Shobha Mathur describes her experience of visiting Ohio and Kentucky in the US, which are far removed from the otherwise buzzing cities found elsewhere.
After 22 years we went to the ‘real’ USA instead of the ‘touristy’ one. This time our destination was the Midwest, known as the Bible belt – white, conformist, familyoriented, god-fearing and conservative. It became possible because our daughter Rashmi relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, which is a business and commercial region and yet has much else to offer. The river Ohio divides Cincinnati Ohio and the suburbs of Kentucky, namely, Covington and Newport. The airport is in Covington Kentucky. It is like the river Hooghly between Kolkata and Howrah. There are at least 8-9 bridges to cross at various points, including one only for pedestrians.
Cincinnati is known as the Queen City as well as Porkopolis. Queen, because the city had initially prospered fantastically in the region and Porkopolis, because this prosperity was due to pig processing plants. A grateful city honours the slaughtered pigs by building monuments for them and naming their marathon work ‘Flying Pigs’. We also saw the Taft Museum of Arts, the residence of former president William Howard Taft. The collection of paintings and artifacts is superb. This is the original dinosaur country. The Sawyer Point Park along Ohio’s bank has a trail with dinosaur timeline carved on paved stones – quite informative. At one end of the park is the statue of Cincinnatus, a Roman soldier after whom the city is named.
Later, we took a 1.5hour cruise on an old steamboat on the river Ohio. It was serene and scenic. The boat had air-conditioned halls, which provided muchneeded relief from the heat of the day. On August 21, 2017 we witnessed a total solar eclipse. Atul, our sonin-law had booked place months in advance at Hopkinsville. We took our chairs, eye glasses and food and enjoyed a picnic. The whole spectacular heavenly show lasted less than three minutes but it took us six hours to reach and 11 to return, such being the traffic.
This story is from the January 2018 edition of Dignity Dialogue.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the January 2018 edition of Dignity Dialogue.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
I Hope I Never Lose My Voice
Asha Bhosle, the evergreen playback singer who has some of the greatest film hits to her credit, celebrated her 88th birthday in September 2020. But age has never been a determining factor. She continues to do what she loves the most – singing.
Reverse Mortgage: A Boon for Seniors
The thought of being financially independent, not running short of funds in case of medical emergencies and not being a burden on their children accords a lot of mental peace and a restored sense of dignity to the elderly. Dr. Sampath Iyer explains how reverse mortgage makes this possible.
Get Rid of that Bronchial Cough
Symptoms of acute bronchitis usually resolve within one or two weeks with home treatment. You should start to feel noticeably better after a few days. Meanwhile, drink plenty of water and warm liquids and eat healthy foods. The article highlights some of the home remedies that work.
Build Bridges, Not Walls
To be able to live in harmony with each other, we must learn to not just contact but also connect, suggests V Anand Kumar.
Balancing Spirituality and Indulgence
Susanne Kempken, co-founder of The Guided Meditation Site, explains why there is no harm in being indulgent while being spiritual.
Self-Control: The Need of the Hour
‘The Marshmallow Test’ by Walter Mischel is a good book to read for those interested in understanding self-control and learning how to master it. Indira Ananthakrishnan gets into further details of what it means.
Different Kinds of Wills
Wills are an important part of the financial planning process. A will is a legal declaration that spells out a person’s wishes and intentions in matters of care of dependents or inheritance of property after his or her own death. Here is an article on the different types of wills.
Doctor in the Kitchen
Even as we turn to finding a cure for our ailments in our kitchens and gardens, Dr. Sonam Vohra provides an insight into what makes for a home remedy and why caution is required.
Stick to a Healthy Diet
Given the current pandemic there is so much information being shared about what makes for a healthy diet that it can become overwhelming. However, there are just a few simple pointers that you must keep in mind.
Understanding the Corona Virus Vaccine
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect oneself and others from severe illness or death, especially in the case of the coronavirus. This is in addition to other recommended precautions such as wearing mask, keeping social distance and maintaining a high level of hygiene. K R K Moorthy explains how the vaccine works and the possible side effects.
