Shailaza's Blog

Tag: the new normal

  • THE PANDEMIC OF REVENGE TRAVEL

    Buses and cars queuing up on hill stations. People milling around the popular tourist places without a care in the world. The pandemic remains but it seems a different epidemic has infected the minds of some people who feel that vaccination is the ultimate passport to satisfying their wanderlust. Is that really the case or are we again courting danger? Shailaza Singh investigates.

    In the past year, I have gained tremendous knowledge and insight…into my house. I know every nook and corner of my house including the walls, the doors and windows. Infact, I have even made friends with the lizard and spiders in those dark corners. You will be glad to know that I have finally acquired enough knowledge to apply for a Ph.D. (if there exists one) in Home Knowledge. And this newly found insight has been a by-product of the pandemic and the lockdown where all one could do was to either wash clothes or cook food or like me stare at the walls and windows of the house (washing and cooking don’t take much time in today’s era). Moreover, I have been very inspired by the famous poem ‘Leisure’ which says ‘What is this life if full of care. We have no time to stand and stare.’ So, I did precisely that!


    STAND AND STARE
    However, this has not been an easy journey. After all, how long can one stare at a lizard that seems to be sleeping on the wall? Then, there is that matter about the spiders and their cobwebs. The design may be fascinating to look at but it doesn’t talk or travel anywhere. Staring at the sky in the day is a dangerous occupation, especially in places where sky scrapers exist because people feel as if you are staring at them and they start staring back which makes you wonder if they have been afflicted by a pandemic of another kind. Yet, all said and done, staring is an art which not many people would understand.


    STARING IN THE WILDERNESS
    One day, when I was on my usual round of staring, I got a call from a friend named Prashant Gupta. He works in Delhi and is not a starer like me. He told me that he has decided to travel to Manali. The moment he mentioned this, I warned him to stay away from the likes of Manali, Shimla and other such popular hill stations. He laughed and said, ‘No, I am not going to the crowded part of Manali. Rather, a couple of friends and me have decided to take a road trip to a cottage situated on the outskirts of Manali. It is a homestay located next to a flowing river and mountains. All I will do is just sit and stare at the scenery.’
    I must confess that I was taken aback when he said that he would just sit and stare! I had never thought that he would be a starer like me! Then why couldn’t he stay at home and stare at his walls? Prashant was candid. ‘I have to get out. I understand that there is COVID but I am vaccinated and so are my friends. Besides, we aren’t going to any crowded places. We will be spending the days in wilderness and as far as I know, the company of animals and birds is quite safe.’


    THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
    The conversation with Prashant got me thinking. Till now, I was wondering if the pandemic has literally killed the travel and tourism industry. To know the current scenario, I talked to Laveena Lalwani, a Jaipur based tour planner for ‘Make Our Holidays’, a company that deals in customized tour planning. “ Ever since some of the restrictions have been lifted, people have started craving for the mountains. Most of them have this notion that the air in the mountains is fine and the cases are lower. Now, people are looking for offbeat destinations like Bhimtal or Pangot rather than Mussoorie and Nainital. Himachal Pradesh is full of people taking ‘workcation’ where a group of four to six people hires a villa. They work from home and spend a month in the wilderness. North East is another destination of interest for people. Now, people are waiting for rains to stop so that they can travel to places like Meghalaya, Cherapunji, Shillong, Guwahati. In Rajasthan, there are places like Alsisar Haveli or Khem Pratap Garh near Churu that are unexplored and offer a holiday and staycation.’
    So, have there been any advance bookings? ‘There are advance bookings for the North East. However, earlier we used to take fifty percent of the amount for a booking in advance but these days since it is so uncertain, we prefer taking a smaller amount since we may have to return the money in case the lockdown is imposed again.’


    CHANGE THE TASTE
    Aditya Chaudhary and his wife Shivani Chaudhary live in Delhi and love travelling. They have travelled to many places in India and abroad. However, since the last two years they have been staying in their house. Don’t they feel the need to travel? ‘What is the point of travelling and endangering yourself?’ says Aditya. ‘People often say that they feel claustrophobic but I don’t see how you can be claustrophobic at your own home? Of course, if you are feeling stifled, you can always go for a walk or cycling. I bought my cycle in the first pandemic. Since the last two years, I have cycled and walked for my recreation and I am happy. So, what about people visiting the unexplored destinations? ‘The idea good looks in theory,’ says Aditya. ‘But the kind of population density India has, you are bound to meet people even in the rural areas or the most isolated of the places. So, the problem is still there.’
    MASS AMNESIA
    Sudhir Ghuse, a professional working in a multinational firm in Pune had recently visited Jaipur on an assignment with a colleague. ‘In the evening, the two of us decided to visit Amber fort. When we reached there, we found crowds milling around the fort. The only people who were wearing masks were the girls who had taken pains to match their masks with their outfits. The rest of the crowds were oblivious to anything except having a good time. I had worn my face shield and gloves but people were staring at me as if I was an alien. Looking at the crowd, we decided to go back to our hotel. I wonder why people don’t understand the danger or perhaps they have somehow forgotten the past!’


