Lockdown dairy: Cox's bazar

My New Normal Life in this Pandemic

We have been in lockdown for two months. It's like a third world war is going on. The war against the evil coronavirus. Hence, this is a war. We should equip ourselves for the fight. In this blog you will find some insights into my new normal lifestyle, which will make your lockdown days exciting.

I am a humanitarian worker living in Cox's Bazar, which is the world's longest seaside area in Bangladesh. I am serving in the world's largest Rohingya refugee camp and host community. Due to violence since 1990, over a million Rohingya refugees fled from Myanmar. The largest influx began on August 25, 2017, when violence broke out in Myanmar and displaced 742,000 refugees in Cox's Bazar. The Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar are densely populated areas where 40,000 people live per square kilometre. This is the most vulnerable area on earth in this pandemic. I am working in the communications department of the world's largest non-government organisation, BRAC. The government of Bangladesh declared a public holiday on March 27, 2020, and most of the district is on lockdown. We are humanitarian workers and our essential operations are running in this emergency. Most of my frontline colleagues are working in the field. As I work from home, I help sectors, attend online meetings, get stories and information from the field, and report and update our channels on a regular basis. This was my professional part of the fight against the coronavirus. But today I will describe my personal story of fighting.

To find out more about the Rohingya response, visit the below link.

Apparently, I am also personally facing this emergency situation like all the other people around the world. As I said, I have been locked down for a long time. I'm sure this could be extended much further. We have not invented any medicine or vaccines yet. So the only way to survive is to find a solution. Maintaining hygiene measures and working on our immune systems is the wisest way to fight against this deadly infectious virus. Here I am going to describe my lockdown days along with how I am facing the situation, maintaining safety measures and working on my immune system. Also, some of my thoughts and accumulated information may help you face this situation and afterwards.

Personal hygiene

I am now more cautious about my personal hygiene. I often wash my hands with soap. Every day, follow the steps for proper hand washing. I wash my clothes and rub my body during the shower. Avoid touching my face, mouth, nose, and eyes with my hands. During sneezing, I cover my mouth with a tissue or use my elbow. These are all known hygiene measures.

I am going to disclose some more tips which will take care of your mental and physical health, boost your immune system and make you stronger to fight against the coronavirus. Be patient and stay with me to get some extremely useful ideas from my newly built lifestyle.

Healthy Food Habits

We may feel caught in the trap of overeating in this home lockdown season. Be aware, don't eat much. Eat healthy food. Healthy eating means eating the right amount of calories that is best for your body. So you can balance your energy consumption with burning. Otherwise, you will gain fat because the energy that you did not use will be stored in your body as fat.

Nowadays, many of us take vitamins and food supplements. Most people don't need vitamin and food supplements as they can get them by eating a healthy and balanced diet. I would rather suggest you intake nutrient-rich foods. We drink plenty of water and eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, adequate protein and healthy fats. Healthy food will keep you well and boost your immune system. You can get tips on healthy food habits from the internet.

Daily Exercise or Yoga

Daily exercise is a must in this home lockdown. I do forty-five minutes of yoga every day. It refreshes my mind, makes me fit, and boosts my immune system. You can do yoga or exercise, whatever you love. Just start, even if you do not like it. After a few days of continuing, you will feel more refreshed and energetic, which will motivate you to continue further. You can start with yoga for beginners.

Social media and television

Don't get addicted to social media and television. You can watch television. But less news watching will be good for your mental health. I watch both Netflix and Amazon Prime. I have started watching Korean dramas lately. This pandemic has made me a fan of K-drama. I will suggest you not watch the news frequently. Watch only safety instructions and precautionary messages on television. You can watch a movie too.

The same goes for social media, not just scrolling through the news.You can do something productive here. You can raise funds for relief assistance. You can disseminate hygiene massages. I have a Facebook group and a page with more than four thousand followers. I promote hygiene messages and post information about cleanliness campaigns regularly. Don't share news of pandemics frequently on social media. You can also write a blog. Try it. Start like me. Don't think about what people say. Don't be shy about your writing flaws.

Being human

If you are reading this article, it means you have a LinkedIn account and have access to the internet. I mean, you are not the one who needs food assistance. According to the international telecommunications union (ITU), worldwide, only 53.6% (4.1 billion) of people have internet access. Among them, 610 million people use LinkedIn, which is 7.8% of the total world's population. It proves that you are a limited version. On the other hand, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), 820 million people suffer from hunger every day. So you can imagine how fortunate you are. You are in a better position to help people. Please help.

