2020 for starters. My plans to go to the mall, to the theater, travel to the hills have come to naught. So I spend my days thinking over this Japanese Amusement Park’s very serious request to its roller coaster riders.
‘Please scream inside your heart.’
It’s a good advice and works very well off the roller coaster too.
How about a quick peek into my online teaching classes on Zoom?
I am happy to announce that my young students, their young parents and I successfully graduated the WhatsApp classes. We still haven’t abandoned the latter, it remains a trusty sidekick. In fact it is a fantastic support system to the more flashy Zoom- send or receive messages and schedule meetings in a jiffy. Then everyday for four hours, breaks included, 46 tiny windows flash on my laptop screen and we go zoom.
The interaction no doubt is awesome.
Each window clamors for my attention, or not.
One odd camera is always off and that person has either sneaked off from the room or is snoozing.
A Pandora’s Box of problems!
“Connectivity problems ma’am. That’s why I was late.” (Could be by half hour or surfaced during the last 10 minutes of the lesson).
“Please repeat question 3, 4, 5. I missed those because I had connectivity problem.”
Till I received a tentative schedule of the Term Exam next month.
Thinking of the tons of syllabus pending, more discussions on tests, mock tests and connectivity issues.
Stuff that makes me sing, inside my heart of course.
“Classes in the morning,
staff meetings in the evening,
screen strain is real,
can’t I just Netflix and chill?”
Sheetalbravon 
It’s all so tricky but you make light of it beautifully! New normal, new problems hey?
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Helen , I’ve run out of words but thank you . Glad you saw the humor in the new normal, new problems. You summed it so well.
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Good luck in these challenging times, the direct usual paths now quite often a dead-end road without exit sign Times will become better hopefully with vaccines, but when exactly I am not sure anymore.
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Thank you for your thoughtful words Ulli. I am sure, no one thought that this would be the state of affairs in August. Still, a vaccine makes me hopeful, to be able to go back to the lives we knew. Till then, we document these challenging times and adapt as best as we can. After all, life goes on .
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We actually make ‘feragosta’ in Germany, via Lower-Bavaria, Naumburg (Saale) now at our very last destination the nature reserve Stechlin lying 50 km north of Berlin. Here COVID19 is no topic, nearly a free and safe zone, just the usual precautionary measures to be adhered to like everywhere else, although the risk is very low. But you never know, this can change very quickly the next day. Summer greetings from Rheinsberg 😎
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Ulli, what is feragosta ? I checked Google and it says Feast of Assumption which is celebrated today, 15 August. Do you mean that? By the way, today we in India too celebrate our Independence Day. Thanks to Corona, most of the celebrations moved online but that’s what made it so extraordinary and memorable. 😊
Also I have to thank you for changing my view of what Berlin is like. Now I am discovering parts of Germany as well (I googled all the places you mentioned). Your place sounds heavenly, Covid free . May it remain so. Stay safe , stay healthy!
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Oh, sorry for the confusion, my wife is a Romanist, and we use Italian words partially for daily life.
Now, August is the month when all Italians go on holidays, FERRAGOSTO is a Latin word for that phenomen, a 2,000 year old tradition, look also here for more details:
https://icebergproject.co/italian/2015/08/what-is-ferragosto-and-why-is-it-important-in-italy/
All the best now from Lake of Stechlin 🙂
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Thanks for sharing the link. It was extremely informative. I loved it more because it was connected to one of my favourite country – Italia! Now that’s a vacation I hadn’t heard of before.
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Bella Italia! We have been there nearly everywhere, on stinky Stromboli and Sicily, in Napoli, Roma, Milano, Bologna, Modena, Siena, Bergamo, Bolzano and small villages, at Lago d’Iseo (Iseo Lake) and as well up to 3,100 m in the Alps of Southern-Tyrole (Alto Adige), but not in Florence I fear. Actually we prefer the Canarian Islands where it is also warm by end of December and almond trees blossom already in February. Small paradise in the Atlantic Ocean, but actually only living in our memories.. All travels abroad postponed to …. ?
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I am going green with envy! I’ve only been to a handful but heard a great deal about the others. Canary Islands sounds divine. There was a time when plans were made to check out Morocco and hop over to the islands but the time was never right. So now I indulge in all the virtual travelling under the sun and see the world through other people’s lens. I am hopeful, things will either improve or we will adapt but travel we all shall. 😊
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I heard that the situation in India is quite difficult with high infection rates as well, so I hope you do not live in Maharashtra?!
