ब्लॉग पोस्ट मार्च 28 मेरा प्रिय अवास परिवार जब मैंने आपको इंग्लैंड लौटने के लिए 2 मार्च को छोड़ दिया, तो मैंने चीन में भारी संख्या में लोगों के मरने की खबर सुनी और इटली में वायरस फैलते ही हजारों प्रभावित हुए, मैंने कविता मैडम से पूछा कि क्या हम आपकी रक्षा कर सकते हैं, वरिष्ठ नागरिकों के Awaas परिवार । यह निर्णय लिया गया था कि आप, प्रिय लोगों को आपकी सुरक्षा के लिए बंद कर दिया जाना चाहिए । वहां अभी भी खतरा है कि परिसर के बाहर से सफाई और खानपान स्टाफ Awaas में वायरस ला सकता था ।   यह वही था जिसे 'गणना जोखिम' कहा जाता है। आप अब 3 सप्ताह के लिए में बंद कर दिया गया है । जबकि वायरस मुख्य रूप से बड़े कस्बों तक ही सीमित था आप सुरक्षित थे । भारत औद्योगिक विकास और जनसंख्या के आकार में चीन को प्रतिद्वंद्वी मानता है और उसके चीन के साथ घनिष्ठ संबंध नहीं हैं । इटली के विपरीत जहां चीन से सीधी उड़ानें थीं, जिसमें वुहान, प्रकोप के केंद्र में शहर शामिल था । इसका लिंक टेक्सटाइल इंडस्ट्री का था। के रूप में चीनी लोगों को अमीर बन गया वे पर्यटकों और इटली के उत्तर जो कई सुंदर ऐतिहासिक शहर...

 When I left you on 2 nd  March to return to England, I heard news of the enormous number of people dying in China, and the thousands affected as the virus spread to Italy, I asked Kavita Madam if we could protect you, the  Awaas  family of senior citizens. We decided that you, dear people, should be locked in for your protection. There was still the danger that cleaning and catering staff from outside the campus could bring the virus in to  Awaas .  It was what is called ‘a calculated risk’. You have been locked in for 3 weeks now. While the virus was mainly confined to large towns you were safe.        India regards China as a rival in industrial growth and population size and does not have close ties with China. Unlike Italy where there were direct flights from China, including Wuhan, the town at the centre of the outbreak. The link was the textile industry. As Chinese became  wealthier  they became tourists a...

  ANOTHER STORY FROM ONE OF OUR RESIDENTS.  On leaving India on March 2nd I asked some residents if they would write a story for me. I was delighted that Vinay Sharma sent me this story by email.  It brought tears to my eyes. The love that shines through in Vinay's writing is very touching. It made me think of my relationship with my own father. I was only seven years old when he died and  I have very few memories of him. He was in the RAF and it was wartime so I saw very little of him. After his death at  the age of  44 I learned other things about him from my mother and distant memories came back to me,.some good, some bad. Reading Vinay's love and close relationship with his father made me wish that I had had such a relationship with my own father.  MY FATHER by Vinaykumar Sharma The relationship I shared with my Father is too valuable to be put in words. My father had always been there for me right from my play school days.He i...

On the 2nd of March I was sad to leave the Awaas residents and staff  after a visit lasting 6 months. On 26th February I was given a good send off at a 'leaving party' in our neighbouring resort.  On my departure on 2nd March the dining room was filled with residents who  wished me a good journey and asked me to come back again. Ashokji presented with an envelope containing money gifted by the residents. I will buy something to remind me of my Awaas days. My most sincere thanks for this unnecessary, but treasured, gift. 82 yrs v. 88 years! This, my second visit to Awaas, has enabled me to get to know everybody much better. I put on my painting uniform again and once again gave those residents, who had newly painted walls, a choice of colours for their internal doors and cupboards.  I was able to give  physiotherapy treatment to Mr Abhyankar after his fall and by November he declared himself 'mended' and ready to play badminton again. Our daily bad...