    THE CHANGE OF PERSPECTIVES
    Shivani Chaudhary feels that the problem is a lot more complex. ‘Its not as easy as it sounds. Every one cannot be judged from a single perspective. There are people who might be literally losing their sanity being bound in their homes. Alternatives have to be developed. I love travelling but then I decided to visit my parents and in-laws rather than go and mix with strangers in an unknown destination. But then, that is also not a feasible idea for the long term. So, to keep myself busy, I have enrolled into a new course online. At least, this will help me to upgrade my skills in the long run.’
    Shweta Singh, a home maker believes that instead of focussing on the restricted travel in the pandemic, one should focus on creating a happy home. ‘In these two years, I have learnt pottery and interior designing. I have applied all my learnings to create a beautiful home. My children have enjoyed this transition and are happy being at home.’
    Sudha Chandran, a psychologist feels that the focus needs to change. ‘It is true that man has been used to wandering and traveling. However, during these times, when travel literally means endangering your family and loved ones, one can think of different alternatives. A lot of people have learnt new languages, developed new hobbies and have upgraded their skills. As an investment, this is sure to pay them in the future.’


    THE REVENGE ON COVID
    When he was asked what really is revenge travel, well known media personality Vikram Chandra replied, ‘Revenge travel is when you take revenge on COVID by getting COVID! That’s by travelling in hordes without taking any precautions.’ The question is since when has travel become so important that it surpasses the need to survive the pandemic itself? Why cannot we use this time to better ourselves as professionals and people?

    This article was published in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit section on August 14, 2021

  • कहाँ से चले , कहाँ आये हम?

    इन सालों में कितनों को अलविदा कह दिया बिन चाहे,
    कितने पथिको की खो गयी राहें ,
    कितनों की आँखें नम हैं , सुनसान सी ,
    जैसे रह न गयी हो उनमें कोई जान  सी. 
    कितने ढाहे हैं एक अनदेखे अनजाने ने ऐसे सितम ,
    कहाँ से चले और कहाँ आगये हम।  

    बचपन में खूब फिल्मों में दिखाया ,
    की हर मुसीबत में एक ऊपरी शक्ति ने ही बचाया ,
    पर इतना उस भगवान् और हर अल्लाह को पुकारने पर भी,
    वह आज तक नहीं आया।  
    बड़ा लम्बा लग रहा है ये पतझड़ का मौसम ,
    ये कहाँ से चले कहाँ आ गए हम।  

    सत्ता और साज़िशों की रंजिशों के बीच ,
    अधर झूल में है आम इंसान,
    भगवन सोने चला गया, दुनिया पे  छा रहा है शैतान,
    हालातों के मारे, बेबस, खौफ भरी निगाहें मूक बयां करें अपना गम ,
    ये कहाँ से चले और कहाँ आगये हम।  

    जिसको बीमारी न मार सकी, उसे भूख और बेरोज़गारी  के भेड़ियों ने मार गिराया ,
    न जाने इस देश में कैसा मंज़र आया ,
    सब के मुँह पे ताले हैं ,
    ये कैसा सन्नाटा है भाई ?
    इतने उभरते देश को,
    किसने नज़र लगाई ?
    कोई अब इस नईया को उभार सके ,
    क्या किसीमे नहीं इतना दम?
    ये कहाँ से चले ,
    कहाँ आये हम?
                                   शैलजा सिंह

    A poem on corona

  • Virtually Yours- Jaipur Literature Festival 2021

    Will the virtual version of Jaipur Literature Festival be able to enchant its audiences like its real counterpart? In this post pandemic era, will the readers be able to digest this literary reality?

    On my way to the Diggi Palace Hotel, scenes from the last year’s Jaipur Literature Festival flashed across my mind’s eye. People carrying books in their hands, their bags bulging with books. Hundreds of people queueing in front of the kiosks, eager to get their books signed by their favourite author. There were some who had positioned themselves next to their favourite spot for the next session and were patiently waiting for the next session to begin. Elsewhere, many die-hard foodies were sampling the exotic dishes that had been painstakingly prepared by the chefs of Diggi Palace Hotel. Some die-hard fans were deep in conversation with their favourite author over a cup of tea or coffee! The green of the lawns of the sprawling palace were hardly visible amidst the colourful tents that were erected and the audience that occupied those lawns for the author sessions and discussions.

    As I entered the gates of Diggi Palace, my reverie was broken by the cry of a peacock. I looked at the empty lawns and the peacocks who were walking across them as if they owned the place. And then the reality that I had refused to accept struck me! Jaipur Literature Festival would be an online affair in 2021. I walked to a corridor where Sanjoy K Roy, the managing director of Team Work Arts, the company which produces the festival was talking to a handful of people. They were waiting for B.D. Kalla, the art and culture minister, who was to officially inaugurate the Jaipur Literature Festival 2021 which is being held from 19 February 2021 to 28 February 2021. When I asked him for his views on the online change forced by COVID, he was quite upbeat about it, ‘Yes, this time people all over the world have registered for the festival. When the festival was held here, hardly any people from Germany could come. But now, we have so many people registering from different countries like Germany, Saudi Arabia and all across the world. The reach of the festival has become global in the true sense of the word.’