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India has broken into the top three worldwide. So yes, these are tough times. Add to the fact that Mother Nature too is wrecking havoc, rainy season is here. As for Maharashtra, I’m astonished that you know of its situation. I live in the northern part of the country, the Himalayan foothills but Covid is in the air here as well. All we can do is take precaution and pray.
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It is very easy to find information via WWW, whether it is COVID19 or the Himalayan foothills I am a great fan of mountains and deserts while the high mountains are normally all like a quite dry stone desert. So would be great to read more about your homeland in your blog. I understand your fascination for Italy quite well but the own region or country always offer also a lot of thrilling secrets and/or adventures to be discovered. Stay well and safe!
P.S. My website is actually offline, need to do some changes which require time and digital silence 🙂
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I agree, India is fascinating as well . The beauty of my country is that no two states are alike geographically or culturally. Therefore our motto ,’Unity in diversity’ really works. Reading your comments have made me realise that my blogsite requires streamlining, India related content is scattered all over. I’ll begin work on that . Thank you for that.
Meanwhile , sharing my Heritage category link that has what you are looking for. Hope you enjoy browsing through.
https://sheetalthinksaloud.wordpress.com/category/heritage/
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Europeans are also very different, our weakness and strength, so I am first of all actually a Berliner and then a European. 🙂 Thanks for the comprising link on India allowing me lateron a journey without travelling 💥
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Awesomely portrayed idiosyncratic vagary. I was especially entertained by the ‘lovechild’ parlance. You must have really fortified your heart as it must have screamed beyond its content in the ongoing scenario. A good piece and a ‘shout out’ to your diligence.
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It was smashing of you to read and also take the time to leave such intuitive comments, Pratibha. You read my heart. Thank you for raising my spirits with your warm feedback. 😊
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Seen it all done it all, yet there are always surprises in store for teachers-beauty filters?
Your post brought a smile on my face in the grim times we are going through. We didn’t sign up for this…however, the value of jugads has never been more appreciated than in the present times.
Keep zooming Sheetal, this band aid solution is the best for now- vaccine or no vaccine!
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Band aid solution Manjari? Honestly, you leave me grinning and speechless each time and I never underestimate the value of a good jugad. It’s a life saver ! In my case , everyday of my online class. My not so smart board rests on it. 😊
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Haha
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Oh, dear! And no end in sight? 😦 In the UK they’re planning schools reopening in September. Here too! Don’t the kids need the interaction? Only children especially.
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Yes Jo ! The classroom banter exists and while online, we try to recreate the same classroom interaction. That means no parents or sibling intrusion but then one can’t deny that home environment is different. We have children living in joint families, homes with space constraints, siblings who have classes at the same time or very young ones who want to hang around the older ones. At the end of the day, we are at the mercy of our internet connection which is often spotty. The novelty is wearing off. Their minds are engaged but children like to move, play, engage with their buddies, do a zillion things we take for granted which are thinkable these days.
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Very well written, Sheetal. As usual in your element. Facts projected with the right dash of humour. Thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Online classes are indeed a nightmare. The apt oxymoron for these horrendous sessions – amusingly annoying. Can’t wait to get back to the real classroom.
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Thanks Anupama! Happy you read and commented. I’m sure things aren’t very different at your end or are they? Doing my bit to document these interesting times. I for one never thought that 2020 had this in store for me. Anyway, when all this is over, we shall have a good laugh and pat ourselves for soldiering on.
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AHH YESS!! The connectivity one is a real pain!! 🤣🤣 My brother takes these online classes – thankfully, my uni hasn’t started them yet 🤣 – and damnnn!! The number of times this is used is irritatingly hilarious! 🤣🤣
AND HELICOPTER MUMMIES?!? MANNNN!! I LOVE THIS POST SO MUCH, Sheetal!! 😍😍😘🤣
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Ok ! I am grinning reading your feedback. Your energy is electrifying and there is so much joy in all that you write, be it a blog post or a comment. Thank you Rain. You bring out the sun each time.
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Oh my Sheetal – your post really helped me to understand the frustrations of online learning!! I find myself very happy that I have no children at home nor am I trying to teach any! Hopefully as this goes on the technology will improve and eventually be effectively used as a supplement to in-person classes. In the meanwhile, good for you for managing through it!
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Thank you Tina, you not only read my rambling post but also left such a warm feedback. I am happy that you were able to take a peek into my daily world and see what we are up against. It’s a learning experience for all of us, the teachers, students and their parents (since the children are young). There are days we struggle and then some when everything goes perfectly as planned. The future is here, technology definitely rules! 😊
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There is a growing urge to scream, is there not? 😉
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Hahaha! I suppose so but not all the days are same. Those are the times that makes all the effort worthwhile.
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😉✌️
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