So I have just come back to my hometown by utilizing one of the precious select flights that were so graciously allowed by the Maharashtra govt. to take off from Mumbai.
Needless to say, as soon as I posted the update on my social media, I was flooded with inquiries on how and why did I take this decision, how safe was the experience, what are the requirements for air travel in the post Wuhan Virus scenario etc. So I'll tell you more about that in just a bit..
Needless to say, as soon as I posted the update on my social media, I was flooded with inquiries on how and why did I take this decision, how safe was the experience, what are the requirements for air travel in the post Wuhan Virus scenario etc. So I'll tell you more about that in just a bit..
My previous post was written a week into the historic first lockdown (Corona Ka Rona) giving ideas to all who bothered to read it about what all we could do to utilize the long days and nights that seemed to stretch before us. Now that I end my 75 days of physical isolation from humanity, it is perhaps time to take stock of how much of my own advice I was able to follow and I hope those of you who read the previous article would also share your experiences in the comments (hopefully to make me feel better about my lapses!).
The beginning of the lockdown for most of us was marked with a mad rush to buy groceries and for the first time in my life I saw the shelves of the Star Bazaar near my home get completely empty!
To be fair no one knew how things would be in the coming weeks and what the Chinese virus situation will be by the end of it so it did make sense to do a bit of hoarding. Though, in my defense, I stocked stuff to last just for a month in the naive hope that this will all be over soon. I started on a positive note and thought of all the things I could utilize my time at home for, which definitely included a lot of writing, or so I hoped!
In reality, when you are left without the convenience of a maid (who does your cooking, cleaning and utensils), it turns you from a privileged Indian into an Asian FOB in America who, if he wants anything done, has no option but to do it himself. Quoting from the famous First Independence Day speech by our First PM, at the stroke of the midnight hour, while the world slept, all Indians were turned into multi-tasking White-collar Gangu Bais.
Suddenly we were all managing not just our bosses' expectations through 'Work from Home' but also, perhaps for the first time for many, had begun doing the household chores we had never bothered to before, and that too on a daily basis! But then I realized that mere mortals like me had no reason to complain when even the 'Aam-sutra' babe was posting video tutorials on dish washing. 🤐
In reality, when you are left without the convenience of a maid (who does your cooking, cleaning and utensils), it turns you from a privileged Indian into an Asian FOB in America who, if he wants anything done, has no option but to do it himself. Quoting from the famous First Independence Day speech by our First PM, at the stroke of the midnight hour, while the world slept, all Indians were turned into multi-tasking White-collar Gangu Bais.
Suddenly we were all managing not just our bosses' expectations through 'Work from Home' but also, perhaps for the first time for many, had begun doing the household chores we had never bothered to before, and that too on a daily basis! But then I realized that mere mortals like me had no reason to complain when even the 'Aam-sutra' babe was posting video tutorials on dish washing. 🤐
TBH staying by myself did give me the freedom to choose how many utensils I was gonna use (and reuse) but I can not even begin to imagine the condition of my married friends who were doing all this for the first time with no bahana that could get them out of the housework. Well you know what they say guys, what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger!
For all married men - Bartan Dho Liye?
Moving on from the humdrum of assorted household chores, one of my recommendations in the previous post was to utilize this time for gaining a new skill - this could be, as we saw above, the art of cleaning utensils but am sure at least a few of us did try and take it to the next level.
While many of my friends were posting lovely videos of cooking and baking, I shall be honest and state that I contented myself not with the presentation but rather the nutritious value of what I was eating. And I can proudly (and honestly) add that I did not make Maggi more than twice in these two plus months even though I had a bunch of instant noodles stocked up. 😅
While many of my friends were posting lovely videos of cooking and baking, I shall be honest and state that I contented myself not with the presentation but rather the nutritious value of what I was eating. And I can proudly (and honestly) add that I did not make Maggi more than twice in these two plus months even though I had a bunch of instant noodles stocked up. 😅
Some of my Lockdown Cooking
Now that I have boasted about my culinary skills, I do have to mention the biggest peeve involved with quarantine cooking - the sudden need to clean every raw vegetable in boiling salt water or baking soda! As risky as stepping out to buy groceries was, the real challenge was to clean and wash every single item carefully once you had brought it to your home. And then you had to let them be for a day or two before you even dared to touch them lest you contract the nuisance unleashed by the Chinese on our happy pre- Corona world.
