Author Archives: Abhinav Bhatt

Virtual Marathons

Every city which used to organize epic Marathons, Half-Marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, and my favorite 2.5Ks are now resorting to Virtual Marathons. Basically, in a period of a week or so, participants have to install apps and just run wherever they can and whenever they can. They can run marathons and take breaks in between. The app would track their miles ran while keeping them safe from the dangers of the crowd. So, you don’t have to wake up early morning or late at night, get ready in your track pants, reach the starting point, see a huge crowd and wonder if people don’t have any other job, huff-puff, and start running. Soon you realize that running isn’t your cup of tea while you miss the warmth of your bed and you miss your tea. Deep inside you know that you just joined for showing off on social media. But seeing everyone running or walking or crawling, you also join the struggle to reach the final point to grab your participation medal and groupfie.

But in virtual marathons, your struggle won’t be visible and the motivation to run which comes with a crowd might not be present. Except for actual runners, they would still go and run in actuality.

When it comes to a group activity done virtually, people have started to embrace it now more wholeheartedly. But physical activities like participating in Marathons are yet to become normal. Still, enthusiasts would continue to show off their completed miles and you will regret missing out this year. You can still keep it as your new year resolution because running virtually might be easier than not finishing a proper run.

3-Unit Boredom Hypothesis

They say if you do something for 21 days straight, it becomes a habit.

Just a counter-hypothesis: Anyone who gets away from the routine for more than 3 days, starts to get bored and distracted.

If you are away from your home and you’re not on a vacation, after 3 days you might get homesick.

If you’re preparing for an exam or watching a tv show or reading a book and if you aren’t hooked after 3 chapters, 3 episodes, or 3 pages, you lose the interest.

If you are in a hospital for more than 3 days, you start getting bored. Moreover, people who were visiting you might slowly become less frequent.

Just a counter hypothesis to the 21 day rule.

Tricking the Mind

I am not a medical expert but all this year, I have read so much Medical Documentation that I have been giving advises and explanations to everyone (with a caveat that I am not a Doctor). May be it’s my looks or maybe I am worth it. Lolyeah. Googling symptoms doesn’t make you a doctor.

Having said that, reading medication gives one slight idea about how medicine works. In many cases, medicine tricks the body and thereby the mind to act in a certain way. Take for example the vaccines. Again, not an expert here and highly simplifying, but many of the vaccines are based on the principle that if you inject a certain dose of foreign material into the body, mind assumes that body has been infected. So it starts telling all the cells and the blood to start creating antibodies to fight the infection. Thus, when any virus or infection occurs, body is already ready with antibodies making the infection futile. (Don’t confuse this with Homeopathy as that’s a different thing altogether).

Body’s flight or fight response can be trained too in certain aspects. What if we learn the ways to trick the mind to get anything changed in our physiology and psychology. Wouldn’t that be really amazing! For example, before a speech or presentation is to be delivered, if one takes up the Wonderwoman Pose or just act like you have won something, open up stance, sit relaxed, then the body starts generating happy harmones which reduces the stress and collywobbles which makes you confident. That means assuming you have killed it, makes you kill it.

Tricking the mind without taking anything (important) would be the next best thing. It might help us fight diseases, or put you into a cryogenic mode so that you could live longer or even travel farther.

Lying to mind to get something good should be normalised.

Phew

About 3 weeks ago, 7 out of 9 people in my family fell sick and the RT-PCR turned positive. 2 had to be hospitalized while others somehow managed at home. Slowly and slowly everyone is regaining their health back and things are now looking better. Hospitalized have returned home. Others who were at home who took an uncountable number of medicines are also getting back to their feet. There are still some vitals that are going haywire but we are trying to get them under control.

Those who say that they can trust their immunity against Covid, have no idea about surviving for a minute when you feel difficulty in breathing. Try walking without breathing for a minute. Those who say that Masks don’t really work have not seen how Glucometer readings go sky high and Oximeter readings touch rock bottom. Bottom line is that, if you have had it and had no symptoms, consider yourself super-lucky because it didn’t even touch you really!

The amount of money spent has gone through the roof. Forget money, the damage it has left behind on health will take months to get back to normalcy. Things have just turned towards better but the fight is still not over. There is a long way to go and a few vital stats might always give a headache.

For those who are still struggling, and while those who couldn’t, all I can say is that I hope we see a better time soon.

Avoid the crowd. Wear Masks. Keep Washing Your Hands. There is no other way possible at the moment. Vaccines are still months away.

I hate to be superstitious but Fingers Crossed.

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

Be like a Monolith

There are mysterious Monoliths showing up at various places across the world. Then they disappear without any hoopla.

They show up. They create suspense whether they are alien, or they’re some prank, or they’re naturally occurring, or they serve no purpose, or Banksy is the culprit, or an art installation, or bad welding show-off. We don’t really know. That’s quintessential 2020 then and there.

Then they disappear. Some people say people have been seen taking them down and cleaning all the traces. No video has been surfaced yet of installation or removal.

I think there is a lesson in it. Actually, there is none. And that’s the lesson that some things do show up and then they disappear. They leave no clue but only conspiracy theories.They can create mystery and might damage things. Or they might not.

One can’t understand everything. That’s the beauty of it.

Be like a Monolith in some stranger’s life. Or don’t. Who cares!

Here are my renditions of Monoliths from 2001: A Space Odyssey

December Mornings

December. Early wintery morning. TV tuned to Sports Channel hours ago before the actual match scheduled to start. The sky is looking bluer and the ground is seemingly greener with seagulls doing their thing near the advertising mark on the ground. Audience lazying around on grassy slopes and people of all ages with hats on cheering from the stands. Australia vs India is on.

That’s how most of my Decembers used to go a decade or so ago. Today while I watch another India vs Australia One day Cricket match, nostalgia swept me over.

Earlier India used to lose most of the matches and things now… well, haven’t really changed much but the fight is much tighter now.

Everyone has some memories of watching sports in peculiar ways. It formed a really big part of me growing older. Today’s another such day.

How did your December Mornings go?

Photo by Marcus Wallis on Unsplash

What were you doing last year this time?

The last month of the year 2020 has begun. Last year during this time, most of us were living nonchalantly, oblivious to the coming era. This time we are conscious. Our resolutions this year would have been postponed to 2021 in most cases.

Technically nothing really changes when dates change. Sun still comes from the east. But we still celebrate the end of the formalities and welcome the man made calendar years.

Last year during this time, like every year, wasn’t sure whether I should have a resolution or not. This time I think I will have one. I still have a full month to think about it. Even if nothing really changes but there is always a chance to make it better.

P.S: Last few posts have made lesser sense but that reminds me that time keeps changing.