Life in Bahrain during Covid-19/Coronavirus outbreak

It was Monday, 24^th of February. The weather was pleasant, and we had many fun activities planned for the coming weekends. I checked the weather and found out that it was going to be a sandstorm the next day. So, I quickly messaged my friends telling them how the weather is going to change and that we must go to the ongoing food festival that very day. We all agreed and had a great time at the fest.

The next morning was ordinary – the Boy rushed through his morning rituals to leave home at 7 for work. I finished the household chores, did my yoga and started contemplating on the things I could do that day. And then the stats came pouring in. Bahrain had been hit by the damn novel corona virus and the number of patients were in double digits. There was panic all around the country. Whatsapp was flooded with messages. Since I don’t drive, I felt helpless about the fact that I couldn’t go out and get the necessary groceries lest the country were to go on a lock-down. We have a small store in our apartment building. I rushed down and bought all the Dettol that they had!

It was clearly mayhem in the supermarkets that evening. Hand sanitizers were out of stock. There were long lines in the pharmacies selling N95/N99 face masks. I cancelled my physiotherapy appointment for the next day hoping things will improve from the next week and I will be able to get back into routine.

The next few days weren’t easy either. Schools were asked to shut down. Offices were told to prepare for a situation wherein employees would work from home. Malls, restaurants and streets, all were empty. All major events happening in the country were cancelled. The Grand Prix – Bahrain’s annual extravaganza - was made a participant only event. Holi parties on the beach were indefinitely postponed. All concerts, exhibitions, and public gatherings were put on hold until further notice.

It has been 16 days since that day of panic, and I can’t say that things are improving. We are living in very, very difficult times. The economic repercussion of this is unfathomable. We went to have dinner at an Indian restaurant last evening to celebrate Holi. The manager was complaining how he had no vacant tables last year on this day and how this year there was nobody but us eating there. He was going to send his staff on leave for two months the next week.

We have two holiday plans starting next month. In all probability we will have to cancel flights and hotel bookings. Imagine how hard this summer is going to be on those depending on the travel industry for their bread and butter.

The stock markets have already reduced the wealth of plenty by a huge percentage. The sudden declaration on the oil prices by Saudi Arabia has added fuel to fire. Some say that the number of cases is much, much higher than what countries are revealing. Since the world likes to believe in the worst in each other, we are drawn to this idea. People are angry, depressed and confused. We are distancing from each other socially and feeling more alone than ever. And we are just in, probably, phase two of Covid-19.

We need each other more than ever now. We need to protect ourselves and our neighbours. We need to be kind and help whoever needs our support. It is going to get worse before it gets better. We need to tell each other to hang in there and hope that the summer heat will kill the virus.

Yes, hope, and, hang in there.

Health Trip Review - 13 days at Jindal Naturecare Institute

Jindal Naturecare Institute is a wellness spot in Bangalore, India where people go to treat minor ailments with the help of naturopathy. It is spread over 100 acres of land and is like a smallish township where you have everything that you will need including a small shop and salon(!!) while you stay there taking care of your health. We chose to go for 13 days to detox and learn new ways to live a healthier lifestyle. It was a one-of-a-kind experience that will stay with me forever. Considering the fact that 90% of the people we met there were there for the nth time, who knows, we might go again!

The campus has three types of accommodation – Economy, Executive and Deluxe. The facilities – doctors, therapy centre, eating place, kriya area, etc – are separate for Economy and Executive & Deluxe for the ease of operations. Whichever accommodation you choose, be assured that you will never feel lonely as everyone there has a smile on their face and is willing to make a friend. Also, you CAN use your gadgets in the room and your mobile phone in certain public areas. You are here to detox so they tell you not to, but it is not a jail!

Our cottage on the ground floor - this was a mid range accomodation -
extremely spacious, clean and centrally located!

Yoga and laughter area

Your day starts at 5.30 in the morning with yogic kriyas followed by meditation, laughter and yoga. At first, I found laughter session extremely weird, but that changed when one morning I was feeling extremely low which changed after a few stupid forced laughs. Post that, it became one of my favourite sessions to attend.

After the morning session, you get to enjoy your first drink at 7.45 a.m. It can be anything from Jaggery water with ginger, to bhindi water! Plus, you get a handful of sprouts as well.

