Chp 902. My LASIK Post-Op Journey

Of Dark Glasses, Eyedrops, and...Spreadsheets?

Welcome back! If you’ve been following along, you probably saw my previous post where I detailed my LASIK surgery adventure at Eye Care Hospital in Aizawl. If you haven’t, I hope you read that first.

Today, I’m diving into what happened after the surgery—the healing process, the little annoyances, and yes, my new hourly relationship with eyedrops.

Post-Op: The Reality Check

So, let me start by saying this—your eyesight doesn’t magically become 20/20 the moment you roll out of the operation room. 

Nah, it takes time to heal, so don’t freak out if you wake up the next day unable to read your WhatsApp messages or even tell who’s calling you from the blurry display on your phone. I legit thought my surgery failed the first time I opened my eyes the next morning. But hey, totally norms! Your cornea is healing, so no need to hit the panic button.

Now, for me, the changes weren’t exactly mind-blowing. Why? Well, in case you missed my epic memoir on wearing spectacles and contact lenses, I’ve been wearing contacts regularly for years, so I was already used to clear vision without glasses. 

It wasn’t like I was seeing the world through a whole new set of eyes—it was more like, “Oh cool, I don’t have to shove my lenses into my eyeballs anymore.”

The Dark Glasses: Enter Rockstar Mode

After LASIK, one of the must-follow rules is to wear dark glasses all the time. Yes, even indoors. And let me tell you, nothing screams "rockstar" like wearing shades while taking a dump. I’m not kidding. I felt like a mix between Stevie Wonder and Bono... but, you know, just in my bathroom.

I even caught myself once doing that classic Rajni Kant move while wearing them. :P

But hey, they’re important! The dark glasses help protect your healing eyes from any bright lights or sneaky finger pokes, so you get used to it pretty fast. Plus, it's a good way to admire all the pretty ladies passing by without any fear, especially if you're an introvert like me. :)

The Eyedrop Marathon: My New Life

Now let’s talk about the real star of this post-op experience—the eyedrops. And wow, were there a lot of them. I had an entire pharmacy in my pocket! Every hour, every two hours, every four hours—there’s always something to drop into your eyes. Here's the lowdown on my daily liquid diet:

• Moxifloxacin (once every hour): This is an antibiotic that helps prevent infections. It’s like the bodyguard of your eyes post-surgery, keeping all the bad guys out.
  
  
• Systane Ultra (once every hour): This is a lubricant eye drop to keep your eyes moist. It’s basically a mini spa treatment for your eyeballs.
  
  
• Fluorometholone (once every two hours): This is a steroid that reduces inflammation. Think of it as the bouncer kicking out any swelling that might show up uninvited.
  
  
• Carboxymethylcellulose (four times a day): Another lubricant to stop your eyes from drying out. Double spa treatment!
  
  
• Nepafenac (once a day): This one’s an anti-inflammatory drop. It’s a bit like popping an ibuprofen, but for your eyes.
  
  
• Retoplex Capsule (once a day): Not a drop, but a capsule that’s supposed to help speed up healing.

So yeah, keeping track of all these drops is like juggling a bunch of important life events every hour. You can’t miss one, or your eyes will be very unhappy!

Gamifying the Eyedrop Routine: Excel Sheets to the Rescue!

Now, as a gamer, I couldn’t help but gamify this whole process. 

Instead of randomly dropping things into my eyes while following the prescription and hoping for the best, I decided to spread out my drops on an Excel sheet to create the perfect schedule. 

I had everything organised—optimum gaps between each dose, all nicely planned out with some variety in between. Yes, I actually treated my eye care like a strategy game. 

Here’s a screenshot of the spreadsheet I made. 

I guess I even levelled up in eye care, lolz.

The App That Saved Me from Madness

Being the tech guy that I am, I thought, "Why not build a simple app to alert me when it’s time to take each drop?" I started planning it out, and then during my research, I stumbled upon this nifty app on Google Play called EyeDropAlarm by someone named Kayur Shah MD. And guess what? It did exactly what I needed.

Yeah, why build a new one when there's already a good one available for free?

In this app, you can easily enter the name of each eyedrop (it even has a list of popular ones already built-in), set the frequency based on my Excel schedule, and boom—a simple alarm system that reminds me when it’s time to drop each eyedrop. 

Here’s a screenshot of my schedule using the app. 

It’s like having a personal assistant for my eyes, and I really do recommend you install the app too once you undergo this surgery. Don't thank me, thank Dr. Kayur Shah MD.

Time Feels Slow... Until It Doesn’t

With all these alarms going off, let me tell you, time seemed to crawl at first. Every hour or half an hour, my phone would go ting, and I’d go, “Oh great, it’s eye drop o’clock again.” 

But then something weird happened—once I got back to work two weeks later, I found myself being more productive. These mini-alarms were like little reminders to take short breaks, stretch, or shift focus, so I wasn’t stuck in front of the screen for hours without moving. 

I found myself working on a project for 4 tings, playing a quick game of AoE IV for 3 tings, going for a short walk across my farm for 1 ting, having lunch while watching the latest LoTR:RoP episode for 2 tings, and then back to the next pitch proposal for 5 tings. Suddenly, my day had a structure, and I was getting more shit done.

The Bottom Line

LASIK recovery might sound like a hassle with all the drops and glasses, but trust me, it’s all worth it. The weirdest thing about the whole experience is realising how much you’ve relied on specs or contacts your whole life, and then one day... poof, you don’t need them anymore. It’s liberating!

The best part for me is waking up after a good night's sleep in the morning to a clear vision, something that my lenses could never offer.

