SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

We continue to be in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. India experienced lockdowns with some relaxations in the time interval between 24-Mar-2020 and 31-May-2020. It seemed unbelievable that a country could be shut down for this duration, but all of us have lived through it. In the lockdown, a close friend suggested that I should write a blog post about the experience. I did think about writing about how our lives have changed, but since I was unduly optimistic, I thought that normalcy would return in three months or so ! I thought I could write looking back at the previous three months or so ! How wrong I was ! It has been now more than seven months since the first lockdown was announced and even now, the country is dealing with the pandemic, which slowly appears to be heading towards a semblance of control. The festival season is in progress now. I sincerely hope that there is no upward spike or second wave after this season. I see that people have become lax in using the mask in public at least.
Therefore, the latest message from our Prime Minister on 23-Oct-2020 was timely. While some of the data and trends show that the situation may be improving, carelessness by us, the people will result in the number of cases rising. All of us probably know of at least one close relative or friend or acquaintance who has been tested positive Covid-19 and gone through trying times. Unfortunately, there are people that we have lost as well. My prayers are with the people who have lost loved ones and with the departed souls. The toll of the pandemic has been too heavy.
In that context, the PM's request to continue to use masks correctly, follow practice of hand washing with soap and water and adopt adequate physical distancing is important. Since such a long duration of restrictions has elapsed, a sense of fatigue and complacency is beginning to set in. "Covid-19 is just like any other 'flu.", "Indians have better resistance than people in the west." and other similar opinions are prevalent among shopkeepers and people that I interact with when I venture out of home. I feel that this is complacency setting in among us. It takes just one pre-symptomatic person or one asymptomatic person to cough or talk out loud and possibly infect many others if we do not use the three safeguards that our PM has requested us to use. The chances of the number of cases rising will be higher if we do not follow our precautions. My wife and I do not step out of our houses often. Whenever we do, when we return, the soap and water at home and hand washing is a routine that has become a default behaviour now.
I hope that we continue to be vigilant and follow the request of our PM. The Covid-19 situation continues to be serious, though there is improvement when compared to September.
What has become clear to me is that my original optimistic estimate that this was only a matter of three months was woefully incorrect ! In August, I was hopeful that we would have a vaccine by November. Today is now 01-Nov-2020 and it appears that the vaccine will be ready only in the new year. I will take my friend's suggestion and write about some thoughts about the Covid-19 situation in this blog post. The rest of this blog post presents some thoughts about life during COVID-19 pandemic.

RESURFACING OF TALENTS

During the lockdown, what I observed was that hidden or suppressed talents of friends and colleagues resurfaced. A couple of people shared pictures of dishes that they had prepared. I am envious : about the only thing that I can make which I feel brave enough to share with others is a decent cup of tea (and even that may be questioned by some !) ! Some others showed wonderful drawings and sketches. Still others shared their poetry and writing skills. It was a delight to see the artistic skills of people I know. My respect for all of these people with diverse talents has increased. 
I could whistle Hindi movie tunes decently once upon a time. In the routine of work, I had forgotten about it. During the lockdown, I rediscovered this talent of mine. I recorded some of my whistled tunes and sent it to groups in my instant messaging app and to my wife's brother. His elder son found a good diversion in guessing these Kannada movie tunes ! Between him and me, it became a game over the app during the lockdown. He plays the keyboard and would record some tunes for my wife and me to guess. I would whistle a tune for him to guess ! This happened over the instant messaging app. I rediscovered the pleasure of reading, completing a book by Plato, one on the stories associated with Lord Krishna and re-reading tales of O. Henry and other books. One evening during the lockdown, I read and recorded an O. Henry story and shared it on the instant messaging app. I felt glad when a friend said that his daughter liked listening to the story. A lot of O. Henry's stories are wonderful for the surprise ending that they contain and for the dry humour in his description of American cities and American life.
My wife showed her creativity by re-using (the word nowadays seems to be "re-purposing" !) coconut shells as pots for plants. In one of the coconut shells, she showed me coriander, money plant and a plant with cute looking leaves !
A friend showed his well-known dancing skills, including his son to partner him ! Another friend demonstrated his hidden talent of drawing and also his photographic skills by taking pictures of flowers and a small bird that visited his balcony !
While the pandemic situation is unfortunate, the silver lining is that it has enabled such talents of people to resurface ! Another positive development during the lockdown was that pollution had reduced as well in India, Italy and the world in general.

