Well it’s
been a strange year, 2020 will stay in my memory for many many years. It seemed
to start well enough and we had just returned from a visit to the UK and it was
lovely to be home.
A friend had been one of the countries where
there was a corona 19 outbreak so when she got back she had to go into
quarantine for two weeks so had everyone who had been in contact with her which
included us. It was in March our lockdown began. It didn’t seem to get any
better throughout the whole year we went into lockdown we went into curfews we
went into a wearing masks we tried very hard in India except like everyone else
in the world there was a fair proportion of idiots who didn’t think it applied
to them. The results of this of course was the virus continued to spread
merrily on its way amongst the idiots and the lazy, unfortunately they affected
the rest of us. Many Thousands of people have died, and yet there are still some
who cry and shout its a fake is a government conspiracy to limit our freedoms.
But considering the amount of information that is available to anybody online
about any of us through Facebook WhatsApp Google Amazon anybody who has ever
had any dealings with us online knows everything about us so what is the basis
of the conspiracy theory I have no idea. Perhaps they should join the flat Earth,
or start a new Luddite movement. Do they realise that their actions are
actually killing people I can’t believe that otherwise sensible people would be
this ridiculous, this uncaring this stupid.
Summer came
and the heat rose throughout Rajasthan as high as 45°C during the daytime.
Power outages became common usually in the afternoons when air-conditioning was
most needed. Now with people trapped at home unable to go to work electricity
bills have rocketed income has crashed and as far as the ordinary working
Indian is concerned this last year has been a disaster. We have watched many
businesses fail, small businesses which are being destroyed by a lack of income
for those families, not big business. As things stand the little man who is
making money on the vegetable stall to support his family is gone because the
main vegetable market is closed what can he do? There is no unemployment
benefit or workable welfare system so he is left to fend for himself as are
many many others.
The monsoon
came and there was a lot of talk that the continuous rains would wash the virus
out of the air and everything would be alright. This as we all know didn’t
happen the virus continues to spread on the run-up to Christmas we have gone
back into quarantine with a curfew. What really worries me about the current
situation is that nobody seems willing to admit that this could go on almost
indefinitely. Vaccines are here but we don’t know how effective or how long
they will last we don’t even know if they will work on all variants of the virus.
The latest new variant seems to be much more contagious than the original. And
yet every day we see people wandering around without a mask on completely
ignoring the dangers . I don’t understand how can people not realise after a year
of being told that this virus is spread by virtue of droplets of water in a
sneezing, speech, in coughs and yet they wander around thinking themselves
immune. It takes two weeks for the symptoms to show so let’s say during a
period one person becomes infected, over the two weeks they affect so we say
one person a day last now 14 people infected, 14 have also infected everyone
else they came into contact with. So it may not be you personally who suffers
for scratch you may simply have passed it to your family your grandparents to
your sick and then go about denying that it had anything you why are people
being so complacent I just don’t know.
We are now
into the new year 2021, outside is cold but sunny. People are walking about
with scarves their faces all cuddled up against the weather because although it
may be 10° out there in Rajasthan that is cold. As soon as the weather warms up
again the scarves will disappear as will the pieces of cloth on the face and
the virus will pick up and begin to spread again.
Here where we
live in a Udaipur the virus has become almost a day to day accepted danger and
people are just ignoring it now and that is so so crazy. Chris and I are both
trying very hard to limit the number of people who come within range of Gita.
Any sign of infection in her immediate family well have serious consequences because
of the risks to her the operation will be delayed probably by 12 months another
year before she can be operated on. Needless to say we don’t allow contact with
strangers and we have a small circle of trusted people who visit beyond that we
are very very careful.
Where this will eventually lead I have no idea, pollution has fallen, population has fallen and may be more of the same is yet to come. I am just so worried that we will all become so complacent after the vaccine that we will leave ourselves wide open and vulnerable to another variant. And the variant that comes? We may not be able to stop this one if it happens? Will we react, will we improve? Are we willing to restrict our freedoms and our socialising? I doubt it, the human race never seems to react until it is too late.
Update
Since writing this things here have definitively improved. Deaths and infections are falling rapidly and their is a feeling now that vaccination has begun that we may be past the worst with only 24 new cases in Udaipur. When vaccination will reach the ordinary or tribal people i have no idea.
A new lorry for Amba and Husband. Coming up in the world.
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| Geeta with a new friend |
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| Pooja a friend with Geeta |
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| The garden swing needed painting.............You choose the colour we said. So she did, every colour we have! |
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| veggie soup, after cooking we zapped it in the blender YUMMY |
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| Lurking in the veggie basket |
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| This years compost, this is from our big blue barrel that when full goes here and rots down nicely for planting time after monsoon. |
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| Our own Limes!!! |
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| Geeta's pet snake...........................Rubber! |
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| Papya nearly ready |
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| Mango..hundreds on the tree |
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| Drying ready to put in jars |
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| Water Cress ready to add to the pond. |
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| Log pile is going down. Plenty left yet. |
Our friend
Peter’s older brother was married on December 28th and we were
invited. What a lovely event. We have included a few photo’s to give you a
flavour of the whole thing. This was a Christian wedding, but smaller in
numbers due to Covid restrictions, it was strange sitting in church separate
from Chris. At this time of year it gets very cold here in the evenings so we
were very pleased to sit around an open fire at the reception.
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| Peter as you have never seen him. He is dancing with the maid of honour. He was best man and did a huge amount of work to make sure it was a great day for his brother and new Bride. |
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Wear a suit they said |
This was an
exciting time for Geeta, we decided to open presents in the morning, just
Chris, Geeta and me. This was a special time and Geeta got to play with her
toys before people arrived for our Christmas buffet. Amba and family all came,
Geeta’s parents came also but could only stay overnight due to commitments in
their village with caring for the animals. But Geeta made the most of it and
had bought presents for her parents with her own pocket money, she was so
chuffed to be able to do this. Other friends visited throughout the day so we could
maintain social distancing.
Geeta’s
favourite part was the Christmas tree, decorating it and making snowmen for
friends and family.
Boxing day
we celebrated the British way with Roast Turkey and as many of the trimmings as
we can get here in India, and yes it was yummy.
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| Amba looking so happy with her gift from us and Melisa |
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| A twin tub washing machine, this will be a huge help for her. |
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| My family Grand parents, Amba's mother and step father |
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| Kris's birthday/ Christmas cake |
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| Bacon butty anyone |
Chris has
started to share his wine making knowledge with three friends so he is back
into teaching mode and thoroughly enjoying it. Our friends Mel, Jasminder and
Pooja seem to be having a whale of a time if last weeks laughter was anything
to go by. It’s a practical seminar where they put their learning into practice
under Chris’s guidance. Can’t wait to test the end product in a couple of
months if not sooner.
A few weeks ago she went to her first children’s birthday party which was exciting for her; we plan to have a party for her 8th birthday in March with a few of her friends and cousins. So Chris and I will be planning games and challenges.
Breaking
news, Geeta is to start private tuition at the local school, St Anthony’s which
has a fabulous reputation. This offer came out of the blue, but is a huge
answer to prayer as the young man offering tuition is related to the owners,
and runs the school; and he was so impressed with Geeta who he met at the
wedding that he is doing this for her. Geeta is very excited, we need to
concentrate on reading as this has been an area of difficulty for us.
Well that’s
all from
Kris, Chris
and Geeta in the City of the Lakes, Udaipur.
God bless you all and stay safe
