Life in Times of COVID

Photos by Rituparna Banerjee

Although going out is mostly out of bounds, pictures of a deserted old City of London during our walk on the weekend.

Photos by Arpita Chakraborty

Photos by Anish Tiwari

Photo 1: Moments before getting the first covid test (Chhattisgarh) / Photo 2: Flying home from Bangalore / Photo 3: Home Food / Photo 4: Lockdown Readings (Bangalore) / Photo 5: Lockdown Visitors (Bangalore) / Photo 6: Trying to write & failing at it (Bangalore)

Photos by Rachna Shanbog

Photos by Aurelie Sicard

Photos by Oliver Scanlan

Photos by Tim Mayo

These pictures were taken in the month of January, by then, public life had resumed without strict restrictions (unlike the initial months).

In fact, the only UBI (bank) in Ukhrul is overcrowded, with queues extending outside.

A church door holds the message “Wash your hands, purify your hearts…” -James 4:8 (Bible)

Photos by Vidushi Kaushik

‘(UN)Mask’!

First travel in the pandemic, from Delhi to Mumbai. This was the first round of flights, social distancing, constant temperature checks but limited distancing when it came to security checks.

Once the checks were over, the airline was more particular of maintaining social distancing. No in-flight beverages or food was served (this has changed since then. In my recent flight in January 2021, food was served.) barring a bottle of water. On arrival, I was stamped for 14-day mandatory home quarantine. (attached photo of the stamp).

Reunited with cats- the cats had been alone since March 2020 and were tended by a friend in Mumbai. Here is Pop, playing it harder for me to clean.

Versova beach on a monsoon evening (when the rain had stopped). Mumbai saw torrential rain this monsoon with weeks of rain and no sun (something Dubliners will commiserate with). This photo was clicked on a dry evening, with beautiful sunset around. People, out for walks and kids playing cricket on the beach, some masked and many unmasked.

In August, the lockdown was relaxed in Mumbai with resuming daily work especially housework and daily wagers. The lockdown was harshest on them. In this picture, are Jaya and Alka, who came and celebrated Ganesh Chaturthi with me. Jaya and Alka resumed work at home a week ago. We made modaks (traditional sweet made out of coconut, jaggery and rice flour) at home with the hope and prayer for better days.

Sharda (the lady in red saree and her younger daughter, Shyamal) had invited me to her house in Versova village for Ganesh Chaturthi. Usually, a festival would have worshippers gathering together and on the fifth, seventh and tenth day of the celebrations, a procession would head towards the sea for visarjan (dipping the idol bidding goodbye). This year, the celebrations were small and mostly restricted to people’s homes. Sharda and her three children invited me on day 4 of the festival.

COVID 19 home test. Private/government certified diagnostic centers across suburban Mumbai offer the option of home tests. The technician here in his safety overall, before he took my samples. The test came negative.

While out for a grocery run one afternoon, noticed these men climbing up the neighbourhood coconut trees to get the coconut. The area is notorious for random coconuts dropping off on parked cars (and some close shaves with humans too).  The next photo shows the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) mini-auto with coconuts collected.

Photos of Jivanta Schottli

The seasons of 2020

And the world kept moving

Home School

Start to a working day

Photos of Eileen Connolly

Staying in the West of Ireland for the final months of the lockdown.

Working space the dining table.

I am lucky to be here -beautiful places to walk even in the winter.

Working post box in spite of appearances – this is what the wind from the Atlantic does!

Photos of Denise Ripamonti

Interrupted fieldwork, New Delhi, Spring 2020

Quarantine, Abbadia Lariana, June 2020

Home, Lecco, since June 2020

Photos of Harikrishnan Sasikumar

The Wait

A rare flight

Photos of Saumava Mitra

Cardinal Scenes:  Fernweh, I am told, is aching for distant places. I get it at the best of times. But even at the worst of times, a sea allows the mind to stretch. And if lucky and locked down by the Irish Sea, you reach out to touch all four cardinal points of the compass.

View West from Poolbeg Lighthouse

View East from Clontarf

View South from Sutton

View North from Brayhead

Photos of Tapasya Narang

Activities of a lockdown: Painting rocks, podcasting, writing letters & Walking around Dublin (Botanic Gardens, Nubar)