This title was inspired by the novel "Love in the Time of Cholera". For an introvert like me home isolation is a blessing in disguise. Working from home is not the same as working from office. In office you have a disciplined routine to finish the workload within the stipulated time. I never in my entire work career extended a single minute than what was necessary. Its my firm belief that those who cannot complete their task within the time are incompetent. I digress.
Hubby and I get a lot of couple time during this period. Both of us are very professional when it comes to work. We set up work station in two different rooms from getting distracted. We take a lot of breaks in between to cook, organize things, water the plants, listen to music, read, write, paint, talk, and snuggle. This is the time we get to have three meals together, otherwise, its only dinner on weekdays.
In the evenings we workout, whip some new dish, binge watch TV shows or movies. Well-stocked minibar helps us to take the edge off now and then. We're well equipped to sail through this confinement without glitch. However, it is difficult for hubby to contain his exuberance as he is a total outdoorsy and extrovert.
I'm heartbroken because of the cancelled holidays. We've earmarked and booked our calendar for Holi, Good Friday and Labour day weekends. All three were planned for three days each. The biggest blow is our rescinded anniversary vacation to Mauritius. If going by the statistics it is impossible to travel overseas for another whole year. As a traveler our situation is down in dumps.
As people with various interests and hobbies, these quashed holidays; scraped theater, movies, concerts; nipped adventures is taking a toll on us. The situation is grim and scary. Now it has become a part of my routine to check COVID-19 casualties as soon as I get up and once again before going to bed. It is totally a callous behavior on my part, but I'm not the only one here. This is the privileged me ranting about the inconveniences caused by the quarantine plonking on my ass while millions of fellow countrymen are struggling to make ends meet.
Earlier like all the entitled I used to urge everyone to stay-at-home and be safe. But having seen the visuals of millions of people on road without food and shelter being exposed to the pandemic because of the unplanned lock down, I stopped being that moron. And I will never be the person to cheer on for police brutality. We don't believe in donating to charity or Government organizations because of lack of transparency. So, already in the process of how to give a helping hand to the known less privileged.
The present condition is hopeless and frightful. I'm sad and depressed, but willing to give up my personal freedom for the welfare of fellow homo sapiens in the hope one day 'this too shall pass. My rose-tinted self is eager to write a post on "Life after Corona" soon, very soon.
The month whooshed past as the rest of the year. This month I refused take any guilt trip about neglecting writing, organizing, or socializing. I just relaxed and read quite a lot. If one count numbers there are only five books, but 'Clash of Kings' by George Martin was humongous in volume. The list is Big Girl-Danielle Steel, Family Ties-Danielle Steel, Bitter Sweet-Danielle Steel, Clash of kings-George Martin, and Angel Fall-Nora Roberts.
During our visit to the native this time we have gone to a restaurant that has humanoid robot as a server. It is one of its kind in Karnataka and we were curious. This one speaks in English and Kannada, and serves water and food. When I say serve it's only limited to bringing trays to our table. The actual serving is done by the humans. It's a huge crowd puller and staff encourages clicking snaps with the robot. Apart from this the food is tasty as well, so we might visit the place as and when needed.
The movieS we have watched are Article 15, An extraordinary journey of a Fakir, Kavacha, Dumbo, Shaft, Ant-Man, Kalank, De De Pyar De, Kidnap, Aftermath, and London Boulevard.
And I've been busy planning the upcoming holidays. As we create our own itinerary it needs a lot of groundwork and fine tuning. Currently most our conversation circles around that topic. Planning a trip gives us such an adrenaline rush. When your hubby is your best travel partner life seems totally blessed.
Nephew A is growing up fast and I can't believe he is going to be one next month. A happy child I would like to call him, however brother and SIL beg to differ saying I've not seen his ruthlessness or crankiness. Quite handful he is I will give it to them. I'm happy to see my little brother being the hands-on father like our father was. And proud of SIL who takes such a good care of the child. I can see her life revolves around this little man now.
July has been kind.
The shortest month of the year whizzed past the way it should. It is a special month because of Hubby's happy birthday as I would like to call it. It was celebrated the way he prefers the best, spending quality time and having jolly good time with near and dear ones. As the day fell on Saturday this year the merriment started on Friday evening and ended on Sunday night. As he turned a year older I wish him all the happiness in the world.