So, that’s my post-op story. I hope it gives you some insights, and maybe even a little inspiration if you’re thinking about going under the laser yourself. I’ll keep you updated on how my vision continues to improve, but so far, I’m loving this new chapter in life—one without fogged-up glasses or poking myself in the eye with contacts.

Until next time, cheers, and happy eye drops!

Chp 901. LASIK in Aizawl

In my previous post, I took you on a nostalgic trip through my journey of wearing spectacles and contact lenses, and what finally pushed me to say "goodbye, four-eyes!" and go for a LASIK surgery.

Today, I’m here to share my experience of actually getting LASIK surgery done at Eye Care Hospital, Dawrpui, Aizawl. Whether you’re seriously considering the procedure, mildly curious, or just here for the laughs, this post is for you. So, sit tight as I walk you through the process—and maybe, just maybe, inspire you to toss those glasses too!

Now, what is LASIK, you may ask. 

Well, LASIK stands for "Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis", and don't worry, even I just Googled that because who really remembers the full form, lolz. It totally sounds like a spell from Harry Potter. But in reality, it's just a fancy way of saying a laser is used to reshape your cornea, allowing light to focus properly on your retina.

Think of it as a deep cleaning session for your eyes, like a pressure wash for your vision. Or a car servicing centre that repairs your old blurry vision with a fresh pair.

And no, they won’t be using lightsabers from Star Wars on your eyeballs. The laser won’t suddenly go rogue and pierce through your skull and splatter your brain matter if the surgeon suddenly sneezes mid-procedure! :D LASIK is a super precise and safe procedure that has helped millions of people around the world, with a laser that’s more controlled than your controlling ex-husband or ex-wife. :P

So, let's get straight to the point. LASIK in Aizawl.

A long time ago, Mizos used to fly to Guwahati or Kolkata for a LASIK operation. Thankfully, those days are over because Eye Care Hospital in Aizawl is now fully equipped to handle this surgery.

Of course, the small market size in Mizoram means there's less frequent demand, so Eye Care Hospital only performs LASIK once every 2-3 months. They dedicate an entire day to it, grouping all candidates together for the procedure.

To get on that coveted list, there’s a screening process one week before the surgery to determine if you’re eligible or not. Based on my experience, there are three main tests:

1. Eye Test – You’ll undergo several eye-related tests, though I have no clue what most of them are called. Basically, you’ll be looking into various machines with a doctor on the other side examining your eyes and taking photos of them etc. They assess whether your eyes can be corrected or if you might need a minor pre-surgery procedure before the main one.

2. BP and Sugar Test – They’ll check if your blood sugar or blood pressure is within acceptable ranges. If not, unfortunately, you will be disqualified. I was lucky enough to be right on the borderline, and the nurses had to check my BP three times. The first two were quite high, leaving the cute female nurses with a concerned look. But funny enough, when a male nurse took my test the third time, it magically dropped to normal. :P

3. Blood Test – You’ll also need to get tested for a range of STDs like HIV, HPV, and HSV. I passed this test too, duh, but now that I think about it, I find this a bit odd—the surgery itself is bloodless, so why was there a need for this test? If anyone has insight into this, feel free to enlighten me.

There’s also a fourth factor: Age. Unfortunately, I was above the recommended range. I told them not to be ageist and discriminate against me just because I’m a very handsome and single Tlangval senior. :P 

They explained that age matters because people over 40 often develop both nearsightedness (myopia) and farsightedness (presbyopia), making the corrective surgery more complicated. And yes, after multiple tests, turned out, I had both too! I felt 20 years older right then. 

Now, I do have one small bone to pick with Eye Care Hospital. 

During the screening process, they dropped a dilating solution into my eyes and told us to wait an hour for the next test. They didn't tell me not to go anywhere (or maybe they announced and I missed it) but since I was quite hungry, I headed straight to the famous "Moses Roll" nearby for a quick bite.

I ordered an egg chicken roll and a double egg roll, yummm...

But as I sat there enjoying my meal, my vision gradually began to blur! By the time I finished, I could barely see anything around me! When it was time to pay, I whipped out my phone to use GPay, but I couldn't see a damn thing—everything was a blurry mess. Finally, I fumbled with my wallet and paid in cash.

And then I walked out to the street and mother of Lord it was so bright! I could hardly see anything even with my eyes squinted, so I called up my friend Anggu, who happens to live just across the street. I dashed over, hoping no vehicles would flatten me as I blindly crossed the road. Once I got inside his house, the lighting was so dim that I couldn’t see a thing again—turns out, my pupils were fully dilated, so everything was either too bright or too dark!

Anggu had a good laugh at my expense. He explained that when he went to Guwahati for his son's eye surgery, they did the same thing to him, but at least he knew what was coming. I, on the other hand, had no clue that dilating drops would have such an effect!

Eventually, Anggu escorted me back to the hospital, where I resumed my tests. Later that evening, they announced the list of candidates who made the cut for LASIK—and I was on it! I was beyond excited, automatically forgiving them for not warning me about the dilating drops. :D

Once you’re on the list, you’ll be given 2-3 different eye drops to use 3-4 times a day. I’m not entirely sure what they are, but I know one of them is to keep your eyes moist and prevent dryness, which is key in preparing for the surgery.

We were given this list of do's and don'ts for the day of surgery as well, which was quite easy for me to follow since most of them were addressed to women, like you can't wear make-up, jewellery, earrings, eyeliner, mascara, perfume, etc etc.

Finally, a week later, on the day of the operation, we reached the hospital at 8 AM as instructed. Quick heads-up—Eye Care Hospital doesn’t have its own car parking, as the basement is reserved for SBI employees who work on the other floors. But you can easily find a vacant parking spot around Canteen kual.

