Another sob story. Hospital admission 13/3/13.

Shortly after writing yesterday's post, I went to lie down in my room, but the carpenters were next door. They seem to have a habit of doing this when the rooms are vacant either side of me. They use the rooms as carpentry workshops, or make use of the room vacancy to do DIY. Situation normal here in India, it would appear. For example, back at SAAS Tower, Kochi, I remember the workmen doing a full-on renovation of a 12 x 1.5 feet marble ledge of the reception area. I was half-stunned, and half-chucking to myself that this was happening during business hours, especially while reception was packed with guests. Still, this was SAAS (Fawlty) Tower. But, it was deafening and hard work trying to talk to the receptionists, who had not the best command of English, and you can't hear a thing for all the drilling and jack-hammering. But that was SAAS (pronouced Sarse). Well the past now. I haven't yet written about the great things about SAAS. The army of Cleaners, the petite Manager of the cleaners that sometimes had to do the ironing, and the wonderful, uninvasive and humble Housekeeping manager there. As I've written before - the good, glorious, and downright bonkers things about Indian to follow. I promise, they will bring a smile to your face.

Back to the present. As idyllic as Mascot Beach Resort is, the Indian concept of 'noise' is nothing like the Northern Europeans'. I lay down in my room, and couldn't rest because of the planing, drilling and hammering of nails. Then I moved to the pool area where there was some shade. I lay down for three minutes out of the sun, but instinctively knew that something was badly wrong.

Enough already! A pain had moved from into my right upper lung earlier yesterday morning. I couldn't be bothered to put a brave face on this now anymore. It was a joke too far. I went from my room - noticing the fishing boats quite close to the hotel which I'd never seen before at that time of day, and flip-flopped to reception as quickly as possible - with my sun hat hiding my blubbing 'boat'*.

I was in luck. The guy that had made my first visit to Koyili Hospital so smooth, had just parked up his motorbike in the large forecourt.

The tears were streaming down my face (oh, poor old Mo), and I said: I need to go to hospital. I don't feel well.

I'm out now. After an overnight admission. Mr Jithendra, the owner of this wonderful hotel, had ordered round-the-clock staff to be with me in the private room that I had decided to take at hospital. How amazing is that?

More about being in hospital sometime in the future. For now, suffice to say that Mascot is more than a lucky soft toy. Mascot feels like my first home in India. Koyili felt like my second since last Saturday. Though, I have seen the back of that place, thank Vishnu.

How glad I am to be back under the stars, by the fronts lawns and breathing in the sea breeze. Dreamily staring at the loopy lighthouse beams.


p.s. I'm trying to insert a photo shortly after I heard I was being discharged from hospital. Can't get it to appear in the right place. Still learning this iMaddening iPad ...

* Boat = Cockney rhyming slang for 'face', i.e. Boat race rhymes with face. Therefore you just say the first bit of the rhyme ... This is for any non-cockneys reading this blog.