The only way to stay connected post the first lockdown, and social distancing,
was via social media viz. whatsapp, twitter, facebook, Instagram etc.
I was trying to recall what all transpired on all these media in the past 4 months - I am on 2 family, 2 college, 2 alumni school, 3 office, 1 school (daughter's) and 1 society whatsapp groups.
School group-
>> Is the school open tomorrow? No, they declared holidays till Fri. Summer vacation begins Mon.
Family group 1-
>> Covid-19 spread from China because someone ate an infected bat. This had been known years ago, even a Hollywood movie was made about it!
Family group 2 -
>> Importance of sanitizers, soap, hand washing, masks
Family group 3 -
>> Video of car exploding because the driver sanitized hands with sanitizer before starting the ignition
>> Salt water gargling, steam, tulsi tea, neti, Coronil, Arsenic album, Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, Becozinc, Vitamin C, garlic, ginger, turmeric for immunity boosting
Office group -
>> This is all planned as a bio-war by China. They want to kill the US economy. Is there a WFH for us? How long is it for?
>> Business continuity planning(BCP), crisis management team (CMT) established
>> They should continue with the board exams, its so unfair, kids have been studying all year
Friend group -
>> US and UK friends have seen the peak already. Full of advice for their India friends. Videos of folks stranded outside India on how they are surviving
Society group -
>> Instructions for lockdown, do not go out without masks. Instructions for milk, paper distribution, parcel receipt, vegetable vendor availability etc.
>> I am ordering mangoes in bulk, let me know who all wants to order. The person is a friend, hygiene is taken care of
>> Are you paying the maids?
Twitter -
>> Discussions on how the disease spread in all the countries. How lax US, UK and Italy were in containing it and how well China curbed it.
>> How irresponsible of the MP, and Kanika, to attend/host parties after traveling back from abroad? They managed to infect so many?
>> How irresponsible to assemble in large numbers at mosques, churches, temples? Close down all the religious places
>> Modiji addressed the nation so well. Felt so good to complete the pay-tribute-to-doctors and light-a-candle tasks. The day and time was chosen inline with astrology too. We are in safe hands.
Facebook -
>> Dalgona Coffee, Sari challenge, travel pic challenge, recipe challenge,
>> Books, Netflix, Doordarshan recommendations, discussions, reviews
>> How to do eyebrows at home, easy haircut and coloring
Instagram
>> Pics of self made food, kitchen garden, nostalgic travel, family pics, sky, rains, scenery captured from behind closed doors
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Online classes to begin from Mon, Have you installed MS Teams? How do I login?
>> Puzzles, games, apps
>> Mango van stopped due to intercity commute blockage. Mangoes delayed by a week.
>> Containment zones, color coding of areas, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad are the worst! How are you guys coping? We are leaving for our hometowns - you take care
>> Online classes for yoga, meditation, kathak, bharat natyam, chess, music, drawing, sketching, Japanese, coding
>> YouTube recipe channels by friends, family and sundry acquaintances
>> Are you still paying the maids?
>> Please do not chat in private groups, kids!
>> How to sanitize groceries, parcels, clothes
>> Anyone have a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle?
>> Lets meet on Zoom over the weekend. Please ensure that elders are on video too.
>> How do I set up PayTm, G-Pay, mobile banking on my phone?
>> Watch parties - storytelling, music, talent, yoga, spiritual talks
>> Are you still paying the maids?
>> Endless webinars on reviving economy, upskilling in latest skills, emotional well being
>> Baking a cake is a MUST else pandemic will not end
>> Brooms, mops, vacuum cleaners, robotic cleaners, dishwashers in demand
>> No newspapers, no maids/drivers, no sweepers allowed. You have to dump your trash at the pre-destined location, collect milk at the main gate
>> WFH extended by another month. Oh, I miss my office, when can I go to office? I miss my office chair
>> I miss the school and my classmates. Its hard to follow what the teacher is saying, many times someone mutes her
>> Did the Italians go through all this too ? Boy, did the Americans mess up big time.
>> I am ordering fruits, vegetables, grocery boxes, dairy and bakery items. Interested folks, please DM me.
>> Unlock 1 : Let the maids, sweepers come. We cannot cope anymore. We want to order food.