Since we needed to bring along a companion, my sister Dinpuii and her colleague Andrew graciously took leave from work to accompany me. The rest of the LASIK squad was already there too—punctual, like a class of overachievers before a final exam.

There were 12 of us in total. Two were guys around my age, though both were married and brought their wives along. The rest were women, including an incredibly sweet 8 or 9-year-old girl who had a staggering minus 10 power! Dayyyummm.

The hospital was quieter than usual. The receptionist mentioned that they cancel most appointments on LASIK days because the doctors and nurses have their hands full. Only a few walk-in patients were around.

We went through the usual motions—final checkups with the nurses and doctors. Of course, there was the mandatory paperwork, where I signed a form that said, "I will not hold the hospital responsible if my eyes are not 100% cured". Funny though that such forms never say, "I will not hold the hospital responsible if I find the love of my life in their waiting room". :(

And then we waited while the hospital staff prepped the operation room. Do I look nervous here? Pic taken by my sis.

Soon enough, we were called into the restricted area and had to leave behind all our worldly possessions—wallets, jewellery, keys, watches, and even our shoes. Because nothing says "I'm ready for surgery" like walking into the unknown barefoot.

Once we were inside, Dr. Remsanga, the main surgeon, gathered us like a bunch of nervous chickens. He went over the procedure again and, in true Mizo fashion, led us in a prayer. A nice touch, I must say.

We were also given another list of do's and don'ts for the post-operation.

Then the first name was called. She was prepped and sent into the operation theatre. Four other names were also called out and they were prepped in advance while waiting for the first surgery to be over. 

Curious, I asked the nurse if the order was based on complexity or just a lottery system. She told me that the LASIK machine had already computed the most efficient order based on the data fed into it earlier, as we weren’t all having the exact same procedure. Smart, eh?

Eventually, my name was called. They told me to wash my hands and face thoroughly. After that, they suited me up in a surgical gown and slapped a net over my head like I was about to make a guest appearance on Grey’s Anatomy. Then, the nurse disinfected my face with a cotton swab and dropped various eye drops every minute or so.

Here we are, waiting for our turn, looking like extras from a medical drama. :)

Imagine Dr. House barging out from the operation theatre and telling me it's not lupus. :P

As we waited in anticipation, we saw the others before us exit the surgery with smiles on their faces, which was super reassuring. Each one was led to an adjacent room to lie down and rest their eyes for about an hour, while the next contestant entered the ring.

Finally, it was my turn.

I stepped into the operation theatre and was instructed to lie down under this massive machine. Everyone inside was masked up, and a nurse snuck a pillow-like thing under my calves. The moment had arrived.

The nurses then covered one of my eyes and applied this sticky, cellophane-like sheet over the other one. This was to prevent me from blinking or closing my eye. Once everything was nice and tight, Dr. Remsang carefully cut a tiny hole in the plastic sheet right over my pupil. Then came some gentle scraping and stuff, which was a bit uncomfortable, but painless.

Above me, all I could see were these bright circular lights that honestly looked like something straight out of a UFO movie. For a second, I half-expected to be abducted by aliens.

And then suddenly, I couldn't see anything even with my eye wide open, but the nurse warned me not to panic and that reassured me immediately. But a part of me was wondering how that happened, like did they take out my eyeball for a quick polish or something? :D

Then Dr. Remsanga gave me the heads-up that the real deal—the laser—was about to start. A series of green and white lights flashed in front of me, and to top it off, I smelt burning flesh! Yup, that was probably my eye flesh. But as long as I wasn’t feeling any pain, it was all good! "Chiu chiu chiu!" continued the lasers. Ok kidding, they didn't make that sound but I was picturing that in my head.

And just like that, in a few minutes, one eye was done. They repeated the whole process on the other eye, and within 20 minutes, boom—my LASIK surgery was complete!

Of course, I couldn’t see clearly right away, which is totally normal. A nurse kindly escorted me out of the operation room while the next patient walked in. She gave me a pair of dark sunglasses and led me to a bed where I laid down, keeping my eyes shut as instructed.

At some point, I got tired of just lying there, and the nurse told me I could sit up, as long as I kept my eyes closed. She even got me a nice hot cup of coffee which quelled some of my hunger. That was really sweet of her. And then she asked me if I could see, and I told her I could see my future wife and kids...

Yeah, that's how jobless and bored I was, just coming up with imaginary conversations in my head while I closed my eyes. :D :P

Finally, after about an hour, Dr. Remsanga gathered all of us for the post-op briefing. He went over the rules of post-surgery care, like how we absolutely must not rub or even touch our eyes, and that applying all those eye drops on schedule is non-negotiable. He told us not to panic if we couldn't see clearly in the next few days as our cornea was still healing.

We were to avoid screen time for at least a week (which sounded like a death sentence to me), always wear the dark sunglasses they gave us, and stick these massive round shields over our eyes when we sleep so we don't accidentally poke them during the night. Oh, and no washing your hair unless you do it at a spa, since you shouldn’t risk getting water in your eyes.

He also advised against driving for a month and made it clear that all physical activities—gym, exercise, sports—were off the table. I was totally cool with that since all I do is sit in front of my computer all day, but the other guys looked pretty bummed out, so naturally, I pretended to be disappointed too. Gotta blend in, right? :D

Once the briefing was over, we left the restricted area where Didi and Andrew were waiting for me. We headed to the reception, grabbed all the eye drops and medicines I’d need, and then I made the payment—about ₹70,000 in total. Honestly, I think that's a pretty solid deal for better eyesight, especially when you factor in all the money I’ve spent over the years on contact lenses, solutions, and specs.

