The COVID-19 days. These days are different. While the whole world is still fighting against a deadly pandemic, the only way we can contribute to our society is by staying at home.
This is an attempt at a visual story-telling to share my story during these lockdown days. All the photographs were taken and edited in my phone.
A morning view from the balcony of our apartment. A thunderstorm is brewing in the sky. During the initial days, it was so uncertain for all of us not knowing which direction we were heading into. No one knew how the next few months were going to be. All the outdoor activities got stopped, chairs got removed from BBQ areas, and swimming pools were closed. It was the beginning of an unprecedented time that nobody has ever seen in recent history.
A candid shot from our balcony while doing the household chores.
Masks are hung outside for drying. There is a scarcity of masks in the market. So, we try to wash and reuse whenever possible before discarding them securely.
A lazy breakfast on a rainy weekend morning. As our regular visits to YaKun or Toast Box got stopped, we rearranged our balcony like a mini cafe.
While fixing some pasta for Friday dinner. And yes, I can cook. Rather, as Gusteau said, “Anyone can cook!”
A corner of our home. Poor frog, stuck in its quarantine time.
Working from home can sometimes be quite monotonous. We made it mandatory to have a tea-break in the evening and keep ourselves energized.
My wife busy in her work-from-home.
Me doing some stuff on a weekend evening. We cannot go out, so we spend our evening at home, even on weekends.
Taking short breaks while working is very important. We always ensure to take five minutes break every hour and do some stretching and quick exercises.
Working-from-home in a different posture. Yes, changing your workstation sometimes help in WFH mode.
Doing some quick yoga in the evening. Staying fit is very important when we have less outdoor activities.
Going for a brisk walk in the evening.
Checking weight to make sure it remains within the healthy range.
Watching some Bollywood movie on a lazy Sunday afternoon. With all cinemas closed during the Circuit Breaker period, the only entertainment option became Netflix.
Celebrating my wife’s birthday. Unfortunately, all the bakeries were closed due to Circuit Breaker and I don’t know baking. So, I made a Maggi-cake for her.
Curry plant, drenched in rain. Staying home is giving us more time to nurture our small balcony-garden.
List for the grocery shopping. On usual days, we generally make a list on the phone before going out for groceries. But nowadays we write it on a piece of paper and discard it later. This is to avoid taking out the phone and contaminating it while shopping.
Mask is mandatory while going out for groceries.
When we cannot go out and are bored with social media, it’s good to read some favourite books in our leisure time.
And yes, this is a good time to restart our forgotten hobbies that we had stopped with an excuse of not having enough time in our lives.
Social distancing is the key to survival; be it in public transport or in the shops or in the elevators.
And lastly, make sure to wash and sanitize your hands frequently.
Yes, we are going through a difficult time. But I am sure we shall overcome this period with good health and a relaxed mind. Stay home, stay safe, and most importantly stay positive.
About Ujjal Dey
I am from the City of Joy (Kolkata) and living in the City of Lion (Singapore). While doing my engineering, I came across a photography club run by university students. That was the place where I started learning about photography. Digital cameras were not so popular those days, so we used to use film cameras and develop/print ourselves in the club’s darkrooms. Later I purchased my first SLR camera Nikon D90 and started doing photography a bit seriously.
After 9 years with Nikon, I decided to move to Fujifilm mirrorless and currently own Fujifilm X-H1. My primary interests are streets, people, travel, and documentary photography. Photography is not just a hobby for me, it is something that keeps supplying me the essential oxygen for living. Somehow, I never feel to use it as my earning medium. So, by professional, I work as a senior software developer in an investment bank.
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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted to Ujjal Dey. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.