Another day would be February 14th. If my father was alive he would be 67 this year. Some things are just not meant to be. He would have pulled my legs if I called to wish him. Despite being the quiet person he was, he had a weird sense of humor that my YB and I inherit. On the same day there was a family function, cousin's son's "Upanayanam" (sacred thread ceremony), which was attended by the close family members. Despite all the hue and cry about Valentine's day being over commercialized, I love red roses, chocolates, candle light dinner, wine and all that jazz and that is exactly how the evening was spent.
Mother was here for a weekend. I'm glad that slowly and steadily she is getting accustomed to the cellphone technology and social media. Her happiness has no bounds in seeing old family pictures. This time around she get to spend some quality time with her grandson and bonding with him too. One weekend we were away to visit MIL. She has beautified the home with few additions and she couldn't stop talking about her enhanced garden and her upcoming retirement plans.
Reading took a hit this month as I could finish only three books. Apoorva Paschima-Shivarama Karanth, The Great Alone-Kristin Hannah and Nightingale-Kristin Hannah. I was amazed and mesmerized by the travelogue Apoorva Paschima (Incomparable West) by Karanth. Its unbelievable that in 1953 he traveled the whole Europe at the age of 50. It only made me yearn for a holiday in those beautiful countries he so passionately narrated.
On movie front; Thugs of Hindostan, Beyond Clouds, Batti Gul Meter Chalu, Zero, KGF and Jalebi. Among which only Beyond Cloud is worth mentioning. A simple story with laudable casting. It is hard to believe it is Ishaan Kattter's first film and he is stellar in the role of Aamir. The rest are big budgeted and well marketed films which almost bored me to death.
We started off with final season of "House of Cards". Hubby was disinterested in this from the beginning as we all know it would be the last season without his beloved "Frank Underwood". And he was absolutely right. The episodes are dragging with introduction of few new characters that failed to impress miserably. We haven't finished them yet, 6 more episodes to go, but we have to endure this painful process for the sake of "Frank". How I wish "Kevin Spacey" was not guilty of the alleged sexual misconduct. Despite losing my respect for him as a person, nobody can take away what a brilliant actor he is.
As all our weekends were chockablocked with prior engagements we couldn't even take a day trip. The possibility of another trip looks bleak in the month of March too. I met my bestie from college after a hiatus of 6 years. Friend "N" being in abroad and with our busy life we couldn't make this to happen earlier. The meeting was just like old times, nothing much has changed between us.
That was all about February I could think of. March be less sunny and harsh.
All of us need motivation in life to keep going. I have read somewhere life will be vibrant and colourful if we keep painting it with different splash of colours, i.e., experiences and moments. I'm not a person who could be described as ambitious. I'm a happy person most my life with little things, that I turn into magical memories. The purpose that drives me everyday to wake up in the morning is couple of things that I enjoy immensely and the quench is insatiable. To get a better perspective of life I'm trying to jot down few things that motivates me.
To Travel the World: I haven't done any traveling per se until I met Hubby (then boyfriend). We had many things in common like love for the history, art and architecture, nature, wild life. I was happy reading about them in the big fat books. It was he who greatly inspired me look beyond books and experience things for real. And I was hooked and now travel is a drug of choice for both of us. There are 195 countries in the world. I know it is an unattainable dream, but a woman can dream, right? Diamond isn't my best friend neither any jewelry. I don't fancy big cars. I don't want to own a house or property. I don't yearn for branded gadgets or vintage stuff. I don't desire any worldly procession, but for what is necessary for basic comfortable life. I know the basic comfortable varies from people to people, but I'm a very low maintenance. I want to travel until the day I die. To keep a journal of our travel trails hubby and I started a travel blog www.milesandtrails.com.
To Read Books: If you read my earlier posts you must be well aware that I read at least 4 to 5 books every month. I have been an avid reader all my life. That is why maybe I'm jostling between 2 to 3 books at a time. There are millions books out there and given an option I will do nothing but read. I wish I have more time to read. I would love to quote George RR Martin here "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, the man who never reads lives only one". How aptly he puts the significance of reading in one sentence. Because while reading the reader is in the story, he/she follows the different characters, go where they go, see what they see, hear what they hear, feel what they feel, experience all the emotions they go through. As books are my constant companions I never get lonely and need daily doses of reading to keep me going.
To Be Continued........