WHAT I HAVE WATCHED

Considering that my movement has been restricted these past several months, I have watched a few movies and shows which I shall briefly discuss below. My review of the South Korean movie "Parasite" is available as a separate blog post at https://fewidlethoughts.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-impressions-on-korean-movie-parasite.html. Most of the shows are on an Over The Top (OTT) video streaming service, which I shall not name, but which can be guessed from the shows. Some are from a video sharing app which does not need to be named !

Family Man

"Family Man" stars Manoj Bajpai as an intelligence agent whose family does not know his real occupation. He is involved in a major terrorist operation. The production values of the series are excellent. Manoj Bajpai's acting as the agent who leads a double life is good. He shows the challenge of leading two lives well. The story builds up well across the episodes and ends at a thrilling point. The action kept me hooked. 

Picard

As a fan of "Star Trek", I waited for this series with eagerness. It shows an aging Jean-Luc Picard discover that his android friend Data has a daughter, whose existence is threatened. Picard aims to help her with the help of some friends and colleagues, including one from "Star Trek: Voyager". Since I know the characters in "Star Trek: The Next Generation", this series presented a progression. For a newbie, the series may not be as interesting. The acting of Sir Patrick Stewart as the old, angry and ailing Jean-Luc Picard is the highlight of this series for me.
Humble Politician Nograj
A Radio Jockey (RJ) in Bengaluru called Danish Sait is famous for his voice imitations of people. In the Kannada movie "Humble Politician Nograj" he plays Nograj, a politician whose only objective is to secure his seat and power ! The movie is watchable mainly for the way in which Danish acts as Nograj ! It also brings out how a sincere politician (Nograj's opponent in the elections) is left behind in the world of today's politics.

French Biriyani

RJ Danish Sait has also starred in another Kannada movie "French Biriyani" as an auto driver. I enjoyed this movie for the story and the hamming of some of its actors. As a Frenchman who loses his passport in Bengaluru, Sal Yusuf is capable. I liked the way in which Rangayana Raghu utters his dialogues in his characteristic style. He brings the touch of humour. Danish Sait is good as the auto rickshaw driver who sympathises with his French customer. The script is good as well. Overall, I like this movie, particularly for the song "The Bengaluru Song". I will discuss this separately below.

Guru Shishyaru

When lockdown was announced, there were a lot of memes going around about how we were being asked to watch TV to save the world ! Of course, over time we realised that staying at home for days on end can get to be boring also ! Still, in those initial days, the general feeling was that this was a good way to sort of reset oneself.
This was the time when I watched a Kannada clip, which captured the sense of the time well. The 1.5 minutes in the beginning of the video clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwb0g1_4viw describes what would have been the routine for priests inclined to take it easy and reset themselves ! In the lockdown phase, the clip was viral among groups that know Kannada movies. When I watched the clip, it made me smile. I told my wife that I wanted to watch the movie, which I had not seen. Over two days, my mother, my wife and I watched Guru Shishyaru starring Vishunvardhan and Dwarkish, relishing the light hearted comedy in it ! The story is of rishis or sages cursed to be born as foolish disciples of a senior rishi. The movie also has a famous song "Doddavarella jaanaralla" which continues to be meaningful even today. Loosely translated, it means "Those older in age are not wiser" !

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi

The music and lyrics in Hindi and Kannada movies from the '50s to the '70s are remembered even today for their melody and meaningfulness. While doing yoga, I have often listened to music from the movie "Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi" starring the Ganguly brothers Ashok Kumar, Anoop Kumar and Kishore Kumar. As a family, we watched this black and white classic. The highlight is the music, but the romance between Kishore Kumar and Madhubala is something that can be savoured even today. It is unusual to see how Ashok Kumar's boxing skills are commended by his brothers in the movie ! I did not expect that an actor like Ashok Kumar can be considered as a role model for fighing in a movie ! It is interesting to see that some brands seen in the garage of the three brothers in the movie continue to exist even today ! I feel that the sight of a relatively empty Marine Drive in Mumbai was good to see as well.