We left the hospital and my sister treated me at Hotel Ritz nearby, and I thank her and Andrew for sticking with me the entire day.

And that, my friends, was my LASIK experience. I hope you enjoyed reading it and that I managed to make you feel like you were right there with me. I’ll write about my post-op experience next, so stay tuned!

The only question I had at the end of all this is—if the full form of LASIK is Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis, then shouldn't it technically be called LAISK and not LASIK? :D

Until my next post, cheers, folks!

Chp 900. Saying Goodbye to Specs & Lenses

Welcome back to my blog! :) 

Today, I’m diving into the journey that finally made me say goodbye to my glasses and contact lenses, and embrace a clear, hassle-free future!

So, bad eyesight runs in our family. Both my parents wear glasses, my three elder sisters wear glasses, and don’t even get me started on my cousins and aunts and uncles—basically, every family gathering feels like a convention of AMSA - "All Mizoram Spectacles Association". :P

With that kind of genetic lineup, it was only a matter of time before I joined the club. Eventually, when I was in class 5, it was my turn to embrace the family heirloom, lolz.

I still remember that moment like it was yesterday. Aunty Rich, our dormitory warden, dragged my scrawny, hesitant ass to the eye doctor. Later that night, I returned to my hostel at St. Thomas, wearing really thick glasses for the very first time in my life. 

Life was tough for a 10-year-old kid in Kolkata back then because if I wore the glasses, everybody made fun of me with the classic "four eyes" insult, and if I didn’t wear them, Aunty Rich would whack my butt with her infamous dreaded cane.

And believe me, back in the late 80s and early 90s, being called "four eyes" was a painful insult—definitely not something you’d brush off easily. But fast forward to today, wearing specs has become so normalised that it’s almost a fashion statement. The generation gap is real! What used to feel like a curse is now no big deal, and kids these days wouldn’t even flinch at being called "four eyes".

By the time I was in class 8 at Montfort School, Yercaud, wearing specs was starting to be a problem because I was active in sports and games, especially basketball. Nothing ruins your ball game faster than trying to defend a dribbler with just one hand because you’re busy shoving your glasses back up your nose with the other hand, or getting fouled while going for a layup and watching your specs fly across the court—or worse, break into pieces.

At one point, I even tied shoelaces to the frames of my glasses around my head to keep them from falling off mid-game. We call this "Jugaad". :P 

But after one particularly horrible incident where I crashed into another player head-first, the upper rim of my specs made a deep cut on my left eyebrow, leaving me bleeding and having to undergo five stitches as a memento. 

That was the last straw. Our sports secretary, Brother Varghese, marched me to the STD booth once I was stitched up, called my parents in Mizoram, and convinced them I must wear contact lenses during matches for my own good.

From that point on, I was officially part of the contact lens club. And let me tell you, life with lenses is a whole different ball game. 

On the bright side, I didn’t have to worry about glasses fogging up every time I sipped hot coffee or ventured into an air-conditioned room. I also experimented with coloured lenses (grey, blue and green) and I even took a passport photo wearing one of them and used it for a bunch of official forms like entrance exams and college applications. The best part? Nobody noticed, lolz. 

On the downside, I had to treat my eyes like a delicate ecosystem—everything had to be squeaky clean. You'd think I was preparing for surgery every time I had to put my lenses in or take them out.

Wearing lenses was like a mini ritual: wash, dry, check for lint, hold up to the light, check if it's the correct side, place on the finger, blink a few times, insert, blink some more. And of course, there’s always that one time where you blink too early, or some small speck of dust was on the lens, and boom—you gotta do the whole ritual again.

And sometimes, for absolutely no reason at all, your lens would just decide to slip, leaving you frantically trying to fix it with your unclean hands, or by blinking like a maniac if you're in the middle of a conversation. Nothing says “awkward” quite like being on a first date with a Tinder match while you’re blinking furiously and trying to see her properly. It’s no surprise she never returned my calls after that. :'(

I guess we can say, I did not see that coming, badumtsss! :P

Just kidding—I’ve never been on a blind date because I’m already half-blind without my specs or lenses. :D

There’s this funny video of me on YouTube from when the Mumbai police came to our Mizo Sunday Church service, after my blog post about inviting the police for tea went viral (some of you may remember that incident). Anyway, in the video, I’m standing next to DCP Tamboli and continuously blinking my eyes—like I’m on some kind of trip! The reason was, my damn contact lens decided to go rogue right at that moment. Of all the times to slip, it had to be while I was standing in the limelight! Arrgh.

But the worst part about contact lenses was when I ate anything spicy—especially Raja Mirchi, aka Bhut Jolokia or Ghost Pepper. As much as I loved devouring that fiery goodness, deep down I knew the aftermath. No matter how much I washed my hands post-meal, if my fingers touched my lenses, my eyes would go up in flames. I had to keep that in mind.

I also had to keep in mind how long I wore my lenses each day. Ideally, you shouldn't wear them for more than 12 hours continuously. And so, whether I was doing something good, like mitthi in tlaivar, or something bad, like clubbing till the crack of dawn—I had to plan ahead. Either I’d wear my specs all day and switch to lenses only in the evening before heading out, or I’d pack my lens solution and case in my bag like a survival kit

And so, when my friends and I would hit up legendary party spots like "The Club" in Bengaluru, "Velocity" in Mumbai, or "Someplace Else" in Kolkata, while my homies were busy smuggling in a bottle of booze, there I was, sneaking in a bottle of contact lens solution. :D

Now it's been 32 years since I first started wearing specs and contact lenses. I did consider getting LASIK surgery back when it first came out, but it was insanely expensive at the time. As the years went by, I just shrugged it off with a "meh". My glasses and contacts had become such a natural part of my life that I didn’t see the point in changing things.

