Distance is a familiar concept

Social distancing was one of the better outcomes of the pandemic . No longer was I considered a prickly pear or weirdo when I did a Namaste or asked someone to back off while waiting in line. I was appreciated as a socially aware and well meaning global citizen .

In the Indian context, greetings were always exchanged with a slight bow and folded hands. And always with a respectable distance. The polite Namaste has a grace and dignity about it, a humble recognition of the soul in front of you.

The word Namaste is a Sanskrit word that actually means I bow to you.

Keeping people at an arm’s length was a familiar practice too.

Personally speaking, as a little girl, if my dad wanted me to get to do something, he only had to threaten me with a kiss and I would quickly run away and do it. I just hated to be hugged and cuddled.

Don’t kiss me!

This explains why I am averse to casual hugs in greeting. So often I find myself hugging a complete stranger just because everyone in the room has hugged him!

As for kissing: that is a complete no-no.

During my college years, I attended the Alliance Francaise to learn French. I loved those classes that taught us the language and the culture. They were fun. Most of the teachers were French and we tried to pick up their innate style and “frenchness”.

But the one thing I couldn’t stand was the greeting with a kiss on each cheek! Some of my friends carried this on to our meeting outside of class just to establish how different we were from the others.

More horrifying than this was greeting a delegation of Dutch businessmen.

Imagine three wet kisses planted by 4-5 Dutchmen in quick succession! Yuck !

Luckily this has been replaced by the completely fake air kissing ‘muah,muah’.

Handshakes,bearhugs & queues?

Shaking hands is marginally better thought not my preferred choice of greeting.

I once had the misfortune of seeing a man pick his nose before he came out of the shadows to greet us. At that time I took shelter under the guise that I was in ‘purdah’ and could not shake hands with strange men . I just nodded my head in greeting as I did a namaste.

Being just about five feet off the ground , I am mostly swept into bear hugs that leave me either crushed by someone’s bosoms or suspended over a heaving tummy.

It’s not only greeting but even standing in a bus or train which in close quarters leave me smelling underarms! And waiting in queues with heavy breathing round my neck ….. ugh. Ugh ugh.

So you can see why I was thrilled when Social Distancing became the norm .

Supposedly the virus is transmitted through the air and an infected person can transfer it by sneezing , coughing or even talking.

Luckily, the virus can’t jump beyond six feet so everyone is advised to keep a safe distance from one another.

Do send in your comments and see you tomorrow.

Ciao

Hello and welcome to this year’s edition of A to Z.

Join me as I share with you the twenty-six new lessons and words that I have learnt in the times of Corona.

What Corona used to be

Can you believe that Corona had a different meaning when I was growing up. In fact it was harmless and almost unknown, except to cigar smokers and to beer drinkers.

When I was growing up, corona was the name given to a straight-shaped cigar with rounded top ( The side that went into the mouth). It conjures up the image of a gentleman or gangster, talking with a fat cigar dangling from the side of his mouth.

And in 1925,Corona beer was introduced to the world by a Mexican manufacturer. This once again brings to mind, the picture of a beach holiday where bottles of beer were guzzled down by fun loving holiday makers.

What Corona means today

But who would have imagined that in 2020, it would become the name of a microscopic living being that virtually destroyed our world !

Yes Corona was the name used to describe the new virus of the SARS family ? And this tiny little bug has changed our lives completely. It has come to mean a life threatening word and

Why this name?

Do you know that Corona means crown or wreath in Latin and that this virus is so called because of its thorny projections on the surface that make it look like a crown.

I look forward your comments in the box below and to your visit tomorrow.

Ciao

What we did

On may it was a lovely sunny day. We had all survived days of CoVid and felt that the end was near .

So our Government decided that the entire nation should get together, come out on the streets or verandahs or balconies and bang our pots .

Why we did it

Ostensibly it was to cheer on the health workers and appreciate their tireless efforts in keeping us safe .

What it did

But did it send the Corona virus packing ? Obviously not .

But the one lesson I learnt from this was that there is Unity in Adversity and that a simple exercise like banging pots can generate cheer and hope in an otherwise dreary situation .

So there you have my second lesson learnt in the times of Corona .

Do leave your comments in the box below and see you tomorrow.

Ciao