Lockdown Cooking

 A world with social distancing and staying at home all day long seems a tad lonely. There are no restaurants, schools, colleges, and offices, but there is no other way as of yet to contain the pandemic. Each one of us has a different way to cope with it; some of us have resorted to music, books, art. Whereas some of us have found solace in cooking.

Food is the key

Food has always found a way to bring people together. Earlier it was by inviting people to dinner and eating out, now it’s about sharing the comfort that food brings via social media. Well here’s a word of caution though, it can at times also be heartbreaking when you are just about to eat dal chawal and you open your Instagram and see those fries loaded with cheese. It hurts, doesn’t it? Whatever you say but food has a way of stirring emotions, even if of jealousy or craving.

Cooking has turned out to be an escape from reality and I feel good, even when I burn the whole dish.

Experimenting

When the lockdown began it seemed like almost everyone I knew had taken to baking or cooking and then flaunting their culinary conquests on social media. I mean what haven’t we made yet? From pizza,dhokla, cakes, to halwa, we have pretty much covered all ground. This is when I thought let’s see what the fuss is about. It began with Dalgona coffee, who knew I would end up baking bread.

Indeed, it is a stress buster to spend time in the kitchen when you are not doing run of the mill stuff.

When I started out with my culinary experiments, it was essentially about passing time but eventually, it turned out to be something that uplifts my spirits. It became something to look forward to every day. As I dived into the world of food blogs, recipes, I must be honest, it got intimidating as well as interesting. Don’t we all worry about taking something perfect and completely ruining it? That’s what I felt about all the delectable recipes I came across, and I still do. Having said that, cooking has turned out to be an escape from reality and I feel good, even when I burn the whole dish.

It feels satisfying

It is so satisfying when something that you cook actually turns out to be actually good and everyone in the family praises you and pulls your leg saying “you are not the looser we thought you are.” Also, cooking became a way to deal with all the restaurant food craving. There are so many preparations that we don’t attempt to make at home, and order from outside. But the lockdown cravings to eat your favourite dish could only be tackled by taking matters in your own hands.  Also making something that you are craving and realizing that you can do it well boosts your confidence and makes your dish even more special.

I mean during this lockdown we tried making things which we never would have even bothered to since we could have ordered it.

Before lockdown, cooking felt like a lot of effort. I would rather sit at the dining table and let the magic happen at a restaurant’s kitchen. Why bother toil over an elaborate preparation, when somebody can make it for you. But this lockdown has changed my perspective towards cooking. It’s not just about love but its also about taking charge of yourself and learning to be independent. The fact that my skills have upgraded from barely making a cup of tea, to whipping up something decent to eat if ever anyone comes unannounced to visit me has given me so much confidence and comfort.

Impact of Covid-19 on school education

March 2020 will forever be remembered in history as a time when all the school,colleges and educational institutes across the world had shut down.while no one was prepared for the pandemic that hit the world,the educational system as one of the most disrupted sectors.

No one would have guessed that a virus-like Covid-19 would come and without differentiating, it will alter the lifestyle of people. Due to Covid-19, many changes came to our world and It took some time for everyone to adopt the new normal. The Covid-19 impact was everywhere, which resulted in the closure of Schools and other educational institutions.

Initially, most governments have decided to temporarily close the schools to reduce the impact of Covid-19. Later it was reopened for a few grades, which increased the number of infection rates and then closed again.

Though schools are closed, students are attending their classes through various education initiatives like online classrooms, radio programs. Though it is a good thing happening on the other side, there are lots of students who don't have the resources to attend the online classes. Many students are struggling to obtain the gadgets required for online classes.

Teachers who are all experts in Blackboard, Chalk, books, and classroom teaching are really new to this digital teaching, but they are adopting the new methods and handling it like a pro to aid the students in the current position.

But on the negative side, many teachers are looking for an alternative job to support their families.

Educated parents are supporting their children throughout the pandemic, but we require to understand that there are some illiterate parents and their feeling of helplessness to help their children in their education.

There are students in India who come to school just because they can get food. The great midday meal scheme has helped many children who couldn’t bring their food from the home to get their nutrition.

