Lockdown Walks in a South Asian Village

What is lockdown like in South Asia?

It’s a little different in every village, every town, every city, and every country but…

This is what lockdown means for us in the city we live in:

• all restaurants are closed
• all food delivery services are shut down (we don’t have any other delivery services either)
• some medical stores are open throughout the day
• grocery stores and vegetable stands are only open from 8-11 am
• We are only allowed to be out of our house from the hours of 8-11 am, other than this it’s #balconylife for us
• In some parts of the city, only scootys and bikes are allowed during 8-11 am, no cars. This means we strategically pack for grocery runs. We bring 2 backpacks and 1 shoulder-strap duffle bag. We fill the bag up with boxed milk, strap it to the back of the motorcycle, and each carry a backpack)

At least once a day we tune into the sound of announcements over a loud megaphone attached to the top of a government vehicle. Even if I knew the language perfectly, I don’t think I’d be able to understand what is being said. Let’s just say, the sound is quite muffled. But, on a positive note, I’ve been able to recognize a few words: “from 8 o’clock until 11 o’clock” so therefore, I have inferred that’s when we are in fact allowed to go get food.

One of our favorite things these days are morning walks because we are able to catch some rays, move our bodies, see the surroundings, and breath in one of the best things about the lockdown, the not-so-polluted air.

I think we might have to bid our morning walks goodbye as of three days ago. I was super disappointed about it but realize rules for even leaving your house are getting more strict.

Getting outside reminds us of beauty in the chaos and joy in the mundain.

Mundain like a farmer walking his donkey just like he does every day or wildflowers bursting into spring air like they always do year after year.

Here is what’s been making us smile and laugh and stand in awe of God amidst the lockdown and unknown of what’s ahead.

-picking a bouquet of wildflowers for the kitchen table

-bees carrying on with their work, clueless to the events in the world but persistent to keep pollinating every flower in the forest

-spotting a cow straight out of a chick-fil-a photo and making our own fried chicken and chick-fil-a sauce when we got home #eatmorechicken (don’t worry, we have no choice.;-)

-goats eating shrubs while two shepherdesses talk in a patch of grass next to their animals

-a man and his donkey passing us on the road

-a bat hanging on an electric wire taking a morning (or all day) nap

-strong and beautiful women carrying wheat and rice to their homes

-a donkey enjoying life under a tree without cars or scooters to disrupt the peace on the road

-a random animal skull left in a field. (maybe a cow, who knows) uh– not a common sight but you never know here.

–laundry hanging out to dry

–stalks of wheat trying to hide the mountains

–a worn down staircase that looks like it leads to somewhere mysterious

-mountain people looking after their cows

-street dogs who adopt us as their owner on nearly every single walk we take

There is still much to be thankful for in these difficult days.