Readers' Forum
Corona coping
I like my husband’s joke about the whole coronavirus thing: "Most ‘Made in China’ products are not known to last for long. But the coronavirus has defied this theory.”
While I and many others may rant and rave, in reality we are coming to terms with the lockdown, social distancing, masks and more. Because, the bottom line is that what cannot be cured has to be endured. And the sooner we adapt to it the faster we can move ahead.
The coronavirus has kindled the dormant kindness, helpfulness and generosity towards the less fortunate in many. In the early stages of the virus, when factories and work places were closing down, millions of migrant workers tried to return to their homes and villages. In Nagpur I saw hundreds of citizens, with dozens of Parsis and close family members amongst them, helping migrant laborers by distributing food packets to them on the trains passing through as well as by paying for private taxis and buses to transport them. It was an outpouring of sympathy, money, time and effort that had to be seen to be believed.
"Online” is the new buzzword for everyday functioning, working, studying and socializing. One advantage is that while working one doesn’t have to be dressed waist down! A smart shirt, jacket or top and well groomed hair can suffice. For the rest, one can be in dheelo dhalo, raat no payjamo ne sapat (relaxed in pyjamas and slippers)!
So many friends I have spoken to have found new interests to pursue or have taken up old hobbies that had remained neglected over the years. Cooking and reading are on top of the list for many. Cousin Ava Khullar in Delhi, always an avid reader but more so now, told me of two books, Era of Darkness by Shashi Tharoor and Anarchy by William Dalrymple that she had just read. "Both books were brilliant and have opened up a new understanding of the rape of India under British rule,” she said.
Naushad, our son, always liked to potter around in the kitchen. But now his interest and commitment are reaching out worldwide via a Facebook page called PER (Parsis Exchange Recipes). "If I go to any part of the world where there are Parsis connected to PER, I am sure I will be invited for a meal. We have forged such good friendships.”
With the cooking and cleaning staff of most households not able to come to work, many men have become staunch BJP (Bartan, Jharu, Pocha) workers!
Crosswords, Sudoku and reading the newspapers from end to end, have engrossed countless. With little likelihood of going out for our weekly Scrabble and coffee mornings because of "Caro Na,” I have devoted myself to a long overdue task: cleaning a cabinet stuffed to bursting point with old newspapers and magazines.
The first magazine I started writing for was Signature, though that may have been because it was published for Diners Club which was run by my cousin Perveez Aggarwal and her husband Shamsunder. I then began writing for Parsiana. This was some 25 odd years ago. My first cover story was titled "The Bapunas of Nagpur.” Since then, I had preserved in full, every newspaper and magazine that I had written for over the years. The absurdity of preserving a 50-page magazine for a two-page write-up was finally overcome by me as I pulled out my articles and stored them in files! As a result I had kilos of raddi (waste)paper to sell and loads more space in my cabinet. Thank you corona for giving me the wisdom and the time to do this!
Ready for the last corona joke that my husband loves to share? "I practice social distancing very staunchly. When we are going out anywhere, I drive the car and my wife runs behind!”
DILNAVAZ E. BHAGWAGAR
Nagpur
diledul@yahoo.com
While I and many others may rant and rave, in reality we are coming to terms with the lockdown, social distancing, masks and more. Because, the bottom line is that what cannot be cured has to be endured. And the sooner we adapt to it the faster we can move ahead.
The coronavirus has kindled the dormant kindness, helpfulness and generosity towards the less fortunate in many. In the early stages of the virus, when factories and work places were closing down, millions of migrant workers tried to return to their homes and villages. In Nagpur I saw hundreds of citizens, with dozens of Parsis and close family members amongst them, helping migrant laborers by distributing food packets to them on the trains passing through as well as by paying for private taxis and buses to transport them. It was an outpouring of sympathy, money, time and effort that had to be seen to be believed.
"Online” is the new buzzword for everyday functioning, working, studying and socializing. One advantage is that while working one doesn’t have to be dressed waist down! A smart shirt, jacket or top and well groomed hair can suffice. For the rest, one can be in dheelo dhalo, raat no payjamo ne sapat (relaxed in pyjamas and slippers)!
So many friends I have spoken to have found new interests to pursue or have taken up old hobbies that had remained neglected over the years. Cooking and reading are on top of the list for many. Cousin Ava Khullar in Delhi, always an avid reader but more so now, told me of two books, Era of Darkness by Shashi Tharoor and Anarchy by William Dalrymple that she had just read. "Both books were brilliant and have opened up a new understanding of the rape of India under British rule,” she said.
Naushad, our son, always liked to potter around in the kitchen. But now his interest and commitment are reaching out worldwide via a Facebook page called PER (Parsis Exchange Recipes). "If I go to any part of the world where there are Parsis connected to PER, I am sure I will be invited for a meal. We have forged such good friendships.”
With the cooking and cleaning staff of most households not able to come to work, many men have become staunch BJP (Bartan, Jharu, Pocha) workers!
Crosswords, Sudoku and reading the newspapers from end to end, have engrossed countless. With little likelihood of going out for our weekly Scrabble and coffee mornings because of "Caro Na,” I have devoted myself to a long overdue task: cleaning a cabinet stuffed to bursting point with old newspapers and magazines.
The first magazine I started writing for was Signature, though that may have been because it was published for Diners Club which was run by my cousin Perveez Aggarwal and her husband Shamsunder. I then began writing for Parsiana. This was some 25 odd years ago. My first cover story was titled "The Bapunas of Nagpur.” Since then, I had preserved in full, every newspaper and magazine that I had written for over the years. The absurdity of preserving a 50-page magazine for a two-page write-up was finally overcome by me as I pulled out my articles and stored them in files! As a result I had kilos of raddi (waste)paper to sell and loads more space in my cabinet. Thank you corona for giving me the wisdom and the time to do this!
Ready for the last corona joke that my husband loves to share? "I practice social distancing very staunchly. When we are going out anywhere, I drive the car and my wife runs behind!”
DILNAVAZ E. BHAGWAGAR
Nagpur
diledul@yahoo.com
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