Because of the closure of the schools, many students were suffering from not having enough food for their survival.

There is always a delay or cancellation of exams, which leads to confusion for many students and there is no room for curriculum.

Most of the school-going children are involved in child labour to support their families.This pandemic has not only affected the students but also the Low-budget institutions and schools, resulting in close-down of the same.

There are both positive and negative matters happening around us amid the Covid-19.

Technology paves the way for education, thus helping the students and teachers to connect virtually through online classrooms, webinars, digital exams, and so on.

But the sad truth is that it is not available to many students all over the nation.Everything is happening for the well-being of the students so that they can stay safe at home without getting affected by the life-threatening virus.

We are not ready for this, but it came, so we have to go through this together, but we have to update the infrastructure and should think of ways to undertake the situation and provide education to every child amid the pandemic if we face something precisely like this in the future to aid the forthcoming generation.

Stay home. Stay safe.

Childhood As An Army Brat

Alot of us have heard the term Army Brat.The word Brat means something completely different to an army kid. It’s not just a word it’s actually an acronym. It stands for Born, Raised, and Transferred.

Today,it primarily refers to any child who has grown up with a parent in the army has never lived in a place more than 3 years, studied in kendriya Vidyalayas, Central schools and army schools.Most of the army brats are not born anywhere close to their hometown. In fact, they are born in army hospitals of places whose names you probably have never heard!

Home Is Where The Army Takes You

One thing we always hear about Army brats is that they move around a lot, and that’s true. You just don’t belong to one place.  On average, Army families are assigned to a new installation every two to three years. And it’s usually not just a relocation down the street. No,Military families are assigned to fly to a new “home” all the way across the country with an entirely different culture.

Living in the cantonment

The environment seems to be more friendly and soothing than any other place surrounded by lush greenery.People from different parts of the country live together, enjoying each others company. I myself learnt many new things when I met new friends, tried to catch their tongue but failed, saw the vibrant culture and traditions.

 Get to live in a mini India

It may be our class or the campus , we get to witness a miniature form of India 😍 . We get friends from almost every Indian state so its no wonder to have been tasted the best of recipes from every state .😉

 We tend to understand quite a good no of languages yes we understand a few languages apart from our own mother tongue ( though not perfectly 😂) for instance punjabi ,haryanvi ,rajasthani, marathi , gujrati , bhojpuri .

Our school vehicles are different 

We never went to school in any van or a normal school bus . It was either the army bus , shaktiman or the gypsies .we went to schools in either of these.Army schools and Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) are the default options for us.

                                Source:- www.reddit.com

 We rarely go to Supermarkets , its always the CSD Canteen 😂, so frankly speaking we buy 90%of the things from canteens and still try to find the rest 10 % in the Canteen .

                                           Source:- www.northeasttoday.in

Life of housewives.

Frequent welfare programs were also there for house wives to expose their talent and art. They were conducted by commander's or brigadier’s wives.

                                       Source:-awwa.org.in

 Environment at home

 If you are from army background getting up after 7 or 8 is crime 😂 . For me , my dad doesn't let that happen most of the times . He used to give us a time and we had to be ready by then in the morning to go for morning walks with him . Home seemed to be more strict and disciplined when dad was on his “chhutti".

Healthcare

We have Military Hospitals and Command Hospitals(apart from MI Rooms. MI rooms are like the clinics where you have a general practitioner sitting. For any special treatment you are referred to Military Hospitals/ Command Hospitals 

Treatment  is free(yes, free treatment for lifetime even after you retire). For dependents, age limit is 21 yrs for males and for girls it is free until they get married.

Festivals

Another best part of childhood were festivals like Lohri, Diwali, Holi. All were celebrated with great energy and enthusiasm.

If on Diwali we share sweets with our neighbor families then on Holi we spare no one. Mens, wives, children all use to make separately in groups and attack surprisingly.

Furniture

For us, the lavish Furniture's means nothing, we have our ‘Government furniture  wherever we move to. Every household in the armed forces has a black painted trunk, which is now being used as a sitting space (this one is not sarkari).

Who can forget the dependent card!!