Even with all that additional work (which I must mention that a regular Gangu bai never had to do), I did manage to follow a weekly routine that helped me create a semblance of normalcy in the otherwise mad weekdays-weekends-days-nights-rolled-into-one scenario.
Besides having reduced carbs and fats, another advice that I did adhere to was following a fitness regime of regular home-workout and pranayam or Yogic breathing to build the lung capacity. These would be important in case I did end up with COVID-19 that attacked the lungs with a disturbingly accurate precision that has made a lot of people comment on its synthetic origin. The result was a loss of almost 10 Kilos of excess weight that I was lugging around, and a reduction in waist size of 5-6 inches!!
Besides having reduced carbs and fats, another advice that I did adhere to was following a fitness regime of regular home-workout and pranayam or Yogic breathing to build the lung capacity. These would be important in case I did end up with COVID-19 that attacked the lungs with a disturbingly accurate precision that has made a lot of people comment on its synthetic origin. The result was a loss of almost 10 Kilos of excess weight that I was lugging around, and a reduction in waist size of 5-6 inches!!
And oh did I mention, I got a full beard too by not shaving these two months and am sure many of the guys reading this would be in the same boat. Ladies, you may not realize, but shaving every morning when you are in a rush to head to work, is the hardest part of a man's daily grooming routine and the lockdown helped us evade that. 🧔
Another interesting development in the quarantine was the brilliant idea by the state-run Door-Darshan to re-telecast the epic serials of the 80s and 90s including the MAHABHARAT and the RAMAYAN. While the original telecast, especially of the Ramayan was fabled to have brought entire country to a standstill, there seemed to have been no loss in its popularity even after decades, since it has garnered the highest ever viewership of any television show in the history of mankind!
Just like old times, entire families were glued to their TV sets four times a day to watch the two epics that were being telecast morning and evening for an hour each. For the 80s born kids-turned-parents it was a moment of reliving their childhood and for many youngsters, addicted to western shows, it was perhaps the first introduction to the world of Hindu epics.
The young crowd of course took to it in its own way and Twitter was flooded with various Ramayan memes that really helped people forget the lockdown for a short time and indulge in some good-natured humor.
Of all the activities (or BigBoss style tasks as many called them), that government tried to keep us busy with, this was perhaps the most well-thought of idea. Even my parents, who by virtue of being from the medical fraternity were too busy when the original series was shown, got to watch the serials completely for the first time and learnt the elaborate side stories and the cast of characters. As a mythology-enthusiast, I can not be more proud. 😇
With all the fun things that I have mentioned, I really ought to cover some of the drawbacks of isolation as well. A lot of my friends had returned to their homes just before the lockdown so they were having the summer vacation we haven't had since school days. But people like me, who were on our own, had no option but to be self-sufficient even in the wake of Covid 19 + ve patients turning up all around us.
Staying as I was locked from the world, it gradually became difficult to keep my mind occupied solely by means of office work, household chores and binge watching on series. There were times when I almost gave into the desperation, especially after the Tablighi Jamat incident that caused the first extension in lockdown. Every single extension after that made me feel even more isolated leading to depressive thoughts.
In this context, I have to mention that howmuchever fun people made of the so called 'tasks' given by PM Modi to the population, they helped create a feeling of not being alone especially for people like me. When I saw all my neighbors living in high-rises come to their windows to light lamps or create noise, chanting 'Go Corona' or 'Ganpati Bappa Morya', it gave us the confidence that we weren't alone and could together overcome this situation!
Another major realization I had in this duration was regarding who really cared enough to call or text and ask if I was doing Ok by myself. Fortunately, there were more than a few of those and now that the lockdown is over, I know whom I can rely on in case of a future emergency and which ones to not waste time on.
Following on that thought, let us leave the unpleasant behind and come to what many people have asked me about - the final chapter of my 75 day journey - the flight back home!
If I am honest, I would admit that I was a little scared while taking the decision, especially when the Union Govt gave the directive to resume flights and the state govt. backed out. But now that I have done it, let me assure you that it is a risk worth taking, especially, if you have spent the assorted lockdowns (1.0 to 4.0) cooped up in a 1 BHK apartment in a city more than 1600 kms away from your family.
