Twenty- five Seven

Have you had your shot ?

March 4, 2021

Last year at this time my city was stirring out of its complacency but not yet in a state of shock . The Wuhan virus had just made its presence felt worldwide and was making inroads globally. We wondered how things would pan out .

Foolishly, we felt that we were immune simply because we didn’t travel abroad, didn’t travel by public transport, didn’t eat processed food, didn’t live in unhygienic conditions , etc etc .

By the end of the month, a lockdown was imposed on the entire country and and we felt the panic rise slowly day by day. We , the safe and protected actually began cowering in our safety bubbles.

Throughout the year we kept hoping that the virus would go away as mysteriously as it came. After all our lives had changed dramatically and almost overnight.

This was followed by others ( not necessarily in this order ) : Pfizer , Moderna , Johnson and Johnson . Vaccines became indigenously produced by Serum Institute , Biotech, Zydus .

Then we hoped there’d be a cure or a prophylactic . Anything that would take us back to our lives BC ( Before Corona ) . And sure enough there were trickles of news that a vaccine was being developed.

Within weeks , people like me who only knew about typhoid vaccinations and polio drops soon learnt everything about vaccines.

We could parrot at will that “A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins.” ( thanks Wikipedia)

Doubting Thomases

As was to be expected there were many nay sayers and doubters who couldn’t believe that a vaccine could be produced so fast .

They doubted the authenticity of the claim that the virus would actually provide complete immunity .

They were convinced that the vaccine was actually a substance that would alter our RNA or DNA.

Some were sure that this was a plot by Tech companies to implant something in our systems so that we could all be traceable at all times .

Honestly, everyone was so convinced that this was some giant scam that many of my friends swore not to go anywhere near the vaccine .

The scene today

But as we all know things change .

Since early this year, when our frontline health workers began getting their jabs, we the ordinary folk began looking enviously at the doctors, nurses policemen and even conservation staff who were one step safer from the virus than we were.

Once again doubts were raised: will the vaccine be effective against the new strain of virus ?

And when the virus began mutating , panic levels again began slowly building up .

Scene at the Bandra Kurla Complex facility on the 2nd of March

Finally on March 1st when the government announced that the vaccine would be available to all , there was a mad scramble to register on the once scorned Arogyasetu.

Then began the search for slots and the search for “do we know anyone who can give us the shot quickly ?”

Messages began flying on WhatsApp once more giving minute by minute updates on which hospital had the vaccine, how many allowed walk-ins, how long the queues were etc etc .

Today my dear friend got herself vaccinated and sent me a photo of herself with the caption

Just got it . Reached here at 2 , showed my token , they let me into the ac part of the hospital immediately .. 2 lines , one to register one to pay ..All took half hour . Am waiting half hour now
This place is like a fair ground , after taking injections and waiting .. people taking pics with placards .. putting face in cutout’s .. and taking pics , very relaxed and festive feeling around ..😊

My other friend and her mother-in-law are now waiting in line at the same place

And there are others whom I know of who have already had their first shot and who will ask me

“Have you had your shot yet ?”

I am now beginning to get the jitters and hope to tell them (and you) about my experience when I’m done .

Ciao

Feature Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels
Are you ready for March?

March 1, 2021

Hello March

Yes it’s March already and if you are in my part of the world, it has been getting warmer since last week. Actually there were days, rather nights when I actually broke into a sweat and resisted the temptation of putting on the airconditioning.

This resistance to air conditioning was largely because we grew up without them.

This was well before there was anything like global warming and a ceiling fan was good enough. On exceptionally hot days, we actually poured a bucket of water near our beds so that through the afternoon, the water would evaporate and keep the room cool.

This ingenious way of cooling was inspired by the traditional way of keeping the room cool in summer . In fact , in many parts of India summer breezes pass through moist curtains of Vetiver grass ( Vala in Marathi) which actually impart a fresh scent while keeping out the harsh light out as well.

But that kind of heat is still a long way away and currently I can do with simpler things like keeping away the blankets.

My blankets are so light that I can wash them in the washing machine and sun dry them before storing them away.

It’s time too to keep away the sweaters and cardigans that were hardly worn this winter .

Similarly, I keep away my shawls, stoles and scarves that are more ornamental than warm.

This year I’ve got lots of tips on storing away stuff thanks to The Home Edit and Marie Kondo shows that I watched on Netflix during the lockdown.

Actually, I’ve been so inspired by these shows that I plan to have a thorough Spring Clean this March .

I have already ordered some storage racks to tidy up my balcony garden, get some more counter space in my kitchen and extra shelves in my cupboard.

Less is More

If there’s one thing I’ve learned during this pandemic is that less is actually more .

Thanks to my lack of home help I learned to manage with less . After all if I had to do the washing and ironing and also have nowhere to go to in my fancy clothes, I could manage with half my wardrobe.

With lockdown restrictions, limited food supplies and the general fear of meeting others , entertainment came to a halt. So my fine china, tableware and other such stuff became superficial and redundant.

So this month, I’m going to do a complete audit of what I need and what I don’t and pare my life down to the bare necessities.

It’s been a year since the virus made its appearance and I’ve had time to adjust to a slower pace of life .

After a year of learning to adjust to daily uncertainties, I’m going to use March to set up new systems, re-organise my home and learn to march to a different drummer .

What are you planning to do this March ?

I’d love to know .

Ciao,
Grateful for February

February 28, 2021
With another month gone by, we will soon bid farewell to the first quarter of this year.

Once again, we will begin that mad rush to get the taxes filed on time , close yet another financial year and open new books of account .

And once again I have a lot to be grateful for .

For peaceful sunrises and chilly breezes , I’m grateful to you, February.

And sweet strawberries with fresh whipped cream, I’m grateful to you, sweet February.

With birthday flowers and special treats , I’m grateful, Birthday February.

For ice cream cones on temple towns and a visit to my folks , I’m grateful, February.

And thanks for all my Valentines and love , my February.

For brilliant full moons like the one last night , I’m grateful February
With the virus raising its ugly head
Once again striking us with fear
It’s time to take a step back
And appreciate all that we hold dear

These are just some of the things that I’m grateful for this month of February.
Waiting for March to come so that we can get vaccinated and dispel some of the fear that strikes us when any maskless person passes by or when someone sneezes, coughs or talks we pray they don’t spread nasty drops .

Wishing everyone a safe and happy March .

Take your vaccination , wear your mask, keep safe and keep well .

Ciao