In Bangladesh, a four-member family's 15 days of groceries can be bought for BDT 1,500, which is equivalent to $18. I am sure most of us waste more than this amount every now and then. Your little help can save lives. I am trying to help people as much as possible. I am helping my underprivileged acquaintances, relatives, charity organisations, and hometown boys who are running hygiene campaigns and distributing relief on their own initiative. Some people might not need money, but they?may need other kinds of help. Some may require medical attention, while others may require medication, while still others may be stranded, and still others may require transportation assistance. Help as much as you can. Keep searching. Connect with people over the phone or online and ask them if they need any help. You may?especially call out to well-known doctors, nurses, police, journalists, and other frontline staff who are serving in this situation. Some of them might need help at home. Ask them and provide support if you can.

Social distancing, for people who survive on daily wages, means starvation. Millions in Bangladesh have lost their livelihood. BRAC is supporting 200,000 families, but the need is far greater.?Please come forward.?We take the responsibility of delivering your support to the people who need it most on the ground.?It's time to make empathy go viral. - BRAC

To Donate Follow the link below;        

Feeding Stray Animals and Birds

We are not the only species suffering from this lockdown. Stray animals and birds are also suffering. In particular, many stray dogs die of starvation. Many of my friends are feeding stray dogs. You can also feed stray cats and dogs. Please search the internet to learn about their food before starting. There are some ingredients that may not be good for their health.

I have started feeding the birds. My partner, Lora, started to place a cup of water on our balcony for birds. I joined her and added a pot with food. We have gotten an amazing response. Now we dedicate a corner for birds' feeding on one of our balconies. We regularly offer food and water to birds. You can also do it. In that case, search the internet for feeding birds with common kitchen items. Being human more than ever in this health emergency Your small actions can make a big difference.

Birds feeding corner in our balcony, Photography by Mahmudul Karim

Friends and Family

Regularly contact your family and friends. It will give you peace. Your family, relatives, and friends might need you in this crisis, so call them. I asked them how they were facing the situation. If they don't know, inform them of basic hygiene rules. I asked them if they needed any support. I call my parents, family, friends, and well-wishers regularly.

House Assistant

Less contact with people will help you prevent the coronavirus. If your house assistant doesn't live in your house, then send him/her on a paid leave. Because daily travel could be unsafe and it will increase the risk of your family and him/her both being affected. Give him/her a hardship allowance if possible. He/she might feel that you will stop paying after a few months. Assure them that you are going to pay until the pandemic is over. It is your duty to motivate them. Becauseare part of your family. Call them regularly; they might need your help. They might not be willing to talk about their hardships, so ask them if they need anything. We call our house assistance regularly. We sent her salary by mobile money transfer. We assured her not to worry. We will keep paying her remuneration if this pandemic is not over, even in a year.

Cooking and baking

Me and my partner, Lora, roaster basis, cook and wash dishes. We enjoy cooking. We cook different dishes every day. We also bake cakes and bread sometimes. We enjoy our own cooked food. I usually learn to cook from YouTube.

Photograph of my homemade shortbread, Photography by Mahmudul Karim

Cleaning and Dusting

The most irritating part is the house cleaning and dusting. Our apartment is quite big. Sweeping is very tough, though we sweep once a week. We should sweep our house every day, but it's impossible for us. The washing machine saved us from the hassle of cloth washing. We wash our clothes every day, dusting furniture as needed. We change our bed sheets and pillow covers once a week. Dishwashing is another of the most boring jobs for me. When you finish a large amount of dishwashing and clean your hands. At the time of leaving your kitchen, you will always find there is a dish left in some other places. This is the most awkward situation I have to face almost every day.

Vehicle Maintenance

Your vehicle's battery may go down if you don't start it every week. We start our car for 15 minutes every week. Move steering and switch on AC of the vehicle. It makes my vehicle's battery charged and keep it in running condition.

Home Gardening

We have some tomato, capsicum, and chilli plants on our balcony. We also have some other leafy and flowering plants. We take care of those plants daily. Home gardening will give you pleasure. We are living in an apartment, so I don't have any space for gardening, except some pots on our balconies. Two of my childhood friends in England are heavily involved in home gardening on their lawn. They are producing vegetables and potatoes. They spend one hour daily in the garden. It is very good for mental and physical health. You can learn anything from the internet. You can take home gardening tips too.