I could not bear the thought of suffering another month of isolation that seemed to be looming ahead for Mumbai since the number of cases was piling up with each passing day. And when there were two patients diagnosed in my own residential society, I knew I had to get out of there otherwise the long isolation I had endured would come to a total waste. So I booked the first flight I could get my hands on and decided to plunge head-first into the experience, whatever it entailed.
The bigger difficulty than the actual flight was getting to the airport in the first place. With not enough cabs running even after the lockdown was officially over, I could not get a confirmation from Uber inspite of pre-booking three days prior. Fortunately, a friend who stays close by, volunteered to pick me from my place and drop me at the airport, but I advise everyone to make sure you have a ride to the airport sorted even before you book the flights!
One suggestion I have to stress upon - after reaching home please don't jump into the arms of your family and try to maintain distance till you have had a shower and disinfected all the items you were carrying. I in fact did not touch or hug my parents even after that and don't intend to do it for another ten days. You should also wear a mask everytime you talk to them and I am keeping myself confined to my own room for the time being.
I slept like a log that night and woke up the next day by a visit from a nurse of the health department who had come to confirm the details I had shared at the Airport help desk. Soon after that I got a call from the dispensary to get a COVID sampling done. This was important since Mumbai being mostly a red zone, anyone traveling from the maximum city had a likelihood of harbouring the virus.
I gave the sample to the designated hospital free of charge and await the results even as I write since the report takes two to three days. Whatever the outcome, it would be good to know how long I need to take the precautions for the safety of my parents and also in case I test positive, I would at least get the benefit of a functioning health system unlike Mumbai where the hospitals are crumbling under the patient load.
So now I am spending time in the room I grew up in, reliving the memories, catching up with work from home as well as writing down my experiences and advising people on the dos and don'ts of post-lockdown travel. Like many of you brave souls, I have survived the 75 day isolation and am sure we can deal with whatever comes next.
The one thing we all need to remember in this post Corona scenario is that this relaxation of quarantine by the government, has also put a huge responsibility on common people and we should not misuse this freedom. Step out, meet people and reclaim your lives but DO NOT take any unnecessary risks and do not put others at risk as well!
May this 'new normal' turn out to be a lesson in humility for all of us and may we never again take life for granted.
Staying as I was locked from the world, it gradually became difficult to keep my mind occupied solely by means of office work, household chores and binge watching on series. There were times when I almost gave into the desperation, especially after the Tablighi Jamat incident that caused the first extension in lockdown. Every single extension after that made me feel even more isolated leading to depressive thoughts.
In this context, I have to mention that howmuchever fun people made of the so called 'tasks' given by PM Modi to the population, they helped create a feeling of not being alone especially for people like me. When I saw all my neighbors living in high-rises come to their windows to light lamps or create noise, chanting 'Go Corona' or 'Ganpati Bappa Morya', it gave us the confidence that we weren't alone and could together overcome this situation!
Another major realization I had in this duration was regarding who really cared enough to call or text and ask if I was doing Ok by myself. Fortunately, there were more than a few of those and now that the lockdown is over, I know whom I can rely on in case of a future emergency and which ones to not waste time on.
Following on that thought, let us leave the unpleasant behind and come to what many people have asked me about - the final chapter of my 75 day journey - the flight back home!
If I am honest, I would admit that I was a little scared while taking the decision, especially when the Union Govt gave the directive to resume flights and the state govt. backed out. But now that I have done it, let me assure you that it is a risk worth taking, especially, if you have spent the assorted lockdowns (1.0 to 4.0) cooped up in a 1 BHK apartment in a city more than 1600 kms away from your family.
I could not bear the thought of suffering another month of isolation that seemed to be looming ahead for Mumbai since the number of cases was piling up with each passing day. And when there were two patients diagnosed in my own residential society, I knew I had to get out of there otherwise the long isolation I had endured would come to a total waste. So I booked the first flight I could get my hands on and decided to plunge head-first into the experience, whatever it entailed.
