Hello everyone!
I hope all of you are fine and are trying to cope up with the stress of the lockdown. It's already 6th of this month and its 9 more days until this lockdown. The past 48 hours have been a little surprising for me as I have been able to enjoy my time in the lockdown. It all started with my last blog for which I got quite a few positive responses. Some of my readers actually loved my idea of avoiding social media for a few days and told me that they would implement the same. Apart from that great news I also have gone through a change of environment from my monotonous schedule of the lockdown. First, I have been able to cope up with my studies as a final year student should. When you have a habit of reading, learning and working throughout your life and suddenly your daily schedule is disturbed it makes you a little mad. I think the same phenomenon was happening to me to which I confused with chaos in my mind. Maybe it was no confusion or chaos but the feeling of not being able to be productive, even when I had a lot of time on my hands.
The second thing which made me so happy was the hailstorm which we had in the evening. When I went for a run I was not expecting any kind of rain as the skies were as clear as they had been for the past few days. The summer heat had taken a toll for the past one week meaning that humidity combined with increasing temperature was just too irritating for me. I belong to a place where the relative humidity is almost 10%. So it becomes a little difficult for me to stay in Bangalore especially in the months of April and May. These are the two months when we face a very short but humid heatwave in Bangalore. Obviously, my data is based on the past 3 years when I have been here but a view can be given by a person who has been here for a longer period of time. Still, I maintain that Bangalore faces the heatwave for a maximum of 3 months starting from March and going till June. So when I went for a run today I was of the view that - 'As I have decided to go for a run or for strengthening exercises after every 48 hours, I should complete at least 6 miles before I come back'.
When I run I make sure that I do all the warm-up exercises and after doing those, the first half-mile of my run is pretty slow so all my muscles in my body have increased circulation and my heart is ready to increase its beat gradually complimenting my run. During that half-mile, I felt cold droplets falling on my face from the clear skies. Within a few minutes, I could see black skies above my head and the speed and the size of those droplets of water started increasing with a steep drop in temperature. It was a relief as I welcomed the rain with open arms. After my warm-up run for one whole mile the rain started to increase gradually and the soil beneath my feet started giving that the earthy smell which all of us have adored at some point in our life. Although I have no qualms in training in pouring rain still I prefer that I finished my run just before the rain starts.
As destiny would have it I could not do it today. After completion of the first 1.5 miles, I suddenly felt hail storm starting. I could feel small pieces of ice falling on my egg-shaped head and trying to break it. As I am also a human my first reaction was that I had to look for shelter so that I don't get hit by big pieces of hailstones dropping from the sky. While I ran towards shelter I thought what would happen if bigger hailstones started falling from the sky. The maximum it could do was hurt me a little until I found a shelter to hide. So I gambled a little and took the risk of continuing to run. My gamble paid off. Today I had the first run (of my life) in a hailstorm. I have no words to describe this experience. There were so many things happening together that if broken down into pieces that experience loses its charm. Let me try to put it for you. The first and one of the best feelings which I had was of pure filtered water pouring down on me as if I am standing just below a cold shower trying to cleanse me. Then I had that fresh smell of recently wet soil in my nares. Both these feelings were accompanied with a will and determination to at least defy the hailstorm and keep on running. There were times when I slipped when I could not pick up my feet high enough to take the next step as I was running in almost muddy soil. Then there was the challenge given by constant lightning. Usually, we are scared of lightning. But today was special for me because I have been afraid cautious and a little vary of this pandemic. So I thought that that was the time to not be afraid. That was the time to do something which I was not expected to do. I know to some of you it might come as a shock or thought which is a little immature but I just lost my control today. Losing control does not mean that I risk my life or do something which I am not supposed to do in these times but just losing the superego which bounds and makes us morally correct. Today's evening was the time for my id and it dictated me to just run. Do not think of anything or anyone related to you but just run. As it commanded I went on. I kept on going for 4 miles a distance after which it became increasingly difficult to stay stable on the ground making me realise that it was time to let go of my id and let a balance sustain between my superego and it.
I completed a wonderful 4 miles in 38 minutes and I would say it was the happiest day in the past two weeks. Apart from these two experiences I also had a training session on donning and doffing of personal protective equipment to be used while we are posted in COVID-19 screening clinic. I also remember having a funny conversation with one of my friends trying to tell her that when I feel that I do not have any topic or material to discuss for my blog people in India do some wonderful things and give me a lot to discuss. Yes, you are right I am talking about the lighting of firecrackers instead of a lamp and giving respect to healthcare workers, sanitation workers and all other people were working at the front line to fight the pandemic in our country. Sometimes I feel that I am surrounded by stupid people. But obviously, a nation of 1.3 billion cannot be stupid. Thinking a little bit about it, I have come to the conclusion that what people do in this country is just out of frustration and the fear of unknown. There is so much economic distress in our country that even a well-renowned ex RBI governor has said that we have to make sure that the economic setbacks of this country are taken care of as if not then people will have a shortage of money and food in their homes in the period of lockdown and will be forced to come out. So in these prevailing conditions when my Prime Minister asks me to light a candle as a sign of unity I am happy to do that but I'm also sad to see that nothing is being done in action but only words.
