During and after the lockdown

[captrajesh]

Come rain, sun or lockdown, I have to go-to office.

Lucky guys all of you.

 

[Deleted member 15865]

I’ve been catching up on books (a number of unread ones had piled up in both print and kindle form) that I couldn’t devote much time to over the last few years - like director Sai Paranjpye’s autobiography that I am reading currently. So getting back into one habit that’s always been an integral part of me. Watching some good movies on MUBI - my first choice app, but also added DocuBay (documentaries), Hoichoi (Bengali) and Hotstar Disney - saw the Star Wars series on the last one. And of course listening to music on CD, Tidal and Radio Paradise. Simplified my audio system quite a bit with an objective to make it more emotional, more musical at the cost of less hi-fi’ish sound (thanks to @prem) - quite happy with the results.

Apart from this, answering Quora queries related to my interest & work (self-discovery, identity, careers, growth), sharing my reflections on FB/Insta, speaking to family and close friends (while staying away from Whatsapp groups), some household chores, and contemplating on the long term changes in life and work that this crisis may induce and strategise for the same.

Post lockdown: Can’t decide on the specifics right now, but can see some trends that I’d need to personally adapt to and work-wise integrate: Online/Remote working, Minimalism/Thriftiness/Downsizing, Career transitions, Localisation, Mental Health, Existentialism (Purpose/Meaning).

 

[moktan]

Difficult period would be when you encounter passive smoking. My friend who quit smoking for 3 years, suddenly couldn't resist a whiff of beedi and started smoking again. Be careful. Stay healthy.

Here is sincerely wishing that you remain an ex-smoker.
Here is something I got from the internet.
Dealing With Withdrawal

If you are a heavy smoker, you will likely experience withdrawal symptoms, which begin within hours of smoking the last cigarette. These may include irritability, impatience, hostility, anxiety, depression, insomnia, restlessness, increased appetite, and a craving for cigarettes. Perhaps your doctor can prescribe medication that will help ease these symptoms. In addition, there are things you can do to help you win the battle.

■ During the first few difficult weeks, eat low-calorie foods, and drink plenty of water. Some have found it helpful to snack on raw vegetables, such as carrots or celery. If you exercise, you will help offset weight gain and soothe jittery nerves.

■ Avoid places and situations where you will be tempted to smoke.

■ Fight against bad reasoning that may tempt you to smoke. Here are some common thoughts during withdrawal: ‘I’ll smoke just today to get me through this tough time.’ ‘Smoking is my only vice!’ ‘Tobacco can’t be all that bad; some heavy smokers live to be over 90.’ ‘I’ve got to die of something.’ ‘Life is no fun without tobacco.’

■ If you are about to give in, delay. By waiting just ten minutes, the acute craving may pass. Sometimes the thought of never smoking again might seem overwhelming. If you feel that way, concentrate on quitting just for today.

 

[Hiten]

Lets settle this once and for all if Covid-19 is man made or Zoonotic.

...after lockdown I will be travelling to वुहान प्रयोगशाला. (Under clever disguise ofcourse). Get all data/research/vaccine papers. Then 'the agency' will extract me out of the dreadful place by skyhook. If anyone wants to bring some audio electronics stuff, do tell.

 

[hydrovac]

View attachment 45298View attachment 45299View attachment 45300View attachment 45301View attachment 45302View attachment 45305

That's obscenely beautiful!
If you call that a small garden... , then mine is a terrarium...

Few pics of 6th floor plants (not covered all the plants)... my HT is on this level:


Small poly shade for ferns and orchids:


View from inside the poly house:


Even the bees get attracted to the profusion of flowers... beehive in a corner.


Containers for next re-potting:


7th level pics to follow:

...

 

[varadas]

A dream garden @hydrovac what's your carbon credit score?
Considering your giveaways, can you pl reserve the nectar for me?
Thanks

 

[tuff]

Here is sincerely wishing that you remain an ex-smoker.
Here is something I got from the internet.
Dealing With Withdrawal

If you are a heavy smoker, you will likely experience withdrawal symptoms, which begin within hours of smoking the last cigarette. These may include irritability, impatience, hostility, anxiety, depression, insomnia, restlessness, increased appetite, and a craving for cigarettes. Perhaps your doctor can prescribe medication that will help ease these symptoms. In addition, there are things you can do to help you win the battle.

■ During the first few difficult weeks, eat low-calorie foods, and drink plenty of water. Some have found it helpful to snack on raw vegetables, such as carrots or celery. If you exercise, you will help offset weight gain and soothe jittery nerves.

■ Avoid places and situations where you will be tempted to smoke.