People often lose their metro cards, aadhar cards. But we, actually, used to take care of our - Dependant cards, Gate Pass, Vehicle Permit, Canteen Card,   and then the list continues with the common cards that we all have - Debit/Credit Cards, Aadhar Card, Driving Licence, Metro Card, Pan Card, etc.

Functions

• Our unit use to have regular Mandir on Tuesday where we all gather and offer prayers to almighty.
• Lunger and Bhandara on festivals was quite common.
• I got a lucky chance to be a part of celebration of our unit's Golden Jublie. It was hell of a grand event.

The air-force campus !

How can i not write about it! the campus or camps are amazing residential areas for defense families. we have swimming pools, open air theaters, large playgrounds, sports facilities, Auditoriums for parties and get together, the CSD canteen, AFWWA shop apart from the quarter with very friendly and supportive families as neighbours ! we love one another a lot. we stand one for all and all for one!

 Adapting the civil environment is a tough job 

So once you are used the army campus life , its gets difficult to adjust in the civil crowd . When you face the crowd out there , it won't be easy to adapt as there's a huge difference in the mindsets , understandings ,way of life .

Being an army officer's daughter.I would not have traded my life for anything else.I loved the nomadic life.The uncertainty of the next posting,the excitement of packing and shifting to a guest room for that period,shedding tears for friends we knew we had never meet again and hen unpacking and setting down at another station,making new friends and going to a new school.I interacted with people from diverse cultures and ethnicity. I lived a life  less ordinary as my father is in the army and i am a proud army brat.

 

Fat To Fabulous

 How many times have you decided that you wanted to lose weight?  Of those times, how many times did you say to yourself  I am serious this time around? 

And of all those times, how many times have you made it two days in eating clean and then rewarded yourself with a slice of pizza and suddenly found yourself waiting until the following Monday to try again? ‍‍

I think we can all relate to this feeling🤷 

Let's go back where it all started :🏃

There was a point in my life where I knew that I needed to do something for my health, but I was not serious enough. This thought of doing something came when my foots used to get swelled that my footwear's started getting tight.My dad consulted the doctor .Doctor asked to take reports of whole body, after getting report doctor told i might be diagnosed to diabetes,cholesterol,urea if not did anything regarding my weight. on that time my weight was also not less its 99.80  kilos. I decided to do something about my weight, even though I wasn’t a huge fan of exercising (or even walking) and was a big foodie.

" Hard Work, Always Payoff "

May be you heard above mentioned quote but this one is also correlate to me not professionally  but personally.I did the impossible and lost a whopping 25 kgs in span of 1 year ,it all was started in Jul"20.

How do I stay motivated? 

Whenever I want an instant boost of motivation, I look at my old photographs and realize how far I have come. Once you begin to see the difference in your body and when people begin to compliment you on your transformation there is no going back!I see that so many people do not have enough time to get up and workout but they still manage the same. I also read motivational quotes to continue my fitness journey.

Pillars of my support😍

My parents and soulmate are the pillars of my support .Whenever i go with family, they support my choices of eating. Never ever force me while saying that one bite will not effect as all others did.

Most difficult part of being overweight: 

I hated shopping for XXL or waist size of 40/38 . It was heartbreaking when the salesperson would tell me ‘apka size nahi hai mam’.

Fitness secrets I unveiled: 

Eat your dinner before 7 pm so your body has enough time to digest the food before you hit the sheets. I have also realized that green tea works wonders in keeping the metabolism running. I make sure to drink plenty of water to keep myself hydrated.

How do you ensure you don’t lose focus?

 I think will power is important if you need to achieve anything.If you are passionate about something you will definitely achieve it. You should lose weight for yourself  not to impress anyone or by succumbing to peer pressure.

What shape I see myself 10 years down the line?

Now that I have lost a considerable amount of weight I want to focus on maintaining my current weight and wants to shed more 8 kgs.

 

What are the lifestyle changes i made?

 

In addition to eating healthy,it is also important to eat in the right amount.It is important to understand that losing weight is all about replacing your unhealthy cravings with the right food.I made fitness a part of my daily routine and also started drinking 3 litres of water every day.Being consistent and regular with your diet and workout really help. Also, allow yourself to have cheat days once in a while. For me, my cheat days were once every 2 weeks, which kept me looking forward and motivated.

