Balaka Basu's Blog, page 12

O Corona Kabhi Mat Aana- Mumbai Police Meme

Mumbai Police came out with a creative meme to create awareness about the outbreak of Covid19. The police department posted a meme-inspired from the film Stree to urge people to not step out on the streets. Remember the iconic dialogue “O stree, kal aana” from the 2018 release? Mumbai police tweaked the same dialogue and changed it to “O corona, kabhi mat aana.” The official Twitter handle of Mumbai Police is quite known for creative and witty posts. The police department often imparts important messages with a subtle hint of humor.

Netizens were immensely impressed with this tweet and they dropped in comments to express their thoughts. “Mumbai police are always creative and active thank you,” a user commented. “Great sense of humor,” read another comment. Several users also thanked the Mumbai Police for their services, especially amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Well, the same slogan has now been tweaked to ward off Covid19 in Varanasi. Posters with ‘O corona kal aana‘ were pasted on the walls of the houses inside the Varanasi city. The posters have been put up by a man named Punit Mishra. Mishra admitted that the posters were inspired by the film Stree and said that it was primarily designed to create awareness among people. “It compels people to give a second thought to the deadly virus and take all the necessary precautions. It has created a buzz and my purpose has been served,” he added.

Quite innovative ways to create awareness. Isn’t it? If you know of any such innovative ideas then do let me know.

 

Netflix and Chill during Lockdown

The common impression is that everybody is home and they are doing a lot of ‘Netflix and Chill’. However, for people like us, I am on the way to even forget the spelling of Netflix. Is it single ‘x’ or double ‘x’?

I don’t think I have ever worked so much in life. I do not have maids now, husband and son are home and I am also blogging and doing my regular work. So, I am spending my day cooking, cleaning, dusting, mopping, chopping, homeschooling the kid, working part-time as husband’s ‘unsexy’ secretary and then blogging and attending calls of patients. With all these going on I have very little time for Netflix. Usually, my Netflix time is the time I spend stuck in Mumbai traffic. I have completed a few entire series during the commute. Now, with no travel, there is no time to watch any series.

Some people are even watching the Ramayana and Mahabharata, we haven’t had the time to do that also. Nevertheless, even amidst all this humdrum, I did watch a few things.

Panchayat: This series on Amazon prime is a fresh and honest story about a city boy Abhishek Tripathi who joins as the secretary of a Panchayat. The story is hilarious and there are scenes that had me in splits. The acting of Neena Gupta and Raghuvir Yadav is excellent. If you have not yet watched it then please do yourself a favor. You will love this series.

Parasite: This multiple Oscar-winning Korean movie is also streaming in Amazon. I couldn’t resist watching it and it was worth my time. I watched it in three installments due to lack of time. It is a dark comedy. The first half was more of comedy but midway the movie turns grim. The cinematography is amazing where the camera angle always shows a line between the rich and poor characters signifying the invisible border of the society.

Thanks for Sharing: I love to watch movies of Mark Ruffalo and this is one of his best. The movie revolves around three men who meet at a de-addiction center. All three suffer from sex addiction, the character of Mark has been sober for five years and he becomes the sponsor of a younger doctor who gets fired from his job for his addiction. Gwyneth Paltrow plays the love interest of Ruffalo.

This is all that I watched in the last 35 days. What did you watch?

[image error]

Kind Acts during Lockdown #A-ZChallenge2020

The Corona Virus and this Lockdown have brought out the kind side of many people. So many stories of kindness are emerging. Many people are trying to help others in their individual capacities while others are trying to help as part of a group.

A Facebook group called Caremongers India was created to help people, especially the elderly and disabled during the lockdown. The group was created on 17th March and today they have 32,637 members. The group members are doing exceptional jobs throughout the country. I joined the group couple of weeks back as a volunteer. I am in charge of taking care of an 85-year-old single lady in my neighborhood.