There were only two reasons that made me seriously consider LASIK surgery: War and Disaster.

1. War – Picture this: we’re in the middle of a civil war or some post-apocalyptic nightmare. Society has crumbled, all comforts are a distant memory, and my specs and lenses are nowhere to be found—probably destroyed in the chaos. The enemy surrounds the village, and there I am, squinting at blurry figures, not knowing if they’re allies or foes. I can't shoot back because I can't see squat! Worse, I need to run, but I have no idea where or who to run towards. Classic horror movie scenario.

2. Disaster – Now, let’s imagine a natural disaster—an earthquake, a tsunami, or even a global pandemic (oh wait, we had that one). My glasses are shattered, lenses lost, and I’m stumbling around like Mr. Bean trying to survive. I’d have no idea where to scavenge for food, where to find shelter, or who’s waving at me from across the road. I wouldn't last a week, tripping over debris and walking into trees like a blindfolded contestant on a game show.

And so I finally decided to go for LASIK surgery last month, but not because of the two reasons above.

What made me change my mind? VR. lolz.

Yup, Virtual Reality. That device you wear on your head to transport you to a whole new world and experience.

Here’s the thing: Even though VR is the next big thing in tech, it's still not advanced enough to magically adjust its visuals for people like me who are "sight-impaired." The problem? Correcting focal length for VR ain't easy. Each person has a unique prescription to deal with issues like nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, and a whole bunch of components, like spherical, cylindrical, and axis corrections. Yup, it’s complex.

Sure, companies like Oculus (Meta) have been toying with Varifocal displays that can adjust lenses on the fly, but this tech is still under research, and we’re far from the day when it can handle all our different eye needs.

So, if you’re someone like me, your only options for VR are either popping in contact lenses before entering the virtual world or awkwardly trying to shove your specs inside the VR headset—while praying you don’t scratch the VR lenses (or your glasses). And they hurt your head like hell too.

There are also a few VR companies that offer to custom-make prescription lenses for your headset, but they're super expensive, and they basically turn your VR into a “you-only” device. Plus, every time your power changes, you’ll need to shell out more cash for new lenses.

THIS is exactly why I finally decided to go for LASIK. With more of our office work suddenly shifting into VR, I had to ditch the hassle once and for all!

And when I say "suddenly" above, I mean it. That’s the nature of working at Ronin Labs in this fast-paced digital industry—everything is constantly evolving, and if you don’t adapt, you get left behind.

Just three years ago, "playable ads" were our biggest revenue stream. Then, poof—clients lost interest. Two years ago, it was all about the "metaverse", but that hype fizzled out faster than NFTs. Last year our cash cow was on "AR filters". But now, as you might have heard, Meta is shutting down all third-party face filters and AR effects on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger, along with the tools to create them, this coming January 14th, 2025.

So, where’s our focus now? VR. We’re diving deep. One of our MR (Mixed Reality) apps is already live on the Meta store, and another is in the works. The way things are going, I’m betting I’ll be spending more time in a VR headset than I do in the real world.

And that’s exactly why I chose to get LASIK—to prepare for this virtual future and save myself the constant struggle of wearing contacts or cramming glasses into a headset. It was time to clear up my vision, literally!

In my next post, I’ll dive into the actual LASIK procedure itself—what it was like, how it felt, and whether I came out seeing stars or... you know, just seeing clearly for once! So hope you visit again for that.

Until then, cheers everyone.

Chp 899. Airtel vs Vodafone in Mizoram

Which is better?

I’m not here to bore you with a comparison of Vodafone and Airtel's user base numbers, signal strengths, number of towers, or even the finer points like latency, bandwidth, customer support efficiency, or cost per GB. I’m also not diving into any deep technical metrics like download speeds, ping rates, or how many milliseconds it takes to load a YouTube video. Nope, none of that.

This is a no-nonsense, straight-from-the-user experience—a perspective from someone who’s been on both sides of the network battlefield. As someone who has loyally endured Vodafone’s quirks and switched over to Airtel, this is my story.

For years, I was a loyal customer of Vodafone, now rebranded as Vodafone Idea, or simply "Vi". In fact, I was on their exclusive Corporate RedX plan, available only to corporate employees. 

It was a pretty sweet deal, offering not just solid 4G connectivity with unlimited data and calls, but a bunch of cool add-ons like free Amazon Prime, Netflix, Sony Liv and Disney+ Hotstar memberships, to name a few. 

Life was great, especially when I was living in Mumbai and Pune, where seamless mobile connectivity was crucial for everything, from our daily service requirements to the apps and games we were developing. What more could I ask for?

And then I moved back to Mizoram in 2019, and that’s when Vodafone’s “legendary” network slapped me right in the face.

From the moment you land at Lengpui Airport, you’re greeted with... zero signal. No bars, nothing. Forget about texting your family to let them know you’ve arrived safely, or calling the cab driver to say you’re waiting outside the arrivals gate? Nope, not happening. Instead, I play a fun game of “Guess Who My Driver Is,” which has, on more than one occasion, ended with me awkwardly apologising to a stranger.

Flying out of Mizoram is no better. I have to send out all my farewell WhatsApp messages on my way to the airport before reaching RV or Phunchawng, because beyond that, there is no signal. And pulling up my e-ticket attachment at the airport? Yeah, right. I’ve learned to always download it before leaving home, just to avoid staring blankly at my phone at the terminal gate.