For a fact, the testing capacity of our country has increased with the number of labs being given permission to do the test for COVID-19 and also the introduction of some new rapid kits in the market. Still, I feel that we lack a lot of basic things like a relief for farmers, relief for non-salaried persons, increasing rate of unemployment, increasing rate of distrust and frustration in the citizens of this country. During these 48 hours, I also had a conversation with one of my friends in which he pointed out that we should not take the name of specific communities, religion or people while we talk about what they have done for betterment or worsening of the situation in this present pandemic. Although, I totally agree to his point of view as giving out names leads to Xenophobia still I feel as a doctor I have the right to know which community or area has got an extra number of cases in the circulation because it is very important in regards to the history according to which we actually decide if a person goes for screening or not. In case I do not take specific history pointing out specific things there are chances of missing those cases which can go back in circulation in the community and spread the virus at a very high rate. We had a very sober discussion in which he understood what I was trying to say and I understood his point of view too. So, guys, these are the things which I have done in the last 48 hours. I hope you liked reading them and will also share your point of view or experiences with me in the comment section or personally in the messages. Meet you on the 15th. Be safe.
When I run I make sure that I do all the warm-up exercises and after doing those, the first half-mile of my run is pretty slow so all my muscles in my body have increased circulation and my heart is ready to increase its beat gradually complimenting my run. During that half-mile, I felt cold droplets falling on my face from the clear skies. Within a few minutes, I could see black skies above my head and the speed and the size of those droplets of water started increasing with a steep drop in temperature. It was a relief as I welcomed the rain with open arms. After my warm-up run for one whole mile the rain started to increase gradually and the soil beneath my feet started giving that the earthy smell which all of us have adored at some point in our life. Although I have no qualms in training in pouring rain still I prefer that I finished my run just before the rain starts.
As destiny would have it I could not do it today. After completion of the first 1.5 miles, I suddenly felt hail storm starting. I could feel small pieces of ice falling on my egg-shaped head and trying to break it. As I am also a human my first reaction was that I had to look for shelter so that I don't get hit by big pieces of hailstones dropping from the sky. While I ran towards shelter I thought what would happen if bigger hailstones started falling from the sky. The maximum it could do was hurt me a little until I found a shelter to hide. So I gambled a little and took the risk of continuing to run. My gamble paid off. Today I had the first run (of my life) in a hailstorm. I have no words to describe this experience. There were so many things happening together that if broken down into pieces that experience loses its charm. Let me try to put it for you. The first and one of the best feelings which I had was of pure filtered water pouring down on me as if I am standing just below a cold shower trying to cleanse me. Then I had that fresh smell of recently wet soil in my nares. Both these feelings were accompanied with a will and determination to at least defy the hailstorm and keep on running. There were times when I slipped when I could not pick up my feet high enough to take the next step as I was running in almost muddy soil. Then there was the challenge given by constant lightning. Usually, we are scared of lightning. But today was special for me because I have been afraid cautious and a little vary of this pandemic. So I thought that that was the time to not be afraid. That was the time to do something which I was not expected to do. I know to some of you it might come as a shock or thought which is a little immature but I just lost my control today. Losing control does not mean that I risk my life or do something which I am not supposed to do in these times but just losing the superego which bounds and makes us morally correct. Today's evening was the time for my id and it dictated me to just run. Do not think of anything or anyone related to you but just run. As it commanded I went on. I kept on going for 4 miles a distance after which it became increasingly difficult to stay stable on the ground making me realise that it was time to let go of my id and let a balance sustain between my superego and it.
I completed a wonderful 4 miles in 38 minutes and I would say it was the happiest day in the past two weeks. Apart from these two experiences I also had a training session on donning and doffing of personal protective equipment to be used while we are posted in COVID-19 screening clinic. I also remember having a funny conversation with one of my friends trying to tell her that when I feel that I do not have any topic or material to discuss for my blog people in India do some wonderful things and give me a lot to discuss. Yes, you are right I am talking about the lighting of firecrackers instead of a lamp and giving respect to healthcare workers, sanitation workers and all other people were working at the front line to fight the pandemic in our country. Sometimes I feel that I am surrounded by stupid people. But obviously, a nation of 1.3 billion cannot be stupid. Thinking a little bit about it, I have come to the conclusion that what people do in this country is just out of frustration and the fear of unknown. There is so much economic distress in our country that even a well-renowned ex RBI governor has said that we have to make sure that the economic setbacks of this country are taken care of as if not then people will have a shortage of money and food in their homes in the period of lockdown and will be forced to come out. So in these prevailing conditions when my Prime Minister asks me to light a candle as a sign of unity I am happy to do that but I'm also sad to see that nothing is being done in action but only words.
For a fact, the testing capacity of our country has increased with the number of labs being given permission to do the test for COVID-19 and also the introduction of some new rapid kits in the market. Still, I feel that we lack a lot of basic things like a relief for farmers, relief for non-salaried persons, increasing rate of unemployment, increasing rate of distrust and frustration in the citizens of this country. During these 48 hours, I also had a conversation with one of my friends in which he pointed out that we should not take the name of specific communities, religion or people while we talk about what they have done for betterment or worsening of the situation in this present pandemic. Although, I totally agree to his point of view as giving out names leads to Xenophobia still I feel as a doctor I have the right to know which community or area has got an extra number of cases in the circulation because it is very important in regards to the history according to which we actually decide if a person goes for screening or not. In case I do not take specific history pointing out specific things there are chances of missing those cases which can go back in circulation in the community and spread the virus at a very high rate. We had a very sober discussion in which he understood what I was trying to say and I understood his point of view too. So, guys, these are the things which I have done in the last 48 hours. I hope you liked reading them and will also share your point of view or experiences with me in the comment section or personally in the messages. Meet you on the 15th. Be safe.
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