Disturbed Sleeping and Distance Learning

Disturbed Sleeping and Distance Learning

I suffer from biphasic sleep, rather segmented sleep. It is not a disorder but that is the way I sleep. I go to bed around ten in the night and wake up around 2:00 am to pee. Thereafter for about two hours or so I toss around before sleeping again till about 6:00 am. This segmented sleep has almost become a regular pattern. During the so-called wakeful hours brain keeps thinking about mostly negative, sometimes positive things. I wallow in self-pity at things I have not finished or my procrastination, feeling terribly guilty. At times I think of pleasant things ahead for the day or week and cogitate planning what to do. The only negative aspect about my sleep is that I am forced to wake up anywhere between 2 to 5 times because of prostate problem.

 

Sometimes the self-afflicted mental torture could be so unbearable that I open my laptop and try to catching up with mail or pending online lessons. Answering assignments or exercises at the end of lessons is taken up. Whether I complete the task or not, the very attempt causes drowsiness and I fall asleep. It is easy to fall asleep if I start reading some book – any book for that matter. Printed page is unfailingly soporific.  Despite all these If I proceed, I can cover small portions with some difficulty.

 

A great advantage of trying to learn something new when you are about to sleep or during segmented sleep intervals is that if you brush up that portion again in the day time during regular waking hours, the topic sticks to your mind quickly.  I have tested it several times during college exam days. It works. Why not even now, - at 78 - when I am learning just to spend time.  

 

At times when I am single (my daughter may be away on tour etc), I resort to singing in low voice in the night around 3 am. But the neighbour’s dog feels uncomfortable and starts barking.  So, I have given up learning to sing at odd hours or ever.

 

The Covid mask looks like a single cup bra

The Covid mask looks like a single cup bra

The face mask that has become an essential part of the attire when we step out of our houses makes me think it is a single cup bra. It looks so when I see Television advertisements for bra. If you don’t believe me watch this video where police are teasing an adult for not wearing the mask, and finally give him a mask to wear.

While bras are gender specific, masks are neutral. When Bra is worn it looks as if it is sucked in by vacuum as it is meant for tight or close fit. Face mask by design is meant for lose fit allowing breathing easily. Bra enhances the beauty of the wearer but a mask hides the face, making I difficult to recognize the person, like when a person gets down from a two-wheeler you cannot recognise him until he removes his helmet.  Gone are the days when only dacoits used face masks to avoid being recognized. Coming to think of it, I don’t understand why people wear masks even when they are participating in a video conference from their homes, as if they are afraid that some friend might drop in unannounced.

I had a friend much younger than I, he was my boss too, whose advice I cannot forget: People wear masks for different reasons. We need to be sensitive about it and not go about tearing it down.  We should allow them to save their faces and be sensitive and sensible. He was indeed talking of masks in a figurative way.

Thanks to Covid-19 for suggesting a topic for blogging. However, it is time I end this bra-mask ‘puranam’,  lest I sound unsound of mind in my late seventies.

Atmospheric Pollution in Cantonment Area

Atmospheric Pollution in Cantonment Area

The Gruhalakshmi colony where I live is surrounded by open drainage nalas on both sides. Thanks to greedy plot owners much of it has been closed with concrete slabs and the space utilised for car shed or cow shed and the like. Nalas are still open in pockets where there are unoccupied plots. During rainy days they choke due to debris being thrown into it and it is a bother to get them cleaned of blockage.

Somewhere up the stream, long way off, there are chemical industries – small scale, they say. Their effluents are supposed to be transported by lorry to effluent treatment plants regularly. But the lazy drivers manage to empty the contents into open nala some where up the stream during nights, say around, 3:30 am surreptitiously.  The effluents would reach nalas adjoining our colony around 4:40 am or so. The stench would be so obnoxious that we will be woken up when we are fast asleep. This nuisance would persist in the air till around 7:30 am.

The atmospheric pollution is harmful to even normally healthy people. What to say about asthmatic people? What about people meditating or those doing pranayama etc? How about morning walkers? I knew at least one senior suffering from Alzheimer’s disease whose mood swings during such ‘bad’ days got affected and the family had to silently endure it as they could do nothing about it.