■ Fight against bad reasoning that may tempt you to smoke. Here are some common thoughts during withdrawal: ‘I’ll smoke just today to get me through this tough time.’ ‘Smoking is my only vice!’ ‘Tobacco can’t be all that bad; some heavy smokers live to be over 90.’ ‘I’ve got to die of something.’ ‘Life is no fun without tobacco.’

■ If you are about to give in, delay. By waiting just ten minutes, the acute craving may pass. Sometimes the thought of never smoking again might seem overwhelming. If you feel that way, concentrate on quitting just for today.

Thanks for the kind words.
I did go through some of the videos about what happens when you quit smoking, and it did help to look forward to.
after four days i rarely got the desire to smoke except after eating meals. Nicotine gum came in handy.
I think this was the perfect time as there are no sellers in my area....that would tempt me.

The bad reasoning made me laugh hard. I am an ex-alcoholic, ex- weed smoker and now an ex- cigarette smoker...So things are looking up.(LOL)

Amazing space you got @hydrovac . Love it.

 

[Nitin K]

Thanks for the kind words.
I did go through some of the videos about what happens when you quit smoking, and it did help to look forward to.
after four days i rarely got the desire to smoke except after eating meals. Nicotine gum came in handy.
I think this was the perfect time as there are no sellers in my area....that would tempt me.

The bad reasoning made me laugh hard. I am an ex-alcoholic, ex- weed smoker and now an ex- cigarette smoker...So things are looking up.(LOL)

Hats off to your will power Tuff. When the going gets tough, the Tuff get going.

 

[Hiten]

After Lockdown :
Since lockdown probably everyone has seen on TV, the drone footage that how beautiful our major cities can be. Pollution and congestion free, less traffic and most importantly cleanliness. Specially Mumbai and Delhi. Those who have been regular traveller to Mumbai in the mid 80s difference then and now is tremendous. I hear before 80s Mumbai was even better.
My recent mumbai visit experience before lockdown was... the unbearable crowd almost bursting at seams, lack of basic public transport, traffic, pot ridden roads and trash and clutter everywhere. It is so discouraging and one wonders how people get used to such things overtime. (Though I also understand it is Roji Roti ka sawaal hai).
Soon we would over come the pandemic and I am happy for all the people who are safe. Sad thing will be things would be back to "the normal". i.e. over crowding, traffic congestion, pollution, unhygienic conditions. Atleast hope people understand it does not take much effort to keep cleanliness. follow traffic rules, Due to the world is moving towards carbon Credits etc. , we probably would be having E-Vehicles that is also good. Only time will tell. So hope we take some lessons from this. Here is to the bright future for our country.

stay healthy, stay safe.

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

That's obscenely beautiful!
If you call that a small garden... , then mine is a terrarium...

Few pics of 6th floor plants (not covered all the plants)... my HT is on this level:
View attachment 45326

Small poly shade for ferns and orchids:
View attachment 45327

View from inside the poly house:
View attachment 45328

Even the bees get attracted to the profusion of flowers... beehive in a corner.
View attachment 45329

Containers for next re-potting:
View attachment 45330

7th level pics to follow:

...

Nice...but the beehive doesnt worry you?

 

[moktan]

The beehive on a good year gives us a few kilograms of good honey. Real honey is almost dark brown and not the golden coloured liquid that you buy off the shelf. Right now it’s cold and the honey bees are either not there or have become very few.

I remember once the hive was empty. We were sitting in the sun when a few bees came from some where. They buzzed around the bee house for a little while and left. About ten minutes or so later the sky darkened and a swarm - apparently guided by their reconnoitring counterparts - flew in and colonised the hive.

Needless to mention that we were delighted by this apian invasion.

Nice...but the beehive doesnt worry you?

That looks like a vespiary. The hornet and yellojacket sting can be quite deadly. But this one looks like a common wasp.

 

[keith_correa]

My recent mumbai visit experience before lockdown was... the unbearable crowd almost bursting at seams, lack of basic public transport, traffic, pot ridden roads and trash and clutter everywhere. It is so discouraging and one wonders how people get used to such things overtime. (Though I also understand it is Roji Roti ka sawaal hai).

Eh???? Where in Mumbai did you experience lack of public transport?

 

[Hiten]

Eh???? Where in Mumbai did you experience lack of public transport?

Public transport I mean govt. Aren't Best Buses routes and nos. frequencies reduced and BEST is making losses ? I think there was even news that ultimately they will close down. In 80s I used to travel from CST to Nariman Point quite comfortably even in morning rush hour. Metro when started was quite nice. Last time I travelled it was almost as crowded as suburban trains.