The society where I live is also doing some amazing work. A community kitchen has been opened to serve food to the elderly people in our society who are unable to shop or cook on their own. They are also serving food to young people who cannot cook and used to depend on Swiggy or Zomato for their food. A lady in my building has taken the responsibility to feed the stray animals. In the absence of the restaurants, these animals were starving.

There are so many such stories. Do you know of any such story? Please share. I would love to read.

 

Janta Janardan #A-ZChallenge2020

On 22nd March, our Prime Minister declared the ‘Janta Curfew’. It was anticipated. We understood that the Janta curfew was a trial run for a longer lockdown. On 22nd March, the Indian people were requested to stay inside the home from 7am to 9pm. Prime Minister also asked the countrypeople to clap for those who are working at the frontline like medical staff, cleaners, airport staff, etc.

The 22nd of March started in a calm and peaceful mood. For the first time, we could hear the chirping of birds at 11 am instead of cars honking. The sky also looked clean and blue. We spent the whole day beautifully and exactly at 5pm got ready with a spoon and plate to cheer for the frontline workers. In our society, we had some kind of percussion. It was not very kind to the ears and felt like a cacophony, nevertheless, it felt good.

Around 6pm we started getting video clippings on social media of people who had gathered and were dancing on the streets singing ‘Go Corona Go’. People had completely misconstrued the message and considered it as an exercise to send the virus away from India. Thanks to the whatsapp messages that followed the PM”s address claiming that banging of utensils would create sound vibration so strong that would be enough to kill the virus.

The same exercise was followed by Indian janta again on 5th April. The PM asked people to light a candle/diya to express solidarity. However, Whatsapp university said that lighting a diya at 9pm would weaken the virus. People got so over-enthusiastic that they came out on the streets in groups and started bursting crackers. As if it was Diwali. No wonder Indian Janta is Janardan and we can get awards for the maximum number of covidiots in one country.

#stayhomestaysafe #washhands

Isaac Asimov’s ‘The Fun They Had’ #A-ZChallenge2020

When I was in school, probably in standard six, we had the short story “The Fun they had” by Isaac Asimov in our English Literature Textbook. The name of our English Literature textbook used to be Gulmohar. I guess many of you from my generation would recollect the book. Back then, when I read ‘The Fun they had‘ it appeared futuristic, however now it has become a reality. Last week my son’s school introduced online classes. Every time I watch him taking the classes sitting on his bed, I think of the short story ‘The Fun they had‘. Click here to read the full story.

Plot Summary:  The Fun They Had by ISAAC ASIMOV is a futuristic story set in 2157 AD. The story writer envisions what the schools and education system will look like in the 23rd century. The story opens with Margie writing in her diary about an old book that Tommy had found. Margie remembers her grandfather once talked about his grandfather who went to an actual school where the children went for education and where they were taught by human teachers. However, Margie and Tommy live in the future world of the 23rd century where education was completely computerized. They don’t have schools; they have a special study room where a computer teaches them. The computer teacher is programmed and adjusted according to the needs of each child. Now and then the computer teacher develops some fault which is fixed by a County Inspector. Both Tommy and Margie wonder at the book found by Tommy in his attic. They wonder at the book as they read books on the screen of computer teacher. Margie feels the computer teacher is boring; she does not like mechanical teaching and learning. She also wonders how much fun would it be studying in a school with other children from a human teacher.

I have always been fascinated by ‘homeschooling‘. I love watching Homeschooling channels on Youtube and reading blogs of parents who homeschool their kids. However, I never had the courage to give up on formal schools and start homeschooling. Secondly, I lack patience. However, the universe conspired and here my son is attending school from the living room. Asimov’s imagination is our reality.

 

 

 

 

H for Hoarding #A-ZChallenge2020

Hoarding has become a new life skill to survive Covid19. People all over the world are hoarding whatever they can. In many countries, people started hoarding toilet papers. Honestly, I didn’t understand why of all things, people started hoarding toilet papers. Diarrhea was definitely not a major symptom of Covid19. Thankfully, we desis had no such worries for obvious reasons. During the Covid19 outbreak, the Indian way of namaste became very famous. Famous people like Prince Charles and Justin Trudeau started doing namaste to avoid physical contact that takes place during a handshake. I feel they also should start adapting the Indian way of greeting the rear, which would save them from the toilet paper crisis.