 

Lowest point for me......

I felt really low and lost when I wasn't  able to run even half a kilometre without panting for air(now i can do jogging continuously for half an hour). Moreover, I wasn’t able to fit into the clothes of my choice. At that point I felt really heartbroken.

Lessons learnt from weight loss: 

If you are trying to lose weight you need to understand that it is a journey😍 not a destination. This simply means that you have to put constant and conscious efforts in order to stay healthy and fit all your life. You must go for a workout routine and diet plan as per your lifestyle. Also you must never go for short term plans😒as you may end up gaining all the weight back.You might have a lot of stretch marks or even loose skin at times, but you should be proud of it. You are a tiger who just earned his stripes, so you might as well flaunt it.

‍

THE SCHOOL IS OUR PRIDE

Quick Questions 

Before starting my blog I want to know that what we were suppose to be in school day and what we are today  ??...

Still your school friends are your friends ??...

How was your school life ??..

A WORLD OF LEARNERS WHERE CHILDREN GAIN A PASSPORT TO THE WORLD:

Memories have been the part and parcel of my life, much like everyone else. We remember the good days which have gone by and the bad ones as well. One of the good memories in life is definitely of their school life. In fact, it is considered to be the best phase of their lives by many. 

 

A student knows the importance of school life and they consider it the golden period of their life. And why should it not be? It is the first truly impactful thing in one’s life and the importance of it can never be disproved. 

" Boring uniforms, Un-adjustable ties

Different kinds of shoes, Many sections, Many class rooms,

One best friend , One favorite teacher

bench sharing partners, Too many crushes,

one school, million memories."

STORY BEGINS :

My school life was surely a learning experience. The confidence and motivation it gave me, I couldn’t get anywhere else. Most importantly, it is the place where I recognized my uniqueness and individuality. My school life is no less than a treasure for me which gave me invaluable joys in life.

JOURNEY FROM ALPHABET TO EQUATIONS :

It is where I started by learning the alphabet and can now solve equations using the same. The warm welcome I received when I first started my school is something I will never forget. It is what also defines why my school life is so important to me.

Every X has it's Y :

My school life helped me learn about the things which were first mysterious to me. For instance, I got answers to many questions that were always at the back of my mind. It helped me gain knowledge and excel in studies. It is through my school life that I realized love towards mathematics .People find it difficult where as I find it way to test me.

The things I have learned over the course of my school life will always stay with me forever. In fact, had it not been for my school life, I would’ve missed out on so many things. The knowledge, experience and memories, I owe it all to my incredible school life.

AN UNFORGETTABLE JOURNEY 🙈🙈:

It has indeed been an unforgettable journey which will remain in my heart forever. My school life was filled with lots of excitement and love. It made me understand the value of time and became a wonderful chapter in my life.

It is definitely the period where I found myself and learned a great deal about myself. My school life helped me learn dedication and self-actualization. My teachers motivated me and pushed me to achieve my best which is a big part of what I am today.

FRIENDS FOREVER 😍😍 :

Most importantly, I earned friends here. Friends who will remain so for my entire lifetime. One of the greatest blessings of my school life has indeed been my friends. They were the ones who made this journey unforgettable and easy.

They helped me when I was down and elevated me when I was up. Moreover, they gave me strength and the courage to try out new things. My most memorable moments have been the ones spent with my friends. Other than that, I will remember the times we spent in the school canteen during recess. Each day was magical in my school life.

"In the cookies of life, school friends are chocolate chips"

Irreplaceable Days :             

As we all know that the first and last day of our school life is the most memorable days. I entered my school weeping and even while leaving, I have the same tears in my eyes. The difference being the former was for not wanting to go and the latter is for not wanting to leave. They joys my school life has given are surely countless and will remain to be the best days of my life.

 

"It is only in school days we can enjoy life without any worries and enjoy long vacations. By recollecting our school days we will get the things we like the most and the best memories ever. So enjoy your school life."