Coding the new normal

I wanted to write about my experiences during the second wave of Covid-19. Among other things, this pandemic has taught me not to take Mother Nature for granted. But I am also grateful that I have had the opportunity to experience and learn new things. I have been able to spend time with my family, especially my cute little sister, Anaika—a real chatterbox—who has been my partner in almost everything. As far as my studies are concerned, my favourite subject is science. I am also learning art, coding, and Odissi (an Indian classical dance form). While these activities take up most of my time, I have also been working on a project. Every night, for many years now, my dad has been narrating stories to both my sister and me. These stories are about his experiences of growing up with a pet dog named Tipu. I decided to collate these short stories narrated by dad. With the help of my art teacher, who is helping me with the illustrations, I will soon be publishing a book called Tipu Stories.

After the start of the pandemic, we waited for almost a year to meet my maternal grandparents (I call them nanu-nani). So just when we thought the scare of Covid was over, on February 10 this year, we set off for Jamshedpur, where they live. Wearing a mask and a face shield, we boarded a flight to the small yet beautiful city in the east, also known as The Steel City of India. A picturesque drive from the airport to Tata (Jamshedpur is also known as Tata named after the industrialist and city’s founder Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata) and finally got to meet nanu-nani. But instead of hugging them instantly, we were asked to have a bath. After this, we were allowed to give them bear hugs! They were full of joy to see us too.

While staying with nanu-nani, I’ve been taking the time out to bake cakes for the family. After a couple of weeks, when my dad had to return to Delhi for personal work, I decided to throw him a farewell party as I am also great at organising parties. But since a party was not possible at the time, I mustered the courage and ran into the kitchen to do what I do best these days—bake a cake in under 25 minutes. I must admit that I broke my baking record. Of course, it wasn’t a real cake; it was a biscuit cake. Apart from this, I also made him a card. He loved the surprise and said that it was the best cake I ever made. He mentioned that when some people are under pressure, they do amazing things. I think that worked for me too.

When dad left for Delhi, he took both his laptops—personal and official—with him. Since Anaika had been using one of dad’s laptop, we were now in a bit of a situation. Guess who came to her rescue: me, of course! (Always there for my baby sister.) So #kreativekyroo (read: me) experimented with nanu’s iPad, which was unused for five years. I thought about resetting the passcode and fixed his iPad myself (of course, Anaika helped too as she is always with me). I was so proud, though I still feel sad that she had to use an iPad instead of a laptop. Then I saw a Logitech keyboard in my nanu’s cupboard. I sat up at night; while I could unlock and update the iPad, a small problem remained. Puzzled by the keyboard that I could not fix, I called up my superhero—my dad! He helped me sort this quickly, and voilà, I was happy and joyful.

My mom was so thrilled with my efforts that she surprised me with an award next morning. She sent me an email with the details of a trial coding class from WhiteHat Jr. As I mentioned earlier, it has been a while that I realised I enjoy technology and love coding. Thanks to my coding teacher and mom, I am currently working on a health app and am, if I may say without bragging, the top coders in class.

As the school announced early summer vacations, we started getting more free time. Our four-year-old second cousin also came from Bengaluru to live with us during this time. Though Aggy (his nickname) is more Anaika’s friend than mine, we have a great time playing together. Anaika enjoys her time with him. The three of us run in the garden, chase butterflies, watch saplings grow, and marvel at the fruits and vegetables that grow in this garden. The space under the two mango trees is our favourite play area.

During this time, I also saw my nani—an exceptional cook—in action in the kitchen. I felt we could share her lovely recipes with the world, so I made a YouTube channel to post her cooking videos. You can log on to see how talented my nani is; her mango pickle recipe is delicious.

It has been over three months that I am at my nanu-nani’s home. In the last month, I have enjoyed working on my book and creating the health app. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to learn new things during a pandemic. However, our stay here in Jamshedpur had to be extended due to the lockdown as the Covid’s second wave hit India. Of course, I am glad I can spend some wonderful time with my grandparents. But I also miss my dad who is alone in Delhi. While all this is happening, I feel there is only one way to overcome the sadness—remember to turn the light on and stay on the bright side. I hope to be with my superhero very soon.