In most countries, people started emptying grocery store shelves in no time. A school friend who lives in the US said their local stores have run out of common salt. She is cooking without salt for almost a week. We heard numerous such horror stories from every part of the world. Human beings have gone back to their primitive hoarding instinct for survival after Covid19 hit the world.

 

G for Glaciers, Greta Thunberg and Gates A-ZChallenge2020

You must be wondering, why am I writing a post on Glaciers, Greta and Bill Gates for G while the theme is “Life in the times of Corona”. I am writing because there is a strong relationship between these three and Coronavirus or any new virus in the future.

Researchers from China and the U.S. embarked on a field trip to Tibet in 2015 and discovered 28 previously undiscovered virus groups—in a melting glacier. In total, they identified 33 virus groups—28 of which were completely new to science. From Tibet to the Arctic to Antarctica, glaciers and ice caps around the world are melting at alarming rates. Meltwater from glaciers and ice caps could ferry harmful pathogens along streams, rivers, and other important waterways, potentially exposing humans to new microbes, the researchers report. In recent years, researchers have pulled samples of smallpox, Spanish flu, bubonic plague, and even anthrax from thawing permafrost.

As the planet warms and the ice thaws, scientists warn we could see the re-emergence of ancient pathogens currently unknown to science. These viruses, which have laid dormant and locked away in glaciers and permafrost—permanently frozen soil—for hundreds if not thousands of years, could “wake up“.

We know the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world, while ice sheets across the planet have shown consistent thinning linked to climate change and changing weather patterns. Unless we control Climate Change we cannot stop glaciers from melting.

Greta Thunberg a seventeen-year-old Swedish girl, started the school strike for climate. She became the new face for protest against climate change. She gave a speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit that earned her praises from common people but indifference from Global Leaders, especially Donald Trump. In her speech, she said,

“People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairytales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!“

In 2015, Bill Gates during a TED Talk five years ago, had also warned us about a global pandemic that would be too difficult to control.

He said “If anything kills over 10 million people in the next few decades, it’s most likely to be a highly infectious virus rather than a war – not missiles, but microbes,”

I do not want to create panic, but if we do not change our ways, if we do not control Climate Change then Covid19 may be just the beginning and we may come across numerous such pandemics in the future. This crisis showed us how vulnerable and helpless we are when it comes to epidemics.

Fun with Corona #A-Z Challenge2020

Corona Virus is not a funny thing or something to joke about. It is a serious disease that is crippling even medically advanced countries of Europe and North America. However, there were some memes and jokes that I cannot resist curating. You may have already come across them but it may bring a smile to your faces. However, please remember to #stayhomestaysafe and #wash your hands.

Extroverts vs Introverts

Extroverts, as we all know are sociable and outgoing people who love to go out, party, meet other people and have fun. Introverts, on the other hand, are shy, reticent people who prefer to stay home and they are never the life of a party. The lockdown is proving hard for the extroverts while the introverts are feeling they are living their usual life.

My husband is an extrovert who hardly likes to stay home. He comes home only for his food and sleep, remaining time he is out. Even on weekends, it is hard to find him sitting inside the house. He keeps finding ways to be out of the home. He is a fitness freak and spends most of his free time walking, jogging, running, exercising.

I am an introvert and I love to stay home. My home is my heaven, I am deeply attached to the four walls of my home. I spend my day, cleaning, de-cluttering, organizing and decorating my home. That gives me immense pleasure. I love to take life slowly and enjoy sipping my tea slowly, sitting next to my window, reading a book, while slow instrumental plays on my earpod. My husband feels, this is my laziness but I feel this is my ‘pranayam‘. I work from home, with exceptions of attending meetings and conferences. I do have to travel out of the city for work, but that part I enjoy because, in spite of being a loner, I enjoy traveling.