From 8 a.m. you start to attend what your doctor has recommended for you. On the very first day we met four doctors – Naturopath, Yoga instructor, Acupuncturist and Physiotherapist. The gave us a list of things that would suit our ailment. You are suppose to meet your Naturopath every day to discuss your current state and plan for the next day.

The lake side path

We normally started with cold mud pack on the abdomen in our room which is very good for digestion. Post that I tried to see my doctor and finish that off! You are scheduled two therapies per day in the therapy centre which can be an awesome massage, cleansing colon hydrotherapy, water therapy or wax/mustard/castor oil packs to sooth aches and pains. One therapy is scheduled in the first half, and the other in the next.

The other juices (green smoothie, wholesome juice, aloe vera, coconut, soya milk, etc) are given to you at 8.45 am, 2 p.m., 3.45 p.m. and 8.15 pm. Lunch and Dinner is at 10.45 a.m. and 5.45 p.m. respectively. With so many meals and activities you hardly ever feel hungry. As for what they put on your plate, well that depends on what your doctor has recommended for you. It could be a full meal consisting of soup, chapati/khichadi, vegetables, fruit and buttermilk. Or, it can be a raw diet - soup, steamed vegetables and fruit. Third, just soup or juice, also known as liquid diet fasting. Whatever it is, you will not be forced into it by your doctor unless you are reluctant to try new things. Or maybe not even then.

We filled the gaps in between with optional things -  acupuncture, physiotherapy, walks in the path and reflexology. There were multiple yoga sessions for various diseases, and we attended a few. We even took a nap every day after our lunch – otherwise the day became very tiring. Considering how big the facility is, I was taking 13 - 14000 steps without even going to the walking path!

Every evening there was some 'entertainment' session organised in the common hall which ranged from a cooking session, diet tips, antakshari night, housie, carom tournament and a movie night. I can't comment on them because I didn't attend any because I was busy talking to people!! Evenings were meant to socialise and meet several people from various walks of life. We met and spoke to many, many people. There was comfort in knowing that everyone was going through something or the other and they were there to fight it. Also, conversations helped us discuss common problems and take advice, most of which has been very fruitful.

Water shed in the walking path

The central meeting spot!

There must be more than 200 guests in the campus (mostly from Mumbai and Gujarat) and more than 200 staff members to take care of them. Even though you are not suppose to tip them, every attendant was smiling and helpful. I can say each one of them was like a nurse who was there to take care of you whenever you needed.

There is so much more I can say about the place. Initially, like all others, I felt slight nausea and found the whole thing very challenging - both emotionally and physically. But as days progressed, I began to love the experience. I realised how much I, and almost everyone I know, needs to be there atleast once to understand so many things about their body.

Peacocks along the walking path!

It is definitely a beautiful place with healing powers if you embrace the experience completely. I plan to follow what I have learnt to the T and go back when I feel I am failing in my attempts, for this is exactly what this place does – brings you closer to your health goals and remind you how you need to take care of the one gift that God gave you – your body.

Ten months into 2019

This year has been quite interesting in terms of new things. There are still two months to go and I already feel it was a great year. The Boy would disagree though, he has been unwell for most part of it.

2019 started with me and the Boy attending the first wedding in his family in over 10 years of our marriage. Due to certain reasons, I am extremely wary of people in general, and so this experience was a dreaded one. After I came back, I only understood one thing in my life... that God has and will always take care of me. I faced every difficulty, every challenge with utmost ease. I felt His presence numerous times in those three days and I shall forever remember it.

After this trip, I was coaxed into an all-girls trip to Amsterdam. Given my anxiety levels of travelling without the Boy, my palpitations started just after booking the tickets! It was a very hard trip for me - emotionally and physically - yet I came back with some happy memories. I wanted to do this once and I am so glad I did. Will I go again? Well, I highly doubt, but then, never say never!

Due to certain disagreements with a few friends, I had my first ever real fight with them. We didn't speak to each other for almost a month and it was a tormenting time. I have never been in a fight with someone, and it just kills me to not talk to close friends! Thankfully good sense prevailed and we buried our differences. All is well in my land now.

And this was just mid-year. We went to England to watch the Cricket World Cup, and boy, what a thrilling experience that was. I sang, I screamed, I waved and enjoyed every second of it. I wish I could experience new things like this every year.. it makes everything so worth it.

