Journey from a colleague to BFF during lockdown

 

I don’t think the lockdown of 2020, would be something that people will easily forget. It was the first time, when people were forced to stay home and spend more time indoors than outdoors. This gave many people an opportunity to re-connect with their family members and friends. I too connected with couple of my school friends during last year’s lockdown. My takeaway against all the hardships I faced during the lockdown was, I found a BFF.

I had known Ms A (let’s keep it that way), for couple years as we were colleagues at work place. During that time our interaction was limited as, we were in different teams and we had a lot on our table to finish for the day too. I left the organization an year after Ms A joined but we were in touch through messages and WhatsApp occasionally.

But during last year’s lockdown, Ms A, called me one evening. After enquiring about my well-being, she told something to me, which she wanted to tell me for a long time but something, stopped her from conveying it to me. Her revelation shocked me a bit as I was already aware about few things. But what surprised me was that, she really cared for me and I didn’t know about it. We both realized that, we wasted few years in opening up with each other, for the fears best known to each other. My suggestion to all my readers is, please talk openly about things with people who matter to you, otherwise you may also loose time like me and my BFF.

I must say that evening was all about surprises for me, I asked Ms A, what made her call me? She said, “’my husband told me talk to my friends, I will feel better’. The only person whom, she could think about at that moment was me, let me tell you, till the moment she called me, we just colleagues, not friends.

We spoke for close to two hours that evening, as we had a lot to discuss, which we missed during the years. Once we disconnected the call, I was wondering, WHY WE DIDN’T CONNECT BEFORE? But I made a promise to myself that, I will meet Ms A, once the situation normalizes.  When I was glued in those thoughts, I received a WhatsApp notification, it was from Ms A, where she stated, she had great time talking to me and will connect again when time permits. I replied her back with a smiley.

After that day, whenever time permitted, we would talk to each other, at least for an hour. Since Ms A is quite busy in her personal life and rarely find time to talk to me, I too made an exception for her. If I talking to someone and Ms A’s, call is in call waiting mode, I will pick Ms A’s call on priority. I think we can make such changes for people based on their situations at times.  

Last week Ms A called me, but this call jolted me completely as she made some shocking revelations. Though the call started on a jovial mode as usual but ended on a serious note. We all know pandemic has been hard on people especially for nuclear families. Value of family support was one of the best lessons taught through lockdown, when people were cut off the world for days together.

Ms A has decided to shift to her hometown from Bangalore, I remember she once discussed this idea with me but she was not quite sure about it. Before moving out of city, she wanted to meet all her friends in the city. But the stringent lockdown in Bangalore has poured water to all her plans as social get together’s are banned in the city, in wake of acute covid situation.

Even if the relaxations are eased, yet she can’t meet anyone, as she is leaving at city at the earliest. The moment I heard this news, I regretted not being able to meet her when situations were better in the city. Even if the situation improves, we will still not be able to meet each other because currently we are in two different cities. I am in Kerala and she is in Bangalore.

Ms A, told me that she might come back to Bangalore, when situation improves and then she will plan for a get together with all her Bangalore based friends, till then it’s a good bye from her. All this while I was hopeful of catching up with Ms A, sometime as she was in the city but now, I don’t know. That’s the reason, people say we should not take things for granted.

I just hope one day, we will meet in person and talk a lot, as we have many similar interest, one among them is we both are passionate about writing. Till then me and Ms A will be connected through phone calls only.  Even now, I am yet come to terms to the fact that Ms A, is leaving the city, I think that’s the bond between BFFs.  If, I can be grateful for the one thing about lockdown then it has to be, Ms A. But I so wish, I could meet her once before she left the city, an expectation far from reality.

Life in rural and urban India during lockdown

People usually want to live in big cities where they have easy access to amenities through which they can lead a comfortable life, in comparison to villages where life is still lagging behind when compared to cities. But lockdown has reversed the thought of people residing in urban area towards rural parts of the country, wondering HOW? Let me tell brief it through few pointers

Living space

I live in my modest apartment in Bangalore and my only connect to outside world is through my balcony, every day I spend an hour in evening sitting there to experience nature.

