Finding The Umami In My Umm

Following is another excerpt from my first ever sci-fi/reality book about Man and Machine interface, “The Story of Umm”, as told by Dr. Juvanni

Chapter 7 Finding the Umami in My Umm

Before and afters are meant for those who lack imagination - Dr Juvanni

Behind a neatly curated video and individual pictures by one of my favorite photographers, Emron, lies the chaos of the beauty business. The backstage of this industry is even more cutthroat than fashion, yet equally lucrative also. In this multi-part saga, I’ll share the transformation of an empty space into Juvanni, my anti-aging office.

A burnt-out geriatrician was given a dream, which materialized through relentless effort and the essence of my ancestral heritage. My late friend, Dr. Loveleen Sood, who ran a medspa in Bronxville, NY, described it as the most thrilling chaos(Bu::f@$$) you could experience. Being in the beauty business is a perpetual joy, provided you’re inclined towards its flair for pizzazz.

If time permits, I will include the before and afters of a space in Yonkers, NY, which beckoned me from the valley of poor where I worked. Why establish the world’s most sophisticated laboratory in Yonkers, in a place where no one can afford its services ?

First, It was a mix of ignorance and limited vision on my part. While my residence was in a wealthier neighborhood, I preferred working amidst the less fortunate. It reminded me of home – a place filled with people I loved to care about for the past over a decade .

I had trained here, I had established a private office, a hospitalist service and also managed a nearby Nursing and Rehabilitation facility. 

I was already a weary warrior from another part of the world: the southeastern part of Asia. My paternal ancestors were Hindu farmers in rural Punjab, just a century ago. My maternal lineage descended from Persians who settled near Mohenjo-Daro, amidst the ruins of one of the oldest Buddhist civilizations known as Gandhara. I carried a legacy of love for land, healing, and commerce – I found all the passions that I needed within myself.

Yet, the most exciting, exhausting, expensive, and exhilarating journey was establishing and maintaining a connection with beauty. This was where I first met Umm. It took years to decipher the code he wanted me to use.

Lots of love,

Dr. Sofia D.

P.S. I hope you enjoyed the above excerpt. I look forward to any feedback or suggestions you have for me to improve my first ever sci-fi book. I am also including the before and after photos of the Juvanni office in Yonkers, NY from where I found it in an unfinished basement to what it has become today.