Seventy-five-year-old Eliyamma had never missed a Sunday mass until the COVID-19 pandemic forced her indoors. She had spent Easter watching the mass on TV, listening to the priest's sermons. But she sorely missed the post-mass chats with her peers.
Months later, the government relaxed rules on gatherings at places of worship. Eliyamma rushed to the church to pray in peace. But the next Sunday, she didn't leave home. When her kids asked why, she replied, "I walk to the church sporting a mask and glove, without even recognising anyone whom I meet, unable to realise if they are smiling or frowning. At the entrance, they check the temperature, and we are asked to use hand rub. After all the tedious process, that mood to pray just vanishes."
COVID-19 has had an irrevocable effect on Keralites, their gatherings and activities.
From daily chores to elections that happen in five years, the influence is undeniable.
Sanitizers, masks and social distancing have altered the Malayali life in magnanimous proportions in the past one year.
Like Eliyamma, who used to find her joy in walking to the church with her friends sharing daily tidbits and gossips returning to prepare a feast for her grandkids who would come home on weekends to relish her pork vindaloo, changing her habits, COVID-19 protocols have changed many a life in Kerala.
Refined learning
Perhaps the greatest lesson Malayali learnt must be the new concept of education.
Learning grew beyond schooling and academics as classrooms turned virtual.
In the beginning, when schools started online classes, many parents realised the quality of education in schools. "My elder son is in Class 5 in an English medium school and I got to listen to the poor language of his teachers. The classes were in bad English and pronunciation. At times, I had to correct the grammar of the questions the teachers give for homework," says Jyotsna, a Palakkad-based mother of two, for whom homeschooling was an eye-opener.
"Till lockdown, parents were not aware of what happened with their wards in classrooms. But with parents getting an opportunity to see how teaching happens, the teachers started taking extra attention to not make mistakes and to ensure that each kid is taken care of individually. Under the watchful gaze of parents, teachers consciously monitor each student," she says.
However, Jyotsna opines that virtual classrooms, though a revelation, can't be a long-term solution as kids miss peer interaction, eye contact and proper real time communication with teachers and the school environment. She says, "Learning definitely grew beyond schools and books. Staying at home, kids started learning new skills, devoting time for farming, reading, art and craft work, looking after pets. Even when schools reopen, I am sure that many parents would opt out of the schooling-tuition-schooling-tuition routine."
WFH is the new normal
What until COVID-19 was a rare choice for employees became an idea the world embraced – remote working and hybrid system. Log in, log out, deadlines, review meetings and discussions shifted to homes as work from home, virtual meeting platforms and remote access applications took over.
As jobs evolved, it resulted in more productivity and focus, reducing stress and enabling multitasking among the employees who managed home, office and family simultaneously.
Instead of being chained to a desk in a brick-and-mortar world, the employees, especially women, were at ease as they shifted to digital space with flexible schedules in the post-pandemic era.
Even Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced an extension of work from home option for the employees till September 2021.
Golden season for art-epreneurship
Lockdown was a time many Malayali women delved into business. Baking, bottle art, tailoring, embroidery, etc found many takers online and they made profit out of it.
For Thrissur-based Sandhya Radhakrishnan, embroidery hoop art is something she tried out of curiosity by learning the basics from YouTube tutorials. When she moved to making embroidery portraits as a lockdown pastime, little did she expect to be an overnight entrepreneur. Sandhya's personalised embroidery portraits, priced from Rs 1,000 onwards, are made based on orders. The intricate thread work, eye for detail and vibrant presentation have shot her to fame.
Sandhya now has more than 10 commissioned works each month as she invests more time and energy to her passion which pays back as rich dividends, in terms of happiness and money.
Likewise, Safeena, a native of Kochi, ventured into dot Mandala paintings on bottles during the lockdown following a friend's suggestion. The trials came out so well that Safeena tried different mediums – wood, fabric, canvas, stones, pots, etc. When orders started increasing after people shared the photos of her works posted on Facebook, she started a dedicated page for it and launched an online business for special and customised Mandala designs.
"The prices of my art works start at Rs 300. This brings me an average of Rs 15,000 earning a month," she says.
Green, the most romantic colour
Rekindling their love for farming, Keralites started embracing eco-friendliness, returning to their roots.
From building a small patch of green in their yard or balcony or terrace, to stressing on plastic-free life and vouching for a greener earth, many Malayalis started the mission they knew all the time but seldom cared to practise – the Green Mission.
People who cooped up at homes during lockdown, many tried growing plants with the assistance of experts on social media. Referring to videos on irrigation, applying manure, spraying organic pesticides people grew a green thumb. Sumi Shyamraj from Ernakulam cultivates ornamental plants on her terrace, and sells it on her Facebook page Sumi's Garden.
"I receive most of my orders from Uttar Pradesh, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. I still can't believe that I earn over Rs 30,000 from my ornamental plants," says Sumi, who receives most of the orders for Episia, which has 80 varieties, Begonia, Philodendron and Peperomia.
Like Sumi, many have fallen in love with soil and greenery in the past one year. What the chief minister started as a food security drive, the mission grew into a mass movement as more joined the green brigade.
The world comes together
Bini and Rohit have been trying to have a baby for years, but when they finally became pregnant, it was lockdown. The couple was in the UK, their parents in the US, friends and relatives spread across Dubai, Bengaluru, Kannur and Ernakulam. Yet they managed to organise a baby shower for Bini – a virtual baby shower which had all the couple's dear and near ones in attendance.
"It was a surprise event for Bini," says Dolly, who, from Kochi planned the whole event for her friend, the mom-to-be, coordinating with all the people.
