Down Under: Newcastle

Feb 17

1200 Hrs:

Sleep deprived since 2 nights, I slept like a log today. Made some breakfast for myself and spent the next few hours just relaxing. 

1800 Hrs: 

A walk down the sea front on a pleasant and sunny evening was one of the most refreshing strolls I'd had in a long while. 

The special features included:

A dedicated dog beach for the canines to stroll. 

Taek wondo classes being conducted on the beach amidst the huge waves. 

2115 Hrs:

Listening to the old time classics from RD Burman and Kishoreda, the mind swifts silently and surely into deep slumber. 

Feb 18 1030 Hrs:

A quick tea in the morning, and we had to leave for Cessnock, the community health centre where my friend, Harshul works as a GP. An hour's drive from Newcastle, Cessnock is a rural area but

the standard of living and health seemed by no means inferior to the most urban city in our hometown. 

The basic difference in practice between  our traditional GPs back home and the Australian GP is too vast to be discussed. 

2100 Hrs: 

Spending 8 hrs at Harshul's Surgery had given a feel of how the health system functions in this country. 

A short drive in town and it was the end of an academic day. 

The thought of cheating doesn't even occur to these people, unlike us Indians. 

The prerequisite for obtaining a driving license is 120 hrs of training with or without a trainer. The points triple if it's done with a trainer. A log book is maintained for this and the required hours completed with all truthfulness in your own car with someone to guide alongside you. 

This is just one of the many examples that shows how much we need to elevate ourselves in our basic attitude before we attain the Westerner's concept of life - LIVE AND LET LIVE.