heartysmarty

[heartysmarty]

This morning

After almost 20 years, I read a pledge written in my mother tongue to my 9 year old, which we had said almost everyday during our schooldays. Though initially the tune or the rhythm seemed familiar and I was able to self-correct myself gradually, none of the words made any sense to me. And to be honest, I realized all the more today that I had totally not been in touch with my mother tongue, when it comes to reading or writing skills. And to add more fuel to the fire, I also realized that I had been pronouncing it all wrong and I cared less to even find out the meaning of the complex, long, tongue twister words all these years. As if this wasn’t enough, my daughter who was lying on the couch behind me and listening to my struggled pronunciations, was literally rolling on the couch laughing her heart out. Anyways, even though it was a bad way to start my morning, I still patted myself for entertaining my daughter during her brain break and giving her a good start to her Thursday.

[heartysmarty]

Can’t live with or without you..

Not a single day passes by without you.

Whenever I try to poke you, you make me cry, hands down.

But I admit, I like you the way you are. Who can let you go when you’re just out of hot oil?

When exactly did I learn to tolerate you? How did we learn to coexist?

You have so much impact on me that even when you are gone, my eyes keep thinking of you until the last tear.

You come in different sizes and colors to make me cry every day.

There is no flavor or aroma in life, sans you.

My creativity has no boundaries when I chop you into varied shapes and sizes.

When you go green, you are not as harmful as now.

Looks are deceptive. So true! Why did I imagine you to be as soft as you seem?

The internet is full of ideas about how I can stay unaffected when I am with you. Wearing a helmet or goggles, chewing gum and what not? Nothing could trick you, precious.

When there are ‘no tears’ shampoos and soaps, why hasn’t anyone found a ‘no tears’ form of you?

Yes, my dearest Onion, I can’t live with or without you!

[heartysmarty]

Doodle zebra

[heartysmarty]

Potential Post-Pandemic Changes – My 50 Pointer

1.       Most of us might grow our own fruits, vegetables and herbs in our backyards or even as a container garden in the kitchen. Few might go vegan or adopt vegetarianism for good.

2.       After months of lockdown, we now know what other living beings have been going through for ages, inside the cages in zoo and at home. Maybe, it’s time to set them all free.

3.       Greeting which involve physical contacts like hugs, kisses or handshakes might not be a sustainable option now.

4.       Tele-visits to consult your GP, doctors or therapists might continue since few might find it as a safe option.

5.       An increase in online learning, home schooling and Work-from-home are a sure thing! Companies that sell gym equipment, gadgets and Internet providers will continue to do very well along with online learning websites, online payment system and remote conferencing services companies.

6.       Pollution control is the silver lining during the pandemic. Going forward, we might even have a lock-down dedicated for controlling pollution levels. We might bring down the use of air purifiers, with such lock down in the future.

7.       With so much news doing the rounds that air travel and hotels are big breeding grounds for virus, few companies might choose to have business meetings online and call off the practice of dinner with clients at expensive restaurants for good.

8.       DIY videos for masks, hand wash and hand sanitizers will urge us to make our own products at home. Most countries might start manufacturing everything they need locally. In-sourcing of essential goods could be a good start point.

9.       With a tiger contracting COVID-19 in a New York zoo, few reports have come out that the cat family is vulnerable to the pandemic. There are chances people might stop having cats as pets for a while.

10.   The lockdown has forced most of the restaurants to be closed, since the take-away weren’t helping either. This has forced us all to realize how homemade food is super healthy.

11.   Since people with persistent ailments are more susceptible to COVID-19, this pandemic will increase our awareness and mindfulness when it comes to staying healthy, exercising and regular health checks.

12.   Smokers and alcoholics will think twice before going for it.          

13.   Being indoors, family time fun will increase in few households. Most of us will utilize this housebound time and get back to reading, pick up new hobbies and hone our skills.

14.   As an aftermath, even the slightest symptom like a cough will freak out everyone. The term ‘Virus’ is scarier than ‘Cancer’ nowadays.