Photograph of tomato plants in my balcony, Photography by Mahmudul Karim

Evening tea date

Every evening, during sunset, Lora and I spend some quality time on the balcony. This is the most precious time of our day. We call it "tea date." We spent some intimate times together with tea and cookies. This is our personal chit-chat time. We enjoy the twilight together. We end our day in a lovely environment.

Photographs of a evening tea date, Photography by Mahmudul Karim

Vitamin-D Deficiency

Staying at home can result in a vitamin D deficiency in your body. Vitamin D is a necessary nutrient for the proper functioning of our immune systems. It's our body's frontline defence against any infections or diseases. The sun is the best source of vitamin D. When our body is exposed to the sun, it produces vitamin D from cholesterol. Stay on the balcony or rooftop daily to expose your body to the sun for at least 15 minutes. Vitamin D is a very essential mineral for our physical health, which also strengthens our bones, teeth, and muscles. Search the internet for how safely you can get most of your vitamin D from the sun.

Work from home

I am very new to the work from home modality. The first few days were difficult for me. I was feeling tired from working all day and night without any rest. I can't draw a line between my personal and professional time. But now I'm completely used to it and have figured out how to manage my time. Every morning I plan for the day and start the day according to the plan. It helps that work and personal life are both in my control. I am enjoying working from home very much.

Home supplies

Manage your home supplies smartly. Don't stock much. We buy 15 days' worth of groceries at a time. We have a known superstore salesperson near my house. He sent home a delivery of groceries. We intentionally don't use this service regularly. Because viruses can be spread through supplies, the arrival of supplies means that physical contact with the outside world has increased. Try to minimise the chances of physical contact with the outside world. We disinfect all the supplies that come from outside. We wash the supplies with clean water. Spray disinfectant on the package products. Change clothes, wash hands after receiving the goods, sometimes even take a shower. You can search the internet for what kind of product to have on hand during a pandemic.

Dark side of the moon

We are facing the most difficult time of our lifetime. There are so many negative socio-economic impacts of this pandemic. We will suffer the consequences for a long time. The pattern of our struggle will be changed in the course of time. On April 14, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) updated its global growth projection, which says that the world is going to have its worst recession in a decade. The coronavirus is to blame. It has?seriously affected business, manufacturing, and global trade. However, I am a very optimistic person and believe that we will overcome whatever the worst situation may turn into.

Positive Impacts

Everything has another way around. This lockdown has had many positive impacts as well. As fewer vehicles were on the road, factories closed, and dirty brown pollution belts shrunk over the cities. Nature is healing. For the first time in 30 years, the Himalayas can be seen from 125 kilometres away from the northern Indian state of Punjab, thanks to a fall in pollution and coronavirus lockdown.

Due to lockdown, the canals of the historic city of Venice have been cleared. The lockdown left the city's empty streets and a drastic fall in water traffic, which made wastewater settle down to the surface. Venice's waterways have never been cleaner in 60 years of history.

When humans are away, other creatures come back. The most frequently visited beach in Cox's Bazar is now banned from people's movement. While the beach is empty, colourful marine creatures are playing in the natural environment. Pollution in the water is decreasing, and the dolphins have come to stay. People in Cox's Bazar can't remember the last time they saw dolphins playing near the beach.

Locally known as' Sagorlota 'or' the Beach Morning Glory ', it is a major component of beach ecology on beaches that have disappeared due to the large amount of uncontrolled tourist movement. The morning glory are back at Cox's Bazar beach after a long time. According to the environmental scientist, the morning glory indicates how the beach is healthy. It protects soil erosion on sandy beaches.

We are going to get a refreshing restored world when we get back to normal life again. We have to preserve this glory of nature.

Beach beauty Morning Glory return, Inaani beach, Cox's bazar, Photography by Mahmudul Karim

Winding up

I have tried to describe how my life is going on during this pandemic, along with my personal thoughts and some insights, which may help you prepare yourself to breath in a refreshed world after the lockdown is over.

Our lifestyle has changed a lot. We are facing the biggest crisis of our lifetime. But we are not afraid. We are confident and preparing ourselves to be the best fit for fighting. There is no medicine to cure. Love is the only medicine.

We chose to live here. We have learned to live in lockdown. We are enjoying this life too. We are definitely going to win this fight, and that day is not so far away. We will fly again.