Things I’m learning while Quarantined

Okay, before you judge me, let me acknowledge my privilege, and how lucky I am to have a roof over my head, the resources to get me through these months, and the opportunity to stay safely home during this period.

BUT, this is my blog, with all of 5 readers (this is a slight exaggeration of course, it’s probably 2 readers), and here I can be as air-headed and selfish as possible. Bwahahaha.

So here are some things I’m learning, in my highly privileged position, these days:

1. Pril > Vim bar. With the sudden task of washing utensils three times a day (I mean, how do we even eat so much?!), I was having nightmares about those ads in the 90s showing hands washed with regular dish soap vs. some superior dish soap. And I never thought I’d say this, but the crying skin on my hands thanked me the day I managed to get my hands on a bottle of Pril. My hands are now back to their regular criss-crossed weird state, without skin peeling off like a dangerous fungal infection.
2. Yoga is bliss. I’ve tried out a lot of different forms of home exercise, and there are some great resources available online. But at a time when stress and anxiety levels are at an all time high, nothing can quite calm you down (and stretch you out) like yoga. (So what if I still collapse in that weird chin-down-butt-up step of the suryanamaskar… I collapse in a calming manner, okay?)
3. Our cleaning maid is a superhero. So one day I got a little enthu and decided to do jhadoo + pocha of the entire house. I of course use the term ‘entire house’ rather loosely here – given that our entire Mumbai apartment can fit into most Delhi homes’ living room. I have never sweat so much in any cardio session. My ass and thighs were screaming murder half way through. I skipped yoga the next day and spent most of it exhausted in bed. HOW DO THEY DO THIS EVERY DAY IN MULTIPLE HOUSES?! I mean, unless she magically turns into The Hulk and throws around the mop and water powerfully everywhere, how is this even possible?
4. Time management is tougher than it looks. I am genuinely jealous (and super curious) about all these people who are getting bored and coming up with different challenges / ways to get through the day. I mean, HOW DO YOU HAVE ANY TIME TO GET BORED? By the time I’m finished with office work + cooking + jhadoo + pocha + bartan, all I can think of doing is crashing on my bed. My Netflix consumption has actually gone down in this period. I don’t need your lists of the 100 best films / shows / books and where to find them. Get me the how-to-make-a-meal-in-5-minutes list instead. And if it has impossible-to-source ingredients like baby corn, zucchini or cream cheese, I swear I’ll strangle you. In some weird socially-distanced way.
5. For your marriage to survive, go into the kitchen one at a time. Nothing good can come out of giving each other advice on how to cook or cut veggies. Trust me.
6. Nothing beats not wearing a bra. It just doesn’t. This is how we were meant to be. Also un-groomed. Like why would you even care if you’re hairy and your boobs are supported when the world around you is coming to an end?
7. Coffee is still bae. Dalgona, or phitti hui. Frothy or black. Whether it’s insta-worthy or worth the sly sip – it’s still that one cup in my day that I absolutely look forward to. And sigh after every flavourful steaming sip.