facebook, I would post a Merry Christmas greeting and later, a Happy New Year wish, to all my Christian friends in India and abroad.
On New Year's Eve, my family and I would go out somewhere reasonable, and spend the evening having good food and a drink.
And, on the night, we would join some of the kids in my housing society to burn effigies of the closing year.
And that was it.
Now ... I am in a land where more than 90% of the people are Christians of some shade or the other. Christmas is their biggest festival. It is here, in Blackpool, that I am finally learning what the meanings of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, Christmas and New Year really are. Each of those days, my inbox was filled with emails from various shopping companies, advertising huge sales during the holidays. It was very tempting to spend "just 9.99 pounds" to get a voucher of 50% off on the next purchase - or buy something at throwaway prices - something that I would never, ever need or use. I have, so far, not entirely managed to stay away from those alluring deals. Although, Jesus knows I have tried to, and tried very hard indeed to resist temptation.
The result is that my room is filled with cheap stuff bought at even cheaper prices. I have a complete drawer full of biscuits and chocolates - things that my diabetic body can certainly do without! And farsans, and chivda, and what not!
I worked all the three days of the Christmas weekend, and into Monday. This prevented me from going out and splurging money. It did, however, in the absence of the consultants, give me a good chance to learn how to manage a Paediatric ward in a much better way. I kept trying to learn the ropes. Whether it was taking a successful history from a fretful and worried parent, or cannulating a vein in the presence of anxious parents, running to the emergency department in response to a crash call, or finding the time to rush to the doctors' room for a quick bite of the sandwich I had brought with me on duty, helping a colleague to undertake a blood collection, or searching the internet or the pharmacy book to find the correct doses of a rarely used medicine for a rarely seen illness, clerking a new patient (taking the basic history and examining the child), or coordinating with an outside hospital in the management of a complex patient, ordering investigations on an online platform and taking printouts from a printer inside the ward, or discharging a patient, dictating a letter on the online automated system to a consultant's secretary so that she could send the letter onward to the patient's G.P., or escaping the ward to go to Costa's for a coffee ... I guess you are getting the idea, right? I did all this, and more.
In the process, I have left my footprint and initial impressions on all the people who work in our department. Whether these impressions have been favourable or not, only time will tell. However, it does look like even the junior doctors have realised that I have a very steep learning curve ahead of me, and they have so far been very kind and benevolent towards me. That does not mean, however, that they will do something only a registrar is supposed to do. Then, they mercilessly chase me and get me to see a patient or give my opinion, a task that I get absolutely scared to do. So far, I have managed not to paint myself into a corner, but that is thanks to the very efficient nurses and my colleagues - from my co-registrars to my consultants, who have been very, very understanding and have helped extricate me out of every tight spot.
And that is how I celebrated my Christmas this year. How did you all do it? Do share your experiences with me. Thanks so much for reading this, and I wish you and your families a very, very Happy New Year (there I go!!!)
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