The Lockdown Diaries – Trying my hand at everything from kimbap to the big mac

Anuradha Phukan, studying for a Master’s in Management at the Durham University Business School, UK, writes about her lockdown experience.

Anu at the Durham Cathedral

I was born in Noida, grew up in Digboi and Guwahati in Assam, and worked for 2 years in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Due to my father’s transferable job and my passion for travel, I have been to most of the states in India. However, Digboi has a special place in my heart. The Digboi Refinery township has a British influence and culture as it was built during British Raj time (1901) and surrounded by rich tea estates. Eight years of my childhood in Digboi left me with a fascination for British culture. So, when the time came to pick a university for my postgraduate education, I chose Durham University in the U.K. for its strong reputation in academics, rich British culture, and a strong global exposure. In 2019, when I arrived in the UK, I was one of 30,000 Indian students who had chosen the same destination country.

I reached Durham on 25th September and immediately fell in love with the picturesque town. Soon, I was completely immersed in the university-life –  attending lectures and seminars, signing up for various societies, participating in workshops and meetups and organizing themed formal dinners in my residence hall. In early December, the news of a new virus outbreak in Wuhan province of China started to make rounds on Google News – my go-to news source. At that time, I did not pay much attention to the news as I thought it would die down in a few months, just like other novel outbreaks in the preceding years, like MERS, SARS, Avian flu, Ebola. Who knew that the whole world would come to a complete stand-still? Winter break came, along with summative (exams) for my first term. So, I didn’t stop to think twice after reading news of the virus on the Google news feed, among the more pressing news of wildfires, Brexit and weather updates during Christmas. The news of an unknown virus outbreak in Wuhan was pushed into the far recesses of my mind.

Relaxing with friends

On 30th January, WHO declared Covid-19 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. And by the 11th March, Covid-19 was declared a pandemic. Towards the end of my Epiphany Term (Term2), countries around the world started to talk about closing down their borders. At the time, Europe was worst hit. Many of my international and British friends started to leave campus. I followed the news at a manic level. India decided to go under complete lockdown overnight. There was a sharp increase in the number of cases in the UK. Finally, the UK went under lockdown; Universities shut down classroom lectures and seminars and everything moved online overnight. Easter break started and so did the exam season. By then most of the students had left for their home in the ensuing uncertainty surrounding the Easter term (Term 3), without knowing if they would be able to come back or not. There was a confusion about accommodation for the students who stayed behind. During this time, Durham University and its colleges stepped up to ensure that no student was left without a place to stay in.

A unique feature of Durham University is its collegiate structure where colleges serve as residence halls for students. I lived in a fully catered college but as lockdown progressed, the catering had to stop. During lockdown I went from being catered for three times a day to having to find a new routine of being self-catered. During the initial lockdown period there was no clear information about the virus. There was a lot of chaos and confusion and I was not keen about having to go out for grocery shopping. When I did go grocery shopping, I tried to buy enough groceries for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. By then social distancing, self-isolation, hand sanitizers and face mask were the new norm. Now after more than two months of lockdown, I have found a balance and a new routine.

Working away the lockdown blues

Easter term started and materials were moved online. I grew accustomed to having lectures over Zoom, had friends joining in from their home countries and different time zones (classmates from USA to China, Australia). While it is easier to attend Zoom lectures and seminars (as it saves time spent getting ready for the day and walking to lecture halls), it also disrupted the daily structure of life. I started to lose focus and become lethargic. Exercise and trying my hand at new recipes helped! I started to go for long walks in the woods, discovered new trails in and around Durham, watched a herd of sheep run down a narrow path, observed horses idling in fields, noticed increasing numbers of rabbits, ducks and swans in college gardens and by the River Wear. For once I could actually afford to stop and observe nature, revel in its beauty, spend time introspecting, and write my term 2 summative while planning my dissertation.

I began to view this lockdown as an opportunity to learn more about different cultures and pick up different cooking styles from sharing communal kitchen space. I have learnt to make different dishes from kimbap to lasagne to huge American style hamburgers while experimenting with the ones I already know. I started to try out things I would not have normally tried like colouring and cutting my own hair and learning a new language among others. I realized this lockdown doesn’t have to be difficult or punishing or sad. I started to view it as a time out from the rat race that we call life and try out things which I have always wanted to but did not have the opportunity.

by Anuradha Phukan