disha wrote:
As a net result, I have developed a red followed by a dark shadow on specific areas of cheeks that look like a pale shadow of Abhinandan's mustache. Minus the gravitas. I hate it.
This is funny.
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Adding my experience in recent India visit. Limited experience as did not venture out too into public areas.
I was in Dilli and Bengaluru recently. Dilli on international arrival had a check of air suvidha (cursory), then to a desk where they stamped the boarding pass before immigration. Some people complained that that they did not check the details. My view is that the real check is when you upload the vaccination record and covid results. That is what the green or red on your report indicates.
In malls and in metro there was good mask adherence - both Dilli and Bengaluru. In B'luru they checked vaccination status before mall entry - possibly due to omicron. At the same time B'luru is 95% vaccinated. In Dilli parks - people had masks at all positions from nose covered to down the chin. Some were wary and gave the other walkers wide distance, others didn't care. Not too diff than umreeka. I don't think the small shopkeepers were wearing masks.
The state in Karol Bagh, Chandini chowk or KR Market is out of syllabus.
In apartment complexes there is requirement of vaccination for all workers - maids, trash picker, security etc. I assume residents followed it too. All maids and workers i saw were masked.
In B'luru and Dilli all in a car must be masked. I assume reason is that they don't know if you are a family or in an Ola or uber. Didn't take any buses this time.
It is hard to stop the thing - so as you said earlier perhaps Omicron is the solution we needed (assuming that it is indeed mild).
RT-PCR is much cheaper than umreeka ($100 to $250). In B'luru they come home, take sample, send result etc., all for Rs 750.
On a side note - I had read Kulli Bhaat of Nirala many many moons back. In that he describes the 1920 epidemic and how in no time he lost most of his family including his wife. He described the dead bodies in the river. And now I see desi english reporters have discovered it and referencing it. They probably discovered it during the 2nd wave in India. But their research is only so much - they claim it is a story of a dalit. When the very first thing Nirlan says - Pandit Patwaridin Bhatt (kulli) was his friend.
Whether Dalit or Pandit the story would not have changed much. I am continuously disappointed by the journalists. One doesn't know what to believe if they can't even get this right.
That epidemic passed. This will too. Hopefully soon.
