Sri Lanka, is seeing its way through to a never-before-experienced change of pace within its routine activities, as the world in its entirety is being forced into #lockdown. As at the 25th of March, 2020, nearly a quarter of the 7.8 Billion humans (bbcnews.com) are giving in, having to live under restrictions to curb COVID-19. Nonetheless, let us without any hesitation recite the fact that, we do have the better half of hope left within us to cherish the pleasant wonderments that 2020 holds. A heartfelt thank you to the unsung heroes fighting this pandemic, as we dearly in our hearts and minds would not be able to pay our dues to them, anytime sooner.
However, at this viewpoint, we come to think that we are limiting ourselves to our households. But, on the contrary, we are revisiting the outer world powered by what is ‘digital’. Speaking of such, one might glue themselves to #Covid19, #LockDown or #SocialDistancing over Social Media, news sites and whatnot, keeping them together in one piece despite the lost freedom to walk out of their homes. As much as helpful this might be, keeping boredom at bay during the COVID-19 lockdown tends to arrive at its daunting boundaries forcing you towards uneasy turn of events.
Well we’ve got you covered! From revisiting the all-time favorite memory of reading a copy of ‘අඹ යහළුවෝ’, to learning Tamil so that you have an edge over the bilingual, here are a few simple and not so stressed out picks for the easement of your worries…
Read something long-lost in your shelves.
It’s that moment of ‘walking down the memory lane’. Us Lankans got through our childhood well attached with the unforgettable read, ‘අඹ යහළුවෝ’ (Amba Yahaluwo). It’s no sci-fi, nor action-thriller, but, a pure blend of reality, Ceylonese spirit and nature that ultimately contributes to the making of one fine storyline giving us peace of mind about perspective. Keeping aside the transformation that we have undergone, running by the scented pages of ‘අඹ යහළුවෝ’ wouldn’t certainly cause you any regret. Indeed it would be wise of you to share this very taste of literature with your siblings, and perhaps, your children, as it is no wonder that at the rate we evolve such treasure would go hidden if it is not a done duty of ours to pass it on regardless of it being this particular book or any other book of olden days. Now is the time!
Watch something meaningful.
Keeping up with what was discussed above, there might occur a case of you not having a copy of ‘අඹ යහළුවෝ’ with you, or you being unable to find it in your house. You might as well turn to digital! ‘අඹ යහළුවෝ’ the tele, is available online, and the missing pieces are you, your family and a drink of coffee. If it interests you, there are more choices of good old teles such as ‘ගම්පෙරළිය’ (Gamperaliya) made available online at your convenience, given the growing 7.13 Million internet users in Lanka, a 34% share of the total population as at 2019 (Hootsuite).
Grow something fruitful.
Curfew, is for the greater good. Authorities have taken responsible decisions for a worthy cause, and it is wrong of ourselves to judge. Since we all dearly hope to feed ourselves, and more importantly, our families, we tend to unknowingly create havoc attempting to do our shopping for groceries once the curfew is lifted. As we do need to steer clear of such cases and do our shopping responsibly, we also need to map out our plan for future scenarios that might be of similarity to this pandemic. In occasions as such, ‘perspective’ matters. Think ‘green’. Think ‘home-grown’. We could do our online research or turn to our parents or grandparents for further expertise on gardening. After all, gardening is no rocket science.
Learn something worthwhile.
Are you farsighted when it comes to your career? Or is it just about a LinkedIn account that says ‘Full professional proficiency’ in English and Sinhala? The United Nations Volunteers of Sri Lanka (UNVSL) is/was on the lookout for translators to aid the procedures pertaining to the prevailing situation of the country, and the globe. You might have taken lessons on languages in school or during any other academic courses, but in any case, if you discontinued to leverage the learning possibilities of such, it might have caused you the loss of an opportunity to help mankind taking up duty as a volunteer to fight COVID-19. Regardless of your proficiency, there is no better time than now to allocate yourself some time to learn a language you are bad at. If it helps, perspective brings about the fact that, being able to speak and write multiple languages opens up the opportunity of gaining extra income, as companies tend to outsource work processes involving the duty of a translator. Learn Sinhala, learn English. Don’t stop… learn Tamil! Having born and raised in country with vast cultural differences, clinch the extra mile and earn yourself an add-on worthwhile.
Practicing self-isolation, social distancing and adhering to all other guidelines to help prevent COVID-19 might be a bitter price of life’s hardships. But we’re in this together. And we will get through this. Know the circumstances. Do you duty. #TogetherWeCan.
HNB General Blog 