Paataal Lok

I suppose that it is rare to see a web series that touches upon different topics like the poorer side of New Delhi; the politics in a policeman's life; the high society world of media persons, business persons and socialites; rural Punjab with its caste discrimination and feudal lords and places of Uttar Pradesh where bandits run their fiefdoms. I suppose that it is even rarer to see that such a series has a story which concludes, giving a sense of closure to the viewer ! "Paatal Lok" is one such series. The characters include Hathi Singh, a policeman who considers his job in one of the poorer areas to be equivalent to "Paatal Lok" or the netherworld in Hindu mythology; his assistant a Muslim whom he respects; a star journalist who is struggling to maintain his TV channel, married to a woman who has mental health issues; his understudy another junior journalist principled and determined to get ahead in her career and politicians to whom people are only pawns in the power game of politics. The people and the situations are combined well to create a taut drama. The performances are good, but it is the story that captivated me, which uses Hindu mythology subtly. This is one series that I appreciate.

Panchayat

Whether it is "The Family Man" or "Paatal Lok", the violence and the language often make certain parts unviewable for a family audience. In that respect the web series "Panchayat" is far better. Except for one episode where questionable language is the  main part of it, the series is good fun. "Panchayat" is like the Hindi TV serials "Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi" and "Buniyaad" which depict middle class India.
The story is of an aspiring MBA student who is advised by his friend to take up a rural post of secretary in a village panchayat for the work experience. The young man used to life in the city goes to the village and gradually adjusts to life in the village Phulera. The sarpanch is a woman, but it is her husband who runs the show. The secretary gets to know the assistant of the Panchayat, the sarpanch's husband and life in Phulera better. The storylines in the episodes are simple. The hierarchy associated with chairs, the importance of salary and job, the manner in which government initiatives actually get translated on the ground, in the villages are all shown well in "Panchayat". I would strongly recommend this series.

Bandish Bandits

I have seen musicals of Hollywood, but did not imagine that there could be a musical web series made in India. "Bandish Bandits" is one such series. Hindustani classical music is an integral part of "Bandish Bandits". The story is mainly about a young boy named Radhe who is the heir to the family tradition of Hindustani classical music. He falls in love with Tamanna, a pop star who comes to Jodhpur to rediscover her muse. The two team up with Radhe wearing a mask so that his grandfather will not be offended that he has sold out to commercial interests. As Radhe's strict grandfather who demands the highest standards of discipline from students of his gharana of music, Naseeruddin Shah looks natural. Ritwik Bhowmik as Radhe reminded me a lot of the character Nanhe in the Hindi TV serial "Hum Log".
The drama in the series begins when a challenger known to Radhe's grandfather reappears to contest him for title of "sangeet samrat" given by the ruler of Jodhpur. Since Radhe's grandfather is ill, Radhe takes up the challenge instead of him. Radhe is supported admirably by his uncle first and later, an unexpected replacement guru whose style is different from his strict grandfather. Tamanna has her own demons to fight: she gets a feeling of self-doubt over her own abilities. Their love story progresses rapidly after the first couple of episodes. Radhe's friend Kabir plays a key role in supporting him also, as does Tamanna's manager Arghya. The characters are developed well.
The highlight of the series is its music, though. Shankar, Ehsaan and Loy have combined to create amazing music with a classical base. I liked all the songs. Even the fusion songs are remarkably creative.
This is a series worth watching - and listening.

The Secret is in their Eyes

I searched on the Web for good international movies. The Spanish movie "The Secret in their Eyes" filmed in Argentina showed up. I watched it in bits and pieces. To me, a good movie is often about a good story and how it is shown on the screen. In that respect, "The Secret in their Eyes" qualifies wonderfully. At one level, it is a detective story. At the same time, the movie is also about love, friendship and politics. To me, the only downside to this movie is the nudity, which was unnecessary. NOTE: THIS IS GENUINELY AN "ADULTS" ONLY MOVIE, due to the nudity. To experience how a movie can narrate a good story using its actors and the skill of the director. It deserves the Best Foreign Language Film award which it won at the Oscars in 2010.