And this isn’t just at the airport. Any trip outside Aizawl, and boom—Vodafone goes AWOL again. Like when we ventured to Dampa Wildlife Sanctuary, or the time we explored the protected areas of Murlen and Vapar in Champhai district, my phone was about as useful as a brick. Fortunately, my friends who were using Jio and Airtel were kind enough to hotspot me the entire trip. I was practically their Wi-Fi parasite.

Even within Aizawl, there are pockets where Vodafone’s network decides to take a little nap. And don’t even get me started on my farm. It’s like my SIM card forgot it had a job to do.

So, why did I put up with this nonsense for so long, you ask? 

Well, when I returned to Mizoram in 2019, there was the CoVid outbreak. For more than a year, I wasn’t moving around much and I was getting a good signal at my house.

Then, in 2021, I moved to my farm permanently to become a farmer—where I had absolutely zero signal. Vodafone had completely abandoned me in the wild. 

Luckily, I had a Zipro broadband connection to keep me tethered to the outside world. But when my broadband internet went down (as it often did), I had no way to report the issue—because, surprise surprise, no phone signal! It felt like I was suddenly transported back to the Stone Age.

It wasn’t until 2022 when I started working in the corporate world again (remotely from my farm) that things started getting really really worse.

Imagine this: my broadband goes down, and I’ve got an important client pitch or presentation. What do I do? I run, literally RUN, a mile up the hill of my farm where there’s a flicker of signal, and conduct my presentation from the hilltop like some kind of network-hunting nomad. 

Sumeet too would laugh every time I had to do that, but then, what to do, it was the only option I had.

I still can’t believe I had willingly put up with all this BS for years while shelling out ₹1,200 a month on a non-existent service. 

It finally clicked for me when I started reading those marital advice columns or Mizo FB groups like NUPA Nun (yes, we single bachelors do occasionally lurk there). Turns out, being stuck in a bad network relationship is a lot like being in an abusive one—you know it’s bad, but you just can’t seem to end it.

Years of commitment aren’t easy to walk away from, even when it’s terrible. I think I developed a little Stockholm syndrome for Vodafone!

Finally, a couple of months ago, I said enough is enough and decided to put my foot down and end it all. It was time to file for divorce.

Enter my friend Hminga, Airtel's official partner in Mizoram. I told him about my problems, and he didn’t waste time—"Bro, just come down to Aizawl," he said. And so I took a leave from work and travelled to his mansion in the city. Within minutes, his agent showed up, filled out a short form, took my photograph, and scanned my fingerprint. And just like that, I was an Airtel customer!

Well, almost. Since I had ported my number, I had to wait for my Vodafone billing cycle to end first. 

Those two weeks dragged on forever—probably because I was counting the minutes until I could switch. The most fun part of that waiting period? The endless calls from Vodafone agents asking me for the millionth time why I was leaving them. Some of you ladies with an overly persistent and obsessive ex-boyfriend might relate to this. :P

Finally, D-Day arrived. At the stroke of the midnight hour, while Mizoram slept, I awoke to life and freedom, as I ceremoniously removed my Vodafone SIM and popped in my shiny new Airtel SIM, 

Aand just like that—voilà!—I was officially an Airtel subscriber!

The difference was instant. My phone went ding ding ding with push notifications from all my social accounts immediately, and I wasn’t even connected to my broadband Wi-Fi. What a difference indeed!

And the best part? Now, whenever my Zipro broadband is down, I can actually report it right away!

You might be thinking, "What difference does it make if I report it or not? What's so important about it that I keep mentioning it?" Well, a lot actually! 

You see, I live on a secluded farm, surrounded by jungle on a distant hilltop. There can be plenty of reasons why my broadband is down. Sometimes, it’s a broken fibre line—nothing I can do but wait for them to fix it. But other times, it’s something that can be sorted out instantly, like the relay station sending my signal being switched off, or my antenna’s receptor acting up, or even something as simple as a low inverter battery at their sectorial office.

That’s why it’s crucial for me to inform them ASAP—so they can tackle those quick fixes and get me back online without too much downtime. I understand, for those of you living in the city, this might not make much sense as it’s not something you deal with. But out here on the farm, it’s just part of the lifestyle.

Now, with Airtel, I’m back in business. No more scrambling for signal, and my professional work life is so much more productive today.

Just a quick heads-up though. If you're also planning to port your number to a different network, you’ll need to link your phone number with your UPI accounts again, even though it's the same number—because it’s now on a different network. But regular net banking and OTP verifications aren’t affected, so no worries there!

So there you have it. After years of frustration, missed calls, missed invitations, missed seeing my friends' WA statuses, and awkward airport moments, I’ve finally made the switch—and I’m not looking back. Airtel has brought me the peace of mind that Vodafone never could. Now, whether I’m at my farm or travelling around Mizoram, I can stay connected without any of the stress.

It’s crazy how much better life gets when you don’t have to climb a hill just to send a WhatsApp message or an email. So if you’re still stuck with a network that treats you like a distant relative, take it from me—there’s a better way. Make the switch and enjoy the sweet sound of notifications without relying on your broadband.

Cheers to a more connected life—wherever you may be!

[PS. This blog post is not an ad for Airtel. Trust me, I’d be writing the same thing if the roles were reversed. This is purely based on my experience here in Mizoram. I know Vi has excellent coverage in tier-1 cities—after all, I was a loyal customer for over a decade.]

Chp 898. Vehicle Parking App for Aizawl

Many, many years ago, I was working at this bootstrap incubator in Mumbai called Gravy Inc. started by the late Sidharth Rao, where Sumeet and I launched our own Gaming startup. There were many other startups in the same office and it was incredibly inspiring to be sharing the same space with such brilliant minds.