Having experienced extreme anxiety and emotional stress in the first half, I decided to take up meditation. Incidentally a friend recommended a life coach and I was intrigued. All of us can watch videos on YouTube and meditate, but understanding that positivity is a lifestyle requires conditioning. My coach taught me invaluable lessons and I really hope and pray that I remember them for life. I have started meditating successfully and hoping to see dramatic results in the months to come.

A massive impact of this has been on work front. Now this is a part of my family business but I have been avoiding it for years. After starting my meditation, I told my sister-in-law that I would handle her digital media. She was thrilled to say the least and hired me without thinking. A professional was doing this job for her.. I had some very talented shoes to fill. So far, I guess I am doing okay! I am obviously not going to take any money for this, but it feels great to be a part of the economic system!!!

A week from now we will be heading to a Naturecare resort. Both me and the Boy have some ailments that need attention. We have been procrastinating for long and thought this was the best time to do it. I will be writing a diary there to publish for the Internet world. The place needs authentic reviews and documentation of daily routine - teeth that sparkle will be there to the rescue!

And fingers crossed, my bestie will visit me in December. This will be a first as well and end a very exciting 2019. I am looking forward to the next two months with great enthusiasm. Awesome things are in store and I can't wait to see what happens next!

See you guys from the Naturecare resort...err... Institute!!!! I am dreading the hunger, the pain and the things that I will have to endure.. yet, I am so excited! Wish me luck.

Major Life in Progress Report!

- I am alive and kicking, just not writing. Oh well I am writing too, just not here!

- It has been five days since the Boy left for a 'Boys trip' and I am miserable. How do people live alone, without a companion, without a soul to talk to at night? I am not in an office all day, but even if I were, I would hate to come back to an empty apartment. Thank God the Boy is coming back tonight or I would eat more Mars chocolates than I should!

- I finally started working, or I think I am contributing to a business! I handle social media marketing for my dad's business now and I couldn't be happier. It involves my love for writing, looking at pretty pictures, chatting with my sister-in-law and generally obsessing over things. I plan to take this up big time, but lets see.

- I think a major health hazard that I was facing for years is dissipating. I will tell you how.

- After years and years of being an obsessive planner, I've stopped being one. I will tell you how.

- I think I have become a better person, Ok let me tell you how. So I took up this meditation course from a life coach in India. I meet her on video call thrice a week and she gives me basic life gyaan that I have repeatedly heard since time immemorial. However, A has a power to influence you like no other. Basically this gyaan tries to stop you from thinking about negative things/people/situations and focus on yourself and your life. I have learnt meditation under her guidance too, and now I think I am a better human being. Yippeee!!

- So the fact that my health is better, I have started working, my mindset is better, and I get to connect with a higher source is all due to the fact that I have started meditation. It is a feeling like no other and I've been smiling a lot more. Seriously, when I am in meditation, sometimes my lips quiver due to smiling too much!

Isn't it amazing? There is a lot more that I want to achieve, but this is a start. Now I need not report it here but I feel I owe it to this blog. I've spent years of loneliness here. I've had sad days and happy days and celebratory days in this spot. It deserves to know everything. And now that my life is changing for the first time in 37 years, it deserves to know as well. I am hoping to write a book on my life the day it changes completely - I even have a title ready!!!! Yeah, a little madness is the key to achieving greatness and I've been a tad crazy from the start.

- There is a logic to it all - we see miracles around us everyday. There is a greater power that makes these miracles happen. When we become totally positive, open our chakras and delve deep into our soul, we encourage that greater power to connect with us. It is this connection that makes miracles happen. I am just trying that connection...

Dear blog, you are and you always will be the first to know so that years later when I come back here I can find my life in words. I have several memories of misery, but this connection makes me hopeful of a brighter future not just for me, but for many others who will find hope in my madness. This may sound weird in many ways, but I can guarantee that one day it will start to make sense.

If I were drunk today, it would totally be understandable. But fear not you feeble minds, I shall come back again and explain everything to you! Until then, stalk this space.

Imagine

Imagine that you are healthy

It isn’t hard to do

Close your eyes – hop, skip and jump

Imagine and it will come true.

Imagine that you are wealthy

That is an easy task

Driving a Porche, wearing a Prada

Imagine and you won't even have to ask.

Imagine that you are happy

Don’t we all want bliss?

Think you are in a park, laughing out loud

Imagine and you will attain happiness.

Imagine that there is only the good

And it will come bouncing back

STOP feeding negativity

Imagine and get your life on track.

