Quarantine Times and the year so far

Damn! What a year 2020 is turning out to be. It’s just been one whammy after another: some good, some not so good. Since December, I have stopped giving the usual monthly updates I used to. I was looking at my blog stats, and it seemed nobody was reading those posts 😆 and so I gave it up.

I realized, though, that I underestimated the positive benefits of journaling. It makes me happy reading my monthly updates, and it is a nice way for me to look back and see where I was or what I was thinking at a particular point in time.

And so I bring back some personal updates – for now.

What I’m thinking

My head has been in a weird space all year. This year has been so disruptive on every front – health (Covid), civil rights (Black Lives matter, and so many more), hate speech (need I say more?), environment (forest fires, hornets, locusts) – it feels like I am living a plot in some YA dystopia!

I try to detach sometimes because of the utter helplessness I feel, but I’m just not able to. Reading has always been a way of escape for me, but this year even that hasn’t worked.

Which is bothering me, really. I’ve been a reader all my life – it’s something that has been part and parcel of me since my early childhood. If I’m no longer a reader, what am I? I’m still struggling with this answer. A reading slump of a few months no longer seems like a slump.

I am also struggling with the fact that my kids are growing up. For the past 13 years, my routine has included feeding, bathing, and all-around caretaking. With Piglet growing older and more independent, I feel a little lost and unsure what to do with the extra time I have on my hands.

This is a double whammy! Now that I actually have time to read, it seems I no longer have the same inclination?

Yeah! So, I have been in a bit of a funk this whole year.

But with quarantine and lockdown, things have actually been looking up. I’m naturally quite introverted and enjoy being alone, and it’s been nice spending more time with the kids and hubby and taking a natural reset.

What I’m doing

I was in a very unhealthy place at the start of the year, but with quarantine/lockdown, things have been improving. I’ve been eating healthier and getting fitter.

All these health changes have actually made me feel better than at the start of the year. Sigh! Now, if I could only stay off social media a bit and bring back my focus on reading, or at least develop another interesting hobby that’s suitable for quarantine and lockdown times.

Because of the lockdown, there have been no helpers around the house – so a lot of time is spent cooking, cleaning, and keeping the kids entertained. I have to say I actually liked getting more hands-on with the food.

Here are some of the curries I made. It was so satisfying to see the kids enjoy everything I cooked and ask for more.

I’ve also been enjoying some of the things K and Snubnose have been preparing for me. K got heavily into cocktails during the lockdown, and Snubnose has been experimenting with Dalgona coffee. And I’ve been enjoying the benefits of their enthusiasm.

I regained my blogging mojo a bit. I’ve always found a change of theme, some back-end tinkering, and voila, I feel like writing again. This time, just a few small tweaks, and my blog looks as good as new! I am pleased with the design now, and it displays my photos really well.

I also did a travel video. I’m usually very unmotivated when it comes to making videos. Horrible thing to say since I work in that domain. I always have heaps of video footage; I even make some videos but feel too self-conscious putting it out there.

Anyway, the video’s done (a vlog about our holiday last year in Phuket). It’s not perfect, but I went ahead and uploaded it to YouTube. It’s also on my blog’s home page (to motivate me to make more videos).

Where I’ve been

I had planned a solo backpacker-style trip to Peru and booked my travel dates in late Feb. All Jan, I watched in alarm as the Covid numbers continued to increase. But the virus seemed to be contained within China, and so I continued my trip planning.

Finally, Feb 16 rolled around, and armed with a mask and gloves; I set off for the airport. My flight from Bangalore had a stopover in Paris; my return flight had multiple stops – Panama City, Amsterdam, and New Delhi – so I wanted to be extra careful.

My trip to Peru ended up being a complete joy. I loved exploring every bit of this beautiful country. I really hope that I get to revisit South America.

I’ve blogged in detail about Machu Picchu, Cusco, Lima, and Lake Titicaca, but more posts are still on the cards. I haven’t yet unpacked everything about this once-in-a-lifetime trip. Here are some memorable photos from the trip.

Swipe right for more pics.

This is probably the last trip I take in a long time, so it’s an extra-special one for me.

What I’ve watched

Quarantine and lockdown have meant that Netflix has ruled the roost around my house. Some of the shows I watched:

• Season 2 of Narcos Mexico – Excellent as expected. It was a little more showmanship than I expected or wanted. But I still liked it. Who knew that what I needed was to see El Chapo dancing to The Eye of the Tiger or Pacho Herrera taking down Felix? Epic shit!
• Seasons 1 and 2 of Dead to me – I wouldn’t call this series epic, but it was fun. Typical binge-watching fare. Every episode ended on a cliffhanger, and I just couldn’t wait to find out what was going to happen. Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini were absolutely raw in their acting. Also, watching James Marsden play a bad/good guy (twins) was so much fun! These kind of plots are typical Bollywood fare, and seeing Hollywood roll with it is amusing.
• Season 1 of Sweet Magnolias – I didn’t enjoy this all that much. It was a little too treacly sweet for me. Still I kept watching the first season, and depending on my mood will watch future seasons as well.
• American Hustle – This is the only movie I watched during the lockdown. Quite nice! I liked it for the acting and costumes. But I didn’t like the ending. It was pretty flat, and the story could have been more taut or thrilling. Also, none of the main characters were likable, and to like a movie, I need to be able to root for somebody.

The family

The kids are doing great so far this year. They are actually enjoying their quarantine. Sure, they were disappointed to miss out on our planned summer vacation. But the bonus is that they didn’t have to write their final exams!

My daughter has lovely friends who live close by, she talks to her classmates on the phone every day, and she even has some zoom parties planned. All good!

My son was a little lonely at first. However, recently a new family with young kids moved next door, and he now has a best friend. They spend all day in and out of each other’s houses and are as happy as clams.

K’s work has taken a bit of a hit, as his work demands a certain amount of in-person interactions everywhere. But other than that, he’s been good.

So yeah, while the bigger picture (economy, lost jobs, etc.) remains worrying, there have been smaller, sweeter domestic joys.

So what’s next?

I don’t know. I am still here, still blogging. Of late, it’s been more of travel posts than book posts. Most of the book reviews I have posted recently have been of books I read before Feb. I still have a backlog of reviews pending, and hopefully, by then, I would have finished my current book that’s taking ages to finish (A Perfect Spy by John LeCarré). It started a bit slow and meandering, but I have faith in Mr. LeCarré. I need to keep plugging through the slump.

So, that’s my mid-year update for you. How has 2020 been like for you? How have you been dealing with all these major changes around the world?