Among them was my friend and flatmate Pranav Babbar, who was constantly talking about his car parking app idea. To be honest, I never paid much attention—I was an Uber and Ola kind of guy, so it didn’t seem relevant to me. But after moving back to Aizawl and facing the daily grind of commuting and the nightmare of parking, I found myself wishing I had listened to Pranav a lot more closely. :D

I’m not going to develop a vehicle parking app myself—I’ve got my hands full juggling both office work and farm duties. But I’ve got a solid idea for one, and I can’t stand the thought of letting a good idea go to waste just because I don’t have the time. Basically... I don't want to park my parking idea. :P

So, in this blog post, I’m laying out the complete concept for a vehicle parking app tailored specifically for Aizawl. If any of you are interested, feel free to take my idea and run with it. Together, we can make parking in Aizawl a whole lot easier!

I'm writing this post as less technical as possible, so you won’t be nodding off. I hope you read it till the end. Here’s how you can make such an app yourself:

First, you’ll need to sign up as a developer on Google PlayStore or Apple AppStore. I’d recommend starting with just Android since the market is larger in Aizawl. The sign-up process is straightforward, though there’s a small fee involved—this will be the first of several investments you’ll need to make. I’ll break down the estimated total cost towards the end of this post. Once you’re registered, you’ll have access to all the tools necessary to build, test, and eventually launch your app.

Next, it’s crucial to identify the key parking areas in Aizawl. Some of the hotspots include Ch. Saprawnga building, Millennium Centre, Dawrpui Multipurpose building, AMC Multi Complex, Hautea building, MINECO etc., to name a few, as well as other buildings under the PAHOSS scheme.

We all know the frustration of pulling up to these parking centres, only to be told they’re full. Some people try to avoid this by calling ahead, but even that doesn’t guarantee an open spot by the time they arrive. My app idea is designed to tackle these issues head-on and make parking a smoother experience.

I plan to list all the parking locations directly within the app because I want to avoid integrating Google Maps or a geolocation feature, and here’s why: (1) This app is designed specifically for Mizos, not tourists. We’re all familiar with these buildings and localities, so there’s no need to rely on Google Maps to find the nearest building with a parking facility. (2) Google Maps can be quite inaccurate in Aizawl, and honestly, I want to keep costs down.

What do I mean by cutting costs?

Let me explain. There’s something called "API calls." Imagine that to be like sending a message to a friend to ask for information. For example, if you’re at home and want to know how many Iskuts are left at the market, you send a message (an API call) to the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper checks and replies with the answer (part of the same API call). In your app, "API calls" work the same way—they request information (like parking availability) and bring it back to you.

Now, Google Maps "API calls" don’t come cheap. Google offers a free tier with about ₹15,000 worth of usage per month, but once you exceed that, it’s around ₹7 per 1,000 calls. With 100 to 500 daily users, you could be looking at monthly costs of ₹8,000 to ₹20,000, depending on how much your app relies on these calls. So, now you can see why I’m steering clear of Google Maps integration in this app. :D

Coming back to the app, assuming you’ve registered as a developer and identified your parking areas—great! Now comes the biggest part of the app: the coding. If you’re a programmer reading this, you know the drill. But if coding isn’t your thing, don’t sweat it. You can easily hire a coder or find freelancers on platforms like Fiverr and give them clear instructions on what you need.

Once you’ve got your coder lined up—or if you’re rolling up your sleeves and diving into the code yourself—let’s talk about what’s happening behind the scenes. 

First up: Server requirements. You’re going to need a solid cloud server to handle all the data coming in, like user accounts, parking spot availability, and booking requests. Without a good server setup, your app could end up as slow as traffic on a Monday morning or during a concert at Lammual.

Think of a server like this: You go to the market to buy Iskut (again with the Iskut analogy :P). The shopkeeper gives you what he has, but you want more. So, instead of asking you to go to the next vendor, the shopkeeper quickly sends a message to the warehouse (maybe FamCart, see I'm advertising my friends for free), where more Iskut is stored. The warehouse then sends the extra Iskut to the shop, and you get exactly what you need, all instantaneously.

In this scenario, the shopkeeper is like your app, and the warehouse is the server. The server stores all the information and data your app needs. When you request something (remember the API call I was talking about above), the app (shopkeeper) fetches it from the server (warehouse) and delivers it to you.

For a project like this, a basic cloud server from providers like AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure should do the trick. These services are scalable, meaning you can start small and expand as your user base grows.

Now, let’s talk about the front-end—this is what your users will interact with from their mobile phones, so it’s got to look good and function even better. If you hire a freelancer to code, they usually do all the back-end and front-end parts too, so you don't have to worry about this. But if you're working on this yourself, you'll have to build the front-end UI (User Interface) too.

You’ll want a clean, minimalistic, and intuitive interface since many of your users might be the “ka pu” and “ka pi” types who aren’t exactly tech-savvy. Plus, it should be easy to use for those accessing it from their two-wheelers. Keep the design simple and user-friendly—remember the KISS principle: "Keep It Simple, Stupid." Or as some might say, "Kima Is So Single." :D :P

On the building parking management side, you’ll need to build a separate interface that allows parking attendants to update spot availability, manage bookings, and handle any on-the-ground issues. This interface should be just as simple and easy to use, enabling attendants to quickly update the app without any fuss.

And, of course, you’ll want to make sure the app is optimised for both mobile and tablet use, given that parking attendants might prefer working on a larger screen. Plus, it’s always a good idea to test your app on different devices to make sure it works smoothly across the board.

Although I’m offering all these ideas for free, don’t hesitate to consult me if you decide to take this project up. I’d be more than happy to help with the front-end UI design and the QA/QC parameters as these are my favourite areas to tinker with. And yes, of course, this will be completely free of charge again.