My parents back in Kerala can walk around the house or the road just in front of house and can enjoy nature to the fullest. They have more access to greenery and fresh air than me, I so wish at times that I could be with them during lockdown.

Stepping out of home

Since Big Basket ditched me, I have to step out of my house once in a week to stock up veggies for the week, in order to follow the norms of lockdown and stop the spread of virus.

My parents haven’t stepped out of their house to buy veggies as they have grown some in our house and rest are given to them by their neighbors, which are also home grown. They have access to organic veggies which I don’t have and I have less option for veggies too here in Bangalore.

Spread of Virus

Cases are increasing in cities due population congestion, as people stay in close proximity with each other which increases the chances of spreading the virus.

Cases are declining in rural India and in places, life has returned to normalcy in comparison to their counterparts in urban India.  Pathanamthitta was one of the worst affected districts during corona outbreak in Kerala, has now returned to normalcy. Pathanamthitta graduated from red zone to orange zone and is slowly progressing towards green zone.

Containment Zones

Containment zones are places, where people have been detected by Covid 19 and their localities have been sealed to control the spread of virus

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Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Bhopal are few of the cities where containment zones have been created and more cities are joining this list with each passing week.

I doubt anyone of us have heard about containment zones in rural areas, I hope it continues that way.

Jobs stability

None of us can predict what awaits us after lockdown is lifted but few people in cities might lose their job or have to undergo pay cut.

In villages many people are self-employed so chances of them loosing job is very fragile.

When lockdown was announced people rushed to their home towns rather from hometown to cities that itself tells the tale.

My first visit to Supermarket during lockdown

Before PAN India lockdown I bought most of the groceries to sustain for a month barring few things, which I thought could be purchased later on as usual. So now during lockdown I am having a smooth sail and with a veggie shop close to my place, I don’t have to think much about them either along with milk.

But there are few things which I can’t get at the shops near my house, which made it important for me to visit the nearest supermarket close to my place.  I ran out of sauces, spices, coffee powder and few other item kitchen items. With no other option in hand I decided to visit the supermarket, for a change ditched my vehicle and went on foot, it will suffice for my cardio too.

Towards the entrance of the supermarket, there were few people standing in queue, all following the norms of physical distancing. All of them were in their face mask and gloves, for a moment all seemed like surgeons barring their white aprons. Staff at supermarket allowed very few people to go inside and do the purchases at a time. I think it’s due to crisis situation now that people were quick with their purchases and were out of the facility.

Before my entry to the store, I was asked to sanitize my hand and get in, for a moment I couldn’t believe I was in a supermarket. My last visit to supermarket was a day before the lockdown, very long period for a person like me, who frequents supermarket often, once a week is mandatory.

Most things had run out of stock at the store, like Maggi, frozen peas, ice cream, butter, brown bread and sauces, I think production and distribution issue. For a moment I thought my visit to the place had gone vain, till I found 250ml bottles of sauces, it was great relief for me. I picked one bottle each of chilli and tomata sauce, along with some biscuits, spices and curd. I didn’t find soya sauce, Maggie and brown bread, was little disappointed but in this situation can’t complain about it.

At the billing counter, I witnessed few people have stacked their trollies with things as if the store won’t open the next day, panic buying. I think I was the only person to buy bare minimum things actually required by me currently.  After clearing the bill, I exited the facility to walk back home to be in quarantine again. All throughout my entry and exit to the store, I maintain physical distancing and didn’t even talk to anyone at store, except staff for some guidance.

This visit to the supermarket will always be memorable to me, it was one of most unique experience of my life so far which I don’t want to counter again. Second thing was all customers treated fellow human beings as aliens which were weird but necessary during lockdown.

Should cops resort to caning or innovative ideas?