    I remembered the bygone times, where the tourists and the people living in Jaipur would plan to spend their entire day at the Diggi Palace Hotel. Once they entered the venue, the visitors did nothing else except listen to author sessions or explore the various delights the festival had to offer. Some of them would even get their durries to have impromptu picnics in a corner of one of these lawns. Would the online version be able to captivate the audience in the same way? Would this online audience have as much dedication and staying power as the audience in the physical version of the festival?

    ‘We do hope it would,’ said Sanjoy K Roy. ‘To engage our virtual audience, we have curated a great line up of authors and speakers who would talk about a variety of topics ranging from books, nationalism, pandemic and more. This time, instead of having multiple sessions at the same time (in the physical versions, there were different sessions conducted by different authors in four different venues at any one given time), we will only have two sessions at the same time, so that the people don’t have to worry about missing out these sessions.’ Going forward, once the physical version of the festival is restored, will they still continue with the online version too or is it just for this time? ‘Definitely,’ said Sanjoy K Roy, ‘the online version will now be an integral part of JLF since it has definitely helped us to expand our reach and increase our audience across the globe.’

    But would the viewers spend their entire time listening to the sessions as raptly as they did in the physical version? Sanjoy K Roy shrugged his shoulders, ‘May be not the entire time but from our experience during the pandemic time, I can say that the average viewing time was about 18 minutes per viewer which is more than the average of 7 to 8 minutes on OTT platforms. Moreover, while we could only accommodate a maximum of 15,000 people in the front lawn in the physical version of the festival, in the digital version we have received an average of 32,000 views per session, which is way higher.’

    Our conversation was interrupted by the entry B.D. Kalla, minster for Art and Culture, Rajasthan who had come to virtually inaugurate the festival. I watched as Sanjoy K Roy greeted the minister and then took him to light the lamp to signal the commencement of the festival. One could actually see the effect that the pandemic has had on the world as people wondered whether to light the lamp with or without wearing the masks. Ultimately, they decided to film both the versions and take the decision later. Last year, there was a crowd present to witness this inauguration, this year there were only peacocks and a handful of people.

    When he was done with the ceremony, I asked Sanjoy K Roy about the controversy surrounding the venue of the festival- Diggi Palace Hotel. Weren’t there articles and rumours about Diggi Palace Hotel no longer being the venue of JLF? And if that was the case, what was the future of JLF in 2022? ‘As of now, I am glad that thanks to the pandemic, the venue has not changed and I hope that will remain the case in the next year.’ What if the venue is changed? Where would the festival be held? ‘It is too early to comment on this but yes one thing is for sure that JLF will not go out of Jaipur.’

    During the 13 years of its physical presence in Jaipur, JLF was not just an event that people looked forward to. It had become an important source of tourism and income for hotels, tourist guides, autos, busses and many street vendors who waited for the festival to earn their yearly income. The festival may have survived by donning an online avatar, but what would those people do this year? Sanjoy K Roy smiled sadly, ‘What can I say? It has been the case everywhere. The pandemic has impacted every one including us. Just this morning as I was coming here, I met the guy who used to sell his wares outside the palace during the festival. He told me how difficult it was for him and his family to survive this year since there would be no tourists or festival to sell his wares. We are hoping that we are back to business as usual in 2022 so that people are able to compensate for their losses.’

    Ever since the onset of the pandemic, the world has been reeling with the deluge of online conferences, webinars, meetings and all sorts of virtual events. Many employees swear by their power naps and zoning off techniques to cope with the online information overload. It is indeed a challenge to sit glued to one’s chair and listen to the ever-droning colleagues and bosses without switching off.  Students all over the world have been earnestly hoping that they are able to physically attend their schools since online classes no longer hold their interest.  Some studies have suggested that it is difficult for human beings to concentrate on online events for an extended span of time. Moreover, most celebrities, authors and other speakers have their own channels in Instagram, Facebook and YouTube where they keep talking to their followers about their books, achievements and activities frequently.

    In such a scenario, will an event like the Jaipur Literature Festival be able to hold the attention of the netizens? In the real world, the authors sessions were punctuated by coffee breaks, question- answer sessions, a visit to the book store, author signings and interactions and many more such activities which cannot be replicated even in the most technologically advanced version of the online festival. The question is even if the festival has been created using the most curated list of authors and advanced technology, will it be able to satisfy the audience’s need for a face-to-face conversation with their favourite author or smelling the pages of a brand-new book in the book shop or getting it autographed by its author? Will this virtual version be able to replicate those moments and experiences? Will the audience learn to love this version as it loved the physical festival? Maybe or maybe not! Only the people and time will tell.

    This article by Shailaza Singh was published in Rashtradoot Newspaper’s Arbit Section on 17 February 2021.