So, you’ve got the server set up, the front-end design looking sharp, and the back-end coding in place. What’s next? Well, there’s the big question of payment.

How much money can you actually make from this?

Let’s be honest: Are you doing this purely for profit, or are you doing this to solve the parking crisis in Aizawl (while making a little money on the side)?

In my mind, there are two possible scenarios. Either the state government sees the potential and decides to take this on, in which case monetisation isn’t much of a concern. Or, you as a private individual choose to take the project forward. If that’s the case, you’ll need to ensure you can cover your initial investment.

After all, building this app isn’t going to be cheap.

Here’s a breakdown of the approximate expenses you’ll need to cover: 

1. Google PlayStore Sign-Up Cost: Let’s start with the basics. You’ll need to shell out around ₹1,500 to sign up as a developer on the Google PlayStore. This is a one-time fee, so once you’re registered, you’re set.

2. Server Costs: For a cloud server to handle 100 to 500 daily users, you’re looking at roughly ₹1,500 to ₹4,000 per month. This should cover your data storage, user accounts, and all those real-time parking updates. As your app grows, you might need to scale up, but this is a good starting point. 

3. Google Maps API call Costs: Zero. :)

4. Payment Gateway Fees: Most payment gateways (like Razorpay, Paytm, Stripe, etc.) charge a small fee per transaction. This is typically 2-3% of the transaction amount plus a small fixed fee (₹3 to ₹5 per transaction).

5. Freelancer Cost for Coding: Now, if coding isn’t your thing, hiring a freelancer will be your next big expense. And since we’re skipping the Google Maps integration, the cost will be lower. A decent freelancer on platforms like Fiverr might charge anywhere from ₹50,000 to ₹1,20,000 for a project like this, depending on its complexity. If you reach out to local Mizo developers, and explain that this is for the greater good, they might even agree to do it for around 50K.

6. Maintenance Charges: Even after your app is up and running, you’ll need to account for ongoing maintenance costs. This includes regular updates, bug fixes, server upkeep, and occasional tweaks to keep everything running smoothly. Depending on the complexity of your app and the frequency of updates, you’re looking at around ₹1,000 to ₹2,000 per month. It’s like keeping your relationship in check—regular maintenance is key to avoiding those unexpected “we need to talk” moments! :D

7. Parking Attendant Salary: Someone needs to keep track of which parking spaces are filled, updating the system from their end. Of course, you could automate this but that will involve more costs, which I am not getting into for now.  As for who pays the parking attendant for this work, I am actually not sure because it could be on the building management’s tab too and not you, so I will leave this part out of the list of costs.

So excluding the above point, the one-time payment of Google Play registration and the cost of coding, your monthly expense would be roughly ₹7,000 for 100 to 500 DAUs (Daily Active Users).

In that case, it’s only practical to make some money from the app—otherwise, you’re bleeding 7K every month. So yeah, monetising the app is a must. Here are a few monetisation strategies I’ve come up with.

Freemium model: Make the app free for everyone to maximise your user base. To generate revenue, you can integrate an ads SDK, which will display ads to your users. Free users will have the following features:

1. Basic Parking Search: Allow users to search for available parking spots in different locations.
2. Real-Time Availability: Provide updates on parking spot availability without the need for advanced booking.
3. Pay from phone: Users can pay the parking fee directly from the app itself.
4. Parking History: Let users view their past parking locations and durations.
5. Notifications: Send reminders when parking time is about to expire or when new spots become available.
6. Basic Customer Support: Offer access to general help and FAQs within the app.
7. User Reviews and Ratings: Enable users to rate parking spots and read reviews from others.

Now add a premium feature to the same app, charging a subscription of around ₹300 to ₹500 per month. Premium users will avail of all the same features above, as well as some sweet perks, like:

1. No ads—because who needs distractions when you’re trying to park?
2. Advance booking: Premium users can enjoy the luxury of booking a parking spot up to an hour in advance.
3. No parking fees: They don't have to pay for the parking fee, but you’ll need to do some quick math to make sure the premium fee covers this, so you’re not suffering a loss or barely able to break even.
4. Priority customer support: This basically means you or your wife or your kids will be answering their calls—because who needs a full team when you’re in bootstrap mode? :D
5. A special “Premium” badge: Okay, it’s mostly for show, but who doesn’t like a little VIP status, especially in our Mizo society? :D

These perks should make the premium option tempting enough for users to fork out a little extra, while still keeping you in the green!

Do note that I’m focusing exclusively on buildings with designated parking in this app, and not the various street parking spots like Dawrpui veng Street, Canteen kual, etc. Those areas are a bit more complex to manage, but with a bit of brainstorming, I’m confident we can tackle that challenge as well.

Aaaand there you have it, folks! How to build your own Vehicle parking app for Aizawl.

If you’ve stuck around this long, congratulations—you’re either seriously committed to solving Aizawl’s parking woes or you’ve got way too much free time on your hands. :D Either way, I hope this rundown has sparked some ideas (or at least a chuckle or two).

Remember, this is just a blueprint. Whether you’re diving into the coding yourself, roping in some Mizo devs, or bribing your kids with extra screen time to handle customer support, the goal here is simple: Make parking in Aizawl a little less of a headache.

And who knows? Maybe this little venture will turn into the next big thing. Or at the very least, it’ll save you from circling Millennium Centre a gazillion times. :D Either way, I’m rooting for you.

So go forth, take this idea, and park it somewhere awesome. And if you need me, well, you know where to find me—probably planting Iskut at my farm.

Cheers and happy app-making!