Ever since lockdown has been announced in India, cops have taken over roads of the country to maintain law and order along with physical distancing. But within 2 days news about cops high handedness of became headlines of all leading news channels, newspaper and in social media platform like Twitter, where people vented their anger, tagging all top officials of police department along with PMO and Chief Ministers of respective states. 

Within no time this news spread like fire in jungle, to add fuel to the fire were some of the videos where cops could be seen caning and abusing people were made viral on whatsapp, which made the matter worse. Taking advantage of the situation, people created numerous videos on various applications and shared them through facebook and whatsapp.

There were instances of casualties also due to caning in some parts of the country, as a result of which few cops were suspended and departmental inquiry was initiated against them. If proved guilty, cops may be punished too, as these acts leads to violation of human rights too.

Taking stock of these situations DCPs of few states flung into action and issued orders to the force, not to hit people. Now cops on road were in a dilemma, to figure out innovate ways to keep people thronging road unnecessarily without using sticks.

In Chennai, cops used corona virus structured helmet to scare people away from road and it worked for them, it was applauded by people too. This was very innovate thought by Chennai police to scare people through virus replica, as till date people have seen the virus only in mages not in structural form.

In Kerala, after the initial caning now cops make people to do sit ups, if they are found wandering in the city without valid reasons. When I watched the sit up video recently, it took me back to my school days. I am happy that there is no violence and cops have decided mellow down their anger on masses to handle situation calmly.

Bengaluru police commissioner asked this staff to talk politely with people when on road and not to resort to violence of any kind. He is addressing press on daily basis and taking all preventive measures to avoid any outcry among masses and they cooperate with the administration during these time.

I am happy that now there is no violence on roads now else situation could have gone out of control for the government to manage and the entire purpose of lockdown would have failed drastically.  But thanks to the timely intervention of top brass of police officials they not only managed the situation but also instilled the faith of people in police department once again.

I am against all those people who venture out of their homes unreasonably just to risk their life along with their family members. Action should be taken against them but in a way where they understand their mistake and is ashamed of their deeds, just the way kids are taught in schools.

Ways I spend my free time during self-quarantined period Part -2

In my last blog I wrote about few ways which keeps me occupied during the self-quarantined period, continuing the legacy I am going to share few more ways in the second and final part of the blog. All these are my personal tried and tested methods.

Build rapport with family members and friends

In our busy life we don’t get time to sit and talk peacefully with our family members and friends as we have multiple thoughts running in our head then. Now when we have the time, let’s use it connect with our family members and friends and try to cover up for all the time which was devoid to them.

This can be done in 2 ways, for all those of you who are with your family, take time to talk to your family members individually, it will help them to feel connected with you and will help you to build new connections with them again.

For all those of you who are away from your family, you can e-connect with them through phone calls, video calls or any other mediums, I urge all of you to call your parents daily during these time without fail as they will be worried about you all time. A call from you will make them relaxed and consoled during this testing time.

When was the last time, you spoke to your friends at length?  I think months ago, who’s stopping you from calling your friends now to speak your heart out, just like school or college days. Or you can also update the contacts of your school and college friend’s in the alumni network.

Clear files from your laptop and hard drive

There are lot of unwanted files which would have piled up in our laptop and hard drive, since clearing these files takes lot of time and energy it is usually neglected and when we are overburdened we clear files randomly in haste. At times we end up deleting important file too. Use this time to do the herculean task for cleaning files from your electronic devices.

While deleting photos and videos, you can share some interesting clicks in your family group and relish those memories.

Build business connection

Business contacts play a vital role in business expansion and relationship building activities in the long run. Lockdown period can be used by you to connect with professionals in LinkedIn or any other professional website. Professionals will be able to spend more time with you now and you can discuss your proposal at length with them, who knows when situation normalizes you may bag a contract.

Work on your start up idea

Any start up idea need lot of time, research and preparation before presenting it to the investors. This time can be well utilized by you to work on your start up idea as time is enormous and since you are passionate about it so time will never be a constrain especially during your me time.

I hope some of the ways suggested by me is beneficial to you, if so do let me know about it in comments.

Stay home stay safe