The bigger difficulty than the actual flight was getting to the airport in the first place. With not enough cabs running even after the lockdown was officially over, I could not get a confirmation from Uber inspite of pre-booking three days prior. Fortunately, a friend who stays close by, volunteered to pick me from my place and drop me at the airport, but I advise everyone to make sure you have a ride to the airport sorted even before you book the flights!
There are numerous websites, including the Airlines and Ticketing portals detailing the precautions to be followed and two of the best videos I could find were by the Airports Authority of India and Bangalore Airport.
Keeping in mind all the guidelines, I stocked up on masks and gloves that I could use and discard if need be. A single surgical mask is good enough for 6 to 8 hours so you don't need too many but you should carry spares in case you spoil one or happen to cross paths with someone who is sneezing or coughing. Gloves of course you may need to change multiple times since there's no point of them if you don't do that. An appreciable step being taken by most Airlines is the providing of face shields and masks at the time of boarding that they announce as mandatory for the passengers.
It was a weird feeling to go through the airport and take a flight after eight months when my earlier lifestyle involved travelling almost every month for work! We took off with a prayer and a feeling of relief since at least the first leg of the journey was sorted. I hadn't really slept well the previous night what with all the worries related to the impending journey, so I promptly dozed off and opened my eyes only when we were reaching Chandigarh. And what a relief it was to see my hometown again 😍
The arrival process was similar to the boarding in terms of letting passengers off the plane in batches but all similarities ended there. Unfortunately, even those following all precautions in the journey, did not realize that it was not yet over.
I noticed to my dismay an entire crowd around the conveyor belt with our luggage with no one regulating them. Perhaps everybody was in a hurry to get out of the airport but I literally did a facepalm when I saw many of my fellow travelers behave in such a stupid fashion.
I would advise anyone who is planning to fly to keep enough time on your hands and wait for the crowd to dissipate before collecting your luggage. After all, another ten minutes delay won't make any difference in the broad scheme of things when you have managed being at home for more than 70 days!
After collecting luggage we were screened for high temperature and then, based on which state we were heading to (Punjab, UT, Haryana, Himachal), the security guys who were dressed in PPE kits, directed us towards different help desks. I was asked my name, age, address and phone number at the relevant desk and was allowed to leave only after I gave a missed call from the same number to a handset kept with the officials there. I thought that was a really appreciable and practical detail since many people might give fake numbers to escape scrutiny once they land.
I had asked a known cab guy to pick me from the airport so that I dont expose my parents to whatever germs I may have picked during the journey and I suggest anyone who's planning travel to another city to do the same. Once inside the vehicle, I called my parents to tell them I was on the way and finally felt the relief of coming back home as we drove through the streets of my favorite city..
One suggestion I have to stress upon - after reaching home please don't jump into the arms of your family and try to maintain distance till you have had a shower and disinfected all the items you were carrying. I in fact did not touch or hug my parents even after that and don't intend to do it for another ten days. You should also wear a mask everytime you talk to them and I am keeping myself confined to my own room for the time being.
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| Picture for representational purposes only since I can't hug them right now 😁 |
I slept like a log that night and woke up the next day by a visit from a nurse of the health department who had come to confirm the details I had shared at the Airport help desk. Soon after that I got a call from the dispensary to get a COVID sampling done. This was important since Mumbai being mostly a red zone, anyone traveling from the maximum city had a likelihood of harbouring the virus.
I gave the sample to the designated hospital free of charge and await the results even as I write since the report takes two to three days. Whatever the outcome, it would be good to know how long I need to take the precautions for the safety of my parents and also in case I test positive, I would at least get the benefit of a functioning health system unlike Mumbai where the hospitals are crumbling under the patient load.
So now I am spending time in the room I grew up in, reliving the memories, catching up with work from home as well as writing down my experiences and advising people on the dos and don'ts of post-lockdown travel. Like many of you brave souls, I have survived the 75 day isolation and am sure we can deal with whatever comes next.
The one thing we all need to remember in this post Corona scenario is that this relaxation of quarantine by the government, has also put a huge responsibility on common people and we should not misuse this freedom. Step out, meet people and reclaim your lives but DO NOT take any unnecessary risks and do not put others at risk as well!
May this 'new normal' turn out to be a lesson in humility for all of us and may we never again take life for granted.
Om Shanti: Shanti: Shanti:
Let there be Physical, Mental and Spiritual Peace 🙏
