Lockdown; Why This Phase is Not That Bad.

Hello guys, how are you in this phase? Happy Easter and happy lock-down.

How are your stored foods? Do you still have stew? What about drinking water? And how has IBEDC or PHCN or NEPA been treating you? Also, are you getting to know your family better? If so, doxology.

I bring you special greetings today as I launch into some sort of online diary of this phase.

Remember, we still have the ExAbiaOrientationCampCorper series ongoing. It fizzled out a bit because my dear Chekwaa had to be put to greater use in the hands of my sister who became the household earner for a while in our Abeokuta lock-down; working on blog content, designing websites and editing books. Unlike some of us.

So, what I’ll be doing is daily short bursts sandwiched into the ongoing series.

Today, I would like to talk about the things/people that have softened the blow of this lock-down for me.

1. My sister is with me in this phase:

The young lady had only come to Abeokuta for her IT when the COVID-19 pandemic ‘officially’ hit Nigeria. While it may not be entirely strange for people to start engaging their furniture and kitchen utensils in conversation during this time, her presence has saved me from that state.

Debby, thank you for being around.

She is currently organizing a website development training and registration is ongoing.

2. Eva:

She is a Corgie-Basenji crossbreed bought by my sister.

I had spoken with Debby many times over the phone and heard this dog barking to my voice. My first meeting with her was eventful as this dog was eager to know me while, I on the other hand, was eager not to be bitten.

Having her around now is such a blessing. I mean, she even adds extra workouts for us every morning when we have to race her (we never win) and/or chase her round the compound.

 

3. White Coats, Books and Chills:

Special shout-out to the nineteen other members of this club which was not originally designed for a virtual space but has, in this phase, readily adapted and is yielding much fruit.

Abisola Lawal, God bless you for not letting me sleep on the vision. Together, we are a group of medical doctors devouring books, discovering stories, relieving and sharing experiences, learning afresh and in all, being healed. It has been epic!

4. A Roof Over My Head:

I know, sounds basic. But, I am grateful that , despite not being with my parents, I am able to lock doors and gates at night and know I’m home. This is not even a shade at those who have to wash plates, arrange rooms, wash clothes and cook family meals under their parents roofs. I still have to do all that, and in addition, stay afloat financially. Which leads me to…

5. My Mobile phone and Chekwaa:

These devices, Huawei and HP products, have come to mean a lot to me, my other careers outside medicine and my efforts towards life after COVID-19. Yes, I watch movies on Chekwaa and visit social media on my phone. But, beyond these I have discovered new fields I can excel in.

6. Udemy and FutureLearn:

These are sites where one can enroll in a wide range of courses of interest, learn new things and refresh one’s memory about old ones and get a legit certificate, all from the comfort of your lock-down location. The ongoing pandemic has opened a portal for many free courses on these sites and it would be wise to get on the train before the phase fades. Another one you can check out is 365datascience.teachable.com. According to a source, “Fancy website like that”.

7. Shutterstock and Artpal:

I do not claim to be a professional photographer. Truth be told, I think most of my ‘good’ pictures are a stroke of luck, a dash of sunshine and inshallah. However, I am seeing that if I keep at it, I can fine art in many things around me. And with my phone camera, I can capture good images.

So, why let those images lie fallow in my gallery? These sites have found me an outlet for them and an inlet for cash, exposure and learning from others. And, I joined a photography class. Kindly checkout my portfolio onShutterstock. And you can also see what catches your fancy here too.

8. Skipping ropes:

My first skipping rope (the blue one) was bought sometime in 2019 and it stayed somewhere in my room, abandoned for months. Until now. It’s been 18 days of regular early morning workouts and I’m ecstatic. We had to buy new ones because the blue started fraying already (shows it is not of much quality) but it still serves purpose. Sometimes, I wonder how committed I’d be to skipping when normalcy is restored. Well, till then.

 

9. Duolingo, Busuu and Francais 3.0:

Just so you get it, I started speaking french to Eva today. All three can be gotten easily on PlayStore.

10. Movies:

While there is enough drama on Twitter to last the whole day, there comes with it the risk of being drawn into conversations that add no value to you. So, I watch movies. The actors and actresses may annoy and irritate me to the highest heavens like Charity and Kerissa from Greenleaf, but whatever I feel like saying stays in my head or better still, is discussed with Debby. And, thanks to the Knight, we have a hard drive full of them.

11. Peaches:

We synchronize data gotten from basically ALL OVER. We laugh, pray for one another and find boyfriend for ‘Musa‘. Love you babes.

I am thankful for food and water. Thankful for security and peace of mind that some do not have right now due to the unrest caused by robberies ongoing in their area and the inadequate or absent response of the police to their plight.

I am thankful to all those who made pancakes today.

I am eternally grateful for the Knight. The One I can terrorize with my artistic and philosophical depth any day, any time. My ‘Braille-Inducing’ chat thread conversation Partner. My every moment HypeMan.

#PEO.