Washing hands was once the golden rule and now is platinum

Growing up as a kid at home, the message relayed repeatedly by mom was “Wash your hands well with soap”. In school, the nuns and teachers continued to relay this same message. It was the same with ‘look away and cough/sneeze in to your elbow’. It was also the same with using one’s own cups and water bottles and never to use another person’s cup or bottle or pick food from another kid’s lunchbox. 

All these were considered simple acts of etiquette. I learnt that these acts were considered good manners and health habits to carry with me for life.

Well etiquette and all that relaying does fly out, when as kids we are with our buddies in school. We turn wild, crazy wanting to savour the snacks/drinks in each other’s lunch boxes and cups. We had to be one with our group. Trying to be invisible from supervising nuns on disciplinary checks was to be considered later, if we were found out to be doing just what they did not want us to be doing.

On my Girl Guide hikes and camps, I kid you not, the teacher in charges of us relayed these same messages, making us to stop and wash our hands, whenever there was a flowing stream on a hike route. At campfire night, we were supposed to take shower get into clean garb and show up.  It’s not that we didn’t like being clean but rather we get into a world of our own whenever our buddies are there and then rules seem to slip away.

Today sitting socially distanced going on with my daily routine, my head is filled with these notes from the past. The voices of those nuns, teachers, and adults in family all giving that stoned piercing look that simply spelt “clean up” whenever I looked like I needed to be I had to appear’clean’ n their eyes. 

Today we have the gamut of media constantly reminding us to clean up.  In this age of fear and uncertainty each time I wash hands, sanitize or clean up, it’s not the electronic voices I hear, but it’s the those voices I heard as a kid at home, school and girl guide trips. COVID-19 or (let me re-christen it to) C-19 has for sure brought back many memories often linking them with something in the past.  

When these pandemic influenced health practices were first introduced as “must do’s” it  was such a strange thing to hear the simple act of washing hands to be repeatedly broadcast and encouraged over the media. There was even a timing that hands should be washed to the duration of singing ‘happy birthday’. There was even visual images published of the proper way of washing hands and clean up techniques. 

I remember reading these literature hoping to find something new that I never knew about the art of cleaning up. Surprisingly there was nothing new all of it was a rewind and replay from the old school lesson board.

Never did I think that all of these simple acts I followed under supervising eyes, would turn out to be a modern religious ritual, to the extent of being considered a violation of the law, if not properly followed.  

This pandemic is one of a kind, the lessons it has taught me are diverse and intense. To think a microscopic object invisible to the human eye succeeded in taking control of our lives in every way. It is making us do life’s simple things to save ourselves. 

I think in a way if we consider this C-19 menace positively it would build our mental strength to the optimum. How we do this depends if we consider this as another challenge or a blessing in disguise.

boarding the digital bus in the new normal world

 Let’s say one of your parents have decided to learn how to use a mobile phone or a tab. Maybe you have decided that its time they learnt some basic tech skills (I am guessing you had your moments). 

Since most things work in line with mobile technology why should these people be left out ? It would help if they knew how to access a text message , whatapp from a mobile phone, reply, send a message on whatsapp, even  snap a photo and send on whatapp. 

When I refer to parent or parents, I have in mind the generation of senior citizens that had zero access to technology or grew up during an era where hand written letters and taking a telephone call meant walking to the post office.

They are probably in the aged range of >65.  They had gotten so used to this laid back style of doing very simple tasks that they think this is the best way. Such mindsets cannot work around the fact that within three fourths of that time spent doing such simple things, a lot more could be accomplished plus also given time to chill with a nice cup of Ginger Tea and Biscuits.

First it helps to understand how this generation of people did simple things and how they made things work for themselves minus technology influenced methods. 

You need to remember this generation is not familiar with terms such as enter, delete, send, forward etc., In this example I have taken. People from this era virtually have no clue to understand how technology influenced systems are easy and hassle free, how it takes just a couple of minutes to sort utility bill payments online without wasting time in queues or spending a lot of time doing stuff which technology can zip it up in just a few minutes. 

The catch is how would you influence them to want to learn how to use these devices in an emergency or simply help them get closer to the new normal world the we have all  stepped into. 

I know many such people are reluctant simply because they fear these devices, feel its too complicated or just think that the old style is the best and the right way. Some of them have already fallen off the bandwagon. 

But the world is increasingly adopting technology driven systems for everyday life. These people often rely on people from generations after them to things done. But it would help if they were able to do some basic things on their own.

You need to understand what a person from this era and social background understands within their own ‘technology free world’ and then step off your own technology filled world to teach them in getting familiar to use these devices. You need to empty out the style of how you guide your friends to do some things on the pc, mobile phone when they ask you for help. 

Your student is one that does not know anything about texting, reading, forwarding or sending. Where do you begin and how will you take them through in adopting to technology based systems ? 

