Lock-down musings 26032020

Due to a combination of fate and a certain amount of indecision from me, I find myself separated from my family in Mumbai. I returned to Kolkata on 15th, which I shouldn't have done and on 18th when a brainwave struck me to go back to Mumbai, I should have listened to it. 

Anyway, we are all fit and fine as of now and that matters. Other than having a persisting worry or anxiety about my wife at Mumbai and the fact that the journey is not possible or advisable now, I am actually not very much hampered with the lockdown. I'm staying firmly put in my small flat and not venturing out unnecessarily.

No experience goes waste in life. My stint of a 10 day Vipassana course has now come to my rescue. And actually speaking, other than the physical nearness to the family and a sense of not fulfilling a responsibility, it is not a big deal.

I have no problem with cooking or other daily chores and fortunately, it's a small flat in Kolkata, where I live. So the daily grind is a breeze and anyway, I was doing it already. I am capable of two things only according to my better half - reading and writing. So I'm doing them with full gusto.

When I get time from reading, I will pen my #lockdown #musings intermittently. More as a note. Pardon me if there are multiple posts from me appearing in your timeline. You have the option to ignore them. Or you may value-add your experience too as a comment. Cheers

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I have been more or less under a self-imposed lockdown since the 18th. This means that I have completed more than a week of confinement within the four walls of a small flat. During this period, I had gone out only four times to stock up on certain essentials. The only people who visited my door are two - The safaiwalla and the waterman. For more than 48 hours on the trot, I'm in my flat except two occasions that I went up to the roof to get some fresh air.

During this period of one week, I finished three books. Of them, 'Anarchy' by Dalrymple was already half-read, then for a different taste took up Archer's 'Nothing ventured'. I have now only two physical books in stock. But over the net many ebooks are there. Some friends have sent many old comics, detective stories, and ghost stories mainly in Bengali. Going through the comics intermittently.

Another ebook I just finished this afternoon, before writing this post was 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Konrad. I had this one with me for more than two years and always wanted to read it. If you remember, the famous movie 'Apocalypse Now' was based on this book, in a different setting.

Listening to songs on the mobile also keep me occupied, the only problem being the use of earphones as I have not brought my BlueTooth mini speaker with me. So it is with some restrictions. Next on the list is to watch some cult westerns on the youtube.

But for now, my first Murakami - Kafka On The Shore beckons. Feeling a bit overawed. Will I get into it? No doubt it will take it's time to finish.