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Firangs ko allergy kyon aata hain?
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`Firangs' in apna Hyderabad seem to be prone to all kinds of allergies
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COFFEE FOR some, cats for others and for the rest, it is the air or no matter what. But for Aaron Kaczmarek, it is bananas. A peculiar condition like allergy hardly requires anything particular to set off an attack.
For people like us who are notoriously resilient when it comes to germs and bacteria — unless serious, allergies are a cause of little or no worry. For firangs, it is another matter. Thanks to their sensitivity and the rampant microbe-rich conditions here, expats living in Hyderabad are subject to an assortment of allergies, ranging from the quaint to the bizarre.
Says Aaron, an American musician, who has been living here for the last one-year or so, "I am allergic to Indian bananas. It's quite incredible as I've never had problems with it anywhere in the world." Like bananas, milk causes stomach upsets for the lactose-intolerant Aaron who, however, can simply swallow the much-maligned panipuris by the road, without the mildest distress.
Talk about milk, can the cat be far behind? "A tomcat played havoc on me for some time," says Norwegian, Joey Biggs. "It used to begin with a funny itchy sensation that would take no time to worsen to rashes all over, even if we happened to be in the same room. And I would never realise that a cute little cat could be the cause till my friend took it away." Ever since, allergies have left Joey. And neither the feline nor his friend is with him any longer.
It's the dust
For software professional Sue Armstrong, it is the smell of a certain incense that is the cause of irritation. "Severe headache and sometimes swollen glands are the symptoms. Sneezing is another problem, almost chronic in Hyderabad, and I figure it's the dust that triggers the reaction. Back home in France, I am fine."
It is just the other way round for Rachel from Dangor in North Wales, who teaches at the International School of Hyderabad. "I used to have `hay fever' in the U.K due to pollen and grass, which surprisingly, has never bothered me here." Excepting a runny nose once or twice, for which she holds the heat responsible, Rachel has never had a major problem. "In fact, my three kids — Megan, Catarine and Daniel — have coped up fairly well. Only four-month old, Tomas, is yet to fine-tune with the environment," she says. He will pretty soon and why not?
David Juman, director (Information Services) of a Princeton-based publication, for example, has lived in the city long enough not to mind mosquito bites or mirchi bajjis. With a home-grown wife, he is most comfortable here than anywhere else. "Recently, I had been to New York and, during my month-long stay, suffered terribly from a severe cold. The moment I landed, the cold was gone, mysteriously," says David.
Although his experience is no substitute to medical advice, it is quite clear that resilience, like the bacteria, is also in the air in India. It all depends on who catches what. In any case, one wishes all an allergy-free stay in the city.
SOUVIK CHOWDHURY
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