>> Will the schools be reducing fee for this year? Transportation, facilities and cafeteria fees should be pardoned for sure.
>> Lets install sanitization booths, temperature guns and enforce masks. Let us restrict visitors though.
>> I am having network issues, ma'am. Can you repeat?
>> Travel passes between cities, OTP for visitors
>> Elaborate sketches, coloring, photography - what art!
>> xyz maid was not wearing mask today. Please ensure your maids wear masks.
>> WFH extended one more time. Horrible pain in neck and back.
>> Those poor migrant workers. The government should have thought about them
>> Cyclones, floods, locusts
>> How to recognize early symptoms?
>> George Floyd, racism, black lives matter
>> Power cut at my place, cannot come online
>> Anyone needs anything from Nature's basket? I am stopping by today.
>> Are you happy with these online classes? I am not too sure.
>> Are you allowing your maid to knead the dough? I do it myself and when she is in kitchen, all of us withdraw into the bedroom
>> Riots everywhere, film stars dying or committing suicide, celebrities testing Covid-19 positive
>> Nature is thriving, dolphins observed in Venice lake, flamingoes in Navi Mumbai, wild animals take to the deserted roads in North India
>> Cases are rising, these police and politicians are corrupt
>> Real numbers of Covid test not being revealed.
>> Flights and trains are running, people are traveling, parlors are open finally
>> Migrant workers are the reason the disease is spreading everywhere.
>> How to make attractive yet practical masks?
>> Mental health awareness, clinical depression, are you talking to your loved ones often?
>> Work, work, work
>> Started home catering business. Here is the brochure, taking orders from tomorrow
>> Bored, bored, bored
>> Started counseling from home. Call me for any issues you have
>> We have all sinned, collective karma caught up. Pray, pray, pray
>> Eat, eat, eat
>> Our next door neighbor tested +ve. Oh is it? Lets not go out into the lobby.
>> So many died of Covid - it will happen to all of us one day.
>> Lets ban all Chinese goods, delete Chinese apps and stop eating Chinese food
>> Silence, silence, silence; ignore, ignore, delete.
And so it goes on. Life continues on its roller coaster, uncertain path.
I was trying to recall what all transpired on all these media in the past 4 months - I am on 2 family, 2 college, 2 alumni school, 3 office, 1 school (daughter's) and 1 society whatsapp groups.
School group-
>> Is the school open tomorrow? No, they declared holidays till Fri. Summer vacation begins Mon.
Family group 1-
>> Covid-19 spread from China because someone ate an infected bat. This had been known years ago, even a Hollywood movie was made about it!
Family group 2 -
>> Importance of sanitizers, soap, hand washing, masks
Family group 3 -
>> Video of car exploding because the driver sanitized hands with sanitizer before starting the ignition
>> Salt water gargling, steam, tulsi tea, neti, Coronil, Arsenic album, Hydroxychloroquine, Remdesivir, Becozinc, Vitamin C, garlic, ginger, turmeric for immunity boosting
Office group -
>> This is all planned as a bio-war by China. They want to kill the US economy. Is there a WFH for us? How long is it for?
>> Business continuity planning(BCP), crisis management team (CMT) established
>> They should continue with the board exams, its so unfair, kids have been studying all year
Friend group -
>> US and UK friends have seen the peak already. Full of advice for their India friends. Videos of folks stranded outside India on how they are surviving
Society group -
>> Instructions for lockdown, do not go out without masks. Instructions for milk, paper distribution, parcel receipt, vegetable vendor availability etc.
>> I am ordering mangoes in bulk, let me know who all wants to order. The person is a friend, hygiene is taken care of
>> Are you paying the maids?
Twitter -
>> Discussions on how the disease spread in all the countries. How lax US, UK and Italy were in containing it and how well China curbed it.
>> How irresponsible of the MP, and Kanika, to attend/host parties after traveling back from abroad? They managed to infect so many?
>> How irresponsible to assemble in large numbers at mosques, churches, temples? Close down all the religious places
>> Modiji addressed the nation so well. Felt so good to complete the pay-tribute-to-doctors and light-a-candle tasks. The day and time was chosen inline with astrology too. We are in safe hands.