 

[keith_correa]

Public transport I mean govt. Aren't Best Buses routes and nos. frequencies reduced and BEST is making losses ? I think there was even news that ultimately they will close down. In 80s I used to travel from CST to Nariman Point quite comfortably even in morning rush hour. Metro when started was quite nice. Last time I travelled it was almost as crowded as suburban trains.

Yes, many loss making routes are discontinued. Because of not enough commuters. Which means they were not needed. And the BEST has revamped and is better than before. As for overcrowding, yes, that is true for every public transport mode in Mumbai but that's a different problem. Mumbai has the best public transport network in the whole of India! There's so much about the public transport I take for granted in Mumbai, till I visit another town/city in India.

 

[Sean de Silva]

Mumbai has the best public transport network in the whole of India! There's so much about the public transport I take for granted in Mumbai, till I visit another town/city in India.

AMEN!

 

[sachin.shiva]

That's obscenely beautiful!
If you call that a small garden... , then mine is a terrarium...

Few pics of 6th floor plants (not covered all the plants)... my HT is on this level:
View attachment 45326

Small poly shade for ferns and orchids:
View attachment 45327

View from inside the poly house:
View attachment 45328

Even the bees get attracted to the profusion of flowers... beehive in a corner.
View attachment 45329

Containers for next re-potting:
View attachment 45330

7th level pics to follow:

...

Congrats to your dedication and involvement .True nature lover and Gardener .

View attachment 45298View attachment 45299View attachment 45300View attachment 45301View attachment 45302View attachment 45305

Heaven sir , it is our dream to stay at place like this

 

[ssf]

my plants are set in three levels of the penthouse 5th, 6th and 7th floors

Come on now, you are not allowed to have balconies bigger than my apartment !!!

Edit:
Just a few days after the lockdown, I somehow managed to escape to my ranch. Now each morning am greeted by lovely expanse of beautiful greenery, my horses love their majestic stroll and the cows ya they are a pain.

Also, due to non availability of alcohol, I have now started to hallucinate.

Oh, after the lockdown, me am going to get myself a bottle. (once i get my bottle, my hallucinations might stop and i might end up losing my horses and cows, it would be good while it lasted) and And then get all my gear repaired as the lockdown has destroyed all my electronics.

Motkanji, sorry if I led you on with my crazy attempt at humor !!!!You have a beautiful garden btw which I would love to see. But all your books would go over my head.

 

[Sean de Silva]

It is just fantastic seeing the beautiful landscaped palatial homes of some of our FMs not to mention the gift of green fingers! Thanks a million for sharing these incredible pics.

 

[oracle1974]

Public transport I mean govt. Aren't Best Buses routes and nos. frequencies reduced and BEST is making losses ? I think there was even news that ultimately they will close down. In 80s I used to travel from CST to Nariman Point quite comfortably even in morning rush hour. Metro when started was quite nice. Last time I travelled it was almost as crowded as suburban trains.

1.Bombay is the only city in India which had a sustainable financing model for city bus services in India.
2. BEST which is an arm of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai provides for both electricity and transport services in the city . It uses the surplus of generated by power distribution to subsidise bus services ( a merit good with positive externalities ).
BEST has the distribution rights for south mumbai . This is the only example where we can say south mumbai is not pampered as compared to citizens living in the eastern and westerns suburbs. From the tariffs paid by south mumbai consumers , BEST’s transport deficit is bridged. It is 20-30p per unit of the power tariff.
3. BEST has power distribution losses of 5% compared to a national average of 30%.
4. Our electricity regulators had misgivings of using this cross subsidy model. Ideally this financing model should have been extended to other distribution companies Adani ( erstwhile BSES/Reliance Energy). So this subsidy was stopped and hence transport division now makes losses to the extent Rs.700 crs per annum.

The other thing about Mumbai that it is the only city in India where the water budget is ring-fenced i.e.it has to meet its revenue and capital expenditure from water revenues only - they do not have access to any other revenue source of MCGM. they have been doing since 1974. The Act was amended to provide for this ringfencing.No city in India is even close to achieving this.

Mumbai’s linear geography meant that public transit share of trips was as high as 80%. Mumbai grew but there were no investments in public transit capacity for last two decades. It is only from 2017 onwards we are seeing investments of about Rs. 2 lakh crores in public transit and transportation infrastructure. Mumbai is now building a metro lines of 300 km; our suburban system is about 300 kms which got build over several decades. 300 kms of metro lines going to be built over a ten year period. So this impact will be significant.

 

[Vivek Batra]

Surprisingly, nobody is talking about discovering music.