Did CORONA bring joy to our lives?

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The semi-lock down phase from April 7th - May 4, 2020 was in progress. 

 However, on April 20th, the PM made a sudden announcement that it will be extended until June 1, 2020.

 When it was expected to be PANIC mode, the people in our house responded in a matured and sensible way.

 Husband thinking...................

 "I will have another 30 days of low credit card bills?😲😲" 
"Few more weeks of zero useless shopping and eating-out expenses?" 
"God bless the COVID phase!😇"

 Wife thinking.............................

 "He can work from home for another month?" 
"He can help me with the house chores and babysitting😀" 
"How convenient!😇"
Child's point of view.....................

 "I can wake up late and not dress up in school uniform for the next 30 days?!" 
"I can have more screen time, which is officially allowed by the school and at home?"
"Yay!😄"

 How did you respond to the lock down?

Comments

Deltz said…
I had a different experience... I looked more homeless day after day.. I screwed up my daily routine.. I had more work time and less sleep time.. Snacking under stress which in turn added more stress when I looked myself at the mirror looking at the love handles developing and smirking back at me.. it became vicious come circle.. Yea I didn’t have to be conscious about my looks anymore.. more natural skin breathe time.. less clothes to wash.. less bills.. more savings.. But man is a social animal and it’s nice to see, feel, talk to other people...
April 26, 2020 at 10:25 AM
Chaileo said…
Delta, thank you so much for sharing your feelings here. I agree with you about humans being a social animal who cannot live without the sense of seeing, talking to other humans. The best way to come out of this happily is to embrace the change, find new hobbies to pass time and take ur attention away from the stress and work for a while.

Buzz me if you wanna feel lighter, darling!
April 26, 2020 at 11:07 AM
Mili said…
With lockdown, everyone adapted sooner or later to a new normal routine, let me share my feelings!

- As a working mother to a single child right when he was just 5 months old, I am getting a lot of time with my kid and I get to listen to him more and have more meaningful conversation with him which I think I was totally failing in the previous routine. He is a happier child since he was never a fan of school in India especially after the Chicago trip. He totally loved the schooling there

- I get time to cook recipes and also make myself expert in some of them 😜 or cooking authentic kerala recipes . Whenever I miss moms food , I make sure I cook something naadan that day


- @work, 👩🏻‍💻 some days are really long but I ensure to connect and engage with my team and ensure I use my strengths to motivate them as much as I can! In fact there has been no challenges at work except I miss the chai time and all the fun we had in office! Also everyone agrees that there are too many adhoc calls makes it challenging at times but everyone is looking at new ways to address this by means that of voice messages, recurring calls etc.

- at personal front, finally I get the time for ourselves and have some amazing movie time and family time! We stopped following the media which keeps spitting negative news and only stick to mediums that only share positive news!

- I totally miss visiting my little nephew who is 4 months and try to compensate with video calls! Still nothing can compensate it 😪

- finally, all the zoom calls with my girl gang and other friends, totally worth it 🤩

Well, I guess it’s all about living in NOW rather bothering much about tomorrow during this time and maintain social distancing but ensuring you keep your loved ones closer and focus on your own mental and physical health! I just did a pedicure and facial yesterday and I totally loved it👻

Keep writing Chai! Love 💓
Mili
April 26, 2020 at 11:35 AM
Subhadis said…
Great style of putting different character, probably aging mother and father away from your home, what are they thinking, and what are you thinking about them? That part may be added to compkete indian family scene as that is my biggest worry
April 26, 2020 at 12:42 PM
AJ said…
Hey Chai,

Thought provoking blog! It has been both good and bad for me being locked down at home! In Sg there’s very little you can do unlike bigger countries - hike, swim, beaches, camping, etc. So we miss going out to the malls, watching movies, trying new cuisines, etc.
On the flip side I am spending more time with my wife and enjoying some good home-cooked food and board games!
Ofcourse I do miss wearing my shoes, watches, the shirts I bought before lockdown, etc. harhar!!
April 26, 2020 at 12:53 PM
Chaileo said…
@AJ: Glad to know how your experience has been. We are just like you- love going outdoors for all the things you mentioned, but sine there is no choice at the moment, decided to embrace the change!