Its going to be an interesting, humorous and painstaking ride (there is no denial to the levels of tolerance) but these are passengers who cannot be left behind, they need to hop on the digital bus but are we thinking of innovative ways to get these passengers on board ?

 

I miss being with you

at times you are totally relaxed with only a humming noise while coming up to the shore, as if to say I am around,

other times playfully crashing on the shore as if to say here I come,

some days letting the mighty sun paint taped layers of blues and greens on your gigantic canvas of salt water,

On rainy days putting on a drab grey dress and looking all so forlorn,

I have walked along the coast lines of the North, East, South and West of this island,

But have always stopped to take a moment to see you 

and absorb your splendour even for a short time,

I could never get enough of seeing you,

today I can only whizz past you

but every passing second I throw my senses out of the window to catch a glimpse of you,

with the same fondness I will always have for you ❤

You make me marvel at your might and character,

Bold, Energetic and Powerful

Beautiful to the core ❤

Tea & all its glory

my thoughts are sporadic, 

they waiver, 

concentration swaying,

I battle to keep my mind from drifting,

amidst sporadic patterns of being in the present 

and somewhere beyond 

I feel the need for a recharge 

to bring out the best from my creative cells 

and marry them off with crisp copy

Yes !!!  I need a revival 

bring my thoughts back, 

be more focused, 

and accomplish all the assignments 

that stare back at me from my desk

I scoop out the type of tea for the moment and mood,

and let it lie on the bottom of my tea pot.

fill up the kettle with water, power on and let it boil,

afterwards….. the sound of hissing water exhaling fierce fumes

hits the leaves of camellia sinensis 

twirling the tea leaves into a frenzy

the quiet leaves awaken 

and come waltzing merrily in the sizzling water.

minutes later, the leaves detaches with its glorious flavour 

and glues itself to the fiery water that readily takes it all 

flavour, colour and the rest of the combo

while sending out a heavenly aroma out of the spout

that does a brisk walk through my nostrils

jolting the signal towers of my brain 

sending out beepers to my senses

to light up, awaken and savour the glorious brew 

after a well brewed tea travels through me, fills my senses

stamps my soul with nothing short of serenity, bliss 

and a feeling of heaven on earth

my thoughts return, this time with better clarity, 

I am more focused, on, ready and powered 

to string my creative thoughts on those assignments.

Here’s to the brew that cheers, inspires and synchronizes thoughts and actions !

Journey of my avatars

as a toddler, I trial my walking skills

trotting on  pebbles, brisk as I glide

confidently I hop over bigger rocks

I am christened as  Stream.

 my walk graduates to a run,

I go over rocks whizz in full force in open spaces

I feel like there’s no stopping me

until a bigger and widening mass appears before me

I am now a teenager restless to venture beyond experiment 

minus the limits or barriers

I have turned a river.

I keep racing, ending up in an estuary,

the air turns pungent and ground brackish,

If I chose to cease my journey here,

I would be named lagoon

A part of me breaks away and takes a different turn,

I am present in both,

and in here I max-slide a hill

Letting out the loudest glee as I cascade down with the rest

As a spray of my whole being circulates in the air

My name now is waterfall

But, another part of me choose to keep racing

I arrive to what seem like a noisier galaxy

I feel like I have conquered the universe,

as I stare at the wider mass,

trying to fathom where does it end,

I am now ocean,

I dance like a ballerina

Land on the still foliage

lying until the creatures come by

moisten the flora,

give them the morning wake up call

My name is dew drops

 

I fall in a drizzle, to refresh and nourish a thirsty earth

frogs dance on lotus leaves welcoming me with a croaking melody

earth welcomes me with 

all its creatures relieved at the sudden revival

I am raindrops.

Dark swollen clouds spit me out to earth

I crash down with force, with all my might

snarling, swirling, thrashing in extreme rage

none are spared,

I wash them away from  their habitats,

homeless beings, now hopeless

I am no more a lazy droplet, but rainstorm

I toss and churn, surf high

Sieve and detoxify the ocean bed, 

make healthier breeding nurseries for marine life

I feel energetic, powerful as I am

pulled and pushed by the mighty trio-sun, moon and earth

I am high tide waves.

I sit around being the cooling shield for the planet

Hardened, lying on mountains, lakes and anywhere that suits me,

accompanied by creatures who make their habitat wherever I am

White, Glistening under a weak ray of sunlight, but bold and hard

I am Glacier.

Crystalised I float in flakes, powder and dust,

Gracing the once green, brown landscape turning it white,

Turning some spots into  play areas, transforming into toys

Created, played, cleaned and shoveled by beings

My name is Snow

At first I lie still

but with the rising heat,

I spew, hiss and throw steam out of a whistling spout

At boiling point, I sail through a spout to complete the perfect brew

Boiled is prefixed to my name

with each changing form, my garb is different,

colourless at times, rebellious or still when it matters,

I am quiet, swift, gentle or electrifying,

my life cycle and journey is

endless, ceaseless and priceless

Water is my family name