I was wondering how Anjali was going to deal with this lockdown. She has not stepped out of the gate since March 15, the day her final exams were to start. She had prepared hard for it as she normally does, was disappointed that the exams were cancelled (which is a good thing) and quickly took it in her stride. She adjusted to the online classes as the school decided to promote the lot and go on with their next class. In time she got her new books and the classes ended. All of May was her own, her summer vacation, which she so cherishes.
Last summer was a wonderful little vacation for her. We spent a lot of time in Mumbai and Pune with her cousins and her grandmother. Anjali was there almost for a month or more and we did several things which we enjoyed. Visiting bookstores, hangouts like Lucky Cafe, Marzorin, meeting her cousins, time with Ajji - she had a ball. This summer also we had the whole thing planned out between out our two favourite cities - Bangalore and Pune. And then the lockdown happened. I knew how much she looked forward to the vacation so I wondered what was going on in her mind.
But she quickly got into her stride. Unlike me and Shobhs who started a late-night movie watching habit which messed with our next day, she was clear that she would hit the bed by 11 pm latest. Her morning started off at 730 or so with yoga. Then she would finish her homework or help in some chores. a couple of web series that she likes took up some time. But then it was back to some other work.
One day she decided to make some soft toys. I think she learned how to use the needle for this. then there was the cooking challenge - she made pancakes on Mother's Day. She helps out with dishwashing and takes half my burden. Then she goes off to draw or paint. I see her meddling with some journal type of a thing so I know she is writing something.
She made a group with a diverse set of cousins and added them to play an online game called Psych. They all catch up once in a while and play the game. She has scheduled weekly Zoom meetings with her Satish mama in Atlanta and chats for hours with him. Similarly, she chats with her cousins Pooja and Miskil. And then she and her friends have weekly Zoom sessions where they play some online games. Once they all caught up on Zoom and watched a movie together.
Every day, at 4 these days she has these online classes by an IT company called Byte IQ which teaches some computer languages or something. She joined it voluntarily. After that class, she and Mansi get together on Zoom and they both read out their new textbooks, to each other, complete with agenda for the next day. After the reading, they engage in some fun. The other day she made me download Avengers and watched it by herself. She seems to enjoy watching movies by herself.
When she is washing dishes she has music playing alongside. Yesterday we played carroms, last month, we did lots of table tennis. She watches her shows and covers her books these days. And she cannot wait to go to school. Every night she picks up a book to read - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' is done and so is 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'. I like that she is trying new authors and styles.
I am quite amazed at how she structured her life around the situation all by herself. When I buy her ice cream, she saves it up and eats it over a week. I would have finished the lot in two days. I cannot get how she is so clear about it. Today she said she does not want any more ice cream.
That's it.
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| Reading a book |
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| Anjali's lockdown creation! |
One day she decided to make some soft toys. I think she learned how to use the needle for this. then there was the cooking challenge - she made pancakes on Mother's Day. She helps out with dishwashing and takes half my burden. Then she goes off to draw or paint. I see her meddling with some journal type of a thing so I know she is writing something.
She made a group with a diverse set of cousins and added them to play an online game called Psych. They all catch up once in a while and play the game. She has scheduled weekly Zoom meetings with her Satish mama in Atlanta and chats for hours with him. Similarly, she chats with her cousins Pooja and Miskil. And then she and her friends have weekly Zoom sessions where they play some online games. Once they all caught up on Zoom and watched a movie together.
Every day, at 4 these days she has these online classes by an IT company called Byte IQ which teaches some computer languages or something. She joined it voluntarily. After that class, she and Mansi get together on Zoom and they both read out their new textbooks, to each other, complete with agenda for the next day. After the reading, they engage in some fun. The other day she made me download Avengers and watched it by herself. She seems to enjoy watching movies by herself.
When she is washing dishes she has music playing alongside. Yesterday we played carroms, last month, we did lots of table tennis. She watches her shows and covers her books these days. And she cannot wait to go to school. Every night she picks up a book to read - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' is done and so is 'Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'. I like that she is trying new authors and styles.
I am quite amazed at how she structured her life around the situation all by herself. When I buy her ice cream, she saves it up and eats it over a week. I would have finished the lot in two days. I cannot get how she is so clear about it. Today she said she does not want any more ice cream.
That's it.
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