Thursday, April 2, 2020

Life in Lockdown - Day 9 of 21, April 2, 2020

The rhythm has slowed down even more. Now I am not even curious to find out what's happening on the outside. There's a bit of activity. The birds chirping etc which everyone including me went gaga over the first few days has now become the new normal. I think it has finally settled in - that life could be like this for a bit.
Pic Courtesy - Satish N

The fact that I cut news out helps a lot, the odd headline here and there pops up or someone over the phone gives me an update about how bad it's out there etc. The days are beginning later than normal - its been a long time since I woke up this late. But then I head right into the journal, catch up on a few calls and its time for breakfast, washing, dishes etc. I ventured out today to the grocer who has now turned into my new hero - the chap is so well organised and stocked that I hardly need to go anywhere for a whole year if he continues like this. I can stay within my colony and live my life.

I am glad the kirana store wall has come back into my life. If I had gone to Ratnadeep or any other supermarket I would have had to wait for 30-45 minutes outside. My grocer does it in 10. I also realised these fellows are at grave risk too - the number of people they are meeting every day - all of them touching stuff, giving them currency etc. Big prayers sent out to my grocer, and all other grocers who are a huge part in keeping the country going, without panic. As frontline as any I would say else by now we'd have panicked and god knows what would have happened. So Srinivas, my krana store man who calls me 'Doctor garu for some reason, deserves to be on the list. (I told him I was not a doctor today - he was surprised - I said I was a writer and he looked rather bemused.)

Sad news was heard that Andhra Bank now no longer remains as AB. This bank has been my only bank all my life - my account was started by my mother when I was barely ten or eleven and it still goes Hari Mohan c/o P.V. Savithri. I never had the need to change it, nor add any new accounts in any other banks. It plodded along in its own way. Andhra Bank at SR Nagar always had the nicest people and I always felt represented the kind of people who showed up in Rajendra Prasad kind of middle-class comedies I grew up on. Maybe I even fantasised a nice nondescript life as a bank employee. Padma, Sampath, Bhaskar Ramamurthy, Ganesh were a few of the employees I knew. Years and years and years of banking with them and I hear they have merged with some other bank. (No notification from the bank yet though!)

Calls were made out to Ramaraju, Timothy, Gautam TV, Suresh, Tharian, Mony, Achyut, Kalpak, Pooja, Vinod, Niveshan, Dr. Sivaraju and a few more and reports from one and all were favourable. I finally finished reading 'Being You' and I must say I liked it and its simple philosophies. The afternoon went into watching a Telugu thriller called 'HIT' which was fairly watchable though I have a problem with the logic. Identified 'Rocket Man' as my late-night show.

Summers in definitely. My measure - I can drink a whole bottle down at one go.

Call from Dr. Sivaraju who said we could begin online classes for the students of the Art Management class. Hmm. Zoom classes coming up soon.

Question for the Day - Who Would I Most Like to Meet After?
Considering that the lockdown will end sometime and we do get to some level of normalcy, I wondered who it was that I would like to meet right up front. Hmmm. I think I would like to meet someone, anyone I don't even know included, who would be completely non-judgmental of me. Zero pressure. If I find no one, I'd like me to be that for myself.

I'd like to be like that to myself and to those I meet - be completely non-judgmental to every facet of theirs. That would be a huge improvement on myself during this period. For lack of names, I would love to meet someone who has Anjali's energy - she doesn't judge me at all.

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