Life has changed world over with the advent of the novel corona virus. The streets of this nation always abuzz with traffic is quiet save for delivery boys of zomato, talabat and other online delivery chains. Occasionally I see, like today, during the night curfew hours, municipal vehicles spray disinfectants on the roads (and cars in its way).
I have learnt to wear a mask when I go out; it has become as indispensable as a watch. Come to think of it, watches are dispensable after the advent of mobile phones. The shop assistants check our temperature and instruct us to wear plastic gloves that are too big for comfort. Some wear their own rubberised gloves which are tight fitting.
And when I return home, I instruct the kids not to touch the covers and head for a bath. That's a new protocol- take a shower, put the clothes into the washing machine and sanitise everything that has been bought. That is not easy. One cant spray Dettol or wash an ice cream cone with soap and water. But to an extent, washing is possible - of vegetables and fruits. It reminds me of my mom who never put anything into the fridge vegetable tray without washing it. My excuse was that washing would make veggies rot faster. Such excuses dont work anymore. And the bath reminds me of dad, who bathed 3-4 times to beat Kerala's sultry weather. The abundance of ice-cold well water made the chore easy for villagers like dad. Chennai's water scarcity and hardness had made migrants like us realise the value of water. And here water being a metered utility, every drop is precious.
Good Friday, Easter and Vishu came and went this week - without any fanfare. The first two were celebrated by priests world over without their congregation in attendance. As our priest said, it had a bright side to it. Covid gave us 2000 churches instead of the one we had. Each home became a place of worship.
Meanwhile, our glittering and glamorous city has extended its 24-hr sterilisation drive to arrest the spread of the disease. No restaurants to go to for a Friday dinner or public places to unwind. But life is not hard and we dont seem to miss anything much. As of now. The online school classes, the TV screens, video games and social media keep us occupied.
The new normal could be something we can happily adopt in the future too - the online classes and end of window shopping in malls at least.
Good Friday, Easter and Vishu came and went this week - without any fanfare. The first two were celebrated by priests world over without their congregation in attendance. As our priest said, it had a bright side to it. Covid gave us 2000 churches instead of the one we had. Each home became a place of worship.
Meanwhile, our glittering and glamorous city has extended its 24-hr sterilisation drive to arrest the spread of the disease. No restaurants to go to for a Friday dinner or public places to unwind. But life is not hard and we dont seem to miss anything much. As of now. The online school classes, the TV screens, video games and social media keep us occupied.
The new normal could be something we can happily adopt in the future too - the online classes and end of window shopping in malls at least.
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