15.   After-parties, audio and trailer release functions, bachelor parties and other gatherings will drastically see a downward trend. All essential meetings with delegates will look like exam halls, where people distance each other.

16.   Imagine your favorite actor with a mask in his next movie! Film making will call for a lot of creativity to make a movie or a web series with all the actors socially distancing from each other.

17.   Visiting theaters, supermarket, airports or any public gathering for that matter, will give you so much anxiety as if you are at a war zone. Watching movies in theaters might stop soon. Movies, just like web series, will target Netflix, Amazon, Apple, Quibi and the likes.

18.   Social distancing is directly proportional to social networking. The more we are housebound, the more we will utilize social networking sites.

19.   Brick-and-mortar supermarkets might end up closing their stores and instead sell everything online.

20.   We might end up shopping and spending more on masks rather on other clothing. On the lighter side, it might not be surprising if we might have to wear spacesuits in public places as a protective measure.

21.   While this pandemic has forced divorce rate to go up in some countries, gang life and prostitution has come down drastically in few others.

22.   Though COVID-19 has forced China to ban dog meat, people in some parts of the world continue to eat bizarre food like kangaroo meat and crocodile meat. Poaching and trafficking rhinos and pangolins in the name of making medicines continue though.

23.   While few of us will try to stick to our current jobs whatsoever, the ones who lost their job due to the pandemic, might be forced to re-skill in coming days. Multifaceted skills might be the new norm.

24.   Even though someone knocking your door during the lockdown is unwelcome and creates some anxiety, delivery guys are our new heroes.

25.   We might end up giving up on our servants, household help, nannies, caretakers etc for good, since this lock down period is long enough to train us to be self-sufficient.

26.   In few countries, violence against women might come down, while domestic violence faced by women indoors might continue with no voice.

27.   Shortage of basic needs, money and food might lead to violence in few parts of the world. Job loss, recession, stock market crash, food shortage, bankruptcy, looting etc might resonate with the aftermath.

28.   With the COVID-19 vaccine predicted to be taking a year to come into action, the test kits could be manufactured and sold in large numbers like pregnancy test kits.

29.   Not guns, but cough could be the next self-defense mechanism.

30.   The pandemic has forced interest rates to be slashed and this might happen for a year or so.

31.   Rents remain unpayable by many all over the world. But during this crisis, some good Samaritans, celebrities and the rich have voluntarily come forward to help and empathize with people in need.

32.   We might end up becoming self-dependent with our daily necessities like cooking, washing, laundry, cleaning, mowing and domestic repairs. Women will continue to have more workloads with kids learning online.

33.   We might clearly understand and implement ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’ concept, which was long pending.

34.   With wild animals and birds venturing into the cities and other rural areas around the world, we might end up accepting other creatures, at last and begin to live and let live. This way we will know to survive peacefully and give them their space too.

35.   With restrictions on visiting places of religion, we will learn to see God in each other. This will teach us to respect all religions and races.

36.   Since it is believed that currencies are carrier of the virus, currencies are soon going to be a thing of the past. Digital payment methods are inevitable. This might pave way for accelerated Cryptocurrency adoption.

37.   Digital reading, audio books, e-magazines and newspapers are the new norms. Going forward, the best option to gift others could be gift cards, online subscription coupons or anything delivered home.

38.   We know that Italy lost many seniors to the pandemic due to the joint family culture it follows. But in few places, job loss might force few youngsters to come back and stay with their families. This will create a lot of contemplation whether youngsters should stay with seniors are not.

39.   Visitors to the senior living or old age homes might need a lot of tests and checks to be permitted.

40.   With WFH adults and online learning kids, electricity and internet are dire essentials these days. It wouldn’t be surprising if the world moves towards more solar panel installations.

41.   We might learn never to waste our food and other resources, the hard way. With food shortage, decrease in food export, import or shipping, population control might soon be the need of the hour.

42.   Respect for stay-at-home moms, delivery guys, front liners, health care workers, police officers, handyman and all daily wagers who still show up during the pandemic, will increase drastically.

