Twenty- five Seven

The Merry Month of May

May 1, 2021
I can’t believe another month has whizzed by and we are welcoming the merry month of May.

Alas! There’s nothing much to be merry about this coming month with our country still reeling under the virus attack and predictions of worse to come.

However, I still have a lot to be grateful for in the month of April.

First and foremost, I am grateful that not only I but my loved ones too are alive. Hearing the horror stories of how the virus is hitting closer to home, every day I thank the Lord for keeping us safe.

One of the ways of keeping the virus at bay is to eat healthy. Eating healthy builds up immunity and I am grateful that we can still get good wholesome food that keeps the immunity up.

We seem to have learned from the lockdowns last year and this year there are still more than grocery stores that operate under downed shutters. The modus operandi is to place an order on WhatsApp, pay digitally and collect the consignment at your lobby below or at the gate. This works out well for everyone as you can even order takeaways if you feel like a break from routine cooking.

As a matter of fact, most foods come with nutritional information printed on th packagingto help you make a clear choice between its nutritive value or its attractive packaging.

We celebrated three birthdays this month. Two were at home and one remotely. Besides these three ( two of which were celebrating nonagenarians), we also sent wishes to 5 more dear ones overseas. I am really grateful for this.

Suddenly the vaccine seemed to have done the bunk and after three attempts at getting our second dose, I am grateful that finally we struck lucky at the fourth attempt. And this was something truly to be grateful for because after that the vaccination campaign seems to have gone completely awry.
May is the month for mangoes but in our house we start them in April with Hubby Dear’s birthday early in the month. And I am grateful to Akshay Bhai for providing us with the much loved fruit as he always does year on year. I was a bit apprehensive about his showing up this year thanks to CoVid but show up he did with a great supply of mangoes.

And last but not least, I actually completed my A to Z Challenge this year. As usual I was over ambitious and wanted to follow participants in two groups but eventually just barely bumbled my way through the #BlogchatterA2Z.

So while it seems there isn’t much to be grateful for, I actually have a lot to thank the Universe for.

May all of you stay home. May all of you stay blssed.

Ciao
F is for face shields, face masks, and fear

April 7, 2021

How could one of us get it?

Fear was the predominant driver of human behaviour during CoVid.

As the numbers began to rise, the fear in people’s eyes was real. I remember when the first family in our building got CoVid, the news sent shockwaves. How could one of us get it? we all wondered.

When a family in our building was diagnosed with coVid, the floor was sealed off and a special lift was dedicated to the hapless family. Messages of solidarity were sent to the entire family by all the residents of the building. But I remember when the lift I was travelling in stopped on their floor, my heart raced fast and I held my breath lest I breathe in any droplets lurking outside.

I did wear the face shield which was more bulky and cumbersome than practical. I found it a real fiddle to wear the mask and the shield and go to the bank. I had to put on my reading glasses which meant I had to remove the shield. What could I do with the face shield?

So after a week or two, I gave up wearing the face shield.

No Entry without Mask

But the mask was non-negotiable. Shops, establishments, clubs, hospitals, restaurants and even public transport banned people from entering without masks.

This threat worked because soon everyone began wearing masks.

Initially we wore surgical masks and then the latest gift item became the face mask. Some were colour co-ordinated and purely ornamental while the majority were actually useful in keeping away the virus.

People actually became face mask experts and could discuss the merits of the different styles and materials. At weddings ( which had already shrunk to 50 attendees) some of the guests were handed face masks along with the invitation.

At the sole wedding I attended during the lockdown, a waiter was walking around with a placard saying “Wear your mask!” That was quite difficult considering that all of us were on a mission of congratulating the bridal couple, quickly grabbing a drink and a bite before we left for home.

The one advantage of the mask was that you could manage without lipstick and make up. But on the other hand, it also made it difficult to recognise most people.

So what mask do you wear?

An N95? A surgical mask? A 5 layered mask? A mask with valve?

Do send in your comments and see you tomorrow.

Ciao
E is for Economic slowdown

April 6, 2021

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The worst thing that could have happened during the Pandemic was the economic slowdown.

Corona not only affected the health of the people, it also affected the health of economies.

Initially, with restricted movement, we didn’t understand the impact of the virus on the economy. But, from the moment the lockdown was announced, its effect became more obvious.

As people fled cities, so did their jobs. And the economy slowly shrank.

Since all movement was strictly monitored, only a few people could actually leave their homes and go to work. But even then, professionals like dentists and doctors saw a drop in foot falls and elective surgeries.

Leaving the house for a walk, shopping for vegetables, even going to the dentist and doctor became impossible. As a result, everybody saw a general downswing of the economy.

Overnight cinema houses, clubs, public parks, malls became empty shells of their once vibrant selves.

With a ban on temple visits, large gatherings at weddings and even small dos with strangers ( such as private parties) , a lot of economic activity came to a standstill.

Daily wagers, free lancers and people working in non essential services like restaurants, event managers etc became redundant. Newspapers stopped publishing print editions because there was no one to deliver. And even if the papers were delivered, there was no one to read them. People were literally scared of what carried the virus and decided to be safe in their own little bubble than risk the chance of the disease with any object that came home.

Image by Christine Schmidt from Pixabay

And the economic downturn was worsened by globalisation. Because all markets were interlinked, the entire world faced this problem and nothing seemed to be able to stop it. Like a bunch of dominos, economies the world over began collapsing.

With offices working at half capacity, commercial real estate face an economic downturn.

Do send in your comments and see you tomorrow.

Ciao