When the lockdown started, honestly I didn’t see any changes in my life, other than maids were not coming and I had a ‘full house’. On the other hand, the husband’s world came falling apart. He literally felt like a caged lion. Staying home 24/7 was no less than a prison term for him. My college friend M is another extrovert, she is calling me every day and whining. She is feeling exhausted staying home. My other friend S has almost gone into a depression staying home.

On the other hand, my introvert friend A is extremely happy. He is happy that he doesn’t have to go out of the house, he no longer needs to meet irritating colleagues at the office or snoopy neighbors in his complex. Mention worthy A was in a home quarantine after his US trip and the day his quarantine ended. the national lockdown started. An extrovert would have killed himself for this, whereas A was extremely happy that he can stay home longer. Another blogger friend S is living with her dog all alone, and she said she is extremely happy. She feels this is the best phase of her life.

Are you an introvert or extrovert. Let me know how you are dealing? I would love to read your thoughts.

Depression and Mental Health during Lockdown #A-ZChallenge2020

The lockdown is already taking a toll on our mental health. Staying indoors for such an extended period of time is not easy for anybody. Even introverts like me are finding it claustrophobic at times. It is especially harsh on small kids, elderly and those who live alone.

“Isolation, physical distancing, the closure of schools and workplaces are challenges that affect us, and it is natural to feel stress, anxiety, fear, and loneliness at this time,” the director of the European branch of the WHO, Hans Kluge, said.

I am observing panic attacks in many. My cousin is regularly feeling breathless due to her anxiety issues. She is constantly reading the news and fake news that in turn is aggravating her anxiety. I work as a patient advocate and many of my patients are complaining that their symptoms have flared up. Any auto-immune disease like diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis is bound to flare up due to stress and anxiety. Those who already have pre-existing mental issues like schizophrenia, depression, OCD and PTSD are having it even worse. Lack of exercise and outdoor activity may aggravate a few medical conditions

The elderly people who live alone are having a tough time as well. Apart from physical issues, they are also feeling lonely and insecure. Those who own businesses, irrespective of small or big, and earn on a daily basis are suffering. Many are reporting that their blood pressure shot up or sugar level increased.

The irritation level is increasing as you have to stay locked up with the same people throughout. This is a real-life Big Boss house without any monetary benefit rather at the cost of huge loss.

Indian society is still patriarchal and housework is still considered a woman’s job. Indian women are used to having maids. In this situation, maids are not coming, kids, husband and probably in-laws are also home. Many women are spending the entire day just cooking and cleaning. If they are working then their whole day is going in a jiffy and unlike most, she has no time for ‘Netflix and chill‘. She is not even getting time to sip her tea without disturbance. It is normal for her to feel irritated.

This is a difficult time and we need to be strong. These are a few tips that may help you in this phase when it is natural to feel anxious and depressed.

Avoid obsessing over endless Coronavirus coverage: I personally stopped watching the news and tried to stay away from Corona news on social media and that helped me control my anxiety.

Start a new quarantine ritual: I love to stick to a routine and that helps me stay focused, It helps to have a new routine.

Clean the House: A healthy mind can reside in a clutter-free and clean house. Use this time to clean up your house. It will make you feel good about staying home.

Start Gardening using vegetables and fruits from your kitchen: Gardening is a stress buster and this is the best time to create some attachment with your home.

Talk to family and friends: Use technology to connect with family and friends. Call your old school buddy whom you have not spoken in a year. You will feel great.

Meditate/ Excercise: This will certainly help you manage stress and anxiety.

Get Creative:  Unleash the Vinci, Bach, Shakespeare, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjeev Kapoor, Nigella Lawson, Lata Mangeshkar or Michael Jackson within you. This is the time to enjoy your hobby.

Let me know, how you are dealing with your stress, anxiety, and depression at this time. If you have any tips, please do share.

[image error]