This Blog is my Therapy

I started this blog more than 12 years ago to chronicle my life. In the beginning, I forced my friends to read every single thing I wrote. Unable to decline my repeated threats, most of them obliged.

A few months into the blogging world, I made some friends. We were there for each other in thick and thin. When no one was reading our amateur stuff, we were lauding each other's work and found immense happiness in doing so. Readers/fans were easy to come by.

A lot of these people quit writing. Their blogs became ghost towns. I use to wonder what is happening in xyz's life after he/she stopped coming online. Those were the days..

Blogospere became a tad commercial with the rise of Indiblogger and Blogadda. I participated in contests trying my best to combine my personal life into brands to win prizes. There was a thrill attached to winning. I wrote a lot of fictional posts also. It made me happy - wasn't that the purpose of this space anyway?

There was a time when I thought I should write about more 'meaningful' posts. Everyone around me was writing on Feminism, Politics, Finance, and things that could make a difference. Pen is mightier than the sword they said. So I tried. And failed.

It is not that I don't have an opinion. It is not that I don't think my blog matters. I just wanted to be here and talk about me! Narcissistic much? Nah, it just gave me a space to vent out and talk about my feelings!

I have thought about this - If I am writing only personal stuff, I might as well write in a diary. Why do I need to put it out in the world to read?

It is very simple - I got a message from a bestie today. She told me she read my blog and thought she had missed out on a lot. She asked me about my life and what was going on. She inquired about my health and how I was coping. I told her the truth.

Had she asked me in general how I was, I would have given her an indifferent 'I am fine'. When she read my blog, a space where I am most real, she dug deeper into understanding what was really going on. We connected at a more sacred level for which I am extremely grateful.

And so I still write here and talk about everything I feel like talking about. It doesn't matter who is reading and who is not. It is these moments that matter. It makes you feel that the universe cares about you and you are absolutely fine in every way. It re-instills your faith in your friendships, in the written world and the world beyond.

Needless to say, this blog will exist till the end of time. 

The Power Within

A person with a chronic ailment does everything that he comes across to heal himself. It could be a persistent cough or a physical weakness or a life-consuming disorder, each one of us is fighting a health issue that we want resolved.

And when an illness starts from childhood, your parents take you to all doctors, yogi’s and tantrics to make you a healthier baby so that you can lead a normal life. I went to more than twenty such people.

I remember each one of them clearly since I spent a significant amount of time with all. Me and my mother use to go with utmost faith to any person who had healing powers…or so we were told. We tried all sorts of Ayurvedic medicines, Accupressure, Reiki, massage, special diets, feeding a cow on a full moon night ...the list is endless.

Yes, doctors were there, but medically there was no cure. And when you can’t find answers in medical science, you look upwards. We did our karma, did the best that we could and left the rest on God.

When I got married I looked no further than medical science. While it kept things in check, it did not heal. After a point in time things began to get worse and it took a toll on my mental health. I began to worry about my future and nothing in the present made me happy.

It is then I thought I will start to learn meditation for I knew everything starts from your head. I started looking out for videos on youtube, for internet is where you go to these days, not tantrics and yogis!

Incidentally a friend of mine called me to tell about this Life Coach cum Spiritual Guru cum Brahma Yog expert who takes online lessons for people who cannot meet her in person. I thought it would be too much gyaan that I already have and hence was reluctant to start the sessions. After three days of sitting on it, I decided to give it a go because I had nothing to lose.

I have taken four sessions so far. A, my teacher, has started with trying to train my thoughts with acceptance and trust in my good destiny which, according to her, all of us are blessed with. We work with her guidance into life and subsequently opening of chakras. At first I thought this was the proverbial satsang and I am too young and intelligent for that. Then I realised that I know but I really don’t apply anything!

She has told me to trust her approach. She has told me to work really hard. She has told me that I will become the first person in this world to say that I was cured of this particular disorder.

Do I want to be able to say that? Do I want to trust her? Do I want to work hard? Yes, yes and yes. It takes a special amount of courage to start trusting again that things will be okay when you have been in and out of the same situation multiple times and that too in childhood – the precious time when things get ingrained in your head. But I am willing to make that leap of faith once again. I want to be like my parents who did the same for me every single time. I want to be like the little girl I was who saw a glimmer of hope at the end of every tunnel.

Maybe I am still that girl who believes even Green tea can work wonders. Faith can move mountains they say. Trust might just be what I need in my life.

Let the sessions continue!