Facebook -
>> Dalgona Coffee, Sari challenge, travel pic challenge, recipe challenge,
>> Books, Netflix, Doordarshan recommendations, discussions, reviews
>> How to do eyebrows at home, easy haircut and coloring
>> Pics of self made food, kitchen garden, nostalgic travel, family pics, sky, rains, scenery captured from behind closed doors
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Online classes to begin from Mon, Have you installed MS Teams? How do I login?
>> Puzzles, games, apps
>> Mango van stopped due to intercity commute blockage. Mangoes delayed by a week.
>> Containment zones, color coding of areas, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad are the worst! How are you guys coping? We are leaving for our hometowns - you take care
>> Online classes for yoga, meditation, kathak, bharat natyam, chess, music, drawing, sketching, Japanese, coding
>> YouTube recipe channels by friends, family and sundry acquaintances
>> Are you still paying the maids?
>> Please do not chat in private groups, kids!
>> How to sanitize groceries, parcels, clothes
>> Anyone have a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle?
>> Lets meet on Zoom over the weekend. Please ensure that elders are on video too.
>> How do I set up PayTm, G-Pay, mobile banking on my phone?
>> Watch parties - storytelling, music, talent, yoga, spiritual talks
>> Are you still paying the maids?
>> Endless webinars on reviving economy, upskilling in latest skills, emotional well being
>> Baking a cake is a MUST else pandemic will not end
>> Brooms, mops, vacuum cleaners, robotic cleaners, dishwashers in demand
>> No newspapers, no maids/drivers, no sweepers allowed. You have to dump your trash at the pre-destined location, collect milk at the main gate
>> WFH extended by another month. Oh, I miss my office, when can I go to office? I miss my office chair
>> I miss the school and my classmates. Its hard to follow what the teacher is saying, many times someone mutes her
>> Did the Italians go through all this too ? Boy, did the Americans mess up big time.
>> I am ordering fruits, vegetables, grocery boxes, dairy and bakery items. Interested folks, please DM me.
>> Unlock 1 : Let the maids, sweepers come. We cannot cope anymore. We want to order food.
>> Will the schools be reducing fee for this year? Transportation, facilities and cafeteria fees should be pardoned for sure.
>> Lets install sanitization booths, temperature guns and enforce masks. Let us restrict visitors though.
>> I am having network issues, ma'am. Can you repeat?
>> Travel passes between cities, OTP for visitors
>> Elaborate sketches, coloring, photography - what art!
>> xyz maid was not wearing mask today. Please ensure your maids wear masks.
>> WFH extended one more time. Horrible pain in neck and back.
>> Those poor migrant workers. The government should have thought about them
>> Cyclones, floods, locusts
>> How to recognize early symptoms?
>> George Floyd, racism, black lives matter
>> Power cut at my place, cannot come online
>> Anyone needs anything from Nature's basket? I am stopping by today.
>> Are you happy with these online classes? I am not too sure.
>> Are you allowing your maid to knead the dough? I do it myself and when she is in kitchen, all of us withdraw into the bedroom
>> Riots everywhere, film stars dying or committing suicide, celebrities testing Covid-19 positive
>> Nature is thriving, dolphins observed in Venice lake, flamingoes in Navi Mumbai, wild animals take to the deserted roads in North India
>> Cases are rising, these police and politicians are corrupt
>> Real numbers of Covid test not being revealed.
>> Flights and trains are running, people are traveling, parlors are open finally
>> Migrant workers are the reason the disease is spreading everywhere.
>> How to make attractive yet practical masks?
>> Mental health awareness, clinical depression, are you talking to your loved ones often?
>> Work, work, work
>> Started home catering business. Here is the brochure, taking orders from tomorrow
>> Bored, bored, bored
>> Started counseling from home. Call me for any issues you have
>> We have all sinned, collective karma caught up. Pray, pray, pray
>> Eat, eat, eat
>> Our next door neighbor tested +ve. Oh is it? Lets not go out into the lobby.
>> So many died of Covid - it will happen to all of us one day.
>> Lets ban all Chinese goods, delete Chinese apps and stop eating Chinese food
>> Silence, silence, silence; ignore, ignore, delete.
And so it goes on. Life continues on its roller coaster, uncertain path.
