While we go through this tough phase of the Covid-19 scare, I thought I should write down my experience from the last 6 months. The next 6 months will come later.
We shut our institute on March 12 2020, much against my wish or thought process at that time. I was not following the Covid-19 issues in China and other places. During breakfast on one of those days during March 1st week, I realised that Europe was getting affected, and a few cases had started in India. We had booked a flight to Mumbai for the 1st week of March and were supposed to return back to Bangalore on the 8th. This is when the airport screening had just started, and a report of a Hyderabad techie catching covid was making news. I started to read about the disease, its impact and so on. We somehow decided to cancel the flight, and stay in Bangalore inspite of losing most of the money of the flight booking.
The schools in Delhi were being shut, and I felt it was an over-reaction. Few days later when the cases started to rise, instructions were given to shut institutes. I was still not completely convinced, but thanks to some of my colleagues, it slowly started to sink in. We shut our institute on March 12, and I told a few students that we may return back only after 3 months (so carry with you everything you need). Then the lockdown was announced in India around March 23 2020. It completely began to sink in, and my mind began to see the reality as it was. I started to follow the "scores" everyday (as I my dad calls it) through https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/#countries and https://www.covid19india.org/. I would do this diligently everyday, the first thing after I wake up.
We soon understood how "not" to wear masks (that is, wearing it properly, not touching the outside of the mask, disposing it off correctly, handwashing for 20 seconds etc), how to sanitise, how to bring vegetables, wash them, quarantine them for a day or two. Maids were not available, so we had to soon adjust to getting things done ourselves. We saw how people were not following any distancing guidelines, but soon all medical stores, grocery stores, small shops began to enforce masks, distancing and so on. Suddenly discipline was being enforced.
How has it been staying at home? It has been a good experience so far. A lot of people felt it was tough to stay home. Yes, if you have nothing to do, and if you are watching the news all the time it is tough. A few things that helped me keep occupied were:
1. The bottom line was stay indoors. So, regular exercising in the morning and evening was needed. To push up the immunity and strength, I started climbing up and down the stairs to overcome my difficulty of being exhausted after doing stairs.
2. Started the lemon honey with warm water in the mornings, Chyavanprash, Dabur Honitus hot sip, and a couple of other ayurvedic "lehyams" so much that even our neighbors would develop immunity! Basically, being disciplined with exercise and building immunity, and being focused on it, helps us in the positve direction
3. I had enough work to catch up with, building course content, reading papers, writing papers etc- so it kept me busy with a sense of achievement
4. I started exploring connections with other institutes to build the network and expand my knowledge. Did a few online courses again to enhance my learning
5. Reading books, meditation in the evenings continued, and yes, Ramayana and Mahabharatha on Doordarshan kept me so completely occupied as long as it lasted. It was 3 months gone by now.
6. Can we explore cooking? Soon youtube videos started piling up in my library, and cooking became an exploratory hobby!
7. Cleaning up the house, to eliminate dust was important. At the same time, precuation was needed so that we do not start sneezing and coughing!!
8. Setting up an exercise cycle, adding more exercises such as Suryanamaskar, skipping helped keep fit
9. Helping those people who were going through a tough financial phase was crucial
I still did not feel lonely, or the need to get outdoors. How long will we stay indoors? As long as the pandemic is peaking, is my answer. The last pandemic Spanish flu peaked till about a year, so I guess, the "Shaarvari Samvatsara" need to pass. The previous "Durmukha", "Vikari", "Vilambi" etc sounded so dangerous in their meanings, but the Shaarvari which has a pleasant meaning has turned out so terrible to the entire world.
What were the other changes:
1. Everything moved online. Meetings, classes, discussions, signing papers, exams, grocery purchase etc etc. Zoom meetings with "Do you hear me", "You are on mute", "Can you see my screen" etc became a common language
2. I had to setup a monitor, spikebuster, USB hub for mouse/keyboard, headset, tablet, and a suitable background curtain to make the workplace comfortable
3. Finding a suitable time during the day to record lectures, without the dog/cow/street vendor in the background still remains a challenge!
Was there never a negative thought? Yes, there were. There were cribs about how the people in the house opposite mine had not kept their house clean. That I need to see this everyday! How there was so much traffic in the other house's locality. How this dog keeps barking non-stop. Does it not get tired. How this cow is screaming for 2 hours, and the owner has not attended to it until I intervened. How untidy are the rooms and kitchens, and how long should I keep cleaning it? Why is the door of the house open for so long, why is it closed now? Strange but valid questions which did not have place in my mind before. Because, earlier, the only question that existed was, Traffic, Traffic, Traffic in Bangalore that I need to go through!
I guess these are the side-effects of staying at home. It is impossible not to observe these.
Safety precautions:
1. People visiting home are not encouraged! If they do, they need to sanitise themselves. Leave the mask outside. Leaving the mask on the table, on the sofa is a strict NO.
2. After they leave, we sanitise the area where they were seated.
3. Newspapers should be discontinued
4. Any courier that comes, stays in the quarantine room for a day. In fact, anything that we buy, stays there for a day
5. Buying from street vendors is discouraged. Flowers, vegetables etc need to go through the wash first and the 1 day quarantine rule!
Yes, I am paranoid about covid, but I am not scared of it. I want to take the needed precautions, I keep seeing the rising numbers everyday, but I do not want to go in the negative frame of mind, being scared of life. It simply does not help. Overall, keeping oneself occupied is the most important thing (irrespective of the covid's presence or absence)