43.   Few opportunists might misuse this period and come up with tricks to rip the peace in us.

44.   Soon, with everyone going around with masks on, the sales of lipstick will come down.

45.   For those who habitually spit in public places, this might be a chance to change.

46.   Automobile sales in near term might come down, with the comfort of WFH and avoiding the unpeaceful, crowded and long travel time to work-place.

47.   The current security checks at airport is already exorbitant, but with the pandemic, we might have to spend more time for a mandatory temperature screening and maybe a COVID-19 test too.

48.   More people might move to countryside and villages soon, thereby creating another set of problems in the rural areas.

49.   With many front liners affected by COVID-19, we might soon see robots in places of doctors, lab technicians, nurses and in other healthcare services. More drones might be used in assisting Police. The adoption of AI will increase multi fold and investments in healthcare might increase.

50.   With an increase in masks, gloves and other PPE, developed nations might dump more trash in poor and developing countries.

[heartysmarty]

The magic of Jamaica

​Just as the name suggests, Jamaica is a beautiful piece of land with wonderful spring water. Not just that, its abundant with lush green nature, beautiful beaches, pleasant landscapes, warm people, naive and knowledgeable Rastafarians and many more. This is one of the best places to escape the cold and to enjoy serenity. Jamaica overpours with heart-warming fun activities in water. Whether its the gushing falls or the many shades of blue beaches or the magical lagoons or the thrilling cliffs or the quite waters, Jamaica has it all to soothe and win your heart. You would ask for more and never would want the fun to end. Some of my most enjoyable moments were at "vibrant" Montego Bay, "hearty" Negril, "mesmerising" Ocho Rios and "enchanting" Portland.

 Mobay, like how the Jamaicans love to call their Montego Bay, has so much to offer. Fun is unlimited at Sandy Bay with horseback riding, ATV tours, ziplines and not to forget the horseback water rides. The Chukka Caribbean Adventure guys are sure to win your heart with their energetic souls. Surge your energies by water tubing at the Yardy river. Mayfield falls showcases how you can have loads of fun by rock climbing with the gushing water. 

 Falmouth, which is the birthplace of the one and only Usain 'thunder' Bolt, has Luminous Lagoons, where you bet will make you believe in magic. Be sure for your curiosity antenna to be awakened!

 Rockland Bird Sanctuary is a must-go for bird lovers like me. Let yourselves calm down and blend with the tiny and one of the most beautiful birds to see how their world looks like. You are sure to lose your heart there and wish that this part of your life never ended. Bamboo Rafting is a soulful experience that shouldn't be missed. The guys who take you for bamboo rafting are sure to teach you what hospitality really means. Hip street and Fairview have ample restaurants and stores to feed your tummy and soul. Call it a day with a happy note, by spending some time at Mobay dead-end, where you get to see the sunset and flights landing beautifully.

 Ocho Rios which translates to Eight Rivers, captivates us with its spellbinding nature. You can nurture your childish nature at Dunn's Falls and Park, have umpteen fun with Sky lifts, Bobsled, Waterslides and Ziplines at the Mystic Mountains. You are sure to uplift your soul with ample green n blue nature around you. 

 Negril is full of life with its sparkling blue beaches. Margaritaville is a good choice to start your fun at Negril. If you want to taste some youthful, lively and thrilling experience be sure to make it to Ricky's cafe. Jumping into the water off the cliff is sure to trigger your adrenaline rush.

 Portland portrays how sandy beaches, laid-back people, small towns, busy markets and blue lagoons go well with each other. A day or two isn't enough to enjoy the beauty of Portland. It has so much more to offer than you can even imagine.

 Besides the beauty of nature in this small island, what capitulates us more is the warmth and vibes of the people there. In many ways, they teach you to live your life to the fullest. Despite being a developing country, Jamaicans know how to cherish and be happy with what they have.

 Yeah mon!! No problem!! Irie!! Love you Jamaica!! God bless you!!