Rama Rama Re

I listened to a song from the Kannada movie "Rama Rama Re" called "Kelu Krishna". The song made me curious : why (or how) did Krishna come in a movie related to Rama ?! One Sunday, my mother, my wife and I watched the movie. This is the most recent movie that I have watched completely at one stretch. A convict sentenced to be hanged for bombing and killing policemen escapes from jail. A massive manhunt is launched, but he evades them. Eventually, he picks up a ride in a jeep with a retired policeman, though he does not know that ! They are joined by a couple who have eloped and are running away from parents who do not want them marrying outside their community. The young man recognises the convict from a newspaper cutting and believes that his future is made as he can claim half of the reward for nabbing the convict, along with the retired policeman. The groom makes some funny remarks about the situation, imagining that he has already got the money !
On the way, they also find an old lady whose daughter-in-law is experiencing labour pains. The convict and the retired policeman move the daughter-in-law to the canopy of the jeep. A baby is born even as the father of the baby arrives. The old lady requests the retired policeman to drop her and her daughter-in-law back home and stay the night with them.
The gratitude of the old lady and her homely wisdom to them and the eloping couple is a highlight of the movie. Her simple lessons struck a chord in me. The eloping couple decide to make their own life without handing over the convict. The respect conveyed by the old lady and her son serves to change the convict's heart. The old lady's simple wisdom moved me. 
As the policeman and the convict set off again, they pick up a drama troupe who are on their way to enact the Mahabharata. This is when "Kelu Krishna" is sung, which the convict listens. The blind actor playing Arjuna and the summary of the Bhagwad Geeta that happens during the journey affect the convict deeply. After the troupe is dropped off, the policeman hands over the steering wheel to the convict in a gesture of trust. When he wakes up, he finds that the convict has driven the jeep to the police station he escaped from ! The convict surrenders. This is the story, told with humour and a lot of sensitivity. I liked the movie a lot, discovering a less popular gem among Kannada movies.

WHAT I HAVE LISTENED

Before the lockdown started, I used the bus to commute to work. My companions in the bus are mostly younger and with a lot of varied interests. On one weekend, I started a "never ending playlist" where each of us could suggest songs to watch or listen to, using an instant messaging app on the smartphone. It was received with enthusiasm the day I started it. I listened to a few songs that I had forgotten about and some new ones that I liked.
That sent me back to music during lockdown and Work from Home. Since I typically listen to music while doing my stretches and yoga, I have heard some good songs. Here are a few of my recommendations:
* Songs from the Kannada movie "Sarkari Hi. Pra. Shaale Kasaragodu" available at https://gaana.com/album/sarkari-hi-pra-shaale-kasaragdou has good music in all its songs, composed by Vasuki Vaibhav. I liked "Dadda song" and "He Shaarade" in particular.
* The year has seen too many stars and celebrities pass away like Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and many others. Of them, SP Balasubrahmanyam (SPB) is one person who will always be remembered in the Kannada film industry. I listened to several of his Kannada hits when he passed away. At the end of it, a song that stands out for me is "Kelade nimageega" from the movie Geetha available at https://gaana.com/song/kelade-nimageega for listening. I have returned to this song often. There are certain songs that create a picture, much like poetry itself.
Among Hindi movie songs, "Ik haseena thi" from "Karz" picturised on Rishi Kapoor and sung by Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle is one such song, available at https://gaana.com/song/ek-hasina-thi-ek-diwana-tha for listening. The guitar in the song mesmerises, but more than that the tale narrated by the song captivates. The mode of using a play to depict a murder and view the guilt of the accused was introduced in Shakespeare's play "Hamlet". The song "Ik haseena thi" only changed the play to a song ! The music, the guitar and the emotion in Kishore Kumar's voice all make this song memorable.
In the same manner, "Kelade nimageega" narrates a tale of lovers in two villages Sampige and Mallige separated by a river. They are separated by age old differences among the two villages just like the lovers are separated in Shakespeare's other classic play Romeo and Juliet. The story of love in the middle of a hostile environment requires a talented singer to bring out the emotions. On one hand, the environment of the two villages, the river and a rope bridge in the village has to be described. On the other, the hidden meetings of the lovers has to be conveyed. The rage of the girl's uncle has to be brought out in the song also. It requires talent and practice to bring out all the emotions that this tale deserves. The music by Ilayaraja in this song is complemented by the singing of SPB. SPB excels in this song.
* It is not that I have been listening only to Kannada songs. When one evening seemed a little longer, I listened to "Yeh safar bahut hai kateen magar" from the Hindi movie, sung by Sivaji Chaterjee to music composed by R D Burman available at https://gaana.com/song/yeh-safar-1 was good to listen to. It is a song of hope.
* The video https://youtu.be/LbIkrZSIG9A shows a lovely song that has a message to convey as well. The way in which lines from Kanakadasa's poetry have been adapted for this hip-hop song is amazing. Though I have listened to this song several times, it is only now that that I have watched the video ! The hip-hop beat is combined well with uplifting lyrics, including lines from Kanakadasa's philosophical poetry. I discovered this song on my music streaming app using its "You may like" feature. This is one case where I indeed did like and enjoy the music !
* I find that even after listening to the Kannada rap song "The Bengaluru Song" sung by Aditi Sagar for the movie "French Biriyani" several times, I continue to enjoy it even today. Certain songs capture the spirit of the city. In the Hindi movie "Kahaani", the song "Shotti bolchi" sung by Usha Uthup is one such song. Usha Uthup brings out the paradoxical contrasts of Kolkata in this song, which has influences of jazz also. Similarly, Aditi Sagar conveys the behaviour of the auto drivers, the humps on the road, the traffic jam and the possiblity of making it big in "The Bengaluru Song". In three minutes, Aditi Sagar captures the chaos of Bengaluru. The music video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH7aOwbGo78 for viewing.