I am so happy hearing that boys go through the same feeling of missing to wear their possessions and browse through the wardrobe!
April 26, 2020 at 1:25 PM
Chaileo said…
@Subhadis:

Thank you for your response! I hope your mom stays clam and healthy and worry-less and you get your chance to meet her soon :)
April 26, 2020 at 1:26 PM
Unknown said…
Love it!!! Was so funny to read! I’ll add a mums view: it would be the picture of a mum ignoring the family and frantically looking for the vaccine!
April 26, 2020 at 1:30 PM
Jes said…
It’s funny to read!! I’d another paragraph on behalf of the mums! We would be too busy looking for the vaccine then looking after the family!
April 26, 2020 at 1:32 PM
Chaileo said…
@Jes: ROFL, we should propose to the Singapore govt to show trends of mommies inventing new ways to find the fastest way for a vaccine :D Whoever does find one also deserves a Nobel prize! I miss our training days!
April 26, 2020 at 1:37 PM
Nadeem Shaikh said…
Very well said Chai... Everyone has their own perspective and it's nice to always try finding a positive in everything you face. I am actually looking forward to my this month's credit card statement :)
April 26, 2020 at 3:31 PM
Unknown said…
Yes Chai, adjusting to situations is very good and give peace of mind. That way you can consol your kith and kin also. Need not worry about parents since they are also safe in the native place. Let us pray to almighty to make a peaceful end to thisdangerous situation so that common man can go out for their livelihood
April 26, 2020 at 4:21 PM
Dhanya said…
I feel like I have lot of time to do stuffs and take care of myself but it also made me realise how much I miss my daily routines and catchups..Though we complain about our busy schedules,travel time,traffic, busy streets and the list goes on..I feel without them I am like a impaired person.I personally feel I was more lively and happy when I had a busy schedule than staying relaxed.Also when my travel plan got cancelled and am uncertain about when I will meet my family,it makes it still worst.
April 26, 2020 at 5:16 PM
Chaileo said…
@ Nadeem: Thanks Nadeem :) Good luck to seeing a few zeroes in your next credit card statement!

@Dhanya: I can resonate with your views. The daily routine helped keep us going!
I would say the wait will be worth it. This will all be put behind us soon and we can reunite with our families stronger!
April 26, 2020 at 6:43 PM
Pulse said…
Very creative expression of your feelings! I resonate with your views. It is an unprecedented time and experience for our generation of people. Not so comfortable but not too bad either for me. lot of time for yourself, to reflect, to connect and disconnect with what’s temporary and what’s permanent in life. Lot of family time, for kids . Kids were never so happy and relaxed ever before. Time to do all your creative arts and activities with kids. In routine, with LOVE, we play hide and seek thrice in a day, dance in the evening and exercise together in the morning. Ramayan n Mahabharat are our common tv series that makes whole family sit together, these days. Kitchen has become a place to show the cooking skills for all at home. Enjoy Some or other favorite dishes almost every week. home made healthier options. Everyone in my family is totally loving this time. No complains. All well.
April 27, 2020 at 11:04 AM
Chaileo said…
@Pallavi: So happy to hear you are discovering new ways of spending time with each other and family bonding. I m assuming Love and you are in your home😃 Sounds quite similar to what we are doing here- Ishika exercises with her dad in the morning, she has to do some yoga and Zumba for her online music and dance class from school and plays board games or on her own later in the day😃
April 27, 2020 at 4:08 PM
Arun said…
This is indeed a Good one. Apparently I am having the longest of the vacation I ever had in my lifetime. This started way before the lockdown due to my job change and is still continuing. Day starts with morning tea at 9, late breakfast, Prime/Netflix, then lunch and followed by evening snacks and finally dinner. Also, numerous rounds of Rummy with Dad who's also happy with the fact that house is full of members 😂.

This Just in: My vacation is extended by another 2 weeks. Hope this will be the last in the phase and things get back to normal.

All the best for your future blog posts.
May 1, 2020 at 10:16 PM
Chaileo said…
@Arun: What a cosy holiday you are having! I m super jealous. I love playing cards too and I should do that in my house as well!

I hope the fantastic holiday doesn't last too long for you. I know you are dying to get back to work and save the world, workaholic!
May 2, 2020 at 8:47 AM
Sree said…
Wow.. Good one Chai 😊 Now my situation is a little different. I migrated to Australia and after 5 days bhoom!! the country announced lockdown...after 13yrs of busy work life in India, I am enjoying my holidays in Sydney sitting at home (I should say here it feels more or less like staying in a resort).. Cooking, reading, walking 😁 time is flying..two months over in the new Country...eagerly awaiting relaxation on the restrictions to explore the city, find a job, and get back to busy integrated work life balance...
May 4, 2020 at 8:43 AM
Sree said…
Wow.. Good one Chai �� Now my situation is a little different. I migrated to Australia and after 5 days bhoom!! the country announced lockdown...after 13yrs of busy work life in India, I am enjoying my holidays in Sydney sitting at home (I should say here it feels more or less like staying in a resort).. Cooking, reading, walking �� time is flying..two months over in the new Country...eagerly awaiting relaxation on the restrictions to explore the city, find a job, and get back to busy integrated work life balance...
May 4, 2020 at 8:44 AM
Chaileo said…
@Sreeja: Happy to read about your experience in a new continent and country😃 I know you are desperate to go and explore the new surroundings, culture and lovely cold weather!.I m sure God gave you that much needed 2 month break before sending you out on a wild ride again!
May 4, 2020 at 10:22 AM
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