Rohit bought a yellow dress for Bini, who went into the room to try it on and came out to see a computer screen where all her loved ones gathered sporting yellow attires, their background decorated in yellow and neatly stacked before the screen are cakes and delicacies to be symbolically handed over to the parents-to-be.
"We sang songs, played virtual games, cut the cake, wished her and celebrated the baby shower together. Everyone was delighted to be part of the plan, especially Bini, who was going through tough times due to the pregnancy, away from family and amidst the pandemic. We are glad to have lit up her day with a party in the best possible manner in this scenario," says Dolly, who adds that virtual get-togethers have been the lifesavers during the distress period.
Smartphones and social media which were criticized for 'spoiling' the younger generation have proved to be instrumental in connecting people, strengthening bonds and making people happy and united at times of crisis.
Money management lessons
This is one time the Malayalis learnt better lessons on money management. Realisation dawned on people that many things we spend on are actually unnecessary. People started being content with lesser things, quitting non-essential shopping, focusing on basic necessities and preferring DIY to professional services.
In the pre-lockdown situation, Lisa Thomson from Kottayam used to spend between Rs 7,000 to Rs 9,000 at the salon every month to manage her unruly curls and for her skin treatment. Once lockdown struck, beauty parlours and gyms were among the first to down the shutters. Lisa then had no choice but to do it herself. "The parlours were no longer safe. I had to come up with alternatives, and attempted home remedies. I created a routine for the skin using cucumber, honey, and lemon; for hair, a mix of olive oil and eggs," she recalls.
She also joined Curl Pride virtual communities where she got ample hair care advice based on the Curly Girl (CG) Method. She bought branded curly hair kits online and depended on natural and organic products at home. In less than six months, her frizzy hair turned into shiny, healthy locks.
Surprised by the change, Lisa says, "The money I spent on my hair a month lasts a year if I continue with the current CG treatment. I learnt to cut my hair, tried the spa, colouring and treatment to preserve the locks. I don't think I would go back to the parlour again, mainly because I am not sure about their safety measures, and secondly, this saves a lot of money, and is quite effective."
The fat-to-fit tales
The more people stayed indoors, the more frustrated they became. Many found ways to vent out, a few tried to channelise it to workout, and thanks to them, many Keralites shed their extra pounds and typical potbelly. When Ali Akbar, an expatriate at Kuwait, recently posted his photo on Facebook, the first comment that popped up was, 'Nicely photoshopped!'
A self-proclaimed foodie, Ali Akbar has utilised the lockdown period to shed 12 kgs. "But no one believed my physical transformation. Never before have I tried to change my physique." Asked what prompted his determination, the Palakkad native says, "My family was in my hometown and I was stuck here. Locked indoors, I was very lonely. I decided to get a distraction and started working out from home assisted by dumb bell sets, virtual communities and strict diet, cutting down on carbs, oil and sugar," he says.
Other than loneliness, he was motivated to prove others wrong. "All my life I have been shamed for being on the heavier side. With the negativity surrounding lockdown affecting me, I decided to make everyone eat their words. I would live at least for one last day as a fit man – this kept me going. I also had many lifestyle diseases, which wouldn't subside unless I started losing weight," he says, glad that his transformation inspired many to follow suit.
More Keralites have started focusing on health and fitness. Spending time on workouts, following healthy diets and setting up groups for planned virtual workout sessions, many underwent great physical transformation during the period.
Gossips won't go
Sindhu: Did anyone hear any commotion yesterday night?
Raja: That was from the entrance. A delivery boy was trying to get into the flat without the watchman noticing.
Madhu: If these people behave irresponsibly like this, all of us will be in danger, exposed to the virus!
That was a WhatsApp conversation between people living on the same floor of an apartment in Thiruvananthapuram. WhatsApp and messenger groups have taken over the evening gossip sessions. With the gatherings at tea shops, meetings, parks and walkways disappearing, gossips have started following the COVID-19 protocols.
People sharing their daily activities, the latest episode of their favourite series, COVID-19 trivia and updates, their woes, worries and joy has suffered a huge blow with the lockdown. But after the initial lull, they have joined cyberspace to interact over voice/video calls and text messages. Sharing jokes, memes, trolls and photos in the groups, Malayalis try to recreate the ambience virtually, hoping to be back with their buddies very soon.
Burden off weddings
Kerala weddings are notorious for the loads of jewellery weighing down the bride, the lavish feast with up to four varieties of payasam, the women who mentally calculate the weight of the gold, the guests who scrutinise the position of the dishes served on the banana leaf, the omnipresent uncle who scoffs about the rituals… COVID-19 has shifted the wedding setting from the sweaty crowds to a quiet ceremony with hardly 50 in attendance.
"Normally, a wedding is accompanied by complaints that never end. A grumpy relative who didn't get invited to your wedding personally but only over the phone would hold a grudge for the 'insult' even when you celebrate your 25th wedding anniversary. Luckily, we got spared," laughs Siju, a native of Kozhikode, who got married to Nisha, strictly following the COVID-19 guidelines.
Jokes apart, Siju and Nisha saved a hell lot of money by downsizing their wedding and omitting the otherwise mandatory reception. "From booking a wedding hall, to buying gifts for relatives, we saved on all those. We also ensured that the ceremony was aired live on Facebook so that everyone could be present at least virtually. First, we postponed our wedding date at the behest of our families who wanted it to be a grand affair, but since COVID-19 was not showing any respite, we decided to tie the not abiding by the rules. And here we are, glad that Malayalis finally started realising that a wedding is not all about spending the hard-earned money of a lifetime on a single day, but beginning a life together."