OTHER THOUGHTS

I will now move to other topics or thoughts about COVID-19.
To begin with, I have remarked to a few people about how lucky I have been. A couple of days before the lockdown started, the SIM card of my smartphone abruptly stopped working. This happened on a weekend evening. There were few shops that were open that night. There was a Janata (voluntary) curfew on Sunday, 22-Mar-2020. I realised that I would have to use Monday to get a new SIM card. On Monday, essential services were open. My wife and I went to our mobile operator's nearest outlet. Luckily, I got my SIM card replaced. From 24-Mar-2020, the country went through a complete lockdown, though essential services were open. I am just glad that I had my smartphone working before the stricter lockdown was imposed ! Getting a pass to move in my car could have been tricky ! Also, working from home without the SIM card of my smartphone would have slowed me down, particularly during power disruptions.
Work from home requires adjustment. There are some things that we take for granted at work, like the chair we use and the network. Since I used to take the bus to work, I used to close my laptop and walk to the bus stop. At home, there is no such clear "end of day" time. If work or an unplanned meeting extends, the hours stretch. Before I know it, I would have been sitting for too long in front of the laptop ! The power disruptions which turn my modem off were another unfamiliar aspect during the lockdown. By now, I have got used to the routine of using my smartphone as a WiFi hotspot if there is no power. Interruptions due to somebody at the door are now understood by professionals as also reprimands made at home inadvertently heard by others since the "Mute" button in the call was not activated !
The lesson is that we have to get used to working from home. It used to be different earlier, when working from home was an option, which meant that we also had time for personal work. Now, work and personal work often clash at the same time, but this is the new normal. We also need to develop the discipline of mentally preparing to say "Yes, I am done with working for the day". At home, this is easier said than done. We need to cultivate that habit and also learn to take adequate breaks during work. To some extent, I miss the tea and coffee breaks at work, which represented a brief time where some of us could meet up and talk of different topics, including those outside work. Virtual calls are a reasonably good substitute, but they are not the same as physically meeting and talking.
What is also emphasised is the nature of personal work. When it comes to official, professional work, I can take a stand and say "Yes, I am done for the day." If there are unfinished activities, for most of them, it would wait until the next day. This is not so with personal work. I cannot say: "No, let me postpone the dishwashing". The consequence of that could be no food on the next day, since there are no containers to store it once the food is cooked ! I knew about this of course, but being involved in some of these tasks on a daily basis makes me appreciate more how much effort it takes to keep a home going ! The never ending, relentless nature of these chores can sometimes become a drudgery. This is where division of labour at home makes sense. I guess that most families have defined rules by now about who does what - and when !
After seven months of work from home, I went to work because there was some work which required my presence there. The previous evening, I took a look at my formal leather shoes. Unused for seven months, the shoes had a fine layer of dust. I took longer to polish it and make it gleam. This is a routine that sort of primed me for the next day, which was a new experience. I went in my car since the bus was unavailable. The traffic was what it used to be before the lockdown. On some of the main roads in the city, I noticed that the road divider is raised to a height of almost 4 or 5 feet, apparently to deter pedestrians and motorists from crossing or turning wherever they liked. I wonder if the investment is worth it.
