Being at home during lockdown

Being at home during lockdown:

"We develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and obstacles."
                                        -Stephen Covey
Truly this period is a challenge for us to overcome , not as a personage, but as a brethren . 'It' has shown as how to develop humanity and altruism in this span of crisis. When chaos and perplexity prevails,  let's show that confidence and composure wins 'It'.
    This phase is one of a kind experience to all of us . And , we have to be prudent to make the best use of it.  My experience, so far has been good.
I have indulged myself in reading voraciously.
I read non-fiction as well as fiction. My favourite genres are mysteries and crimes. I enjoy reading Sherlock Holmes and he is my favourite fictional character. Reading a book is experiencing a lifetime. And , I have become covetous to partake manifold lifetimes in this epoch .My quest for knowledge has been reaching its zenith.
"Reading is to mind , what exercise is to body ."
         - Joseph Addison
No intelligent reader merely reads a book . We have to gradually mature ourselves to read critically . Once this kind of reading ripens , you will be able to judge and write book reviews. Also , I keep in touch with current affairs, updating in all fields. 
     Writing eases my soul . Through writing, I'm able to pour out my emotions . While writing , I sense that I'm creating a piece of art . Also , I must share it with the world to read it . That's when blog comes to the rescue . Blogging is a like a commitment to write regularly . Also , you have to make sure that , your write up  is interesting , else the reader gives up reading when he/she is half-way through it.  Writing is very good exercise to our brain.  It stimulates you to think more and explore different ways to write . You have to employ a cornucopia of  words , which will enrich your write ups .In my blog , I have written book reviews , a short story , and small write up .  Added to it , I also write quotes and short poems .
      I love to equip myself with many languages. As Roger Bacon points out ,
" Knowledge of languages is doorway to wisdom. " Assenting to his words , learning new languages , ameliorates our brain to higher thinking levels. Also , as Edmund de Waal quotes , " With languages you're at home anywhere ." Undoubtedly true .
" The limits of my language are the limits of my world."            
                        - Ludwig Wittgenstein
I have beacoup dreams and goals to be checked of the list . One among them is a world tour. Acceding to Mr. Wittgenstein, I don't want to limit myself from the rest of the world , which is waiting for me to explored . Hence, I'm learning Spanish through a free online course and also on the Duolingo app. I already knew some French , and I'm planning to have a command over it in a due course .
    " A day without a friend is like a pot without a drop of honey. "
                           -Winnie the pooh
Winnie didn't have the chance to use smartphones.  We we are blessed with it. Talking to our friends for hours - everybody can relate to this. This is a time to renew our long forgotten friendships . Also , talking to my friends soothes my mind and heart . It's good to know how your friends are coping up . In situations like these , people are disturbed mentally.  It may even be your neighbour , your family member or even your friend . Though there are numerous helplines existing to assist the disturbed,  nothing comes in handy like talking to the person you know. Talking to your loved ones will surely boost them up. It maybe a small gesture to show that you care . 
     Watching movies is one of my favourite pastimes. My favourite genre is 'Biopics '.
Biopics are engrossing and invoke a sense of motivation. Few of my favourite biopics are -
The queen of Katwe , Goodbye Christopher Robin , Bhaag Milkha Bhaag , Super 30 , The theory of everything, The man who knew infinity , Mahanati , The King's speech and many more . Movie adaptations of bestselling books are fun to watch . You can get the crisp of the story in 2 hours time . I have enjoyed the movie adaptations of the Pride and Prejudice , Jane Eyre , Fantastic Beasts ( 2 parts ) , Life of Pi , Little women , The secret life of Walter Mitty, The Great Gatsby and the list goes on . And also , I prescribe the movies that I've watched to my friends and family .
      My most relishing hobby - drawing. And , the best part of it is vesting wonderful, vibrant colors to it . I love to shade and and color as it is much more fun than plain drawings. Colouring and especially shading requires full concentration , because even a small error can tarnish your creation . I use a technique called layering for my pictures.  That is , to layer different shades of the same color to create shadows, depth and realistic effects . Drawing is an activity both for your brain and your heart, and I cherish my creations.
   In this phase , we get a lot of time to spend with our family , like never before.  My brother and I, help my mom in household chores . Also,  I do experiment with cooking , and eventually it turns out to be good.
      Health and hygiene has turned up to be more important. Only when we observe the casualties caused , we realise the need for hygiene. As the Catalan proverb says ,
" From the bitterness of disease , man learns the sweetness of health." It's high time that we realise it soon. Hygienic practices are being followed in my home . Since , there is a lack of physical exercises , I intend to do some yoga too.
     "Enjoy it all , while it lasts." So, let's have a good time in these days and invest it wisely.
As Marie Curie said: "Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less." Nature has been thriving in its pristine beauty now , and man should realise it , to work better in the days to come .
    
     
     
    
    
       
    

       
     

Importance of health and hygiene

Eradicating diseases altogether is insuperable . Even smallpox and polio took years to be wiped out , only with the help of vaccines. Most viruses are zoonotic, i.e spread from animals to humans. For example, the HIV is said to be transmitted from chimpanzees and the MERS from camels. Also , developing a vaccine in a short period of time is an herculean task .Deadly viruses cannot be erased abruptly, but can be avoided at all instances. Therefore , it is in our hands to protect ourselves from these deadly viruses and diseases. 

     " History is philosophy, teaching by examples."    -Thucydides
If we turn the pages of history, there have been  epidemics and pandemics , right from the genesis.Critics argue that it was an epidemic that caused the decline of the Indus valley civilization and not the Aryan invasion.  It was an obscure microbe that killed even Alexander the Great and his mighty army . Mahmud of Ghazni , who invaded India 17 times , died of tuberculosis transmitted from his soldier . The outbreak of the plague in England multiple times was due to unkempt human - animal  interaction . Cholera , originated from unclean feces infected water , wasn't known as a water borne disease in the beginning. Different kinds of flu have surfaced due to improper animal rearing practices.Man should learn his lessons from history.
          If Louis Pasteur hadn't  devised the technique of pasteurisation , then milk would have caused numerous diseases to man . Ignaz Semmelweiss formulated the importance of hand washing in the 20th century , but only now it has been put into practice with full force . If Dr. John Snow hadn't discovered that Cholera was caused by contaminated water , then nobody would have realised the importance of access to clean freshwater . When people tried to  bring out clean customs , they were always shunned away in the beginning. When contraception was the only way to combat HIV , religious institutions ridiculed it.
          Only when we observe the casualties caused , we realise the need for hygiene. Health and hygiene is not a new concept for us . It's been laid down to us for centuries. For instance, the Tamil proverbs like ,  'கூழானலும் குளித்து குடி ' and  'கந்தையானலும் கசக்கி கட்டு'  has been there for generations. 
       Adverse situations like these teach us the importance of health and hygiene. The only way we can tackle this situation is to invest more on health and education. Critics point out that countries which spend more on health and education, are capable to manoeuvre the crises effectively. For instance, countries like Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea outperformed better than their counterparts. In India , after facing two devastating floods , the outbreak of Nipah virus , and their focus on public health, made Kerala , to approach and compass the crises well .As Gandhi quotes,
" It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."
              According to the WHO , health is ,
" a complete state of physical, mental and social well being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." A person is deemed fit only when he/she is wholesomely healthy.  Hence , we should strive to attain this collaborative fitness. Following hygienic customs may not only safeguard us , but also people in our surroundings. Even simple steps , could save us from drastic catastrophes. As the Catalan proverb says ,
" From the bitterness of disease , man learns the sweetness of health." It's high time that we realise it soon .