Complaining? To whom? Police and SCB? All our efforts have fallen on deaf ears for years.

I have a suspicion that the local police personnel do have some knowledge about the offenders: For, whenever we complain, the crime is suspended for some time as if the offenders have been orally warned! But certainly, the relief is temporary.

My friend, philosopher and Guide – one Dr Thomas – used to advise: Learn to count your blessings and avoid dwelling upon negative things over which you don’t have any control. Following his advice, I realised that this stench from pollution tells me that my smelling capabilities are still in tact indicating that COVID-19 has not touched me yet.

  

  

Webinars – What to do and not to do – for participants

Webinars – What to do and not to do – for participants

As a result of Covid-19 situation land-based meetings have been replaced by online meetings. Participating in webinars and such routine online meetings has come to stay. Senior citizens who are not net savvy are struggling to keep up with adapting themselves to newer challenges. Here is a set of Do’s and Don’ts or rather a check list for conformance to make such events enjoyable and fruitful to all.

Before joining the meeting ensure that the speaker microphone and camera are set properly. Built in speakers of laptop may not be audible. Think of fixing external speakers or a Bluetooth speaker. Mere testing that sound comes out of speaker or ear phone or that mic is working is not enough.  Check that volume of sound output of speakers is ok. Head phones coupled with mic is a good choice.

If another friend is joining the meeting with his own mobile or laptop, using the same net connection in the same room, ask him to move away to another room. This will help avoid echo or disturbance to others.

When you join a meeting switch on camera, set mike off, and speakers on. Reduce all external noise in the room. See that your face is illuminated otherwise if background is bright you will look black / dark. Adjust the camera such that you are in the center and the face is visible. People cannot recognize you if you show only your ears, nose or (bald) head or if camera is facing only the ceiling fan. When you want to speak, raise your hand then if permitted switch mike on and speak into the mike. It is your responsibility to make yourself heard or audible.

If you do not want to be seen via camera always switch off the camera instead of putting a large photo of yourself as a substitute. In one video conference I found that a lady had snipped out her photo from a banner and used it to substitute her live presence. Banner images are intended to be seen from a distance. If you use it for webinar you will look as if you were once afflicted with small pox.  Another person used a properly framed photo but this reminded me of obituary notice.

You may also try to identify your account with a real name instead of fanciful handles as others can not make out who you are.  Using smartphones for webinars is tricky. Option icons are close by and our fingers are too wide for accurate usage. You are likely to press “Present” button unknowingly and confuse others.

Where possible, use chatting facility to register your questions and observations. Precede your chat with “QUESTION” so that it does not get lost in the ocean of silly chit chatting. Apart from announcing that you have joined, make your participation useful and relevant. In one webinar I found a lady who went on adding comments all through, never caring to listening to the speaker(s). That is ill mannered. Avoid it.

Well I have poured out a lot of advice, easy to offer but difficult to practice. I have been a victim of many pitfalls mentioned above. Learning comes by practice. Don’t despair or lose heart. Afterall you cannot avoid webinars altogether!

Yashoda - Tamil Short Film on AD

Yasodha - Synopsis The film follows a childless couple living in Chennai, of whom the wife, Kasthuri has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Just before the nation-wide lockdown was announced, the husband, Sridhar travels to his hometown to see his elderly mother; leaving Kasthuri in the care of the house help. Unable to return to Chennai due to the lockdown and not being able to reach Kasthuri or the house help, Sridhar starts to panic and fear for the health and safety of his wife. Upon the insistence of his cousin, who lives with his mother, Sridhar hesitantly calls his neighbour, Shiva, whom he does not feel fondly about. Despite the hostility between them, Shiva has a soft spot for Kasthuri as she reminds him of his late mother. Shiva informs him that he had just seen the house help leave shortly before. Both Sridhar and Shiva are worried and anxious, and Shiva decides to go check on Kasthuri. To Shiva’s dismay, Kasthuri is nowhere to be found inside her house. Where is Kasthuri? To know watch “Yasodha” short film written by Sripriya. Acting by Sripriya, Nasser, Nitya, Banu Prakash, Shiva Kumar & others.



 



This film has 2.45 Lakh views on Yutube and about 600 comments.