What surprised me was the vast emptiness in the parking lot in my office. Used to seeing it full, seeing prime parking slots vacant at a relatively later time made me wonder for a moment if it was a holiday ! The temperature scanning process and the preventive signboards all over were a novelty too. In the wing where I sit, there was only one other person sitting about 50m from me. Unless I kept moving about in my chair, the lights would turn off ! There was one seat assigned for people to sit in each cubicle. There were hand sanitizers located at many points and foot operated door openers for most of the doors.
After lunch, I walked to the bus stop. The Technology Park was largely empty. It seemed that office boys and security personnel were more than the people actually working ! I met a friend and a few colleagues, but otherwise, the office showed me many chairs and seats unoccupied. Lunch and tea breaks were also different. Only person was expected to sit per table. Instead of the wide variety of vendors who offered food, there was one vendor, a person I have seen for the last 20 years and who I know to some extent, because a friend knows him well. I spoke with him and asked him how things were. His reply was just to show me the vacant cafeteria in front of us ! That day was an unusual experience for me: on one hand, there was the excitement that I had finally "gone to work" after seven months ; on the other hand was the realisation that the COVID-19 pandemic had changed life for professionals in Information Technology to a large extent and that perhaps, there are bigger changes looming ahead for us.
Probably, one of these changes is the usage of apps and online transactions for people who can use technology developed for that purpose. I know that I have shopped for groceries, medicine and clothes online, which I had not done earlier. I helped out in using an app for telehealth and got to see how it can replace a visit to the physician.
       One of the joys during the lockdown was the silence and peacefulness in Bengaluru. I paid more attention to the plants tended mostly by my wife and my mother. My wife and I like seeing pretty flowers. A sight that pleased both of us was the day nine jersey lily flowers blossomed at almost the same time !  Similarly, the yellow tabebuia looked brilliant on our terrace one Sunday morning. These flowers (and others !) brought a lot of joy and refreshed us to a great extent.

These yellow tabebuia flowers brightened up things - both literally and metaphorically !

 

This one lily with its colour that looks as if it painted itself looks breathtaking. On one day, there were nine such flowers awaiting us !

My relatives and friends have spoken about how video classes online has become the new normal also. Children are learning online even as teachers are coming to grips with technology that enables online education. To me, the surprise is that tests and examinations are conducted online also !
Could this mean that eventually, hospitals and schools will be redesigned drastically? Will the online consulting and education boon lead to a re-imagining of the healthcare and education system? These are questions that only time will answer.
For now, the immediate common concern is still the COVID-19 pandemic for all of us. How could such an event occur? Here, I would like to quote from an extremely insightful commentary by ethologist Dame Jane Goodall available at https://news.mongabay.com/2020/05/jane-goodall-covid-19-is-a-product-of-our-unhealthy-relationship-with-animals-and-the-environment/ for reference. From her essay: ".... we need to connect our brains with our hearts and appropriately use our indigenous knowledge, science and innovative technologies to make wiser decisions about people, animals and our shared environment. .... My hope is that an understanding of how the world should be, along with the realization that it is our disrespect of the natural world that has led to the current pandemic, will encourage businesses and governments to put more resources into developing clean, renewable energy, alleviate poverty and help people find alternative ways of making a living that do not involve the exploitation of nature and animals."
We need to heed her voice. The concept of sustainable development should be a guiding north star not just for big corporations, but also for individuals like me. Meanwhile, while COVID-19 pandemic persists, we need to continue wearing masks, practice hand-washing and maintain physical distancing as much as possible.