To Believe or Not to Believe in Poochaandi

All of us have had our fair share of fears that scared the shit out of us at some point of time in life. Some of us might still be carrying those fears with us even after growing up. It could be the fear of darkness, heights, ghosts, certain objects etc.  Each one of us also has a unique mechanism to overcome it. One of which could simply be growing up and getting over it or by attempting to do things that scare us the most. But, fear of the unknown seems to haunt majority of us across all ages.

 During my Quora routine, I ran into a thread discussion about how Elon Musk overcame his fear of darkness. This is what he said:

“When I was a little kid, I was really scared of the dark. But then I came to understand, dark just means the absence of photons in the visible wavelength--400 to 700 nanometers. Then I thought, well, it's silly to be afraid of a lack of photons. Then I wasn't afraid of the dark anymore after that."

This to me is the most nonpareil strategy to overcome our fears. Science has always helped us rationalize our problems and offer solutions. By applying the first principle basics, we not only grasp things faster but also understand the fundamentals. Understanding the core principles of darkness helped Elon get over his fear. Being an Optometrist, never have I perceived darkness the way he has elucidated (concealing my face in shame)! As an ardent Elon fan, I adore him even more now.

On sharing this quote on Facebook, my cousin immediately asked me how to overcome the fear of Poochaandi? For those of you wondering, Poochaandi is a Tamil household word which means a ghost or a fearsome man (why is it a man and not a woman? I do not know). Poochaandi term is used to scare little children and trick them into finishing their meal or getting them to sleep  or be on their best behavior. By doing this, we adults sow the seed of fear in children and later criticize them for their cowardice.  This amplifies as a concept in their heads and the mind tricks them into believing and seeing apparitions.

So, how do we overcome the fear of ghosts or Poochaandi?  I am no Psychiatrist or Psychologist, but here are my two-cents based on first principles:

1.   Poochaandi- A monster

Anatomically, he is just a guy who is unusually tall, covered in scarred tissues because of some previous trauma and has unkempt nails and unruly hair. His frenzy behavior can be attributed to some mental sickness often left untreated. Now, is there a need to fear an un-hygienic sick man? No.

2.   Poochaandi- A ghost

·      Ghosts are supposedly negative energies. If there is negative energy, then there exists positive energy and they negate each other. So, nothing to get scared of.

·      Ghosts/spirits do not have physical bodies (as they are energies) and hence cannot cast a reflection on the mirror. Optically they are real images.  But, since they are also illusions/phantasms (figment of our imagination) projected by the mind of the percipient, they become virtual images. Why fear a virtual image?

It is all in our minds. Try to rationalize your fears and it could help you overcome them. Also, next time you see some-one scaring children by pulling a Poochaandi trick, please stop them. Or make them read my blog. 

That “Yikes” moment when you forget to carry your toothpaste and/or toothbrush during a travel

Morning odour is definitely not pleasant, especially if you are to go meet people for the rest of the day. I am pedantic about oral hygiene and do not even talk with out brushing my teeth in the morning. So, imagine my plight when I forgot to carry my toothbrush and toothpaste (note the AND). Usually the hotel stay provides a dental kit when you check-in, but to my surprise they did not, and thanks to my busy work schedule and the drowsiness induced by tab. cetrizen, I hit the bed straight after work.

So, how to grapple this problem?

Google to the rescue. I felt less shameful when I saw thousands of people google the same problem. (Sick pleasure). Here are some hacks:

Scenario 1: How to clean you teeth without a toothpaste

1. If there is a store nearby your hotel, you could run and buy yourself a tooth paste. Worth the run
2. Assuming you have been using you tooth brush for more than two weeks, there are chances that your toothbrush still carries the essence of your toothpaste, inspite of cleaning it properly. So, rinse your mouth before brushing and spit out the water. This removes the particles stuck to your teeth and tongue. Then run the toothbrush under tap water, clean it and start brushing. The toothbrush will still produce some lather. Rinse your mouth throughly after the process
3. If you are carrying a mouth wash, you can rinse your mouth after brushing. Mouth wash is a saviour!

Scenario 2: How to clean your teeth without a toothbrush

1. Again, if there is a store nearby, you could still go fetch it
2. Fingers to the rescue: Forgetting the toothbrush is a better scenario than forgetting your toothpaste, according to me. Back in the time when toothbrush was not invented, people used their fingers and tree(neem,babool) barks to brush their teeth. So going back to the roots (shoots, in this case), squeeze some toothpaste on your index finger and start rubbing the paste on your teeth and gums. The finger acts like a brush and you can achieve a near to perfect brushing action and freshness after
3. Use mouthwash/ dental floss  if you are carrying them

Scenario 3: How to clean your teeth without a toothbrush and a toothpaste

This definitely is a terrible situation! Worry not. There is always a solution to every problem.

1. Check your bag to see if you are carrying oil. Oil pulling is a an old and effective Indian art of maintaining good oral hygiene. Sesame seed oil (gingelly oil) is generally used, but since most of us carry coconut oil/ olive for hair and skin during travel, they can still be used. Some oil is better than no oil. After oil pulling, use your fingers to remove the excess oil and rinse your mouth throughly. I used almond oil. No complaints!
2. If you are carrying only a mouth wash, then rinse your mouth using it and brush the teeth using your index finger
3. You could also floss if you are carrying dental floss with you
4. If you are not carrying any of the above , use your index finger and scrub away the particles or other stuff stuck to your teeth and gums and rinse your mouth throughly. Keep chewing mint flavoured gums till you get hold of a toothpaste and brush

        Once bitten, twice shy. You will never forget to pack your dental kit for the next trip after this.

An ordeal by fate

It all began with a thought, that originated as a dapple
kindling emotions and actions I had to grapple
a thought, a dream to be something
not in to fit in, but to stand out.

Took a leap of faith just to fail
lost my confidence and became frail
Belief, faith and trust seemed futile
battled waves extremely brutal.

Shunned loved ones and avenues that meant the world to me
hoping that was the best coping mechanism that could possibly be
Filled with dread and terror,
I faced the consequences of my error.

Out sprung a path after a long wait
a path of patience and perseverance,
a path little less ornate.

Walking the path, as there is no place to go
unaware of the repercussions my life might throw
The path is long and I am still nowhere
but is filled with wisdom that would enhance my flair

I choose to tread to a destination unknown
vehemently exploring out of my comfort zone
Basking on the diverse experiences laid on my track
hoping the dots would connect, when I look back


                                                                                                            - Sandhya Shekar